Q&A about Wedding Flowers with Stone House Creative

A few weeks ago, I put out a call for any questions on Instagram and I loved all of the questions that I received! It’s always surprising to me what those questions are — they’re almost never what I expect. So, here we are!

All photos by Photography by Jodi, from Shannon and Michael’s wedding in Kenora, summer 2019.

Q. What are some seasonal (and affordable) summer wedding flowers? (@laurenjc)

A. This is an interesting question! Without a doubt, summer is an AMAZING time for flowers because the locally grown blooms are killer. Some of my favourites are lisianthus, feverfew, delphinium, foxglove, sweet pea, and zinnias. Generally speaking, locally grown flowers tend to be “affordable,” though I should also be clear: flowers are a luxury, perishable item. No matter where they’re grown, they’re attended to with utmost caution and grown and cut by hand. There’s a LOT of work that goes into flowers, so they’re never really cheap — and they shouldn’t be.

I also want to touch on the word “seasonal” because it really doesn’t mean very much anymore, due to the way that farmers across the world have been able to extend their growing season. If you truly want “in season” flowers, then the word you need to look for is LOCALLY GROWN. For example, order gatherers, Costco, grocery stores, and so on often say they have “seasonal” bouquets, but that means absolutely nothing. The flowers they use are available year-round because they’re grown in greenhouses near the equator with perfect weather. If you want is truly seasonal, then what you want is locally grown.

Often we’ll read advice from wedding blogs and magazines that the best way to save on your wedding flower budget is to choose “in season” flowers, and that’s a misconception. What that really means is not to choose out of season flowers. For example, a peony in season is still going to cost at least $15/stem, whereas a rose is going to cost you $5/stem at any time of the year. That $15/stem peony is NOT cheap…but it is technically “seasonal.” So again, if you want to look for seasonal flowers, then ask for locally grown (keeping in mind, of course, that we live in Manitoba and our growing season is ramping up throughout June and really hits its stride in July and August, before tapering off in September while we wait for those first few frosts to hit).

In the image below, you can see a closeup of icelandic poppies, ranunculus, and delphinium, all of which were grown locally in Manitoba!

Q. What are you doing with flowers this summer, now that we don’t have weddings? (@amandadouglasevents)

A. Wah. Don’t remind me 😭 I’m still hoping to get my hands on as many flowers as possible this summer. I have a few couples who are opting for an elopement style ceremony this summer with their big celebratory party next summer, so I get to create some beautiful bouquets for their elopements! I’m also hoping that things with Covid will relax enough to allow me to work on some personal projects and photoshoots, so that at least I can enjoy the flowers while they’re blooming locally!

Q. What is your absolute favourite flower combination? (@lainiedahle)

A. Lainie, you’re killing me. How on earth can I choose? I tend to be drawn more towards colour combinations, and my natural love is for brighter corals and peaches with beiges and pinks, and I LOVE ruffled flowers. I could see this combination looking killer with garden roses, zinnias, sweet peas, butterfly ranunculus, foxglove…all the good stuff.

Lately, I’m finding myself drawn more to using fewer ingredients and fewer focal flowers. I’m not sure if this will be working into my wedding arrangements or not, but it’s something I’m going to be playing with on my own.

Q. Locally grown vs florist - what’s the difference? (@meganpatricialewis)

A. This is another interesting question! I think what you’re asking here is where we get the product from. I used to work in a retail floral shop (over 7 years ago) and we imported all of our product — a small amount from across Canada and Holland, but mostly from South America. I still bring in a lot of flowers from these regions in my business today, but I try to utilize as much locally grown product as I possibly can.

There are a LOT of benefits to using locally grown flowers. To start, I know my farmers. I know that by ordering from them, I’m supporting their small, women-owned businesses, who pay their staff living wages and I really like that — let’s do everything we can to keep our money in our own economy. I also seek to reduce my carbon footprint where I can, and ordering locally grown flowers obviously cuts down dramatically on shipping and packaging material waste. Additionally, the quality of locally grown flowers is UNBELIEVABLE. They are sturdier, healthier, and more beautiful (in my opinion). I should do a comparison post when local flowers are growing, so you can see the differences yourselves!

I would highly encourage you to ask the florists you are considering hiring for your wedding if they are able to use locally grown flowers for you!

Q. How much does the average couple spend on flowers for their wedding? (@brooklynkehler)

A. My client average spend is $4500, and that sees a typical 18-20 tables , 4-5 bridesmaids, and something gorgeous for the ceremony! If you want to create a realistic floral budget based on what you’re looking for, here’s a really good rundown of different price ranges of typical items!

Q. I am not engaged yet, BUT I love wedding planning and I’m obsessed with your work so much. I am wondering, if I want to do "sky is the limit," crazy flowers, what is the budget I should have? I know zero about flowers — I want them everywhere though, they’re my favourite thing at every wedding!!

