The Power of Flowers
Designing Your Wedding with Intention & Impact
Thoughtfully planned florals for your Hudson Valley New York wedding.
At The Maples Estate, we design wedding weekends that are grounded in nature, elevated by design, and deeply personal to each couple. One of the most powerful ways we bring your vision to life? Florals.
Florals do more than fill a space with color and scent—they shape the atmosphere, tell a story, and create meaningful moments throughout your celebration. From a striking ceremony backdrop to thoughtfully styled reception tables, every floral element is an opportunity to infuse beauty, personality, and intention into your Hudson Valley wedding.
Whether your style leans modern, romantic, whimsical, or architectural, we believe floral design should feel like a natural extension of your story. Here’s how we guide you through the process.
A Floral Design Strategy That Matches Your Vision
At The Maples Estate, we help you design a weekend wedding that’s cohesive, immersive, and emotionally resonant. That starts by understanding what matters most to you—your story, your values, your aesthetic—and building a floral plan that reflects all of it.
For high-end couples investing in intentional design, we encourage florals to be a centerpiece of your event story. Here's how we approach it:
Artfully Minimal to Statement-Driven
Whether you’re drawn to refined minimalism or want to make a bold visual impact, we’ll help you prioritize and scale your floral plan in a way that makes sense for your weekend.
Bold & Sculptural
A ceremony ground arch with connecting aisle florals that sets the tone for the entire weekend
Suspended floral installation in the Pavilion for dinner and dancing
An immersive floral wall behind the bar or lounge area
Minimalist & Elevated
Statement florals at the entry of your ceremony
Low arrangements in organic vessels for your intimate dinner
Bar and cake arrangement with bud vases for assorted placements
Where to Invest for the Biggest Impact
We know how to make the most of a luxury floral budget while ensuring every piece feels intentional. These are the floral moments we often prioritize for high-end weddings at The Maples Estate:
1. Ceremony Design
Your ceremony is the emotional core of the weekend. A sculptural floral arch, low garden-style arrangements along the aisle, or lush asymmetrical blooms bring depth and intimacy to your vows—especially when set against the natural beauty of our tree grove.
2. Reception Entrance & Lounge Areas
First impressions matter. A floral-clad entry or lounge area that incorporates local blooms, herbs, or even edible florals makes your guests feel instantly welcomed.
3. Dining Tables
Floral tablescapes are your opportunity to play with color, texture, and style. From flowing runners to color-blocked designs and vintage vessels, we’ll help you design a look that fits your aesthetic.
4. Head Table or Sweetheart Backdrop
Elevate the focal point with a personalized design—like florals inspired by your travels, your favorite art movement, or a flower that carries sentimental meaning.
Where to Save (Without Sacrificing Style)
Even at a higher investment level, we believe design decisions should be thoughtful. Some of our favorite sustainable, impactful swaps include:
Repurposing Ceremony Florals: We design florals with mobility in mind so they can move seamlessly from ceremony to reception.
Blending Non-Floral Elements: Candlelight, textural linens, and natural materials like wood and stone add depth without additional florals.
Mixed Heights & Textures: Layering bud vases, statement arrangements, and sculptural elements for a gallery-like feel.
Sustainability Meets Style: Florals With Intention
As a sustainable wedding venue, we believe your floral design should not only be beautiful—but responsible.
Local & Seasonal Flowers: We collaborate with floral designers who source from regional growers in the Hudson Valley to reduce waste and support local farms.
Foam-Free Mechanics: We avoid single-use floral foam, opting for reusable or compostable design structures.
Reusability & Donation: After the celebration, florals can be composted or donated to nearby organizations so their impact continues beyond your weekend.
Creating Meaningful Floral Moments at The Maples Estate
As both venue owner and creative director, I work closely with you and your floral design team to ensure every bloom enhances your celebration. From your welcome dinner to late-night s’mores by the firepit, your floral elements will carry a throughline of beauty, intention, and joy.
Together, we’ll shape a wedding weekend that feels effortless, immersive, and completely yours.
