2021 and 2022 Wedding Trends
The ways we can gather and celebrate weddings has changed, and wedding trends are changing right along with it.
As a result, the way we think about the atmosphere of our weddings has changed. It’s probably one of the only things that I’m grateful to Covid for — with all the shifts in wedding planning, engaged people moved their focus from their original wedding plans towards “how can I make my intimate wedding the best it can be?” and that has resulted in some seriously good ambiance.
The ways we can gather and celebrate weddings has changed,
and wedding trends are changing right along with it.
Photography by Jolaika | From the 2020 Portfolio Builder hosted by Stone House Creative and Feast & Festivities
As a result, the way we think about the atmosphere of our weddings has changed. It’s probably one of the only things that I’m grateful to Covid for — with all the shifts in wedding planning, engaged people moved their focus from their original wedding plans towards “how can I make my intimate wedding the best it can be?” and that has resulted in some seriously good ambiance.
And when it comes to “wedding trends,” this looks a lot more like throwing out the rule book and ignoring what everyone else is doing, and instead focusing on how we want ourselves and our guests to feel and experience our weddings.
So while I normally talk about decor and style predictions, colours that I’m loving, and similar details when I talk about wedding trends, today I’m shifting the focus of the trend conversation towards how we can make our celebrations feel the most amazing, once we’re able to really be back together again.
1) Creative Floor Plans
You may be looking at hosting a smaller-than-anticipated guest list in your larger-than-necessary venue. That doesn’t mean that you need to cancel with your venue and seek out something else. I’d encourage you to view it as an opportunity to get creative!
1) Incorporate lounges to make the space feel intimate and give people options.
Think about your guests and how you want them to experience your wedding. Not everyone likes to dance or listen to loud music — give them a quiet nook to sit and catch up with people they haven’t seen in a while! Image below by Blush Wed Photo with planning + design @petitepearlevents .
2) Creatively Separate the areas of your reception with billowy draping.
Notice how the drapery behind the cake below (Southern Posies) ensures that the cake itself becomes a focal point? Whatever you want the focal point of your reception to be, consider how you can play with the floor plan to give it more attention.
3) Create a canopy for your dinner tables.
Lighting, floral, drapery — there are plenty of options to do something cool and unique here. Take a look at the image above, designed by Always Yours Events. She used drapery to create a dreamy canopy effect with a slight beachy vibe, all within the confines of a typical ballroom. This is the perfect example that, though you may need to reduce your guest count, you can still keep your booking at your now too-large venue, while creating an incredible ambiance!
4) Of course, play with the table shapes and layout themselves!
The more space you have, the more variety in table shapes you can fit. Long, round, square — have some fun!
2) Less “typical” Bridal ATtire
the vibe of your wedding might be changed from how you pictured it — or maybe you’re just not a pouffy dress kind of girl. just because you’re having a wedding, don’t feel like you HAVE to dress a certain way — make your attire work for you. whatever your case, consider a little white (or not white) outfit that’s more to your taste.
My go-to recommendation for something like this is BHLDN. Below are a few of my faves, featuring mix and match separates including sweaters and skirts, jumpsuits, blazers and killer pants. You could also shop locally — a lot of boutiques will carry options that could be perfect for the ambiance of your wedding. Here in Winnipeg, Mad About Style does a white collection every spring/summer that always has gorgeous pieces with a slightly more laid-back, feminine vibe.
3) Live Music
I don’t really know what else needs to be said here: I’m forecasting More live music for 2021 and 2022 weddings, because it really contributes to the ambiance more than anything else.
To further personalize your event, the great thing about live music is that it’s very customizable to the ambiance that you want to create. Looking for a Top 40s dance party? Hit up Big City All Star Band. Want to keep things a little more casual, with an acoustic guitar and folk singer? I always love it when I’m setting up at the same time as Keith Macpherson is doing a sound check (pictured above from one of our August 2020 weddings). Winnipeg is also home to Luminous String Quartet, who are some of my faves to create a unique ceremony ambiance. Karen composes and arranges major hits into pieces for her string quartet, and they’re amazing. Give em a listen on Spotify.
4) straying from tradition and Doing things Your Way
Colour palette. style. forgoing traditions for tradition’s sake.
We’re seeing fewer cake cutting photo ops, fewer bouquet tosses, fewer corsages…if it doesn’t hold importance to you, then don’t spend another moment thinking about it (or another dollar on it).
