Why You Should Create a Design Board for Your Wedding (and How To!)

Are you one of those “visual” people?

So many of my clients come to me saying, “I’m a really visual person and I’m having a hard time picturing the wedding.” And a large part of me wants to say “you don’t need to visualize it; I can, and it’s gooood.” But obviously that is completely unhelpful to you 😝

So what do you do? How can you communicate to your vendors what it is that you want your wedding to look and feel like to make sure you’re all on the same page? 

A mood board, also called a design board, is the perfect tool for you.

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Before we get too far, please know that I don’t expect you have to have a multi-page document outlining every single element of your wedding. That only works for a small segment of the population (I’ve noticed that most of them seem to be teachers!). And to be honest, sometimes those multi-page docs can actually stifle your vendors’ creativity if you’re not leaving any room for our ideas or suggestions (though one of my clients this year created the most incredible multi-page doc to share with vendors as well as her family and wedding party, and it’s essentially everything that a person could need to know about the wedding, including the timeline, contact info, wedding party attire, and so on, along with her design inspo boards!). 

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Instead, I’m going to suggest you create a single page visual reference to get everyone on the same page. Rather than getting nitty gritty, think of this as a high level overview that communicates a few things: 

-colour palette 
-level of formality
-overall vibe and atmosphere you want to create
-descriptive words

I always ask clients, “how do you want the wedding to look and feel?” and they often pull up a few images that show a certain design or they use a few buzz words. That’s not really what I’m asking. 

I want to design BEYOND what you’ve seen on Pinterest, because that wedding was designed for someone else. If you can find a way to communicate how you want to feel while you’re sitting at your own wedding, that’ll go a lot farther in helping your vendors to get to know you and creating something just for you. 

That being said, you’re going to include some images from weddings in your mood board. But take this advice as you do: notice patterns in what you’re drawn to and edit out what no longer is interesting to you! This can be a living document.

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A FEW TIPS:

-Canva is so great for mood boards! This is what I build all my client design boards on. Pinterest also has that new collage/shuffle feature which could be very cool for you.

-Turn off AI generated images on Pinterest. Some of them aren’t bad, but I don’t want you to fall in love with a flower that isn’t real (this is becoming SO much more prevalent) or with the scale of something that literally isn’t possible. 

-Get specific with the wording of your Pinterest search terms. Sometimes I’ll even add in “2025” to it: “outdoor wedding ceremony with pastel flowers 2025” to get something more recent. 

-Look at things other than weddings to inspire you: hotel lobbies or great restaurants are always a go-to for me. Is it art that sparks something in you, or editorial fashion shoots? Locations from your travel bucket list! The dream sunset! These types of images often help to convey the emotions and feelings more than a typical wedding photo.

-Include some colour swatches, knowing that we will likely make additional suggestions for adding depth and visual interest. I also like to talk with my clients about the amounts of each colour that we’ll use — maybe the bulk of the flowers are mauve and lavender, with 15% peach, 10% coral, and 5% chartreuse added in to amp it up.

-I’m a words person, but I generally find it so helpful when people can communicate their style or ideas with a few descriptive words. Often I’ll pull a few threads during our conversations, asking questions to get you there, but if you can have that prepared, that’ll get us where we need to go!

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Here’s an example of a design board I created in Canva, based on the most gorgeous church I saw in Rome, Sant’Ignazio of Loyola. The moment I walked in, I was in awe — and that’s saying something, because obviously we were in Italy and every single building is gorgeous.  

I started with a photo I took of the interior, which inspired the palette of moody blues and greys, with touches of golden caramel and burgundies. I imagined designing this wedding with velvet linens, in a rich, historic style setting. Then, I added a few images of flowers that I knew would work, this gorgeous light fixture that I’m drooling over for my own home, and a few inspiration images that set the ambiance that I would be going for, if this were my wedding.

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once you’ve got your design board, what do you do? 

