Sara and Jay's Tuscan-Themed Wedding at Terrace in the Park
Chatting with Sara about her wedding flowers was wonderful. Why? Because we were best friends when we were little girls. Sara and I grew up just down the road from each other and after our brothers stopped playing hockey together, we just didn't see each other much anymore. So, when she came to talk with me about her flowers, it was an absolute treat to find out where life has taken her these last 15 years. And where life has taken her is right to Jay, her new husband.
With a honeymoon planned for Italy and a bride with great taste, their planning took a decidedly Tuscan turn. Inspired by beautiful vineyards, old-world charm, and their excitement for their honeymoon trip, we infused a bit of Tuscany into the wedding flowers. A neutral palette full of foliage and white blooms was chosen, which looked lovely against the bridesmaids' ombre purple dresses.
Photos by Cynthia Bettencourt Photography ~ Linens from Dream Day Decor ~ Venue: The Pavillion in the Park/Terrace 55
How to Choose Your Wedding Colour Palette
Long gone are the days when brides would choose one colour for their wedding, pair it with white, and leave it at that. Taking their cues from home decor and fashion trends, today’s brides are leaning towards a more expanded colour palette with multiple hues and shades. A larger, while still cohesive, colour palette creates a richness, a sense of depth, and a more stylish look overall. It will evolve your wedding design from basic and ordinary to a well pulled-together aesthetic.
But, just because a bride knows she wants a larger colour palette doesn’t always mean that she knows HOW to create it. Which primary hues to choose? What shades of those hues? Do you stick with one colour for the bridesmaids’ dresses and invitations, and another colour for the bouquets?
To start with, pull out a colour wheel—most of your answers will come to you here. Consider the following colour palette options, and then see what you lean towards naturally!
Neutral: white, grey, brown, black
Monochromatic: one colour, with different tones or shades to bring depth to it
Complementary: opposites on the colour wheel
Split Complementary: one base colour, plus the 2 hues on either side of the base colour's complement
Analogous: 3 hues beside each other on the colour wheel
If you are nervous about how to incorporate colour, start with an analogous colour palette and you can’t go wrong! For example, mauves transition naturally into violets and pale pinks so you can easily combine these hues into a well-designed palette.
For myself, I know that I’m always drawn to analogous and split-complementary palettes, and many of my brides are drawn towards monochromatic palettes (often with blush pink). After you are better able to verbalize what types of palettes you’re drawn to, look outside of weddings to find inspiration on what tones and shades you like. Look to fashion, home decor, and art for ideas—I love looking at beautiful fabrics or wallpapers to see how different hues play together. I’m sure that you’ll discover some beautiful inspiration, and then you can bring that all back to more wedding-specific tasks and use it as a guide for choosing your linens, working on your stationery, and of course, planning your flowers! Still not sure? Here are some examples of each palette--give yourself a moment to glance over them and see what pops out at you!
Example of a neutral colour palette by Stone House Creative. Photo by Victoria Anne Photography.
Example of a monochromatic colour palette by Stone House Creative. Photo by Brittany Mahood Photography.
Example of a complementary colour palette by Stone House Creative. Photo by Stephanie Godfrey Photography.
Example of a split-complementary colour palette by Stone House Creative. Photo by Jeremy Hiebert Photography.
Example of an analogous colour palette by Stone House Creative. Photo by Brittany Mahood Photography.
NEED MORE HELP? Here are some helpful articles I've found:
Designing Your Wedding Colour Palette
Top 13 Color and Style Mistakes to Avoid
Once Wed's Tips for Creating a Wedding Colour Scheme
Spring 2016 Wedding Colour Trends
Brianna and John's Summer Wedding at Pineridge Hollow
On a lovely day in August, Brianna and John got married at Pineridge Hollow. I love working on weddings out there, because the light airy feel of the reception tent is so easy to bring flowers into! It works great with lots of different colour palettes, and the tent is really adaptable to several different aesthetic styles. I also happen to love a good soft blush and cream palette in this all-white setting. Brianna was actually the first bride to meet with me after launching Stone House Creative, and also the first bride to book with me! Thank you so much for trusting me with your blooms!
And another huge thank you to Hailey Funk Photography, who always takes such beautiful pictures of my blooms.
Peony Bridal Bouquet - Karen and Chris' Engagement
Karen and Chris just got married at the beginning of October, but they chose to have their engagement session in early summer. And you know what that means...peony season! Karen asked me to create a simple floral crown for her, and when a good friend told me I could help myself to all the peonies in her garden, I knew I had to design a bouquet for her, too. And really, is there anything lovelier than a garden-grown peony?
Thank you to Rachwal Photography for these gorgeous photos!
Eliza and Ian's Summer Hawthorne Estates Wedding
Oh man, have I ever been blessed with just the BEST of brides this summer. Eliza was one them. I couldn't wait for her wedding to Ian to roll around: she is so sweet, lovely, and has wonderful taste and I just knew it was going to be an awesome day. Add, the facts that they chose to get married at one of my favourite venues (Hawthorne Estates) and had Victoria Anne Photography taking their photos were definite plusses!
