LATEST EVENTS

Nathalie & Mark

2011-11-28T23:03:00.002-05:00

What a delightful palette the bride choose for her late Nov romantic wedding. Gone are the reds, oranges and yellows of fall and the Christmas greenery has not yet arrived. Succulents, scabiosa pods, star of bethlehem, brunia silver, roses and seeded eucalyptus made up the bouquets.

In place of the 'typical' pedstals topped with floral arrangements for the ceremony, the bride opted for a large hanging wreath to be the backdrop for their nuptuals. The wreath then became the backdrop for the head table once the venue was turned around for the reception. Both the ceremony and reception took place at Inn On The Twenty in Jordan Village. The wreath was framed by the floor to ceiling/wall to wall windows which gave the guests a view of the Twenty Mile Creek.

Hanging arrangements on shepherd hooks lined the ceremony aisle which then became the table centerpieces.

Tips & Taste

2011-11-12T23:07:00.001-05:00

Vinifera Floral Design will be one of the featured local vendors bringing in the holiday season with Tips & Tastes at 13th St Winery on Fourth Ave in St Catharines. We will be sharing holiday entertaining secrets of the professionals so you can create the same look at home. Vinifera Floral Design will also have Christmas arrangements available to take home or order. This season we are focusing on combining fresh floral/foliage with verdissimo so your arrangement can be enjoyed for the entire season. See you Thurs Nov 24th at 13th St Winery.

Amy & Adam

2011-11-06T17:25:00.001-05:00

Amy arrived at the Cave Spring Retreat in her father's pick up ready for her nuptials to Adam

I like to refer to Amy & Adam's wedding as herb magic. The couple centered their colour scheme around their guest favours which were potted herbs in luscious raspberry red clay pots. The result was the red pop of colour throughout the wedding flowers. Accentuate with brown pods and fasciated pussy willow, surround with coffee beans and the result is eyecatching designs.

Congratulations Amy & Adam

Jen & Tom

2011-11-05T02:40:00.000-04:00

Jen & Tom celebrated their wedding ceremony & reception at Queenston Heights Restaurant which has beyond one of the best views in Niagara. Both the deck where the ceremony took place and the restaurant overlook the Niagara River and the gorge. Jen picked a soft blush and white palette to compliment her romantic theme.

Roses, spray roses, lisianthus and hydrangea made up both the brides' and bridesmaids' bouquets. The brides' bouquet was constructed in a slight teardrop shape so she held it at her side throughout the ceremony so as to not obstruct the beautiful floral embellishment on her waist.

The mantle was designed in a tablescape style with lots of candles and single floral style bunches of flowers.

The tall centerpieces were blush dendrobium orchids - and lots of them - set above blush and white tablescapes. And again - lots of candles.

Congratulations Jen and Tom - all the best.

Christmas Home Tour 2011

2011-11-03T22:56:00.006-04:00

Vinifera Floral Design is again a proud participant in the Homes of Distinction Christmas Home Tour sponsored by Niagara Life Center (www.niagaralifecentre.ca). This is the third annual tour which is a major fundraiser for the centre. Located in St Catharines, Niagara Life Centre is a Christian based counseling ministry providing education and assistance in an effort to establish coping skills for those in need. This ministry is financially sustained entirely through donations from churches, private donors, businesses and ongoing fundraising efforts.

This year the tour is located in the surroundings areas of Jordan and Vineland. Featured this year is The Village Church, A Contemporary Classic, A Europeon Flair, A Mission Revival, Country Serenity and a gourmet lunch at Immanuel Orthodox Reformed Church. Live seasonal entertainment is being featured at the luncheon.

Dates of the tour are Fri/Sat Nov 18/19 from 10:00-5:00 each day. Please visit www.nlchometour.com for ticket information.

Tracy & Derek

2011-09-09T01:00:00.012-04:00

Bold (and beautiful) is what Tracy & Derek's wedding was about last Sat. Threatening sky's did not deter the couple from saying I do in the Cave Springs vineyard. Just as the couple walked back down the aisle the clouds briefly opened up enough to send the guest scattering down to Inn On The Twenty in Jordan Village where the celebration continued. Notice the colour of the sky.

Bold was the theme of the day - and different combinations. Who says the flowers all need to be the same?

One of my favorite shots of any wedding - father and daughter.

More variations on the bold palette for the centerpieces

Congratulations Tracy & Derek and all the best.

