How Much Do Wedding Flowers Cost? Warm Neutral Wedding Reception at Novella
It’s not all that frequent that I get to design the entire reception from start to finish, and I really enjoy digging into that complete process. For this warm, neutral wedding reception at Novella, I started with a brief overview of the colour palette and textural elements I wanted to highlight.
As I got going, I knew I wanted to share a glance at the real life costs behind a reception design like this. Many of my clients come to me asking for designs like this, but have no frame of reference for pricing. So, let’s jump into the design and then the cost!
It’s not all that frequent that I get to design the entire reception from start to finish, and I really enjoy digging into that complete process. For this warm, neutral wedding reception at Novella, I started with a brief overview of the colour palette and textural elements I wanted to highlight.
As I got going, I knew I wanted to share a glance at the real life costs behind a reception design like this. Many of my clients come to me asking for designs like this, but have no frame of reference for pricing. So, let’s jump into the design and then the cost!
PS - If you’re wondering, YES, I do offer event design services where I can do this for you! Find more info here. I take on a maximum of 3 event design clients per year and I do require that I’m designing your florals, too.
Photos by Vanessa Renae Photography
The Design Plan
Below you’ll get a glimpse at the brief visual overview I created to help guide my decision making. I find this to be a really important step that a lot of people overlook when planning their weddings. Anyone can make a pinterest board but it’ll likely still feel disparate, disjointed because it’s usually lacking that thread that ties everything together. A single page, just a few images and colour swatches, is one of the first things I do when working through event design, to set the mood, confirm colouring, and keep my design goals in mind.
For this wedding reception design, I had a few things in mind: mostly warm, neutral tones with touches of cool blue added in, multi-tonal drapery above the tables to soften the industrial ceiling and warm up the white walls, and bringing in natural textures through stone elements.
When it came to the floor plan, I really didn’t need to go this all-out as this was an editorial shoot. But, I believe strongly in doing things right the first time (when I’m tempted to be lazy, this always rings through my thoughts!) and I think that a photo shoot with 1 single table looks, quite frankly, dumb. It doesn’t give a potential couple a proper frame for how the entire wedding could look, and it doesn’t give the wedding professionals imagery that actually reflects the reality of our work.
Novella works amazingly as a single space for both ceremony and reception for an intimate wedding, and the floor plan below is just one example of how you can utilize the space.
A few things I knew right away: I wanted to use Collective’s black bentwood chairs because I love them, and the Melodia glassware because they really elevate a design with a subtle, elegant air. I wanted to layer in stone fragments, and thought this would be a great way to catch any candle wax drips.
The Completed Design
Normally I am fully invested in colour, so choosing to work in a neutral palette felt a little out of left field for me. I really enjoyed the warmth that I was able to create — this isn’t yet another basic white and green wedding. The short cappuccino toned candles (I wanted them as stumpy as I could get them) picked up on the brown veining in the pieris and the tulips. This kind of blending and colour play is essential, no matter what your palette is.
Layering in taupe napkins and sand toned vessels added more warmth, and the black cutlery and lamps tied through to the chairs in a clean, simple way.
How Much Does a Wedding Tablescape Cost?
It's important to note that every tablecsape is going to be different in terms of the elements included, the quantities, and additional rental items. For our purposes today, I've included everything that came from me: florals, vases, candles. The glassware, flatware, lamps, napkins, linens, chairs, and stationery would be in addition.
I also want to note that if you're looking to save on your floral budget, long tables may not be the best choice for you. There is simply more empty space on long tables, which makes them really fun to style but would also be more costly.
For each 8 foot table, I included:
1x fuller, low floral arrangement
2x petite flower frog arrangements
2-3x stem vases
4x chunky pillar candles and stone remnants for styling
8 Foot Table Cost: $345
When I first approached Kayla from Sugar & Salt Bakeshoppe about this project, I shared my full design board and asked for a simple, textured buttercream cutting cake. I didn’t want to be an imposition when she was likely already busy. Her response? “Let me put a spin on it and challenge myself!” And look at this stunning masterpiece inspired by the wedding dress we used! What incredible art.
