calgary weddings

{ terrific tent }

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014 | trends, weddings | No Comments

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Here is a lovely tent wedding we did a while ago…very rustic chic…burlap is beautiful!:

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There was a delightful old claw-foot tub full of Jones soda & water on ice to greet the guests as they arrived for the ceremony:

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We used 6000 white and cream rose petals to line the aisle. There was very little adornment for the ceremony…they had a (beautiful) bridal party of 20….so there wasn’t much more decoration needed!:

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After the ceremony the guests migrated over under the trees for cocktails. The bride tracked down some barrels and we covered a piece of plywood with burlap…it was such a cute setting. Her bridesmaids also wrapped almost 200 mason jars with lace for their signature cocktails….just lovely!:

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We went with 16′ tables draped with ivory linen + a burlap runner + sandalwood napkins. Each table had an assortment of different sizes of mason jars filled with little posies in whites, creams, pale yellows and soft peach, candelabras + vintage oil lamps. The bride & groom named their tables with names of places that are significant to them…the place he proposed, the place they’re going on honeymoon, etc.:

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All the vintage (or vintage looking) dishes used for the candy buffet were so sweet…this little dish with the bird was my favorite!:

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Stringing the tent with all the little lights in the gale-force winds proved quite challenging – but on the wedding day everything was twinkly & magical:

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{ lovely lighting }

Tuesday, October 14th, 2014 | trends, weddings | No Comments

We did a lovely small wedding this weekend that was just filled with lovely candlelight…candelabras everywhere…the palette was champagne & eggplant with a few cranberry accents…perfect for the beautiful autumn day…and perfect as a backdrop for all the candles.
Here’s a sneak peak:
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{ a room with a view }

Thursday, July 10th, 2014 | trends, weddings | No Comments

Another favorite for TBT:

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.

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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!

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

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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.

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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.

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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?

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{ pretty as a peacock }

Thursday, July 3rd, 2014 | trends, weddings | No Comments

Here’s another #TBT…enjoy!

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Here is a 10.10.10 wedding  that was 16 months in the planning and 10 years in the making…Erin + Devlin are an awesome couple that decided to get married on their tenth anniversary of dating. At various stages they thought they’d get married in Jamaica or India, but in the end decided to get married in Calgary so all their friends and family could attend.

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The peacock feather was our inspiration….which gave us a sumptuous colour palette…coppers, teals, browns and greens.
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The bride walked down the blue aisle runner (with copper monogram) in her fabulous teal shoes. The bridesmaid wore navy and the maid of honour wore chocolate brown. The groom, best man, and father of the groom wore very stylish brown tuxedos.

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Deep Blue Sea martini anyone?

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The seating chart, menus, table numbers, candy buffet sign, photobooth pix, martini luge, and dance floor gobo all bore their custom wedding day logo with touches of damask & a peacock feather….pretty!

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The head table was adorned with teal & brown damask which was reiterated on the cake.

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{ happy holidays! }

Monday, December 16th, 2013 | trends | No Comments

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wishing everyone much health + happiness + all good things for 2014!
xo

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{ what’s a wedding guest to do…? }

Wednesday, July 17th, 2013 | media, trends | No Comments

We are frequently interviewed about all things wedding…here’s one from the perspective of the wedding guest:

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No, I don’t want to go to your expensive wedding
by Melissa Leong | Financial Post | May 7, 2013

When a beautiful wedding invitation arrives in our mailbox, imagine if we could RSVP in the most honest way.

“Dear friend, Thank you so much for wanting me to be a part of your incredible celebration. But I am spending a month’s rent on gifts, a bridesmaid dress and the bachelorette party in Vegas. If you have a third bridal shower, I am going to lose it.”

“Dear cousin, I know you’re getting married at the swankiest venue in the city. But my date and I will not cover our heads at $350 a pop. Please don’t badmouth us to the rest of the family.”

“Dear work colleague, No way. In debt from the last wedding that I attended. But congrats.”

