Make Your Wedding Cake a Focal Point
My wedding design philosophy centres around creating focal design moments that will be memorable, interactive, and highly photographed. These are also where youâll end up investing chunks of your budget. Choosing to invest in focal moments helps ensure that youâre not going to blow your budget overall by spending on every little thing, but rather giving your spending a focus.
i know people have their ups and downs with wedding cakes and whether theyâre a priority or not. in my mind, it comes down to this: if youâre going to invest in a wedding cake, then make đđť it đđť a đđť Moment đđť
If youâre going to invest in a wedding cake, then MAKE IT A MOMENT.
Madeline Kate Photography
My wedding design philosophy centres around creating focal design moments that will be memorable, interactive, and highly photographed. These are also where youâll end up investing chunks of your budget. Choosing to invest in focal moments helps ensure that youâre not going to blow your budget overall by spending on every little thing, but rather giving your spending a focus.
i know people have their ups and downs with wedding cakes and whether theyâre a priority or not. in my mind, it comes down to this: if youâre going to invest in a wedding cake, then make đđť it đđť a đđť Moment đđť
AKA, letâs make some floral magic happen.
Looking for more? Iâve also created a Pinterest Board rounding up some amazing wedding cake focal moment designs. Check that out right here!
Fresh Florals + Sugar Flowers = CAKE LOVE
Alright, so Iâm pretty confident that Iâve never seen a more gorgeous wedding cake than this one. Everything about it was divine, but just overall the way Jenna styled the fresh florals with sugar flowers and fruit was just glorious. Totally, totally glorious. It took centre stage on an equally beautiful dessert table and we didnât add any extra major floral moments, because the cake itself was perfection.
Of course youâll want to see this entire wedding at The White Poplar, which you can find here.
Little Cake, Big Style
This was just a simple Baked Expectations carrot cake but we really went for it on the flowers. This was a completely floral foam-free cake surround â I donât like foam ever, but I would never use it near a cake. Itâs just straight up cancer chemical plasticâŚno bueno. So this was designed in mixed sizes of vases and little chicken wire rolls! Hereâs a look at how we designed it!
Bonus: If youâre an interior design lover, then shop your home! This table is from Brennaâs living room and it was totally perfect.
Slide it Under the Arch
Well, this is one weâll never forget! The ceremony arch was set up in the Concert Ballroom at the Fort Garry, and then dinner was in the Crystal Ballroom down the hallway. That gave the perfect amount of time to flip the ceremony space into an afterparty and slid the cake under the arch.
Hot dang you guys. The cake itself was a remarkable 6 tiered showstopper, and under this 12 foot tall arch, it was a SERIOUS moment.
See more from Karleigh and Mattâs luxurious Fort Garry Hotel wedding here!
Re-Using Your Ceremony Setting
If your ceremony and reception venues are in the same space, then you literally have to think no further than adding a cocktail table with a gorgeous linen to use as a cake table, and sliding that right under or in front of your ceremony floral feature.
Set at The Novella, this editorial shoot featured a super cute circular ceremony platform with a hanging floral installation above. It was a no-brainer to re-use this as the perfect setting for the gorgeous cake (but if it was your wedding, youâd probably want those ceremony chairs taken out!).
Pies and Flowers
So if youâre doing a dessert table of any kind (in this case, pies and donuts), you have the opportunity to make it a fun and interactive display, more than just a buffet line like youâd see at a social.
First, I love the way the treats are all displayed on various crates and cake plates to give height and visual appeal.
We added ground-based floral pieces to both sides of the table, kind of moving around the front of the table. Lots of movement and height, super textural, tying through the colour paletteâŚit looked gorgeous, if I may say so myself.
If youâre doing large aisle pieces, this could be the perfect way to repurpose them!
See more from Stephanie and Tiffâs rainy fall wedding at Pineridge Hollow here!
Simple and Romantic
Even if your cake is on the simpler side, you donât need to scrimp on style! The hand painted petal detailing on the cake was light and romantic, so we wanted to mimic that with a frilly petal design on the cake table itself.
This was also a cute way to fill the table, without adding a ton of cost to your budget! And of course, it also makes for a super pretty addition to those champagne tower pouring photos đ
More coming from this editorial soon!
