Classic Garden Tent Wedding in Whites and Greens
Mollie and Ben’s classic garden tent wedding took place about one year ago, towards the end of September.
Set at the most dreamy family property just outside of Winnipeg that backs onto the Red River, their wedding day started out filled with rain but turned around just in time for an outdoor ceremony.
When I tell you that this is the most stunning property, please believe me. Being situated on the banks of the Red River is just the start: it’s also nestled into a mature canopy of trees, with a picturesque creek running through and a wooden bridge connecting the two sides. It also happens to have the most perfect flat spot that’s ideal for a tent!
I’ve been lucky enough to design two weddings at this same property, first for Ben’s brother a few years back with an organic, garden-inspired wedding design. So when it came time to plan for Mollie and Ben’s, we of course needed to make sure that we weren’t replicating anything and ensuring that the details were unique to Mollie and Ben. Let’s dig into it!
Photos by Lynsey Corbett Photography
The Floral Design
The overall design goal for the florals was to create an elevated rustic look, with florals that felt soft and fluttery, adding in some garden whimsy to the otherwise very classic white and green design plan. Often when someone comes to me and says they want white and green, there’s a hint that maybe they would like something with a bit more colour to it but they’re afraid it won’t be classic enough. But when Mollie said she wanted white and green, we all knew that she knew exactly what she wanted, so with the direction of Andrea and Michelle from Soiree, I got to work.
Florals have an incredible ability to create a specific atmosphere. From my first conversation with Mollie, I could just feel that late summer sunset peeking through a clear top tent, perfectly lit with lots of candlelight. My aim with the florals was to create the ambiance that allowed for romantic moments to happen, tucking in soft textures, a bit of whimsy, and a delicate feel.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: We went for a medium sized bridal bouquet, and it was so light! I kept the ingredients locally-grown, and minimal: a base of white lisianthus and phlox, white sweet pea, white scabiosa, touches of white snowberry (a must for me in the fall), a few stems of white larkspur for that garden whimsy, and sweet autumn clematis for that delicate trailing element.
I finished it off with lace from the sleeve of Mollie’s mom’s wedding dress — I felt horrendous cutting into it, but it was such a sentimental touch that I thought was so sweet!
The CEREMONY
With the weather that day being very unpredictable, my team actually designed this arch inside the tent. We were so pumped to be able to move it outside just in time for the ceremony — the sky cleared up, the chairs were dried off, and away they went!
We chose to use our asymmetrical arch bases and really fluff them out with white florals. When we’re working against a full treeline like this, it’s pretty easy for the greenery of the arch to blend right in so I made sure to use some really fluffy white hydrangea and lisianthus to make as large of an impact as we could. I really love the shape and texture we were able to achieve.
We added a couple of large, ground-based pieces at the back of the aisle. It’s not a large budget addition, and they’re very easily repurposable into a reception space so it’s a smart design element, in my opinion!
“Lauren and her team were amazing to work with for our wedding florals. Throughout the entire planning processes, she was so positive, attentive and truly passionate about what she does. We came to her with a very simple idea, and through her talent and creativity she turned it into something more beautiful than we ever could have imagined. Every detail was so thoughtful and perfectly executed. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience, we would highly recommend her!” — Mollie and Ben
The Reception Details
Mollie loved the idea of suspended greenery against the clear top tent, but since we had done the same thing for Ben’s brother’s wedding (and since the cost of greenery has truly skyrocketed in the last couple of years), I came up with another idea to pitch to her, and I’m lucky she loved it! The focal point of the tent became the head table, with my team creating naturally growing greenery elements off the tent poles behind the head table. This was almost a cross between “trees” and ceiling vines...growing them up the tent pole and angling up onto the ceiling as much as we could. The overall effect will be really natural and in keeping with the property. We got started on these right as soon as walked into the tent, and seeing the transformation from basic tent to outdoors-in was really special.
Soiree curated a beautiful, clean combination of tabletop details, adding in a lovely green linen napkin, champagne flatware, and ribbed glassware. The resulting look was elevated and simple, and I love the lighter wood chairs from Pinnacle for a garden party look.
From Design Board to Reality
Tent weddings in the fall are definitely in need of additional lighting sources. We added plenty of candlelight, with the help of eucalyptus taper and votive candles, in ribbed hurricanes.
This subtle colour addition was a lovely way to layer in another shade of green without becoming any sort of focal point. Gold table lamps were tucked in as well.
The long tables were dressed with bud vases and mini arrangements, while the round tables featured a fluttery, lush floral arrangement in a cream ceramic compote, accented with additional candle light.
The Dessert Display
Sometimes things come together at the last minute, better than you ever could have planned. This dessert display was one of those — now of course, the Soiree and Sugar & Salt teams had carefully curated the entire dessert selection and display, along with the pedestals and bar for serving. But when I realized we had a lot of extra greenery and could add another “tree,” Michelle from Soiree asked if we could add something to the back of the tent where the desserts were planned for. This transitioned the space from being just a dessert spread at the back of the tent to a prime focus in the room. I’m so happy, because just LOOK at that beautiful little cake that really deserved extra attention!! We also transferred the arch pieces to either side, which filled it up beautifully.
Wrapping up, I’ll once again say how much I truly love working with the professionals that I get to. Weddings, and especially tent weddings on a private property, are a true labour (sometimes of love, sometimes not!!) and the vendor team you hire will absolutely make or break it. I’m a firm believer that every tent wedding should have a full-service wedding planner on board, because of the sheer amount of work it takes to pull it all together. You’re literally building a venue from the ground-up, every single salt and pepper shaker, piece of toilet paper, and electrical outlet included. It’s rarely glamorous work, but people like Soiree Event Planning do such a stellar job that you wouldn’t even have a clue just how much expertise is required to make it go as smoothly as they ensure it does. I tip my hat!
planning a Tent Wedding in Manitoba?
Count me in! Whether it’s an intimate wedding for 30 or a celebration the likes of which have never been seen before, 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!
