Ernest & Andrew | An Ethereal Australian Adventure, Leaves & Fishes

An Ethereal Australian Adventure, Leaves & Fishes

Planned from Canada. Celebrated in the Hunter Valley. Felt everywhere.

The Couple

Ernest and Andrew had never visited Australia when they decided to bring their favourite people together for a wedding adventure in the Hunter Valley. From our first Google Meet, the connection felt effortless. Ernest and I laughed our way through countless conversations, changing plans and more than a few Beyoncé references. Despite planning from the other side of the world, they brought enormous warmth, joy and trust to every decision.

*Photograph by Timeless by Nate. Florals by House of Hydrangeas.*
**Wedding date: 3 January 2026 | Venue: Leaves & Fishes, Lovedale**

The Vision

Their brief was wonderfully distinctive: ethereal natives. The celebration needed to honour their individual cultures and traditions while setting the scene for one enormous party. Reds, whites and greens offered a subtle nod to Andrew’s Italian heritage, while the flowers embraced the beauty and character of the Australian landscape. The vision evolved through virtual meetings, lengthy email threads and multiple proposals until it felt unmistakably theirs.

*Photograph by Timeless by Nate. Floral arch by House of Hydrangeas.*

In Bloom

Orchids featured in the earliest concept, but with the possibility of temperatures exceeding 40 degrees in early January, we refined the recipe around flowers better suited to the Hunter Valley summer. Sculptural king proteas became the stars, joined by red kangaroo paw, anthuriums, cascading green amaranthus, textured ferns and abundant native foliage. Organic shapes and trailing movement softened the stronger native forms, creating arrangements that felt wild yet refined—Australian in character, but lush enough to belong among the tropical gardens and waterways of Leaves & Fishes.

Florals by House of Hydrangeas

***King proteas, burgundy foliage and looping textures within the ceremony installation.***
*Photograph by Timeless by Nate.*

The Day

Inside the sunlit studio, two abundant floral columns frame the open doors. Burgundy foliage reaches upwards, king proteas emerge between layers of green and soft tendrils fall towards the floor. Ernest and Andrew enter through the flowers in a joyful reverse aisle as the room erupts around them. The ceremony is heartfelt, hilarious and completely alive—the dancing seems to begin before it has even finished. Later, the flowers move with the celebration, surrounding the champagne tower before finding new life within the reception.

Florals by House of Hydrangeas

***Sculptural king proteas and cascading textures carried the ethereal native concept through the celebration.***
*Photograph by Timeless by Nate.*

The Moment

My daughter Chloe joined me for the installation, and after so many months of meeting Ernest and Andrew through a screen, finally greeting them in person felt like catching up with old friends. During the ceremony, Chloe and I found ourselves crying and laughing in equal measure. Then came the champagne tower: Beyoncé pumping, fans fluttering and everyone dancing. We had work to return to and couldn’t stay, but neither of us wanted to leave. It remains one of the most joyful celebrations we have ever been part of.

“The floral styling added warmth, depth and elegance, and became one of the most talked-about details of our celebration.”

— Andrew