How to Plan a Cocktail Style Wedding Reception
I thought I’d do something a bit differently on the blog today — at the same time as showcasing one of our recent weddings, I’ve also included some wisdom from the planner, Andrea at Soiree Event Planning! Scroll down a bit to see her Top 3 Tips for Planning a Cocktail Style Wedding Reception.
Kendall and Dylan’s wedding was my first time working at The Leaf, and I was so excited to see the room completely transformed from its corporate feeling natural state. It was a long day of setup, with a lot of logistics, but it looked so good!
I thought I’d do something a bit differently on the blog today — at the same time as showcasing one of our recent weddings, I’ve also included some wisdom from the planner, Andrea at Soiree Event Planning! Scroll down a bit to see her Top 3 Tips for Planning a Cocktail Style Wedding Reception.
Kendall and Dylan’s wedding was my first time working at The Leaf, and I was so excited to see the room completely transformed from its corporate feeling natural state. It was a long day of setup, with a lot of logistics, but it looked so good!
Photos by Kassandra Donaldson Photography
Did you know that if you’re having a ceremony or photos in one of the biomes at the Leaf, that you cannot bring in fresh flowers? A bummer for sure, but we do often have little critters coming out of our flowers while we’re designing them, so I’d absolutely hate to have that happen on a wedding day and they mess up the carefully composed environments in each biome.
So, that means that all of Kendall’s personal and ceremony flowers had to be composed of faux flowers. We used fresh flowers throughout the reception.
PS These flowers are all for sale! I am currently selling Kendall’s bridal bouquet and 3 bridesmaid bouquets, and the 5 arrangements plus additional loose flowers that we composed the ceremony installation out of. Send me a note if you want them!
Top 3 Tips for a Cocktail Reception from Soiree Event Planning
1: Seating
Ensure you plan for an intentional amount of seating. If you want guests to mingle, plan for seating for 60% or less.
2: Menu
Select menu items that are simple to eat while standing and don't require much in the way of cutlery.
3: Timing
Adjust your start time to be a touch later. Food service will naturally take less time than a formal dinner, and ideally you don't want dancing to start too early or the party may end prematurely.
More on the seating note — check out the amazing variety of seating that Soiree curated: large sit-down tables, standing and seated cocktail tables, and 3 lounges with a mix of banquettes, love seats, individual chairs, and plenty of coffee and end tables for plates and glasses to be placed on.
This layout was visually interesting and created lots of great nooks for people to either gather together or hide away for a quieter conversation.
It also made sure people know what to expect — they were encouraged to mingle and move around the room, and not stay in a chair for an entire evening.
Kendall and Dylan’s evening featured multiple food stations placed throughout the room, including a mini slider bar, soft taco station, as well as a pasta station. A little bit of cutlery was required, but the pasta was served in small, light weight vessels that were easy to walk around with. And that, my friends, is why you hire a wedding planner — I wouldn’t have had the foresight to realize any of these logistics but the Soiree team certainly knows what they’re doing!
Hello to the ceremony flowers, repurposed and back in action. The newlyweds are friends with Sweet Impressions, and option for the bakery to provide 3 small cutting cakes, one for each of Dylan’s children, so they could do a family cake cutting. So sweet!
The ceremony flowers were designed in individual vessels, making this super easy to repurpose by placing them around the pedestals while still feeling polished and well designed.
This wedding looked REALLY good — and as always, I’ll remind you that it takes a village. A village who are willing to go above and beyond for the client, and do the job right. Each venue has funny little things about it that make working at it hard, and the Leaf is no exception. From loading doors that we’re not allowed to open because they’re right beside the kitchen, to the fact that Creating a Scene had to carry the bar up a hill BY HAND to get it into the room (because it didn’t fit in the elevator), I’ll leave it at this: hire professionals.
Kassandra Donaldson Photography ~ Soiree Event Planning ~ The Leaf ~ Planned Perfectly ~ Collective Event Rentals ~ Event Light ~ Karta House ~ Creating a Scene ~ Sweet Impressions ~ Myuz Artistry ~ Trend Decor
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
We can design a beautiful, unique wedding at the Leaf for you. Find out more about our floral services by inquiring below!
