How to Make Your Head Table A Design Focal Point
Whatever your flower and decor budget is, I think one of the best uses of that money is through incorporating major focal points throughout your event design - and an easy one is your head table! Since everyoneâs eyes will naturally flick to your head table or sweetheart table throughout the evening anyways, you might as well make it the centrepiece of the entire reception.
An added benefit of creating a design focal point is that when one area stands out, you can scale back in other areas. So, if youâre working with a limited budget, adding more drama to your head table may allow you to cut back on the centrepieces.
Iâve got some real cool head table designs in the works for 2019 weddings - canât wait to show them off! Dream catchers, neon flowers, greenery accentsâŚall sorts of great stuff.
Here are a few ideas!
Hanging Floral Installations
You know I love a hanging floral installation, though of course whether or not you can incorporate this design style depends completely on your venue. Most venues in Winnipeg donât actually have a way for us to hang anything behind the head table BUT there are a few that do have this capacity, and I love to do it up! I particularly love this style because I think it looks amazing in photos - I love seeing those shots of the couples kissing underneath it :)
Low Floral Arrangements
Itâs never a bad idea to keep the design low to the table, as long as there is enough texture and movement throughout the entire piece. Whether itâs one centralized arrangement or several low but full floral arrangements spaced along the table, you make a major statement. I personally prefer more floral-heavy designs (obviously) but a greenery garland is a great way to go, too!
Floral Backdrop
There are multiple ways you could go about a floral backdrop - tall pieces behind you, individual hanging pieces or strands of flowers, or a full-on floral wall.
Looking for a Wedding Floral and Event Designer in Winnipeg?
My 2020 waitlist has already been started, and couples interested in full event and floral design will be contacted first about their dates. I offer a limited number of dates for event design each year, in order to allow me to work closely with each couple. Combining event and floral design is the perfect option for couples who live out of town, or couples who feel they need a little extra help in creating the visual plan for their wedding day. Click this link to learn more!
2019 and 2020 Wedding Trends
Happy New Year, friends! Iâm writing to you from my maternity leave :) Iâll still have fresh content coming to you every few weeks (donât worryâŚI pre-scheduled it all before baby came so Iâm not actually working that much right now!) - I just didnât want to leave you hanging. I always love to start off the year with a post about the upcoming wedding trends that I see and really like.
Iâll start this off by saying that I actually really DONâT like âtrends.â Iâve never really liked shopping in the trendy stores for whatever style is in that month, for the reason that Iâm more of a quality over quantity person. Most of the time, things that are earmarked as âtrendsâ are styles and ideas that are mass-marketed (meaning, everyone is going to have them and theyâre not special anymore), cheaply made (why would I spend money on something that is going to go in the trash?), and will likely generate a response from you in just a few short months or years wondering âwhy on earth did I do that?â When it comes to your wedding, I firmly believe in quality over quantity and I never want someone to look back on their wedding and think âWhy did I choose THAT for my wedding?â
So all that to say, you can feel rest assured that when I write about the trends that I see, theyâre more general style movements that will have lasting power and youâre not likely to regret choosing for one of the most important days of your life. Iâm also mostly concerned about trends that play into your wedding flowers or overall event design. With that said, here are some of the âtrendsâ that I am seeing a lot of, or would like to see more of, which I think would be a beautiful addition to your 2019 or 2020 wedding!
Wedding Colour of the Year: Mauve
This is hardly surprising. Weâre moving into a slightly deeper, moodier take on the most popular tone of the last few years, blush. But like blush, mauve can be interpreted in more than one way. It can read pinkier, more purple/lavender, or more taupe-like depending on what direction you want to take it - I personally see mauve more as a muddy purple tone but I know a lot of florists who see it more pink. So, just be sure to have some picture or colour swatch representation to make sure that all of your aesthetic wedding vendors are on the same page when it comes to understanding your wishes for mauve.
Favourite flowers in mauve: amnesia rose, cappuccino rose, cafe latte rose, frittillaria, roseanne brown lisianthus
Mauve pairs well with an analogous colour palette, which means a grouping of 3 colours that sit right beside each on the colour wheel. So, shades of pinks, purples, and peaches, as an example, would allow mauve to be the perfect base colour.
