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!

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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!

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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.

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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) ...

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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 ;)

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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!

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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.




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?




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.

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Got your bridesmaid's dresses picked out? Then lets talk flowers!

JESS- Hey Erin- how many months before the big day do you personally prefer to meet with a bride for the first time?

ERIN – anywhere between 3 and 6 months ahead- Unless you are an extremely organized bride there are just too many questions that still need answering. It is very difficult to come up with a concept for a wedding when decisions like dress colours are not made yet

JESS- I totally agree. I’ve had brides come in a year or so in advance and there is just no way we can WOW them at that point, because there isn’t any framework to build on. As you said- no bridesmaids dress colours, no colour theme! Plus, I think any more than 6 months means that they haven’t narrowed down a budget- so we come in with a quote for the floral designs of their wildest dreams- then reality sets in closer to and we’ve lost the event without ever really having a shot at it. What would you say are the basic things a bride needs to know or have decided on before coming to see you?

Erin –They should already know or have a good idea of the following

- 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.

JESS- That’s a great list Erin- the only thing I’d add is, as I said before, a basic idea of budget- It doesn’t have to be exact, but I’d far rather know during the consultation if I have roughly $50 per table or if they are able to spend $100 per table- it lets us concentrate more on the areas of importance to them, and helps narrow down choices early- brides are busy enough without us throwing extra information at them!

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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~

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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 ;)

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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 ;)

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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!

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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 ;)

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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!

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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!

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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 ...

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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

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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~

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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!!!

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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!

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