Nantes Estate Wedding Flowers, Paarl

Their story

Nantes Estate wedding flowers in white and green

Tess and Greg married on Saturday, 24 January 2026 at Nantes Estate, a working wine farm on the R45 in Noorder-Paarl, with flowers by Fabulous Flowers & Gifts of Claremont, Cape Town. For their Nantes Estate wedding, Fabulous Flowers made a cascading bridal bouquet of pure white phalaenopsis orchids, garden bouquets of ivory roses, white lisianthus and eucalyptus for three bridesmaids, chair posies down a long grass aisle, two large pedestal urns, an asymmetrical ceremony arch, and single ivory roses in tall glass vases for the conservatory reception.

Tess and Greg’s brief was white flowers, soft green foliage and one sculptural bridal moment, with nothing overworked. Tess wanted the flowers to feel as if they had grown out of the landscape, and she told us early on that she did not want anything that felt forced. Fabulous Flowers, founded in 1999 by Josie van Aswegen, drove up from Claremont the day before, and the wedding was planned by Willem Christiaan Events and photographed by Hewitt & Wright. If you are comparing wedding venues near Cape Town or looking for a Cape Town wedding florist, this is how a quiet white and green wedding comes together in the Winelands.

I · The brief

White and green wedding flowers, grown out of the landscape

Some brides want more. Tess wanted less, and she knew exactly where. White flowers. Soft green foliage. One sculptural moment for the bride, and everything else allowed to breathe.

She told us early on that she did not want anything that felt forced. It is one of the most useful things a bride can say to a florist, because it tells you where to stop.

Nantes made the idea easy to picture. The ceremony lawn looks north across the vineyards, with a low stone wall, a long grass aisle running out from the manor house, and the Drakenstein and Simonsberg mountains behind. A setting like that needs no help. The flowers’ job was to belong to it.

So the palette stayed close to the land. White phalaenopsis orchids for the bride. Ivory roses and white hydrangea. White lisianthus and white delphinium. And locally grown eucalyptus, grey-green and loose, to tie everything back to the farm.

White and green wedding flowers are often described as safe. We think they are the opposite. With no colour to hide behind, every stem shows, every bruised petal, every lazy shape. Restraint only works if the flowers are perfect and the hand that places them is light.

II · Friday, 23 January 2026

Cape Winelands wedding flowers, the day before

The day before the wedding, the team drove up from our Claremont florist studio with three vans of buckets and ribbon. The Winelands in late January are hot and bright, and white flowers show every mark, so a day’s head start matters.

The eucalyptus took an hour to condition the night before. That is the part of the job nobody sees: stripping the lower leaves, cutting each stem fresh, standing the bunches deep in water so they drink before they are asked to perform. Eucalyptus is tough, but skip this and it will droop in the heat by mid-afternoon.

Hydrangea needs the same care, and more of it. It is the thirstiest flower in a white wedding, and in summer it has to stay in deep water until the very last moment. Our hydrangea arrangement ideas show how much it can do when it is happy.

It is quiet work, and we love it. A room full of conditioning eucalyptus has a smell all its own, sharp and clean. It gets into your clothes and stays there for the drive home.

III · The ceremony

A Nantes Estate wedding aisle, dressed with urns and chair posies

Willem, from Willem Christiaan Events, laid a white carpet down the aisle. Along it, every second chair carried a small posy: two ivory roses, soft green hydrangea and trailing eucalyptus, tied on with white satin ribbon. Every second chair, not every one, so the aisle had a rhythm and the grass still showed through.

At the top of the aisle stood two large pedestal urns, white and classical, on white plinths. They held garden eucalyptus, white roses, white hydrangea, white delphinium spires and Queen Anne’s lace, built loose and deliberately not symmetrical. A pair that do not quite match look as if they were picked from the same garden on the same morning. That was the point.