Share it with your creative vendors AND OPEN YOURSELF to their ideas. Let them have some time to think on how they can add to and further your design, tweak elements that may not be realistic in your venue or within your budget, and ask them for their best advice and creative ideas on how to achieve it. 

Then? Step away. When you’re confident that everyone is on the same page and working together to create something amazing, hand off the reigns to your creative vendors. Let us work our magic. 

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LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?

If what you’re looking for is a designer to guide the vision for your wedding, come and ask me any questions you want — I might just be your girl. I offer custom designs, creative and unique design boards that communicate the vision, have countless testimonials that speak to the creative trust the client had in me, and I also just love what I do.

Reach out to check your date!

Bold Winnipeg Wedding at Deer & Almond

Restaurant weddings are some of my very favourites. It’s so much fun to work in a space that already has its own aesthetic and vibe. Deer & Almond is one of Winnipeg’s most treasured eateries, and was the perfect location for Sharyne and Gavin’s bold evening reception.

Sharyne and Gavin are both artistic and creative (he’s a photographer), and would you believe me that they started out wanting a French countryside-inspired, white and green wedding? In her initial inquiry, she said “I've also taken a look through your instagram account and we could probably be swayed to some brighter and funkier colours.” — cue my happy tears :)

So I swayed them! We did originally talk about the whites and greens, but it honestly didn’t feel right in the restaurant. The space has some vibrant, joyful tones and we decided to move that direction.

They were married in a private ceremony the week prior, and this was their celebratory dinner with a small group of friends.

Photos by Michael & Melanie

We decided to pull together a few different softer peaches, corals, blues, and lavenders, and punching them up with saturated red and small hints of lime. This came from a combination of inspiration images, and Sharyne wasn’t sure how to tie them together. I could see it right away — the perfect reminder that even if you can’t visualize it, your creative professionals can!

The Flowers

With this as my colour palette, you know I had a lot of fun with the flowers! The wedding was in mid-June, so we didn’t have much in the way of locally grown flowers available to us yet — all I could get my hands on were the pansies. But OH how perfect those little lavender pansies were!!

Of course I had to use my favourite red roses, nina. They’re just the most delicious, vibrant colour. I had ordered lavender anemone to pair with them, but they came in kind of fuschia. Would I have preferred the lavender? Yes. But sometimes, a problem becomes its own solution and the brightness of the fuschia worked really well with the space.

We wanted the centrepieces to be smaller in footprint, but with an architectural feel and a little more vertical in shape.

The Hanging installation

As with most restaurant weddings, we did not have a lot of tabletop space to work with. The focus is on the food and the drink, which is awesome! But Sharyne loved the idea of having some sort of focal feature in the space, and when we realized that we could use the slatted wall at the front entrance, the idea was set: a hanging floral feature moment, with their sweetheart table set in front of it.

I wanted to design something sculptural, with strong lines, and a unique feel to it. I always love using allium in designs — those are the large purple “balls” that really command attention. I also decided to tuck in some strands of threaded gladiola, and we used stems of phalaenopsis orchids to get the right lime green (which is really hard to find in the flower world!).

Even better, this piece was also entirely foam-free. I built it on a chicken wire structure, and some of the flowers were water-tubed and others went right into the chicken wire (and ps, we reuse all the chicken wire and water tubes that come back to us, too!).

Michael & Melanie Photography ~ Alexandra Lillian Weddings & Events ~ Deer & Almond ~ Bailey Vanderveen ~ Tempo Collective

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Looking for a Wedding Floral Designer in Winnipeg?

Flowers are the best way to make a statement at your wedding. 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 Florals Can Be a Part of Your Corporate Event Strategy

The number 1 mistake businesses make when planning an event? Not thinking strategically.

Event Photos by Danny Shumov

You’re not just hosting an event to host an event. You’ve either got a product to launch, gratitude to share, or a PR splash to make. Adding flowers to your event increases the pretty factor, yes. But let’s get a bit more strategic. The worst thing would be for you to spend a chunk of money on your event, hoping to build some great traction for your company, but you plan a forgettable event.

