We are so excited to announce the grand prize winner of this year’s “Win Your Wedding Flowers” contest: Lily and Joe Amberg! They held a modern and elegant gothic wedding using unique decor, infusing the ceremony and reception with dark and opulent details. Read on to learn more about their love story and how they brought their mystical October wedding to life!
The Love Story
Joe and Lily first met in middle school where they became friends and even sat at the same lunch table. Although they ended up attending different high schools, and therefore losing touch after graduation, the two reconnected after Lily graduated college and after Joe returned from his deployment.
In October 2013, Joe proposed to Lily in their first apartment together with their fur babies, Trouble and Mr. Bones, as their witness. Lily and Joe tied the knot five years later on October 13th, 2018 at the Vandiver Inn in Havre De Grace, Maryland — its gorgeous Victorian architecture was the perfect complement to the autumn weather.
“I looked up a lot of October and Halloween wedding pins on Pinterest and pulled elements from those to mix with traditional wedding elements. We didn’t want anything too dark or kitschy so we knew that our flowers and decor would play a huge part in translating our vision,” said Lily.
Lily opted for a beautiful celestial-inspired gown rather than the traditional white dress. She finished the look with custom-made jewelry from Brass Dragon.
“My dress was midnight blue with some sheer black tulle and shimmering celestial embroidery on it. I wanted to make sure I had a hint of blue in the decor so I went with the blue thistles which symbolize unity, victory, and endurance, which I thought was fitting,” she said.
The color palette consisted of deep red, burgundy, and plum. The bride also incorporated light colors like blush, lavender, and ivory to lighten the color palette.
FiftyFlowers to the Rescue!
Wedding planning got stressful when the florist Lily had originally booked went out of business. As a result, that fall-through turned out to be a blessing in disguise, though, because it led her to FiftyFlowers.com. “I stumbled upon FiftyFlowers and immediately felt relieved. I worked with Violet (a member of the FiftyFlowers customer service team) and she is an absolute lifesaver!”
With the help of her now-husband, they were able to create gorgeous gothic floral arrangements using FiftyFlower’s wholesale flowers. “Joe was literally my bouquet model, he held his hands together and stood still while I added more and more stems at different angles. I think the fact that we created the arrangements together also helped our vision become a reality, we work well as a team,” Lily said.
Here’s exactly what Lily ordered to create stunning DIY gothic bouquets and arrangements for her October wedding!
Lily’s Wholesale Flower Order
- 100 stems of burgundy snapdragon
- 50 stems of scabiosa pods
- 100 stems of 50 shades of early grey roses
- large eucalyptus wedding DIY Greenery Box
- 50 stems of blue thistle
- medium delicate garden DIY combo pack
- 10 bunches of red hanging amaranthus
- 20 stems of latifolia protea
- 10 bunches of good night bahlia
- 50 stems of black magic roses
- 150 stems of burgundy carnations
1. Gothic Bridal Bouquet
This dreamy gothic wedding bouquet features an array of flowers like blue thistle, dahlias, protea, scabiosa and hanging amaranthus. Greenery like silver dollar, baby eucalyptus and more added the perfect amount of fullness and texture.
2. Maid of Honor Bouquet
The maid of honor bouquet was just as lavish! The maid of honor’s greenery-filled bouquet featured a fall color palette, perfect for an October wedding.
3. Floral Centerpieces
These lush arrangements filled with cascading greenery and delicate flowers looked incredible against the navy blue linen tablecloth.
4. Ceremony Decor
The ceremony decor was kept simple with opulent details and fresh roses petals lining the aisle.
5. Flowers on the end of Aisle
This October wedding wasn’t complete without clusters of pumpkins embellished with fresh flowers.
6. Ceremony Aisle Chair Arrangements
Every other chair featured a gorgeous small arrangement made up of greenery and protea.
7. Seating Chart Table Arrangement
Lily kept things simple, yet elegant with her seating chart. The venue’s Victorian style and dark colors added a sense of moodiness to the display.
8. Guest Book Table Arrangement
The bride enhanced her guest book table with a small arrangement made up statement flowers like protea and roses. Flowers like thistle, scabiosa and greenery were also added, which provided the perfect amount of texture and interest.
9. Skulls Embellished with Fresh Flowers
Scattered throughout the venue were these dramatic skulls embellished with fresh flowers.
10. Victorian-Inspired Wedding Cake
A gorgeous three-tier wedding cake with gold details fit in perfectly with the bride’s elegant gothic style!
Behind-the-Scenes Team of Wedding Rockstars
- Photographer: Black, White and Raw Photography
- Dress Designer: Tadashi Shoji
- Venue: Vandiver Inn
- Hair and Makeup: Jenn Haines of Gloss Philly
If you want to submit your own flower story, here’s where you can submit your own. Or if you’re in the process of planning wedding flowers, feel free to reach out to us at 877-507-6737 or chat with us live on FiftyFlowers.com.
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