Hasn't Hit Me Yet

2008? How can it be?! I've been in Ontario for almost 8 years now?! Yikes. What would my fellow B.C. buddies think? Well, back to business ...

Thanks to everyone for all of their support and well-wishes in 2007. Looking back on it, my husband and I kind of want to forget the year happened but there definitely were some shining moments. Of course this includes the couples I met, the vendors I became friends with and the happiness I witnessed. Speaking of happiness, I threw out that teaser with Jacquelyn & Peter's wedding. Well, imagine my surprise when flipping through Wedding Bells and I see their wedding featured! I was told it would be in the Spring/Summer 2008 issue but I had no idea it would hit newsstands in December! Anyhow, here are JPGs of the actual spread. I'm not mentioned there but I am on the online portion.

Feels pretty cool!!!

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Out of Office

Happy holidays to all of you!!!

Just a reminder that our office will be closed (to partake in good cheer and eggnog) until January 3rd. Check back then to see our updates! :)

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In the news!

Last week I received a lovely email from Jacquelyn (of the below wedding) saying Wedding Bells has done a two-page spread on her day! I've had a sneak peek and it looks FABULOUS!!!

I'll be sending out a reminder for sure but watch for it in the Spring/Summer 2008 issue of Wedding Bells magazine :)

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The one (or not)...what they dont tell you

Wow! See what I mean about this whole "ignoring all things wedding" phase I'm going through?I've been ignoring you, the readership! I never really thought that would happen. In my defense though, I've been housebreaking a 7 week old puppy, I'd go on about that (partly because he's so cute, partly because it would be a good stall tactic in addressing wedding matters) but you came here to read about weddings, not puppies.

Part of the reason I don't think I've posted much about the wedding stuff is that there really aren't that many interesting developments going on recently. But I suppose for the sake of giving you something to read, I'll get comfy and think back to a busier time in the planning.

I think the single decision that took the most time and energy was the dress. And I think that was one of the most interesting experiences in this process to date Now, through the experiences of others and various forms of media, I felt well prepared for how this was to go. I was going to walk into a store, and try on a handful of dresses ranging from hideous to mediocre before I emerged from the dressing room saying "this is the one!" and all would be well. Or so I thought.

In reality, I went to five stores, most of them I visited twice. I either went with Mom or a friend. Trying on the first few dresses were surreal and just plain weird, but I was surprised at how quickly it became old! Old became overwhelming. Each of the dresses were different, but in a way, felt almost the same. I mean, they each had their own variation of "wow" to offer. The dresses ranged from mediocre to wow. And I was surprised at just how many "wow" dresses we encountered making the decision virtually impossible.

And then, I found the dress I thought to be "the one". I didn't have a "Oh my goodness, this is the one! Pass me a tissue!" moment, but then again, I don't get terribly sentimental about such things either. Mom, a friend and I all agreed. And the fact that even other customers in the store (that's right! Strangers!) commented on it. (Going forward, this shall be known as Dress A).

Before actually committing to it, Mom suggested we go to a store that was having a sale. I should point out that this particular store is reasonably priced on a good day and that the sale would be the cherry on top! I went into the store with the mindset of "I'm just looking. I 'have' my dress already." and in doing that, I obviously wasn't very open to the possibility of finding a dress there. I tried one on that Mom really liked (We shall call this one dress B). I liked it fine. Just as I liked the dozen other dresses I knew I wasn't getting just fine. Mom agreed with me that dress A was ultimately nicer. but on the drive home, Mom said some things that made me see reason. She said three things that resulted in me changing my mind and running back to buy dress B.

1. Although the two of us would know that dress A was out there and nicer than dress B, my guests would not know. They would see the dress for what it was and appreciate the wow factor in whatever dress I chose.

2. From her "been there, done that" perspective, she said, "When you buy that dress, and it's the one hanging in your closet, it becomes your dress, and the other dresses you tried on don't matter."

3. (Keep in mind dress A was about $900 and Dress B was about $400) When I was dwelling on the argument that dress A was indisputably nicer than Dress B, she said "Is it $500 nicer? I mean, there's the cost of your invitations right there!"....that was a light bulb moment for me.