Call me 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!
Charming Backyard Wedding in Ste Anne
Oh, how excited I was to design for Brenna and Michael’s charming backyard wedding in Ste Anne! This was yet another wedding with a few twists and turns in the planning thanks to Covid and a venue change, but Brenna’s vision for a Southern Charm style event never wavered.
I’ll never forget the first time we sat down to chat — we barely even talked about flowers. She’s one of those people who you can just talk with, connect with, and enjoy your time with. Finding out that she has dreamy style and knows how to execute it just made it even better.
Oh, how excited I was to design for Brenna and Michael’s charming backyard wedding in Ste Anne! This was yet another wedding with a few twists and turns in the planning thanks to Covid and a venue change, but Brenna’s vision for a Southern Charm style event never wavered.
I’ll never forget the first time we sat down to chat — we barely even talked about flowers. She’s one of those people who you can just talk with, connect with, and enjoy your time with. Finding out that she has dreamy style and knows how to execute it just made it even better.
Photos by Simply Rosie Photography
This colour palette was feminine, soft, and kind of water-coloured: soft pinks, butter yellow, soft blue, lilac. She started a lot of the design work with this custom painted picture of their home in Ste Anne, and their dogs, which they incorporated throughout the invitation suite. The bridesmaids dressed in the palette, and Brenna found this gorgeous double-faced satin ribbon that we decked out the bouquets with.
Now look below, and you’ll see some of the setup from the cocktail hour. When you arrived at the house and went around to the back (where the ceremony overlooked the river), you first stepped into this cute cocktail hour area, complete with fringed umbrellas and this delightfully cottage-core welcome area.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: O’hara garden roses, quicksand roses, lisianthus, ranunculus, sweet pea, forget me knot, and feverfew.
Set on the grassy hill and overlooking the river, Brenna and Michael walked down the aisle underneath a canopy of trees to their ceremony, and said their vows under this perfect arch.
We framed the entrance to the aisle with baskets of flowers, potted plants, and lanterns. It was so romantic!
The arch was like a secret garden, with subtle colour blocking and somewhat overgrown in style. This is one of my favourite arch styles to date.
Feminine, romantic, Southern charm, detailed — everything about the tablescapes was just completely Brenna.
Velvet table numbers, bamboo flatware, vintage brass bells at the tables, wooden candlestick holders with pale blue taper candles…this all just added up to a gorgeous design and a refreshing ambiance. And looking at these images, you’d never know that the wind was putting a real kink in our plans. But, that’s just outdoor weddings in Manitoba.
Brenna is so creative. Their home is absolutely gorgeous — it’s like walking into a classic Southern charm show home, honestly. Multiple pieces of their furniture found their way into the wedding design, in fact! So, of course she would come up some very clever details for the wedding reception design.
One of my favourite details: the linens. Which weren’t table linens, but actually BED LINENS. I literally would never have thought of this, but Brenna did!
THE CAKE. The fricking cake. There’s obviously something to be said for a simple cake (this one was carrot cake and it smelled so good) and some seriously decked out florals. And this perfect table, that we plucked from Brenna’s living room.
It’s evident that I love this floral cake surround. It’s one of my favourite design elements I’ve ever created. And even better, this was done in a non-toxic and earth-friendly way! We created this using hidden vases and chicken wire sausages, that we tucked florals into, rather than inserting the flowers into the cake itself.
If I could do a wedding over and over again out of pure happiness and love for a couple, I’ll tell you what, it would be this one. Brenna was just a true delight to work with and seeing this wedding FINALLY happen after a Covid reschedule and a venue change, was just amazing.
Simply Rosie Photography ~ Deer & Almond ~ Something Borrowed ~ Stella’s Bridal ~ Baked Expectations ~ Collective Event Rentals ~ Velvet RAptor ~ Eph Apparel ~ Nomad Box Bar
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!