Summer Colour
I loved the juicy pops of colour on this cake! I wanted to create a partial floral surround and just load it full of colourful blooms, and I used a lot of locally grown deliciousness for it.
This is a great design if youâre opting for the traditional cake-cutting moment, because youâve got easy-access to most of the cake but still have the eye-catching florals.
See the rest of this cute and colourful editorial here!
Rose Garden Vibes
Marisa requested a straight-up rose garden for her wedding cake. Ummm YOU GOT IT.
This would be another perfect way to repurpose those aisle flowers! Youâll just want to make sure that your floral designer and your wedding planner connect regarding the scale â the florals canât be too low to the ground, the cake table canât be too high, etc.!
See more from this lovely all-white wedding at St Charles Golf Course here!
looking for a wedding floral and event designer in winnipeg?
My 2024 bookings are now open!
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.
Rainy Fall Wedding at Pineridge Hollow
After a Covid postponement and an intimate wedding the woods, it felt like it was high time for Tiffany and Stephanie to be able to celebrate their wedding with ALL their loved ones. It was mid-September, with a moody and rich colour palette, and some surprise rain.
After a Covid postponement and an intimate wedding the woods, it felt like it was high time for Tiffany and Stephanie to be able to celebrate their wedding with ALL their loved ones. It was mid-September, with a moody and rich colour palette, and some surprise rain.
The design was rich, dramatic, and warm â and also completely cozy.
Photos: Megan Steen Photography
Their Covid wedding was also GORGEOUS. It was an intimate day at Wild Skies Resort â see it here!
One of the things I really admire about the way Emily from Feast & Festivities designs is the strategic way she uses colour. Take this magenta, for example: she wanted to use this bright pop, but obviously itâs the type of colour that can very quickly take over a palette. So we added just a few touches into the florals, and like how totally perfect is that velvet ribbon around the invite?
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: This was another bouquet that was mostly locally grown â woo woo! Zinnias, scabiosa, lisianthus, amaranthus, ninebark, yellow and burgundy smoke bush, and I added in imported garden roses, pepper berry, and viburnum berries.
Welcome to Pineridge Hollow like youâve never seen it before.
It can be hard to re-envision a space that has been doing weddings for so long. We certainly donât want your wedding to look or feel like every other wedding, so weâve got to find ways to bring your style into it.
For this wedding, the floor plan, the tent entrance, and the ceiling greenery and lights made the biggest differences. Steph and Tiff (and their guests) arenât huge dancers, so instead they set up multiple cozy lounges for hanging out. The mix of banquet, round, and cocktail tables brought a lot of visual interest and depth through mixed (but still elegant) linens. And the ceiling greenery, well. Chefâs kiss, right there. A huge thank you to Event Light for adding the cable for us to work from!
I love this floor plan! Iâm always down for a mix of table shapes, because it creates a lot of interest and movement, and also allows people to interact in different ways. A sea of the same thing over and over gets really boring, really quickly. It can also be a clever way to maximize your space.
Okay friends, here are the elements of this wedding that youâre going to want to steal if this is the look youâre going for: romantic lighting and plenty of candles, velvet textures, moody linens (these deep emerald linens are gorgeous!), and a few pops of something jewel toned in the flowers to bring it all to life. Once again, CHEFâS KISS.
Megan Steen Photography ~ FEast & FEstivities ~ Pineridge Hollow ~ Stone House Creative ~ Collective Event Rentals ~ Planned Perfectly ~ Event Light ~ Trend Decor ~ Bailey Vanderveen ~ Hair by Guy Lemieux
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
2024 wedding dates are now booking! Whether itâs 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!
Disco Balls, Mini Dress, and Pizza Trucks: The Perfect Backyard Wedding
When the couple has only been to a few weddings in their lives, it means that they don't care about the typical traditions. So we did everything awesome and nothing that wasn't.
Julia and Austin's wedding was the perfect low key, fun backyard wedding. Their tagline was "we got a good thing" and we wanted them to be at the centre of the entire day, which took place at her family's urban backyard. We wanted to evoke the spontaneity of an elopement, but with just a few more people, and tie through a bit of Julia's rocker edge. Her mini dress and mullet were complete perfection.
