What Is Event Design?
I've been working in weddings for just about 9 years now, and trends and styles have come and gone. What hasn't is the way that I feel about weddings: "the best" weddings that I've seen or been a part of (aka my favourites) have been the best because of the ways that the wedding makes you feel. They're the best because of how I've been able to see how the couple comes out in the details. As a guest, you walk into the wedding and feel a sense of recognition - you're definitely at the right wedding.
That's why I love being a part of full event design so much. It's about so much more than just the details - yes, we start there, and they play a major role in communicating your style and vision to the guests - but it's more about the way that you want your wedding to feel.
Event design is about designing beyond the flowers. Developing your style, figuring out what it is that will make your wedding special, unique and personal, and then pulling together all of the vendors who will be a part of that - linens and decor rentals, lighting, stationery, cake design - is all part of the process.
To me, a beautiful event isnât one that has every single little detail that Pinterest shows you, but rather a wedding where the design components are considerately planned, and thoughtfully styled and executed in a personal way. I love taking all of the bits and pieces that youâve imagined and lend an experienced eye to bring it together into a cohesive, well-designed event...not a wedding that you've already seen on Pinterest, but a wedding that honestly reflects the two of you.
Looking for a wedding event designer in Winnipeg?
Getting married in Manitoba? I have the availability to accept 2-3 full event design commissions for 2019. This service is booked in tandem with wedding flowers, and really allows me to help you create a wedding experience that really and truly reflects you and will put your guests at ease.
(Popular 2019 wedding dates are already booking up!)
Sophisticated Ballroom Wedding with Garden Inspired Style
From winter to spring in a week! I can't believe that Stefanie and Jared's spring wedding at the Fairmont Hotel was almost a year ago already. Their wedding was at the end of May, and let me tell you: May sees the BEST combination of flowers. EVER. Of all the months (and if you've been around here for a while, then you'll remember me extolling all the virtues of a May wedding). So when it came time to plan all the florals and event design for Stefanie and Jared, we knew that a sophisticated, garden-inspired design would be perfect for them!
Fairmont Hotel ~ Dustin Leader Photography ~ Planned Perfectly
Along with the florals, I was also hired to do full event design for Stefanie and Jared. These weddings always end up being some of my favourites, because I get to be so much more involved with all of the aesthetic decisions. Some couples need a guiding eye, some have a hectic schedule so the introductions to other vendors are invaluable and time saving, and others just want to hand off the process. Any of those is perfectly fine for me!
We always start the event design process with an exercise that helps me to get a really clear picture of what's important to the couple as we plan their wedding. For Stefanie and Jared, the clear direction that we created was for an elegant wedding filled with thoughtful, sophisticated details and sentimental charm.
The Fairmont Hotel was a beautiful choice (and it also made it so easy for the guests!) but as it's definitely a classic ballroom, my challenge was creating an overall style that was also fitting with the garden-inspired florals that the couple sought after. The result is one of my favourite styles: sort of an elegant garden party. Because there's no reason why a ballroom wedding has to feel stuffy! Most of my weddings aren't quite this formal, so it was a nice chance to merge my style with theirs.
I couldn't decide which angle of Stefanie's bridal bouquet that I liked best, so you get both ;) It was lush and organic, with a touch of trailing vine and the most delicious combo of fragrant blooms.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: peonies, ranunculus (some of the most gorgeous I've ever seen!!), anemones, hyacinth, several varieties of roses, tulips, and finished with eucalyptus, italian ruscus, and the most perfect blooming jasmine vine (we literally NEVER get blooming jasmine).
For Jared and the guys, we just did a simple ranunculus boutonniere. It also bears mentioning that of this couple, Jared is the one who loves flowers, which made me laugh. He was more than willing to blow their wedding budget on massive centrepieces, ha!
