Reveal: Playful and Crisp Wedding Style Editorial
Today I’m going to walk you through the execution of this editorial I created over the summer. While a photo shoot does not come together in the same way that a real wedding does, I go through much the same process with a lot of the behind-the-scenes design planning.
Right from the onset of a personal project like this, I usually have a pretty good idea of what I want to do. When I’m working on wedding flowers, I also usually have a clear picture of what I want to do for you. But when I’m working on event design for a couple, it’s more of a process of pulling ideas out of you, then teasing them in my mind to see how I can expand on it.
Helllllo playful colour! Today I’m going to walk you through the execution of this editorial I created over the summer. While a photo shoot does not come together in the same way that a real wedding does, I go through much the same process with a lot of the behind-the-scenes design planning.
Right from the onset of a personal project like this, I usually have a pretty good idea of what I want to do. When I’m working on wedding flowers, I also usually have a clear picture of what I want to do for you. But when I’m working on event design for a couple, it’s more of a process of pulling ideas out of you, then teasing them in my mind to see how I can expand on it.
Yesterday, I spoke all about my event design services and my design philosophies.
If this resonates with you, I'd love to speak with you about coming on board your wedding vendor team in the larger capacity of event designer. Read more here!
Vibe
I always begin event design projects by considering the vibe I (or the client) want to create. With this editorial being a project for myself, a few words kept coming to me: playful, cheerful, crisp. I knew I wanted to evoke a sense of happiness and light-heartedness (and I planned this before Covid hit...who knew how badly I'd need this!!).
To achieve this, I started with the colour palette: lavender, peach, and coral (some of my go-to’s!) and then surprised myself with the addition of yellow and orange. I'm so glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone (orange has historically been my least favourite colour, but no longer!), because these two brought the citrusy fresh hints that I needed to break up the femininity of the rest of the palette.
Stationery
Your wedding invitations are one of the first projects that we tackle under event design. The stationery sets the tone and can help to "brand" your wedding -- to give you a definable style and visual direction. For this suite, I asked Robin to explore a design that would feel playful and colourful, with clean, modern lines. I knew I wanted touches of colour, but a good amount of white space to balance out the full palette used elsewhere.
She suggested that we use a vellum outer envelope, to show off the flirty pieces inside, and also added a lot of visual interest through the use of different coloured stocks, the rounded edge, and a tall and narrow menu card and place setting on the table.
Florals
I planned two completely different sets of floral ingredients — a spring set (for my original shoot date), and a summer set. I lucked out with my August shoot date, because I was able to incorporate many of my favourite locally grown summer flowers!
Locally grown flowers have the BEST colour variations, with flecks and speckles that perfectly blend a palette and simply aren't possible with wholesale flowers.
The Tablescape
Full florals in the centre of the table, coloured taper and votive candles, gold-dipped flatware combined with clean, modern place settings…Designing a tablescape is all about layering together varied elements to create a unique, personalized look.
I wanted a clean, minimal base for all my colour, so the foundation of white linens with a white tulle topper was perfect.
The Cake
This cake!
I sent Jenna a really pathetic sketch, after having this idea of incorporating both hand-painted flowers and 3D sugar flowers that would move in from the outsides of the cake. I knew I wanted to create some sort of floral piece encircling the cake. I explained this haphazard idea to Jenna and she took it and made it 1 million percent better. This cake is so stunning! It felt fresh, unique, and playful.
The original plan for the cake was so different. This just goes to show you that sometimes, sitting on an idea and seeing where it goes can be a very good thing!
The same goes for your wedding planning: Don't feel like you need to make every decisions or have every answer at the same time.
Some ideas just need time to come together.
I’m so grateful to everyone who shared their talents to be a part of this editorial. I originally started brainstorming this before the first Covid shutdown, and at that point I was just going to focus on a tablescape. Esther suggested that I add a model, and I’m SO glad I followed her advice! One of my favourite details from this editorial was the ensembles created by Maison Corazon for the bride — they could not have been more perfect.
The way this entire project came together was so life-giving and exciting.
Esther Funk Photography ~ stone house creative ~ Planned Perfectly ~ C&T Rentals ~ Trend Rentals & Decor ~ Robin Egg blue design ~ Maison corazon ~ Jenna Rae Cakes ~ Jessica Kmiec Artistry ~ Beauty by B Fey ~ Prairie Clay ~ Mokada Custom Jewelry
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
Getting married in 2022? Appointments to plan your dream florals are now available. Click the button below to get 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!
Colourful Summer Covid Wedding on the Farm
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 4th instalment of the Covid Weddings series, and it’s extra special because the bride is my second cousin / lifelong best friend!
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 4th instalment of the Covid Weddings series, and it’s extra special because the bride is my second cousin / lifelong best friend!
