Fresh Take on Edible Centerpieces.

The thing I love the most about wedding planning is the endless amount of creativity that exists, so when I get to work with couples who challenge me with an idea that gets me to put my thinking cap on, I couldn't be happier.

This weekend, I met up with good friends of ours who are getting married next summer. The bride is just about the coolest nutritionist on the planet, so her desire to have edible centerpieces didn't really surprise me, but did get me thinking, "How on earth could we possibly make these cool?". Most research presents tacky hollowed out large fruits or vegetables stuffed with more fruit and veggies, which is such a literal take on the idea. Outside of these tacky traditional takes on edible wedding centerpieces, mini cakes, cupcakes and candy jars are the second most commonly used foods, but we want these ones to be truly unique, so I've had to think a little outside the box.

Sourced from Rachael Ray.

Food is probably one of the best ways to bring people together and every bride wants her wedding to be memorable, so having an edible wedding centerpiece doubling as an appetizer or dessert is a surefire way to make your wedding a night people will remember.

Depending on the vendor or the types of products used, these types of centerpieces can be just as expensive as floral ones, so be sure to do your research on what products might fit with your budget, or how much work can be expected if you are putting them together yourself.

Sourced from Martha Stewart.

For this wedding, I'm hoping to do two or three variations:

• The first being, a combination of leafy greens, whole artichokes which have a very floral shape to them, bunches of grapes and whole limes.
• The second incorporating skewers of meats styled to resemble flowers, cheese, crackers and pate, possibly offset by more leafy greens on silver platters.
• The last, a wooden box, similar to the following, packed tightly with a selection of beautiful fresh veggies, accompanied by various complimentary dips.

So much to think about, and I'm sure it will all evolve with input from the bride and groom, but I'm incredibly confident that we will end up with a gorgeous result!

Sourced form Nancy Conner Design.

Lastly, a few more suggestions on how to incorporate food into your centerpieces:

• Skewers of bocconcini cheese, cherry tomatoes and basil leaves standing upright in a jar.
• Deli meats woven back and forth or twisted around skewers, resembling flowers.
• Use a tiered cake or dessert stand to present a variety of sweets on each tier.
• Bunches of asparagus, tied with a ribbon, accented by white pillar candles.
• Mix whole grapefruits, apples, lemons, etc. with brightly colours flowers.

A Sweet 'Sundae' Afternoon.

On August 5th, 2011 we had our civil ceremony and it was the most perfect day! Being me, I had to style our civil ceremony really prettily too so that we would have the best of both worlds; the small vintage wedding and the big classic wedding. That said, I also knew I wanted to do this on as little a budget as possible and managed to plan a wedding for under $1000.

I had wanted to include my grandparents in the day since they wouldn't be able to make the trip to Toronto for our big wedding, so we decided to have it in the small town of Port Stanley, right on Lake Erie. We settled on Broderick's Ice Cream Parlour, right on the main street, which I had frequented often with my grandparents as a kid. They have what seems like 10,000 flavours of ice cream and the parlour is beautifully styled in the 40s and 50s setting. We did the ceremony on the back patio with our closest family present and then moved inside for cones and sundaes and cake for dessert.

Fred and Donna, new owners in 2010 were the most gracious hosts and even offered their small vacant apartment above the parlour as as a place for us to get ready. They had a plain pre-lit wedding arch that I covered in 18 white feather boas and we used their stunning classic marble top, ornate iron based bistro tables as the perfect accents for the cake and register signing. 

While we don't have all of our pictures, here's a sneak peak of our little "big day", which has a couple of images from a fantastic post on Eat Drink Chic. Definitely check out the link for their site which has some AWESOME templates for doing much of this on your own! Imagine a bridal shower, a young girl's birthday party or just a girlie afternoon?!

I'll be sure to share more details and more pictures when they come through in a couple of months and will also give you a break down of the costs!

To learn more about the artists features in this board, click here. 

The Perfect Little Black Dress.

The overall theme for our wedding day was 'classic' since the last thing I wanted was in 20 years to look back with 'what was I thinking?' running through my mind. Now don't get me wrong, I also love a fun, bright party dress but I knew that for my wedding, I knew I had to carry the 'classic' theme through here as well. I wanted a fitted black cocktail dress accessorized with pearls and a bit of sparkle - very Audrey Hepburn and something that could actually be worn again. Who doesn't need a little black dress?!

