Colourful Fiesta-Inspired Wedding at Fort Gibraltar
When she first inquired with me, Natalia told me that she wanted to host a colourful, Mexican fiesta-inspired wedding. Obviously I was fully on board. When we sat down in person, she explained that she’s actually of El Salvadorian heritage, but her Pinterest searches for El Salvador weddings didn’t pull up many results 😂 We rolled with the Mexican theme though, and it was so cool to see how her El Salvadorian inspiration made its way through.
If you’re a lover of colour, this one is for you!
When she first inquired with me, Natalia told me that she wanted to host a colourful, Mexican fiesta-inspired wedding. Obviously I was fully on board. When we sat down in person, she explained that she’s actually of El Salvadorian heritage, but her Pinterest searches for El Salvador weddings didn’t pull up many results 😂 We rolled with the Mexican theme though, and it was so cool to see how her El Salvadorian inspiration made its way through.
If you’re a lover of colour, this one is for you!
Bridal bouquet ingredients: peonies, garden roses, stock, delphinium, freesia and billy balls.
This bright, vibrant palette filled my heart. I’m an unapologetic lover of colour in all of its forms (it doesn’t just have to be super bold like this — just as long as I have colour!), but the way this one came together was just so joyful. Natalia sent me an image of an El Salvadorian woman dancing in traditional dress, and it totally inspired the palette: magenta, bright purple, lots of greens, touches of yellow, red, orange, and blue.
I also loved that Natalia chose a cascading shape. This bouquet was a BIG sucker (my wrist was so sore making it, ha!), but look how perfectly it compliments her full skirt!
The ceremony was outside at Fort Gibraltar, in front of the old house. I added tear-drop shaped arrangements that coordinated with her bouquet to the railing post behind them, and we also lined the aisle with simple arrangements of orange garden roses and greenery hanging from shepherd’s hooks. All of these things were re-purposed inside at the reception, with the shepherd’s hooks jars tucked into the windowsills, and the larger ceremony pieces hung behind the head table.
Well, there are a few things that I REALLY loved about Gavin and Natalia’s reception. First, the table numbers. These were custom made for their wedding in El Salvador and carefully shipped here. They were incredible, colourful, and detailed.
The second item that I loved is probably obvious: the custom mini bottles of hot sauce! I don’t actually like hot sauce, but I told my husband about this and he thought it was the coolest thing ever.
The fresh floral centrepieces were, once again, full of colour and set in a copper vase. I also added in some cut fresh limes for a little fun.
The cake from Pinky’s was really cute. I loved the mix of simple buttercream textures, and adding the florals to it is always fun (and don’t miss the fresh limes added in!).
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!
How to Make the Most of Your Intimate Wedding
I have an opinion, and it may seem strange, coming from someone who makes her living off the gathering of large groups of people: I LOVE that we are having an increase in intimate weddings.
If my husband and I were getting married again, I would do it differently than when we tied the knot 10 years ago. We were quite young when we got married (barely 22 years old!) and hadn’t actually been guests at very many weddings, so we planned things that we thought we were “supposed” to plan them. I don’t have any regrets about our wedding at all — I just would do it differently now. And one thing that I would love is to have it smaller.
We had 150 guests, which isn’t that huge to begin with, but there were definitely a few tables of people that were on the guest list because, again, I thought I was supposed to have them there. It was such an honour that they did come, but if I were doing it again, I’d probably aim for 75-ish people. I would love to be bold enough to say 50 people, but with the size of my family (and they are important to me), we simply wouldn’t have been able to get away with 50 people. Realistically, I think we could could be looking towards a few months of 10-50 person wedding guest lists, so I’m excited to envision that with you!
I have an opinion, and it may seem strange, coming from someone who makes her living off the gathering of large groups of people: I LOVE that we are having an increase in intimate weddings.
If my husband and I were getting married again, I would do it differently than when we tied the knot 10 years ago. We were quite young when we got married (barely 22 years old!) and hadn’t actually been guests at very many weddings, so we planned things that we thought we were “supposed” to plan them. I don’t have any regrets about our wedding at all — I just would do it differently now. And one thing that I would love is to have it smaller.
