Cozy Cottage Core Vibes for Nicole and Justin
Nicole and Justin’s wedding was one of the first of my wedding season and it was such a joyful day (also frickin hot). They hosted a small group of loved ones at her family cottage, just over the Manitoba/Ontario border.
With Emily from Feast & Festivities at the helm, the cozy cottage vibes were personal, cheerful, and relaxed.
And, of course, Nicole was immaculate ✨ From her custom gown to her henna, everything about her style was perfection.
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.
Welcome to the cutest cottagecore wedding you’ve ever seen!
Nicole and Justin’s wedding was one of the first of my wedding season and it was such a joyful day (also frickin hot). They hosted a small group of loved ones at her family cottage, just over the Manitoba/Ontario border.
With Emily from Feast & Festivities at the helm, the cozy cottage vibes were personal, cheerful, and relaxed.
And, of course, Nicole was immaculate ✨ From her custom gown to her henna, everything about her style was perfection.
Photos by Casey Nolin Photography
Did I love Nicole’s bouquet? Yes. Did my Instagram followers love Nicole’s bouquet? ALSO YES.
I loved how light it was (seriously, like maybe 1 pound? It felt lighter than air). I loved how much movement it had. And I absolutely loved those locally grown tulips that totally stole the show.
I started with a base of lavender sweet pea, spiralling in the tulips, ranunculus, and delphinium that the colour movement was really soft and just had a small pop of bright orange. We finished it up with some Tono & Co silk ribbon.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: Tulips, ranunculus, delphinium, feverfew, sweet pea, stock, and poppies.
The ceremony was in a small clearing, literally just the perfect size for their guests. I designed some ground-based florals for the front, adding in individual stems down the aisle to make it feel very natural. I kept all the floral selections light, wildflowery, and airy. No focal flowers allowed.
Not every cottage has the necessary amount of space to pitch a tent, and Nicole’s place had literally just the right amount of space. Like, literally JUST. Almost like they planned it.
They had a U shaped table plan, with a row of tables in the middle, which created a really communal feel. A small lounge welcomed tired dancers off the dance floor, with a fun hanging seating chart and adorable bar front. It’s those little details that take things to another level, even if it’s a simple and relaxed wedding!
I loved the warm neutral base of taupe linens with wooden cross-back chairs. It felt really easy, not remotely pretentious or overdone.
Such cute place settings, right? I love the relaxed way that Emily layered all of this together. A loosely (but also perfectly) draped napkin (we don’t want anything looking messy here, friends!) — and note that it’s tucked under the plates. I’ve had quite a few tent weddings with a knotted napkin or flat folded napkin that has blown right off the table thanks to our least favourite element, wind.
And then that angled menu with the “scattered” cutlery — so cute, right? Again, it’s meticulously placed and each place setting perfectly matched each other, but it’s also got this inherently relaxed feel that fits the cottage atmosphere really well.
And how cute is that custom made bar? Named after their sweet pup, “Bar Luna”’s ruffled edges perfectly matched with the seating chart, festooned with pressed flowers that Nicole had been pressing for the year leading to their wedding. A personalized, DIY element done RIGHT, my friends.
A few beautiful moments down by the lake, at sunset. Now that’s summer wedding perfection!
Can I tell you how hot it was this day? DANG my friends. It was like 40 degrees celcius. Luckily we were pretty nicely shaded with a bit of a breeze, but whew. Lots of sunscreen and water that day for me, and I also stole a few minutes to splash my feet in the lake, and that made a world of a difference. Cheers to weddings at the lake!
Casey Nolin Photography ~ Feast & Festivities ~ Minted ~ Planned Perfectly ~ Collective Event Rentals ~ Cathy Wiebe Clothes ~ Aldo Formalwear ~ Blush + Blonde ~ Henna by Azma
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
We can design a gorgeous wedding at the lake for you. Find out more about what we do by clicking the button below!
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!
Creative Rock N Roll Rainbow Wedding in Winnipeg
Sam and Evan’s rock-n-roll themed rainbow wedding was definitely a career highlight for me. Everything about it was SO creative, so well thought-out. They clearly put in so much effort to consider making their wedding an amazing experience for all of their guests, as well as for themselves. The personalization level was top-notch. The music was amazing. The ceremony was so engaging.
And obviously, the florals were 🤌🏻 You know I LIVE for colour and this palette and overall design that Soiree Event Planning created was just DIVINE and such a delight to flower for.
Sam and Evan’s rock-n-roll themed rainbow wedding was definitely a career highlight for me. Everything about it was SO creative, so well thought-out. They clearly put in so much effort to consider making their wedding an amazing experience for all of their guests, as well as for themselves. The personalization level was top-notch. The music was amazing. The ceremony was so engaging.