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!
Intimate Fall Wedding at Wild Skies Resort
Tiffany and Stephanie’s September wedding was one of my favourites…and what’s even better, is that we get to do it all over again next fall, just for a larger group of people!
The couple decided they wanted to still get married on their original 2021 wedding date, but they would postpone the big party until 2022. Steph is a doctor, and Tiff is a wedding photographer, so they both had a pretty good idea of what would be safe and allowable this year. Saving the big party for next year meant changing up the plan for this year — a new venue, a new design plan, and a very intimate guest list. And it was GREAT.
Tiffany and Stephanie’s September wedding was one of my favourites…and what’s even better, is that we get to do it all over again next fall, just for a larger group of people!
The couple decided they wanted to still get married on their original 2021 wedding date, but they would postpone the big party until 2022. Steph is a doctor, and Tiff is a wedding photographer, so they both had a pretty good idea of what would be safe and allowable this year. Saving the big party for next year meant changing up the plan for this year — a new venue, a new design plan, and a very intimate guest list. And it was GREAT.
Photos by Megan Steen
This day (which I’m affectionately calling wedding 1.0) was designed by Emily from Feast & Festivities, with the intention of it being similar to next year’s big 2.0, but with a few changes. The colour palette was tweaked, though the overall style and vibe will blend together seamlessly with next year’s celebration. Next year’s wedding will be out at Pineridge Hollow, but for this year’s intimate event, Wild Skies Resort was COMPLETELY perfect. The brides and their wedding party all stayed and got ready on site, glamping in the resort’s eco domes, the changing fall leaves complimented the colour scheme gorgeously, and dinner under a canopy of trees couldn’t have been more romantic. Once again, the tiny weddings just rule the ambiance!
I seriously can’t handle how unique and stunning this ceremony design is. Feast & Festivities curated a flawless selection of vintage furniture that was perfectly on palette, from Vintage Nest, which became the ideal seating for the intimate guest list. I added a mix of petite floral arrangements to some of the coffee tables to tie it all together.
I had a lot of fun designing this arch, too — lots of burgundy and deep green foliages with a touch of foraged yellow leaves, lots of dusty blue delphinium, and deep red roses. It was deliciously deep and moody.
And a reception under the trees! This spot couldn’t be more beautiful, and the perfect size for this small guest list. Two long tables, perfectly angled chairs (nice choice by F&F!), cafe lights strung between the trees…ah. I mixed some fuller, highly textured arrangements in copper bowls with petite arrangements in burnished bronze vases, and Emily added in concord grapes as a fun accent. The colour was perfect and it’s nice to have something different incorporated into a tablescape!
These tables also show that you don’t need to go over the top to make something lovely — this design is refined, and beautifully pared down.
Such a dreamy day to be part of! I’m so excited to do it all over again for wedding 2.0 next fall, and to have even more fun with some gorgeous floral installations. Here we go!
Megan Steen Photography ~ FEast & Festivities ~ Wild Skies Resort ~ Karina Walker Creative Capture ~ Planned Perfectly ~ Collective Event Rentals ~ Spark Rentals ~ The Vintage Nest
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL 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!
Organic Tent Wedding on Private Estate
Kristin and Sam’s organic tent wedding on his family’s private estate was a MAJOR highlight of 2020 for me! Their date was originally scheduled for late June, but they pushed it back into late August with a backup date on the calendar for 2021, as well. They ended up deciding to just go forward in August with as large of a guest list as they would be allowed to, and it turned out that it was scheduled for the perfect time, in that summertime covid lull.
Kristin and Sam’s organic tent wedding on his family’s private estate was a MAJOR highlight of 2020 for me! Their date was originally scheduled for late June, but they pushed it back into late August with a backup date on the calendar for 2021, as well. They ended up deciding to just go forward in August with as large of a guest list as they would be allowed to, and it turned out that it was scheduled for the perfect time, in that summertime covid lull.
