Featured Vendor Profiles

Mimosa Flower Studio ... Inspirational Short FIlm

The Swish List is a great place to get inspiration for planning your Niagara wedding or event, but even more than that, The Swish List exists to introduce you to Niagara’s leading wedding and event professionals.

We are proud to present Niagara’s finest — the crème-de-la-crème of the Niagara wedding and event industry. Each Niagara Wedding Vendor featured on The Swish List has been chosen for their proven excellence – they are the best in their field!

We’re loving this inspirational short film produced by the uber talented Niagara wedding florist team at Mimosa Flower Studio ... one of our recommended Swish List wedding vendors.

Shot on location around Niagara’s prolific and stunning wine region, the crew at Mimosa Flower Studio spent three days producing a suite of five different 'scenes' to inspire and excite you about all the dreamy possibilities for your wedding ... we're over the moon to be able to share them with you!

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Concept & Production: Jennifer Elliotson of Mimosa Flower Studio.
Floral Design & Installation: Jennifer Elliotson, Heidi Taylor, Helen Bang of Mimosa Flower Studio.

Photography & Models: Nataschia Wielink Photo + Cinema / Bride’s Wardrobe: Anthropologie, About a Bride
Groom’s Attire: RW & Co. / Hair & Makeup: ALLURE Hair and Makeup
Linens & Chiavari Chairs: Simply Beautiful Decor / Location: Stone Mill Inn
Cinematography: Enns Visuals / Print Design: Mark Elliotson
Macarons: Bobbette & Belle Artisanal Pastries

Tags: Niagara Winery Wedding, Niagara Wine Country Wedding, Niagara Wedding, Niagara Wedding Florist, Niagara Wedding Flowers

Featured Vendor Profiles

White Oaks Conference Resort and Spa

The Swish List is a great place to get inspiration for planning your Niagara wedding or event, but even more than that, The Swish List exists to introduce you to Niagara’s leading wedding and event professionals.

We are proud to present Niagara’s finest — the crème-de-la-crème of the Niagara wedding and event industry. Each Niagara Wedding Vendor featured on The Swish List has been chosen for their proven excellence – they are the best in their field!

Give us three words that best describe White Oaks.
Modern. Chic. Upscale.

What makes White Oaks stand out from other wedding venues?
The location and décor of White Oaks certainly sells itself ... but it’s our attention to detail and outstanding team give us the WOW factor!

What is the specialty at White Oaks?
Customization.  While we do offer theme packages to help kick start the planning process, anything and everything can be customized to suit the desires of our couples.  We take great pride in our flexibility.

Talk about trends for the season.
As far as colour goes, we’re seeing lots of Tiffany Blue around White Oaks this wedding season. Mini ‘treats’ are also very popular ... candy stations are all the rage!  Tall multi-tier wedding cakes seem to be making a resurgence as well ... some boasting as many as 5 or 7 tiers!

What advice would you give couples investigating your services?
We suggest couples prepare specific questions to ask or a have vision in mind for their day. This helps to give the planner something to work with ... a jumping off point. Also, knowing your needs ... Do you have out of town guests that will require guest rooms? Will you need golf booked? A rehearsal dinner? Any special needs or dietary requests?  The more information you can provide the better we can help! 

What is the consultation process with your clients?
We’ll respond to a bride and groom’s inquiry and invite them to visit White Oaks for a face to face meeting with our wedding planner! We’ll give them a guided tour of the White Oaks property and discuss and address their needs, wants and overall vision for their wedding day. 

During the booking process, everything is confirmed in writing to ensure a clear picture of the day is properly communicated.  Referrals for specific vendors like flowers, cakes, entertainment etc. are also discussed.

As the wedding date grows closer, we’ll finalize any last minute details in a subsequent meeting.