For us, the search became a bit of a last minute rush since an unforeseen circumstance prevented us from doing our original plan, but I have to say, there are a lot of great solutions out there! A few things I found helpful along the way:

1. Keep it simple. Whether the dress is long or short, the most important thing to do is keep the simplicity of the dress in mind. Black is a bold colour to begin with, so you don't want to add much as it can detract from gorgeous you, the beautiful bride!

2. Select a fabric that is more dull than the bride's dress - a knit or a chiffon. Again, the bridesmaid dresses should complement and not overpower.

3. Play with accessories. If the dresses are all exactly the same, mix it up by changing the length and weight of the accessories for each girl. We did pearl necklaces from Forever 21 ($3.95 - $6.95) in different lengths, some wrapping three times, some only two.

I thought this time I'd focus on Le Chateau, which seriously surprised me with quality and price. I've never been a fan, but it seems they've come a long way in terms of manufacturing dresses over the last few years. 

Each of these dresses is $150 or under, totally reasonable for a bridesmaid, with one being $189.95, where dresses are normally $200 plus. 

The first is the one that we used for our girls. It's the 'Ponte Starburst Shift' and retails for $150. This dress fit absolutely every girl perfectly, was fully lined, made in Canada and the starburst pleats on the side hit right at the natural waistline, cinching in the girls' middles. The number of compliments we got on those dresses was astounding. Oddly enough, after the wedding, I did stumble across the same dress at Jacob, for only $89, but it wasn't lined and didn't feel as solid, though it is still a great dress! Le Chateau also had a three-quarter sleeve version of the same dress (see below), though I thought it would be a bit too hot to dance in!

Ponte Starburst Shift - $150 CAD

Chiffon Halter Dress with Pleated Bust $189.95 CAD.

Acetate Satin Ruffle Shift $169.95 CAD.

Starbust Ponte Pleat Knit Shift Dress $179.95 CAD.

Bengaline Pleated Shift $139.95 CAD.

So, go find the best dress for you and your best girls!

 

Wedding Dress Preservation.

The wedding is over and the most important (and likely most expensive) dress you will ever own is one of your only keepsakes aside from your wedding pictures. The sentimental value that it carries often motivates many brides to keep it for use in the future whether it be worn by a friend or even by their own daughter. In order to be sure it will stay such a valuable piece, you need to find a reliable professional to clean, process and package your gown.

As much as I love do it yourself tasks, this is one place I do not recommend you take financial shortcuts. That out of the way, there are a few key rules to follow in terms of wedding dress preservation.

*Photography by Kenneth Chou from Renaissance Studios.

The Basics.
As soon as your wedding is over, place the dress in a pre-washed clean white sheet  instead of back into the plastic bag. Plastic attracts mold and mildew and traps moisture - all elements that will deteriorate your dress.

Be sure to think about this service as quickly as possible as you don’t want to wait more than a week or two to have your gown and any relevant accessories professional cleaned. If you are out of town for a few weeks after your wedding for your honeymoon, make arrangements before you leave to have a family member take your dress in for its wedding dress preservation.  With all of this said, if you do happen to forget, it is never too late to see what a professional can do for you as some good preservation companies may be able to restore a gown even after a number of years.

When selecting a wedding dress cleaner, be as diligent about hiring someone who has as good a reputation as the other vendors who assisted with your wedding. Often your bridal shop will have a preferred rate at a recommended vendor and the bonus is that they will be familiar with the fabrics and details used on your dress. Also consider how long the shop has been in business since you’ll want someone with a proven track record.

Warranties and Guarantees.
Warranties and guarantees vary from shop to shop so it’s best to consider what they offer before proceeding. It’s also a good idea to ask the cleaner how they intend to handle delicate trims and decorations on your dress if your dress has a lot of detail. The dress’ material and detailing will ultimately effect what type of specialized process will be used to clean it.

