Winter Wonderland 25th Wedding Anniversary

Cindy & Ken celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary last evening surrounded by about 80 friends & family. According to family members, this couple has weathered storms and difficulties and stayed true and committed to their marriage despite the challenges lift has thrown at them.

The party was the wedding reception they never had 25 years ago. With a "winter wonderland" theme, the room sparkled with snowflakes and stars hung from the ceiling and along the head table backdrop.

White, Silver and turquoise blue were the cool colours with lots of sparkling accents, mini lights, led lighting and candles.

Cindy wore a beautiful burgundy gown with a silver shawl... and she and Ken shared their "first look" moment, captured on camera by their photographer, followed by lots of family photos. Once the reception began, the couple shared a first dance... and later a second dance... with Cindy's neice singing two of their favourite songs for them. The head table was a celebration of their immediate family as they were surrounded by their 3 adult children and their partners/friends.

Guests enjoyed a delicious buffet with a wide assortment of cold and hot selections, served by the wonderful staff at the Holiday Inn. After dinner, a slide show highlighted the past 25 years of their life, a couple of family speeches paid tribute to them and then they enjoyed the rest of the night dancing and socializing with family who don't have the opportunity to get together too often.

It was truly a celebration of their marriage... and here's wishing Cindy & Ken another 25 years together!

VENDORS:
Cake - Cakes for All Occasions http://www.cakesforalloccasions.ca/
Venue - Holiday Inn, Cambridge http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/cambridge/ycmca/hoteldetail
DJ, MC, Photographer, Musician - all friends or family members

Hamilton Bridal Show 2013

Last weekend was a wonderful time at the Hamilton Bridal Show!   Hundreds of brides came to gather wedding planning information from close to 200 vendors, and to enjoy fanstastic fashion shows.  Some brides came alone... others with their grooms... and others with moms and bridal party members.   It made for a very busy couple of days!

I was also very excited to be able to display my new business logo on my banner as well as new business cards and service information handouts.


I make sure that I display my Wedding Day Emergency Kit at the show as I find couples are always intrigued with.  This year, I also displayed samples of the Welcome SWAG BAGS - a service I offer to put together welcome bags for the out-of-town guests who attend weddings or events.

Its always a fun time meeting and talking to many different brides.  I met brides who were very young... and brides who were in their 60's.  Most brides were first-time brides, but there were quite a few doing for the second time around as well. 

I love finding out about the themes and ideas that brides have for their special day.  Quite a few are planning to head away on a sunny destination wedding - definitely a growing trend.  One bride I met is planning a wedding weekend at a country retreat center - what fun spending a weekend with your guests!  Another bride is planning a 1920's theme wedding with their reception at a unique local theatre, with silent movies included!   One bride and her groom are big into sea-doos ... so their wedding theme will be sea-doos... held at a gun club with a lake at it!   Another bride won her wedding a local waterslide park and they plan to wear bathing suits under their bridal attire and go in the wave pool!   What I come away with from talking to all these brides is to realize that there is no limit to the creativity and unique ideas that these wonderful gals are coming up with!  

The days of cookie-cutter, traditional weddings are long gone... today's bride is all about unique, individual, creative, one-of-a-kind experiences.

Thanks to all the brides who stopped at my booth and took time to chat with me and fill out a ballot to win a champagne & chocolates gift package!  Congratulations on your engagement and enjoy your planning experiences!


To check out the websites of all the vendors who participated at the Hamilton Bridal Show:
http://hamilton-halton-spring-2013.exhibitors.topweddingshows.com/exhibitors/list

Community Christmas Dinner

On Sunday, December 16th, the real meaning of "community" was experienced and demonstrated at Forest View Church in Oakville, as a traditional Christmas dinner was served to almost 400 guests - serving people who were from lower-income, new-to-Canada and marginalized sectors of the Halton region.  

The church sanctuary was transformed into an elegant banquet dining room - with 22 tables set up, all decorated with fine linens and china and silverware, centerpieces and candles.  Christmas trees decorated with mini lights and silver and purple ornaments graced the foyer space.  Gifts for the children of the families who attended the meal were provided. 