I think there is so much hype about "finding THE dress" and "once in a lifetime" and "you don't want to regret..." that common sense escapes. Now, I know, there are brides out there who would have regretted such a choice. But I think its important to realize that not every bride is going to regret it. I think I'm a lot like my mom in that I'm the bride who brings her dress home and it doesn't matter how many other "wow dresses" I left at the store. The one I bought is MY dress. Its gorgeous, I look great in it and its going to be the one in my pictures. And thirty years from now, when I'm looking at those pictures. I'm sure I wont be able to tell you what dress A looks like if a million dollars depended on it.

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Rita & Eric - August 18, 2007

Rita & Eric first came to me at the turn of the new year with an email that I clearly thought was a joke or spam. I’m paraphrasing but it basically said, ‘we live in Turkey, are from Barrie & Markham and got engaged at the Eiffel Tower in Paris’. Huh? I contacted them though and wound up meeting two of the most laid back, like-minded clients ever. Through the following eight months we went from no wedding plans to putting together something they were thrilled with.

This couple wanted a family & friend reunion feel to the wedding because they only come home once a year. They’re both teachers overseas and when they’re home, they’re busy visiting everyone they can. For the wedding they wanted everyone to come and spend the day to socialize, play games outside and have a big old BBQ after the ceremony. It was a blast pulling this unorthodox one together!

Probably the biggest piece of pressure on me as a planner was the venue. Since Rita & Eric wouldn’t be here until June, I had to find and secure a spot for them … and hope it was what they were looking for. After a LOT of research and going back and forth we wound up at a quaint Inn on the waterfront in Coboconk, Ontario. Saucy Willow Inn has beautiful Victorian rooms inside and also cabins in the back of the property. This was a must as the whole bridal party and some other friends and family were to stay for a couple days. We wound up finding a little treasure far away from the hustle & bustle of everyday life. Of course, I never really found out what the couple thought until June so for 6 months I was crossing my fingers!



The next months were spent planning the food, the flowers, the décor … everything you can think of. I’m proud to say I not only took care of the planning for the wedding but also for all of the table centerpieces and bouquets. Talk about a blast! Everything was colourful and no one colour was repeated.




Before the wedding, family took part in a quaint Chinese tea ceremony. Elders sat nestled in the garden of the property while the bride and groom served traditional tea. After that it was off to get dressed for the marriage ceremony right in front of the water. Complete with a Best Woman and Man of Honour, the nuptials went off without a hitch.



The food was a hearty BBQ taken care of by KmK Catering. Burgers, chicken fingers, ribs, sweet potato salad and raspberry cheesecake brownies were just some of the food guests devoured.



Some highlights of the night including the giant apple tree guests tied their wishes for the couple to, family pitching in and helping to do everything from playing music during the ceremony to bar tending, the ice cream cakes the bride so desperately yearned for and the special message Rita had engraved on Eric’s wedding band without his knowledge (it read: Put It Back On).



The end of the night was capped off with a bonfire (everyone changed back into their camping clothes), sparklers, fireworks and a traditional smoking pipe from Turkey. All in all, a very successful time!

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The Bridesmaids

I have five bridesmaids in my bridal party. A number that is so unwieldy and unlike me. But when I sat down to think about who I wanted to stand beside me, the choices were obvious and there was no way they could be pared down. It was all or nothing, so I chose all!

Three of my five bridesmaids including my Matron of Honor are living in London, UK right now. I knew it might be difficult when I asked them to be a part of the bridal party. But with the help of email, they are all up to speed on everything and are participating as sounding boards on all of my choices, just as though they live next door.

When I chose my dress, I missed them. But I took alot of pictures and they gave their 2 cents, and I'm lucky enough to have a great gaggle of females friends in the city, so I certainly wasn't lonely that day (The Dress blog is a whole other post!)

Technology is wonderful but I have reached the one obstacle it can't over come. My overseas bridesmaids are all going bridesmaids dress shopping this Sunday, without me, for major geographical reasons, aka the Atlantic Ocean. I'm so very sad that I can't be there with them! Luckily, they are all friends, and will make a fun day of it. I hope they all find a style that they love. I have given them loose guidelines (designer, colour, length) the rest is up to them.

I seriously hope that the store allows them to take pictures or I may actually cry.

My same city-based bridesmaid indulged me and went shopping for her dress. She tried on everything I threw at her. She knows what she wants and I love it on her, so I am happy for that.