Honourable Mention for Colour of the Year: Orange!
Yes, Iâm surprising myself when I say this, seeing as orange has always been right at the bottom of my list. But, Iâm seeing more and more of it being tucked in as an accent colour to weddings, bringing a shot of vibrancy that many of my couples seem to be craving. Even more surprising, Iâm finding that I donât hate itâŚbut actually kind of like it!
Take a look at the Marchesa gown below, shot by KT Merry for Flutter Mag - orange is not the primary colour by any stretch of the imagination, but it plays a supporting role that awakens the other tones mixed throughout the gown. I have a wedding coming up this year with a similar palette that I CANNOT wait for!
I personally like to see orange used as an accent, as I often find it too aggressive as a focal colour. It pairs beautifully with blue, red, yellow, green, and anything in the peaches to coral range.
Donât Miss Trend: Touches of the Tropics
If you follow any large-name floral and wedding designers on Instagram, Iâm confident that youâll have noticed one of the more recent trends that Iâm saying you canât miss: a touch of the tropics. Iâm talking a dramatic usage of large palm leaves, ferns (both natural and bleached), and tropical flowers like anthuriums or orchids. Now, you donât need to go all the way with a rainforest-inspired wedding (though Iâm definitely not knocking that!) and you can easily work a tropical accent into a garden-inspired design.
Floral Design by Oh Flora (follow her for some gorgeous inspiration!), Photo by Lana Ivanova
Wedding Planning by Amorology, Floral Design by Isa Floral
Floral design by Nectar & Bloom
Whatâs Trending in Table Decor? Floral Centrepieces!
Iâm pretty pleased to see a return to more floral-heavy centrepieces in the coming year. Iâm seeing fewer and fewer requests for garlands, which I have to say Iâm happy about - as much as garlands are gorgeous, they get pretty repetitive for us florists. My clients are typically asking for arrangements that are low to the table, as opposed to tall ones, and sometimes asking for styles in which you canât even see the vase. Of course, just be prepared that a floral arrangement will have a price tag on it. I typically suggest a minimum of $75 for a floral centrepiece, with most of the inspiration photos that people are bringing me from Pinterest coming in around $300 each (generally I find a $125 - $175 budget to be PERFECT).
Photo by Laura Foote Photography, Florals by me!
âŚAnd Coloured Candles
Iâd love to see more of my clients adding depth to their tablescapes with the use of coloured candles. A subtle taupe elevates the sense of elegance in a space, a petal pink emphasizes femininity, a warm toffee adds richness, a charcoal grey feels chic and big-city. See what I mean? So much depth can be brought to your overall reception design with the simple tweak that is a coloured candle. These are always going to be more expensive than your typical white candle, but I think itâs a worthwhile investment. Some of my favourite sources for coloured candles are Yummi (which is a Canadian brand, and in my opinion, the best!), Creative Candles, and Quick Candles. The set below is from The Floral Society (they recently started selling at Anthropologie!) and I LOVE them!
So there you have it: Some of my favourite âtrendsâ for the 2019 and 2020 wedding season! Iâd love to incorporate some of these design ideas into my work so if you see something you like, donât hesitate to reach out. Iâm a believer that a design style has to be in keeping with the setting that the wedding is taking place in, so it might be tricky to tuck in bits of orange if youâre getting married in a ballroom with a burgundy palette, but letâs talk :)
Looking for a Wedding Floral and Event Designer in Winnipeg?
My 2020 waitlist has already been started, and couples interested in full event and floral design will be contacted first about their dates. I offer a limited number of dates for event design each year, in order to allow me to work closely with each couple. Combining event and floral design is the perfect option for couples who live out of town, or couples who feel they need a little extra help in creating the visual plan for their wedding day. Click this link to learn more!
My Top 5 Favourite Unique Wedding Venues in Winnipeg
There are a lot of awesome options for gorgeous wedding venues within a half hour or so drive of WinnipegâŚbut most of those require a few more logistics than the convenience of a city wedding (you can find my top 5 best wedding venues in Manitoba here!). But, most of the wedding venue options within Winnipeg are hotel ballrooms - and while thereâs nothing wrong with a hotel ballroom, I find that most of my clients are looking for something thatâs a bit more interesting and less âballroom.â So, hereâs a roundup of my Top 5 Favourite Unique Wedding Venues in downtown Winnipeg!