And obviously, the florals were 🤌🏻 You know I LIVE for colour and this palette and overall design that Soiree Event Planning created was just DIVINE and such a delight to flower for.
Photos by Joel & Justyna
There are endless things to say about how wonderful this wedding was. They hosted their guests on Sam’s parent’s private property in Charleswood — it’s one of those amazing places where you don’t realize the yard is going to be big enough and then you walk out the back door and discover that it’s TOTALLY PERFECT.
The ceremony faced the river, with a clear top tent installed beside it. Guests entered through the house, enjoyed a welcome cocktail on the patio, and then walked across the shaded lawn to a long, narrow aisle. Samantha’s walk down the aisle was breathtaking — it was deliciously dramatic, with her beige veil with custom embroidery catching the breeze.
The couple are music lovers, and came up with a clever wedding slogan: “Stairway to Evan.” This was embroidered on Sam’s veil and it was just so stunning. And I mean, her dress. Yes. I know that a colourful dress is not for everyone, but I think we can all agree that her gown was spectacular.
Given the colour in her dress, I wanted to minimize the colours in her bouquet. We definitely wanted to hit the creamy/beige tones, and the red. I decided to add in the violet to play off the rest and just love how it worked. This was one of my fave bouquets of the year, and Sam’s, too — Sam had it preserved by Stephanie Singh in Toronto and sent me a picture of her tear drops on the box as she packed it up! Click here to see how it turned into an incredible art piece.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: anthurium, nina and sahara roses, lavender sweet pea, red ranunculus, and lavender phalaenopsis orchids.
Sam’s career is in the colour world, so she had a ton of Pantone swatches that she thought could be used. Enter, the creative genius of Michelle from Soiree. She took the couple’s love for Big White (the ski hill where they first met, had their first kiss, and have vacationed many times) and transformed these Pantone swatches into an art piece / photo backdrop inspired by the mountain ranges.
The Big White theme kept coming, with this incredible seating chart also conceptualized by Soiree. They took the run map and created individual lift tags for each guest, which told guests which table they were at as well as became their ticket to get into the after party. ADORABLE.
And obviously, we added some slick colour blocked floral to enhance it.
This isn’t the first time I’ve done a rainbow wedding with Soiree — we did one at Whitetail Meadow a few years ago, but with a very different overall style. Take a look!
OHHHHKAY. The ceremony florals were my favourite. Evan constructed the open air chapel beams — amazing. We went back and forth on a few ideas for aisle florals, and always knew that we wanted a dramatic altar with colour-blocked floral pillars. They needed to be pretty tall and full to suit the scale of the white aisle beams.
Down the aisle, I decided to grow up clustered florals around the chapel uprights. We wanted to camoflauge any grass damage (there wasn’t much, in the end) and just blend amp up the colour and the garden-inspired ambiance even more.
I could have lived here happily for the rest of my life.
And here comes the tent! The Soiree team worked SO diligently on this layout to maximize the design and it paid off. White linens paired with clear and smoke chairs, to set a minimal base. The tables were carefully laid out to colour block the entire tent. We decided on three different centrepiece styles (a full floral arrangement in a compote, a low floral arrangement with no visible vase, and a clustering of unique stem and smaller vases), per colour. This meant that my team never made the same arrangement more than 3 or 4 times — it was so refreshing and creatively inspiring.
My favourite part of the tablescapes was the custom-made, colour-blocked velvet charger plates. The Soiree team handmade them all and anytime I asked them “isn’t that going to be a big project?!” Michelle would say, “oh, it’s not bad! You just do this and do this and and and” and I was astonished. But the effort was OBVIOUSLY worth it.
The head table was so perfectly coordinated to hit the entire rainbow palette with detailed colour-blocking. The charger plates lined up perfectly with the centrepieces, and lined up perfectly with the seating. You’ll notice a mix of velvet and leather chairs and sofas used for seating for the wedding party at the head table, and we sprinkled in bud vases and candles in the entire range of colours down the length of the table. So fun!
I also had Meg Does Pottery, a local artist, create a couple of ADORABLE bud vases custom for the head table in the red/lilac palette. They’re on my shelf and I will love them forever.
My team was SO mighty. I’m so grateful for their hard work! It’s always a long week, and a long wedding day, and it’s so rewarding to see it all come together but it’s exhausting nonetheless.
Deanna, Emily, Vanessa, Andrea, Chad, Tricia — thank you all SO much. My hands certainly couldn’t have gotten this much done alone.
