My Best Friend's Wedding: A Colourful Farm Wedding During Covid
Roberta and Fernando were originally going to have about 150 people at the Winnipeg Art Gallery with a ceremony at her parents’ farm. Since Fer is from Mexico, and his family lives there, obviously that meant major changes to the wedding plans. They still wanted to get married, but they pivoted: everything would now be on the farm just outside of Stonewall, and since his family couldn’t be there, the guest list would be massively reduced to the bare minimum: the bride’s parents and siblings, my sister and myself, and the groom’s best man and his wife.
It may have been small, but dang, it was mighty.
How is a wedding designer supposed to feel when her cousin/lifelong best friend starts to plan her wedding? Excited, inspired, super happy…and in my case, also stressed lol!
Roberta and Fernando were originally going to have about 150 people at the Winnipeg Art Gallery with a ceremony at her parents’ farm. Since Fer is from Mexico, and his family lives there, obviously that meant major changes to the wedding plans. They still wanted to get married, but they pivoted: everything would now be on the farm just outside of Stonewall, and since his family couldn’t be there, the guest list would be massively reduced to the bare minimum: the bride’s parents and siblings, my sister and myself, and the groom’s best man and his wife.
It may have been small, but dang it was mighty.
You can read some of Roberta’s reflections on what it was like to plan her wedding during Covid in an earlier blog post, here!
Here’s what you need to know about Roberta and Fer: They love colour. So much colour. Roberta has always been a jewel tones girl and I’ve been planning her bouquet for years already. Fernando is a neon guy, and orange is his favourite colour.
I won’t lie, orange can make me nervous…but this wedding converted me. In the right dosage and shade, I now will happily proclaim that orange can be awesome.
Like, did I ever think that a burnt orange suit would be the most amazing? And yet, it totally was.
One of my VERY favourite parts of the wedding: the custom-made bumblebees made by Toronto artist Golden Age Botanicals. Roberta and Fernando met on Bumble (hence “we swiped right” on the hankie above!) and I wanted to reference that in a unique, fun way. They were incredibly realistic (the bride’s brother got quite the fright) and are now keepsakes in the couple’s home!
I just love making colourful bouquets! Roberta told me she trusted me fully and I knew she did, but being that she’s my cousin, making her bouquet was a strangely detached process for me. I was a little stressed about it! She likes an organic look but is a classic girl to her core, so I wanted to blend those styles together while not going too far in either direction. And of course, jewel tones were the primary request!
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: locally grown dahlias, zinnias, sweet pea, cosmos, scabiosa and gomphrena with imported ranunculus, garden roses, waxflower and foliages.
I absolutely HAVE to mention that many of the flowers that I used were locally grown, right here in Manitoba. I feel like I talk about locally grown flowers all the time, but in case you’ve missed the memo, these are my favourite flowers to design with. The colour, the texture, the hardiness…it is all unmatched by the vast majority of imported flowers. More plusses: fewer chemicals, far less travel-related environmental impact, the opportunity to support a local business that pays living wages to its employees, and the list goes on and on. For this wedding, I also got to use some blooms from the mother of the bride’s garden, which I loved!
Roberta came to me with 2 inspiration pictures: one of a ceremony with mismatched chairs, and the other with a serpentine dinner table.
Her dad mowed a clearing into the pasture, a short walk through the oaks from the house. I can’t communicate how magical this space was! Because her dad was also officiating the wedding, Roberta walked most of the aisle alone, and the look on her face was so joyful and expectant. Fer was standing up at the altar, already crying when he turned to see her, with his family Facetiming to join in.
We debated between an arch or freestanding floral pieces for the altar, but I always knew that I wanted to have the aisle “planted.” Roberta’s mom loves to garden so this would be a perfect project for her to take charge on. The aisle planters and some of the wood pedestals were made by the woods teacher at Roberta’s school, and I just loved the opportunity to bring so much colour to the already stunning wooded scene.
