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On this international day o' love, I'm would like to share the following story with you. It was brought to my attention by the fabulous Judy Cormier of Elementz of Fotographie in a wedding photography context she was holding ...
Our Journey to Happily Ever After – Yoko & Khalid’s Story
Once upon a time there was a girl named Yoko and a boy name Khalid. They met, fell in love, and lived happily ever after. If only things could be that easy. Okay, so that’s the short and sweet version but here’s how it really goes….
Khalid and I met when we were 12 years old. His family moved to Canada from Pakistan in December 1986 fleeing persecution from their homeland due to religious conflict. Khalid’s father was a prominent lawyer in Pakistan, known for his integrity in a place where bribes and corruption were commonplace. Due to his refusal to be corrupted, his family was threatened and their lives endangered by a mob of criminals that came en masse to their home to take revenge on Khalid’s father for prosecuting a notorious crime lord. Khalid described to me years later, his last memory of Pakistan. His father looked at him and in a grave tone, told him that he had to look after his mother, sister and younger brother if anything should happen. Khalid’s father then went outside with his 2 older brothers to face an angry mob of 200, sent by the crime lord who had been put in jail. Though help arrived in the nick of time, he was beaten badly. Knowing they were fortunate to be alive and that it would be dangerous to remain in Pakistan, a week later, the family was on a flight bound for a new life in Canada.
Khalid’s family moved into the same apartment building I lived in at 100 Dundalk Drive in Scarborough. His family lived on the 8th floor and mine lived on the 10th. We both come from big families, Khalid being the second youngest of 5 and I being the oldest of 5. We both lived in 2 bedroom apartments with 7 people crammed in each of our homes. Although some may say we grew up poor, we were fortunate in that we were rich with the love from both of our large families.
As children, we played hide and seek, climbed trees, rode our bikes, had water fights and went swimming at the local pool. Our families knew each other because I was good friends with both Khalid and his younger brother Qasim. Our friendship continued into our teens where we traded in our water guns and hide and seek games for movie watching and hanging out at the mall. We even attended the same high school and ended up working part time together at the same senior’s home. Basically, we were together 24/7. This close friendship deepened and eventually, we realized our feelings for each other were much stronger. There we were, 16 years old, naïve, young and happy in love and that is precisely when many of our challenges began.
Although we attended a fairly multi-cultural high school, inter-racial dating was still quite rare. Many people were not tolerant of a Pakistani boy and Japanese girl being together and we were surprised that even some of our “friends” were against it. We faced quite a bit of racism and nasty comments at school where many of the Pakistani and Asian students were outraged that we were dating outside of our culture. In public it was much the same and we had to endure hushed comments and dirty looks outside of school as well. It was difficult for us but it truly made us and our relationship stronger.
To add to our challenges, were Khalid’s parents. Once they suspected Khalid and I were a couple, the fact that I was not Pakistani nor Muslim became a huge issue and they forbade him from seeing me. We had to date in secret which caused a huge strain on our relationship for many years. So you could imagine how comical it was that even though we lived in the same building, we had to hone our undercover skills to avoid being seen together or caught by his parents. We resorted to taking the elevator at different times, meeting a couple blocks from our apartment building, coming home separately and so on. We came up with a secret phone ringing code, such as ringing once was the sign for Khalid to call me back. We had to be quite creative and could have become secret agents with the skills we picked up. I laugh at it now but looking back, it was difficult for me. Although my parents were fairly strict about dating, they accepted Khalid while his parents stopped speaking to me and my family. Eventually I accepted that this was our situation and just focused on building our relationship.
Later, Khalid’s father threatened to arrange a marriage for him and tried to separate us but none of it worked. His father was so adamantly against his children marrying outside the community that when his eldest daughter, who had been arranged to be married at 18 years old and sent to London, England informed him that she was going to divorce her abusive husband, she was ex-communicated. He didn’t attend the weddings of his 2 older sons’ as one brother married a Polish girl while the other married a Vietnamese girl. For several years, I can honestly say that relations with his parents were non-existent and I know it was especially hard on Khalid that his parents didn’t acknowledge our relationship.
When Khalid and I moved in together his parents resolve against their children marrying outside of the community slowly started to thaw. With barely any communication with their children, his parents realized that they might eventually lose them forever. I’m happy to say now that we are all a happy family. No more missed holidays and happy occasions. I get along marvelously with his parents and I couldn’t be happier. Now both sides of the family can interact and we will finally be united in marriage and our family size will literally double. It has been a long and hard fought journey to get to this point but being here now is such a blessing because family means so much to both Khalid and I.
Over the years, we have endured people not accepting our relationship, feuding family members, deaths in the family, personal illness and more recently our parents’ health problems as they age. The most challenging has been my father’s health. The last year has been especially difficult and filled with extensive medical testing. We found out just before Christmas that my father has been diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease (HD). While we are happy to know the cause of his physical changes, given HD is genetic, it has been emotional knowing there is the possibility that I may contract the disease and that HD has the potential for a fairly early age onset. I was personally struggling with the news and scared to tell Khalid at first, especially as we’re in the midst of wedding planning and buying our first home. Both Khalid and I have always tried to be strong for each other and I am truly lucky to have him by my side as he has been so positive and supportive in the face of this diagnosis. I know that we can make it through anything and although HD is a deteriorating disease, I am so happy that my father is doing relatively well and will be able to attend and witness our wedding.
When our families found out we were engaged, they were so happy and joked that, “It was about time”. I wonder if we could get into the record books for the longest courtship ever? In March 2008, it will be 16 years that we have been a couple. We started dating at 16 and 16 years later, we’ll be getting married. Initially because we’d been together so long, we were thinking of getting the deed done in a quickie City Hall ceremony but realized that we wanted something more. Our wedding will be the first wedding Khalid’s mother and father will attend as they missed the other siblings’ weddings. Also for various reasons of distance and circumstance, other siblings have not been able to attend weddings. Our wedding truly marks the first wedding where there are no feuds, the family ties are strong and that every family member will be in attendance.
For this reason, these wedding pictures not only mean so much to us but to the rest of our family as well. It is heartbreaking for us to see Khalid’s siblings’ wedding photos where his parents are not in any pictures or a sibling or two are missing. Our wedding gives us a chance to celebrate with everyone and it means so much to be able to preserve this important moment in our lives.
Our wedding not only unites us finally in marriage but marks a day when our entire family will truly come together. Iwasaki’s and all of the Khawaja’s will be together and that has made our families so happy and giddy about our wedding. It’s as if they’re all getting married again too.
