Intimate Winter Wedding at Hawthorn Estates
It only takes 2 weeks and a bit of flexibility to plan a gorgeous wedding! Caitlin and Michael’s intimate winter wedding at Hawthorn Estates was a complete dream to flower for, with just a few pieces that each made a major impact. Her easy-going nature combined with beautiful vision and complete trust in me allowed this design to become what it did!
It only takes 2 weeks and a bit of flexibility to plan a gorgeous wedding! Caitlin and Michael’s intimate winter wedding at Hawthorn Estates was a complete dream to flower for, with just a few pieces that each made a major impact. Her easy-going nature combined with beautiful vision and complete trust in me allowed this design to become what it did!
Photos by Ariana Tennyson
A 2 week planning timeline is just what happened for Caitlin and Michael - she reached out a few weeks beforehand, saying that she was pretty sure they would be planning their wedding for the end of February but they wouldn’t be sure until they heard the latest round of Covid restrictions. We chatted a bit about her ideas (originally, just the fireplace installation for the ceremony) and then added in a bouquet and the hanging piece above the head table, confirming everything just 2 weeks prior to the wedding when weddings were allowed to have 10 guests.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: Toffee roses, combo roses, quicksand roses, bunny tails, dried palmettos, phragmite grass, dried strawflower, waxflower, and phalaenopsis orchids (the bride’s favourite!).
The winter wedding ceremony of my dreams ✨
I love venues that have fireplaces, and wish that all ceremonies took place in front of them. They’re such a good way to create a killer ambiance. Caitlin added the million candles, and I took care of the extremely luscious flowers, and the entire space just glowed with beauty.
More roses, delphinium, flowering branches (that weren’t actually flowering 😭), bouvardia, strawflower, a few orchids, and greenery - all good things!
Up next…the piece de resistance! When Caitlin asked about adding something spectacular hanging over the head table and shared a few incredibly luscious images with me, you could say I got a little bit excited.
A few things I knew: first, that I wanted to go overboard (lol). Second, that I wanted to make this really special. Third, that I had a huge hanging chandelier composed entirely of copper plumosa fern left from this Planned Perfectly product shoot that would be PERFECT. We started with a base of chicken wire, added in the fresh greenery and the copper plumosa, and then started tucking in the flowers…and lots of them. Some were on water tubes, some without, and this entire piece was foam free! We finished it off by adding in some of Hawthorn’s glass hanging bulbs for a little extra candle twinkle!
Want to see how this came together? I time-lapsed this install and love watching it, right here on my Instagram Reels.
I just wanted to say that the flowers were amazing!! Thank you for bringing my vision to life - it was absolutely perfect! Last night was a dream. Thank you so much!
Ariana Tennyson Photography ~ Hawthorn Estates ~ Bliss Bridal Boutique ~ Colleen Olafson ~ Modern Plate Catering
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
My 2023 wedding date 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!
Joyful Fall Wedding with Toffee Roses
Sam and Dillon’s fall wedding was such a beautiful one to be part of! A gorgeous colour palette, a joyful couple, and everyone’s favourite rose, toffee!
I was so looking forward to these florals and for once, I didn’t have long to wait. We all know Covid threw a wrench in many wedding plans, and Sam and Dillon’s was no different. They were originally set to be married in Palm Springs, but decided to re-plan for a home wedding instead, knowing travel would be challenging. So, they reached out just a few months beforehand, when I’d normally be fully booked but I had the date open due to another wedding’s rescheduling situation. Lucky for me!
Sam and Dillon’s fall wedding was such a beautiful one to be part of! A gorgeous colour palette, a joyful couple, and everyone’s favourite rose, toffee!
I was so looking forward to these florals and for once, I didn’t have long to wait. We all know Covid threw a wrench in many wedding plans, and Sam and Dillon’s was no different. They were originally set to be married in Palm Springs, but decided to re-plan for a home wedding instead, knowing travel would be challenging. So, they reached out just a few months beforehand, when I’d normally be fully booked but I had the date open due to another wedding’s rescheduling situation. Lucky for me!
Photos by Ariana Tennyson
Sam was pretty easy-going with respect to basically everything floral. She sent me a pdf with a wide colour palette focusing on warm tones, a number of inspiration images showing a more casual, textured vibe (many of which were from my past weddings — nothing better than that!) and then basically left it in my hands. I knew a few things I wanted to use right off the hop — specifically, the toffee and nina roses. Aren’t they just killer together?
