Welcome In! Stone House Creative Studio Tour

Come on in 😊

I would love to have the opportunity to have all of you come in to tour my studio in person, to see where your wedding flowers are designed and see it all come together. Floral workspaces are pretty magical (and also pretty filthy, FYI).

But the reality of a studio is that I’m not “open” in the traditional sense. I don’t have a retail storefront, I don’t have typical hours of operation (especially because my studio operates out of an oversized double garage, tucked away in my back yard!). I know that can be hard to understand.

But you should still come on in :)

The workshop is basically the sole reason we bought this house 5 years ago. We weren’t really looking, but I had majorly outgrown my last studio space (aka the basement of our old house) and the second we walked into the backyard of this open house, we were sold. It basically takes up all of the backyard but it’s perfect for me! Like I said, it’s an oversized double garage and the previous owner had built it as a welding workshop. The shelving and workbench along the wall were already there, so basically all I had to do was build the cooler (I have a good sized walk-in cooler that fits a TON of flowers!) and unpack my boxes. The shelves play host to my range of wedding rentals - vases, candle holders, ribbons, candles, tools, and so on.

I finally got around to hanging up a drying rack from the rafters, which serves a few functions: the drying function (obviously), it keeps my dried stash visible which means that I actually remember to use the pieces that I hoard, AND it’s pretty. I love walking under it and looking up…it’s a little dreamy. It would be amazing to have the entire ceiling covered!

I also have a little studio helper 😊 For years I wanted a studio kitten, but never got one. I’m honestly not sure which would have been less distracting haha. Jack is 1 1/2 and he’s just the sweetest little thing. He LOVES playing with my flower tubes, throwing stuff into my garbage can that I don’t want him to, checking out my glue gun, and climbing my step ladder. AKA he’s an enormous workplace hazard! But he’s such a cutie, so I keep him around.

Over the 4 years I’ve been in this space, I’ve worked on little projects to make it a little less “basic man’s workshop” and more of Stone House Creative’s home. The main wall has been painted white to make it feel a little lighter and airier (though to be completely honest with you, I did 3/4 of that wall 3 years ago and finally finished the last part of it the week before these photos were taken). We switched out the hanging exposed bulbs to these cute but cheap Ikea pendants, and my husband built me an awesome work bench for the centre of the shop with a little extra storage. I usually have some sort of hanging floral installation over the work bench — currently it’s an orb of copper tinted plumosa fern that I’ll be taking pieces of as I work on weddings this summer!

I’ve also got a studio tour up on my Instagram Highlights that I’d love for you to take a look at! It shows you a bit inside of my cooler, my cardboard hoarding pile of shame, and more of my vase and rentals storage that doesn’t look quite as lovely and maybe doesn’t deserve its own photo.

And an enormous thanks to Vanessa Renae Photography for coming to take these photos! She does SUCH a good job — I’ve worked with her on photoshoots and on weddings, and the images are always so pretty, she did a fantastic job of getting my son to smile, and she’s so easy to chat with! Look her up if you’re looking for your wedding photographer!

Vanessa Renae photography

Moody Monochromatic Wedding Inspiration with Baby's Breath

Baby’s breath. I’ll be honest that it’s not my favourite flower, and never has been. But for some reason, it was pulling at me earlier this year and I wanted to explore that a bit. I’m also not huge on white weddings, but again, I wanted to explore this monochromatic and scaled back palette of white, grey, and black.

And guess what? I kind of love it. A full table runner, composed entirely of baby’s breath en masse.

I took that concept of repeated simple elements and applied it to the entire event design: single element bouquet, single element table centrepiece, monochromatic colour palette, and so on.

As featured on Knotsvilla.

Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: White garden roses, Queen Anne’s Lace (hidden WAY down deep), camellia foliage, and scented geranium foliage.

This design wouldn’t necessarily be the most practical for a real wedding scenario, but there are ways we can make it (or something similar!) happen! I’ve got some ideas for similar styles but using different flowers that I’d love to explore, too - hit me up if you’re interested in hearing more!

Mmmm I really, really love the way this tablescape came together. The smoke plates from C&T is the perfect neutral grey without being boring. The marble candleholders and black tapers are sleek and modern. The simple type on the flat place card is perfect. All of these details act as supporting elements that allow the baby’s breath table runner to play the centre role.

I selected this stationery suite from Minted (I have an exclusive discount code if you’d like it!). I chose it for the clean, modern type, the monochromatic colour palette, and the sort of watercolour/water stained background. I thought it would tie inn really well with the photo backdrop that I painted in shades of greys.

Nothing comes together without a fantastic creative team! Sometimes it can be a little exhausting pulling the entire design together but it makes it all worthwhile when you show up, set up, and watch everyone else do what they do best, too. Like the makeup, for example - Bobbi from Primped Nd Polished actually mixed up a custom shade of lipstick because she just wasn’t happy enough with what was available. Those are the kind of people you need to trust to make your wedding happen!

Vanessa Renae photography ~ Stone House Creative ~ Prep collective ~ Planned Perfectly ~ C&T Rentals ~ Trend Rentals & Decor ~ Carly Cee Hair ~ Primped Nd Polished ~ Panache Model Management ~ The Everyday Host ~ Bliss Bridal Boutique ~ Steve Madden ~ Minted

Modern Greenery Wedding at Hut K

Kristin and Mike’s wedding was fairly simple as far as the florals go (in fact, I didn’t use a single flower throughout the entire wedding! Just greeneries!) but it was one of my favourites of 2018 nonetheless. Why? Because the clean, modern design perfectly reflected their cool style and in the end, their wedding was just exactly what they wanted: an intimate celebration of marriage with amazing food, good wine, and a phenomenal atmosphere.

