Say Cheese

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 | trends, weddings | 1 Comment

One of our brides emailed me yesterday to inquire about having a photobooth at her wedding…we LOVE photobooths…Your guests have a great time (especially after a few cocktails!) and both you & they get a wonderful momento that will be fun to have for years to come. They can be customized with your monogram, to match your colour palette and have your names & wedding date and any message you want for your guests…so fun…Say Cheeeeeese!

Tags: Lisa Hanslip, the wedding planner, wedding photobooth, weddings calgary

Sexy & Snowy Winter Wedding

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 | trends, weddings | No Comments

This was an intimate weekend-long wedding in the mountains. The very stylish couple wanted sleek and unique but still low key. Their paramount priority was making sure that all their guests felt comfortable and that they’d have a good opportunity to visit with everyone.
The ceremony was decked out in white flowers, white fabric and crystals with accents of black (including the fabulous wedding gown)…and a gorgeous view of the mountains.
Cocktails were in an intimate setting flooded with candlelight and all of their guests were greeted with a Mojito.
Great lighting created a cool ambience. The linens were simple black on black and each table had groupings of monochromatic red or white flowers…so pretty…and the food was superb!

Tags: banff weddings, Lisa Hanslip, the wedding planner, weddings calgary, winter wedding

What’s a bride with two dads to do?

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 | etiquette, media, Q&A, weddings | No Comments

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE CALGARY HERALD, JUNE 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 getting married in the fall. All the details seem to be coming together nicely except there’s one big problem…My parents divorced when I was eight and my mom re-married shortly after. My step-dad is wonderful and has always basically been the father figure. I am still quite close with my father, though, and I know either would be very disappointed about not walking me down the aisle. What should I do?

A. Hmmm…yes…this is always a very sticky situation when a bride is close to both her father and step-father. Unfortunately, there is never a clear-cut, one-size-fits-all, answer. How you choose to handle this is entirely dependant upon the personalities involved.

If you are very close with both men, etiquette states it is your natural father that should walk you down the aisle. For many brides, though, their step-dad has been so much more involved in their daily lives that it seems an automatic choice to ask him in lieu of their biological parent.

If both men get along and are amiable with each other you can choose to have both of them walk you down the aisle. Strictly speaking, this is a total no-no. However, unless Emily Post (or Dr. Phil) will be onsite to help smooth the ruffled feathers of the “dad” who does not get to walk you down the aisle – this is certainly a viable option. You could either have one escort on either arm, or have your father take you half way, and your step-father the other half. Another option is to choose your natural father to walk you down the aisle, and your stepfather for the father-daughter dance (or vice versa).

The only other option would be to avoid the situation altogether and walk down the aisle alone. From an etiquette perspective, this is a more appropriate compromise than, say, having your mom walk you down the aisle, and can potentially alleviate any hurt feelings. If you’re really worried about it, pick a ceremony venue that has a very skinny aisle (or a ridiculously pouffy dress). Then you can look your dad(s) in the eye and say with confidence…I’m so disappointed, there’s simply not room for anyone beside me. If you opt to go it alone, you could briefly pause to hug them both, and then have your fiancé escort you the last few feet.

It is wonderful to want to observe all the proper etiquette at your wedding…just don’t forget about the potential lifetime of angry glances over the Thanksgiving turkey before you make your final decision.

Lisa Hanslip is a Calgary wedding planner (www. askaweddingplanner.com). Her advice appears regularly on the Love Stories pages.

Tags: calgary herald, Lisa Hanslip, two fathers, weddings banff, weddings calgary

The Wedding Chicks love our site!

Thursday, March 12th, 2009 | media, testimonials | No Comments

We recently received an email from Amy, half of the fabulous duo that started weddingchicks.com letting us know how much they love our site. We never tire of hearing that!
We are now a Wedding Chicks preferred vendor. You must check out their site – it is filled with all sorts of fabulous & fun things.

Tags: wedding chicks preferred vendor, weddings calgary

Man of Honour?!?

Monday, February 16th, 2009 | etiquette, media, Q&A, trends, weddings | No Comments

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!

Tags: calgary herald, Lisa Hanslip, male bridesmaid, weddings calgary