6th May, 2012 - Posted by Natasha - No Comments
Bridal Shows or Wedding Expos can be a ton of fun and also provide you with a little insight into your wedding planning as well as give you a one stop shop to all vendors in the surrounding area. The one thing I find is couples go there and become overwhelmed with the amount of people and vendors there. The one thing that you need to keep in mind when you arrive is to go with the right attitude, and take advantage of all the benefits, compare prices and services between vendors and remember to have fun! Here are some tips that will help you get through the long day.
- Register Online- By registering online you not only save time at the door but you also save money on the entry fee as well. Registering early allows you to receive savings on the actual ticket price.
- Create a temporary e-mail- You will be handing out your e-mail to almost every vendor so instead of having so much spam mail sent to you even after your big day, create a temporary one designated for your wedding planning and after your big day delete it.
- Bring name and address labels- print them out from your computer, or hand write them yourself. This will save you a lot of time at each booth as you will be asked for your contact information over and over again. Don’t forget to add your wedding date to your label as vendors will want to know that important detail.
- Walk down every aisle- Take everything in. Visit every aisle and do it slowly, you want to experience the whole show and every booth, you want to be able to compare prices and services between all vendors and also have some time to talk to each professional as well.
- Bring a notepad with you- this is very important, you want to take notes from what you learn from speaking with each vendor, this will help you when you look over all the pamphlets you received another day, as you will be reminded of what each vendor had to say.
- Bring your credit card, debit card, or cheque book- Just incase you want to book some services right there on the spot this is the best idea. Remember, sometimes vendors offer one day deals to the show attendees. It’ll be your only chance to save even more money on their service, so why not take advantage of it.
- Wear comfortable shoes- Sometimes you will be at the bridal show or wedding expo for more than four hours make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes to walk and stand for a long period of time.
- Bring your groom- Let him come with you, after all he is getting married too. Let him have a say in the planning as well and take in his feeling and opinions on what he sees.
- Ask a lot of questions- Make sure you are asking a lot of questions to each vendor you want to make sure you are finding out everything you need to know, don’t worry if you forget to ask an important question you can always contact them later.
- Bring a Camera- or use your smartphone to take pictures of things you want to remember, booths, designs, vendors, and even the bridal fashion show that most shows do have.
This is one of the most beneficial events for a bride and groom, so please go take advantage of them.
Lia
5th May, 2012 - Posted by Lia - No Comments
You Ain’t got a Thing if you Ain’t got some Bling.
Flowers, lace, music, glitz and glam; these are the things a fairy-tale wedding are made of. Oh, and don’t forget the bling!
Bling-the word for anything shiny and eye-catching; the perfect compliments to a day already filled with beauty. And the best part? It doesn’t cost much to get the bling-effect many brides want.
For the ceremony, consider filling the stage or area where the bride and groom will say their vows with ‘oceans’ of tulle that has been a) sprayed with gold or silver glitter b) sprinkled with sequins of silver or gold or c) embedded with twinkling lights.
Other stunning effects:
- Having the flower girl sprinkle synthetic white feathers with sequins on them
- Placing an archway at the front of the church for the couple to stand under that has been wrapped in twinkling lights and shimmery fabric
- Use gossamer sprayed with glitter to form a canopy over the bride and groom accented by large gold silk flower arrangements in clear glass or white milk glass vases.
- Fill the church with gold and silver candles which have been placed on mirrors to reflect the light.
- Gold, silver, bronze or jeweled colored dresses for the bridal party are stunning against a background of twinkly lights and/or sequins.
Moving on to the reception…
- Gold or silver table clothes and table service. Why not use both; silver table cloths with gold table service or vice versa.
- Place gold or silver candles on mirrors in the center of each table and sprinkle large ‘crystals’ or ‘gems’ around them.
- Fill the reception hall with twinkling lights, gold and silver balloons and clear glass bowls filled with gold and silver balls.
- Table cloths of shimmery fabric sporting centerpieces of gold or silver flower picks or bowls filled with glittery balls and ‘gems’ swathed in feather boas
Finding the shiny, shimmery décor for your wedding isn’t difficult, either. If possible, shop for these items during the Christmas season when there is an abundance of such items. You can also find unique items on wholesale floral supply websites as well as the popular party supply sites such as orientaltrading.
If you’re thinking less is more when it comes to bling, that’s okay, too. Adding some pizzazz to even the softest of color schemes can be done tastefully; making your day something special to remember.
** Mini Shimmer & Bling Inspiration Board**
29th April, 2012 - Posted by Lia - No Comments
Yellow, like most colors, comes in a wide variety of shades and hues and can be teamed with both complimentary and contrasting colors to make for a stunning wedding.