Let me tell you: this property COULD NOT HAVE BEEN COOLER. Right on the Red River and less than 10 minutes outside of the city, with multiple cabins dating back decades, towering trees and a creek running through…it was so, so amazing.
Blush, cream, and sage is a timeless palette and Kristin wanted to keep the floral elements fairly simple, especially for the bouquets. This really allowed the incredible setting to take centre stage and caused the flowers to support the surroundings instead of compete with them.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: white o’hara garden roses, quicksand roses, blushing bride protea, white ranunculus, olive foliage, gunni and seeded eucalyptus foliages.
Kristin handmade this arch! She built it at home in Vancouver, then took it apart and shipped it here to Winnipeg in time for the wedding. She also designed all of her stationery, created her table numbers and escort cards, and some really cool acrylic signage. Quite creative! I wouldn’t have had a chance of making those details myself.
I love the statement these florals make. Again, it’s simple but appropriate in size and scale and really brought a garden-inspired feel. The ceremony overlooked the Red River, and with the tree line behind, it really couldn’t have been a more gorgeous location.
When you’re so tired mid-day that you just need to take a little break with your bridesmaids 😴
When I did a site tour with Andrea from Soiree Event Planning, we were both so struck with this tree. The shape of it! The size! It is just a perfect tree. We knew it needed to be used somehow, and I’m so glad that she suggested using it as a lounge setting. Wouldn’t you want to relax a little under this gorgeous tree? All of the lounge rental furniture was from Trend Decor and I particularly love those rattan armchairs. The addition of the rattan textures (lanterns, rug, chairs) brought a casual feeling element to the overall event design that was really nice.
Reception time! They installed 2 separate tents, one for dinner (with tons of space for the tables to be really spread out), and a smaller one with a lounge, dessert table and live music (this was also the backup location for the ceremony). We lightly strung greenery along the entire tent ceiling, and added greenery and florals to Event Light’s basket lanterns above the head table and above the bar. I loved this element — it felt really special and was one of those small touches that went a long way to creating an amazing atmosphere.
The floor plan included both round tables and harvest style banquet tables, all with a heavy amount of floral and candles added.
Since covid, a lot of couples have chosen an open-side tent. With every panel open, the flow of traffic can feel a little directionless, so establishing a focal point can make an enormous difference to your guests' experience. I loved using this opportunity to create a gorgeous entrance to the tent that also served a purpose: welcoming guests, guiding them to their tables, and adding to the overall event design.
One of my favourite design elements was actually the containers that I used, which might not be that excited to pretty much anyone else. Soiree’s design brief incorporated a lot of natural textures, so I selected a pottery compote and matching longer oval vessel along with ceramic stem vases. We also decided to use sandstone pillar candles instead of plain white, to bring a little more warmth to the overall palette.
The round table featured a floral piece in a compote with a little more of the blush tones in them (so they stood out from the white linens), and the harvest tables incorporated an elongated centrepiece in the centre, along with a lot of stem vases with petite arrangements. I loved the copper flatware they chose for the visual interest it brought.
Believe me when I say this — it was SO HOT. These misting fans were absolute life savers. I spent a fair amount of time in front of this one, myself 😂They were stationed around the dinner tent and around the lounges and dessert area as well. Thank goodness!
A huge thanks to my amazing team of freelancers who helped make this floral magic come together! My associate designer Deanna of Deer Dutch Creative, Kyla Ferguson, and Erika Tata. Each of them played such an important role, and together we all kept our heads (and our cool) on an insanely hot week. They also had the thrilling job of lifting and positioning sheets of plywood for me to drive the scissor lift on, and doing that inside of a clear tent is basically like doing heavy lifting in a greenhouse 😓
Brittany Mahood Photography ~ Soiree Event Planning ~ Planned Perfectly ~ C&T Rentals ~ Trend Rentals & Decor ~ Event Light ~ D’Lite Tents ~ High Tea Bakery ~ Laugh Love Cakes ~ MYUZ Artistry ~ Danny Kramer Dance Band ~ Urban Prairie Cuisine ~ Rhyme & Rhythm Cinematography
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!