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

Rain Couldn't Dampen This Wedding Day!

Becky & Mike didn't let the rain stop them from enjoying their wedding day. Having the ceremony and reception all held at the Waterloo Inn made things easy for guests and allowed everything to be done indoor and dry! Becky looked amazing in her gown.. and her adorable flower girl was precious in her black gown edged with black feathers. Bouquets and boutineers were also all made of feathers.

The colours for the day were black, white, silver and royal blue. The ceremony space was beautifully decorated with a sparkly black and crystal backdrop with large planter and candles in stands, and all chairs covered in black.
The reception hall had the ceiling draped as well as another beautiful backdrop behind the head table. Manzanita trees were the centerpieces and the room looked beautiful.

Guests enjoyed a cocktail hour in the foyer and then a delicious buffet dinner. The speeches included an unexpected "rap" by the brides' parents - wearing hats and sunglasses to the Eminem song, "Lose Yourself". It was a true highlight of the evening!

The couple played the "shoe" game, causing laughter among the guests. The reception program was ahead of time, and so the dancing party began early, much to the delight of the bride & groom. The cupcake table was set up with various height trays on top of glass vases filled with roses. A photo booth in the foyer provided some extra fun and laughter for the guests.



This couple were very informal and laid back... thoroughly enjoying their day with their friends and family.

Congratulations Becky & Mike!


VENDORS:
Venue: Waterloo Inn www.waterlooinn.com
Photographers: Elena Photography www.elenaphotography.ca
Officiant: Trish Pajunen, Kettle Creek Weddings www.kettlecreekweddings.com
DJ: KToss Entertainment www.ktoss.ca
Decorator: Decorating Dreams - Lori Lawrence www.decoratingdreams.ca
PhotoBooth: Never Forget Photo - David Wilk www.neverforgetphoto.ca

Perfect Day for a Partially Persian Wedding

Thanksgiving Saturday was a beautiful, warm, sunny, cloudless day... a perfect day for Naomi & Arash to enjoy their outdoor wedding ceremony and photos at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington. The girls arrived to the RBG in style in classic cars, then walked through the gardens to the ceremony tent.

The ZoroAstrian priests conducted the traditional religious ceremony in both English and the traditional language, with a full table on display with candles, assorted sweets and other symbolic elements. After the traditional ceremony, the couple then exchanged personal vows that they wrote for each other, and then exchanged rings.

Guests enjoyed the gardens while photos were being taken and then cocktail hour was served in the atrium of the RBG. The banquet hall was decorated with lots of florals and greenery, with a beautiful backdrop and accents.

The wedding cake was a stunning 5-tier creation!
The DJ/MC kept the evening moving along, and was able to engage guests in both English & Farsi, playing a great mix of music. Dinner was enjoyed interspersed with touching speeches. When the dance floor opened, the guests were out there enjoying the dance to the fullest.

Naomi & Arash were so easy-going and laid back with awesome family & friends.

It was a fantastic wedding day! Congratulations to a special couple!


VENDORS:
Venue: Royal Botanical Gardens www.rbg.ca
Photographer: Life Images www.lifeimages.ca
DJ: Unique Sounds DJ www.uniquesoundsdjs.ca
PhotoBooth: Tribute Kiosk http://www.tributekiosk.com/
Cake: Wedding Cakes By Design www.weddingcakesbydesign.ca
Vintage Cars: Memory Lane Limousines www.memorylanelimo.com
Flowers: Flower Deco www.flowerdeco.ca

Music Gardens and Crush Wine Bar - unique wedding day!

Kayan & Doug planned their wedding to be at the beautiful outdoor Toronto Music Gardens... and while the weather threatened to rain all day,

the rain held off and gave them a perfect day for an outdoor ceremony with the CN tower in the background and surrounded by manicured gardens.