When deciding which shade of yellow to use, you need to keep the season of the year and the tone of your wedding in mind. For instance, use deep golden tones in the fall rather than the pastel or brighter shades that we usually see during the spring and summer months. Brighter, sunnier shades of yellow are acceptable for less formal weddings, while more formal affairs should use more conservative pale and muted shades.
When it comes to decorating with yellow, three are several flowers to choose from and ways to incorporate them into a number of different themes.
Daisies, with their bright yellow centers are quite common, but with good reason. They are quite durable in spite of their delicate look, and can be used for outdoor country-styled weddings, quaint garden weddings and simple, yet lovely indoor spring time nuptials.
Yellow roses represent joy, friendship and a new beginning. Yellow roses are appropriate in all but the most casual of weddings. Pair them with lilacs to fill the church with a heady scent or with ivy and ferns for a more classic look.
Yellow tulips are available year-round and can be used for any wedding-no matter how formal (or not) it
Sunflowers and black-eyed Susie’s are sturdy and plentiful throughout the summer months. But their strong personalities lend themselves to country or old-fashioned themes.
Depending on the shade of yellow you use, the following colors with well with yellow: pink, white, green, black, lavender, grey, brown, coral and even red.
Yellow can also be used with a bright, sunny beach theme or destination wedding or as an accent for a shimmery silver or gold theme. Here are some image-ideas to perhaps inspire you to add yellow, eben in small doses to your wedding theme!
Photo Sources:
(Wedding Invitations): www.greerloves.blogspot.ca, (Hair accessory): www.loboheme.com/, (Bridal Shoes & Sash): www.blog.malinder.com/, (Shoe with bow): Source unknown, (Necklace): www.weddingobsession.com, (Modern Cake): www.outstanding-obsessions.com
21st April, 2012 - Posted by Lia - No Comments
Sweet and gooey brownies are loved by many and are fairly easy to make. What are you waiting for, get baking and offer your wedding guests something decadent they can seek their teeth into. Make several sorts to add variety! Cut into bite-size squares or into hearts using a cookie cutter, packaged into dainty boxes and you’ve got yourself the perfect wedding favor!
Here’s a recipe I have tried myself, these brownies are absolutely delectable.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
Yield: 32 brownies
Prep Time: 40 minutes | Bake Time: 25 minutes
For the Brownie: 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 cups light brown sugar 4 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour
For the Cookie Dough: ¾ cup unsalted butter ¾ cup light brown sugar ¾ cup granulated sugar 3 tablespoons whole milk 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract 1½ cups all-purpose flour 1½ cups mini chocolate chips
1. Prepare the Brownies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil, with enough to hang over all four sides. Butter the foil. In a medium glass bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract, scraping the bowl as needed. Mix in the melted chocolate until combined. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour and mix just until combined (don’t over-mix). Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
2. Prepare the Cookie Dough: In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to combine the butter and both sugars. Add the milk and vanilla and mix until combined. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour just until combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.
3. Spread the cookie dough over the cooled brownies. Refrigerate until the dough is firm, about an hour. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter (my favorite way to slice brownies!) to cut the brownies. Store the brownies in an airtight container at cool room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Recipe and photos sourced at www.browneyedbaker.com.
19th April, 2012 - Posted by Lia - No Comments
Wedding trend alert! Metallic cakes are increasing in apperance at this year’s wedding. If you want to add a little bit of bling, think luxurious gold and shimmery silver metallics, presented in an unexpected way, having a metallic wedding cake at your wedding just may do the trick! What do you think? Will this be an ongoing trend or will the “lustre” dull out with time?
Credits: www.marcusdesigninc.com
15th April, 2012 - Posted by Lia - No Comments
Did you know there’s a flavor of soft-serve yogurt called ‘wedding cake’? And it tastes like…wedding cake. The traditional white kind, that is. But today’s wedding cakes are becoming less and less traditional. Today’s bride and groom are breaking away from what has always been done and doing it their way when it comes to their wedding-the wedding cake included.
Wedding cakes these days are more about giving the guests something they’ll actually enjoy eating-something that compliments the meal or horsederves served at the reception. If that’s what you want for your wedding reception, here are a few suggestions:
Sponge cakes filled with your favorite or a few favorite fillings. Sponge cakes are light, airy and can be flavored just about any way you like. Fillings include fruit fillings, cream cheese, pudding-style fillings (sometimes called curd fillings) and fresh fruit.
Culturally traditional cakes. Sounds kind of out there, but it’s not as strange as it sounds. For instance…a ‘mountain’ of iced puff pastries forms a Croquenbouche; a French wedding tradition. African wedding cakes are often fruit cakes with a glaze-like icing over them. Italian wedding cake is a scrumptious white cake filled with coconut cream and slathered with cream cheese frosting. A simple internet search will put you in touch with your roots and what type of dessert would have been served at the wedding of your ancestors.