One of the great things about these very intimate weddings is the atmosphere. There’s no stress, there’s no feeling like you have to put on a “show.” Case in point, Roberta’s brother played her down the aisle on acoustic guitar. Their other sister was to cue him…but something happened and he started playing too early. She hissed his name and made that “cut it” hand signal across her neck…and it was just plain funny! We all sat there and grinned but didn’t feel any worry about people seeing or things not going perfectly. He then came in at the right time, and it was, indeed, perfect.
After the ceremony, we celebrated with a group toast at the end of the aisle. The servers from CHEW so kindly set this all up for us in complete silence while the ceremony was going on, so it was all ready as soon as the vows were said!
Post-ceremony, Esther Funk led the way with a few group and family portraits in the ceremony site, and then the wedding party drove down the road to an old stone barn (you might recognize the scene from this wedding and featured on Once Wed here!). This site used to belong to our ancestors, and is right across the road from where I grew up (in a stone house, obviously!). The stone walls were the foundation of a barn that was demolished many years ago, but the ruins are so stunning, and make an incredible backdrop for photos. I had my own wedding photos taken here 10 years ago!
Alright, here we are at the reception! We set up under the oak trees on the front lawn of Roberta’s parents’ house. With cafe lights strung from the trees and music softly playing, once again the atmosphere was so incredible. There were 15 of us and with the exception of the best man and his wife, we’re all family so dining under the stars together really just felt like the best, most celebratory family dinner we’ve ever had. It felt so comfortable, so content — it was the best evening I’ve spent in a long time.
Here’s a look at those serpentine tables Roberta envisioned! One unexpected bonus about using serpentine tables is that the curve forces you to sit farther apart than you usually would set a table. Not exactly the 6 feet of social distancing, but definitely less close. They are a little tricky to cover with linen, so we had to play around with pleating and layering the blush linen we selected as a more neutral base.
The centrepieces were basically the only part of the decor plan we never had to change! We were always going to use my copper bowl as the vessel, and fill them with a riot of colourful flowers. I also had Roberta’s mom plant small terracotta planters with flowers and herbs to fill in the tablescape with. I wish more people did this!
Because of the reduced guest count, it was within their reach to splurge on rentals that they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford for 150+ people. We chose cross-back chairs from Planned Perfectly for the guests and fun dark blue velvet chairs from Trend Decor for the couple. China from the bride’s mom and grandmother’s collections was layered for the place settings, and then we selected gold flatware, gold-rimmed wine glasses, and light pink glass water goblets from C&T Rentals. We finished the place settings with white linen napkins that we added our own navy fringe trim to, adding in some whimsy and reinforcing the dark blue in the palette. And when I say “we”, I mean that I ordered the fringe on Etsy and my mom sewed them onto the napkins 😂
You know I’m a huge fan of coloured candles, and for good reason! Can you imagine how boring white candles would have been here? The mix of harvest gold and navy pillar candles, with tropical pink votive candles, layer in depth to the table without feeling out of place. I always buy my coloured candles from Yummi.
This wedding was so much more meaningful to me to be a guest and bridesmaid at. I didn’t experience the amount of emotion experienced by all of you who have had to decide between going ahead with vastly different weddings than you imagined, or postponing. None of 2020 was easy. I know that it’s not over yet, either.
But if I learned anything from this wedding, it’s this:
You and your love absolutely deserve to be celebrated.
Whether you want that to be in small or huge ways, whether you want to go ahead with it or postpone until later, this day deserves to be celebrated. And I hope that when your wedding day does arrive, you can put aside the stress and anxiety that planning a wedding during covid has caused you, and let go to celebrate.
I want to say a huge thank you to all of the vendors who took part in making this wedding so amazing. 2020 was a really hard one to be in the wedding and events industry, so anytime we got to make magic happen was really special.