Following photos at the park, the reception was held in the dining room of Crush Wine Bar in downtown Toronto. Upon arriving, guests enjoyed cocktail hour at the bar and a special family celebration during

the traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony. Kayan wore a beautiful red traditional gown for this ceremony as they shared tea with their elders, received family blessings and had a special opportunity to get lots of family photos taken.

Back in her white wedding dress, Kayan & Doug and their guests enjoyed a delicious meal, great wine, special speeches, fun games and time to celebrate the special place that their family & friends have in their lives.

After dinner, Kayan changed into a gorgeous royal blue gown. Together, the couple shared a tasty macaroon off of their macaron tower, in lieu of traditional cake. A photo booth was set up and guests enjoyed taking photos as well as dancing the night away.

Congratulations Kayan & Doug!


VENDORS:
Photographer: Carmen Davidson Photography www.cdavidsonphotography.com
Ceremony Venue: Toronto Music Gardens www.harbourfrontcentre.com/musicgarden
Reception Venue: Crush Wine Bar www.crushwinebar.com
Officiant: Victor Li (bilingual English/Cantonese) vwli@hotmail.com
PhotoBooth: GuestList DJ www.guestlistdj.com
Flowers: Sobey's Floral Department, Queens Quay store
Macaron Tower: Le Dolci www.ledolci.com
Guitarist: Alan Kulka https://www.facebook.com/alankulka‎
Limousine: A Celebrity Limousine www.acelebritylimousine.com
DJ: 3 Owls Entertainment http://www.3owls.ca/

Vow Renewal Wedding Celebration

Kaylin and Stefan live in Holland, and for various reasons it was better for them to be married than just engaged - so they actually got married at city hall in Holland last May... Fast forward to this year, and finally, they were able to celebrate their marriage with a full wedding celebration here in Ontario with family & friends.

The ceremony was held at Crossroads Chapel in Burlington with about 50 guests in attendance. Ceremony music was provided by a flute duet, which sounded beautiful! Stefan walked down the aisle with their 2 year old daughter, Peyton in hand and carrying their 3 month old daughter McKinley in his arm - a sweet picture of Groom Daddy with his girls! Kaylin was stunning in her strapless dress and brought a huge smile to Stefan's face! Family friend, Ken, officiated the renewal of their vows ceremony with a touching ceremony that included vows, exchanging rings, a blessing on married couples in attendance and a blessing on them as parents.

After family photos at Crossroads and then bridal party photos at the quaint Village Square in downtown Burlington, an intimate reception was held in the private dining room of Paradiso Restaurant. Father & son team, Casey & Connor shared the MC & DJ responsibilities, bringing great music and personal touches to the celebration. Tender speeches with a few tears, funny stories with some good laughs, a delicious meal and a fun dance were enjoyed by all. It was truly a celebration of a wonderful couple!

Congratulations Kaylin & Stefan on one year of marriage and on your wonderful wedding celebration day!



VENDORS:
Ceremony Venue: Crossroads Chapel www.crossroads.ca
Reception Venue: Paradiso Restaurant www.paradisorestaurant.com
Florist: Samantha Forrest of Pocket of Posies http://pocketofposies.ca/
Linen Rentals: With All My Heart Wedding Décor www.withallmyheartweddingdecor.ca
Photographer: Don Golding of Boutique Wedding Photography http://www.boutiqueweddingphotography.ca/
Cake: Wedding Cakes By Design www.weddingcakesbydesign.ca
Ceremony Flutists: Elaine whiskin@univmail.cis.mcmaster.ca;
Videographer, MC, DJ, Officiant.... wonderful friends of the family!

Steam Whistle Brewery Unique Wedding!

Laura & Mike's wedding on Sept 24th, 2011 was held at one of the most unique venues I've been to for a wedding... the Steam Whistle Brewery in downtown Toronto. The Brewery is located in the historic train round house, right at the base of the CN Tower.

The bridal party got ready in a luxurious suite at the Royal York and did their photos prior to the wedding - both at the hotel and also on the grounds of Steam Whistle.
The evening was clear and comfortable for the 7 pm ceremony which was held outside on the patio - with train cars in view, the CN tower just off the to the side and the lights of the city starting to come on.

