Vintage Design Co. // Event Florist Blog

Lisbeth + Anthony: Niagara on the Lake Wedding at the Vintage Hotels

2009-11-09T16:27:45+00:00

Lisbeth + Anthony hold the distinction of being our last couple for the 2009 Niagara wedding season! It’s been another fantastic season and we’ve intentionally blocked out the rest of the year to enjoy a change of pace and bring some balance back into our lives!

Lisbeth + Anthony were married on the most beautiful late autumn Saturday afternoon and later welcomed their guests to an evening dinner reception at one of our favourite Niagara on the Lake wedding venues, Queen’s Landing!

Lisbeth’s wedding colour palette was ‘Breeze’ featuring shades of purple, mulberry and blush with an accent of white and dark green. The ‘look and feel’ was classic and modern vintage.

To achieve Lisbeth’s look, we used hydrangeas, roses, lisianthus, orchids, callas, berries and dark foliages. Each centerpiece was wrapped with curly willow to soften the container and add to the vintage feel!

We wish Lisbeth + Anthony all the best as they start the journey of marriage in this next chapter of their lives … it was a pleasure to be part of your day!The bride’s bouquet …

We created this Manzanita branch 'Wishing Tree' in the Atrium ...

The reception centerpieces looked great in the Grand Georgian Ballroom at Queen's Landing!

Jen + Matt: Niagara Winery Wedding at Hernder Estate Winery

2009-10-26T15:24:10+00:00

Jen + Matt’s Niagara wedding was a very special one for us to do …. not only are they a great couple who are madly in love, but we are blessed to have had Jen on staff here at the studio for the past two seasons!

Jen + Matt were wed at St. John’s Presbyterian Church in the escarpment town of Grimsby. St. John’s is a great old stone church that is celebrating 175 years of history.

After the ceremony, guests were invited to an evening dinner reception in the converted barn at Hernder Estate Winery in St. Catharines. The winery’s barn is a grand structure of stone, wood and glass and lends a very rustic feel to a wedding celebration in Niagara’s wine country.

All season long, Jen has been keeping track of her favourite flowers on a white board in the studio as each wedding passed through. Although we had a detailed list, Jen wanted us to ‘surprise her’, which was a lot of fun!

Jen’s colour palette was based on ‘Breeze’ in shades of purple, mauve and lavender with hits of fresh green added in. A modern vintage look that suited the space at Hernder perfectly!

Cheers to Jen + Matt … we’re so happy to have been part of your wedding celebration! It was a wonderful day indeed.The bride and bridesmaid's bouquets …

St. John's is a great-looking stone church ...

We created a couple of these birch 'trees' dripping with orchids ...

We also attended the wedding, so Mark grabbed these great shots of the newly married couple just as they popped out of the church! Yes, Matt is a giant ... he's six foot seven inches tall!

The bridesmaids looking beautiful ...

For the reception, we created a mix of short and tall centrepieces spaced evenly in the room. The pewter linens were provided by Simply Beautiful Décor.

Behind the head table, we designed this backdrop of birch, glass, candle-lit lanterns and spot lighting ... in the evening, when the lights dimmed, it's looked absolutely stunning!

In the receiving area, Jen wanted one of our Manzanita Branch 'Wishing Trees' ...

Kara + Bryan: Niagara on the Lake Winery Wedding at Hillebrand Estates Winery

2009-10-19T13:20:10+00:00

Kara + Bryan were married on a beautiful October Saturday afternoon at our absolute favourite old stone church in Niagara on the Lake – St. Mark’s Anglican Church!

Later in the evening, Kara + Bryan’s guests were invited to an exquisite evening dinner reception in the recently constructed Vineyard Pavillion at Hillebrand Estates Winery. The Vineyard Pavillion is one of the most beautiful new stone and wood structures in Niagara on the Lake … a real hidden gem of a place for a wedding reception!!!

Kara’s colour palette was ‘Breeze’ in shades of purple, mauve and magenta with hits of fresh green and champagne..

To put it all together, we designed Kara’s flowers using calla lilies, hydrangeas, standard and garden roses, orchids, dahlias, lady slipper orchids and toad lilies freshly harvested from our own organic cutting garden here at the studio!

Cheers and best wishes to Kara + Bryan … it was a pleasure to be part of your day!The bride’s bouquet …

St. Mark’s is a gorgeous stone church in Niagara on the Lake that dates back to 1792 … before Canada was even a nation!

We were able to snap some casual pics of the newly married couple exiting the church after the ceremony … picture the church bells ringing out and joyous applause in the background! The look on Kara's face just says it all!!!

We love the Vineyard Pavillion at Hillebrand Estates Winery … this was our first time here, but oh how we want to come back!

Carmen + Andy: Niagara Wedding at Inn on the Twenty

2009-10-19T13:09:43+00:00

Carmen + Andy were wed this past weekend and celebrated their Niagara wedding ceremony at the historic (and oh-so-cute!) Balls Falls Chapel in Niagara’s Twenty Valley region.

After their wedding chapel ceremony, Carmen + Andy hosted an evening dinner reception for their guests in the Windows Room at the nearby Inn on the Twenty on Main Street in quaint Jordan Village.

Their wedding colour palette was ‘Shade’ featuring blue hydrangea, burgundy cordeline, white roses, green amaranthus and callas. We also found these really spectacular white mini pumpkins which added a really seasonal eclectic touch to the reception centerpieces!

A beautiful day for a beautiful couple!The girl’s bouquets …

The Balls Falls Chapel is the cutest little wedding chapel in Niagara …

The Windows Room overlooks the Twenty Valley below Balls Falls ... it's a spectacular view in the autumn!

We created this Manzanita branch 'Wishing Tree' for Carmen + Andy's guests to leave their well-wishes for the newly married couple!

Jennifer + Clayton: Niagara on the Lake Wedding at Pillar and Post

2009-10-13T13:07:47+00:00

Jennifer + Clayton celebrated their outdoor Niagara on the Lake wedding ceremony in the Rose Garden at the Pillar and Post Hotel. It was the most perfect day to be married outside … the colours are amazing and the temperature was just right!!!

After the ceremony, their guests were invited to the Upper Canada Room for cocktails and an evening dinner reception.

The colour palette for the day was ‘Fire’ featuring shades of burgundy, red, rust, chocolate and cherry. To achieve Jennifer’s look, we designed with callas, roses, hydrangeas, sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (from our own organic cutting garden!), orchids, magnolia and bare curly willow.

We absolutely love Niagara on the Lake weddings in autumn and this one was no exception! Thanks to Jennifer + Clayton for letting us share in their big day!The bride and bridesmaid's bouquets …

Jennifer + Clayton's wedding ceremony took place mid-afternoon in the Rose Garden at Pillar and Post ... just beautiful!

The girls looked gorgeous in their satin bordeaux knee length dresses!

The Upper Canada Room looked amazing all decked out in the tones of ‘Fire’.

Yes, those are cranberries ... how perfect, right?!?!

Caroline + Jason: Niagara on the Lake Wedding at the Vintage Hotels

2009-10-13T12:49:07+00:00

Caroline + Jason were married on a beautiful autumn Saturday afternoon at one of the finest Niagara on the Lake wedding venues, the Atrium at Queen’s Landing!

After their wedding ceremony, Caroline + Jason hosted an exquisite evening dinner reception for their guests at the nearby Prince of Wales Hotel in the heart of Niagara on the Lake.

The ‘look and feel’ was simple, clean, vintage … understated and soft. The colour palette was Glow in shades of white, ivory, butter, lemon and a touch of fresh green.

We designed Caroline’s flowers using garden roses, white hydrangeas, white mini callas, and anemones.

Cheers and best wishes to Caroline + Jason … it was a pleasure to be part of your day!The bride’s bouquet …

The wedding ceremony in the Atrium was 'in the round' ... we used our Shepherd's Hooks indoor to mark the aisle!

Here's a few shots of the reception room at Prince of Wales ...

Stunning wedding cake by Vineyard Sweets …

Holly + Rodolfo: Niagara Winery Wedding at Inn on the Twenty

2009-09-28T13:00:30+00:00

We absolutely love, love, love Niagara winery weddings … especially this time of year!

This weekend, Holly + Rodolfo were wed at Cave Spring Winery’s ‘Vineyard Retreat’ among the grape rows in the vineyard where some of Niagara’s best vintages begin!

After their wedding ceremony, Holly + Rodolfo invited their guests to an evening dinner reception in the Vintner’s Cellar at the nearby Inn on the Twenty on Main St. in Jordan Village.

The colour palette for the day was ‘Fire’ featuring shades of cherry, rust, pumpkin, chocolate and saffron. To achieve Holly’s look, we designed with dahlias, roses, hydrangeas, orchids and mango callas.

It was wonderful to be a part of Holly + Rodolfo’s wedding celebration … cheers!The bride’s bouquet …

The bridesmaid's bouquet ...

The wedding ceremony was supposed to be in the vineyard, but was changed to the Retreat at the last minute because the weather was not cooperating!

We loved these Fire centerpieces!

There's this creepy / cool grotto in the Vintner's Cellar ... I think it used to be a cistern for the original winery back in the 1800's.

We designed a Wishing Tree out of Manzanita branches in glass.

Mark designed the stationery on the tables ...

Allison + Tim: Niagara on the Lake Winery Wedding at Chateau des Charmes

2009-09-28T12:46:00+00:00

This past weekend, Allison + Tim’s Niagara winery wedding ceremony and reception were celebrated at the famed Chateau des Charmes Winery in Niagara on the Lake.

Niagara winery weddings are fantastic this time of year … harvest is in full swing, grapes are being pressed daily, nature’s colours are so deep and rich … I absolutely love autumn in Niagara! But, I digress …

Allison’s colour palette was a little bit ‘Breeze’ with more emphasis on burgundy and cranberry. Very romantic and elegant for their outdoor winery wedding!

To accomplish the design for Allison + Tim’s Niagara on the Lake winery wedding, we used primarily dahlias, Bells of Ireland, purple lisianthus, Annabelle, Peegee and macrophylla hydrangeas and green pepperberries.

Best wishes to Allison + Tim … thanks for inviting us to be a part of making your Niagara wedding celebration memorable!The bride’s bouquet was hand-tied (as all our bouquets are!) in mainly white and ivory with a touch of eggplant and green. Lots of little, delicate petals for her very detailed dress.

Allison + Tim were to get married out in the vineyard, but the weather was not cooperating so the winery’s tasting room was quickly set to accommodate the wedding ceremony! Yes, those are red grapes in there!

The reception centrepieces were a low full floral design of seasonal flowers set in a glass vessel.

We loved their cute little menus!

Amanda + Adam: Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort

2009-09-21T13:26:39+00:00

We'd like to send our best wishes to Amanda + Adam who celebrated their wedding this past weekend at Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort … it was a blast putting this together for you!

Amanda’s colour palette featured royal purple, including vibrant shades of purple, black, white and accents of burgundy … a modern ‘Old World’ feel. It all looked stunning against the silver/black linens that were chosen for the room!

To achieve Amanda’s look, we used a few of the more eclectic floral elements including orchids, callas, lady slipper orchids, roses, dahlias and white anemones with black centres. There was lots of shimmering glass and candlelight as well!

We were thrilled to be a part of Amanda + Adam’s wedding day and we wish them all the best in their life together ... Cheers!The bride's and bridesmaid's bouquets ... loving the ladyslipper orchids in Amanda's bouquet!

Amanda + Adam's wedding ceremony took place at the Casino also ... the scale of this room is absolutely enormous ... the pictures don't really do it justice! We really wanted to make the room feel smaller and more intimate ... so we created six of these twelve foot tall birch 'trees' that were dripping with orchids, glass jewels and candlelight.

Instead of the traditional 'Guest Book', there was this really cool 'typewriter' table where guests could leave their well wishes as a typed message to the bride and groom ... what a great idea!

The reception rooms ... again gianormous ... looked dramatic and stunning all decked out in silver and black with the royal purple hits coming from the flowers! I'm not even going to try to do it justice by using words ...

Erica + Demos: Niagara on the Lake Wedding at Riverbend Inn and Vineyard

2009-09-21T12:37:33+00:00

Erica + Demos celebrated their outdoor wedding in Niagara on the Lake at one of our favourite wedding reception venues in Niagara on the Lake… Riverbend Inn and Vineyard!

