gondola, shmondola

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 | testimonials, weddings | No Comments

We just received another lovely thank you note from a client that got married this summer. Their wedding almost got cancelled due to high winds threatening to halt gondola service upto the ceremony & reception site:

Dear Lisa,
Thank you so much for all of your efforts putting our wedding together. It could not have been better in any way. The best part is that we didn’t even hear about the gondola drama until the next day.
Our wedding was absolutely perfect!
Thank you.
Melissa and Frank

I worked with Frank & Melissa for about 18 months planning their wedding…such a fun couple. I’ve heard all sorts of things in wedding vows – but this was the first time a bride referred to making out during the theme song to “House”…so great…best wishes you guys!

Tags: banff wedding, Lisa Hanslip, wedding kicking horse, wedding planning calgary

Live, Love, Laugh…

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009 | testimonials, trends, weddings | No Comments

So…penniless (and without a lipgloss to my name!)…the next day went on to Kananaskis for a FAB tent wedding. This gorgeous bridal party was adorned with bling so we had to make sure the reception matched. The tent in the midst of the towering pine trees was filled with crystal & bronze trees, and an oh-so-fun candy buffet.

When we arrived for tear down at 1am these guys were still going FULL FORCE…it’s a shame about the noise regulations in the resorts in the mountains…otherwise I have no doubt these guys (bride & groom included) would’ve danced until dawn.

All their guests got a good sugar rush & a bottle of wine to sustain them. Everything was adorned with the couple’s motto “Live, Love, Laugh” – which they clearly do with fervor.

Thank you Lisa and all of  The Wedding Planner staff for making August 2nd the best day of our lives!!! The day was run so smoothly and completely exceeded our expectations. Much love, Andrea & James

THANK YOU ANDREA & JAMES FOR THE OH-SO-YUMMY CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES…mmmMMMMMM!!

Tags: banff wedding, Kananaskis wedding, Lisa Hanslip, rocky mountain wedding, wedding planner calgary

Damask & Apple Green…majestic wedding in the mountains

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009 | travel, trends, weddings | No Comments

This couple was so cute – we loved working with them…the ceremony had the majestic mountains as a backdrop and the beautiful ballroom was all decked out in damask with yummy apple green accents.

Everything from their invitations to the custom menus, seating chart and gobo had their monogram. Those little details really make a huge impact.

Tags: banff wedding, damask overlay, Lisa Hanslip, rimrock hotel, rocky mountain wedding

Quickie Anyone…??

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009 | etiquette, media, Q&A, weddings | No Comments

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE CALGARY HERALD, SEPTEMBER 2005, IN LISA HANSLIP’S COLUMN “I DO, BUT DON’T…”

The long road from happy engagement to wedded bliss is paved with potential etiquette faux pas. Wedding planner Lisa Hanslip is here to help you resist your inner Bridezilla along the way.

Q. My fiancée and I just got engaged about a week ago but we’d really like to get married this fall. Is there any way to plan a nice wedding for about 50 guests in less than two months?

A. Absolutely! Whether you have five weeks, six months or two years to plan your wedding it is possible to have a lovely memorable event. However, when you’re planning a wedding in a short time frame it is imperative that you be flexible (we’re talking major, look like a pretzel, contortionist flexible).

Regardless of how much time you have to plan your wedding, when you are inviting less than 75 guests your options are immensely greater than if you are having a fête for 300.

If you’re having a wedding in the spring or fall there’s a chance that traditional venues like hotels and community halls may have an opening. You might want to consider having your wedding on some day other than Saturday – which will give you more options, whatever your time frame.

Don’t overlook all the great restaurants that can accommodate 50 or 60 people and provide both great ambience and great service. Restaurants are often the most amenable to special requests for weddings and are best equipped to deal with last minute bookings.

As for all the other vendors you’ll need to figure out which ones are available and go from there.

If getting married soon is your priority be prepared for the possibility that your wedding won’t look exactly as planned (What do you mean I can’t have 500 tulips by next Thursday? Yes…I do realize it’s October…). So, get your dialing finger ready, start chanting your “I am flexible” mantra, and in less than two months you can be ready to say “I do!”

Tags: banff wedding, calgary herald, calgary weddings, Lisa Hanslip, wedding etiquette