Give us some detailed information on the key services provided at White Oaks.
We can host intimate weddings for 10 right up to 450 guests! With our beautiful hotel rooms, spa, amazing fitness club, Royal Niagara golf course and onsite restaurants (LIV and Play Urban Café), there is something for all guests to enjoy over the course of a wedding weekend.  Guests of the bride and groom can stay at White Oaks on a special wedding room rate and no one needs to worry about driving home after all the fun!  Bring your workout clothes or your tennis racquet and enjoy the gym to work off the wedding cake the next morning! Or treat yourself to a luxurious spa treatment and have a fabulous family breakfast in our award-winning LIV Restaurant! 

Our wedding specialist holds your hand throughout the entire process, helping you to make special arrangements with other suppliers, overseeing the set up of your day and ensuring your vision becomes your dream wedding!

What do you wish you could do more often?
We’d love to be more involved in the total wedding celebration experience including engagement parties, bridal showers, bachelor and/or bridal party weekends to the rehearsal dinner and brunch the next day!

Talk about Niagara as a ‘destination’ wedding region. What brings your clients to Niagara?
Niagara is known as the wedding capital of the world for many reasons.  It’s a very picturesque location ... which our couples are definitely looking for! Accompany this by the many attractions available for their guests ... such as Niagara Falls, local wineries, Shaw Festival Theatre, shopping and golf ... and our proximity to all of these options make for a great weekend getaway for everyone involved in the wedding whether it be the bride, the groom or their family and friends!

Tags: Niagara wedding venues, Niagara on the Lake Wedding, Niagara Wine Country Wedding, Niagara on the Lake Wedding Venues, Niagara wedding reception facilities, White Oaks

Featured Vendor Profiles

Inn On The Twenty: Winery Weddings in the Heart of Niagara’s Wine Country

The Swish List is a great place to get inspiration for planning your Niagara wedding or event, but even more than that, The Swish List exists to introduce you to Niagara’s leading wedding and event professionals.

We are proud to present Niagara’s finest — the crème-de-la-crème of the Niagara wedding and event industry. Each Niagara Wedding Vendor featured on The Swish List has been chosen for their proven excellence – they are the best in their field!

Give us three words that best describe Inn On The Twenty.
Vintage. Wedding. Bliss.

What makes Inn On the Twenty stand out from other wedding venues?
Location, Location, Location! The location of the Inn On The Twenty in the quaint little village of Jordan makes it a perfect getaway location for small and large wedding receptions alike.   Wedding guests can enjoy suite accommodations at either the renowned Inn On The Twenty (directly across from our reception facilities) or just a four minute walk away at our Jordan Hotel which features an additional 14 tastefully decorated hotel rooms.

Within convenient driving distance from the GTA, guests often make a weekend out of it ... enjoying spa services at the Spa On The Twenty and browsing the many unique boutiques on Main Street. For weddings of any size, the convenience of a venue that offers all services - ceremony, reception, accommodation and pampering - is difficult to resist.

What is the specialty at Inn On The Twenty?
Exquisite dining in the heart of Niagara using Niagara’s seasonal bounty.  Inn On The Twenty was the first regional restaurant to open and introduce the farm-to-table culinary experience.   Our talented culinary team works diligently to offer seasonal à la carte menus which pair perfectly with the wines of Cave Spring Cellars.  Whether it is a dinner for two in our main dining room or a wedding reception for 100 in our Windows On The Twenty, the culinary expertise is apparent.

Talk about trends for the season.
Winery weddings in the heart of Niagara’s Wine Country! Guests enjoy an outdoor ceremony on the Cave Spring ‘home farm’ followed by an intimate candlelit reception in the ambiance of our century old barrel cellars in our Vintner’s Cellar dining room.

Any night of the week and any season, this dining space transforms beautifully and with access to the original cistern turned wine cellar, the space offers intrigue for all who dine there.

What advice would you give couples investigating your services?
Narrow your list of potential reception locations to 4 or 5 maximum; any more will be overwhelming.  Don’t rely too heavily on the venue questions included in your wedding planning booklets.  Make sure you have a clear idea of your guest size before searching for a venue.

What is the consultation process with your clients?
When looking for a wedding venue, we recommend contacting our Events department to arrange for an one-on-one site visit of the property, to discuss availability and preferences for your special day. After confirming and securing your date, our couples are introduced to their coordinator who will lead them through the planning stages of their big day!  Closer to the event date the couple will be introduced to their Catering Manager who will be their contact for the day of the event.

