A Wielki Dzień project
A pastel wedding at Gniew Castle
Written by: Magdalena Raba
Wedding table decorations in the courtyard of Gniew Castle. A pastel wedding in pink, white and cream, with floral arrangements, candles and acrylic table numbers.
Up close
Photos from the project
Pastel wedding at the castle: pink, white, cream and green
In July 2025, we prepared the decoration and floristry for the wedding reception in the courtyard of Gniew Castle. Floral compositions, candlesticks with candles, floating candles in glass and acrylic table numbers come from our studio. The palette was light: pastel pink, white, cream and green. White was repeated in flowers, candles and tablecloths, cream in gerbera daisies, pink in flowers and napkins, and green in leaves. Gold appeared only in details: in candlesticks, in vessels with flowers, in numbers on table numbers and in the rims of charger plates.
The pastel palette is easy to overdo, so the division of roles is important. White and cream are the base, and pink is the accent, so you don't need a lot of it to be visible. Green separates the bright flowers from each other and from the white tablecloth. Without it, white and cream would merge into one stain. Gold is warmer than white and therefore combines bright tables with a brick background. We approach the palette gradually: first we talk to the couple and look at their inspirations, then we create a concept, and only at the end we choose the flowers.
Gniew Castle: wedding in a brick courtyard by the Vistula River
Gniew Castle stands on the left bank of the Vistula, in Kociewie. It is a Gothic Teutonic castle from the end of the 13th century. The reception took place in its courtyard, between brick walls with Gothic windows, near stone stairs with wrought iron balustrades. The round tables were covered with white floor-length tablecloths, the chairs had beige, jacquard covers, and a buffet table was set against the wall. On white tablecloths, the color comes mainly from powder pink napkins and flowers in our compositions. Bright tables stand out clearly against the brick and stone, so the walls themselves are the background for the decorations.
There are six halls in the castle: the Royal Hall in the courtyard, the Teutonic Hall - Refectory, the Hussar Hall, the Saint's Hall. George, Chapter House and St. George's Hall. Elizabeth. This reception took place in the Royal Hall, which can accommodate approximately 220 people in a banquet setting. Apart from the castle, there is also a Banquet Hall in the Rycerski Hotel and a tent on the castle hill. The ceremony can be held in the castle chapel, also with the singing of the Gregorian choir, so the wedding and reception can take place in one place. Guests can stay overnight in the castle, in the Rycerski Hotel or in the baroque Marysieńki Palace. All three buildings are located on the castle hill, so it is close to the reception room.
Flowers for the wedding table in pastel colors
The largest composition was placed on table number 1. It is lush and flows beyond the edge of the tabletop. We made it with carnations, pink and white eustomas, white and cream gerberas, white roses, agapanthus buds and gypsophila. Eucalyptus branches hang from the tabletop and extend the composition downwards. The shades are similar here, so the differences are determined by the shape: the gerbera has dense, evenly arranged petals, the carnation is jagged, the rose is full, and the agapanthus buds spread radially on thin stalks. Right next to the flowers there are white candles in golden candlesticks.
Guests view flower arrangements on the wedding table up close, from an arm's length away. Then you can see the textures: thin, soft eustoma petals, a smooth rose and tiny gypsophila flowers that fill the gaps between the larger flowers. On the remaining tables there were smaller, low compositions in gold vessels. To the white rose, eustomas and carnations, we added small pink pompom chrysanthemums, agapanthus, ornamental grasses, gypsophila and dried umbels similar to yarrow. Grasses and dried umbels break the sweetness of pink. These flowers can be seen in the close-up of number 4: behind the transparent plate are pink chrysanthemums, a white rose, eustomas and gypsophila.
Wedding table decoration: round tables in the courtyard
The overhead shot shows ten round tables set for a party. White tablecloths reach the ground, so each table is a full, bright circle. The composition, which stands in the middle of a round table, has no front or back, because guests view it from all sides. The low form has a practical advantage at such a table: it does not cover the people sitting opposite. In the video, the same tables can be seen from the courtyard level, against the background of brick walls with windows. Flowers, numbers and floating candles occupy the center of the table top, leaving space at the edge for place settings.
Wedding table decoration is not only about flowers, because the guest primarily has the table setting in front of him. There were glass plates with gold pearl rims on the tables, and white plates on them. Powder pink cloth napkins tied in a knot were placed next to it, and on the plate there was a paper napkin with a castle print. The pink of the napkins repeats the color of carnations and eustomas, and the golden border of the charger plates connects the place setting with candlesticks and numbers on the table numbers. We do not take credit for every element visible in the photos, because some of the equipment belongs to the castle.
Table numbers and candles for a wedding
We placed numbers on the tables: transparent acrylic arc-shaped signs with gold numbers. They are standing right next to the compositions. The flowers are visible through the acrylic, so the number does not cover anything, and the composition is combined with gold: the number is gold and the vessel with the flowers is gold. We placed floating candles in glass cups on stems around the low compositions. Such a candle floats on water, so its flame burns low, and the water and glass reflect its light. The cups are made of glass, just like the plates, so this material returns to the table in several places.
On table number 1, the candles are tall. On both sides of the large composition, we placed three white, slender candles in gold candlesticks of different heights. Thanks to this difference, the candles do not form an even row, and their vertical lines balance the flowers that flow downwards. The side shot shows three of them, and eucalyptus branches in the foreground. The height of the candles goes hand in hand with the size of the flowers: in short compositions there are floating candles, in large ones - tall ones.
Decoration of a wedding hall in a castle: we plan the installation in advance
For us, the decoration of a wedding hall begins long before the assembly. We order flowers in advance and arrange the compositions in the studio as close to the wedding day as possible. We plan the assembly itself in plenty of time and carry out it according to a fixed order. First come the structures and fabrics, if they are included in the design, then the glass and flowers, and leave the candles for last. Finally, we walk between the tables and look at them as the guest would see them, i.e. from the entrance and from the seat at the table.
In a castle, as in any other facility, we start with questions. We determine when we can start work and when to dismantle. Thanks to this, we know how much time we have to set up the decorations. We also ask about open fire, because the answer will determine what kind of candles we will plan. We prepare wedding decorations in many places in Pomerania, and each one has its own rules, so we check them anew each time. After the reception, we dismantle the decorations and pack what we brought, and the facility's equipment remains in its place.
What do we advise couples who are planning a pastel wedding in a castle?
If you are planning a pastel wedding in a castle, first decide which color will be the base and which will be the accent. With white and cream as the base, one pastel accent, for example pink, is enough. Add greenery so that the bright flowers don't blend in with the white tablecloth. Also check out the background on which the tables will be placed. With a brick wall, light compositions can be seen clearly, so strong colors are not needed. Use gold sparingly and repeat it in several places, for example in candlesticks and in the figures on table numbers.
Ask the facility what it provides: tablecloths, chair covers, plates and napkins. It is worth knowing their colors before choosing flowers, because compositions are matched to them. Choose low compositions for round tables, and leave the larger one for one table that should stand out. Choose candles according to the height of the flowers and make sure that the facility allows open fire. Clear acrylic table numbers do not obscure the flowers and match the light palette. Bring your inspirations to the first conversation, because this is where we start working on the concept.