When the couple has only been to a few weddings in their lives, it means that theyâre not interested in/aware of the typical traditions. So we did everything awesome and nothing that wasn't.
Julia and Austin's wedding was the perfect low key, fun backyard wedding. Their tagline was "we got a good thing" and we wanted them to be at the centre of the entire day, which took place at her family's urban backyard. We wanted to evoke the spontaneity of an elopement, but with just a few more people, and tie through a bit of Julia's rocker edge. Her mini dress and mullet were complete perfection.
Floral & Event Design: Stone House Creative
Photos: Kassandra Donaldson
Nearly all of the flowers for the entire wedding were locally grown, which is always a priority for me. Something I love about locally grown is the range and depth in colouring that we get, that you simply donât find in wholesale flowers. These are farmed for their consistency, which is what flower shops want so their customers know what theyâll be getting. But when weâre working with a broad, delicious colour palette like this one, we want to be able to blend and move the colour throughout the bouquet.
Bridal bouquet ingredients: cosmos, ranunculus, zinnias, stock, rudbeckia, corn cockle, garden roses, forget me nots.
We worked with Rae & Dot to custom design the stationery. With a small guest list, we didnât need a lot of pieces but we did want to make sure we gave a sneak into the style and level of casual-cool the wedding would have.
The ceremony was personalized with a dear friend guiding the vows, and we emphasized the existing space with the addition of ground-based florals tucked throughout the garden, and a rattan rug to ground the space. The clear acrylic chairs were one of the first and only requests that Julia made and I love how they worked into the design.
Post-ceremony, the garden gates swung open and a pizza truck pulled up in the back lane. The backyard is completely gorgeous but wouldn't allow enough space for a full sit-down dinner. We tucked in a mix of long tables and cocktail tables, popped a newlywed lounge under the pergola, and a few guests grabbed a seat on the deck and it all worked perfectly.
Juliaâs mom has a lovely garden with a lot of green, so we wanted to enhance it with colour and texture. I LOVE foxtail lily and will use it any chance I get. While I was working on the newlywed lounge, Deanna whipped this garden out and it looked so amazing.
As event designer, one of my favourite things to do is figure out an amazing floor plan. With a small backyard space, we didnât have a ton of options and I knew weâd need to flip the entire space post-ceremony. Deanna and I hid in the garage while the ceremony was going on â I LOVE getting a glimpse of the big moments of your day â¨
We didnât need to worry about seating for each guest because the wedding was so casual. But, we did want to create as much space as possible, so I started with one long banquet table along the garage, and a second banquet table the deck. This left us with enough space to do a combination of seated and standing cocktail tables along the garden, where the ceremony had been, with the bar tucked into a nook between the garage and a tree, and it fit perfectly!
We rented in some vintage wicker bar backs and a bar cart, creating functional storage for the limited space, along with adding in some retro personality to fit their vibe.
I knew I wanted to use toffee table candles placed on terracotta trays, and we tucked in the CUTEST mini arrangements to further the colour scheme. I also added a few little disco balls for fun.
THE NEWLYWED LOUNGE. My favourite part of the design, I think. Well, everything was my favourite actually, but this lounge was just amazing. Obviously we were working with a small amount of space and the deck and pergola area needed to be both functional and beautiful, and it was just the right size to add in additional seating so we could get as many seats as possible and a cool design feature, as well. We tricked it out with some big disco balls and hanging flowers above, a funky combination of furniture, and the most perfect floral arrangement that my designer Deanna has possibly ever made. It was SO CUTE and apparently the newlyweds didnât even get a chance to sit in it because guests loved it too much to share đ
Looking for a Wedding Floral Designer in Winnipeg?
2024 wedding dates are now booking! Whether itâs 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!
Creative Rock N Roll Rainbow Wedding in Winnipeg
Sam and Evanâs rock-n-roll themed rainbow wedding was definitely a career highlight for me. Everything about it was SO creative, so well thought-out. They clearly put in so much effort to consider making their wedding an amazing experience for all of their guests, as well as for themselves. The personalization level was top-notch. The music was amazing. The ceremony was so engaging.
