Ready to feel like you’re walking into a colorful, whimsical English garden with butterflies filling the air?

This beautiful bridal shower was designed for a client who is incredibly stylish and fashion-forward, so our design process started with her love of fashion. Because the bride to-be was planning to wear- all white, I suggested we focus the florals and decor on lovely pops of color. A magical garden party environment would celebrate her big moment and allow her to shine bright surrounded by the colorful garden scene! To add another layer of fun and whimsey, we took inspiration from the Gucci butterfly and made butterflies a repeating theme throughout the event.

The best thing about this process was the freedom I had to dream big on behalf of my client. I was able to create something beyond what she had been able to envision for herself, and as a designer that is my biggest goal. My advice to anyone planning their own special event is to choose wonderful vendors and artists you trust and then let them work their magic!

Tiered white cake and floral display at butterfly garden party themed bridal shower designed by Eddie Zaratsian Lifestyle & Design

For the lush, organic floral arrangements we used dahlias, delphinium, snap dragons, garden roses, hydrangeas, cosmos and spray carnations, with southern smilax as greenery. Tall centerpieces decorated the dining tables, and large, billowing arrangements surrounded the tiered, white, butterfly decorated cake. I love to build dramatic installations like this cake display on-site, in the moment. Being in the space gives me a sense of atmosphere and scale and allows me to create something that truly elevates the guests’ experience.

To help the bright colors really pop in the space, we kept the glassware, tables and even the chairs to a clear and white palette. The table linens and napkins were made of woven linen to add texture. At each place setting we used a wood grain charger plate from Casa de Perrin, topped with dinner plates embellished with scrolling designs and a delicate floral pattern. In addition, each place setting had a unique stem of flowers that added to the feeling of abundance.

Clear ghost chairs were decorated with colorful vinyl butterflies which made them look like they were suspended in air. In order to keep this effect looking natural and not too cookie-cutter, we varied the number, color and placement of the butterfly decals on each chair, making everyone’s seat unique.

For the butterflies hanging from the ceiling, I wanted pretty, pale colors but we couldn’t find the exact shades we were looking for. I was determined to create my ceiling installation vision, so we started with white butterflies made from feathers and used a watercolor dye to create the colors we needed. Soon, light yellow, blue, pink and lavender filled the air above the guests!