Chocolate is almost everyone’s favorite, so serving chocolate cake at your wedding will be appreciated by almost everyone. Chocoholics rejoice!
Autumn weddings often keep the theme going with apple cakes, carrot cakes or other varieties of spice cakes. The icings of choice for these are either a) cream cheese frosting or b) a sugar/citrus glaze.
Both the bride and her father at one wedding I recently attended were diabetic. So instead of serving sugar-laden cake, the wedding cake consisted of three beautifully decorated angel food cakes with sugar-free frosting and bowls of fresh melon and berries to go with it. Delicious!! Tradition is a wonderful thing. But when breaking from tradition only serves to make things better or more enjoyable, then go for it! And in the case of wedding cake flavors and variations, all that we can say is YUM!
Photos sourced at: Sponge Cake (herlittleplace.com), croquembouche (cozycot.com), chocolate cake (joythebaker.com), fall cake (creativecakes.com).
13th April, 2012 - Posted by Natasha - No Comments
There are numerous Apps you can purchase and download to assist you in planning for your wedding, they become great tools and help you stay on track of your big day. Make sure to read the reviews before you go off and purchase a number of apps; you don’t want to be disappointed after you purchase it. If you are uncertain of which apps to purchase search online for the top wedding planning apps.
Here are a few suggestions to check out, that I personally refer to people that need assistance but do not want to hire a coordinator:
iWedding Deluxe- the Ultimate Wedding Planner- $9.99- an all-inclusive app that has everything you will need to plan your wedding, including budgets, contracts, locations, task lists, as well as tons of tools to help keep you on track of details you will need for your big day. It also has a calendar function to show you what needs to be completed by what day. This app will definitely help you to remain organized and stress free.
Wedding Bridal Binder- $6.99- Some people prefer simpler tools to help them stay organized, if that is you, this app is perfect. The wedding Bridal Binder can assist you in planning and organizing your wedding, while sticking to your budget and staying on top of all the tasks. It is very similar to iWedding Deluxe but with less features and it costs less too.
Brides Wedding Genius 2.0-FREE- If free doesn’t make you happy then I do not know what will, this app contains photographs of wedding dresses, rings, honeymoon destinations, themes, and all things that are apart of planning your wedding day. This app is great for ideas and suggestions to create the perfect wedding of your dreams. And after all it is free.
Wedding Budget-FREE- This app is designed to do one thing and one thing only, help you keep on top of your budget. Each cost is categorized so you know how much money you are spending wear.
Wedding Flowers Moodboard-$1.99- This app is perfect for the bride who is having a hard time choosing the right floral arrangements for her big day. You can find numerous pictures to gain ideas of arrangements for your wedding.
WeddingScan-$2.99- This app is perfect for the busy bride who doesn’t have time to go to stores for her registry. Everything can be done on this app. Saving you time and of course stress.
Montreal Wedding Planner-FREE- Marketplaceweddings.com has just launched a new wedding planning app for Montreal and will soon be soon expanding to include all major cities. The app will help organize, guide and inspire you while keeping the most useful info at your fingertips and you get to shake your handset while viewing a vendor to rapidly send out an automated email enquiry . Give it a try, it’s free and you’ve got nothing to lose!
Make sure when choosing the right app you choose something you will feel comfortable using, or you will not remain stress-free. Also, don’t try to do all the planning yourself have your family, bridesmaid, and maid of honour help you along the way.
Until next time!
X-O-X-O
Natasha
10th April, 2012 - Posted by Lia - No Comments
Every since I was a little girl I’ve always been drawn to ruffles. Ruffled dresses, princess or spanish style were an all time favorite for halloween, weddings, even casual family get togethers if I could get away with it!
If a ruffled wedding dress is a bit too much for you there are other creative ways to incorporate feminine, girly and frilly layers into your wedding!
How about a ruffled cake? This ruffled cake was created by Wendy McClendon and photographed by Brian Thomas Clay.
Or wedding shoes with frilly accents? We absolutely love these shoes by Badgley Mischka!
And finally, how about a dainty wedding centerpiece with ruffled faux flowers made out of balsa wood and rhinestones designed by Krislyn Design and shot by Gia Canali.
Long live ruffles! In small doses ofcourse!
6th April, 2012 - Posted by Lia - No Comments
A picturesque wedding that we adore is a rustic vineyard wedding. A vineyard is such an elegant yet natural setting for a wedding. There is so much that can be done when planning a wedding at a Vineyard, depending on your budget, resources and creative. Allow me to help you with the latter with some creative ideas for a fabulous vineyard wedding.