Couples always say this but in our case it’s true. We are meant to be together and I can honestly say that I will marry by best friend, the one I laugh with, live for, dream with and love.
So this is how our story really goes…Once upon a time in a land not so far away called Scarborough, there was a girl named Yoko and a boy named Khalid. They were childhood friends that came from very different backgrounds. They met, fell in love and over the years their relationship faced many obstacles. But through it all, they persevered and their love endured and only grew stronger. Finally, that love will culminate in their wedding 16 years later on Sunday, July 20th, where they will be joined by their friends and loving family to begin their continuing journey of happily ever after.
In addition to winning Judy's contest, I was so moved by their story that I jumped on board and I'm happy to say I'll be providing a free day-of-coordination service. I very much look forward to meeting up with this couple and will be posting about the wedding for sure!
February 14, 2008
Lovers In A Dangerous Time
February 12, 2008
People Make Up the Wildest Things
Surfing through websites and I found this back on a dress ... wowzaas!!!
It's by the fine folks at Get Conscious ...
Think About the Place Where You Live ...
Just to alert everyone to the button on the right-hand side of the blog, there's a great new event I think you should all attend! The Eco-Wedding & Lifestyle Show is being held at the Design Exchange in Toronto on March 1st & 2nd.
Organizers are promising to help the discerning couple make purchasing choices that have a lighter impact on the environment without sacraficing style and joy. Participating vendors have made a commitment to the environment and will be eager to show you ways in which you can reduce your footprint on the earth. There will be Interactive Fashion Stations, Mini-Seminars, Wedding Carbon Calculators and Eco-Café and of course PRIZES!
I'm going to be giving away tickets to the show as I whole-heartedly believe you should be attending ... stay tuned for whatever strange plan I come up with for deciding on who receives the tickets ;)
For more info on the show, click on the banners!
February 11, 2008
She's My Inspiration ...
I honestly was set to post about a lovely artist friend of mine and a great idea she has with weddings. I went to her website to grab some links and more info and I'd like to now change the topic of my post completely!
Heather from Illustration Castle is an artist I had the fortune of meeting about three and a half years ago. She specializes in illustrating for children's books but has recently very much changed her way of living and is quite the role-model. In taking a brief look at her blog I was seriously proud ... she's gone green! That's a very easy statement to make but Heather is very much practicing what she preaches. Check out some of the things she's doing ...
In my home studio
• PDF Addict : I confess I’m a PDF addict since going paperless. From PDF proofs to sending signed contracts and invoices, PDFs are my new best friend with sending documents to & from clients.
• Digital Backups : I use an external hard drive and USB for my temporary backups
• Hard Copy Backups : I use DVDs instead of CDs to reduce waste (for backups and to send hard copies of files to clients)
• Unplug printer & scanner & other equipment when not in use… and my Mac is set to go to sleep mode after not being in use for a minute (rather than a screen saver)
• Compost pencil shavings
• Reuse scraps of illustration paper for smaller illustrations
• Use recycled materials to send artwork to clients
• Design reusable promotional items (such as calendars)
• Only print stationery as it is needed
• When printing use both sides of the page
• Donate any unwanted books & art supplies to art students (a.k.a. my brother!)
• Trade in old computer equipment (and will be e-cycling next time an electronic product dies on me!)
• Avoid using spray glue fixatives and aerosols
• Dispose & recycle diluents safely
• Purchase art paper and supplies in bulk to reduce visits to the shop and on packaging
• Blog regularly with ideas & solutions for how to be a green designer & illustrator
• Recycle ink cartridges
• Use canvas bags when shopping
• Switched to Renewable Energy through AGL for only $0.99 more a week (Oct 2006)
• Consolodated my work environment into one unit : my Mac is my creative hub, my tv, my stereo, my dvd player, and my telephone!
Most know that this is a direction I'm going in, too ... right now it's trying to switch bad habits into good ones. Heather's actions are some we should all be trying to emulate! To find out more of her GREEN steps, visit her blog by clicking on the picture below.
February 9, 2008
"The Off Season"
For those brides and grooms to be who are somewhat unfamiliar with the wedding industry and how everything works, at least photographers and videographers, most of us go through a slooooow period, from around November to March. *Most* of my bookings are throughout April to October, as my brides and grooms generally enjoy the spring feel, summer warmth, and fall colors, rather than the harsh, bitter cold and sloppy slush. But to each his or her own, right? During the off season, I do my *research* on my competition (will touch on that later, wink wink), meet with and book new clients, update my website, explore new and interesting ways to advertise, and constantly think of ways to improve on my work. While the subject of keeping up with technology is a blog all to itself, we can all respect and understand that the more expensive and sophisticated equipment is, the more expensive the packages may be. I'm recently exploring the era of high definition cameras. Not one you can buy at Best Buy for $700, but a professional camcorder costing upwards of $7000! For a small business like my own, this is a very large investment. Currently, if a bride and groom want high definition coverage, all I do is rent an HD camera, and transfer the additional cost to the package. A rental for one day is only about $250 from Vistek, so it's not that much. However, the editing is a little more intense and the processing time is a little longer, so that also affects the price. However, I do recommend at least exploring the option of HD coverage for your wedding as it does look much better than standard definition (6 times the resolution!). If you don't know what I mean, go to Futureshop and have a seat at one of their cookie-cutter living rooms with the leather couches and surround sound, and I'm sure a salesperson will be along in no time to try to take your money =) Have a look at the quality of the video and compare it to a standard definition TV that is conveniently, deliberatly and strategicly hidden in one of the aisles away from the customer's main traffic routes. You'll see the difference. High Def has it's pros and cons, I'll be candid (just like my style of videography!). While I've already pointed out that the resolution is much higher hence looks much better than it's predecessor, SD, it also may reveal those small bodily imperfections we all (or at least most of us think we) have. If the videographer's style of shooting is close-up, you'll see every little pore and blemish on your skin, if of course the filming is in a well lit area. If you're filming HD in a low-lit area, you're likely to experience lesser quality video, perhaps more "grainy" and less vibrant color saturation. Please forgive me, I don't want to get too techy here, as some of you readers are more tech-savvy than others, but to say it in short, good quality SD cameras react much better in low light than moderate quality HD cameras, according to their Lux rating (won't get into that too much here, but basically a Lux rating is the manufacturer's measurement of how sensitive the camera is to light - the lower the number the better).
As I mentioned before, I'm in the market for a new HD camera. During the last 6 months, there has been a lot of buzz from all the major manufacturers, Sony, Panasonic, Canon mostly. And we all know what happens when this happens - prices tend to fall. So I'm going to wait till the dust settles to make my selection. I'm sure it will be worth the wait!
