Romantic Rainy Wedding in Sandilands Forest
An amazing day. A stunning property. An emotional couple with the most supportive and connected friends surrounding them with love. I cannot tell you enough how truly wonderful it was to be a part of Georgia and Daniel’s romantic, rainy wedding in the Sandilands Forest.
The entire celebration was taking place at Georgia’s grandpa’s property deep in the woods — which meant no running water, no electricity, no cell service. It rained throughout their ceremony, which added extra stress. But you know what? No one batted their eye about it. Umbrellas went up and everyone carried on, which is what made this wedding SO magical.
An amazing day. A stunning property. An emotional couple with the most supportive and connected friends surrounding them with love. I cannot tell you enough how truly wonderful it was to be a part of Georgia and Daniel’s romantic, rainy wedding in the Sandilands Forest.
The entire celebration was taking place at Georgia’s grandpa’s property deep in the woods — which meant no running water, no electricity, no cell service. It rained throughout their ceremony, which added extra stress. But you know what? No one batted their eye about it. Umbrellas went up and everyone carried on, which is what made this wedding SO magical.
Once again, buckle in for a long post. There are way too many good photos from this wedding to not share SO MANY OF THEM.
Also, keep posted for a full feature of this wedding on Junebug Weddings in a few months!
I designed the garden-style wedding flowers around the moody floral print invitations, using locally grown flowers in shades of wine, mauve, cream, peach, caramel, soft coral, and a touch of orange.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: dahlias, ranunculus, garden roses, lisianthus, orchids, spray roses, chocolate cosmos, acadia and eucalyptus foliages.
For an aisle, Georgia and her dad walked through the long rows of spruce trees and met Daniel in a bit of a clearing they had designated as an altar, using tree stumps topped with big, lush potted ferns. Ferns grow wild throughout the property, and there were occasional touches of them tucked throughout the decor as a nod to the surrounding woods.
This image below, taken from the ceremony, captures an incredible moment where the intimacy of their vows is opened up to include their wedding party — the people who vow to uphold and support the couple’s marriage alongside them. I love the way the couple was prayed over and shown love.
When I tell you this property could not have been more picturesque, you’d better believe me. It was AMAZING. And enormous. Heavily wooded, with a swimming pond in the middle and a newly built little guest cabin. The reception was set up in a large clearing, surrounded by trees, and with plenty of space for the live music, dancing, bonfire, s’mores…It was so easy to understand why Georgia had always dreamed of being married there!
What a dreamy reception, am I right? Long harvest tables and cross-back vineyard chairs were set up facing the head table, which featured a large A-frame arch to which I added florals.
The guest tables were lined with mixed stem vases and low, full floral arrangements. The bridal party foraged pinecones and ferns from the property, scattering the pinecones down the table as well as using them as place card holders, and placing a single fern under each clear charger plate.
That s’mores display? 🤤 Gimme gimme, please.
Seriously, what a DREAM wedding. One of my favourite things is how quickly the floral and decor plan came together. I only met with Georgia a few months before the wedding, and just happened to have her August date available — I was so lucky! She showed me her invitations, and asked me to come with a floral plan that would suit. From the colours to the floral selections, it couldn’t have come together more perfect.
Ariana Tennyson Photography ~ Stone House Creative ~ Opal and Dot Decor ~ C&T Rentals ~ Chantal’s Bridal ~ Double Take Cakes ~ Zazzle ~ Luminous String Quartet ~ De Luca’s Coffee
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL DESIGNER IN the WINNIPEG area?
2021 wedding dates are now booking! Whether it’s an intimate wedding for 30 or a celebration the likes of which have never been seen before, 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!
Elegant, Rustic Wedding at Hawthorn Estates
Working with Sarah on the floral plans for her elegant, rustic wedding to Cam, at Hawthorn Estates, was a breeze. She came to me with a clear vision: romantic, simple elegance, and wanting the beauty of the venue to shine through.
Hawthorn Estates is a gorgeous venue, which makes it really easy for me to work at! One of my favourite luxurious fall weddings took place there, and with a deep red palette, it looked a lot different than Sarah and Cam’s, which is really cool. I always want each of my weddings to look and feel differently, even when they’re at the same venue.
