Rustic Glamour in Rural Ottawa – Jessica and Kirk: July 19th, 2014

Some weddings are simply beautiful, some are one heck of a party, and some are a reunion – this wedding was all of the above and more! I had the privilege of attending this wedding, while also lending a small hand with the wedding planning (to be honest I hardly did a thing, the Bride and Groom along with their families had everything under control!).

Jessica and Kirk were married on a perfect day in the middle of July just outside of Ottawa’s city limits at Temple’s Sugar Bush. The day started out at Clyde Hall B&B where the Bride and Groom opted to do the First Look (which I am a huge fan of – gives the Bride and Groom more time with their guests and time to enjoy their hard work of wedding planning). Let me just say that the ceremony was straight out of a fairytale. The trees cascaded over the guests with the sun peeking through, the musicians Elly Squared serenaded guests and the gardens of Temples Sugar Bush had never looked more beautiful.  Family and friends came together to make this fairytale wedding a reality. The Groom’s family created all of the centrepieces by hand, ceremony decor and added personal touches throughout the venue to make it seem like the wedding was at Kirk and Jessica’s home. Officiant Sam Dignard was on point with his wit and charm and Photographer’s Brian and Ivy from BH Photography felt more like guests rather than Photographer’s (I have worked with Brian and Ivy for over 6 years now and I would highly recommend any Bride and Groom to check out their work for your wedding! I mean, just take a look below).

Every Bride and Groom hopes that their dance floor is packed and this was especially true thanks to a box full of flip-flops (which both men and women appreciated) all guests danced the night away in comfort. The tone of the party was also set when Duck Dynasty paid a visit! The Groom’s family put together an amazing flash mob for everyone’s viewing pleasure and entertainment. Jessica and Kirk also decided to incorporate a photobooth into the night’s festivities and did it ever pay off! Social Photobooth brought out the party in all guests as they dressed up and posted pictures in Kirk and Jessica’s guestbook.

This was definitely a night to remember. Congratulations Jessica and Kirk!!

Sources and Accolades:

PHOTOGRAPHY: BH Photography  • VENUE & CATERER: Temple’s Sugar Bush • EVENT DECOR: Family and Friend’s • FLORAL: Valley Flowers  • OFFICIANT: Sam Dignard – All Seasons Weddings • STATIONARY: Handmade from Michael’s and Printing by Jiffy Print • CEREMONY MUSIC: Elly Squared • TRANSPORTATION: Royalty Limousine • RECEPTION MUSIC: DJ Eric  • GOWN: Jim Hjelm Blush Collection • FLOWER GIRL GOWN: Etsy • HAIR & MAKEUP: Annette Wise-Farhatt • JEWELLERY & ACCESSORIES: Stella & Dot • HAIR ACCESSORIES: Etsy • BRIDESMAID DRESSES: David’s Bridal • MEN’S FORMAL WEAR: Moore’s • CAKE: Family • ADDITIONAL RENTALS: Social Photobooth

 

 

 

 

Part 1: Kate & Matt’s Romantic Summer Wedding – June 27th, 2014

There are weddings in every Planner’s career that resonate with you and feel less like work and more like a breath of fresh air. This was especially true while I had the privilege of working with Kate and Matt and their families. On one of the most beautiful summer day’s Kate and Matt were married at the stunning Billings Estate Manor tucked underneath a canopy of trees in the heart of Ottawa. Not a single detail was missed! Kate and Matt poured their heart and soul into the planning of their wedding and it was more than evident on their wedding day how deep and special their bond is. There were tears of joy throughout their ceremony and everyone was swapping between belly-laughs and Kleenexes during the heartfelt and candid speeches. It was very touching to see the closeness of Kate and Matt, along with their daughter Ella and families throughout the entire day.

It was a fairytale ceremony with beautiful acoustic music from MOON FRUITS set underneath the umbrella of Billings Estate’s majestic trees. While the most beautiful rendition of Ellie Goulding’s ‘How long will I love you’ was playing, Kate gracefully walked down the aisle hand-in-hand with both her mother and father wearing none other than Vera Wang. The aisle was draped in white and blush rose petals and Matt had the look of complete adoration on his face while waiting for his bride. Guests dined ‘Al-Fresco’ underneath clear blue skies and danced the night away under the stars. Tulips and Maple knocked it out of the park with yet another perfectly executed meal and Anna Jones Photography captured the entire day with ease and perfection. It was hard to narrow down which photos to choose for this post, so I have chosen to feature this wedding in a double post! Feast your eyes on Part 1 of the beauty of Kate and Matt’s memorable wedding day.

