Garden Inspired Wedding Style Spilling Over with Colour

Classic and neutral palettes will always be popular, and for good reason…but for all of you who are in love for colour but might be afraid to use it, this one’s for you! 

Coral, peach, blush, taupe, plum, terracotta. Rich, jewel tone greens. Crisp black accents. An energetic palette like this one lends a sense of happiness, of life, to a celebration but here’s the thing: you don’t have to go “Crayola bright” to use vibrant colour. This is bold but still feminine, modern and still elegant. 

Many of these florals were locally grown, which makes them even more beautiful - ranunculus, snap dragon, lisianthus, lilies, foxglove. My favourite element to design was the indoor garden - who wouldn’t want to say their vows in the midst of a sweet garden spilling over with colour, fragrance, and beauty?

So let’s talk about COLOUR. Like I said, you don’t need to go Crayola to go colourful. For this palette I layered together coral and peach with subtler shades of taupe, mauve, blush, and terracotta. It feels a little vibrant here because of the fuchsia backdrop I painted, but against white, it’s a little softer.

You know what would be amazing? Getting married right in the middle of a garden grown just for you. Whether your wedding is indoors or out, I would LOVE to make this happen.

And we can’t not talk about that dress! It’s a vintage Donna Karan in a soft taupe silk and it’s AMAZING.

One of my favourite things about SMITH (and, of course, the main reason why I wish I could be invited to a wedding there!!) is the FOOOOOOD. I mean, look at that charcuterie board. Every time I’m setting up a wedding here, they are firing up the kitchen. I steal a glimpse at a menu and literally start to salivate. If that’s not a good enough referral to a venue for you, I don’t know what else could be.

Here, we had the beets with creme fraiche, cauliflower fritters, NY steak, and the charcuterie board.

One of the joys of my career is being selected to work on the full event design for a couple. Even though this was a photoshoot, I still wanted to apply a similar level of focus and detail that I do for a client who has hired me for event design. A detailed design brief develops a layered colour palette, textures, and design ideas that form a really incredible base for your wedding. Interested? Contact me here!

Brittany Mahood Photography ~ Stone House Creative ~ SMITH REstaurant ~ Mad ABout Style Warehouse ~ Jessica Janel for Tiopo & Co ~ Gossamer Vintage ~ Minted ~ The EveryDay HOst ~ C&T Rentals ~ Grace Hill Salon

Moody Monochromatic Wedding Inspiration with Baby's Breath

Baby’s breath. I’ll be honest that it’s not my favourite flower, and never has been. But for some reason, it was pulling at me earlier this year and I wanted to explore that a bit. I’m also not huge on white weddings, but again, I wanted to explore this monochromatic and scaled back palette of white, grey, and black.

And guess what? I kind of love it. A full table runner, composed entirely of baby’s breath en masse.

I took that concept of repeated simple elements and applied it to the entire event design: single element bouquet, single element table centrepiece, monochromatic colour palette, and so on.

As featured on Knotsvilla.

Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: White garden roses, Queen Anne’s Lace (hidden WAY down deep), camellia foliage, and scented geranium foliage.

This design wouldn’t necessarily be the most practical for a real wedding scenario, but there are ways we can make it (or something similar!) happen! I’ve got some ideas for similar styles but using different flowers that I’d love to explore, too - hit me up if you’re interested in hearing more!

Mmmm I really, really love the way this tablescape came together. The smoke plates from C&T is the perfect neutral grey without being boring. The marble candleholders and black tapers are sleek and modern. The simple type on the flat place card is perfect. All of these details act as supporting elements that allow the baby’s breath table runner to play the centre role.

I selected this stationery suite from Minted (I have an exclusive discount code if you’d like it!). I chose it for the clean, modern type, the monochromatic colour palette, and the sort of watercolour/water stained background. I thought it would tie inn really well with the photo backdrop that I painted in shades of greys.