The whole event was run by various teams of volunteers.   One team stayed after church services in order to rearrange the sanctuary and set it up the dining room and do all the decorating.  At 4:00, for the first sitting - several people volunteered to drive guests who neeed rides.  A couple dozen volunteers arrived - some bringing hot cooked food and others who came to serve the food and wait on and clear tables.  One team of people worked the toy room, wrapping the gifts that guests selected for their children.  Other volunteers were table hosts, there to make guests feel welcome.  Then, after the first sitting, all new teams of volunteers arrived to do the whole thing over again at 6:30... and after that, a whole clean up crews came to tidy up and re-set the sanctuary back to a church setting.  All told probably close to 100 volunteers were involved to provide a delicious meal and great experience for over 400 guests.

It was a wonderful event to be a part of... to see the joy on the faces of people as they walked into a candle lit room.  To see them enjoy the children of the church who performed some Christmas songs during the first sitting... and to hear the musical treat of a jazz trio during the second sitting.   To meet families who were new to Canada and eating their first ever turkey dinner.   To hear the laugher and the chatter of people from various cultures, sitting together, interacting, and sharing in the joy of the meal and evening.   To hear guests express their gratitude for the gift of a nice evening out with a delicious meal as well.   To watch the volunteers scurrying around the dining room... taking care of needs and requests, serving guests with humility and graciousness.  To see the excited faces of children carrying their wrapped presents home with them at the end of the night.  It was truly an event that warmed my heart and brought joy to my soul... and one I look forward to helping with again next year!

Merry Christmas!


THANKS TO:
Paul Millar - Event Coordinator
Special Events Rentals
All the Volunteers from Forest View Church
and of course... the guests!!

Surprise! A 10th Wedding Anniversary Party

Peter & Wendy have been married for 10 years... and Peter wanted to surprise Wendy with a party to celebrate their anniversary ....

"Celli's Osteria", a fabulous Italian restaurant in downtown Burlington has a lower level restaurant called "Big Tomato", and we were able to rent out this space for this special private party.

The atmosphere is very "Italian"... with walls and tables and decor done in various autumnal shades ... industrial piping along the ceiling with hanging crystal chandeliers... bookcases along the walls displaying various vases and bottles and artifacts... the room is a pleasing eclectic mix of visuals and a great location for a private party!

Guests were invited to attend this great evening... and about 40 friends arrived between 7 & 7:30 pm, enjoying drinks and antipasto platters.

At 7:30, Wendy & Peter arrived - and it was very evident by Wendy's shocked expression that she truly had no clue about this being a party for her - for them! After mingling and greeting guests for a bit, the dinner began and guests enjoyed a leisurely and delicious dinner. A scrumptious carrot slab cake was presented for the "bride & groom" to cut together before it was served to guests.

A dear friend, and the minister who had performed their wedding 10 years ago gave a speech in their honour.. and then a touching video was shown - a special work that Peter had made to honour Wendy. Following the video, Peter & Wendy enjoyed a "first dance" together with a song that he had over-taped with a personal message to her part-way through. The rest of the evening was filled with guests visiting together as well as dancing, with great music provided by DJ Ron of Perpetual Rhythms.

Congratulations on 10 years of marriage Peter & Wendy... and wishing you many more years together!

VENDORS:
Venue - Celli's Osteria www.cellis.ca/
DJ - Ron Finlay from Perpetual Ryhthms http://www.perpetualrhythms.com/
Video Production - Cole McFarlane http://500px.com/ColeMcFarlane

"Plan B" was Wonderful!

Plan A was an outdoor wedding ceremony - on the east lawn of Knollwood Golf Course, with white chairs set up, facing a pond... a wonderful plan A for the wedding. But rain poured down, soaking the grass and the skies played games all day... sunny, cloudy, rainy... what to do!? Finally, to be sure that we wouldn't get rained out, Plan B was decide on... to have the ceremony inside Harris Hall (a barn) instead.

