Cassy and Matt's Jewel Tone Wedding at the Fort Garry Hotel
I can't believe that it's January and Cassy and Matt's fun jewel tone wedding at the Fort Garry Hotel was in July! It feels like it was just weeks ago. I loved the opportunity to work with so much colour for an otherwise fairly traditional wedding - Cassy wanted rich jewel tones, and I was more than happy to oblige! Rich pinks, peaches, vibrant greens, berries, and a hint of light blue made for a delicious palette. I also got to work with Amanda Douglas Events (I love working with wedding planners!), who did a great job of tying together different aspects of Cassy and Matt's individual styles and dreams for the wedding - for example, Matt really wanted his favourite colour (lime green) to play a role, and Cassy's love for Disney needed to find a place as well (which was incorporated into cute sketches on the guest table numbers).
Amanda Douglas Events ~ Luckygirl Photography ~ Planned Perfectly ~ Two Chicks and a Bag of Makeup ~ Niakwa Golf Course ~ Fort Garry Hotel ~ Platinum Productions ~ Buttercream by Alareen
GUYS. I love love loved Cassy's bouquet, and making it. And holding it. And I may or may not have wanted to keep it! I loved this combination of jewel tones and textures, rich greens and unique touches.
Bridal bouquet ingredients: garden roses (several varieties), standard roses, spray roses, delphinium, sweet pea, and dahlias with several types of greenery.
The ceremony was held at Niakwa Country Club (which they normally only do when they have receptions at the club, so this worked out really well for Cassy and Matt!), and in the summertime, it is so vibrant and lush there that we didn't need to add any flowers. But, Cassy had this cute idea to add some light, airy floral garlands onto the sides of the wagon that the little kids were pulled down the aisle on. It was so cute and worked out so well!
Amanda from Amanda Douglas Events came up with a really beautiful, unique floor plan in the Provencher Room at the Fort Garry Hotel (for the record, it's my favourite ballroom in the city!). She combined both wide, rectangular tables with round tables to create an elegant space that was also effective at directing guests around the room. They chose these gorgeous cross-back chairs and lace overlays from Planned Perfectly, which formed the right kind of neutral base for the space - especially since Cassy wanted me to go vibrant with the flowers! For the long tables, the floral centrepieces were in a long wood box, and for the round tables, I used a short stone urn.
We re-purposed the floral garlands onto the sweets table and I love the way it turned out!
Sara and Brent's All-Greenery Wedding
When it comes to simple weddings, I don't think there's anything quite so simple and pretty as an all-greenery wedding. Sara and Brent's wedding was such a fun one to be a part of - it was an intimate wedding, without need for too terribly much floral decor, so Sara chose to go with tons of greenery and texture instead!
Wedding Planner: Amanda Douglas Events | Photos: Kamp Photography | Venue: St Norbert Arts Centre | Linens: Dream Day Decor | Lighting Backdrop: Event Light
I love the St Norbert Arts Centre. It is such a cool place for weddings! It's pretty small so it's ideal for intimate weddings like this one, and it's also such a neutral space that you can go really minimal OR you can go super bright and colourful. For Sara and Brent, we kept greenery on all the tables but alternated styles - half with a full garland and half with just really loose greenery laid down the length of the table, tucked in with candles.
We did a very simple sweetheart table design for them, with a greenery garland. The showstopper was definitely the cafe light string backdrop behind, from Event Light!
Why May is the Best Time for a Wedding
May is, hands down, the best time of year for a wedding if you're a flower lover.
Before I start, I have to say: I actually really love weddings at any time of year (except maybe March, because let's be honest: March in Manitoba is either still snow-covered or just mucky. It's typically not that gorgeous). But May? May is probably the best time of year for a wedding if you're obsessed with flowers, and I'll tell you why.
1) Peonies. Duh.
There are lots of other phenomenal spring flowers that I love to use, but the glory always goes to the peony, and for good reason.
2) COLOUR!
For the first time in forever (thanks, Frozen! Now you're in my head all day long...), we finally have fresh green growth outside, and a little bit of colour popping up in gardens. And after a long, cold winter, we are all craving some freshness and there is no better way to bring freshness into your wedding than with a fun colour palette. That can be with expertly paired pastels, or it can be bold and full of vibrancy - whatever you like!