Erica’s colour palette was ‘Fire’ which included tones of mocha, chocolate, saffron and cherry with hits of peach, ivory and celery green.

We designed this wedding using hydrangea, spray and garden roses, dahlias (a must at this time of year!), mango callas, magnolia and other bits of autumn goodness. We also raided our organic cutting garden for sedum ‘autumn joy’, peegee hydrangea and some raspberry foliage!

The feel could be described as ‘casual elegance’ … ethereal, romantic … a little off the beaten path!

Best wishes to Erica + Demos – thanks for letting us share in your big day!Erica's gorgeous bride's bouquet …

Bridesmaid's bouquet …

The cutest little gazebo at the Riverbend in Niagara on the Lake … an awesome place for an outdoor wedding ceremony ... the view of the wineries and vineyards in the distance is spectacular!

The Fire colour palette looked perfect against the girls' chocolate dresses!

Here's the star of the show, our gorgeous bride Erica ... loving the texture on her dress!

After the ceremony, Erica + Demos hosted their guests to an outdoor dinner reception (under the tent, of course) at the crest of the vineyards overlooking the winery in the distance ... the sun setting slowly behind the graperows ... absolutely magical!

Each of their centerpieces were distinct and presented in a slightly different vessel ... they matched the mood and character of the day to perfection!

We also provided the stationery for the day ... including the Seating Chart and Table ID Cards. Thanks to Mark for the design and printing.

LCBO Food & Drink Magazine Feature

2009-09-14T19:38:25+00:00

About a year ago we got a call from the fine folks at the LCBO to inquire as to whether we’d like to participate in a photo shoot that would be featuring 'harvest in Niagara' and four local up and coming chefs. We didn’t have to think twice … of course we’d do it!!!

A year of patiently waiting has passed and finally the latest issue of the LCBO’s Food & Drink Magazine (Autumn 2009) is now on the shelves … go quick and pick one up! If you flip to page 82, you’ll see our work in the delicious pics found in the ‘Platters of Plenty’ feature! (For the credit, you have to turn all the way to page 178 … but, hey, the pics look great!)

A special shout out to our good friends (and fellow Swish List Members) over at The Good Earth Cooking School ... check the same LCBO photo spread for Chef Isa's guide to making The Good Earth's scrumptious 'Gumbolaya'!

We're proud to play a small part in representing Niagara to the rest of Ontario and the world!

We designed a series of tall satellite pieces for the center of the harvest table ...

Julie + Matthew: Niagara on the Lake Wedding at Riverbend Inn and Vineyard

2009-09-14T19:25:13+00:00

We’ve been calling Julie our cheeriest bride this year … it's not that our other brides are grumps, it’s just that Julie is so, well, extra cheery!

Julie + Matthew celebrated their outdoor wedding in Niagara on the Lake at the fantabulous Riverbend Inn and Vineyard … one of our favourite Niagara on the Lake wedding reception venues!

Julie’s colour palette was a fusion of ‘Glow’ and ‘Fire’ … perfect for her early fall Niagara on the Lake wedding!

We designed this wedding with lots of yellow and orange flowers, including sunflowers, dahlias, garden and spray roses, callas and safflower … these cheery flowers totally matched Julie’s cheery personality! We also threw in a few ‘gardeny’ bits and pieces from our organic cutting garden, here at the studio.

We were aiming for a relaxed and natural feel that fit with the casually refined Coach House space at the Riverbend Inn. It was fun using some different non-floral elements, such as whole oranges and sliced lemons to add to the organic, earthy feel.

Congrats to Julie + Matthew … thanks for letting us share in your big day!Julie's bouquet … wrapped in lace!

The cutest little gazebo out back at the Riverbend ... if you could look over to your right, you'd see a stunning view of the vineyards over looking the nearby Peller Estates Winery.

Our brides are really loving our custom-made Shepherd's Hooks ... we love 'em too!

Here she is ... the lovely Julie, our cheeriest bride of 2009!

We had a lot of fun with these centerpieces ... everyone really loved them and they suited the theme and space so perfectly!!!

Julie + Matthew also had all this great stationery created ... we loved the modern vintage feel!

Willow Cakes + Pastries created these wonderful Macaroon Cookies complete with little 'M's and 'J's ... the candy table was so delicious!

Janet + Dylan: Niagara Vineyard Wedding at Inn on the Twenty

2009-09-14T18:36:38+00:00

I know I’ve said it before, but autumn really is the perfect time of year for an outdoor Niagara vineyard wedding! Janet + Dylan tied the knot on 9|9|09 (a very lucky day in Asia!) out in the Cave Spring vineyards. It happened to be a Wednesday, which is unusual for a wedding, but it was tremendously beautiful nonetheless!!!

After their vineyard ceremony, Janet + Dylan invited their guests to an evening dinner reception at Niagara’s first winery restaurant, the always lovely Inn on the Twenty in Jordan Village.

Janet is in love with pink and we decided on ‘Spirit’ as her colour palette for the day. The gold centerpiece vessels held copious amounts of standard and garden roses which were perfect with the intense pink of the table linens.

We wish Janet + Dylan many blessings in their new married life together!!!The bride's bouquet ...

The Flower Girl's Pomander Ball ...

We made little baskets out of curly willow and hung them on our Shepherd's Hooks ... they were used to hold the bubble containers!!

These centerpieces looked amazing against the intense pink table linens ....

Marilyn + Joe: Niagara on the Lake Wedding at Queen’s Landing

2009-09-07T16:32:45+00:00

Marilyn + Joe celebrated their Niagara wedding on a beautiful early fall day at one of the finest Niagara on the Lake wedding venues, the ever classy Queen’s Landing!

Marilyn’s colour palette was something that we refer to as ‘Charm’ - shades of soft pink, white and champagne.

We designed Marilyn’s classic and very full look using garden and standard roses, hydrangeas, orchids and oodles of curly willow … particularly to construct the Chuppah under which they were married!
The bride's bouquet ... perfect example of the ‘Charm’ colour palette.

For the Chuppah, we started with a curly willow base which we then accented with 2 focal points of flowers and cascading foliage. Lots of hydrangeas, roses and foliages with single orchid blooms tied in throughout the willow … it looked magnificent in the Atrium at Queen's Landing!

Joe made for a pretty handsome groom, we'd say ...

The centerpieces ...

Stephanie + Marcus: Niagara Vineyard Wedding at Inn on the Twenty

2009-09-07T15:53:29+00:00

Autumn is the perfect time of year for an outdoor Niagara vineyard wedding! Stephanie + Marcus were wed out in the vineyard among the grape rows where some of Cave Spring Winery’s best vintages are grown!

At this time of year Niagara winery weddings are so stunning because the natural beauty of the outdoors is at it’s peak … the colours are deepening, the fruit is ripening and the smell is intoxicating! Did I mention I love autumn?!?!

After their vineyard ceremony, Stephanie + Marcus hosted an evening dinner reception for their guests at the nearby Inn on the Twenty in quaint Jordan Village.

A perfect day!
The bride's and bridesmaid's bouquets ...

We love Niagara vineyard weddings ... this one took place one of the Cave Spring Winery vineyards at the base of the Niagara escarpment.

At Inn on the Twenty, we continued the 'Glow' colour palette in the centerpieces.

Kelly + E.J.: Niagara on the Lake Wedding at Pillar and Post

2009-09-07T15:50:09+00:00

Kelly + E.J. were married on a beautiful Saturday at one of the finest Niagara on the Lake wedding venues, the rustic Pillar and Post ... one of the Vintage Hotels!

The colour palette for the day was ‘Forest’ incorporating shades of ivory, white, green and mocha with a hit of purple.

We designed Kelly’s flowers using seasonal product, including roses, orchids and calla lilies as well as bits and pieces from our organic cutting garden including Annabelle hydrangea and lavender foliage.
The bride's bouquet ... simple calla lilies and orchids.

Unfortunately we weren’t able to get any pictures ourselves, but fortunately our good friend and Niagara wedding photographer extraordinaire, Nataschia Wielink, captured the day to perfection and shared a few images with us!

You can see Kelly and E.J.’s whole story unfold on Nataschia’s photo blog.

Caitlin + Jon: Niagara on the Lake Wedding at Riverbend Inn and Vineyard

2009-08-31T15:54:53+00:00

Congrats and best wishes to Caitlin + Jon who celebrated their outdoor wedding in Niagara at the always lovely Riverbend Inn and Vineyard … a true gem among Niagara wedding reception venues!

We absolutely love, love, love Niagara on the Lake weddings … especially this time of year!

Caitlin’s colours were cream, ivory and a variety of shades of fresh green ... a lot like our 'Forest' colour palette!

We designed this wedding using white/green Peegee and Annabelle hydrangeas (from our organic cutting garden!), garden roses, dahlias, poppy pods, chamomile, hypericum berries, hanging amaranthus and fresh hops.

Thanks for letting us share in your big day!
The grand entrance to the Riverbend Inn …

The bride’s and bridesmaid’s bouquets …

The Riverbend has this great gazebo overlooking the vineyard … the perfect spot for an outdoor late summer vineyard wedding in Niagara!

The ‘alter’ was flanked with these two four foot tall arrangements!

Caitlin and the girls made their entrance across the lawn ... the Coach House is in the background.

How cute are these two .. seriously?

The tables were fashioned into a long ‘picnic’ style setup which allowed us to design ‘tablescapes’ which included these long arrangements in gorgeous wooden trugs! Caitlin made her table runners out of this amazing Amy Butler fabric!

We incorporated lots of glass canning jars with pillar candles and little posy arrangements to add to the modern vintage feel!

Taylor + David: Niagara Winery Wedding at Vineland Estates

2009-08-31T15:46:06+00:00

This past weekend, Taylor + David’s Niagara wedding reception and ceremony were held in the sensational Carriage House at Vineland Estates Winery.

There’s been a distinct shift in the ‘feel’ of the season already … we’re entering harvest time in Niagara and the colours are deepening all around us. Weddings in Niagara this time of year are always gorgeous!

Taylor’s colour palette was ‘Shade’ plus a little bit of grey.

To accomplish the design for Taylor + David’s Niagara wedding reception, we used blue hydrangeas, garden roses, orchids, dusty miller and a variety of bits from our organic cutting gardens, including cotton lavender, lavender foliage and Annabelle hydrangeas. The bride’s and bridesmaid’s bouquets …

The Carriage House at Vineland Estates Winery is a gorgeous old stone and wood building … perfect for celebrating an intimate wedding in Niagara!

The wedding reception centerpieces were low full florals in cylinder glass ... dripping with green grapes!

Centerpieces so good you can eat them!

2009-08-31T15:31:45+00:00

We had a fun corporate event earlier in the week at Chateau des Charmes Winery in Niagara on the Lake.

We designed up 15 of these delicious ‘so-good-you-can-eat-them’ centerpieces for an event planned by Peninsula Programs & Events with mouth-watering food and wine pairings by Wellington Court and Chateau des Charmes Winery!

There’s definitely some off-the-wall ingredients in these pieces, but they looked amazing under the big tent … and they definitely reflected the ‘farm-to-table’ ethos of the evening.

Cheers and enjoy the pics!Chamomile and new potatoes ...

Safflower and plums ..

Sunflowers and potatoes ...

Sedum 'Autumn Joy' and red potatoes ...

Spray roses and yellow zucchini ...

Gerbs and apricots ...

Allium and eggplant ...

Hydrangea and variegated eggplant

Sarah + Jim on the Andrewes Family Farm

2009-08-24T18:45:22+00:00

There's something wonderfully charming about an outdoor wedding on the family fruit farm … and that’s something we’ve got a lot of here in Niagara!

The relaxed ‘upscale country’ details of Sarah + Jim’s outdoor Niagara wedding made for a simply stunning and heartfelt celebration … a perfect late-summer evening!

In keeping with the home-grown feel of this Niagara wedding, many of the floral elements we used came directly from our own organic cutting garden: ‘Annabelle’ hydrangeas, cotton lavender, black eyed Susans, sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, sage and other bits of gardeny goodness!

Best wishes to Sarah + Jim … we loved working with you!The bride’s bouquet … we loooved this one! Check out the semi-ripe blackberries ... mmmmm!

We’re really loving our custom-made Shepherd’s Hooks this season … so cute with these Mason Jar posies marking the aisle!