At the very least, the vendor should guarantee that the dress won’t yellow or change colour and that sugar stains will be properly treated to prevent caramelization of sugar stains (they’ll show up as brown stains if not removed properly). Hopefully, they will also guarantee against insect infestation.

Most importantly, make sure they stand by their work and be sure to have in writing that they will compensate you for the dress’ full value if any damage occurs while it is in their hands.

*Photography by Kenneth Chou from Renaissance Studios.

The Treatment Process.
Just as with any cleaning process, they will begin with pretreating the stains. This is often done by hand. While it is recommended that you look over your dress and accessories before bringing it in so that you can find anything with your own eye, a professional cleaner will now to look for stains that are not visible to the untrained eye, like stains from alcohol or sugar, which can significantly brown over time if not treated.

Inquire about whether your cleaner uses Perchloroethylene (Perc). While this chemical is sometimes used by dry cleaners, it is not suitable for wedding dresses. but it’s too abrasive for wedding gowns and has been known to melt beading or damage delicate fabrics.
After the full cleaning process, the dress and accessories will be placed into special packaging: a lined, specifically treated, acid-free box, which is resistant to water and other potential threats. If your cleaner uses plastic packaging, be sure to ask why since it is generally a bad choice as it traps moisture and emits fumes, both of which can make the dress yellow. Note though, that your cleaner should be providing you with the opportunity to inspect the dress and accessories before they are sealed in the box.

Storage.
The ideal location for your safely packaged wedding dress is someplace flat, cool, dry and out of sunlight like under the bed or in the corner of a closet. The basement and attic are definite no-go’s! Check the gown once or twice a year, each time refolding along new lines to protect the fabric from breaking, always with clean, dry hands. By inspecting it, you now have the opportunity to have them addressed right away instead of discovering years later!

Investment.
Finer fabrics, size and detailing can change the amount of cleaning and preparation needed. For example, a long train and lots of hand detailing will require more work than something simple. The severity of a stain will require additional labour, thus increasing the cost of the job. As with anything, location can impact this pricing as well. For example, Toronto will be much pricier than Hamilton, but you may be paying for a better service - someone who deals with dresses en mass. Average pricing for wedding gown preservation is somewhere between $200 and $500, but   of course, this pricing can always increase.

Spreading the Love: The Invitations.

If you've been following, you probably read in my last post about the sneak peak for the invites which captured our experience letter pressing our invitations. It's been just over a month and we now have them complete!

When I started the whole wedding planning process, I knew I wanted to hand make my invites because I was probably the only person who was going to be able to give myself what I wanted but also needed time to waiver before deciding on the final product. There have been many tears shed over these invites, but I wouldn't have done it any differently. 

For the concept of the invites, I knew they had to set the tone for the wedding. I know some people thing it's silly but it was a must have in terms of design. I wanted them to be glamorous with a mixture of elements and that was one thing I never did waiver from through it all. I wanted feathers, crystal and pearls integrated in some way and was able to use leftovers from the boutonnieres to complete the look. For the paper, I wanted a thicker more rough card stock balanced against a smooth, translucent vellum. As for the typeface, doing both printed and handwritten copy gave them a more vintage and personalized touch which was really important to me. I wanted people to really feel as though they were getting more of a handcrafted letter than simply an invite that was pressed 100 times and looked exactly like the last.

The Invitation Run Down.

If you've ever tried to learn about letterpress, you probably know it's one of those things that not many people know anything about and those who know a little something don't want to offer much advice because really, anything can happen and they'd hate to be the one. It's important to choose the right weight to your paper, something I knew, but still didn't know exactly how the weight of the paper I chose would work out. Knowing what I know now, I would definitely have picked a much heaver paper. For the actual letterpressed invite, I found an inspiring border on the web, but couldn't find anything like it on the stock photography sites so I made a similar version using Adobe Illustrator. I then ordered the letterpress plate through Boxcar Press - who were incredibly helpful in making sure they got everything they needed to actually create the perfect plate.

After that, it was on to the map. To do this, I basically took a screenshot of Google Maps and outlined it in AI again. I then purchased an art deco looking building icon as a place marker and added the street names. The most important part I found when making the map, was to leave only major roads and intersections that are vital to finding the location. Getting too detailed can actually be detrimental to your design. 