Give us some detailed information on the key services provided at Inn On The Twenty.
Reception Spaces
Inn On The Twenty has 3 reception spaces suitable for a variety of sizes of wedding.
The Windows On The Twenty seats up to of 140 people with a gorgeous view of the Twenty Valley below! The Vintner’s Cellar Dining room is located downstairs in our actual barrel cellar, seats up to 60 people and is a truly unique ‘wine’ experience!
Our intimate Wine Library is located adjacent to Cave Spring Cellars Winery and provides a maximum seating capacity of 24.

Accommodations
Our flagship Inn On The Twenty offers our guests 27 beautifully and uniquely decorated suites with king size bed, jacuzzi, fireplace and TV. The Jordan House is a contemporary boutique style hotel featuring 14 tastefully decorated rooms offering queen bed, three piece bath and TV.

Dining
The Jordan House Tavern offers two levels of dining in an upscale pub-like atmosphere. Great casual menu offered for lunch and dinner.  A perfect spot for a rehearsal dinner for up to 50 people!

Relaxation
Spa On The Twenty is our full service spa facility offering customized aesthetic and massage services incorporating the line of Phytomer products.   Wine themed treatments are available. Enjoy a day at the spa with a lovely light lunch in the quiet area or one of our garden spaces.  On-site wedding preparation services include hair consultation and make up application.

Tags: Niagara Winery Wedding, Niagara wedding venues, Inn on the Twenty, Swish List Member

Featured Vendor Profiles

Casablanca Winery Inn: Niagara’s Boutique Inn and Wedding Venue

The Swish List is a great place to get inspiration for planning your Niagara wedding or event, but even more than that, The Swish List exists to introduce you to Niagara’s leading wedding and event professionals.

We are proud to present Niagara’s finest — the crème-de-la-crème of the Niagara wedding and event industry. Each Niagara Wedding Vendor featured on The Swish List has been chosen for their proven excellence – they are the best in their field!

Located at the western Gateway to Niagara, Casablanca Winery Inn is nestled between the Escarpment and north shores of Lake Ontario. Ideally situated close to endless vineyards, boutique wineries and the best views of Lake Ontario and the Toronto Skyline, wedding guests will want to turn a wedding into a weekend getaway!

Give us threes words that best describe Casablanca Winery Inn.
Classic. Warm. Accommodating.

What is Casblanca’s specialty?
Personalized service. We take the time to get to know our
couples, communicate and work with them to create their ideal wedding day experience. We follow with outstanding cuisine and flawless execution of the event.

Any advice for couples investigating your venue for their wedding?
Visit in person with our wedding professionals for a tour of the property. This   approach sparks the imagination and simplifies the process. Ask questions. Talk about your wish list and what is most important to you. Explore your options and talk about your true desires!

Enjoying the wedding planning process is possible! The best way to achieve this is by continuing to narrow down what you and your spouse-to-be truly want your day to be like! Follow your heart and ask questions. Our wedding professionals are happy to build custom packages based on your preferences.

What makes Casablanca Winery Inn stand out from the crowd?
First and foremost is our team. We all share the philosophy of offering gracious hospitality without limitations. You will always find a friendly face, ready and willing to assist you. As a boutique property, we are large enough that we can offer a full-range of services and options, but small enough to provide that personal touch. We help to make each wedding as unique as the bride and groom themselves.

At Casablanca, you can relax and focus your attention on your guests’ experience. Our space is already beautiful ... all it needs is your finishing touch! Our priority is top quality dining, comfort and amenities for you and your guests. Our private Ballroom is where you’ll enjoy the your own bar, restrooms and the freedom of not sharing your day with anyone else! Pair that with a one-stop-shop environment and it really is all about you at the Casablanca!

Explain some of the key wedding related services that you provide.
The Casablanca Winery Inn offers 78 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites, 9000 square feet of banquet and conference space including one of the prettiest ballrooms around!