SMITH Restaurant
Photos by Kamp Photography
First of all, I LOVE restaurant weddings - and SMITH is at the top of my list. Located on the main floor of the Inn at the Forks and recently renovated, itâs a really gorgeous and unique option for a wedding. I love the idea of seating your guests throughout the restaurant, and if you havenât eaten there before, the menu is PHENOMENAL. If you have a smaller guest list, you can seat all of your guests in the main space, but thereâs also a large solarium, and the lounge typically doubles as the dance floor area.
Eckhardt Hall at the WAG
Photos by Megan Steen Photography
I LOVE Eckhardt Hall, on the main floor at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Itâs not a new space or a hidden treasure by any means, but that doesnât stop me from loving it. Itâs just such a cool venue! Your guests will walk into the WAG and enter right into Eckhardt Hall. The natural stone floors and walls are neutral and have a lot of Manitoba character, the ceilings are incredibly high, and you might get lucky with a very cool art installation or paintings hung on the walls. I also love their rooftop, which is such a great place for your wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, etc.
View this entire, colourful wedding here! | For another look at weddings at the WAG, check out this modern rooftop wedding!
HUT K
Photos by Esther Funk Photography, Bottom middle an iphone shot from my less-than-awesome Photography skill set ;)
Hut K is technically a furniture store, but they have a gallery space at the back that can be rented for smaller weddings and events - and itâs pretty cool! It lacks some of the amenities of a traditional wedding venue, so I recommend hiring at least a day-of wedding coordinator if you book your wedding here, but it makes up for this with style factor. White walls, open ceilings (AKA your florist can have fun with hanging floral installations!), and a long, rectangular shape make this a really unique space. You canât seat a massive amount of people (I think itâs around 100 for a comfortably seated dinner) but if youâre going for a cocktail style reception, you can host up to 200 people.
{Updated for 2021: Sadly, Hut K is no longer in this space, and this space is no longer available for weddings!}
Alloway Hall at the Manitoba Museum
Above photo courtesy of Manitoba Museum, Below Photos by Casey Nolin Photography
Alloway Hall at the Manitoba Museum is a surprisingly large, newer space (it was opened in 2017) and it makes for a pretty great wedding space - if you can get in. Because it is primarily a museum, available wedding dates are slim as their priority is always exhibits, and rightfully so. But if you can squeak in a wedding date when they arenât booked with an exhibit, you can do some pretty cool things design-wise. Hereâs what I love about Alloway Hall:
-it fits a LOT of people - up to 600!
-it features tall ceilings, white walls, and dark floors with a gallery-style vibe, so itâs a great blank canvas for different styles
-one wall is entirely windows, with a gorgeous view of the Steinkopf Gardens between the museum and the Concert Hall
-built-in lighting options!
Canadian Human Rights Museum
Photos by Moore Photography
Itâs nothing new to say that the Human Rights Museum is a great place for a wedding, and I suppose because itâs been popular for a few years now, it may not exactly be considered âunique.â But what I love is the different spaces that are available that you may not have thought of before. Buhler Hall is where most people host their receptions - it fits a lot of people well, but itâs really dark. There are, however, other spaces - Iâm particularly excited for a wedding next summer where the reception is being held in the Garden of Contemplation (where a lot of couples will host their ceremonies). Itâs open and airy, with beautiful light and is just a really unique setting.
Check out another Human Rights Museum wedding here!
Updated for 2021 :
Cloakroom Wellness
Cloakroom Wellness checks SO many boxes for an intimate space. Itâs such a unique combination of clean and minimalist with historic industrial. Itâs not huge, but if youâre hoping for a smaller wedding, I think it would ideal for about 75 guests or under, still with enough space for a sit down dinner. It would also be a great option for an indoor ceremony if you have a larger guest list for your reception elsewhere!
Some of the best features are the floor to ceiling windows, both clean white walls and vintage brick walls, and original hardwood floors. The room is a 1.5 story walk-up from street level, so do keep that in mind!