February 7, 2008
The Rebuttal
In rebuttal to KK's post-
NOT ME.
I will happily talk about my wedding any day, anytime, to anyone (glazed eyes be damned!)
That's all.
A post about The Dress is coming. I promise.
~bb~
ps. Still no ring. Grrr.
February 6, 2008
all about the Benjamins....or the Bordens
So a friend asked me recently "Your wedding's comming up. I cant wait! Arent you excited?"
I replied "Not really. I just want it all over and done with."
He was absolutely in shock. "How can I be more excited about your weding than you?"
Well, really, how can he NOT? At the begining, it was everything wedding. And that was the way I liked it. I was the bride . Vendors were approaching ME at the bridal shows and in the stores (true, most of them probably only saw me as a walking dollar sign, but I managed to overlook that fact in exchange for the tonnes of attention they showered on me), friends and family asked to see the ring and wanted to discuss how plans were going.
It was a great way to satisfy my inner narcissist (Okay, maybe not THAT "inner"!). But really, you know at work when the first person asks you where the bathrooms are you happily answer...but when the 20th person asks, you get annoyed and bored with the repetitive question? Well, that's what happened to me!
"Yes I already have my dress"...for the 30th time!
"My brother's fiancee is my maid of honour"...just like I told your friend 10 seconds ago
"Yes its an open bar"...GAH!!!!!!
All of a sudden, I was HAPPY to talk about anything BUT the wedding!
The icing on the cake is that when the clock struck midnight on new years, it was no longer "Im getting married next year" but "Im getting married in 3 months." That realization was followed by the one that I only had a handfull of paychecks left. Suddenly this chance to 'save little bits from every paycheck over time' was running out. What will we do if we are a little short? We cant just insert another payday between now and then. Will we have to pull the dj equivalent of a "dine and dash" (a dance and run to your hotel room)?
When I get worked up about this, I try to focus on the fact that things like this always have a way of working out. I try to focus on my work bonus Im expecting in a few weeks, a raise my fiance will get for the last few checks before the wedding and a few other little sorces here and there. I try to think of it that worrying about it NOW will not help. Its like trying to change the TV channel by staring really hard. But still, no matter how I calm down about it, I still cant get as excited as my friends and family are. And personally, I dont blame me!
What A Surprise ...
Considering we've known each other for quite some time and we even get together for the occasional Girl's Night Out, it really isn't a surprise Ms. Jessica Blaine Smith is now joining the blog! Most of you will know her as the Boudoir Queen ... no, that's not a shot at her love life ... she shoots beautiful boudoir sessions (as well as weddings, corporate and all that good stuff). She even came by my place last year to take my head shots so I can attest to her fabulous people skills and corny I'm-going-to-make-you-smile jokes ;)
Welcome, Jessica!
Hip & Fun Cocktail & Dinner Music
Hi Everyone!
Lisa from hello DJ! here! When you're thinking of music for your cocktail hour and dinner, feel free to venture beyond the traditional elevator music or instrumental stuff! You can have your music make a statement, with tunes your friends can hum along to and recognize. It's great to include the stuff you can't dance to, but can definitely lounge out and mingle to! Some of my favourite hip & fun cocktail & dinner songs right now include:
Feist - 1,2, 3, 4
Michael Buble - Everything
Nouvelle Vague - I Melt With You
The Garden State Soundtrack - Various...
Apologize - One Republic
Peter, Bjorn & John - Young Folks
Sweet Baby - Macy Gray
The Postal Service - Such Great Heights
Coldplay -Various
U2 - Various
Bob Marley - great for outdoor summer events!
Jack Johnson - Sitting, Waiting, Wishing
Ne-Yo - All Because of You
Bob Sinclair - Love Generation
Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape
Fergie - Glamorous
Don't be afraid to be bold with your cocktail tunes as people mingle about! You can always mix up some adult contemporary with some great vocal jazz by:
Ella Fitzgerald
Louis Armstrong
Sarah Vaughan
Billie Holiday
Etta James
Diana Krall
Frank Sinatra
Dean Martin
Norah Jones
Michael Buble
I hope I've given you some ideas to work with! Please feel free to check out hello DJ! online @ www.helloDJ.ca
We are booking quickly for 2008 - get in touch with us via Lisa@helloDJ.ca for our latest availability.
February 5, 2008
Can't Help Wondering Why
While waiting for the phone company this morning I was watching a little Breakfast Television. One of the stories that caught my attention was a little blurb about You & Your Wedding Magazine (UK based) taking a survey of brides that has resulted in them compiling together a contract for bridesmaids to sign. I realize some brides will actually love this but I can't help but think it's a touch over the top in certain areas. I will admit it was good for a laugh though. My personal favourites were:
"I will not gain more than 7lbs between now and the wedding"
"I will not intentionally fall pregnant before the wedding"
and last but not least ...
"I will not remove any item of my Bridesmaid outfit during the reception"
To see the whole article and the contract click on the photo (by Heather Castles at the Illustration Castle) ... 
Young Folks
I'm thrilled to say Lisa Ng from hello DJ! has joined the crew at the blog ... please check out her work online and if you're in the market for a DJ, I highly suggest giving her a jingle. Not only is she young, hip and the most energetic vendor I've had the pleasure of meeting but she's masterfully managed to make a name for herself in an industry dominated by men (no offense, guys). I'd boast about her recent feats but she may want to say a bit about that in her first posts ;)
Welcome to the mix, Lisa!!!
I'm hoping to add another few young folks so stay tuned ... as soon as they send their pictures, they'll be up here ;)
February 4, 2008
And We'll Have Fun Fun Fun Til the Boss Doesn't Want Us to Playyyyyy
A little bit of fun for a Monday morning ...
What bride isn't curious to see if her wedding vision will match an online quiz? Okay, maybe not all of you care but I was amazed just now when I took a 'Wedding Style Quiz' and my result matched the look of my wedding completely! I was a mix of three of the four styles but the one that was me more so than the others was definitely what the finished product wound up being ... 
That's my own wedding with a dear friend who had just read a favourite poem for my husband and I :)
To take the quiz GO HERE or click on my results above.
Enjoy!
February 2, 2008
Do your guests a favour
If you really want to do your guests a favour and have them be supremely happy - then give them an edible gift favour at your wedding or event..JPG)
Why not treat your guests to something sweet that ties in to the theme of your wedding or event, matches the monograms on your invitations, or acts as a place card?.JPG)
Offered in vanilla, chocolate, gingerbread - or even custom flavours, decorated cookie favours are a sweet treat that everyone will love. Packing in clear cellophane bags tied with satin ribbon, Chinese take out boxes, or clear pvc boxes available..JPG)
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February 1, 2008
Got your bridesmaid's dresses picked out? Then lets talk flowers!
