A Chic Spring Wedding at the Assiniboine Park Pavilion
I wasn’t planning on working on Mother’s Day weekend. I had my baby about 5 months earlier and was looking forward to a relaxing Mother’s Day with my boys. Then Andrea from Soiree texted me, asking if I knew of any floral designers who were still available for that weekend. I felt myself starting to cave a little…so I asked about the style and vision for the wedding…and then I saw the design board…and heard that it was at the Pavilion…and before I knew it, I said “You twisted my arm, count me in!” and there it was.
Julia and Rob’s chic spring wedding at the Assiniboine Park Pavilion was officially on my calendar!
I wasn’t planning on working on Mother’s Day weekend. I had my baby about 5 months earlier and was looking forward to a relaxing Mother’s Day with my boys. Then Andrea from Soiree texted me, asking if I knew of any floral designers who were still available for that weekend. I felt myself starting to cave a little…so I asked about the style and vision for the wedding…and then I saw the design board…and heard that it was at the Pavilion…and before I knew it, I said “You twisted my arm, count me in!” and there it was.
Julia and Rob’s chic spring wedding at the Assiniboine Park Pavilion was officially on my calendar!
Photos: Brittany Mahood
I love this romantic colour palette — soft pink, moody mauves, crisp black — and it worked beautifully to create the modern, romantic vibes. And can we take a moment to take in her dress and headband combination? Dang.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: wabara garden rose, anemone, butterfly ranunculus, faith rose, sweet pea, and pieris.
I haven’t worked at the Pavilion in a few years so I was super excited to be here again! It was closed for a few years, then underwent a huge remodel, and then Covid happened so everything that was scheduled was cancelled or moved. The remodel that was done there is really beautiful — it’s always been one of my favourite spaces in the city with the amount of windows and natural light. In the summer, the terrace is stunning for ceremonies or cocktail hours, and it’s obviously in the park so there are plenty of perfect photo locations within walking distance.
I love this floor plan! The mix of round and banquet tables, the “head table nook” utilizing 3 round tables for the VIPs in the alcove, it all worked to create great movement throughout the room.
The focal point of the design was obviously the hanging florals above the head table! The colour palette, the shape, the inclusion of pussy willow branches…it was all just do great. I’d do it again any day 🥰
We also kept the centrepiece on this “head table” simpler, just focusing on black candles so the floating florals above could sing.
The floor plan situated round guest tables around the outsides of the room, which we styled with a lush floral arrangement with a duo of black taper candles. It felt both full and minimalist in a good way. Across the dance floor was a pair of long banquet table, which had cards placed on them advising guests that the tables would be removed for dancing — so smart! — and because the tables were being removed, we went simpler on the centrepieces here, using black taper and votive candles, and petite bud vases for just a bit of colour.
“I just want to let you know that you are KILLIN’ it in the floral game. And more importantly, you are a lovely human and just a joy to work with and be around. I am so honoured you agreed to be part of my special day. The flowers were the talk of the day and still are. I can’t tell you how many guests asked WHO did the flowers. So from a “consumer” point of view - you are pure magic! Correction* in all ways you are pure magic ❤️ ” - Julia
So now you can see why I left mat leave early! This was the perfect wedding to start my season off with and I’d just love to do it over and over and over again.
What I Bought vs How I Styled It — Wedding Flower Edition (and How Much it Costs!)
What I Bought Vs How I Styled It
And how much it costs!
I love this Instagram Reels trend with home decor and design, so I thought it might be fun to add a little floral twist to it.
Floral Ingredients:
Top Row: Hellebore, Cappuccino Rose, Schwartzwalder Mini Calla Lilies
Bottom Row: Lepto, Amnesia Rose, Tulip, Barista Rose
And here’s the final product!
Well, “final” before the design tweaking and the ribbon went on :)
Now let’s talk about the Cost.
I made this bouquet for myself, so I’ll start this off by saying I chose flowers regardless of budget. Some of the selections I made were very premium, so this bouquet is more expensive than my average bridal bouquet.
Bridal Bouquet PRice: $375
The more expensive elements in the bouquet are the calla lilies, the hellebore, and the cappuccino roses. I’d personally say that they’re totally worth it, but that’s up to you!
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
I’m now booking 2023 weddings!
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!