“With the right guidance, florals become more than decor — they become storytelling elements, brand touch points, and moments your guests won’t forget. Safe might feel comfortable, but bold leaves an impression.” Quote

My suggestion: shift your view of event florals away from copy/paste decorations, but as essential elements that define atmosphere, emotion, and visual cohesion. Let me show you how.

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Brand Activations

For the launch of MPG’s exciting collaboration with Winnipeg-based Indigenous artist Jackie Traverse, they planned an inspiring evening at the Winnipeg Art Gallery to unveil the collection. They reached out, wanting to add a floral installation that would bring the clothing to life.

The result was a meaningful interaction between the brand and their guests, while celebrating Jackie and her work.

I chose a bold colour palette that played off the vibrant tones of the clothing, and we played with the scale of the installation — guests were greeted by the mannequins and floral immediately upon exciting the elevator on the Penthouse level of the WAG.

We worked with playful, unexpected combinations of texture, colour, and scale to tell the story — choosing some Manitoba-grown blooms wherever I could, adding moss to create a floor for the mannequins to stand on, and tucking in a few faux butterflies to reference the butterflies in some of Jackie’s designs.

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Brand Launches

Winnipeg is so proud to be Mondetta’s hometown. This fall, they launched a luxury menswear brand, Modern Ambition, with its flagship store located in True North Square. Their creative strategist, Natasha of Studio Giorg, reached out to bring me into the design mix for their kickoff events.

They hosted several events, including this VIP dinner in the polar bear tunnel at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. I was tasked with the event design, from floor planning to rental selections and, of course, floral design.

VIP guests included Scott Gillingham, mayor of Winnipeg, Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba, and Jim Moore, Creative Director-at-Large of GQ Magazine. We needed to work within this intimate space, creating opportunities for conversation and celebration.

A few key elements:

-As a menswear brand, they wanted to play into a warm neutral palette with touches of burgundy and red throughout.

-There were a lot of hands involved in the overall planning process, as the Mondetta team were all very excited about the launch. I created a series of digital mockups (a few seen below) to allow them to discuss the aesthetic direction, colour palette, rental options, and so on. This way, we were all on the same page.

-The florals and tablescape transformed the tunnel, creating an elevated, photo-ready dinner (featuring a collaborative meal crafted by 3 of Winnipeg’s top chefs!) that knocked guests’ socks off.

Event Photos by Danny Shumov

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CLient Parties

Outside of conferences, client parties are probably the most common corporate events that take place in Winnipeg. Whether as an appreciation event, a holiday shindig, or a retirement party, let’s start thinking outside of the very basic “white floral centrepiece on a table.” That box is NOT checked. If you want to ensure your clients have any memory at all of your event, and want to get them out to next year’s event, then we need to make some impact.

-Add a welcome sign and make it a design moment. Especially if you’re hosting your event in a large facility, this can become both functional and a beautiful way to welcome guests in.

-Don’t skip a statement at the bar. At these events, clients are going to be lining up for a cocktail so this is a must-have.

-Add a lounge. Large sit-down tables can be a social nightmare at these types of client events, but adding in a lounge with soft seating makes a visual statement and creates a more comfortable, casual way for guests to mingle.

Event Photos by Janine Kropla

This event was designed by Soiree Event Planning, with rentals from Collective Event Rentals and Planned Perfectly.

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LOOKING To Make your corporate event impactful?

I’ll help you ensure a lasting impression.

Stone House Creative is a floral design studio known for transforming inspiration into a unified, expertly considered visual direction. The brand leads clients through a clear, design-driven process that prioritizes palette decisions, spatial cohesion, and intentional detail. Clients choose us for our ability to simplify complex ideas, articulate what will make the greatest impact, and deliver an event that feels cohesive, expression, and uniquely reflective of your brand.