Nothing comes together without a fantastic creative team! Sometimes it can be a little exhausting pulling the entire design together but it makes it all worthwhile when you show up, set up, and watch everyone else do what they do best, too. Like the makeup, for example - Bobbi from Primped Nd Polished actually mixed up a custom shade of lipstick because she just wasn’t happy enough with what was available. Those are the kind of people you need to trust to make your wedding happen!

Vanessa Renae photography ~ Stone House Creative ~ Prep collective ~ Planned Perfectly ~ C&T Rentals ~ Trend Rentals & Decor ~ Carly Cee Hair ~ Primped Nd Polished ~ Panache Model Management ~ The Everyday Host ~ Bliss Bridal Boutique ~ Steve Madden ~ Minted

Inspiration Tables from The Gates on Roblin Open House

I had a great time at the Gates on Roblin’s open house two weeks ago! All of the creative/decor vendors were tasked with designing 3 inspiration tables: one each of the categories of modern, romantic, and vintage. I’m not personally one that’s big on “themes” so my goal with these table designs was really to just create something that I liked and would appeal to engaged couples who like my style. Truth be told, I also didn’t want to spend a ton of money 😂Because guys, flowers ARE expensive, even on the wholesale level. But that’s beside the point!

The Gates on Roblin ~ Mandy Wright Photography ~ Soiree Event Planning ~ Planned Perfectly ~ C&T Rentals

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Modern Wedding Design

I had one initial idea for this modern wedding design style: this incredible variety of rose called Toffee. They’re an absolutely incredible colour, they open up beautifully, and they’re a gorgeous selection for a warm neutral (which is the next big colour trend). I paired it with black accents (vase, candle holders, chairs) for some depth and drama, and chose Planned Perfectly’s new taupe linen. It’s got a beautiful texture and is a beautiful neutral base. The black metal candle holders are new to my inventory and I love them! They give off such a great glow. The perfect finishing touch was those black and gold cutlery from C&T! I’ve been hoping for black flatware to be brought into Winnipeg and here they are!

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Vintage Wedding Design

I love olive foliage. The stems are a hardy branching shape, the colour of the leaves is a silvery sage green (similar to the colour of eucalyptus but MUCH more interesting…FYI I’m tired of using eucalyptus all the time), and it’s really pretty en masse like this. I also knew that I wanted to use these cross-back chairs from Planned Perfectly, and thought they’d look great with the walnut chargers from C&T Rentals. We added the copper flatware and I popped some dried hydrangea into my copper votives to add some interest to the base of the tall vase. The terracotta menus were actually samples I had on-hand from Minted, and didn’t they work PERFECTLY? (and PS, I have a discount code for any of your from Minted - let me know if you want it!)

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Romantic Wedding Design

This centrepiece design was my anti-dote to personally being tired of the typical cylinder vase trio with pillar candles and greenery. I still included three pillar vases, but mixed them in with coloured taper candles and bronze votives, and then created some free-form mini gardens at the base, using moss, fern, and a few floral bits and pieces. I selected the mauve velvet linen as the base and Andrea from Soiree Event Planning completed the table design by selecting the place settings - I was originally thinking all white plates but I love that she stacked the grey charger with the scalloped white dinner plate and salad plate!

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My Set Up

And last up, I designed this for my own little set up. I wanted to do something with a little more colour (because as we all know, I LOVE colour) and I started with the dark blue delphinium because I needed the height. Then I knew that I wanted to bring in some coral and peach, and thought I should add in a touch of yellow for a little more vibrance and fun. The light blue velvet linen from Planned Perfectly was SO gorgeous and if you’re looking for an incredible linen to take your tables from basic to amazing, this might be it! They also have a new green velvet that is STUNNING.

I would DIE to create this style of arrangement curved around or in front of a sweetheart table, or as a “nest” for a really intimate ceremony setting. Wouldn’t it be incredible to say your vows knee-deep in flowers?!

