Covid Elopement in Birds Hill Park
2020 has been a weird year for weddings, and sometimes it seems like it’s not even worth talking about anymore. That’s exactly why I’m starting this new blog series, because I want to celebrate our “Covid weddings” and, at the same time, inspire you with ideas on how you can make sure that Covid-19 doesn’t define your wedding!
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing images and stories from the weddings of couples who chose to take 2020 and Covid-19 head-on, changing and changing and changing their wedding plans to ultimately allow them to celebrate when and how they best saw fit.
2020 has been a weird year for weddings, and sometimes it seems like it’s not even worth talking about anymore. That’s exactly why I’m starting this new blog series, because I want to celebrate our “Covid weddings” and, at the same time, inspire you with ideas on how you can make sure that Covid-19 doesn’t define your wedding!
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing images and stories from the weddings of couples who chose to take 2020 and Covid-19 head-on, changing and changing and changing their wedding plans to ultimately allow them to celebrate when and how they best saw fit.
Paula and Steve ~ June 27, 2020
Photos by Ally Papko Photography
We made the decision to postpone our original plans for a big wedding celebration until 2021. We plan to have a one year anniversary/postponed wedding celebration almost exactly one year from when our original wedding date was planned. However, after being engaged for a year and a half and being so excited to finally be husband and wife, we decided to also have a very small, intimate ceremony this year on our original wedding date.
In our original wedding floral plans, Paula wanted a very natural, wildflower feel, taking inspiration from the wildflowers that grow near their cabin as well as the daisies her mother carried down the aisle on her wedding day. There are a lot of yellow wildflowers that grow locally, so with that and the daisies in mind, I added in some more whites and a touch of light blue delphinium, along with ferns and olive foliages.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: daisies, locally grown ranunculus and Queen Anne’s Lace, delphinium, snap dragons, campanula, olive, ferns.
I wanted to share these first look photos to show you that, even if your covid wedding isn’t how you pictured your wedding to be, the emotion is still SO REAL. This is not a practice wedding! It’s the real deal, and you deserve to feel all that excitement, all that happiness, all that amazement!
One of the biggest things that changed is we went from planning the day with a wedding coordinator at a venue that does weddings every weekend all year to planning something ourselves with no blueprint. One of the challenges was that aside from not knowing anyone who had eloped before, there also just wasn't really any resources for how to plan a COVID wedding. Nobody had been through this before so it wasn't as though we could just google it. In terms of how we felt, obviously there was quite a bit of disappointment at first, but then as our plan came together it turned to optimism. We ended up really excited that we got to do something that felt very personal, as opposed to more of a cookie cutter wedding designed to accommodate 200+ guests. We ended up really looking forward to getting to make the day a lot less structured and way more intimate for the few guests we did have on hand. What didn't matter anymore was basically anything that didn't lead to us getting married. After having to change, cancel, rework, restructure so much of our plan over the months proceeding, we ended up just really focused on "by the end of the day we'll be married." Anything else was a luxury.
Funny story about this arch…
This was supposed to be a 5-10 minute install for me. Paula and Steve sent me the directions to exactly where in the park they’d be getting married, and I had everything prepared. I didn’t feel like going alone, so I asked my husband and toddler to come along with me just for fun. I thought our little guy could run around outside for a little while. While we got into the van, my husband asked me, “Should I bring my drill bag?” And I said, “No, we won’t need it… Actually, might as well.” That was a VERY lucky thing.
The arch was borrowed from some friends of the couple, and must have been staked or drilled into whatever surface it was originally built for, because let me tell you: this arch was LIGHT. And when I say light, I mean it could have nearly blown away with just the breath from my mouth. Steve and his groomsman were setting it up, and wouldn’t you know, it toppled over and one of the sides snapped. Well, out came the drill and I got to work coming up with an alternative plan because all of the floral I had planned for the arch definitely wasn’t going to work. Steve’s dad brought a piece of 2x4 that my husband created a brace out of to add extra support to the broken side, and we grabbed some sand bags out of the back of Steve’s truck to weight the base.
I added one floral piece to attach slightly above the broken piece, so that the snap line would be covered. The second floral piece was also supposed to hang on the arch, but I decided to re-work it and place it on the opposite side of the triangle’s base, so that I could hide the sandbag. I had to rearrange some of the stems to give it more height, and then I actually shoved some water tubes deep into the grass and added taller foliage stems around it, so that it felt a little more natural. I did the same on the other side, adding the foliage to make it look as though it was growing naturally and to hide that sand bag as well.
I'm not sure anything was easier than our previous plan. We did a lot ourselves that we had planned to outsource. One of the biggest challenges wasn't actually deciding who could come to a small ceremony, but dealing with the emotions of people we knew we were disappointing by not including them. We made our plan at the tightest of COVID restrictions and told everyone that no matter what the government changed between then and the ceremony date, our plan was staying the same. However, as restrictions loosened a lot of people seemed to expect us to change our plan and that made for some lengthy and disheartening conversations with family members.
