Jacquelyn & Jay celebrated their rainy September wedding at The Clifton in Charlottesville, Virginia with an unforgettable tented reception filled with architectural floral design, live trees, layered candlelight, and modern old world charm.
Structural Floral Design with Hydrangeas, Dahlias, and Calla Lilies
Despite the rain, every detail of the day felt intentional, romantic, and cinematic. From greenery-wrapped tent poles to sculptural arrangements featuring hydrangeas, dahlias, amaranthus, and calla lilies, this Charlottesville wedding embraced mood, texture, and drama in the most beautiful way.
Our team got completely soaked moving flowers through the rain, but the final result felt effortless and atmospheric in all the best ways. Personally, I think rainy wedding days create the dreamiest celebrations imaginable.
Repurposed Ceremony Installations for a Dramatic Reception Reveal
The ceremony flowers were intentionally designed to be repurposed later in the reception, creating a true focal moment around the sweetheart table. The large pedestal arrangements were relocated behind the table, adding depth and drama alongside the lush floral installation at the front so that Jacquelyn & Jay appeared completely surrounded by flowers.
The smaller ceremony urns were later moved to the bar and guestbook table, carrying the floral story throughout the reception space while adding even more texture and atmosphere to the tented design.
Tented Wedding Reception with Live Trees and Greenery Installations
One of our favorite moments from the day happened before we even arrived at the venue. While picking up the U-Haul to transport flowers and trees,the clerk unexpectedly gifted us a braided ficus tree. Since we were already bringing four live trees for the reception design, it felt like fate — the universe clearly wanted Jacquelyn & Jay to have five trees for their tented wedding at The Clifton.
Wedding Vendor Team at The Clifton in Charlottesville
Every bit of this Charlottesville wedding was dripping with intention, drama, and charm. Each vendor came together and worked hard to create this stunning wedding!
Creating immersive floral experiences for our couples is always the goal. Hearing how the day felt from Jacquelyn & Jay made this wedding even more meaningful to our team.
“We worked with Ket and her husband, Mr. Avocado, in September 2025 for our wedding at the Clifton Inn in Charlottesville. My husband and I had the most beautiful wedding, and I credit a significant part of our special day to Ket and her husband. Ket worked with me throughout the entire planning process, always keeping our style, budget, and vision in mind. She brought incredible creativity to every detail and added the perfect finishing touches, even when I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted. I cannot recommend her highly enough. As you can see from the photos below, she did a truly breathtaking job.
Ket, thank you for your help, your creativity, and your friendship.”
FAQS
Where is The Clifton wedding venue located?
The Clifton is a luxury wedding venue located in Charlottesville, Virginia known for its intimate estate feel and beautiful tented reception spaces.
What flowers were used in this wedding design?
This wedding featured hydrangeas, dahlias, amaranthus, veggie roses, and calla lilies in chartreuse, blush, and burgundy tones.
What is a structural floral design style?
Structural floral design uses shape, movement, layering, and architectural composition to create modern floral installations with strong visual impact. Looking for dramatic wedding florals? Click here to inquire.
Are tented weddings good for rainy weather?
Tented weddings can create an incredibly romantic atmosphere during rainy weather while still allowing for an elevated guest experience. They had a gorgeous clear top tent for the wedding ceremony, set up in the Croquet Lawn; then the reception took place in the on-site sailcloth tent.
"Conveying what I had envisionED was such an easy process and I greatly appreciated how smoothly we were able to communicate"
"Last year I hired Ket to do some boho florals for my 10 year vow renewal. I was OVER THE MOON with what she delivered. Conveying what I had envisioned was such an easy process and I greatly appreciated how smoothly we were able to communicate and plan out the details. If you want a florist with incredible talent, a true heart for what she does and a clear and effective approach to helping you have stunning florals Ket is your girl
diana l.
"She clearly has a love and talent for her work, and it shines in what she does!
I cannot say enough good things about my experience working with Keturah on the flowers for our wedding. She created my bridal bouquet, boutonnières for my husband and my father, and corsages for the mothers of the bride and groom along with an installation that served as the backdrop for our ceremony and family photos. During our initial consultation she asked lots of questions to make sure she knew our likes, dislikes, and the look and feel of our wedding. Her designs were gorgeous and original, incorporating blooms that were local and in-season. She went the extra mile in building her own frame for the installation when the one she normally used was unavailable. The arrangements she made for the installation were lovely and unique in their use of red amaranth to create a cascading effect. Guests are still complementing us on how lovely the flowers were even 4 months after our wedding! I would not hesitate to recommend Keturah to a bride (anyone) looking for floral designs using in-season blooms and creative flair.
lucy r.
"Our bouquet was super beautiful and one I won’t forget.
Absolutely recommend! Our bouquet was super beautiful and one I won’t forget. It helped make our marriage celebration so much more beautiful!!! You can tell she puts a lot of love and time into what she does. Highly recommend five out of five🥰 she made just what I wanted :)
mireille O.
"I cried when I saw the flowers the day of as they were exactly what I envisioned.
I just wanted to share my sincere gratitude for the INCREDIBLE work Keturah with One Last Avocado did for my wedding. I cried when I saw the flowers the day of as they were exactly what I envisioned. I didn't think it was possible given my budget and timeline. Highly recommend her for any of your events.