For an elegant engagement dinner party, our Casablanca Steak and Seafood Restaurant on the top floor of the Inn is a beautiful spot to satisfy your craving for a juicy steak, shrimp cocktail and a glass of Niagara wine.

On our main level, Bogey’s Grillhouse offers a casual atmosphere and a menu with something for everyone. Perhaps a laid-back rehearsal party with thin crust pizza and pitchers of draught is what you’re looking for. Sunday brunch at Bogey’s is a client favourite for bridal and baby showers alike. Host your brunch with sparkling mimosas in one of our two private dining rooms.

Wedding planning goes beyond the ‘Big Day’ ... talk to us about your needs for engagement parties, showers, and farewell breakfasts. We’d be pleased to make that easy for you too!

Tags: Niagara Winery Wedding, Niagara wedding venues, Swish List Member, Casablanca Winery Inn

Featured Vendor Profiles

Vineyard Sweets: Niagara on the Lake Wedding Cake Design

The Swish List is a great place to get inspiration for planning your Niagara wedding or event, but even more than that, The Swish List exists to introduce you to Niagara’s leading wedding and event professionals.

We are proud to present Niagara’s finest — the crème-de-la-crème of the Niagara wedding and event industry. Each Niagara Wedding Vendor featured on The Swish List has been chosen for their proven excellence – they are the best in their field!

The concept of a wedding cake dates back centuries and, traditionally, cutting the wedding cake is the first task performed by the newly married couple. We chatted with cake artists Ruth Aspinall and Eda Marion of Vineyard Sweets to learn a little more about what makes their work so Swish!

Give us three words that describe Vineyard Sweets.
Professional. Creative. Quality.

What is your specialty?
We specialize in custom wedding cakes, but we also do other event and celebration cakes, cupcakes, cookies and sweet treats!

What makes your wedding cakes so unique?
We concentrate hard on offering both beauty and taste. Too often a wedding cake is pretty to look at, but the taste doesn’t live up to expectations. We pride ourselves on both the beauty and flavour of our work!

Any advice for prospective brides investigating your wedding cake services?
Come prepared. Do some homework ... look through magazines or online to have some idea of what you’re looking for. Look at both colour and design. Also, have an idea of what your budget might be ... as realistically as possible.

Talk about your philosophy on ingredients.
We use only fresh ingredients ... and that will never, ever change. No preservatives. No chemicals. We use as much local produce as we can and even make our own preserves using locally grown fruit.

What are some trends for the season?
Colour itself seems to be a trend. In particular, greens and purples were big in 2009. This year more pink and turquoise is showing up.

What inspires you?
Most of our inspiration comes from the bride herself. We spend a lot of time with our brides to get a feel for their personalities, likes, dislikes, etc. – only then will we start working on a design.

What do you love most about the wedding industry?
What we love most is the joy! We are dealing with happy people and it spills over into what we do. We also love working with other talented Niagara wedding vendors. Niagara is a relatively small community and we love our relationships with other wedding industry professionals.

Share your latest fun project!
We recently designed a birthday cake for an actor here in Niagara on the Lake (there’s a picture on our blog). It consisted of a clapboard, stacked film reels and a sculpture of the actor. A real challenge, but so much fun!!!

What music to you listen to while you’re designing in the kitchen?
We run the gamut, depending on our mood. Jazz, pop, opera and even classical!

Tags: Vineyard Sweets, Wedding Cake, Niagara on the Lake Wedding Cake

Featured Vendor Profiles

Simply Beautiful Décor: Niagara Wedding and Event Décor

The Swish List is a great place to get inspiration for planning your Niagara wedding or event, but even more than that, The Swish List exists to introduce you to Niagara’s leading wedding and event professionals.

We are proud to present Niagara’s finest — the crème-de-la-crème of the Niagara wedding and event industry. Each Niagara Wedding Vendor featured on The Swish List has been chosen for their proven excellence – they are the best in their field!

Angelica from Simply Beautiful Décor recently gave us a ‘behind the scenes’ view of her wedding and event décor business. We absolutely love getting to know our Swish Vendors and sharing with you what makes them so Swish!

