Sophisticated Vineyard-Inspired Tent Wedding
Diane and Bryce reached out to me just 3.5 months before their wedding. Normally I would have my calendar confirmed well in advance of that, but I had just had another wedding for that weekend cancel so I was pretty thrilled to hear from them.
They live in BC but are both originally from the Winnipeg area, and hoped to have an intimate wedding with just 30 ish of their most loved people (and simultaneously avoid having to have the huge wedding that didn’t feel like them at all!).
So though 3.5 months is a short timeline to plan an entire wedding, I rolled up my sleeves and dug in to their full event design!
Diane and Bryce reached out to me just 3.5 months before their wedding. Normally I would have my calendar confirmed well in advance of that, but I had just had another wedding for that weekend cancel so I was pretty thrilled to hear from them.
They live in BC but are both originally from the Winnipeg area, and hoped to have an intimate wedding with just 30 ish of their most loved people (and simultaneously avoid having to have the huge wedding that didn’t feel like them at all!).
So though 3.5 months is a short timeline to plan an entire wedding, I rolled up my sleeves and dug in to their full event design!
One of my favourite aspects of the event design process is designing the colour palette. The palette we created for Diane and Bryce was just phenomenal — and it all started with an image Bryce had found that incorporated orange and a dove grey. I decided to deepen the orange to more of a rust tone, added in some peach and dusty pink tones, and rounded it out with a forest green. Overall, it evoked a seasonal early summer/late fall vibe, and Diane shared the palette with all their family members so they all chose outfits in those tones too, and looked SO good.
Dang, I just loved Diane’s bridal bouquet. I was able to use a large amount of locally grown flowers with some premium imported roses, and design something that felt natural but not too wild.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: toffee and cappucino roses, lisianthus, zinnias (from my garden!), phlox, calendula, amaranthus, ninebark, and nandina foliage.
We started the event design process with the colour palette and the stationery design; Diane had commissioned a local BC artist to create incredible pen sketches of both the church where the ceremony would be, and her parents’ yard where the reception was hosted. I worked with a stationery designer in Langley to create a 2 card invite, so that we could prominently feature both sketches, and the little country church in Teulon was just so quaint.
All we needed here was to add 2 overgrown, old-world feeling urn arrangements at the front, just to bring in a bit of colour and freshen up the space.
The reception was hosted in a small tent in Diane’s parents’ backyard, with one half dedicated to the u-shaped dinner table and the other half, a small dance floor and lounge area. I was hoping to have all sides of the tent open but it ended up being quite windy so we had to close a few. Ah, weather!
They have loved touring local BC vineyards, so we wanted to bring that feel in to the reception with greenery draping from the ceiling and cross-back wooden chairs. We let the colour palette warm up the entire space, with taupe linens, warm caramel menus and forest green place cards, toffee taper candles and copper flatware. Designing the place settings was a lot of fun!
Some of my favourite elements were added just a couple of weeks before the wedding! The lounge furniture, the champagne wall with custom decal, and a photo wall with coordinating custom decal as well. It’s great to have that kind of last minute flexibility to really complete a design.
“Your design is an absolute delight to look at and relive. Thank you, THANK YOU again for being so amazing to plan and communicate with. Not going to lie, I was a little sad coming back home and no longer receiving email updates from you! Authenticity multiplies trust — I cannot emphasize enough how grateful and proud we are that you were able to work with us this year. It’s easy to see the value of your floral and event design throughout the gallery but most importantly to us is remembering how you presented it, how you presented yourself, how you made us feel about it, and how you made us feel about ourselves.”
Janine kropla Photography ~ Stone House Creative ~ Collective Event Rentals ~ Planned Perfectly ~ Paper Poet ~ Wildflower and Thistle ~ Ornare ~ Union Table ~ Event Light ~ Luxe LInens ~ Asarye Paperie ~ Chew Catering
Joyful Fall Wedding with Toffee Roses
Sam and Dillon’s fall wedding was such a beautiful one to be part of! A gorgeous colour palette, a joyful couple, and everyone’s favourite rose, toffee!
