Reveal: Playful and Crisp Wedding Style Editorial
Today I’m going to walk you through the execution of this editorial I created over the summer. While a photo shoot does not come together in the same way that a real wedding does, I go through much the same process with a lot of the behind-the-scenes design planning.
Right from the onset of a personal project like this, I usually have a pretty good idea of what I want to do. When I’m working on wedding flowers, I also usually have a clear picture of what I want to do for you. But when I’m working on event design for a couple, it’s more of a process of pulling ideas out of you, then teasing them in my mind to see how I can expand on it.
Helllllo playful colour! Today I’m going to walk you through the execution of this editorial I created over the summer. While a photo shoot does not come together in the same way that a real wedding does, I go through much the same process with a lot of the behind-the-scenes design planning.
Right from the onset of a personal project like this, I usually have a pretty good idea of what I want to do. When I’m working on wedding flowers, I also usually have a clear picture of what I want to do for you. But when I’m working on event design for a couple, it’s more of a process of pulling ideas out of you, then teasing them in my mind to see how I can expand on it.
Yesterday, I spoke all about my event design services and my design philosophies.
If this resonates with you, I'd love to speak with you about coming on board your wedding vendor team in the larger capacity of event designer. Read more here!
Vibe
I always begin event design projects by considering the vibe I (or the client) want to create. With this editorial being a project for myself, a few words kept coming to me: playful, cheerful, crisp. I knew I wanted to evoke a sense of happiness and light-heartedness (and I planned this before Covid hit...who knew how badly I'd need this!!).
To achieve this, I started with the colour palette: lavender, peach, and coral (some of my go-to’s!) and then surprised myself with the addition of yellow and orange. I'm so glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone (orange has historically been my least favourite colour, but no longer!), because these two brought the citrusy fresh hints that I needed to break up the femininity of the rest of the palette.
Stationery
Your wedding invitations are one of the first projects that we tackle under event design. The stationery sets the tone and can help to "brand" your wedding -- to give you a definable style and visual direction. For this suite, I asked Robin to explore a design that would feel playful and colourful, with clean, modern lines. I knew I wanted touches of colour, but a good amount of white space to balance out the full palette used elsewhere.
She suggested that we use a vellum outer envelope, to show off the flirty pieces inside, and also added a lot of visual interest through the use of different coloured stocks, the rounded edge, and a tall and narrow menu card and place setting on the table.
Florals
I planned two completely different sets of floral ingredients — a spring set (for my original shoot date), and a summer set. I lucked out with my August shoot date, because I was able to incorporate many of my favourite locally grown summer flowers!
Locally grown flowers have the BEST colour variations, with flecks and speckles that perfectly blend a palette and simply aren't possible with wholesale flowers.
The Tablescape
Full florals in the centre of the table, coloured taper and votive candles, gold-dipped flatware combined with clean, modern place settings…Designing a tablescape is all about layering together varied elements to create a unique, personalized look.
I wanted a clean, minimal base for all my colour, so the foundation of white linens with a white tulle topper was perfect.
The Cake
This cake!
I sent Jenna a really pathetic sketch, after having this idea of incorporating both hand-painted flowers and 3D sugar flowers that would move in from the outsides of the cake. I knew I wanted to create some sort of floral piece encircling the cake. I explained this haphazard idea to Jenna and she took it and made it 1 million percent better. This cake is so stunning! It felt fresh, unique, and playful.
The original plan for the cake was so different. This just goes to show you that sometimes, sitting on an idea and seeing where it goes can be a very good thing!
The same goes for your wedding planning: Don't feel like you need to make every decisions or have every answer at the same time.
Some ideas just need time to come together.
I’m so grateful to everyone who shared their talents to be a part of this editorial. I originally started brainstorming this before the first Covid shutdown, and at that point I was just going to focus on a tablescape. Esther suggested that I add a model, and I’m SO glad I followed her advice! One of my favourite details from this editorial was the ensembles created by Maison Corazon for the bride — they could not have been more perfect.
The way this entire project came together was so life-giving and exciting.
Esther Funk Photography ~ stone house creative ~ Planned Perfectly ~ C&T Rentals ~ Trend Rentals & Decor ~ Robin Egg blue design ~ Maison corazon ~ Jenna Rae Cakes ~ Jessica Kmiec Artistry ~ Beauty by B Fey ~ Prairie Clay ~ Mokada Custom Jewelry
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
Getting married in 2022? Appointments to plan your dream florals are now available. Click the button below to get started!
