Tropical Greens at Cielo's Garden's Open House
I always love being a part of the Cielo's Garden Open House each year, for a number of reasons (you can see more from last year's by clicking here!).
First, the people there are wonderful. Carla and Diego (and their adorable daughter and cat) are truly great people, and I always enjoy spending time with them. The facility that they dreamed up and created is incredible. Each spring, when I arrive there for the first time of the year, I fall in love with the place all over again. The way the trees arch over the path in the woods, the sweet stone chapel, even the smell of the air out there - it's magical. The open house is also a great opportunity for me to meet up with some of my couples getting married there, walking through their wedding flower plans in the space in which they'll be, which helps the couple to visualize it so much better.
And finally, the open house is also a chance for me to stretch my creative muscle and do something interesting. Carla recommends me as one of her preferred vendors, and to me, this gives me a responsibility to always be coming up with fresh design ideas so that each couples really feels like they're getting a unique wedding just for them.
So for this year's open house design, I decided to feature my personal favourite colour: emerald green. I didn't want to just do the same old green that has been done time and time again, though - I felt the urge to play with a tropical vibe, which I've never done before, and chose to tie in some of my copper wedding rentals, which paired beautifully with the green and black accents. I was pleasantly surprised at all of the positive response I received on Instagram from the design, so I thought I'd share it here on the blog! The photos were all just taken on my phone, so forgive me for them not be stellar :)
Venue: Cielo's Garden | Florals and Design: Stone House Creative | Place Setting Rentals: C&T Rentals | Silk Table Runner: Tono & Co
2019 Wedding Bookings Update
Hello everyone!
Wedding season is underway (and with a bang...I've got three weddings this weekend!) and I'm excited to also be heavy into my booking season for 2019 weddings. I know it seems crazy to be booking your wedding flowers so far out, but we tend to have long engagements here in Winnipeg with couples that like to plan their weddings far in advance.
Here's an update on my 2019 wedding availability:
May 2019: Limited dates still available in the earlier half of the month
June 2019: Fully booked
July 2019: I've got space for 2 more weddings depending on their size
August 2019: 3-4 more bookings are still available, on August 3, August 10, and August 24!
September 2019: 3-4 more bookings, depending on their size
October: Pretty flexible, aside from the Thanksgiving weekend which is fully booked
So, if you've been wanting to sit down with me to discuss your wedding flower needs, click the button below to set up an appointment.
Next year, I'm really excited to be working at many incredible outdoor venues and properties, designing in some really fun and creative colour palettes, and with couples who love flowers and want to put a major focus on unique designs (not just what they've seen on Pinterest). I'd love to create a floral design plan just for you!
I've got some other great things going on these days!
-Last week I hosted two Mother's Day flower classes (SO much fun!) and I'll be planning another floral arranging class mid-summer with all locally grown flowers.
-I also took part in a creative photo shoot last week, with Casey Nolin and Inspired Elegance Events, with a delish palette of peaches, corals, orange and salmon. So refreshing and I can't wait to show you the photos!
-One Tuesday, May 22 between 3 pm and 8 pm I'll be at Cielo's Garden for their open house. If you're a 2018 or 2019 couple getting hitched at Cielo's, make sure you come by to talk details with Carla and talk flowers with me!
-One of the things I'm looking forward to the most is a free week coming up in June, during which I have no weddings and instead will just be playing with flowers for myself, trying new techniques and new-to-me varieties of flowers. I can't wait!
-Wedding season is underway and I think I'm more excited for this season than ever before. It's going to be so great!
Behind the Scenes: Wedding Planners Styled Day
Aimee De La Lande Photography
I am a HUGE believer in community over competition. The wedding industry is an interesting one because we all create so much - and that can make it very competitive and judgemental ("will that couple book with me or with them? This thing that I just made is total crap. This thing I just made is incredible and no one will ever beat it."). It can be hard to find the balance between viewing the other people in your industry as colleagues versus competitors.