Esther Funk Photography ~ Stone House Creative ~ Bliss Bridal Boutique ~ Essense of australia ~ BHLDN ~ RW & Co ~ Planned Perfectly ~ C&T Rentals ~ Trend Rentals & Decor ~ Chew ~ The Blushing Blonde ~ Justine Barry Artistry
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!
Why I Love Using Locally Grown Flowers
There are few things I love more than a big old bucket of blooms grown right here in Manitoba soil.
Every wedding season, I aim to use as many locally grown flowers as possible. And every week when I get my delivery, I get excited. It’s a different kind of excitement than I get when I pick up flowers at the wholesaler (which is still exciting), and I’m not entirely sure I can explain to you why…but I’ll try.
There are few things I love more
than a big old bucket of blooms grown right here in Manitoba soil.
The colour. The texture. The uniqueness.
There are endless reasons to love locally grown flowers.
Every wedding season, I aim to use as many locally grown flowers as possible. And every week when I get my delivery, I get excited. It’s a different kind of excitement than I get when I pick up flowers at the wholesaler (which is still exciting), and I’m not entirely sure I can explain to you why…but I’ll try. Here are a few of the big reasons to love Manitoba-grown flowers:
Environmental benefits: When I design your wedding bouquets with locally grown flowers, I’m reducing the environmental harm caused by shipping flowers in from around the world. My local farmers also use a reduced amount of chemicals on their flowers (or none at all!), and limited to no packaging materials to reduce unnecessary waste.
Supporting the local economy: Buying flowers from a local farmer means keeping my (and your) money in-province, to support a local business that pays her employees a living wage. As with many international trades, the international flower world often involves underpaying, overworking, and poor working conditions. My wholesaler does work with fair-trade farms, but that’s not as wide-spread as I wish it was. And, the more I can keep money in Manitoba, the better.
Colour and variety: when ordering locally grown flowers, we need to be more flexible. My farmers simply can’t guarantee when a specific variety will open or that a bug won’t eat it, or that a hailstorm won’t come along and damage a crop. BUT, the results of this flexibility are mind-blowing. The colour, texture, and uniqueness that you can achieve with locally grown flowers is what I dream of!
Not every flower can be locally grown (for example, we don’t really grow roses successfully in Manitoba, though one of my local farms is starting to grow garden roses!). Some of my personal favourite locally grown flowers include zinnias, sweet pea, Queen Anne’s Lace, bleeding heart, ranunculus, cosmos, scabiosa, foxglove, and lisianthus!
How about I show you just how awesome locally grown wedding flowers are?
When I’m selecting flowers for a wedding bouquet, two of the things I’m thinking about are the shape and texture of the overall design. Whatever the client’s style is, I have specific goals I need to achieve and I think strategically about which flowers I can use to do so.
In Kat’s bouquet, I needed to add the perfect sense of whimsy with a trailing line, and this rust amaranthus was perfect. I also wanted to add a lot of boho-inspired texture, so along with imported blooms, I used strawflower. Even when it’s freshly cut, strawflower has a unique dried texture that adds a really cool vibe.
When you want jewel tones…and not just filler flowers! Focal flowers tend to be easier to order via wholesale — think roses, garden roses, hydrangea, etc — so it’s a great challenge to use a locally grown focal flower when I can.
My favourite focal flowers that can be grown in Manitoba include zinnias (one of my top 5 fave flowers!), dahlias, and lisianthus.
In Roberta’s jewel tone bouquet, you can also see a lot of the awesome texture and movement that those locally grown flowers add!
A lot of flowers have a stiffer stem and a more structured feel to them. When I’m looking for a softer, airier, and more romantic texture, I look to locally grown flowers and vines as much as I can: the ruffled petals of a ranunculus or peony bloom, the romantic curlycues of a sweet pea vine and bloom, or the delicate and petite petals on a phlox bloom can all add a sense of lightness and femininity to your arrangement.