- The colour and style of their own gown
- The colour and style of the bridesmaids dresses
- Whether they want a formal or casual wedding
- The date of the wedding
- The location of the wedding ceremony and reception
They don’t have to worry about knowing exactly what they want their flowers to look like or the types of flowers they want. That’s the point of the consultation. We sit down with the bride and ask them a number of questions designed to guide them in their decisions. We really do work one on one with the bride (and groom) to figure out what they are looking for. I have had so many brides leave an appointment saying “I had no idea what I wanted before we sat down today- and now I love what we picked out!” It’s our job to know what is in season and to know which flowers will last the longest in a wedding bouquet and to help them choose flowers that will convey their own personal style.
The Ring
No, not the horror movie starring Naomi Watts. But almost…
We spent all of last weekend doing wedding stuff. Most of it was tedious. But the thing I was most looking forward to was shopping for our wedding rings. Although, FI swore he would never wear a ring, he said he would look at least. And I knew EXACTLY what I wanted. So I thought my choice would be a breeze, and his would be the toughie.
Not so much.
I think FI was surprised at how many he actually liked. And at the end of the day he ended up buying a VERY cool ring. I think he likes enough that he might even wear it everyday. Which would make me very happy. But I’m not holding my breath yet.
Me, on the other hand. I’m having issues. I had a style in mind that I wanted. I thought it was a pretty common thing. My e-ring is a spectacular solitaire, so I wanted a wedding band that would bend around it to show it off. I saw one I liked at Zales in Buffalo and I figured it wouldn’t be too hard to find something similar, maybe even better here at home. I hunted everywhere for it. Couldn't find it. I had to explain a million times to jewelers what I was talking about. Seems it’s not such a common design after all!
Then magically, at a shop in the mall, I found it. I was so excited/ I made FI get out the camera-phone to take pictures. I slipped it on… and HATED it. Gasp. How could this be? I was not even thinking about bands at all. I had it all planned!
So then I was back to square one. And a little upset. And a little tired. And more than a little grumpy. All that searching and it didn’t matter.
Then we went to Spence Diamonds (where FI bought his band). They have hundreds of options. I found a few that were okay but not THE ONE RING. (Har. A LOTR fan joke.) I still wanted something that fit around my solitaire. And for some reason I don’t want to get a custom ring. Not sure why.
Then the very nice salesperson made a suggestion. She showed me this amazing ring. I slipped it on, and it fit around my solitaire like it was forged in the fires of Mount Doom with my e-ring. (That’s the last one, I swear). Anywho, they fit together like a puzzle. Perfection. BUT (did you feel the BUT coming?) BUT I always envisioned myself with something subdued. Diamonds, but not a ton. Something that compliments my e-ring but doesn’t distract from it. This ring, this perfect fitting ring, was, well, a friend described it as a Hello How Are Ya! ring. It was chock full of diamonds. And blingy. Very blingy. FI saw it and said right away that my solitaire gets lost. And I know it’s true. But a PERFECT FIT?? How can I turn that down?
I decided to walk away, think about it and go back. I will return to the store on Sunday with a gaggle of lady-friends to help me get some perspective.
But in the meantime, I’m still a little upset, a little tired and a little more than grumpy about the whole thing.
~bb~
Beautiful Flower
On this cold, blustery day in the Greater Toronto Area I decided to flip through my favourite Australian magazine ... if only to feel a little warmer! There are tonnes of fantastic ideas and I'll likely come back to a few but for now I wanted to post something that caught my eye.
There's a section on jeweled flowers that is stunning ... the one that I fell in love with is the picture below. Instead of adding jewels to the actual bouquet, why not add gems to the ribbon trailing beneath? Simple yet sophisticated! Not to mention I love orchids ;)
January 30, 2008
Somebody Waits
Okay ... the draft layout for blogger bride's (and groom's) invites are ready! Of course I know things are going to change but they're anxiously awaiting and this is a beginning! Keep in mind that the tops are going to be die-cut to the shape we discussed in the first trial.
* please note the images used are under copyright by other companies and will not be used in the final product by Moments That Shine
** also note text involved (addresses, names, etc) is strictly sample information. If you look for blogger bride on King Street or her wedding at the Bata Shoe Museum, you'll be disappointed ;)
The first page ... it will be a lovely clover/sage green and the artwork is coming from a friend of the bride's ...
Page Two ... the main invite itself. Yes, We've decided to flip it to portrait ... for now anyhow ;) For the next few pages, we're going to go with a clean white paper.
Third page ... all about the bus & accommodations! It will be white as well ...
Last page of the white will be the map. Yes, it's pretty boring now. Blogger Bride & Groom are making their own for the finished product though ...
And last but not least, the RSVP. Here we're going to go back to the same green as is on the cover and the coup-de-grace is I'll be perforating the right hand side so guests tear off their reply and send it back postcard style!
There's still a lot of work to be done! Oh, and don't worry ... those thick black lines won't be staying ... that's simply to give you some perspective since everything is on a white background at the moment ;)
Edited to add: those lovely red & green underlines won't be staying, either ... this is what happens when you take a screen capture from a good software program. For some reason they think 'blogger' isn't a real word ;)
Kind & Generous
One of the best feelings in business is when you find out you've made a great impression on someone when you weren't even trying. I'm always on my best behaviour when meeting someone new but let's face it ... we're all human. Sometimes crankiness comes through so you don't always know what a prospective client thinks of you.
Well, this lovely lady didn't end up being a client (we met rather late and I was already booked on her date) but that didn't stop her from making my day. I spotted a very sweet testimonial on her Facebook page that really warmed my heart ...
"Wedding Planner and more- Moments that Shine- i have heard soooooooo many great things about Susan. If you need a wedding planner i would highly recommend her based on all the great reviews..plus she makes stationary products and jewelry!!! Very creative! Check out her website and blog www.momentsthatshine.com"
Thank you so much, Mari! That truly means a lot to me ... especially since it was so unexpected!
January 29, 2008
My Funny Valentine
Valentine's Day is fast approaching. What was that? Did I hear collective groans mixed with a few cheers? Actually, I have a few friends who are very much into celebrating the Hallmark-inspired day-o-love but I have many more who simply detest it. For those who know me, it's not difficult to see I'm *not* into February 14th at all. I'm a very private person, not into public displays of affection and I think it's kind of lame we're forced to celebrate our love on a specific date. In fact, I'm not even big on my anniversary. Yes, I'm aware that this sounds incredibly jaded and weird coming from a wedding planner. How I got into weddings, I'm not entirely sure ... but I do know that I love witnessing other people's joy so that's all that matters ;)
Back to Valentine's Day though ...