Thanks for sharing in my little pity-party. I'll let you know how it went when I get their update next week!

~bb~

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Jacquelyn & Peter - July 28, 2007

I knew I was going to love Jacquelyn from the moment we sat down to dish at a trendy little café on Queen Street. She’s unconventional, knows very much who she is and beams whenever she talks about Peter. As we talked we found out we had quite a bit in common, too. She’s the Executive Editor at FASHION magazine though. That meant not much time to talk and a lot of planning to do!

The wedding was held outdoors in Toronto using the backyards of her sister’s and of her mother’s houses. How much more of a loving environment can you get?!



Jacquelyn is refreshingly proud of her heritage and didn’t forget it. The cuisine of the night was from a local Indian caterer. Served in copper pots it was spicy and full of flavour! The caterer even churned out some eye-popping fruit displays that rivaled the four hundred pound cake. Okay, it wasn’t 400 pounds but it was NOT light.



Making the wedding their own was something that came easily to this couple. I fawned over Jacquelyn’s custom dress and fragile centerpieces that were lovingly placed in family heirlooms ... but my very favourite part of the wedding was a little corner in the backyard reserved for the guests. It was there that they placed two funky yellow chairs in front of a backdrop and hired a photographer to snap pics of any friend or family member that wanted to drop by. What resulted was a collection of special photos that everyone will have a great time looking back on for years to come. Even me ;)

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Holiday Sandwich

So here it is, November 28th...about a week after Thanksgiving (US version) and less than a month until Christmas. We're sandwiched between the holidays - anyone beginning to feel squooshed yet?

I've been thinking more about the holidays than wedding planning to be honest. I did manage to do a first draft of our wedding workbook so it's been floating in my mind behind the scenes so to speak. I did find a new bridal salon in town (Philadelphia) that I'll have to check out. A few weeks ago Valerie and I walked into a very chi-chi bridal salon near our home and they had six, yes SIX wedding dresses on display. WHAT? I had to laugh since I'm will most likely buy my gown on ebay, where I can choose from about oh, 6,000 or so.

I've picked up my camera again and have found my love for photography once more. I've been taking at least one picture a day for a couple weeks now and posting them on my photoblog. If you would like to take a look, the link is http://photoblog.com/greeneyedgirl .

I'm going to hang out in one of the parks for a bit on Saturdays where people usually get their wedding photos taken. I thought that it would be a good way to see some of the photo techniques wedding photographers use (my alterior motive), and possibly get to practice a little myself. After what I hope is the last round of leaf raking...

~geminibride~

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The Florist

I had my first meeting with a florist this weekend. I took my mum. She is an avid gardener and knows a whole heck of a lot more about flowers than I do.

The florist was great and welcoming and made us feel cozy about being there. Not to mention the store smelled heavenly like Spring in the midst of the slush and snow outside. I had only a very basic idea of what I wanted. I’m very open to suggestion and flexible about the flowers. Turns out the one thing on my “I would really like to have…” list is actually one that’s difficult to guarantee! Of course! But I’m told as long as I promise not to burst into tears if the weather/ growing season decides it doesn’t want fit into the Master Wedding Schedule that Susan is making for us, it’s okay. There’s plenty of similar substitutes. Like I said, I like to think I’m a pretty flexible person. I can deal with that (Cut to: June 1st and bloggerbride having a Bridezilla Breakdown over her flowers) hehehe.

My mum was thrilled to discover that she won’t have to set it all up and then move it from the church to the reception. I think she assumed she was going to be the “runner” for the whole day! I hope she can let everyone else deal with it so she can actual ENJOY herself.

We went through absolutely every flower we would need for the day from the bridal parties bouquets to the single stems in the centerpiece I have designed (in my head). We poured over photos galore and it really got my mum and I excited. It feels like with every new meeting and new vendor the wedding becomes a little bit more real.

The florist turned the quote around super quick. Now we have to digest the information and decide if it’s right for us.

~bb~

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Meet....ME!

Hello everyone. I just thought I'd write a short (or not so short...we'll see) introduction as I will be making appearances on this blog in the next little while. As susan menioned, I am getting married April 26th 2008. So today marks "5 months minus 2 days" in the countdown.

