How To Pin a Boutonniere Tutorial
I came across this awesome little how-to video tutorial on Snippet & Ink the other day and loved it! Often on a wedding day, I don't actually see the guys, so it's not going to be me who is pinning the boutonnieres on. One of the steps that I think is the most important is the very first - deciding where to place that boutonniere. So often I see pictures of a wedding and laugh, "What on earth were they thinking?" It's those kind of hilarious photos that sort of make you feel badly for the guys, because they obviously didn't know what they were doing when they put that boutonniere on the absolute bottom of their lapel, or practically sitting on their shoulder. So for all of those guys out there (and you know there's definitely going to be at least 1 in every bridal party), make sure you save these steps!
Beautiful Winter Wedding Decor Ideas
Well, I realize that we are heading into summer (which I literally could not be more pumped about), but that means that all of you brides and grooms getting married in winter are in the midst of making all of your decisions! So, I want to share my favourite ideas for beautiful winter wedding decor.
Add in Texture - And Lots of It
One of my favourite "tricks" when designing a winter wedding is using lots of texture - branches, pine boughs, berries, wood, velvet. Emily from Feast & Festivities came up with the idea to create a winter ceremony backdrop out of firewood. It was gorgeous!
Esther Funk Photography
Serve a Hot Drink
Whether it's a hot chocolate bar where your guests can choose from fun mix-ins, an espresso cart, or serving hot toddies as your signature cocktail, serving a hot drink during your cocktail hour or as your guests arrive at the ceremony is a lovely way to welcome them to your celebration. Abiding Citizen is my favourite craft beverage company; their shrubs, bitters, and syrups are perfect.
Decorate with Warm Textiles
For this tablescape designed by Host Winnipeg, we used a gorgeous blanket as the table covering. The texture added warmth softness, which is just what you want in winter. Thick linen tablecloths would also be great!
Janine Kropla Photography
Gift a Fresh Favour
Some of my favourite wedding favours have been Ferrero Rocher chocolates or individually packaged macarons, but the idea of a fresh bundle of herbs waiting for your guests is beautiful. The fragrance alone would be intoxicating, and your guests could take these home for cooing savoury soups and stews, or throw them into their fireplace for a cozy night in.
Focus on Lighting
Mood lighting is the best way to create the right atmosphere for your winter wedding. Whether that means soft candlelight for an elegant evening or cafe lighting for a celebratory fˆ´te, lighting will accomplish the right look.
Don't Shy Away from Greenery
One of my December brides once told me that she wanted her wedding to look the way it feels when you look up at the dark, starry sky through the bare branches. I thought this was so beautiful. But, rather than using branches everywhere, we chose greenery! I used a lot of feather eucalyptus, which has skinny, feathery leaves that created that branchy feeling. Greenery bouquets marking the aisle, tall arrangements of evergreens, suspended greenery installations - any of these would be beautiful at a winter wedding.
Get Outside, Even if it's Just for a Few Minutes
Half the reason you chose a winter wedding date was probably so you could take some outdoor photos. No matter how cold it is, pop outside for a few minutes with your photographer, to grab some of those coveted snow falling, rosy cheeked, chilly aired photos.
Choose Rich Flavours
Warm, savoury soups and rich, luxurious desserts are the way to go! In the winter, we all crave a little extra luxury, so a thick chocolate cake slathered in buttercream or a classic New York style cheesecake is the perfect choice.
MY FAVOURITE VENUES FOR WINTER WEDDINGS IN MANITOBA:
Bridges Golf Course
Hotel Fort Garry
Fort Gibraltar
Qualico Family Centre
Hawthorne Estates (I can't wait until their 2018 re-build! The plans are incredible!)
Fairmont Hotel
How to Make a White and Green Wedding Unique
One of the most frequently requested wedding palettes I get is white and green. To be honest with you, this stresses me out a bit, because it can be very difficult to make a white and green wedding unique. I want all of my weddings to feel personalized and special, so you can see where my struggle comes in.
So today, I want to show you different wants to make a white and green wedding palette unique!
Add an Accent Colour to the Flowers
Blush has been a very popular accent for the past few seasons. In 2017, I'm tucking in shades of burgundy, caramel, lavender and blues to add a bit of dimension and interest. Adding in a delicate touch of colour doesn't mean that you suddenly have a colourful wedding. I'm talking about a ratio of about 10% colour accent and 90% white and green. With a touch of colour, you get a distinct effect depending on the accent shade chosen: light blue becomes whimsical, burgundy becomes luxe, caramel becomes fresh.
