Join us as we spend a day with some of Winnipeg’s most talented wedding professionals at the new and breathtaking Buffalo Crossing at FortWhyte Alive.

We frequently participate in photoshoots with other local vendors, which is always a delight. However, we felt it was time to host our own styled shoot. This opportunity enabled us to experiment with fresh and exciting concepts related to colour, floral varieties, and the overall ambiance of the shoot, while also inviting a few of our favourite industry friends to join in.

We’re currently booking weddings for 2026/2027 and have so many fun and original ideas for our brides! If you're looking for something unique, consider embracing fun and contemporary florals to bring your dream wedding to life.

While we have many stunning local wedding venues, we were happy to jump at the chance to design an event with the atmosphere and background architecture of the brand new Buffalo Crossing at FortWhyte Alive. Set against beautiful natural elements along the edge of Muir Lake, Buffalo Crossing is now Manitoba’s most sustainable and energy-efficient building.

Located along McGillivray Boulevard, it is accessible to Winnipeg wedding guests and vendors alike, while still feeling like a special place surrounded by nature.

A great venue for those who don’t want to drive hours outside the perimeter to get to and from a party, so we’re expecting a lot of beautiful events to be booked there in the future!

The building itself is quite modern, and it feels sleek and minimalist but not cold or uninviting. Most walls are a natural, warm wood, and the floors are an understated concrete, perfect as a backdrop for weddings and events.

We curated a photoshoot that encapsulates a spirit that is both fun and unpretentious, yet effortlessly timeless, amongst a setting where vibrant bursts of colour harmonize with sleek design elements, all while celebrating the inherent beauty of the surroundings. This is a space where tradition elegantly blends with modernity, creating an unforgettable setting for your love story.

This particular colour palette is a love letter to vibrancy. Shades of yellow that range from electric neon to a mellow butter, complemented by playful pinks, subtle blush, refreshing lime, and the soft warmth of apricot. The palette also captures the transitional time between spring and early summer which is always such a beautiful time of year in our city.

It’s a reminder that your wedding day should be as lively, fun, and unique as you. We absolutely love it when our couples come to us with a unique colour palette and let us choose the best seasonal blooms to make it come to life. We enjoy coming up with combinations that you might not have seen in wedding or event florals before, which helps fuel our creativity and passion for our craft and ensures your wedding will be something that your guests will never forget.

Coming up with a colour palette and general idea for a styled shoot is all well and good, however it’s the details that make it into something special. Here is a list of some of the details we incorporated in the design:

• We used non-floral styling elements like vibrant green tomatoes, guava, apricots, and beans to add a splash of colour and intrigue alongside the centrepieces on the table.
• Flowering smokebush added cotton-candy-like texture to the designs, oncidium orchids brought a hint of delicate tropical charm, garlic scapes (while not technically floral) had their eccentric spiralling stems which allowed us to play with shape, and fluffy blush ranunculus were a much needed focal point against all of the other textures.
• The ceremony florals cascaded elegantly from sleek acrylic pillars, creating a striking modern contrast. We love our acrylic pillars as they add height to the backdrop while allowing the flowers to take centre stage alongside the couple.
• For the invite suite, table menus, and welcome sign, Paper and Palm explored various shapes and forms to infuse a sense of playfulness. The wavy pattern complemented the organic shapes of the flowers, as well as the other styling elements that were used throughout the space.
• Not only did Lovenote Bridal provide the most stunning dress for our model, but they also added a touch of whimsy with a veil embellished with pearls. While pearls are often considered a classic wedding accessory, using them to embellish a veil instead of just featuring them in jewelry offers a more modern twist for your special day.
• The wedding slab cake made by Jenna of Jenna Rae Cakes was a statement piece that we're still thinking about. She saw our vision and ran with it, making an absolute masterpiece of a dessert. Jenna mentioned that she had wanted to create something along these lines for quite a while, so the timing worked out perfectly.
• Brenna of Brenna Faris Photography is not only an incredibly talented wedding photographer in the city, but she is also a member of the Academy Florist team. Brenna curates our social media feeds as well as shoots all of our day-to-day content in the shop, so it was extra special to create something a bit out of the ordinary with her. She understands our vision and style which made this shoot seamless and worry-free, and it definitely comes through in her beautiful images.
• You can't host a styled shoot these days without bringing on a content creator to capture the day's work, and luckily Hanna Welhayne made sure to get all the BTS content our vendors could possibly want or need. Hanna and her team were also so much fun to have alongside us throughout the day.
• The golden mustard silk panel draped gracefully over the bar was hand-dyed by Lourdes of Masagana Flower Farm along with the beautiful ribbon adorning the bridal bouquet. She uses all natural dying agents that she grows herself here in Manitoba.
• Table linens from Planned Perfectly in taupe from their Panama line were the perfect neutral to ground all of the other elements on the table. The matte, linen-like texture also kept things on the more natural side which complimented the rest of the shoot.
• Union Table’s rental offerings are always modern and fun, and while they made the table look stunning, each piece is also practical so your guests aren’t afraid to use them! We went with their ribbed glassware, matte gold flatware, simple white china, and pink linen napkins.
• The Cane Back Louis Chairs in natural/white were provided by Collective Rentals and added a touch of elegance to the space, while also being super comfortable to sit on.
• Our stunning model, Jenna, was made photo ready with the collaboration between Bobbi of It’s Just Bobbi who gave Jenna a beautiful and modern make-up look, and Leanne of Leanne Mary Lou Hair who obsessed over her hair in the best way, making it perfect in every single shot.

