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!

How to Take the Best Care of Your Wedding Flowers

Once in a while, I’ll read complaints on a Facebook group or something of the like of wedding flowers not lasting throughout a wedding day. So, here are some tips on how to take the BEST care of your wedding flowers!

Before I get too far into this, it really comes down to using common sense: remember that flowers are live things, and treat them as such. If you throw your bouquet around, the delicate petals will be damaged. If you leave it out of water on a hot day, it will wilt. If you leave it in an unheated car when it’s below zero, it will freeze. Think of flowers like skin, except those petals are even more delicate and they don’t have the ability to regenerate themselves!

Keep The Flowers Hydrated

After delivery or pick up of flowers, it is the client’s responsibility to keep flowers hydrated throughout the day to maintain freshness. Place bouquets into their water sources throughout the day to allow for hydration (I always deliver my bouquets in vases to give them the best chance). In hot weather, flowers should be kept out of direct sunlight as much as possible, which will cause them to wilt. Some flower varieties are more prone to wilting than others, and if you’re getting married in the heat of summer, there’s just honestly very little that we can do to protect those fragile blooms. Generally, keeping them in water and out of heat will be your best bet!

Think About The Temperature

In cold temperatures, flowers should not be exposed to air below or around freezing. Flowers will be delivered with a plastic covering; keep this closed over the flowers any time they are outside. Do not leave flowers in an unheated vehicle. Flowers will freeze and brown when exposed to freezing air - and note that this includes air conditioners! Last year I had a photographer friend text me a photo of a bouquet (not one of mine) to ask what happened to it, so she could try to help the bride. The white flowers had completely browned and gone mushy. I asked where it was placed - the photographer told me that the couple had picked up the flowers from their florist the night previous to the wedding, and they had left them right in front of the air conditioner. As much as we do want to keep the flowers cool, the air coming out of an air conditioner is often too cold when it’s directly on the flowers, and that poor bouquet froze. Once a flower is frozen, there is no going back!

One bummer about temperature is that we can rarely control it. This includes your venue! The first week that the heat goes on in the fall often ends up with the venue being SUPER hot. I hate to say it, but there’s just nothing I can do to combat the inevitable wilt of some of your flowers under that blowing heat. A few years ago, I had a winter wedding where the ballroom must have been at least 26 degrees Celcius - in other words, it was smoking hot. I think their plan was to warm up the room quickly so that they could turn down the heat once guests arrived, but of course that plays a major impact on the flowers. I was running around the room making sure that every stem was in water and replacing some stems that had already started wilting, but there was nothing beyond that that I could do. Tent weddings often have a similar situation - I would recommend that if you’re having a tent wedding, ask your venue coordinator or wedding coordinator to open up the side panels to allow for as much air flow as possible. There’s nothing like a dank heat settling in a tent to create that oppressive greenhouse effect that cut flowers do not often thrive in.

Travel Safely

One of the weirdest wedding mornings I’ve ever had was when the bride’s father came to pick up her bridal party flowers…with a full car. And it wasn’t just that there were dress bags or something in the backseat - it was full of PEOPLE. Like, there was literally no room in the car for the flowers. I asked him what his plan was, and he promptly popped the trunk. PEOPLE. Trunks are not air-conditioned, nor are they safe for something fragile to be bouncing around in. Please, please, please do not put your flowers in your trunk if you care about them at all! I told him there was no way he could do this and I suggested the people in the backseat hold the flowers on their laps (luckily, it was a very small order of just bridal party bouquets).

Now I know that on a wedding day, you’re rarely staying in one place all day long. You’re probably hopping into a limo to go off-site for photos at some point, and that’s perfectly fine! I deliver my bouquets in long cardboard boxes that are quite sturdy, and then packed really well with tons of paper in between the vases. The easiest thing you can do it just pop the bouquets back into their vases, have one person pick up each end of the box, and slide it into the vehicle. No trunks :) Do not leave flowers in a closed, un-air-conditioned vehicle.

Minimize The Flower Timeline

That’s a weird way of wording it, but if you’re facing a really hot day or you’re just worried about the longevity of the flowers, don’t have me deliver your bouquets at 8 am. If all of your pictures are taking place between the ceremony and reception, I can deliver your bouquets to you shortly before you leave for the ceremony location, which means that they’ll be able to stay in my cooler for longer! Most photographers don’t care to have the flowers in every photo, anyways, so you won’t need them all day long.

Similarly, opt to have the flowers picked up or delivered on the day of the wedding as much as possible, and not the day before. Rarely does this happen in my business, and usually only when the wedding is out of town so I understand that sometimes we need to make an exception and have the flowers picked up the day before. But generally, I do my very best to avoid this! Again, the longer they can stay in my cooler, the better for the flowers.