The Bar
Including a bar feature was a must-have for me, to show how we can extend a design further. Collective’s Waverly collection was perfect. We added a champagne tower (one of Vanessa’s only requests!), layered in some stone vases, and repurposed florals from the ceremony aisle to the base of the cake table to make it a moment.
I hope this was helpful to you in your planning! I’ll link a few more budget-related posts below to assist you in building a realistic wedding flower budget. It’ll either come down to “I will pay what I need to in order to get what I want” or “I have $xx to spend, what can I get within that?” My top advice for couples is to be open about your goals and budget when you’re talking with a floral designer. Knowing which way you lean means we can get creative and make sure we’re proposing the best things for you.
Lead Photo & Host: Vanessa Renae Photography
Floral and Event Design: Stone House Creative
Venue: The Novella
Rentals: Collective Rentals
Drapery and Linens: Planned Perfectly
Stationery: Rae & Dot Studio
Cake: Sugar & Salt BakeShoppe
Hair: Isabel Nayet
Makeup: Jessica K Artistry
Dress: Vintage J Mendel
Jewellery: Mokada Jewelry
Models: @meghanheppner and @brendanzebrynski
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL and Event DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
I love taking a venue and making it into anything but ordinanry.
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!
Design Notes: Textural Wedding Ceremony Florals at Novella
Last spring, I designed an editorial for Vanessa Renae and a group of photographers who were itching to get creative, and practise some new photography techniques. Vanessa had found this gorgeous blue vintage dress, and then she asked me to take the reigns on the overall design. Needless to say, I had a lot of fun.
Warm browns paired with cool blues, layers of natural textures, minimalistic yet elevated stationery, a dreamy meandering aisle, multi-tonal drapery, it was all so good. A total dream day ✨
Today, I’m sharing some design notes focusing on the ceremony design, featuring textured florals and a natural style.
Photos by Vanessa Renae Photography
Last spring, I designed an editorial for Vanessa Renae Photography and a group of photographers who were itching to get creative, and practise some new photography techniques. Vanessa had found this gorgeous blue vintage dress, and then she asked me to take the reigns on the overall design. Needless to say, I had a lot of fun.
Warm browns paired with cool blues, layers of natural textures, minimalistic yet elevated stationery, a dreamy meandering aisle, multi-tonal drapery, it was all so good. A total dream day ✨
Today, I’m sharing some design notes focusing on the ceremony design, featuring textured florals and a natural style.
Photos by Vanessa Renae Photography
The Design Plan
Every element of this design was envisioned around the dress. I allowed that to take the lead and then found that everything else came together really easily: I wanted to incorporate a lot of airy and natural textures (floaty florals, stone elements) and soften the entire space with modern drapery.
The Completed Design
Layered and multi-tonal draping, a curved aisle, and an organic focal feature at the front were the pieces that came together to really make this ceremony design.
The Novella is a really, really white space. I didn’t want to go fully white with the drape because it would just feel too stark, so Planned Perfectly added panels of this oatmeal toned drape along with the white. The ceilings are Novella are perfect for this! The draping also made for a really cool photo opportunity that I’d encourage photographers to play with a bit.
I came across these pleated paper stands on Amazon and really liked the idea of their shape and texture — ideally they would have been a bit taller, but beggars can’t be choosers all the time. Incorporating large rocks was part of my vision, BUT as we were shooting in the winter, it was a bit tricky. I actually dug these all up from the snow and ice at my parents’ farm! I would have loved even more, to tuck into the aisle, but the rest were fully frozen.
The Aisle
I love a meandering aisle!! That refers to the curved chair placement, instead of lining up all the chairs in straight rows. This gives us a slightly more dynamic walk down the aisle, typically lending a more casual look/less formal. With the shifts in the chair placements, it also gives us varied amounts of space for aisle florals, so you’ll notice that some of these pieces are smaller, some are larger. I personally love the dynamic and visually intriguing effect this creates.
We added in the floor length blue satin bows to the chairs to bring a hint of that watery blue tone, which was great because I didn’t want to use actual blue in the flowers. I kept the aisle floral pieces very airy and textural, primarily using fillers with a few elongated stems here and there to give a floaty butterfly vibe.
(Photo grid above by Kate Elizabeth Photography)
One of the great things about a ceremony design composed of multiple pieces is that gives you lots of options for repurposing at the reception.
