I’m introducing a new mini-series to the blog today, with the aim of giving you all the inspiration you need to get into wedding planning. I know that a lot of the different areas of wedding planning can be…let’s say, un-fun…but I hope that all of the pretty can feel like a breath of fresh air for you and reinvigorate your ideas with new inspo!

We’ll start with your wedding ceremony. I’ll highlight some of the general design ideas that couples like to use, and give you some budget ideas should you find something that you want to focus on at your wedding!

Photos by Brittany Mahood

Design Idea 1: Ground-Based Florals

Ground-based florals have been gaining in popularity for probably the last 5 or 6 years, often seen as a “nest” or horseshoe shaped installation around the couple, and over the years, loosening up to become more organic in shape and style. Some designers will also refer to this as a ground-arch.

A few pros of this design style:

-Ground-pieces are generally very easy to repurpose to highlight other areas at your wedding. If your designer needs to build up to create a lot of height then there will likely be some pieces of the design that will look wonky on their own, but overall, there will likely be a lot of pieces that can be moved over to your reception.

-This is also a very easy type of design element to scale differently. This means that you can go a lot smaller — note: I didn’t say small…just small-er than what you’re seeing in these amazing Pinterest inspo pics to be a more attainable budget item.

Things to know if this is what you want:

If you’re dreaming of ground-based floral pieces for your ceremony, there are a few things you can keep in mind and talk about with your floral designer as it will impact how your designer creates the pieces and what the end budget needs to be:

-How you want to repurpose these pieces at the reception (a fireplace mantle? End-caps for your head table? A seating chart accent?).

-How much time the floral team has to flip the pieces from the ceremony to the reception.

-How the overall ceremony space is laid out. Will the ground pieces need to be fully floral on both sides, or can one side be a foliage back?

-How much height would you like? What’s the size of the space that you have to work with? How wide is the aisle?

-Do you want a fully connected u-shaped nest, or will the pieces be more individual?

-Generally, this is not going to be a low-budget price point, because of the quantity of pieces and floral that you’ll need, especially to create an appropriate scale.

The photos below showcase ideas for repurposing your ground pieces from our modern country tent wedding with Kass Donaldson.

Design Idea 2: Pedestal Pieces

There are tons of different ways that pedestals can be used in your ceremony design! I love using multiple differing heights of pedestals (also called pillars or plinths), with arrangements on top as well as clustered on the floor at the base of the pedestals.

A few pros of this design style:

-The aesthetic can range from very classic to very modern, so you can truly find your own style here.

-Pedestal pieces are also very easy to repurpose! They’re generally going to be quite large, though of course that’s not consistent across the board, so you can repurpose them throughout your reception to make a statement.

Things to know if this is what you want:

-Each of these arrangements is going to cost you, as they need to be large in size, but the budget here is going to range widely depending on how many pedestals and pieces you wish to feature.

-Be sure to communicate your style to your floral designer, so they can customize the overall design to your aesthetic.

-You’ll need to determine how these pieces are going to be used, so your designer knows whether they need to be fully sided in floral, or if a green-only back is sufficient.

-Some ideas for how to repurpose: at your welcome or seating display areas, placed at either end of the bar, or strategically placed throughout your reception space to create an art-installation inspired floorplan.

How to Accomplish this in Winnipeg:

We’ve got an amazing wedding industry in Winnipeg given our city’s size, but we definitely do feel the limitations on available rentals. Luckily, Creating a Scene and Collective Event Rentals both offer rental collections that include multiple styles of pedestals that will create a great ceremony design, including clear acrylic, mirrored gold, modern white or classic trimmed white, and round plinths. Below are a few recent weddings we’ve designed with some great local options!

Design Idea 3: Floral Arches

I don’t think a great floral arch will ever go out of style! They’re one of my favourite things to design because they create such a natural focal point for your ceremony. There’s something so special to me about designing a beautiful space where the two of you start your lives together, and standing under/in front of an arch is a great way to do it.

A few pros of this design style:

-It’s gorgeous. It’s always gorgeous.

-We have some definitely flexibility with design — a full floral installation or a partial design, a rounded arch or a 2 piece, and of course there’s lots that we can do with colour and texture to create a unique piece for you.

Things to know if this is what you want:

-Arches are not the easiest to repurpose, but it’s not impossible. It does, however, take some dedicated time and multiple people to do it, so you’ll likely be charged a higher flip fee. There will also need to be some re-designing because things will inevitably have shifted around or need refreshing.

-One of my favourite arches I’ve ever done was fully colour-blocked. It’s a bold look and not for everyone, but it can make a serious statement.

-I LOVE to see a cake moved under the arch for the reception — your cake deserves a focal moment, and this is a fun way to do it!

-From a budget perspective, this is going to need a healthy budget. No matter the design, this requires an arch rental, a lot of floral ingredients, and an experienced design eye and hand.

Below are a few different arch styles that we’ve designed to give you an idea of what can be done! We’re always thinking about colour, placement, and scale while we work, to ensure that you get the best possible finished product. Photos from L-R by Brittany Mahood, Cojo Photo, Keila Marie, and Carm Photo.

Design Idea 4: EnvironmentAl Design

Environmental design, as in, creating a full environment for you. This allows us to create something immersive, artistic, and incredibly romantic. You’re encased in floral. Yes, please.

A few pros of this design style:

-This will be a fully custom design, just for you. You’ll have the opportunity to work with your floral designer and your wedding planner to create something awe-inspiring. Truly, need I say more?

-This gives us so much opportunity to explore your colour palette, your textures, your overall aesthetic.

Things to know if this is what you want:

-It should go without being said: this will be a very high price tag. Please don’t get mad at a floral designer who’s quoting you 5 figures for something like this because that’s what it takes to get it done.

-There’s a large possibility that many elements of this type of design can be repurposed, but again, not without a large floral team and a lot of time to make it happen.

-You should absolutely consider having some of your portraits or wedding party photos taken in your environment, but that needs to be built into your timeline because I’ll tell you what, something like this is going to take a long time to be completed.

-Your timeline needs to give a very large amount of time to a design like this.

Photos below from this incredible workshop for floral designers I was thrilled to attend, by Grace & Ardor.

LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?

We can design a beautiful, unique wedding environment for you. Find out more about our floral services by inquiring below!

Call me biased, but 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!