1. Real Weddings

A Whimsical, Colorful Wedding at Marie Selby Gardens in Sarasota, Florida

Annie Egolf (35 and a cosmetologist) and Owen Meats’s (33 and chef) garden wedding takes whimsical to a new level. “We were goin

Annie Egolf (35 and a cosmetologist) and Owen Meats’s (33 and chef) garden wedding takes whimsical to a new level. “We were going for a vintage bohemian theme with a bit of gypsy flair for good measure,” Annie says. Letting the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida, be their blank canvas, Annie and Owen filled every inch with different decor. The ceremony was decked out with vibrant florals for a dramatic take on their natural setting. Then things got rustic with tons of wooden barrels and crates at the tented cocktail hour. Don’t get us started on the reception! Annie and Owen got the party started under a separate tent surrounded by jewel-tone curtains. Every guest's seat had a gold-trimmed place setting surrounded by bright tablescapes of pink, orange and purple flowers from Tiger Lily Flowers. For their sweetheart table, the couple got even more creative and brought the outside in with–get this–a “living vine" performer as their backdrop. See every eye-catching detail, beautifully captured by Binaryflips Photography, below.

At the recommendation of their wedding planner, Annie and Owen picked out their stationery from Write On, a local shop. Every ceremony fan captured the bright florals at their wedding with lines of yellow and blue flowers that separated the couple's calligraphy names.
Florida’s heat and humidity definitely played a part in Annie's hairstyle. She kept things natural and did loose curls so it wasn't affected by the weather too much. “It worked perfectly for the style of the wedding,” Annie says. Adding to their whimsical theme, she topped the curls with a lush crown of lilac roses, purple delphiniums, leaves and bright fuchsia orchids from Tiger Lily Flowers.
Annie isn't a fan of heels, so she opted for flat shoes with an unexpected design. She sported gold sandals with a T-strap and “wings” along the ankles. The style perfectly fit the whimsical theme.
Annie’s junior bridesmaid perfectly matched the rest of the women with her own ivory dress. To make the look stand out more, she paired her updo with a lush pink rose and orchid flower crown. Her bouquet added a bigger pop of color with bright purple, pink and lilac roses as well as yellow craspedia, green hydrangeas and purple delphiniums.
Her bridesmaids fully captured the whimsical feel of their day with long, bohemian dresses and bold flower crown. Each woman picked out her own ivory, champagne or off-white gown and jewelry—with a little help from Annie. “Honestly, I created a private Pinterest board for myself, the girls, Maria [the wedding planner] and the makeup artists,” she says. “I pinned a whole bunch of dresses and hairstyles and makeup looks, then let the girls interpret it however they chose. I loved seeing each of their personalities shine through.”
Their wedding was made even sweeter with a few custom elements. Their officiant for the ceremony was Owen’s best friend. They also incorporated a special moments to remember loved ones: “We had a candle burning for deceased family members, and Annie wore her grandmother’s wedding ring during the service,” Owen says.
With some input from the menswear pros at Martin Freeman, Annie and Owen decided all the groomsmen would wear a combination of light blue and brown. They also chose a casual English gentleman inspired-look. "The men really got into it—it was awesome,” Annie says. They picked out every detail of their looks, from the vests and ties to the suspenders and shirt styles. Some even wore pocket watches to give it a true “gentleman’s touch.”
Since each groomsmen took on his own English gentleman-inspired look, they were free to choose all accessories. Two of Owen’s attendants even wore chained pocket watches to match the theme.
Their cocktail hour had its own white tent complete with music from a jazz quartet and rustic decor. Guests caught up with one another around wooden barrels or white linen-covered tables as the caterer, Michael's on East, passed grilled cheese and tomato soup shooters.
This isn't your standard cocktail hour display! Annie and Owen made sure to add a rustic twist to their cheese and cracker station with wooden crate stands, barrel-table posts and metallic vintage servers for any additives.
Their cocktail hour was not without a few unexpected accents. On the side of their tent, Annie and Owen had a full roast pork on display. Greenery surrounded their dinner option, filled with pink and orange roses, fuchsia orchids and greenery from Tiger Lily Flowers also covered its head.
Unlike the white cocktail hour tent, their reception tent was filled with color. Everything from the chandelier shades to the curtains and the sashes along every other wooden reception chair included shades of red, orange, blue and purple.
Every place setting fit Annie and Owen's whimsical style. Gold detailing circled the rim of their water goblets, charger plates and dinnerware. Bright natural tablescapes of roses, ranunculus and greenery accented each one, adding a luxe contrast.
Annie and Owen worked with their planner from Choreographed Events to set up romantic lighting. Tealight candles or tall crystal candlesticks with glam draped crystals were in every tablescape at the reception at Marie Selby Gardens in Sarasota, Florida.
Annie fell in love with a picture of a super-bright bouquet and used it as the inspiration for their tablescapes. Each farm table was covered with colorful accents. This centerpiece alone had green-blue hydrangeas, purple roses, pink peonies, coral garden roses, yellow craspedia and purple delphiniums all inside a charcoal vase.
“I didn't want the flower arrangements to be too structured,” Annie says. "I wanted them to appear almost as though they were plucked right out of the Marie Selby Gardens.” Their florist, Tiger Lily Flowers, captured this notion with low natural, centerpieces of fuchsia, blush and peach roses alongside blue hydrangeas, greenery and eucalyptus that overflowed from gold breakaway vases.
Annie and Owen went with not one but three wedding cakes. Each naked confection had a different flavor including lemon, carrot or chocolate with a flavored buttercream icing in between. Their garden venue was also brought in with tons of bright roses, hydrangeas, wax flowers and wildflowers that circled every tier. The tallest wedding cake had this plus a sweet light-up heart cake topper.
Now this is one accent we didn't expect. The natural decoration behind their sweetheart table was actually a live performer from the Key Artist Group. The artist was covered in ivy, greenery and grape-inspired decor to bring the outdoor garden setting into the tented reception at Marie Selby Gardens in Sarasota, Florida.
Unlike the rest of the room, their sweetheart table had a more natural vibe with just a red curtain backdrop as their main burst of color. Each wooden breakaway vase along the front was overflowing with succulents and moss to fit the garden setting. Annie and Owen even set a “living vine” performer behind them to enhance the natural atmosphere.