The thing that is most scary to me is that with all this focus on Christmas in the coming month, and my brother and his girlfriend expecting a baby at the end of January (they are our best man and Maid of honour), I have a feeling that after the baby arrives, everyone's going to go "Wait a minute... only 3 months until the wedding!!!" and we will run around like chickens with our heads cut off.

When that happens, (yes WHEN, not if) I will try to take time from my busy headless poultry dashing to try to document it so that at least someone gets some enjoyment out of it (The word's "Schadenfreude"... be sure to look it up. It will be a common theme on my entries Im sure. And Im also impressed with myself that I spelled it right the first time. Yay! I get a cookie!)

Hmmm...what else should you know about me?....Oh. I love brackets! (the punctuation kind, not the hardware. Although Im sure you noticed). I guess its a sign that I love sharing details about things. Susan asked me to fill out some fill in the blank introductory questions for my profile. I had a hard time deciding the "I am passionate about..." one. Maybe I should have said Im passionate about brackets and the PROPER use thereof.

You know, this post is very indicative of what's going on with me. Notice Im avoiding all wedding details and such? Yup, that's me right now. I'm all weddinged out. From consulting with others, it seems that such a phase its quite common around the 5-6 month-to-go mark. Good thing for you is Im kinda coming out of it so Im sure I'll actually post once in awhile!

Anyway, back to introductory things, I met my Fiance in the summer of 2000 when we worked together at a summer job. He's now a long haul truckdriver which brings a whole set of challenges in itself. We have two cats and a dog (One of my cats, Omiya, sitting on my wrists and rubbing her head on the keyboard so I think she's trying to say hi to you). I spent a year teaching English in Japan which is important to know for a few reasons, but most of all, our wedding is asian themed despite the fact that neither of us are of asian decent.

Anyway, I wont take up anymore of your time for now. But thanks for reading and I hope you will enjoy my point of view on this whole wedding planning journey.

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Welcome!

I'm happy to welcome two more authors to the team! kd_2b_kk will be celebrating her nuptials in April of 2008 so I'm sure she'll have plenty to talk about ;)

Also, coming soon will be a lovely lady I had the pleasure of working with earlier this year. We're keeping her identity hidden until she's decided on her moniker ... stay tuned :)

Welcome ladies!!!

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Cold Snap!

It’s almost December. Eek! The summer and fall have flown by at an earth-shattering speed for me this year. Looking back on that and as I’m awaiting the professional pictures from some events organized by Moments That Shine in the past few months, I thought I would pop up some pictures and descriptions on a few favourites. Stay tuned in the coming days for these tidbits!

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Thinking of Engagement Photos?

Something that has been incredibly popular in years past is engagement photos (and that may not slow down!). I’ve answered many clients as to whether or not I thought they should go ahead with a session so I thought I’d jot down what happened with my husband and I in hopes of helping you.

Years ago when we were engaged, we balked at the idea early on. In fact, I knew of no other couple that had gone out of their way to get these photos done by a professional. If any friends or family bothered they had asked a non-professional who had a good eye to take a few pics of them. My husband and I didn’t even bother with that. The photo we decided to display at our wedding came from our first vacation in Nova Scotia. We had pulled into some viewpoint along the Cabot Trail, put the digital camera on a tripod, steadied it on the hood of the car and there you have it! We lucked out though … it managed to stay straight and not lean.

Our wedding pictures are amazing. We look at them more than normal people should (okay, I look at them) and subject everyone we know to taking a peek at the album. But to be honest, something was missing. We have plenty of vacation photos, silly shots from parties, pictures with friends … but nothing professional with just the two of us. Sure my husband looks great in a tux but I’d love to stare at a great photo where he’s more himself. Just as I was coming to that realization, I had the opportunity to help a friend out. I asked Bernard if he was interested and off we went! We now have professional photos showing what we look like on a regular day!

So what do I tell clients when they ask whether or not they should? I start by telling them of my story and my regrets. Then I follow it up with posing the question, “what better time to see if you and your photographer are going to click (pun intended) at the wedding?!”. Many photographers offer the service free of charge (or for a nominal fee) when you’re booking with them for the wedding. My personal view is why not take advantage of it? They can definitely be taken later as my husband and I found out but if it’s there, go for it. Just remember these things …
Have fun, show your personalities and bring a costume change or two … you’ll be amazed at how different the pictures will look with different outfits.