Give us a general overview of Simply Beautiful Décor.
Our showroom is located in Niagara-on-the-Lake and offers an amazing display of our collections, organized by colors and shades. Our setup allows us to present the newest collections and our displays can easily be undressed, allowing brides and/or event planners to play with different samples. Our talented onsite staff can also help to create your amazing look!

What is your specialty?
Wedding and event décor.  We love transforming wedding reception venues with drapery, lighting and beautiful linens. Along with fabric décor, we love adding finishing touches in the form of jewels, crystals, ribbons and more! Our full line of accessories is unique to Niagara.

What makes your business stand out?
We have a tremendous passion for décor, fabric and accessories. We love what we do! We’re always striving to ensure that we are Niagara’s leading wedding décor company. Our styles, colors and collections are updated 2-3 times a year and that sets us apart from most traditional linen companies.

What inspires you?
All of our designs are inspired by trends and couture bridal fashions. I absolutely love wedding gowns! I get so many ideas from the fabric, style and intricate detailing.

What advice would you give to brides investigating wedding décor services?
Keep an open mind. The role of a décor designer is to absorb the information clients give us and translate that into our design process.  Find a company that can create something so unique that your guests leave with the feeling that they’ve just experienced something extraordinary.

What scenario brings out the best in your work?
Adventurous color schemes really bring out the best in me! I love breaking the traditional looks and setting new trends.

What is the consultation/creative process with your clients?
Most clients come in to see us with a color theme, fabric swatches or pictures of dresses. After reviewing all that has been gathered and presented, we can create a look that will be reflective of the couple’s personal style and personalities.

Share some 2010 wedding décor trends.
Texture, texture and more texture! Linens are layered, more lush and ruffled. Appliqué linens are also hot for 2010. Appliqué linens are generally raised, have a stitched-in floral pattern or are embroidered with jewels in some fashion.

What do you love most about the Niagara wedding industry?
I love that every couple, every wedding, is a different and unique experience. I love being able to draw out the personalities of my clients, both as individuals and as a couple. This helps us to create weddings that reflect who they truly are.

Share your latest fun project ...
Its coming soon ... my youngest sister just got engaged! They’re currently living in Dubai, but they are planning their Niagara wedding for next year. I have been looking forward to this for a while! I know that this will be a fun project because I know them both so well. It will be just so incredible to create a wedding that is truly all about their love, their personalities and their lifestyle.

Tags: Simply Beautiful Decor, Swish List Member, Niagara Wedding and Event Décor

Featured Vendor Profiles

Vineland Estates Winery: Niagara Wedding Venue Extraordinaire!

The Swish List is a great place to get inspiration for planning your Niagara wedding or event, but even more than that, The Swish List exists to introduce you to Niagara’s leading wedding and event professionals.

We are proud to present Niagara’s finest — the crème-de-la-crème of the Niagara wedding and event industry. Each Niagara Wedding Vendor featured on The Swish List has been chosen for their proven excellence – they are the best in their field!

We recently chatted with Diane from Vineland Estates Winery to learn more about this unique Niagara wedding and corporate event venue. Diane has been the Event Coordinator at the winery for past six years and is passionate about the Niagara wedding and event industry.

Give us three words that would best describe Vineland Estates Winery
Picturesque. Intimate. Charming.

Tells us a little more about the venue and property!
We host weddings and corporate events in the Carriage House (seating 56) and we can do standing receptions that accommodate up to 75. You can have your wedding ceremony in the Carriage House or outdoors on the property or one of the patios! We do a max of two events a day … lunch and dinner.

We’ll do wine tours and entertain wedding guests between the ceremony and reception. We also have a one room B&B and 3 bedroom guest house available on the property.

We have a great Chef who loves to be creative. If you’re looking for something a little different or themed, Chef can do that for you … he’d love to sit down with you and plan the menu!

The wine is half the fun!  Let’s serve 6 - 9 flights of wine with dinner! We’re in Niagara, we’re a winery ... take advantage of that!