We wanted the champagne tower to really be a moment here, so we added 4 mixed size pieces to the base of that table.
I had a few mixed cocktail tables and coffee tables available from the Waverly collection via Collective Event Rentals, and so I popped a few on those tables as well to give it a little more oomph.
Love this bouquet as much as I did? Click the image above to take you a post where I break down the cost and the flowers included!
Lead Photo & Host: Vanessa Renae Photography
Floral and Event Design: Stone House Creative
Venue: The Novella
Rentals: Collective Rentals
Drapery and Linens: Planned Perfectly
Stationery: Rae & Dot Studio
Cake: Sugar & Salt BakeShoppe
Hair: Isabel Nayet
Makeup: Jessica K Artistry
Dress: Vintage J Mendel
Jewellery: Mokada Jewelry
Models: @meghanheppner and @brendanzebrynski
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL and Event DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
I love taking a venue and making it into anything but ordinanry.
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!
Citrus-Filled Autumn Wedding at Lily Stone Gardens
Gosh darn it, I looked forward to Chantal and Anthony’s wedding for probably over a year between booking it and the wedding day finally arriving. When we first started talking, their venue hadn’t even been built yet! But we threw around some amazing ideas and over the many months to follow, refined those ideas (along with their wonderful planner, Connie from Harlow Events) until we created the perfect citrus-filled autumnal wedding.
Photos: Megan Steen Photography
Gosh darn it, I looked forward to Chantal and Anthony’s wedding for probably over a year between booking it and the wedding day finally arriving. When we first started talking, their venue hadn’t even been built yet! But we threw around some amazing ideas and over the many months to follow, refined those ideas (along with their wonderful planner, Connie from Harlow Events) until we created the perfect citrus-filled autumnal wedding.
Photos: Megan Steen Photography
Chantal is one of those people who loves and serves with her whole heart, and I knew that I had the opportunity to make her heart so happy on her wedding day. The woman wanted FLOWERS and I was so excited to make it happen for her. Just check out that excited smile above after she saw her bridal bouquet for the first time and it really sunk in that it was time to get ready to get married!!
I loved the palette that Harlow Events put together, but some of it was challenging to pull through into the flowers. That’s where we work in other elements — so just keep that in mind for your own wedding! The flowers don’t need to have an equal amount of each colour in your palette. For example, the purple in the palette was really quite a “grape” colour…which is pretty hard to come by in flowers. Instead, I chose this absolutely amazing velvet silk ribbon to bring that colour in.
Chantal wanted her bouquet to be “super juicy,” in her rich autumnal palette, so I chose large blooms and interesting textures.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: Heart of Gold rose, Leonidas rose, dahlias, globe thistle, deep eggplant mini calla lilies, celosia, bittersweet berries, smokebush foliage, oak leaves, and the perfect touch of ferns (her grandfather’s name is Fern, and we wanted to make sure he was represented).
Lily Stone has multiple beautiful spots for the ceremony, and this peaceful spot in front of the pond is so pretty! We decided to keep the ceremony flowers on the simpler side, making sure they were pieces that could be easily repurposed to the reception. So, 2 oversized pieces on top of wood pedestals was the way to go!
I tucked in some perfect purple kale, which was a lucky find that week in my wholesaler’s cooler. It was the ideal colour and such a neat texture to add in.
Aren’t the scarves/shawls the bridesmaids wore lovely? And their jewel tone velvet dresses were just amazing.
HELLO RECEPTION!
Like I mentioned, Lily Stone wasn’t actually built yet when we started talking, but I knew that Kelly had plans for a fantastic hanging structure to allow florals to be the centre stage (every wedding venue should be designed by a florist!). Chantal really wanted a dramatic hanging installation, and to be able to position her head table underneath it. We kept the other guest tables simpler, so that we could allocate as much budget as possible toward the hanging installation.
