A perfect fall wedding!

Love came as a bit of a surprise for this couple.... and as soon as they realized their love was really happening, Paul popped the question to Kathinka early in July. And once they knew...there was no time to waste! After conferring with special family & guests who would come from overseas, the date was set for an Oct 15th wedding - and the plans went into full action!

A special wedding ceremony - including a worship time and message from their pastor - started off the ceremony, which was a very important element to both Paul & Kathinka.

150 guests enjoyed the ceremony held at Crossroads Chapel in Burlington.

Following the ceremony - photos were taken with the couple and various groups of friends and then guests were immediately invited to enjoy the HIGH TEA reception that was set out in the Towne Square of Crossroads. High top tables featured china teacups with flowers in them.

Long guest tables were covered in white linen, and dressed up with home-made crocheted runners and doilies, stacked antique books and teapots filled with flowers.

Guests enjoyed finger sandwiches, veggies and cheese, a sweets table featuring British and Dutch favourites of the bride and groom.... scones with clotted cream and jam ... and a stunning cupcake table display. After a few family speeches - and a speech from the groom (which included a surprise SOLO that he sang to his bride!!!) - the couple were cheered off as they left for photos and to continue their day with further celebrations.


Greystone Golf Club in Milton provided the setting for amazing fall-coloured background for photos - especially as the weather was an unseasonably warm 20C temperature! A perfect fall day for photos outside! The couple has quite the fun driving a golf cart with a sign that declared "JUST MARRIED"!

About 60 family & friends - including quite a few from overseas - attended a sit-down dinner at Greystone

and were then treated to an evening of "English Country Line dancing" (also known as Contra Dancing). It was a fun evening of laughter and great music and dancing.

Congratulations to this very special couple!


VENDORS:

Flowers - Pocket of Posies www.pocketofposies.ca
Chapel & High Tea - Crossroads Communications Centre & Towne Square Staff http://www.crossroads.ca/
Photographer - Carolyn Bentum Photography http://carolynbentumphotography.com
Vintage Rentals www.vintagerentals.ca
Special Event Rentals www.specialevents.on.ca
Greystone Golf Club - www.greystone.clublink.ca
Contra Dance Musicians - Relative Harmony www.relativeharmony.com

A perfect fall wedding!

Love came as a bit of a surprise for this couple.... and as soon as they realized their love was really happening, Paul popped the question to Kathinka early in July. And once they knew...there was no time to waste! After conferring with special family & guests who would come from overseas, the date was set for an Oct 15th wedding - and the plans went into full action!

A special wedding ceremony - including a worship time and message from their pastor - started off the ceremony, which was a very important element to both Paul & Kathinka.

150 guests enjoyed the ceremony held at Crossroads Chapel in Burlington.

Following the ceremony - photos were taken with the couple and various groups of friends and then guests were immediately invited to enjoy the HIGH TEA reception that was set out in the Towne Square of Crossroads. High top tables featured china teacups with flowers in them.

Long guest tables were covered in white linen, and dressed up with home-made crocheted runners and doilies, stacked antique books and teapots filled with flowers.

Guests enjoyed finger sandwiches, veggies and cheese, a sweets table featuring British and Dutch favourites of the bride and groom.... scones with clotted cream and jam ... and a stunning cupcake table display. After a few family speeches - and a speech from the groom (which included a surprise SOLO that he sang to his bride!!!) - the couple were cheered off as they left for photos and to continue their day with further celebrations.


Greystone Golf Club in Milton provided the setting for amazing fall-coloured background for photos - especially as the weather was an unseasonably warm 20C temperature! A perfect fall day for photos outside! The couple has quite the fun driving a golf cart with a sign that declared "JUST MARRIED"!

About 60 family & friends - including quite a few from overseas - attended a sit-down dinner at Greystone

and were then treated to an evening of "English Country Line dancing" (also known as Contra Dancing). It was a fun evening of laughter and great music and dancing.

Congratulations to this very special couple!


VENDORS:

Flowers - Pocket of Posies www.pocketofposies.ca
Chapel & High Tea - Crossroads Communications Centre & Towne Square Staff http://www.crossroads.ca/
Photographer - Carolyn Bentum Photography http://carolynbentumphotography.com
Vintage Rentals www.vintagerentals.ca
Special Event Rentals www.specialevents.on.ca
Greystone Golf Club - www.greystone.clublink.ca
Contra Dance Musicians - Relative Harmony www.relativeharmony.com

Perfect Wedding Day

Saturday June 4 was the perfect day for a wedding... blue skies, gentle breeze, warm sun, not too hot or cold... perfect! And Charlotte & Wilbur enjoyed every moment of this perfect day...

It started out with the "first look" and family photos being done early in the day. Then a beautiful ceremony at St Cuthbert's Anglican Church in Oakville with some fun bubbles and group photos afterwards. Then on to the gorgeous grounds and banquet facilities of Oakville Golf Club. Centerpieces were china teacups with spring mix bouquets in them.