And obviously, the florals were đ¤đť You know I LIVE for colour and this palette and overall design that Soiree Event Planning created was just DIVINE and such a delight to flower for.
Sam and Evanâs rock-n-roll themed rainbow wedding was definitely a career highlight for me. Everything about it was SO creative, so well thought-out. They clearly put in so much effort to consider making their wedding an amazing experience for all of their guests, as well as for themselves. The personalization level was top-notch. The music was amazing. The ceremony was so engaging.
And obviously, the florals were đ¤đť You know I LIVE for colour and this palette and overall design that Soiree Event Planning created was just DIVINE and such a delight to flower for.
Photos by Joel & Justyna
There are endless things to say about how wonderful this wedding was. They hosted their guests on Samâs parentâs private property in Charleswood â itâs one of those amazing places where you donât realize the yard is going to be big enough and then you walk out the back door and discover that itâs TOTALLY PERFECT.
The ceremony faced the river, with a clear top tent installed beside it. Guests entered through the house, enjoyed a welcome cocktail on the patio, and then walked across the shaded lawn to a long, narrow aisle. Samanthaâs walk down the aisle was breathtaking â it was deliciously dramatic, with her beige veil with custom embroidery catching the breeze.
The couple are music lovers, and came up with a clever wedding slogan: âStairway to Evan.â This was embroidered on Samâs veil and it was just so stunning. And I mean, her dress. Yes. I know that a colourful dress is not for everyone, but I think we can all agree that her gown was spectacular.
Given the colour in her dress, I wanted to minimize the colours in her bouquet. We definitely wanted to hit the creamy/beige tones, and the red. I decided to add in the violet to play off the rest and just love how it worked. This was one of my fave bouquets of the year, and Samâs, too â Sam had it preserved by Stephanie Singh in Toronto and sent me a picture of her tear drops on the box as she packed it up! Click here to see how it turned into an incredible art piece.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: anthurium, nina and sahara roses, lavender sweet pea, red ranunculus, and lavender phalaenopsis orchids.
Samâs career is in the colour world, so she had a ton of Pantone swatches that she thought could be used. Enter, the creative genius of Michelle from Soiree. She took the coupleâs love for Big White (the ski hill where they first met, had their first kiss, and have vacationed many times) and transformed these Pantone swatches into an art piece / photo backdrop inspired by the mountain ranges.
The Big White theme kept coming, with this incredible seating chart also conceptualized by Soiree. They took the run map and created individual lift tags for each guest, which told guests which table they were at as well as became their ticket to get into the after party. ADORABLE.
And obviously, we added some slick colour blocked floral to enhance it.
This isnât the first time Iâve done a rainbow wedding with Soiree â we did one at Whitetail Meadow a few years ago, but with a very different overall style. Take a look!
OHHHHKAY. The ceremony florals were my favourite. Evan constructed the open air chapel beams â amazing. We went back and forth on a few ideas for aisle florals, and always knew that we wanted a dramatic altar with colour-blocked floral pillars. They needed to be pretty tall and full to suit the scale of the white aisle beams.
Down the aisle, I decided to grow up clustered florals around the chapel uprights. We wanted to camoflauge any grass damage (there wasnât much, in the end) and just blend amp up the colour and the garden-inspired ambiance even more.
I could have lived here happily for the rest of my life.
And here comes the tent! The Soiree team worked SO diligently on this layout to maximize the design and it paid off. White linens paired with clear and smoke chairs, to set a minimal base. The tables were carefully laid out to colour block the entire tent. We decided on three different centrepiece styles (a full floral arrangement in a compote, a low floral arrangement with no visible vase, and a clustering of unique stem and smaller vases), per colour. This meant that my team never made the same arrangement more than 3 or 4 times â it was so refreshing and creatively inspiring.
My favourite part of the tablescapes was the custom-made, colour-blocked velvet charger plates. The Soiree team handmade them all and anytime I asked them âisnât that going to be a big project?!â Michelle would say, âoh, itâs not bad! You just do this and do this and and andâ and I was astonished. But the effort was OBVIOUSLY worth it.