I loved the ambiance we created for the ceremony. For logistical ease, we decided on having the ceremony take place in the far end of the ballroom, with a double-sided panel of draping installed by the masters over at Planned Perfectly to separate the ceremony space from the other side of the ballroom, where the reception would be. Candles lined the aisle, and I designed a detailed altar with 4 large floral arrangements set atop thin gold stands. All of this was intelligently incorporated into the wedding's reception design, as well! Take a peek - I'm so proud of how well this all came together and in a way that really maximized their budget.
On the other side of the drapery, we set the head table. Planned Perfectly created a gorgeous design that the couple loved. We let them do their thing with just a touch of guidance as to what Stefanie was drawn to, and I really think that that's when the very best things happen! You can see that we re-purposed two of the tall gold stands from the ceremony to the head table, which just helped to anchor the couple in the large room. The other two were used as centrepieces on the parents' tables, and we also moved over all of the candles from the ceremony to the head table as well.
One of my favourite days during the event design process is when we select linens. I usually have a pretty clear idea of what's going to look great based on the venue and the wedding's colour palette, and for Stefanie and Jared's wedding I knew we wanted to use something in the ivory/champagne/soft gold direction. I brought a few options with me to a walk-through with Stefanie at the Fairmont, which helped her to visualize the space a lot better (I also brought along a few chair cover and rental chair options - I love being able to do this for my clients!). She decided on this soft gold lace overlay, which perfectly toes the line between elegant sophistication and garden-inspired.
We chose two centrepieces styles to bring dimension throughout the room, half tall and half low. The tall ones were my personal favourite! I loved adding the trailing fern to enhance that garden ambiance.
We worked with PSAV, the Fairmont's in-house audio/visual department, for the lighting. Whenever I'm working on event design, I think about a few key things: colour, lighting, and texture. We settled on a blushy amber tone, to create a romantic candlelit feeling.
Looking for a wedding florist in Winnipeg?
Getting married in Manitoba? I might be biased, but flowers are the best way to make a statement at your wedding. Whether you already have a specific vision or want me to dream up something custom just for you, reach out to Stone House Creative for stunning bridal bouquets, truly unique ceremony backdrops, and beautiful floral centrepieces - along with full event design - to create the perfect ambiance for your wedding!
(Popular 2019 wedding dates are already booking up!)
Intimate, Joyful Winter Wedding at Fort Gibraltar
Rachel and Matt's wedding was such a special one to me, because not only was I doing the florals for them, but I also worked with them on their full event design! I love being able to be a larger part of a wedding, because it allows me to get to know a couple better and then be able to create more purposeful designs for their wedding.
When I get started with an event design client, my first task is to determine some theme words that will help us to communicate what the couple wants their wedding to look and feel like. For Rachel and Matt, words like "intimate," "joyful," and "approachable" kept coming up. They wanted their wedding to be a celebration, and for the decor decisions that we made to create the opportunity for joyful, genuine moments that would be special to them throughout their lives. They chose Fort Gibraltar, which is one of my very favourite Winnipeg venues for a winter wedding.
Photo: Sugar & Soul Photography ~ Floral and Event Design: Stone House Creative ~ Venue: Fort Gibraltar ~ Stationery: Alley Cat Printing ~ Head Table Linen: Planned Perfectly
We used a LOT of jewel tones to add a richness to their winter wedding. We worked with a lot of deep reds and burgundies, plums, touches of rich pinks, and also added in a bit of blush to the bouquets to soften the look. Emerald green, my favourite colour, also played a large role.
Bridal bouquet ingredients: ranunculus, peonies, scabiosa, amaryllis, and several varieties of roses and spray roses, with privet berries, italian ruscus, and nagi foliages.
For the guys, we chose simple greenery boutonnieres - textured, simple, and a little hardier against the cold temperatures...although on this December wedding day, it ended up being right around zero so they were able to keep their bouquets outside with them all day and have no issues at all! I also loved the rich tones of the bridesmaids' dresses. Slightly on the neutral side but still deep and rich, they really allowed the jewel tone flowers to pop.