Manitoba Club
How the heck did I miss Manitoba Club when I first made this list? Itâs one of my favourite venues in Winnipeg. Now hereâs the thing â the Grand Ballroom and the Oak Room are two absolutely stunning rooms, with a very old-world quality that lends an elegant, traditional atmosphere, but the thing that I love the MOST about Manitoba Club is actually their outdoor space, the Bonnycastle Garden! Just take a look at this â itâs perfect for intimate wedding receptions, an outdoor wedding ceremony, or even your cocktails and dancing!
Check out more that Iâve done at Manitoba Club here! | See their indoor spaces here!
Kitchen Sync
Another interesting space in downtown Winnipeg is Kitchen Sync! This is also on the smaller side, seating a max of 80 people, but has an open commercial kitchen so you can work with your caterer to create a really unique culinary experience for your guests to enjoy.
The venue is on the basement level, so there is a short flight of stairs, but is otherwise easily accessible with plenty of surface and parkade parking lots in the neighbourhood. One of the gorgeous features of the room is the stone walls and the dark wood pillars â it creates a moody, dramatic vibe that is just untouchable!
Photos by Brittany Mahood Photography
Honourable Mentions: Hotel Fort Garry and The Kingshead Pub
Okay, I know the whole point of this post was to highlight unique, non-hotel wedding venues in downtown Winnipeg, and the Hotel Fort Garry has been hosting weddings in their ballrooms for over 100 years already. BUT itâs still one of my favourite wedding venues in downtown Winnipeg, and in particular, the Provencher Room (seen above). If you want your wedding to feel classic and elegant, thereâs no better option for you. The benefits of being able to get ready in one of their suites, visit the spa, and simplify your out-of-town guestsâ stay are obvious as well!
See more from this gorgeous, flower-filled wedding here!
I also did a wedding reception this fall at the Kingshead Pub! They have SUCH delish food and a cool atmosphere, so if youâre looking for something more laid-back with a hangout type of vibe, this could be a really good option for you. For this wedding, the entire second floor was rented (so you would have your own bar, your own bathrooms, your own dance floor, etc) and then it opened to the general public around midnight.
Photos below by Brenna Faris
Looking for a Wedding Floral and Event Designer in Winnipeg?
My 2020 waitlist has already been started, and couples interested in full event and floral design will be contacted first about their dates. I offer a limited number of dates for event design each year, in order to allow me to work closely with each couple. Combining event and floral design is the perfect option for couples who live out of town, or couples who feel they need a little extra help in creating the visual plan for their wedding day. Click this link to learn more!
A Mediterranean Inspired Love Story: Styled Shoot
I've been taking a bit of a break from styled shoots for the last little while, but when Sheila from Inspired Elegance Events and Casey Nolin Photography reached out with this fun colour palette and giving me total flexibility on the flowers earlier this spring, I could not say no!
I feel like I'm always talking about how much I love colour and this was no exception. Sheila told me that she wanted orange so I chose to expand that into an analogous palette of oranges, corals, and peaches. Fun, right? And it looked great with the slight additions of blue on the table.
Even better: Our cute couple got engaged a few weeks later!
~ AS FEATURED ON THE PERFECT PALETTE ~
Photos: Casy Nolin Photography ~ Planner: Inspired Elegance Events ~ Florals: Stone House Creative ~ Tabletop Rentals: C&T Rentals ~ Table Runner: Simply Perfect Decor ~ Chair Rentals: Floral Fixx ~ Venue: Trappist Monastery ~ Invitations: Keeks Paper Co ~ Bridal Gown: Chic Nostalgia from Bliss Bridal Boutique ~ Makeup: Made Beauty Company ~ Hair Piece: Luna and Stone ~ Jewellery: Vandenberg's Fine Jewellery
My floral order made everyone else at my wholesaler jealous that week :) I'm jealous just looking back at it!
Bridal bouquet ingredients: garden roses, ranunculus, poppies, godetia and THE MOST incredible tulips!
I wanted to keep the ceremony space simple. The ruins at the Trappist Monastery are really something, and all of those old stone foundations create such an incredible ambiance. My goal here was to bring life back into the space, and what better way to do it than create a vine-like, overgrown-inspired focal piece.
Sheila had a fairly specific vision to create this Mediterranean look. Rustic bread, olives, and olive oil at each place setting make for an inviting tablescape, and the Trappist Monastery ruins were a natural choice for the setting as here in Winnipeg there aren't many spaces with an abandoned villa feel. She pulled it all together from there!