Just to give you the giggles, here are a few outtakes from our session. Thanks so much to Kristina at SugarTree … we love them!!!!!!!!!

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First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage ......

I was overjoyed to receive an email from former clients this morning announcing the birth of their perfectly healthy baby boy! William Zander was born last week in Toronto and "Mother, Baby and Dad are fine but tired"


Mira and Lawrence are the proud parents and I couldn't be happier for them. All the best to the new family!!!

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Mirror, mirror, on the wall ...

I’m not sure if it’s the ‘sudden’ change in the weather that has made me feel less energetic or if it is just daunting to think of things to write about almost every day. I do know topics are becoming tricky right now. I was going to wait for one of the guest authors to pick up my slack and make things interesting in here … but I thought I’d be a good leader ;)

As I write this there are 35 days, 3 hours and 21 minutes until Christmas. Wow. That was a collective groan if I ever heard one through cyber space! Because of that statistic I was going to write about holiday events. The only problem is that made me groan, too. I haven’t done an ounce of Christmas shopping yet so I don’t need to be reminded. Instead I thought I would poke around event and wedding trends for 2008. Looking forward will help get me through this gloomy and blustery evening.

May I please begin by breathing a huge sigh of relief at the new colours for 2008? Please know I mean absolutely no harm to any of my friends, family or clients who have used it or will be using it but I’m here to tell you pink and chocolate brown are outta here! Yes, I realize how ironic that is since the Moments That Shine colours are exactly that … but I thought of my company branding years ago :P Needless to say, between looking at my letterhead every day and seeing many a rosy and chocolaty wedding in the past year, I’m welcoming the change with open arms. Oh yeah. I suppose I should actually say what the colours are! Purple is going to be huge in every shade, gray is the new brown (which was the new black) and green is important not only environmentally but on the palette as well. Think jewel tones for everything and you’ll be keeping up with the Joneses. I’m really excited to hear in with the bold and out with the pale!

As far as attire goes, reach back, baby! Vintage and Hollywood glamour are in. Halter and plunging necklines, antique laces, satin ribbons (with a splash of colour for good measure), sexy shoes and chandelier earrings are all being snatched up. Don’t feel you have to go all out with this though. Hopefully a recent bride of mine won’t mind me using her as an example … what she did to her dress by adding a splash of colour and some bling was exactly what’s going to be emulated by tonnes of women next year … she’s so ahead of her times …



Invitations are playing a bigger role in the event as a whole. We all know the invitation is what sets the tone and next year people will be making them count. Letterpress is getting even hotter but for those who may not be able to afford that, personalization is the way to go. Be different than everyone else, put some thought into the design and go for something that screams y-o-u!



Personalization will be big in all areas of events. Rather than monograms, couples are opting to have their own logo made. You can do this and echo it all throughout your day. If you have family heirlooms, incorporate them somehow … this might even be a family recipe that you want to share with your friends (it’s amazing how much guests will gush over a homemade chocolate chip cookie). Bring in things you love even if they’re not-so-new.

Finally, think outside of the box. You don’t have to have a banquet hall dinner with round tables. People are opting for the more sheik square look with unbalanced numbers, cocktail-style receptions and live music. Guest lists are smaller than they used to be which (hopefully) frees up a bit of money for people to spend on focal points and details.

There are no rules and it looks like that’s really being embraced now!

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Makeup in Motion Packages

In case you haven't been to the site, here is some background on our services!

Bridal Packages

Choose Which Package Is Best For You!

Just Makeup Package
Makeup at your venue of choice on the day of the wedding
$35 per person
**In-studio pre-trial option $25 per person**

Wedding Survival Package
Pre-trial
Wedding Day Makeup
Lipstick
Lipliner
Dual Powder
Blush
Retractable Blush Brush
$119 per person

Deluxe Bridal Bundle
Eyebrow Re-shape
Exfoliating & Hydrating Facial
Pre-trial Makeup
Wedding Day Makeup
Lipstick
Lipliner
Dual Powder
Blush
Retractable Blush Brush
$159 per person

Skin and Makeup Package
3 Facials
3 Makeup Applications
Wedding Day Makeup
15% off all Wink Cosmetics
$219 per person

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Proposal #2 From A Reader

Here's another wonderful story received ...