Ready to create something stunning? Learn more about what it’s like to plan your wedding with us and explore what’s included in our wedding package.
Farmhouse Sleeping Arrangements. Room by Room
At The Maples Estate, weddings aren’t rushed into a single day, they unfold over an entire weekend. This gives you the rare gift of time: time to slow down, settle in, and truly connect with the people who matter most.
That’s why every wedding package includes a three-night, four-day stay in our historic 1855 farmhouse, the heart of your wedding weekend.
The farmhouse is designed for your inner circle. A carefully curated group of up to 17 guests will live inside the weekend with you, waking up together, sharing quiet mornings and late-night laughs, and being fully present for every moment. With five private bedrooms, a cozy bunk room, three bathrooms, a get-ready space, full kitchen, double parlor, and bar room, it’s less like lodging and more like home.
We know we’re not a hotel, and that’s intentional. The farmhouse is for couples who want closeness, comfort, and a deeply personal experience with their favorite people.
Curious where everyone sleeps and how the house flows? Explore the farmhouse layout and room-by-room images below.
Bedroom 1
One Queen Bed
Windows facing the front of the house and located across from the get ready room.
Television
Bedroom 2
One Double / Full Bed
One Twin Bed
Connection to laundry room and across from the largest bathroom.
Television
Bedroom 3
One Queen Bed
Private balcony and next to the largest bathroom.
Bedroom 4
One Double / Full Bed
Located in the back section of the farmhouse with jack and jill bathroom connecting to back room.
Bedroom 5
One Queen Bed
Located in the back section of the house with jack and jill bathroom connecting to another bedroom. Best views upstairs.
Bunk Room
Four Double / Full Beds
One Queen Bed
Located above the garage and off of the get ready room.
Living room setup with large television.
Laundry Room
One Twin
Connected to bedroom 2
Get Ready Room
6 Makeup / Hair Stations with Mirrors
Located in the front of the house and connected to the bunk room.
Largest Bathroom
Toilet
Shower
Three Sinks
Stocked with towels, extra toilet paper, hair dryer, makeup removal wipes, travel sized shampoo, conditioner, soap, tooth brushes, etc.
Jack & Jill Bathroom
Toilet
Shower
Sink
Stocked with towels, extra toilet paper and makeup removal wipes.
Downstairs Bathroom
Toilet
Shower
Sink
Stocked with towels and extra toilet paper.
Kitchen
Refrigerator
Six Burner Range + Stove
Double Ovens
Dishwasher
Sink
Microwave
Coffee Maker
Toaster Oven
Stocked with plates, bowls, cups, mugs, utensils, pots, pans, cooking utensils, spices, etc.
Double Parlor
Three Standard Size Sofas
One Sleeper Sofa
Piano + Guitar
Record Player
Bar Room
Small Bar Setup
Connected to the grand veranda and kitchen. Great for rehearsal dinners or small gatherings as well as brunch buffet.
Layout & Property Flow
More planning inspiration!
We're Engaged!! What do we do now?
Congratulations!!!
You’re engaged!!! This is such a fun time to celebrate!
Take in the moments, share the news with friends and family and enjoy each other’s love!
Chances are, planning events is not your day job (like it is for me!) so where do you start? When you have sufficiently celebrated this incredible decision and shared the news with your loved ones, there are a few things to start talking through before you begin planning your design, searching for a venue or locking in your vendors.
First things first…
What is my budget?
Setting your wedding budget is step number one when it comes to planning your wedding. Every choice you make will lead back to this decision and it will help you determine all aspects of your wedding from your guest count to venue choice, vendors, experiences and more.
Some questions to ask yourself:
Who’s footing the bill? Will you and your fiancé be covering costs yourselves? If so, what amount do each of you have available to allocate to your wedding budget? Do you have a gift coming from a family member or friend that will add to your wedding fund? Though it can be awkward to talk about money, it’s so important to have these honest conversations and set expectations ahead of time.