Looking back we absolutely LOOOOOVED our day. It was magical. It felt so special. Two things we really felt like we missed out on: the first is that it's the one day you get to have a full day with your people. We've both been in wedding parties before and that day is always so fun, but its someone else’s friends. There's always a sibling, or a work friend, or someone that you just don't know as well as the rest of the group. That day was supposed to be our day with our people. The second is getting to celebrate with our friends afterwards. Having a real reception and getting to drink and dance and celebrate our day. However we do have that planned for June of next year, so here's hoping that's able to happen and we get those things we missed out on then.
Here’s what we would pass on to other couples: It's your day. Simple as that. There will be lots of people with lots of advice on how you should do things or how they would do things, but everything comes back to what you envision and what will make you happy. Always keep that in mind and make every decision based on that. You may ruffle some feathers along the way, but in the end, you'll look back and know you got exactly what you wanted on your day. And enjoy the ride, if at the end of the day you're married then nothing else matters.
(And you know, stuff like your arch snapping in half and your florist's husband having to screw it back together while you run off to take first look photos … All part of the experience!)
Obviously I couldn’t resist ending with this adorable puppy portrait!
Ally Papko Photography ~ Prairie Film Co ~ Bliss Bridal Boutique ~ Harry Rosen
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
2021 wedding dates are limited! 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!
Intimate Country Wedding during Covid
Please tell me that you all love this colour palette as much as I do! It’s juicy, interesting, deep, with both warm and cool tones. The peachy tones with a bit of blue were the original focal point, and we added in the darker blue/purple a little later on as the bridesmaids’ dresses were selected. I love that the palette is vibrant and full of life, without looking immature or too “Crayola,” if you know what I mean.
I’ve known Amanda casually since we were kids — I played soccer with her sister, she’s close friends with one of my best friends, we grew up just outside of the same town — that kind of thing. I was so excited to be asked to be part of her wedding, because Amanda has gorgeous style and is an incredibly talented person at basically everything she puts her mind to — she built her own arch, created all the gorgeous signage, crafted her own gumpaste flowers for their cake…she’s one of those people who can just DO the things that she sees, and she does these things to a very high level.
This intimate wedding in the country (just outside of Stonewall) was a dream to be a part of — covid and all.
Amanda is tall and willowy, and she didn’t want her bridal bouquet to be too large. We wanted interesting texture and a garden-inspired and airy feel, but without any massive focal flowers. Amanda is a big flower lover and had some really great ideas for specific blooms and colours, and I just filled in the rest.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: ranunculus, bachelor buttons, tweedia, lisianthus, sweet pea, wheat (Ryan is a farmer, after all!), and eucalyptus foliages.
Please tell me that you all love this colour palette as much as I do! It’s juicy, interesting, deep, with both warm and cool tones. The peachy tones with a bit of blue were the original focal point, and we added in the darker blue/purple a little later on as the bridesmaids’ dresses were selected. I love that the palette is vibrant and full of life, without looking immature or too “Crayola,” if you know what I mean.
We finished them off with beautiful Stella Wolfe ribbons that we’ll hopefully be able to re-use for part 2 of the wedding next year!
One thing I really appreciated about Amanda and the way they planned their Covid-friendly celebration was the seriousness with which they took the comfort of their guests in this uncertain time. As you can tell, there was LOTS of space available for social distancing thanks to their country property just outside of Stonewall, and they made sure to give their guests a lot of room with the seating arrangements for the ceremony.
Amanda, Ryan, and her dad built the arch together and I really loved it! The stain was a beautiful tone, and it was super sturdy which is an oft-overlooked necessity 😂We worked with the peaches/purples/blues to create a few floral pieces for the arch and they were the perfect finishing touch to the ceremony space.
I bet those gorgeous stone walls have caught your eye. Aren’t they the perfect photo backdrop? If you’re anything like me, they might also be the perfect inspiration for your business name…that’s right! These photos were taken in the ruins of the stone foundation of a barn across the road from my parents’ farm (their stone farm house is the one that I pay homage to in my business name), built by my ancestors. My husband and I took our wedding photos here, my cousin was married here in the barn, and the week after Amanda and Ryan’s wedding, one of her bridesmaids (who is also my cousin!) also had her wedding photos taken in the stone barn!
And of course, a few wheat field shots for this newlywed farming couple!
I love this sweet little teaser trailer from Prairie Film Co… the slow mo in the wheat is gorgeous!
I can’t wait for part 2 of this wedding next year, where they’ll be able to celebrate with a larger group of people!
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
2021 wedding dates are limited! 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!