We used these vintage feeling hammered-tin (or pewter) vessels for the reception table centerpieces …

The gorgeous Peach Lavender jam favors were hand crafted by Sarah’s sister-in-law Dori … from fruit grown on the family farm!

The Good Earth served up a delicious BBQ Bonanza in true farm-to-table style … check out the menu!

Heather + Josh: Niagara on the Lake Wedding at Queen’s Landing

2009-08-24T18:11:40+00:00

Heather + Josh were married in an afternoon wedding ceremony at the stunning and historic St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Afterward, their guests were invited for cocktails and an evening reception at one of our favourite Niagara-on-the-Lake wedding venues, the Grand Georgian Ballroom at Queen’s Landing (one of the Vintage Hotels).

Heather’s color palette was a bit of a cross between Glow and Forest … soft lemon and buttery yellow with accents of fresh green and chocolate.

We worked with a variety of flowers and design elements to achieve Heather’s look, including garden roses, orchids, hydrangeas, amaranthus, dahlias, plenty of birch branches and wheat … an organic, natural ‘earthy’ feel!

Thanks to Heather + Josh for letting us share in their Niagara-on-the-Lake wedding celebrations … best wishes to you two!The girls’ bouquets … soft, buttery and warm!

St. Mark’s is a ‘picture-perfect’ church … perhaps the best historic ceremony venue in Niagara-on-the-Lake!

Our signature wedding ceremony alter arrangements … these always provide so much impact!

Guests were seated at long tables in a fashion comparable to a large ‘picnic’ … a nice break from the typical round table set-up! Table linens and Chiavari chairs provided by Simply Beautiful Décor.

Our custom birch canopy was fashioned into a sort of ‘sweet-heart’ table covering … the bride and groom were parked underneath it and their wedding party kind of spilled out from there! Later in the evening, the tables came down and a delicious old-school ‘candy buffet’ was setup under the candle-lit branches!

Cake by Willow Cakes and Pastries …

Anna + Rick: Niagara Winery Wedding at Vineland Estates

2009-08-24T18:01:47+00:00

Inspite of the wacky weather we’ve been having this summer, it was still a beautiful weekend for an outdoor Niagara winery wedding at one of the most picturesque venues in Niagara … Vineland Estates Winery!

Anna + Rick celebrated their wedding ceremony outside on the south deck and then hosted a lunch reception for their guests inside the Carriage House.

The color palette for the day was a combo of our Spirit and Breeze palettes … pink and purple with a touch of burgundy and white!

Floral elements include white hydrangeas, dahlias, garden roses, hypericum berries, amaranthus and various bits and pieces from our organic cutting garden.

Congratulations to Anna + Rick … it was a pleasure to be a part of your Niagara winery wedding celebration!
Anna's bridal bouquet ...

Anna + Rick's wedding ceremony took place on the south deck ... that's the Vineland Estates Carriage House in the background!

Brides love the surprising touches we design into our centerpieces ... such as these green grapes!

WedLuxe Feature - Summer/Fall 2009

2009-08-17T14:37:45+00:00

Back in the late winter, WedLuxe Magazine contacted us to design one of our signature table centerpieces for a photo feature in their next Toronto & Eastern Canada Issue ... after a long wait, it's finally on the store shelves!

We're excited to have our centerpiece featured on page 114 in the Fizzy Fruity Floral spread of the Summer/Fall 2009 issue! You can check out the full-sized spread on the 'PRESS' section of our website.

It's really one of those magazines that feels more like a fine art photography book .. I suggest picking up the latest edition at your local Chapters / Indigo (and checking out page 114!).

Sima + Chris: Niagara Winery Wedding at Vineland Estates

2009-08-10T15:04:08+00:00

Sima + Chris were married in an intimate Niagara wedding ceremony on the deck at the stunningly gorgeous Vineland Estates Winery this past weekend. Their elegant lunch reception followed in the Carriage House next door ... one of the best views of Niagara's vineyards (with Lake Ontario in the distance) can be had from this Niagara wedding venue!

Sima's color palette included creamy yellow and white with peach/salmon and blush overtones. To get an unstructured semi-Victorian feel, we used chamomile, garden roses, spray roses, hydrangeas, dahlias and orchids in our designs.Sima's bouquet ... one of our favourites!

The Carriage House is flanked by 2 decks which are just perfect for an outdoor Niagara wedding ceremony overlooking the vineyards!

There were 11 guests at the wedding ... an intimate, but stylish affair! We designed a 'tablescape' made up of satellite floral arrangements and pillar candles and used local kiwi vine to tie it all together.

Dana + Chris: Niagara on the Lake Wedding at Prince of Wales

2009-08-10T15:03:27+00:00

Dana and Chris' Niagara-on-the-Lake wedding took place in the Rose Garden at The Pillar and Post with their dinner reception following in the Victoria and Albert Rooms at the lovely Prince of Wales Hotel in 'downtown' Niagara-on-the-Lake!

Dana's palette prominently featured our 'Forest' color scheme and we used garden and standard roses, orchids, callas, freesia, ferns, hydrangeas and poppy pods to bring it all to life! The textured and relaxed 'woodland' feel also incorporate sheets of birch bark as the centerpiece vessel and bamboo stakes at their wedding ceremony!

Congrats to Dana + Chris ... thanks for letting us share in your big day!Dana's bridal bouquet ...

Their romantic Niagara wedding ceremony in the Rose Garden ...

These centerpieces define the very essence of our 'Forest' palette ...

Heather + Joseph: Niagara Wedding on the Family Farm

2009-08-10T12:39:10+00:00

Heather and Joseph were married at Southridge Church in St. Catharines and hosted an outdoor reception on their family fruit farm on the shores of Lake Ontario in Port Dalhouse.

Heather and Joseph have a really cool engagement story that involves Joseph carving Heather's beautiful engagement ring out of a piece of walnut given to him by his grandfather. The couple's shared passion for social justice issues lead them to decide that a diamond engagement ring just didn't suit them as a couple. An amazing story ... you can read more of it here.

The color palette for the day was 'Glow' ... shades of yellow with a touch of fresh green and peachy orange!

Best wishes to you two ... we're happy to have been part of your Niagara wedding celebration!We love, love, looooove Heather's sunny yellow bouquet ...

Thanks to our friend Nataschia Wielink for this great pic!

Their reception was held about 30 feet from the shore of Lake Ontario, right out amongst the peach trees on Joseph's family fruit farm! We were able to incorporate peaches grown on their property (in season now!) in the table centerpieces.

Nikki + Will: Niagara on the Lake Wedding at The Pillar and Post

2009-08-03T15:27:29+00:00

Nikki + Will, who have been living in Belgium, wanted to get married on their home turf ... in the heart of Niagara's stunning wine country! This past weekend they tied the knot and celebrated in style at the lovely Pillar and Post (one of the Vintage Hotels) in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario!

Nikki wanted an 'old world' feel to her day, drawing inspiration from her life in Europe as well as the many cities she and Will have visited together. Words like 'compass', 'nautical map', 'vintage' and 'antique' come to mind. The color palette for the day was melon/rust, saffron/gold, blush and a touch of watermelon.

The flowers themselves even had a rustic, heritage appeal ... garden and standard roses, dahlias and traditional herbs including sage, lavender, cotton lavender, mint and catmint! We piled on the old-world charm by incorporating Mason jars with short pillar candles on each of the reception tables!

Best wishes to Nikki + Will ... it was a pleasure to be part of your day!We absolutely adore the modern vintage feel of Nikki's bridal bouquet!

Nikki + Will were to get married in the Rose Garden at Pillar and Post, but the sky opened up minutes before the ceremony and it was quickly moved indoors. Kudos to Savannah and the staff for pulling this off so quickly and smoothly!

Each of the centerpieces was slightly different from the next, but carried common colors and floral elements so as to maintain the cohesiveness, but give a vintage look and feel ...

We love, love, loooove this cupcake tree created by Meredith at Cupcake Love ... Niagara' only Cupcake Bakery!

Whirlwind Wedding Weekend

2009-07-27T14:30:28+00:00

It was a beautiful weekend for a Niagara wedding ... even in spite of the rain, which always seemed to hold off just long enough!

We designed the wedding flowers for a number of venues in Niagara's beautiful wine country, at some of our favourite Niagara winery wedding venues including Vineland Estates Winery and Inn on the Twenty!

Breaking from tradition a little bit, today I'm just going to share a bunch of the photo highlights with you rather than detail each event separately. Congratulations and best wishes to all of our couples this weekend ... cheers!We'll start off with some bridal party bouquets ...

This intimate wedding reception took place in the Vintner's Cellar at Inn on the Twenty in Jordan ... we call this method design 'tablescaping'! Rather than separate, discrete centerpieces we treat the table as if it were a big palette and design to incorporate the entire area. It serves to unify the long table and the guests!

We actually knew this guy ... he was a musician at one of the weddings (and a groomsman). He's such a card ... he told us was practicing 'ignoring' the camera because he had to get used to his new found celebrity status. What a laugh!

Our hands down favourite pieces this weekend were these twin large arrangements for the wedding ceremony at Vineland Estates Winery ...

Chantal + Steven: Niagara Winery Wedding at Inn on the Twenty

2009-07-20T15:41:47+00:00

Chantal + Steven's Niagara wedding celebration was at the lovely Inn on the Twenty in Jordan Village, Ontario ... where some of the most beautiful Niagara wine country weddings have taken place!

Chantal + Steven wanted to explore a vineyard theme for their big day! Our flowers included blue and green hydrangeas, green orchids, purple trachelium, amaranthus, burgundy cordeline, hypericum berries, garden roses and various unique foliages. Following along in the vineyard theme, we also included some green grapes in the arrangements, wine corks to hold their place cards and a couple of wine barrels to set our signature 'big' arrangements on!

We heard from the Inn on the Twenty staff that it was a terrific celebration and we wish Chantal + Steven all the best in their married life together ... Cheers!Chantal's bridal bouquet ...

We design two of these wine barrels arrangements to flank the head table ... stunning!

We designed a mix of short full-floral and taller centerpieces for the tables ...

The cute place cards perched atop a cork!

Sunny Yellow and Mellow

2009-07-14T18:46:00+00:00

A short post today ... here are some bright and cheery sunshine yellow flowers we designed for Matt and Bev's wedding last weekend!

Colour palette is inspired by Glow.

The cutest little Flower Girl Basket (well, pail, actually) ...

Mary + Dan at Liuna Gardens

2009-07-06T14:16:00+00:00

Mary + Dan were married this weekend in a lake-side wedding ceremony on the breezy shores of Lake Ontario at Liuna Gardens in Stoney Creek. Dan is a proud member of the Canadian Armed Forces and will return to Afganistan shortly to continue his duties there.

Their colour palette was rich red, champagne and fresh green ... very Asian and somewhat eclectic 'look and feel'. We used plenty of orchids (red mokara + green cymbid), red callas, equistum (horsetail) and sahara rosesThe bride's bouquet ... callas, orchids and roses.

The wedding ceremony took place just steps from the shores of Lake Ontario ... a beautiful setting overlooking the water!

A few views of the reception space in the Renaissance Ballroom at Liuna Gardens ...

Sabina + Craig: Niagara Winery Wedding at Chateau des Charmes

2009-06-29T14:35:06+00:00

Sabina + Craig were married on a perfectly sunny Saturday afternoon in an intimate wedding ceremony at the Gazebo in Niagara on the Lake ... a totally unique and picturesque location for a Niagara wedding celebration! An outdoor evening dinner reception followed at Chateau des Charmes Winery in Niagara on the Lake!

We've developed a new colour palette we're calling 'Bliss' which features dark and light peach, blush and cream ... classic, romantic and soft. It's modern vintage at it's best, featuring roses, callas, gerberas, orchids, hydrangea and burgundy cordeline tips. We debuted 'Bliss' at the 2009 Vintage Inns Wedding Show back in February ... you can see more Bliss here.

We wish Sabina + Craig all the best in their new marriage adventure ... cheers!The bride's bouquet ...

Sabina had us incorporate her grandmother's wedding ring into her bridal bouquet ...

The Niagara on the Lake Gazebo is a cute little structure on the waterfront at the mouth of the Niagara River ... in the distance, you can just see Fort Niagara on the American side!

The centerpieces ...

Chateau des Charmes ... a majestic view of the entrance to the winery with the Niagara Escarpment and vineyards in the background!