Great things happen when you play Scrabble!!

Thanksgiving weekend.... Saturday night, while camping at Silent Lake, Chris and I were playing a game of Scrabble (while it rained cats and dogs outside of our dining tent). At the end of the game, Chris said he still had 1 more word to play, and with the game already being over, I agreed to let him play it (just to humour him). He played the word "Ring" and I clapped politely on the good play, and when I looked up, he was holding a ring box in his hand. I began to cry and obviously said yes :)

It didn't go down as he had hoped. He had originally wanted to take me on a canoe ride and propose to me on this little island that's located in the middle of the lake (Silent Lake Provincial Park is "our" park). Unfortunately, the weather didn't agree w/ his plan, as it rained from the moment we woke up, until we went to bed. While playing Scrabble however, he noticed the opportunity to spell "RING" and thought it was too good to be true, and obviously far too good to pass up :) So he took the opportunity, and proposed!

In my opinion, something "planned" couldn't have gone any better :) It was the perfect proposal!

As an aside, looking back at the photo, we noticed that the word "RING" was played between the words "GREAT" and "GIFT". Obviously, it was meant to be!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kelly & Chris, Mississauga, On




Thanks so much!!! :)

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I love the night life ....

Most of my good friends know that there are a few things in life that I’m a little too passionate about. I listed in my profile that hockey is one of them but I didn’t mention another that may actually trump that … music. I’ve been a ‘music person’ since I was little and I’m happy to say that hasn’t changed in my adult life at all. In fact music surrounds me in business, as well. Music actually surrounds this website … it’s in my company name, the headers for all sections on the sidebar … it even creeps out in a title every once in a while.
When choosing the music for an event thought should really go in to it whether you like to don dancing shoes or not. Choosing a play list was one of the first things my husband and I did for our wedding but from years of helping couples, I know we were a bit of a rarity. When clients ask me for help now, I will certainly do what I can but I sincerely don’t like to interfere with exact songs. I’ve noticed a bit of a trend lately in that couples are either cutting the dancing out of the reception completely or they’re only dancing to a few songs and then closing the dance floor … cocktail receptions are very popular! If you do this though, please still think about the mood you want portrayed via tunes. If you’re going to have a first dance, think about what song makes the both of you get that tingly feeling … think about lyrics that might make sense to the two of you … think of what makes you happy! You don’t have to have ‘our song’ … in fact even if you do, that wouldn’t have to be your first dance. There are no necessary rules to the music you choose but it should reflect you in some way. If you have quirky personalities, classical music may not be the best choice. If you’re both straight-laced individuals, you may want to steer away from poppy show tunes. You get the picture. And remember … if you need help, ask for it! Rather than consulting those ‘top 50 wedding songs’ lists (some are okay but many you find online are out-dated) ask your DJ, bandleader, event planner and/or friends … if your friends are anything like me, it would be a dream to help out ;)

I should put my money where my mouth is, shouldn’t I? I’ll finish this entry with a list of my favourites that would be great for a wedding (I've tried to get samples of all songs) … remember, they don’t have to have a specific tempo … if you want to do the jive, do the jive!

.: Susan’s Current Favourites :.

At Last - Serena Ryder (rather than the Etta James version)

Bubbly (sample on the left … this is my prediction for the big first dance song in years to come) - Colbie Caillat

Come Away With Me – Norah Jones

Come Summertime – Justin Rutledge

Dark Angel – Blue Rodeo

Hiding Place - Serena Ryder

I Will Love You For Miles - Danny Michel

Is It You – Blue Rodeo

Paper Cup (don’t mind the video) – Heather Nova

The Ring – Sarah Harmer

Running – No Doubt or Danny Michel (scroll down to the Valhalla medley)

Skyway Bridge (click on artist/releases and a menu will pop up with names … this track should automatically play) – Melissa McClelland

Storybook Love – Willy DeVille

Take My Hand (really don’t pay attention to this video) - Dido

Trouble in the Fields – Nanci Griffith or Sarah Harmer

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The Twins Emerge....

First, I want to say how grateful I am to Susan to give me the opportunity to blog on her site.

So, what am I going to write about? Here's the short version (ready....?) We are planning our same sex wedding to be held in May of 2009 in New Jersey (a.k.a. Southern Canada).