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!
What is Event Design for Weddings?
What is event design for weddings? In short: event design is what makes your wedding look and feel good.
Let me tell you more.
What is event design?
Let me explain it in house-building terms: like a contractor deals with all of the trades, schematics, logistics, and budgeting, so too does a wedding planner consult with all of your vendors, create your detailed wedding day itinerary, and oversee your budget.
Where the beauty comes into your home is thanks to an interior designer: the way your floor plan is brought to life, the well-planned uses of colour, the perfectly combined elements to create the space you live your life in. In the wedding world, this is the job of your event designer: to thoughtfully craft an aesthetic experience with all of the visual components in mind: stationery, linens, rentals, lighting, bridal party attire, floral design, and so on.
Photos by Esther Funk Photography
In short: event design is what makes your wedding look and feel good.
Event design is a common service in the US, but here in Winnipeg, it’s still a bit unknown. Many couples inquire with me about hiring me for both floral and event design services, but then the first thing they ask, what IS event design? They know they love the sound of it, but just aren’t sure what it encompasses.
Consider my role as your event designer to be like your wedding’s creative director. I’ll lead you through a multi-layered process that will allow me to distill what you’re hoping your wedding will look and feel like, and then expand on that vision to dream up unique, creative elements that haven’t been done before. I’ll create a detailed design brief, which will outline your colour palette, vibe, as well as the many components that we’ll use to achieve the vision: florals (obviously), stationery, lighting, rental items, floor plan options, and so on. I’ll also refer you to my preferred vendors, who I have complete trust in and know will take the very best care of you!
Who is event design right for?
-Couples who want an expertly crafted visual experience, but don’t necessarily have the creativity to do it themselves. You’ve seen images from weddings that had unique installations, creative displays or a really engaging tablescape and you know you WANT those things…but you just don’t have the innate vision to dream and execute it.
-Busy professionals: you might have a really good handle on the logistics and the budgeting component of your wedding, but you don’t have the time or skill set to pull together the design for yourself.
-Couples planning from out of town. It’s one thing to save images on Instagram of details and ideas you like…it’s a whole other thing to know how to achieve that from another city.
-If you are the type of person who can evaluate a good outfit, but you can’t pull together the individual pieces for yourself, event design services are something you should consider investing in!
Personally, I’ve always been cautious about following trends too closely.
I never wanted to have the same outfit as someone else. I’d much rather invest in quality pieces that will last a few years rather than an inexpensive, trendy item — and since I want pieces to last, that also means that I can’t hit the trends too hard because that outfit will look really dated in just a year — and let’s be honest, with Pinterest and Instagram churning out trends in seconds, a look dates MUCH quicker than in just a year.
I feel the same way about wedding design. I’d rather invest my time and creativity to create a design that has lasting power, that has quality, and that is different than what everyone has done. It may cost a little more, but you’ll be spared the embarrassment of wearing the same outfit as someone else.
So, here’s why I think you should consider hiring me as your event designer.
I’ll start with this compliment to many floral designers: we really are the design experts here.
Those images of weddings that you're finding on Pinterest and Instagram that make your heart sing and inspire your entire wedding? Guess what: that was often made possible because of the FLORAL DESIGNER. So it only makes sense to let your floral lead your entire event design, and trusting the same creative professional to direct the visual aesthetics is the perfect way to make the entire process and design seamless.
Note to add: not all floral designers also offer event design services (and nor are all floral designers interested in offering event design, or skilled to do so). They are not one and the same thing. If you are hiring someone for event design, know that that is a specialized service that should be paid for separately and worked on separately. It’s not just a matter of saying “So and so has nice candle holders, you should rent from them.”
Here’s what you need to look for in hiring someone to fulfill the role of event design: someone who knows how good design works and comes together. You don’t want your designer to just mimic what Pinterest shows you — you want someone who can take the design further.
An event designer should have an excellent understanding of colour, texture, movement, scale and size.
Stone House Creative accepts a maximum of 3 event design commissions per year, in addition to my other floral-only clients. Event design clients also receive complimentary access to my rental inventory!
A note for couples who are working with a wedding coordinator or wedding planner:
Event design does NOT overlap with wedding coordination, and Stone House Creative does not provide coordination services (though I can refer you to several excellent coordinators if you like!). There CAN be overlap between specialized event design services and the services of a full wedding planner, but while I don’t want to be rude, not all wedding planners are gifted in event design. They may be able to deal with the logistics of your wedding better than anyone else, and be able to look at a Pinterest photo and say “rent this linen from this company,” but evolving the design into something creative, polished, and personal is not in everyone’s skillset.