Elegant Chiavari chairs supplied by our friends at Simply Beautiful Decor ...

2008 Floral Designer of the Year

2009-06-22T21:35:00+00:00

We're honestly and truly humbled that the Canadian Wedding Industry Awards have chosen Vintage Design Co. as the recipient of it's national 2008 Floral Designer of the Year Award!!! When we received the notification by email late last month, we were totally blown away! Canada's wedding industry is filled with some amazing talent, true floral artists ... and we feel incredibly honoured to have been chosen as the best among them in 2008!

The Credits ...
Of course, the real credit goes to the greatest team a girl could dream of having ... the dedicated and truly selfless Jen Christie (Assistant Designer Extraordinairé), the talented Heidi Taylor (Über Designer) and, my favourite team member, my partner in life and business, Mark Elliotson (Marketing Exec, I.T. Guy, Graphic Designer, Photographer and Lifter of Heavy Things)!!! There are also many who have traveled in the VDC circle at one point or another over the years ... Cara, Monica-Maria, Shirl, Teresa, Muggs and Lisa ... you each deserve a little piece of this award!

Thanks also to our awesome clients who let us creative types at VDC flex our design muscles each and every week as we strive to produce just exactly what it is that makes them gasp and say, “That’s it! That’s us!” ... we totally love our job!!!

The Details ...
Presented in part by WedLuxe (Canada's Luxury Wedding Magazine), this year's panel of esteemed award judges included the reigning king of event design Preston Bailey, Los Angeles based celebrity wedding planner Mindy Weiss and Canada's own Laura deCarufel, Senior Editor at ELLE Canada Magazine ... talk about industry heavy-hitters!

If you're interested, the full list of 2008 CWIA Winners can be found here or in the Summer/Fall 2009 issue of WedLuxe Magazine (p118 - 119).

Brad + Kevin at The Good Earth

2009-06-22T12:49:01+00:00

Brad + Kevin's intimate Niagara wedding ceremony took place this weekend at one of the great hidden gems you can only find in Niagara's wine country ... The Good Earth Cooking School and Food Company!

What can we say ... The Good Earth is definitely an experience you must have at least once! It's so much more than just a haven for foodies and Brad + Kevin couldn't have picked a better venue for their upscale backyard BBQ-style wedding and reception.

It was perfect weather for an outdoor wedding ceremony right in the heart of Niagara's wine country ... we loved every detail! Casual yet sophisticated ... relaxed but luxe in it's own way!The tent was setup with two long rows of tables and so we chose to design satellite 'tablescape' arrangements that worked in concert with each other (as opposed to the traditional 'centerepiece' style of arrangement).

Plenty of ambience from these 'almost country' Mason jar candle holders and many hanging lanterns!

One of the big features of the ambience was the casual sitting area we created using birch branches and our oh-so-versatile canopy frame! We accented the space with some custom tailored pillows and throws to keep their guests cozy in the evening!

There were no bouquets, but the guys wore these cute boutonnieres we designed!

Canary Yellow Bouquet

2009-06-15T13:18:18+00:00

In the Winter/Spring 2009 Toronto & Eastern Canada Issue, Wedluxe Magazine featured a canary yellow bridal bouquet created by Vintage Design Co ... recently the magazine featured us again in a new blog post along with a whole bunch of great yellow-themed bride's bouquets ... we hope you're inspired! Photo Credit: mimmo+naz.

New Friends

2009-06-15T13:00:58+00:00

We love making new friends in the local wedding world ... so when Krista at Edison Photography and Jaime of Blueprint Events wanted to stop by and chat, we were more than delighted!

Krista, Jaime and I chatted for a bit, Krista snapped some pics - and then they both posted some kind words about us on their blogs ... what a great idea! We were thrilled and humbled that they chose us to participate! If you're interested in finding out a little more about us (behind the scenes!) you can read here and here!

Derek + Lisa at the DoubleTree

2009-06-09T13:32:19+00:00

It was a busy weekend for us ... not only did we have multiple weddings, but we were also guests at one of them!

Derek + Lisa were married in one of the most amazing wedding ceremonies we've ever been privileged to be a part of! What to say ... it was a perfect Friday evening to be wed at the DoubleTree Resort & Spa in Niagara Falls. Derek + Lisa's intimate wedding ceremony took place 'in the round' and then, while the guests participated in a Champagne toast in the Atrium, the room was flipped for their dinner reception.

Lisa was just in love with the Passion colour palette we created for her ... shades of rich red, crimson, touches of burgundy and black. Rich and saturated ... urban romantic.

It was a beautiful day!The girl's bouquets featured garden roses, dahlias, peonies, gerberas, cymbidium and oncidium orchids.

Thanks to our friend Eric Moccio for this pic...

The romantic ceremony was set 'in the round' ... Lisa, escorted by her father, walked around the spiral gradually arriving under the canopy to greet her groom!

The tables were drapped in black linen with a crimson organza overlay ... dramatic and bold, yet so comfortably romantic! The high-gloss centerpiece vessels looked amazing on the tables ...

Later in the evening, the canopy was transformed into an intimate seating space for guests to relax while taking a short break from the dance floor!

Jessica + Neil's Niagara Vineyard Wedding

2009-06-08T22:26:38+00:00

We love Niagara vineyard weddings ... there aren't too many places in the world that you can actually tie the knot right out amongst the grapes!

Jessica + Neil were married at the base of the Niagara Escarpment in the Cave Spring Vineyard and their dinner reception followed in the Windows Room at Inn on the Twenty in Jordan Village ... just down the road from our studio!

Jessica's colour palette was primarily shades of white and cream with shots of deep purple, magenta and green featuring plum and gold accents. It was old world charm verging on modern vintage.Check out this cool inspiration board from Jessica + Neil's Niagara wedding ...

The blushing bride's and bridesmaid's bouquets ...

I just love this little button detail we incorporated ... it gives the bouquet some personality!

The actual view from the vineyard, out towards Lake Ontario and Toronto in the distance ...

We debuted our custom-made Shepherd's Hooks today ... don't you just love them?!?

The head table centerpiece ...

These 'Wishing Trees' are getting really popular ... we've created 3 of them in the last month! This one features Manzanita Branches and orchids.

Just had to show you this really cute Cupcake Tree ... not sure who's responsible, but it was a stunner!

Performance Mercedes-Benz Grand Opening

2009-06-01T13:43:06+00:00

This past week we had the pleasure of designing for the grand opening of the newly renovated Performance Mercedes-Benz dealership in St. Catharines! It may seem strange in an economic downtown for a car dealership to renovate on such a grand scale, but contrary to the difficult times that are happening nationally, Mercedes-Benz sales were up 27% last year!

Car folks certainly know how to throw a party ... features included a 20+ piece big band, bar serving 13th Street Wines, valet parking, 350+ guests and, of course, flowers!!!

We love the modern feel of these glossy black containers against the fresh, chartreuse green of the flowers, including Anthurium, Cymbidium Orchids and Banana Leaves as well as magnificent King Protea, fresh Lotus Pods, Kiwi Vine and white Hydrangea. How very Mercedes-Benz!!!

Pewter Chiavari Chairs by Simply Beautiful Decor.

Moya + David: Niagara Winery Wedding at Inn on the Twenty

2009-05-25T15:52:32+00:00

Moya + David were another of our couples this past weekend. It was a perfect day to get married outside in the vineyard in Niagara's wine country ... which is exactly what they did!!!

Moya + David's Niagara nuptials were celebrated outdoors in the Cave Spring Vineyard followed by an elegant dinner reception in The Windows Room at Inn on the Twenty in Jordan Village.

Colours were fresh green, light blue and burgundy and flowers included peonies, callas, garden roses, hydrangea orchids, viburnum, cordeline foliage, freesia and tuberose.

There was a very 'modern vintage' feel for the day with lots of attention to little details that made things interesting! We had so much fun putting this one together ... all the best to Moya + David!We absolutely loved the ribbon we found for the girl's bouquets and the cutest little pomander ball for the flower girl!

Spring and Fall are probably the best times of the year to get married in the vineyard ... summer is just a little too hot and flowers don't like heat!

We created a 'Wishing Tree' for Moya + David to use as an alternative to the traditional guest book ... the second one we did this weekend!

The Windows Room looked stunning ...

Six of these candle-lit clear glass accents were placed on our custom white-washed pillars throughout the room ...

We also did up the matching wedding stationery ... table identifier cards and place cards for each guest!

Kelly + Andrew: Niagara Winery Wedding at Inn on the Twenty

2009-05-25T15:30:50+00:00

It was a busy weekend for Niagara weddings ... we had back-to-back nuptial celebrations in Jordan Village this past weekend!

Congratulations to Kelly + Andrew who tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in the rustic Balls Falls Chapel which is tucked away in a hidden hollow of the Niagara Escarpment. An elegant lunch reception followed just down the street at Niagara wine country's first culinary destination - The Inn on the Twenty in Jordan Village.

Forest was the colour palette for the day. Flowers included hydrangea, gerbera, parrot tulips, orchids, viburnum, roses, lily of the valley, freesia and clean-lined looped grasses.

We wish you Kelly + Andrew all the best ... it was a pleasure to be part of your wedding day!The bride's bouquet had a wonderful wide trailing ribbon accent ...

The Balls Falls Chapel is an historic and quaint location for an intimate Niagara wedding ceremony ...

Simple hand-tied bouquets of white flowers in clear glass ... they looked fab against the chocolate linens!

We created this really cool 'Wishing Tree' out of orchids and Manzanita branches as a replacement for the traditional guest book!

Jennifer + Kevin: Niagara on the Lake Wedding at Queen's Landing

2009-05-11T15:22:14+00:00

This weekend was Jennifer + Kevin's Niagara wedding celebration at the always beautiful Queen's Landing in lovely Niagara-on-the-Lake. Their wedding ceremony was held in the Atrium followed by a formal dinner reception a little later in the Imperial Ballroom.

Here are my notes on the colour palette ... deep purple/grape, aubergine, plum, hunter and fresh green with shots of burgundy. Whimsical, vintage, warm, antique. Flowers included tulips, lisianthus, sweet peas, green amaranthus, green hypericum berries, viburnum, hydrangeas, orchids and garden roses.The bride's bouquet ...

I'm always blogging about the place, so I thought I'd show it to you! Queen's Landing's grand entrance ...

The ceremony arrangements in the atrium ...

The reception table centerpieces ...

Maris + Michael: Niagara on the Lake Wedding at Queen's Landing

2009-05-04T17:48:41+00:00

Maris + Michael's Niagara nuptials were celebrated at the gorgeous Ridley College Chapel on a perfect late Saturday morning in May!

An afternoon luncheon followed in the Imperial Ballroom at Queen's Landing in Canada's Prettiest Town - Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario!

Our newest colour palette Glow was the order of the day! Soft shades of yellow with accents of incidental fresh green ... a natural look with a hint of wildflowers. Flowers included tulips, freesia, ranunculus, gerberas, white hydrangeas, yellow orchids, garden and spray roses, camomile and dusty miller.

We were thrilled to be a part of their wedding day and we wish Maris and Michael all the best in their life together ... Cheers!

The bride and bridesmaids bouquets ...

The stunning Ridley College Chapel (drool ...)

Reception Florals ... Glow is my new favourite colour palette!

Jaclyn + Allen

2009-04-20T15:14:47+00:00

Congratulations to Jaclyn + Allen who were married on April 18th ... best wishes to you guys!

Their colour palette for the day was one that we like to call Passion ... it's definitely one of the palettes that seem to be growing in popularity this year! If you're a fan of 'Passion', be sure to check out Rob + Suzanne's wedding from 2008!

Floral elements included garden spray roses from Holland and red Mokara orchids from Thailand. The girls wore charcoal-steel grey and the guys were in kilts (complete with a bagpipe processional at the wedding ceremony!). Enjoy!

The Swish List - New Niagara Wedding Resource Site!

2009-04-14T18:38:00+00:00

I'm just dropping a quick note to let you all in on an exciting and stylish new resource guide dedicated to all things wedding in Niagara ... you're gonna love it!

The Swish List is a kind of 'one-stop-shop' where you'll find the inspiration you need to pull together all the elements of your wedding day! From cakes to caterers and florists to photographers ... brides can directly access Niagara’s finest wedding professionals! Each wedding purveyor represented on The Swish List exudes discerning quality, artistry and style. These are truly Niagara’s elite!

