Spanish-Inspired Red Wedding at The White Poplar
Natasha and Joe, in August at The White Poplar — better known as one of my favourite weddings of the year.
And one of your favourites, too — every time I post something from their wedding, Instagram goes wild. The reel I posted of their arch has almost 300 shares…that’s WAY WAY WAY more than anything else I’ve ever shared. So yeah. Natasha and Joe’s wedding is a good one. Let’s dig into it.
Natasha’s style is obviously impeccable, and she came into the planning with a Spanish-inspired vision. The colour palette? Perfect. Her dresses? Breathtaking. The ceremony arch? One of my absolute faves.
Natasha and Joe, in August at The White Poplar — better known as one of my favourite weddings of the year.
And one of your favourites, too — every time I post something from their wedding, Instagram goes wild. The reel I posted of their arch has almost 300 shares…that’s WAY WAY WAY more than anything else I’ve ever shared. So yeah. Natasha and Joe’s wedding is a good one. Let’s dig into it.
Natasha’s style is obviously impeccable, and she came into the planning with a Spanish-inspired vision. The colour palette? Perfect. Her dresses? Breathtaking. The ceremony arch? One of my absolute faves.
Photos by Rachwal Photography
BOUQUET PERFECTION. If I do say so myself 😘 Everything about this bouquet was just perfect. We obviously kept the colouring rich (which looks amazing against white dresses — if you’re on the fence about colour, please: GO FOR IT), focusing on those poppy reds with touches of brighter and softer pink added in, and finished with those breathtaking orchids that couldn’t have been more perfect.
FYI there’s a lesson in here — we don’t have a lot of control over the flowers that come in at our wholesaler, specifically when they’re more specialty flowers. Like, your roses are basically always going to come in with the correct variety and stem count that you want. But something like an orchid is trickier up here in the great white North, so I gave my rep a few colour options that I liked and the overall palette of the wedding, and then hoped for the best. I couldn’t guarantee to Natasha that I was going to get something that was going to be perfect, and so we couldn’t try to control it. BUT IT WAS PERFECT.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: Nina roses, rockstar roses, gladiola, ranunculus, snap dragons, Jewels of Opar, sweet pea, anthurium, and those perfect phalaenopsis orchids.
The ceremony. This arch. The perfect spot in the trees. I don’t know what else I can say aside from PERFECTION.
I love designing a statement arch but the red obviously kicked it up a notch unlike any other palette. Someone else, please give me a red palette and I will KISS you.
Okay, so we obviously had a lot of fun with the reception design. Natasha had a clear vision but wasn’t totally sure how to bring it all together or what products were available for rent here in Winnipeg, so I was happy to come alongside her and make suggestions about rentals, styling, and so on — and honestly, the trust that she put in me was AMAZING and that’s what creates the best experience and final product.
Since their wedding was originally going to be at a different venue (and then postponed because of Covid, and then that venue wasn’t actually BUILT so she had to switch gears altogether), Natasha viewed White Poplar as a blank slate that she could do whatever she wanted with.
First, Natasha brought in cross-back chairs instead of the black metal that are standard at the venue, and added white draping to soften the more barn/industrial style space. She also added a dusty rose velvet linen to the head table to create an elevated aesthetic and also make sure the bridesmaids don’t have to worry about sitting prim and proper all night long. We added a gorgeous low floral piece to the centre of the head table, along with clusters of candles and greenery touches to finish that design up.
I wanted to create a sense of undulation down the tables, and Natasha liked the idea of these low arrangements that felt like they were growing out of the tables. We paired those with fuller florals in gold urns, and added plenty of candles in a soft taupe to elevate the aesthetic (this makes SUCH a big difference…sometimes a white candle is the way to go, but sometimes it’s just too stark and basic!).
I loved the place settings! The gold-rimmed plates were lovely and felt rich, and I suggested layering in a terracotta napkin underneath the bread plate, for both function and fashion. It added a bit of authentic rustic vibes, and also didn’t blow away — word to the wise, The White Poplar is suuuuuper windy. Natasha’s friend designed all the stationery on this luxe, luscious paper (isn’t the colour stunning?!) and then on the day-of, when Alex from Alexandra Lillian Events was setting everything up she came up against the wind when setting the place cards. I suggested they be tucked into the salad fork tynes, which again felt a little rustic (in a good way guys, not in a burlap barn way, k?) and also got that job done.