Are there any pieces of the wedding that will be covered for you? Sometimes a family member or friend will offer to cover specific costs of your wedding such as your wedding attire, the rehearsal dinner, maybe you have a friend that is a florist or cake designer. Think through any specific gifts so you can accurately determine your wedding budget. When it comes to gifts of service, make sure you can rely on that person offering the service. If you are not sure, politely decline and hire someone else!
What is included in your budget? Every wedding budget is going to be different, since it is based on the specific vision you have for your wedding. However, there are many common items that couples choose to include in their wedding budget. Some of these more common items include a venue, wedding planner, photographer, food, florals, hair & make-up, officiant, rentals such as a dance floor, linens, table settings, etc., entertainment, signage, transportation, invitations and your wedding attire.
This may sound overwhelming, which is why we have included a template budget that you can copy into your own document to start editing. Add in your preferred budget at the bottom and start filling in some numbers to get an idea of where you might like to spend your money. Maybe you love florals and want to go all out here and cut back somewhere else, or maybe you know you want to work with a specific caterer or photographer. Here is where you can start to customize your budget based on your specific wedding vision and responses from vendors.
HERE is that budget template that you can copy to edit.
The next big questions is…
Who do I want to celebrate with?
Once you have determined your budget, you are going to want to think through your guest list. Maybe you have a smaller budget and want to trim your guest list to keep costs low. Maybe you have a HUGE family and a ton of friends that you just cannot pare down. This is such an important question since it will help determine what venue you can celebrate at. Most venues have a cap on the number of people they can accommodate, and some venues even have minimums on the number of guests required to attend. These venues with minimums usually offer on site catering, and therefore you will pay for a specific number of guests even if they do not attend. We do not have a minimum at The Maples Estate, though we do cap weddings at 200 guests.
Start creating that list of must have people at your wedding! Then think through those that may not be able to attend. There is usually some drop off from your invite list and often these includes individuals that will need to travel long distances to get to your wedding, maybe they have children and it’s harder for them to get away, or even a crazy job that is demanding of their time. Keep this in mind as you are looking at venues!
And now you wonder…
When do I get married?
There are a lot of things to think through when it comes to setting a date. Here are some questions you may want to ask yourself.
Do you love the fall or maybe you enjoy the summer cocktail vibe? Have you always dreamed of a winter wedding or love the refresh of the spring?
Do you absolutely hate sweating or maybe you are always cold?
Do you have a lucky number or favorite holiday?
Is there a time of year or specific date when you know your must have people are not available?
Do you know that your best friends are getting married on a specific date and you need to set your date accordingly to ensure you can attend?
Does your budget require you to look at off peak dates?
Do you want all the time you can get to plan your wedding or maybe you just want to put a ring on it like, yesterday?
Are you in the military or have a demanding job that you will need to work your date around?
All these questions can help determine what time of year or specific date(s) might be best for your wedding celebration! Remember to be flexible as your dream venue or dream vendors may not be available this date. It’s always good to have a couple back up dates just incase!
Now ask yourself…
Where should I get married?
This is not just a question of venue, but also the location and setting that suites your vision.
Do you love the beach? The mountains? The woods? Historic buildings? Farm life? City life?
Do you love to gamble at the casino? What about adventure? Maybe you love intimate quality time with your family or dancing to your favorite music.
Where do you live? Where do your family and friends live? Do you love to travel? Are you connected to your hometown or have a favorite place to escape to?
Think about your personal tastes, where you like to travel, what you do for fun, where your family and friends are located, etc. This will help you to determine the best location for your wedding day, weekend or week!
I’m feeling overwhelmed…
I think I need a wedding planner!
Planning a wedding can be a challenge! If it is way too overwhelming for you, you have no idea where to start, or you simply do not have the time, consider hiring a wedding planner. At The Maples Estate we include wedding planning and design in your package. This means we work with you to make your dreams come true, without the hassle of planning your own wedding.
Now that you have all these questions out of the way…it’s time to lock in your venue!!
More wedding planning support!