We had 150 guests, which isn’t that huge to begin with, but there were definitely a few tables of people that were on the guest list because, again, I thought I was supposed to have them there. It was such an honour that they did come, but if I were doing it again, I’d probably aim for 75-ish people. I would love to be bold enough to say 50 people, but with the size of my family (and they are important to me), we simply wouldn’t have been able to get away with 50 people. Realistically, I think we could could be looking towards a few months of 10-50 person wedding guest lists, so I’m excited to envision that with you!
So, let’s make the most of your intimate wedding!
Above all, what I want you to come away with is this knowledge: even if you didn’t originally envision or plan an intimate wedding, that doesn’t mean that it’s not a wedding worth celebrating, and celebrating HUGE. Get excited!
For any of your couples considering a smaller wedding this year, I HIGHLY recommend it. I was very much against the thought of a smaller wedding initially but it was honestly everything I could have wanted and more. I am so glad we went ahead with it and truthfully, the ceremony itself meant so much more to both Daniel and I because of who we did have there!
-Lainie and Daniel (married in an intimate backyard wedding on June 28, 2020)
What it’s all going to come down to is carefully designing a plan to treat your guests to an experience unlike any other, and that means starting with what YOU love!
Photo by Lynsey Corbett Photography ~ Planning by Soiree Event Planning ~ See more here!
My Must-Haves for an Intimate Wedding:
-Petals (or confetti or bird seed) for each of your guests to toss as you celebrate down the aisle.
-Live music, at least for the ceremony.
-Over the top florals, obviously. At least for your ceremony!
-A catered dinner from your favourite restaurant with ALL the menu options.
Let’s be honest: you may never have the reason to do something elaborate like this ever again. With fewer guests, you’ll have an increased amount of budget to spend per guest, which means you can treat your favourite people to the ultimate wedding, the wedding you dreamed of in the beginning before the realities of money ever got in the way.
Imagine how it would feel to be a guest at this wedding:
Planning, Design, Florals by Rhiannon Bosse (she’s got some amazing ideas on your blog for you!)
You’re welcomed in with personalized charcuterie boards and pre-poured cocktails, while a musician plays acoustic guitar in the background.
The table is set to the highest degree: the scent of flowers sweetly floating on the breeze, elegant glassware in your hand, personalized menus and place cards with a note from the couple written just to you to make sure you know that you are an important guest.
An incredible dinner awaits, and it’s far from the basic bottle of wine and salad/entree/dessert. Your palette is spoiled with upgrades: a full bar, multi-course dinner with wine pairings, table-side creme brûlée. Maybe the typical dinner fare is skipped in favour of the couple’s favourite elevated street food instead — individual servings of hand-smashed guacamole and grilled corn, or a beloved food truck has set up shop in the backyard for the night!
The evening finishes on a sweet note with a personalized dessert board — petite molten cakes in individual ramekins, the bride’s favourite cookie, a scoop of the groom’s favourite ice cream, a hot chocolate shooter.
I think it’s safe to say that your guests will agree that there’s absolutely nothing missing from the experience, and if they’re being honest, it’s probably the best wedding they’ve ever attended.
Don’t let anyone leave without a gift — and I’m not talking about your regular old wedding favour. Perhaps it’s as simple as an elegantly wrapped box of your favourite Constance Popp chocolates, or a premium welcome bag featuring your prized must-haves from local Manitoba makers: a sweet bottle of Bee Project honey, a can of your favourite Little Brown Jug ale, or locally made bitters or shrubs from Abiding Citizen.
Left: Sinclair & Moore, Middle: A Signature Welcome photographed by Corbin Gurkin, Right: A Signature Welcome photographed by Rebecca Yale
A few final thoughts…
Instead of spending $75 per table centrepiece for 20 tables, you could spend that total $1500 on floral arrangements for 4 or 5 tables. I can’t even begin to tell you have stunning that will be! There’s NOTHING that does a better job of bringing life and excitement to an event than fresh flowers (in my completely unbiased opinion 😉).
I very literally salivated while imagining all of these food options and dreaming about which restaurants I would order from…529 Wellington, Merchant Kitchen, The Red Ember food truck, and I have always wanted to host a party catered by Nuburger!