Brittany Mahood Photography ~ Hut K ~ Amanda Douglas Events ~ Event Light ~ CHEW ~ Freshair ~ C&T Rentals

Like I said, this entire wedding didn’t contain a single flower. Everything I did was using foliages, and while I’m normally a flower devotee, I really loved how Kristin’s vision came together. Her bouquet was composed of olive, seeded eucalyptus, silver dollar eucalyptus, leather leaf fern, and plumosa fern. Her bridesmaids carried smaller versions, which brought a bit of freshness to their gorgeous dress palette of mixed pale pinks, taupes, and berry tones.

The ceremony and reception took place in the same space, and Hut K’s gallery isn’t a large space to begin with, so they had the majority of the guests seated at their dining tables, with a few family members up at the front (later, the head table would be placed in that space). We tossed around a few design ideas that I loved, and in the end Kristin chose to stick to her minimalist core, with a simple greenery wall installation to bring a bit of natural wildness into the modern, clean venue.

I love the way this reception is laid out, don’t you? I didn’t actually put anything on the tables as centrepieces! The couple knew all along that they wanted to have platter after platter of incredible food lining each of the tables, so they made the smart decision to keep them as empty as possible. There’s nothing more challenging at a wedding than trying to find space for platters of food served family-style when you’ve got a garland lining the table or flowers everywhere - and that is coming from a florist 😂All that to say, make decisions that actually make sense based on your wedding plans and what will make the best experience for your guests!

The one thing I did add to the tables was a sprig of locally grown organic rosemary at each place setting. The herb/greenery touch on plates is always popular, and I always suggest that we use a chemical-free sprig. I would hate to leave behind something that could potentially make someone ill - and the same goes for cake flowers!

Looking for a Wedding Floral and Event Designer in Winnipeg?

I’m already booking appointments for 2020 wedding consultations! I offer a limited number of dates for event design each year, in order to allow me to work closely with each couple. Combining event and floral design is the perfect option for couples who live out of town, or couples who feel they need a little extra help in creating the visual plan for their wedding day. Click this link to learn more!

Karen and Scott's Intimate Fort Garry Hotel Wedding

Karen and Scott were married early this spring in an intimate wedding at the Fort Garry Hotel and it was basically a dream wedding for me to be involved in. The circumstances weren't the best, as Scott's mother in Winnipeg was ill and the couple (from Vancouver) decided to change their original plans from a West Coast wedding to a small Winnipeg celebration in just a few weeks. When we started emailing I think there were 4 weeks to their date, and still a number of details to be confirmed, but I'm proud to say that Winnipeg wedding vendors really came together for them. When I arrived on the morning of the wedding to deliver Karen's bouquet, she said how amazed she was that they were able to create such an incredible wedding in a short period of time and said it was all thanks to how great Winnipeggers are. Go us!

Fort Garry Hotel ~ Photo by Peggy ~ Barney's New York ~ Hugo Boss

So here's why I said that their wedding was a dream: despite the sad circumstances that caused the re-scheduling, Karen and Scott still wanted to throw a really fantastic party. They wanted it to be an incredible celebration, where their families could be spoiled and have an amazing time. They went all out with the floral decor, seated everyone at one long table, and chose an awesome menu. Because the wedding was in March and the hotel wasn't busy with other weddings, they were actually able to host the reception in the foyer between the two large ballrooms on the 7th floor - and let me tell you, there is no hallway more gorgeous, anywhere.

Bridal bouquet ingredients: Spirea, peonies, ranunculus, anemones, quicksand roses, and jasmine vine.

My next favourite thing about their wedding was their attire. The couple said right off the bat that they like more modern, unique designs and then Karen showed me a pic of her INSANE red cocktail dress. Is this not incredible, or what? Scott wore a slick checked jacket with a subtle red stripe through it that my husband was literally salivating over.

The ceremony took place in the fireplace loge on the 7th floor, where I have ALWAYS dreamed of having a wedding ceremony. It's a really narrow space so it would be challenging to do with a guest list of more than 20 or so people, but it was perfect for them!

Isn't this hallway just THE most gorgeous setting? It's so luxurious and detailed. We decided to set the table fully, but simply with just two elements: repeated tall vases with organic arrangements, and clusters of tiny arrangements in cut glass stem vases. Most of the florals were white and green, but I also tucked in some soft, sandy pinks and beiges to warm it up and fit with the setting really well.

Looking for a wedding florist in Winnipeg?

Getting married in Manitoba? I might be biased, but 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! 

2019 dates are booking very quickly. Click below to check your date!

Modern White and Green Wedding at The WAG

When I first met with Jessica and Andrei to talk about their wedding flowers, I simultaneously felt like I wasn't cool enough to be a part of their wedding and also knew that I had to become cool enough to be a part of their wedding. 'Cause when a city planner and an interior designer get married, you know it's going to be pretty slick. 

As featured on Host Winnipeg

Photos by Kamp Photography

And if this one picture doesn't prove it to you, allow me to continue. This couple has a modern aesthetic, the coolest house in Wolseley, and just check out Jessica's Houghton NYC gown. 

Jessica's bridal bouquet was really fun to create, and it was SO light and easy to carry. I used three different types of eucalyptus, olive foliage, air plants, white  protea, and a few stems of large-headed white roses. I also created a large, full white rose floral crown for her.

For the bridesmaids, we did up bouquets of just greenery, and also loose blooms for their hair. This was probably the best-dressed group of bridesmaids I have ever seen.

The couple crafted this incredibly cool, geometric arch for their rooftop ceremony at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. They also made mini cement planters for potted succulents, and I provided them with monstera leaves and white protea for their centrepieces.