Lisa & Dan

2011-08-15T21:14:00.011-04:00

Lisa knows how to plan a wedding - simple/elegant/classy/natural/creative and the list goes on. Love that this year lace has made a comeback and yes so have gowns with straps. Elegant, vintage, romantic says it all. The celebration took place at Ball's Fall Conservation Area (http://www.hpca.ca/) . A historic venue with many of the original buildings dating back to the 1800's.

More brides are opting away from the standard handtied bouquets and wanting a design more unique to their wedding style. Lisa's bouquet was a structured cascade with feathers, seeded eucalyptus, berzillia berries, antique hydrangea and locally grown phalenopsis orchids. We loved how the orchids dictated the unconventional structure.

For Lisa's maid of honor we designed an inverted handheld orchid bouquet wrapped in lily grass.

The reception was held in the 'big barn' as it is called. The barn dates back to 1882. Through the barn you can see the chapel where the ceremony took place.

The harvest style tables were set with tablescapes of succulents, hydrangea, sedum, berzillia berries, orchids, stones, moss and curly willow. Nature at its' finest. And oh - lots of candlelight.

The belle of the ball was the lemonade table. Lisa filled juice bottles using her own lemonade recipe and tagged each one to indicate the guest's table setting. The bottles appeared to be growing in grass filled crates.

Thank you Lisa & Dan for allowing me to be a part of your wedding. You deserve all the happiness that one can have. Keep in touch.

Marta & Dave

2011-08-08T02:09:00.007-04:00

This past weekend Marta & Dave created a garden themed wedding that was second to none at Chateau des Charmes winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake (www.chateaudescharmes.com). The bride's choice of yellows complimented the Chateau's outdoor garden venue perfectly. After many hours of picture taking the bride & groom still had enough energy to give me one more pose.

To create Marta's garden bouquet we used carmel garden roses, freesia, hydrangea, seeded eucalyptus and succulents. To the centerpieces we added solidago, alstromeria, hydrangea, bells of ireland and spray roses. All locally grown except the garden roses/seeded eucalyptus/hydrangea. Sliced lemons in the centerpieces completed the garden theme.

Centerpieces hanging from shepherd hooks doubled up for the ceremony.

Congratulations Marta & Dave and all the best.

Kristin & Justin

2011-08-07T22:50:00.008-04:00

On a hot and cloudless afternoon Kristin & Justin said their vows up in the Cave Spirings Cellars vineyard. I say up in the vineyard because it is located on the beamsville bench where some of the penninsula's best grapes are grown and on a clear day you can see Toronto. To compliment the brides 'candy' theme of her wedding, Kristin chose purples/lavenders for her colour scheme. Purple is the colour of 2011.

Congratulations Kristin & Justin and thanks for the cupcakes.

Carla & Steve

2011-08-03T18:39:00.006-04:00

We used Carla's colour palette of burgundy and lime green to create this striking bouquet. One look at her dress and we knew we wanted to follow the diagonal design of the bodice. We used green dendrobium orchids to lead the eye along those lines with an effort to minimally cover the bodice. For the 'body' of the bouquet we used large creamy garden roses, burgundy cymbidium orchids and finished it off with lamb's ear, burgundy sedum and hosta leaves.

The simplistic bridesmaids' bouquets were designed with burgundy calla lilies and ivory spray roses and tied with a simple sailors knot. Elegant summed up wedding flowers.

Linda & Mathew

2011-07-26T00:30:00.011-04:00

Family & friends travelled from different continents to celebrate the vintage inspired wedding of Linda & Mathew at Cave Spring Cellars' vineyard. The unbearable heat forced the ceremony inside the retreat building where family members & friends from New Zealand and England greated each other. From the atmosphere at the ceremony you could anticipate that a good time was going to be had by all. Nothing says vintage quite like garden roses,spray roses, lisianthus, freesia and dahlias. All flowers, except the garden roses, were locally grown.

We added white & coloured hydrangea to the wedding flowers to create the vintage style ceremony pieces.

Large vintage bouquets decorated the tables at Inn On The Twenty(http://www.innonthetwenty.com/) in Jordan Village (http://www.jordanvillage.com/) as the guest dined on locally inspired cuisine. The well travelled couple identified each table with postcards from the countries they had visited. Of course, the most popular was the New Zealand table - the groom's native country.

All the best Linda & Mathew. We can only imagine the welcome you will experience in New Zealand.

Pam & Caitlin

2011-07-01T01:39:00.022-04:00

Pam & Caitland choose Vineland Estates Winery (http://www.vineland.com/) located on the escarpment bench in Vineland. The winery, located on a former Mennonite homestead dates back to the 1840's. Wedding/private events take place in the former carriage house. This picturesque building features the original stone walls and floors and views of the vineyards.

