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

Styling Your Bridesmaids

Recently, we discussed the attire elements for you, the Bride.  But once you have your wedding dress, headpiece, shoes and accessories selected, its then time to turn your attention to how to dress and style your bridesmaids.

Your gown will set the tone for the wedding as to how formal or how casual, how traditional or how trendy your day will be.  When selecting dresses for your girls, keep this same tone and theme in mind for them. 

Traditionally, the bride had full say and control over what dresses her bridal party would wear.  She selected the style and colour and her choice was not debated.  And for a more traditional or formal wedding, all bridesmaids usually wear the exact same dress.  The "PROS" of tradition is that there is no arguing or debating among bridesmaids which means less drama to deal with... and in the end, all the girls have the same look.  The "CONS" of tradition is that the bride may select a style (or colour) that really doesn't look good on all of her girls, leaving some feeling self-conscious and less-than-thrilled about an expense that she'll never wear again.

More recently however, the dynamics of bridesmaids styles have shifted somewhat, allowing the girls to have more input and say into the dresses that get selected.  And there has also been a trend towards allowing the bridesmaids to choose a dress of their choice, within certain parameters set out by the bride.  The "PROS" of being more flexible is that each girl can select a style that she feels secure and comfortable in, and they'll be happier about putting out money for a dress they will indeed wear again.  The "CONS" of individual choice is that the girls may look totally uncoordinated and sometimes giving too much freedom can end up with a bridesmaid selecting a dress that the bride totally dislikes. 

So, what is the best option for choosing your bridesmaids attire? 

In my personal opinion... it all goes back to what the tone, feel or theme of your wedding will be.  If it is very traditional and formal, then all the same dress (or at least all the same colour and length of dress by the same designer, but in different styles) is the best way to go.  But if your wedding is more casual and informal, then giving your girls guidelines about the colour and length and letting them choose their own dresses might be a better idea.

Regardless of how you decide to attire your bridesmaids... just remember to be considerate of their body styles, personal styles and budget as you make your decision.  Don't alienate a dear friend over a dress disagreement. 

And don't forget:  

on your wedding day

it is MORE important

that your BFF's are standing up with you as your maids

than what dress they are wearing!

FAMILY & FRIENDS Wedding Theme...

Canada Day holiday + perfect weather + lots of close family & friends = a wonderful wedding day for Sharon & Marcus in Kitchener-Waterloo...
Sharon & Marcus celebrated their marriage at Benton Street Baptist Church in Kitchener, with 21 close family & friends standing up for them in their bridal party and 230 guests on hand to celebrate their special day. The ceremony included the unique element of all guests & Bridal party lighting candles to symbolize the special connections that the couple felt with their guests. Also, at the end of the ceremony, the couple also symbolically "jumped the broom" before starting their recessional.

A Classic Car drove the couple from the church to the photo site, while the bridal party enjoyed the comfort of a Limo Bus.
The reception hall at St George's Hall in Waterloo was a vision in white and lots of "bling"... crystals, sparkly fabrics, and special lighting effects A delicious meal was served by wonderful staff from St. Georges... who did a great job in a tightly set up room! The program included touching, and sometimes. humourous, speeches as well as a special video prepared by co-workers at ESPN and a surprise video of the wedding day itself!! Following a late-night delicious Portuguese seafood & Sweet table, guests were treated to a SURPRISE... 3 Samba Dancers who put on a great show & really got the party pumping.
Sharon put so much thought and work into the day... providing flipflops for female guests to wear for dancing, providing amazing gift bags for guests in their hotel rooms, preparing bubbles for "fun" and bottles of wine as favours. She printed and framed and labelled wedding photos of guests that were placed randomly on reception tables. A "FAMILY" tree held small cards with old photos of guests, again all labelled with who they were. A second tree was used as their "WISH" tree - where guests could write a wish on a card & hang it on the tree for the couple, in lieu of a guest book.

Escort cards were hand-written and decked out with "bling". So many small yet personal touches that really showed Sharon's tender heart & love for family & friends. Sharon & Marcus made a stunning couple who are obviously crazy about each other. They were so relaxed and flexible, willing to change the agenda as needed to suit the flow of the event...they were a joy to work for! And in the end, I believe that they and all their guests truly enjoyed their incredible day.

