The Wedding Planners Blog

Putting His Stamp on it - Wedding Planning for the Groom

by Danielle Andrews Sunkel

For far too long, everyone has called the wedding day, "the Bride's day".  If the groom got any thought, he might get a groom's cake. Today's grooms are not sitting so idly by. When it comes to wedding planning, I often deal more with the groom than I do the bride.  There are lots of fun ways to incorporate both partners into the wedding, so today I am going to focus on how to let the groom's personality shine through at his wedding.

An Homage to his Favourite Libation - A fancy way to say: BAR! If the groom loves a good whiskey, microbrew or bourbon, have a tasting station at the wedding. Source: ShotofBrandi.com

Say it with Socks - Lots of men are going for a bold statement with their socks.  Our grooms have had lime, orange, purple and pink socks this past year. Here past client of The Wedding Planners, Peter, shows off his purple socks. Photo by Bassem.com

Who needs Flowers? - Rather than a flower boutonniere, why not have a special pin, a favourite childhood toy or a super hero on his lapel? (Just remember how to pin it correctly)

Sources: Left, GraceOrmonde.com, photo by AlainMartinez.com; Right, OffbeatBride.com

Stand Apart from the Crowd - Rather than having just a different coloured boutonniere or tie, why not have an entirely different coloured suit than the groomsmen? Source: RebekahWestover.com

Punt that Garter - Embrace the groom's favourite sport by tossing the garter on a football, baseball or tennis ball. Source: Photo by Gino Creglia

The Value of Working with a Professional

by Danielle Andrews Sunkel Photo by BarryCardoso.com

Today I got to thinking about the value of working with a professional. No matter what endeavour you are undertaking it always benefits you to work with someone who is an expert. An accountant can help you find tax write-offs you didn't know existed, a real estate agent will save you from costly mistakes, a hair stylist will make your by-the-bottle hair colour look natural and a wedding planner will save you time, stress and money.

I have been going to the gym daily for the past four months. I've lost about 35 pounds, so I figured I was doing pretty well on my own, but I knew I could be doing better. Today, I brought a personal trainer with me and she worked me out on the same machines I've been working on. Holy heck! The tweaks she showed me made such a huge difference in working my muscles, and cut down my gym time by half an hour! My arms are still shaking as I write this! Paula told me that doing the routine she gave me, the extra weight should whittle away. (She'll be making a new routine for me each month.)

So as I massaged my shoulders, I started thinking, this is just like wedding planning. Sure, anyone can plan a wedding on their own and do fine, but once they work with a wedding planner they see just how much time and money they can save and they end up with a much better wedding.

 So just like I am getting a more efficient workout with faster results thanks to my personal trainer; with a professional, certified wedding planner, you get way more "bang for your buck." Your professional will save you from costly mistakes, keep you organized, pair you with the best vendors for your style, theme and budget, handle any emergencies big or small and introduce you to the latest and greatest elements in weddings.

It's like I always say, if you are not a professional DJ, Florist, Cake Baker or Designer, hire someone who is! And if you don't have a certified wedding planner working with you, get one ;)

Destination Wedding: Shakespeare

'With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls; For stony limits cannot hold love out.' Romeo and Juliet

by Danielle Andrews Sunkel

Are you a true romantic? What could be more romantic than getting married where Romeo & Juliet were first introduced to the world?

Marry on Shakespeare's stage, in the famous Swan Theatre or at the of the theatre tower.  They have many spaces for receptions small and large including a rooftop space or a room on top of the theatre!

If you are interested in Stratford, England make sure to contact us, we are Destination Wedding experts.

Photo from The Royal Shakespeare Company.

Love is Brewing on Style Me Pretty Canada

We are are thrilled to be to able to share Katie & Brian's wedding with the folks at Style Me Pretty Canada. They were an absolute delight to work with and the other vendors helped to create a truly amazing wedding.

Prepare to swoon over the fabulous photos by Nikko Photography.  

Click here to see the whole feature.