We need to give a MOMENT to this cake. Woah. Jenna Rae Cakes absolutely blew it out of the water with this complete masterpiece. I connected with Jenna in advance of the wedding and let her know what flowers I was using, and what I could provide her with that would last on the cake, and then she just went for it. Seriously, if you want your cake to be a true work of art, you need to connect with Jenna.
And, obviously, the flowers were pretty spectacular, if I do say so myself! My team really killed it, and we had an awesome time designing lush pieces filled with locally grown and specialty imported flowers.
Everything about this day was amazing. What made it even better was the vendor team, all listed below. This was my first time working at White Poplar, and AJ is AMAZING. Alexandra Lillian Events provided coordination services, and she’s always such a breath of fresh air and such a gentle spirit to work alongside. Jenna Rae Cakes BROUGHT IT. Truly, everything about this wedding was just chef’s kiss.* Hire vendors who get your style, and let them help you along the way. It’ll work out so much better for you!
Izabela Rachwal Photography ~ The White Poplar ~ Alexandra Lillian Events ~ Jenna Rae Cakes ~ Planned Perfectly ~ Collective Event Rentals ~ Idyll Paper ~ Faith Robert ~ Chef Ben Kramer ~ Bliss Bridal Boutique ~ JP Media works
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
My 2024 calendar is now open!
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!
2023 and 2024 Wedding Trends
When I wrote my trends post last year, I forecasted a lot of personalization, a lot of creativity, and a lot of couples doing things their own way.
And guess what? 2022 wedding couples took this all and totally ran wild with it.
I always love forecasting wedding trends, so here we go!
When I wrote my trends post last year, I forecasted a lot of personalization, a lot of creativity, and a lot of couples doing things their own way.
And Guess what? 2022 wedding couples took this all and totally ran wild with it. Honestly, last year’s weddings were so spectacular in so many ways that I have no idea how I’ll ever top that year, but I have a feeling that my 2023 couples are up for the challenge.
Before I jump into some of my favourite trends that I hope we’ll see in 2022 and 2023 weddings, here are a few things that are always at the top of my list:
Environmental Responsibility
Quality Over Quantity
Locally Grown Flowers
Doing Things Your Own Way
These are all things that I’d love to see you filter through your entire wedding planning!
And now, let’s get into the pretty and inspirational! (And PS — if you’re newly engaged, congratulations! If you’re new here, welcome! I share a deep look into my real weddings, along with sharing planning advice and tips!)
Photo by S Berard / Design by Wild Heart Events
Sculptural Floral Design
We’re seeing unique shapes, funky ingredients and textures and REALLY letting the flowers shine. There’s no micromanaging with this — we’re beholden to what cool ingredients we can get, so a client cannot be particular if this is the style they want.
And after so many years of “just a little greenery,” I cannot tell you how truly thrilled FLORAL DESIGNERS are to see a return to actual floral design.
Focal Design Moments
Let’s favour a few focal floral features and minimize other elements. I always look to Australian wedding trends; trends often start there and work their way here — and we’re seeing a lot of abundant, over the top hanging installations, focal floral arrangements, and then somewhat minimized tabletops for banquet tables. Statements moments like a hanging piece, a killer entrance moment, a spectacular cake set up…chef’s kiss.
Display Style Design
Pedestals, plinths, asymmetrical moments…whether for a unique ceremony setting, an interactive dessert display, unique display moments, a creative seating chart, get into the display design — whatever might suit your wedding’s needs.
Negative Space
With a more sculptural design style, we then need to look to the overall design and ensure there’s balance by incorporating negative space. One piece doesn’t sing if there’s clutter everywhere. That means only include those elements that are necessary to support and build the table as a whole. What does this look like? Getting rid of the venue’s bulky tea lights, and asking the venue to simplify the place settings (no coffee cups or spoons out). If you’re offering favours, consider having an interactive favour table/station instead of leaving them on the place settings.
Basically, streamline the tablescape so you can have some negative space.
As Charly Goss would say, it’s all about proportion. And in event design, this translates into being all about negative space.
Colour
Black and white is always popular for a classic venue or that “art gallery” style vibe, but it’s easy to fall flat. My opinion? Just go for colour. We’re seeing lots of very bold palettes, including some hilariously vibrant pinks (possibly influenced by Barbie?!).
Ready for something fun? I’m feeling a lime moment these days. Chartreuse is the perfect way to tuck in some vibrancy and fun! Adding a hit of lime to something otherwise feminine or subdued can very aptly be described as “sweet and sour.” That touch of chartreuse can just bring such a delicious bit of life to a palette.
