calgary bridal guide - featured wedding #1
Monday, August 30th, 2010 | media, testimonials, weddings | No Comments
We were thrilled to see the very first featured wedding in the latest issue of The Calgary Bridal Guide.

We loved this couple - we worked with them for about 17 months - and they were awesome.

Such a beautiful bride…!

…and we got to make all the details fun, ecclectic & just a little bit crazy…just like them!
Love at the Lake
Monday, August 23rd, 2010 | testimonials | No Comments

You’re SO welcome…it was a pleasure!! xoLisa.
Chateau Chic
Monday, August 16th, 2010 | trends, weddings | No Comments
This wedding had a very juicy colour palette of turquoise, teal and apple green. For the ceremony it was punctuated with a pattern of coral rose petals down the aisle which perfectly matched the bridesmaids dresses. With the magnificent view of the lake and the tempestuous skies, simple was all that was required for a truly memorable ceremony site.

The very moment the bride signed the marriage license there was a great clap of thunder and it started to rain. The groom was thrilled with the timing…he told me now he’s got a great story for the rest of his life!

Cocktails managed to be both cozy & elegant - and the two signature cocktails were a huge hit.

Some well-placed uplighting can really make a huge difference. The alternating green + blue on the columns surrounding the guest tables both accentuated the colour palette and delineated the room.

I made sure the bride and groom had a great view of the lake…but with such amazing vistas from every angle, it didn’t really matter where you were seated in this beautiful space. The details were kept quite clean and chic. Centerpieces of granny smith apples and green hydrangeas and orchids, teal runners and green napkins, our ubiquitous custom wedding day printing and a ton of candlelight.

The custom glassine bags were so cute…the candy buffet was a huge hit…guests started raiding the candy buffet before dinner was even finished…sour gummy worm anyone?
Fore!!…
Thursday, August 12th, 2010 | testimonials | No Comments
I realized that this thank you card had been sitting on my desk for WAY too long when they let me know they were going to be in Calgary & would love to get together so we can catch up and introduce me to their 5 month old daughter!!
How time flies! I was thrilled they put me in their calendar as it was the first time they’d been in Calgary since they got married.
I loved working with them & their daughter Maddie is SO cute…great to see you guys!

Posh Purple
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010 | trends, weddings | No Comments
Kim designed a plush palette of purples for this large Muslim wedding.

The aisle runner was lavender with chocolate writing…so pretty!

Kim used rich chocolate linens, with a mixture of amethyst, eggplant and lilac satin runners and napkins. It was such an appealing combination - and as always, everything from the custom invitations right through to the menus, table numbers and seating chart all matched. Everything had a lovely mehndi patterns, and the delicate and intricate pattern used for the gobos and ice martini luge were a huge hit with the guests.

The professional dancers that performed intermittently throughout the reception were fabulous…and the bride and groom had the perfect view from their table adjacent the dance floor. The flowers, the up-lighting, everything looked just sumptuous.

Kim did a superb job designing and executing the big picture - but she also left her mark, and more importantly the couple’s mark, on all of the little details as well. Kim made sure every penny of their budget was utilized for maximum effect.

PRETTY IN PURPLE!!
25% Yellow + 75% Gray = 100% Gorgeous!!
Monday, August 2nd, 2010 | trends, weddings | 2 Comments
This wedding was a wonderful combination of sleek & modern with a twist of retro. The palette was yellow, saffron, grey and silver and everything looked positively scrumptious!

The reception began with poolside cocktails. The guests were treated to an abundant supply of lemon drop martinis and customized water bottles….

Usually we do a gobo on the dance floor, but this time we had it shining on the wall over the guest book table and seating chart. All the floral arrangements were fun & fabulous.

I was so excited with this design. The multiple shades of yellow on the beautiful pewter pintuck linens was so sharp and fashion forward - but still very warm & inviting. The vinyl cling on the back of the ghost chairs was a huge hit…we always like to make the bride & groom’s chairs a little bit special.
These tablescapes were definitely my favorites in a long while.

I was so enamored with this candy buffet I could barely tear myself away. We’ve done lots of candy buffets before but with this one we got to make all the details just right.
Love is Sweet…Have a Treat!!
Wedding Bells thinks we’re PERFECT!!
Friday, July 16th, 2010 | media, testimonials | No Comments

We got a wee mention in the latest edition of Wedding Bells Magazine that just hit the stands…can’t beat perfect…thanks Wedding Bells!!