Pam's vintage themed wedding featured peonies, roses, hydrangeas, bells of ireland, anenomies and lady's mantle. The theme reflected the bride's personality perfectly.

The ceremony was performed on the carriage house deck by Sheldon Kofsky (http://www.weddingceremonies.org/) in front of an arbor made by the groom. The arbor was decorated with an italian/lisianthus garland.

The centerpieces were vintage bouquets in blue vintage mason jars the bride & groom collected at antique sales. Tied on each jar was a playful picture of the bride & groonm flanked by a handmade ornament crocheted by the brides' great aunt.

Congratulations Pam & Caitlin. It was a perfect venue on a perfect day. Have a great honeymoon.

Erin & David

2011-07-01T00:52:00.014-04:00

The wedding venues this past weekend are the reasons brides comes to the Niagara Peninsula (specifically the wineries) to get married. The can have it all - the ambiance, the views, the local cuisine, the award winning wines, and 'a day in the country'. Erin & David choose Chateau Des Charmes in Niagara-on-the-Lake.(http://www.chateaudescharmres.com/). This magnificent french inspired winery is run by the Bosc family which represents the sixth generation of french wine makers. Erin's purple colour scheme included pops of fushia. We all loved that bold 'surprise' colour.

Also loved the asymetrical purple/fushia centerpieces

This was the view behind the bride & groom - perfectly manicured vineyards and the lush green escarpment. Not to be overlooked are also the magnificent rose gardens on the winery grounds.

They say that flowers girls steal the show. In this case she also stole a bridesmaids' bouquet.
But then the father of the bride stole the flower girl's wand.

The cupcake 'wedding cake' was provided by Vineyards Sweets (http://www.vineyardsweets.ca/).

Congratulations Erin & David

Shanon & Dan

2011-06-16T22:00:00.010-04:00

Shanon & Dan said their vows in an emotion filled ceremony in the retreat building in the Cave Spring Vineyard (www.cavespringcellars.com). One of the best parts of wedding floral design is witnessing the day of. I love seeing the bride & groom's plans come together and we get to be a part of it and in a way celebrate with them.

Shanon's style followed through from her centerpieces to the boutonnieres to her bouquet to her dress. Oh - that dress. LOVED IT! Modern while incorporating tradition summed up the wedding theme.

Large green godess calla lilies and monstera leaves were the focal point of the ceremony flowers.
Love the architectural/textural qualities of the leaves with the callas with the bells of ireland with the leucadendron.

Congratulations Shanon & Dan and all the best in the remainder of your studies.

Sara & Derek

2011-05-30T11:01:00.008-04:00

The rain held off and the sun stayed behind the clouds making for perfect picture weather for Sara & Derek's wedding this past weekend at Inn On The Twenty (http://www.innonthetwenty.com/) in historic Jordan Village.

It's fun to observe sisters interacting on the wedding day.

Not only is the venue located in an old winery building (yes, Jordan Wines used to make Baby Duck here), but the owners(Cave Springs Cellars) preserved as much of the architectural detail as possible. The Windows room is surrounded with the original wooden beams and old stone walls. The exterior wall is floor to ceiling/wall to wall windows and looks out over the Twenty Mile creek. A picturesque view any time of the year for both the ceremony and reception. Sara highlighted her wine theme with seating charts with the guests' names painted on old windows which directed them to wine named tables.

Congratulations Sara & derek - we wish you all the best.

Maha & Greg

2011-05-20T08:56:00.011-04:00

Maha & Greg were married in Niagara Falls at St George's Orthodox Serbian Church over the weekend. The on/off again rain drizzle during the day did nothing to diminish the excitment of the celebrations.

Purple & green continue to be a prominant colour scheme for the 2011 season. Locally grown spray roses, lisianthus, freesia, anenomes and imported trichilium and green hypericum berries made up the bride's bouquet. And who doesn't need that bit of bling for their wedding day.

The bridemaids' bouquets were freesia, hydrangea, roses and hypericum berries
.

Some might argue that flowers girls are the real stars of the day. How cute, with matching head wreaths and pomander balls. This little one was always ready for the camera.

The reception was held at the Fallsview Hilton in Niagara Falls (www.niagarafallshilton.com). The view from the reception room overlooking the casino provided that destination feel with the casino fountain and lights as the backdrop. And candlelight was everywhere with the hydrangea centerpieces.

Congratulations Maha & Greg - it was a pleasure working with you on your big day.