The bridal bouquet ingredients included the most perfect peach amaryllis (wowza, am I right?!), roses, agapanthus, alstroemeria, and a couple of cute billy balls. I finished it with a TON of silk Tono & Co ribbon.

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Hire a Talented Wedding Floral and Event Designer in Winnipeg

I’ll be announcing my 2021 appointment dates in the next few weeks! My waitlist has already been started so if you want to be one of the first I meet with for a 2021 wedding, make sure you get on the list early. 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!

The Number 1 Thing You Can Do To Get The Best Wedding Flowers Possible

Want to know the number 1 thing you can do to get the best wedding flowers possible? It’s actually really easy, and it has nothing to do with how much money you spend:

Give your floral designer some flexibility.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Maybe a little too easy to actually be the answer? It’s not - I promise.

Here’s the thing: when you work in the wedding industry, obviously you work a LOT of weddings. Depending on the year, I’ll take anywhere form 25 - 60 weddings. And the other thing about weddings is that they are very trend-focused, and trends are very cyclical. Thanks to wedding blogs and Pinterest, everyone getting married sees the exact same things and is inspired by them. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this - at the end of the day, when you’re happily married and loving life with your new spouse, all I want is for you to have loved your wedding day. But at the end of my day…I can get bored. 😬And I feel a little guilty for saying it out loud.

But hear me out: if I design florals for, say, 50 weddings a year, I can almost guarantee that about 1/2 of them will want basically the exact same things as each other - and that is the LAST thing that I want. I want you to love your flowers, and maybe you’d love pretty much anything that I give you! But I also want your flowers to be uniquely designed, for you. And when 50% of my clients bring in the exact same inspiration pictures, it gets pretty challenging for me to come up with unique combinations and ideas that will make your wedding flowers different than the rest.

So here’s what I’m suggesting: Give your floral designer some flexibility, and we’ll be in a much better position to design a gorgeous, creative, unique floral design for you. Bring us those inspiration pictures, yes, because we want to get a really good feel for what you like and what you’re drawn to (whether you’re aware of it or not! I love finding commonalities between a bride/groom’s inspiration pictures) - and then once we’ve looked at those together, say the magic words: “I’d love to hear your suggestions!”

We’ve always got ideas and things that we want to do. I keep a running “wish list” every year, of ideas I have and designs I have been dreaming up in my head and want to bring to life. Your wedding might just be the perfect place to create one of those floral designs, but if I don’t get the feeling that you’re open to ideas, I might not pitch it to you.

Here are some of my favourite things I’ve created when I felt like I had the client’s permission to be a little flexible:

These pictures are examples of designs that I had been dreaming about in my head and were on my “wish list" - so when those clients asked me for ideas, I was ready!

Somewhat coincidental that these were all at Cielo’s Garden…but not really. If you’re planning to open a venue, do your floral designers a favour and build a space that’s really easy to work and design in!
Left and middle photos by Ariana Tennyson, Right by my super iphone skills 😂

With this head table design at Pine Ridge Hollow, I had full creative control from the beginning. Meredith loved the idea of something over the head table, because she really wanted the wedding to feel as outdoors and garden-inspired as possible. She didn’t care what I did as long as it tied with the rest of the florals. I had so much fun coming up with this concept!
Photos by Camryn Elizabeth Weddings

These are all examples of playing with colour palette. I LOVE working with an interesting colour palette - whether it’s muted but layered, or vibrant and bold - I just feel like a great palette brings everything else to life.

First, you’ll see a fairly traditional white and blush bouquet - in weddings, we get asked for this palette a lot. I suggested that we add in the smallest caramel and raisin accents in the way of foliages. It’s still obviously a blush and white bouquet, and the accent colours don’t compete with that palette at all, but the additional touches add a little something extra.

Next up, this peach and coral number which I LOVED. This was a fall wedding, and I loved being able to compose this bouquet with a lot of peach hues, tucking in coral and orange. I also layered in some mauve and plum blooms deep into the bouquet, which provided unexpected depth and really set off the peach. Photo by Jaclyn Leskiw Photography.

