Floral Chandelier, Greenhouse Décor and a Kentucky Horse Farm Wedding

Natural settings with breathtaking scenery continue to be a popular wedding trend. Barns, gardens, beaches and wineries are often first choice. In Kentucky, its upscale horse farms.

What’s so special about celebrating an event on a horse farm?

“The Kentucky horse farms are among the most beautiful venues in the world,” says John Kittinger AIFD, Manager of The Best of Flowers Lexington, Kentucky. 

Think rolling fields, thoroughbred horses, and the rehearsal dinner hosted in a greenhouse.

Which floral designs would you use to decorate this lavish event?

For John, the elegant horse farm wedding was the perfect showtime for a stellar floral chandelier.

Showtime Hanger Chandelier

Was this an easy sell? “The customer trusted us with creating the look of this design, and it made the whole room pop,” responds John. 

How was the showstopper created onsite?

• Accent Decor Showtime Hangers were used as the foundation of the design.
• Two hangers were hung from the party barn ceiling.
• The contractor made sure each hanger could hold up to 100 pounds.
• Blocks of water-saturated floral foam were cut in half long-ways.
• 10 foam pieces were used per hanger to offer controlled flower placement.
• Glass water tubes filled with flowers hung beneath the design.
• The chandelier was arranged on site, taking three hours to complete. 

John, the ‘Best Flowers’ crew and Roger Dennis A.A.E., AIFD, AAF, PFCI, KMF (Assistant Professor of Horticulture at Western Kentucky) installed all of the floral arrangements that were made in advance at the shop. Saving the ‘showtime’ chandelier design to be created onsite.

The bride requested cherry blossoms, but it was too late in the season for fresh ones. Faux cherry blossoms were added to the otherwise fresh arrangements. This was a bonus when it came to reducing the weight of the hanging design.

Wedding ceremony horseshoe

“It takes an army of workers to put on something like this,” explains John. “We had four trucks working all day to bring everything to the farm.

The wedding flowers were custom designed for a working horse farm outside Lexington. The farm has been completely renovated over the past three years.

A beautiful event space emerged once roads were built, barns and buildings updated, and a greenhouse added.

Floral décor for the wedding ceremony was placed at the base of a Grecian column in a natural setting. The flowers formed the apropos shape of a floral horseshoe.

• Floral foam was hot-glued into brick trays then filled with water.
• The individual flower arrangements were made in advance at the shop.
• The designs were delivered and positioned together as a horseshoe onsite.

Reception in the party barn

The party barn was filled with fresh flowers that coordinated beautifully with the hanging chandelier. Pillar and votive candles added visual warmth to the room and highlighted the table decor.

Which height of candle should you use for an event? Watch this video for tips.

A variety of design styles were mixed to decorate the room with an eclectic flair.

• Fresh greenery table garlands with flowers tucked in.
• Rectangular glass vases filled with short-stemmed blooms.

Floral foam hot glued into Lomey dishes became the mechanic for:

• Table centerpieces of roses, hydrangea, stock, dianthus and dusty miller.
• Lush coordinating arrangements with Italian ruscus for the windowsills.

Decorative lanterns completed the theme.

Greenhouse events, an emerging trend

An increasing number of brides are choosing unique event spaces. Greenhouse events are growing in popularity.

“This event happened to be in a greenhouse because the farm had just built a new one,” offers John. “It will eventually be used as a working greenhouse for growing things for the farm.”

Collections of herbs, orchids, and succulents potted in aged terracotta pots mixed with fresh cut stems of gerbera daisies graced these greenhouse tables.

The challenges?

What’s the challenge to working in a greenhouse site?

Flowers and plants used for décor must be heat tolerant since the weather is unpredictable. When a greenhouse is filled with plants, heat and humidity can be an issue.

On a horse farm?

Trash removal in the aftermath was a challenge. No garbage dumpsters are allowed on the property.

“Everything must be taken away and disposed of away from the farm,” explains John. “There are million-dollar horses on these farms and nothing that can get into their systems is allowed to be left onsite.” 

“You must make list after list after list of items you need when designing onsite,” he continues. “The good thing for us is that we had access to the site all day,”

“Having 24-hour access to the farm was our biggest perk,” explains John. “We could come and go as much as needed.” 

Rustic romance

Rustic romance. Breath-taking scenery. Thoroughbred horses. The combination of these magical elements can help to create a storybook wedding. For more rustic romance inspiration click here.

What ideas can you share in the comments below for celebrating on a horse farm or other natural site?