English Garden Magic at The Gardens

From spectacular floral arrangements and lush foliage inside, to the stunning surrounding gardens and gardens views outside (hello wisteria!), this vibrant garden wedding inspiration shoot is the perfect combination of playful whimsy and classic glamour.

If you’re already a fan of the outdoors then you’re going to love this venue! As well as it being a horticultural masterpiece, their Nordic tipis and wooden gazebo offer a picture perfect backdrop for any garden-inspired wedding.

If you can’t get enough of this whimsical theme, keep scrolling down to see more.

Emma says…

The Gardens is a picturesque garden wedding venue located in the heart of the Kent countryside. It offers couples exclusive use of its contemporary barn, Nordic tipis, and twelve acres of beautiful gardens for their wedding day.

The Gardens started life as an experimental community garden in the 1990s. The grounds are divided into sixteen garden areas that showcase different planting styles and techniques. It’s a horticultural masterpiece, once visited and admired by the green-fingered Prince Charles, and it bursts into seasonal displays of colour throughout the year.

In the center of it all, with panoramic views of the grounds, sits the beautiful wooden gazebo which has hosted hundreds of spectacular wedding ceremonies since The Gardens became a popular wedding venue in 2016.

The magic of the great British garden was the concept of this styled shoot. It was inspired by the romance of summer at The Gardens, when all 16 individual garden areas explode into colour, and the wisteria blooms into purple waterfalls.

Of course, in typical English fashion, it rained for almost the entire shoot. But this gave us the perfect opportunity to showcase the beauty and versatility of the interior areas at The Gardens by bringing the outside in. The bespoke Nordic tipis are complete with cascading fairy lights, and the contemporary barn is an inspiring space with views into the gardens.

The shoot exuded romance and that’s because our models, Michele & Graziella Wilder, are married in real-life with electric chemistry. They were photographed through the eyes of Thirdy Ado, a wedding photographer known for his high-end editorial style, and videographer Herwin Cabo, who perfectly captured the soft romance of the day.

Soft greens and purples, inspired by the surrounding English gardens during wisteria season, where huge swathes of purple waterfalls can be seen cascading from all four corners of the grounds.

The bridal dresses were provided by Lucia Veil Bridal, a modern bridal boutique in Kent that emphasises individuality and romance. Michele and Graziella wore dresses from the GAIA Bridal collection, which are designed and made in the UK. The dresses reflected the English romance of The Gardens beautifully, with floral embroidery and soft flowing details.

The style of jewellery can really impact the look of a bridal outfit so Custom and Co. Jewellery expertly styled this English garden shoot with a pair of stunning oval-shaped emerald rings, which really added drama to the photos. They wanted Michele and Graziella to be dripping in diamonds, so they teamed a stunning pave solitaire engagement ring with their personal favourite – a marquise cut 18ct white gold engagement ring.

Michele and Graziella’s make-up and hair were the vision of Luxe Hair & Makeup, who created an elegant, modern, and stylish feel to complement the soft romance of the English garden theme.

The venue was styled to English garden perfection by Floral Explosion, a recommended supplier at The Gardens alongside its sister wedding venues, The Orangery and The Castle Westenhanger.

The tables inside the tipis were styled by Black Saucers, who paired luxurious dark green napkins, emerald goblets, and Chiaro wine glasses with pluto gold cutlery that perfectly complemented the garden theme.

Wedding favours included delicately hand-painted macarons by Bluebell Kitchen, with purple wisteria and pink roses. The magnificent green ombre macaron cake, adorned with white sprays, offered a fabulous alternative to a traditional wedding cake.

Inspired by the surrounding gardens, Floral Explosion designed the flowers to bring the outside in. They decorated the tipis with hanging foliage and soft candlelight to enhance the tented setting, beautiful by day and romantic by night.

The bridal bouquets by Floral Explosion were inspired by the English garden flowers in earthy tones, dusky lavender, stone, and a hint of blush with dried foliage and flowers that can be found at The Gardens. They were beautifully designed to complement the seasonal wisteria flowering overhead.

We hope to inspire you to take inspiration from the wedding venue you’ve booked when planning and styling your special day. If you’ve chosen a garden wedding venue like The Gardens, it’s a great idea to ask your wedding coordinator for photos of how the grounds will look during your wedding month and what flowers they predict will be in bloom. Not only can you consider incorporating elements of the outside into the rest of your day, but you can share this information with your photographer so that you don’t miss any unmissable photo opportunities, such as standing underneath the cascading wisteria or making the most of a nearby wildflower field.