Next, I had to come up with something  keep the invite and map connected so that when they were taken out of the envelope, nothing was missed. Scouring the internet, I found a number of things that could be used (jumbo bobby pins, flat bookmarks, etc.) but the most economical product were jumbo paperclips that had a circular glue pad at the one end. I assembled feathers, pearl boutonniere sprays and ribbon to create a glamorous clip that also doubled as a gift for our guests. To add the handwritten element, I hand wrote small tags to attach to the feather clip that reiterated the RSVP directions and signed off with 'Love Laura and Byron'.

For the envelope, I couldn't get my self away from wanting to line them and I found an awesome gold damask Indian paper from Curry's Art Supply that was incredibly durable and didn't rip easily. Wanting to carry through the handwritten element again, I part stamped, part handwrote our address and names on the back invite flap.

The Suite.

Our guests are replying via our wedding website so no reply cards were needed, which greatly cut down on both supplies and postage along with being environmentally conscious. That said, though, we did need to create about 20 invitations to our civil ceremony so I decided to hand write these invites as a more personalized measure. The envelopes were still lined with the same damask paper and included a smaller, similar version of the feather clips.

Last but not least, are our thank you cards. I'm a huge believer that thank you cards must be hand written, but I also wanted to tie them in with the invitations. Luckily, the fact that the letterpress on our invites wasn't a huge impression, we could simply stamp them to get a similar look. So I bought a Martha Stewart stamp kit from Michael's with my trusty 40% off coupon, and off we went! We stamped and  hand wrote the envelope flaps with our names and addresses again to finish it all off!

So, many hours of work plus blood sweat and tears, but it was all so worth it to get the perfect invites!

Sneak Peak: Invitations!

Well, hello again world! I honestly don't know where the time has gone, but I have been on a serious neglecting my precious little Tweetcheeks! This year has gone past in a whirlwind so far and I decided I had to force myself to sit down and reflect on what I've accomplished in the last two months!

Looking back, I have tackled a ridiculous amount of projects both wedding and non-wedding related, but probably the most exciting one has been our invitations. With a little less than a month to go before it's time to head to the post office, I have had my game face on.

At the beginning of April, Byron and I visited with Jes, the gal who ultimately got me hooked on letterpress and we began the daunting task of letterpressing our invites, which I never thought woud happen. Probably the most stressful part was getting the plate made and being sure everything was just perfect, but the kind folks at Boxcar Press were great about calling to explain any issues with the files and what they would ideally like to work with. Next thing I knew, I had the plate in two weeks! As a first time letterpress-er I was surprised at exactly how thin the plate was and actually had moments of wondering whether or not I'd even ordered the right thing - it was so thin and flimsy - but of course, after it's attached to the plate base, it makes so much more sense!

Definitely a close second as the most nerve-racking part was the actual printing itself. It took two hours to be sure the plate was properly leveled, ink loaded and had just the right amount of padding behind the paper, but when we got it, it was such a sweet feeling! Unfortunately we had to print single invitations due to some issues with a missing bases, and the actual level indentation could have been greater, but when you're only printing 100 and you have a great team, it's nice to spend the time doing something productive!

Since then, I've been working on finishing the venue map and printing on velum, tearing my hair out trying to make a decision over which paper to use for the envelope liner (I found one!), updating our wedding website to accordingly and finally lining and addressing the envelopes themselves.

So I am now on the final steps of finishing the clips to hold the map and invite together, but another 30 to go and I'm DONE! It's been such a great experience, although there's been much frustration, but I am so incredibly happy with how they've turned out and I would do it all over again. I'll post final pics once they get mailed out!

What to Ask Your Wedding Planner.

Finding a suitable person to whom you will trust with planning one of the most intimate days of your life is a very daunting task. You want someone who is reliable, responsible, capable and most importantly, someone who "gets" you. The best way to find a wedding planner is to ask your recently married friends, family or coworkers. These people will be the most honest with you when weighing the pros and cons of a wedding planner and whether or not this person is a suitable candidate for you. 

The perfect wedding planner will be someone with whom you can be open, honest and comfortable and the feeling should be felt mutually on the other end. Developing a great relationship with this person means they'll be better suited to assist you with planning such an important day.