Joel & Justyna Photography ~ Picture and Poet ~ Soiree Event Planning ~ Planned Perfectly ~ COllective event rentals ~ Trend Rentals & Decor ~ Event Light ~ beyond the lounge ~ two fold paper co ~ Cathy Wiebe Clothing (AFter party Dress and custom veil) ~ BERTA ~ MYUZ Artistry ~ Creating a Scene
Clear Top Tent Wedding at Home with Luscious Florals
Jen grew up with grandparents who worked in the flower growing and gardening industries in England, so she wanted to prioritize the flowers — and I was not going to say no to that! Knowing how much of an impact flowers make on the overall design, this couldn't have been a better decision -- especially for a couple who aren't afraid of colour!
After changes in date, venue, and even province, we re-envisioned the wedding design 3 months before the new date. What was originally to be a July wedding, and then a destination wedding in BC, was re-planned during Covid for August, back in Winnipeg. I was SO excited to get their email saying it was back on, in Winnipeg, and that I’d get to be a part of their day!
Happy New Year! I’m excited to keep sharing my recent weddings and giving insights into your wedding planning…so let’s start thing off with Jen and Johann’s clear top tent wedding at home, with luscious florals!
Jen grew up with grandparents who worked in the flower growing and gardening industries in England, so she wanted to prioritize the flowers — and I was not going to say no to that! Knowing how much of an impact flowers make on the overall design, this couldn't have been a better decision -- especially for a couple who aren't afraid of colour!
After changes in date, venue, and even province, we re-envisioned the wedding design 3 months before the new date. What was originally to be a July wedding, and then a destination wedding in BC, was re-planned during Covid for August, back in Winnipeg. I was SO excited to get their email saying it was back on, in Winnipeg, and that I’d get to be a part of their day!
Wedding 3.0 included plans for an intimate ceremony at the gorgeous Leo Mol Sculpture Garden in front of the pond, followed by a clear top tent reception in Johann's dad's yard in Old Tuxedo, which called for a mature but still vibrant colour palette, focusing on a range of pinks, moving from a darker berry tone all the way down to a beigey blush.
Jen wanted luscious florals, an oversized and very garden-inspired bridal bouquet. Their late-August wedding date meant I was able to include some of my favourite locally grown flowers, including lisianthus, cosmos, and scabiosa. Her bouquet also featured quicksand roses and Darcy garden roses, blush ranunculus, and I rounded it out with olive foliage and trailing jasmine vine. When describing what she wanted, Jen told me, “the weirder the better” and so I had a lot of fun with this bouquet! It was huge, and had a really cool shape with lots of movement and depth.
I LOVE the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden — I think it’s one of the most beautiful places in the entire city (fun fact: my sister unveiled one of the statues!). We wanted to make a floral statement, but I also wanted something that fit well in the small space and didn’t take away from the view.
I decided on a bit of a floral nest, with ground-based pieces full of flowers that brought colour and fragrance without overpowering the gorgeous pond.
Jen also asked for large arrangements in gold urns to be set at the entrance to the aisle, which makes for a really welcoming and beautiful walk down the aisle!
For the reception, the clear top tent was situated in Johann’s dad’s front yard. We decided on a dusty rose velvet linen, and a few floral focal pieces to carry the design throughout: a large olive branch arrangement for the champagne table, we re-purposed the ceremony pieces to become a killer entrance of the small tent, and popped luscious centrepieces in bronze urns on each table, surrounded by smoke glass votive holders.
Jen had worked closely with Leech Letter Co to design a custom stationery suite for the original wedding plans, including an adorable wax seal featuring their puppy's silhouette, and then added an insert with the new details from Minted, with the phrasing "Okay, new plan..." that was the perfect way to add a little lightness to the situation!
The guest list was kept quite small, and they utilized both the front yard (for the tent and welcome champagne table), and the back yard pool area (for cocktail hour and then again to party away the night…rumour has it, Jen might have taken a midnight dip!). Round guest tables were situated in the tent, while cocktail tables dotted the backyard around the pool, on which I placed a few petite floral arrangements to tie it all together.
Obviously I couldn’t help but float all my leftover roses in the pool!
It was such a joy to flower for this incredible couple! Clearly they have no fun at all 😉 It made me so happy to see them celebrate after all of the planning, and re-planning, and re-planning again.
Josh Dookhie for Pantel Photography ~ Alli Mae Events ~ Planned Perfectly ~ C&T Rentals ~ D’Lite Tent Rentals ~ Chef Ben Kramer ~ Keith Macpherson ~ DJ K Chedda ~ Jessica Janel Makeup ~ Styled by Katie ~ Leech Letter Co ~ High Tea Bakery ~ Leo Mol Sculpture Garden
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
Getting married in 2022? Wedding flower appointments will start in the new year and I have a wait list started in the meantime. Click the button below to get on my wait list!
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!