We love the 'It's So Swish' blog, which features design and colour inspiration for the stylish bride, including sumptuous ‘Real Niagara Wedding’ pictorials, wedding colour palettes, inspiration boards and the very best in local resources!

We're really excited to be part of this new community and working together to spread the word about Niagara's wedding greatness!

Visit (and bookmark!!) the site at www.theswishlist.com

Enjoy!

Lesley + Peter: Niagara on the Lake Wedding at Pillar and Post

2009-04-13T15:56:02+00:00

We'd like to send best wishes out to Lesley and Peter who were married this past Easter weekend in a lovely Niagara-on-the-Lake wedding ceremony at The Pillar and Post Inn.

Lesley and Peter were hoping for an intimate wedding ceremony outside in the Rose Garden, but as it's still a little too chilly in Niagara this time of year, they opted instead to tie the knot in The Gallery Room upstairs. Cocktails and an evening dinner reception followed in The Upper Canada Room.

Soft green and white flowers for the day included hydrangeas, peony tulips, freesia, green lady slipper orchids, cyclamen foliage, sweet pea, viburnum and amaranthus.The girl's bouquets ... the bridesmaids wore clover green - a stunning combo!!

We had a lot of fun creating 3 of these large pieces ... funky elements included giant moss balls, Song of India and an entire cyclamen plant!

Each of the 'full-floral' centerpieces was a little different ... some mixed, some monobotanical.

Bethan + Adam: Niagara on the Lake Wedding at Queen's Landing

2009-04-07T15:36:23+00:00

Niagara wedding season is almost upon us - time to kick it into high gear! I hope you enjoy these first fruits of the 2009 season ... much more to come!

Bethan + Adam were married in an afternoon wedding ceremony at Stamford United Church in Niagara Falls with cocktails and an evening reception following in the Grand Georgian Ballroom at a popular Niagara on the Lake wedding venue called Queen's Landing.

Their colour palette was very soft and romantic, classic but clean. Flowers for the day included calla lilies, hydrangea, dendrobium and cymbidium orchids and cascading foliages.

We wish you two all the best ... it was a pleasure to be part of your wedding day!
The bride's bouquet ... callas and orchids!

We did a combination of short and tall centerpieces for the reception tables ...

Lots of candlelight contributed warmth to the soft, creamy palette of the day ...

Five of these signature large floral arrangements were used at the wedding ceremony and also throughout Queen's Landing ... in the Atrium and the Ballroom.

Our wedding stationery guy Mark came up with a monogram for Bethan + Adam that was used throughout ... including on Menus, Seating Chart, Placecards and Table ID Cards.

Rather than purchase favours for all their guests, Bethan + Adam made a donation to a charity close to their hearts.

25 Gorgeous Wedding Centerpieces - Part 3

2009-04-03T15:32:00+00:00

In case you've missed them, be sure to check out part one and part two of this entry!

In this third and final installment on wedding centerpieces, I've combed the last of the archives from last season! I hope you've enjoyed these images and have been able to find some inspiration for your own reception floral décor.

I said this in the last entry, but it's worth repeating ... your reception is where you'll spend the most time on your wedding day, so be sure to surround yourself in beauty for those glorious moments! Cheers!!

25 Gorgeous Wedding Centerpieces - Part 2

2009-03-23T13:56:00+00:00

In part one of this entry, I commented about the importance of wedding centerpieces in defining the tone of the entire reception! Okay, yes, I'm biased, but it's true ... there's nothing that brings more life, energy or panache to your celebration than fresh flowers!

Centerpieces are a particularly important element of your wedding décor, not only because they can 'lift' the whole venue, but because of literally how 'close' they are to your guests. Your invited celebrants will be spending a number of hours dining at a table where the centerpiece becomes their closest connection to the ambience of the day!

In all honesty, your reception is where you'll spend the most time on your wedding day ... and who wouldn't want to be surrounded by so much beauty in those moments!

Happy Spring!I love doing 'tablescapes' ... rather than just a single centerpiece, we assemble multiple 'satellite' pieces and other elements (such as branches) to create a table landscape!

These are a little more whimsical in style ... something I don't get to do too often!

Performance Lexus at the Art Gallery of Hamilton

2009-03-16T13:58:17+00:00

This weekend we had the pleasure of designing for an event at the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Performance Lexus of St. Catharines was hosting a cocktail reception and concert to thank it's customers for their loyalty ... John McDermott was playing across the street with the Hamilton Philharmonic and all the guests were treated on the house!

The AGH is located right in the heart of downtown Hamilton (plenty of underground parking!) and if you're looking for an 'out-of-the-ordinary' wedding reception venue, I'd highly recommend it ... helps if you also happen to love art! I'm sure photographers must love this place ... the courtyard is full of interesting architectural details that would make for some great wedding pics!

We had a blast and it was fun meeting a bunch of new people ... I hope we get to go back soon!What's cool about these first two pieces is that they are actually designed inside a big, hollowed out piece of old cork tree! When I saw them, I couldn't resist ... I had to have them!!!

These cheery little 'boats' were on each of the cruiser tables.

The room at the Gallery was big and had a very high ceiling, so we wanted to do a tall, dramatic piece in the centre to bring some scale back to the smaller bistro tables. In the centre are Magnolia branches in bud!

25 Gorgeous Wedding Centerpieces - Part 1

2009-03-10T21:04:01+00:00

I've been thinking recently about how important wedding centerpieces are in defining the tone of the entire reception! The natural, earthy beauty of fresh floral centerpieces has an intangible, almost magical effect on the ambiance of your celebration.

During your countless hours of wedding planning, you’re bound to spend a lot of time looking at pictures of reception centerpieces to help you determine just exactly what it is that makes you gasp and say, “That’s it! That’s us!”

In an effort to make your task a bit easier, I've collected 25 pictures of wedding reception centerpieces from our archives ... maybe you'll find ideas or colors or a style that will help you define the look and feel of your wedding day!

Happy viewing!

Claire + Jeremy at Queen's Landing

2009-02-22T22:38:31+00:00

Congratulations to Claire + Jeremy who were married under our chuppah in the Imperial Ballroom at Queen's Landing this weekend!!!

My design notes read like this ... "White flowers including freesia, tulips, orchids, garden roses and hydrangeas. Elements include curly willow and manzanita branches, candles and crushed glass to add sparkle ... dramatic and textural."

Only 25 days until spring ... The bride and bridesmaid's bouquets ...

Claire and Jeremy's ceremony took place under our custom (and very flexible!) chuppah ... this time we designed it in curly willow with accent orchids, glass 'cloche' lanterns, floor lighting and a white fabric ceiling and backdrop!

We did some 'outdoor' lanterns, just outside the Ballroom where the couple was wed. It just had started to snow ever so lightly and was all very 'Chronicles of Narnia'!

Cocktails were in the Atrium and we did up a large, dramatic piece using a sandblasted manzanita branch, tied orchids and more of the hanging cloche glass lanterns!

The reception centerpieces were an mix of tall and short floral pieces ...

10 ways to style your wedding cake with fresh flowers

2009-02-17T15:44:18+00:00

The wedding cake ... it's still a popular tradition in most North American weddings and there are some really gorgeous works of pastry art happening these days! I'm glad I'm not around the reception when it comes time to 'cut the cake' ... I think it might bring me to tears to see it being so barbarically hacked to death!

One thing I've learned about pastry chefs over the years ... they're very possessive of their work! In the early days, I used to have a difficult time coaxing them into letting me add fresh flowers to their creations ... but now I'm fortunate enough to have developed great relationships with some very talented pastry artists in Niagara, so my job is much easier!

Adding flowers to an already stunning cake just pushes it over the top and helps to tie the room together and give it a seamless feel. I typically will bring along an extra bucket of flowers and during set-up, when the cake arrives, I'll spend a few minutes styling it to perfection!

I've collected 10 pictures of wedding cake flowers from our archives and you can check them out below ... enjoy!

This cake was for Susan and Oliver who were married in May of last year ... thanks to HRM Photography for the pic!

This wedding cake (in fact, the entire wedding) was featured in WedLuxe Magazine last year ... it was a blast working with Kerri and Ben to bring their day to life! Cake by Willow Cakes & Pastries.

These next two were also created by Willow Cakes & Pastries in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

2009 Vintage Inns Wedding Show

2009-02-07T16:35:11+00:00

We participated in the Vintage Inns Wedding Show once again this year ... it's the only show we're doing in 2009!

We do a lot of weddings at the Vintage Inns and in Niagara-on-the-Lake each season and aside from meeting new clients at the show, an important part of the day for us is connecting with the many wedding professionals, artists and vendors that the Niagara Region offers. We're proud to be associated with such a talented pool of wedding resources!

This year, we featured our newest colour palette 'Bliss' under our canopy in the Grand Georgian Ballroom at Queen's Landing. Bliss is a very soft, modern vintage look and I've already had a handful of requests for it this year! The fabric is Amy Butler (my fave!!) and all the usual suspects are here ... vintage garden roses, orchids, hydrangea, funky gerbs and amaranthus! Here's our booth ... one of the many incarnations of our Canopy / Mandap / Chuppah!

We did samples of three different bride's bouquets in the 'Bliss' palette ... I love the button detailing on this one!

Here are a couple of centrepiece ideas for you ... a lower, full-floral style followed by a tall and elegant vintage-looking piece.

We'd typically do a few of these for your ceremony ...

I really love adding unique textural elements to my bridal bouquets!

Couldn't resist this cute little shot ... ciao!

WedLuxe Magazine 'Jet Set Issue' Video Trailer

2009-01-24T15:41:00+00:00

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you've no doubt read about WedLuxe Magazine - my favourite all-Canadian luxury wedding magazine! They've just released the video trailer for their new issue (entitled 'Jet Set') and I'm excited to share it with you as it features some of our work in a spread entitled Statement in Bloom.

I hope you enjoy the trailer ... the magazine is just as stunning and you can pick it up at your local Chapters/Indigo. Cheers!

If you didn't quite catch it in the video, here are our contributions in still frame (from the magazine) ...

Laura + Jesse at Queen's Landing

2009-01-23T17:01:03+00:00

I've been meeting with loads of clients for this year and we're booking up quickly ... it seems as if everyone has collectively woken up from their post-holiday hibernation! We've still got dates available for 2009 ... so tour the site, get inspired and drop me an email to connect!!

Switching gears - I've had some time to dig around in the photo archives and I'm excited to share some of my favourite weddings of seasons past ... here's one from July 2007.

Laura + Jesse were married in an afternoon ceremony at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake with cocktails and dinner reception following at Queen's Landing just around the corner on Byron Street.

Their colour palette was a very definite 'Forest' ... every piece we did was very organic. Elements such as birch bark, branches and logs, magnolia leaves and the texture from the Bells of Ireland, hydrangea and orchids gave the day a very woodland feel.

The 'Forest' colour palette worked perfectly at the church ... couldn't have planned it better!

I love creating these fabulous, large-scale arrangements to fill out the Atrium at Queen's Landing!

These next four pics show the centerpieces, ballroom and headtable decor.

We had our stationery guru, Mark Elliotson, come up with some matching printed pieces to tie it all together!

Best of Bouquets 2008 - Part 3

2009-01-12T23:38:01+00:00

It's been a few weeks, but here's the last installment in the 'Best of Bouquets 2008' photo album.

In my next post, I think I'll move on to explore a few of my favourite events from past seasons ... stuff that you haven't seen yet! In the meantime, enjoy this set of pics!!

Turn up the thermostat ... baby, it's cold outside! Ciao.Let's start it off with some rich autumn bouquets ... perfect for a September / October wedding!

These great 'vintage' looking bouquets are really special ... the bride's bouquet is wrapped in lace from her dress.

Back to some more pink, pink/burgundy and pink/red combos ... sometimes when clients here these colours in combination, they're a little unsure. I think the results are just spectacular ... the pictures speak for themselves!

These last two bouquets fit very well into our 'Spirit' colour palette!

Best of Bouquets 2008 - Part 2

2008-12-29T21:50:00+00:00

As promised, here's the next installment in the 'Best of Bouquets 2008' photo album. I've still got enough for another post - coming soon! Enjoy the pics!!

Hope your holidays were full of warmth and blessing ... cheers to 2008.

The next two are great 'vintage' looking bouquets ...