Keep Flowers Out Of Harm’s Way

What is in “harm’s way,” you might ask? Pets, curious little kids, overbearing mothers or wedding coordinators... Some pets will have a tendency to sniff a little too closely or even try to take a bite out of a bouquet. Little kids might tear through the getting ready space and knock a bouquet down, or get their hands right into the flowers and rip apart those fragile petals (though I will say, the ring bearer at one of my weddings this year tried to eat a flower out of his mom’s bouquet while she carried him down the aisle, and it was adorable). The occasional mom or wedding coordinator will think they know best and attempt to “perfect” the piece that’s already been perfected by your designer. At the shop I used to work at, we once had a wedding coordinator (truth be told, she was NOT a professional wedding coordinator, but someone the family knew who was a little overly bossy and wanted to be involved) who called us to re-make a bouquet 3 times on the morning of the wedding. Why? Because she thought that the petals weren’t perfect enough, and picked off all of the “damaged” petals - aka she made the bouquet bald, twice, before learning her lesson. Luckily, a retail shop often has enough leftovers to re-make a bouquet and we made it work for that bride but we had to tell the coordinator HANDS OFF!

The most important thing to me is that your flowers look beautiful on the day of the wedding. My job is to make sure each bloom is at it’s very peak on the day of, and in most flower varieties, they look their absolute best shortly before they die. Of course I would LOVE for your flowers to last a week after your wedding, and very often they do - but the after isn’t what matters the most.

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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!

All photos in this post by Charmaine Mallari Photography.

2019 and 2020 Wedding Trends

Happy New Year, friends! I’m writing to you from my maternity leave :) I’ll still have fresh content coming to you every few weeks (don’t worry…I pre-scheduled it all before baby came so I’m not actually working that much right now!) - I just didn’t 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.

I’ll start this off by saying that I actually really DON’T like “trends.” I’ve never really liked shopping in the trendy stores for whatever style is in that month, for the reason that I’m more of a quality over quantity person. Most of the time, things that are earmarked as “trends” are styles and ideas that are mass-marketed (meaning, everyone is going to have them and they’re 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 “why on earth did I do that?” 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 “Why did I choose THAT for my wedding?”

So all that to say, you can feel rest assured that when I write about the trends that I see, they’re more general style movements that will have lasting power and you’re not likely to regret choosing for one of the most important days of your life. I’m also mostly concerned about trends that play into your wedding flowers or overall event design. With that said, here are some of the “trends” 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!

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Wedding Colour of the Year: Mauve

This is hardly surprising. We’re 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, I’m surprising myself when I say this, seeing as orange has always been right at the bottom of my list. But, I’m 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, I’m finding that I don’t hate it…but 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.

Don’t Miss Trend: Touches of the Tropics

If you follow any large-name floral and wedding designers on Instagram, I’m confident that you’ll have noticed one of the more recent trends that I’m saying you can’t miss: a touch of the tropics. I’m talking a dramatic usage of large palm leaves, ferns (both natural and bleached), and tropical flowers like anthuriums or orchids. Now, you don’t need to go all the way with a rainforest-inspired wedding (though I’m 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

What’s Trending in Table Decor? Floral Centrepieces!

I’m pretty pleased to see a return to more floral-heavy centrepieces in the coming year. I’m seeing fewer and fewer requests for garlands, which I have to say I’m 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 can’t 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!

…And Coloured Candles

I’d 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 it’s 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 “trends” for the 2019 and 2020 wedding season! I’d love to incorporate some of these design ideas into my work so if you see something you like, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m 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 you’re getting married in a ballroom with a burgundy palette, but let’s talk :)

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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!

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 Winnipeg…but 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 there’s nothing wrong with a hotel ballroom, I find that most of my clients are looking for something that’s a bit more interesting and less “ballroom.” So, here’s 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, it’s a really gorgeous and unique option for a wedding. I love the idea of seating your guests throughout the restaurant, and if you haven’t 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 there’s also a large solarium, and the lounge typically doubles as the dance floor area.

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Eckhardt Hall at the WAG

Photos by Megan Steen Photography

I LOVE Eckhardt Hall, on the main floor at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. It’s not a new space or a hidden treasure by any means, but that doesn’t stop me from loving it. It’s 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!

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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 it’s 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 can’t seat a massive amount of people (I think it’s around 100 for a comfortably seated dinner) but if you’re 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!}

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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 aren’t booked with an exhibit, you can do some pretty cool things design-wise. Here’s 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 it’s 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!

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Canadian Human Rights Museum

Photos by Moore Photography

It’s nothing new to say that the Human Rights Museum is a great place for a wedding, and I suppose because it’s been popular for a few years now, it may not exactly be considered “unique.” 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 it’s really dark. There are, however, other spaces - I’m 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). It’s open and airy, with beautiful light and is just a really unique setting.

Check out another Human Rights Museum wedding here!

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Updated for 2021 :

Cloakroom Wellness

Photography by Jolaika

Cloakroom Wellness checks SO many boxes for an intimate space. It’s such a unique combination of clean and minimalist with historic industrial. It’s not huge, but if you’re 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!

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Manitoba Club

Black and Gold Photography

How the heck did I miss Manitoba Club when I first made this list? It’s one of my favourite venues in Winnipeg. Now here’s the thing — 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 — it’s perfect for intimate wedding receptions, an outdoor wedding ceremony, or even your cocktails and dancing!

Check out more that I’ve done at Manitoba Club here! | See their indoor spaces here!

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Kitchen Sync

Sugar & Soul Photography

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 — it creates a moody, dramatic vibe that is just untouchable!

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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 it’s 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, there’s 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 guests’ 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 you’re 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

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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!