A cocktail party reception was held in the large "warehouse" space (The Hall) of the Steam Whistle. The room was set up with numerous cruiser tables, "ghost" bar stools (clear plastic) and groupings of white leather sofas, benches & ottomans. Uplighting on the wooden beam pillars and lots of candles everywhere helped create a warm ambiance. The party got into full swing immediately following the ceremony, with the bar open, appetizers and food stations set out and the DJ cranking up the tunes and got the light show going. An old-fashioned photo booth was kept busy during the night with guests dressing up and getting their photos taken.

It was definitely not a traditional wedding, but the contemporary "cocktail party" theme of this wedding suited the venue, the couple and the guests perfectly - a very unique day that I'm sure everyone will remember for a long time!

Congratulations Laura & Mike!






VENDORS:

Steam Whistle Brewery - www.steamwhistle.ca
10tation Catering - www.10tation.com
Contemporary Furniture Rentals - www.cfrentals.com
Jayme Van Geest Photography - www.jvgphotography.com
Nth Degree DJ - www.nthdegreegroup.ca
White Orchid Wedding Ceremonies - www.whiteorchidweddingceremonies.com
The Wedding Cake Shoppe - https://theweddingcakeshoppe.com/
Rachel Sherlock, Florist - creativelygreen@hotmail.com
Fairmont Royal York Hotel - hotel & SUV limo service - www.fairmont.com/RoyalYork

Ancaster Wedding Show A Big Success

KUDOS to Tiffany Walsh & Team members for putting on a great 1st ever Ancaster Wedding Show! Most vendors entering the show were a big uncertain as to what to expect - with this being the first show by this organizer in this location in this month!! But personally, I thought it was a great show.

The morning started off with a huge influx of brides along with their moms, future mother-in-laws, bridal parties, friends, family members - and even quite a few grooms! The afternoon was slower, but in my experience this fairly typical.

Brides were treated to some new vendors (including Jason Matos of Jason Matos Photography - yup, he's my son!), some vendors who are "regulars" at local shows, and of course, lots of great ideas, inspiration, samples and handouts!
To check out what vendors were at the show, go to: www.ancasterweddingshow.com
Congratulations to all the brides (& grooms) who attended - we hope that you went home with MANY great ideas for your upcoming wedding and that you found the perfect vendors to meet your wedding needs!

Don't forget Brides.... "Leave the Details to Me..." is offering a WEDDING SHOW SPECIAL - book by Oct 31, 2010 for your future wedding and lock in at 2010 rates!! (This offer is available to ANY brides - whether you attended the show or not!)

Thanks Tiffany for a "show well done!"

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

But We Will Stand Tall - Photo Art Show

On December 3rd, a young photographer held his first public art show in Hamilton at The Freeway Cafe & I had the privilege of working with him to set up and decorate the venue and to help him organize all the planning details.

Jason Matos (yup - he would be my son!)has been working on series of photos for a few months now. They are all photos of people who attend our church, Grindstone Valley Bible Church in Waterdown. What makes these photos unique is that they all tell a story about the person - depicting in photos a struggle or difficult time they went through in their life - and then photos depicting how they are now stronger and stand taller today because of how they grew and learned and matured through that hard situation.

Jason photographed 12 people - some with just one photo, others with two, a few with 3 or 4 photos - and each person wrote out their "story", which was printed and mounted by their photos.


The Freeway Cafe was set up with lots of candles on tables as people came in to enjoy a cup of free-trade coffee or tea or specialty beverage, some great snacks and then sat around small tables or on comfortable leather sofas and enjoyed the acoustic music of 4 different musical sets. And throughout the evening, people mingled around the photos, reading the stories and often being moved to tears.


About 180 people came through the Cafe during the 3 hour show - and it was a resounding success for Jason.
Congratulations Jason on an excellent photo art show!