To make sure the florals went as far as possible, I chose to vertically hang long-lasting blooms individually off the chandelier grid. With a lucky base of smilax foliage, this looked so amazing. I then added in chains and loops of carnation garlands, along with garlands of freshly strung orange slices. When I tell you this space smelled SO FRESH, I hope you believe it. When Chantal walked in and saw us working on it before it was even finished and already started to cry, I knew we had done the job right :)
This seating chart was a labour of love for Harlow Events and Blake Creative Co! I absolutely LOVE the way it turned out (though I know it was pretty hard to get the lettering on the terracotta pots). We styled the pots with some wooden blocks for levels, filled each with different greeneries to appear like potted plants (including some more ferns for Chantal!), and added in more citrus slices. A few sweet photos and details with their pups made it even more special.
The guest tables alternated between a low, medium sized floral arrangement on the round tables, and scattered stem vases on the round tables. Each was completed with coloured candles and fresh fruit styled with the table numbers to really bring that juicy, citrus theme to life.
We skipped adding flowers to the head table, since it was sitting below the hanging pieces, and instead loaded it full of coloured pillar candles and fresh fruit. Note the guest below cutting into an orange 😂
And of course, we can’t design a wedding at a venue with a beautiful fireplace, and not fill it up. I will always love a good mantle design! This one gave us the opportunity to use more of these fun bittersweet berries, which were just delicious (to look at, not to eat!!).
You’ve got nothing on a delicious fall celebration! I’ve still got plenty of fall availability for 2025, so if you’re interested in a delicious, warm palette like this one, and you want to be as happy and excited when you walk into your reception as Chantal was, then be sure to shoot me an email because I would LOVE to be part of your wedding.
Megan Steen Photography ~ Harlow Events ~ LiLystone Gardens ~ Blake Creative Co ~ Collective Event rentals ~ Nomad Box Bar ~ Colour Me Artistry ~ Made Beauty Co ~ Bark Wedding Date Co ~ Planned PErfectly ~ Karina Walker
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
Loving these fall wedding flowers? Us too.
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!
15 Winnipeg Wedding Vendors You Need to Know
Okay listen. I’m a little anxious about publishing this blog post because there are a LOT of great wedding vendors in Winnipeg (and the surrounding areas). It pains me to not include everyone that I love working with because there are MANY of you. I thought about breaking this out into vendor categories, or doing it as more of a list style, and when it came down to it, I thought:
I’m going to include the vendors who I feel go out of their way to consistently elevate their work, and thereby elevate our industry as a whole.
Okay listen. I’m a little anxious about publishing this blog post because there are a LOT of great wedding vendors in Winnipeg (and the surrounding areas). It pains me to not include everyone that I love working with because there are MANY of you. I thought about breaking this out into vendor categories, or doing it as more of a list style, and when it came down to it, I thought:
I’m going to include the vendors who I feel go out of their way to consistently elevate their work, and thereby elevate our industry as a whole.
Brittany Mahood Photography
This is a huge point for me. The wedding industry and Winnipeg are kind of the same in that they’re “big small worlds,” if that makes sense. There’s not many of us, but there’s also a lot of us. There are automatically different levels of professionalism, different levels of service, different groups of vendors who frequently work together, different styles and aesthetics. I’m always seeking excellence in my own work, and I want to be surrounded by other professionals who also seek a similar excellence.
We have an incredibly talented industry. These are simply vendors who I love and have noticed doing amazing, amazing work.
I also need to give the caveat that I have next to no interaction with many vendors whose work happens DURING the wedding — caterers, bar service, DJ, etc. As a result, I have not included these types of vendors.
There are so many other incredible wedding professionals in this town and if you need a referral for anything, don’t hesitate to ask! For example, photographers and videographers. There are easily 5 other photographers I could have included on this list, who I love working with and always do an amazing job. I say it again, if you need a referral, ask away!
If you’re searching for your wedding venue, you can find a list of all my favourite Winnipeg and area wedding venues here.
Brittany Mahood Photography
Event Light
Event Light is PHENOMENAL. And they do a lot more than just lighting (though they do that exceptionally!). Here’s why I love Event Light:
They are behind most of the rigging that I’ve created hanging installations on. Cam, the owner, is just brilliant and has done such an amazing job of figuring out what is needed to create a structure for me to work on. I trust him implicitly. And he didn’t make fun of me when I terribly drove around a scissor lift for this tent wedding (at least not to my face).
The Event Light crew is pretty decently large, and they’re all so great! They’re efficient, kind, hard working, and they always know what they’re doing. They also seem to always be having a great time and to genuinely enjoy working with each other.