So let's get to it. A PDF version of what questions you should ask your potential wedding planner is available here, but I've made a summary below as well. 

*Image sourced from BHLDN (Gown: Zinnia)

INTERVIEWING YOUR WEDDING PLANNER.

The Basics.

• How long have they been working in the wedding planning industry and how did they get started? 
• If this is their own business, did they build it from scratch?
• Is this their full-time or part-time job? If they only do this part time, what is their other job?

TIP You will want someone who is going to be available for you at all times. If they only work part time at planning weddings, they may not be able to assist with or attend all necessary meetings/items. Make sure this will not present any issues when they are planning your wedding.

• What did they do prior to becoming a wedding coordinator? 
• On average how many ‘full-service’ vs. ‘wedding day only’ weddings do they personally coordinate and attend each year?
• What is the largest wedding they have ever planned?
• Ask them to walk you through a typical wedding timeline and how they participate.
• What was the best wedding they have ever managed? Why was it the best wedding? And similarly, what was the most difficult wedding they have ever managed and why?
• What type of formal training have they had and are they a member of any major bridal or wedding planning associations?

The Planning Process.

• Are assistants or event managers brought to the wedding or included during the planning process? Is there an an additional charge for these assistants or is it worked into the cost?
• If they fall ill or cannot come to the wedding for some unforeseen reason, who will stand in? Can you meet that person?
• Is there a charge for the initial meeting and if so, is it applied to the cost of coordination should you agree to move forward with their services?
• Do they have preferred vendors with which you should be working? If so, do they accept commissions, kickbacks or professional discounts from any of these preferred vendors?
• Do they offer any other services than wedding planning? (ie. invitations, cake, etc.)

TIP Often a package deal can work in your favour from both a planning and organizational aspect, but be sure to do your research as you don’t want to be overpaying for these services, or losing out on quality. There is a reason why vendors specialize in one area – it is their area of expertise!

• What can clients expect from them and vice versa, what do they expect from their clients? 
• Who signs the vendor contracts? Do you pay them the fee for the entire event and then they in turn pay each vendor or do you contract with vendors separately?
• Do they make initial contact with all referred vendors and check price and availability or do they act as a concierge and provide a list of vendors for you to call?
• Will they be present at all vendor meetings?
• Request that they describe some problems they’ve had with vendors not fulfilling their contracts and how it was handled.

TIP If someone tells you that they have never had an issue with any vendor or wedding, dig a little deeper. It’s impossible to satisfy people one hundred percent of the time and in order to grow your business and your capabilities failure is inevitable and hopefully learned from.

• Do their services include help with design of the overall theme, decor and flow of the wedding ceremony & reception?

The Wedding Day.

• How many hours are they on site the day of the wedding? 
• Do they participate in and guide the setup and tear down including all of the personal items that you have planned? (ie. favours, guest book table, etc.)
• Will they be present for the rehearsal in the days before the wedding and will they help with the processional and recessional the day of?

The Fine Print.

• What is their coordination fee? 
• Do they have travel or expense fees?
• What is the billing process like? Do they charge by the hour, a flat rate or a percentage of the overall budget?
• How are the payments structured and when are they due?
• What is the amount of the initial deposit?
• What is the refund policy in case of cancellation?
• With what will they not assist?
• Will a detailed budget outline be provided?

Things to Consider.

• Has the wedding coordinator addressed your personal concerns satisfactorily? 
• Do you feel they are capable of fulfilling your needs and is this someone you would be comfortable around for a long period of time?
• Contact their references.

TIP While it may feel a bit awkward to call a stranger, it can be invaluable to have an outside opinion on a potential wedding coordinator/planner.

• Review the available packages. Do they include everything you need?

To save a copy of this list of questions to ask your wedding planner, click here. 

For more wedding planning resources, click here.

Valentines Day Love.

I am not normally a sucker for Valentines Day. In fact, I normally don't acknowledge that it even exists, but this year it is a bit different. Last week I saw a picture I couldn't get out of my head; the bold mixture of turquoise and honeysuckle and the accent of the little heart just makes me swoon every time I look at it, so I had to create an inspiration board based on this picture and well, here we are.

