Ways to Guide Us - Entrances

Old worldly and vintage or modern and sleek, wedding venues can vary greatly. Then there's even the outdoorsy woodland or beach wedding, or simple registry office setting. All can be punctuated with beautiful containers with enchanting flower arrangements and structural plants and trees. Entrances are what guide us to our destination. We rely on these structures to guide us into buildings or use temporary structures to guide us in an outdoor setting. As humans our everyday life is made less tense by entrances and sign posts near entrances, they grab our attention and filter us through a space. There's nothing more confusing than walking up to a building you're not familiar with and not instantly knowing where the entrance is.

Dependent on the wedding setting, some buildings and nature settings will not have that clear indicator for your guests. This also signals an opportunity to add something beautiful to accentuate an entrance and make an area inviting and aesthetically pleasing. Whether your wedding is in a jaw dropping building or a simple pared down wedding setting, a sprinkle of final flourishes with trees or flowers will lead to an atmospheric and polished look. Festivals and events can also use plants and trees to their advantage to guide people and create paths.

Entrances to churches and manor houses tend to have obvious entrances, but popping in some interest will make these gorgeous entrances even more special. Popular choices are jasmine arches, bay trees and olive tress. These add a formal moment that is un-fussy and allows stunning architecture to still shine through. The hard lines of rough stone or painted wood are softened and the green creates a serene feeling. There's something timeless about these simple forms and they complement rich and characterful buildings.

Floral arrangements can be integrated around entrances of centuries old architecture too. This will add a wow factor and impact as your guests are guided through a building. These shining jewels will add scent and interest and allow for some individualism. Arrangements can be tailored to your theme and colour scheme and allows for some creativity. Containers from vintage milk churns to ornate urns will finish of the look further.

If a scenic option is more your thing and your starry eyed-guests are loving that woodland wedding setting you've picked or the rolling waves at a special beach setting, there will be the need for some structure to the ceremony area or guidance to the entrance of a tipi for example. Romance is infused in these settings naturally, but structure is key to these free spirited weddings. Strong structural hardy palms, bay trees and topiary can deal with windswept clifftop weddings. Wild settings like this may also lead you to pick small trees with with flexible branches, like weeping willow that allow the sea breezes to pass freely without damage. While wooded and field weddings, unkempt and untamed, benefit from styled floral arrangements. Flanking a ceremony area adds structure and allows for romantic flora to add colour and highlights to a dark space. For alfresco weddings it's useful to use as much of what nature is dictating in a space and then carefully carve out areas for decor. Use for example a large oak tree as the focal point for the wedding ceremony and the floral arrangements and hired trees can lead your eye to this. For a beach wedding, the space between two rock formations that naturally frame the sea will dictate the positioning of a ceremony area or entrance to it. 

Creating a wedding setting of dreams relies on beautiful symmetry. Our eyes are drawn to this in nature and creates peace in our minds. Randomly placed trees and plants makes a space feel chaotic and we need to feel guided into a space to feel at ease. Beautifully decorated entrances certainly add atmosphere for the casual or extraordinary weddings. Sprinkling some colour, scent and a feast for the eyes will lure your guests nicely to the special ceremony area. It's something to consider for a wedding, as decorating or creating an entrance has a purpose and is another exciting element to think about for your wedding.

Bay Trees, olive trees, topiary, eucalyptus, weeping willow, ivy and hardy palms.

Lilly, rose, eucalyptus, ruscus, stocks, gladioli and fatsia japonica leaves.

Blue Fizz, Westcott Barton, World Inspired Tents, Yeti Vince Photography, Knots and Kisses, bromptonbuds, jasmineElle Make-Up, Darts Farm, Eveleigh Events, Mapperton Hose & Gardens, Katherine Newman Photography.