Well, really all the brides are winners! Everyone had such fabulous ideas and are lucky because they found the one person that loves them! Once again congratulations to all of the brides who entered out contest for a free wedding planner.

Now before I announce the winner, I thought now would be a good time to tell you it isn’t too late to hire a wedding planner, but I do only have four spots left this year and a few for 2011. Invest in your loved ones and your sanity and peace of mind for the wedding day, and hire someone to look after the details.

……and finally, the winners are: Katherine and Thomas

First wedding of 2010, and what a beautiful wedding with a fabulous and absolutely stunning couple.

The wedding ceremony was held in the beautiful Jean Baptiste Catholic church in Morinville, Mike’s hometown. The photos below are from the extremely talented Erik Hornung, and are only a sampling, I can’t wait to see the decor and all the rest of the fun bridal party photos!

The reception was held at the Edmonton Garrison Officer’s Mess Hall, flowers were created by Corals,  DJ and transportation services from Revolution DJ, catering by Elizabethan.

There was a beautiful blue snowflake brooch in the front of  Taryn’s bouquet from her maid of honor, it was a simple and elegant touch.

(this one is my favorite!)

What an absolutely good looking and very sweet couple. Thank you again for choosing me to be a part of your day. It was very special for me and I wish the two of you many years of happiness!

Gratuities are for those who have preformed their duties and have done them exceptionally well and above your expectations, they are usually provided at the end of the night (usually in cash). Most tips are at the discretion of the bride & groom. I can tell you from experience that when a gratuity is received or presented no matter what amount the vendors are extremely happy.

Alternatively, you’d also be surprised how far a thank you card, testimonial for a website/portfolio, review on their services on a website, or perhaps some photos from your wedding goes! This is something you could do to thank your vendor for a job well done that they might just appreciate more than a gratuity.

Here are some vendors you might want to include into your budget.

Caterer – Usually this is built into the contract price, usually 15-18%. Unfortunately if they do not live up to expectations you cannot take back the gratuity you will need to speak to the vendor after the wedding.

Makeup Artist/Hair Stylist – Depending on the services and how early they had to come in, a tip of 15 – 20% is typical.

Limo Driver/Transportation – Usually a tip of 15 – 20% is provided, sometimes it is included in the contract, so read your contracts.

Wedding Planner – Any gratuity is at the discretion of the bride and groom.

Photographers/Videographers – Gratuities are normally presented but if your photographer/videographer went above and beyond what you had expected, typical amounts can be anywhere from $50 – $100 and more.

Ceremony Musicians – Typical amounts range from $50 – $100 depending on the amount of musicians and length of play.

Officiant – Any gratuity is at the discretion of the bride and groom and can range from $20 on up. Be careful when tipping if you are using a religious institute as sometimes it would have to be in the form of a donation to the church and not to the priest/minister/reverend etc.

DJ – When a DJ has done their job right, no one wants to leave! They most certainly appreciate any gratuity but it is not expected, typical amounts range from $20 – $100.

Floral Designer – A gratuity is not expected but is very much appreciated. Typical amounts start at $20 and go up.

Cake/Baker – As with the florist a gratuity is not expected by much appreciated, and is at the discretion of the bride & groom.

 Remember most of the time it is not up to the contract, but to you as gratuity is a thank you for exceptional services not a must, nor is it expected. Very much appreciated but not expected.

One of my absolute FAVORITE new trends, in fact I have a secret project comming up that includes one super awesome one made by me! Take a look at how garlands are being used, so very versatile and so inexpensive!

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There are few events in life that are as exciting and stressful, as shopping for you wedding dress. Here are a few tips on how to keep sane and ensure your dress arrives on time.

- It takes 6-9 MONTHS to order a wedding dress, go early
- Don’t bring an entourage, keep it to three people total
- Keep an open mind, how it looks on the hanger isn’t close to how it will on you
- Have an idea of the style you would like, bring pictures
- Go with a budget, let the sales person know the budget
- Go on an off day of the week, during the day (Monday – Thursday)
- Make appointments
- Do your makeup and hair, you’ll feel better in the dress
- Don’t be upset if you have to go up 2 – 4 sizes, it’s normal
- Don’t just start looking, it will overwhelm you

(source - yes that is me, doing my favorite job!- – fixing the dress)

A wedding planner’s main job is to save you time, money, and stress. The largest difference of a wedding with a wedding planner is that you will see the bride having a good time and the bride and groom will be guests at their own wedding instead of having to tend to every little detail that goes array.

Wedding Planners/Coordinators will:
- Obtain lower prices
- Assist you in finding the best vendors
- Negotiate contracts
- Coordinate a schedule with your vendors
- Confirm arrival times and locations, obtain emergency numbers
- Compile a detailed schedule for you, your wedding party, and vendors
- Review contracts from your vendors
- Ensure you receive the services detailed on your contracts
- Ensure your vendors have everything they need
- Set up your ceremony and reception décor
- Transport your ceremony décor (as necessary)
- Direct vendors where to go
- Assist your guests (provide direction/fix attire/obtain high chairs etc.)
- Cue vendors when events are starting/need to end
- Fill in where necessary (i.e if an usher leaves or a guest book attendee does not arrive)
- Keep the event on schedule
- Distribute final payments
- Attend to emergencies

(please note: these are a few applicable tasks, and this can vary from planner to planner, and from package to package)
A big misconception is that your venue coordinator or your relative can take care of everything. A venue will have not contacted the cake person or the florist to ensure they have the correct address and when they are delivering. They also will not call the florist/baker/dj when they have not arrived on time. Will your relative have a back up contact to have another cake delivered or what will happen your bridesmaids pearls go all over the floor, or the ring bearer forgets the rings in the limo, are you going to send them to pick them up? Those are some of the many typical situations that happen at a wedding.