A Return to Round Tables
This gives us a great opportunity to pair form with function. Functionally, round tables are great for service, and most venues own them so that eliminates the need to rent in specialty tables. From a design perspective, we need to think of a few things — creating movement, adding height in the centre of the table, eliminating as much of the unnecessary things off the table as possible (for the love all good things, would venues please stop setting coffee cups on the table!?).
Scaled Back Bouquets
I have nothing against big bouquets. In fact, I love them. But there’s something so chic and current about a scaled back bouquet, featuring ruffled blooms and smaller textures in a more intricate colour palette. Especially when paired with a more streamlined and architectural style dress, the effect is stunning.
Photo by Heather Nan / Bouquet by Tinge Floral
looking for a wedding floral and event designer in winnipeg?
We’ve got a small handful of 2023 dates remaining, and 2024 bookings are now open.
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!
Wrapping Up 2022
I honestly don’t know how I’m ever going to top the 2022 wedding season — it was AMAZING. And such a joy to see so many of you celebrate your long awaited weddings!
In the spirit of things, I thought I’d take a quick look back at some of my highs from the year.
Mary-Margaret Magyar
I honestly don’t know how I’m ever going to top the 2022 wedding season — it was AMAZING. And such a joy to see so many of you celebrate your long awaited weddings!
In the spirit of things, I thought i’d take a quick look back at some of my highs from the year.
-I designed for 27 weddings this year! And each was different from the last, which made things so much fun.
-We worked at different venues almost every weekend, which was really cool and kept things fresh.
-I saw so many of my vendors friends for the first time in a few years!
-Finally got to execute several designs that we’d been waiting on for years! And with that, the last of the postponed Covid weddings has been completed. HALLELUJAH.
-Along with florals, I also designed the full event design for 2 amazing weddings. I love taking on event design, but only take on 1-3 event design contracts per year so I can make sure my attention isn’t too spread around.
-I also designed for a Hallmark movie (shh, I’m not technically allowed to say this but it was exciting and awesome)! Deanna and I got to design a really beautiful arch for a wedding scene…and then they came and put twinkle lights in literally everything 😂 — the centrepieces, the arch, the aisle bouquets. It was so ugly haha but it was still incredibly cool. I guess you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to make something pop on screen.
Plans for 2023:
-I’m so excited to launch my new rentals collection in early 2023 (pieces will be available to anyone, even if I’m not doing your florals)!
-W'e’re building a new shop at our new home (currently trying to decide on layout and the best way to use the space. Bigger walk-in cooler here I come!).
-I'm looking forward to weddings at a few venues I haven’t worked in before, or haven’t been to in a few years, and 2 weddings bringing me out to the Kenora area.
-Stone House is coming up on 9 years in business!
-I’m heading to Toronto in the spring for some hands-on design brush-up time with one of my favourite designers!
Here’s a little sneak at some of the new rental pieces I’m bringing in!
I’m primarily bringing in candle holders and vases, along with a few unique styling pieces that will complete your style (think trays and bowls for guest cards, trays for kippahs, great vases for guest book table or bar arrangements). I’ll also be providing candles for all those rentals to make your life as easy as possible!
More on this will be launching in the new year, but in the meantime, sign up for my newsletter to make sure you’re in the know.
Did you know that I keep a list of design ideas that I want to do, so that I can keep things fresh and offer you some great ideas? Here are a few things I’ve craving to do and hope to add to 2023 weddings:
-Upgraded focal design elements — think, impressive seating chart displays, unique head tables that aren’t just your bouquets plopped on top, glorious cake table moments.
-Rounding out a tablescape design with the addition of petite satellite arrangements and candles.
-Completing a ceremony design by improving the entire ambiance: adding baskets with flowers down the aisle, ground-based arrangements at the start of the aisle, elevating pieces on pedestals.
-I’m also dreaming up some incredible hanging installations — I just need the right couple and venue to go for it!
Now Booking 2023 and 2024 weddings
Looking for a wedding floral and event designer in Winnipeg?
2023 wedding dates are limited, and 2024 dates will begin booking in January!
Call me biased, but I think flowers are the best way to make a statement at your wedding. I would love the creative challenge of taking your wedding vision and spinning it into a reality that you never could have dreamed of.
And with that, I’ll wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Merry Festivus, Happy Solstice — whatever you’re celebrating this year. I’m taking off to be with my family in Mexico this year (!) and look forward to chatting with you all in 2023!
