Sonia and James married in August 2026 with a ceremony under the paperbarks at Centennial Park and a reception in The Garden at The Grounds of Alexandria. The brief was old Hollywood glamour with a touch of fairyland: red roses, lots of them, with white for lightness and burgundy and dusty pink for depth.
Sonia and James with their bridal party under the hanging white roses in The Garden (photo: Salt Atelier)
The brief
Red was the starting point. Sonia wanted block-coloured clusters of red roses alongside softer mixed clusters that brought in the rest of the palette: white, dusty pink and burgundy. The bridesmaids wore red, so their bouquets went all white to sit against the dresses, and Sonia's bouquet went the other way, deep red and burgundy with a touch of white borrowed from theirs.
Sonia's bouquet of red roses, burgundy anthuriums, dahlias and amaranthus, and the all-white bridesmaid bouquets (photos: Salt Atelier)
Ceremony at Centennial Park
The ceremony was in one of the paperbark groves, which gives you tall trunks and dappled light and not much else, so the flowers had to make the space. We built six clusters of red, white and pink on the arch, with roses, dahlias, amaranthus, cymbidium orchids and tulips, and lined the aisle with eight floor clusters in the same mix. Two smaller clusters dressed the signing table, three the welcome sign, and three more sat with the musicians.
The arch and aisle clusters in the paperbark grove at Centennial Park (photo: Salt Atelier)
The ceremony at the arch, and Sonia walking in past the aisle clusters (photos: Salt Atelier)
Portraits in the park after the ceremony (photos: Salt Atelier)
Reception in The Garden at The Grounds
The Garden already has hanging plants and festoon lighting, so the venue suggested we hook into the existing fixtures rather than rig anything new. We wired about 190 white roses, with a scatter of red, above the long tables and the bridal table, so they hung among the greenery and the lights. On the tables, 60 bud vases in reds, pinks and white ran down the length between the candles, and the bridal table carried a fuller piece in front of the couple. The bar had red roses only.
White roses wired among the hanging plants above the tables (photos: Salt Atelier)
The Garden set for dinner (photos: Salt Atelier)
The bridal table, and the long tables with bud vases and candles (photos: Salt Atelier)
Draping and fairy lights at the entrance to The Garden (photo: Salt Atelier)
The details that made it work
- The arch clusters were built to lift straight off, so after the ceremony they went to The Grounds for the bar and the entrance.
- Hanging the roses from the existing plant hooks and light fittings meant no rigging and a quick bump-in before guests arrived.
- Keeping the bridesmaid bouquets white against red dresses, and the bridal bouquet red against white, gave the photos contrast without adding more colours.
- Sixty bud vases rather than big centrepieces kept the long tables open for sharing plates and conversation.
Suppliers
Photography: Salt Atelier. Celebrant: Oliver Thomson. Hair and makeup: Melissa Sassine and Hair by Kalli. Coordination: Samantha Burke. MC and DJ: Unity Entertainment. Venues: Centennial Parklands and The Grounds of Alexandria.
Planning your own wedding flowers?
If you're marrying at The Grounds, our Grounds of Alexandria wedding flowers guide shows what we've set up in each space. For Centennial Park ceremonies, see our Centennial Homestead guide. Tell us your date, venue 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.
Love the photos? Meet the best wedding photographers in Sydney we've worked with.