Lighting. Obviously. As well as the audio visual side of things. They just know what they’re doing, how to do it, and they do it all REALLY REALLY WELL. And what they do, always elevates the event in question.
Brittany Mahood Photography
Planned Perfectly
It’s very rare when I work on a wedding that Planned Perfectly isn’t. There are a lot of reasons why.
First, Kylee and her team are awesome. They’ve always got a smile on their faces and a joke at the ready. They’re also courteous and aware of what’s going on around them, so they do their best not to hold up anyone else’s work, resulting in a much more streamlined day for you (whether you know it or not!). Their day-of service is unparalleled.
Planned Perfectly’s inventory is really lovely — they’re the best at draping, their linens are high quality and current design styles, and they regularly update their products (though they’re not always reflected on their site — be sure to reach out to them for all of the details on what they have). For example, they have a fantastic collection of glassware, flatware, and dishware, along with their linens, chairs, and finishing touches.
Their smoke glassware is my personal favourite and I cannot tell you how many times I’ve used their taupe panama table linen!
Brittany Mahood Photography
Paper & PalM
Really fantastic custom wedding stationery has always been hard to consistently find in Winnipeg. We’ve had a number of great designers over the years, but for one reason or an other, they’ve left the industry. We’ve also got a lot of great stationers who will take your idea and replicate it really well, but searching for truly custom, with inspired ideas and elevated taste, has been a harder find. When I came across Paper & Palm at the Wonderful Wedding Show last winter, I got so excited. I’d seen Paula’s work on instagram beforehand, but seeing it in person was fantastic.
Paper and Palm’s work features high end details, creative touches, elevated style…it’s everything that you want. I’ve only worked with her a couple of times, but I hope for many more opportunities to tag team weddings and events together!
Michael + Melanie Photography
Beyond the Lounge
Beyond the Lounge doesn’t have an enormous inventory appropriate for weddings (lots of great options for corporate events and trade shows), but what they do have is awesome. Their smoke grey acrylic Lotus dining chair is one of my favourites.
Even better, they do an incredible job of maintaining the quality of their inventory. They take such careful care so there are no scratches, dents or dings.
An extra note — I’ve seen and heard Kari and her team during setups and tear-downs. She speaks so kindly to them, training them well and treating them with respect. It doesn’t always seem like that’s a guarantee these days, so this is an extra perk of Beyond the Lounge in my opinion. The photos below are from one of my favourite weddings I’ve ever done.
Joel & Justyna Photography
Soiree Event Planning
I’ve been working with Soiree since my very young days, when I was working at a local wedding magazine and not even in flowers yet! From Soiree’s inception, owner Andrea has set the standard in Winnipeg for event planning. Her team is constantly upping the game, with very high touch service and are highly regarded in our industry.
While I appreciate all things logistical that they excel at (and they certainly do excel at the communication and logistics side of their job!), one thing I noticed consistently this year more than ever before is their team’s creative designs. I’ll be honest with you, it’s not the easiest job to design amazing wedding after amazing wedding and still keep things fresh (especially when you’re working in a smaller market with a smaller rental inventory available at your disposal, like ours!). I’m constantly amazed at how great of a job they do taking the same pieces but reinventing them to create a completely unique design. They’re not interested in giving their clients something that other couples have had before, so they work really hard in this regard.
Brittany Mahood Photography
Rae & Dot
Hello fun and modern design!! I don’t know why the wedding stationery world seems to favour trite, dated, and quite frankly, tacky invitation styles. Lexi and Robyn have a current, fresh design style and know what little details to use to create an invite suite that just looks good.
Rae & Dot offers both custom design and a semi-customizable collection, each with different colourways and paper shapes, so even if you don’t have it in the budget to do a custom suite, you can create a custom-feeling piece. A few years ago, they designed a custom suite for one of my couples and we included stickers and they were just the fricking cutest things.
Then they’ve also got all the little stationery pieces that really tie an event together, like signage and menus and so on.
I actually designed Lexi’s wedding flowers this past summer, and she did such a fantastic job of curating the entire event design, and you know when a vendor has excellent personal style that they’re going to be able to hone in on something amazing for you, too.