Victoria Anne Photography / Styled by Amanda Douglas Events
3) The Feeling of Spring in the Air
Let's talk about the ambiance that a little chill in the air creates. The sun is warm during the afternoon for your ceremony with an early-ish sunset for the perfect photos, and then comes that chill in the air after the sun has set, bringing with it a desire to cosy up and a feeling of intimacy. And that is just the BEST for a wedding.
So guess what. I happen to still have a lot of dates available in May 2018 for wedding bookings! If you want to chat wedding flowers, be sure to click the contact button below to get in touch! Can't wait to hear from you!
How to Maximize Your Wedding Flower Budget: Part 3
I wish that more people would ask me how to maximize their floral budgets! This goes hand in hand with saving money on your wedding flowers and making the best decisions for lower cost budgets. We can make some seriously good things happen if we make the right choices!
This is Part 3 in a 3 Part series on wedding flower budgets. We've already talked about How Much Wedding Flowers Cost in Manitoba, and Misconceptions about Wedding Flower Pricing. If you have any questions or thoughts about these topics, send me an email to info@stonehouseweddings.com and I'll try my best to address it!
I wish that more people would ask me how to maximize their floral budgets! This goes hand in hand with saving money on your wedding flowers and making the best decisions for lower cost budgets. We can make some seriously good things happen if we make the right choices!
This is Part 3 in a 3 Part series on wedding flower budgets. We've already talked about How Much Wedding Flowers Cost in Manitoba, and Misconceptions about Wedding Flower Pricing. If you have any questions or thoughts about these topics, send me an email to info@stonehouseweddings.com and I'll try my best to address it!
1) Choose 1 focal area and keep the rest simple (bonus points if that focal piece can be used in both the ceremony and reception).
It sounds a bit counter-intuitive, but seriously: spend a big chunk of your budget on one key piece and keep everything else simple. The theory behind this makes a lot of sense: one emphasized focal area does an amazing job of creating the ambiance that you're after. This could be an exaggerated hanging installation above the head table (like at Jynelle's wedding, which was also used for their ceremony!), or it could be a gorgeous, over-sized arrangement at a guest book or entrance table to welcome guests in. I've always wanted to do an incredible, statement-making design around a cake table, set in the middle of the room, so if that sounds like something you'd like, then email me!
2) Use greenery, sparingly.
Fully bound garlands are pretty costly, because they take a lot of product, a lot of time, and because the designer always gets poked by the wire. Kidding ;) That doesn't get factored into the cost but I can't tell you how many times I have cursed a garland for making me bleed!
An awesome alternative is to lightly lay greenery down the tables. You still get that fresh green look while eliminating the high cost. For this wedding, I also included some flower "confetti" - loose blooms and petals tucked in with the greenery for some touches of colour.
3) Opt for bud vases or mini arrangements.
Sometimes all a table needs is a pop of colour. In that case, you don't need to go over the top with a full floral arrangement (and sometimes, those long, rectangular harvest style tables don't even have enough space for a full floral arrangement!). A few bud vases clustered in the centre of a table featuring the accent colours in your palette will make just enough of a statement without breaking the bank. You can expect to spend $5-$15/stem vase.
4) Use a coloured table linen.
Okay, I realize that the table linens actually have nothing to do with the flowers, but this is one of the event design rules that I live by: the biggest impact you can make in a room is with the table linens. Why? They take up SO MUCH visual real estate, that they really set the tone for everything that you see. If you're on a lower flower budget, upgrade from the basic table linen (whether that's with a texture, a metallic, or a pop of colour) to make a statement in the room, and then your florals can be scaled back a bit.
Flower Cost Comparisons
I thought I'd offer you some more specific pricing on some of the most popular wedding flowers and some lower cost alternatives that make for great substitutes!
Left: Peony | Right: Pink O'Hara Garden Rose
This may not be my wisest substitute, since garden roses are still costly flowers, but they are definitely the closest thing to a peony that you can get! Peonies usually range from $15-$18 per stem, while an O'Hara garden rose is a little more reliable at $10-$12 per stem.