I was so looking forward to these florals and for once, I didn’t have long to wait. We all know Covid threw a wrench in many wedding plans, and Sam and Dillon’s was no different. They were originally set to be married in Palm Springs, but decided to re-plan for a home wedding instead, knowing travel would be challenging. So, they reached out just a few months beforehand, when I’d normally be fully booked but I had the date open due to another wedding’s rescheduling situation. Lucky for me!
Sam and Dillon’s fall wedding was such a beautiful one to be part of! A gorgeous colour palette, a joyful couple, and everyone’s favourite rose, toffee!
I was so looking forward to these florals and for once, I didn’t have long to wait. We all know Covid threw a wrench in many wedding plans, and Sam and Dillon’s was no different. They were originally set to be married in Palm Springs, but decided to re-plan for a home wedding instead, knowing travel would be challenging. So, they reached out just a few months beforehand, when I’d normally be fully booked but I had the date open due to another wedding’s rescheduling situation. Lucky for me!
Photos by Ariana Tennyson
Sam was pretty easy-going with respect to basically everything floral. She sent me a pdf with a wide colour palette focusing on warm tones, a number of inspiration images showing a more casual, textured vibe (many of which were from my past weddings — nothing better than that!) and then basically left it in my hands. I knew a few things I wanted to use right off the hop — specifically, the toffee and nina roses. Aren’t they just killer together?
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: Toffee roses, nina roses, salmon ranunculus, locally grown pansies, strawflower, and scabiosa, echinacea pods, ninebark and geranium foliages.
This was the first day in September that I remember things really starting to look and feel like fall. There was a slight chill in the air, and the leaves had started turning a magnificent yellow on the drive out to the country where their tent was set up. And as you can see, the dried grasses and turning leaves made for some pretty stunning photos!
Sam didn’t really have a wedding party, though she did get ready and take photos with some of her most loved people, which I thought was really nice! That allows a couple to spend a lot of time together on their wedding day with a bit less stress, but still get to enjoy time with all their friends, too.
The reception tent was set up in a family friend’s yard, just outside of Ile des Chenes. It was a beautiful property, with lots of space and incredibly helpful hosts!
With the help of their planner, Amanda Douglas Events, Sam and Dillon chose some design elements that made their reception a little bit more special. I love that they put a little more focus on the head table — the guest tables were square, and the head table was U-shaped. They opted for a warm taupe linen on the head table (instead of the plain white on the guest tables), and along with stem vases, I added in some small size floral arrangements scattered along the head table as well. Adding in lots of candles, pink napkins, and amber glassware brought the colour palette into the tent and added personality.
Our hearts are absolutely exploding! We are over the moon. Thank you so much 😍 We received so many compliments on how beautiful the flowers were. You did such an amazing job. Thank you for sharing your work and passion with us.
Ariana Tennyson Photography ~ Amanda Douglas Events ~ MYUZ Artistry ~ D&M Rentals ~ Urban Prairie Cuisine ~ C&T Rentals ~ Trend Decor ~ Something Borrowed Wedding Rentals
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
2022 wedding dates are limited, and my 2023 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!
My Top 5 Tips for Designing a Beautiful Tent Wedding
THERE ARE MANY THINGS TO LOVE ABOUT A TENT WEDDING:
the ability to host your loved ones at a special property, the ease with which you can customize the event design, and the ambiance can be so exciting and inspiring.
Let’s ensure your wedding is more beautiful than the typical tent event. Read on for my 5 top tips to design a beautiful tent wedding!
With covid the way it is, I expect that we’ll continue seeing a lot of tent weddings throughout the 2021 wedding season.
There are many things to love about a tent wedding:
the ability to host your loved ones at a special property, the ease with which you can customize the event design, and the ambiance can be so exciting and inspiring.
Planning: Gather Events | Photo: Nancy Ray | Via: Town & Country
Let’s ensure your wedding is more beautiful than the typical tent event.
Read on for my 5 top tips to design a beautiful tent wedding!
PS Before you scroll too far, open up this Pinterest Board in another tab! Here you’ll find more awesome tent wedding ideas 😘
Pay Attention to the Colour Palette
Tent weddings usually mean lots of green (grass) and lots of white (tent walls). This makes it really easy to design a classic white and green wedding, but if you’re working with a different colour palette, you really need find ways to incorporate your palette to make it stand out!
