A Year of Brant Point Light Wreaths

Last year I had the honor of designing three different wreaths that adorned the iconic Brant Point Light. The lighthouse rests at the end of a spit of sand, which forms the west side of the entrance to Nantucket Harbor and is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard.

In April 2021, a friend connected me to a woman whose husband was stationed at Brant Point at the time. She explained to me that each year the guys on the base are typically the ones to throw some flowers on a wreath they weave themselves, and hang it. She explained that a few of the Coastie wives raised funds to help make a wreath for the community that felt extra special, as no wreaths were hung in 2020 due to COVID. 

The story of the wreath is a special one. The tradition was started in 1993 by Station Brant Point Master Chief, Jack Downey. The base of the wreath is woven from grapevine that is foraged from USCG Siasconset Station- how incredible is that?!  The 2021 wreath was approximately 25ft in circumference and ~8.5ft in diameter. It's secured in six places with rope and stabilized with boat oars (honestly that might be one of my favorite parts) and it takes anywhere from 6-8 Coasties to hang it!

The Daffy wreath was so well received that Master Chief allowed me to create and donate a summer wreath in May for the community to enjoy. This has never been done before, usually the flag goes up for 4th of July and stays up through Labor Day. Inspired by the infamous Nantucket hydrangea, I used a compilation of pinks, blue and white hydrangeas to honor their significance here on the island. The summer wreath came down for 4th of July, and it might be one of my favorite pieces to date. 

On December 1st (also my Dad’s birthday!) the holiday wreath went up.  I knew that a big red bow was very important to the community so I kept it in the design, but I incorporated 50+ poinsettias. The bow was 6ft across by 7.5ft long. I secured it to the base with floral wire, zip ties and fishing line to withstand the elements. I love the combination of the classic red bow and the poinsettias, it made the wreath pop against a white lighthouse and it felt timeless. 

There’s something about seeing your work erected on a piece of history that changes you. I learned so much that translated into all of my bigger designs.  With each wreath I had to account for scale when selecting my materials, and the harsh New England elements. Especially in the winter, Nantucket withstands high winds so everything attached to the wreath had to be secured, while still making the flowers look organic and not contrived.

Using silk flowers, the best way to do that is bending the flower faces in-and-out. The best part of this project, hands down, was seeing everyone interact with the lighthouse that is loved by so many. Your celebrations, traditions, even engagements littered social media with each wreath. It was absolutely a highlight of my floral career. Funny “meet cute” story… I also met my guy because of this wreath, but that’s a story for another time ;-)

xo H

Side note: When videos/ photos of the Coasties hanging the wreath are posted, people often ask why the guys hanging it from the top of the lighthouse are in full protective gear. There is lead and asbestos inside the lighthouse so they have to wear it to take full precautions and avoid exposure. 

The U.S. Government is responsible for repairs and from what I understand, many attempts have been made to remedy this and restore the lighthouse. Sadly, things regarding the government don’t always happen quickly. I don’t when this will happen, but I’m praying it happens in the near future so we can keep our beloved Brant Point Light tradition going for years to come.

Photography: Emily Elisabeth Photography