A Wildflower Wedding at The Idaho Botanical Gardens

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My new wife (yay!) and I are having trouble finding words to describe just how much Wayward Greens added to our wedding day. We initially met Sam at the Love is Love event in the winter, and were immediately warmed by her energy and kindness. In our first meeting with her, we felt we had known her for years. She was kind, positive, energetic, professional, listened intently, and spent time getting to know us to get a better idea of what we would want on our special day. Our wedding was “wildflower” theme, and Wayward Greens captured the aesthetic perfectly. My wife and I have the same souls with different styles- Sam was able to make each of our bouquets in a way that made us feel so seen and special. Her wildflower arrangements looked like they had blossomed right out of the ground. The table centerpieces were colorful, unique, perfectly arranged, and vibrant. My handmade lavender and baby’s breath hair piece made me feel like a freakin’ queen! Our guests were completely blown away and raved about the flowers all night long!! We will recommend Wayward Greens to every person we know in the Treasure Valley that is getting married, especially to our beloved Queer community. The vibrancy, color, uniqueness, organic love feeling that these flowers added to our wedding will make us smile for a lifetime. THANK YOU, SAM!!!

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Brea + Kelli

Local is the name of the game when you're talking about wildflowers in June and in Boise, that means community + the Idaho Botanical Gardens. For this couple, wildflowers were a no- brainer! I'm going to tell you a little story about how I met this adorable couple (because it's embarrassing), then tell you about their fun wildflower wedding theme!

From shoeless stranger to fast friends- a story about finding your people.

Brea + Kelli came to “Love is Love”- an inclusive wedding expo in Boise on a cold January night in 2024, it was late and we were about to start breaking everything down. Color me embarrassed when I had just kicked my boots off and this lovely couple struts in, walks right up and starts eyeing my floral installation. The panic, the regret, the horror! But here we were! What else could I do but introduce myself and play it off like I was totally professional, standing there in front of them, with no shoes! Of all the horrible scenarios that ran through my head at that moment; thinking these people were going to be completely put off or weirded out, what I did not expect was for them to be totally un-phased and incredibly personable. That is exactly who they were! I couldn't have imagined that a year later we would be sitting in a boba shop, like old friends, buttoning up details on their booth for "Love is Love 2025".

Two beautiful brides in a garden — Photo credit: Thistle & Pine Creative

These two have a wildflower love story, they are genuinely kind + caring and compliment each other so beautifully. Their June wedding was at the Idaho Botanical Gardens and every detail was thoughtfully + authentically them. Handcrafted wildflower soap favors, a tall well-dressed bartender- sporting a wonderful getup of beard blooms + beer, and wildflowers sprouting up at every turn, all to illustrate the wonderful love and life they are building together.

Brea + Kelli wanted to have a casual and genuine garden party to celebrate their love. And that, they did! Their beautiful ceremony took place in the “English Garden” where a sandstone wall, framed with lush green wisteria sat as the background. A charming water fountain sat front and center, adding depth and dimension to the scene. Careful to maintain the natural garden look, my job was to bring in the wildflowers! Starting with a couple of ground- meadows, creeping inward from each pillar using moss and natural groupings to mimic a real garden. Adding a few smaller pieces throughout the ceremony space, taking advantage of the water feature and playing up the depth, we made it look as if the flowers were sprouting up out of the slate.

Watching their ceremony unfold was a gift! The love, joy and authenticity came in heaping buckets. Delighting everyone, their dear friend danced his way down the aisle tossing petals and handing out beer.

Two gorgeous brides made their way down the aisle taking everyone's breath away. Exchanging their personalized vows, the guests were taken on a journey through their love story with tears, laughter and cheers. I couldn't help but feel so grateful to have met these amazing humans.

Hearts absolutely bursting with joy, guests headed over to the reception where we had mossy clusters with wildflower growth centerpieces. Each one unique, its own little meadow with a gorgeous photo of the couple and meaningful framed quote. The reception was full of kind words, love and celebration in the most colorful and authentic way possible. Two beautifully dressed, perfectly manicured and done-up brides pulling big funky wigs on their heads and dancing the night away with their family + friends. Absolute perfection!

Wig wearing brides pose on the dance floor — Photo Credit: Thistle + Pine Creative

Brea + Kelli walk through life with love and intention. All the kind and caring people they attract along the way are proof of that. Their officiant was a long time friend who introduced the two! Their wedding planner, Anna McDaniel with Fancy That has the same love and intention poured into everything she does. Their Bartenders with Brown Beard Brewing were already longtime friends of the two. Another connection made through the Love is Love 2024 Expo was Tom + Michael with HomeFound Boise, who helped them find and buy their dream home then ended up attending the wedding as friends. Their favors were lovingly crafted by their talented friend Marni with Dancing Moon Soap. Even their florist, who started as a shoeless stranger, was pulled in with love and friendship immediately. Floral design is my passion and pairing with clients who give my work purpose through connection, inspiration and creativity is the dream.

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