The delphinium was there for a reason. Tess told us her late grandmother had grown white delphinium spires in her garden in Pretoria. So the tallest, palest stems in the urns were, in a way, hers. Nobody at the ceremony needed to know. Tess did. It is why we love the old meanings of wedding flowers: sometimes a flower is there to stand in for someone.

The white arch was dressed asymmetrically, with white roses, white and soft green hydrangea, cosmos and eucalyptus gathered more heavily to one side. Three bridesmaids went ahead in soft sage satin, each in a slightly different cut, walking the white carpet past the urns. Greg waited in a soft olive linen suit.

Tess walked down the aisle with her two brothers. Her brother Scott officiated, and kept it short and warm. The sage, the olive and the eucalyptus were all one family of green, and against that much white it looked easy, which is the hardest thing to make a wedding look.

Bridesmaids in sage satin walking down the white carpet aisle at Nantes Estate past a white pedestal urn of roses, hydrangea, delphinium and eucalyptus — The aisle, the urns and the bridesmaids in sage

Cascading white phalaenopsis orchid bridal bouquet against a strapless white wedding gown at Nantes Estate — Pure white phalaenopsis, no fillers, no greenery

IV · The bouquet

An orchid bridal bouquet, cascading in pure white

Tess’s one sculptural moment was her bouquet: a cascading waterfall of pure white phalaenopsis orchids. No fillers. No greenery. Only orchids.

A cascading bridal bouquet like this is harder than it looks. Phalaenopsis stems arch and grow heavy at the tip, and every bloom has to face forward and fall along the same line. We hand-tied it at the binding point and gave it a weighted base, so the cascade hung straight and the bouquet sat balanced in her hands instead of tipping forward.

Against a clean strapless gown, it did what she asked of it. Nothing competed. The gown was simple, the bouquet was the statement, and the eye travelled from one to the other and stayed.

Her three bridesmaids carried something softer: mixed garden bouquets of ivory roses, white lisianthus and eucalyptus. Rounder, greener and lighter in the hand, so the bride’s orchids stood alone. If you are weighing up the shapes, our notes on finding your perfect bouquet and our white flower bouquets show the difference between a garden bouquet and a cascade.

V · After the vows

Bridal bouquets in the summer field beside the manor house

After the vows, Tess, Greg and the bridesmaids took twenty minutes in the dry summer field beside the manor house. Golden grass, and the mountains behind them.

At some point the bouquets went up into the air. In the photograph the bridesmaids hold their roses and eucalyptus high above the grass while Tess and Greg kiss. It was a long kiss.

People sometimes ask whether bouquets survive that kind of thing. Garden bouquets do, if they are tied well. Eucalyptus is forgiving, roses are tougher than they look, and a firm binding point keeps everything where it should be. We would much rather see a bouquet in the air than held stiffly at the waist all day.

It is the photograph we keep coming back to. Nothing in it was planned by us. We made flowers that could stand being loved a little roughly, and then we got out of the way.

Tess and Greg kissing in a golden summer field at Nantes Estate while bridesmaids raise white rose and eucalyptus bouquets — Bouquets in the air, in the summer field

Single ivory roses in tall slim glass vases with white pillar and taper candles on a long wedding table at Nantes Estate, table number 6 — One rose, one candle, all the way down

VI · The reception

White wedding flowers for a long-table reception in the conservatory

The reception was in the Nantes glass conservatory, which the venue had transformed with white drapery and fairy lights under the arched windows. Long communal tables, white linen, wooden cross-back chairs, and granite table numbers, a detail that is very Nantes.

There were no big centrepieces. Instead, single ivory roses stood in tall slim glass vases down the centre of every table, alternating with white pillar candles and slim taper candles in glass holders. Down a long table that reads as a line of light, and nobody has to lean around anything to talk. Our guide to wedding table flowers has more on this approach.

