Willard Intercontinental Wedding with Chinoiserie

This past summer, one of Washington, DC’s most historic hotels played host to one of the most simple, stunning weddings we have had the pleasure of producing. This Willard Hotel wedding with chinoiserie featured an abundance of hydrangea and took place on one of the most perfect late summer days of August. The result was a gorgeous mix of east meets west, tradition meets classic! Wendy and Erik’s vision of soft pastels complemented by blue and white chinoiserie vases came to life beautifully. The expression on their faces as they entered the ballroom says it all!

Wendy carried a lush and beautiful bouquet of pale pink and white garden roses accented with white lisianthus. For her bridesmaids, only the softest pink Sweet Eskimo roses would do, offset perfectly by their pale blue bridesmaids’ gowns. And inside the Willard Hotel’s Crystal Room, the tables were set with a similar floral palette designed using hydrangea, roses, and touches of stock and lisianthus. The soft, muted colors made quite a statement within the ornate ballroom.

The couple tied the knot in the Crystal Room. Flanking them were two classic designs in whites and pinks atop glass pilsner vases. The centerpieces for this Willard Hotel wedding were simple and understated. Mounds of white and light pink hydrangea filled blue-white chinoiserie bowls. The true show stopper, however, was the sweetheart table. An eclectic mix of chinoiserie containers each held a bouquet of blooms. Glass-enclosed taper candles and pillar candles were interspersed amongst the vases, both on the tabletop and skirting the front, for a truly romantic and dramatic focal point to the room.

Personal touches really make a difference in a wedding, and this one was filled with them. While we loved the chinoiserie vases at each table, the whimsical bamboo steamer favor boxes really carried the design to the next level. The beautiful elements made Wendy and Erik’s wedding the personal event that they so deserved.

Willard Intercontinental Hotel Wedding with chinoiserie

Photo by Emily Blumberg

Bridesmaid bouquets of sweet escimo roses

Photo by Emily Blumberg

Bridesmaids carry bouquets of sweet escimo roses

Photo by Emily Blumberg

Willard Intercontinental wedding ceremony

Photo by Emily Blumberg

Willard Hotel wedding venue in the Crystal Ballroom Intercontinental wedding reception

Photo by Emily Blumberg

Willard Intercontinental wedding elevated centerpiece

Photo by Emily Blumberg

Willard Intercontinental wedding reception

Photo by Emily Blumberg

Chinoiserie vases for Willard intercontinental sweetheart table with sweet escimo roses

Photo by Emily Blumberg

Willard Intercontinental wedding sweetheart table with sweet escimo roses

Photo by Emily Blumberg

Venue: Willard Hotel

Photography: Emily Blumberg Photography

Florist: Petal’s Edge

Let’s talk about the “just a few extra blooms” request. Spoiler: there’s no such thing as extra in the world of flowers. Every stem you see, from delicate sweet peas and perfect ranunculus to lush roses, was bought with intention because flowers are literally our business. 🌸

The blooms for a single flat lay? Retail price any where from $20 to $75 and up. And. Up. Why the mark up? Because selling flowers is how we make our living. It pays the team, the rent, the cooler, transportation costs, and more. (It’s not just petals and poetry over here). Multiply that by 50 - 70 weddings a season and you’re looking at over $3k in gift blooms. That doesn’t include the myriad of other free blooms we get asked for: cake flowers, passing tray flowers, sample arrangements and more. That’s not generosity. That’s payroll.

Here’s how we handle it: We offer all our couples the option to include flat lay florals. If yes, we build it into the proposal so everyone wins. The couple gets their dreamy detail shots, the photographer gets beautiful product to work with, and we stay in business. Fairness (and beauty) for all.

No shade to photographers and other wedding vendors here. But boundaries are healthy. Everyone’s work deserves compensation. Be kind. Ask questions. Respect the craft. Love the results.

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Let’s talk about the “just a few extra blooms” request. Spoiler: there’s no such thing as extra in the world of flowers. Every stem you see, from delicate sweet peas and perfect ranunculus to lush roses, was bought with intention because flowers are literally our business. 🌸

The blooms for a single flat lay? Retail price any where from $20 to $75 and up. And. Up. Why the mark up? Because selling flowers is how we make our living. It pays the team, the rent, the cooler, transportation costs, and more. (It’s not just petals and poetry over here). Multiply that by 50 - 70 weddings a season and you’re looking at over $3k in gift blooms. That doesn’t include the myriad of other free blooms we get asked for: cake flowers, passing tray flowers, sample arrangements and more. That’s not generosity. That’s payroll.

Here’s how we handle it: We offer all our couples the option to include flat lay florals. If yes, we build it into the proposal so everyone wins. The couple gets their dreamy detail shots, the photographer gets beautiful product to work with, and we stay in business. Fairness (and beauty) for all.

No shade to photographers and other wedding vendors here. But boundaries are healthy. Everyone’s work deserves compensation. Be kind. Ask questions. Respect the craft. Love the results.