I'm going to be buying everything for our wedding on Ebay or similar sites. Yes, everything. I'll also be putting together a typical budget for the items that I'm planning on purchasing - retail vs. auction. Oooh, shopping and bargain hunting for a wedding, what could be better?

Since this will be my second wedding -- I planned my straight wedding ages ago before I knew better (way back in the 80's!), and now my same sex wedding, I'll post my experiences of both and the differences, if any, in the way we are treated as a same sex couple making wedding plans vs. a straight couple. I may even have a weak moment and post a picture or two from the wedding where Big Hair ruled in the land of Bon Jovi...and the icing on THAT cake - I was a Hair Stylist back then!!!

Boy, are you in for a treat.

Here's a bit about me...
I'm extroverted, dry witted, creative, love meeting new people and learning about them, passionate, strong-willed...

My favourite song: Dancing in the Moonlight – King Harvest (what a dork!)

One food I'd arm wrestle for: Dark Chocolate anything from Naked Chocolate Cafe.

Something I'm extremely passionate about: Marriage Equality

If I were a movie character I would be: Louise (Thelma and Louise) or Kate Hepburn

Something that scares the bejeezus out of me: George Bush, Dick Cheyney, et al., Global Warming.

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Real Proposal from a Reader ...

I started to get suspicious... Dan and I were planning a trip to Vancouver to visit his dad. A month or two in advance I said it would be nice if we stayed downtown for a few days before travelling to the sunshine coast. He thought this was a great idea and said that he would plan our night out on the Saturday... fast forward a couple of weeks. I ask what are we doing on the Saturday, he replies "It's a surprise"... hmmm that got me thinking. Dan never does surprises. Later the same week he starts complaining about how broke he is.... hhmmm again I start to wonder, could this really be happening? and then finally, while I am searching for my passport in our bedroom, I come across a gem appraisal. Oh my god! I can't believe this is happening. I start to wonder how it's going to happen, what does he have planned, is it really going to happen in Vancouver? or is he going to randomly pop the question. My minds races for weeks on end! We arrive in Vancouver on the Friday and I start to think I've made the whole thing up in my head... that everything just happens to be a coincidence and it's not actually happening. I even think the maybe the gem appraisal wasn't really a gem appraisal!

Friday night we meet up with some friends and go to a japanese restaurant for dinner. We're on vacation, we're having fun and out comes the sake. I don't know how much I drank but by the time we left dinner at 10pm I was pretty tipsy, we then went on to another bar to meet some more friends and have some drinks. By the end of the night... I was completely smashed.

I wake up on Saturday morning and I am not well. Dan goes to Tim Hortons and gets breakfast, I can't eat it. I feel so terrible because I don't want to ruin our vacation... I drag myself out of bed and we go sight seeing. For dinner, Dan made reservations at a super nice restaurant located right on the ocean... we get all dressed up and go out. Just before we are about to leave, I'm not sure I can go, I tell Dan I don't feel well at all. After laying down a bit longer, I drag myself out the door and we arrive at the restaurant. I still can't eat. The waiters look at me funny as all I have is bread and a few bites of a side salad. And then thank god for gravol. I brought some along just in case, I didn't want to feel groggy but anything was better than the way I felt at dinner. So I popped my pill and about an hour later I was feeling pretty good. We walked over to Stanley park and Dan started acting weird, we kept walking around in circles and he kept looking for something. We even sat down on a bench for awhile. About 15 minutes later we saw it... A horse and carriage ride just for us. It was a gorgeous night, brisk but blue bird sky and sunshine (rare in Vancouver!) We toured around the sea wall and I noticed that Dan was more touchy feely than usual... holding me close. I thought maybe this isn't actually happening, maybe he is going to postpone the engagement because I've been so sick today. At one point the driver says the horse wants to take a break and have a drink of water. So we walk down by the water overlooking the lions gate bride and sit on a bench, within a few minutes, Dan was on his knee telling me he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. Of course I accepted! We get back to the carriage and there was champagne and two wine glasses for us to celebrate. We called our parents from the park and headed to the jazz bar at our hotel, where they played the most amazing music. It was definitely a night to remember.

Thanks for reading!

Allison

Thanks so much, Allison!!!

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