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: Toffee roses, nina roses, salmon ranunculus, locally grown pansies, strawflower, and scabiosa, echinacea pods, ninebark and geranium foliages.
This was the first day in September that I remember things really starting to look and feel like fall. There was a slight chill in the air, and the leaves had started turning a magnificent yellow on the drive out to the country where their tent was set up. And as you can see, the dried grasses and turning leaves made for some pretty stunning photos!
Sam didn’t really have a wedding party, though she did get ready and take photos with some of her most loved people, which I thought was really nice! That allows a couple to spend a lot of time together on their wedding day with a bit less stress, but still get to enjoy time with all their friends, too.
The reception tent was set up in a family friend’s yard, just outside of Ile des Chenes. It was a beautiful property, with lots of space and incredibly helpful hosts!
With the help of their planner, Amanda Douglas Events, Sam and Dillon chose some design elements that made their reception a little bit more special. I love that they put a little more focus on the head table — the guest tables were square, and the head table was U-shaped. They opted for a warm taupe linen on the head table (instead of the plain white on the guest tables), and along with stem vases, I added in some small size floral arrangements scattered along the head table as well. Adding in lots of candles, pink napkins, and amber glassware brought the colour palette into the tent and added personality.
Our hearts are absolutely exploding! We are over the moon. Thank you so much 😍 We received so many compliments on how beautiful the flowers were. You did such an amazing job. Thank you for sharing your work and passion with us.
Ariana Tennyson Photography ~ Amanda Douglas Events ~ MYUZ Artistry ~ D&M Rentals ~ Urban Prairie Cuisine ~ C&T Rentals ~ Trend Decor ~ Something Borrowed Wedding Rentals
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
2022 wedding dates are limited, and my 2023 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!
7 Wedding Tasks You Can Keep Planning During Covid Uncertainty
I know covid has put a dent in your wedding planning, but believe it or not, there are still a lot of planning tasks you can keep working on without any hesitation!
I challenge you to still have some fun with your planning, even while we’re in this phase of not knowing what this summer will bring.
Here’s a list of my top 7 wedding tasks you can keep planning!
I know Covid has put a dent in your wedding planning,
but believe it or not, there are still a lot of planning tasks you can keep working on without any hesitation!
Photos: Esther Funk Photography | Dress: Bliss Bridal BouTique | Hair, Makeup and Nails: Fifth Hair lounge and beauty bar
I challenge you to still have some fun with your planning, even while we’re in this phase of not knowing what this summer will bring.
Here’s a list of my top 7 wedding tasks you can keep planning!
WRite your vows and work on your ceremony program
A lot of couples leave this for the last minute, but why wait? Take some time to envision your wedding ceremony and how you want those incredible moments to feel.
One of my pet peeves is when people forget that the very definition of a vow is a promise: rather than just listing off things that you love about your partner, start planning out the promises that you intend to make. And don’t forget to write them all down in a beautiful vow book!
2. Make your music selections
I see a lot of posts from engaged people asking for what songs other people have walked down the aisle to, or swayed to their first dance to. Call me crazy, but choosing someone else’s song just doesn’t feel that personal.
No matter how many guests you’ll have at your wedding, you’ll still have those major moments and you should remember the soundtrack to your wedding day for your whole life (I walked down the aisle to Edelweiss on string quartet and LOVED it).
3. Nail Down your Wedding Day Style
Start scouring Instagram and Pinterest to help you nail down your wedding day style. Hair, makeup, nails, accessories — there are tons of inspiration images available and probably way too many ideas, too, so figure out a storage solution and start saving images. In a few weeks from now, see what images and styles your thoughts have kept coming back to and narrow down the options.
5. envision a more thorough design for your tabletop details
Think through the tabletop details you’ve planned and how you can create a more thorough design:
-Candles: variety is the spice of life, and more is always better. Mix sizes, textures, patterns and colours.
-Place settings: literally my favourite wedding reception detail, because it is seen and touched and noticed by every single guest. How can you layer in more colour? More texture? Something edible?
Check out my Pin Board for more ideas!
7. Plan your wedding night / weekend lingerie
So obviously you’re going to be planning where you’ll be staying on your wedding night (there are a few hotels in Winnipeg with stunning suites that are worth the splurge for 1 or 2 nights!), and you might as well have a little fun with some online shopping. I recently came across Adore Me, which is actually a sort of club/membership set up that offers affordably priced lingerie and tons of different styles with inclusive sizing, so even a non-lingerie person like me can find something they think is cute!
