A Winter Wonderland Wedding at the Ritz Carlton St. Louis
Happy New Year!! We’re kicking off 2021 with the most gorgeous winter wedding from exactly one year ago today! Happy First Anniversary, Monica & Will!!
Monica and her planner Grace (of Saving Grace Occasions) came to us with a vision for a classic and timeless winter wedding to be held at the Ritz Carlton. Our team worked with Grace and Exclusive Events to create a design that transformed the ballroom for the ceremony and reception, and transported guests into a stunning winter wonderland! Monica requested all white floral arrangements in a soft yet structured style, which we achieved with an abundance of roses, hydrangea, peonies, spray roses and ranunculus. The color palette of white, silver and navy perfectly complimented the space, and set a wintery tone throughout the evening.
We always get excited when we find out Mike Cassimatis is the photographer for one of our weddings! Aren’t these bridal portraits stunning?!
Weddings of this scale are always a production and true team effort, but add in the extra challenge of a date immediately after the holidays, and it was all hands on deck! Our team spent two days processing more than 4,000 floral stems before the design work could even begin; every inch of the studio was covered in buckets of flowers! (Flower processing involves unboxing, stripping leaves and thorns, and giving each stem a fresh cut so they soak up plenty of water. It’s a time consuming but important process!). A team of 4 designers worked tirelessly to create all the bouquets, centerpieces and other floral elements, while our inventory manager and I made sure we had every vase, candle and charger packed and ready to go for event day.
Event Fun Facts: We had a setup crew of 10 to execute our portion of the day. | It took a box truck and 3 van loads to get everything to the Ritz. | Sandra and her design assistants created the majority of the floral ceremony structure onsite!
The ceremony theme was all white everything, almost as though you were walking into a space covered in freshly fallen snow. I love the way the Ritz’s chairs look like ice, and the softness Exclusive’s draping adds to the space… just wait for the fun way they transform the draping for the reception! I’ve seen some beautiful ceremony designs in this ballroom over the years but this just might be my favorite, it’s so soft and romantic.
This moment between Monica and her dad before walking down the aisle is the sweetest!
While guests enjoyed cocktail hour and found their seats on our blue velvet escort display, the vendor team was hard at work transforming the ballroom from ceremony to reception! Room flips are always organized chaos… chairs and aisle decor have to be moved out of the way, tables get moved into place, centerpieces and candles are placed, the band has to finish setting up and the dance floor gets completed… all in enough time for the photographer to get photos completed. It’s a lot happening all at once, but great vendor teams can make it happen with guests none the wiser of what’s going on behind the ballroom doors. To the bride, groom, family and guests, it’s just magic!
To continue the winter wonderland theme white was the predominate color used throughout the reception, including the dance floor, linens and lounge seating, with pops of navy in the napkins, table numbers and dance floor monogram. Exclusive transformed the draping with twinkle lights and uplighting, which created an etherial, icy feel in the space.
Lisa worked with Grace to design the floor plan, which featured a mix of round and long tables with four different tablescapes to add interest in the ballroom (we always love creating several centerpiece designs, especially in a space this large!) Lush floral arrangements in a mix of low and elevated designs adorned the tables, and hundreds of candles created a romantic atmosphere as they glittered against mirrored table runners and vases.
You know we love a good reaction shot, and Monica’s reaction to the room did not disappoint!!!
Florelle Studio’s live painting always amazes me!! Check out the finished painting here.
Monica and Will, thank you so much for entrusting us with your floral vision, we were thrilled to be a part of this magical day! Happy Anniversary and cheers to a lifetime of love and happiness!!!
Vendor Love:
Photographer: Mike Cassimatis | Planning: Saving Grace Occasions | Venue: The Ritz Carlton St. Louis | Florist: Belli Fiori Floral & Event Design | Lighting & Decor: Exclusive Events | Bridal Gown: Monique Lhuillier from Berrybridge Bridal | Hair & Makeup: Savanah Summer Luxury Hair & Makeup | Videographer: Captured In Frames | Ceremony Music: Rosewood Ensemble | Band: Griffin and the Gargoyles | Live Painter: Florelle Studio | Paper Goods: On Three Designs | Bridal Party Transportation: St. Louis Trolley Company
Post by Kimberly Wallner