Tips on Surviving a bridal show/wedding expo

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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

bling wedding ideas

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:

1. Having the flower girl sprinkle synthetic white feathers with sequins on them
2. 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
3. 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.
4. Fill the church with gold and silver candles which have been placed on mirrors to reflect the light.
5. 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…

1. Gold or silver table clothes and table service. Why not use both; silver table cloths with gold table service or vice versa.
2. Place gold or silver candles on mirrors in the center of each table and sprinkle large ‘crystals’ or ‘gems’ around them.
3. Fill the reception hall with twinkling lights, gold and silver balloons and clear glass bowls filled with gold and silver balls.
4. 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**

bridal emergency kit

23rd April, 2012 - Posted by Natasha - No Comments

Sometimes when you want your wedding day to go as smooth as possible, and nothing to go wrong, the unexpected happens, you forgot your garder belt, one of your bridesmaid’s dress started to tear, one of the grooms had a little too much to drink lastnight and has a bad hangover. For whatever reason it may be, the bridal emergency kit can save the day. Have your maid of honour or whomever you’d like to be in charge of this, carry this kit throughout the whole day making sure that those unexpected problems will be solved immediately.

Here are a list of some things I carry in a bridal emergency kit and I tell brides to carry as well (feel free to add more to the list if needed):

1. Clear nail Polish
2. Nail File
3. Nail polish (bridesmaids shade and bride’s shade)
4. Makeup
5. Stocking
6. Hairspray
7. Comb, brush, and teasing comb
8. Bobby pins
9. Hair elastics
10. Tissues
11. Lint brush
12. Backings to earrings
13. Mini flat iron (for touch-ups)
14. Baby Powers (Brides- sometimes you may spill something on your dress, baby powder will help get out the stains fast)
15. Visin Eye drops for red dry eyes
16. Contact lens solution and case
17. Tums, Midol, Advil, Tylenol
18. Deoderant, Body Spray, Body lotion
19. Tampons and pads
20. Band-aids (for those unexpected blisters)
21. Gum and Mints
22. Extra garder belt
23. Flats (for bride and bridesmaids)
24. Cellphone Charger
25. Moist Towelletes
26. Extra Camera
27. List of vendors phone numbers
28. Extra copy of the maid of honour and best man speech
29. Extra copy of Bride and Groom speech
30. Sewing Kit, Safety Pins, Small Scissors
31. Copy of invitation

Until next time!

X-O-X-O

Natasha

wedding planning from the groom’s point of view…

18th April, 2012 - Posted by Natasha - No Comments

Advice is always given to the bride, but what about the groom? After all he is the reason why you are walking down the aisle, he did pop the question. Nine out of ten times the groom will agree to everything just to make his beautiful bride happy, but what he should be doing is getting more involved in the planning.  Your wedding is for the BOTH of you, not just the bride.

Here are some tips for the handsome grooms:

1. Have an opinion: You’re getting married too so why not help with the planning. You don’t need to help pick out the colour of the bridesmaid dresses, or the floral arrangements, but you should be providing your input into the major planning. This will help your bride feel like she is not alone in the planning process and help to distress her.
2. Speak Up: (This ties in with number one) If there is something that you do not like per say, or do not agree with ‘ SPEAK UP’ Tension tends to always build up in the wedding planning process of grooms not expressing their feelings towards something. Don’t be those pushover grooms; let her know how you feel about certain things. Make sure that you are both on the right page. You will make her happy with expressing your opinions and you will also get your manhood back.
3. Take on some tasks: Why not help your bride out with the little tasks for instance your wedding registry. I’m sure your bride has already jotted down items that she would love to have, so why not take that list and go to the store and execute this task for her? Don’t forget to add in some items that you may like or want to have. Gifts are not just given to the bride they are for both the bride and the groom.
4. Choose the attire for the groomsmen ( this ties in with number 3): Take care of what tuxedos you would like to purchase/rent for your groomsmen, take care of all the details yourself. Keep communication with your groomsmen to let them know exactly what is going on. If you are having trouble picking out the right suit, take your best man along he would love to help. That’s what he’s there for.
5. Get some help: If you notice your bride is overly stressed out and is having trouble with the planning, suggest hiring a wedding planner. Your planner will help the both of you with all the details for your wedding. It will also help relieve a lot of stress and tension built up which leaves more time for cuddling.
6. Moral Support: Your bride is very stressed out at this time, and the littlest things may get on her nerves, so when she has to vent-LET HER- hear her out, but never bash the people she is venting about.
7. Keep the romance alive: On the day of your wedding send your bride flowers or a love letter to read while she is getting ready. Remind her of how you are the luckiest man in the world to have her as your wife. At the reception, why not pull the videographer aside and record a romantic message to her. She won’t see it until your video has been edited and complete, but she will thank you later for it.

