SUMMERTIME CITRUS TABLESCAPE

Take inspiration from this citrus-filled tablescape that brings together summer fun, timeless elegance and touches of farmhouse charm.

Take inspiration from this citrus-filled tablescape that brings together summer fun, timeless elegance and touches of farmhouse charm.

Whether it’s a wedding, birthday or another special occasion, an al fresco lunch or dinner party is a great way to soak in the summer season. For photographer and stylist Sarah Botta of Sarah Botta Photography, capturing life’s special moments is a passion. In this inspirational wedding photo shoot, farmhouse simplicity mixes with touches of elegance to create a bright and lovely celebration at the Great Marsh Estate in Bealeton, Virginia.

As a wedding and portrait photographer, Sarah’s philosophy for styling a tablescape is to delight and surprise. When brainstorming for this inspirational wedding photo shoot, she considered the current popular palettes and materials, but decided to put her own twist on it. “I was thinking about all the greenery and blush, neutral weddings that are so trendy right now,” she says. “Though they’re beautiful, I wanted to inspire brides to do something different and out of the box.” Combining elements of farmhouse style in the rustic chairs and simple décor with elegant details such as the florals and tableware, Sarah worked with several vendors to create a mood board and bring her vision to life.

The citrus-filled theme came from an unlikely source—The Princess Diaries.

“That scene, when Mia visits her grandmother for the first time and she says, ‘You’ve got pears in your flowers,’ inspired me to incorporate fruit into our inspiration shoot,” Sarah says. “It’s so fancy and royal in the movie, I felt like fruit would really elevate the entire look.” Instead of pears, she opted for a more quintessentially summer fruit: oranges. Blended with the soft neutrals and greenery, they add a pop of vibrant color and tie into the seasonal theme.

The overall result is the perfect marriage of elegance and simplicity in a gorgeous, romantic setting. “I knew this was going to be an amazing shoot, and it was absolutely incredible,” Sarah says. “All of the vendors went above and beyond.”

Part of the art of designing a tablescape is understanding and implementing a layered look without the space feeling too cluttered. Here, all pieces of the design work together to create a cohesive, beautiful look.

(above) The setting of the Great Marsh Estate played a big role in the look and feel of the design. “The architecture of this venue is stunning, and the whole estate gives off a royal European vibe,” Sarah says. “I knew this venue would work well with our overall vision and photograph soft and romantic.” (right) Roses, ranunculus and kalanchoe reflect the different shades of citrus, while the soft greenery of eucalyptus varieties adds another layer of color. “The florist chose the perfect ones to match the mood board,” Sarah says. (below) Ready for an insider wedding planning secret? This cake is fake. “I’ve been at many high-end weddings where the cake is faux for display and to wow the guests, while the actual cake they eat is in the back,” Sarah says. “This works especially great for summer weddings so the cake isn’t melting in the summer heat.”