Aleksa & Paul

2011-05-08T23:25:00.008-04:00

Aleksa & Paul were married this past weekend at Church of the Resurrection in Toronto with the reception following in the church hall. The green,white & black colour scheme created a fresh spring feeling down to every detail. The bride's bouquet was made up of locally grown lisianthus, freesia,spray roses, green hellebores and imported hypericum and peonies (just a few weeks shy of the local peonies)

The bridesmaids' carried handtied bouquets of white hydrangea, green hypericum and green lecadendron with mostera leaves creating a cascade design. This is a twist on the the tradition where the bride usually carries the cascade bouquet.

The 4' high centerpieces made an elegant statement in the reception venue. Curly willow towered up over hydrangea, hypericum berries and dendrobium orchids. And oh, the ceiling was high.

Aleksa overlooked no detail when it came to coordinating the colour scheme. Here the candy table created by Sweet Experiences (www.sweetexperiences.com,info@sweetexperiences.com), complete with doggy bags and candy descriptions was nothing short of picture perfect - well worth a magazine cover!

Rosalyn & Henrick

2011-04-25T10:12:00.009-04:00

Old world sophistication is what described Rosalyn & Henrick's wedding Easter weekend at the Prince of Whales hotel (http://www.vintage-hotels.com/) in Niagara-on-the-Lake. This landmark hotel located in the middle of the historic town is filled with Victorian elegance. The bride's traditional floral style was the perfect compliment to the gold guilded ceilings and inlaid wood floors. Rosalyn choose a traditional cascade bouquet and contemporized it with purples that 'pop', including locally grown freesia, iris, trichilium, lisianthus and ivy.

The couple exchanged vows in the ornate Hampton room which boasts an eight foot fireplace mantle displaying fine wood details. Pefect for romantic flowers and candlelight. The setting was the perfect backdrop for the bride as she walked down the aisle. Rosalyn was elegant and stunning.

The celebration continued in the Victoria & Albert room which holds back no detail in its decor.

Congratulations Rosalyn & Henrick - we wish you all the best.

Sally & Mike

2011-04-12T14:09:00.013-04:00

After a busy winter season , the spring 2011 wedding season has begun with Sally & Mike's wedding. On a beautiful spring day, the bride & groom said their vows in a church ceremony at St John's Anglican Church in Jordan. This stone 'church on the hill' overlooks historic Jordan Village, home to Inn On The Twenty (http://www.innonthetwenty.com/) where the bride & groom celebrated with their guests. Sally's flower request was peonies - and lots of them. The white peonies along with fluffy white ranunculus complimented her dress bodice perfectly which was covered with rhinestone studded flowers.

Nothing says spring quite like tulips. Here in the bridemaids' bouquet they are peeking through the freesia. All the tulips,freesia and ranunculus are locally grown.

St John's Anglican Church is a 170 year old Gothic Revival church which sits on historic property first donated to the Bulters Rangers by the crown and then sold to the Ball family (Ball's Falls) who then donated the land for the building. This church is a designated historic Ontario site.

Congratulations to a great couple. Looking forward to hearing about your honeymoon.

Holiday Home Tour

2010-11-01T10:56:00.007-04:00

Just three weeks until the Niagara Life Centre Holiday Home Tour. It's hard to believe that it is almost here (and so is Christmas). The committee began it's planning last Jan and thanks to all the feedback from past surveys, we strive to make the tour better each year. I have added a couple of more pictures from last year's tour that VFD created in a century farmhome. The tour this year is again centered in the Vineland/Jordan/Port Dalhousie area. What a selection of historical and renovated homes we have on this tour. Each location has it's own uniqueness about it. St John's Church in Jordan will be decorated to reflect a Huron Carol, the historic homestead on Gregory Road dates back to the 1700's (but deaded in the 1800's), the retro revival on Jordan Rd is not to be missed. Francis Denny from Aquisitions Interiors has gutted and revived this home - to sum up this home - WOW!. Francis will also be decorating the home herself for the tour. When you visit the cottages at Nokara, do not be mistaken that you are still in Port Dalhousie. When you sit in the Muskoka chairs on the back deck and hear the waves lap up from Lake Ontario, you could just as easily be up north at the cottage. These are just teasers of what will be on the tour.

Do not forget the lunch at the Fireside room at St John's Church available both tour days 11:00-3:00 featuring Nokara Farms pies, homemade soups and Starbucks coffee.

The tour is Fri Nov 19 10:00-8:00 and Sat Nov 20 10:00-5:00.