ROBERTA & FERNANDO ~ AUGUST 7, 2020
Photos by Esther Funk Photography
We made the official decision June 1 but knew probably mid May and discussed alternatives prior to making the decision. So when we made the decision all it took was drafting the email we sent out and sending it out.
Our decision was to go ahead with the ceremony, and postpone the reception to whenever the borders opened. Our ceremony consisted of my immediate family (unfortunately Fer's family could not attend being from out of the country), the girls who would be in my wedding party, and Fernando's groomsman and wife. We had 15 people total, then had a delicious meal.
Now I’m not going to share TOO many of the details of this wedding today, because I am going to basically cover my blog with them all winter long lol. I did both floral and event design, so I have a LOT to tell you. Basically, all you need to know for now is that Roberta and Fernando both love colour and we took that very seriously.
I realized that the change took a lot of pressure off me, because despite loving planning events and parties and things, I hate being the centre of attention (I'm a choir director...I am in the middle of everything but people look right past me!) Fernando always wanted to have a small wedding but was having a big wedding for me. Planning was now a lot of fun because things that were too expensive if you had to order 150 of, were now very affordable when you only need 15! So I could splurge on fun things like fancy cutlery and funky seating options.
When we made the decision to replan, we were strict in our list and although there were quite a few people who would have most likely been "number 16, 17 or 32, 33" we drew the line and people understood.
Our wedding was fantastic. My family surprised us with a fireworks show at the end of the evening. I grew up in a very close-knit rural community and my dad invited the neighbours in our community to the fireworks show. As we were walking down the gravel road people would roll down their windows and say congratulations, but being dark outside, I couldn't tell who was out there, but it still meant soooooo much to see all these neighbours come out for the fireworks. The weather was absolutely beautiful, and it was so so nice to be with such a close group. The food was delicious, and we could create our own menu with Chew. They were so fantastic to deal with throughout the entire process too!
It was a beautiful day but there are parts I wish I had the other way too.
- I wish Fernando's family was with us. That was the hardest part of the day for me. We Facetimed them throughout the day at various points, but wish we could have them with us in person. That's when Covid sucks the most. The summer before we visited his family in Mexico, and Fer's mom asked "If you get married, can I be invited?” I was shocked and replied "OF COURSE YOU WILL BE THERE. WE WON'T HAVE THIS DAY WITHOUT YOU!" But then Covid changed that.
- I wish I had my choir there. I am one of those girls who has dreamed of the wedding day for years...and years...and years....and years..... I had planned things for a lifetime, one of which was walking down the aisle to a choir (made of my students and the people I sing with on a regular basis) singing the song "The Ground" by Ola Gjielo. Instead, my brother played Harvest Moon on acoustic guitar. It was beautiful. He sounded fantastic. I am glad I am part of such a musical family.
- I knew many people were celebrating with us that day even though they were not there. Some of my closest lifetime friends sent many messages, snapchats, and sweet videos. I wish they were there. Some family members "drove by" the day of and ended up pulling in and having cake with us. I wish they could have spent the entire day with us. But in actuality I realize I probably wouldn't have seen them much during the day anyways. I honestly don't understand how a wedding of 150+ could do it. I felt the day was crazy and I didn't see the 15 people who were there celebrating with us.
I am so glad we still made our wedding feel like a wedding. In reality, we might not have a party later. We know that the border might not open for a while, and who knows if we will still feel like having the big party when the border opens (but let's be real, I will wear my dress again WHENEVER I get the chance). But if we don't get the chance to have the party, I don't feel like my wedding was a "mock wedding" — our wedding felt like a wedding.
Here’s my best advice: Do what works best for you. If you want to go ahead with the wedding, do it! If you want to postpone, do it! Know where you are comfortable with Covid things, and allow that to guide your decisions. Follow the guidelines of the province (or your local authorities), but then make decisions based on your comfort level. People may judge you for having a 50 person wedding, but if you follow Covid guidelines, and everything is allowed that you are doing, enjoy the day!
Some of your guests may not feel safe attending and that is on them, not you. It is not your fault if someone chooses not to attend your special day, and you should not let that burden you. If you are not comfortable in big group settings these days, or work in a high risk environment, then know that everyone will hug you that day and plan accordingly (I loved getting every hug I got that day!). But try not to focus on Covid all day. Be smart and safe, but still enjoy your wedding. Don't let other's Covid intensity drive every decision you make.
One of things I really enjoyed was intentionally planning the day, and making it feel special with little things like the flowers, getting your hair and makeup done. Especially if your day has had to change a lot, you can still make the day very special.
Finally, know that people understand. It is tough to cut the list, but everyone's life has been affected.
Esther Funk Photography ~ Essense of Australia ~ Bliss Bridal Boutique ~ BHLDN ~ RW & Co ~ Stone House Creative ~ The Blushing Blonde ~ Justine Barry Artistry ~ Planned Perfectly ~ C&T Rentals ~ Trend Decor ~ Chew
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!