My favourite way to bring a colour palette to life is actually with the table linens. Upgrading to coloured table linens makes a massive difference simply because of the large amount of visual real estate that table linens take up. Choose the foundational colour in your palette so that you can make the rest of the palette sing with other accents, like your centrepieces.
Planning and Design: Alison Events | Photo: Tec Petaja | Via: 100 Layer Cake
2. Play with the Floor Plan
One of the awesome bonuses of a tent is that you are not restricted to any structural barriers, nor do you have to feel like you have to follow any set of rules. You can do whatever you want! Mix of long banquet and round tables? Do it. Want to put the head table right in the middle of the floor plan? Love it.
Choose what you want to be the focal point of the tent, and design your floor plan around it.
Planning: Always Yours Events | Photo: Jessica Schifilliti
Planning: A. Dominick Events | Photo: Jodi & Kurt Photo | Via: Ruffled
4. Incorporate Unique Lighting
Enlist the help of a great lighting team. Frequently, tent weddings take place outside of the city where it gets really nice and dark in the evening. Whether you want bistro string lighting, classic chandeliers, or a collection of casual textured basket lanterns, some sort of overhead lighting will make a large impact on the overall ambiance. And, of course, don’t forget about the power of candlelight, flickering low to the table all night long.
My go-to lighting experts here in Winnipeg are Event Light. They cover everything power-related (thank goodness, because I don’t think I’m alone in not knowing what any of that means), they’ve got a great inventory of stylish lighting options, and they also have all the tall ladders I ever need to hang flowers 😉
Planning & Design: Amorology | Photo: Tenth + Grace | Via: Style Me Pretty
3. Make a Grand Entrance Statement
Tents are often large, and with the side panels open, guests can trickle in from anywhere. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the flow of traffic can feel a little directionless, so establishing a focal point can make an enormous difference to your guests' experience. I love taking this opportunity to create a gorgeous entrance to the tent that also serves a purpose: welcoming guests, guiding them to their tables, and adding to the overall event design. This could be a large floral installation or oversized floral urns flanking the entrance, an expertly designed seating chart or escort card table, or a welcome table set with champagne. Create a focal point, designed with a purpose, and add something extra to the guests’ experience.
Planning: Amorology | Photo: Scott Clark | Via: Style Me Pretty
5. Upgrade Your Rentals
This one is a big one for me: upgrade your rentals, people!! Caterers often include a very basic set of plates, glasses, and cutlery but we’re talking BASIC. Not at all beautiful. Coloured glassware, layered dishware, elegant metallic flatware, a coloured napkin…these things make a HUGE difference in your overall event design. Don’t forget about the chairs — the basic white folding resin chairs that are available from most tent companies are fine, but they don’t necessarily fit with every aesthetic.
Here are a few more ideas to make your tent wedding the BEST:
If space allows, incorporate a great lounge area. Many typical venues will have some sort of entry area with couches and chairs where people can relax post-dinner if they aren’t interested in dancing. A tent doesn’t have that opportunity, so build it in to your plans! If your wedding is in summer, place a lounge outside the tent under a tree, rent some great soft seating (here are some of my faves!) — don’t forget about adding a coffee table and end tables for drinks to be placed on! — and create a great atmosphere.
Make sure your guests are comfortable with either portable heating systems or fans. And if it can be a misting fan, all the better.
If your wedding is in spring or fall, a clear top tent is your secret weapon: the greenhouse effect created keeps the atmosphere a little more toasty and gives you a little more natural heat.
Hire pros. Hire hire hire. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard people say, “We’re just going to make it easy and have a tent wedding.” LOL guys. Since when is building a venue from scratch in your own yard easy?? But if you hire the right professionals, it can be both easy AND beautiful. This starts with a planner who is well-versed in tent weddings and knows how to take care of all of the logistics — because there are a lot of them. If you need some recommendations, just ask away :)
Proof of how amazing the misting fans are! On a hot summer day, a misting fan is the little piece of heaven you didn’t know you needed. This one is available through Event LIght.
Planning: Soiree Event Planning | Photo: Brittany Mahood Photography
Find the full gallery from this elegant tent wedding on a private estate here, for some more great inspiration!
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
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!