The reception tables were pushed to the back of the room. Chairs were set up in rows facing the large stone fireplace. Candles lined the mantle. The table centerpiece flowers, in mason jars, were set out along the floor in front of the fireplace and in other strategic locations around the room. And the effect was BEAUTIFUL! It was cozy and intimate and ended up being better than outside!

There were many unique touches to the wedding... hand-made table number signs on wood.

A glass lemonade jar was used as the card holder. Mason jars, flowers, lot of votives accented the room. A "just married" banner was hung across the fireplace. And as a "guest book", guests painted the palms of their hands and made handprints on large canvases, and signed their names.

Sarah was a beautiful bride...

dressed in a lace gown with a deep open back. Neil was very handsome and they made a stunning couple - definitely well-suited for each other. The weather cooperated enough for them to get videos and photos taken outside while guests enjoyed cocktails on the patio.

Speeches were very tender and meaningful and a slide show highlighted their lives. It was a wonderful day for this special couple.

Congratulations Sarah & Neil!

VENDORS

Venue - Knollwood Golf Club www.knollwoodgolfclub.com
Videographers - KoLab Cinema www.kolabcinema.com/
Photographer - Elizabeth in Love http://www.elizabethinlove.com/
Florist - Jeans Flowers - www.jeansflowers.com
Cake - Weils of Westdale http://www.weilsbakery.com/
Officiant - Rev. Dan McLean http://graceunitedcaledonia.com
DJ - As You Like It DJ - www.asyoulikeitdj.com/

Hot Day, Bad Traffic - BUT a Still a Successful Wedding!

The day dawned clear and hot and humid for Helen & Eric's wedding day today. And then the news came that a police investigation closed the QEW Niagara-bound for hours, resulting in huge traffic problems. However, with flexibility at Liuna Gardens on our side, the wedding happened as hoped, just an hour delayed. But the guests were understanding, the vendors were accomodating and it was a beautiful ceremony overlooking the lake. A nice breeze and shade of the trees helped to keep guests comfortable.

Following the ceremony and family photos... and photos with their little dog, Chico (wearing a tuxedo!) Helen changed into a beautiful red traditional Chinese gown to participate with Eric and their parents in the special Chinese Tea Ceremony. After the Tea Ceremony, it was back into her wedding dress for bridal party photos at Liuna's beautiful property.

The Cocktail hour was held at Burlington Golf & Country Club while the Bride & Groom had more photos taken there and then the reception followed.


Congratulations Eric & Helen on a beautiful and special day, despite the delayed start! It all worked out and was a special day!

VENDORS:

LifeImages Photography (Alex) www.lifeimages.ca
Norris Films Videography (Norris) www.norrisfilms.com
Liuna Gardens (Ceremony) www.liunagardens.com
Burlington Golf & Country Club (reception) www.burlingtongolfclub.com
Gala Decor (Christina) www.galadecor.ca
Lush Florals (Melanie) www.lushflorals.ca
All Life's Milestones Officant Tom Chire www.alllifesmilestones.on.ca
Quartet, Alicia & Trent www.aliciaandtrent.ca
Guitar & Vocals, Mike & Wendy www.mikefreedman.com http://www.wendyirvine.ca/
Andy's Cakes www.andysweddingcakes.com
Mainstream Entertainment (William) www.mainstream-entertainment.net
Fox Run Limosines www.foxrunlimos.com
Satine Makeup & Hair www.satinestudio.com
Chinese Lion Dancers www.sammychengtorontoliondance.com

Sweet Cheeks Event - AND RIDE - a huge success

Better a late review than a forgotten review!!

Back in May, the Sweet Cheeks Bike Team for the Ride to Conquer Cancer held a wonderful fund-raiser dinner/auction/dance event. It was held at the Flamborough Golf & Country Club where a great meal was provided and a fun evening was enjoyed by all who attended.