So, for the last two years, one thing that I've really enjoyed putting together is a Styled Shoot day for a handful of wedding planners in the city. My goals are primarily to have fun (they have stressful jobs!), fostering community, creating connections, and building portfolios. But, I do it a little differently than other styled shoots which are usually planned down to the last detail. I do it as a surprise for them! I usually give them the overall colour palette, and that's it. When they show up on the day, they'll find tables full of options that they can pull from to create a look that they love. This includes dresses and accessories for their models, plenty of vase options for centrepieces, flatware and dishes, linens, chairs, stationery, and so on!
Here's a little behind the scenes from that day! It's pretty different than the behind the scenes for a wedding day, but it's still fun!
Video by Prairie Wedding Films
A HUGE thanks to everyone who took part!
Venue: Alloway Hall, Manitoba Museum | Linens and Chairs: Planned Perfectly | Tabletop Rentals: C&T Rentals | Stationery: Jennifer Bianca Calligraphy | Makeup: Jessica Kmiec Artistry and Lidia Najera | Hair: Annette Wilkinson Designs and @steph.wall | Dresses and Accessories: Bliss Bridal Boutique | Favours/Sweets: Jenna Rae Cakes and Bronuts | Video: Prairie Wedding Films
Esther Funk Photography
Tell you what, guys: designing on site with a limited amount of ingredients for a lineup of wedding planners is a little tricky (as you can see from that first pic! ha!).
We also had an amazing crew of photographers who volunteered their time and were each partnered with a planner.
Reanne Berard Photography with Amanda Douglas Events
Victoria Anne Photography with White Ivy Weddings
Esther Funk Photography with Feast & Festivities
Aimee de la Lande Photography with Ashley Brooke Weddings
Casey Nolin Photography with Inspired Elegance Events
Below are some images from a demo table that I put together, photographed by Esther Funk Photography. With the warm fall tones in the flowers I thought the light blue linen would be a nice contrast. I was planning to do something completely differently, but I love how it turned out!
And now for the finished design!
Below are some of the details from the tables that each of the planners put together!
First up, Emily from Feast & Festivities. I have to give her major kudos for taking on the challenge of a chartreuse velvet linen. This woman is not afraid of colour and I love that she dubbed this an "Oscar the Grouch" wedding look! 😂
This feminine, pretty table was designed by Ashley at Ashley Brooke Weddings. She's a girly girl so I wasn't surprised when she chose a feminine palette. I love the gold accents and that deep hit of plum. And I love that photographer Aimee de la Lande chose that black wall to take photos in front of. Wooo!
Up next is Sheila from Inspired Elegance Events! It was funny to chat with her while she was putting this together. Her only thought coming into the shoot day (knowing that there was nothing she could do to prepare) was "I'm not going to do pink." ha! I liked this take on pink. Instead of the light, airy blush that has been going around for a few years (and let's be honest, is always beautiful), she added some serious depth with those dark wood crossback chairs and berry toned flowers. I also loved that she chose to go with a tall arrangement. I'm not usually a huge fan of tall centrepieces, but sometimes and in some spaces, tall arrangements are perfect.
This design was put together by Amanda Douglas Events. I like that it really plays off of natural tones as the base, and then layers in some of that brighter, richer warm tones. Those wood charger plates are such an awesome texture that's added in, and Amanda tucked in a few of her own details - the candles and black plates.
And finally, we've got a newer planner: Ashley from White Ivy Weddings. Her favourite element from everything that was available to choose from was the rich, warm orange copper beech leaves, and she built her entire design around them. I LOVE the orange ranunculus paired with those golden mustard roses, the addition of the burgundy taper candles, and the warm brass coloured linen.
What Is Event Design?
I've been working in weddings for just about 9 years now, and trends and styles have come and gone. What hasn't is the way that I feel about weddings: "the best" weddings that I've seen or been a part of (aka my favourites) have been the best because of the ways that the wedding makes you feel. They're the best because of how I've been able to see how the couple comes out in the details. As a guest, you walk into the wedding and feel a sense of recognition - you're definitely at the right wedding.