Here’s some wise advice from Janelle of Lavenders Flowers:
“I knew I wanted our wedding to represent us for who we were in November of 2019, not worrying about what we may like or not like 20 years from now. Sure, future Janelle may or may not regret wearing a hat and having a rainbow color story, but who cares? Could you imagine what wedding my 10-year-old self would have dreamed up?!
My best wedding planning advice is to let go of the pressure to be or look a certain way and start having fun! Focus on what you DO want and ask yourself why certain things are important to you, write them down, then stick with it like a road map to your final destination. After all, it’s your day; make it something you're excited (not stressed) about!”
Forget about what’s “timeless.” In 10 years, will you care? No. So just do it the way you want. Use that vibrant colour palette that you love but scares you. Choose the dress that speaks to you when you twirl in it rather than going for something classic.
And speaking of non-traditional bridal attire…check out that Maison Corazon separates look from a shoot I styled back in the summer. Gorgeous, right? Photo by Esther Funk Photography.
5) Design Details
I said I wasn’t going to talk about the details much…but I had to throw a few things in. Here are some design and decor trends that I’m following and loving:
1) Leather Details
Like the placemat and sweet little name tag in the image above from Fete Collection, I’m finding myself OBSESSED with leather details and finding places to bring it into my designs. I have this idea for a leather envelope…not sure how functional that one is 😂 A much easier addition would be a camel leather chair in your lounge, rentable from Trend Decor here in Winnipeg.
2) Warm Colour Palettes
I used to be a cool tone girl. I loved pastels and lighter tones and have mostly decorated my home with them, but more and more I am finding myself drawn to warm tones, so much so that I included this is in last year’s trend round-up as well (like the bouquet below by Texture Florals — and note that it’s not JUST bright oranges…it’s just warm overall). Candles are a great place to bring this in — check out the toffee taper candles below and tell me you don’t love that touch of warmth!
3) Elaborately Floral-Ized Wedding Cakes
Whether the cake itself is simple or pretty heavily decorated, it deserves to be even more of a focal point than it already is. I’ve been loving seeing cakes be given a major floral treatment — maybe a ring around the cake (like the one below that I designed around a Jenna Rae Cakes confection), or ground-based florals that form the base of the cake table, or even a floral tier!
4) Monochromatic Colour usage
Now, you all know that I will dig into as much colour as you let me. But if you’re a little wary, a monochromatic look is the perfect way to have some fun without needing to be brave. Look at this monochromatic design below from Ashley Fox Designs — it’s simply different shades of the same pink hue. Playing with different levels of the same colour really allows the various elements to soar and I love how the texture is elevated here.
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
Getting married in 2022? Appointments to plan your dream florals are now available. Click the button below to get started!
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!
Clear Top Tent Wedding at Home with Luscious Florals
Jen grew up with grandparents who worked in the flower growing and gardening industries in England, so she wanted to prioritize the flowers — and I was not going to say no to that! Knowing how much of an impact flowers make on the overall design, this couldn't have been a better decision -- especially for a couple who aren't afraid of colour!
After changes in date, venue, and even province, we re-envisioned the wedding design 3 months before the new date. What was originally to be a July wedding, and then a destination wedding in BC, was re-planned during Covid for August, back in Winnipeg. I was SO excited to get their email saying it was back on, in Winnipeg, and that I’d get to be a part of their day!
Happy New Year! I’m excited to keep sharing my recent weddings and giving insights into your wedding planning…so let’s start thing off with Jen and Johann’s clear top tent wedding at home, with luscious florals!
Jen grew up with grandparents who worked in the flower growing and gardening industries in England, so she wanted to prioritize the flowers — and I was not going to say no to that! Knowing how much of an impact flowers make on the overall design, this couldn't have been a better decision -- especially for a couple who aren't afraid of colour!
After changes in date, venue, and even province, we re-envisioned the wedding design 3 months before the new date. What was originally to be a July wedding, and then a destination wedding in BC, was re-planned during Covid for August, back in Winnipeg. I was SO excited to get their email saying it was back on, in Winnipeg, and that I’d get to be a part of their day!
Wedding 3.0 included plans for an intimate ceremony at the gorgeous Leo Mol Sculpture Garden in front of the pond, followed by a clear top tent reception in Johann's dad's yard in Old Tuxedo, which called for a mature but still vibrant colour palette, focusing on a range of pinks, moving from a darker berry tone all the way down to a beigey blush.
Jen wanted luscious florals, an oversized and very garden-inspired bridal bouquet. Their late-August wedding date meant I was able to include some of my favourite locally grown flowers, including lisianthus, cosmos, and scabiosa. Her bouquet also featured quicksand roses and Darcy garden roses, blush ranunculus, and I rounded it out with olive foliage and trailing jasmine vine. When describing what she wanted, Jen told me, “the weirder the better” and so I had a lot of fun with this bouquet! It was huge, and had a really cool shape with lots of movement and depth.