Highlights of the evening included a video about the Ride, a jewellry raffle, a "Joker Poker" Draw and a big hit was the "Heads & SWEET CHEEKS" game. Many silent auction prizes were bid upon - and a special guest auctioneer arrived to sell of a few special "live auction" items. The center focus of the hall was the "Hope & Memory Tree".
Music was provided - free of charge to the event - by "Something Blue" (wedding)DJs... who did a great job in playing a variety of great music for us all evening.


The Ride to Conquer Cancer was then held on June 11-12 --- and the team successfully completed the 200km ride from Toronto to Niagara Falls. They, along with all the other riders, raised over $17 million for Cancer Research.

Way to go Team!! SUPER job!!

www.conquercancer.ca

Planning your Wedding?! Come to the Hamilton-Halton Bridal Show!

I trust that everyone had a great Christmas celebration with family & friends. And now that the holidays are winding down, it'll be time for all you engaged couples to begin to set your mind & efforts on planning your wedding day! WHAT FUN that can be. But also, what a lot of stress it can be as well... I mean, with so many options out there for you, WHERE do you even begin?

Here's two great tips for you as you start focussing in on your wedding plans.

1. Attend the Hamilton-Halton Bridal show .
This is a great opportunity to find awesome vendors in your area who are eager and willing to serve you, give you great deals and to talk with you face to face. Jan.8-9, from 11am - 5pm each day, you can wander through two floors of vendors, enjoy bridal fashion shows & get TONS of great ideas. Come with labels pre-printed to make entering draws faster for you! (Name, Address, Phone, Email, Wedding date) And when you come, take the time to actually talk to vendors. Of course they are all wanting to get their information into your hands, but the best thing to do is to speak to them - tell them what you're looking for, find out what they're offering and be open to new ideas! We vendors are full of great resources and are more than happy to do what we can to help you plan the best wedding ever!

Be sure to stop by my booth on the 3rd floor to say "Hi!" and to fill out a ballot to win one of several great items that will be drawn for after the show!

2. Seriously consider hiring a Wedding Planner or Coordinator.
A Wedding Planner can be an amazing source of help & support and a real time-saver for you as you begin to plan all aspects of your wedding. A Planner is with you through the whole process to assist and guide through the full planning stages.

However, if you prefer to find your vendors/venues on your own, then you might just need the services of a Wedding Day Coordinator. A Coordinator will work closely with you during the last month before your wedding - helping you to pull all the details & loose ends together, creating your wedding day schedule, confirming all your vendors, and being on hand to ensure that all your wedding day logistics come together just as you expect them to!


I am a certified wedding planner and I would be happy to provide you with full or partial planning services... But my true area of specialty and passion is in providing brides with Wedding Day Coordination services!


I look forward to meeting you at the show - and possibly even working alongside of you during the planning of your special day.

REMEMBER....
We take care of your wedding day details so that you don't have to!
Good luck with all your wedding plans - and enjoy the experience!!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BRIDAL SHOW:
http://www.topweddingshows.com/

Stunning Wedding in Black, White & Fuschia

Last Saturday was a beautiful, sunny day as Denise & Blake became husband & wife at the Scottish Rite Club in Hamilton. The architecturally stunning mansion was a gorgeous backdrop for this fabulous wedding, which was decorated for the event in black & white with hits of fuschia - and lots of feathers!!

Denise was gorgeous - and her "wedding boots" were incredible - pointed toe, high heel and LACE to the knee boots!! (imported from Poland, ordered online!!) WOW!

A wedding party of 4 bridesmaids & ushers, a jr bridesmaid and a jr groomsmen and 4 flower girls & 3 ring bearers helped them celebrating this special event. Guests enjoyed the fun of a Photo Booth during the cocktail hour - taking serious & fun pictures - dressing up and having a great time - all to create a unique & memorable guest book for the bridal couple.

A big hit of the reception was the Candy Buffet - all in black, white & pink of course! The adults enjoyed this as much (if not more) than the kids did! Amazing how candy brings out the kid in people!!