Purple is making a huge comeback for 2009 ... these next four are just leading the pack!

Not a bouquet, I know, but a cute piece that deserves a mention! We created this pomander ball for the flower girl in one of our early summer weddings.

Best of Bouquets 2008 - Part 1

2008-12-14T23:55:00+00:00

So now that the 2008 wedding season is behind us and the end of December is almost here, I've become a little pensive about the year that was.

Today I found myself compiling an album called 'Best of Bouquets 2008' and I'm excited to share some of the pics with you! In putting this collection together, I very quickly realized that we'd done a lot of 'Charm' and 'Spirit' colour palettes for our clients this year!

I ended up with nearly 50 'best' pics in my album (whittled down from the original 90 or so!) ... so below is just part one of what will be a few installments to come over the winter! I hope you enjoy the recap as much as the memories they bring me!

Twelve sleeps until Christmas ...

This is one of my favourite pictures of the year ... liked it so much, we've used it in some of our advertising!

Thanks to our friends at HRM Photo for these next 3 pics ...

A couple of more 'vintage' looking bouquets ...

Thanks to Nataschia at Life's Journey Photography for these 2 pics of Kathy and Dave's wedding!

WedLuxe Photo FeatureWinter / Spring 2009

2008-12-14T22:27:54+00:00

Earlier in the fall, WedLuxe Magazine contacted us to design two bouquets for a photo feature in their next Toronto & Eastern Canada Issue ... after a long wait, it's finally on the store shelves!

We're excited to have both of our bouquets featured in the Statement in Bloom spread of the Winter/Spring 2009 issue! You can check out the full-sized spread on the 'PRESS' section of our website.

It's really one of those magazines that feels more like a fine art photography book .. I suggest picking up the latest edition at your local Chapters / Indigo (and checking out pages 97 + 98!).

Swish Holiday Style

2008-12-08T18:31:01+00:00

So, now that the pace of life has returned to 'normal', it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Winter has come early to Niagara and we're sitting under a blanket of freshly fallen crisp white snow ... it got me thinking back to last year when we had the chance to deck the halls of Cave Spring Cellars and The Inn on the Twenty in Jordan Village for the annual Holiday House Tour! We had some some fun spaces to tackle, including the Wine Cellar, Cellar Tasting Room and the Wine Shop itself.

Truth be told, I've never really been a big fan of traditional 'Christmas decorations' ... I've always approached this time of year more as 'season specific' and used design elements that would occur naturally in the winter. For this event, we made use of bare birch branches and logs, coiled birch bark, aromatic cedar, amaryllis, pomegranates, apples and plenty of candlelight to warm it all up! Typically we don't do a lot of 'Christmas' work, so it was a nice to enjoy designing something a little bit different!

The ideas generated on this weekend became the inspiration for our 'Passion' colour palette! I hope you're keeping cozy wherever you are ... enjoy the pics!
We came up with the idea to use our canopy frame to construct an intimate tasting area which Cave Spring Cellars could use to serve samples of their distinctive wines! Elements used here included birch branches, giant fabric curtains, glass globe lanterns, punched silver start ornaments, mokara orchids and hanging paper lanterns.

To warm up the Wine Cellar space, we created simple paper covered lanterns (with custom coordinated patterns) and used loads of candlelight to give it a soft, holiday glow!

One of the neatest features of these old buildings is this hidden 'grotto' which the folks at CSC have transformed into a vintage wine cellar. Those are halved pomegranates illuminated from within by floating wine-red candles ... kind of a Charles Dickens moment happening here.

An finally, we eschewed the traditional pre-made circular wreaths in favour of our custom made branch-bundle style featuring apples and aromatic cedar. Merry Christmas!!!

That's it for 2008

2008-12-02T21:21:00+00:00

Well folks, that's it for 2008 ... at least as far as our wedding season is concerned! It's been a really great year - the best in recent memory - and we're glad to have had you along for the ride! It's amazing to look back over the year and see how many love stories we've had the privilege of being a part of ... thanks to all our couples for letting us share in their day!

I also want to acknowledge the whole VDC crew for their part in making 2008 as successful as it was ... thanks especially to Jen, Heidi and Mark!!! You guys are my core, my inner circle ... I so enjoy creating with you! Thanks also to our occasional partners Lisa, Cara, Steve and Teresa ... your flexibility and assistance were greatly appreciated.

It was another year of positive growth and it also had it's share of firsts ... not least of which is this blog! We're currently averaging more than 1200 hits a month ... who knew our weekend floral exploits could attract so much attention! Truthfully, I look forward to posting Mark's pics each week ... it's so much fun! Now, don't get worried, I've got plenty of 'archived' photos waiting to be posted over the winter. I'm currently digging through to find the best events of the past 3 seasons (2005 - 2007) and I'll be posting them weekly as usual.

We're currently busy booking up for 2009 and looking forward to sharing more exciting wedding moments with you in the days and weeks that lie ahead. So, if it's winter where you are, I hope you're keeping cozy ...

Cheers!

Jennifer + Jon

2008-11-29T21:51:00+00:00

Jennifer + Jon hold the distinction of being our final couple for 2008! They were married at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake with cocktails and dinner following at The Courthouse just a trot north down Queen Street.

What's really cool about The Courthouse is that it's actually an old courthouse right in the middle of downtown (complete with an old school iron barred holding cell!) that's been partially converted into one of the three Shaw Festival Theatres! It's only available to rent during the off-season (Nov to April) and from what I hear, you have to book it 18 months in advance!

Jen and Jon went totally chic in black, white and chartreuse ... the place looked fab! Our floral elements included white anemones (with black centres!), white lisianthus, spray roses and white ranunculus. Our hits of chartreuse came in the form of chincherinchi, green pepper berries and striped pandanus leaves.

Enjoy the pics!Jen's bouquet features anemonies, lisianthus and white spray roses.

The bridesmaid's bouquet contained white ranunculus and chincherinchi (Star of Bethlehem)

The centrepieces were a mix of tall and short pieces. This particular centrepiece was based on one of our 'clarinet' vases (upside down) and contained mounds of white macrophylla hydrangeas, pepper berries and pandanus leaves.

We made up four of these 'trees' consisting of curly willow branches and featuring white cymbidium orchids and candle-lit globe lanterns!

Casey + Kara

2008-11-24T22:40:02+00:00

We're winding down to the end of wedding season here at VDC ... only one left this weekend and that's all she wrote for 2008! So, I'm looking into our archives to bring some of the very best of years past ... I hope you enjoy this first installment of many to come this winter!

Casey and Kara celebrated their big day outdoors at the Grand Victorian on September 15, 2007. The ceremony was held in the garden followed by a tented reception on the grounds of The Grand Vic just a trot around the corner. There were a lot of little details in this one that pulled together to make the day fabulous ... everything from place-cards pinned on green apples to custom designed wedding stationery to hanging globe lanterns made the atmosphere warm and inviting for their guests!

Forest was the colour palette for the day and was incorporated into each element we designed for Casey + Karey. The florals we used included poppy pods, roses, calla lillies, orchids, magnolia leaves and seasonal zinnias.

The ceremony in 'the round' out in the garden. They rented the chiavari chairs which were also used at the guest tables in the tent!

The guest table were long and two sided instead of the traditional 'rounds' ... so we designed the satellite centerpieces to work with the table layout.

Thanks to Mark Elliotson for the superb stationery!

The stunning cake ... I believe by Willow Cakes in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Joanne + Lons

2008-11-17T15:20:01+00:00

Joanne + Lons were married in an afternoon ceremony this weekend at St Julia's Roman Catholic Church with their reception following in the Imperial Ballroom at White Oaks Conference Resort & Spa. It was a great pleasure to work with you and a joy to be part of your day ... we wish you all the best!

This is the second of two weddings we've done for the O'Connell family this year ... Joanne's sister Kathleen married Mark back in May! It's always fun to work with all the siblings in the family ... we've had the privilege a number of times over the years and appreciate the loyalty!

Joanne's bouquet is start of many 'purple' bouquets to come ... we've got loads of them for 2009 already! Theses bouquets feature Picasso calla lilies as well as mokara, lady slipper and cymbidium orchids.

The centrepieces were all tall, pedestal style capped with a full floral arrangement containing white and purple hydrangeas, gerbera and roses.

Weddingbells ... Rosie's Ideas

2008-11-12T15:38:00+00:00

Just a quick little note to thank Roseanne over at Weddingbells for her quick mention of our work on her 'Rosie's Ideas' blog!

Kathy + Dave

2008-11-10T13:48:00+00:00

Congratulations to Kathy + Dave another one of our couples who were married this weekend! We have a special connection with this couple and it was a privilege to share in their wedding celebration!

Kathy + Dave shared vows in an afternoon ceremony at Southridge Church in St. Catharines followed by cocktails and a dinner reception at Rockway Glen Golf Course and Winery.

We helped them choose black and pink linens which were a perfect match for our 'Spirit' palette! We also added in some hits of fresh green and white for a little balance. It was classic, elegant, clean and yet whimsical and fun in it's own way!

Flowers included gerberas, hydrangeas, garden and spray roses, green cymbidium orchids, callas and berzillia.

I hope you enjoy the pics!

Jennifer + Vincent

2008-11-10T13:23:00+00:00

This was a unique event for us, as Jennifer + Vincent were actually married in Ireland! Before you get all impressed about how we travelled so far to design for their day, I have to confess that we didn't get to go to Ireland ... not yet, at least!

This weekend was Jennifer + Vincent's 'Niagara' celebration with local family and friends at the always beautiful Queen's Landing in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Cocktails were in the Atrium followed by the dinner celebration in the Grand Georgian Ballroom.

We went with 'Fire' as their colour palette. Fire typically consists of shades of copper, pumpkin, cherry and dark chocolate ... we also snuck in champagne and burgundy.Even though there was no formal 'ceremony' here in Niagara, Jennifer and girls still had their bouquets ...

Just outside of the Atrium is the spa and gardens ... a perfect place to hang few candle-lit lanterns!

The cranberries added some interested to the traditional floating candle ...

Candice + James

2008-11-03T19:30:00+00:00

Candice + James were one of our couples this weekend ... they were married at sunset at Rockway Glen Golf Course and Estate Winery with a magnificent view of the late fall colours over the course.

My notes read like this ... "birch branches and logs ... big, full flowers, dramatic, casual-chic, romantic and elegant, Audrey Hepburn, deco style."

Candice's bouquet ...

Candice + James' ceremony faced the giant bank of windows looking out over the course and these 'birch towers' with a couple of our signature big arrangements marked the way to the front!

The centrepieces in Spirit pink and black.

The bride and groom had these great matching menus made ... we didn't do these particular menus, but we can and do all forms of wedding stationery!

Melissa + Brendan

2008-11-03T19:19:00+00:00

Melissa + Brendan were married on November 1st in an afternoon ceremony at Grace United Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Their reception followed in the Upper Canada Hall around the corner at the Pillar and Post Inn and Spa.

The colour palette for the day was Breeze with a focus on muted tones of purple, plum, merlot and chocolate with just a touch of ivory. Flowers included Schwarzwalder callas, burgundy cymbids, trachelium, purple hydrangea and foliages such as heuchera, smokebush and cordeline ruffles.

Crystal + Brad and Cole + Ryan

2008-10-27T17:22:00+00:00

Crystal + Brad's indoor ceremony and reception were held at the Pillar and Post Inn in Niagara-on-the-Lake this past weekend!

Crystal's bouquet featured roses, orchids, calla lilies, magnolia and hypericum and berzillia berries. The little curly Q's are fiddlehead ferns!

Crystal + Brad were married under our birch wood canopy which dazzled with hanging glass lanterns. We had the frame for this canopy custom made so that it can used as a canopy, chuppah or mandap!
Our other couple this weekend, Cole + Ryan, were married in the quaint Ball's Falls Chapel with their reception following across the street in the historic converted Ball's Falls barn. Congratulations to you both!! We really enjoyed being a part of your celebration!

From the moment we met Cole, we knew that her quirky sense of style would allow us some creative freedom! It's always fun to flex those muscles a little when one of our clients is up for it!

In addition to the 'floral elements', the arrangements at the chapel had some eclectic elements including red cabbage, kale, radicchio and artichokes! These got a lot of attention from the guests!

We haven't been at 'the barn' for sometime, but it was tied together quite nicely with the pewter linens, mahogany chiavari chairs and compote floral centrepieces.