Vendors and Accolades:

PHOTOGRAPHY: Anna Jones Photography • DAY OF COORDINATION: Lianna Mackie and Kelsey Benson • VENUE: Billings Estate • CATERER: Tulips and Maple • EVENT DECOR & FLORAL:  KL Flowers • OFFICIANT: Burt Pohl• STATIONARY: Alex Buttera from The Paper Studio • CEREMONY MUSIC: Moon Fruits • RECEPTION MUSIC: Quality Entertainment • GOWN: Vera Wang • FLOWER GIRL GOWN: Little Dreamers Tutus  • HAIR & MAKEUP: Hair by Victoria Bear & Makeup by Stephanie Jones • SHOES: Badgley Mishka • JEWELLERY & ACCESSORIES: All vintage pieces from family • VEIL: Made by an Aunt • BRIDESMAID DRESSES: I LOVE that all bridesmaids were given the opportunity to pick their own beautiful dresses • FORMAL WEAR: Tiptop Tailors • CAKE: Sweet Shop & Bakery Ottawa  • ADDITIONAL RENTALS: Laszlo Szabo Event Decor for chiavari chairs & Edison bulb outdoor lights, Labelle Tents and Chezlili

 

Your Wedding Planning Bucket-List

During the planning of your wedding it is virtually impossible to think of anything else other than your wedding. Hopefully this list will find you a little solace and fun while you take on the massive task of planning the most awesome day of your life as you know it. Without further ado let’s get to it:

1) Take a planning vacation. Contradictory? No, trust me, you need this. Your friends need this. Your fiancé needs this. Just like everyone needs a break from studying, or a night away from parenthood it will help you get back on track. I’m not saying every bride or groom-to-be is in the bridezilla/groomzilla catergory, all I’m suggesting is to give yourself a break and allow yourself to retreat from what I call the ‘planning cloud’ – it follows you everywhere. So lock that cloud in a cage for a week, or a weekend, and give yourself time to breathe. Enjoy a weekend at the cottage, go to the spa or go out for dinner with your friends and tell them that you need a break from wedding chat.

2) This one is for the bride; when your dress comes in and you get it home, PUT IT ON! Do it while your fiancé won’t be home – obviously. Dance in it, marvel at yourself and get excited to wear it again! Your dress doesn’t have to be fun for only one night. Just steer clear of red wine/coffee/ or other items that would also love to cling to your dress in the form of a nasty stain.

3) Find a DIY project you can enjoy. It will make you feel proactive in your wedding planning. I mean personally my idea of a DIY project you can enjoy is making your own wine (anyone who knows me will agree), but these are also cute too:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

4) While you are planning your wedding keep a running list of all of your favourite songs that fit into these 3 categories: Cocktail/Dinner Music, First Dance Songs and songs that make you want to dance. Your DJ will thank you and you will also be happy that all of your fav. dance songs made it to your big day.

5) If you are planning your wedding more than a year in advance, keep a floral diary. What is this you ask? If you are getting married in May take note of the in-season floral at that time of year. If you are getting married in August take note of what is in season and blooming. This will save you a few dollars when discussing what you want in terms of floral with your Florist because it can be locally sourced.

6) Keep an on-going ‘To-Do’ list. Planning can snowball and become overwhelming in an instant. In order to keep the anxiety of planning such a momentous event in check, keep a list. Not only will you feel organized in doing so, you will reap the rewards every single time you get to check an item off of your list. Need help with this list, seek an expert or ask a friend who has planned a wedding (similar to your style of planning of course – someone who planned a destination wedding should not be asking for the list of someone planning a wedding at a home-town venue)

7) Lastly, relinquish control. Yes, you are the only one who knows your wedding inside, out and backwards, but on your wedding day it is time to LET-GO and be present. Be in the moment, look at your bride/groom in the eyes and drink them in. Love your surroundings and enjoy your friends and family. There are no do-overs, so be in the moment and trust your team of professionals that you have hired to handle the rest.

Planning Your Wedding in the Pinterest Era

We live in a day and age where we are proud of our frugal purchases and we are constantly on the hunt for those ‘hidden gems’. Whether it be a vintage dress you bought second hand or a piece of furniture you refinished and gave new life from a Kijiji purchase, we are ‘up-cycling’ and DIY’ing more than ever. Today’s Bride is no different and is constantly on the hunt for that ‘one-of-a-kind’ vintage find to incorporate into her wedding and we can thank Pinterest for a large part of this. Our predecessors and parents were definitely less concerned of the originality of their wedding. 25 years ago it was all about carrying out the traditions to appease the ‘elders’, however; today’s Bride and Groom’s are all about breaking the mold and putting their own creative twist on their I-Do’s thanks to the social inspiration board, Pinterest.

I am a huge fan of the virtual pin-board site and I haven’t met one Bride or Groom who did not find Pinterest useful for their wedding planning (I wish Pinterest was around when I was planning my wedding!). In fact some women have their entire wedding mapped out on Pinterest even before they have a ring on it. On one hand this makes my job a whole lot easier, but on the other hand this is creating expectations that can be unrealistic to fulfill because Pinterest makes it looks so effortless. It can also give a Bride-to-be an overwhelming sense of ‘where do I begin’. My advice to keep your pinning in-check is to find your theme first – are you going for a vintage look, contemporary and chic or glamourous wedding? The polished, finished product you see on Pinterest is the edited version, but don’t forget about the work that goes into each and every single one of those pictures you are pinning. Sure those mason jar centrepieces look beautiful and anyone can DIY, but if you have over 15 tables you will want to account for at least 15-20 minutes per centrepiece to make them look right and don’t forget about the hours it takes to source the materials. DIY can save you dollars and cents, yes, but in the long run time is money and in the hours leading up to your wedding there just isn’t enough hours in the day. So to all of you DIY’ers focus those projects in the early days of your wedding planning instead of they day-of; think DIY invitations, or DIY chalk-board directional signs that you can make well in advance.