While trends come and go, the structure and base of all our designs remain timeless so that you can look back on your wedding day with pride (and without cringing.) Our flowers aren’t just pretty—they tell a story, capturing the essence of your special day in so many different ways.

Imagine walking down the aisle, surrounded by blooms that echo the love and laughter shared with your partner and loved ones. We take great joy in incorporating specialty blooms that hold significance for our clients, especially when there is a personal connection to a particular flower. Maybe garden roses for Grandma, or peonies for a friend that can’t attend, we will always do our best to accommodate!

For this design, we wanted to include varieties that held a romantic sentiment in the Victorian Language of Flowers. We chose pansies for affectionate thought and remembrance, roses for love, beauty, and admiration, and lisianthus for gratitude and appreciation, to name a few. This is more than decor; it’s an experience that stays with you forever and that is how we treat each and every one of our couple’s events.

Supporting local small businesses is at the heart of what we do. Whenever possible, we source our flowers as close to our shop as we can. For this photoshoot, we were able to work with two of our favourite flower farms in Manitoba, Miss Millie’s and Twin River Gardens. Several of the blooms you see in these photos are sourced from local growers who pour their passion into their craft, and that makes them all the more special to include in our client’s events.

While we can’t always get certain varieties from Manitoba growers, we try our best to source our product from Canadian farms in Ontario and British Columbia. When that’s not possible, we ensure our other stems come from reputable sources in other countries, such as Ecuador, Columbia, and Holland.

When you choose our florals, you’re not just adding beauty to your wedding day, you’re supporting a community of artisans who care deeply about their work. It’s a choice that makes your celebration even more meaningful.

We believe that the best things are born from collaboration. For this photoshoot, we worked hand-in-hand with talented local vendors to bring our vision to life. We started with an idea, focused it into a mood board, and sent it off to our talented friends in the industry who we knew would bring their own ideas and passion to the day. We know flowers, but we wanted to leave room in the design for the other vendors to showcase what they can do. We believe that in order to achieve the best outcome, letting the professionals do what they do best is how you create something extraordinary.

At the core of our approach to this shoot, and floral design in general, is that teamwork really makes the dream work! We understand that collaboration is the key to success, and when you trust your wedding vendors, outstanding results follow. By working closely with you, we incorporate your personal style into every arrangement, ensuring your special day looks just like you've always pictured (or even better!) From the moment you share your dreams with us, we’re here to make them a reality. Our collaborative spirit ensures that every detail, every flower, reflects your unique style and personality.

We hope it comes across in these words and images that we are incredibly passionate about what we do. We believe that florals are what makes an event space into something magical, and we love to see a vision come together! We can't wait to start planning our next creative project.

Please check out all of the incredible wedding professionals listed above, they are truly some of the best Winnipeg has to offer.

If you are inspired by this styled shoot and would like to work with our talented team, please reach out at weddings@academyflorist.com or call us at 204-488-4822.

To book a complimentary wedding or event consult, click here.