The two ceremony urns came inside after the vows and were placed at the entrance to the venue, where they joined six other large arrangements in huge urns around the perimeter of the room. Big luxury flower arrangements on the edges, single stems on the tables. The room took its drama from the walls, and the tables stayed calm.

The two-tier cake carried white roses, cosmos and eucalyptus, the same quiet language as everything else. Concept Food Catering from Paarl fed everyone, and Kovacevic|Bosch filmed the day.

In the photographs the conservatory glows: white drapery, candlelight, and a single white rose every few places down the table. Nothing in that room felt forced. Tess had asked for exactly that.

Nantes Estate glass conservatory set for a wedding reception with white drapery, fairy lights, long tables and white flowers — The glass conservatory, dressed for dinner

Two-tier white wedding cake decorated with white roses, cosmos and eucalyptus at Nantes Estate

The flowers

Tess and Greg’s wedding flowers, piece by piece

Bridal bouquet: A cascading waterfall of pure white phalaenopsis orchids, with no fillers and no greenery. Hand-tied at the binding point, with a weighted base.
Bridesmaids’ bouquets: Three mixed garden bouquets of ivory roses, white lisianthus and eucalyptus.
Aisle posies: Two ivory roses, soft green hydrangea and trailing eucalyptus, tied to every second chair with white satin ribbon.
Ceremony urns: Two white classical urns on white plinths, with garden eucalyptus, white roses, white hydrangea, white delphinium and Queen Anne’s lace, loose and asymmetrical. Moved to the venue entrance after the ceremony.
Ceremony arch: The white arch dressed asymmetrically with white roses, white and soft green hydrangea, cosmos and eucalyptus.
Guest tables: Single white roses in tall slim glass vases, alternating with white pillar candles and tapers in glass holders.

Orchid whiteIvory roseGreen hydrangeaSageEucalyptus

In the mix

Bouquet: a cascade of white phalaenopsis orchids. Bridesmaids: ivory roses, white lisianthus, cosmos and eucalyptus. Aisle: ivory roses, soft green hydrangea and eucalyptus. Urns: white roses, white hydrangea, white delphinium, white chrysanthemums, Queen Anne’s lace and garden eucalyptus. Arch: white roses, white and soft green hydrangea, cosmos and eucalyptus. Tables: single ivory roses. Cake: white roses, cream spray roses, cosmos and eucalyptus.

Black and white portrait of Tess and Greg at their wedding table at Nantes Estate, Paarl

The place

Nantes Estate wedding venue, Noorder-Paarl

Nantes Estate is a working wine farm on the R45 in Noorder-Paarl, and one of the Paarl wedding venues where the landscape does most of the work. The ceremony lawn faces north across the vineyards, with a low stone wall, a white archway and a long grass aisle leading from the manor house, and the Drakenstein and Simonsberg mountains behind. Inside, a grand staircase rises beneath a crystal chandelier, and four en-suite rooms on the estate give the bridal party somewhere to get ready. You will find it, with many others, in our guide to wedding venues in and around Cape Town.

The reception is held in the Nantes glass conservatory, which the venue dresses with white drapery and fairy lights under arched windows. Long communal tables, white linen, wooden cross-back chairs and granite table numbers are all part of it. With that much glass and white, the room rewards height at the edges and restraint on the tables, which is why big urns around the perimeter and single stems down the middle worked so well here.

For a full wedding this far from Claremont, we prefer to arrive the day before, as we did for Tess and Greg, so foliage and hydrangea can be conditioned overnight. January afternoons in Paarl are hot. Orchids, roses and eucalyptus cope well; hydrangea needs to stay in water until the last possible moment.

Plan for the ceremony urns to move. Carried inside to the entrance after the vows, they make a strong first impression in the conservatory and the biggest pieces work twice. We are also happy to arrange flower delivery across the Winelands for welcome gifts or thank-yous around the wedding weekend.

