Classic White and Green Wedding at The Manitoba Club
Elegant, classic, with unique touches and twists. Andie and Charles (okay, Andie) had a traditional vision for their wedding and I was so thrilled to make it happen.
I love finding those tweaks that take something traditional and elevate it into something personal, something unique, something fresh — without straying off-course. The Manitoba Club was of course the very perfect location, with its heritage interior and warm finishings.
Andie brought me on board pretty early in her planning process, so much of the design was really guided by the florals. Within her idea of a classic white and cream palette and traditional overall style, she was really open to letting me lead the design and here’s what we came up with!
Photos by Michael & Melanie
Planning by Harlow Events
The Bridal Bouquet
Andie’s style is classic, elegant. Keeping her dress design in mind, I suggested we keep her bouquet more on the medium side, all in classic whites with a touch of creamy blush in the garden roses.
I gave her ALLLL the good stuff. And was pleasantly delighted when I arrived on the wedding morning to be asked to wrap this family heirloom rosary around the handle!
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: White O’hara garden roses, ranunculus, peonies, sweet pea, and freesia.
Doesn’t this happen to pair perfectly with Andie’s gorgeous custom gown? Winnipegger Cathy Wiebe designed and hand-crafted this gown, which is actually 2 parts: a cleaner lined gown underneath, with essentially a lace overcoat overtop. Stunning!
The ceremony was kept very simple, with large gold urns placed at the altar, along with a few ground-based aisle pieces. These all found a new home at the reception, so nothing goes to waste.
Connie from Harlow Events had a vision for the seating chart, and actually custom-made this base just for the wedding! I love the 3D sort of look, with greenery climbing up the back and then vining out a little bit, too.
The Ambiance
Working in a space as iconic as The Manitoba Club Grand Ballroom, and with a classic, elegant vision in mind, a lot of the elements that we brought in were no-brainers: white florals, twinkling candlelight, gold accents. The elevation comes in how we make this fresh.
Florals: Adding in some “limited time only!” spring blooms was a beautiful way to make a standard white floral arrangement a bit different: hyacinth and tulips are some of my personal favourites. I tucked in a few white o’hara garden roses, which have a really beautiful creamy blush centre, and are the perfect way to blend through a full colour palette.
Candlelight: Right off the hop, one of the first things I wanted to do was add visual movement to the tables with higher candlelight. Not candlebras, and not taper candles (which I do love!), but using these Halo vases from Collective as opportunities to elevate the twinkle of a candle off the tables. They are perfect for a little tealight, without impeding vision. On the round tables, I used a mixture of gold-based votive holders and etched glass votive holders, adding further layers of interest. Sometimes the rental item is what really makes the difference!
Gold: Well, we were in a room that’s basically gilded. Not too much too add here ;) I do love these gold chairs! They are very appropriate the ballroom setting without feeling overdone.
Mockup to Reality
As you’ll see below, my table mockups are really intended to give us a decent idea of scale, quantities of items that are needed, and provide direction for how we can style the tablescapes as a whole. It’s a great opportunity for the client to be able to understand what I’m envisioning, and while it’ll never be 100% accurate, it’s a really great tool to build our communication off of.
When I created this rendering, we were tossing back and forth a few different chair options, so I made sure to include those visuals beside the ivory table linens.
With long tables, we don’t typically have a ton of space to add a lot of floral to, so my mockup shows the linear direction that we need to design in. We decided on simpler florals on the long tables, paired with a fuller, classic white arrangement on the round tables.
I also chose to add in a subtle colour to the candle, just to add a little depth to the overall space.
I love a stellar sweetheart table! If I were getting married again, I think I could convince my husband to go with a layout like this: it’s intimate, slightly less social pressure if you’re a bit on the anxious side, but still puts you “on display” enough, if that makes sense.
The ceremony aisle florals were moved in front to line the table in a very lush fashion, and along with Andie’s bridal bouquet on the tabletop, I addd more candlelight. LOTS of candlelight.
It’s always a pleasure to work with an incredible team of professionals to create an elevated event. Any one of them would be an excellent hire for your wedding!
Michael & Melanie Photography ~ Harlow Events ~ The Manitoba Club ~ Planned Perfectly ~ Collective event rentals ~ Event Light ~ Union Table ~ Fifth Hair ~ MYUZ Artistry ~ Luminous String Quartet ~ Big City All Star Band ~ Cathy Wiebe Clothes
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
Getting married at the Manitoba Club? We happen to know the space REALLY well, and in our completely biased opinion, we’re the best at bringing the space to life 😎
Flowers are the best way to make a statement at your wedding. Whether you already have a specific vision or want me to dream up something custom just for you, reach out to Stone House Creative for stunning bridal bouquets, truly unique ceremony backdrops, and beautiful floral centrepieces to create the perfect ambiance for your wedding!