Alternatively, you might want to handle all of the planning, logistics, and budget details on your own but you want help with the visuals and the wedding management — for that, you would hire both an event designer (👋🏻) AND a wedding coordinator, to get the services that you’re looking for.
My Design Philosophies
I believe that:
A unique design does not come from already produced work
Pinterest is not the end all and be all
Context matters
Your wedding should look and feel like you
Colour doesn’t have to be intimidating
Elegant doesn’t mean boring
Any style should still be refined and well-executed
The most beautiful designs come from an open, trusting partnership
Want to see the full gallery from this shoot?
Watch for Part 2 tomorrow!
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
Getting married in 2022? Appointments to design your dream wedding are now available. I currently have the availability for a maximum of 2 more event design clients in 2022 — if you want that to be you, click the button below to get started!
Please note that event design services are only available in conjunction with Stone House Creative’s floral design services.
7 Wedding Tasks You Can Keep Planning During Covid Uncertainty
I know covid has put a dent in your wedding planning, but believe it or not, there are still a lot of planning tasks you can keep working on without any hesitation!
I challenge you to still have some fun with your planning, even while we’re in this phase of not knowing what this summer will bring.
Here’s a list of my top 7 wedding tasks you can keep planning!
I know Covid has put a dent in your wedding planning,
but believe it or not, there are still a lot of planning tasks you can keep working on without any hesitation!
Photos: Esther Funk Photography | Dress: Bliss Bridal BouTique | Hair, Makeup and Nails: Fifth Hair lounge and beauty bar
I challenge you to still have some fun with your planning, even while we’re in this phase of not knowing what this summer will bring.
Here’s a list of my top 7 wedding tasks you can keep planning!
WRite your vows and work on your ceremony program
A lot of couples leave this for the last minute, but why wait? Take some time to envision your wedding ceremony and how you want those incredible moments to feel.
One of my pet peeves is when people forget that the very definition of a vow is a promise: rather than just listing off things that you love about your partner, start planning out the promises that you intend to make. And don’t forget to write them all down in a beautiful vow book!
2. Make your music selections
I see a lot of posts from engaged people asking for what songs other people have walked down the aisle to, or swayed to their first dance to. Call me crazy, but choosing someone else’s song just doesn’t feel that personal.
No matter how many guests you’ll have at your wedding, you’ll still have those major moments and you should remember the soundtrack to your wedding day for your whole life (I walked down the aisle to Edelweiss on string quartet and LOVED it).
3. Nail Down your Wedding Day Style
Start scouring Instagram and Pinterest to help you nail down your wedding day style. Hair, makeup, nails, accessories — there are tons of inspiration images available and probably way too many ideas, too, so figure out a storage solution and start saving images. In a few weeks from now, see what images and styles your thoughts have kept coming back to and narrow down the options.
5. envision a more thorough design for your tabletop details
Think through the tabletop details you’ve planned and how you can create a more thorough design:
-Candles: variety is the spice of life, and more is always better. Mix sizes, textures, patterns and colours.
-Place settings: literally my favourite wedding reception detail, because it is seen and touched and noticed by every single guest. How can you layer in more colour? More texture? Something edible?
Check out my Pin Board for more ideas!
7. Plan your wedding night / weekend lingerie
So obviously you’re going to be planning where you’ll be staying on your wedding night (there are a few hotels in Winnipeg with stunning suites that are worth the splurge for 1 or 2 nights!), and you might as well have a little fun with some online shopping. I recently came across Adore Me, which is actually a sort of club/membership set up that offers affordably priced lingerie and tons of different styles with inclusive sizing, so even a non-lingerie person like me can find something they think is cute!
4. Broaden your colour palette
This is where your girl gets excited. Brainstorm how you can broaden your colour palette to bring in more life and interest. I’m not saying you need to change up everything that you’ve planned so far, but perhaps working in another hue of your main colour will create depth, or adding in a complimentary accent colour will make your trendy palette feel fresh!
6. Plan for design focal points
If budget allows, add 1 major focal point into your event design plan. This could be a killer cake table surrounded with flowers, an entry table with an impressive champagne display, or a sweet heart table with a stunning backdrop and abundant candlelight.
When you’re on a tighter budget, creating 1 focal point is a smart way to create something memorable and well-designed, while allowing you to spend less in other areas.