Catherine & Jason Get Married!

by: Kim Choy, Wedding Coordinator, The Weddings Planners

Catherine and Jason were married on Saturday April 14, 2012 at St. Andrew's Club in downtown Toronto. 

This was the first wedding of the season for The Wedding Planners.  Catherine and Jason were such a sweet couple to work with to start the season off!  They were easy going, funny and so on time (their ceremony was only off schedule by 30 seconds!!)

They decided to do bridal party and family photos before the ceremony to save time, and spend more time with their guest list of seventy. Below you will see the reveal photos of the bride and groom! 

Sean and Sureka, the on-site coordinators and the rest of the crew from St. Andrew's Club were fantastic!

Michael Coombs of Michael Coombs Entertainment had the dance floor packed until 1am!

Enjoy just a handful of their photos below by Jeff at Life Creations. 

Vendors:

Wedding Coordinator: Kim Choy, The Wedding Planners
Venue: St. Andrew's Club
DJ & MC: Michael Coombs Entertainment
Photographer: Life Creations
Florist: Ginkgo Floral Design
Cake: Dufflet
Officiant: Kettle Creek Weddings
Make Up: Maureen Greenstein
Hair: Blo The Path
Transportation: Moe Limo

Destination Weddings: Abaco Beach Resort in Abaco, Bahamas

by Danielle Andrews Sunkel Abaco Beach Resort is located just north of the Tropic of Cancer, 165 miles east of West Palm Beach, Florida, on Grand Abaco Island, the second-largest island in The Bahamas.  The laid-back, understated elegance of the resort sets you at ease the minute you set foot on the property.  I was lucky enough to be hosted by the Abaco Beach Resort & Marina for a WPIC Alumni Familiarization trip to see the property.

Renowned for its Sport Fishing Tournaments, this luxury resort is perfect for families, sun-soakers who want to relax, wedding groups ready for fun, snowbirds who want to be apart of a community of peers, adventure-seeking sportsmen and newlyweds who would like to be alone.  It is amazing that one resort can offer so much to so many.   Abaco Beach resort is made up of well-appointed hotel rooms, 2-3 bedroom bungalows, condos available for rent or purchase and a marina where snowbirds live on their boat.  Abaco Beach MarinaBungalowOne of the condos

With 8,750 total feet of event space, there is no shortage of options for Destination Weddings either: Garden Pool, offering elegant island ambiance for evening events or daytime affairs, with lights from tiki torches sparkling off the water as the live band plays poolside. Follow it up with a bon-fire and S'mores on the beach!The Great Lawn is a palm-tree lined, expansive setting with panoramic ocean views, perfect for cocktail parties, receptions, and buffets.The Marquee offers 6, 250 square feet of space, seats 400 and offers the option of glass walls overlooking the marina or slide the the doors away for a clear-span tent.For indoor receptions, Below Decks overlooks the pool, ocean and beach and accommodates 150 for dinner.

Abaco Beach Resort offers 4 Wedding packages to build off of (Tropical Affection, Junkanoo Love, Hand-in-Hand/Toes in the Sand or Seaside Elegance) or we can create something custom with you.  

In a subsequent post, I will detail just some of what there is to do in the Abacos, such as island-hopping, boating and adventure tourism.

Tips to Survive Wedding Shows and Bridal Fairs

by Danielle Andrews SunkelA lot of couples get engaged at Christmastime, so the largest wedding shows are in January each year. These shows are a great way to see what is available for your wedding and to meet multiple vendors at once.  The only problem is, the shows have multiple vendors at once!  Wedding shows can be information overload and you can quickly become overstimulated and tired.  

Here are a couple tips to get you through:

Prepare Yourself

*A wedding show isn't a fashion show, wear comfortable shoes and leave your coat in your car.

*If you are planning to collect a lot of information, bring one of those shopping totes on wheels.  Of course you want to get those free wedding magazines, but remember you will have to carry the 10 pounds of paper for the rest of the day!

Timing is Everything

*Avoid the rush and visit the show a few hours before closing, most people go first thing in the morning or in the early afternoon.