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Saturday, July 10th, 2010 | trends, weddings | 1 Comment
One of Kim’s clients REALLY wanted fish in their centerpieces…I think this was the first time we’ve done this in over a decade. The wee fish kept startling the staff as they were putting out the place settings…you don’t really expect things to move while you’re putting out flatware! (You’ll be happy to hear she convinced the bride not to flush them at the end of the night…poor lil’ fishies!!).

Their lovely outdoor ceremony just managed to squeak in before the torrential down pour began…nothing like a well executed timeline…Kim apparently has an “in” with Mother Nature!

The custom seating chart - as well as the rest of the wedding day printing (menus, table numbers, place cards) - was beautifully designed by MyStylishWedding.Com - SO PRETTY! It all beautifully tied in their invitations, and their colour palette of purple, black & oyster.

The cake - artfully produced by one of our favorite new pastry chefs - looked just SCRUMPTIOUS - and was accessorized with an elegant monogram cake topper (also from mystylishwedding.com) which matched the font on the invitations and aisle runner. I was sad I wasn’t going to be around long enough to get to try it…SUCH a great job they did…wow!

Kim did an amazing job of making the ballroom warm & inviting, simple & elegant…lots of bang for their buck on the client’s relatively small budget…well done Kim!

Let There Be Light!
Thursday, June 24th, 2010 | Uncategorized, trends | 2 Comments
We just received a shipment of 30 candelabras - and they’re SO pretty! We love them because they’re elegant & simple. They work really well with a more traditional decor - but I just love that they’re so streamlined they look fabulous with sleek & contemporary and everything in between.

We love using really large versions of these candelabras for the head table.

They’re a great & affordable way to add some drama - and also punctuate the head table.
Can there ever be too many candles?? We think not…let there be light…warm, glowy, flattering candlelight that is!!

Bride vs. Murphy’s Law…bets anyone?
Monday, June 7th, 2010 | Q&A, etiquette, media | No Comments
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE CALGARY HERALD, IN LISA HANSLIP’S COLUMN “I DO, BUT DON’T…”

Q. My sister got married last weekend and it seemed like every possible thing that could go wrong, did. The make-up artist showed up really late, the beautiful vintage car she had booked broke down, the Videographer missed the entire processional and shot the whole thing focused on the back of their heads, the hotel misplaced their engraved cake knife, and the bridesmaids’ dresses didn’t arrive until 2 days after the wedding. I’m getting married in the spring and although I wasn’t worried about anything, I’m now terrified about all the things that can go wrong. Is there any way to make sure these things don’t happen at my wedding?
A. Yikes! Your sister is apparently the Murphy’s Law poster-child. It’s difficult to plan a wedding without something going awry along the way (and thankfully equally hard to plan a wedding with everything going wrong). A lot of the mishaps at your sister’s wedding could not have been prevented - but planning for acceptable alternatives can help.
Most contracts are written to protect the vendor not the client, so keep that in mind when you’re reading them over. There is almost always a clause pertaining to the “what ifs…” - think about what contingency would make you happy - and don’t be shy to at least suggest it to them. For example, if the car you booked breaks down or is otherwise unavailable - ask to have it written into your contract that the driver will come fetch you in an ancient Egyptian litter (a la Cleopatra) rather than merely substituting a car of equal value. It is highly unlikely they will actually agree to this, mind you, but the mere thought of it may give your sister some satisfaction.
Before booking any vendor, ask about their background, and don’t choose simply based on price. Discuss potential problems with them at the time - it is a lot less stressful to think about these things prior to your wedding.
To help deal with any hiccups on your big day, have a list of all the vendors involved and contact numbers. Another great way to help alleviate stress: Have an emergency kit so you can tackle any last minute problems like a torn dress (which you caught on the door as you were running in because your limo broke down), too few boutonnieres (because the florist didn’t think you were actually serious about there being 12 groomsmen), a missing ring (because the jeweller didn’t quite finish and you don’t want to have to borrow your cousin’s skull ring), or bad breath (because corn nuts are your favorite comfort food - and it seemed like a good idea this morning ).
So…read over your contracts….then pucker up and enjoy that first kiss (breath mint anyone?)!





