Disco Balls, Mini Dress, and Pizza Trucks: The Perfect Backyard Wedding
When the couple has only been to a few weddings in their lives, it means that they don't care about the typical traditions. So we did everything awesome and nothing that wasn't.
Julia and Austin's wedding was the perfect low key, fun backyard wedding. Their tagline was "we got a good thing" and we wanted them to be at the centre of the entire day, which took place at her family's urban backyard. We wanted to evoke the spontaneity of an elopement, but with just a few more people, and tie through a bit of Julia's rocker edge. Her mini dress and mullet were complete perfection.
When the couple has only been to a few weddings in their lives, it means that they’re not interested in/aware of the typical traditions. So we did everything awesome and nothing that wasn't.
Julia and Austin's wedding was the perfect low key, fun backyard wedding. Their tagline was "we got a good thing" and we wanted them to be at the centre of the entire day, which took place at her family's urban backyard. We wanted to evoke the spontaneity of an elopement, but with just a few more people, and tie through a bit of Julia's rocker edge. Her mini dress and mullet were complete perfection.
Floral & Event Design: Stone House Creative
Photos: Kassandra Donaldson
Nearly all of the flowers for the entire wedding were locally grown, which is always a priority for me. Something I love about locally grown is the range and depth in colouring that we get, that you simply don’t find in wholesale flowers. These are farmed for their consistency, which is what flower shops want so their customers know what they’ll be getting. But when we’re working with a broad, delicious colour palette like this one, we want to be able to blend and move the colour throughout the bouquet.
Bridal bouquet ingredients: cosmos, ranunculus, zinnias, stock, rudbeckia, corn cockle, garden roses, forget me nots.
We worked with Rae & Dot to custom design the stationery. With a small guest list, we didn’t need a lot of pieces but we did want to make sure we gave a sneak into the style and level of casual-cool the wedding would have.
The ceremony was personalized with a dear friend guiding the vows, and we emphasized the existing space with the addition of ground-based florals tucked throughout the garden, and a rattan rug to ground the space. The clear acrylic chairs were one of the first and only requests that Julia made and I love how they worked into the design.
Post-ceremony, the garden gates swung open and a pizza truck pulled up in the back lane. The backyard is completely gorgeous but wouldn't allow enough space for a full sit-down dinner. We tucked in a mix of long tables and cocktail tables, popped a newlywed lounge under the pergola, and a few guests grabbed a seat on the deck and it all worked perfectly.
Julia’s mom has a lovely garden with a lot of green, so we wanted to enhance it with colour and texture. I LOVE foxtail lily and will use it any chance I get. While I was working on the newlywed lounge, Deanna whipped this garden out and it looked so amazing.
As event designer, one of my favourite things to do is figure out an amazing floor plan. With a small backyard space, we didn’t have a ton of options and I knew we’d need to flip the entire space post-ceremony. Deanna and I hid in the garage while the ceremony was going on — I LOVE getting a glimpse of the big moments of your day ✨
We didn’t need to worry about seating for each guest because the wedding was so casual. But, we did want to create as much space as possible, so I started with one long banquet table along the garage, and a second banquet table the deck. This left us with enough space to do a combination of seated and standing cocktail tables along the garden, where the ceremony had been, with the bar tucked into a nook between the garage and a tree, and it fit perfectly!
We rented in some vintage wicker bar backs and a bar cart, creating functional storage for the limited space, along with adding in some retro personality to fit their vibe.
I knew I wanted to use toffee table candles placed on terracotta trays, and we tucked in the CUTEST mini arrangements to further the colour scheme. I also added a few little disco balls for fun.
THE NEWLYWED LOUNGE. My favourite part of the design, I think. Well, everything was my favourite actually, but this lounge was just amazing. Obviously we were working with a small amount of space and the deck and pergola area needed to be both functional and beautiful, and it was just the right size to add in additional seating so we could get as many seats as possible and a cool design feature, as well. We tricked it out with some big disco balls and hanging flowers above, a funky combination of furniture, and the most perfect floral arrangement that my designer Deanna has possibly ever made. It was SO CUTE and apparently the newlyweds didn’t even get a chance to sit in it because guests loved it too much to share 😉
Looking for a Wedding Floral Designer in Winnipeg?
2024 wedding dates are now booking! 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!