Now Booking 2023 Weddings
I cannot wait to start connecting with couples planning their weddings for next year, and now that my maternity leave is winding down, it’s time to get talking!
My schedule is Open:
I’m now booking 2023 weddings!
I cannot wait to start connecting with couples planning their weddings for next year, and now that my maternity leave is winding down, it’s time to get talking!
I design beautiful weddings for great people.
whether you’re looking for florals only or need a little more help and want to inquire about event design services as well, I design wedding flowers that are an elevated take on a garden-inspired aesthetic, and I specialize in dreaming up compelling designs that you haven’t seen at your friends’ weddings.
Stone House Creative is known for our signature lush, garden style floral design. Inspired by the way flowers look in nature and their intoxicating scents, I’m constantly seeking to elevate my work through unique colour palettes and intriguing details, and make it simple for design-oriented couples who believe that flowers bring life to a celebration.
My clients are genuine, taking a light-hearted approach to life while appreciating creativity and design. You are attracted to quality and beauty, rather than the trendy and temporary, and aspire to always incorporate an interesting touch to liven things up. You work hard, and want to be taken care of by a professional in an inspiring environment.
If you need
Unique ways to bring special touches to your wedding design;
Someone to handle the aesthetics while you handles the details — a designer to take your ideas and flesh them out, bringing together your entire wedding;
Excellent customer service from a professional, while still fun and inspiring, environment
Then I would love to connect with you about your wedding!
A few things as I begin booking my 2023 calendar:
With 2 little kiddos at home and my desire to make sure that both my family AND my clients get the best of me, I’ll be taking fewer weddings than in previous years.
Stone House Creative has a minimum $2500 floral investment, so that I can guarantee my clients the design style they’re looking for
I only book one wedding per date to provide a higher level of service to each of you. I love being able to be on site, finessing and making sure that every detail is perfect. If I don’t have to rush off to another wedding, then I can actually do that for you!
Stone House Creative offers both floral design and full scale event design for weddings in winnipeg, southern Manitoba, and Northwestern Ontario.
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!
Sophisticated Vineyard-Inspired Tent Wedding
Diane and Bryce reached out to me just 3.5 months before their wedding. Normally I would have my calendar confirmed well in advance of that, but I had just had another wedding for that weekend cancel so I was pretty thrilled to hear from them.
They live in BC but are both originally from the Winnipeg area, and hoped to have an intimate wedding with just 30 ish of their most loved people (and simultaneously avoid having to have the huge wedding that didn’t feel like them at all!).
So though 3.5 months is a short timeline to plan an entire wedding, I rolled up my sleeves and dug in to their full event design!
Diane and Bryce reached out to me just 3.5 months before their wedding. Normally I would have my calendar confirmed well in advance of that, but I had just had another wedding for that weekend cancel so I was pretty thrilled to hear from them.
They live in BC but are both originally from the Winnipeg area, and hoped to have an intimate wedding with just 30 ish of their most loved people (and simultaneously avoid having to have the huge wedding that didn’t feel like them at all!).
So though 3.5 months is a short timeline to plan an entire wedding, I rolled up my sleeves and dug in to their full event design!
One of my favourite aspects of the event design process is designing the colour palette. The palette we created for Diane and Bryce was just phenomenal — and it all started with an image Bryce had found that incorporated orange and a dove grey. I decided to deepen the orange to more of a rust tone, added in some peach and dusty pink tones, and rounded it out with a forest green. Overall, it evoked a seasonal early summer/late fall vibe, and Diane shared the palette with all their family members so they all chose outfits in those tones too, and looked SO good.
Dang, I just loved Diane’s bridal bouquet. I was able to use a large amount of locally grown flowers with some premium imported roses, and design something that felt natural but not too wild.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: toffee and cappucino roses, lisianthus, zinnias (from my garden!), phlox, calendula, amaranthus, ninebark, and nandina foliage.
We started the event design process with the colour palette and the stationery design; Diane had commissioned a local BC artist to create incredible pen sketches of both the church where the ceremony would be, and her parents’ yard where the reception was hosted. I worked with a stationery designer in Langley to create a 2 card invite, so that we could prominently feature both sketches, and the little country church in Teulon was just so quaint.
All we needed here was to add 2 overgrown, old-world feeling urn arrangements at the front, just to bring in a bit of colour and freshen up the space.
