Stone House Creative Turns 5!

I’ve been trying to think about what I would say in this post for a couple of months already. Somehow, Stone House Creative turns 5 this month! And I’m finding that I really can’t put into words…well, anything!

5 years is a long time, and it’s an impressive feat in small businesses. I’m so proud of how this company has grown over these years. When I launched my first website on June 24, 2014, I had no idea where it would go. I received such an incredible response from the wedding community, with the result that I crushed my year 1 goal of booking 2 weddings in that year, and booked 32 instead! In my year-end review blog post after that first full wedding season, I commented that I seemed to be working with the kindest, most excited clients - and in 5 years, that hasn’t changed at all!

Burgundy and Gold Fall Wedding at Qualico Family Centre

I’m continuing on with sharing more or my fall weddings, even though what we’re all longing for right now are the lazy, hazy days of summer :) Those days will be here in a flash, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned from working in weddings, it’s that time moves very quickly. One minute you’re engaged and getting married in a year and a half, and then next you suddenly find yourself collecting RSVPS and making your floor plan. So, those fall weddings are really just around the corner!

Modern and Organic Wedding at Cielo's Garden

Prepare yourselves to see a real-life Disney princess, folks. Chrystalle is one of THE most photogenic people I’ve ever seen and truly, in those gowns (that’s right, gowns - she had two) she honestly looks like a living, breathing Disney princess.

I love the way this wedding design contrasts modern and organic elements. From photos on a rooftop in the Exchange District to the natural beauty of Cielo’s Garden, and organic-inspired greenery arrangements lining the guest tables to the clean-lined glass vases I used, it all came together really beautifully. The planning process was quite simple, considering that Chrystalle did all of her planning from Vancouver (I love working with out of town couples!). We went back and forth on a few different centrepiece ideas, but always kept in mind her initial vision of a minimalist design with just black, white, and green with a touch of metallic accents.

Why It's Important to Me (and my business) that I'm Constantly Learning

Right from the start of my business, I knew that I wanted to invest in myself with continued education for many years to come. My first job in the wedding industry was working for a local wedding magazine, and I learned so much by observing the many small businesses in the wedding industry that we worked with. One of the main things I realized was that SO many people in this industry hit cruise control and then a few years later, watch in horror as their businesses start to crumble around them. I never wanted to see that happen in my business, and I knew that investing into education, inspiration, and relationships with other wedding professionals was one way to stay at the top of my game, while always keeping me searching for new ways to progress in my biz. As a result, I’ve attended floral design workshops, taken online courses in event design, business management and marketing, learned how to build a website, and attended conferences specifically for floral professionals.

Warm and Cosy Fall Wedding at Whitetail Meadow

We’re looking forward to sunny days right now, but the weather this past September was super weird - when we normally would have mild temperatures, often with some serious heat still coming through when the sun is high, we instead got rain and snow. I can’t be the only one who thought it was a major bummer! Mackenzie and Brendan planned their wedding for the end of September, and they woke up to a windy, chilly day with sprinkles of rain throughout…so what did they do? Switched around their plans and decided to make their Whitetail Meadow as warm and cosy as possible!