How to survive the wedding season

Attending weddings can be expensive. So here are some tips to help you emerge from the tulle-draped, flower-petal littered and champagne filled celebrations with more of your money in the bank.
Read more here
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We know weddings are expensive. Weddingbells Magazine’s annual survey recently revealed that couples spend an average of $32,358 to get married and go on a honeymoon. But lovebirds aside, it can be expensive for everyone else too. According to new research by American Express, people expect to fork out $539 per wedding this year, including $167 on travel and $108 on gifts. (Close family members spend an average of $179 on gifts and co-workers cough up $66.)

Also, more couples are opting for destination events which raises costs for traveling guests; 24% of all American weddings in 2012 were abroad, up 20% since 2008, says TheKnot.

Statistics Canada’s 2008 data shows that men get married at an average age of 31.1 and women get hitched at 29.1. So for recent graduates with student loans and for people with new careers trying to build wealth, a flurry of weddings invitations couldn’t come at a worse time.

In the past 10 years, Mira M. has attended about 20 weddings and says she’s easily spent $10,000. Last year, the 29-year-old Toronto resident went to six weddings. One bride had two engagement parties, three showers, an out-of-town stagette and an in-town stagette. And the wedding invitation read: “Monetary gifts appreciated.”

“I gave a gift at every single event,” she says. “You start to feel the pressure because the bride starts talking to you about who gave gifts and ‘How much do you think a party like this costs?’”

So how much are you supposed to give?

Well, you don’t have to give anything if you don’t want to.

Big wedding gift, big mistake

These emotional highs can sometimes lead to brash decisions — such as the decision to unconditionally give your newlywed children extraordinary wedding gifts.
Read more here
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“From an etiquette perspective, the most common misconception that I hear is that you’re supposed to spend how much you think they’re spending on your dinner. That’s not the case. [The] wedding is not supposed to be a money-making or break even proposition,” says Lisa Hanslip, owner and senior event designer at The Wedding Planner Inc. She used to write an etiquette column for the Calgary Herald. “You need to take into account how well do you know this person and what your particular circumstances are.”

She has planned several weddings in the last few years where the couple either didn’t want gifts or asked for charitable donations.

“You shouldn’t feel obligated to buy something off the registry. The registry is supposed to make it easier for you, in case you don’t know them that well or you don’t know what they need,” she says. “I’ve had clients complaining about friends’ registries where the cheapest thing is one silver teaspoon that’s $100 and you feel so stupid buying one spoon.”

Buying a silver spoon is the least of our problems if we get the call to join the ranks of the wedding party. (It’s like having the honour of being knighted, except the sword cuts your purse strings.) According to the wedding site TheKnot.com, the average bridesmaid could face a bill for $1,385 when adding all potential costs.

Julianne Taskey, a 31-year-old Toronto resident who works in fundraising has been in six wedding parties; she spends about $1,000 to fulfill her bridal party duties.

“I’m a spender. It’s someone’s special day so how do you put a price tag on it. How do you say, ‘No?’” she says.

Take just one of her events. The cost included more than $400 for a bridesmaid dress, $150 for hair and make-up, $80 for shoes, $50 for a pedicure and manicure. Add to that $150-$300 for a wedding gift, $50 to $100 for shower gifts and $500 for the bachelorette party. “The rooms, the cabs, the drinks, strippers, the bridesmaids tank tops. I probably have four [tank tops],” she says.

Going to people’s weddings could deepen your relationship
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Debauchery isn’t cheap. At bachelor parties, Armando Guedez’s friends call him “the banker.” That’s because the 31-year-old Toronto resident doesn’t drink much.

“They’ll give me the money and my job is to make sure they don’t make stupid decisions with their money,” he says.

He’s been invited to about five weddings in the last few years and the bachelor parties are the costliest part. “I usually budget $500. Drinks could be $150 to $200. The hotel and gas is shared so $50 to $100. Food might be $100. The rest goes to the ladies.”

The price of these man-parties and the $150 gift that Mr. Guedez gives at weddings is worth it, he adds. “Going to people’s weddings could deepen your relationships.”