The head table was so perfectly coordinated to hit the entire rainbow palette with detailed colour-blocking. The charger plates lined up perfectly with the centrepieces, and lined up perfectly with the seating. Youâll notice a mix of velvet and leather chairs and sofas used for seating for the wedding party at the head table, and we sprinkled in bud vases and candles in the entire range of colours down the length of the table. So fun!
I also had Meg Does Pottery, a local artist, create a couple of ADORABLE bud vases custom for the head table in the red/lilac palette. Theyâre on my shelf and I will love them forever.
My team was SO mighty. Iâm so grateful for their hard work! Itâs always a long week, and a long wedding day, and itâs so rewarding to see it all come together but itâs exhausting nonetheless.
Deanna, Emily, Vanessa, Andrea, Chad, Tricia â thank you all SO much. My hands certainly couldnât have gotten this much done alone.
Joel & Justyna Photography ~ Picture and Poet ~ Soiree Event Planning ~ Planned Perfectly ~ COllective event rentals ~ Trend Rentals & Decor ~ Event Light ~ beyond the lounge ~ two fold paper co ~ Cathy Wiebe Clothing (AFter party Dress and custom veil) ~ BERTA ~ MYUZ Artistry ~ Creating a Scene
Wedding Colour Palettes Featuring Lilac
The fashion girlies are all wearing lilac this year, and weâre seeing that filter into your wedding palettes.
It can be tricky to use something so trendy in a fresh way. But, lucky for us, lilac is one of those shades that you can use in so many different ways to evoke a different design style. Here are some of my favourites!
Lilac is one of the big colour trends of the year, and lucky for us, there are so many different ways to use it!
The fashion girlies are all wearing lilac this year, and weâre seeing that filter into your wedding palettes.
Oftentimes, it can be tricky to use something so trendy in a fresh way. But, lucky for us, lilac is one of those shades that you can use in so many different ways to evoke a different design style. here are some of my favourites!
First things first: feeling stuck? One of my favourite places to find colour palette inspiration is in fabric. Take a look below and tell me youâre not inspired. Another way to find colour palettes that sing to you is in art! I love looking at abstract art and seeing how different shades and tones interact.
Iâm keeping things easy here, with just a few colours in each of the palettes below. But, I often find that the most exhilarating palettes are those that are broad and bold, so donât be afraid to take one of the ideas below as a starting point and then layer in other ideas. Donât just go with 2 colours. We need to blend and create movement, mkay?
Lilac and Peach/Orange
This is undoubtedly one of my favourite combinations of the year. Whether youâre going a bit more subtle with the peach or you want to go bold with orange, these combinations pair so beautifully and feels juicy, fresh, and will legit make you crave candy.
Coral and raspberry are natural additions to this palete!
Floral Design by Native Poppy / See it all here
Stone House Creative / See it all here
Lilac with Pastel Blue and Pink
Pastels are always an easy go-to. If youâre inspired by all things feminine, ruffly, and delicate, then this is a natural choice for you. It works great in a ballroom setting, it works great in a garden setting. Iâd love to see this paired with adorable butterflies (Golden Age Botanicals makes AMAZING ones you could tuck into your bouquet!!). K call me. I want to do this.
Floral Design by Native Poppy / See it all here
Lilac, Grey, and Peach
Another option if your style is naturally feminine, I love that this digs into the cool tones. You can have a lot of fun with smokey greys (these smoke glassware!) and them amping it up with metallic gold.
Lilac and Red
Modern, bold, chic. I need more of this in my life.
This is giving sleek, rock and roll, bold and fearless. Itâs giving red lips and a feather dress. Itâs giving a killer pair of heels.
Floral Design by Isibeal Studio / See it all here
Lilac with Gold and Olive
This one takes a more practised hand to oversee, but I think thereâs a lot that can be done here. Youâre going to need to do some really solid blending, bringing in other tones to make it work.
Floral Design: Stone House Creative / Photo: Aimee De La Lande
looking for a wedding floral and event designer in winnipeg?
Weâve got a small handful of 2023 dates remaining, and 2024 bookings are now open.
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.
Need help with your full event design? Iâll guide you through your colour palette selection, floor plan creation, and collaborate on all the design elements that will make your wedding YOURS. Full and partial event design services available.