That's why I love being a part of full event design so much. It's about so much more than just the details - yes, we start there, and they play a major role in communicating your style and vision to the guests - but it's more about the way that you want your wedding to feel.
Event design is about designing beyond the flowers. Developing your style, figuring out what it is that will make your wedding special, unique and personal, and then pulling together all of the vendors who will be a part of that - linens and decor rentals, lighting, stationery, cake design - is all part of the process.
To me, a beautiful event isn’t one that has every single little detail that Pinterest shows you, but rather a wedding where the design components are considerately planned, and thoughtfully styled and executed in a personal way. I love taking all of the bits and pieces that you’ve imagined and lend an experienced eye to bring it together into a cohesive, well-designed event...not a wedding that you've already seen on Pinterest, but a wedding that honestly reflects the two of you.
Looking for a wedding event designer in Winnipeg?
Getting married in Manitoba? I have the availability to accept 2-3 full event design commissions for 2019. This service is booked in tandem with wedding flowers, and really allows me to help you create a wedding experience that really and truly reflects you and will put your guests at ease.
(Popular 2019 wedding dates are already booking up!)
Modern Wedding at the Winnipeg Art Gallery
Heather and Ryan were a DREAM couple to work with and their modern wedding at the Winnipeg Art Gallery was a personal favourite from my 2017 wedding season. They have such great style, had incredible vision, and came up with creative ideas and details that set their wedding apart from all the rest. It was definitely one of those weddings that, as a floral designer who never gets to see the main event, I WISH I could have been a guest at! Details were minimal, curated, and in a crisp black and white palette with touches of burgundy and peach. A family friend welded an incredible custom metal arch for the rooftop ceremony, which was a dream to fill with florals.
As Featured on Host Winnipeg
Photos: Kamp Photography ~ Venue: WAG ~ Wedding Coordinator: Amanda Douglas Events ~ Dress: Bliss Bridal Boutique ~ Desserts and Cakes: Buttercream by Alareen
Heather wanted a bouquet that was loose, organic, and textural with a shape that kind of spilled out and over. I started with white dahlias, lisianthus, cosmos, scabiosa and veronica and then added in peachy zinnias, strawflower, and blushing bride protea. Burgundy smokebush foliage was used for some depth, along with these really cool trailing vines and ferns. Sometimes a bouquet just sort of takes on its own thing while I'm putting it together and I love it when that happens. I felt like this bouquet just had so much personality.
Below, you see me teaching Heather how to hold the bouquet to show it and her dress off best :)
Heather actually designed all of their stationery products herself!
This arch. Ahhhh. Designing the florals for this arch was one of my favourite moments of 2017.
The structure (which they had welded by a friend) was just so much fun for me to work with. I love the clean, simple lines of it and because of the open frame, I could actually work both inside and outside of it. I hope you can see that depth in some of these pictures - some portions of the design were placed inside, at the back of the frame to allow the flowers to come through and out, and others were placed outside the frame, growing up and down. We used probably 7 different types of foliages, and finished with with a few perfect white dahlias to create an interesting visual line.
The rooftop at the WAG is windy no matter what the weather is down on the ground (a lesson learned sadly at this wedding). Heather and Ryan's arch was pretty stable thanks to that solid base, but it's definitely something to keep in mind if you're planning an outdoor rooftop wedding!
When you host an event in a gallery or museum, you're pretty much restricted to whatever art installation they currently have on display. Heather and Ryan totally lucked out in that department, because just a few days before their wedding, the WAG installed these gorgeous floating cloud-like pieces from the ceiling and they couldn't have been more perfect! They brought a beautiful softness to the space, while complementing Heather and Ryan's clean-lined, modern style really well.
Centrepieces were kept simple, with organic-style greenery arrangements in a clear glass vase. I added greenery and floral touches throughout, on various signs and the cool seating card wall that Heather designed. They had a pretty slick lineup of different cakes and desserts that I added different touches to as well (I SO badly wanted to just shove my face in these chocolate treats).
Looking for a 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 or want me to dream up something custom just for you, 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!
Limited winter 2018 dates are still available and popular 2019 dates are already booking up. Inquire today!