Spillian is unlike almost anywhere else we've had the chance to design for. Built in 1886 as a Gilded Age mansion for the Fleischmanns Yeast family, the estate sits on 33 wooded acres deep in the Catskills, with a stone-staged meadow, a bonfire pit, a wraparound porch, and a forest glade tucked among moss-covered rocks. It's a property that feels equal parts historic great camp and enchanted woodland retreat, and that duality is exactly what we lean into when designing florals there.
If you're planning a wedding at Spillian, here's how we think about bringing the space to life through flowers.
Photo by Dasha Murashkaurashka.com/
Understanding the Space
Spillian offers couples several distinct settings within one property, and each calls for a slightly different floral approach. The meadow, with its fire ring and stone staging, works beautifully as an open-air ceremony or reception site with natural light and mountain views on all sides. The forest glade, with its stone walls forming what many couples describe as a cathedral in the woods, is one of the most naturally atmospheric ceremony backdrops we've worked with anywhere in the region. Indoors, the great house itself brings its own history to the table: original oil murals, antique furnishings, a grand dining room, and two wood-burning fireplaces.
Photo by Forever Photography NY
Because the grounds already offer so much natural texture, hemlocks, moss, native plantings, our design instinct at Spillian is almost always to work with the landscape rather than importing something that feels foreign to it.
How We Approach Florals at Spillian
Let the woodland set the palette. With moss, stone, and hemlock forest as a backdrop, we tend to favor either a natural, gathered palette: soft greens, white, warm creams, or an unexpected palette that pops against forest. Flowers that look like they could have been foraged from the property itself, garden roses, ranunculus, scabiosa, flowering branches, tend to feel most at home here.
Design the forest glade with a light hand. The stone-walled glade is dramatic on its own, so we typically focus florals at a single ceremony point, pedestal arrangements, a standing installation, rather than lining the full space. Letting the stone and trees remain visible keeps the setting feeling like itself.
Bring warmth indoors. Inside the mansion, with its antiques, oil murals, and fireplaces, we like arrangements that feel collected rather than formal: mixed garden-style centerpieces on the dining table, a mantel arrangement near the fireplace, and smaller vignettes throughout the sitting rooms that echo the house's layered, lived-in character.
Consider the bonfire and porch moments. Many Spillian weddings extend into evening bonfires and porch gatherings, so we often plan a few smaller, hardier arrangements or garlands for these secondary spaces, something that can hold up outdoors after dark without needing much fuss.
Photo by Forever Photography NY
Seasonal Considerations
Spillian hosts weddings across all four seasons, from daffodils and bluebells in spring to full autumn color in the surrounding hemlocks. Because the property leans so heavily on its natural surroundings, we always recommend building your floral palette around whichever season you're marrying in rather than fighting against it. If you're planning a fall date, our fall wedding flowers guide is a good companion read for thinking through what will be in season.
Photo by Dasha Murashka
A Property That Rewards a Personal Touch
What makes Spillian so special is how much it invites couples to make the day their own, and the florals should do the same. Whether your vision leans toward Gilded Age romance, woodland whimsy, or something entirely of your own making, the property gives us a rich, textured canvas to work from.
Photo by Forever Photography NY
Planning a Wedding at Spillian?
If you're getting married at Spillian in Fleischmanns and thinking through your florals, we'd love to talk. We're glad to make the trip into the Catskills for a property this special, and to help you build a floral vision that feels as personal as the estate itself. Reach out through our contact page to start the conversation.