*Visit the vendors you would really like to speak to, while the fashion show is on, you'll get their undivided attention because everyone else will be watching the show.

*If you really want to see the show, have one of your entourage save seats for your group.  Tell them to bring a book and enjoy being out of the crowd.  You will truly appreciate the chance to get off your feet.

Leave a Calling Card

Look ultra-chic and save yourself time by not having to answer the same questions from multiple vendors.  If you are interested in their service, give them your card, so they can contact you when there aren't another 500 brides around.

Vistaprint.ca has several wedding-themed calling cards (business cards) available starting at only $7.95 for 250! Or for a less-cute option, visit your local office supply store and purchase the preprinted perforated business card sheets.

Be sure to include:

*Name

*Anticipated Wedding Date

*Contact info

Forget the Writer's Cramp

Never miss the chance to win something for FREE (but keep in mind the vendors are collecting your information to build a mailing list).  Save your hands and valuable time, by arming yourself with a stack of return address labels with all your vital info preprinted!

Bridal Show Idea for the Bride: Give 'em your card ~Wedding Calling Cards~

by Danielle Andrews Sunkel

Wedding Show season has arrived!  Make your life easier and get a bunch of Wedding Calling cards made with your vital deets.  List your name, contact info and wedding date if it is set.  That way, any time you meet a vendor you are interested in speaking with further, you can give' em your card :)
Source: Lovie and Dodge

Vistaprint also carries a line of Wedding calling/business cards for the bargain price of $7.95 (the cards are free, you only pay for shipping!)

How to have a Twilight Inspired Wedding

Photo: twilightnewssite.com

by Danielle Andrews Sunkel

The great thing about a Twilight-inspired wedding is that, while fellow Twihards will instantly recognize the theme, non-fans will just see a beautiful, romantic wedding with classic touches.  I admit, I am not a Twihard, but I have read all the books.  I love the wedding scene inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nights Dream.  

I love that the ceremony is treated as the main event.  So often people ignore the ceremony area and only take care in decorating the reception.  As we often say, "There wouldn't be a reception if there wasn't a ceremony!"  To achieve a similiar look, have a foliage-heavy Wedding Arch with white wisteria or white petals strung on fishing wire hanging from it, and large potted plants at each pew.

Twilight-inspired Wedding Invitations are availalbe at Hallmark: 

You can customize the invitation with your details and then Hallmark print it on premium white paper with black lettering. They will even address, stamp, and send the invitations directly to your guests.  You can print the invites yourself for as low as $1.29.

“The Edward and Bella wedding invitation gives super-fans a unique opportunity to create a memorable keepsake from the movie for themselves and their fellow ‘Twi-Hard’ friends or even actually use it for their wedding day,” said Christine Taylor, Hallmark Licensing. “We also saw it as a fun way to invite friends to a viewing party for the Nov. 18th movie release.”

Other Twilight-inspired touches can include the blue and white crystal heirloom-style hairpiece Bella wears in her hair.  We already reported that Braids are going to be hot this Wedding Season.  Photo: Twilightnews.com

Edward's mother's ring:

Photo: People.com

The Dress:

Photo: Alfred Angelo

Alfred Angelo has purchased the licensing rights to the wedding dress designed by Carolina Herrara and will be offering it in size 0-30 starting today!  The book describes it as a sleeved classic dress, with modern touches. 

Happy Planning to all you romantics out there!

Cool Places for Wedding Party or Engagement Photos

By: Tracey Manailescu

An email was sent to me recently with great locations in it for Bus Stops around the world. Of course, my mind went instantly to weddings and I started thinking how great it would be to have engagement photos or wedding party photos at one of them.

Obviously, wedding party photos would mean a Destination wedding, which YES we can help you with at The Wedding Planners!

Scottsdale, Arizona, USA

Source: farm3.static.flickr.com

San Diego, Californa, USA

Source: farm4.static.flickr.com

Rakvere, Estonia

Source:  farm3.static.flickr.com

Yemin Orde, Israel

Source:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/n2b/2635759707/