Denise & Blake - what a good-looking couple! I wish you all the best as you begin your this new stage of your journey together as husband & wife!!


VENDORS:
Ceremony & Reception Venue & organist: Scottish Rite Club www.scottishriteclub.ca
Officant: Hans Hamer, Police Chaplain
Steel Pan Player: Steve Perez stepoo@sympatico.ca
Photographer: Photos by Alex www.photosbyalex.ca
DJ: Trevor Parnell djgreedybeats@yahoo.ca
Limo: Hamilton Limo www.hamiltonlimo.com
Decorator: Kathy Taylor www.taylormadememories.ca
Florist: Sarah Moir of Crazy Daisy www.crazydaisy.org
PhotoBooth: Fun Photos www.funphotos.ca

Fall SPECIAL!!

This is a special announcement to all brides & grooms planning their future wedding!

I am offering a FALL BOOKING SPECIAL - but the offer is quickly coming to an end!

Call to book an appointment before OCTOBER 31st, 2010 and you will qualify to book your Wedding Day Coordination package at the 2010 package rates!

This is a great deal for you - no matter if your wedding is in the last couple months of 2010 or anytime in 2011 or even later!

CALL: 905-220-9239
EMAIL: mgayla@cogeco.ca
WEBSITE: www.LeaveTheDetailsToMe.ca

Save money by reserving YOUR wedding date with me now - and avoid the rate increases that are coming November 1st!

Looking forward to hearing from YOU!!

Bride's Morning Disappointment Doesn't Diminish Her Beauty in Any Way!

Shashika's day as a bride didn't start out too well - when her hair stylist failed to show up at her house to take care of her long, gorgeous hair, a bit of panic set in! However, family stepped in and helped to style her hair - and that of the bridal party! And they did a GREAT job! And while this set-back caused a short delay in the start of the wedding, everyone finally arrived - looking wonderful!! - and the ceremony proceeded with joy & special touching moments.

After the ceremony, photos were taken at the Illuminaqua Ampitheatre along the canal in Welland with family members, and then at the stately old courthouse with the bridal party. Then, the limo whisked the couple off to Niagara Falls. At a hotel there, Shashika changed into a "greek goddess" style wedding gown that her mother had made - and then they were off to the Botanical Gardens for their couple photos.

Meanwhile, friends & family gathered at the Club Italia hall in Niagara Falls for cocktails. When the bride & groom arrived, they greeted their guests in a receiving line, and then guests were then given a token gift which was a memorial to Joe's brother who recently passed away after a brief battle with cancer. A glass of champagne embellished with a "wild hisbiscus edible flower" in it was given to each guest as they entered the banquet hall for the reception.

All the flowers - bouquets, boutineers, centerpieces, church pew decor, and 4 large flower displays - were gorgeous in whites & yellows, providing sunny accents to the girls' yellow gowns. (Gowns & flowers were all made by Shashika's mom - what a talented lady!!)

So, despite the disappointing start to Shashikas' day - and despite the threat of rain all day - in the end, the wedding day was a huge success.... with beautiful hair and NO rain... and great memories made for this wonderful couple!


Congratulations Shashika & Joe!






VENDORS:
Ceremony Site: Rev.Will Alakas of Holy Trinity Anglican Church http://www.niagara.anglican.ca/parishes/index.cfm?PID=218
Photographer: Sarah of Indigo Stars Photography www.indigostarsphotography.ca
DJ & Videographer: Matt & Chris of Liquid Cube Productions www.liquidcubeproductions.com
Reception Hall: Club Italia www.clubitalia.ca
Decor Rentals: Creative Imports www.creativeimports.ca
Head & Cake Table Decor: Christina of Gala Decor www.galadecor.ca
Wedding Cake: Cheryl Miller www.cmweddingcakes.vpweb.com
Limo: Exquisite Limo www.exquisitelimo.ca

ANCASTER WEDDING SHOW

Brides-to-be.... THIS SUNDAY - August 22, 2010 - plan to come out to the all NEW Ancaster Wedding Show!