Left: Juliet David Austin Garden Rose | Right: Peach Lisianthus
Yes, the garden rose is always going to be the king. But if you're just concerned about getting the right colour, then lisianthus could be a great substitute! The David Austin garden roses are a high-end, very carefully bred family of flowers that will ring in at about $18 per stem, while lisianthus will be more like $5-$7 per stem.
Left: Ranunculus | Right: Spray Roses
Everyone's favourite loonie-sized flower is ALWAYS a ranunculus, but they're pretty stinking expensive and not the most reliable. They have a hollow stem, which means they're more prone to rot. Often out of a bunch of 10, I'll only be able to use 5-7 blooms! This little baby will be around $7-$10 per stem, while the similarly sized and shaped spray rose (with a HUGE range of colours and usually 3-5 blooms per stem!) is a much easier to manage $5 per stem,
Hire an excellent wedding florist in Winnipeg!
Getting married in Manitoba? I might be biased, but flowers are the best way to make a statement at your wedding. Whether you already have a specific vision in mind or want me to dream up something custom just for you, reach out to Stone House Creative for stunning bridal bouquets, unique ceremony backdrops, and beautiful floral centrepieces to create the perfect ambiance for your wedding!
Misconceptions About Wedding Flower Pricing: Part 2
Last week, I kicked off this 3 part series on wedding flower budgets, and today, we're going to look at some misconceptions that are floating around out there about how much wedding flowers cost.
This is Part 2 in a 3 Part series on wedding flower budgets. I'll be back soon with more, including tips on how to maximize your floral budget. If you have any questions or thoughts about these topics, send me an email to info@stonehouseweddings.com and I'll try my best to address it!
Last week, I kicked off this 3 part series on wedding flower budgets, and today, we're going to look at some misconceptions that are floating around out there about how much wedding flowers cost.
This is Part 2 in a 3 Part series on wedding flower budgets. I'll be back soon with more, including tips on how to maximize your floral budget. If you have any questions or thoughts about these topics, send me an email to info@stonehouseweddings.com and I'll try my best to address it!
Many of the misconceptions and errors about how much wedding flowers cost are actually coming out from the "pros" who should know better - I'm talking about wedding magazines and blogs.
For example, I recently read an article in Martha Stewart Weddings magazine (of which I am a die-hard fan and have had a subscription to for 10 years!) that listed pricing on a few different centrepiece options...but the price they included for a completed arrangement wasn't even as much as what I would have to pay at a wholesale rate! I have no idea where they got those numbers from, so please take this as a warning: what they publish might not always be correct.
There are a few reasons why they get things wrong: on one hand, their info might be correct for the very particular city that magazine is published in but could be completely unreliable when you cross over to Canada (and to Winnipeg specifically). On the other hand, sometimes they just don't do their research. In the example I gave above, I can only assume that that pricing info just slipped through the fact-checking cracks.
Here are some common misconceptions about how much wedding flowers cost that I hear on a regular basis.
1) Misconception: "I only want to use in-season flowers so they're cheaper."
Truth: "In season" does not necessarily mean cheap. It just means that it's growing and available. Yes, something out of season is going to be MORE expensive, but the reverse isn't necessarily accurate. For example, a peony in season is still going to cost at least $15/stem. That is NOT cheap. But it is available! Out of season, you might be looking at $20+ per stem, which is just plain insane and I would never recommend that you do so.
Speaking of in-season flowers...guys, the VERY best option for cost-effective flowers that are high quality is using locally grown flowers. In Manitoba, we have flowers becoming available usually in the middle of May through the middle of September, depending on the weather. And I LOVE using locally grown flowers! They're hardier, healthier (most are grown chemical free - high five!!), and it's just awesome to also support another small business. That being said, there are a lot of things that simply DO NOT grow in Manitoba, which is a bummer. But some of my favourite flowers to use grow here excellently. Here's a look at a day I spent in the midst of the flowers growing in Southern Manitoba at Lilystone Gardens!
2) Misconception: "Greenery is cheap, right?"