Christin + Venkat

2008-10-19T02:16:00+00:00

Christin + Venkat were married this weekend at Chateau des Charmes Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Their sunset ceremony took place in the wine tasting room followed by cocktails and their reception in the big tent out by the vineyards!

It's right at the end of grape harvest season, the colours are out in full force and there's a cool calmness in the air ... the perfect day to get married in Niagara! We were thrilled to work with Christin + Venkat this weekend and we wish them all the best in their new life together!We worked with 'Passion' as the colour palette for their day ... the deep, intense red hues are particularly noticeable in Christin's bouquet.

The wine shop and tasting area were flipped and set up for the ceremony. Part of our installation included 4 of these 'trees' made of birch, red mokara orchids and handing lanterns!

Christin, Venkat and their guests braved the suddenly chilly October weather and celebrated under the tent on the patio at Chateau des Charmes. It was a unique layout with three long tables and we filled them with loads of floating candles in glass of different heights, branches and hanging lanterns ... the twinkling candles were so cozy and intimate after nightfall!

Darcy + Zachary

2008-10-13T16:05:00+00:00

Congratulations to Darcy + Zachary who were married during an intimate ceremony in the Carriage House at Vineland Estates Winery this weekend!!!

Hailing from San Francisco, California, we're pretty sure that Darcy + Zachary can take a victory lap for winning the competition as the couple we've worked with from farthest away in 2008! In recent years, we've worked with couples from Bermuda, London (UK) and the west coast ... San Francisco takes the cake this year!

My colours notes for Darcy + Zachary read like this ... "'Forest' plus eggplant. Shades of green, ivory/white, chocolate, chartreuse and eggplant. Modern Harvest." Some of the fun elements we used include local cabbage and radicchio, mini eggplants, Nunnamaker's green Mutsu apples and white mini pumpkins from Whitty's!

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving and enjoy the pics!

Darcy + Zachary were married in the Carriage House and after, while the guests are out on a wine tour, the staff flip the room to convert it into the reception space.

We placed the table centrepieces in the windows for the ceremony and then they're placed on the tables once the room has been flipped for the reception.

Laurie + Nigel and Patricia + Anton

2008-10-06T14:20:01+00:00

Another great autumn weekend here in Niagara! We had a lot of fun working with our two couples to help bring our 'fresh take on flowers' to their big day!

Laurie + Nigel were married at Trinity United Church in Beamsville with their reception following at Inn on the Twenty in Jordan Village. Laurie's bouquet featured gorgeous warm fall tones!

Patricia + Anton celebrated their wedding ceremony at St. Mary's in Grimsby followed by an intimate reception in the Carriage House at Vineland Estates Winery.

Their day featured 'Forest' as their colour palette (with a little black thrown in). We love to use unique and natural ingredients in our centrepieces whenever possible ... so, for Patricia + Anton, we used sandblasted Manzanita branches and Nunnamaker's local Mutsu green apples to pair with the magnolia, white hydrangea and poppy pods! They looked fantastic against the stone and wood of the rustic walls in the Carriage House!

WedLuxe + LCBO photo shoots

2008-10-03T14:04:00+00:00

Just a quick note to let you know that we've had the privilege of having some of our work featured in a couple of our favourite Ontario wedding and culture magazines ... WedLuxe and LCBO 'Food + Drink' magazines!

Last week we were invited to submit a couple of pieces for an upcoming bridal bouquet feature in WedLuxe magazine ... look for it at your local Chapters / Indigo this December! And today, we had a great time working with the LCBO crew on an upscale 'harvest' themed shoot at the lovely Cottage-by-the-Lake. This shoot was for an 8-page spread in the Fall 2009 issue of Food + Drink ... so we'll have to wait a while before we see this one!

I can't post any pictures of of the pieces we submitted until the issues are actually printed and published, but I'll be sure to blog about it as soon as they're released!

Be sure to take time to get outside and enjoy this fall! weather!

Erin + Chris

2008-09-22T14:00:00+00:00

Congratulations to Erin + Chris one of our three couples who were married this weekend ... we so enjoyed being a part of your celebration!!!

Erin + Chris were united as husband and wife at the historic and stunning St. Mark's Anglican Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake ... they don't build them like this anymore! Later, they celebrated with their guests under the tent at The Riverbend Inn & Vineyard just a short drive down the Niagara Parkway. Dinner and dancing under the stars during harvest season in Niagara ... what a beautiful way to celebrate!

It was fun to flex our event design skills on this one ... we were able to coordinate the chocolate bengaline linens and ivory chair covers, additional tent decor (such as paper lanterns, branches and glass globe lanterns) and our floral pieces to maximize the impact of the 'Spirit' colour palette chosen for the day. It's so satisfying to see it all come together on the day of.

I hope you enjoy the pics as much as we enjoyed putting it all together!

Erin's bouquet was wrapped in lace from her own wedding dress.

St. Mark's is one of my favourite churches in Niagara!

Each of the centrepieces had it's own character ... the colour palette was consistent, but the content and container varied. I just love those garden roses ... they're often mistaken for peonies because they're so fluffy and soft!!!

As the meal was plated, a little magnolia leaf tucked into each napkin helped to denote the place settings and added visual interest to the table!

The 'big arrangements' from the ceremony do double duty at the reception adding height and scale to the high ceiling of the tent. The trailing foliage at the bottom is an autumn blooming clematis that I affectionately call 'my birthday plant' because it's in it's full glory for my birthday every year!

Ann + Greg and Sarah + Shawn

2008-09-22T12:49:00+00:00

It was the perfect early autumn weekend to get married in Niagara's wine country! We were privileged to be a part of three such weddings this weekend ... including those of Ann + Greg and Sarah + Shawn.

Ann + Greg were married in the Vineyard at the Cave Spring Cellars Vineyard Retreat with an intimate reception following in the Wine Library at The Inn on the Twenty in Jordan Village ... one of our favourite places! Their colour palette had a little bit of our 'Forest' feel to it ... we love to include local produce when possible!

Sarah + Shawn shared their wedding vows on the deck overlooking the vineyard outside the Carriage House at the gorgeous Vineland Estates Winery ... another one of our favourite places!

Their colour palette was a blend of 'Passion' and 'Fire'. The girls' bouquets were very warm and featured roses, dahlias, mokara orchids and magnolia leaves with their melt-in-your-mouth chocolate underbellies!

I hope you enjoy the pics!

Michelle + Kevin at RBG

2008-09-15T13:30:00+00:00

We'd like to send best wishes out to Michelle and Kevin who were married this past weekend ... hey, the hurricane (literally .. Hurricane Ike, or the remnants of it) held off until after the ceremony!

The ceremony was held outdoors under the tent in Hendrie Park at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington ... what a beautiful location to get married. The gardens were vibrant and alive with dahlias, sunflowers and pods and seedheads of all kinds! The 'Earth Art' exhibit also happened to be on ... it features one-of-a-kind environmental and ephemeral art installations. It was an inspirational backdrop for an inspiring occasion.

Their reception followed at the Oakville Conference Centre just a hop and a skip down the QEW.

Hope you enjoy the pics!

MIchelle and Kevin's chose our 'Forest' colour palette for their big day!

The dresses and the bouquets were a perfect match ... they looked fabulous!!!

Our 'famous' big arrangements!

Niagara Weddings Magazine ... cover shot!

2008-09-08T14:46:00+00:00

We're thrilled to have one of our bouquets featured on the cover of the current Fall / Winter 2008 issue of Niagara Weddings Magazine!

Having worked with Lori from the magazine many times over the past few years, when she contacted us back in the spring to be a part of the next issue, we jumped at the chance! In addition to the cover shot, you can also find our work on page 32 as part of a special feature called 'Singularly Stunning'.

From the magazine description ... "The vividness and beauty of these cymbidium orchids, lady slipper orchids, spider orchids and mokara orchids are magnificent. Accented with Japanese painted fern, sage and euphoriba, this bouquet is completed with a pale pink ribbon handle, covered with a criss-cross of bold red ribbon with tails."

Amy + Graham, Jessica + Myles and Pamela + Jamie ... phew!

2008-09-08T14:10:01+00:00

It was another busy weekend ... fall is typically the craziest time of the year in our world, but still my favourite season to get married in Niagara! On behalf of the team, best wishes to all our couples from this past weekend ... it was a fantastic day (in spite of the rain!) and we so enjoyed being a part of each of your weddings!!

Amy and Graham were married outside and held their reception at Hernder Estate Winery ... the sun came out just in time for their ceremony and the late afternoon lighting was just perfect!

Jessica and Myles held their ceremony in the intimate Rose Garden at the Pillar and Post in historic Niagara-on-the-Lake. Jessica was adamant to have the ceremony outside and the rain held off ... it was splendid! Their reception followed in the Upper Canada Room.

Pamela and Jamie held their reception in one of our favourite venues, the Windows Room at the Inn on the Twenty just down the road from our studio in Jordan Village.

Enjoy the autumn that's quickly upon us!

Amy's bouquet and coordinating bridesmaid's bouquet (below) ...

Amy + Graham's ceremony held out on the lawn by the covered bridge and pond at Hernder's Estate Winery.

We love to use local seasonal elements (such as pears and apples!) to add visual interest to centerpieces whenever we can!

The stunning cake was designed by Cheryl Miller at Olson Foods + Bakery

Jessica's colour theme for this weekend was Forest ... very evident in her bouquet.

Jessica and Myles held their ceremony in the intimate Rose Garden ... a great outdoor space for a ceremony!

Pamela's bouquet fits our Charm colour palette perfectly!

Lena + Shanil

2008-09-02T14:16:01+00:00

I haven't been able to post to the blog much these last weeks as this is a crazy time of year for us, but here's a couple of our most recent weddings ... I hope you enjoy the pics!

Two of our three weddings this weekend were outdoors ... it really is the perfect time of year for an outdoor event in Niagara! I can already smell the grapes in the vineyards ripening for harvest in the next few weeks. The colour of the sky has deepened to an intense horizon blue and shadows are getting longer by the day ... it's my favourite season in wine country!

Lena + Shanil were married in an outdoor ceremony on a perfect Saturday at the Riverbend Inn & Vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake. We wish you two all the best and it was a pleasure to be part of your wedding day!

It was also great to work with Tara from Bliss Events again ... if you're looking for an Event Planner in the Toronto / Niagara area, be sure to give Tara a call!

Cheers!

Lena's bouquet was a staff favourite this weekend! Many of the elements were from our cutting garden including the fern and herbs such as catmint and sage. The cool dangling tight bud strands are pieris.

Lena and Shanil chose to go with a sweetheart table for two!

We called in our resident wedding stationery guru Mark Elliotson to do some last minute work!

Tammy + Adam

2008-09-02T13:55:00+00:00

Tammy and Adam were one of our three couples who were married in Niagara this weekend ... congratulations to you guys!!!

This is a beautiful time of year to have an outdoor ceremony in wine country ... Tammy and Adam couldn't have asked for better weather! Their ceremony was held under the tent in the gardens at Stoney Ridge Winery in Vineland with the reception following in the Windows Room at one of our favourite venues, The Inn on the Twenty on Main Street in the Village of Jordan.

Kristine + Neil // Marlene + Paul

2008-08-19T00:51:00+00:00

We had another double header this weekend, but at opposite ends of the peninsula!!

Kristine and Neil were married August 16th in Hamilton with the reception following at the Burlington Convention Center. Our resident photographer wasn't able to be with us in Burlington (he was at our other event in Niagara-on-the-Lake!) so I've only got a pic of Kristine's bouquet! Her colour theme for the day was our 'Forest' palette.

Marlene and Paul were married in the Rose Garden at the Pillar and Post Inn and Spa with their reception following in the Grand Georgian Ballroom at Queen's Landing in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Hope you enjoy the pics!

Kristine's bouquet held Annabelle hydrangea from our cutting gardens as well as calla lilies, gerbera, Vendela roses, freesia, hypericum berries and pitt.

Marlene's color palette for the day was 'Charm' with a splash of lavender and burgundy.

The weather was perfect for their outdoor ceremony ... not a cloud in sight! (If you've lived in southern Ontario this summer, you'll understand the significance of this.) Not sure who the couple are under the grapevine arbor, but it's not the bride and groom!

One of two arrangements that flanked the ceremony site doing double-duty in the Atrium at Queen's during cocktails!