Kass Donaldson Photography
Big City All Star Band
So I don’t ever actually get to be part of the reception, and have no idea what goes on once the evening starts. BUT I’ll tell ya this: if I were getting married now, a live band would be a priority for me. And then I’ll tell ya this: I get to listen to a lot of warmups and sound checks, and I always have the MOST fun when Big City is on the stage.
Carlin and his crew do an awesome job of basically any type of music. They’re also friendly, fun, and high energy, which is exactly what you want from a band.
Photos by Brittany Mahood / Planning by Harlow Events
Brittany Mahood Photography
I don’t think any of you would be surprised to find Brittany’s name on my list here, because I absolutely love her (both as a person, and as a photographer) AND because she’s amazing.
Brittany’s skill is incredible. Her galleries never miss. You’ll fall in love with her portfolio and the way she captures people, places, and things (especially light), and then you’ll be so thrilled to find out that all of her work is of the same high calibre.
Her work has been recognized nationally and internationally, and it’s always well-deserved.
Brittany shot my maternity photos, she’s taken our family photos, she came to Hawaii for my sister’s wedding…basically I love Brittany. You will, too.
Brittany Mahood Photography
Feast & Festivities
I love Emily from Feast & Festivities, and have so much admiration for both how she does her work, and the final product. I know it’s kind of strange to hear your wedding referred to as a “final product,” but when you have a creative at the helm who pours herself into conceptualizing every single element and detail, it’s the right phrase. Your wedding is the result of a LOT of hard work.
Emily is really easy to get along with. She’s got a fantastic and surprising sense of humour and a really nice energy. She’s calm and kind, a necessity for couples who are feeling stressed out and need someone to lead them in their planning.
Another of Emily’s strengths is her ability to design a wedding. Dang, is she ever good at this. She truly does think of every single thing, and really excels at bringing YOU into your wedding design. It’s not just a good looking event; it’s YOURS. She also works on a lot of custom projects for her weddings, particularly in personalizing stationery and signage elements.
Emily only takes a small number of weddings each year, and she just pours her heart into each of them. I know she’s booked for 2024 but if you’re looking for 2025, you should reach out asap.
Megan Steen Photography
Lovenote Bride
Excuse me — Canadian designed and made wedding dresses? And they’re stunning?
While not based in Winnipeg, Lovenote opened a Winnipeg store about a year and a half ago. It’s in the Johnston Terminal at the Forks, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Modern, chic, filled with natural light, TONS of space in the fitting rooms.
Their gowns are stunning. That’s all I can say.
OH and the store manager just so happens to be a friend of mine, Erika. She’s a truly wonderful person, and does an amazing job of making women feel as beautiful as they deserve to.
Aimee De La Lande Photo
Jenna Rae Cakes
Do I have a slight bias because I’ve been close friends with Ashley for almost 15 years, or because I was Jenna’s first part-time employee when she opened the bakery? Yes. Does it matter? No. And here’s why.
Everything that JRC does, including but not limited to their weddings, is done with excellence. The production value is incredibly high, and while I know that “production value” of a wedding is not (and should not be) the most important thing to you on your wedding day, it should also be an incredible relief to know that you absolutely do not need to micromanage, worry, or concern yourself about anything where Jenna Rae Cakes is concerned.
Unfortunately, I have a gluten allergy. That means I haven’t been able to eat anything of Jenna’s in about 9 years. But back in those days…woah baby. Was I a happy girl! If I were getting married now, and I didn’t have a gluten allergy, I’d promptly be ordering a lemon raspberry cake from JRC — that lemon curd is SO GOOD.
Izabela Rachwal Photography
Cathy Wiebe Clothes
Custom wedding gown and accessory design unlike anything you’ve experienced before. And I guess if you haven’t had a custom made gown before, then of course you’d have no experience to compare it to, but I can tell you from personal experience: Cathy’s level of service and her skills are incredible.
Many many years ago, Cathy made my high school grad dress. I loved it. And I’m telling you, it was a really really long time ago. In the almost 2 decades that have passed since then (☠️), she’s refined and practised her skills and really come into her own. I can always tell a Cathy gown when I see one. She’s not afraid to tell you about the late nights and the chaos that comes with her job, which I actually really appreciate — the art of a true artist isn’t necessarily completed in a typical 9-5 working day.
