Karen and Scott's Intimate Fort Garry Hotel Wedding
Karen and Scott were married early this spring in an intimate wedding at the Fort Garry Hotel and it was basically a dream wedding for me to be involved in. The circumstances weren't the best, as Scott's mother in Winnipeg was ill and the couple (from Vancouver) decided to change their original plans from a West Coast wedding to a small Winnipeg celebration in just a few weeks. When we started emailing I think there were 4 weeks to their date, and still a number of details to be confirmed, but I'm proud to say that Winnipeg wedding vendors really came together for them. When I arrived on the morning of the wedding to deliver Karen's bouquet, she said how amazed she was that they were able to create such an incredible wedding in a short period of time and said it was all thanks to how great Winnipeggers are. Go us!
Fort Garry Hotel ~ Photo by Peggy ~ Barney's New York ~ Hugo Boss
So here's why I said that their wedding was a dream: despite the sad circumstances that caused the re-scheduling, Karen and Scott still wanted to throw a really fantastic party. They wanted it to be an incredible celebration, where their families could be spoiled and have an amazing time. They went all out with the floral decor, seated everyone at one long table, and chose an awesome menu. Because the wedding was in March and the hotel wasn't busy with other weddings, they were actually able to host the reception in the foyer between the two large ballrooms on the 7th floor - and let me tell you, there is no hallway more gorgeous, anywhere.
Bridal bouquet ingredients: Spirea, peonies, ranunculus, anemones, quicksand roses, and jasmine vine.
My next favourite thing about their wedding was their attire. The couple said right off the bat that they like more modern, unique designs and then Karen showed me a pic of her INSANE red cocktail dress. Is this not incredible, or what? Scott wore a slick checked jacket with a subtle red stripe through it that my husband was literally salivating over.
The ceremony took place in the fireplace loge on the 7th floor, where I have ALWAYS dreamed of having a wedding ceremony. It's a really narrow space so it would be challenging to do with a guest list of more than 20 or so people, but it was perfect for them!
Isn't this hallway just THE most gorgeous setting? It's so luxurious and detailed. We decided to set the table fully, but simply with just two elements: repeated tall vases with organic arrangements, and clusters of tiny arrangements in cut glass stem vases. Most of the florals were white and green, but I also tucked in some soft, sandy pinks and beiges to warm it up and fit with the setting really well.
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!
2019 dates are booking very quickly. Click below to check your date!
Alli and Dan's Vibrant Wedding at the WAG
Here's the thing about when wedding planners get married themselves: they know what's actually important to them, what they actually like, and they just do it. And in Alli's case, she did it really, really well!
Alli, today's bride, is the owner and planner of Alli Mae Fresh Events. She's this tiny little bundle of energy and creativity and I can't say how much I loved being a part of her wedding to Dan this spring! It was one of my first weddings of the spring, and I was so pumped to kick things off on such a colourful note. Alli wanted rich, vibrant colours (you absolutely don't need to be afraid of colour, friends!), everything took place at the Winnipeg Art Gallery (this space is my new favourite in the city, hands-down), and they had a totally relaxing, enjoyable, and fun day. She planned it perfectly!
Photos: Megan Steen Photography ~ Day of Coordination: Feast & Festivities ~ Catering: Storm Catering ~ Videography: Dean Rover Films ~ Chairs and Linens: Planned Perfectly ~ Draping and Bars: Creating a Scene ~ Lighting: Eventlight ~ Cupcakes: Cocoabeans ~ Cakes: Baked Expectations ~ Stationery and Calligraphy: VP Calligraphy & Design ~ Hair: Hair by Nadine ~ Makeup: Justine Barry Artistry ~ Dress: Essence of Australia from Bliss Bridal Boutique
Oooooh, Alli's bouquet. It felt so good to make this. She's a tiny person so while this bouquet looks pretty big on her, it was actually smaller than most of my other bridal bouquets. It was well-proportioned :) I just loved all the colour - we decided on mixed pinks, peaches and corals with a 10% hit of vibrant orange. You don't need to go all the way with colour to make a big statement!
Bridal bouquet ingredients: coral peonies, peach roses, garden roses, viburnum, tulips, ranunculus, and hyacinth with mixed greeneries.
Alright, this ceremony set up is my new favourite - of all time. Designing these vertical gardens was a challenge, but one that I loved. I spent weeks trying to figure out the best plan for the structure itself, sent my husband to Rona to get all my supplies, and when he walked back in the door I had figured out another plan that allowed me to use stands that I already have 🤦🏼♀️ And they worked great! Basically, I created these tall greenery pillars and then fed the flowers through them. The one of Dan's side was about 8 feet tall and the one on Alli's was about 6 feet tall, so they were a major visual focal point.
They planned for a more cocktail style reception, with mixed full size round and rectangular tables and cocktail size tables, all in the same space as the ceremony. They shifted the chairs over and pulled some tables out from the back when the ceremony was completed, adding space for a dance floor (highly necessary, considering they had Big City All Star Band!!), and created separate spaces with panels of drapery. It really looked SO good. And I LOVE those blue linens!
We did a mix of large centrepieces in gold vases with stem vases and smaller arrangements. It was all completely with eclectic candleholders, personalized napkins, and pretty signage!
I can't tell you how much I love that they used the ceremony backdrop as the backdrop for their cake and desserts. This table just feels so vibrant, fun, and fresh. I love it!
Alli, thank you so much for trusting your wedding flowers with me! It means so, so much to me whenever a wedding vendor puts their trust in me for their celebrations and it was such an honour to be a part of this wedding.
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!
2019 dates are booking very quickly. Click below to check your date!
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.