What is your specialty?
We don’t have just one ... we have three! Food, wine and service. We take pride in the fact that we offer exceptional service. Our staff are phenomenal! Guests often comment that we’re one step ahead of them … that’s the very definition of service!

What type of event do you wish you could do more of?
Although Vineland Estates Winery is well known as one of the most picturesque and sought after Niagara wedding venues, we are equally equipped to host five-star corporate events!  Despite our ‘old-world’ exterior, we’re totally state-of-the-art inside … equipped with a projector, screen and wireless internet. Plus, we offer the whole ‘wine and dine’ experience that follows the meeting. It’s an amazing experience!

What is the consultation process with your prospective clients?
Just come and see the venue … it pretty much speaks for itself!  Have a walk around and learn about all that we can offer.  Experience the feel of the winery.  Let us know your specific needs.  We love to be creative and will do everything to make your event special.  As cliche as it sounds, we will always say “it’s your day, not ours”.

Tags: Niagara Winery Wedding, Niagara wedding venues, Vineland Estates Winery, Swish List Member

Featured Vendor Profiles

Allure Hair and Makeup - Niagara Mobile Bridal Hair and Makeup Services

The Swish List is a great place to get inspiration for planning your Niagara wedding or event, but even more than that, The Swish List exists to introduce you to Niagara’s leading wedding and event professionals.

We are proud to present Niagara’s finest — the crème-de-la-crème of the Niagara wedding and event industry. Each Niagara Wedding Vendor featured on The Swish List has been chosen for their proven excellence – they are the best in their field!

The Swish List recently visited with Jessica and Teresa, the exquisitely talented girls behind Niagara’s mobile bridal hair and makeup service Allure Hair and Makeup.

Give us three words that best describe your business.
Mobile. Hair. Makeup.

What services do you provide?
All bridal party hair and makeup services including trial consultations, extensions and hair accessories, false lashes, Frosting Cosmetics (Allure’s exclusive new makeup line) ... pretty much everything a bride and her attendants would need leading up to and on her wedding day!  We also offer Mobile Spa Services, including Spa Manicures and Pedicures, Registered Massage Therapy, Paraffin Treatments, Polish Changes, and Nail Art.

Talk about your philosophy with style and design.
We believe in styling every bride to look and feel her best! We really want our clients to feel comfortable with the style we help her choose. Our goal is to achieve ‘perfect balance’ ... so that the pictures look amazing and our bride feels comfortable, gorgeous and like herself on her wedding day! 

Where do you go for inspiration?
Bridal and wedding magazines, seasonal fashion trends, websites and television shows.

 
Talk about trends for this wedding season.
We’ve noticed that our Niagara brides are having a lot of fun with their hair and makeup!  Lots of hair accessories (fascinators, fresh flowers, etc.),  mini-veils and false lashes. For makeup, jewel tones are very popular right now.

What makes your business unique?
We’re mobile ... that means we come to you and offer stress-free in home/hotel room service on your wedding day!  Not only are we mobile, we are also a team service that offers both wedding hair AND makeup styling services. No need to look for two separate vendors!  We also maintain studios and so we can work with our brides ahead of the actual wedding day to help her be more fully prepared (i.e. colour and cutting consultations, esthetic services, etc.).
 
What advice would you give to people investigating Niagara bridal hair and makeup services?
Be sure to look at a portfolio of work by the stylist .. check out their website. We highly advise a trial consultation so that you can be completely comfortable knowing that you will love your bridal hair and makeup. It’s so important that you trust your stylists ... then we can all be relaxed and the results will be amazing!
 
What is the consultation/creative process with your clients?
We encourage clients to bring pictures and ideas to their hair and makeup consultation, but we also love giving our creative input into their ideas. Most of our Niagara brides know what look they are looking for, so we get to “experiment” a little more with her bridesmaids!

What scenario brings out the best in your work?
We love brides who share their vision for their wedding day hair and makeup. Discussing desired looks beforehand will ensure that hair and makeup will compliment each other.  Alternatively, it’s always a lot of fun when our brides give us free reign and tell us to ‘go for it’! 