Michael O’Farrell, a 31-year-old entrepreneur who lives in Gatineau, Que., flew to Las Vegas for his cousin’s bachelor party.

“Without the flight, it was close to $1,000 to $1,500 for three nights,” he says. “You’re a bunch of guys. They say, ‘Why don’t we spend $1,000 on drinks and bottle service?’ Everyone chips in. There’s definitely peer pressure and the guilt trip. In some cases … no one wants to take charge and if you do decide to, you’re loading up your credit card.”

He will also buy a new suit to wear to weddings. Blame Facebook for being a catalogue of our formal wear for everyone to see. (To deal with this, Mira once rented a $2,000 gown for $150 from Toronto company, Rent frock Repeat, to wear to a black-tie wedding.)

I’ve been invited to a Jack and Jill where I wasn’t invited to the wedding. It’s so tacky
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You cannot put a dollar amount to attending a wedding, Mr. O’Farrell says. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event for the bride and groom. Getting an invitation is a sign that you’re important in their lives. It’s important for you to be there and you want to share that moment with them … If you get invited, it’s not proper to say ‘No.’”

I’ve said “no,” and not sent a gift (which according to my mom, is the rudest thing in the world). I’ve said “no” to being in someone’s wedding party. I also don’t go to what Winnipeggers call “socials” or Jack and Jill parties where guests pay a cover and buy raffle tickets to help raise money for someone else’s wedding.

“I’ve been invited to a Jack and Jill where I wasn’t invited to the wedding. It’s so tacky,” says Kirsten Ellison, a 28-year-old student at the University of Calgary.

She has three weddings to attend this summer in Ontario and one bachelorette in Las Vegas. She’s been saving and spreading out the costs for the flights, for the “spa-rty” (spa party) ahead of one wedding and the hotels.

“I know of people who’ve taken a second mortgage on their house to have a wedding. It was an extravagant thing and all of the bridesmaids were swept up as well,” she says. “It’s important for the couple to have those who are close to them, family and friends, to be there and be supportive. At the same time, it has spun out of control and gone beyond the celebration of two people getting together.”

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{ Unconventional Ways Couples Met }

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012 | media, trends | No Comments

Thanks to our friends at thenest.com for this fun article:
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Walking down the aisle together
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Married: October 20, 2007

It was their best friend’s wedding in 2003: Sara was a bridesmaid and Patrick was a groomsman. “We were introduced during the rehearsal, and we walked down the aisle together,” says Sara. “At the rehearsal dinner, Sara’s table was by the buffet, and I got up to refill my plate six times as an excuse to talk to her,” admits Patrick. Adds Sara, “We dated long distance for six months; then I moved to Jacksonville. Eventually we talked down the aisle again- but this time it was for real!”

In a virtual world
Hometown: Seacaucus, NJ
Married: April 25, 2008

The couple first met at Tiki Cove Plaza- but wait a sec, it’s not an actual plaza. It exists in a virtual world called There.com, and their two animated avatars started “hanging out.” After a year of virtual dating, they decided to try it for real. “We were both nervous,” says Megan. “But we really hit it off!” They dated in real life for another year before deciding to get hitched. Their wedding was in New Jersey, and a virtual one (yep, they exist!) was on There.com for online friends.

In front of a mailbox
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Married: August 12th, 2006

When Cedric moved into Maria’s building, her pal (who happened to be the building manager) told her they had to meet. “I stalked the common areas and saw him at the mailboxes on day,” says Maria. “I helped her carry her bags onto the elevator, and when she got off, I said, ‘If you ever need anything, I’m in 3104,’” Cedric remembers. Later that night, she knocked on his door and asked him out. “A year later, I proposed… by the mailboxes, of course,” says Cedric.

In the waiting room of a Dr.’s office
Hometown: Austin, TX
Married: September 13th, 2008

Jen had pulled a muscle in her back, and Mike had an earache. They both ended up in the waiting room of a doctor’s office, and Mike struck up a conversation with Jen. “I never, ever imagined I’d meet my future husband in a waiting room, much less while I was barely able to walk due to major back pain, but I guess it happens when it happens,” says Jen. “This all went down before the movie Garden State came out,” says Mike. “We think they stole our story for that movie.”