I’m always on the hunt for flowers that will blend my colour palette and add that something special. The hues that are muddier, muted, even a little ombre variation within the petals…that unique colouring can be hard to find when you’re ordering from wholesale farms that make their money off of growing reliable flowers. They don’t want those magical little touches that makes one bloom different from the next…they want them to all be as close to the same as possible.
But local flowers? That’s where we can get those perfect little variations that make your bouquet sing. The taupe lisianthus here is PERFECT.
Fluttery sweetness! And another bonus — super lightweight! All of the flowers in this bouquet were locally grown (I did use imported foliages, though), and though there were a LOT of stems in there, the bouquet was shockingly lightweight.
Again, the colours here are amazing. These rich berry tones are so easy to achieve with locally grown flowers.
Here in Manitoba, we can reliably use locally grown flowers from mid June through early September, though some early bloomers can be available as early as late May (ranunculus, tulips).
With the reality of covid, using local flowers feels different than it did in the past. I KNOW the flower farmers that I work with. I’ve walked through their fields and talked with them about their businesses. Supporting my local growers is also a step that I can take to provide a small measure of support to people and an industry that I care deeply about.
It doesn’t really matter to me if using locally grown flowers is a priority to you or not (though I would love to hear that it is!). It’s a priority to me, and so I will use them as much as I possibly can.
LOOKING FOR WEDDING FLOWERS 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!
My Top 5 Must-Haves for an UNBELIEVABLE Elopement
What I love about an elopement is IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PROMISES AND THE TWO OF YOU. In the current climate, I’m assuming that many of you who are planning an elopement is because you can’t have the large wedding that you’d like, but you still want to have the ceremony and make your promises to each other. Whether that’s your case or not, I wanted to talk about my must-haves for an UNBELIEVABLE elopement!
Photos by Ariana Tennyson
What I love about an elopement is IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PROMISES AND THE TWO OF YOU. In the current climate, I’m assuming that many of you who are planning an elopement is because you can’t have the large wedding that you’d like, but you still want to have the ceremony and make your promises to each other. Whether that’s your case or not, I wanted to talk about my must-haves for an UNBELIEVABLE elopement!
Love Letters
I’m assuming that one of the things that’s making the decision to have an elopement a challenge is that you’ll miss your loved ones. So make sure they’re there with you, in spirit: ask your loved ones to write letters to you, that the two of you can read together on your elopement day. I found this idea on Junebug Weddings, and there are some other amazing elopement ideas here!
Create an Amazing Scene
No eyes will be on you, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t deserve a breathtaking ceremony backdrop. My goal is always to design a ceremony space that gives you a sense of space that’s just for the two of you. A space that feels grounded, that creates an ambiance that you’ll never forget. How are we going to do this? Florals, furniture, tons of candles, scents…whatever your style is, I’m going to make that happen.
If you’re able to have a dinner afterwards, then let’s do that up, too. While you’re taking some photos with your new husband/wife, I’ll re-purpose pieces of that ceremony design and bring in tabletop elements to put together the most perfect evening for two — or, brunch!
Don’t Forget To Capture It
Make sure that your photographer and videographer will be there to capture your elopement so you can show it at your party later! You’ll never regret having those photos taken. My favourite photos are always the ones that are taken right after the ceremony is over, and the photographer sneaks away with the couple for a few private moments.
Celebrate the Season
Whatever season your elopement will be in, let’s do it to the max. A super cozy fall ceremony outdoors in the woods. An intimate, romantic ceremony in December in front of your fireplace while the snow falls outside. See what I mean?
Cheer each other down the aisle
You know that moment, when the bride walks down the aisle and the guests all stand to greet her? Or that moment, once the vows have been said and the kiss happened, when the music picks up, and you rush back down the aisle together, hands held high? Just because you don’t have a large guest list doesn’t mean you can’t have those moments. Cheer each other down the aisle!
Bonus Must-Have: Make sure you feel your best
Get your hair done, your makeup done, wear your dress, drink some champagne. Oh, and carry a gorgeous bouquet 😘
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! Beautiful weddings, designed for and with love.