One of Cathy’s amazing skills is embroidery. Several of my past clients have had her embroidery work on their veils and dresses, adding flowers (including specific flowers I was using in their bouquets to tie it all together!! Talk about that customization!!) and even words and monograms into her bride’s pieces. These are literal works of art.
Also, and this may sound strange (I’ll have to hear what Cathy says about it!), I find Cathy’s work on sleeves to be really amazing. Look at Vanessa’s belled sleeves below and tell me this is anything short of divine and I won’t believe you.
Kass Donaldson Photography
Megan Steen Photography
Megan is one of those people who can see the beauty in anyone and everything around her. She’s refreshingly true and kind, and I think that filters through her camera. She’s welcoming, and not in your face, and isn’t going to make you pose awkwardly. All perks :) She’s down to earth and comfortable to be around. And she often has a pretty quick turnaround time on photos!
Something that’s unique about Megan is the way she loves the world. She loves people, yes, but she also loves the earth and she’s pretty vocal about it. I’m always seeking to work as environmentally-friendly as possible (it’s surprisingly hard in the floral industry!), and Megan prioritizes a very low-waste approach to life and work. She also loves being in nature, and that translates through her photos. You can just SEE her love for the natural world in her imagery — even if you’re the focus of the photo.
Megan and her partner also run another business, Wild Skies Resort. It’s an eco-friendly glamping resort that is incredibly beautiful and cool. I’ve had multiple couples take their honeymoons here, and have absolutely loved it. She’s another one of those professionals who only take on a few weddings each season, and she travels widely, so be sure to get in touch.
Alli Mae Events
I LOVE working with Alli. When clients ask me about her, I often describe her as the tiniest person who gets the most done. She’s this tiny bundle of incredible energy and strength.
Alli and her team are fun to be around (a vendor team who has a good time working on your wedding is a major plus! That’s the kind of atmosphere you want) and they’ve always got an “I can do this” attitude, no matter how big the task is.
I appreciate how organized Alli Mae Events is. You’d think, “shouldn’t all wedding planners be organized?” And the answer is yes. But Alli’s got a really great system, which empowers all your vendors to be able to do their job to the fullest, while also freeing up her own time on the wedding day so she can focus on what SHE needs to get done, and not just answer questions from everyone else.
MYUZ Artistry
Winnipeg has a lot of phenomenal makeup (and hair!) artists. Like, so so many. One of my favourites is Myuz.
If you’re a skincare aficionado, or if, like me, you have struggled with acne (or something else skin related) for most of your life, then Myuz needs to become part of your regular budget. Whether you’re getting married or not, healthy skin makes a person feel so much more confident and Myuz is the top for skincare. But if you ARE getting married, then you also need to check them out for makeup.
My clients who’ve chosen to work with Myuz are often the happiest with their makeup, and very frequently I have asked someone, “who did your makeup?!” and the response has usually been, “Tina!”
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
We’re connected with many of the best wedding professionals in Winnipeg. We can partner with them to create the wedding of your dreams!
Call me 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!
Energetic, Colourful Wedding at the Gates on Roblin
If you’re a lover of colour and fun design elements, then get your pinning fingers ready because you’re going to love Erin and Daniel’s wedding at the Gates on Roblin.
They hired me for full floral and event design and I was so excited to get started. I collaborated with their event planner, Alli Mae Events, who took such awesome care of all the logistics so I could focus on the visuals
The most fun couple, the life of the party. Just wait til you see their chaotic and sweaty dance floor pics.
If you’re a lover of colour and fun design elements, then get your pinning fingers ready because you’re going to love Erin and Daniel’s wedding at the Gates on Roblin.
They hired me for full floral and event design and I was so excited to get started. I collaborated with their event planner, Alli Mae Events, who took such awesome care of all the logistics so I could focus on the visuals. It was a dream.
The most fun couple, the life of the party. Just wait til you see their chaotic and sweaty dance floor pics.
Photos by Picture & Poet
Helllloooooo super fun and dramatic ceremony!
The ceremony design was Erin’s first priority, and in fact, when we first met to discuss their flowers and overall event design, the only inspiration images she had were of ceremonies. They wanted The Gates to not look like The Gates. We had some logistical challenges to figure out (namely, the ceremony and reception were taking place in the same room and would require a complete flip during cocktail hour).