My husband is the exact same way that I am (thank goodness). The first few years we were together we did the cutesy-pukey stuff but quickly realized it was just for show. We then got creative. Oh ... I should mention that my birthday is on February 18th so it makes things really painful for my husband in the romantic gifts department ... so he was more than eager to participate in this idea ...
We turn Valentine's into a bit of a treasure hunt. We decided that we would buy gifts for one another but we'd make it interesting. We sit down and come up with five criteria. The gift has to meet at least three of the five but really we want the bragging rights so we go for all five. Let me give you a warning in that this makes the gift buying slightly difficult but on the flip-side it is so much more fun and gratifying in the end.
Let me give you the example of the first year we did this. The criteria were:
- Red
- Metal
- Glass
- Four
- Square
I'm proud to say that year we both managed to meet all five criteria. He bought me a pair of earrings (that matched a pendant I had just bought) and I bought him a pocket watch. Good fun!
This past weekend we sat down to figure out what it will be this year and it's not going to be easy!
- Green
- Three
- Rectangle
- Metal
- Cloth
I popped those things into Google but no help there. I'm thinking a day of shopping is going to be in order for this one!
So my point is (forgot I had one), even if you don't enjoy a certain holiday and it feels like a chore, it is possible to make it fun! Feel free to use this idea .... I just want to know what you bought one another ;)
Oh .. and if you have any suggestions for the gift I'm to buy this year, I'm all ears ;)
January 25, 2008
A Little Help From Our Friends
It occurred to me that I actually added a gallery to the main site a while back and completely neglected to post about it!
Almost a year ago, a fantastic fundraiser was organized by designer Leanne Beagan, graphics designer & planner Reem Fattouh and myself. The mission was a fashion show in support of Rethink Breast Cancer ... what resulted was an outpouring of kindness from people we truly weren't expecting it from. The entire night consisted of volunteers (some of whom blog on this site, some of whom I was fortunate enough to meet through the forum Frugal Bride). A complete list of vendors involved can be found on the gallery's page but I would like to give a special shout out to Crystal, Danielle, Sara and Sandy who gave their time and energy to the cause as well.
The show was a particularly tough time for me as my mother-in-law passed away from cancer two days before. I mention that not to ask for sympathy or to show you that no matter what, I follow through with my events ... I mention it because people need to openly talk about how cancer is affecting their lives and that it touches EVERYONE.
I was lucky enough to lean on family & friends very heavily at the time and I'd like to thank all of you for that (you know who you are). Because of that support I was able to view the event as a huge success and for a little while my family was able to focus on something hopeful and we were even entertained ... I mean, who wouldn't be distracted by a fire-dancer?! ;)
Check out the GALLERY and spread the word about this great cause!
January 23, 2008
Falling into place.
I want to tell you that I DO think of you (the readership) often. I feel so guilty for not posting more and sharing more with you about the things I've learned in this whole planning process. But everytime I read a new post on here I think "Wow, I havent posted in a long time. I really should....hmmm, but what to post about?"
I have two theories as to why Im at such a loss of words (those who know me say Im NEVER at a loss for words and I have no problem going on about myself). The first possibility is that maybe Im just having a hard time remembering all the little details. The other possibility is that a lot of aspects of the planning for me just came together almost on their own.
I got engaged just over a year ago on Christmas '06. The proposal was nothing special...at least on paper anyway. FI and I are more like best friends than we are the gushy sentimental. So we were at our condo and he asked "so...wanna get married?" and I said "Yeah I guess."...see? paper (or computer screen) doesnt capture the tone that it was said in with kind of a "see this is something serious but Im not saying in a serious tone" ironic humour.
The next thing I know, there was a whirlwind of bridal shows, vendors, contracts and deposits. Often times, it seemed too easy.
I knew that I wanted a venue with a hotel on site because if I was going to have open bar (which I certainly was), I wanted to make it easy for people to take advantage of. Out of the few resorts that met my qualifications, the decision was pretty simple and came down to pricing.
The first officiant we met with was really amazing. Easy-going yet, plenty of ideas.
The first photographer I met with is sort of a friend of my parents. They absolutely love his work and were really impressed with him when he was taking pictures of their club function. I had no objections from our meeting, and what better recomendation than my parents!
My dress...well, see previous post. For my attendants' dresses, I wanted THEM to choose what they wanted. Off the rack dresses from pacific mall (an asian mall) fit well with the theme and are pretty cheap too. Truth be told, only my maid of honour has hers as of today. The other girls and I are going next week to get theirs.
I ordered stationary from a site online and gotthree samples of different asian themed invitations. I absolutely fell in love with the ones that featured cherry blossoms. And luckily I was able to get rsvp cards, thank you cards, and placecards with the same pattern!
One of my aunts loves baking. She's really good at it too! So who better than to bake my wedding cupcakes!
Adam's aunt used to work at a florist and still does flowers for family and friends. So I was thrilled when she offered to do our flowers as a wedding gift!
See what I mean? Everything kind of took care of itself. I can hear your objections. "That's not ALL you need for a wedding!" and you're right, there are still some other aspects I didnt mention. Those are the things that didnt immediately fit in the the theme of this post with everything coming together almost TOO easily!
Are You Ready to Rock?!
Okay ... I think we've established the invitations won't say that but it makes for a good posting title ;)
I thought I would share some of bloggerbride's first draft pics of her invites since she was speaking of them. For those of you who haven't worked with me during the self-proclaimed creative process, the first meeting about invites is about likes/dislikes, colours, ideas ... a general draft. So keep in mind that this is *not* what they will look like in the end. I thought it would be fun to take you on the journey of the invites as we're going along with bb on the journey of her wedding, too!
Here's the concept invite that struck a chord with bloggerbride and her FI ...
And here is what we turned it into ...
Closer ...
And an adjustment we're going to make to the top will be to add this (just not the colour ;)) ...
I can't wait to see the next draft! Oh wait ... I'm the one making it ...
January 21, 2008
Anyone Else But You
This is a post with a bit of a double-purpose ...
First, if you haven't seen the movie Juno, GO SEE IT! Yes, there's a ton of hype and I'm adding to it. If you're anything like me and kind of quirky, you're going to be glad you saw it.
