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.

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

Polished & Elegant Private Property Wedding

Shannon and David’s wedding was a literal dream come true for me. They are both originally from Manitoba, but now live and work in Toronto (fun fact, I’m actually neighbours with 2 of Shannon’s sisters!). They have incredibly demanding professions and needed to hire a team for their wedding back home that could take the reigns and be trusted. I was so honoured that they reached out to me first, wanting to hire me for floral and event design, and asking for recommendations on other vendors who could make their wedding happen without a hitch.

Shannon is a self-proclaimed “anti-wedding” kind of woman. Neither of them enjoy a lot of the typical wedding things, and they really just wanted to create an atmosphere of casual elegance that felt like the best dinner party their chosen guests (about 30 of them) had ever been to, with a polished yet still genuine and comfortable experience.

Right off the hop, I knew that they’d be best served by a full service wedding planner (weddings at home or on a private property — especially outdoor ones — are no joke!) and made a few recommendations. I was so pleased when they hired Soiree Event Planning, and while I don’t typically offer my event design services in collaboration with a planner’s, Andrea and I felt that we could work alongside each other to create some magic. It worked so well and we’re both so pleased with how everything came together!

Being the very epitome of anti-bride, Shannon wasn’t even sure that she wanted a bridal bouquet. They actually weren’t even sure if they were going to have an official ceremony! I gently talked her into it, knowing that she’d appreciate having the accessory of a bouquet and if she didn’t want to carry it all day, then you put it down and that’s fine. In the end, she was really happy to have it!

I decided to soften the colour palette of the bouquet a bit (the event’s full palette featured more warm beiges, terracotta, accents of black and mauve, along with a range of pink and peach shades).

Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: garden roses, ranunculus, foxglove, anemones, and scabiosa. I kept it simple but just loaded in all the good stuff!

When I saw the front yard and this tree, I knew I had to push for the couple to have a ceremony and to have it RIGHT HERE. I didn’t know how I was going to design the flowers until a few days before the wedding, but I knew that this was going to be an amazing focal point. Dave called it “tranquil,” so I’d say my team and I did alright!

The lounges! Shannon and Dave love to travel, and I had them send me some pictures from some of their favourite resorts and destinations that they’ve been to. I was inspired by the idea of cabanas and wanted to create comfortable, well-styled cabana-like lounges so I suggested using some sort of draping to make that happen. Soiree took it from there and added in the rattan elements and the adorable champagne truck!

We hoped and hoped for an outdoor dinner and no need for a tent (which we had at the ready if needed) and we got our wish! And the weather was absolutely PERFECT for al fresco dining. A cafe light canopy, one long table, and tons of flowers were some of Shannon’s only requests and obviously we were happy to do that.

We started with this taupe linen from Planned Perfectly (honestly, it’s my favourite — you’ll notice it’s a go-to in so many of my weddings and for such a good reason!) and layered in tons of candles (tapers, pillars, and votives) and large floral arrangements to create a sense of lush abundance. The place settings came together so beautifully — Soiree located these gorgeous fringed fabric chargers from Table Tales in Toronto (they ship Canada-wide, but in this case, Shannon and David just travelled with them when they came in for the wedding), and then we added a detailed menu booklet and place card to each setting.

Robin Egg Blue Design took care of all of the stationery. With changes to the wedding date thanks to postponements, and a very intimate guest list, we didn’t end up using actual wedding invitations but we thought it would be really nice to have a statement paper element at each place setting that sort of mimicked an invitation. I’d been pushing to use a leather detail since the very beginning of the design work (I wanted to use a leather envelope for the invites…how amazing would that have been?!) so Michelle from Soiree actually hand-made these beautiful leather place cards with each guest’s name! The front of the place setting featured a custom, hand-drawn floral illustration with the couple’s monogram, and the reverse side had a personalized note from the couple to each individual guest. It was such a beautiful way for them to share just how grateful they were to be celebrating with their most loved group of people.

Robin also created a detailed menu booklet, and because Shannon and Dave are HUGE food lovers and wanted to create a really customized gourmet feast complete with wine pairings for their guests, this was a much-needed (and very elegant!) guide to the many courses. It included a thick card stock, a vellum insert, and the same floral illustration before getting into the menu details.

Despite their love for food, Shannon and David aren’t really dessert people, but still wanted to have something sweet for their guests. They just weren’t sure what to do for a cake itself — that’s when I saw an image of a rustic cake that was decorated simply with figs on the cover of a magazine, and I sent that to them for their thoughts. Kayla from Sugar & Salt Bakeshoppe took that inspiration and ran with it, and I love that this cake continued to emphasize the gourmet nature of the dining experience.

And, obviously, the flowers were pretty spectacular, if I do say so myself! My team really killed it, and we had an awesome time designing lush pieces filled with locally grown and specialty imported flowers. The neutral base of the table allowed us to hit the more colourful aspects of the palette in full force with the flowers, and it came together beautifully.

Event Designed in Collaboration with Soiree Event Planning

I loved the string light canopy over their dance floor! What a magical and romantic place to spin around in your first dance as newlyweds!

And of course, major props to Brittany Mahood, who always does an incredible job of capture both the emotion AND the detail of a wedding day ❤️

Brittany Mahood Photography ~ Soiree Event Planning ~ Karina Walker ~ Planned Perfectly ~ Collective Event Rentals ~ Trend Decor Winnipeg ~ Union table ~ Event Light ~ Robin Egg Blue Design ~ Table Tales ~ Loversland ~ Simii Bedi ~ Academy Hospitality ~ Keith MacPherson ~ Sugar & Salt Bakeshoppe

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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! 

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.

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

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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!