Guests enjoyed sangrias and mimosas while the bride & groom took some fun pictures around the grounds. Charlotte and Wilbur were very relaxed and just really took in the day, their guests and the special moments.

A delicious Lunch was served in the bright banquet room - with the Bride & Groom enjoying their sweet heart table and speeches by their Best Woman and their Man of Honour! After cutting their cake and giving their speech, the tender moment of the day took place - the bride & her dad danced together. What made this so moving was that dad has not been well and it had even been uncertain if he would be able to attend the wedding -let alone dance with his daughter. So when he was able to be there - to walk her down the aisle - and then do dance with her, there wasn't a dry eye in the place!

Following their dance,

Charlotte changed into a party dress - in honour of Wilbur's Asian heritage and tradition. And then - despite it being only 3:00 in the afternoon and the room flooded with bright sunlight - the party really kicked into high gear... with most guests on the dance floor - dancing, laughing and singing along to the music! It was very much a fun-filled dance party!!

Congratulations Charlotte & Wilbur!

VENDORS:

CEREMONY: St Cuthbert's Anglican Church www.stcuthbertoakville.ca
RECEPTION: Oakville Golf Club http://www.oakvillegolfclub.com
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Max & Ricci of LaMemoir http://lamemoir.com
DJ & PHOTOBOOTH: Sound Obsession www.soundobsession.ca
FLORIST: Late Bloom Florist http://www.latebloomflorist.com

Long Distance Planning - Local Wedding Day!

Jenny & Shawn live in Alberta - and as their wedding planner, I live in Ontario. They hired me over a FaceTime call and we planned their entire wedding through emails, texts, calls and FaceTime meetings. And on the Wednesday before their wedding here in Ontario, I FINALLY got to meet them in person!! What an exciting day that was for me - to meet this awesome couple face to face!



After all the crazy up & down weather we've been having, April 23 dawned with clear blue skies and bright sunshine - and very comfortable temperatures.... a perfect day for a wedding! The ceremony was held in the brand new Ancaster Mill Chapel - so brand new that the finishing touches were put on it at 7:00am the morning of the wedding!

How exciting to be able to be part of the very first wedding in the chapel!

With its floor to ceiling stone fireplace, cathedral ceiling with wooden beams, perfect sized wooden stage, huge windows letting in great natural light, white marble aisle, upper glass-fronted balcony, silver chivari chairs with white padded seats.... this venue is a dream for weddings and photos!



Guests enjoyed cocktail hour in the Millview Room while the family and bridal party did great photos on the grounds of the Mill.

The reception was held in the Falls Room - with its rustic elegance and huge windows overlooking the falls.




Guests enjoyed a delicious meal, entertaining speeches, a fun photo booth and a GREAT dance band!
It was one party that no one wanted to go home from!

Congratulations Jenny & Shawn!




VENDORS:
Venue: Ancaster Mill www.ancastermill.ca
Florist/Decorator: Pocket of Posies www.pocketofposies.ca
Photographers: VP Studios www.vpstudiosphotography.com
Videographer: Taylor McDonell
Officiant: Rev. Allan Budzin
Band& DJ: Parkside Drive www.parksidedrive.ca
Photo Booth: Das Photos www.dasphotobooth.ca
ShuttleBus: Mermaid Limo www.mermaidlimo.com
Limo: Canam Limo www.canamlimo.com
Hair & Makeup: Anita, Amy, Lindsay from AB Cosmetics www.abcosmetics.ca
HandLettering: Aliza Latta www.instagram.com/alizalatta
Printing: The Printing Korner www.printingkorner.com
Rentals: Mashed Events www.mashedevents.com
Hotel: Visitor's Inn www.visitorsinn.com

Why Should Brides Attend Local Bridal Shows?

This coming weekend, Jan 10 - 11, 2015 is the annual Hamilton Wedding Show. It is two full days of amazing vendors, impressive displays, fun fashion shows, delicious food samples and LOTS of great information!

It always surprises me to hear brides say, "I can't be bothered going to a bridal show." I know that sometimes we vendors can come across as pushy... trying to stuff our flyers in your already overfilled hands, trying to get you to fill out a ballot, trying to talk up our services with you. Forgive us for being pushy. We don't mean to be... at least most of us don't mean to be!

I think as a bride, you need to come to a Bridal Show with a different outlook. Don't look at exhibitors as "the vendors to be avoided!!" But rather, realize that we are actually there FOR YOU. We have spent good money and countless hours to prepare ourselves to meet YOU and to talk with you about YOUR wedding. We are really there, for two long days, in order to meet and serve the bridal couples of our community!

If you already have various vendor services booked, we understand - and we are fine with you telling us this!

Splashes of Colour Warmed the Night!

Brittany & Mike got married on a chilly evening on November 15th at the Art Gallery of Hamilton. But the cold winds did nothing to cool down this hot and vibrant event!