Bring in a Lot of Texture
Bringing in a lot of texture adds interest. In the ceremony arrangement below, the texture is brought in through several different types of eucalyptus. Different shapes of leaves and the introduction of seeds make this feel interesting and fresh.
Accent with Natural Elements
I also love the idea of introducing natural textures - branches, pods, twigs, vines, herbs. For some wedding ceremony installations, I have gathered sticks for months ahead of time, knowing that they were going to add in a beautiful touch.
Layer in Different Shades in Your Reception Decor
I always like to select one key foundational colour to use throughout a wedding and tie it all together. I usually prefer something that's softer and more neutral, but it doesn't have to be that way! A white and green wedding palette works well with all sorts of great foundational colours, like soft grey, brown, champagne, blush, other shades of green, mocha, light blue, burgundy, lilac...really, anything!
Choose a Different Tone of Foliage
This is definitely one of the simplest ways to make your white and green bridal bouquet look differently than all the other white and green bridal bouquets. For Katie's bouquet below, I tucked in green viburnum (which is actually a flower!) and the fresh, bright green was a great choice. Or, you can go a completely different route with a different colour of foliage altogether! Magnolia is a gorgeous choice with those big, velvety, coppery leaves and copper beech foliage is also awesome. This would be amazing for a fall or winter wedding.
kampphotography
How to Choose a Gorgeous Wedding Colour Palette
Your colour palette is one of the most important things when it comes to the visual experience of your wedding, and there are a number of things to consider when you're first choosing the right combination. I'm going to briefly walk you through a few of the top things to consider, and then tell you where I think a lot of couples go wrong.
1) Your venue. Let's face it, a lot of venues have some BIZARRE and very noticeable colour palettes already going on. Purple and orange carpet, anyone? I've seen it (at more than one venue...barf). You definitely have to keep the built-in colour palette of your venue in mind when selecting your colour combination.
2) Your favourite colours! Are you drawn to warm tones or cool tones? Neutrals or bright colours? Do you like contrasting colours or complimentary colours? Pulling out a colour wheel is a great way to identify some possible accent colours. Check out this post for some great help.
3) How you can tie these together in a way that is unique, interesting, and not boring? Like all trends, colour combinations tend to go in cycles. And like everything that pops up on Pinterest, most colour combinations become VERY overdone. That doesn't mean these colours aren't great...it just means that the chances of your wedding looking a LOT like everyone else's are pretty high. Take, for example, navy/blush/gold. It's a great combination, but because of how overused it is, it doesn't lend anything personal or unique to your wedding style.
Okay, so what is it that I find most people do wrong when it comes to choosing a gorgeous wedding colour palette? They play it too safe! There's no need for you to stick to just 1 or 2 colours, or a palette which is predictable, or sticking to a combination that is overly seasonal (you don't need to use only white and green in winter...just do whatever you want!).
HERE'S MY TOP TIP FOR DEVELOPING A GORGEOUS WEDDING COLOUR PALETTE:
Don't be afraid to expand on your colour palette to find the right accents.
1. Take the colour palette progression photos above as an example. I started with a pretty basic colour palette: white and green. Now, there's nothing wrong with white and green but it's really hard to make a white and green bouquet different from the last white and green bouquet.
2. So, I added in a touch of burgundy foliage and berries. This added a bit of depth and texture at the same time, but it's not too much and if you're a bit afraid of colour, this is a great level for you.
3. Now, if you're ready to go a touch farther, layer in a bit of soft pink. This can be just an accent, or it can be bolder, too. Bonus points if your pink blooms have a touch of that burgundy tone, like the centre of these gorgeous lisianthus.
4. And finally, if the idea of adding in colour doesn't stress you out, then just go for it: add in some yellow. In almost every palette, I find that a delicate hint of yellow brings life and excitement.
Here's another example, with a fall palette!
If you're unsure of how to develop your wedding colour palette, flowers are a great place to work in accent colours without needing to have different tones splashed throughout the decor. And if you need a second opinion or some different suggestions, I'd love to talk with you.
I'm now booking 2018 weddings! Click the button below to send me an inquiry. I can't wait to hear from you!
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.