Working with Sarah on the floral plans for her elegant, rustic wedding to Cam, at Hawthorn Estates, was a breeze. She came to me with a clear vision: romantic, simple elegance, and wanting the beauty of the venue to shine through.
Hawthorn Estates is a gorgeous venue, which makes it really easy for me to work at! One of my favourite luxurious fall weddings took place there, and with a deep red palette, it looked a lot different than Sarah and Cam’s, which is really cool. I always want each of my weddings to look and feel differently, even when they’re at the same venue.
Sarah requested a very light palette, mostly whites and greens, with accents of a dusty pink and mauve tucked throughout. I knew right away that secret garden roses would be perfect for her - they’re the most amazing shade of pink and almost look like they’re made of paper., they’re so delicate.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: secret garden roses, white stock, white ranunculus, blushing bride protea, Dara Queen Anne’s Lace, and calcynia (that perfect, textured filler!) with Italian ruscus and seeded eucalyptus.
The bridesmaids carried petite version, which looked beautiful with their taupe gowns.
Sorry not sorry for all the images of this ceremony set up 😏 Hawthorn has a popular outdoor space they call the marriage hill, with an arch and some large boulders. I personally prefer the solarium, which is attached to the main building and covered but not enclosed. I love the wood beams and the vibe of the whole space — it’s also very adaptable to a lot of different designs.
Sarah wasn’t originally planning to include ceremony flowers, but decided to add them in to the budget and I’m so glad they did because this arch was really beautiful. We did an asymmetrical floral piece over Sarah’s side, couple with two greenery pieces on Cam’s side. I wanted it to feel very organic and fitting with the space, so we grew some greenery up the base of Cam’s side and then capped the top with more greenery.
I don’t think this reception space could possibly be prettier! With that stone fireplace, wood beams, and wood cross-back chairs, Hawthorn Estates makes for a really beautiful blank canvas. I love the bronze linens Sarah chose from Planned Perfectly — aren’t they the perfect neutral, warm addition to the palette and the room? She asked for two centrepieces styles: a low floral arrangements, which I designed in bronze urns, and a greenery/candle combination.
We also added a hanging greenery installation over the head table, utilizing the vintage wood ladder that Hawthorn has hanging there as the base. I’m telling you, they make it so easy for me!
I was also excited to see that Kayla from Laugh Love Cakes was making the cake, and asked for fresh flowers to be added to it. It was one of Kayla’s first weddings back in the Winnipeg wedding industry and she does such a lovely job every time! I sent along flowers that matched Sarah’s wedding bouquet along with some gorgeous dried pink hydrangea that could not have been more perfect!
Stephanie Lauren Co ~ Prairie Sky Events ~ Hawthorn Estates ~ Laugh Love Cakes ~ Planned Perfectly ~ AshlEy Tiopo Artistry ~ Hairology ~ Bliss Bridal Boutique
Looking for a Wedding Floral Designer in Winnipeg?
2021 wedding dates are now booking! Whether it’s an intimate wedding for 30 or a celebration the likes of which have never been seen before, 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!
Q&A about Wedding Flowers with Stone House Creative
A few weeks ago, I put out a call for any questions on Instagram and I loved all of the questions that I received! It’s always surprising to me what those questions are — they’re almost never what I expect. So, here we are!
A few weeks ago, I put out a call for any questions on Instagram and I loved all of the questions that I received! It’s always surprising to me what those questions are — they’re almost never what I expect. So, here we are!
All photos by Photography by Jodi, from Shannon and Michael’s wedding in Kenora, summer 2019.
Q. What are some seasonal (and affordable) summer wedding flowers? (@laurenjc)
A. This is an interesting question! Without a doubt, summer is an AMAZING time for flowers because the locally grown blooms are killer. Some of my favourites are lisianthus, feverfew, delphinium, foxglove, sweet pea, and zinnias. Generally speaking, locally grown flowers tend to be “affordable,” though I should also be clear: flowers are a luxury, perishable item. No matter where they’re grown, they’re attended to with utmost caution and grown and cut by hand. There’s a LOT of work that goes into flowers, so they’re never really cheap — and they shouldn’t be.