Colourful Prairie Tent Wedding in Neepawa

They have the world at the fingertips, and they chose to come back home to get hitched ❤️

Working with Brooke and Taylor on their wedding was a 2025 highlight for me. They were planning from out of town (NYC), and getting married out of town (in her hometown of Neepawa), so there were a lot of logistics to sort through and plans to make.

A few of the things I love: summer flowers, the colour coral standing as a focal point in a fun palette, and a couple who gives me creative control. AND WHEN THEY ALL ROLL INTO ONE? My literal dream!

Photos by Pretty Burd Portraits

The Floral Design

Brooke and Taylor’s wedding was in the middle of August — aka the PERFECT time for flowers in Manitoba. Everything in the local fields is just perfect. The dahlias are ramping up, the lisianthus and zinnias have hit their stride, and there’s so much colour and texture available. With their summer sunset palette in mind, it’s safe to say I had a lot of fun.

Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: Mixed coral roses (dragonfly, pink xpression, coral xpression), dahlias, zinnias, foxglove, cosmos, lisianthus, feverfew, sweet pea, and mixed grasses. This was definitely one of my favourite bridal bouquets of the year!!

As a special addition, we commissioned Kathryn from Golden Age Botanicals in Toronto to create these custom gold bees, as a nod to Brooke and Taylor’s original meet-cute through Bumble! I included 2 in her bridal bouquet to represent the two of them, and another in the bar arrangement.

The Design Inspiration

Since Brooke and Taylor live in NYC, they were feeling a bit anxious about everything coming together in a well-rounded way without them being able to actually see anything. After they fell in love with their floral proposal, they asked me to also provide Event Design services. I was so happy to take it from there!

With that “late summer sunset palette” as our starting point, and knowing that the guest list was going to be substantial, I got to work on floor planning and trying to build a tent plan with interest and flow. The only problem was, the guest list kept going up 😂 We ended up re-jigging the layout a few times, luckily adding on a separate tent for the buffet to be served out of so we could keep the dinner tent clean and functional.

The Reception Details

After we sorted out the floor plan, I got to work on tablescaping. I like to have some symmetry in the tent, and I like to have a mix of table shapes. Visual interest is everything in event design — if everything is a sea of sameness, it falls flat VERY quickly (especially if it’s rows of 20 of the exact same thing!).

From Design Board to Reality

Right off the top, this Toffee Belize linen from Planned Perfectly was a great base for all the tables. A tent has so much white from the tent itself, and so much green from the grass, so I needed to create a warmer layer that the rest of the decor could stem from. Brooke loved the idea of a coloured glassware, and while we had a few choices, I ended up selecting Planned Perfectly’s pink tinted glassware for two reasons: 1) it was visually interesting and 2) it wouldn’t actually stand out. We were gong to have a lot going on, and I didn’t need the glassware to make a huge statement.

Next up, deciding how to layer in greens (her favourite colour) and dark yellows/oranges (his favourite colour). Flowers were obviously an easy place, and we also chose green taper candles, golden vases, and LED table lamps. Why go for white or clear when you can layer in a shade from the palette?!

JUST LOOK AT THESE ROSES!!!! This definitely unlocked a new favourite rose combination for me.

The Hanging Installation

This was a sort of last-minute addition! A few months before the wedding, Brooke asked about the possibility of adding something hanging over the dance floor. The logistics of a hanging piece get me really excited!

I ended up using baskets as a base, strung up on airline cable, adding in chicken wire balls and then all the greenery and florals. Luckily for me, Brooke’s entire family of men were around and willing to help, so they graciously did all the hoisting!

You can see the BTS of this here!

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A post shared by Winnipeg Wedding Videographer (@ktfiilms)

I’m so grateful both for the creative trust and the long distance trust that Taylor and Brooke put in me. It’s a lot to hand over the reigns to your most special day, but when you’re planning from afar, it’s also the way that things work best.