Ticket information and tour guide are available at http://www.nlchometour.com/

We still have spots for volunteeers that can come out and help in the homes for a short shift. All volunteers receive a complimentary ticket for the tour. If interested please contact Carol @ info@viniferafloraldesign.com or Helena at helena@niagaralifecenter.ca

Caroline & Ben

2010-11-01T10:07:00.008-04:00

Thanksgiving weekend brought beautiful crisp and sunny weather for Caroline & Ben's wedding. The ceremony was held in the Cave Springs Vineyard. The bride choose red (for obvious reasons) as the base colour for the fall themed flowers. Beyond a doubt, my favourite time of the year for flowers/foliage. In the autumn, flowers produce rich, deep colours and their petals give way to pods and vines load up with berries.

Local flowers were alliums, freesia, sedum, dahlias, ornamental khale, lilies, broom corn and my favourite for this time of year, bittersweet (which is almost local - actually from cottage country just north of Toronto.)

The complete wedding party flew in from Alberta to help celebrate the day. This wedding had the smallest (and best coordinating) bridesmaid of the season. What a fun wedding party this was.

This was the view of the skyline of Toronto from the vineyard on the afternoon of the ceremony.
The vineyard (located on the escarpment bench in Beamsville) produces the grapes for Cave Spring Cellars (www.cavespringcellars.com) in Jordan Village.

The reception was held in the Windows room at Inn On The Twenty in Jordan Village. True to its name, the Windows room has a full wall of floor to ceiling windows which look out over the lagoon and the twenty mile creek. Each season brings it's own unique flavour to the ravine.

Congratulations Caroline & Ben.

Niagara Life Center Holiday Home Tour

2010-10-03T17:54:00.011-04:00

Some may think that it is too early to start your holiday planning, but those of us in the design related industry have been working for months for the upcoming season. In fact, the committee for the Holiday Home Tour benefiting Niagara Life Center began its planning process last Jan. This tour has become an annual fundraiser for the centre. Niagara Life Centre(http://www.niagaralifecentre.ca/) is a Christian-based counseling ministry sustained entirely through donations, providing aid for individuals experiencing life crises, including marriage and family breakdown, depression, grief, anger, co-dependency, unplanned pregnancy, parenting and post abortion trauma. The centre provides education and assistance in an effort to establish coping skills for those in need. The centre does not discriminate in any way and all services are free and confidential. I have the privilege to once again be on the planning committee for this tour as well as designing one of the homes for the holidays.

The following pictures taken by Debbie Stec (also a committee member) from Stec Photography (http://www.stecphoto.com/) show some of the home decor VFD created in the Culp Homestead presented in the 2009 tour.

This year's homes include A Century Manor, a Historic Homestead and St John's Anglican Church as well as four other homes in the Vineland/Jordan/west St Catharines area. The tour dates are Fri Nov 19 10:00 am - 8:00 pm and Sat Nov 20 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. View the tour website at http://www.nlchometour.com/.

Additional decorators/florists for the 2010 tour include Vine Floral, United Floral Design, Northland Floral, Home Sense, Ooh La La Designs, Aquisitions & Interiors, The Bowring, Naturally Staged, The Watering Can, Fleurish Designs and Artiface. A luncheon is available both days from 11:00-3:00 in the Fireside Room at St John's Anglican Church featuring homemade soup, rolls and pie. Also available on the tour will be complimentary Starbucks coffee and Marble Slab Creamery ice cream.

Put together a girl's day out (husbands are welcome also) and come and be inspired for your holiday decorating. Ticket information is available on the home tour website http://www.nlchometour.com/.

Tara & Dave

2010-09-26T20:21:00.009-04:00

Fall is here which means berries ,pods, branches, peppers and anyother interesting element that comes with the changing of the leaves. The brides colour choice of white with orange accents was a fresh early autumn theme reflected in her whimsical bridal bouquet which included locally grown rannunculas, dahlias, and freesia with orange bittersweet from northern Ontario. We incorporated the bride's grandmother's vintage hat pins throughout her bouquet in memory of her. Unfortunately hat pins are an accessory of the past, but what a touch of elegance they bring.

The bridesmaids' bouquets included lisianthus, hypericum berries, ornamental peppers, spray roses, dahlia, freesia and stellata pods.

I couldn't resist a close-up shot of the bittersweet and ornamental peppers. The vibrant oranges and contrasting textures gave the whimsical unexpected finishing touch to the white arrangements.