I also want to touch on the word “seasonal” because it really doesn’t mean very much anymore, due to the way that farmers across the world have been able to extend their growing season. If you truly want “in season” flowers, then the word you need to look for is LOCALLY GROWN. For example, order gatherers, Costco, grocery stores, and so on often say they have “seasonal” bouquets, but that means absolutely nothing. The flowers they use are available year-round because they’re grown in greenhouses near the equator with perfect weather. If you want is truly seasonal, then what you want is locally grown.
Often we’ll read advice from wedding blogs and magazines that the best way to save on your wedding flower budget is to choose “in season” flowers, and that’s a misconception. What that really means is not to choose out of season flowers. For example, a peony in season is still going to cost at least $15/stem, whereas a rose is going to cost you $5/stem at any time of the year. That $15/stem peony is NOT cheap…but it is technically “seasonal.” So again, if you want to look for seasonal flowers, then ask for locally grown (keeping in mind, of course, that we live in Manitoba and our growing season is ramping up throughout June and really hits its stride in July and August, before tapering off in September while we wait for those first few frosts to hit).
In the image below, you can see a closeup of icelandic poppies, ranunculus, and delphinium, all of which were grown locally in Manitoba!
Q. What are you doing with flowers this summer, now that we don’t have weddings? (@amandadouglasevents)
A. Wah. Don’t remind me 😭 I’m still hoping to get my hands on as many flowers as possible this summer. I have a few couples who are opting for an elopement style ceremony this summer with their big celebratory party next summer, so I get to create some beautiful bouquets for their elopements! I’m also hoping that things with Covid will relax enough to allow me to work on some personal projects and photoshoots, so that at least I can enjoy the flowers while they’re blooming locally!
Q. What is your absolute favourite flower combination? (@lainiedahle)
A. Lainie, you’re killing me. How on earth can I choose? I tend to be drawn more towards colour combinations, and my natural love is for brighter corals and peaches with beiges and pinks, and I LOVE ruffled flowers. I could see this combination looking killer with garden roses, zinnias, sweet peas, butterfly ranunculus, foxglove…all the good stuff.
Lately, I’m finding myself drawn more to using fewer ingredients and fewer focal flowers. I’m not sure if this will be working into my wedding arrangements or not, but it’s something I’m going to be playing with on my own.
Q. Locally grown vs florist - what’s the difference? (@meganpatricialewis)
A. This is another interesting question! I think what you’re asking here is where we get the product from. I used to work in a retail floral shop (over 7 years ago) and we imported all of our product — a small amount from across Canada and Holland, but mostly from South America. I still bring in a lot of flowers from these regions in my business today, but I try to utilize as much locally grown product as I possibly can.
There are a LOT of benefits to using locally grown flowers. To start, I know my farmers. I know that by ordering from them, I’m supporting their small, women-owned businesses, who pay their staff living wages and I really like that — let’s do everything we can to keep our money in our own economy. I also seek to reduce my carbon footprint where I can, and ordering locally grown flowers obviously cuts down dramatically on shipping and packaging material waste. Additionally, the quality of locally grown flowers is UNBELIEVABLE. They are sturdier, healthier, and more beautiful (in my opinion). I should do a comparison post when local flowers are growing, so you can see the differences yourselves!
I would highly encourage you to ask the florists you are considering hiring for your wedding if they are able to use locally grown flowers for you!
Q. How much does the average couple spend on flowers for their wedding? (@brooklynkehler)
A. My client average spend is $4500, and that sees a typical 18-20 tables , 4-5 bridesmaids, and something gorgeous for the ceremony! If you want to create a realistic floral budget based on what you’re looking for, here’s a really good rundown of different price ranges of typical items!
Q. I am not engaged yet, BUT I love wedding planning and I’m obsessed with your work so much. I am wondering, if I want to do "sky is the limit," crazy flowers, what is the budget I should have? I know zero about flowers — I want them everywhere though, they’re my favourite thing at every wedding!!
