Cozy Cottage Core Vibes for Nicole and Justin
Nicole and Justin’s wedding was one of the first of my wedding season and it was such a joyful day (also frickin hot). They hosted a small group of loved ones at her family cottage, just over the Manitoba/Ontario border.
With Emily from Feast & Festivities at the helm, the cozy cottage vibes were personal, cheerful, and relaxed.
And, of course, Nicole was immaculate ✨ From her custom gown to her henna, everything about her style was perfection.
Natasha’s style is obviously impeccable, and she came into the planning with a Spanish-inspired vision. The colour palette? Perfect. Her dresses? Breathtaking. The ceremony arch? One of my absolute faves.
Welcome to the cutest cottagecore wedding you’ve ever seen!
Nicole and Justin’s wedding was one of the first of my wedding season and it was such a joyful day (also frickin hot). They hosted a small group of loved ones at her family cottage, just over the Manitoba/Ontario border.
With Emily from Feast & Festivities at the helm, the cozy cottage vibes were personal, cheerful, and relaxed.
And, of course, Nicole was immaculate ✨ From her custom gown to her henna, everything about her style was perfection.
Photos by Casey Nolin Photography
Did I love Nicole’s bouquet? Yes. Did my Instagram followers love Nicole’s bouquet? ALSO YES.
I loved how light it was (seriously, like maybe 1 pound? It felt lighter than air). I loved how much movement it had. And I absolutely loved those locally grown tulips that totally stole the show.
I started with a base of lavender sweet pea, spiralling in the tulips, ranunculus, and delphinium that the colour movement was really soft and just had a small pop of bright orange. We finished it up with some Tono & Co silk ribbon.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: Tulips, ranunculus, delphinium, feverfew, sweet pea, stock, and poppies.
The ceremony was in a small clearing, literally just the perfect size for their guests. I designed some ground-based florals for the front, adding in individual stems down the aisle to make it feel very natural. I kept all the floral selections light, wildflowery, and airy. No focal flowers allowed.
Not every cottage has the necessary amount of space to pitch a tent, and Nicole’s place had literally just the right amount of space. Like, literally JUST. Almost like they planned it.
They had a U shaped table plan, with a row of tables in the middle, which created a really communal feel. A small lounge welcomed tired dancers off the dance floor, with a fun hanging seating chart and adorable bar front. It’s those little details that take things to another level, even if it’s a simple and relaxed wedding!
I loved the warm neutral base of taupe linens with wooden cross-back chairs. It felt really easy, not remotely pretentious or overdone.
Such cute place settings, right? I love the relaxed way that Emily layered all of this together. A loosely (but also perfectly) draped napkin (we don’t want anything looking messy here, friends!) — and note that it’s tucked under the plates. I’ve had quite a few tent weddings with a knotted napkin or flat folded napkin that has blown right off the table thanks to our least favourite element, wind.
And then that angled menu with the “scattered” cutlery — so cute, right? Again, it’s meticulously placed and each place setting perfectly matched each other, but it’s also got this inherently relaxed feel that fits the cottage atmosphere really well.
And how cute is that custom made bar? Named after their sweet pup, “Bar Luna”’s ruffled edges perfectly matched with the seating chart, festooned with pressed flowers that Nicole had been pressing for the year leading to their wedding. A personalized, DIY element done RIGHT, my friends.
A few beautiful moments down by the lake, at sunset. Now that’s summer wedding perfection!
Can I tell you how hot it was this day? DANG my friends. It was like 40 degrees celcius. Luckily we were pretty nicely shaded with a bit of a breeze, but whew. Lots of sunscreen and water that day for me, and I also stole a few minutes to splash my feet in the lake, and that made a world of a difference. Cheers to weddings at the lake!
Casey Nolin Photography ~ Feast & Festivities ~ Minted ~ Planned Perfectly ~ Collective Event Rentals ~ Cathy Wiebe Clothes ~ Aldo Formalwear ~ Blush + Blonde ~ Henna by Azma
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
We can design a gorgeous wedding at the lake for you. Find out more about what we do by clicking the button below!
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!
Flower-Filled Lake of the Woods Wedding
I love Lake of the Woods weddings, and Kailee and Stephane’s was such a special one. Fair warning, this post is going to be a little photo heavy because 1) the photos are AWESOME and 2) Kailee told me right off the hop that she loves flowers and wanted lots of them - so I made that happen :)
Kailee and I never actually met in person, which is often the case for my out-of-town clients. They live and work in Kenora, so it just wasn’t really convenient for them to come into Winnipeg just to meet with me about flowers. We did everything over Facetime and email. I generally find that this process works really well for out-of-town couples, particularly when they trust me to do a great job for them. Kailee told me her favourite things (she really, really loves roses!) and her colour palette of blush, cream and black, and I took it from there. Originally she envisioned very classic, round floral designs but towards the end of the planning, she asked if we could loosen things up. The designs should still have a fairly formal feel, but with a looser shape that suited the outdoor wedding a little better.
Taliah Leigh Photography ~ Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht Club ~ Posh and Pixie Salon
Ah, Kailee’s bouquet. I loved it! It was a huge, huge bouquet with a soft blush, peach, and cream palette.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: white o’Hara garden roses, quicksand roses, and mother of peal roses with white ranunculus and calcynia. I’m telling you the truth, this might be my favourite combination. The colour variation was subtle enough for a blush palette but thanks to the really delicate touches of peach, it was more interesting than the typical blush and cream. I had a really hard time letting this one go!
Can you imagine this boat as your getting ready location?
I had already booked another wedding in Winnipeg for the same weekend, which meant that I wasn’t able to drive out to Kenora to deliver and set everything up for them. It’s always my preference to be able to do it myself, but sometimes with out of town weddings, that’s just not do-able! So, one of Kailee’s brothers pulled up to my place the day before the wedding. We arranged for him to bring a van, they lined up an air conditioned to keep the van cool over-night, and we packed that thing full to the top with flowers! I was actually quite anxious that there wouldn’t be enough space, as the original plan was for them to rent a cargo van but they ended up needing to use a mini-van. We played some serious Tetris that morning, and miraculously, it all fit in.
I always love dock ceremonies at the Royal Yacht Club because that view is just incredible. In this case, the couple had this wooden arch made and I designed these large floral pieces to frame them in. I filled them with lots of roses, Kailee’s favourite, and they were like lush floral clouds for them to get married under.
I love that lake weddings mean you get an unconventional walk down the “aisle!”
The Royal Yacht Club at Kenora has an indoor facility, but it’s not very large. Kailee and Steph erected a tent on one of the tennis courts instead, which allowed them to move from indoors to out really easily at different points throughout the evening. I designed a mix of low and tall arrangements, which were scattered on the tables and around the Yacht Club. I love the rose gold accents that Kailee brought in with the candleholders and flatware.
If this last photo doesn’t do the perfect job of telling you why lake weddings are the very best, then I just don’t know how else I could say it. 💕
Looking for a Wedding Floral and Event Designer in Winnipeg?
Getting married in Winnipeg or the Lake of theWoods? Whether it's a whimsical garden party inspired celebration or a formal ballroom fete, I think flowers are the best way to make a statement at your wedding. Maybe you already have a specific vision or you might want me to dream up something custom just for you - either way, 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!
I’ll be opening up appointments for 2020 wedding dates very soon - but be sure to get on the waitlist in the meantime!