At an Arizona Cardinals game
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Married: January 24th, 2009

“I bought season tickets to the Cardinals and went to every game,” says Charlotte. “But I didn’t notice this handsome, sweet, smart man sitting next to me every weekend.” During a particular lackluster game, the two started talking. “I had convinced this kid in front of us to give Charlotte some of his cotton candy. I knew that sealed the deal,” laughs John. “At the last game, she gave me her business card. I emailed her right after the game and asked her out.”

At nursery school
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Married: July 11, 2003

“Alex and his friends were playing Star Wars at nursery school,” recalls Emma. “He was Luke and let me be Leia.” The two stayed friends all though college, where they were roommates. “After grad school, we moved to NYC and rented a one-bedroom apartment, and fate said enough was enough,” says Emma. “We became a couple, to the amusement of our friends, and got married. It’s funny…. We’ve known each other longer than our younger siblings!”

— Melissa Walker

http://ideas.thenest.com/love-and-sex-advice/real-couples/articles/how-couples-met.aspx?cm_ven=Responsys&cm_cat=Nest&cm_pla=Newsletter&cm_ite=October%2030,%202012&MsdVisit=1

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{ put those dancing shoes on… }

Friday, October 19th, 2012 | Q&A | No Comments

Tips on Breaking in your Wedding Heels
From our friends at Weddingful.com:
The heels have been chosen and they’re gorgeous! Now the question is, how do you break in these babies so you can enjoy your wedding day.

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Tip #1: Wear them in: We know you don’t want to scuff your beautiful shoes, but they must be worn in. Wear them at the office (at your desk of course) or wear them around the house. Pop them on for half an hour to an hour a day.

Tip #2: Bend & stretch: We saw this tip on Lauren Conrad’s website The Beauty Department. Stretch and bend the heels upward and downwards (if the shoe permits) a few times. Use a hair dryer and heat the heesl for 2 to 3 minutes and repeat.

Tip #3: Buy the right size: This might sound silly, but lots of women will buy the wrong size of shoe, perhaps it was the last pair on sale or you just couldn’t hunt down your size. We recommend you buy a perfect fitting shoe. If a shoe is too big, you risk tripping and if it’s too small, we guarantee blisters will form.

Tip #4: Sandpaper the sole: If you find the heel slippery, take a piece of sandpaper and rub against the sole.

Tip #5: Have a backup plan: Let’s not lie to ourselves, even if your heels are super comfortable, you will likely be tired by end of day. So pick a pair of pretty crochet TOMS, sparkly flip flops or satin ballet flats for a quick change. These are perfect to switch in throughout the day.

http://blog.weddingful.com/tips-on-breaking

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{ will you marry me? }

Friday, October 5th, 2012 | etiquette | No Comments

Thank you to Peter Post for these great tips for the perfect proposal!
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Countdown to Proposing
Peter Post’s 10 Day Proposing Plan
From the ring and flowers to what to wear and how to ask, Peter gives men the advice they need to get through the big moment.

Day 10: Make a Plan
Decide on the who, what, when, where, and why of how you will ask her to marry you. A public place or a private setting? First thing in the morning or late at night? Think about what suits your personalities and relationship. Perhaps you could enhance the moment with the enchanting touch of live wedding music Toronto. Keep in mind, this is a story she will be telling for the rest of her life, and you want her to be proud to tell it. But at the same time, the more complex a plan you concoct, the more difficult it is to pull off.

Day 9: The Ring
You’ve got two options here: pick the ring you know she’ll love or go with something basic and let her choose the setting and band once she’s said yes. If you go with the latter, remember that this is not an insult to your jewelry selection capabilities. You want to make sure it’s the ring she wants.

Day 8: To Ask or Not to Ask – Permission from Her Dad
Individual circumstances determine whether you should ask permission from her father, either alone or with your intended, or if you should simply announce your plans together. Be respectful of the culture and traditions of your future wife’s family. This will help you decide the most appropriate course of action.