To learn more about the artists featured in this board, click here. 

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

Fit for A Princess.

This morning I wanted to try out Style Me Pretty's new and improved inspiration board tool on their site as the old one had so many issues. It seems they've almost resolved those issues and created something unique and much easier to use. It's still got it's blips, like setting the share link to someone else's work, not clearly defining how you can upload your own image, or selecting from your own gallery, but overall the tool has quite improved. They've also completely separated your old inspiration boards from your new ones which I think has given many users a minor heart attack, though little digging revealed they were indeed saved. 

Armed with the new tool and a desire to make something new, I navigated through and managed to make a new inspiration board that was fit for a royal wedding. When I see things like and ornately decorated cake, intricately patterned teacups, lace, gold accents and LOTS of flowers, I think regal. I can only imagine what Prince William and Kate Middleton have in store for us with their own wedding, but I can bet it will be something jaw dropping. Maybe they'll take inspiration from this ;).

To learn more about the artists featured in this board, click here. 

Headmistress: Love at First Sight.

So far 2011 has thrown a few curve balls my way, but I can honestly say that seeing incredible work by artists like Headmistress make the yucky stuff that much more bearable. I recently discovered her work when I was showing a friend of mine the boutonnieres that I have been making for my own upcoming wedding, all made of feathers, lace, tuille, pearls and a single clear, rectangular rhinestone. She immediately jumped up and ran to grab some of the most fantastic accessories I have ever seen, all made by a good friend of hers located here in Toronto. If you read my blog, you know that I'm obsessed with everything vintage-y glamorous and man, this girl seems to have read my mind. Her pieces are absolutely stunning, extremely well priced and very unique, yet down to earth.

I can only imagine these gorgeous pieces being used in some way for the most fantastic wedding ever. The pins would be absolutely fabulous as very unique boutonnieres for gents and the headdresses,  and cuffs would make stunning accents for a bride or her gals. I can hardly even contain the love I have for Headmistress.

For locations to find Headmistress products around the globe, visit http://www.loveheadmistress.com/info. 

The Engagement Party. Part 2.

A few months ago I posted an intro to engagement parties, but a recent engagement of a friend has inspired me to go back and make sure that my notes on the beginning steps are as robust as possible. A PDF version of the engagement party basics is available here, but I've made a summary below as well.

*image sourced from Renaissance Studios

The engagement party is the first celebration a couple has to celebrate their decision to marry. It is an opportunity for them to share their happiness with their family and friends and also for the two families to get to know each other better. Though traditional and quite popular, they are not required.

There are two main rules to the engagement party:  First, while the theme, decoration and grandeur does not need to match the wedding, it must not outshine it. If the couple is planning an informal wedding, the engagement party should be on the casual side as well. Second, but most important, everyone invited to the engagement party must be invited to the wedding.

 

TIMELINE.
The engagement party should occur soon after the proposal is accepted – typically within the first couple of months. If the couple is having a shorter engagement, the party should be scheduled closer to the engagement than to the wedding.

Letting close family and friends hear the good news from you first, in person or over the phone. They should definitely be notified before they receive an invitation in the mail. Invitations should go out at least a few weeks in advance, to give invited guests a chance to arrange their schedules. If guests are coming in from out of town, four to six weeks advance is preferable.


THE HOSTS.
The bride’s parents customarily have first shot at hosting the engagement party. If the groom’s parents want to throw an engagement party, they should definitely check with the bride’s parents to see if they already have intentions to throw a party themselves. If so, the bride’s parents get first choice of date with the groom’s parents scheduling their party to follow it. While it is most often the parents of the bride who host the engagement party, extended family, the groom’s family, or close friends are more than welcome to as well. It is even perfectly fine for couples to throw their own engagement party.

Whoever ends up hosting should always check with the couple in advance to find out what dates work best for them and to begin creating a guest list. If another relative or close friend is planning to throw an engagement party for the couple, they should check first with both sets of parents as well as the couple, to avoid stepping on anyone’s toes.

Since the engagement party is an act of generosity and affection on the part of the hosts, the bride-and groom-to-be should want to give a thank-you gift to the host. The gift doesn’t have to be anything fancy, and your best present will come from the heart. Be creative and select something that is as special as the party was.