Garden-Inspired Art Gallery Wedding
Julie and Reid’s elegant, garden-inspired wedding was one I had been so looking forward to, but not without a few kinks in the planning!
Julie has a really demanding career, so I primarily worked with her mom and planner, Alli Mae Events. Julie gave us some inspiration for the visual direction, and we took it away from there — except, it was originally planned for another venue and due to flooding this spring, they scrambled to book a new venue just 4 weeks prior to their wedding!
In the end, I actually think the WAG was the absolute perfect location for them and I wouldn’t have chosen it to be any other way!
Julie and Reid’s elegant, garden-inspired wedding was one I had been so looking forward to, but not without a few kinks in the planning!
Julie has a really demanding career, so I primarily worked with her mom and planner, Alli Mae Events. Julie gave us some inspiration for the visual direction, and we took it away from there — except, it was originally planned for another venue and due to flooding this spring, they scrambled to book a new venue just 4 weeks prior to their wedding!
In the end, I actually think the WAG was the absolute perfect location for them and I wouldn’t have chosen it to be any other way!
Photos by Izabela Rachwal
“you were able to make my vision come to life, putting your own twist and imagination into it to make the florals and décor even more special.”
- Julie
Their original wedding venue had a lot of green space and opportunity for outdoor photos, and I knew they’d be missing that in their switch to the WAG. So, I offered to set up a sort of portrait garden on the rooftop, using their aisle flowers to bring some colour and life to the sculpture garden.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: wabara garden roses, peonies, ranunculus, scabiosa, quicksand rose, delphinium, Queen Anne’s Lace, anemones, lisianthus.
Rooftop wedding ceremonies at the WAG are always super windy, no matter what the weather is at the ground, but this chuppah from Dream Day Decor was sturdy and did the job!
I know a lot of people choose the WAG because it’s neutral (and it is — those tyndall stone walls are just 😍). But where people go wrong, in my opinion, is choosing white linens. The white just falls flat, dulling the room. Opting for a soft neutral, like these taupe linens from Planned Perfectly, or adding richness with a warmer tone, is definitely the way to go!
If you’re planning an all-white wedding, choosing the taupe is just a warmer neutral base that blends into the venue’s walls, but you can still opt for white florals and it’s not going to feel bland.
The floor plan is one of the most underrated elements to a great wedding atmosphere, and I love that Julie and Reid opted for an oversized “King’s Table” for their head table — double-sided seating, and double wide, allowing for plenty of space for the wedding party and their partners to join you. This gives you the opportunity to actually chat and enjoy your evening with your loved ones, instead of feeling like you’re on display all evening long.
It’s also great that this King’s Table was situated in the middle of the room, creating great guest flow and movement throughout the room. And obviously, the full floral runner lining the middle of the table was just divine!
“What an amazing display of your creativity. I knew you would create the magic and I trusted you every step of the way. There was lots of uncertainty with the wedding plans, but I knew you were the one aspect I had complete faith in.
Lauren, you were wonderful right from the beginning. Thank you for creating a wonderful moment in time that will sustain me for the remainder of my lifetime.”
-Adele (Mother of the Bride)
“Lauren at Stone House was so amazing to work with. She was very professional, responsive and extremely creative!
Lauren detailed and sketched her design in advance so I was able to provide feedback and envision her plan. With a last minute venue change, Lauren remained calm and was able to adapt with no problems.
She was helpful and her creativity went beyond florals. I am so glad I worked with Stone House for my wedding. She is artistic, resourceful and original.” - Julie
Looking for a Wedding Floral and Event Designer in Winnipeg?
2023 wedding dates are limited, and my 2024 wait list has been started! 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!
How Much Do Wedding Flowers Cost in Manitoba
I hear this question ALL the time. Literally, all the time. And while I can't give you an accurate blanket statement response, I wanted to at least give it a shot and explain some of the behind-the-scenes of wedding flower pricing for you. Because, let’s face it, pricing of everything in 2023 has changed, flowers included!
How much do wedding flowers cost?
If you’re getting married in 2023, you have to be prepared to spend 2023 money.
Over the years, I’ve written multiple blog posts about wedding flower budgets in Manitoba, how much bouquets actually cost, ideas for maximizing your flower budget, and more. I personally think those posts are extremely helpful…except for the fact that in this post-(ish)Covid world w’ere living in, with inflation and costs being what they are, literally everything has changed.
So, I figured it was time to revisit the topic of what wedding flowers actually cost in Manitoba, and hopefully it’s a good time of year for you as you’re planning your 2023 and 2024 weddings!