4. Broaden your colour palette
This is where your girl gets excited. Brainstorm how you can broaden your colour palette to bring in more life and interest. I’m not saying you need to change up everything that you’ve planned so far, but perhaps working in another hue of your main colour will create depth, or adding in a complimentary accent colour will make your trendy palette feel fresh!
6. Plan for design focal points
If budget allows, add 1 major focal point into your event design plan. This could be a killer cake table surrounded with flowers, an entry table with an impressive champagne display, or a sweet heart table with a stunning backdrop and abundant candlelight.
When you’re on a tighter budget, creating 1 focal point is a smart way to create something memorable and well-designed, while allowing you to spend less in other areas.
Looking for a wedding floral and event designer in winnipeg?
2022 wedding dates are now available
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!
Elegant Covid Tent Wedding with Peaches and Blues
Nicole and Colin’s backyard tent wedding was a really special one for me, because it was my first “full” wedding post-Covid. They were originally planning for 250+ guests at a large venue, but they were not interested in postponing. One month beforehand, they cut the guest list to about 35 people, and changed the plans to host both the ceremony and reception in Colin’s parents’ backyard in La Broquerie.
Nicole gave me total flexibility with the flowers, and basically just told me to surprise her. I decided on a palette of warm neutrals and was then surprised when I walked into the cooler at the wholesaler that week and found some eye-catching peach tones that I wanted to use — and I think they worked perfectly!
2020 has been a weird year for weddings, and sometimes it seems like it’s not even worth talking about anymore. That’s exactly why I’m starting this blog series, because I want to celebrate our “Covid weddings” and, at the same time, inspire you with ideas on how you can make sure that Covid-19 doesn’t define your wedding!
This is the 5th instalment of the Covid Weddings series, and today I’m sharing a backyard wedding at the family home in La Broquerie.
NICOLE AND COLIN ~ JULY 4, 2020
Photos by Janice Wiebe Photography
Nicole and Colin’s backyard tent wedding was a really special one for me, because it was my first “full” wedding post-Covid. They were originally planning for 250+ guests at a large venue, but they were not interested in postponing. One month beforehand, they cut the guest list to about 35 people, and changed the plans to host both the ceremony and reception in Colin’s parents’ backyard in La Broquerie.
Nicole gave me total flexibility with the flowers, and basically just told me to surprise her. I decided on a palette of warm neutrals and was then surprised when I walked into the cooler at the wholesaler that week and found some eye-catching peach tones that I wanted to use — and I think they worked perfectly!
It’s a good thing momma was around, because she fixed the placement of that boutonniere 😂 For the record, boutonnieres are affixed to the lapel on the left side of your chest, and you shouldn’t see any pins once it’s pinned in properly. Traditionally, you wear either a boutonniere OR a pocket square, and not both.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: Sahara roses, beige/peach carnations, anemones, butterfly ranunculus, forget me nots, larkspur, bunny tail, and various eucalyptus foliages. I loved the way this bouquet was on the smaller side but still felt like it was spilling over.
Nicole’s dad made the arch, and I tossed around a few ideas for florals, including a heavy floral piece for the arch, or taller pedestal arrangements, some ground based florals, and in the end I decided on a slightly lighter application on the arch itself, with large arrangements on pedestals at the start of the aisle. I tucked a few extra peonies and larkspur stems into galvanized buckets near the pedestals and welcome sign.
You’d really have thought that this was the Plan A, considering how perfectly everything fit. This flagstone patio was ideal for the wedding ceremony, especially with the way the landscaping gives privacy. Going heavier on the florals with multiple pieces brings a sense of purpose to the space, too, which I think is really nice especially for a smaller wedding. I also just LOVE these cross-back chairs from Planned Perfectly. They’re so versatile and can go with a number of different styles.
The soft blue textured linen that Nicole chose from Planned Perfectly is one of my faves, and it pairs so well with those chairs, doesn’t it?
I chose to design 2 centrepiece styles for Nicole, but I wasn’t entirely sure what the floor plan was going to be in the tent or how much space we’d have.