THE GUEST LIST.

As engagement parties are typically a more intimate affair, and since everyone who is invited to the engagement party must be invited to the wedding, invitations are extended only to close friends and family that you are sure will be invited to the wedding. The guest list for your wedding might seem like a lot figure out so far ahead of time, but a little thought can save you a lot of trouble later. Also, people invited to an engagement party will naturally assume they will receive an invitation to the wedding, and the last thing you want to do is raise any false expectations.

*image sourced from 1035 Post Street Events.

INVITATIONS.
Unlike a wedding invitation, it is not required that engagement party invitations are printed. Email or online services to send customized e-mailed invitations are becoming more common and if done properly, can be appropriate.

If opting for an e-invitation, there are some general rules to follow:

• make sure the email addresses of all recipients are correct, that all invited guests check their email regularly and that none of the recipients are internet challenged; 
• BCC everyone on the emailing list – it is impossible to know who might be careless with the ‘Reply All’ button;
• follow up by phone if a response has not yet received within a couple of days.

The following general information should be shown on whatever type of invitation is used:

• why you are throwing the party (that it is an engagement party); 
• who the party is honouring (this is especially important if the invitee does not know the host);
• what kind of party it is (ie. cocktail, brunch);
• when it is being held (ie. day and time);
• where it is being held (ie. street address and directions);
• dress code, if needed (ie. black tie, casual);
• a date by when to rsvp.

THEME.
When deciding what type of party tp have, remember that the best party will one where the couple and their hosts can focus on and enjoy socializing with their guests rather than on making the party run smoothly. Thinking about the guest list, the venue, and any special things that you would like to incorporate will help you figure out whether you want to throw a cocktail party, a dinner party or a party with a strong theme. Regardless of the degree of formality the party is having, every guest will want to have a chance to speak to the happy couple, so it’s best to be sure to make the rounds or to have someone discreetly jump in every now and then to politely excuse the couple so they can continue to mingle.

The Classic Engagement Party.

The classic engagement party is suitable to a wide range of budgets. It typically features cocktails and hors d’oeuvres with dessert and coffee set later in the evening. While it guarantees a relaxed setting where guests can mingle and chat with the happy couple, it can also be more formal with the right decorations and dress code.

The Details. Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, dessert tables, lots of champagne, party dresses and suits.

An Intimate Dinner Party.

A beautiful, intimate get together for a group small enough to be comfortably seated at one table.

The Details. A cozy sit down dinner, toasts, coffee, desserts, candles, close friends and family.

TOASTS.
Whoever is hosting the event has dibs on the first toast. For example, if the engagement party is being given by the bride's parents, the bride's father proposes the first toast to the bride and her fiancé. Then, the fiancé rises and toasts his bride-to-be and her parents, and then his own parents. As a last toast before the floor is open, the engaged couple will want to toast the host for their hospitality and graciousness for gathering everyone together.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

Question. When planning an engagement party, should guests who live far away be sent an invitation?

Answer. Typically, no, however the exception to this rule is if an important friend or family member who lives far away would feel hurt if they weren’t invited.

Question. Do guests have to bring a gift to the engagement party?

Answer. No. The rule of thumb is that gifts are not given to celebrate an engagement, however if you do feel the need to bring a gift, it should be given discreetly and should never be opened at the party. This will avoid embarrassing other guests who (quite appropriately) did not bring a gift.

For the Ultimate Wedding Planning To-Do List, click here. 

For more wedding planning resources, click here.

Hair: A Love Hate Relationship.

As a bride to be, I want to look my best on my big day and  my hair plays an incredibly huge role in my self confidence. 

This past year I had been toying with the idea of dying my hair back to its natural colour (a dirty blonde) because years of highlighting my hair and using bad blow dryers had left my hair really damaged. Just before Christmas I decided I would take the plunge and go for it. It was the best decision I've made in a really long time. Not only do I already take myself more seriously (ha!) it's made such a difference in the health of my hair. With this hair make-over I decided it was time I started using better tools on my hair to keep my hair at its best; the department store dryers just weren't cutting it anymore, no matter how expensive they what 'salon' brand they tied to the name. 