Day 7: Schedule Her In
Don’t forget to make plans with her for the big day. It would be pretty embarrassing to go through all this effort and then have her tell you “I’m not available that night, I have yoga class till 8:30 p.m.”

Day 6: Dress
Figure out what you’re going to wear. Make sure it’s clean and pressed. Shoes polished. Hole-free socks. Get a haircut. Shave. You want to look and feel your best.

Day 5: Flowers
There’s only one choice: red roses. Lots and lots of red roses. And remember, even if you think flowers don’t matter, they do. If you are looking for Rhode Island best wedding photographers, call Jamie Corbman Photography. If you’d love to have lovely family photography, consider Pamela Lepold Photography, a family photographer Northern Virginia.

Day 4: Food
To cook or go out? Don’t cook. Think about it. You want to focus on her, not on cooking. Make a reservation at the nicest restaurant you can afford. Try not to be a nervous wreck, hopefully you’ll enjoy the meal. If you’re planning to pop the question there, ask the maitre d’ for a quiet table.

Day 3: Wine
This is clearly a champagne occasion. Pop the question early and then order a bottle to celebrate. You can even call ahead and arrange to have the sommelier bring the champagne out once you’ve proposed.

Day 2: Practice
Think about what you are going to say and how you are going to say it. Decide if you’re a down-on-one-knee kind of guy. Visualize what’s going to happen. You’ve established a plan for the dinner, now think about how you’re going to actually pull this off. Make sure you know how to get to where you are going. Remember these could be some of the most important words she hears from you, so make them memorable.

Day 1: Just Do It!
Give yourself time to get ready. Don’t forget the ring. Do plan on having a night the two of you will always remember. Look her in the eye and speak from the heart. Enjoy the moment!

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{ That’s Why God Invented Babysitters! }

Friday, September 28th, 2012 | etiquette, media, Q&A | No Comments

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE CALGARY HERALD, OCTOBER 2005, IN LISA HANSLIP’S COLUMN “I DO, BUT DON’T…”
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Q. My husband and I just got married and we had a really lovely wedding, except there’s one thing that is really bugging me. We had both decided not to have any children at our wedding, both because of the type of wedding we wanted and because we had such a small wedding, our guest list was very limited. Friends of my husband asked him about our opinion of kids at the wedding and he told them that a good gift to us would be a baby sitter as we were not having any kids at either the ceremony or reception. The first thing I saw, and heard, as I entered the church to walk down the aisle was this couple with their children, including their newborn. Am I off base or was this totally out of line?

A. I have three words for you: tacky, tacky, and tacky! Not only were his friends rude and inconsiderate, but they can’t even claim ignorance as you had a specific conversation about your decision to have a child-free wedding.

Regardless whether you are having a small or large wedding it is completely appropriate to choose not to have children at your wedding celebration. The day should reflect you as a couple, and if there are no children you are close to, or if you wish to have a “grown-up” event, there is absolutely no reason you should feel obligated to include any children on your invite list.

The best way to handle this is to be consistent: if you don’t want lots of children, don’t invite any – however, it is also ok to only invite children over a certain age. Some couples want only certain kids, for example their nieces and nephews, but no others. This choice isn’t particularly appropriate etiquette, so you need to be prepared for a little backlash.

To all prospective wedding guests out there – it has been said before, but apparently it bears repeating: IF YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THE INVITATION – YOU ARE NOT INVITED!! This includes your children, the guy you started dating last Tuesday and that unexpected house guest you need to keep entertained.

You are completely correct to be ticked off at your husband’s friends – they were totally out-of-line. As to how you should handle it now – well, that’s entirely up to you – but you should probably set a couple extra places at the table the next time you invite them over for dinner, just in case…

P.S. If it is too problematic to “not” invite the children – consider setting up a kid’s room – hire a team of babysitters and stock it full of kid-friendly fun – they’ll be nearby so their parents can check on them – you’ll get the child-free wedding you desire and you don’t have to have that sometimes uncomfortable conversation with your guests.

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