I talked to my friend Kaytee of Roots Floral Design, who is a wedding florist in Cincinnati, and she made an extra good point: “Take advantage of the outdoors! Each region will have different guidelines and regulations, but most places are much more lenient with outdoor intimate weddings (and I think many of your guests would be more comfortable attending an outdoor wedding!). Take advantage of a smaller venue with beautiful outdoor scenery to hold your wedding. Other options are a relative's backyard, parks (if they allow it), or even an Airbnb! One of our couples choose a beautiful Airbnb property to hold her intimate wedding celebration. Their wedding became a weekend long celebration with their closest loved ones. When painted in this light, intimate weddings sound so dreamy, right?”
A few vendors and I were chatting at an intimate backyard wedding we were working on together this past weekend, and all said how much we have been loving these smaller weddings. Why? I realized that everyone is HAPPIER. There's so little stress with these smaller weddings; fewer things to be concerned about. Even if you are DIYing some elements, or cooking some of the food, you're only doing it for 30 people and so the time investment is so much lower.
If you need some help pulling together the loose ends for your intimate wedding, don’t hesitate to ask your vendors. I have loved the opportunity of being more involved with some of my couples, and I know I’m not the only one. Kaytee said it perfectly: “No matter what you decide for your wedding, we know that it will be perfect and just right for you. Your wedding day should be exactly how you envision it to be, even if that vision slightly changes. Hiring the right vendors will help you bring that vision to life.“
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL DESIGNER IN the WINNIPEG area?
2021 wedding dates are now booking, with limited 2020 dates still available! 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!
Intimate Wedding with Over the Top Florals
Karleigh and Matt’s intimate wedding with over the top florals was my first post-Covid wedding. Their Mother’s Day weekend wedding was originally going to be the largest wedding of my season (and career), and we had some truly remarkable things planned for them. But with a very large guest list, including a lot of family who wanted to travel in from Italy for the wedding, they knew they needed to postpone the big celebration to 2021. The couple still wanted to be wed in May 2020, so we went ahead — in a big way, with some serious flowers, on the front steps of his family’s home.
Karleigh and Matt’s intimate wedding with over the top florals was my first post-Covid wedding. Their Mother’s Day weekend wedding was originally going to be the largest wedding of my season (and career), and we had some truly remarkable things planned for them.
But with a very large guest list, including a lot of family who wanted to travel in from Italy for the wedding, they knew they needed to postpone the big celebration to 2021. The couple still wanted to be wed in May 2020, so we went ahead — in a big way, with some serious flowers, on the front steps of his family’s home.
While Karleigh’s big wedding celebration will feature an elegant palette of blush pinks, gold, and white, she wanted to keep the intimate wedding simpler with a monochromatic white and green palette. Karleigh asked for a really simple bouquet but had no specific requests — so obviously, I created a bouquet entirely out of white ranunculus 😍
If you can believe it, this entire ceremony design was planned 4 days before the wedding! We were originally going to do the ceremony inside, in front of the fireplace, but then the family had this GORGEOUS wrought-iron gate put on their arched front door. Andrea from Soiree Event Planning texted me a photo of the door and I immediately became SO excited.
I knew exactly what I wanted to do: we needed to grow the florals up around the doorframe to emphasize the curve. Karleigh had this vintage Persian rug, and we added some light floral accents growing up the stems. The goal was to create a lush, living backdrop for Karleigh and Matt to exchange their vows in a way that didn’t at all feel like a backup plan.
And then comes the dining room!
This was also planned just days before the wedding. The house was undergoing renovations, so the family wasn’t quite sure what would be finished in time, whether the new table would arrive, and so on. Everything was just about wrapped up that week, so we really went for it to give them a tablescape from a dream world.
Rather than doing the typical greenery garland, I again wanted to create a breathtaking floral experience for the family that would gather for dinner.
Several varieties of white roses, snapdragons, delphinium, larkspur, and ranunculus were used along with several types of greenery.
I echoed the long, lush arrangement on the table with a shorter but still lush arrangement on the antique wood buffet behind it.
If this doesn’t prove to you that your 2020 intimate wedding doesn’t have to be a “backup plan",” then I don’t know what possibly could. Whether you can have just 10 people or 50, we can create a joyful, celebratory atmosphere and a really special experience for all of you.
Ariana Tennyson Photography ~ Stone House Creative ~ Soiree Event Planning ~ Prairie Film Co ~ Keith MacPherson ~ Hair by Ang ~ 529 Wellington
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL DESIGNER IN the WINNIPEG area?
2020 and 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!
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!