On the same topic, there's an amazing soundtrack to this flick. The reason I mention it is because after seeing the movie opening weekend, my husband & I were driving home, being the perpetual critics we are and going on and on about a bunch of things. I won't ruin the movie for you at all but there's a scene where the two main stars are just playing guitar and singing a song together. The simplicity of the scene was so sweet and it got my husband and I thinking about being 'different' ... bear with me ... I have a point to bring this to weddings.
It somewhat pains me to admit this was my husband's idea and not mine but it's too good to pass up. He said rather than going with the traditional first dance (that is painful for some), he would have loved to actually serenade one another instead. Now, we aren't the best of singers and our guitar playing skills aren't up to snuff (yet) but we are insane music lovers. Had we thought about it years before, I totally would have been up for that. How unique of an idea is it to actually entertain your guests like that?! Not to mention it's a beautiful sentiment between two people. I get all weepy just thinking about that idea.
So I challenge you to think outside the box for the first dance, the cake, the vows ... anything you do! Make it your own and be an event people talk about. And of course if you need some inspiration on ideas, give me a shout ;)
For those interested in the song in question from the movie Juno, it's Anyone Else But Youby the Moldy Peaches. To hear a clip: Audio
The Invitations
This weekend we met with Susan to design our invitations. We based them on something similar that she has in her portfolio, but tweaked them to make them a little bit more personalized. It was a relatively painless experience, as FI and I seemed to agree on everything. Always a good sign.
Well, almost everything. FI decided instead of a monogram on the cover page he would prefer to see “Are you ready to rock??” Um. Not so much.
When we first went through Susan’s portfolio of ideas, we were stuck trying to decide between “Classy” invites and “Fun” invites. The Classy ones fit the venue, but the fun ones fit FI and I. In the end Fun beat Classy. That being said, they aren’t exactly ‘wacky’ and the paper and font will be quite classic. They are just a bit of an unusual concept and shape. We have been receiving a lot of Michael’s kit wedding invites lately and we decided a while ago that was NOT the route we wanted to take. I am very excited for our unique, personal design. To make them even more personal, one of our bridesmaids who is a graphic design has agreed to create our monogram.
And no, despite a second attempt by FI the rsvp choices will not be:
Yes- I’m Ready to Rock
No- I Respectfully Decline the Invitation to Rock
Hahahaha.
Susan is in the process of putting together a sample for us. I can’t wait to see what she creates.
We also had a talk with our respective families about The Guest List. So far, no one has made any unreasonable requests. Fingers crossed. We have started to gather addresses, which is proving to be harder than one might think.
We are scheduling a hardcore Wedding Planning Weekend this week. The idea is to knock the following things off of the list:
Wedding bands
Hotel/ motel/ B&B
Florist
That would be nice. Then we are in the home stretch. I’ll let you know if any of that became a reality, next Monday.
~BB~
When You Say You Love Me
It's been a while since I posted a proposal story and I did promise a certain someone it would be up a lot earlier! Without further ado, here's the story of Jacqueline & Peter. Make sure you click on the link at the end to watch the video ...
My FI and are both actors, and we met on stage when we were cast as a couple! We became amazing friends immediately and when the 13 weeks of rehearsals and shows were finished...we clearly weren't willing to let it end. We were practically inseparable from then on. Fast forward 18 months, an apartment, 2 dogs, 2 thrilled families and a new house. Oh, and another 2 shows. During the most recent, I directed him in his staring role in a musical.
Apparently, his ring search began almost a year before he proposed, and he has had his proposal planned since the day we met...
Without my knowing (actors?!?), he found a gorgeous ring in a store. He tricked me into 'shopping for styles that I liked so that he would know what to look for when the time came'. While I was looking at more modest styles, he pointed out the one he liked, casually - I honestly had NO CLUE what he was up to! The ring was extravagant in my world, but, it admittedly became a bit of a pedestal piece...I never dreamt I would have it.
He then spent 4 months searching out a loose 1+ carat Lucida stone (OMG!!) and had the design he liked 'tweaked' and custom created the ring for me.
Back to the musical: one Friday night show (April 27th), with and audience of 170, 40+ being our friends and family - he took his bows and after the curtain closed, he called me up on stage and introduced me to the audience. You would think that I would have known. NO!! We had talked and we were not getting engaged for another 8-12 months! Besides, he is really good at showing me off and has a tendency to be a tad grandiose! After he introduced me to the crowd, he asked to sing another song and serenaded me with, 'When You Say You Love Me', by Josh Grobin.
At the climax of the song, he gestured to the SFX/LX booth and the closed curtains slowing opened to reveal a stage now scattered with 200 red and pink roses!!!
At the end of the song, the last words are: "I love you..." he got down on one knee...and asked me marry him!
I could not answer, my legs turned to jell-o and he had to jump up to save me from toppling backward...all I could do was nod...
The audience cheered!
Be still my heart! It races just re-playing it in my mind.
He is so good to me - he also made sure that the entire thing was videotaped, so now we have a DVD to show our families, friends, and one day, our children.
I never dreamed that I would be blessed with such finding my soulmate, and now that I get to marry him, I am constantly bursting!!
Now make sure you watch the video!!!
January 18, 2008
Orange is the new white!
ERIN - Hi Jess. I hope you had a nice week. How did your bridal consultation go yesterday? What colours did she choose? I have been noticing a real trend in colours with all of the brides I have been meeting with for 2008 weddings. A lot of my brides are incorporating bright colours into everything from their wedding bouquets to the ceremony arrangements and the centerpieces. One colour that keeps popping up is orange! Quite a change from the traditional all white wedding eh?
JESS - Wow- how did you know? Orange is exactly the colour we are working with for her! The wedding is in early May, but she is choosing to use a really strong palette- deep purples and vivid orange with some deep yellow thrown in the mix. It is so nice to use such strong tones for a spring wedding- unexpected for the guests. Colour scares a lot of people, but if you use it right you can create such drama and richness. We’re going to use more exotic bold flowers for her, again unexpected for a May event- purple callas with orange mokaru orchids and gerberas.
ERIN - Really? That is so funny. Looks like it is going to be one of the hot colours this year, Which is great because it happens to be one of my favorites. What sort of look is she going for? Casual, elegant, romantic?
JESS - She’s going for an elegant look- which can be hard to pull off when using bolder colours, so we have to keep everything clean lined and not too casual. Keeping the colours to just two or three, rather than going with the whole colour wheel helps achieve this, and we’re going to use more exotic flowers such as the callas and orchids to keep it from feeling too casual. It’s challenging, but that’s the fun part for me! Are you doing any weddings with orange that are going the elegant route too, or more casual?