A. Favourite question ever 😂 I’m not going to share this person’s name, so that her boyfriend doesn’t get weirded out ha! Obviously I LOVE the idea of a “sky is the limit” floral plan for a wedding, but when it comes to what that budget number should be, that depends on a lot of things. In particular, the guest count: how many tables do we need floral heavy arrangements on? Then I’d also want to know what other focal areas you want to emphasize with flowers: an unreal cake display? A floral-heavy entrance to your ballroom or tent? When you’re talking sky is the limit, balls-to-the-wall flowers, I’m assuming you’re not just talking about the typical order of bridesmaid bouquets and table centrepieces. My client average spend is $4500. If you’re looking at a typical 18-20 tables and 4-5 bridesmaids, but you want a LOT of flowers, I’d suggest budgeting in the $10,000 range. And then call me 😘

Q. Tips for anyone planning a wedding (not during the pandemic lol)? (@brooklynkehler)

A. Ah, another good question. I know that wedding planning can be super overwhelming at the best of times, especially when you’re just getting started. There are SO many decisions to make (especially if you’re not a good decision maker), many options to consider, endless referrals from people you know…so let’s start by getting really clear on a few things: This is YOUR wedding. That means the two of you make the decisions. Feel free to make those decisions based on what’s important to you and keep those “most important” things at the forefront of your mind, as that’s likely where you’ll be spending the bulk of your budget.

I always suggest starting with the aspects of the wedding that are most important to you — nailing down the right venue, the date, and then your top 3 or 4 VIP vendors (for me, that would be my photographer, floral designer, and dress. I’d suggest a wedding planner or coordinator be included in there as well!).

Hire vendors based on how well you get along with them (particularly your photographer — you’ll be spending all day with him or her!) and how well they seem to be aligned with your personal style and vision (especially your floral designer and your planner). Choose high quality vendors that you trust, and ask them what they suggest within your budget, rather than trying to force your budget on the vendors you really want, or worse, assuming that those vendors you love won’t work with you because of your budget.

When it comes to the design and details of the day, try not to get sucked into the Pinterest trap! Same goes for Instagram. Looking at what other people have done for their weddings will be like quicksand, getting you stuck in a loop of what OTHER people have done. You’re not other people! Let’s design something that’s just for YOU. The best way to do that is ask your design-related vendors to give your creative vendors a lot of flexibility and encourage them to get creative!

Q. What time of year is it best to have a wedding so all the flowers you want are available? What type of flowers are the most expensive? (@jeannaleeartistry)

A. Well, this answer totally depends on what those favourite flowers are! During spring you’ll find the perennial favourites: peonies and ranunculus, blooming branches, and tulips and hyacinth. These are all quite feminine, delicate, and lovely — exactly what you’d want for a spring wedding! Summer brings us the best locally grown flowers in a riot of colours and textures: lisianthus, zinnias (a personal fave), cosmos, snapdragons, strawflower, sweet pea. Early fall we can still get some locally grown flowers (just up until the frost starts) but you can also get most flowers still available through the wholesaler. And obviously, here in winter we can’t get anything locally grown but many things are still available through wholesale (roses, always) — my favourite winter flowers include amaryllis (woah baby, especially the peach ones), agapanthus, lots of interesting textures like pieris, privet berries, and skimmia.

As to which flowers are most expensive? Probably all the ones you love the best 😂Peonies, garden roses, ranunculus, butterfly ranunculus, poppies…I know, I know. All those ruffly, special, beautiful blooms. What an we do? We love all the pricy stuff!

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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! 

Laidback Elegance at Cielo's Garden

When I first started talking with Stephanie and Kurt about their wedding flowers, it was actually at an open house for Cielo's Garden! I was struck by the way they interacted with each other. Kurt was just SO sweet in the way that he deferred to Stephanie, allowing her to explain their vision and how they wanted their wedding day to look and feel.

That laidback attitude was going to be a large part of the wedding day - the couple really wanted to have a simple, comfortable wedding. The colour palette of deep plum, watery grey/blue, nude, blush and gold brought an elegant feel to the overall design, and was really fitting for the setting.

Kaboha Photography ~ Amanda Douglas Events ~ C&T Rentals ~ Cocoabeans Bakeshop ~ Cielo's Garden

Any time I have a chance to play with berry tones I am a happy lady! This was a very feminine take on a berry tone palette. 

Bridal bouquet ingredients: roses, dahlias, ranunculus, cosmos, anemones, succulents, Queen Anne's Lace, silver dollar eucalyptus and agonis foliage.

And here we are, back at one of my favourite places for couples to get married at! The chapel at Cielo's Garden is an incredible building. With open sides and stone walls, complete with a bell to ring post-ceremony, it's basically perfect on its own but I think it's even better with something at the front to frame the altar. Planner Amanda Douglas shared this awesome sketch with me when we started planning, and I love that the design turned out just right: 

First off, Amanda helped Stephanie and Kurt to choose this two-toned drapery to create a dreamy focal point at the front of the chapel. We then added in all of the floral-accented lanterns that were being used as the centrepieces. Some of them were placed down the aisle on crates, and some were hung from the open rafters at the front. And of course, that colour palette is gorgeous for an elegant, fall feel - sage greens, burgundy, berry pinks, light pinks, and cream. Dy-na-mite.