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!
Limited summer 2019 wedding dates remain available. Click below to check your date!
Behind the Scenes: Wedding Planners Styled Day
Aimee De La Lande Photography
I am a HUGE believer in community over competition. The wedding industry is an interesting one because we all create so much - and that can make it very competitive and judgemental ("will that couple book with me or with them? This thing that I just made is total crap. This thing I just made is incredible and no one will ever beat it."). It can be hard to find the balance between viewing the other people in your industry as colleagues versus competitors.
So, for the last two years, one thing that I've really enjoyed putting together is a Styled Shoot day for a handful of wedding planners in the city. My goals are primarily to have fun (they have stressful jobs!), fostering community, creating connections, and building portfolios. But, I do it a little differently than other styled shoots which are usually planned down to the last detail. I do it as a surprise for them! I usually give them the overall colour palette, and that's it. When they show up on the day, they'll find tables full of options that they can pull from to create a look that they love. This includes dresses and accessories for their models, plenty of vase options for centrepieces, flatware and dishes, linens, chairs, stationery, and so on!
Here's a little behind the scenes from that day! It's pretty different than the behind the scenes for a wedding day, but it's still fun!
Video by Prairie Wedding Films
A HUGE thanks to everyone who took part!
Venue: Alloway Hall, Manitoba Museum | Linens and Chairs: Planned Perfectly | Tabletop Rentals: C&T Rentals | Stationery: Jennifer Bianca Calligraphy | Makeup: Jessica Kmiec Artistry and Lidia Najera | Hair: Annette Wilkinson Designs and @steph.wall | Dresses and Accessories: Bliss Bridal Boutique | Favours/Sweets: Jenna Rae Cakes and Bronuts | Video: Prairie Wedding Films
Esther Funk Photography
Tell you what, guys: designing on site with a limited amount of ingredients for a lineup of wedding planners is a little tricky (as you can see from that first pic! ha!).
We also had an amazing crew of photographers who volunteered their time and were each partnered with a planner.
Reanne Berard Photography with Amanda Douglas Events
Victoria Anne Photography with White Ivy Weddings
Esther Funk Photography with Feast & Festivities
Aimee de la Lande Photography with Ashley Brooke Weddings
Casey Nolin Photography with Inspired Elegance Events
Below are some images from a demo table that I put together, photographed by Esther Funk Photography. With the warm fall tones in the flowers I thought the light blue linen would be a nice contrast. I was planning to do something completely differently, but I love how it turned out!
And now for the finished design!
Below are some of the details from the tables that each of the planners put together!
First up, Emily from Feast & Festivities. I have to give her major kudos for taking on the challenge of a chartreuse velvet linen. This woman is not afraid of colour and I love that she dubbed this an "Oscar the Grouch" wedding look! đ
This feminine, pretty table was designed by Ashley at Ashley Brooke Weddings. She's a girly girl so I wasn't surprised when she chose a feminine palette. I love the gold accents and that deep hit of plum. And I love that photographer Aimee de la Lande chose that black wall to take photos in front of. Wooo!
Up next is Sheila from Inspired Elegance Events! It was funny to chat with her while she was putting this together. Her only thought coming into the shoot day (knowing that there was nothing she could do to prepare) was "I'm not going to do pink." ha! I liked this take on pink. Instead of the light, airy blush that has been going around for a few years (and let's be honest, is always beautiful), she added some serious depth with those dark wood crossback chairs and berry toned flowers. I also loved that she chose to go with a tall arrangement. I'm not usually a huge fan of tall centrepieces, but sometimes and in some spaces, tall arrangements are perfect.
This design was put together by Amanda Douglas Events. I like that it really plays off of natural tones as the base, and then layers in some of that brighter, richer warm tones. Those wood charger plates are such an awesome texture that's added in, and Amanda tucked in a few of her own details - the candles and black plates.
And finally, we've got a newer planner: Ashley from White Ivy Weddings. Her favourite element from everything that was available to choose from was the rich, warm orange copper beech leaves, and she built her entire design around them. I LOVE the orange ranunculus paired with those golden mustard roses, the addition of the burgundy taper candles, and the warm brass coloured linen.