You will also have to be prepared to answer many questions on the day of your wedding, perhaps while getting hair or makeup done while your relative tries to decipher your hand writing or your vendor has a last minute questions. Wedding planners usually will have asked this in advance, have a back up copy, or have a contract/email in hand to answer the pending question.

A wedding planner will give you a list of great vendors to work with, it might not be a direct recommendation for you (as you would receive with full wedding planning), but reputable vendors that they have worked with. Remember they want your day to go as smoothly as possible as it will only make them look better, plus it’s less stress for the planner!

Wedding planners also know what is absolutely necessary to carry out your vision. Some vendors may try to up sell you and tell you need more than you really need. Their goal is to sell you as much as possible; where as the wedding planner is on your side, to ensure you receive your vision, on your budget.

When couples who took on the whole wedding by themselves were asked “what would you have done differently”? The majority say “hire a wedding planner” – ask a friend you’d be surprised!

In short, couples who hire a wedding planner will find that it is the best money they spent, and will enjoy their wedding.

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Where do you start. Well the best way to start is to think of what you want, and who is going to pay for it. Write down you vision, do you want a large (300+) wedding with a sit down meal or a small intimate cocktail hour. Figure out how much you, your parents, your in laws are willing to spend. If you only have a $10,000 budget you won’t be able to have a large wedding with a sit down meal, and you need to figure that out in the beginning otherwise you will disappoint yourself.
 
Set your priorities. Is photography your number one priority or is the venue, or something else? You could have a sit down dinner for $10,000 if you sacrifice the amount of people coming. Your vision can happen on your budget, but you have to figure out what you are willing to sacrifice in order to obtain your vision.
 
Once you have a vision, priorities and budget, you can move on to the fun things. First and foremost pick a date, each vendor has many inquiries each day, and they will ask you your date. It is hard to give a quote to someone if they do not have a date, because the vendor may not even be available thus wasting your time. Your best bet is to ask if they are available first and then price. And the first vendors I recommend starting with are your venues, photographer, and wedding planner (if you choose to do so). Those are usually the most important, and the ones that usually book up the quickest.
 
A few more tips:
Keep a binder with contracts
Get EVERYTHING in writing, even small amendments
Keep on top of your budget
Email is a great way to communicate (emails hold up in court – just in case)
Ensure you have a contract with the vendor and make sure you receive a receipt
Google the vendor, see what comes up (company and personal name)
Ask for references

 1. A new twist on Candy
Not just a candy bar anymore, brides and grooms are choosing sweets, pasties, cupcakes, ice cream and various other bars to step outside the box.
 
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2. Eco Friendly
I see it and hear the requests for it! More and more brides & grooms want to ensure that they have a fabulous party without making a huge impact on the environment. (check back later for some eco friendly tips!)

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3. Venues that Double Duty
This also ties in with the eco friendly trend but it is asked of me quite often now, to try and find a single venue that will double for a ceremony and reception. Not is it eco friendly (guests aren’t traveling to another side of the city) it can also be less expensive!
 

4. Shrugs & Boleros
It seems that shrugs & boleros are making a popular come back, and why not how chic are they!

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5. Let them pick!
Brides are letting their bridesmaids choose their gowns & accessories. I have had and seen many brides just ask their bridesmaids order from a specific vendor (i.e. Alfred Angelo, after six) so that the color was the same ‘chocolate brown’ or ‘black’ as the rest but the style did not matter. Some bride’s even let their bridesmaid’s pick the colors, what an awesome idea. Let them pick something they are comfortable in, in the end you will get better photos and have more fun.

 
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6. Not White
Gowns are coming in some fabulous colors and some brides are taking advantage of it!
 
 
7. Step away from the cake!
Not a fan of the traditional wedding cake? You don’t have to be, what would you rather see? Rice crispies, ice cream, pies, truffles?

 
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8. Vibrant Details
Bright colors are in right now from yellow, orange, purple, green and blue!
 

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9. Themes
There is no one specific ‘theme’ that dominates the wedding scene except love! Each couple I have this year is so very different its hard to pick a trend, thus the current trend seems to be picking a theme that reflects the couple. Let the wedding be about the two of you and your love. Perhaps it is vintage, or cars, or birds. Think about a theme the will allow your wedding to be all about the two of you!
 
 
 
10. Alternate Veil
Still very popular, brides are now either not wearing a veil at all or changing their ‘hair piece” from a veil right after the ceremony to something stunning as a flowers, or crystal encrusted headband!

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I found this menu card and decided to share a little about menu cards just so I could post this beautiful picture! Menu cards are typically found at each place setting but it is also very pretty if one is set up in an elegant frame at the table. You don’t have to have a menu card, but it is a nice and simple touch that can also be a conversation starter for your guests!

How much fun is this for a guest book? Cute and would tie in easily with any vintage theme. Guests added their words of wisdom for the couple one the typewriter instead of a traditional paper guestbook.

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