The reception was held at White Oaks Resort & Spa. (http://www.whiteoaksresort.com/). This venue is Ontario's only 4 diamond/5 star resort. The ballroom was filled with two styles of tall centerpieces incorporating hanging amaranthus in one style and the bride's favourite, hanging pearls on the other. Tall, lit branch arrangements and a whimsical 'just married' sign were the backdrop to the head table. Bryan Caporicci (www.bcapphoto.com) was the professional phographer for this wedding. One of the leading photographers in the Niagara Peninsula, Bryan is providing VFD with photos to be featured in the portfolio on the website.

Joanne & Dave

2010-09-20T13:34:00.007-04:00

Joanne & Dave choose Peninsula Ridge Winery (http://www.peninsularidge.com/) in Beamsville to celebrate their wedding ceremony this past weekend on a windy but beautiful sun filled day. Their wine themed wedding combined purples & blues in the handtied bridal flowers using lisianthus, agapanthus, roses, trichilium, freesia and eucalyptus.

The ceremony was performed on the winery property with a panoramic view of Lake Ontario in the background. Being set upon the escarpment, Peninsula Ridge Winery has an uninterupted view of Toronto across the lake.

Music was provided by Glissandi (http://www.music4u.ca/). This violin/harp/flute trio is one of the most popular music groups in the peninsula for events. Here David Braun, Debroah Braun & Heather Snowden fought the winds on the side lawn of the winery's red brick victorian restaurant. It is true talent when a musician can simultaneously secure the base of the music stand with his foot and hold the music down with the end of his violin while playing some of the most beautiful music you will ever hear.

The bride's wine theme carried over onto the cupcakes created by Vineyard Sweets (http://www.vineyardsweets.ca/).

The reception was held in the carriage house which along with the outdoor covered deck provides an imtimate setting for small gatherings.

Congratulations Joanne & Dave - here's to many happy years.

Iris & Mike

2010-08-30T22:15:00.010-04:00

After eight years of being best friends, confidants and lovers, Iris & Mike became man and wife in a tradition filled Jewish wedding ceremony in Cave Springs Vineyard. Iris choose a vintage theme for her wedding flowers in blue and yellows. Locally grown dahlias, lisianthus, freesia and alstromeria along with roses created the look. The bride's bouquet was a soft palette which brought out the romantic vintage style of her dress.

Bolder hues of yellow along with silver leaf accents were added to the bridesmaids' bouquet to compliment there french blue dresses.

The chuppah which represents God's covering of the marriage and the new home they are entering into was provided by Simple Beautiful Decor (http://www.simplybeauty.ca/

After the ceremony the couple along with their close friends and families celebrated at On The Twenty in Jordan Village. Congratulations Iris & Mike.

Laura & Ryan

2010-08-22T15:30:00.014-04:00

It was another perfect weather day (minus the humidity) for Laura & Ryan to say their vows up next to the escarpment in the Cave Springs Vineyard. This week the pictures are all about the 'boys'. The women and their flowers are usually the feature, but this week I thought I would switch the spotlight. The bride & groom were all for designs 'outside of the box'.

A groom really needs to trust his friends when they are this close to water

The ring bearer carried the rings on a button mum pillow

I couldn't resist a close-up of the bride's bouquet with the green/white parrot tulips. The tulips were the perfect surprise element in the bride's bouquet.

The featured flowers were locally grown except for the roses and hypericum berries. They included hydrangea, lisianthus, sedum, alstromeria, freesia, bells of ireland, curly willow and asters. After the ceremony the guest enjoyed a wine tour of the Cave Springs Cellars in Jordan Village then dined and danced at Inn on the Twenty.

Kate & Jeffrey

2010-08-20T00:01:00.010-04:00

Parasols were up and fans were fanning this past weekend in the Cave Springs Vineyard. The forecasted thunder storms held off but the heat and humidity were everpresent as Kate & Jeffrey were married at the vineyard site. The heat kept me from straying too far as I waited to transfer the flowers, and what a delight it was to witness this ceremony performed by Sheldon Kofsky (www.weddingceremonies.org). Sheldon and his wife Judy (who are local chaplains) always interject their personal touch and perform each ceremony with an invested interest in the couple. The bride wanted to have her flowers represent a country inn theme - no better venue than the vineyard and Inn On The Twenty.
The bride held her delicate posie of roses, spray roses, stephanotis and lisianthus in her own silver tuzy muzy.

The country inn theme was carried throughout with agapanthus, delphinium, hydrangea, lisianthus, roses and seeded eucalyptus.

I couldn't leave the vineyard without snapping a picture of the grapes. The bunches were plentiful and the turning colour sent a reminder that fall harvest is a few short weeks away.

September wheat and queen anne's lace were added to the centerpieces to give the 'just picked' meadow look.