Clear Top Tent Wedding at Home with Luscious Florals
Jen grew up with grandparents who worked in the flower growing and gardening industries in England, so she wanted to prioritize the flowers — and I was not going to say no to that! Knowing how much of an impact flowers make on the overall design, this couldn't have been a better decision -- especially for a couple who aren't afraid of colour!
After changes in date, venue, and even province, we re-envisioned the wedding design 3 months before the new date. What was originally to be a July wedding, and then a destination wedding in BC, was re-planned during Covid for August, back in Winnipeg. I was SO excited to get their email saying it was back on, in Winnipeg, and that I’d get to be a part of their day!
Happy New Year! I’m excited to keep sharing my recent weddings and giving insights into your wedding planning…so let’s start thing off with Jen and Johann’s clear top tent wedding at home, with luscious florals!
Jen grew up with grandparents who worked in the flower growing and gardening industries in England, so she wanted to prioritize the flowers — and I was not going to say no to that! Knowing how much of an impact flowers make on the overall design, this couldn't have been a better decision -- especially for a couple who aren't afraid of colour!
After changes in date, venue, and even province, we re-envisioned the wedding design 3 months before the new date. What was originally to be a July wedding, and then a destination wedding in BC, was re-planned during Covid for August, back in Winnipeg. I was SO excited to get their email saying it was back on, in Winnipeg, and that I’d get to be a part of their day!
Wedding 3.0 included plans for an intimate ceremony at the gorgeous Leo Mol Sculpture Garden in front of the pond, followed by a clear top tent reception in Johann's dad's yard in Old Tuxedo, which called for a mature but still vibrant colour palette, focusing on a range of pinks, moving from a darker berry tone all the way down to a beigey blush.
Jen wanted luscious florals, an oversized and very garden-inspired bridal bouquet. Their late-August wedding date meant I was able to include some of my favourite locally grown flowers, including lisianthus, cosmos, and scabiosa. Her bouquet also featured quicksand roses and Darcy garden roses, blush ranunculus, and I rounded it out with olive foliage and trailing jasmine vine. When describing what she wanted, Jen told me, “the weirder the better” and so I had a lot of fun with this bouquet! It was huge, and had a really cool shape with lots of movement and depth.
I LOVE the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden — I think it’s one of the most beautiful places in the entire city (fun fact: my sister unveiled one of the statues!). We wanted to make a floral statement, but I also wanted something that fit well in the small space and didn’t take away from the view.
I decided on a bit of a floral nest, with ground-based pieces full of flowers that brought colour and fragrance without overpowering the gorgeous pond.
Jen also asked for large arrangements in gold urns to be set at the entrance to the aisle, which makes for a really welcoming and beautiful walk down the aisle!
For the reception, the clear top tent was situated in Johann’s dad’s front yard. We decided on a dusty rose velvet linen, and a few floral focal pieces to carry the design throughout: a large olive branch arrangement for the champagne table, we re-purposed the ceremony pieces to become a killer entrance of the small tent, and popped luscious centrepieces in bronze urns on each table, surrounded by smoke glass votive holders.
Jen had worked closely with Leech Letter Co to design a custom stationery suite for the original wedding plans, including an adorable wax seal featuring their puppy's silhouette, and then added an insert with the new details from Minted, with the phrasing "Okay, new plan..." that was the perfect way to add a little lightness to the situation!
The guest list was kept quite small, and they utilized both the front yard (for the tent and welcome champagne table), and the back yard pool area (for cocktail hour and then again to party away the night…rumour has it, Jen might have taken a midnight dip!). Round guest tables were situated in the tent, while cocktail tables dotted the backyard around the pool, on which I placed a few petite floral arrangements to tie it all together.
Obviously I couldn’t help but float all my leftover roses in the pool!
It was such a joy to flower for this incredible couple! Clearly they have no fun at all 😉 It made me so happy to see them celebrate after all of the planning, and re-planning, and re-planning again.
Josh Dookhie for Pantel Photography ~ Alli Mae Events ~ Planned Perfectly ~ C&T Rentals ~ D’Lite Tent Rentals ~ Chef Ben Kramer ~ Keith Macpherson ~ DJ K Chedda ~ Jessica Janel Makeup ~ Styled by Katie ~ Leech Letter Co ~ High Tea Bakery ~ Leo Mol Sculpture Garden
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!
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.
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
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!