Guide to Wedding Ceremony Floral Installations
Last week we talked about hanging floral installations, and this week I thought I’d get a little more specific and talk specifically about wedding ceremony florals. Whether it’s a large focal point design or something scaled back, it’s my opinion that all couples deserve to have an incredible space in which to say their vows.
Last week we talked about hanging floral installations, and this week I thought I’d get a little more specific and talk specifically about wedding ceremony florals. Whether it’s a large focal point design or something scaled back, it’s my opinion that all couples deserve to have an incredible space in which to say their vows.
I loved this simple ceremony backdrop for a winter wedding at Smith!
The Floral Pillars
Massively underrated, in my opinion, a set of floral pillars is a great design plan because it’s flexible to work in many spaces and easy to re-purpose at the reception. In this case, the floral design is obviously more on the modern side but swap that up for a classic urn and fill it with hydrangea and roses, and you’ve got something that fits in any church perfectly!
The Classic Arch
Brittany Mahood Photography, See more here
Curved, flat topped or hexagonal, indoors or outdoors, I’d say that most of my couples opt for some sort of arch structure. I personally love a good curved arch with full floral working its way around, or with a few spotlight sections - there’s something about the arched shape that the eye naturally loves!
Something really important to keep in mind is the stability of the structure. If your ceremony is outside, then we’ll need either a really heavy base or something that can be staked into the ground for extra stability. If it’s indoors, we need to make sure that we’ve got a heavy base as we definitely can’t use stakes.
A lot of the time, my couples will provide their own structure. The vast majority of the time, we have no problem at all. Once in a while, though, the strength just isn’t there. Both times that’s happened has been when the ceremony is on the rooftop of the WAG. It doesn’t matter what the weather is that day, it’s just SO windy up there all the time. Be careful!
Charmaine Mallari, See more here
The Non-Traditional Arch
Here’s what I LOVE about a non-traditional “arch”: each one is so different! Whether I’m creating floral columns or a deconstructed arch or anything else, you know it’s fun for me. The above are some of my favourites that I’ve designed.
First, that gorgeous deconstructed 2 piece gold arch. This was the first time we used it, and I love that it gives the illusion of a full arch and your eye naturally finishes the shape, but it’s a bit more unique, a bit more modern. I’ve got this piece planned for a few other weddings, and all of the florals will be designed in a different way, which you know I love!
Next, the copper arch with a calligraphy backdrop (completely handmade by the bride - WOAH!). This portion could easily fit under the traditional arch category, but the reason why I’ve included it in non-traditional is because of the floral pillars that I added to either side of it. My goodness, did this room smell amazing with all those flowers everywhere!
Finally, my favourite pair of freestanding floral columns. We wanted them tall because the groom was tall, colourful to stand out from the white backdrop, and have a bit of a natural curve to mimic an arch shape. I LOVED these babies.
The Hanging Floral Installation
You can find pretty much everything you need to know about hanging installations in my post last week! I’m sure what you’ll notice in these pictures is that they are all in the same place - Cielo’s Garden. And here’s why: the open rafters! The main thing that I need to plan around when designing a hanging installation is the mechanics - how can I actually HANG something? The open rafters in the chapel at Cielo’s Garden are the perfect structure for something like this.
The “Make Your Own Backdrop”
No matter what your venue is, we can come up with an amazing design - something that gives you a beautiful altar where there is none, something that creates a defined space where there is none, something that adds character where there is none…you get the idea!
I created the greenery arch above right on the wall, in the old Hut K space which was kind of a warehouse looking space. The floor plan was quite tight - you can see the guest tables in the foreground of the image. The guests sat at their tables and post-ceremony, the head table was moved in front of the greenery arch and it served double-duty as backdrop behind the head table. The greenery piece was intended to look quite natural, almost as though it was growing naturally, and it was actually the only piece of floral/greenery decor at the entire reception! It made a good statement.
