Whimsical Summer Wedding at Evergreen Village
I loved all of the whimsical touches and style that Cara and Harrison pulled into their wedding. It was basically like a beautiful unicorn wedding, if that's possible. Evergreen Village just outside of Niverville was a lovely setting, and for goodness' sake, look at the gorgeous tones of the mismatched bridesmaid dresses! So pretty!
Photos by Kat Willson Photography
Cara's bouquet ended up being one of my favourite bouquets of 2016, but it didn't start out that way. I decided to try a different technique and I didn't feel like I was getting the hang of it at all. In the end, I loved it. I used very little greenery (all of which was foraged) and my favourite things about the bouquet were the gorgeous tones of the dahlias and all of the movement I was able to achieve with the bouquet's shape.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: dahlias, roses, lisianthus, scabiosa, delphinium, smokebush, olive, and white poplar.
Cara wanted a simple, light flower crown. I used an olive foliage base and tucked in white waxflower with white spray roses.
The ceremony design was simple, but really pretty and lush. I started with a long greenery garland and then added in a TON of white hydrangea. It was like getting married under a cloud.
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
Lake of the Woods Wedding at the Kenora Yacht Club
Sam and Jordan's wedding was my first ever working at the Yacht Club in Kenora, and I loved it! The July sun was out, the skies were clear, and Samantha is a really fun person so I knew it was going to be a great wedding.
Working at the Yacht Club has a unique set of challenges, the biggest of which is that it's on an island! We had to drive out to Kenora with everything packed carefully into the back of my van, meet up with the wedding coordinator, and then load everything into the Club's pontoon boat. We then putted across the lake for about 20 minutes, at which point the pontoon boat ran out of gas about 500 metres from the dock...So after a staff member hopped onto a jet ski and got us some gas, we eventually made out way over to the island and got started.
Photos: luckygirl photography | Videography: Prairie Film Co | Wedding Coordinator: Styled Wedding & Event Planning | Dress: Bliss Bridal Boutique
We wanted the keep the palette pretty simple: whites, greens, and watery blues to reflect the incredible view. The Lake of the Woods area is just gorgeous. I also tucked in a few burgundy touches from my garden to add a little depth.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: roses, lisianthus, anemones, dendropbium orchids, veronica, stock, ferns, eucalyptus, and pittosporum with burgundy heuchera foliage and tiny touches of light blue tweedia.
This was definitely one of my favourite ceremony spaces to design of the entire summer! Being on that dock, in the warm sun, was just wonderful (and I got a wicked sunburn that kicked off my summer tan, so bonus! Until I snipped off the tip of my finger when I was almost finished the arbor...just a little slice, it was such a huge deal ha!).
I started with the arch. The couple had purchased this plain white arch, and the plan was for me to dress it up. Given the natural surroundings, I didn't want to do anything too perfect or tidy, and I wanted to keep the palette pretty soft. I started with a lot of soft green foliage (mostly foraged silver willow foliage, olive, and several varieties of eucalyptus). I popped in a few white mums as focal flowers, and then worked in dark blue, light blue, and white delphinium throughout. I love how the long delphinium stems point in all directions; they really add dimension and shape.
There wasn't much in the way of an aisle, because the dock area is pretty short and there was only space for a handful of chairs before the steps started. Sam wanted something to mark an aisle though, so I created a few of these natural, free-form pieces at the base of a couple of chairs. They felt like they were growing up out of the dock, which I love.
I absolutely LOVE the colours and styles of these bridesmaid dresses. This coral colour is UNREAL, and paired with that floaty soft blue dress? Amazing. This is mistmatched bridesmaids done right.
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!
Bright and Colourful Summer Wedding at The Qualico Centre
Brittine and Jeff got married on my birthday. And I'll tell you what, guys: my birthday is at the end of August and it always has THE BEST weather. So basically, I'm a good luck charm. When we first met, Brittine told me she couldn't decide between a bright and colourful wedding palette, or, in her words, "a blush palette like every other basic white bride." I laughed, and then asked her to please, as a birthday present to me, choose to go with a bright colour palette. Mission accomplished.
Photos: JP Media Works | Coordination: Amanda Douglas Events | Linens and Rentals: Planned Perfectly | Venue: Qualico Family Centre
I'm definitely a colour lover. I know that bright colour can be tricky to use at a wedding, and some people are afraid to really go for it (I'll be honest...I'm often one of those people!). But Brittine was not afraid! Her bridesmaids were wearing several different shades of blue, so for her flowers, we chose peach, burgundy, coral, orange, and greens. I LOVED it.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: dahlias, zinnias, gomphrena, cosmos, garden roses, stock, solidago, succulents, and boxwood.
Brittine and Jeff have two rambunctious dogs and I made these bright floral dog collars for them. They were so cute!
The reception was at the Qualico Family Centre in Assiniboine Park. I designed two different centrepiece styles, one with a large potted plant and mini floral arrangements, and the other with a larger floral arrangements and mini potted succulents. It came together really cute and was perfect for summer!
