{ Bridesmaids: How to Choose and their Responsibilities }

Via fatkidslist

I finally had the opportunity to watch the movie, Bridesmaids. For those who have never seen the movie or are on the fence about watching it, I can honestly say that it was hilarious!  It is about a girl named Annie whose life appears to be in shambles after her bakery fails.  Her best friend, Lillian, gets engaged and Annie is asked to be her maid of honour.  She meets the rest of the bridal party who happens to be a hodgepodge of personalities and together, the bridal party gets into all kinds of mayhem leading up to the wedding.

As a bride, one of the first things you think about is your bridal party.  It could be your sister, cousin or best friend.  Essentially, you choose people who you are going to get along with.  Unlike the movie, you will also need to consider the cohesiveness of the team as a whole.  Will they work well together?  Will they get along?  If everyone in your bridal party can all get along, then kudos to you.  You absolutely need the support of your bridesmaids.  However, there is always the possibility that not everyone will get along - especially if you're mixing people who have never met each other before.  The  key is to choose people who you not only get along with, but also who you think will get along with the rest of the group.

Basically, each member has a responsibility to be able to work in a group.  For example, planning your bridal shower.  Typically, it is the maid of honour who takes the lead and plans the shower, while the rest of the bridesmaids work together to execute it.   To give you a better idea, some of those responsibilities include the following, according to Perfect Wedding Day:

- Help the bride with the planning of the wedding
- They help the bride with errands on the wedding day.
- Helps decorate ceremony if necessary.
- They help with organising or assisting with hair and make-up.
- Helps with or the making of table decorations and or diy wedding crafts.
- Helps with arranging wedding favours or bombonniere.
- Helps maid or matron of honour with Hens night and bridal shower.
- Bridesmaids pay for their own wedding attire and accessories.
- They pay for travel expenses and accommodation during the celebration.
- They attend pre-wedding parties.
- Attend ceremony rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.

At the end of the day, what really matters is that the people you have chosen are those who will take on the responsibilities as a bridesmaid and will support you every step of the way.  After all, they are there to make your life easier during this time. 

{ To Get Inked or Not? }

Weddding bands are a recognizable symbol of eternal love between two people joined together by marriage.  It began in ancient Eygyptian history using creative ways to make the rings to signify their love for one another.  For example, papyrus were twisted and braided into rings for fingers.  Later, rings were made of metal, which was the preferred choice by many couples.  

However, what if you wanted to go the non-traditional route and permanently ink your wedding band on your ring finger instead?  After all, it does symbolize permanence and commitment, much like your marriage.  And it is cheaper and you don't have to worry about scuffing or losing it.  The best part of all is that you can design any style of ring on your and your partners finger. 

Via Weddingbee



Via Weddingbee

But before you jump on the wedding ring tattoo bandwagon, like any other tattoo, you need to consider many things.  According to Everything-Wedding-Rings, wedding ring tattoo is not as easy as it looks; if the wrong type of tattoo design is chosen, or the tattoo artist is not experienced with ring finger tattoos, your tattoos could end up looking like a blurry mess.  Their best advice is to find a competent artist, choose a design that will look good on a finger, make sure the artist uses sterile procedures, take good care of the tattoo, and always be sure you really want the tattoo. If you have any doubts at all don't go through with it.

{ A Night with Peter Merry }

On Sunday, I had the pleasure of meeting Peter Merry, author of "The Best Wedding Reception...Ever!".  It was an interactive and casual dinner with other local DJ's and wedding planners.  For those who don't know who he is, Peter is a world renowned DJ from California, who helps couples create fun and entertaining wedding receptions.  His down-to-earth and humourous personality is what makes him unique.  He is not only a DJ and author but is also a speaker on wedding entertainment, and was even a guest on Oprah.

During dinner, he spoke about passion and how it leads to our own success.  So long as we are continually reminded of this passion, we will continue to be successful at whatever we do.  Each of us then had a chance to talk about our own passion and our own experiences.  It was great to hear other people's stories. 

The experience was just motivational and inspiring.  In addition to having that passion for what we do, I also learned that wedding receptions are not only about the linens, and the flowers, and the decor.  The music is equally as important, and sadly sometimes, it is overlooked.  Music does wonders.  It creates the mood, the energy but can also be a creative way to creating lasting memories with those you love. 

For more information on Peter, please visit his website at http://www.petermerry.com/.

{ Sam + Kevin Get Engaged }

Congratulations to my very good friends Sam and Kevin on their engagement!!  Both are avid travellers and adventurers, so it was fitting that Kevin proposed while skydiving in the beautiful Niagara region. 

Let the planning begin!!

{ Unique Seating Cards }

There are a number of ways to let your guests know where they will be seated at your wedding.  In today's age, more and more couples are opting for other fun and unqiue ways to seat their guests.

Instead of your typical name and table number or seating chart, which we've seen at many weddings, why not make it a bit personal by using a photo of them.

Via Moo

Here's another one, entitled "Find Your Face".

Via Weddingbee

And an even elaborate way of placing picture seating cards.

Via Lucia Paul Design

Now how neat is that?

Another great idea is the use of fortune tellers.  Who didn't love these when they were kids?  I still do, actually.  Guests can locate their name and then have the fortune teller give them their table number.  This also makes an awesome favour. 

Via Libby James

For a whimsical, carnival-fair type of wedding, you can also use balloons and have your guests pop the balloons as soon as they find their table number.

Via 100 Layer Cake

Via 100 Layer Cake

These are not only unique and creative ideas for seating cards but they are also fun and entertaining, which I'm sure your guests will talk about for years to come.   

{ Inspiration: Beauty and the Aviator }

As I was watching the airshow at the Canadian National Exhibition yesterday, it got me thinking - Aviator-themed wedding.  When you mix vintage glam with the classic warplanes from the 1940's, it creates an awe-inspiring theme, especially if your hubby is into planes.  Soft pink colours would go perfect with this theme, and if you're bold with colours then add a contrast of espresso brown or black to go with it. 

Here's my inspiration board entitled "Beauty and the Aviator".

{ Mary Ann + Mike Get Married }

I had the pleasure of coordinating Mary Ann and Mike's wedding this past Saturday.  They were an awesome couple to work with and their wedding turned out to be absolutely beautiful.  From the moment the stunning bride walked out of the limo, I knew that it was going to be a great and memorable wedding.  Their blue-themed wedding was a huge success - from the Church ceremony to the antipasto bar to start the night, to the Mo Town Boys band serenading the wedding party and guests during dinner, right down to the chocolate fondue and live waffle cake stations during late night desserts.  I'll let the pictures (amateur shots) speak for themselves.

 

Yummy Antipasto Bar

Me and my lovely assistant

Cake Time!

Congratulations to Mary Ann + Mike!!  Thank you for making me a part of your special day.

Of course we could not have done it without the rest of the team.

Venue: Le Jardin
Church: St. Mary Immaculate Church
Decorator: Plan B Event Solutions
DJ: Good Vibrations
Florist: Toronto Florists Shop
Limo: Masi Limousine
Photographer: BoyGirl Photography Studio
Videographer: John's Video Productions
Band: St. Kitts Music Inc. (Mo Town Boys)