Below, planner Emily came up with the plan for the firewood, which was perfect as it was a winter wedding photoshoot. We added in the rug to bring warmth, and the wreath (which has dried and hung over my bed for the last 4 years!) to bring a live element. See how it’s all about creating a welcoming space where there wasn’t any warmth before?
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!
Beautiful weddings, designed for and with love.
Guide to Hanging Floral Installations
I’m kind of known for my hanging floral installations here in Winnipeg. It seems that whenever a couple says they want hanging flowers, they get referred to me - and obviously, that’s the way I like it! I’ve done them big, small, floral heavy and greenery focused, at reception spaces over a head table or dance floor and at ceremony spaces creating an altar. Sometimes they’ve involved the addition of ribbon streamers or built on wood boards, sometimes I’ve added in string lights, once I created a floral chandelier. All of them have involved tall ladders!
I thought I’d run you through some of the things I think about while I’m designing hanging floral installations!
I’m kind of known for my hanging floral installations here in Winnipeg. It seems that whenever a couple says they want hanging flowers, they get referred to me - and obviously, that’s the way I like it! I’ve done them big, small, floral heavy and greenery focused, at reception spaces over a head table or dance floor and at ceremony spaces creating an altar. Sometimes they’ve involved the addition of ribbon streamers or built on wood boards, sometimes I’ve added in string lights, once I created a floral chandelier. All of them have involved tall ladders!
I thought I’d run you through some of the things I think about while I’m designing hanging floral installations!
Designed for Planned Perfectly’s 2020 catalogue photo shoot at the Manitoba Club. Photos by Luxe Images by Jill.
Mechanics
Without a doubt, the mechanics of the HOW it’s going to hang is the most important part of planning a hanging floral installation. The first step of that is making sure there’s something that I can actually hang OFF of. Open rafters is always the best case scenario because they’re nice and sturdy! Sometimes I need to hire a lighting company to install cables for me to work off of, and for a wedding this summer, I’m planning to take a licensing test to use a scissor lift - bah!
I also need to make sure that there’s something that I can build the installation off of, some sort of base to use. At Hawthorn Estates, they have a suspended vintage wooden ladder that hangs above the head table that forms an EXCELLENT base. I’ve also used wood lattice, lots of chicken wire, rope, airline cable…lots of stuff.
Photos by Aimee de la Lande
Ingredient selections
Choosing the right floral ingredients is SO important because I don’t typically have a water source built into the installation. Foliage and flowers need to be hearty and last pretty well without water. Most foliages are pretty good - especially if they have a woody stem or waxy leaves. Many times we can water tube flowers so they have a few hours of drinking, but some things like roses or carnations don’t really need to be in water to last well. I try to use as little floral foam as possible in my work (it’s hazardous to the environment as it’s essentially a non-biodegradable single use plastic, and it’s bad for my health as it’s carcinogenic), and though I can’t always figure out a way to work without it, using foam isn’t best in hanging installations because it is very heavy and it often drips - again, reinforcing the need to choose flowers that either do well without a water source or can be watertubed.
Photos by Izabela Rachwal at The Gates on Roblin
Designing for Context
I always want to keep the vibe of the venue and the wedding’s style in mind as I plan the design. Maybe I don’t want to do something super modern and sleek in your average golf course banquet room (since they are typically not modern or sleek 🤪), for example, or design with a gorgeous berry toned colour palette in a room with orange wallpaper. This rule goes for all design, not just hanging installations, but I wanted to mention it nonetheless!
Photos by Luckygirl Creative at Whitetail Meadow
Next week I’ll be chatting about all things wedding ceremony flowers. If you have any questions, drop me a line and I’ll happily address it!
Looking for a Wedding Floral and Event Designer in Winnipeg?
2021 wedding dates are now booking! From Gimli to Steinbach, out to Kenora or anywhere in the Winnipeg area, reach out to Stone House Creative to create the perfect floral compliments for your wedding.
I create beautiful weddings for great people, designed with and for love.