Looking for a wedding floral and event designer in winnipeg?
2022 wedding dates are now available
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!
My Best Friend's Wedding: A Colourful Farm Wedding During Covid
Roberta and Fernando were originally going to have about 150 people at the Winnipeg Art Gallery with a ceremony at her parents’ farm. Since Fer is from Mexico, and his family lives there, obviously that meant major changes to the wedding plans. They still wanted to get married, but they pivoted: everything would now be on the farm just outside of Stonewall, and since his family couldn’t be there, the guest list would be massively reduced to the bare minimum: the bride’s parents and siblings, my sister and myself, and the groom’s best man and his wife.
It may have been small, but dang, it was mighty.
How is a wedding designer supposed to feel when her cousin/lifelong best friend starts to plan her wedding? Excited, inspired, super happy…and in my case, also stressed lol!
Roberta and Fernando were originally going to have about 150 people at the Winnipeg Art Gallery with a ceremony at her parents’ farm. Since Fer is from Mexico, and his family lives there, obviously that meant major changes to the wedding plans. They still wanted to get married, but they pivoted: everything would now be on the farm just outside of Stonewall, and since his family couldn’t be there, the guest list would be massively reduced to the bare minimum: the bride’s parents and siblings, my sister and myself, and the groom’s best man and his wife.
It may have been small, but dang it was mighty.
You can read some of Roberta’s reflections on what it was like to plan her wedding during Covid in an earlier blog post, here!
Here’s what you need to know about Roberta and Fer: They love colour. So much colour. Roberta has always been a jewel tones girl and I’ve been planning her bouquet for years already. Fernando is a neon guy, and orange is his favourite colour.
I won’t lie, orange can make me nervous…but this wedding converted me. In the right dosage and shade, I now will happily proclaim that orange can be awesome.
Like, did I ever think that a burnt orange suit would be the most amazing? And yet, it totally was.
One of my VERY favourite parts of the wedding: the custom-made bumblebees made by Toronto artist Golden Age Botanicals. Roberta and Fernando met on Bumble (hence “we swiped right” on the hankie above!) and I wanted to reference that in a unique, fun way. They were incredibly realistic (the bride’s brother got quite the fright) and are now keepsakes in the couple’s home!
I just love making colourful bouquets! Roberta told me she trusted me fully and I knew she did, but being that she’s my cousin, making her bouquet was a strangely detached process for me. I was a little stressed about it! She likes an organic look but is a classic girl to her core, so I wanted to blend those styles together while not going too far in either direction. And of course, jewel tones were the primary request!
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: locally grown dahlias, zinnias, sweet pea, cosmos, scabiosa and gomphrena with imported ranunculus, garden roses, waxflower and foliages.
I absolutely HAVE to mention that many of the flowers that I used were locally grown, right here in Manitoba. I feel like I talk about locally grown flowers all the time, but in case you’ve missed the memo, these are my favourite flowers to design with. The colour, the texture, the hardiness…it is all unmatched by the vast majority of imported flowers. More plusses: fewer chemicals, far less travel-related environmental impact, the opportunity to support a local business that pays living wages to its employees, and the list goes on and on. For this wedding, I also got to use some blooms from the mother of the bride’s garden, which I loved!
Roberta came to me with 2 inspiration pictures: one of a ceremony with mismatched chairs, and the other with a serpentine dinner table.
Her dad mowed a clearing into the pasture, a short walk through the oaks from the house. I can’t communicate how magical this space was! Because her dad was also officiating the wedding, Roberta walked most of the aisle alone, and the look on her face was so joyful and expectant. Fer was standing up at the altar, already crying when he turned to see her, with his family Facetiming to join in.
We debated between an arch or freestanding floral pieces for the altar, but I always knew that I wanted to have the aisle “planted.” Roberta’s mom loves to garden so this would be a perfect project for her to take charge on. The aisle planters and some of the wood pedestals were made by the woods teacher at Roberta’s school, and I just loved the opportunity to bring so much colour to the already stunning wooded scene.
One of the great things about these very intimate weddings is the atmosphere. There’s no stress, there’s no feeling like you have to put on a “show.” Case in point, Roberta’s brother played her down the aisle on acoustic guitar. Their other sister was to cue him…but something happened and he started playing too early. She hissed his name and made that “cut it” hand signal across her neck…and it was just plain funny! We all sat there and grinned but didn’t feel any worry about people seeing or things not going perfectly. He then came in at the right time, and it was, indeed, perfect.