Lisa & Chris

2010-08-06T00:19:00.008-04:00

This past holiday weekend Lisa & Chris choose the escarpment wedding site up at Cave Springs. With the addition of this recently landscaped area, the bride & groom now have the choice of three locations in the vineyard to say their vows. The indoor Vineyard Retreat, the Vineyard and now the Escarpment location. Set against the base of the escarpment, the pond and it's surroundings is the perfect setting for an intimate wedding. This is nature at it's best - the changing of the seasons in the vineyard.

The bride's many traditions included her teardrop shaped bouquet. As with most of our flowers, we choose as many locally grown flowers as possible that represented the theme. These flowers included hydrangea, freesia, alstromeria, lisianthus, gerberas, lilies and coxscomb.

After a wine tour, the guests celebrated the evening with dancing and local seasonal cuisine at On The Twenty in Jordan Village. Cave Springs Winery, the Inn On The Tweny & On The Twenty restaurant are all located in historic Jordan Village (www.jordanvillage.com). Fine wine, exceptional food, historic venue, family & friends - this is what makes for a memorable celebration.

Debbie & Garrett

2010-07-25T22:46:00.013-04:00

Elegant Country Living

This is what descibes Debbie & Garrett's wedding this past weekend at the Honsberger Estate in Jordan (http://www.honsbergerestate.com/). This is one of Niagara's treasures nestled back amongst the peach trees and vineyard. The Honsbergers were one of the original farming families which came to the area in the late 1800's. The 110 year old Victorian brick home and barns have been lovingly maintained and now hosts some of the areas finest events. The bride & groom choose the venue for the elegant rustic charm which fit into their country themed wedding.

Elements were on top of the bride's list when it came to her and her bridesmaids' bouquets.
The brides' structured bouquet included locally grown phalaenopsis orchids, pheasant feathers, lotus, hakea, rattan coil and seeded eucalyptus. Tucked inside the handle of her bouquet was a picture of her mother who passed away when she was a teenager. The bridesmaids' bouquets included locally grown lisianthus, trichilium, dendrobium orchids, honeydip, seeded eucalyptus, berzillia and peacock feathers and wrapped in bark covered wire. Each of the four bridesmaids wore a different jewel tone dress which were brought together by the bouquets.

One of the many charming features of the Honsberger Estate is the perfectly positioned birch trees which frame the ceremony location. Last summer the stone 'alter' was put in place which serves as the registry signing table.

The bride crafted the oragami cranes which hung from the trees to pay tribute to her Japanese heritage. The lantern centerpieces were surrounded by moss and elements with locally grown hydrangea, blue thistle and lisianthus. The bride handed embroidered the framed table numbers. What made this wedding so special were all the details the bride & groom
attended to, including the homemade jam they handed out to their guests.

Shades of Pink

2010-06-21T11:30:00.016-04:00

If April & May were the months of purple, June is the month of pinks. Purple and pink are the most requested colours for this year's wedding flowers and the trend for centerpieces is low and lush.

Egle & Marc

Egle and Marc said their vows out on the patio of the Queenston Heights Restaurant overlooking the Niagara River. This restaurant located within the Queenston Heights park is part of the group of many venues that is offered by the Niagara Parks Commission.(http://www.niagaraparksweddings.com/). Each of the venues belonging to the Niagara Parks Commission showcases the beauty and uniqueness that the Niagara area has to offer. After dining inside, the bride & groom with their guests returned to the patio for the evening to dance and celebrate.

vows with a view overlooking the Niagara River

For both weddings this weekend, the wedding flowers were again chosen to use as many locally grown flowers as possible. These included freesia, lilies, gerberas, coloured hydrangea, peonies, veronica, clematis vine and bells of ireland.

Denise & Adam

Once again the setting at the Cave Springs vineyard was the perfect venue on a perfect day for Denise & Adam. Each wedding I set up in the vineyard reminds me of why so many brides chose to come to the Niagara Peninsula for their weddings. Many of us locals tend to take for granted the vineyards & orchards and the beauty of the escarpment which defines so much of this area.

What a great father's day present to be able to give your daughter away to a wonderful groom.

I appreciate a bride who knows what she likes. For Denise it was hot pink stargazer lilies
for her favourite flowers and blue for her favourite colour. The flowers were moved from the ceremony site in the vineyard to Inn On The Twenty for lunch.

June peonies

2010-06-07T18:09:00.014-04:00

June brings peonies and this weekend was no exception. Two weddings, same vineyard, same reception venue, same peonies - of course all in shades of pink. Orchids, roses, alliums, hypericum berries, hydrangea and freesia complimented the peonies for the romantic garden themes.

