The Essential Guide to Gay and Lesbian Weddings (88 page)

long-stemmed irises arranged in tall urns at either side of the aisle

a sprig of fresh herbs, such as basil and sage, and flowers on all the doors in the ceremony site

scented geraniums mixed with rosemary and mint in large oversize pots accentuating separate areas

large wreaths of bright red chili peppers hung on the walls

Remember that the ceremony site will be lovely by virtue of the fact that you will be married there. If you're on a limited budget, you might save most of your money for reception flowers and keep the look of the ceremony simple. (Your guests will probably be at the ceremony site for only about a half an hour anyway.) Or think in terms of transportable flowers that can travel from the ceremony to the reception site.

Blooming buds need not be busting out of every crack in the plaster to give the aura of beauty. Used cleverly, flowers and plants can actually fool the eye architecturally or transport the wedding from your community hall to a tropical rain forest. (Well, almost.)

By renting large plants, trees, and even potted hedges you can redesign any space. In a large industrial space, trellises can delineate the dance floor and create intimate nooks and crannies. Renting flowering plants and turning the hall into a greenhouse will warm up even the coldest of high-tech spaces.

To adorn the hall or your home for the reception, consider the following possibilities:

eclectic vases filled with lots of different flowers to give an ornamental-garden feel

terra-cotta-potted plants and low baskets filled with fresh cuttings as centerpieces, suggesting a casual country look

fruits and vegetables such as ornamental cabbages, oranges, garlic braids, and figs give a back-to-the-earth kind of aura

buckets filled with miniature sunflowers for a happy, optimistic feel

for a whimsical reception, small topiary trees in shapes such as hearts, animals and free-form sculptures, used as centerpieces and around the reception area

fragrant fresh petals sprinkled around the guest book and on tables, as you would dust sprinkles on an ice cream sundae

At our reception we had two-step dancing and a chuck wagon buffet, so for centerpieces we collected pairs of cowboy boots, put cut flowers in paper cups and set them inside. Of course, we cleaned them up a bit. We had a small problem when guests tried to take the centerpieces home!

—George and David