Spanish-Inspired Red Wedding at The White Poplar
Natasha and Joe, in August at The White Poplar — better known as one of my favourite weddings of the year.
And one of your favourites, too — every time I post something from their wedding, Instagram goes wild. The reel I posted of their arch has almost 300 shares…that’s WAY WAY WAY more than anything else I’ve ever shared. So yeah. Natasha and Joe’s wedding is a good one. Let’s dig into it.
Natasha’s style is obviously impeccable, and she came into the planning with a Spanish-inspired vision. The colour palette? Perfect. Her dresses? Breathtaking. The ceremony arch? One of my absolute faves.
Photos by Rachwal Photography
BOUQUET PERFECTION. If I do say so myself 😘 Everything about this bouquet was just perfect. We obviously kept the colouring rich (which looks amazing against white dresses — if you’re on the fence about colour, please: GO FOR IT), focusing on those poppy reds with touches of brighter and softer pink added in, and finished with those breathtaking orchids that couldn’t have been more perfect.
FYI there’s a lesson in here — we don’t have a lot of control over the flowers that come in at our wholesaler, specifically when they’re more specialty flowers. Like, your roses are basically always going to come in with the correct variety and stem count that you want. But something like an orchid is trickier up here in the great white North, so I gave my rep a few colour options that I liked and the overall palette of the wedding, and then hoped for the best. I couldn’t guarantee to Natasha that I was going to get something that was going to be perfect, and so we couldn’t try to control it. BUT IT WAS PERFECT.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: Nina roses, rockstar roses, gladiola, ranunculus, snap dragons, Jewels of Opar, sweet pea, anthurium, and those perfect phalaenopsis orchids.
The ceremony. This arch. The perfect spot in the trees. I don’t know what else I can say aside from PERFECTION.
I love designing a statement arch but the red obviously kicked it up a notch unlike any other palette. Someone else, please give me a red palette and I will KISS you.
Okay, so we obviously had a lot of fun with the reception design. Natasha had a clear vision but wasn’t totally sure how to bring it all together or what products were available for rent here in Winnipeg, so I was happy to come alongside her and make suggestions about rentals, styling, and so on — and honestly, the trust that she put in me was AMAZING and that’s what creates the best experience and final product.
Since their wedding was originally going to be at a different venue (and then postponed because of Covid, and then that venue wasn’t actually BUILT so she had to switch gears altogether), Natasha viewed White Poplar as a blank slate that she could do whatever she wanted with.
First, Natasha brought in cross-back chairs instead of the black metal that are standard at the venue, and added white draping to soften the more barn/industrial style space. She also added a dusty rose velvet linen to the head table to create an elevated aesthetic and also make sure the bridesmaids don’t have to worry about sitting prim and proper all night long. We added a gorgeous low floral piece to the centre of the head table, along with clusters of candles and greenery touches to finish that design up.
I wanted to create a sense of undulation down the tables, and Natasha liked the idea of these low arrangements that felt like they were growing out of the tables. We paired those with fuller florals in gold urns, and added plenty of candles in a soft taupe to elevate the aesthetic (this makes SUCH a big difference…sometimes a white candle is the way to go, but sometimes it’s just too stark and basic!).
I loved the place settings! The gold-rimmed plates were lovely and felt rich, and I suggested layering in a terracotta napkin underneath the bread plate, for both function and fashion. It added a bit of authentic rustic vibes, and also didn’t blow away — word to the wise, The White Poplar is suuuuuper windy. Natasha’s friend designed all the stationery on this luxe, luscious paper (isn’t the colour stunning?!) and then on the day-of, when Alex from Alexandra Lillian Events was setting everything up she came up against the wind when setting the place cards. I suggested they be tucked into the salad fork tynes, which again felt a little rustic (in a good way guys, not in a burlap barn way, k?) and also got that job done.
We need to give a MOMENT to this cake. Woah. Jenna Rae Cakes absolutely blew it out of the water with this complete masterpiece. I connected with Jenna in advance of the wedding and let her know what flowers I was using, and what I could provide her with that would last on the cake, and then she just went for it. Seriously, if you want your cake to be a true work of art, you need to connect with Jenna.
And, obviously, the flowers were pretty spectacular, if I do say so myself! My team really killed it, and we had an awesome time designing lush pieces filled with locally grown and specialty imported flowers.
Everything about this day was amazing. What made it even better was the vendor team, all listed below. This was my first time working at White Poplar, and AJ is AMAZING. Alexandra Lillian Events provided coordination services, and she’s always such a breath of fresh air and such a gentle spirit to work alongside. Jenna Rae Cakes BROUGHT IT. Truly, everything about this wedding was just chef’s kiss.* Hire vendors who get your style, and let them help you along the way. It’ll work out so much better for you!
Izabela Rachwal Photography ~ The White Poplar ~ Alexandra Lillian Events ~ Jenna Rae Cakes ~ Planned Perfectly ~ Collective Event Rentals ~ Idyll Paper ~ Faith Robert ~ Chef Ben Kramer ~ Bliss Bridal Boutique ~ JP Media works
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
My 2024 calendar is now open!
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!