This is one of those incidences where giving your vendors trust and flexibility ends up being the best — because Nicole had told me to do whatever I thought was best, I could change up the plan on the fly. Originally, I was going to place one large arrangement on each table, and flank them with stem vases. But, the guest tables were REALLY narrow (which isn’t terribly uncommon with banquet tables), but some of the tables were set for 4 people and some were for 6 people. The tables set for 4 were a little roomier, so I chose to place the larger floral arrangements there, and then I lined the centre of the 6 person tables with stem vases. The rest of the larger floral arrangements were placed on the U-shaped head table, along with a few extra stem vases, and the numbers were worked out perfectly — almost like we planned it 😉 The tall white candleholders are from Planned Perfectly!
Our original plans were to have a 275 person wedding at The Gates on Roblin. Due to uncertainties in May with gathering sizes, we chose to move our 50% deposit with them to a new date next year to celebrate our 1 year anniversary with family and friends (fingers crossed MB is still in the clear by then).
One month ago, we decided to shift everything over to my in-laws backyard outside of Winnipeg. We had to reduce our guest list to only parents, siblings, god parents, the wedding party and 4 friends. We had 27 people attend and it was still the best day of our lives. Seriously—you will not regret keeping your day.. at the end of the day, it’s all about the marriage, not the wedding.
My heart is with all of the couples that are juggling with the decision on whether they should move forward or not, but just know that whatever you choose is completely validated and nobody else’s business. We’re living through unprecedented times and all opinions outside of yours are just noise! Enjoy your relationship as a couple and know that everything will work itself out.
Janice wiebe photography ~ JP Media Works ~ Planned Perfectly ~ C&T Rentals ~ Tentation Tent Rentals ~ Chantal’s bridal ~ moore’s ~ Jeanna Lee Artistry
Need more Covid-style intimate wedding inspiration?
Check out this Birds Hill Park elopement (they’re planning their reception for 2021!), and this backyard Jewish wedding ceremony and dinner!
If you're planning a small tent wedding and need help figuring out your seating arrangements, don't miss this casual al fresco tent wedding with great ideas for socially distanced seating!
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
2021 wedding dates are limited and my 2022 wait list is now 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!
Casual Al Fresco Wedding during Covid
2020 has been a weird year for weddings, and sometimes it seems like it’s not even worth talking about anymore. That’s exactly why I’m starting this blog series, because I want to celebrate our “Covid weddings” and, at the same time, inspire you with ideas on how you can make sure that Covid-19 doesn’t define your wedding!
This is the third instalment of the Covid Weddings series, and we’re flashing back to yet another super hot backyard wedding in St Clements. Read on for my reflections of their casual al fresco wedding and details from the bride herself!
2020 has been a weird year for weddings, and sometimes it seems like it’s not even worth talking about anymore. That’s exactly why I’m starting this blog series, because I want to celebrate our “Covid weddings” and, at the same time, inspire you with ideas on how you can make sure that Covid-19 doesn’t define your wedding!
This is the third instalment of the Covid Weddings series, and we’re flashing back to yet another super hot backyard wedding in St Clements. Read on for my reflections of their casual al fresco wedding and details from the bride herself!
MARGEAUX AND RYAN ~ JULY 25, 2020
Photos by Krista Hawryluk Photography
“For us, it was important to get married in 2020 as we had already been engaged for 18 months. We knew if we postponed to 2021 we would have decided not to have a reception at all and perhaps elope at a later date (not a desirable outcome — I just didn't see us waiting a whole other year for a party). Instead, we pushed the date up from the beginning of September to the end of July. Our wonderful wedding planner advised us to do so, to help ensure that the weather was nicer into the evening hours as another big plan change was moving the wedding to be an outdoor tent wedding instead of a predominantly indoor wedding at our prior wedding venue.
We got married and had the reception at my sister-in-law's property and reduced the guest count from about 140 to 55. The reduction in guests was two-fold 1) to adhere with the ever-changing gathering size regulations that seemed to be a moving target up until the wedding date, and 2) a lot of our original guest list was made up of out-of-towners who, because of Manitoba COVID regulations at the time, couldn't visit the province regardless.
Margeaux came to me with just a couple of inspiration photos (along with a full design board created by her planner, Alli Mae Events) and she really loved the bleached foliage look and dried flowers. I knew that toffee roses would be the perfect bit of warm colour for her, and while she didn’t want a lot of greenery, I was excited when she liked my idea to incorporate some cool toned foliage.
