Shelley & Ryan - Wintertime Wonder
Winner of the 2008 Canadian Wedding Industry Award for best ceremony decor!
Designing a couple's wedding with them is one of my favorite parts of my job. It's so cool to sit with them, hear their stories and try to figure out how we can best represent their vision with their wedding décor. When I say wedding décor I'm not just talking about chair covers. I truly believe that the décor of a wedding includes all the materials that combine to create the ideal atmosphere.
I'll set the scene for you. Shelley and Ryan were getting married in the Fairmont Palliser's Alberta Ballroom and then having their reception in the Crystal Ballroom. They wanted the color blue to somehow be incorporated into the design. And the bride wanted a look that was classic and elegant with a twist (I love the part where the twist comes in).
We thought it would be cool to bring in the classic elements of a winter wonderland. The challenge was to line the aisle with trees but make sure that everyone could still see the couple getting married. I contacted a supplier in California and I ordered the materials I would need. We actually hand constructed each tree inside the Palliser. We then used uplighting to give them a blue hue and also to pick up the shimmer on the branches which were covered in sparkly flecks. The trees were later transported down to the Crystal Ballroom so that they could be enjoyed the rest of the night.
I am really, REALLY picky about the fabrics that we use at weddings. I like them to be of incredible quality. I had chair covers shipped in from Ontario as I have a great supplier there that has wonderful chair covers made of the softest fabric that also have the sash attached. As we were switching the covers from the ceremony down to the reception, this was the perfect time saving solution without sacrificing the elegant look.
On the tables at the reception we wanted to pick up the sparkles from the tree branches so we covered each table with a midnight shimmer overlay. Everything was sparkling!
A huge part of the décor is the music. We played the couple this amazing Christmas piece done by a combination of New Orleans horn players. It gives you shivers it is so beautiful. So we enlisted the help of Estelle Elegance in Music's band leader Don Campbell to recreate that feeling with a more wedding appropriate arrangement. We planned the perfect surprise. As the bridal party started to make its way down the aisle Estelle played Pachebel's Canon in D (one of my favorites). Then when we opened the door for the bride's grand entrance but first stepped out a trumpeter who was also playing the Canon, he then joined the band as the bride made her way down the aisle. It was breathtaking!
I work with one of the finest floral artists in the world to create the wedding flowers for our events. The bride's bouquet was stunning. We wanted to give the wedding a pop of color with the deep black magic and black bacara roses. But we also wanted to include the natural, wintery feel in her bouquet so we used silvery greens and hypericum berries. My favorite part was the 2 little decorative balls that we attached as charms to give the bouquet a fun, flirty feel.
You can see that a lot of elements made up this wedding. I always challenge myself and my team to use new materials and ideas for a unique and striking look. Shelley and Ryan were thrilled with the final result and had an amazing wedding day.
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