The reception was hosted in a small tent in Diane’s parents’ backyard, with one half dedicated to the u-shaped dinner table and the other half, a small dance floor and lounge area. I was hoping to have all sides of the tent open but it ended up being quite windy so we had to close a few. Ah, weather!
They have loved touring local BC vineyards, so we wanted to bring that feel in to the reception with greenery draping from the ceiling and cross-back wooden chairs. We let the colour palette warm up the entire space, with taupe linens, warm caramel menus and forest green place cards, toffee taper candles and copper flatware. Designing the place settings was a lot of fun!
Some of my favourite elements were added just a couple of weeks before the wedding! The lounge furniture, the champagne wall with custom decal, and a photo wall with coordinating custom decal as well. It’s great to have that kind of last minute flexibility to really complete a design.
“Your design is an absolute delight to look at and relive. Thank you, THANK YOU again for being so amazing to plan and communicate with. Not going to lie, I was a little sad coming back home and no longer receiving email updates from you! Authenticity multiplies trust — I cannot emphasize enough how grateful and proud we are that you were able to work with us this year. It’s easy to see the value of your floral and event design throughout the gallery but most importantly to us is remembering how you presented it, how you presented yourself, how you made us feel about it, and how you made us feel about ourselves.”
Janine kropla Photography ~ Stone House Creative ~ Collective Event Rentals ~ Planned Perfectly ~ Paper Poet ~ Wildflower and Thistle ~ Ornare ~ Union Table ~ Event Light ~ Luxe LInens ~ Asarye Paperie ~ Chew Catering
How to Hold Your Bridal Bouquet and Some Behind the Scenes Wedding Prep at My Studio!
You might assume that holding a bridal bouquet correctly is easy — and it is! But in my years working in weddings, I’ve learned that you really just can’t assume anything 😂 Including something as simple as how to hold a bridal bouquet. Here are my 3 easy steps to help you correctly hold your bridal bouquet to show it off the best!
How to Hold Your Bridal Bouquet in 3 Easy Steps
You might assume that holding a bridal bouquet correctly is easy — and it is! But in my years working in weddings, I’ve learned that you really just can’t assume anything 😂 Including something as simple as how to hold a bridal bouquet. Here are my 3 easy steps to help you correctly hold your bridal bouquet to show it off the best!
Step 1: Find the front.
Gosh, you would be amazed at some of the pictures I’ve received back from weddings just to think, “how did no one realize that the bouquet is SO backwards?” Even with trailing ribbon attached to the front, bouquets have been held backwards. I always put the pins in the back, so put your thumbs on those pins and you’ll be fine. And if you have requested trailing ribbon or a ribbon bow, that’s obviously going to be in the front. Finally, no matter how the bouquet is designed, the most glorious of the flowers are always going to be in the front!
Step 2: Find the Proper Height.
Let’s all avoid that awkward early 2000’s bridesmaid look, okay? No one needs to be walking down the aisle with their elbows up next to their ears. It’s pretty simple: just put your wrist bones to your hip bones. This allows you to comfortably carry your bouquet at a flattering height that also shows off the neckline and waist of your dress, which is often where a lot of the detail of your gown is. Let’s show that off.
Step 3: Angle the flowers out.
Angle your flowers toward the camera and your florist will love you forever 😏 Seriously though, no one needs to see the stems of your bouquet, so you don’t need to hold it perfectly up and down. By angling the flowers out, you’ll show off all their beautiful shapes and textures, and let the flowers have their glory moment. Have fun with it, maybe resting it over your elbow or letting it hang down by your side, but overall, just let the flowers themselves do the talking.
Mid-summer, Karina Walker from Creative Capture came by the studio to take some video footage of me prepping for a wedding, and then also came along on a wedding set up to capture the installation and setup process. I can’t wait to show you all of that (along with the final images of that wedding from Izabela Rachwal!), and in the meantime, here are some behind the scenes shots she took while I was working!
Thank you so much Karina!
Karina Walker, Creative Capture
If you’d like to see more of my studio, check out this studio tour post from last summer! I love working here in the summers. I keep the garage door open all day, with sunlight streaming in (and once in a while, a bee) and it makes me so happy to work in the fresh air all the time. It’s a great little space!
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
My 2023 wedding wait list has been 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!