Intimate, Joyful Winter Wedding at Fort Gibraltar

Rachel and Matt's wedding was such a special one to me, because not only was I doing the florals for them, but I also worked with them on their full event design! I love being able to be a larger part of a wedding, because it allows me to get to know a couple better and then be able to create more purposeful designs for their wedding. 

When I get started with an event design client, my first task is to determine some theme words that will help us to communicate what the couple wants their wedding to look and feel like. For Rachel and Matt, words like "intimate," "joyful," and "approachable" kept coming up. They wanted their wedding to be a celebration,  and for the decor decisions that we made to create the opportunity for joyful, genuine moments that would be special to them throughout their lives. They chose Fort Gibraltar, which is one of my very favourite Winnipeg venues for a winter wedding.

Photo: Sugar & Soul Photography ~ Floral and Event Design: Stone House Creative ~ Venue: Fort Gibraltar ~ Stationery: Alley Cat Printing ~ Head Table Linen: Planned Perfectly

We used a LOT of jewel tones to add a richness to their winter wedding. We worked with a lot of deep reds and burgundies, plums, touches of rich pinks, and also added in a bit of blush to the bouquets to soften the look. Emerald green, my favourite colour, also played a large role. 

Bridal bouquet ingredients: ranunculus, peonies, scabiosa, amaryllis, and several varieties of roses and spray roses, with privet berries, italian ruscus, and nagi foliages.

For the guys, we chose simple greenery boutonnieres - textured, simple, and a little hardier against the cold temperatures...although on this December wedding day, it ended up being right around zero so they were able to keep their bouquets outside with them all day and have no issues at all! I also loved the rich tones of the bridesmaids' dresses. Slightly on the neutral side but still deep and rich, they really allowed the jewel tone flowers to pop.

I loved every moment of designing this hanging greenery installation for the ceremony (which was in the loft at Fort Gibraltar). I did it entirely on site, based on a concept I came up with at a walk-through with the couple the previous winter. Knowing that we really wanted to focus on warmth and intimacy, and Rachel's desire to have dim lighting, we thought we'd keep it simple but rich by focusing on lots of greenery. For this big guy I used fragrant cedar, magnolia, nagi and salal, and then wound string lights through it.  We were hoping to use cafe lights, but due to heat restrictions, we ended up switching to these little twinkle lights. A burning ceremony would not have been ideal ;) Below is the original sketch that I put together for them! Nothing like this has been done in Fort Gibraltar before, so it was pretty fun to be the first to envision a different design for a well-loved space.

The reception space is on the main floor, so the guests moved downstairs for dinner and dancing. I just love weddings at Fort Gibraltar - with the wood beams and that stone fireplace, it has so much built-in ambiance and if you play to the room's strengths, it's really easy to emphasize its beauty. We chose to keep the decor elegant but understated, focusing on candlelight everywhere and pops of rich jewel tones in the flowers and stationery.

We alternated two centrepiece styles on the guest tables, giving some a fuller floral arrangement in those rich jewel tones with the addition of a few low tealights, and others a candlelight-focused design with three pillar candles and a few floating blooms with greenery tucked throughout. The linens were kept neutral (which is a good choice in Fort Gibraltar, as the walls are a kind of buttery tone), and we added these beautiful, rich emerald greens table numbers (all named with countries that Rachel and Matt have travelled to) and added more of that gorgeous green to all of the place settings with individual menus.

And of course, if your wedding venue has a gorgeous fireplace with a pretty mantle, then as far as I'm concerned, you are absolutely REQUIRED to make it a focal point in the room and do something lovely on it :)

Rachel said, 
"Thank you so much for the most beautiful flowers I could have ever dreamed of!"

Looking for a wedding florist in Winnipeg?

Getting married in Manitoba? Winter or spring, summer or fall, I'd love to dream up some incredible ideas for your wedding flowers. 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!