Until next time!

X-O-X-O

Natasha

Events by Natasha

bbq fun for your wedding….

17th April, 2012 - Posted by Lia - No Comments

A casual wedding is not necessarily a country bumpkin affair. In fact, more and more couples are choosing to say ‘I do’ and celebrate their marriage in a more casual, laid-back atmosphere. After all the stress of getting things planned and preparing to live as husband and wife, they want the day to be relaxing and enjoyable.

This air of relaxation is evident in the reception details, too…food included.

Couples want to give their family and friends a meal to enjoy and that often means BBQ. BBQ served at a wedding reception is done more than one might think. The question is, are there wedding themes that lend themselves to doing so and others that don’t? The answer: yes. Weddings with a country or rustic theme often serve some form of BBQ at their reception. It just ‘fits’. Small, informal weddings often do the same. On the other hand, formal weddings, beach-themed weddings and weddings held in more formal or higher-end venues should not.

When serving BBQ at your wedding reception, you have several options in regards to the main dish or meat:

1. Pulled pork sandwiches
2. BBQ chicken (make sure it is already cut into portions)
3. Burnt ends (pieces of meat cut and smoked from the point end of a brisket)
4. BBQ brisket

Side dish options:

1. Potato salad or scalloped potatoes
2. Slaw
3. Tossed salad
4. Green beans or corn
5. Fruit salad
6. Fire roasted vegetables
7. Chilled pasta salads
8. Mac and cheese
9. Corn bread

When determining what side dishes to serve with your BBQ at the reception, consider whether or not the reception will be held indoors or out. If being held outdoors, be sure the caterer is well-equipped with the capability to keep foods properly cooled. You don’t want to be remembered as the bride who gave all the guests food poisoning. To quench your guests’ thirst have on offer sweet tea and lemonade and make sure there is pleanty of ice!

** Photo source: www.engagedtoeverafter.com and www.generationsevents.com

Wedding apps to assist you in planning.

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

The importance of lighting

3rd April, 2012 - Posted by Natasha - 1 Comment

The one thing a lot of people tend to not pay  attention to in the planning of their wedding is the lighting. Lighting is one very important aspect that sets the tone and mood for your venue, if it is done right, it can make your $30,000 wedding look like it is $100,000. Here are some tips on planning your lighting.

Contact a professional:  You want to make sure that you contact the right person for this job, ask other brides what company they used, or ask your venue on what vendors they can recommend. You want to ask to see pictures of previous events that they have done to see the lighting arrangements they can create.  Do your research! You want to make sure that this person knows exactly what they are doing, as lighting is a very important aspect.

After you find your professional you must…

Assess the Venue: As most receptions are held during the evening, paying visits to the venue in the evening will help you get a feel of what tone and mood you would like to have made with the lighting. Take a walk around the room; bring a friend or a family member that has a keen eye for detail as well as your professional of course, as you want to look for the spots that need to be focused on the most. Ask your coordinator at the reception if any service doors will be kept open, or if the pot lights will be dimmed, or if there is any florescent lighting as this could take away your lighting and ruin your effect.  Remember: too little, will make the room seem dark and your guests will have a hard time seeing, and too much can flood the space and look less appealing.  You also want to make sure you are not drawing attention away from the centre of the room, where your head table will be, you want to make sure everyone can notice the tables, the dance floor, each other, and of course your head table.