FloralsFabulous Flowers & Gifts, Claremont (Josie van Aswegen, since 1999)

VenueNantes Estate, Noorder-Paarl

PlanningWillem Christiaan Events

PhotographyHewitt & Wright

FilmKovacevic|Bosch

CateringConcept Food Catering, Paarl

Planning notes

Planning Nantes Estate wedding flowers: what this wedding taught us

Decide where the drama goes
Tess chose one sculptural moment, her orchid cascade, and kept everything else soft. Pick your one statement piece first and let the rest of the flowers support it.
Choose whites that can take the heat
A January wedding in Paarl is hot. Phalaenopsis orchids, roses and well-conditioned eucalyptus hold their shape, while hydrangea needs constant water until it is placed.
Dress every second chair
Posies on every second chair gave the aisle rhythm and let the grass and the white carpet show. It looks generous without crowding the walk.
Let the urns work twice
The two ceremony urns moved to the conservatory entrance after the vows and joined six more around the room. Large pieces that move are the hardest-working part of any event flower plan.
Use single stems on long tables
Single ivory roses in tall slim vases, alternating with candles, kept the tables light and the conversation open. See more event flowers in this spirit.
Give a personal flower a quiet place
White delphinium for Tess’s grandmother went into the urns without a sign or a speech. Tell your florist the story, and they will find the right place for it.

Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Cape Town florist do flowers for a Nantes Estate wedding in Paarl?

Yes, Fabulous Flowers & Gifts did Tess and Greg’s Nantes Estate wedding flowers on 24 January 2026 from our studio in Claremont, driving up to Paarl the day before with three vans and conditioning the eucalyptus overnight. Fabulous Flowers plans set-up times with the venue and the planner, and for Tess and Greg that was Willem Christiaan Events. Fabulous Flowers travels to weddings anywhere in the Western Cape, and travel and accommodation for our team are quoted separately.

Will an orchid bridal bouquet last through a hot summer wedding?

Tess carried a cascade of pure white phalaenopsis orchids at Nantes Estate in Paarl on 24 January 2026, a summer wedding. It was hand-tied by Fabulous Flowers at the binding point and given a weighted base, so it hung straight and stayed comfortable to hold.

What are the best white wedding flowers for a summer wedding in the Cape?

Roses, lisianthus, delphinium, hydrangea and phalaenopsis orchids are the best white wedding flowers for a Cape summer, with eucalyptus for soft green foliage. At Tess and Greg’s Nantes Estate wedding on 24 January 2026, Fabulous Flowers used ivory roses, white hydrangea, white lisianthus, white delphinium, Queen Anne’s lace and orchids. Condition everything well the night before, and keep hydrangea in water until it is placed.

What is the difference between a cascading bouquet and a round bouquet?

A cascading bouquet falls downward in a trailing line from the hands, while a round bouquet is compact and held at the waist. At Nantes Estate on 24 January 2026, Tess carried a cascade of white orchids and her three bridesmaids carried rounder garden bouquets of ivory roses, white lisianthus and eucalyptus, which kept the bride’s bouquet distinct in every photograph.

How do you stop white and green wedding flowers looking plain?

White and green wedding flowers stop looking plain when texture and shape do the work of colour. Mix smooth roses with full hydrangea, tall delphinium spires, airy Queen Anne’s lace and loose eucalyptus, and build arrangements slightly asymmetrical so they feel gathered. At Tess and Greg’s Nantes Estate wedding in January 2026, two loose pedestal urns flanked the aisle and the bride carried one sculptural orchid cascade, so the eye had somewhere to land.

Can the bridal party get ready at Nantes Estate?

Yes, Nantes Estate in Noorder-Paarl has four en-suite rooms that can be used by the bridal party. For Tess and Greg’s wedding on 24 January 2026, Fabulous Flowers drove up from the Claremont studio the day before with three vans, so the eucalyptus could be conditioned overnight and the flowers were in Paarl a day ahead of the ceremony.

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