the wedding planner
Love at the Lake
Monday, August 23rd, 2010 | testimonials | No Comments
Thanks Lisa,
Thanks so much for everything. It was such an amazing weekend for us.
We can’t thank you enough! Our wedding was so special for both of us and we had a fabulous time. I would love to go for lunch sometime.
Talk to you soon,
-Christy
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!
Dear Lisa,
Time for the “official” Chan/Strauss thank you cards! I hope this card finds you well!
Thank you again for making our wedding so special! We have enclosed a few pictures from the reception…We hope you enjoy them!
Hope to get together for drinks the next time Tom and I are in Calgary (or call us when you’re in Toronto).
Thanks again!
Monica & Tom
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!
you MUST have cherry shoes!
Monday, May 3rd, 2010 | trends | No Comments
My mother-in-law had been shoe shopping and saw a pair of shoes that were totally me - and so we went shoes shopping on the weekend so I could try on these fabulous cherry shoes:
Unfortunately they no longer had my size…but I must say - they are indeed “me” - and much more fun than any shoes I’ve purchased recently.
In the end I managed to find a fun silver pair off the sale rack (yay!) which are also made by Poetic License:
I wore them to the office today…excellent way to start the week…in a fun & fabulous new pair of shoes…even more so when they were on sale.
Aren’t they cute?!?
The shoe box is so cute also I almost took a photo of it to post (I refrained).
“Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.”
— Marilyn Monroe
always a bridesman, never a….??
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 | Q&A, etiquette, media | No Comments
I know I’ve already blogged about having male bridesmaids and honour attendants of the opposite sex - but as it came up again in a recent meeting with a client I thought it bears repeating. I think my first experience with this was a female “best man” in the mid-nineties sometime. She wore a floor-length strapless black gown and looked just lovely - and not even a little out of place - standing between the groom and the groomsmen.
I feel very strongly that you have the person or persons that mean most to you standing next to you while you get married - regardless of gender. You don’t need to have 4 attendants because your soon-to-be spouse is having 4 attendants. You don’t have to have them all in the same outfit (in fact, please don’t!!) - it’s great to infuse some character into your bridal party. And, you definitely don’t have to have female attendants because you’re the bride, nor male attendants because you’re the groom. We have had lots of “men of honour”s and “best women” over the years and it’s always perfectly appropriate - regardless if you’re having a religious or secular ceremony.
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE CALGARY HERALD, MARCH 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: I’m having a very hard time choosing a maid of honour. I have a few girlfriends that I’m fairly close to, but my very best friend is a guy. We’ve known each other since junior high - and he’s seen me through everything. Would it be weird to choose him instead of a maid of honour? Should he just dress like the groomsmen? Will I give my grandmother a heart attack?
A: Unconventional, yes! Unexpected, you bet! Acceptable, absolutely!
You want your honour attendant - whether it is a maid of honour, matron of honour or man of honour - to be the person to whom you feel closest. You should choose your best friend, the person you want standing beside you on your big day - not the friend that would look best in the bridesmaid dress.
If you choose a man to be your honour attendant - you may opt to eliminate some of the “typical” duties like hosting your bridal shower, or helping you get into your wedding gown. But the most important part of the job description is being supportive and serving as the legal witness to your marriage.
Choosing your attendants can often be a difficult process - for the bride and the groom. There may be family politics involved. Or, like some, you may have served as a bridesmaid for a dozen of your friends and family members and feel obligated to ask them to stand up for you in return. Well…don’t.
This is your day - and although it is impossible to accommodate everyone’s wishes - you can’t make your choices based on not wanting to offend someone. You can’t make everyone happy - nor can you make everyone your bridesmaid - so just choose those you are currently closest to. You can always assign tasks - like doing a reading or taking care of the guest book - to those you want to feel special and included in your wedding but aren’t in the bridal party.
When you decide on the attire for your attendants, he can wear a suit or tuxedo and coordinate his tie to the other bridesmaids. This scenario also holds true for the groom. It is also perfectly acceptable to have a woman be the best “man.” A best “woman” looks great in a black strapless gown to coordinate with the other groomsmen.
So, feel free to choose your best guy friend or brother to stand up for you at your wedding. Just keep your “man of honour” away from the lavender chiffon and size 11 purple pumps - and your grandmother’s heart should be just fine!
Are they serious???
Thursday, April 1st, 2010 | media | No Comments
I just got an email from one of our suppliers…a company that makes our custom tote bags - which are really lovely by the way…and this is what they sent:
All I can hope is that April 1st is the reason for this email and not that they’re exploring new business opportunities…because really…they can’t be serious…can they?
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