Colourful Fiesta-Inspired Wedding at Fort Gibraltar
When she first inquired with me, Natalia told me that she wanted to host a colourful, Mexican fiesta-inspired wedding. Obviously I was fully on board. When we sat down in person, she explained that she’s actually of El Salvadorian heritage, but her Pinterest searches for El Salvador weddings didn’t pull up many results 😂 We rolled with the Mexican theme though, and it was so cool to see how her El Salvadorian inspiration made its way through.
If you’re a lover of colour, this one is for you!
When she first inquired with me, Natalia told me that she wanted to host a colourful, Mexican fiesta-inspired wedding. Obviously I was fully on board. When we sat down in person, she explained that she’s actually of El Salvadorian heritage, but her Pinterest searches for El Salvador weddings didn’t pull up many results 😂 We rolled with the Mexican theme though, and it was so cool to see how her El Salvadorian inspiration made its way through.
If you’re a lover of colour, this one is for you!
Bridal bouquet ingredients: peonies, garden roses, stock, delphinium, freesia and billy balls.
This bright, vibrant palette filled my heart. I’m an unapologetic lover of colour in all of its forms (it doesn’t just have to be super bold like this — just as long as I have colour!), but the way this one came together was just so joyful. Natalia sent me an image of an El Salvadorian woman dancing in traditional dress, and it totally inspired the palette: magenta, bright purple, lots of greens, touches of yellow, red, orange, and blue.
I also loved that Natalia chose a cascading shape. This bouquet was a BIG sucker (my wrist was so sore making it, ha!), but look how perfectly it compliments her full skirt!
The ceremony was outside at Fort Gibraltar, in front of the old house. I added tear-drop shaped arrangements that coordinated with her bouquet to the railing post behind them, and we also lined the aisle with simple arrangements of orange garden roses and greenery hanging from shepherd’s hooks. All of these things were re-purposed inside at the reception, with the shepherd’s hooks jars tucked into the windowsills, and the larger ceremony pieces hung behind the head table.
Well, there are a few things that I REALLY loved about Gavin and Natalia’s reception. First, the table numbers. These were custom made for their wedding in El Salvador and carefully shipped here. They were incredible, colourful, and detailed.
The second item that I loved is probably obvious: the custom mini bottles of hot sauce! I don’t actually like hot sauce, but I told my husband about this and he thought it was the coolest thing ever.
The fresh floral centrepieces were, once again, full of colour and set in a copper vase. I also added in some cut fresh limes for a little fun.
The cake from Pinky’s was really cute. I loved the mix of simple buttercream textures, and adding the florals to it is always fun (and don’t miss the fresh limes added in!).
Looking for a Wedding Floral and Event Designer in Winnipeg?
2021 wedding dates are now booking! Flowers are the best way to make a statement at your wedding. Whether you already have a specific vision or want me to dream up something custom just for you, reach out to Stone House Creative for stunning bridal bouquets, truly unique ceremony backdrops, and beautiful floral centrepieces to create the perfect ambiance for your wedding!
Intimate Wedding with Over the Top Florals
Karleigh and Matt’s intimate wedding with over the top florals was my first post-Covid wedding. Their Mother’s Day weekend wedding was originally going to be the largest wedding of my season (and career), and we had some truly remarkable things planned for them. But with a very large guest list, including a lot of family who wanted to travel in from Italy for the wedding, they knew they needed to postpone the big celebration to 2021. The couple still wanted to be wed in May 2020, so we went ahead — in a big way, with some serious flowers, on the front steps of his family’s home.
Karleigh and Matt’s intimate wedding with over the top florals was my first post-Covid wedding. Their Mother’s Day weekend wedding was originally going to be the largest wedding of my season (and career), and we had some truly remarkable things planned for them.
But with a very large guest list, including a lot of family who wanted to travel in from Italy for the wedding, they knew they needed to postpone the big celebration to 2021. The couple still wanted to be wed in May 2020, so we went ahead — in a big way, with some serious flowers, on the front steps of his family’s home.
While Karleigh’s big wedding celebration will feature an elegant palette of blush pinks, gold, and white, she wanted to keep the intimate wedding simpler with a monochromatic white and green palette. Karleigh asked for a really simple bouquet but had no specific requests — so obviously, I created a bouquet entirely out of white ranunculus 😍
If you can believe it, this entire ceremony design was planned 4 days before the wedding! We were originally going to do the ceremony inside, in front of the fireplace, but then the family had this GORGEOUS wrought-iron gate put on their arched front door. Andrea from Soiree Event Planning texted me a photo of the door and I immediately became SO excited.
I knew exactly what I wanted to do: we needed to grow the florals up around the doorframe to emphasize the curve. Karleigh had this vintage Persian rug, and we added some light floral accents growing up the stems. The goal was to create a lush, living backdrop for Karleigh and Matt to exchange their vows in a way that didn’t at all feel like a backup plan.