Great venue at the brand new Ancaster Fairgrounds - new vendors & some familiar faces - new looks - special features - great give-aways.... truly a wedding planning event you don't want to miss!

ADDRESS: 630 Trinity Rd, Jerseyville

TIMES: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm!
COST: $8.00 online in advance, $10 cash at the door


Check out all the exciting details at:

www.ancasterweddingshow.com

Fun Wedding with Sri Lankin and Trinidadian Grooves!

Malki & Gary survived the terrible humidity and a few passing showers on Sunday as they joined together as husband and wife. The day had a few highlights in my mind...

At the start of the service, Gary & Malki ended up standing kind of far apart -
but when musician Andrea Gal began to sing, Gary stepped forward & took Malki's hand -just in time to the song lyrics, "Draw me close to you...never let me go".... oh boy - I think a few tears were shed at the timing of that move!!

The reception hall was gorgeous! Tall elegant palm trees were set up around the room with uplights on them. The centerpieces were tall glass vases filled with tropical flowers & leaves, surrounded by 3 tulip votive holders. A steel pan player entertained guests during the cocktail hour & dinner... so there was a very tropical, "caribbean" feeling in the air!

After the guests enjoyed the receiving line, favours, shooters & picked up their custom-made "leopard print" place cards (in honour of Malki's love of this print!) the bridal party were ready for their introductions - and they all certainly made a Grand Entrance with funky dance moves... even the Ring Bearer did a few "break-dance" moves on his way in!! The party played up the entrance by doing a "soul train" routine.... and then this led to Malki & Gary's first dance together as husband & wife. Following that, they cut their cake, which was a spectacular creation on a gorgeous table display.

The kissing of the bride & groom was done with great fun - as they had to kiss for as long as a guest could keep a hoola hoop going! After a fabulous meal and a few speeches, Malki had a big surprise for Gary.... Caribana Dancers!! Three stunning dancers arrived and put on an incredible show, which of course included getting the bridal party and guests involved! What fun! After that - the party was well on its way.

Later that night, Gary & Malki changed into traditional "Sri Lankin going away outfits". Gary wore a very classy suit with a hot pink vest and Malki was adorned in splendor in her hot pink & gold sari & jewellry!

The day was a wonderful success! Congratulations Gary & Malki!

VENDORS:
Ceremony Site: Parkwoods United Church, Don Mills (Rev. Ellen Redcliffe)www.parkwoodsunitedchurch.com
Photo Site: Glendon College Campus www.glendon.yorku.ca
Reception Site: Venetian Banquet Hall, Vaughan www.thevenetian.ca
Ceremony Musician: Andrea Gal www.andreagal.ca
Photographer: Chuck of Pickering Photo www.pickeringphoto.com
Videographer: Dan of ChiliPepper Videography www.chilipepper.ca
Request Limosines: www.requestlimo.com
Cake Decorator: X-quisitte - Stacey Fernandes www.xgxcentral.com
DJ & MC - X-quisitte - Shaun Fernandes & Brian www.xgxcentral.com
Steel Pan Player - Kenn Lewis www.kennlewis.com
R.S. Divas Dance Troupe: www.rsdivas.com
Florist - Laurel Munro Floral Design www.laurelmunro.com
Decorator - Terri-Anne of TASAJ: www.Tasaj.com
Palm Tree Rentals - Amhurst Greenhouses: www.amherstgreenhouses.com
Hair Stylist: Angela Gale of Gorgias Hair Salon (friend of Malki's)
Makeup Artist: www.skmakeupartistry.com
Sari Dresser: Sobi Thiru www.luxurycakes.ca
Place Cards Designer/Calligrapher: Aliza Latta (friend of Gayla's)
Ceremony Decor: Heather Pearson (friend of Malki's)

Unique Reception at Warplane Heritage Museum

On Sat. July 31st, Phil & Brandy celebrated a fun evening for their Ontario Wedding Reception at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. The couple actually tied the knot earlier in July in Alberta - then had a great honeymoon for a couple weeks and ended up back in Ontario to celebrate with their friends & family here.