Menu: You’re at a vineyard, why not take advantage of those resources? Meet with your caterer to design a menu centered around the elegance and grape of the vineyard. Incorporate wine into your menu from the salad dressing, to the marinate on your roasted vegetables, or on your meat of choice. Wine brings such a unique and rich flavor to everything– you’re at a vineyard, what a fabulous way to tie your location into your menu!
Decor: Work with what you are given. Use the vines and green landscape to play into whatever you desire. Choose a flower(s) that coincides with the area of where you’re getting married. Roses? Peonies? Lilies? Make sure that the floral and greenery mesh well together. Consider using rustic lanterns, vintage pomades, put LED lights into wine bottles, or utilize all of those corks!
Favors: If you are not able to afford tinier bottles of wine for each guest (which is a fantastic idea if it’s in your budget), consider cork handled cheese knives, chocolate truffles, or a cheese & wine or cheese & cracker favor to send guests on their way. All are enjoyed with a great glass of wine so it will be a practical favor and also remind them of the time they spent at the vineyard celebrating your wedding day.
The Dress: Lace or tulle are the top choices here at a vineyard wedding. It’s elegant, yet simple. Both incorporate a whimsical and vintage theme to your style, which pairs perfectly with your wedding location. Check out designs by Alfred Angel and Sottero & Madgley.
Images sourced at stylemepretty.com.
30th March, 2012 - Posted by Natasha - 1 Comment
I feel very honoured that I was asked to become a weekly contributor to this blog, as a wedding/event planner and coordinator for Events by Natasha, I believe I can provide brides with the right advice and tips on planning their wedding. For my first blog, I thought it was suitable to explain the benefits of hiring a wedding planner/coordinator as I find many people ask ‘Why should I hire one?’
So you just got engaged, a million thoughts are running through your mind and the thought of it all is starting to stress you out a little, not only that you have your family members adding to your stress with question after question about the planning of your wedding. You are not sure of where to even begin with all the planning, nor do you have that much time to devote to it. That is where a wedding planner/coordinator comes in.
I truly believe, a wedding planner/coordinator is the bride’s personal fairy godmother and after reading this blog, I’m pretty sure you will too. The average wedding takes about 250 hours to plan, now throw in your full-time job, your extra-curricular activities, your own personal time, and sleep of course – what are you left with? Stress! Hiring a wedding planner/coordinator is probably the best decision a bride could make, not only does it save the newly engaged couple time to go about doing their daily activities, but it also helps relieve a lot of stress and with relieving stress, comes eliminating a lot of arguments that may have started between you and your groom, or family members, not saying that the normal quarrels might not happen during the wedding process, but majority of them are eliminated.
When hiring a wedding planner/coordinator you are not only saving yourself the stress and anxiety you are also saving a lot of money – yes, I said it MONEY! Wedding planners have a lot of connections in the industry with qualified vendors and venues, where they offer them certain discounts that you are able to use, not only that, wedding planner/coordinators are very skilled in negotiating so they are always trying to get you the best deal for your money. Budget Management is one of their strong suits as well, so they will make sure your money is being spent right and you are never going over your budget or spending money in the wrong places.
Majority of Brides have been dreaming about their wedding day, since they were little girls, collecting pictures, visioning what their special day will look like, a wedding planner/coordinator will work for you to make sure that all these dreams are met, and surpassed. They will plan your wedding as to how you want it planned not how they want it planned.
Now, we all know sometimes even during the greatest day of our life emergencies or crisis tend to happen. But, fear no more, your wedding planner/coordinator can take care of them; they are trained in handling any type of emergency and making sure that everything gets taken care of immediately.
Wedding planner/coordinators also create detailed schedules and itineraries for your wedding allowing you not to worry about orchestrating your rehearsal, or ceremony. Your wedding planner/Coordinator will make sure your bridal party and parents are properly lined up and standing in the right places. They can orchestrate the whole wedding from rehearsal right through to the end of the reception and make sure that everything goes as planned.
But, the number one reason as to why people should hire a wedding planner/coordinator is to reduce stress and put the fun back into planning a wedding, more often enough brides forget to enjoy the days leading up to their wedding and have fun because they are so stressed out from planning. Wedding planners/coordinators allow you to throw the fun back into it, and sit back, sip champagne, choose colour swatches, and taste cake.
In the past a wedding planner/coordinator was known to be more of a luxury, today it is more of a necessity to ensure that your wedding is planned smoothly and you are having fun throughout the whole process.
If that doesn’t seem like a bride’s personal fairy godmother-then I don’t know what does.
X-O-X-O
Natasha
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