This couple was the ultimate in being a "laid back & easy going" Bride & Groom. They were just so excited and ready to get married and so happy to have family & friends surrounding them that there was no room for stress or anxiety as they prepared and as the day arrived!

The Art Gallery provided a unique space for the wedding. The Pavilion room is a big open space with 2 large plain white walls, 2 floor-to-ceiling window walls, a grey floor and very high ceilings... really, a blank canvas on which to paint and design a dream wedding. For this couple, they chose to go with "splashes of colour" of Red, Pink, Purple or Yellow. The ceiling had about 50 coloured chinese lanterns of various sizes hanging across the room.

For the ceremony, flowers arrangements sat on pedestals to very simply accent the "altar" area. The aisle was lined with votives in sets of 3 tall vases, surrounded by coloured rose petals. Later, the room was flipped for the reception, and guests tables were set with basic white linens, but accented with "colour blocked" details - each table being a different one of the 4 colours in the floral centerpieces, votive candle holders, place cards and table name cards!

Brittany's bouquet was 'colour blocked' with these four colours. Each bridesmaid carried a solid colour bouquet in one of the theme colours. The flower girl carried a mini bouquet with one gerbera daisy in each colour tied together. The head table backdrop was a simple wall-cling of the couple's name, with uplighting that gradually rotated through the colours during the evening.

Signage for the event, and guest place cards, were all done with what looked like "paint splashes" of the theme colours as well. Very fitting considering Brittany works in the head office paint department for Canadian Tire. The table names were very unique, and the guests at each table had to guess the significance of the table name to the couple, explain it to the rest of the guests and if they were right, the couple were more than happy to reward them with a kiss! This "game" went over really well with the guests... and there was a lot of kissing going on during the reception!!

Overall - they were a wonderful couple and the beautiful wedding truly celebrated family, friends, love and great relationships!

Congratulations Brittany & Mike!


VENDORS:

VENUE: Art Gallery of Hamilton www.artgalleryofhamilton.com
OFFICIANT: Linda Kasprzak of All Seasons Weddings www.allseasonsweddings.com
PIANIST: Uncle of Bride, Jack Packer
PHOTOGRAPHER: Sara Wilde Photography www.sarawilde.com
FLORIST: Samantha Forrest of Pocket of Posies www.pocketofposies.ca
DJ: Devon Craig MacDonald devoncraigmacdonald@gmail.com
Dance Floor & other RENTALS: Special Events Rentals www.specialevents.on.ca
LIMO: Hamilton Limo www.hamiltonlimo.com
HAIR & MAKEUP: Be You Tiful Brides www.beyoutifulbrides.com
BRIDAL GOWN: Heirlooms Bridal Salon www.heirloomsbridal.com

Wonderful Winter Wedding

Christmas came and went... and the wedding day was upon us! After a major ice storm and snow, the day dawned with slight clouds and warmer temperatures - a perfect winter wedding day!

Emily was a beautiful and radiant bride, wearing a tulle, lace and satin gown that suited her perfectly.

The girls wore deep plum coloured long gowns and instead of carrying bouquets, they all carried hand-knit muffs made by the bride & bridesmaids. The bridal party had fun getting ready at the Sheraton Hotel and travelling in a limo bus together.

A highlight for the couple was the unique chance to have their first look photos taken on the roof of the Sheraton, followed by Bridal party photos before the wedding at Liuna Station.

The wedding ceremony took place at the traditional and beautiful Central Presbyterian Church in Hamilton. Following the ceremony and receiving line, guests were treated to a decadent Hot Chocolate Station and assorted sweets in the church fellowship hall.

Everyone then made their way to the elegant King George Ballroom at Liuna Station for the reception. A delicious and filling 5 course meal was served. The guests enjoyed speeches and the traditional and fun "Bride/Groom Shoe Game",

a tea station that sampled Emily & Luc's favourite teas, and there were some unique dance moves provided by guests in order to entice the bride & groom to kiss.


It was a wonderful winter wedding day...and I wish Luc & Emily a wonderful life together!


VENDORS:

Ceremony Venue: Central Presbyterian Church, Hamilton www.centralchurchhamilton.on.ca
Reception Venue: Liuna Station, Hamilton www.liunastation.com
Hotel & First Look: Sheraton Hotel, Hamilton www.Sheraton.com/Hamilton
Photography/Videography: KoLab Cinema www.kolabcinema.com
Flowers & Centerpieces: Pocket of Posies www.pocketofposies.ca
Decorator: With All My Heart Wedding Décor www.withallmyheartweddingdecor.ca
Limo Bus: Mermaid Limo www.mermaidlimo.com
Wedding Cake: Criveller Cakes www.crivellercakes.ca
HairStylist: The Full Spectrum http://www.hairatthefullspectrum.ca/
Makeup Artist: Fabulous Faces www.fabulousfaces.ca