A. Favourite question ever 😂 I’m not going to share this person’s name, so that her boyfriend doesn’t get weirded out ha! Obviously I LOVE the idea of a “sky is the limit” floral plan for a wedding, but when it comes to what that budget number should be, that depends on a lot of things. In particular, the guest count: how many tables do we need floral heavy arrangements on? Then I’d also want to know what other focal areas you want to emphasize with flowers: an unreal cake display? A floral-heavy entrance to your ballroom or tent? When you’re talking sky is the limit, balls-to-the-wall flowers, I’m assuming you’re not just talking about the typical order of bridesmaid bouquets and table centrepieces. My client average spend is $4500. If you’re looking at a typical 18-20 tables and 4-5 bridesmaids, but you want a LOT of flowers, I’d suggest budgeting in the $10,000 range. And then call me 😘
Q. Tips for anyone planning a wedding (not during the pandemic lol)? (@brooklynkehler)
A. Ah, another good question. I know that wedding planning can be super overwhelming at the best of times, especially when you’re just getting started. There are SO many decisions to make (especially if you’re not a good decision maker), many options to consider, endless referrals from people you know…so let’s start by getting really clear on a few things: This is YOUR wedding. That means the two of you make the decisions. Feel free to make those decisions based on what’s important to you and keep those “most important” things at the forefront of your mind, as that’s likely where you’ll be spending the bulk of your budget.
I always suggest starting with the aspects of the wedding that are most important to you — nailing down the right venue, the date, and then your top 3 or 4 VIP vendors (for me, that would be my photographer, floral designer, and dress. I’d suggest a wedding planner or coordinator be included in there as well!).
Hire vendors based on how well you get along with them (particularly your photographer — you’ll be spending all day with him or her!) and how well they seem to be aligned with your personal style and vision (especially your floral designer and your planner). Choose high quality vendors that you trust, and ask them what they suggest within your budget, rather than trying to force your budget on the vendors you really want, or worse, assuming that those vendors you love won’t work with you because of your budget.
When it comes to the design and details of the day, try not to get sucked into the Pinterest trap! Same goes for Instagram. Looking at what other people have done for their weddings will be like quicksand, getting you stuck in a loop of what OTHER people have done. You’re not other people! Let’s design something that’s just for YOU. The best way to do that is ask your design-related vendors to give your creative vendors a lot of flexibility and encourage them to get creative!
Q. What time of year is it best to have a wedding so all the flowers you want are available? What type of flowers are the most expensive? (@jeannaleeartistry)
A. Well, this answer totally depends on what those favourite flowers are! During spring you’ll find the perennial favourites: peonies and ranunculus, blooming branches, and tulips and hyacinth. These are all quite feminine, delicate, and lovely — exactly what you’d want for a spring wedding! Summer brings us the best locally grown flowers in a riot of colours and textures: lisianthus, zinnias (a personal fave), cosmos, snapdragons, strawflower, sweet pea. Early fall we can still get some locally grown flowers (just up until the frost starts) but you can also get most flowers still available through the wholesaler. And obviously, here in winter we can’t get anything locally grown but many things are still available through wholesale (roses, always) — my favourite winter flowers include amaryllis (woah baby, especially the peach ones), agapanthus, lots of interesting textures like pieris, privet berries, and skimmia.
As to which flowers are most expensive? Probably all the ones you love the best 😂Peonies, garden roses, ranunculus, butterfly ranunculus, poppies…I know, I know. All those ruffly, special, beautiful blooms. What an we do? We love all the pricy stuff!
Looking for a Wedding Floral and Event Designer in Winnipeg?
2021 wedding dates are now booking! 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!
Romantic Mauve Wedding Flowers at Pineridge Hollow
What started out as simple white and green evolved into a deeper, more feminine and romantic palette of monochromatic mauves — and I LOVED it. As Emelissa dove deeper into her wedding planning, her vision came together in a more detailed way. She was a highly organized bride and has great style — you just have to check out her wedding dress and bridal style to see that for yourself.