Bridal bouquet ingredients: toffee roses, dried and fresh ranunculus, strawflower, lisianthus, amaranthus, knifeblade acacia foliage, copper tinted plumosa, and bleached ruscus, ferns, and bunny tails.
We planned a few things to make our guests feel more comfortable and follow social distancing guidelines including, having hand sanitizer vials for each guest on all tables as a practical wedding favour, having a portable hand washing station for guests to wash with clean water and soap, reconfiguring the dinner table layout with only small tables that would fit the guests’ immediate bubble (no more than 4 people at each table) and each table was spaced out.
The plan was always to keep the wedding party’s florals simple — the girls were originally going to carry just a single rose! So it wasn’t a hard decision to cut those out with the Covid re-plans. We were very grateful for Alli (pictured below), the bride’s sister AND the woman behind Alli Mae Events! She led us all through the replan with grace and enthusiasm.
Margeaux and Ryan had a specific floral budget and they wanted to keep as close to that number as possible. Alli Mae Events wisely advised them to put the focus on Margeaux’s bouquet and on the ceremony installation, and keep the rest simple. We were able to keep the plan for the ceremony florals intact from the original wedding to the covid wedding, and I was so glad because I loved our plan!
I designed a ground-based semi-circle nest incorporating a lot of dried florals, bleached foliages, foraged items, and of course, toffee roses! I wanted it to be highly textural, warm, and unique.
This was made of 4 separate pieces, which were re-purposed to various reception spots.
The hardest decision to move forward with a wedding in 2020 was knowing that we wouldn't be able to have all of our out of town friends and family. I have a lot of out of town friends that I am very close with, and it was hard to make the decision that they wouldn't be able to celebrate with us. Once I got over that part, everything else came together and was just as beautiful and special as I could have ever imagined.
Luckily we were able to maintain all of our wedding vendors (everyone was available on that date) except our venue, so all the other planning elements (flowers, food, etc.) were exactly as we had originally discussed. In transitioning the plan, some things were easier and felt more casual and more "us," but there were also some aspects that made it more challenging. In moving to a backyard wedding, our family, bridal party and ourselves had a lot more setup work to do. We ran all over the city picking up equipment, tables and chairs, then dropping off all the rentals afterwards. It definitely felt like we had to "work" for the wedding day which wasn't exactly the most romantic thing.
The tent was actually situated in the front yard of the property, with the walls open and cocktail sized tables spaced 6 feet apart throughout. I thought this was such a great idea for seating — rather than renting the usual 8 person tables, they specifically designed the seating arrangements around family groupings and guests’s “bubbles.” Each table had just 2-4 seats at it.
We alternated the table centrepieces between a simple candle design and petite floral arrangements in the pottery bud vases I have in my rental inventory. I really like the mahogany folding chairs they chose — they’re both cost-effective and really clean lined, so they’re easy to design with without being a super boring white chair. They upgraded the place setting details with the Contessa plates and copper flatware from C&T Rentals.
The ceremony pieces were positioned around the cocktail area, marking the bases of the lighting poles, along with one piece marking the sweetheart table.
I had to include one photo of me working on that ceremony piece — sweaty as all get-out and showing a little too much bra. Sorry about that 😉
A word of advice for other couples up against COVID: just do it! Those who can't make your wedding will be supportive of your decision. No one knows what the future holds, so you have to do what's right for you in this moment. Make a list of your top 50 guests (I know, it's hard) and plan a predominantly outdoor ceremony if you want to have more than 10 guests. Don't compromise on anything else — have the food, flowers, dress and photographer that you've always wanted because it's still your special day regardless of the number of people physically present. Take time as a couple after the wedding, even if it's just a staycation and Netflix marathon, to stay present and celebrate your new marriage.
We had the best day. We absolutely loved our wedding, and looking back, I am so happy we had a more intimate celebration. It felt good being able to talk to every guest and spend time with everyone at the wedding.
Krista Hawryluk Photography ~ Allie Mae Events ~ Stone House Creative ~ C&T Rentals ~ Springfield Tent Rentals ~ Gotta Go ~ Chew ~ Something Borrowed ~ Pearl & Birch ~ Moores ~ Hair by Nadine ~ Mesmereyez’d Makeup
Need more Covid-style intimate wedding inspiration?
Check out this Birds Hill Park elopement (they’re planning their reception for 2021!), and this backyard Jewish wedding ceremony and dinner!.
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
2021 wedding dates are limited! 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!