ERIN - my bride is also looking for something that is elegant and very fresh looking. So what we are doing is sticking to the softer orange tones, an orange that does not have a lot of red in it but is still vibrant. We are keeping it elegant by placing it with a neutral green and a very soft yellow. So the other colours are there to accent the orange so it is still the star. This is keeping it elegant because you are avoiding that circus look by not having too many different colours.
JESS - To our readers- the photo above shows the seasons hottest flower colour trend, namely orange, and is the bouquet that Erin made for the Wedding Bells feature!
January 16, 2008
SugarTree Photography ....Because life is sweet!
My name is Kristina Laukkanen and I'm the creative photographer behind SugarTree Photography. My company specializes in weddings, portraits & commercial work. We also have fun doing it! Besides, if we didn't enjoy it so much, what's the point?
A little About Moi:
I've been photographing people, places & things since I was 12. My parents met at Photo Hut in the 70's while working for the company and then I came along shortly there after. I took photography all through high school and summer classes but never thought I would seriously do it as a career. My focus was marketing and business. And then one day when I was 25, my grandmother convinced me that I should enter a local contest. So for kicks, I did and won 2nd place. One of the judges asked for my portfolio and I was like "Yeah right - the family photo album is around here somewhere." And that was the year I turned my life in another direction and headed for my dream. I decided that I wasn't going back to school full-time so I applied to work at Black's Photography. I figured - what better way to learn about photography than by being in the business. And that's what started it all. 5 years later I own all the equipment I'll ever need to be ready & prepared for any photo job, I have my own studio space (by appointment only), I have a wonderful and fun team of professionals and I have first hand experience about how to run a business and succeed - my most treasured asset from Black's.
Some background with Susan:
I thought it was wonderful when Susan and Bernard hired me as their wedding photographer a few moons ago because they were such a fun loving couple...but it was even cooler when we became friends after the honeymoon! *lol* I remember the wedding like it was yesterday. *dream sequence* As I wandered around the golf & country club, photographing the details of Susan & Bernard's wedding I thought to myself "WOW! This has got to be one of the most creative weddings I've ever shot!". From the Guest Branches - where guests could leave their well wishes and marriage advice/thoughts on a piece of paper and hang it on a branch for Susan to later scrapbook - to the heart warming center piece adoption kits for chimpanzees - a sanctuary for lab chimps near Montreal. A cause Susan & Bernard are very passionate about. Adopt-A-Chimp I still talk about it to my clients! (Susan - can you confirm this link.) Everything was well thought out and created with such passion that it's no surprise that Susan has done so amazing, planning other bride-to-be weddings!
So stay tuned for the next post where I'll discuss what else you can do with your wedding dress after the big day and REALLY get your moneys worth!
January 15, 2008
MGX Productions Introduction!
Hello All,
Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Martin from MGX Productions. This is my first blog entry and I have to say I'm very very excited to be a part of the Moments That Shine Blog. I met Susan at a Breast Cancer fundraiser last year, it was a great event for a worthy cause! I have to say she handled everything so wonderfully that evening, and I'm looking forward to working with her again!
A little bit about me and the company. At MGX Productions, we concentrate on wedding and special event videography. My style is documentary, candid, unobtrusive. Meaning no big bright lights! Have you ever been to a wedding and all of a sudden, huge 1000 watt movie lights are turned on? In all honesty, it does make the video look marginally better, but realistically, it ruins the atmosphere of the wedding, along with all the hard work people put into decorating the space. These days, video cameras are much more sensative to light than in the past. Meaning, you need less additional light to make the video quality look great! (*tip - If you're in the market for a videographer, make sure they use 3CCD video cameras - they are much more sensitive to light than cameras with 1CCD)
I've been in the wedding videography business for over 8 years. I graduated from Seneca at York in 2000 with honours, where I majored in video production & visual effects compositing. After graduation, I worked on a freelance basis for a year or so, then decided to go on my own and started MGX Productions in 2001! It's been so great, I've filmed and edited over 250 weddings, and have worked with so many great vendors throughout the years.
I love working with people. The most rewarding part of what I do is knowing that I have a hand in preserving a couple's memories for a lifetime.
I'll be adding entries here and there when I have stuff to talk about! Until then!
Girl ... er ... Guy In Green
Last Friday I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Hamilton photographer Trevor Weeks. It was a rather serendipitous meeting as an email from him found its way to my desktop with perfect timing ... Trevor's very much an activist for something important ... going GREEN. He taught me quite a bit (and still is) about carbon-neutral events ... offsetting your emissions. If you remember from a previous post, I've been trying to figure out ways to make this a habit with my own company and to spread the word about how being conscious about the environment is a must. At the moment I'm working with Trevor to find additional vendors with the same desire. If you happen to know of anyone we should check out, please feel free to send me an email or respond to this post.
In the meantime, I hope you'll be kind in welcoming Trevor to the mix of guest bloggers on this site! He's sure to not only shed some light on photography but on the world of green as well!!!
Oh, and he has amazing taste in music ... be sure to ask him about that ;)
Tell Me More!
For all of you getting married in the coming months, do you have your invitations yet? Whether you're doing something simple and conjuring up an e-vite or you want to go with the traditional paper, time is ticking! Remember that your invitation is the first thing your guests will see that will give them insight as to the mood of your party. It should reflect who you are as a couple and give your guests a hint as to what to expect. Make sure you contact us after browsing through the website!
January 10, 2008
A Slice of Advice
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- Order your cake as early as possible. If you are looking to go with a custom cake designer, then you should be contacting them as soon as your venue is booked. Cake designers generally limit the number of cakes they create due to time involved, therefore they book up very fast and early. In general, anywhere from 6-9 months or more in advance is preferred. Some months and weekends are busier than others – prime wedding season (May - October) will book up early – so plan ahead!
- Talk to your friends who recently got married, look at the links associated with other vendors you have booked - these are great ways to find the right person to create your wedding cake. The Internet allows brides&grooms instant access to the portfolios of all the talented cake designers in the area. Be sure to look through all the galleries to get a sense of what they are capable of. You may be wanting a sculpted or novelty cake for your wedding, so looking at all their work will let you know if they are capable of creating your dream cake. Remember in most cases the galleries simply represent the scope of the designer's past work, it is not a menu. They will want to create something unique for your special day!
- Make sure you have a budget in mind before meeting your cake designer/baker. Designer cakes will cost designer prices. Wedding cakes are not simply flour, sugar and eggs. They are an edible memory that you and your guests look forward to and remember. Most of the costs associated with designer wedding cakes lie in the time, expertise, and labour involved in creating the finished design, although quality ingredients and size also play an important role. Pricing varies from designer to designer; some price per tier, others price per cake or per serving. If your budget is an important issue, make sure you discuss that with your cake designer. With a budget in mind, they can then provide you with some options in order to try to reduce costs.