I LOVE the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden — I think it’s one of the most beautiful places in the entire city (fun fact: my sister unveiled one of the statues!). We wanted to make a floral statement, but I also wanted something that fit well in the small space and didn’t take away from the view.
I decided on a bit of a floral nest, with ground-based pieces full of flowers that brought colour and fragrance without overpowering the gorgeous pond.
Jen also asked for large arrangements in gold urns to be set at the entrance to the aisle, which makes for a really welcoming and beautiful walk down the aisle!
For the reception, the clear top tent was situated in Johann’s dad’s front yard. We decided on a dusty rose velvet linen, and a few floral focal pieces to carry the design throughout: a large olive branch arrangement for the champagne table, we re-purposed the ceremony pieces to become a killer entrance of the small tent, and popped luscious centrepieces in bronze urns on each table, surrounded by smoke glass votive holders.
Jen had worked closely with Leech Letter Co to design a custom stationery suite for the original wedding plans, including an adorable wax seal featuring their puppy's silhouette, and then added an insert with the new details from Minted, with the phrasing "Okay, new plan..." that was the perfect way to add a little lightness to the situation!
The guest list was kept quite small, and they utilized both the front yard (for the tent and welcome champagne table), and the back yard pool area (for cocktail hour and then again to party away the night…rumour has it, Jen might have taken a midnight dip!). Round guest tables were situated in the tent, while cocktail tables dotted the backyard around the pool, on which I placed a few petite floral arrangements to tie it all together.
Obviously I couldn’t help but float all my leftover roses in the pool!
It was such a joy to flower for this incredible couple! Clearly they have no fun at all 😉 It made me so happy to see them celebrate after all of the planning, and re-planning, and re-planning again.
Josh Dookhie for Pantel Photography ~ Alli Mae Events ~ Planned Perfectly ~ C&T Rentals ~ D’Lite Tent Rentals ~ Chef Ben Kramer ~ Keith Macpherson ~ DJ K Chedda ~ Jessica Janel Makeup ~ Styled by Katie ~ Leech Letter Co ~ High Tea Bakery ~ Leo Mol Sculpture Garden
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
Getting married in 2022? Wedding flower appointments will start in the new year and I have a wait list started in the meantime. Click the button below to get on my wait list!
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!
Looking for a Wedding Invitation or Guest Book? Here’s my New Fave Source!
The combination of pretty flowers and paper gets me really excited. I’m a book lover (I will never use an e-reader — it’s got to be real paper), and that could be why I’ve always loved beautiful wedding invitations and everything that comes along with it.
I came across Basic Invite a few years ago (back when I was working at Once Wed!), and they recently reached out to show me some of their new wedding stationery products: wedding invites, guest books (am I the only one who thinks pretty guest books are impossible to find?), along with invites for showers and engagement parties and everything that comes along with those events.
Let me show you some of my favourites!
I am a sucker for beautiful wedding stationery.
So I want to share some of my new favourites with you!
The combination of pretty flowers and paper gets me really excited. I’m a book lover (I will never use an e-reader — it’s got to be real paper), and that could be why I’ve always loved beautiful wedding invitations and everything that comes along with it.
I came across Basic Invite a few years ago (back when I was working at Once Wed!), and they recently reached out to show me some of their new wedding stationery products: wedding invites, guest books (am I the only one who thinks a pretty guest book is impossible to find?), along with invites for showers and engagement parties and everything that comes along with those events.
Let me show you some of my favourites!
When I am working with event design clients, or am simply recommending different options to floral clients, I do have a preference to work with a local stationery artist. But, I know that the budget point that comes along with a custom, locally-designed product isn’t always feasible for every client. That’s when I love to include a few suggestions for a more budget-friendly online option, and Basic Invite is one of those amazing options.
They’re not just offering your basic “low budget” options, and I need you to understand that. The pieces and designs that the Basic Invite team offer are varied in style and design, and they offer a lot of different customizations to make sure you get what you’re envisioning. Here are a few of my favourite pieces and some of the awesome details you should know!
So first of all, you know that I’m all about COLOUR. I love a well-designed and intentional wedding palette that goes beyond the basic. Your wedding invitation and other paper goods are an ideal place to incorporate the interesting touches of your palette. They’re the first way that your guests experience your wedding, so that invite gives your guest a taste of what they can expect: style, theme, how formal it’s going to be, and what kind of surprises they might expect.
Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows customers almost unlimited colour options with instant previews online. You can actually change the colour of each element on a card, with over 180 different colour options (is that too many options? I don’t know haha). The card can be exactly how you want it, down to the littlest detail. This is what sets Basic Invite apart from any other online stationery company and is their biggest draw.
Oh! And 40 different envelope colours! Layer in that colour palette, baby!
Full Invitation Suites
Each of Basic Invites' wedding invitations are part of a full set, which means that you can choose just a simple invite and envelope combination, or you can sprinkle that paper goodness throughout your entire wedding, with things like ceremony programs, registry and hotel block info cards, thank you notes, table numbers, and so on. If you’re working on a low budget but you want to make sure your overall wedding design has impact, then don’t overlook the importance of your paper pieces working together.
Above and on the right, you can see how swapping out the colours makes an enormous difference, and I love that it’s so easy to do so. The main suite above has a joyful, mid-summer feel that would be perfect for an outdoor wedding, while the darker option below feels a little more moody, a little more luxe (I could envision how this would play centre stage in a dramatic winter wedding at Manitoba Club…).
Extra Details
A few more things to love about basic invite:
-They include free wedding websites (mobile friendly and you can custom design to match your invites!)
-Custom samples, so you can see it in your hands before you make a final decision
-Free address collection service (you just sent your guests a link, and they fill out all of their mailing details)
All images provided by Basic Invite.
They’re also offering a promo code right now for 15% off your order, until the end of December only! You can check that all out on their homepage.
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
Getting married in 2022? Wedding flower appointments will start in the new year and I have a wait list started in the meantime.
Click the button below to get on my wait list!
What I've Learned in 2020
I know a lot of good things have happened in 2020 and I am so grateful that I was able to be a part of the weddings that did go ahead, but with the way the virus has overwhelmed Manitoba this fall, it’s feeling harder and harder to focus on that light.
Then something happened.
I’ve been dreading writing my yearly recap, year in review type of post.
Post imagery by Brittany Mahood
I know a lot of good things have happened in 2020 and I am so grateful that I was able to be a part of the weddings that did go ahead, but with the way the virus has overwhelmed Manitoba this fall, it’s feeling harder and harder to focus on that light.
Then something happened.
The vast majority of my industry was denied access to the Manitoba Bridge Grant even though we are small businesses that were forced to shut down.
There are a lot of semantics involved, but in mid-November when the Bridge Grant applications opened, we realized that by and large, we were not eligible. The reason is because we don’t have retail storefronts — and most of us do not require any sort of retail space to do our work, and to do it well.
So I got angry, as I’m sure you would, too. I’ve never been the type to not speak up, whether answering a teacher’s questions in class or bringing an issue to light, I’ve always found it pointless to not say what needs to be said.
If there’s anything I’ve learned from the last month or so, it’s that each of us has a voice and it’s up to us whether we decide to use it, and how.
My most popular Instagram posts of 2020 have a common theme: I spoke up. I told the truth about what I’ve been facing, about what wedding vendors have been facing, and abut what engaged couples have been facing (because this pandemic has unfairly targeted all of you, too).
And I wrote emails. A lot of emails, to a lot of people. I ended being interviewed on City TV, CTV, and Global CJOB. My posts on Instagram were shared well over 400 times. I had countless people reach out and say they would write their MLAs on our behalf (you have no idea how much gratitude I have to you!).
(I also had one woman reach out to say that she WAS sympathetic and was going to write her MLA on our industry’s behalf, until I made one small, negative remark about the government...that kind of fake support for small businesses is equivalent to saying “shop small” but only when Amazon isn’t more convenient. So you can feel free to keep your pretend support to yourself LS, because I don’t need it.)
I am grateful for the assistance of a few very helpful people, Dougald Lamont (Leader of the Liberal Party of Manitoba) and Wab Kinew (Leader of the NDP of Manitoba and Leader of the Official Opposition). My own MLA never bothered to respond to me, but I was so grateful for the kindness these men and their teams showed me and their willingness to bring our cause to the government. They recognized that the battle the wedding and event industry is fighting is a very serious one. A life or death one.
I also want to reassure my clients that I will be fine. Stone House Creative will be fine long term.
We are lucky that my husband’s work has been largely unaffected and so we are not in immediate danger. The challenge for us has “simply” been a matter of income loss.