Intimate Country Wedding during Covid
Please tell me that you all love this colour palette as much as I do! It’s juicy, interesting, deep, with both warm and cool tones. The peachy tones with a bit of blue were the original focal point, and we added in the darker blue/purple a little later on as the bridesmaids’ dresses were selected. I love that the palette is vibrant and full of life, without looking immature or too “Crayola,” if you know what I mean.
I’ve known Amanda casually since we were kids — I played soccer with her sister, she’s close friends with one of my best friends, we grew up just outside of the same town — that kind of thing. I was so excited to be asked to be part of her wedding, because Amanda has gorgeous style and is an incredibly talented person at basically everything she puts her mind to — she built her own arch, created all the gorgeous signage, crafted her own gumpaste flowers for their cake…she’s one of those people who can just DO the things that she sees, and she does these things to a very high level.
This intimate wedding in the country (just outside of Stonewall) was a dream to be a part of — covid and all.
Amanda is tall and willowy, and she didn’t want her bridal bouquet to be too large. We wanted interesting texture and a garden-inspired and airy feel, but without any massive focal flowers. Amanda is a big flower lover and had some really great ideas for specific blooms and colours, and I just filled in the rest.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: ranunculus, bachelor buttons, tweedia, lisianthus, sweet pea, wheat (Ryan is a farmer, after all!), and eucalyptus foliages.
Please tell me that you all love this colour palette as much as I do! It’s juicy, interesting, deep, with both warm and cool tones. The peachy tones with a bit of blue were the original focal point, and we added in the darker blue/purple a little later on as the bridesmaids’ dresses were selected. I love that the palette is vibrant and full of life, without looking immature or too “Crayola,” if you know what I mean.
We finished them off with beautiful Stella Wolfe ribbons that we’ll hopefully be able to re-use for part 2 of the wedding next year!
One thing I really appreciated about Amanda and the way they planned their Covid-friendly celebration was the seriousness with which they took the comfort of their guests in this uncertain time. As you can tell, there was LOTS of space available for social distancing thanks to their country property just outside of Stonewall, and they made sure to give their guests a lot of room with the seating arrangements for the ceremony.
Amanda, Ryan, and her dad built the arch together and I really loved it! The stain was a beautiful tone, and it was super sturdy which is an oft-overlooked necessity 😂We worked with the peaches/purples/blues to create a few floral pieces for the arch and they were the perfect finishing touch to the ceremony space.
I bet those gorgeous stone walls have caught your eye. Aren’t they the perfect photo backdrop? If you’re anything like me, they might also be the perfect inspiration for your business name…that’s right! These photos were taken in the ruins of the stone foundation of a barn across the road from my parents’ farm (their stone farm house is the one that I pay homage to in my business name), built by my ancestors. My husband and I took our wedding photos here, my cousin was married here in the barn, and the week after Amanda and Ryan’s wedding, one of her bridesmaids (who is also my cousin!) also had her wedding photos taken in the stone barn!
And of course, a few wheat field shots for this newlywed farming couple!
I love this sweet little teaser trailer from Prairie Film Co… the slow mo in the wheat is gorgeous!
I can’t wait for part 2 of this wedding next year, where they’ll be able to celebrate with a larger group of people!
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!
Girls Gone Mild: Laidback Summer Bachelorette Party
When you work in the wedding industry and your cousin/life-long built-in best friend gets married, you do what you can to celebrate in a BIG way. And with Roberta’s wedding coming up THIS WEEKEND, I thought this would be the perfect time to show you how her laidback summer bachelorette party came together!
Bachelorette parties (along with basically every other event that requires people) are all VERY different in this Covid world. There’s not really a responsible way of going out on the town in the same way as we used to…so, girls gone mild, anyone?
When you work in the wedding industry and your cousin/life-long built-in best friend gets married, you do what you can to celebrate in a BIG way. And with Roberta’s wedding coming up THIS WEEKEND, I thought this would be the perfect time to show you how her laidback summer bachelorette party came together!
Bachelorette parties (along with basically every other event that requires people) are all VERY different in this Covid world. There’s not really a responsible way of going out on the town in the same way as we used to…so, girls gone mild, anyone?
My sister and I are 2 of 3 bridesmaids (the other lives in BC and wasn’t able to come just for the party), and we hosted the party on my sister’s back patio. Knowing that Roberta is a pretty laid-back person and doesn’t go for anything too wild anyways, the girls gone mild theme with a slight Mexican twist was perfect (her fiance is Mexican, after all, so we HAD to play to the stereotypes lol!). Our goal was really just to create a great ambiance, so that our guests could have a relaxing night, making jokes, playing games, and eating good food.