- Do some research before your appointment. Search the Internet, clip pictures from magazines. Get a good idea of what you like and what you don’t. Make sure you bring along any images you find so that your designer can see what style of cake you are wanting. These pictures are not so that the designer can make a copy of that design, but they are a great way to express what you are looking for in a cake design. Also bring along any fabric swatches that you may want to coordinate, dress images, invitations - basically anything that inspires you.
- Decide if you want to save the top tier. This tradition was fine during the days fruitcake was the common wedding cake choice. But with today’s butter cakes, buttercreams, and other finishes, the idea of saving the top tier has become less important. If you still want to keep with tradition, make sure to tell your cake designer. They will need to size the cake accordingly.
- Be prepared to pay a deposit once you decide upon your cake designer. This is necessary to guarantee your date. Due to the amount of time involved with custom wedding cakes, many cake artists will only take on a few bookings per month, so they book up early. If you want a custom and unique wedding cake, be sure to book early!
- Make sure to find out if there are any delivery fees, set up costs, or other additional fees. Delivery fees are common, especially if the baker needs to travel a great distance from their studio. Set up fees are sometimes needed when the cake design is one that must be set up on site. Additional fees would pertain to cake stand rentals or other display materials that must be secured with a deposit and returned. Please note that in Ontario, there should never be any taxes applied to the sale of your wedding cake. Therefore you should not be charged either G.S.T or P.S.T on the sale of any whole cake in Ontario.
January 9, 2008
Tick Tock
16 months ago, when I got engaged, 2008 seemed like it would never come. Et voila. It is upon us. It is officially our “Wedding Year”. It seems a tad ridiculous, but it makes a difference. When you tell someone your wedding is, “June 2008” it is WAY different than just plain ole, “this June”. As of today, the countdown is at 157 days. Cue the panic. Deep breath. To make myself feel better I am compiling a list of everything we have accomplished, one more deep breath. And here we go:
Venue Booked- it feels like we did this a million years ago now.
Photographer booked- and her blog lovingly gazed at, at least once a day.
Susan is on the job (thank god)
Dress purchased- still needs bustle and some tweaks.
Shoes purchased- still need to be worn in.
Make and hair person booked- trial in May
2/5 bridesmaids dresses ordered, 2 more to be done this weekend, 1 MIA. argh.
FI has started to gather address for invites (…which we haven’t chosen yet! Wait- this is supposed to be a list of DONE stuff… Ignore that.)
I have a sneaking suspicion that the “To-do list” is about double that size. Maybe the whole list idea wasn’t such a good one…
~bb~
January 8, 2008
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Remember my list post about engagement pictures and whether or not you should get them done? Well, one of my recent brides (whose wedding was *uh-mazing*) took it to a whole other level with her groom.
Right after the wedding they went on their merry way to various spots in Europe for their honeymoon. They visited Berlin, Barcelona, Paris to name a few. What was incredible (or more incredible) was that they took their wedding attire with them and were able to take more professional shots ... check out the location ...
Way to be an inspiration, T&H!!! :)
January 7, 2008
With This Advice, I Thee Wed
Did you find yourself newly engaged over the holiday season? Perhaps you’ve been in the soon-to-be-wed stage for a while now and time is catching up to you? Or maybe you know someone who is about to take the plunge. No matter your situation, a little bit of guidance from an event planner can be a huge help during a wedding. When I sit down with potential clients for the first time, they’re one of two things … completely ‘ready’ or in shock that there are so many things they hadn’t thought of. The ones who are ready normally realize they aren’t right before the big day (see my Week-Of Coordinator tip below) and the ones who are in shock tend to calm down after a few minutes and some kind words. Either reaction is completely natural. And don’t get me wrong … there definitely are some people who don’t need a lot of help from me but who doesn’t want free advice? Read on for some of my most-treasured tidbits.
Give yourselves plenty of time. Unless it’s completely necessary, slow down. A good rule of thumb is six months to a year and a
half of planning. The biggest reasons why I try to get couples to put the brakes on is this … not all of your vendors will be available and your taste may change. Take your time and enjoy the planning part of things. It will reduce stress and you’ll look back with fond memories.
Budget. Weddings are expensive. You may think you can put things together for under $5000 (and if you did it, more power to you!) but that’s very unrealistic. Before getting scared over the amount, make a list of priorities. Figure out what you want to splurge on and what you can cut out. This is incredibly important to sit down and do. If you’re having troubles being serious about it, make an appointment with a planner and they’ll help. Many will offer Budget Planning appointments.
Hire professionals. Family & friends will want to help you (and let them … see my tip on delegating) but when it comes to your vendors, don’t rely on Cousin Freddy to be the DJ or your mom to do all the cooking. Those of us in the industry know what we’re doing, we know the possible hiccups and we’re going to make the day special. Besides, your guests should enjoy the day as … well … guests!
Obtain at least three quotes from vendors. Yes, it’s work but it’s totally worth it. You may find that all three caterers are about the same price but you really clicked better with one of them. Not only do you now have the info on each one but you also know their personalities.
Get things in writing. This may seem like a no-brainer but you would be amazed at the amount of people who don’t do it. Someone’s word isn’t enough on a day this important.
Delegate. Please don’t try to do everything on your own. Get help with anything you’re making, assign Aunt Vera to gift collection duty … things like that. You’re going to need a lot of help leading up to the day and at the wedding that vendors won’t be able to do for you. And you know everyone will want to help!
Do what you want to and not what everyone is telling you to do. Enough said.
Realize the wedding won’t be perfect. As soon as you come to that understanding in your head, the wedding will be better than you thought it would be. Kind of reverse psychology. The bottom line is if you’re focused on making everything perfect, you’re going to notice all of the little things that aren’t.
Sleep, Eat and Drink plenty of water! The sleep thing may or may not happen but at least try to rest the night before the wedding. When it comes to eating and drinking though, these are musts. Make sure you have breakfast (and snacks and lunch when you get the chance) and drink a LOT of water. Keeping yourself hydrated is as important as remembering the marriage license.
And last but not least …
Hire a Planner. Ever since I started Moments That Shine I’ve been trying to get it across to people that planners are essential. Your wedding should reflect your personalities and you should be able to enjoy the entire day. Let a third party worry about the troubles that will pop up. If you don’t think you need someone for the entire process, consider hiring a Week-Of Coordinator. That last week before the show can be nerve-wracking. What better way to alleviate some stress?
