A Fairy Garden Wedding

Anna Meade of Yearning for Wonderland fame just got married, and it seems only appropriate that a self-proclaimed dark fairy deserves a fairy garden to celebrate her wedding. After all, every dark fairy needs a realm to rule over.  This realm is lacking any truly fearsome creatures: one of the advantages of making your own fairy world is you don't have to include any unwelcome guests.  Choosing a bride and groom, however, is nearly as challenging in fairy garden design as it is in mundane life.  I eventually ended up with Cicely Mary Barker's Bluebell fairy as the groom and the CMB Poppy fairy as the bride. (She's not wearing a white dress, but fairies often break rules that humans are loathe to discard.)

                            
                               The Fairy Bride and Groom were sheltered by a white double impatien
                                and stood on a carpet of Irish moss while a robin oversaw their vows.


Obviously no fairy wedding is complete with a fairy party, and fairy guests tend to get huffy if you don't feed them.  Guests who preferred a little more peace and quiet were placed on the second tier of a three tier planter so that they weren't in danger of getting trampled or overwhelmed by the more raucous party taking place on the bottom tier.

                                       A talking fish and a snail stay out of harm's way at
                                    a small table for two made from an antique doorknob
                                                 set on a cushion of corsican mint.

 

                               The Larch Fairy would probably rather be downstairs dancing;
                               he's waving his arms to the beat.  The Marigold Fairy, however,
                                  is more interested in watching the bride and groom above her.
                              She's perfectly content with the brass button fern beneath her feet,
                            a mound of Blue Star Creeper beside her and a fountain of  delicate
                                          Diamond Frost Euphorbia graminea behind her.

 

                                    Attending this kind of event is always awkward for mermaids. 
                             She's like a fish out of water. Fortunately the Frog Prince, a Wise Owl,
                             and one of the more serious gnomes are all willing to keep her company.
                                  She can breathe in the sweet alyssum and rest on her comfortable seat
                                                            of sphagnum sheet moss.


Far below the bride and groom, the dancing has already started.  Even in fairyland, getting a band can be a challenge.  The horn player dropped out at the last minute, but luckily one of the trumpeters from Wonderland was able to step in and help out the band. 

                         
                                A bit of Dichondra argentea 'Silver Falls' swirls around the band's
                   mushroom stage while a mound of Grape-O-Licious torenia serves as their backdrop.

 

                         Three fairies, one determined gnome, two butterflies, and a merry little bee
                    dance in a fairy ring of mushrooms with a dance floor of light green reindeer moss
                                                          to keep them light on their feet.

                             Next to the dancers, three charming guests crafted by Etsy's Songandbranch
                                enjoy the music while they have a bit of strong tea at a tree stump bar.
                         The rupturewort grows wild here, but these creatures prefer the cover it provides,
                            and the 'Blue Zephyr' swan river daisy is close enough for them to scurry  
                                                       into if the dancers get too rowdy.


From high atop their perch, the fairy wedding king and queen can see their entire realm blessing their union. Soon they will come down to join the festivities, but for now they are taking a moment to smile upon all of their loved ones.

 

                   A pear tree above the realm has scattered small petals over the wedding party;
                              the silvery fronds of a lotus vine dangle down from the top tier.

                                      May can be a challenging month for growing things.
                                   While the fairy queen can make her whole realm bloom,
                                    a few artificial flowers were needed to pretty up the land
                                                             just beyond her borders.

Every fairy wedding comes with signs of an auspicious beginning to let the realm know that peace and happiness shall bless the marriage of their king and queen. 

 

                       A suspended moon and a white flower float above the wedding couple
                                             to show the magical strength of their love.

 

                        Two true blue butterflies take flight as the king and queen finalize their vows.


I'm pleased enough with how this came out that I'm entering it in The Magic Onions Fairy Garden Contest. http://www.themagiconions.com/2013/04/fairy-garden-contest-2013.html