At my most recent trip to the salon, and much discussion with my stylist I decided to purchase the travel size version of the dryer she uses on my hair when I'm there. It's the BioIonic TravelPro Dryer and it is by far the best purchase I have ever made for my hair. It uses negative ions which allow hydrating molecules to penetrate deep into the hair in order to condition, straighten, smooth or style hair without damage. My stylist had recommended that I take the TravelPro over any of their higher models because it would still give me everything I needed in an extremely light, compact form and it was only $104.00 - definitely reasonable considering my last two Toni and Guy dryers were $89.99 and both dried out my hair terribly and one day just died mid dry. 

With the amount of hair that I have (thick, heavy and long) my arms get exhausted from all of the pulling, turning of the brush and holding the dryer. Today, using the BioIonic TravelPro Dryer, it took me 20 minutes to dry my hair and I didn't even need to take a rest in the middle!

I highly recommend this dryer to anyone. It will change your life! We often get caught up thinking that hair products and tools are so expensive, but really your hair is the ONE THING you wear EVERYDAY. Investing in the right products and tools will go a long way.

I am already saving up for their flatirons!

Wedding Planning To-Do List.

An organized bride is a happy bride!

New year means getting inspired to get stuff done and I think this is especially so with wedding planning. With wedding shows popping up everywhere in the spring, I figured it was a good time to share my Ultimate Wedding Planning To Do List once again. Being a project manager for a living, I'm all about lists to keep things organized. I wanted to transfer my obsession with to-do lists over to wedding planning which is why I created this ultimate list.

Image sourced from Laura Jane Photography

It can be overwhelming upon first look, but that's just because I've included everything you could imagine so you don't get that sense of being overwhelmed later on! 

Hope some of you find it useful! I'd love your feedback if you see something that is missing. This list does get updated from time to time, so keep checking back.

For the Ultimate Wedding Planning To-Do List, click here. 

For more wedding planning resources, click here. 

 

 

Blue Suede Shoes.

Though I've never really had a soft spot for the 50s and 60s fashion, all this talk of tea-length and cocktail wedding dresses lately for two girlfriends of mine have left me really inspired! The beautiful fabrics of that time really lend themselves to today's obsession with everything vintage. I think many couples are opting for a quieter, smaller, cheaper wedding day than the conventional larger weddings that have been the trend for the past couple of decades and the 50s style really suits this new trend.

To learn more about the artists featured in this board, click here.

Marry-gold: Ian and Katie.

I am so incredibly excited, so much so that I actually popped a mini bottle of champagne. I  might fall out of my chair...for two reasons...

Firstly, two of our good friends, Ian and Katie got engaged on Christmas day! Secondly, I get to be their wedding planner! My ultimate goal is to branch tweetcheeks off into bridal consulting, but before I can get there I need to learn absolutely everything about the industry  and planning a few weddings will undoubtedly help.

Katie and I went for lunch yesterday to chat so I could get and idea of what she was looking for in terms of a wedding that would reflect both of their tastes. Based on her ideas, this is going to be one gorgeous day. She wants to try and avoid the traditional, formal wedding however still wants to keep it classy, natural and something everyone of all ages and traditions can enjoy.

I was so excited after chatting with her that I immediately worked on putting together an inspiration board based on our convo and am pleased to say that I'm on the right track. I figure that's a good sign of a) things to come and b) my capabilities as a wedding planner. 

For a girl who thinks she has no idea what she wants, she's sure got great taste and everything she sends me is so in tune with the last.

Here's to Ian and Katie!

 

 

To learn more about the artists featured in this board, click here.

Wedding Vendor Contact List.

Short and sweet today! We are officially nine months away from our big day and next up on my ultimate wedding planning to-do list is the wedding vendor contact list. 

While a small detail, this wedding vendor contact list is vital in keeping both yourself and others organized during the planning leading up to the wedding and also on the wedding day itself.

Keeping a full list of your hired vendors and all of their contact details will keep this information at your fingertips. Be sure to pass this information off to key people on your wedding day - your maid of honour, parents, best man, etc. 

For the full Wedding Vendor Contact List, just click here.