Courtney + Ryan
Venue Le Mont Restaurant
Photography by Jenni Grace Photography
When Courtney and Ryan finally said, "I do" it had been a long time coming and I could not be happier for all the joy that they've had in their lives since then. This sweet couple reached out to Bramble & Blossom in 2019 -- remember 2019, back in the before time? Their plans for a May 2020 wedding at LeMont sounded dreamy - they wanted a soft, pastel palette and were excited to work with 100% American grown flowers. When we first chatted, we totally bonded over our mutual love of the great outdoors and especially hiking around Western Pennsylvania. I could tell right from the start that these two were a Bramble & Blossom couple!
Fast forward to ... you guessed it... March 2020. My very first pandemic-related email from a client.
It went like this:
Hi Jessica!
With our upcoming May 30th wedding and the unfortunate pandemic occurring, we are attempting to come up with a Plan B for our wedding as we see how things unfold over the next few weeks.
Could you please remind me of your cancellation/postpone policy?
Are refunds a possibility if you are not available for the date we postpone to?
If you allow us to postpone, can you let me know what available dates you have the remainder of the year?
Any Saturdays?
Thank you so much for your help with this and we are so apologetic for how this unfortunate time may be affecting your business,
Courtney & Ryan
Then, like everyone else without a crystal ball in March of 2020, and a true and unwaivering respect for my clients - I tried my best to help them work on Plan B.
First, I thanked them for being open and flexible, and agreed - this truly was outside any familiar experience I'd had as a florist since 2011. I carefully considered and answered each of their questions. Our cancellation + postponement policies allowed for flexibility and easy rescheduling. Because we only take on one full service event per day, we were able to offer them open weekend dates later in 2020 and into 2021 (more on that in a minute). I also walked them through what a refund would look like, if they did ultimately decide to cancel. Then I said the following about rescheduling, which I still belive:
Postponing or rescheduling your event not only makes for happy hearts - because I love to arrange flowers and see my clients celebrating their love! But, also makes for an incredible feeling of gratitude and security for not only myself and my team of freelance designers, but also the farmers who grow our flowers locally. Every event has a ripple effect on a wide network of folks, and we appreciate you choosing to work with us and help our businesses to thrive.
So we went into the unknown together, and after thinking it over and talking with their families, they decided to postpone. In April 2020, they pushed their date back to September 2020, and Bramble & Blossom was right there, ready to revise their floral design. We re-wrote our design plan to now feature locally grown pastel flowers in early Autumn. I loved that second design plan! I was feeling all the feels for Courtney carrying soft, pastel dahlias in her bridal bouquet.
But then....you guessed it!
Hey there, July 2020!
A second postponement for Courtney & Ryan (and like...just about everyone everywhere). A second round of back-and-forth emails with Courtney as she tried to gather as much information as she could to make a really hard decision. Another round of waiting to see if things would improve. They didn't. And so we all said yes to a new date, now in May 2021.
Back to those spring flowers! Bye cafe au lait dahlias! Hello, again, peonies!
And I loved this design plan, too. But most of all, when May 2021 came around, I loved seeing the JOY these two experienced on their long awaited wedding day. Every detail was so charming and radiated the kindness and calm that came from these two.
So without further ado - because we've clearly all waited long enough - here are some of my favorite images by the talented Jenni Grace from this beautiful May wedding celebration at LeMont.
Color Palette Neutrals
blush and cream or ivory blooms, with tiny hints of rosy pink or peach
Featured Flowers
Peonies, Ranunculus, Anemones, Roses, Petite Hydrangea, Lisianthus, Delphinium, Larkspur, Double Blooming Tulips, Narcissus, Waxflower, Snapdragon, Astilbe, Ranunculus, Cosmos, Wild Spray Rose, Fragrant Herbs: (Rosemary, Mint), Scabiosa, Wild Leafy Greens, Seasonal Blooming Branches and Wildflowers
Floral & Event Design: Bramble & Blossom
Planning: Kristen Kane Events
Photography: Jenni Grace Photography
Videography: FairyTale
Music: Steven Vance Entertainment
Live Painting by Live Painting PGH