Jazz-age elegance meets Shakespearean drama. For the 2025 Folger Shakespeare Library`s Annual Gala, we channeled the Gatsby vibes and the Harlem Renaissance through gilded palms, white ostrich feathers, and rhythmic textures built for an evening of music and movement. This year’s celebration honored Shakespeare’s lasting place in American culture and welcomed new director Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper with a floral story full of swing and shimmer.⁣
⁣
Special thanks to Sarah Cissna of The Side Lobby for her inspired creative leadership. The night was a perfect blend of theater, history, and bold design. Events like this remind us that flowers don’t just decorate a room, they carry its soul.⁣
⁣
📍@folgerlibrary⁣
🍽 @designcuisine⁣
📷 @elmanstudio⁣
💐 @petalsedgedc⁣
📋 @thesidelobby

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Jazz-age elegance meets Shakespearean drama. For the 2025 Folger Shakespeare Library's Annual Gala, we channeled the Gatsby vibes and the Harlem Renaissance through gilded palms, white ostrich feathers, and rhythmic textures built for an evening of music and movement. This year’s celebration honored Shakespeare’s lasting place in American culture and welcomed new director Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper with a floral story full of swing and shimmer.⁣
⁣
Special thanks to Sarah Cissna of The Side Lobby for her inspired creative leadership. The night was a perfect blend of theater, history, and bold design. Events like this remind us that flowers don’t just decorate a room, they carry its soul.⁣
⁣
📍@folgerlibrary⁣
🍽 @designcuisine⁣
📷 @elmanstudio⁣
💐 @petalsedgedc⁣
📋 @thesidelobby

Some venues ask for flowers. Others demand a dialogue. At the Corcoran Gallery of Art (RIP), the room itself was a masterpiece. Marble columns, grand lines, and just enough shadow for drama. So we kept the florals monochromatic and structural: elegant white blooms along long tables, punctuated by candlelight. Soft folds of draped fabric enhanced the intimacy of an otherwise grand space. The result wasn’t just decoration. It was atmosphere. A moment where floral design became part of the architecture, and the room exhaled in light.⁣
⁣
📍Corcoran Gallery of Art⁣
🍽 @welldunncatering⁣
📷 @timmesterphotography⁣
💐 @petalsedgedc

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Some venues ask for flowers. Others demand a dialogue. At the Corcoran Gallery of Art (RIP), the room itself was a masterpiece. Marble columns, grand lines, and just enough shadow for drama. So we kept the florals monochromatic and structural: elegant white blooms along long tables, punctuated by candlelight. Soft folds of draped fabric enhanced the intimacy of an otherwise grand space. The result wasn’t just decoration. It was atmosphere. A moment where floral design became part of the architecture, and the room exhaled in light.⁣
⁣
📍Corcoran Gallery of Art⁣
🍽 @welldunncatering⁣
📷 @timmesterphotography⁣
💐 @petalsedgedc

Like Cinderella at the stroke of midnight, summer slipped quietly into memory. But not before giving us this moment. Alli & Graham’s floral arch spun from soft blues, creamy whites, and petal layers light enough to feel enchanted. Designed for their waterside ceremony at Celebrations at the Bay, this arch was pure storybook romance. No glass slippers required, just the kind of magic flowers can still conjure long after the clock strikes fall. Here’s to the gentler goodbyes, and to floral fairytales that don’t wilt at the word ‘season.’

📍@celebrationsatthebay
🍽 @catering_by_uptown
📷 @katefineart
💐 @petalsedgedc
💄@mimibtran
📋 @margobrightoccasions

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Like Cinderella at the stroke of midnight, summer slipped quietly into memory. But not before giving us this moment. Alli & Graham’s floral arch spun from soft blues, creamy whites, and petal layers light enough to feel enchanted. Designed for their waterside ceremony at Celebrations at the Bay, this arch was pure storybook romance. No glass slippers required, just the kind of magic flowers can still conjure long after the clock strikes fall. Here’s to the gentler goodbyes, and to floral fairytales that don’t wilt at the word ‘season.’

📍@celebrationsatthebay
🍽 @catering_by_uptown
📷 @katefineart
💐 @petalsedgedc
💄@mimibtran
📋 @margobrightoccasions

As baseball season wraps, we’re celebrating a win of our own: bringing Petal’s Edge floral magic to Nationals Park for a special event. While most days take us to historic houses and grand ballrooms, we love the chance to design somewhere unexpected. Because flowers don’t just belong in gardens. They shine in stadiums too!

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As baseball season wraps, we’re celebrating a win of our own: bringing Petal’s Edge floral magic to Nationals Park for a special event. While most days take us to historic houses and grand ballrooms, we love the chance to design somewhere unexpected. Because flowers don’t just belong in gardens. They shine in stadiums too!

When the bride wears black, everything else falls into place. At Lauren & Alan’s Hotel Monaco wedding, the candlelight flickered against layers of greenery, lanterns, and shadow. The palette whispered more than it spoke. White flowers wouldn’t have belonged here; this was a story told in texture, depth, and restraint.

There’s power in contrast: light against dark, softness against structure, the unexpected choice that somehow feels inevitable once you see it. The design was less about decoration and more about atmosphere. Mysterious, elegant, and entirely unforgettable.

📍 @monacodc
📷 @carlelixirstudio
💐 @petalsedgedc

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