Garden-Inspired Art Gallery Wedding
Julie and Reid’s elegant, garden-inspired wedding was one I had been so looking forward to, but not without a few kinks in the planning!
Julie has a really demanding career, so I primarily worked with her mom and planner, Alli Mae Events. Julie gave us some inspiration for the visual direction, and we took it away from there — except, it was originally planned for another venue and due to flooding this spring, they scrambled to book a new venue just 4 weeks prior to their wedding!
In the end, I actually think the WAG was the absolute perfect location for them and I wouldn’t have chosen it to be any other way!
Julie and Reid’s elegant, garden-inspired wedding was one I had been so looking forward to, but not without a few kinks in the planning!
Julie has a really demanding career, so I primarily worked with her mom and planner, Alli Mae Events. Julie gave us some inspiration for the visual direction, and we took it away from there — except, it was originally planned for another venue and due to flooding this spring, they scrambled to book a new venue just 4 weeks prior to their wedding!
In the end, I actually think the WAG was the absolute perfect location for them and I wouldn’t have chosen it to be any other way!
Photos by Izabela Rachwal
“you were able to make my vision come to life, putting your own twist and imagination into it to make the florals and décor even more special.”
- Julie
Their original wedding venue had a lot of green space and opportunity for outdoor photos, and I knew they’d be missing that in their switch to the WAG. So, I offered to set up a sort of portrait garden on the rooftop, using their aisle flowers to bring some colour and life to the sculpture garden.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: wabara garden roses, peonies, ranunculus, scabiosa, quicksand rose, delphinium, Queen Anne’s Lace, anemones, lisianthus.
Rooftop wedding ceremonies at the WAG are always super windy, no matter what the weather is at the ground, but this chuppah from Dream Day Decor was sturdy and did the job!
I know a lot of people choose the WAG because it’s neutral (and it is — those tyndall stone walls are just 😍). But where people go wrong, in my opinion, is choosing white linens. The white just falls flat, dulling the room. Opting for a soft neutral, like these taupe linens from Planned Perfectly, or adding richness with a warmer tone, is definitely the way to go!
If you’re planning an all-white wedding, choosing the taupe is just a warmer neutral base that blends into the venue’s walls, but you can still opt for white florals and it’s not going to feel bland.
The floor plan is one of the most underrated elements to a great wedding atmosphere, and I love that Julie and Reid opted for an oversized “King’s Table” for their head table — double-sided seating, and double wide, allowing for plenty of space for the wedding party and their partners to join you. This gives you the opportunity to actually chat and enjoy your evening with your loved ones, instead of feeling like you’re on display all evening long.
It’s also great that this King’s Table was situated in the middle of the room, creating great guest flow and movement throughout the room. And obviously, the full floral runner lining the middle of the table was just divine!
“What an amazing display of your creativity. I knew you would create the magic and I trusted you every step of the way. There was lots of uncertainty with the wedding plans, but I knew you were the one aspect I had complete faith in.
Lauren, you were wonderful right from the beginning. Thank you for creating a wonderful moment in time that will sustain me for the remainder of my lifetime.”
-Adele (Mother of the Bride)
“Lauren at Stone House was so amazing to work with. She was very professional, responsive and extremely creative!
Lauren detailed and sketched her design in advance so I was able to provide feedback and envision her plan. With a last minute venue change, Lauren remained calm and was able to adapt with no problems.
She was helpful and her creativity went beyond florals. I am so glad I worked with Stone House for my wedding. She is artistic, resourceful and original.” - Julie
Looking for a Wedding Floral and Event Designer in Winnipeg?
2023 wedding dates are limited, and my 2024 wait list has been started! 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!
Wistful Romantic Wedding Photo Shoot
Now that I’m finally back to blogging on a regular basis and sharing some of the gorgeous weddings and events I’ve been part of over the last year, I knew I needed to share these images from Florence Photography from our Portfolio Builder last spring.
These images are romantic, and wistful, and have a bit of old-world charm to them, with a really sleek editorial vibe that I’ve come to know as Florence Photography’s signature style. I love the moody flirtation she captured!
Now that I’m finally back to blogging on a regular basis and sharing some of the gorgeous weddings and events I’ve been part of over the last year, I knew I needed to share these images from Florence Photography from our Portfolio Builder last spring.
These images are romantic, and wistful, and have a bit of old-world charm to them, with a really sleek editorial vibe that I’ve come to know as Florence Photography’s signature style. I love the moody flirtation she captured!