Brandy wore her gorgeous wedding dress for the reception and looked amazingly beautiful. The head table was set up under a HUGE warplane, and at the head table were Phil's sister & brother-in-law and brother & sister-in-law. The tables were all surrounded by various warplanes. Guests had the opportunity to view the planes & museum, guided by on-site volunteers. Each table was labelled by the name of a warplane, along with a picture of the plane. These table labels were done by the groom's dad who is passionate about warplanes!

The museum catering was DELICIOUS! HUGE portions of chicken breasts and side dishes were so amazing. Who knew that plane-specialists could cook so well!

After dinner, guests enjoyed a slide show of the happy couple, and tender speeches from the groom's parents & then from the bride & groom. Then, after dessert, "Relative Harmony" musicians led the guests all in a "contra dance" evening. Fiddle, piano & a "Caller" who led us all in what can be described as "english square dancing". What a great way to engage just about ALL of the guests - many of whom might not have danced at a typical dance!

It was a fun evening and a great celebration of this newly married couple.

Congratulations Phil & Brandy - and all the best in your new home in British Columbia!!


VENDORS:
Venue & Caterers & decorators - Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum http://www.warplane.com/
Musicians - Relative Harmony http://www.relativeharmony.com/
Flowers - Longo's grocery store
Cake - Stephanie Krish, sister of groom

Pre-Wedding PANIC ATTACKS!

This week, I've had three separate brides contact me and each one was having their own little "panic attacks" as they were working on their wedding plans...

* guests I didn't know we'd invited just RSVP'd and I don't know where to seat them - help!
* well-meaning people are trying to re-design my decor plans - augh!
* the limo driver is giving me attitude - what should I do?
* I have a list wedding-related things to buy and I hate spending money on things I'll never use again - I need some creative & cheap alternative ideas!
* my dress needs to be altered & my seamstress won't return my calls - how do I find someone else reliable & trustworthy?
* I have wedding stuff all over my dining room table and I thought I had it all under control - but I'm freaking out - I can't do this!

Yup - wedding stress is very real, very common and very challenging to deal with! And every bride will face it at some point in the planning process - especially as the time ticks down closer to the big day! It can become very overwhelming.

SO - HOW can you deal with this stress? Here's a few ideas for you...

FIRST.... BREATHE! Deep, slow breaths to calm you down. None of the plans are worth hyperventilating over! Take a break from wedding plans for a night - go for a walk, sit on your deck & read a book, sit at a coffee shop & just people-watch, go to a good & funny movie. You have a life outside of wedding plans - don't forget to LIVE it!

SECOND... KEEP LISTS & KEEP ORGANIZED! Get a notebook that you keep with you always. Write down anything & everything you think of so you won't forget it or keep worrying about it. Then as you accomplish a task, black it out or better yet, use white-out tape & make it disappear! Its done & over with, so get it out of your line of vision and watch your list get smaller.

THIRD...PRIORITIZE! Look at your lists and decide what you MUST do first - and then do those things first. Take care of the big things as soon as you can & then you'll have the head-space to think about the little things. Take a serious look at the items on your list and decide what things you can let go of if you have to. Remember that while most of your ideas will be good idea, if trying to get them all done breaks you, then they are no longer good ideas! Its just not worth falling apart over some things.

FOURTH...DELEGATE! Anything you can delegate to your mom, your fiance, your Maid of Honour or bridesmaids, your family members... DO SO! If someone volunteers to help you - take them up on their offer! YOU don't have to do it all by yourself! Give them a task and then TRUST THEM to do it.

FINALLY... or really, this should have been FIRST OF ALL THESE SUGGESTIONS... hire a wedding DAY coordinator to help you with all of these things. Every single bride I have worked with in the past and that I am working with this year tells me how glad they are they've hired me - how my referrals saved them money - how my attention to details to things they wouldn't have even considered have helped the plans to flow smoothly - how the way I listen and am there for them really does calm them down & helps them to keep things in perspective.


