The first time I met Natasha and Grant, we sat down together at The Highlawn in West Orange to walk through their cocktail hour and a long list of other details. It was their first time planning a wedding, and like so many couples, they did not quite know where to start or what to expect. Planning had started to feel overwhelming.

Natasha had found us online. She told me she loved our work and that our reviews convinced her. She is a sophisticated woman with a beautiful eye (her mom worked at a museum, and it shows), and she knew exactly what she wanted. What had been hard was finding someone who could see her vision. As I shared my ideas, her face lit up. By the end of that meeting, she was relieved and so much happier, and from there we got to work.

A cocktail hour made entirely her own

Natasha wanted the cocktail hour to feel completely personal, so we started from scratch. We took the grazing table and draped it from top to bottom, turning it into something that felt like a modern Greek draped table: soft, sculptural and elegant. Above the doorway that leads out to the balcony, we hung flowers with dangling globes so the entrance was framed in a way guests could not miss. More about our wedding draping is here.

Tables with highs and lows

For the reception, we designed fresh floral centerpieces in a mix of tall and low arrangements. Alternating heights gives each table its own interest and keeps the room feeling layered instead of uniform. Around the room, candles glowed as the sun went down. See our candle design for more ideas.

A sweetheart table and a cake worth framing

We created a sweetheart table with florals that framed the two of them and the skyline behind them, so every toast had the city in the background. We also draped the wall behind the cake and added florals around it, so even the cake cutting felt like part of the design. Many of those flowers had a first life at the ceremony: once the vows were done, we carried them inside and repurposed them to frame the sweetheart table and the cake table, so the flowers that watched them say “I do” stayed with them all night.

A ceremony overlooking New York City

Natasha’s heart was set on an outdoor ceremony. Before she ever said yes to The Highlawn, she had fallen in love with its lawn, the gazebo and that view of the New York City skyline. Her vision was so unique and beautiful: a floral arch framing the two of them, flowers lining the aisle and blooms scattered across the lawn.

Then came the rain. It rained all through the day before and into the morning of the wedding, and it was still drizzling as the ceremony drew close. The Highlawn team was thoughtful about the guests and about Natasha’s dress the whole time, and they worked with us on every option. But this view was the reason she chose the venue, so we waited, and we brought extra hands. More than seven members of our team were there that day, ready to move the moment the drizzle stopped.

When it did, we had one hour to set up the entire ceremony outside: flowers along the aisle and across the lawn, and the arch framed in blooms. Next to the ceremony space stood a plastic tent, so we covered it completely with our green grass walls. It was a very windy day, and my team quietly stood behind those walls and held them steady for almost the entire ceremony so nothing would move while Natasha and Grant said their vows. Natasha got the ceremony she had pictured from the very beginning, with the skyline right behind her.

Planning a wedding with a view? A few tips

When a venue has a view like this, keep arrangements near the windows lower and let height and drama live in the rest of the room, so guests can enjoy the flowers and the skyline at the same time. If your ceremony is outdoors, talk through a rain plan with your venue and your florist early, and ask what can be set up quickly if the weather clears at the last minute. And if something about a venue’s standard setup doesn’t feel like you, draping is one of the simplest ways to make it your own. You might also like our list of venues with the most beautiful views in North Jersey.

Natasha and Grant, thank you

Natasha and Grant were both kind enough to leave us reviews on Google, and Natasha wrote: “She took our vision and transformed it into something even more beautiful than we could have imagined.” I still get emotional reading it. But the real joy of this day was watching the two of them. Natasha went from feeling overwhelmed at our first meeting to glowing on her wedding day, standing in front of the view she fell in love with, next to the man she was marrying. Natasha and Grant, thank you for trusting us with something so personal, and for letting us be a small part of your story.

Getting married at The Highlawn or anywhere in North Jersey? Rain or shine, I would love to hear your plans. You can also browse our luxury wedding flowers. Wondering what is included or how far ahead to book? Our FAQs can help.

Thank you, truly,

Lily