Truth: Yes and no. But in the ways that brides often think? Nope, not necessarily! Yes, I typically get more out of a bunch of greenery than I do out of a bunch of flowers, so it goes farther...but whenever I hear this misconception, it is almost always paired with an image that looks something like this:
Now, I can do this for you. In fact, this is from one of my very favourite 2016 weddings! But somehow, magazines and blogs and Pinterest have given people the idea that greenery garlands running down the length of their tables is going to be budget friendly. Spoiler alert: It's not. For greenery garlands, you can expect to spend about $30-$45/foot (on the higher end for eucalyptus! It’s a budget burner, eucalyptus is). For a 6 foot length (which is what I recommend for an 8 foot table, so you have space on either end in case you need to seat people there), that's $180 - $270 per table. If you want to spend that much, then let's do it! But if not, then I can make some WAY better suggestions for budget-friendly options (and will have more of those on the blog next week!).
3) Misconception: Unfortunately, you can't just tell me how much you're willing to pay for individual things on your floral order - you have to let your floral designer dictate that conversation.
Truth: It's incredibly helpful for you to come up with an overall budget, but then let me deal with the breakdown. I'm trying really hard not to sound like a total jerk when I say this, but this is a really difficult area for wedding florists to navigate and it needs to be addressed. I'll sometimes receive an inquiry saying: "I'm willing to spend $120 on my bridal bouquet, $40 for my bridesmaids, and $4 for each boutonniere." I TOTALLY understand having a specific budget you need to be at, but the problem here is that (unless you've worked in the floral industry) you just don't understand the costs that go into things. Most of my bridal bouquets range from $200 - $250 each, and while I can totally come up with cost-saving solutions, make a more petite size, and so on, when I'm restricted to specific numbers, the back-end math just doesn't work out (and you'd be amazed at how much math there is in floristry!). $4 for a boutonniere doesn't even cover the cost of the flower that I use, let alone the little accents of greenery, and all the time and supplies that go into wiring and taping the entire thing together.
4) Misconception: Why do you charge for set up and delivery?
Truth: Okay, not really a misconception but a question - and a fair question! Every floral designer and rental company charges differing amounts for set up and delivery, but we all charge it - and most of the time, we should be charging more. Here's why:
Before we even get to your venue, we've probably spent 1-2 hours packing all of your centrepieces, one by one, very carefully, into boxes filled with packing materials to keep them safe during transport. We then spend an average of 30-60 minutes loading all of these boxes into our delivery vehicles before we even hit the road. Most venues seem to be about 30-60 minutes away, so there's the travel time, too. If you've been counting, you'll realize that we're already 3 hours in without even setting anything up! The amount of time needed at the venue varies depending on what you've ordered: one centrepiece per table is easy to pop on the table and just takes a few minutes. A larger ceremony installation might need to be designed on-site, which could take 2 hours on its own. I think you get the picture :)
We also spend time cleaning up after ourselves, stashing the boxes somewhere you'll be able to find them, loading and unloading the van at the venue, and driving back to the studio. There's also the cost of staffing, the gas for the vehicles, the cost of larger rental delivery vehicles if your wedding requires more space, and miscellaneous things like parking and insurance.
All of this is time that we're happy to spend in order to make sure that your wedding comes together perfectly, and it means that you don't have to worry about setting anything up yourself or assigning an auntie or a few friends to get to your wedding 6 hours early just to set up. But, it's also time that we spend away from our families, on the weekends, in the summer - and that time deserves to be compensated for.
Did you miss Part 1 of this series (How Much Do Wedding Flowers Cost in Manitoba)? Check it out here!
For more info on what an entire wedding costs in Manitoba, this article is filled with helpful details, including price ranges on many different types of vendors you might need for your wedding.
Getting married in Winnipeg? Contact Stone House Creative!
Stone House Creative services Winnipeg and the surrounding areas (Stonewall, East St Paul, Steinbach, Niverville), as well as Clear Lake, Brandon and Kenora/Lake of the Woods. Whether you have something specific in mind or want me to dream up something completely custom for you, reach out to Stone House Creative to check your wedding date. I promise I'll always help you to get the most out of your wedding flower budget, with a stunning end product!