It was also so wonderful to have Brooke’s handy family involved! They built and painted all of the ceremony pedestals, outdoor signage, and the bar back wall. Whenever I made a suggestion, they were on it. Tent weddings on your property are a LOT of work (seriously, don’t underestimate it!!) but if you’ve got the right kind of people involved, then there’s nothing else like celebrating in the place you grew up!

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Pretty Burd Portraits ~ Amanda Douglas Events ~ KT Films ~ Pinnacle Event Rentals ~ Planned Perfectly ~ Minted ~ Blake Creative Co ~ Kleinfeld Bridal ~ Oak & Ivy Salon ~ Beauty by Aly Kowalchuk

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planning a Tent Wedding in Manitoba?

Count me in! 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! 

White Bridal Bouquets 3 Ways

ALRIGHT. So the Pantone “colour” of the year for 2025 is Cloud Dancer, and I’m sure you’ve all seen just how irritated the creative world is that they chose white as a colour. If you’ve been around here long enough, you’ll know that I’m a die-hard colour lover, BUT I also acknowledge that white has, is, and always will be a popular option for weddings.

So, let’s talk about white flowers a bit! If you’re one of the people who envisions yourself carrying a white bridal bouquet, I’d encourage you to think about / ask your floral designer to think about ways that your flowers can be designed uniquely. White flowers can be white flowers can be white flowers…it’s our job to ensure that we are guided by movement and cohesive palette choices, blending visual interest with refinement to create depth, emotion, and harmony.

Today I’m offering up 3 different white bridal bouquets, each designed with a different perspective in mind.

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UniqueLY ShapeD Blooms

Brittany Mahood Photography

One of the first things I consider when I’m planning my floral selections for a white wedding is looking for unique shapes. Unless you’re specifically asking me for a white rose bouquet, it’s very easy to have a white bridal bouquet fall flat because designers use round flowers as a crutch. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with this, but a bouquet composed entirely of round flowers just gets really boring to look at, even if those flowers are beautiful (like ranunculus, peonies, and lisianthus).

My go-to is to find something with a star shape, something with a longer line, and something floaty/wispy to add in to those round focal flowers. For Kate, that meant tulips for their star shape, mini calla lilies for their lines, and sweet pea and spirea for that floaty delicate feel!

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ConSider Texture

Lynsey Corbett Photography

Determining the right type of texture is another designer secret that can take your bouquet from basic to bespoke. Historically, I’ve personally had an issue with “texture.” I think this is because in the mid 2010s when I was coming up as a wedding floral designer, boho was the go-to aesthetic and with that came a ton of messy, feathery foliage and fillers that I just did NOT like. Bouquets felt wild and untidy, and while that sometimes really worked well, it just isn’t what I personally prefer.

Boy, was I relieved when my brain finally realized what kind of texture I DO like: floaty, ruffly, dainty.

Take Mollie’s bouquet as an example: we wanted to go dainty, feminine, garden-whimsy. I chose not to use any traditional focal flowers, so instead I went for lisianthus, sweet pea, autumn clematis (this was DIVINE), and larkspur. It felt very floaty, very fluttery.

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Bouquet Shape

Brittany Mahood Photography

The shape and style of your bouquet will make a statement. You’ll need to think about the silhouette of your dress, the formality level of your wedding, and the overall vision for your celebration. Big dress? You can get away with a large or a small bouquet. Slim fitting dress? A petite bouquet is likely the way to go. Really dramatic bodice with the girls on display? Go with something more streamlined.

Tori has a very classic personal style, and she wanted a classic cascading shaped bouquet. Originally when I was designing for her, I went WAY too big. We had some absolutely delicious locally grown lisianthus and dahlias, and I just kept on adding and adding and I loved it so much. Then I held it up to my body and it was gigantic! I scaled it back, and added the gorgeous stephanotis vine to emphasize the trailing shape.

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LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL and Event DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?

I love taking your ideas and making them into anything but ordinary.

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!