Most memorable wedding?
We recently had a chance to work with celebrity wedding planner Angelique (of Rich Bride, Poor Bride fame) on a pretty high profile wedding.  It was such a great experience and really kept us on our toes.  It was good to work at such a high level.  Afterward, we received a really nice email from the bride detailing how thrilled she was with our services.  There is nothing better than getting a huge thank you after the wedding!

Tags: Mobile Bridal Hair and Makeup Services, Swish List Member, Allure Hair and Makeup

Featured Vendor Profiles

Mimosa Flower Studio - Niagara Wedding Florist

The Swish List is a great place to get inspiration for planning your Niagara wedding or event, but even more than that, The Swish List exists to introduce you to Niagara’s leading wedding and event professionals.

We are proud to present Niagara’s finest — the crème-de-la-crème of the Niagara wedding and event industry. Each Niagara Wedding Vendor featured on The Swish List has been chosen for their proven excellence – they are the best in their field!

The Swish List recently visited with the lovely and über talented Jennifer Elliotson, owner of Mimosa Flower Studio, Niagara’s award-winning boutique floral design studio specializing exclusively in flowers for weddings and events.

Where do you go for inspiration?
Fashion, social trends … my own imagination!

Give us three words that best describe your work/design style.
Evolving. Organic. Fresh.

Tell us more about your design ethos.
I feel a deep sense of respect for nature’s beauty and intelligent creation. That’s why we always handle our flowers with respect and integrity – allowing their inherent natural beauty to shine through in our designs!  We will never use any artificial, unnatural or dyed product in our work. It’s our guiding principle to keep things as authentic as possible in terms of look, product selection and design style.

What is your specialty?
Aside from the design end of things, we are very good at getting to the heart of the client’s vision… to decipher the best way to express their personality through the flowers. We are artists who take pride in creating specifically for our clients ... to produce just exactly what it is that makes them gasp and say, “That’s it! That’s us!”.

What makes your work stand out from the crowd?
I’m extremely proud of that fact that our work is instantly recognizable and that we’re continually putting out designs that connect so deeply with our clients and their guests! We’ve been told that our finished pieces look almost as if we’d just plucked them out of some magical garden ... fully assembled and ready to go! I love that!!!

I believe it’s our combination of unique ingredients, a commitment to using only natural products, the visual artistry of our designers and attention to detail that really sets us apart.

What is the consultation/creative process with your clients?
I absolutely love bringing ideas to life! Typically, we start with a fabric swatch or maybe some pictures. Frequently clients will reference images from our blog or website.  Once we’ve defined a ‘vision’ for the day, our clients generally give us creative freedom … that is when we do our best work!

What advice would you give to clients investigating your services?
If you’ve seen our work and really connect with what we do and what we’re about, then trust us to walk you through the process … don’t stress it! This should be fun!  As a rule, we creative types do our best work when our clients trust us enough to let us do what we do best!

What scenario brings out the best in your work?
My favourite events are the ones that have a clear vision for design with a focus on the season. I love to source local flowers and products – that’s one of the great benefits of being located in such a rich agricultural territory like Niagara!

Have you been ‘Going Green’? How?
I like to think that we’ve always been ‘green’! We regularly compost plant material, recycle all paper and plastic, as well as re-use and/or return packaging materials to our suppliers. We source local product whenever possible to help cut down on transportation, shipping and packaging. We even source seasonal flowers and foliage from our own organic cutting gardens!

What are you most passionate about in life?
Beauty. I see beauty in nature. The centre of an orchid, the twist of a branch, the way a garden rose opens. So much natural, organic beauty surrounds us daily, but there’s so much ‘noise’ in the world we just don’t take enough notice of the details anymore!

Talk about trends for the season
I love to see people putting more emphasis and effort into the more thoughtful aspects of their wedding … rethinking tradition and coming up with their own ideas and interpretations. It’s also been nice to see the individual focus of recent years turning into a more generous outlook on the quality and atmosphere of the party as a gift to their guests for joining in the celebration!