She decided on the dusty mauves after a site visit to Pineridge Hollow, reflecting on how white the tent is. This is something I think all couples should think about — the design of your space will be one of the most fundamental aspects of your overall event design so it’s important to consider how it will play into your floral choices!
What started out as simple white and green evolved into a deeper, more feminine and romantic palette of monochromatic mauves — and I LOVED it. As Emelissa dove deeper into her wedding planning, her vision came together in a more detailed way. She was a highly organized bride and has great style — you just have to check out her wedding dress and bridal style to see that for yourself.
She decided on the dusty mauves after a site visit to Pineridge Hollow, reflecting on how white the tent is. This is something I think all couples should think about — the design of your space will be one of the most fundamental aspects of your overall event design so it’s important to consider how it will play into your floral choices!
Woah nelly, this was a beautiful floral palette to work with! I dug into the idea of working with an analogous palette and let those varied shades of dusty rose / mauve / dark plum move seamlessly through the bouquet.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: Locally grown dahlias, lisianthus, and scabiosa totally stole the show, perfectly completed by amnesia roses, cafe latte garden roses, copper extasis carnations and calcynica along with smokebush, boxwood, nagi, and leather leaf foliages.
I finished the stems with some gorgeous silk ribbon from Stella Wolfe.
Let’s talk about this ceremony! Isn’t it a pretty one? The backdrop at the woodlands area of Pineridge Hollow is always gorgeous, but I have to say that I think this is my favourite ceremony I’ve done designed there. My 2 piece deconstructed gold arch is a personal favourite. I elected to design the florals in an asymmetrical way, bringing floral up into the spotlight at the same time as creating a naturally grown look. I love that couple and wedding party used the altar as a portrait backdrop for a lot of photos, too - you can’t get a prettier space for photos!
We also added petite bouquets to the aisle, hanging off Pineridge Hollow’s shepherd’s hooks.
The focal point of the reception was hanging clouds of flowers suspended over the head table. This allowed us to bring in the colour to break up all the white of the tent, which was aided by the table runners that Emelissa dyed to perfectly match. The guest tables featured a mixture of glass stem vases with petite floral arrangements along with petal confetti scattered down the table.
Stephanie Lauren Co ~ Alexandra Lillian Weddings & Events ~ Pineridge Hollow ~ Buttercream by Alareen ~ REmbrandt STring Quartet ~ Bailey Van Der Veen ~ 2 Chicks and a Bag of Makeup ~ La Ferriere Film
Looking for a Wedding Floral and Event Designer in Winnipeg?
2021 wedding dates are now booking! 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!
Roundup of my Top Wedding Flower Posts
My least favourite episode of every TV show ever is always the “Clip Episode” (except for on the Office). You know, those episodes where the characters look back at their fondest memories and there’s nothing new in the episode, it’s just clips from the past? Yeah, that’s boring.
BUT, I thought it might be helpful for all of you who are stalled out on your wedding planning thanks to Covid-19 OR those of you who are looking ahead to 2021 and 2022 weddings to round up some of my personal favourite and some of my most popular blog posts to give you a hand or two!
My least favourite episode of every TV show ever is always the “Clip Episode” (except for on the Office). You know, those episodes where the characters look back at their fondest memories and there’s nothing new in the episode, it’s just clips from the past? Yeah, that’s boring.
BUT, I thought it might be helpful for all of you who are stalled out on your wedding planning thanks to Covid-19 OR those of you who are looking ahead to 2021 and 2022 weddings to round up some of my personal favourite and some of my most popular blog posts to give you a hand or two!
Wedding Venue Selection
Top 5 Unique Venues in Winnipeg
Top 5 Best Locations in Winnipeg
*There are a handful of new wedding venues that have recently opened up in Manitoba, or will be opening soon and I haven’t yet been able to see them — Gimli, East Selkirk, Morden, the Interlake — which is so exciting to see!
Wedding Flower Budgeting
Floral Inspiration
A Few Favourite Real Weddings
Wedding Flower Planning Tips
Covid-19 Wedding Planning
Looking for a Wedding Floral and Event Designer in Winnipeg?
2021 wedding dates are now booking! 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! Beautiful weddings, designed for and with love.