As a wedding coordinator, besides handling all the myriad of details that needs to come together for a wedding day - I also pride myself in being a "calming influence" and the "voice of reason" that can help to reduce the panic attacks & relieve the stress that brides face during those last busy months of planning.

SO - are YOU feeling stressed & panicky as your wedding draws closer?! If so - give me a call & let me take care of the details - so you don't have to!!


PHOTO by: Heidi Ram Photography www.heidiramphotography.com

SWEET CHEEKS: Yellow & Black Dinner/Silent Auction Fund Raiser

Saturday April 24th was the date of a great fundraiser event that I had the privilege of assisting at in Burlington. SWEET CHEEKS is the name of a local bicycling team of 19 riders who are training hard and fundraising hard in order to participate in "The Ride to Conquer Cancer" for the Princess Margaret Hospital. Most of these riders are not long-distance riders - in fact, at least one didn't even own a bike - and yet they are all committed to riding the 200km from Toronto to Niagara Falls on June 12-13. Each rider is required to raise a minimum of $2500 in order to participate in the ride. That's a LOT of cash!!




And so, to help the team raise funds, they held a dinner/silent auction event. Approximately 125 people attended the event at St. Luke's beautiful church hall, which was all decked out in black & yellow, the colours of the ride. Gorgeous floral centerpieces were designed by Tracy of Lux Living.
There were well over 100 items donated for the silent auction and several great items were sold off through a fun live. Rick James, local musician & DJ, provided great musical entertainment throughout the whole evening. A delicious meal was provided by Gator Ted's Restaurant. An adorable cake was provided by Linda Jenner and delicious brownies from Jitterbug Java Cafe.

There were two unique features at this event. One was that all the riders brought their bikes to have on display - and attached to the handlebars was the rider's photo and a brief bio about why they are doing the ride. The other feature that was a focal point during the evening was a "tree of hope & memory". It was a white branch tree, lit by a spot light - and people filled out tags to hang on the tree. Yellow tags were for the names of people who have cancer or who have survived cancer. Black tags were for names of people who have passed on from this disease. It was a very visual and impactful image.

The event cleared just over $8000 for the riders - Congratulations Krista & team members for a job well done! And all the best in raising the rest of the funds needed to do the ride.

For more information about the ride, how to donate or how to be a volunteer, check their website: http://to10.conquercancer.ca/site/PageServer?pagename=to10_homepage

"Added Value" Wedding Coordinator!

I recently got an email from a bride I'm working for this summer - and her comments really made my day! She thanked me for being "an added value wedding coordinator". I think that phrase really encapsulates what I try to provide in my services to bridal couples.

While I advertise that my area of specialty is in "day of" coordination, the packages I offer are in fact more "month of" coordination as I work hard for a bridal couple pulling all the details for their wedding together during the last month of their plans.

However, I really do more than that for my brides. Once they've booked my services, I tend to make myself available to them by email or phone to help them in many other different ways. If they need someone to research ideas or products for them, I'm happy to do that. For example - recently, I've done research for my upcoming brides for the following items: ice sculptures, wild edible hibiscus flowers, etched glass cake toppers, chuppahs, tropical trees, calligraphers, ceremony musicians, vases, submersible LED lights, etc. At weddings with children in the bridal party, I've been known to provide gift bags of "quiet" treats for them to keep them occupied during the ceremony. At the bridal party photo shoot, I provide a cooler of water & a few snacks for the bridal party. When I'm hired for the whole wedding day, I provide toiletry baskets for the washrooms at the reception hall. Umbrellas are always on hand as well to keep bridal party, photographers, guests dry in case of rain. And of course I bring my well-stocked "emergency kit" as you never know when you might need it! These are all examples of some of the "added value" services that I like to provide my clients.

So.... if you're looking for "Day of" or "Month of" wedding coordination services - why not hire a coordinator who will give you all that - - PLUS "added value"!!
Give me a call if you want to know more about how I will serve you so that YOUR wedding day be a wonderful success!