So, this was a different guest book table than I'm typically used to. Ha! When Stephanie first told me that she wanted to me to floralize a skull for the guest book table, I'll be honest: I had a really hard time envisioning how this could be nice. And while it felt super weird while I was doing the designing, I have to say that I love how it turned out. It's sort of like this deer gets to have a beautiful floral halo. 

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! 

Lauda and Jeremy's Colourful Summer Wedding at Pineridge Hollow

I loved being a part of this colourful summer wedding at Pineridge Hollow. When we first met, Lauda sort of had a vision for her wedding flowers, but it hadn't completely come together yet. By the day of the wedding, it all came together so beautifully. It was incredibly fun for me to work with all of this colour, and I used about 90% locally grown flowers so I loved that even more! 

I love these photos from Sugar & Soul Photography so much! 

As featured on Host Winnipeg.

Laura's bridal bouquet was cheerful, vibrant, whimsical, and a complete breath of fresh air for me. It's so fun to design something that's different from the norm. Her bouquet included: Foxglove (one of my faves!), dahlias, zinnias, cosmos, marigold, asclepia, and veronica. I loved using this rich palette of purple, magenta, pink, orange, and blue. 

A few days after the wedding, Lauda stopped by with a thank you card, and a mini bouquet of flowers she had picked out of her own garden. They matched perfectly with the flowers in her bouquet - it was so sweet of her!

Aren't the purple bridesmaid dresses just perfect with the colour palette? And you know I love tiny flower girl bouquets! The lovely bridesmaid at the end is my friend, Tracey! We used to work together.

I'm not sure where this garden is that the couple went with Mel from Sugar & Soul Photography, but it is just flower heaven. Isn't this the perfect summertime setting?

Over at Pineridge Hollow, more colour was in order! The tent is so white and clean, which of course is lovely, but it just begs for colour. I loved Lauda's idea - we used different sized jars and containers to line the tables, each with a bouquet of colourful, locally grown flowers! Jeremy built this incredible wood backdrop to place behind the head table, and isn't it beautiful? It added so much to the space.

Mother's Day Flowers - Orders Now Open!

Treat your momma right this year! Mother's Day is May 8 - are you ready yet?

I'm really excited to be offering Mother's Day flowers this year, to help you show your mom how special she is. On offer this year are fresh, springy cut bouquets, in 3 sizes:

Mini ($15 each) - 1 stem of garden rose or peony with pretty touches
Standard ($25 each) - standard cut bouquet with springy mix of flowers
Premium ($75 each) - medium size bouquet with the addition of premium flowers (peony or garden rose)

Pick up available from our North Kildonan studio on FRIDAY, MAY 6 between 12-7 pm.
Delivery available to specified neighbourhoods on SATURDAY, MAY 7 starting at 11 am.*

*Delivery is available to: North Kildonan (free of charge!), East Kildonan, West Kildonan, Bird's Hill, and North Main.
$7 delivery charge plus applicable taxes. 

WE'LL ALSO BE POPPING UP AT JENNA RAE CAKES ON SATURDAY, MAY 7! BOUQUETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE BAKERY FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED.

ALL MOTHER'S DAY ORDERS NEED TO BE PRE-PAID AND PLACED BY FRIDAY, APRIL 29.
PLEASE NOTE THAT AS EACH BOUQUET WILL BE MADE FRESH, THEY MAY NOT BE EXACTLY AS PICTURED. 

Sara and Chris' Winter Wedding at The Fort Garry Hotel

Designing Sara's wedding flowers was such a lovely treat. She showed me two inspiration photos that her wedding planner, Amanda Douglas, had shared, and was then happy to hand over the creative reigns to me. She had no specific requirements, and with no bridal party and a small guest list, Sara was really just happy to let me do what I thought would work best. I loved Amanda's idea to work with darker tones in the bridal bouquet and lighter shades of pinks and purples in the rest of the decor flowers. I also love how her bridal bouquet came together - the heart shape wasn't completely intentional, and I just adored it!

Purple can be a tricky colour to design well with, and I think the accents of those soft pinks really brought depth and interest to this bridal bouquet.
Bouquet ingredients: ranunculus, hellebore, stock, alstroemeria, amnesia roses, quicksand roses, faith roses, blackberries, and Italian and Israeli ruscus.

Event Planning: Amanda Douglas Events / Photography: Palma Photography / Linens and Draping: Planned Perfectly / Stationery: Minted.com / Venue: Fort Garry Hotel

AS FEATURED ON HOST WINNIPEG