The Grounds of Alexandria turns its café and garden spaces into wedding venues in the evening: The Garden, the Garden Room and the fountain courtyard for ceremonies. It's lush and green already, with hanging plants, timber and festoon lights, so the flowers have a lot to work with. We've designed the flowers for four weddings there since 2022. Here's what we've set up and what works.
Long tables in The Garden by candlelight, September 2024.
At a glance
| Space | Used for | What works |
|---|---|---|
| The Garden | Reception | Long tables with bud vases in clusters and lots of candles |
| Garden Room | Reception | Bud vases down long tables, cheesecloth runners, pillar candles in glass |
| Fountain courtyard | Ceremony | Arrangements that can be reused on the tables or the cake |
Long tables and bud vases
Because the space is already full of greenery, most couples choose long banquet tables with bud vases rather than big centrepieces. We cluster single stems in threes, scatter pillars and tealights between them, and leave room for shared plates. Bright colour reads well against all that green, especially at night under the festoon lights.
Bright bud vases and candlelight in The Garden, September 2024.
The Garden Room
For a smaller wedding in the Garden Room, we kept to a warm palette of peach and orange: bud vases down each table, sage cheesecloth runners and pillar candles in glass, with matching flowers on the cake from The Grounds' own patisserie.
The Garden Room, August 2024.
Peach and orange bud vases, and flowers on the cake (photos: Idlewild Creative).
Timing and logistics
- The Grounds is a working café by day. It closes mid-afternoon, then the venue sets the tables, so our set-up window is short.
- We prepare as much as possible in the studio so the flowers go straight onto the tables.
- The venue can set up a wrapping station so guests can take flowers home.
- Shared-plate menus need low table flowers, which is another reason bud vases work so well here.
A peach and orange bouquet to match the tables.
Real weddings at The Grounds
See Sonia and James's red rose wedding, with 190 white roses hung among the plants above the tables in The Garden.
See more real setups on our Grounds of Alexandria Pinterest board.
The Grounds of Alexandria wedding flowers FAQ
How much do wedding flowers cost at The Grounds?
There's no set price. It depends on your guest numbers, the space, and how full you'd like the tables. After your enquiry we send a tailored range estimate, then a detailed proposal. Our guide to wedding flower pricing explains what drives it.
Do we need a lot of flowers, given how green it is?
Usually not. Bud vases and candles go a long way here, and colour is what makes them stand out.
How long do you need to set up?
The window is short because the café closes first, so we plan everything to be ready to place.
Planning a wedding at The Grounds?
Tell us your date, the space and the moments you'd like flowers for, and we'll send a tailored range estimate. See our work as a Sydney wedding florist or start your enquiry.
Photography: Idlewild Creative, plus photos from our team.