I loved every moment of designing this hanging greenery installation for the ceremony (which was in the loft at Fort Gibraltar). I did it entirely on site, based on a concept I came up with at a walk-through with the couple the previous winter. Knowing that we really wanted to focus on warmth and intimacy, and Rachel's desire to have dim lighting, we thought we'd keep it simple but rich by focusing on lots of greenery. For this big guy I used fragrant cedar, magnolia, nagi and salal, and then wound string lights through it. We were hoping to use cafe lights, but due to heat restrictions, we ended up switching to these little twinkle lights. A burning ceremony would not have been ideal ;) Below is the original sketch that I put together for them! Nothing like this has been done in Fort Gibraltar before, so it was pretty fun to be the first to envision a different design for a well-loved space.
The reception space is on the main floor, so the guests moved downstairs for dinner and dancing. I just love weddings at Fort Gibraltar - with the wood beams and that stone fireplace, it has so much built-in ambiance and if you play to the room's strengths, it's really easy to emphasize its beauty. We chose to keep the decor elegant but understated, focusing on candlelight everywhere and pops of rich jewel tones in the flowers and stationery.
We alternated two centrepiece styles on the guest tables, giving some a fuller floral arrangement in those rich jewel tones with the addition of a few low tealights, and others a candlelight-focused design with three pillar candles and a few floating blooms with greenery tucked throughout. The linens were kept neutral (which is a good choice in Fort Gibraltar, as the walls are a kind of buttery tone), and we added these beautiful, rich emerald greens table numbers (all named with countries that Rachel and Matt have travelled to) and added more of that gorgeous green to all of the place settings with individual menus.
And of course, if your wedding venue has a gorgeous fireplace with a pretty mantle, then as far as I'm concerned, you are absolutely REQUIRED to make it a focal point in the room and do something lovely on it :)
Rachel said,
"Thank you so much for the most beautiful flowers I could have ever dreamed of!"
Looking for a wedding florist in Winnipeg?
Getting married in Manitoba? Winter or spring, summer or fall, I'd love to dream up some incredible ideas for your wedding flowers. 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!
Romantic Winter Wedding at Whitetail Meadow
So now that spring is on the horizon, shouldn't I finally post this winter wedding inspiration at Whitetail Meadow? ha!
I LOVE being a part of venue open houses - it gives me a chance to get creative and envision the space differently than it's been used for weddings so far. If you follow my work, you'll know that one thing that's really important to me in my designs is creating something that's different than what your friends have had for their weddings. However, when you're working at a brand new space, you're not hampered by anything! Such was the case for the open house I recently got to design for at Whitetail Meadow, a brand new venue open just outside of Niverville.
Esther Funk Photography ~ Amanda Douglas Events ~ Planned Perfectly ~ C & T Rentals ~ Jennifer Bianca Calligraphy ~ Bliss Bridal Boutique ~ Hairology ~ Ashley Tiopo Artistry
If you are in search of a location for your wedding, make sure you put Whitetail Meadow on your list. The structure is a refurbished barn, so it can accommodate weddings at any time of year. They did a beautiful job on the renovation, with hardwood floors, a stone fireplace, and a loft space. Ceremonies can be held on the adjoining veranda, in the meadow out back, or near a small creek, so you can really have whatever kind of setting you'd like! I'd love to do a winter wedding here with the ceremony taking place on the staircase landing, and just covering the staircase with greenery and flowers. I can dream!
For the open house, we designed a romantic winter wedding setting, featuring a palette of pastel pink, purple, and copper hues.
We borrowed this invitation suite from Jennifer Bianca Calligraphy. It was actually designed for a different couple's real wedding, but it worked so flawlessly with this design as well! I love the difference that a little colour makes. Those soft pink envelopes are just perfect.
