The Making of a Bridal Bouquet
This August, I was delighted to visit an amazing town in Atlanta, called Serenbe. I was there with my team at Once Wed, which is the other company I am delighted to work for - and brides, if you haven't already hit up Once Wed for wedding inspiration, do it now. I'm telling you, you won't regret this. Do it. Seriously!
Anyways, this little town is seriously perfect and provided a wonderful backdrop to play with flowers. My darling friends Linda and Stephanie and I took some time to play, and I love these images from Stephanie that show a bit of the behind-the-scenes making of a bouquet!
First, you clip some greenery from the neighbour's backyard...oops!
...And then you steal some of their hydrangea, too! If anyone in Winnipeg needs their hydrangea "pruned" during the summer, just call me. I will take care of that sucker for ya!
Introducing the Stone House
I've been so excited to share this post with anyone who wants to read it. When planning for Stone House Creative, it was very important to me that my company be an authentic representation of myself - you know that quote "Be yourself - no one else is better qualified"? Today I am so happy to share with you a little bit about where I came from.
This is the house where I grew up. My mom's ancestors came to Manitoba from Scotland in 1814, and eventually settled at our farm near Stonewall in 1873. This beautiful home (the image above is from our wedding day) was completed in 1904 by my great great grandfather. All of the stone needed for the walls was gathered from the nearby fields, and a stonemason from Scotland was hired to build it. Many generations were raised here, passing from one to the next. My grandma grew up just down the road on another farm, and in 1954, she and her husband took it over from her uncle. In 1965, when my mom was a little girl, the house burned and the entire inside was completely gutted. It was re-built with much help from the neighbourhood, but those stone walls remained strong. My parents then took over the farm and the stone house in 1983.
Along with my brother and two sisters, I was raised inside these beautiful, thick walls. My mom, an amazing gardener and a lover of beautiful flowers, had a crafting and quilting business aptly named "From the Stone House." Though my dad claims I owe him royalties for the name of Stone House Creative, I could think of nothing better to represent where I come from and what I love than these words that reflect on how and where I was raised. My husband Chad and I were married on the front lawn, my childhood birthday parties were spent having hot dog roasts in the bush, and I will argue until I'm blue in the face that I grew up in the best neighbourhood, on the most beautiful road, in the entire world.
Tying all of this together, I'm so happy to share my official branding with the world! To create my logo, my dear friend Ashley of Ashley Nicole Design worked with a pen drawing by a family friend, the late Gerald Folkerts. Gerald was an amazing artist and we were so lucky that one day he had a whim to draw the house - I couldn't imagine anything better to represent Stone House Creative. I hope that you feel the sense of history and strength that lays within this home.
And to round this off nicely, I asked my friend Brittany Mahood to take a headshot of me featuring these beautiful stone walls. I'm so proud to call this place home!
A Little Inspiration
Hello flower friends! I've already shared some details and pictures from Team Flower Workshop, which I attended earlier this spring. My time spent in North Carolina allowed me to realize that my dreams for flowers and weddings were something I could actually see come to life. I thought I'd share a few more pictures of the behind-the-scenes of the workshop, to show you how truly inspiring and wonderful it was.
I was a lucky gal to be the first one to arrive at our flower home in the mountains - and for goodness' sake, for a prairie gal, the mountains of North Carolina were such a stunning place and just full of inspiration! I spent a few hours hiking in Grandfather Mountain (helloooo elevation! This chickie was pretty winded!) and was blown away by the beauty of nature. Then, I was greeted by a stunning entrance full of fresh flowers (the scent was amazing) and the week just kept on getting better.
The first few photos here are by Heather Payne, and the rest are from my iPhone. Enjoy!
How lucky was I to be greeted with all of this gorgeousness?
On the left and right, some of the beautiful flowers and supplies we were spoiled with. In the centre? The absurdly amazing view from the area where we were working! (PS - the hike up that hill alone almost killed me)
Wow, right? This is Grandfather Mountain in Boone, NC. I highly recommend the trip for anyone looking for a cool vacation that's a little off the beaten bath.
In the next few weeks, I've got some major goodies to show off. First, my new branding! I've been working with my friend Ashley Nicole and we're finalizing my logo right now - I can't wait to release it and really introduce you all to Stone House Creative and where I come from. I also just finished off a portfolio shoot with Brittany Mahood Photography that I seriously can't wait to get the film back from - I'll show you a series of colour studies that I had a lot of fun designing flowers for.
Talk soon!
Philosophy Flowers Workshop
Earlier this spring, I had the absolute pleasure of travelling down to North Carolina to attend Team Flower Workshop. It was run by a woman and florist who I totally admire and respect, Kelly Perry of Philosophy Flowers. I had such an amazing time, meeting other lovely florists and wedding planners and getting to play with beautiful blooms. It was partially heartbreaking to see stunning varieties of flowers that I know just can't grow here or ship in to Manitoba, but I fell for them anyways - who can blame me? I did try my best to only use flowers that I know I can get here easily, but of course some other other blossoms worked their way in here and there!
We were absolutely spoiled by the chance to have our portfolio shot by Heather Payne Photography. Not only is she evidently an amazing film photographer, but she's also a stellar little lady. Quite the doll, and I am so thankful for these beautiful shots! While at the workshop, we worked on our individual portfolios, designing bouquets, centrepieces, and boutonnieres and also worked on several group projects involving a ceremony setting and a tablescape.
One of our guest speakers, Kathryn Godwin of Studio Cultivate, is an incredible artist and she created the beautiful backdrop for the centrepiece image. Here are some of the snaps of my work!
Hello!
Hello! I am so excited to kick things off with Stone House Creative. After being in the wedding industry for years in various capacities, I've played around with so many different ideas in my head as to what my future would reveal for me. I've always known I wanted to stay and work and play in the wedding industry, and the combination of flowers and wedding design is truly the best thing I can imagine. I'm so excited to work with brides and grooms to help them create one of their most important days in their lives, whether that be with flowers or event design or planning
Photo by Heather Payne Photography, taken at Team Flower Workshop
I am indebted to several people for their encouragement, their work, and their assistance in seeing Stone House Creative become a reality. These include my awesomely supportive husband Chad, my dear friend/absurdly stylish and talented graphic designer/long time co-worker and co-conspirator Ashley Nicole (who is working on a lovely logo for me!), my super cool photographer friend Brittany Mahood (whose work graces this site and who I cannot wait to work with on a portfolio shoot a little later this summer!), my flower friends at Academy Florist and Team Flower Workshop, from whom I have learned so very much and had an amazing time doing it, and of course, an amazing group of friends, sisters and sisters-in-laws, and family members who are always challenging me, getting annoyed with the high number of flower and wedding pictures I post, and still managing to love me. I also have to thank my ancestors, who built the most amazing stone house in the country over a hundred years ago, and giving me the opportunity to grow up within its beautiful walls.
So with that, I hope you'll stick around and check out Stone House Creative as it grows! And of course, if you are or if you know an awesome couple who's tying the knot, well, you know who to get them in touch with :)