After the ceremony, we celebrated with a group toast at the end of the aisle. The servers from CHEW so kindly set this all up for us in complete silence while the ceremony was going on, so it was all ready as soon as the vows were said!
Post-ceremony, Esther Funk led the way with a few group and family portraits in the ceremony site, and then the wedding party drove down the road to an old stone barn (you might recognize the scene from this wedding and featured on Once Wed here!). This site used to belong to our ancestors, and is right across the road from where I grew up (in a stone house, obviously!). The stone walls were the foundation of a barn that was demolished many years ago, but the ruins are so stunning, and make an incredible backdrop for photos. I had my own wedding photos taken here 10 years ago!
Alright, here we are at the reception! We set up under the oak trees on the front lawn of Roberta’s parents’ house. With cafe lights strung from the trees and music softly playing, once again the atmosphere was so incredible. There were 15 of us and with the exception of the best man and his wife, we’re all family so dining under the stars together really just felt like the best, most celebratory family dinner we’ve ever had. It felt so comfortable, so content — it was the best evening I’ve spent in a long time.
Here’s a look at those serpentine tables Roberta envisioned! One unexpected bonus about using serpentine tables is that the curve forces you to sit farther apart than you usually would set a table. Not exactly the 6 feet of social distancing, but definitely less close. They are a little tricky to cover with linen, so we had to play around with pleating and layering the blush linen we selected as a more neutral base.
The centrepieces were basically the only part of the decor plan we never had to change! We were always going to use my copper bowl as the vessel, and fill them with a riot of colourful flowers. I also had Roberta’s mom plant small terracotta planters with flowers and herbs to fill in the tablescape with. I wish more people did this!
Because of the reduced guest count, it was within their reach to splurge on rentals that they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford for 150+ people. We chose cross-back chairs from Planned Perfectly for the guests and fun dark blue velvet chairs from Trend Decor for the couple. China from the bride’s mom and grandmother’s collections was layered for the place settings, and then we selected gold flatware, gold-rimmed wine glasses, and light pink glass water goblets from C&T Rentals. We finished the place settings with white linen napkins that we added our own navy fringe trim to, adding in some whimsy and reinforcing the dark blue in the palette. And when I say “we”, I mean that I ordered the fringe on Etsy and my mom sewed them onto the napkins 😂
You know I’m a huge fan of coloured candles, and for good reason! Can you imagine how boring white candles would have been here? The mix of harvest gold and navy pillar candles, with tropical pink votive candles, layer in depth to the table without feeling out of place. I always buy my coloured candles from Yummi.
This wedding was so much more meaningful to me to be a guest and bridesmaid at. I didn’t experience the amount of emotion experienced by all of you who have had to decide between going ahead with vastly different weddings than you imagined, or postponing. None of 2020 was easy. I know that it’s not over yet, either.
But if I learned anything from this wedding, it’s this:
You and your love absolutely deserve to be celebrated.
Whether you want that to be in small or huge ways, whether you want to go ahead with it or postpone until later, this day deserves to be celebrated. And I hope that when your wedding day does arrive, you can put aside the stress and anxiety that planning a wedding during covid has caused you, and let go to celebrate.
I want to say a huge thank you to all of the vendors who took part in making this wedding so amazing. 2020 was a really hard one to be in the wedding and events industry, so anytime we got to make magic happen was really special.
Esther Funk Photography ~ Stone House Creative ~ Bliss Bridal Boutique ~ Essense of australia ~ BHLDN ~ RW & Co ~ Planned Perfectly ~ C&T Rentals ~ Trend Rentals & Decor ~ Chew ~ The Blushing Blonde ~ Justine Barry Artistry
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
Getting married in 2022? Appointments to plan your dream florals are now available. Click the button below to get started!
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!
Why I Love Using Locally Grown Flowers
There are few things I love more than a big old bucket of blooms grown right here in Manitoba soil.
Every wedding season, I aim to use as many locally grown flowers as possible. And every week when I get my delivery, I get excited. It’s a different kind of excitement than I get when I pick up flowers at the wholesaler (which is still exciting), and I’m not entirely sure I can explain to you why…but I’ll try.
There are few things I love more
than a big old bucket of blooms grown right here in Manitoba soil.
The colour. The texture. The uniqueness.
There are endless reasons to love locally grown flowers.