With an abundance of choices, sensory overload and the elusive image of the perfect wedding, it is easy to get carried away with the look of your wedding instead of the ambiance and experience of your special day. Yes, your wedding should be beautiful and all about what you want, but don’t forget to include how your guests will experience your special day as well. Here are some of my favourite PINS that could help enhance your guest experience

1) A fun way to capture photos of all of your guests and you will be left with a finished photo-board before your wedding is over!

2) Don’t forget that weddings are 10-12 hour events… sometimes a little Java Post can go a long way to help sustain the party.

3) Communication is key. I get that printing 150 programs can be a waste of time and money, but sometimes a little reminder of the day’s events and timeline can be helpful to your guests. Try a wedding program on a chalkboard or windowpane.

Also, feast your eyes on my favourite Pin-Board to stalk for inspiration… check it out from www.theperfectpalette.com:

#EARTHDAY Bride

In the spirit of Earthday 2014 this post is all about how to be a more environmentally friendly bride/groom-to-be. What did your kindergarten teacher tell you to do – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle! Today’s Bride and Groom’s are more environmentally-friendly than ever. The bonus about reducing your carbon footprint as you plan your wedding? SAVING MONEY while you’re at it.

So many Brides I have spoken to are foregoing the trip to the Bridal Shop and buying USED wedding gowns online and saving over 50% of the cost. What do you think about wearing a used wedding gown? Is this against the ‘sacred’ tradition of the ‘never-worn’ white wedding dress? Brides today are savvy and care more about being resourceful than being lavish or excessive. Personally I think this trend is brilliant. Take a look at this, with a quick Google search I found Vera Wang wedding gowns starting at $650.00, yes that’s right $650.00!!! www.stillwhite.ca (My tip if you’re going to buy a used gown, make sure you buy from Canada to avoid any surprise shipping duties or surcharges)

Used Wedding Dress

Not only can you be an environmentally-friendly Bride, you can also be an environmentally-friendly bridesmaid. I first discovered the American site http://www.renttherunway.com and was disappointed to find out that they only cater to the USA. Then I discovered www.rentfrockrepeat.com! No longer do you have to pay $500.00+ for a dress that you may end up wearing for one day, you can now rent a dress for a fraction of the price and return it the next day. This also saves room in your closet and you can quit collecting your ’27 dresses’. Men have been renting tuxes for years, so why can’t women jump on board? I am all for this! I also love to support Canadian Businesswomen and would like to thank CEO and President Lisa and Kristy for bringing this amazing business to Canada.

Lastly, we all know that wedding decor can become costly and can quickly drown your wedding budget. A great way to save money and Reuse and Recycle is to shop your local Recycled Wedding Ads. Websites like Kijiji are great, but why not go straight to the source for ‘all-things-wedding’ with sites like Wedding Bee, Ruffled Blog’s ‘Recycle Your Wedding‘, or Tradesy.com’s Wedding Decor Section.  Use these sites for guest-book ideas, candy-bar accessories, centrepieces, ceremony accessories, etc. etc. ET CETERA! The great thing about this is that you can re-sell to the next bride and groom looking to buy recycled.

HAPPY EARTH DAY EVERYONE!

Happy birthday to my blog!

It’s here! My blog is born, something I have been conjuring up for a few years. I want to welcome you to my thoughts, inspirations and musings of one of the biggest events in your life – your wedding! No two weddings are alike and that is what keeps me yearning for more in this industry. I first started in the wedding industry when I was 20 years young. I was managing over 190 weddings a year at a beautiful outdoor wedding estate in the south of Ottawa and my career has blossomed since those memorable and unforgettable days. I have been so fortunate to be a part of planning small intimate affairs, elaborate Greek, Italian and Asian weddings and I’ve gone through MANY pairs of shoes and sleepless nights to get through it all, but I’ve got to tell you I wouldn’t trade it in for the world. I have met some incredible couples, some of which I call friends today. I have also met some pretty fan-freakin-tastic people who work in this industry too. In the days to come I would love to introduce you to some of these people on this blog who work hard to make your wedding dreams come true.

Whether you are newly engaged and planning your wedding, or one day hoping to meet your perfect partner at the altar, or just curious about wedding planning I promise to try to include something here for everyone. As this blog is about weddings, less about me and more about weddings! Here is a throwback to my wedding circa 2011

Photography: Melissa Johnston
Florist: Michelle Vandenbosch
Linen: Groovy Linen
Dress: Bridals by Al Mor in Winchester (they drove all the way to my house on my wedding day to fix one of my bridesmaids broken zipper)
Tux: Moores
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Hair: Noir Salon and Day Spa