VENDORS:
Leah Lee Photography (California)http://www.leahleephotoblog.com/
www.leahleephotography.com
Jeff Rocchi Videography jeff_rocchi@hotmail.com
St. George's Hall http://www.stgeorgehall.com/
Benton Street Baptist Church www.bentonstreetbaptist.org
Brentwood Livery Limousines www.brentwoodlivery.ca
Memory Lane Classic Cars & Limousines www.memorylanelimo.com
R.S. Divas Dancers www.rsdivas.com
Jerry Jerome Steel Drum Band http://www.gigmasters.com/Soca-Band/Jerry-Jerome-And-The/
Julia Weddings (Decor & Florals)www.juliaweddings.ca
Pat's Party Rentals (Red Carpet)www.patspartyrentals.net
Jirina Wedding Bakery www.jirinasbakery.com
Sherwood Systems (Lighting)www.sherwoodsystems.com
Joe Resendes Portuguese Catering toniresendes@hotmail.com
You Cakes - Felicia (Groom's cake) youcakes@gmail.com

A Fairy Tale BARN Wedding!!

Yesterday could not have been a more perfect day for Bride Katie & Groom David!! The weather cooperated more than we could have hoped for... slight cloud cover, gentle breeze, comfortable temperatures and NO Rain!!

The farm property of Katie's parents was tranformed into a fun, relaxed and yet elegant wedding venue for the big day. White chairs were lined up for the ceremony overlooking the large pond. The aisle was lined with shepherd's hooks with hanging mason jars filled with simple daisies.

As guests arrived, they were served lemonade at the gazebo by the pool. Gift cards were placed in an antique suitcase.

The girls dresses were all made by the mother of the bride (as were all the decor items for the day!!) Dresses were short, all the same style but in different colours... royal blue, deep purple, fuschia and deep turquoise. The girls all carried bundles of wheat and lavendar... and they all wore cowboy boots! The guys sported tuxedos with vests & ties to match the girls. Four adorable children rounded out the bridal party.

After the ceremony, the guests enjoyed a signature cocktail called the "Striker" and many delicious varieties of appetizers. They also entertained themselves by visiting the "photobooth" and then playing various "garden games" such as bean bag toss, horseshoes, giant jenga, croquette, etc. The receiving line allowed guests to finally enter the barn... an incredible and amazing facility that the brides' parents have completely renovated to be an event space. The huge barn beams were lit up with strands of mini lights. The walls were decorated with a wide variety of antiquities and "country" decor. Long tables were set up with white linens and runners made of burlap. Place cards were also made of burlap. Centerpieces were assorted tin containers with ivy and purple flowers and raffia, as well as mason jars with sand and pillar candles.

The upper level of the barn seated a few other guests & wedding helpers - and this was also where the live band was set up. The "hub" of the barn was the uniquely designed "saloon" built right into the center of the barn. A very popular spot all evening!

The bride and groom were introduced into the reception, encircled by their bridal party holding sparklers... and then the couple proceeded to perform a well-choreographed first dance, much to everyone's delight & surprise!

A buffet meal was served at a tent outside, followed by homemade pies and carrot cake served in one part of the barn after. Local Band, 'Ziggy Jones' kept the crowd dancing to great music. Later in the evening, many homemade squares as well as some pizzas were put out for guests to enjoy. Several of the guests also enjoyed the fresh evening air around a huge bonfire with some musicians singing & playing guitars.

It was indeed a magical and special day - full of great memories and fun times with friends & family - a wedding day to remember!!

VENDORS:
Young Hearts Photographers www.younghearts.ca
Flowers from Holland Park Gardens Burlington www.hollandpark.com
Ziggy Jones Band (& DJ) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ziggy-Jones/143124855718020?sk=wall
Its My Potty www.itsmypotty.com
Caterers from Oakville Conference Centre www.oakvilleconference.com

Local Bridal Salon is "Giving Back"

Coach House Bridal Salon is located in Waterdown Ontario - and they are offering an amazing promotion right now (from November 2 to 30, 2010). According to an article in "The Flamborough Review", the focus of their sale this year is "Give and Save"... and here's how it works:

First, they GIVE... Coach House will be donating a percentage of the profits from this sale to the Good Shepherd Centre in Hamilton. They are also holding a food drive during the sale and are encouraging people to drop by & make a donation of a non-perishable food item. For visitors who do so, they will be given a ballot for a draw for a pair of his & hers watches!


Second, you SAVE... Coach House's annual inventory sale this year offers INCREDIBLE savings for both bride and bridesmaids - potentially saving you scads of money! Wedding gowns are selling from $9.99 to $499. And bridesmaids & formal gowns are priced starting at $0.99. YUP! You read it right! Unbelievable prices on a wide variety of in-stock inventory. And, if you prefer to order a gown, they'll give you up to $150 off a veil & accessories.

SO.... if you're needing a wedding gown.... bridesmaids dresses.... or a formal gown perhaps for upcoming Christmas parties or New Years Eve events... be sure to check out this great boutique in the heart of Waterdown.

For more information about the sale & this store: www.coachhousebridalsalon.ca
For more information about Good Shepherd Centres: www.goodshepherdcentres.ca
For the full article from The Flamborough Review: http://www.flamboroughreview.com/news/article/295647