Angela & Geoff were married in the Cave Springs vineyard on a beautiful Sat afternoon and then dined and danced at Inn On The Twenty in Jordan Village.

The musicians stayed cool under a large umbrella while the guest enjoyed flavored water and lemonade post ceremony supplied by Cave Springs Cellars.

Maureen & Ryan choose a morning wedding in the vineyard followed by a mimosa brunch at Inn On The Twenty - again, romantic garden themed.

The bride & groom choose their ceremony to be in the round with our swirl rose petal pattern in the centre. What a perfect setting for an intimate wedding.

Vineyard Sweets provided the four peony & bird topped wedding cakes. Each cake was a different flavor with complimenting buttercream frosting. Peonies and birds carried the garden theme from the cakes to the birdsnest centerpieces.

Alex & Gavin

2010-05-30T17:07:00.007-04:00

What a weekend for a wedding. Alex & Gavin choose Inn On The Twenty for both the ceremony and reception. The guests had an unforgetable view in the Windows room as they witnessed the vows, then enjoyed a wine tour of Cave Springs Cellars and continued celebrating with some of the finest local cuisine which Inn On The Twenty is famous for. Except for the hydrangeas and roses, Alex's flowers which included hellebores, lily of the valley, lisianthus, freesias, solomon's seal, delphinum, alliums, ferns and peony greens were grown locally. Vinifera Floral Design has gained a reputation for supporting local growers and keeping it green.

Purple, this time paired with green, was again the main colour for the late spring themed wedding.

2010-05-22T23:20:00.005-04:00

We are well into the spring months of the 2010 wedding season and the colour of choice is purple and all its hues. The foremost characteristic of purple is its compatability with almost every colour which makes it very adaptable to wedding themes. From bold and beautiful to soft and romantic, purple will continue to be the forerunner this wedding season.

Ai & Adam

2010-05-03T23:09:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to Ai & Adam on their wedding this past weekend at Balls Falls Chapel. Part of what made it so special was members of Ai's family travelled from Japan to be here for the celebration. After their beautiful ceremony they continued their day at Twenty Valley Golf & Country Club. The colour palette included the blues & purples of spring from locally grown tulips, lisianthus and blue muscari.

Lauren & Brandon

2010-04-18T23:25:00.007-04:00

After two years of planning, Lauren & Brandon tied the knot at the Americana Resort & Spa in Niagara Falls this past weekend. Originally set to be a winter wedding, the change of date did not change the bride's vision of a white feather wedding. With not a flower on site, white feathers with gold berries and chocolate brown accents dominated the decor. Thanks to the bride for allowing me to unleash my creativity with her theme. Congratulations Lauren & Brandon.

2010-04-11T13:30:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to Klara & Tim who were married late March in Niagara Falls and then celebrated with family and friends at Queenston Heights restaurant. What a view! The only thing missing was the snow which we were all hoping for. Instead, the tulips were beginning to bud at the entrance. Klara spared no detail when it came to planning her vintage wedding which was filled with spray roses, lisianthus and hydrangea. The striking black nickel candelabras are from My Bouquet and the chairs covers are from Simply Beautiful Decor. Thanks to Deb & Pete Stec from Stec Photography for these amazing images.

2010-04-06T23:12:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the Toolbox Blog for Vinifera Floral Design. The name refers to something I cannot design flowers without - my toolbox. The key to successful floral design and a smooth installation is adaptability, and with my toolbox I am fully prepared. In my toolbox I have my design 'tools' and everything I need for the day of an event, plus items I may not need. In addition to my 'tools', my box also has other necessities - phone, magazine, change for Tim Hortons, ipod, my daughter's DS and probably my driver's license. I learned the importance of a well stocked toolbox from a past teacher - Ms M. Ms M told a story about a wedding she was attending as a guest. Before the bride came down the aisle another guest came and summoned Ms M to attend to a problem. The bride was carrying a cascading floral bouquet and the cage which held the oasis (which was fully loaded with flowers) to the holder had come apart. It was assumed that Ms M would have the necessary tools (and chenille stems) in her purse to fix the problem. Not being the florist who designed the bouquet, Ms M thought she was safe attending a wedding with only her evening clutch - how wrong she was. With not a chenille stem in sight to attach the cage to the holder, the bride walked down the aisle holding her bouquet handle with one hand and held the flowers in place with her other hand. From this experience, Ms M does not leave home without her basic tools and I am diligent about keeping my toolbox fully equipped for both the design studio and on the road.