I immediately knew that I wanted to create a really cool aisle. At first we looked into building a platform aisle and painting it in this magenta tone, but that wasn’t a logistical feasibility. Then, knowing that the aisle would also become the dance floor, we decided to explore a patterned decal. We worked with Two Fold Paper Co on all the stationery, including the pattern for the aisle (we just adjusted the scale of it to ensure it wouldn’t make people dizzy on the aisle!).
My original plan was also to hang flower clouds above the aisle, but I didn’t end up pitching it due to budget constraints. Cue my excitement when, maybe 6 or so weeks before the wedding, Erin asked if we could add hanging flowers above the aisle. HELLO. Yes. The answer is yes. The BTS of how I made this is actually my highest performing reel of all time, in case you want to check it out here!
Now, I am no photoshop or canva expert. In fact, we all laughed at the rendering I put together below (it’s like my favourite ugly child…like it’s kind of pathetic but I’m also so proud of it and it took me forever lol) BUT can we acknowledge that the mockup was SO close to reality? I’m so pleased with this before/after and how this ceremony design all came together.
We had Creating a Scene custom-paint the seating chart signs in the palette, which we actually installed double-sided so we could have the late night treat menu displayed on it.
For the bridesmaids (all Erin’s beautiful sisters!), we designed single-variety bouquets and I love how chic they were with the women’s black dresses.
Have I mentioned before how much I love a room reveal moment? Eek ✨✨ The middle image above is Erin and me locking eyes and both being so freaking excited about how gorgeous and how perfectly them it all was.
Once the ceremony was over, the drape came down to reveal the dining tables, which we had to shift into place and finish setting during cocktail hour. There was a lot of running around, but it worked so smoothly.
We chose a combination of long tables and round, with coordinating dusty rose velvet linens and toffee belize linens. I chose a white chivari chair for its' clean, classic appeal, and added in taper candles in 4 coordinating shades of the palette.
We wanted to add touches of the wavy stationery trend, so we played with that on the personalized menus, and we backed the table numbers with the same graphic print as the aisle decal.
The party was of utmost importance. They wanted fun food, killer music, and an amazing dance party. As you can see, mission accomplished. I wish I was there for this part — they obviously had the best time. I love the enormous cut outs of their head (my husband suggested we also make decals of their faces to stick on the bathroom mirrors but that got vetoed), and we really went all for it with the late night snacks. All their favourite junk food was served, including McDonald’s blizzards with custom E&D wrappers.
This was truly such a fun wedding to get to be part of. The couple knew that having a great time (both for themselves and their guests!) was their top priority and really let that influence all the design related decisions that we made. They are also enjoyable people to be around and to work with. Thank you, Erin and Daniel, for trusting me with your design and being such wonderful people!
Once again, I absolutely couldn’t have done this alone! A big thanks to my team who worked a long day to make this amazing design happen; Deanna, Vanessa, Emily, Fareedah — you guys are the MVPs!
Picture & Poet ~ Alli Mae Events ~ Stone House Creative ~ The Gates on Roblin ~ Planned Perfectly ~ Creating a Scene ~ Collective Rentals ~ Spark REntals ~ Something Borrowed ~ Union Table ~ Myuz Artistry ~ Fifth ~ Big City All Star Band ~ Two Fold Paper Co
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
Dates book fast at the Gates on Roblin! Contact us today about availability.
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!
I remember what it was like to be engaged, attempting to plan an budget for a wedding when I had ABSOLUTELY no idea what anything could cost. I have a specific memory of sitting at my fiance’s (now husband’s) computer and googling “wedding photographer in Winnipeg”, opening up every single website on the first 5 or so pages of Google, and sending a form submission to every single one. Because NONE of them had any pricing information available (and I only heard back from about 5 of them!).
That was a long time ago, and pricing transparency has definitely improved in the Winnipeg market, but I think that now, more than ever, couples are anxiously seeking pricing information. Since covid, costs on a lot of things have increased and not gone down, and now we get the joys of all this tariff business. All that to say, I understand where you’re coming from and I’m here to give you some insight on wedding flower pricing!