The other day, I was talking with a wedding planner friend of mine. I had just received an inquiry that was so unrealistic in her budget expectations that I had to vent about it. Her answer was amazing, and it’s everything that you need to keep in mind:
“If you’re planning a wedding in 2023, you have to be willing to spend 2023 money.”
AKA if you’re planning a 200 person wedding at a high end venue, and your floral requests are “lush and full,” you absolutely cannot expect to spend less than the $2500 budget this particular bride had budgeted. In fact, you can’t expect to spend less than probably $7000.
To be clear, inflation hasn’t risen so much that a $2500 budget from a few years ago is now equivalent to a $7000 budget…it’s definitely risen BUT that $2500 budget wouldn’t have been sufficient for that bride’s floral wish list for at least the last 15 years. Maybe never, I don’t know. I’ve only been doing this for 12 years 😉
So, here we go. What do wedding flowers, in Manitoba, in 2023 and beyond, ACTUALLY COST?
Figuring out how much to budget for your wedding flowers can be a major challenge — for most newly engaged couples, it's just going to be a major shot in the dark. Most of the online resources available are in American dollars, from very different markets than we are in, and are written by magazine editors — not florists — who haven't bothered to do their research on how much things actually cost, making their supposedly helpful suggestions to be completely unrealistic. Some of the big magazines and wedding planning sites offer "helpful" wedding budget breakdowns, with a suggestion for spending 10-20% of your overall budget on flowers, but there's a big difference between 10 and 20%!
So, before you even try to figure out a preliminary wedding flower budget, start here:
1) Figure out your priorities and what aspects of the flowers you really care about, and what aspects may be less important.
2) Understand that your budget needs to match your wants and needs list. If you don't want to spend a lot of money on flowers (which is perfectly fine! I was a budget bride, too!), you can't expect the world.
Probably the worst part of my job is finding a way to delicately tell a couple that their wish list is just way too enormous for the amount of money they're comfortable spending. While I adjust some prices on my end, most of what I have to charge is set by the growers and the wholesalers. There are a LOT of hard costs in this industry, which means that as much as we would love to, your floral designers can't just give you everything you want without a price tag attached to them. If you take just one thing away from this entire post, please know this: we aren't trying to rip you off. Believe me, we don't make a lot of money, especially when compared to the intensive work we do. There are simply very definite hard costs in the floral industry, and that just kind of sucks, because it means that we can't necessarily give you as much as we would honestly love to!
There are many things to consider that contribute to the overall amount of money you're spending on wedding flowers, including:
-The flowers themselves (duh).
-The amount of items your florist needs to make (8 bridesmaid bouquets add up really quickly!).
-The time of year (sorry to everyone who wants to get married in February, but all growers increase wholesale flower pricing for the month of Valentine's!).
-What your style is (some design styles require a lot more or less floral than others).
-The supplies required to create a design (you'd be surprised at how much time floral designers spend in Rona!).
-There's also, unfortunately, the border crossing factor. While I love to use locally grown flowers as much as possible, there are many things that just don't grow here in Manitoba. Anytime a flower crosses the border, there are increased expenses. It's a bummer, but a simple reality. What a florist in California might pay $0.50 per stem for, I have to pay $1.50 for.
-You're also paying for the service that you receive and the experience and expertise of the floral designer you've chosen. Perhaps you've chosen to work with someone who's been working with flowers for 15 years. Their experience deserves a higher pay grade. You'd expect to pay an experienced accountant more than a brand new one, wouldn't you? Or maybe you've chosen someone based on their creativity and the unique designs they create. Part of what you're paying for is their brain, which no one else has - being able to access their creativity is a benefit to you!
-Set up and delivery has a price tag attached to it, too (more on this coming in a future post!).
a few notes on what impacts flower pricing:
Covid:
Covid has affected so many areas of the floral industry. When it first hit, basically every farm worldwide had to lay off staff because they couldn't safely have their employees work, and because there was no demand for flowers. With that, they completely mowed down their crops. Some of these crops are flowers that take multiple years to grow before you can actually cut and produce them. This means we're looking at several years before production returns to full normal. At the same time, Americans decided that everything was "back to normal", causing a huge surge in demand with very limited availbility. Farms are still struggling with financial losses, and prices have increased. And as can expected, covid caused many wrinkles with shipping. Fewer airplanes are in the air, everything associated with crossing the border is more expensive, etc etc. Everything costs more to get here.