Use Colour: Think outside the box, sometimes people are not as brave when it comes to adding colour into their lighting, but this is a must and there are plenty of advantages in doing so.  Different colours set different tones and moods, so you want to make sure you pick the right one for the mood you are trying to create. You also want to make sure you have different lighting for different parts of the night, during dinner soft lighting is suitable, as it portrays the atmosphere of candlelight, after dinner for the duration of the night that is where you start to get bold and daring, you can even be very dramatic with your lighting as well. When transitioning between different colours make sure you are doing ones that won’t hurt the eye, a tip is to find colours that go together, take a look on a colour wheel. You want to make sure that the transition between the colours flow.

Outdoor Venues:  Lighting for an outdoor wedding is an ultimate must, as it serves a lot of purposes. If your site has a walkway or stairs, you will need to enhance these features with lighting to ensure nobody trips and gets hurt. Outdoor weddings can be a lot of fun when you are incorporating light, as you don’t need to use the typical equipment you would use in an indoor wedding; you can use more dramatic pieces that can also serve as wonderful decorative items as well.

Spending time working with your lighting designer is a very crucial part to your wedding, and it also will be one that is worth-while, although, lighting can be costly, it can also eliminate other expenses in the decoration and floral budget as lighting can create more benefits to the room then most decorative and floral pieces can.

Until Next time!

X-O-X-O

Natasha

How to save money on your wedding!

2nd April, 2012 - Posted by Natasha - No Comments

More often couples are always asking the famous question “How can we save money on our wedding, without cutting our guest list or bridal party down”  I must tell you, it is possible and here are a few tips that can help you save thousand of dollars.

 Buy a second hand dress: Usually wedding dresses have only been worn once, so it will still have that new look to it. By doing this you will definitely save a few thousand dollars and it can also help out that bride who wants the Vera Wang, without spending the retail price for it. At the end of the day who is really going to know where exactly you purchased it from.

Venue: The best way to save money on the venue is to have your reception in the winter, banquet halls, always offer discounted menu prices for the winter months, so you can end up saving almost 50% off the price that you would normally be paying for the popular summer months.

Be Crafty: Instead of spending a lot of money on the ring bearer pillow, wedding veil, or jewelry, you can make your own with craft kits you can buy at your nearest craft store. It will not only be a money saver, but it will also be a one of a kind piece that nobody else would have had and nobody would have seen before. Tip: Add in your personal style.

Photography: Hire a college or university student that would like to build up their portfolio to take your photographs. Tip: Contact professors or deans of the program to inquire about the top students, so you know you are getting the best of the best.

Sound Systems: If you are not interested in hiring a dj, your iPod will do just fine. Set it up to a loud speaker dock, set-up your play list, and hire somebody from a college or university to be the disc jockey.

Balloons vs. Flowers: Considering decorating in balloons for your reception rather than lots of flowers, it will create a different ambiance, that will sure to be a wow factor, there are tons of how to videos online that teach you how to create specialty balloon decorations (such as: arches and bouquets), they are very neat looking, and are a money saver, as they are much cheaper then flowers.

Purchasing Decorations: Purchase majority of your decoration a year before, when that particular season is ending, decoration items at your craft store will most likely be up to 50% off, you will find you can afford more.

Musical Performers: Entertainment is always fun at a wedding, but it can be quite pricey. A good tip is to look on YouTube, MySpace, twitter, facebook for local unsigned talent in your area; you can find some great artists out there that love the exposure.

Hope these tips were helpful!

Until next time!

X-O-X-O

Natasha

A Bride’s Personal Fairy Godmother

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