Check out the post on our wedding inspiration shoot here!
Archive: ‘a modern proposal weddings’
Featured: Wedding Obsession
Saturday, February 4th, 2012Bridal Show Tips
Thursday, January 12th, 2012
They can be very exciting and extremely overwhelming. Bridal shows come to Edmonton in September and then again in January.
Here are some tips on how to survive bridal shows if you choose to attend:
1. Go early. Earlier you go the less line ups and there will still be ‘freebies’ and fliers, also vendors have more time to talk to you. Also if you plan on booking a vendor at the show (not recommended) then your date may still be available.
2. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes; it’s not a fashion show.
3. Pre plan. Pre plan your route through the halls, and your transportation to the event. They tend to hike up parking prices and parking can be very limited.
3. Bring a bag. Not only a bag but a bag with bottles of water, and some snacks. The food at these events is usually price, not healthy and poorly cooked.
4. Create a free email account prior to going to the event, and use that email address to enter into draws. You will be spammed by vendors, sometimes even two years after you attended.
5. Pre-do little labels with your name and email address (refer to point #4), and mailing address. If you put your phone number, they will call you.
6. Bring a camera or iPhone to take photos, but remember to ask the vendor if it is okay for you to take pictures, that way if you see something you like you won’t have a hard time explaining it.
Finally only take fliers from companies you are truly interested in because it will only cause a headache for you to sort through at the end.
Upcoming Shows:
Spring
Bridal Fair: January 15, 2012; Shaw Conference Centre
Bridal Fantasy: January 22, 2012; Edmonton Expo Centre
You’re Engaged Now What?
Thursday, January 12th, 2012
Most brides take the first opportunity to go to the dress store and forget the basics. When planning such an important event there are a few things you need to look at before ever stepping in a dress store.
First think of the kind of wedding the two of you want. Is it local, destination, large, small etc. (you don’t need to determine colors or theme but a general idea of your wedding).
Second set your priorities for the wedding – is it the budget, venue, dress, photos, food, number of guests?
The third thing you need to sit down and look at before hiring anyone or even looking at those dresses, is BUDGET. The first two steps coincide with the budget. Unfortunately you cannot have a princess wedding, with 300 guests on a $10,000 budget. You also need to discuss upfront with the parents or anyone else involved if they will be contributing.
Once the budget, priorities, and vision have been discussed you can go dress, venue, photographer, etc. shopping. If you don’t do these steps first you will only cause yourself frustration, and possibly hurt your budget.
Happy Planning!
Alex + Frank: December 31
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012Alex + Frank were married at the Country Lodge (in the loft) in the afternoon of December 31. They originally wanted to be married in a log cabin in the mountains but this was this was a better choice being closer to family. Alex was so relaxed and absolutely stunning. For centre pieces lanterns from ikea war enlaced upon black and silver stars cut from paper and three tea light holders that were modified (mode podgy + marth stewart glitter) surrounded the lantern. Simple, yet very pretty!
Just before midnight champagne and new year’s party items were placed out and a count down started. It was a fabulous party and a great way to start the new year!
Please keep in mind these are my photos, and they really don’t do anyone justice, I’ll post the professional ones from DB Photographics when available.
Venue: Country Lodge
Photographer: DB Photographics (not the photos above)
Florals: Akiko Floral Artistry
Cake: Whimsical Cake Studio
Save the Date!
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011I found a bunch of super cute DIY Save the Dates, I just had to share.
Save the Dates don’t need to be sent for every wedding, I advise using them for weddings on long weekends, unusually days (i.e. Friday or Sundays) or in destination weddings (where most of the guests are from out of town). They don’t have to be elaborate or fancy, keep in mind though, this is the first your guest sees of your wedding so keep that in mind when you have it designed. You want to keep a consistent theme.
Row 1: Source, Source, Source
Row 2: Source, Source, Source
Row 3: Source, Source, Source
I could have added tons more, but would have needed so many posts, so feel free to check Etsy.
Cutting Down the Guest List
Monday, November 28th, 2011Cutting down the number of guests you invite to your wedding or event will cut down your costs immensely. Not only will you need less food, but there’s less alcohol, chairs, chair covers, table linens, favors, invites, table numbers, etc. But, lets face it, it’s probably the second hardest task (other than the seating chart) to do. It doesn’t matter who you do or don’t invite you will always hurt someone’s feelings, its just an unfortunate part of life. You are just going to have to face that reality, and stick to your plan. Whether you need to cut the guest list because of the venue size or your budget, you need to be firm and be reasonable. For example you cannot invite one cousin from a family and not the other just because you don’t like them. If you invite one cousin, you invite them all. Same goes for children (this is the one people catch the most flack for) if you let a few people bring children (OTHER than bridal party of your own) then you have to let everyone bring children.
This cute little chart was posted on The Wedding Bee to help you with narrowing down the list. When people ask why they weren’t invited, you can always say “We had limited space at the reception site we choose and had to cut the guest list to only immediate family”.