Third, a more interesting take on neutrals. Why go all white when you can add in some very soft sandy tones for a little warmth? Depending on your overall wedding style, your venue, your dress - something like this could take your bouquet from just another white bouquet to a really well-designed statement. Photo by Almond Leaf Studios.

Finally, a delicious berry tone palette. I did a bit of colour blocking to make specific flowers and sections of the bouquet stand out. Any time a client asks me for something like this palette, I’m going to just eat it up :) Photo by Izabela Rachwal.

And I’ll wrap it up with two more colour palettes that I LOVED and that show you two very different ways of using colour. On the left, Lauda asked for a really vibrant palette that would fit with their late summer garden wedding. I used a lot of locally grown flowers and I loved the boldness of it. And on the right, Stephanie and I chose a more earth-tones palette of terracotta and sandy tones, with the accent of the lavender. Both of these are out-of-the-norm colour palettes that aren’t really muted AT ALL, and through comparing them you can see that you can go many, many different ways with colour.
Left by Sugar & Soul Photography; Right by Ariana Tennyson.

So bring your ideas to your floral designer, and then say those magic words: “I’d love to hear your suggestions!”

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Looking for a Wedding Floral and Event Designer in Winnipeg?

Whether you’re planning a whimsical garden-inspired celebration or a formal ballroom fete, I think flowers are the best way to make a statement at your wedding. Maybe you already have a specific vision or you might want me to dream up something custom just for you - either way, 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!

Now booking 2020 weddings. Limited dates are still available.

The Modern, Garden Style Cascading Bouquet

2018 was definitely the year of cascading bouquets for me! We’ve been seeing a bit of a resurgence of the cascade shape for a little while now, but with a looser, more garden style than the horrendous pointy triangle bouquets of the 80s and 90s. I thought I’d share a little about this style of bouquet in case it’s something that interests you!

Photos by Casey Nolin Photography

1) To get the more organic, garden-inspired shape, these are handtied bouquets. In the past (and some older-school florists still do it this way), cascade bouquets were always designed in a bouquet holder. This is essentially a plastic handle that has a little cup at the end where a chunk of Oasis sits, for the flowers to be inserted into. I try to use Oasis/floral foam as little as humanly possible, as it’s terrible for the environment and is essentially plastic - and a carcinogenic! Yuck! I certainly don’t want you carrying around a bouquet that has the potential to make you sick. I also don’t think that the plastic holders are very comfortable to carry - they’ve always hurt my hands. I’d rather you hold onto the stems!

Photos by Charmaine Mallari

2) Because I don’t use a bouquet holder, it means that I need to use a LOT of stems to create the bouquet. So, not only is your bouquet going to be a little more expensive, it’s also likely to be pretty heavy. That might get a little annoying on the wedding day, but your biceps are going to look awesome in photos ;) Some florists will wire the flower heads to alleviate some of the weight, but with our super hot summers, I’m always a little worried that those flowers aren’t going to make it if they have no chance of being popped back into water throughout the day.

Photos by Sugar and Soul Photography

3) You’ll have to carry your bouquet slightly differently than you would with a traditional handtied bouquet. You can tell from some of these pictures that the bride’s hands are angled a little differently - the bouquet is in front of her like normal, but her hands are angled so the bouquet hangs down in front. I cut the stems as short as I can to allow for this to be as easy as possible for the bride, as you’ll want to hug the stems as close to your body as possible. This is really the one benefit of using a bouquet holder, as far as I’m concerned - the holder is designed to make it easy to design the bouquet’s shape, but the negatives outweigh that. So, angled hands you’ll have!

Photos by Sugar and Soul Photography

4) I have to be really specific about the flower and greenery types that I use. I like to use a few focal flowers, as I would normally, but then I’m also looking for stems that naturally have a vertical line or a curved line, to help create that cascade shape. And of course, vines and trailing greenery are a must to make the shape!

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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!