Tedi and Evan are a real-life couple, and they actually work in the wedding industry, too! They own The Picture & The Poet, a dual studio offering both photo and video. They're so much fun, so if you're looking for some goofy, hilarious people to spend your wedding day with, check out their work. Also, Tedi has THE DAINTIEST HANDS AND WRISTS I HAVE EVER SEEN. I feel like she needs to be hand-modelling professionally.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: I wanted to keep this one really simple, so that's what I did. Lavender roses, lavender spray roses, soft pink roses, and Queen Anne's Lace mixed with a few types of greenery. Easy peasy pie.
If your venue has a focal point, such as this fireplace at Whitetail, then I HIGHLY recommend using it, and using it well. Allow it to truly be the spotlight that it was designed to be. Here, we've imagined a ceremony taking place in front of it, and then the head table placed in front of it during the reception. It's a great design, because the mantle is high enough for me to design statement-making florals on the mantle.
Below are my initial sketches (super amazing, I know. My next career will be in art fo sho).
We kept the guest tables in keeping with the rest of the overall design. While Whitetail has these beautiful wood tables, we decided to add this textured copper linen to create a more elegant base. It paired really nicely with the venue's mahogany chivari chairs as well as the gold flatware we got from C&T Rentals. All of the place setting details are from them!
One large floral centrepiece was set in the middle of the table, and we clustered candles and stem vases on either end of the tables. Something to note when you're using rectangular tables is to keep in mind the width of the tables - I went a little overboard with the size of the arrangement and would have preferred it to be a little more streamlined.
Seriously. Look at how delicate those beautiful little hands are. And that's Tedi's own engagement ring, which they found through Heidi Gibson in LA.
Looking for a wedding florist in Winnipeg?
Getting married in Manitoba? I might be biased, but flowers are the best way to make a statement at your wedding. Whether you already have a specific vision or want me to dream up something custom just for you, reach out to Stone House Creative for stunning bridal bouquets, truly unique ceremony backdrops, and beautiful floral centrepieces to create the perfect ambiance for your wedding!
Wedding Event Design 3.0 - Designing a Beautiful Ceremony Space
Over this last year, my favourite thing to design has definitely become a gorgeous ceremony space, and I've found this to be a really major part of the event design process.
Sometimes, despite the intimate words that are spoken during the ceremony, I find that the setting still feels impersonal. Chances are pretty good that the place where you're saying your vows wasn't built just for the two of you -- most likely, countless other couples have gotten married there, too. There's no problem with that at all, but it does mean that we have to work a little harder to make the space feel personalized to the two of you.
So, I aim to design a space for the two of you - maybe it's defined by an installation hanging above the two of you, or I create something to mark around the space where you'll say your vows. Maybe I can incorporate plenty of foliage and flowers to create a piece that appears that it's been growing there for years, enveloping you in it's secret garden-esque feel. I love getting my hands dirty here, working with more than just flowers and foliage! I'm not afraid to get out the power tools and build something, either!
Crafting a space that allows the couple to feel grounded and connected, a place that allows them to cherish each other and remind themselves of the focus of the day, is such a special opportunity and one that I love to have.
Video made by Prairie Film Co.
Below are some examples of different ceremony spaces that I've designed, all in the beautiful chapel at Cielo's Garden, but each feels different. I want my couples to know that I'm going to get creative and inventive for them, designing something different for them than they've seen before or different from what their friends have had. I'm working on some incredible designs for the same space next year, and can't wait for them to become real!
Photo by Pantel Photography / Designing this piece was one of the happiest projects of my wedding season this year!
Photo by Simply Rosie Photography / Loved bringing a garden feel indoors here.
Photo by Rachwal Photography / I was so happy when the bride told me butterflies were attracted to the flowers throughout the ceremony!
Photo by Keila Marie Photography / Designed with Amanda Douglas Events
Photo by Victoria Anne Photography / Setting designed by bride with Stone House flowers
Photo by Mackenzie Jean Photography / I collected the branches to build this piece for months!
If you'd like me to create a beautiful ceremony space for you, please don't hesitate to reach out.