Monica + Paul

2008-08-12T12:46:02+00:00

It was a slower weekend for us which is unusual this time of the year ... but we welcomed it nonetheless as we're preparing for an extremely busy next 12 weeks! Fall is quickly upon us and it's definitely our favourite time of the year to get married in Niagara! We'll be all over the place in the next few weeks ... from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Burlington to Toronto. It's an exciting fall season!

All the best to Monica and Paul who were one of our couples this past weekend. Monica's all rose bouquet was a cheery mix of lemon-yellow garden roses, golden yellow spray roses as well as Vendela and Tineke roses. The flower girl carried a matching yellow-toned pomander ball that was made with white and yellow mini-cymbidium orchids with some golden yellow spray roses tucked in.

I hope you're able make the most of these precious last weeks of summer ... ciao!

Susan + Oliver // Revisited

2008-08-07T01:41:00+00:00

If you're a regular reader of the blog, you might remember Susan + Oliver who were one of our couples married back in June of this year. Well, thanks to our new friend Heather at HRM Photography we've got a bunch more great photos to share with you!

Susan and Oliver were married in the Rose Garden at the Pillar and Post Inn and Spa with the reception following in the Grand Georgian Ballroom at Queen's Landing in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

It was a great day with a great couple ... I hope you enjoy Heather's great shots!

Bamboo stakes with floral decor accents marked the aisle in the Rose Garden

A great shot of the big piece we did in the centre of the Atrium at Queen's Landing.

Susie + Mark

2008-08-04T03:16:00+00:00

Susie and Mark were married at the gorgeous St. John's Anglican Church in Jordan this weekend. This historic stone building was built in 1841 and has all the character you'd expect from a building that age ... a terrific location for wedding ceremony! Their reception was held in the equally impressive Windows Room at the Inn on the Twenty on Main Street in Jordan Village.

The 'wildflower' feel is something we don't do often, but somehow seems perfect for this time of year! The fresh flowers included everything from hydrangeas, roses and gerbera to delphiniums, lisianthus and snow-white echinacea plucked from our own cutting garden.

Susie and Mark ... we wish you all the best!!!

Wendy + Mark

2008-08-04T03:04:00+00:00

Congratulations to Wendy and Mark who had a small but stylish wedding and reception in the Olde Library at the Pillar and Post in Niagara-on-the-Lake this weekend.

We like to mix in unique elements to our work, often in the form of local produce ... this weekend we had a 'green apple' thing going on! We used green apples in our centrepieces and as place card holders with custom printed place cards by Mark Elliotson. The bride and groom even had custom labeled bottles of Jones Soda Co. 'Green Apple' Soda for each of their guests.

I hope you enjoy the pics!

Outdoors in July ... congratulations to Brett and Matt!

2008-07-27T22:00:00+00:00

If you're a regular reader of the blog, you'll know that last week's clients had a penchant for musicals. So, to follow on that theme, we've decided that 'Singin' in the Rain' would be the most appropriate musical title to describe our adventures this weekend! How wet it has been .. in fact, twice as wet as it is normally this time of year!

Outdoor events always provide us with unique challenges, not the least of which is the weather! In this case, literally 10 minutes before the start of Brett and Matt's ceremony the decision was finalized to hold it out in the vineyard. It was a mad flurry of activity to transform the space, but then, as if on cue, the sun magically appeared with just minutes to spare. You can tell from the photos that it turned out picture perfect in the end!!

The colour theme for the day was Spirit accented by hits of graphic black and white. The floral arrangements featured various garden rose varieties complimented by herbs (such as sage, artemesia, cat mint and even some japanese painted fern fronds) taken from our own cutting garden.

A lush and romantic look indeed!

Agnes + Tim

2008-07-27T21:45:00+00:00

Best wishes to Agnes and Tim ... another one of our couples this weekend! They were married in an afternoon ceremony at the gorgeous Holy Rosary Church in Thorold with their reception following in the Grand Event Room at White Oaks Resort and Spa in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The couples' colour scheme was a simple combination of robbin's egg blue, fresh green and chocolate. The flowers were mainly green roses and orchids, blue hydrangeas with accents of foliage and branches in burgundy and chocolate.

Once again, matching stationery provided by Mark Elliotson.

Cheers!

The spectacular cake was created by Olson Foods + Bakery.

Phantom of the Opera

2008-07-21T13:44:00+00:00

When Suzanne and Rob came to us they had a theme in mind - they shared a passion for musicals and wanted to incorporate this in the look and feel of their day. In particular they were inspired by the romantic mystery of Phantom of the Opera.

We worked with them to develop out a theatric 'modern antique' palette with a bit of a Victorian flair to it. With dramatic midnight black as our base, we added hues of raspberry, bordeaux, crimson and pink to give us the soft romantic touch they were looking for.

Best wishes to you both ... it was a fantastic day and we so enjoyed being a part of it!

Their bouquets looked stunning against the black dresses!

The table centrepieces were an even split of tall and short in our favourite full-floral style.

The head table was flanked with 2 of the 4 large arrangements that we used for the ceremony location.

Once again we called on Mark Elliotson to assist with the defining touches on all the matching stationery ... from the Invitations and Programmes to the Table Name Cards and Seating Plan!

Kelly and Jay

2008-07-13T01:30:00+00:00

Kelly and Jay are one of our couples this weekend ... they were married today in the lovely Atrium at Queen's Landing in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

It was great to work with you and a pleasure to be part of your day ... we wish you all the best!

Here are some pics of the ceremony in the Atrium ... it's a great alternative to a church if you're from out-of-town.

The head table was multi-tiered and we created a dramatic backdrop by using our custom fabricated white-washed pillars, 48" glass cylinders (filled with curly willow and tied cymbidium orchids) and accent up-lighting. The glass cylinders were also used in the ceremony as aisle decor.

Thanks again to Mark Elliotson for the matching stationery ... we've worked a lot together this year!

Diane and Jeff

2008-07-13T01:19:01+00:00

Congratulations to Diane and Jeff who were married on July 11th ... best wishes to you both!

Diane & Jeff's ceremony was in a very unique location ... in the middle Cave Spring Vineyard with all the grape rows around them! It almost didn't happen that way ... fortunately the torrential downpours we received overnight night let up in the early morning - just enough for the vineyard to dry out a bit!

Their colour palette for the day was what I like to call 'modern vintage' or 'modern antique' .. an offshoot of one our of popular palettes this year that we call Charm.

It's nice to be able to make use of these large arrangements at both the ceremony and the reception ... sometimes with outdoor ceremonies it can be tricky because flowers and heat don't mix!!

More of Julia and David

2008-07-09T15:34:00+00:00

It's always great to meet up with other wedding professionals who share the same passion and vision for their craft as we do here at VDC. I love running into the talented pastry chefs, event co-ordinators, musicians, photographers, etc. that make a Niagara wedding distinct and unforgettable.

Once such photographer (and friend!) is the talented Stephen Dominick based in Niagara-on-the-Lake. He's graciously provided us with some more pics of Julia and David's wedding (June 7th, 2008) ... I hope you enjoy!

See this previous post for more pics of Julia and David's wedding at the fabulous Riverbend Inn and Vineyard and Queen's Landing.

More magazine features ... coming soon!

2008-07-07T20:21:00+00:00

Hot on the heals of our spread in WedLuxe magazine, we're excited to announce that we've been invited to participate in a couple of other photo shoots for both Niagara Weddings and Wedding Bells magazines. The shoots are scheduled for this month and both are scheduled to be published later this fall.

I'll be sure to blog about it when the time comes!

A busy, but beautiful weekend!

2008-07-07T19:28:00+00:00

We closed down the studio last week so we could jump up north to Muskoka for a mid-summer's break ... but before we left, we had the pleasure of working with three wonderful couples! Congratulations to Greg & Andrea, Neetu & Adam and Katherine & Andrew ... all were married on June 28th.

Each wedding was quite unique and I'm posting a few of my favourite pics of each. I hope you enjoy them!Katherine's look was a version of our Colour Theme called Spirit. We were able to raid our cutting garden for the Poppy Pods and Hens & Chicks blooms ... very cool!

It's always fun to try new things on the deck at Vineland Estates Winery ... we'd never done this type of lantern setup before. It was to serve a dual purpose ... for the ceremony (outdoors on the deck) and also some atmosphere outside when the sun went down!

Andrea loved texture and unique florals (such as Lady Slipper Orchids) and her Colour Theme was very close to our East palette. I wrapped her bouquet in a Phormium leaf with a black satin ribbon overlap.

Neetu sure loves her Calla Lilies! Her ceremony was at the Cave Spring Vineyard Retreat with the reception following at The Inn on the Twenty.

Thanks to Mark for the hip Seating Plan design.

WedLuxe Magazine features one of our weddings ...

2008-06-24T19:10:00+00:00

We're excited to have one our 2007 weddings featured in the True Love. True Luxury. Real-Life Weddings section of the summer/fall 2008 issue of WedLuxe Magazine (Toronto and Eastern Canada Edition).

You can check out the full-sized spread on the 'PRESS' section of our website. It's really one of those magazines that feels more like a fine art photography book .. I suggest picking up the latest edition at your local Chapters / Indigo (and check out pages 64 + 65).

Fabulous venue ... fabulous couple ... fabulous pics (thanks Michael!).

Angela and Michael Tied the Knot!

2008-06-23T20:02:00+00:00

Congrats to Angela and Michael one of our couples this past weekend!

Another beautiful outdoor ceremony in the Rose Garden at the Pillar and Post Inn and Spa ... that's two we did there this weekend alone! The temperature was perfect, the rain held off ... and the flowers were gorgeous, of course!

Our resident do-it-all photographer / designer / delivery guy was off on assignment to another of our weddings, so we didn't get too many photos of the ceremony but we managed to snap off a few of the reception.

I hope you enjoy looking at these photos as much as I've enjoyed being a part of the events themselves! Ciao for now.

Matching stationery courtesy of our favourite designer guy, Mark Elliotson.

Susan + Oliver

2008-06-20T19:35:02+00:00

Susan and Oliver were married today in the Rose Garden at the Pillar and Post Inn and Spa in historic Niagara-on-the-Lake! We were privileged to be part of their big day and had a lot of fun designing their 'look'!

Our Spirit colour theme was in full effect and complimented with black and chartreuse green .. particularly in the stationery (which we also designed!). Susan's bouquet was made with callas, roses, gerberas, local peonies, green trachelium, Dutch tulips and Queen Anne's Lace ... and the girls had slightly smaller matching versions.

The reception centrepieces were equal parts short and tall which created some interest in the Grand Georgian Ballroom at Queen's Landing.

Enjoy!

The weather turned out to be perfect for an outdoor rose garden ceremony!

It's always fun to top the cake!

Julia and David

2008-06-08T13:03:01+00:00

Congrats to Julia & David who were married yesterday ... June 7th, 2008! Turned out to be one of the hottest days so far this year - 31° C + humidex = 44°!!! What happened to spring?!?

In spite of the weather, it really was a stunning outdoor ceremony at the grand Riverbend Inn overlooking the vineyard with Peller Estates hovering just in the distance. The couple's nuptials were held under the gazebo offering them some respite from the heat!

The reception was held just down the road at Queen's Landing ... one of the Vintage Inns in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Cocktails in the Atrium and dinner in the Grand Georgian Ballroom ... couldn't be finer!

I really want to thank the fantabulous VDC team for their mighty efforts in braving the heat and pulling off another great event! Heidi, JC, Teresa, Lisa, Mark and Steve - it wouldn't have been as great without you!

I hope you enjoy the pics ...

The cute little gazebo ... all decked out

The room looked fantastic in an earthy forest green and brown linen, chivari chairs with matching chocolate cushions and rattan chargers.

Thanks to Mark Elliotson for the perfectly match Menus, Table ID and Place Cards

Digging into the archives ... again!

2008-05-31T23:02:00+00:00

I was rooting around in iPhoto again today, preparing some other entries, and I came across these great pics of an event at Stratus Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

It was a Valentine's wedding and the decor was simple, but so stunning in the space at Stratus. The red, black and candlelit space was so dramatic ... the reception was held right in the middle of the wine store! They cleared out the displays and had one gigantic table (seating 24!) in the center. What a fantastic reception idea ... we felt privileged to contribute to the atmosphere!

I hope you enjoy!