Supply and Demand:
Supply and demand, baby. Wedding trends affect pricing. The more people who want the coveted toffee rose, the more expensive they're going to be (and hot dang, they are expensive).
Supply Chain Issues:
Yep, just like the rest of the world, the supply chain is affecting hard goods and supplies in the floral industry. It's definitely getting better, but it's still hard to find the quantity of vases that we want, and the ones we can get are more expensive than they used to be. There are also certain supply products (like floral glue) that are just no longer made.So, how much do wedding bouquets cost?
The graphic below has long been one of my favourites, though the pricing is no longer relevant. My wholesale costs have risen, on average, 30% this past year. So, add 30% minimum to each of these bouquets and I guess you’d be closer to accurate pricing; $150 is now $200, $250 is now $325, and $350 is now $455. The graphic is still a great visual comparison. For those of you who like a certain style but aren't so picky about the types of flowers that are used, be sure to take a closer look - this might give you some thoughts on how you can lower your overall budget!
For reference, my bridal bouquet pricing now starts at $300 each, with some exceptions.
Quill + Oak, a florist friend of mine in Ontario, recently put together this comparison on centrepiece sizing and pricing, and it's also a pretty good estimation on what you could expect to receive in Manitoba!
Floral designs by Quill + Oak | Photos by Olive Photography
I’d suggest that if you’re looking for a nice, medium sized centrepiece, you start your budget at $100 each. A bud vase trio can be more cost-effective, while a tall arrangement you’ll want to budget minimum $250 each, and keep in mind that that is the bare minimum and not the lush, full arrangement you’re seeing on Pinterest and Instagram.
Candles are always a must-add, in my opinion. Whether you’re looking at taper candles, pillar or floating candles, or simple votives, aim for 3-7 per table depending on the centrepiece design and combine smaller votives with larger/taller candles for a more interesting look. But there’s this misconception that candles are the cheap option…I mean, if you’re doing 1 candle on a table, sure. That’s $10-$15. But that’s not what’s shown in the inspo pic that you’re giving me…you’re probably showing me something with $75 worth of candles and rental, per table. Just keep that in mind.
If you’re looking for an arch of some kind, those price ranges can vary wildly. A floral arch is going to be a minimum of $1500 - $2000, but I’d really suggest planning on $3000+ if you want full coverage, double that if the entire back of the arch needs to be covered (most of the time we have a light green coverage on the back). If you like the idea of a single floral piece added to an arch, plan for at least $500 per piece.
So, let's get down to IT. How much can you expect to spend on wedding flowers in Manitoba?
For full service florals (bridal party and family flowers, ceremony decor, reception decor), my clients are spending an average of $7500 + taxes. This might not apply to your specific needs, your guest list, your vision, but I hope that’s helpful as you budget!
And if you need to reduce your spend, here are my top tips for lowering your wedding flower quote:
-Cut out all boutonnieres and corsages. They’re small details that don’t get much attention and are kind of tacky and outdated, anyways.
-Cut or reduce your bridesmaids’ bouquets. I’ve had quite a few weddings this year opt for single roses just for the girls to have something in their hands walking down the aisle. At this Spanish-inspired wedding, the women carried hand fans and it was so chic!
-Create a couple of large, focal design moments that your guests will interact with, that will set the tone, and simplify the rest. Scaled back candle centrepieces are all you need if you’ve got a killer hanging installation above. Forgo aisle flowers and increase the arch. Eliminate boutonnieres and corsages to add a beautiful floral arrangement at your welcome table.
-Forget about the lie that greenery is cheap. It’s not. Costs on foliage have risen so high that I honestly can’t afford to include much greenery in my floral orders anymore. You get WAY more bang for your buck with colourful floral than you ever will with a couple of stems of greenery.
-Cut out the flowers on your signage. For the last maybe 5 years, everyone has wanted a “floral or greenery touch” on their welcome sign, their seating chart sign, etc etc. Man, this is a waste (in my opinion). Unless you have the budget to really make this special, save the $150 and push it to something that will actually be noticed and make your design more impactful.
Here's what I offer to clients:
-Full Service Floral Design (with a minimum investment budget of $5000)
-Event Design (in addition to floral design, and you can find out more about that here!)
I would love to discuss your wedding flower needs. I can help you narrow down your style, determine what are the most important aspects of the flowers to you (and therefore, where you should focus your budget and where you can reduce your spending), and also come up with some great ideas for unique designs that your friends didn't all have at their weddings.
Don't hesitate to reach out by clicking the button below!