Portfolio Builder designed in collaboration with the one and only Emily from Feast & Festivities.
A dreamy outdoor location in a leafy grove, a delicate butterfly theme, a whimsical floral garden…I loved designing this photo spot with the intention of creating a naturally growing garden. We wanted to add the ladder and I had the perfect old ladder in my yard…except I didn’t realize quite how rickety it was 😂 It’s not surprising that she didn’t climb the ladder lol!
This location — it was such a dream! Emily found this circular grove of trees in Churchill Drive Park and always thought it would make an amazing wedding spot. She was right. With champagne draping and wicker pendant lights suspended from the trees, it’s the perfect little spot for an intimate dinner.
If you’re spending money on a wedding cake — PLEASE make it a focal point at your reception. Give it its own table, throw a specialty linen on it, add some flowers around it (you know I love doing that!), add a specialty bottle of champagne for the two of you to toast with…just give it its own moment.
There are so many pretty textures and elements tucked into this overall design that make it what it is. — repeated butterfly details (the sweetest sugar butterflies on the cake, gold butterflies on the escort cards, 3D butterflies on the bride’s gloves) is one of my favourite pieces. Add to that the layered table linens with dual runners lining the length of the table on either side, the rattan baskets, and the ribbed beeswax candles…it all adds up to an overall lovely design!
I chose to do one long, lush floral arrangement down the centre of the table here, tucking in the earliest locally grown flowers of the summer (ranunculus, delphinium, and pansies) in a juicy palette.
Looking for a Wedding Floral Designer in Winnipeg?
2023 wedding dates are now booking! 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!
White Rose Garden Inspired Wedding at St Charles Country Club
You know I don’t do a lot of all-white weddings, because I’m such a colour lover. But there’s something (or rather, lots of somethings) about Marisa and Rob’s white rose garden-inspired wedding at St Charles Country Club that had me singing a different tune.
When Marisa first emailed me, she was inquiring about event design as well as floral design. With the all-white palette, I honestly wasn’t confident that I could pull off the complete event design, so I suggested she connect with Emily at Feast & Festivities. And as you can see, that was a good direction to point her in because this wedding was STUNNING.
You know I don’t do a lot of all-white weddings, because I’m such a colour lover. But there’s something (or rather, lots of somethings) about Marisa and Rob’s white rose garden-inspired wedding at St Charles Country Club that had me singing a different tune.
When Marisa first emailed me, she was inquiring about event design as well as floral design. With the all-white palette, I honestly wasn’t confident that I could pull off the complete event design, so I suggested she connect with Emily at Feast & Festivities. And as you can see, that was a good direction to point her in because this wedding was STUNNING.
Marisa’s uniquely shaped bouquet was a modern take on a classic white rose bouquet. We kept the bridesmaids’ bouquets even simpler, but not a boring rose dome.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: white playa blanca roses and Jeanine spray garden roses.
Marisa wanted roses, roses, and lots of roses. She also loves hydrangea, and we wanted to include some feminine texture throughout. At the church, we kept the aisle simple with baby’s breath bouquets and a pair of white pedestals at the front of the church with overgrown, rose-filled arrangements sitting on top.
Aren’t they so cute?
I LOVE seeing the moment when the couple sees their wedding reception for the first time! You spend a lot of time and energy (and money) creating a space with just the right ambiance for you and your guests to celebrate your marriage. It’s something that’s worth celebrating! The look on Marisa’s face shows how excited she was to see her classic rose garden-inspired wedding come to life.
And now on to the reception, where I was fully and completely obsessed with the design. Layer upon layer of white goodness and hot dang, it was breathtaking.
The floor plan combined round tables with a tall white floral centrepiece, and elongated banquet tables with repeated clusters of black taper candles with low white floral arrangements. These all-white florals felt really fresh and chic, and I realized the reason why is because we didn’t use any foliage. It elevated the design from a basic white-and-green to something more chic.
Alright, let’s talk about this cake table!! Marisa wanted it to feel like a rose bush was growing around her cake, which was delicately designed with sugar hydrangea petals. I would really love to do this again so HELLO PLEASE CALL ME if you want a little something something like this.
I LOVED THIS FIREPLACE MANTLE. We really kept the rose bush vibes going here, and just wanted it to feel natural, slightly overgrown, and organic.
Looking for a Wedding Floral Designer in Winnipeg?
