It was a grey day in June when Kalpana and Amila exchanged their “I do’s” in a colorful Carnegie Institute celebration in Washington, DC. This happy couple’s chosen florals truly brought life to the festivities! Kalpana came to us with a vision of bold, saturated shades of navy, gold, red and pink, giving us the opportunity to create a variety of lush designs for their special day.
Inspired by the vivid color palette, we created for Kalpana an elegant hand-tied bouquet in a range of fuschias, reds and burgundies with hints of deep blue. Piano garden roses, burgundy spray roses, burgundy dahlias and hot pink mini calla lilies were just some of the blooms we used. For her bridesmaids, we complemented their rich red gowns with a mix of roses and other stems in red, hot pink and light pink with touches of white. Amila’s and his groomsmen’s boutonnieres reflected these same shades, with mini calla lilies in burgundy and hot pink.
For Kalpana’s and Amila’s simple, yet dramatic mandap – the focal point for their colorful Carnegie Institute celebration ceremony – we started our design on a canvas of rich gold fabric, swagged on the sides to create a more intimate-feeling space. From there, we added a lush posy on each of the front corners of the mandap, as well as in the center of the front support poles, with similar blooms in reds, fuschias and pinks, accented by seeded eucalyptus foliage. For the couple’s reception, we contrasted the elegant, neutral tones of the Carnegie Institution’s ballroom with striking pops of color throughout. On some guest tables, fuschia dendrobium orchids and red mokara orchids burst from tall, fluted glass vases; other guest tables were accented with a textured mix of roses, hydrangea, and stock in tones of red, pink and burgundy, displayed in navy fabric-wrapped square vases. We loved being part of Kalpana’s and Amila’s classic Washington, DC wedding with a modern, colorful twist!
Venue: Carnegie Institution for Science
Caterer: Main Event Caterers
Photography: Todd Laffler, Laffler Photography
Florist: Petal’s Edge Floral Design