Basically the only reason why this set up looks as good as it does is because of Trend Decor. We’re so lucky that Maureen from Trend offers an awesome selection of lounge furniture, because the only other real option for lounge pieces in Winnipeg is very glam white leather, which was not our vibe. I had my van loaded with all of her pieces — obviously we chose a lot of the rattan accents, and I really wanted to find a way to hang the lanterns (luckily they’re SUPER lightweight so we just looped them around the patio lights), and we sprinkled in some black accents as well as using a few of my sister’s patio pieces.
I’ll tell you what: if you’re unsure what to do to make your bride-to-be feel special during this weird Covid time, get a photographer to come to your party for a few minutes. It’s so special to have photos of Roberta and her girlfriends! Mary-Margaret Magyar Photography came, and we are SO grateful for her!
Obviously I added flowers. I made a few arrangements here and there, using exclusively locally grown flowers, along with a selfie wall with garlands of bright orange marigolds, and fuchsia and purple carnations. It’s lucky for me that Roberta LOVES bright colours so I could really indulge in a palette that has no subtlety at all 😂 I also added a few mini garlands to her chair!
Guests came into the backyard and were greeted with hand sanitizer, a cocktail, and the selfie station.
Watermelon Margaritas
-Frozen watermelon
-1 can lime-aid-Tequila
-Triple Sec
-Add fresh watermelon when blending
-Garnish with a piece of watermelon (or don’t, if you forget about it like we did ha!)
I thought I’d share my original design board! I create one of these for each of my events. The only thing that I envisioned that didn’t happen was the bridal sombrero…it arrived the day AFTER the party 🙄
I’m so glad that we could celebrate my dear Roberta! Wedding events have felt really different this year, but let me tell you, this woman deserves to be celebrated. She’s incredibly generous, always the first to lend a hand (in fact, she stayed late after her own bachelorette party to wash the dishes), and is a kind and caring friend.
We could not have made this party quite as beautiful without a lot of help from the following Winnipeg wedding vendors:
Photos: Mary-Margaret Magyar Photography
LoungE, Glassware, Flatware Rentals: Trend Decor
Bride’s Makeup: Justine Barry Artistry
Bride’s Dress: Anthropologie
Colourful Fiesta-Inspired Wedding at Fort Gibraltar
When she first inquired with me, Natalia told me that she wanted to host a colourful, Mexican fiesta-inspired wedding. Obviously I was fully on board. When we sat down in person, she explained that she’s actually of El Salvadorian heritage, but her Pinterest searches for El Salvador weddings didn’t pull up many results 😂 We rolled with the Mexican theme though, and it was so cool to see how her El Salvadorian inspiration made its way through.
If you’re a lover of colour, this one is for you!
When she first inquired with me, Natalia told me that she wanted to host a colourful, Mexican fiesta-inspired wedding. Obviously I was fully on board. When we sat down in person, she explained that she’s actually of El Salvadorian heritage, but her Pinterest searches for El Salvador weddings didn’t pull up many results 😂 We rolled with the Mexican theme though, and it was so cool to see how her El Salvadorian inspiration made its way through.
If you’re a lover of colour, this one is for you!
Bridal bouquet ingredients: peonies, garden roses, stock, delphinium, freesia and billy balls.
This bright, vibrant palette filled my heart. I’m an unapologetic lover of colour in all of its forms (it doesn’t just have to be super bold like this — just as long as I have colour!), but the way this one came together was just so joyful. Natalia sent me an image of an El Salvadorian woman dancing in traditional dress, and it totally inspired the palette: magenta, bright purple, lots of greens, touches of yellow, red, orange, and blue.
I also loved that Natalia chose a cascading shape. This bouquet was a BIG sucker (my wrist was so sore making it, ha!), but look how perfectly it compliments her full skirt!
The ceremony was outside at Fort Gibraltar, in front of the old house. I added tear-drop shaped arrangements that coordinated with her bouquet to the railing post behind them, and we also lined the aisle with simple arrangements of orange garden roses and greenery hanging from shepherd’s hooks. All of these things were re-purposed inside at the reception, with the shepherd’s hooks jars tucked into the windowsills, and the larger ceremony pieces hung behind the head table.
Well, there are a few things that I REALLY loved about Gavin and Natalia’s reception. First, the table numbers. These were custom made for their wedding in El Salvador and carefully shipped here. They were incredible, colourful, and detailed.
The second item that I loved is probably obvious: the custom mini bottles of hot sauce! I don’t actually like hot sauce, but I told my husband about this and he thought it was the coolest thing ever.
The fresh floral centrepieces were, once again, full of colour and set in a copper vase. I also added in some cut fresh limes for a little fun.
The cake from Pinky’s was really cute. I loved the mix of simple buttercream textures, and adding the florals to it is always fun (and don’t miss the fresh limes added in!).
Looking for a Wedding Floral and Event Designer in Winnipeg?
2021 wedding dates are now booking! 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!
