Weddings are one of life’s biggest celebrations. In Britain, starting next week, big weddings are expected to be back as the cap on attendees ends. Confusion still reigns, however, as to what the U.K. government will allow in terms of mingling or dancing. Here in Manitoba, with ongoing COVID restrictions, weddings that were postponed last summer due to the pandemic are being postponed again and pushed back to 2022. But there are also brides and wedding planners who are navigating the constantly changing landscape and finding creative ways to make weddings happen.
Just doing it
Roberta Matheson and Fernando Velarde Trejo had plans for a wedding last year with 150-plus guests. The initial plan was to hold the wedding reception at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. When tight restrictions meant drastic cuts to their wedding list and Velarde Trejo’s family who live in Mexico could not travel to Manitoba, they had discussions with each of their families and made the decision to still go ahead with their wedding ceremony. Together, with their wedding planner, Lauren Wiebe, Stone House Weddings, Matheson and Velarde Trejo planned an intimate 13-person wedding and went out of their way to make it feel special.
The wedding ceremony took place last August at Matheson’s parents’ farm near Stonewall. Matheson gave her wedding planner two inspiration pictures — one that showed a unique mixed ceremony seating arrangement and another that showed a funky serpentine dinner table. Everything else she left up to Wiebe.
Matheson’s father mowed a clearing into the farm’s pasture which is a beautiful, natural setting filled with mature oak trees. To create the seating for the handful of guests, Wiebe used an eclectic mix of upholstered furniture including couches and vintage chairs. "When you have such a small guest list, you can do some really cool things and affordability isn’t as much of a concern," says Wiebe. In addition to the upgraded seating, Matheson rented rose-coloured glass wine goblets from C & T Event Rentals. "Since we didn’t have the same expenses that we would have had with our original plans, I wanted to make the little things seem special," says Matheson.
Esther Funk Photography
This unique serpentine table design makes it easier to have socially distanced seating.
The dinner was on her parents’ front lawn beneath the oak trees. Crescent shaped tables placed opposite each other were used to create the serpentine table effect and provide a safe distance between guests. Matheson’s father, who also officiated the wedding ceremony, strung café lights through the trees.
Both Wiebe and Matheson are passionate about locally grown flowers. Wiebe sources fresh flowers for summer weddings from local flower farmers. The flowers for Matheson’s wedding bouquet — zinnias, dahlias, cosmos, scabiosa, sweet pea, and gomphrena — came from Lily Stone Gardens. The bouquet also included imported ranunculus, garden roses, waxflower, and greenery such as nagi and Italian ruscus.
Since Matheson and Velarde Trejo met on Bumble, as a special touch Wiebe tucked custom-made bumblebees made by Toronto artist Golden Age Botanicals into the wedding bouquet and boutonniere.
"We also raided my mother’s garden," says Matheson. Floral statement pieces were created by Wiebe for the serpentine table and wood pedestals.
"We’re so happy we made the decision to just do it," says Matheson. "We were fortunate, too, because we were still early in the planning, so we didn’t have a lot of deposits."
The couple pushed their reception to 2021 with plans to invite everyone on their original guest list. But the signs are not pointing to a large gathering anytime soon. Matheson says that even if their celebration ends up being pushed back to 2022, it is going to happen, and she plans to wear her wedding dress. Matheson and Velarde Trejo want with all their hearts to celebrate with all the friends and family on their original wedding guest list. And there will be singing. Matheson, a choir teacher, says that she always dreamt of a full choir singing as she walked down the aisle.
For couples who have postponed their wedding plans once or twice already and are wondering if they should just go for it even if it means scaling back their weddings dramatically, Matheson says that it is important, ultimately, to feel happy with whatever decision is made.
There will be flowers
One thing is for certain. Love is still in the air and as we head into summer, local flower farms will be bursting with fresh flowers in time for intimate gatherings.
"The colour variation in a locally grown bloom is so much more amazing than anything you would get in flowers that are grown elsewhere and shipped internationally," says Wiebe. Currently there is an international flower shortage and hence difficulty in obtaining specific varieties as well as shipping delays and higher prices for transportation. "I would really recommend that couples ask their florist about locally grown flowers," says Wiebe.
Esther Funk Photography
A wedding bouquet with Manitoba-grown flowers. See the custom-made bee?
Tatiana Penner, florist and owner, Oak & Lily Flowers and Design, is one of the florists that supports local growers. One thing to keep in mind if you are scaling back your wedding, says Penner, is that volume is always a factor in terms of pricing whether flowers are locally sourced or imported. "If an order consists of just one bridal bouquet and one boutonniere, the cost is going to be higher per stem compared to the stem cost for an order that consists of flowers for several bridesmaids, centrepieces, and a big ceremony installation," says Penner.
There is a lot to be said for quality over quantity. If you are planning an intimate event with only one or two floral pieces, says Penner, there is the opportunity to do something special and unique. "Since locally grown flowers sometimes bloom earlier or later than expected, trust in your florist who has a really good relationship with a local grower," she says. This will allow the flexibility and freedom for your florist to choose the flowers that are going to be in bloom and look beautiful at the exact time of your event, says Penner.
Flowers grown at Lily Stone Gardens, a year-round floral design shop and seasonal cut flower farm that is located near Rosenort and owned by Kelly Tellier, can be found at several florist shops in Winnipeg, including Oak & Lily, as well as florist shops in rural areas like The Flower Shop in Altona and Carman Florists & Gift Boutique.
During the months of July and August, Tellier operates a stem bar of locally grown flowers that gives people the opportunity to come to Lily Stone Gardens and build their own bouquets. Ranunculus, a favourite flower, will be available up to mid-July. "As well, we are planning to offer a u-pick this summer," says Tellier. It will all depend on what pandemic restrictions look like this summer.
Tellier is currently in the early stages of building a new venue and will start to book 2022 wedding dates by the end of July. "The goal of the venue is to use as many locally grown flowers from our farm as well as other local flower farms, as our season will allow, to give people a really unique floral experience for their weddings," says Tellier.
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