The same is not true for many wedding professionals, however. Because of the seasonal nature of our business and the timing of when the pandemic hit, the wedding industry is in a uniquely challenging position. Many of us will essentially have been out of work (and out of pay) for 19 months. And I’ll tell you what, my husband is a financial planner and we make good financial decisions, but even we don’t have an emergency fund that can cover 19 months.
We’ve sort of won.
The province has widened the Bridge Grant eligibility criteria, so more people can access it. That’s a massive win. It’s not quite that clear cut, with businesses not necessarily able to get the full $5k, but I’m trying to be grateful that more businesses at least get something.
So, I guess that’s that…That was 2020.
Normally I like to tally up the number of roses I used in the year, or the locally grown stems, or something fun like that. This year, I wanted to highlight what I’ve learned instead — I’m not a person who is usually into this kind of stuff, but I think that everyone should have courage to say and do what needs to be done.
And maybe I’ll just wrap it all up with a look at some of 2020’s wedding bouquets!
I’ll be taking the rest of the year off! We’re kicking it off with my son’s 2nd birthday this weekend (yay! Birthday party for 3 people! haha) and then I’m looking forward to a slower, quieter Christmas than we usually have.
I hope that each of you finds blessings in the remainder of 2020. If you’re looking for something to do on Christmas Eve, I’d love to invite you to our church’s virtual service! It’s always uplifting and filled with great music and hope.
❤️
Garden-Inspired Winter Wedding at SMITH
I’ve been waiting a long time to share Morgan and Josiah’s garden-inspired winter wedding at SMITH! They were married December 28, 2019 in a big, joyous celebration and is the perfect example of why winter weddings are awesome.
Rich, luxurious while still approachable, warm, and overloaded with delicious food, there’s probably nothing that I would change about their wedding. The temperature wasn’t even that cold! Read on for more inspiration on throwing a killer winter wedding here in Winnipeg.
I’ve been waiting a long time to share Morgan and Josiah’s garden-inspired winter wedding at SMITH! But, it just didn’t feel right to post winter images during June. They were married December 28, 2019 in a big, joyous celebration and is the perfect example of why winter weddings are awesome.
Rich, luxurious while still approachable, warm, and overloaded with delicious food, there’s probably nothing that I would change about their wedding. The temperature wasn’t even that cold! Read on for more inspiration on throwing a killer winter wedding here in Winnipeg.
Photos by The Picture & The Poet
Morgan and I actually know each other a bit from church, where we both volunteer with the student ministries, so I was really excited to get her email! She and Josiah weren’t technically engaged yet, but let me tell you: that happens ALL the time.
Bridal bouquet ingredients: Tess and Keira garden roses, amnesia roses, plum and blush ranunculus, mauve astrantia, blush rice flower, and wine amaryllis.
Even though it was winter, Morgan wanted her bouquet to feel very garden-inspired and lush, so that’s what I did!
Morgan both made the centre arch AND did all the calligraphy and signage for her wedding! Her ceremony design concept was to feature the calligraphy paper roll and frame it in with flowers, so I flanked it with my copper stands and absolutely filled them with flowers. It smelled SO GREAT.
After the ceremony in the ballroom upstairs, the party moved to SMITH. We varied the flower arrangements here, knowing that the tables are very different sizes. Some got a single bud vase, and some were filled with fuller arrangements and tons of candles. The flowers brought in a lot of colour to the moody, rustic space.
When you’re planning a winter wedding, there are a few more logistical issues to work through — and specifically with flowers, you need to make sure those flowers aren’t going to freeze to death. Sometimes my brides will order a second bouquet for outdoor pictures, often a simpler posy composed of hardy winter greens and berries. Like I said earlier, it was actually pretty warm for Morgan and Josiah’s wedding (remarkable, because late December is usually AWFUL) so that worked out just fine for them!
On the other hand, when you’re designing a winter wedding, you should definitely take full advantage by playing up the best parts of the season. Ask yourself how you like to feel in winter/during the holidays — I’ll tell you that I like to feel cozy, fat (lol), warm, and surrounded by people I love, good smelling food, and dim lights. Now aside from feeling fat, the rest of that would make for a pretty stinking great wedding, and I think that’s really how Morgan and Josiah’s wedding felt! Morgan’s hand-crafted details aded so much personality and tied it all together.
The Picture & The Poet ~ Smith ~ inn at the Forks ~ AShley Brooke WEddings & Events ~ Bliss Bridal Boutique ~ Hair by Danille ~ Colour me Artistry ~ EPH Apparel ~
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
Getting married in 2022? Wedding flower appointments will start in the new year and I have a wait list started in the meantime. Click the button below to get on my wait list!