2023 wedding dates are now booking! 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!
Whimsical Summer Camp Wedding at the Lake
I love a good wedding at the lake, and when Caitlyn first reached out to me, I was so excited to hear some of her preliminary ideas and the general idea of having the wedding at a camp!
Mid-way through the planning, the venue actually changed and they ended up at King’s Cabins, which I think is kind of a fishing camp and it was SO COOL. The ambiance was amazing and I can’t wait to show you how everything came together!
I love a good wedding at the lake, and when Caitlyn first reached out to me, I was so excited to hear some of her preliminary ideas and the general idea of having the wedding at a camp!
Mid-way through the planning, the venue actually changed and they ended up at King’s Cabins (just outside of Emerald Bay, about an hour past Kenora), which I think is kind of a fishing camp and it was SO COOL. The ambiance was amazing and I can’t wait to show you how everything came together!
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: dahlias, ranunculus, toffee roses, delphinium, solidago, cosmos, amaranthus, feverfew, ferns, and dried poppy pods. A LOT of these ingredients were locally grown — always my fave!
As you can already see, this wedding was completely awesome. I suggested to Caitlyn that she hire a wedding planner, because hosting a wedding in a location where weddings don’t normally take place is a LOT of work. I was so happy to hear that she had hired Emily from Feast & Festivities, because I knew that the details Emily would pull together would be so unique and creative, and really bring the camp feel to life.
The focus was creating a whimsical, youthful ambiance with cheerful colours that played well with the natural woodsy surroundings.
The setting of the camp truly couldn’t have been more incredible. A long, windy driveway through the woods leading to the lake, with rustic log cabins sprinkled throughout the property. Some of the couple’s closest friends stayed on-site in the cabins, and it was so awesome to see how much fun they were all having and the way they supported the couple throughout the day. It wasn’t a hot day, so hearing some of the men squeal as they took some cold dives into the lake while I was setting up was pretty enjoyable for me 😂
The ceremony was tucked into the treeline, with guests seated along wood benches. The couple built and transported the arch to the cabin, and I designed a completely foam-free floral installation. If you’re not sure what that means, know that floral foam is really horrendous to the environment but like many things, it’s really easy to use. So, I’ve been challenging myself to get out of that comfort zone and design in a more sustainable way. This arch came together PERFECTLY using a single design tray lined with chicken wire, and some re-usable installation mechanics that hold water and are ziptied onto the arch structure. Everything aside from the zipties was reusable! Hooray!
I wanted this arch to feel really natural, bringing in lots of texture and greenery while popping the colour palette throughout to tie into the overall event design. I used a lot of different ferns, as they grow abundantly in the area, along with pine boughs that I foraged from the property on my drive in that morning.
Feast & Festivities curated some truly adorable camp-themed design elements, like the pennants, a chalkboard schedule, a mess hall-inspired seating chart, and camping mug favours.
Just take a look at this reception space! The tent was set up near the ceremony space as a backup, and though it was kind of misting throughout the morning, we decided to go for it and keep the reception al fresco — I love when couples make this decision! The stress is worth it when you can look around and see all your loved ones enjoying the open air and just having an awesome time together.
String lights, banquet and round tables surrounding an old stone fireplace, and the trees…the ambiance could not have been better!
I LOVE the way the colour palette was pulled throughout the wedding. I think a lot of people just say “I’m having a blue wedding” and then choose a blue tablecloth and bridesmaid dresses and leave it at that. This palette was so expertly layered to create depth and visual interest.
The florals on the tables were actually super simple — the round tables featured a short cylinder vase with a simple arrangement of ferns and white cosmos, and the banquet tables saw clusters of my cream pottery stem vases with petite arrangements. Adding in the coloured candles on those terracotta planter trays was another perfect addition.
I just LOVED Caitlyn’s dress — it’s dramatic in all the right ways, without taking any attention away from her stunning natural beauty. I don’t usually get to see any of the wedding pictures being taken, but given that everything happened on site, I actually got to be a bit of a peeping tom while their photos were happening and I was SO excited to see how they turned out. Aren’t these just gorgeous?
Lake weddings for the win, people!
gina brandt photography ~ Feast & Festivities ~ planned perfectly ~ collective event rentals ~ Emerald Event Rentals ~ Spark Rentals ~ Minted ~ Steven King Cabins
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
My 2023 wedding wait list has been started!
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!