Julianne Cragg | Edmonton Wedding Planner
A Modern Proposal Event Planning
c: 780.901.5630
Brittany + Michael
Monday, November 28th, 2011
Photo: Mike Van Essen
One of our fabulous brides this year blogged about her wedding day and we thought we’d share her experience. We quote a few of her words, but you can read her whole post right here.
We also had Julianne. I can’t say enough nice things about this amazing woman. She was our fabulous wedding planner. I was the first to get married from my immediate family, and Michael was the same, so we really had no idea what we were doing. Julianne was an absolute genius when it came to things like timelines, costs, local vendors, and most importantly, coordinating the day-of. And ladies, if your groom is skeptical about this additional cost? Remind him that if something goes awry on your Big Day, his brand-new mother-in-law will bring it up with the planner instead of him. Hooray!
1 PM: One by one, the bridesmaids walked. And shit – there was a huge snag on the bottom of my dress. Trust Julianne to have a Bridal Emergency Kit that included a pair of fabric scissors. She took care of it in a second.
Julianne Cragg | Edmonton Wedding Planner
A Modern Proposal Event Planning
c: 780.901.5630
Out with the OLD, in with the NEW
Tuesday, November 15th, 2011
Literally speaking. As the Huffing Post said earlier today in their post “The End of the Vintage Wedding Trend”, the old is old, and the new trend for weddings is modern elements with meaning. I’ll be honest, I am completely over, the over done vintage theme and the stylized vintage shoots. There is nothing more spectacular than a real wedding. Nothing. Now don’t get me wrong, tablescape shoots need to happen. Wedding planners and other vendors do them for various reasons, to inspire brides, try new products, show off new products, try new trends or vendors. They are extremely helpful, but a fake bride and groom that give unrealistic expectations is not fair. I’m sorry but on your wedding day you don’t have time to set up a dresser and suit cases and have a shoot with the wedding cake on that dresser. Also the photographer and bride and groom don’t react in the same manor on a photoshoot as they do a wedding day – thus creating different results and disappointing brides.
I know I can’t be the only one thinking each wedding on a certain blogs look exactly the same with vintage suit cases, wooden boxes, tea cups, scrabble tiles, and succulents. Don’t get me wrong, I love all of the preceding, but each of those elements in the original wedding they were used in were for a certain reason. They were used because they meant something to the bride and groom, not because it was trendy or cute. For example in the article mentioned above, the vintage typewriter was first used in a wedding where the bride and groom were book authors, so the typewriter meant something to the two of them.
If you are curious, the latest trend seems to be going in the direction of glamorous – which of course, means different things to each person.
Plan a wedding that is about the two of you and not the latest trend.
Julianne Cragg | Edmonton Wedding Planner
A Modern Proposal Event Planning
c: 780.901.5630
Stephanie + Jordan
Thursday, October 27th, 2011A beautiful fall wedding from this past weekend, such a beautiful couple! The ceremony was held at the always beautiful Robertson-Westely United church in downtown Edmonton.
The colours were nice deep brown and a vibrant pop of red. The flowers were from flowers on 50th, with cute and short centrepieces that definitely caught your eye as you came in as they popped off the table. Around each centre piece were eight tea lights. Now a tip if you’re actually reading this – go to superstore and buy the eight hour tea lights. When I went back t 1 a.m. to help with take down they were still burning!
The reception was held at the Woodvale Facility in Millwoods, Edmonton.
The yummy cupcakes were from Cake Affair. There weren’t too many left at the end of the night!
And because a yummy dinner and cupcakes wouldn’t be enough, there was a candy bar filled with some of my favourites, love the super cute bags that
A few of the details that weren’t picture was the incredible, and I mean incredible video that two of the groomsmen put together asking the bride and groom questions. It was like a real movie, they had mad editing and video skills (though, they work for a company that does short films so one might expect it), it was a huge hit. Also one final detail, was midnight lunch – it was pizza, and oh so delicious! You can always make your wedding your own by tweaking the traditional to reflect the two of you!
Congratulations again Stephanie + Jordan, you two fabulous + gorgeous people and have a super cute puppy, all the best!
Julianne Cragg | Edmonton Wedding Planner
A Modern Proposal Event Planning
c: 780.901.5630
Brennan + Morgan
Sunday, October 16th, 2011This beautiful wedding took place in the Church on 99th and in the newly renovated Denham Inn, in Leduc. These photos don’t really do it justice but hopefully they will inspire you while you plan your wedding.
The tables at the reception were a mix of rectangles and rounds, each style of table had a different but equally beautiful centre piece. The tables numbers were marked by some fabulous wine labels. All the stationery was created by Pink Polka Design and matched the entire wedding perfectly! You can also find all of the rentals from Elegant Touches.
Julianne Cragg | Edmonton Wedding Planner
A Modern Proposal Event Planning
c: 780.901.5630