And then comes the dining room!
This was also planned just days before the wedding. The house was undergoing renovations, so the family wasn’t quite sure what would be finished in time, whether the new table would arrive, and so on. Everything was just about wrapped up that week, so we really went for it to give them a tablescape from a dream world.
Rather than doing the typical greenery garland, I again wanted to create a breathtaking floral experience for the family that would gather for dinner.
Several varieties of white roses, snapdragons, delphinium, larkspur, and ranunculus were used along with several types of greenery.
I echoed the long, lush arrangement on the table with a shorter but still lush arrangement on the antique wood buffet behind it.
If this doesn’t prove to you that your 2020 intimate wedding doesn’t have to be a “backup plan",” then I don’t know what possibly could. Whether you can have just 10 people or 50, we can create a joyful, celebratory atmosphere and a really special experience for all of you.
Ariana Tennyson Photography ~ Stone House Creative ~ Soiree Event Planning ~ Prairie Film Co ~ Keith MacPherson ~ Hair by Ang ~ 529 Wellington
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL DESIGNER IN the WINNIPEG area?
2020 and 2021 wedding dates are now booking! Whether it’s an intimate wedding for 30 or a celebration the likes of which have never been seen before, 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 Rainy Wedding in Sandilands Forest
An amazing day. A stunning property. An emotional couple with the most supportive and connected friends surrounding them with love. I cannot tell you enough how truly wonderful it was to be a part of Georgia and Daniel’s romantic, rainy wedding in the Sandilands Forest.
The entire celebration was taking place at Georgia’s grandpa’s property deep in the woods — which meant no running water, no electricity, no cell service. It rained throughout their ceremony, which added extra stress. But you know what? No one batted their eye about it. Umbrellas went up and everyone carried on, which is what made this wedding SO magical.
An amazing day. A stunning property. An emotional couple with the most supportive and connected friends surrounding them with love. I cannot tell you enough how truly wonderful it was to be a part of Georgia and Daniel’s romantic, rainy wedding in the Sandilands Forest.
The entire celebration was taking place at Georgia’s grandpa’s property deep in the woods — which meant no running water, no electricity, no cell service. It rained throughout their ceremony, which added extra stress. But you know what? No one batted their eye about it. Umbrellas went up and everyone carried on, which is what made this wedding SO magical.
Once again, buckle in for a long post. There are way too many good photos from this wedding to not share SO MANY OF THEM.
Also, keep posted for a full feature of this wedding on Junebug Weddings in a few months!
I designed the garden-style wedding flowers around the moody floral print invitations, using locally grown flowers in shades of wine, mauve, cream, peach, caramel, soft coral, and a touch of orange.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: dahlias, ranunculus, garden roses, lisianthus, orchids, spray roses, chocolate cosmos, acadia and eucalyptus foliages.
For an aisle, Georgia and her dad walked through the long rows of spruce trees and met Daniel in a bit of a clearing they had designated as an altar, using tree stumps topped with big, lush potted ferns. Ferns grow wild throughout the property, and there were occasional touches of them tucked throughout the decor as a nod to the surrounding woods.
This image below, taken from the ceremony, captures an incredible moment where the intimacy of their vows is opened up to include their wedding party — the people who vow to uphold and support the couple’s marriage alongside them. I love the way the couple was prayed over and shown love.
When I tell you this property could not have been more picturesque, you’d better believe me. It was AMAZING. And enormous. Heavily wooded, with a swimming pond in the middle and a newly built little guest cabin. The reception was set up in a large clearing, surrounded by trees, and with plenty of space for the live music, dancing, bonfire, s’mores…It was so easy to understand why Georgia had always dreamed of being married there!
What a dreamy reception, am I right? Long harvest tables and cross-back vineyard chairs were set up facing the head table, which featured a large A-frame arch to which I added florals.
The guest tables were lined with mixed stem vases and low, full floral arrangements. The bridal party foraged pinecones and ferns from the property, scattering the pinecones down the table as well as using them as place card holders, and placing a single fern under each clear charger plate.
That s’mores display? 🤤 Gimme gimme, please.
Seriously, what a DREAM wedding. One of my favourite things is how quickly the floral and decor plan came together. I only met with Georgia a few months before the wedding, and just happened to have her August date available — I was so lucky! She showed me her invitations, and asked me to come with a floral plan that would suit. From the colours to the floral selections, it couldn’t have come together more perfect.
Ariana Tennyson Photography ~ Stone House Creative ~ Opal and Dot Decor ~ C&T Rentals ~ Chantal’s Bridal ~ Double Take Cakes ~ Zazzle ~ Luminous String Quartet ~ De Luca’s Coffee
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL DESIGNER IN the WINNIPEG area?
2021 wedding dates are now booking! Whether it’s an intimate wedding for 30 or a celebration the likes of which have never been seen before, 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!