What do you think is drawing increasing numbers of weddings to Niagara?
I think that people are drawn to Niagara because it feels like you’re in a different world and yet you haven’t traveled all that far from the city. It’s refreshing and soothing. I think that people really need a place like Niagara … a respite from the daily grind where you can savour the food and wine from the local farm and enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds you. It’s a bit of an escape, really. Easy to get to, but hard to leave!

Tags: Swish List Member, Jennifer Elliotson, Niagara Wedding Flowers, Mimosa Flower Studio

Featured Vendor Profiles

Nataschia Wielink Photo + Cinema

The Swish List is a great place to get inspiration for planning your Niagara wedding or event, but even more than that, The Swish List exists to introduce you to Niagara’s leading wedding and event professionals.

We are proud to present Niagara’s finest — the crème-de-la-crème of the Niagara wedding and event industry. Each Niagara Wedding Vendor featured on The Swish List has been chosen for their proven excellence – they are the best in their field!

What do you love most about the Niagara wedding industry?
I love hearing a great wedding story! One of the first questions I always ask my couples is how they met.  How did he propose?  Where did you go on your first date?  I never tire of hearing ‘the story’.

Where do you go for inspiration?
Wedding blogs ... I’ve become a blog stalker.  Magazines. Hanging around with other creative types.

Describe your style/business in 3 words
Authentic. Relaxed. So fun! Okay, that’s four words.

Tell us more about your approach to image making
Philosophy: keep it simple and real.  I love to play with a few trendy design ideas when post processing, but for the most part I keep my images real so that the emotion and story don’t get lost.  My album designs are simple and clean ... I don’t want the wedding album to look too dated in a few years!

Share your latest fun project
I’ve been asked to document a year in the life of “The Good Earth” (another Swish List Member!).  I just finished up a shoot there and it was so relaxing - a fantastic creative outlet! I’ve been given complete creative freedom and they’re all about capturing the journey of their upcoming transformation into one of Niagara’s newest boutique wineries.
 
Any advice for clients researching Niagara wedding photographers?
Choose a photographer for the style that you love.  If you like a high-fashion look - hire a photographer that shoots like that.  If you want editorial type coverage - find a photographer that shoots the story.  When you’ve researched websites and blogs and found your style, then get to know your photographer. Grab a coffee or go visit their studio. You will be spending a lot of time together, so there should be a natural connect.

What makes your images stand out from the crowd?
Second to shooting the ‘Love Story ‘, I love to shoot details!  So much time is spent planning the details ... those images need to be captured!  The flowers, the rings, the cake, the dress - it’s all part of the story.

Do clients come to you with ideas? Do they let you ‘go for it’?
Most of our clients let us ‘go for it’... they’ve viewed our work on line, they’ve visited us and have seen our albums and prints.  Sometimes we get a list but for the most part they trust us to get all the important moments and shots. We generally do our best work this way.

What music have you been listening to while you work?
We actually have a whole playlist ... and we make a new one each season! We listen on our way to weddings and we’ve been blogging about each song on our list - periodically introducing a new tunes. What’s really fun, is that sometimes during the formal shoot, we’ll just roll down the windows and crank the tunes! Our clients love it! A little music helps loosen every one us.

Share your most memorable Niagara wedding story ...
Last year, we were shooting an outdoor wedding in Niagara on the Lake on the grounds of Navy Hall.  The guests had flown in from all over … Spain, England, parts of the US ... a destination Niagara wedding!  The forecast was not looking great and just minutes before the bride was to walk down the aisle, a huge storm rolled in.  The sky was pitch black and almost simultaneously the guest rose from their seats and dashed inside Navy Hall. Vendors quickly moved everything inside. Mini lights hanging from the beams and there were candles everywhere ... beautiful! Many brides would have panicked about the rain, but not this one… she stepped in the door on her Dad’s arm and whispered ...“I love it! This is soooo romantic”!  The ceremony was beautiful, emotional, romantic … perfect!

Tags: Niagara Wedding Photographer, Swish List Member, Nataschia Wielink Photo + Cinema

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