Every wedding season, I aim to use as many locally grown flowers as possible. And every week when I get my delivery, I get excited. It’s a different kind of excitement than I get when I pick up flowers at the wholesaler (which is still exciting), and I’m not entirely sure I can explain to you why…but I’ll try. Here are a few of the big reasons to love Manitoba-grown flowers:
Environmental benefits: When I design your wedding bouquets with locally grown flowers, I’m reducing the environmental harm caused by shipping flowers in from around the world. My local farmers also use a reduced amount of chemicals on their flowers (or none at all!), and limited to no packaging materials to reduce unnecessary waste.
Supporting the local economy: Buying flowers from a local farmer means keeping my (and your) money in-province, to support a local business that pays her employees a living wage. As with many international trades, the international flower world often involves underpaying, overworking, and poor working conditions. My wholesaler does work with fair-trade farms, but that’s not as wide-spread as I wish it was. And, the more I can keep money in Manitoba, the better.
Colour and variety: when ordering locally grown flowers, we need to be more flexible. My farmers simply can’t guarantee when a specific variety will open or that a bug won’t eat it, or that a hailstorm won’t come along and damage a crop. BUT, the results of this flexibility are mind-blowing. The colour, texture, and uniqueness that you can achieve with locally grown flowers is what I dream of!
Not every flower can be locally grown (for example, we don’t really grow roses successfully in Manitoba, though one of my local farms is starting to grow garden roses!). Some of my personal favourite locally grown flowers include zinnias, sweet pea, Queen Anne’s Lace, bleeding heart, ranunculus, cosmos, scabiosa, foxglove, and lisianthus!
How about I show you just how awesome locally grown wedding flowers are?
When I’m selecting flowers for a wedding bouquet, two of the things I’m thinking about are the shape and texture of the overall design. Whatever the client’s style is, I have specific goals I need to achieve and I think strategically about which flowers I can use to do so.
In Kat’s bouquet, I needed to add the perfect sense of whimsy with a trailing line, and this rust amaranthus was perfect. I also wanted to add a lot of boho-inspired texture, so along with imported blooms, I used strawflower. Even when it’s freshly cut, strawflower has a unique dried texture that adds a really cool vibe.
When you want jewel tones…and not just filler flowers! Focal flowers tend to be easier to order via wholesale — think roses, garden roses, hydrangea, etc — so it’s a great challenge to use a locally grown focal flower when I can.
My favourite focal flowers that can be grown in Manitoba include zinnias (one of my top 5 fave flowers!), dahlias, and lisianthus.
In Roberta’s jewel tone bouquet, you can also see a lot of the awesome texture and movement that those locally grown flowers add!
A lot of flowers have a stiffer stem and a more structured feel to them. When I’m looking for a softer, airier, and more romantic texture, I look to locally grown flowers and vines as much as I can: the ruffled petals of a ranunculus or peony bloom, the romantic curlycues of a sweet pea vine and bloom, or the delicate and petite petals on a phlox bloom can all add a sense of lightness and femininity to your arrangement.
I’m always on the hunt for flowers that will blend my colour palette and add that something special. The hues that are muddier, muted, even a little ombre variation within the petals…that unique colouring can be hard to find when you’re ordering from wholesale farms that make their money off of growing reliable flowers. They don’t want those magical little touches that makes one bloom different from the next…they want them to all be as close to the same as possible.
But local flowers? That’s where we can get those perfect little variations that make your bouquet sing. The taupe lisianthus here is PERFECT.
Fluttery sweetness! And another bonus — super lightweight! All of the flowers in this bouquet were locally grown (I did use imported foliages, though), and though there were a LOT of stems in there, the bouquet was shockingly lightweight.
Again, the colours here are amazing. These rich berry tones are so easy to achieve with locally grown flowers.
Here in Manitoba, we can reliably use locally grown flowers from mid June through early September, though some early bloomers can be available as early as late May (ranunculus, tulips).
With the reality of covid, using local flowers feels different than it did in the past. I KNOW the flower farmers that I work with. I’ve walked through their fields and talked with them about their businesses. Supporting my local growers is also a step that I can take to provide a small measure of support to people and an industry that I care deeply about.
It doesn’t really matter to me if using locally grown flowers is a priority to you or not (though I would love to hear that it is!). It’s a priority to me, and so I will use them as much as I possibly can.
LOOKING FOR WEDDING FLOWERS IN WINNIPEG?
Getting married in 2022? Appointments to plan your dream florals are now available. Click the button below to get started!
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!