Eliza and Ian's Engagement

Eliza contacted me out of the blue a few weeks before her engagement session, asking me to do up a simple floral crown for herself and a boutonniere for Ian. Their outdoor photo location and rustic/fall vibe were such a sweet compliment to this adorable couple! Can't wait to start talking wedding flowers with them, too :) Thanks so much to Victoria Anne Photography for the lovely pictures!

Graceful Wedding Ideas

Back in the spring, my time at Team Flower Workshop culminated in this stunning tablescape design that all of the girls worked on together. Kelly Perry of Philosophy Flowers had put the most stunning elements into place and man, has that girl got style! Here are some highlights, with florals by Philosophy Flowers and Team Flower, calligraphy and paper products by Brown Linen, gown from Gossamer Vintage, and the gorgeous photos from Heather Payne Photography. We were incredibly excited to have this editorial featured on my favourite, Once Wed!

Gwen and Shane's Engagement

Gwen and Shane are one of my AWESOME couples for 2015 and I am so excited to be working with them on their flowers as well as their event design! They are literally the dream clients - easy going, open to any ideas, flexible, SO funny, and as you'll see from their engagement pictures by Kat Willson Photography, also a very good looking pair :) They had to re-schedule the date of their engagement session a few times, changing the season as well as the location of their pictures, but I'm so glad they ended up out at their family cabin right on the water. The stone and dark, moody colour of the water is just gorgeous, and the retro green Husdon's Bay blanket that they included is just gorgeous, isn't it? Gwen wanted a bouquet for her session, but had absolutely nothing in mind for it, so I played with colours and flowers that I was feeling that day, and she loved it so much that we're actually using these tones and some of the same flowers in their wedding!

Why You Should Hire an Event Designer

...And why your florist would be a great one! 

"The details are not details. They make the design." - Charles Eames

First, what is an event designer? Event design services are geared towards pulling together all of the aesthetic details and plans for your wedding. An event designer will assist you in designing the creative direction for your day, working with you and any of the vendors you hire to deal with the visual aspects of the wedding. 

So, who should consider hiring an event designer?
-the bride who has no idea how to pull together her aesthetic ideas and needs help getting started
-the bride who needs a hand pulling together all of the visual components of the day
-the bride who doesn't have time on her wedding day to do anything herself
-the bride who has DIY tendencies

Photo by Kat Willson Photography for a collaboration designed and styled by Stone House Creative with lovely paper goods from Robin Egg Blue Design and linens and chairs from Planned Perfectly. 

Now, why would your floral designer would be a great person to hire as your event designer? Because designing beyond flowers allows one to really challenge the aesthetic plan for your day, and become the architect for a well-planned, intentional design. Because the details are not just details - when they're intentional, they tell a story. Your story. 

As an event designer, here are some of the aspects I'll help you plan: 
lighting - paper - textiles - florals - textures - colour palette

Many wedding planners also act as event designers, and can expertly guide you through the aesthetic planning process. We know that you want to host a wedding that, in the end, feels and looks like you--we hear that from pretty much every couple who we work with. And we want that to happen, too.

And guess what? Stone House Creative offers some pretty slick event design services. I'd love to chat with you about your wedding and how I can help!

DESIGNING YOUR COLOUR PALETTE

One of the first questions that any bride-to-be will hear from friends is, "What are your wedding colours?' And girls, let me tell you something awesome: gone are the days of picking one (maximum two!) colour, pairing it with white, and plastering that single shade everywhere. Let me tell you why this isn't a good idea: 

1) It's totally boring.
2) There is absolutely no life to the aesthetic side of your wedding.
3) If the various shades of that pre-determined colour don't match from item to item (ie. from invitation to flowers to tablecloths), then it's going to look like barf - and some colours are harder to find than others.

So, here's what I think you should do when designing your palette:

1) Select 2-3 main shades. Yep, 3. These are the colours that you're going to be using most often - stationery, bridal party attire, flowers, tablescapes, etc. 

2) Add in 2-3 complimentary colours, which coordinate with your main palette. These will be used as accents to tie the rest of your palette together, in smaller details: ribbons, place cards, table numbers, and so on. 

3) Add in a texture or two - this is what's really going to give your palette life! Whether you lean towards a metallic or love the whimsy of watercolour, want to bring the richness of velvet or prefer the organic, raw touch of linen, this texture is going to ensure that the rest of your colour palette and overall design actually make your aesthetic choices FEEL how you want them to. The texture is what will give your guests a tactile experience.

So go for it! Try on some major colour and see how much easier it's going to be to pull everything together. Some shades I'm craving right now? Burgundies with peach and a golden caramel, complimented with deep plum foliage, the softest pink, and the ever-popular metallic gold, and of course, lots of jewel-tone greeneries!

Need help with your palette? I also offer Event Design services for a limited number of weddings each year. I'd love to talk with you about your wedding! Shoot me an email at stonehouseweddings@gmail.com and we'll chat!