Things to Consider When Hosting a Backyard Wedding

I love the idea of a daughter/son growing up and choosing to have their wedding in their parent’s backyard or maybe their own backyard. However, I think there is a misconception that backyard weddings are simple and inexpensive, so I am here to point out a few things you might not have thought of. Below is a list including some suggestions, as well as, questions to think of while planning the wedding.

1. The condition of the premises. You want to make sure the landscaping is beautiful for the backdrop of your photos.
2. Will neighbours be upset by loud music playing into the wee hours of the morning
3. Ensure the ground is ready for high traffic and high heels. You might want to put some stepping stones down in certain areas.
4. Do you have a backup plan if it rains or are you going to rent a tent?
5. Where is everyone going to park? Is there going to be someone directing the parking so it is organized? How is everyone getting home if there is going to be drinking? Taxi or are you maybe going to hire a bus at a certain time?
6. What if it is too hot or too cold outside? Will you have heaters or fans available?
7. ICE! If you are having a summer wedding ensure you have a freezer large enough to hold a lot of ice for the drinks
8. Consider the flow of people from when they arrive to the ceremony/reception location. You might want to consider putting up signs so everyone knows where to go and when.
9. Do you have enough easily accessible washrooms for the guests?
10. Don’t forget the amount of things you will need to rent. The cost of rentals can really add up. You will need: a tent with a floor, tables, chairs, a bar, music system, cutlery, plates, cups, portable washrooms, decor, linens
11. You might also want to hire servers and/or bartenders
12. If the wedding is going to go into the night do you have any light source to keep the reception area lit, as well as, the walking paths to the washroom and parking lot (ex. lanterns, flashlights, candles)

Ensure Children Have Fun at Your Wedding Too!

Before I get into all the fun activities you can set up for children I want to briefly discuss the etiquette for inviting children to your wedding. If you are having children in the wedding ceremony (flower girl and ring bearer) it is only polite to invite all guests’ children. Also, if guests are coming from out of town to attend your wedding it is polite to allow them to bring their children. They are already paying for their hotel room and travel expenses; they will not want to pay for a babysitter and probably will not know one in town. Although it is your day it is important to consider your guests and their families experience too! Ok now on to the fun part!...

If you are inviting children to your wedding you need to have some activities planned to keep them busy while the adults are having fun! There are many different things you can do. The option best for you depends on the location and time of your ceremony and reception.

Activities to keep the little prince and princesses happy:

1.       Hire a story teller/impersonator- this is someone who dresses up as a character and vibrantly reads stories and does other activities while in character.

An example: http://www.winnipegprincesspartiesandmore.com/

2.       Scavenger Hunt List with Disposable Camera. The children run around and find/take pictures of everything on the list.

3.       Hire a face painter- Children love face painting! You can even get the painter to use colours that match your decor or theme

4.       Have a children’s table/room or tent: You can have a movie playing, bubbles, lego, colouring books, puzzles or maybe even a simple craft project

5.       Have colouring books available at the ceremony: This is a quiet activity they can do right in their lap while you are saying your vows

6.       A Play Dough station (non toxic) with cookie cutters to make fun shapes. Check out this site for lots of fun Play Dough ideas: http://www.oneperfectdayblog.net/2012/11/23/play-dough-fun-with-christmas-cookie-cutters/

 

Note: Don’t forget to offer children friendly foods! Chicken fingers, pizza, veggies and dip and maybe some cookies for dessert are all simple and inexpensive ways to keep kids happy

I would not suggest:

1.       Hiring a balloon artist: Most likely a few children will pop their balloons and then they will be sad and start crying.

2.       Hiring a clown: Some children find them really scary.

3.       Any kind of bouncing castle or inflatable slide because that is an activity that parents will want to be make sure their children don’t get hurt.

4.       Avoid anything that children could potentially choke on

You can check out these cute websites for some more ideas:

http://bridalmusings.com/2012/03/what-to-include-in-a-kids-activity-goody-box-at-a-wedding/

http://www.kidfriendlyweddings.com/c.aspx?n=wedding-ideas-for-kids-at-weddings

Shadow Boxes! Your next addiction...I guarantee it!

I am currently addicted to Shadow Boxes. They are the greatest thing since quinoa lol. For those of you who don’t know what shadow boxes are allow me to briefly explain. A shadow box is a 3d frame that you can purchase at Michaels or maybe even Walmart that you put on your wall and fill with absolutely anything you want that will help you remember to save for an event/trip in the future.

You can make a shadow big for:

1. Your wedding
2. Your anniversary
3. Your honeymoon
4. Your next vacation
5. Your baby shower
6. Your birthday party or your children’s birthday party
7. Any Holiday: Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, Halloween

Some fun examples:

1. You really want to go to The Bahamas for your honeymoon but it is really expensive. You print out a picture of your dream honeymoon and place it in the frame. Every day you put $20 into the frame and watch as the savings grow towards your dream trip.
2. Fill the picture frame with anything that inspires you for your dream trip: magazine articles, amazing pictures, pictures of cute outfits, lists of things you want to do. Everything that relates to the trip you put into the box.
3. Your dream wedding you can gather all the business cards, pictures, colour ideas, pamphlets or anything else that inspires you for your perfect day.

Once the event occurs you take out all your inspirational material and fill the shadow box with any items from your trip or event that have sentimental value. If it is a vacation you can put a small bottle of sand, a beautiful shell and your favourite pictures. If it is your wedding you can put some flowers from your bouquet, your garter, a decoration from your tables or cake, an invitation and some pictures. The possibilities are endless!!

Check out my Pinterest account for some inspirational Shadow Box ideas: http://www.pinterest.com/firstclassevent/pins/

Michaels has many different shadow box options you can choose from (http://www.michaels.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Michaels-Site/default/Search-AdvancedSearch?cgid=entire&simplesearch=Search&q=shadow+boxes).

7 TIPS TO DECREASE WEDDING PLANNING STRESS

Tip 1. Plan in advance. No matter what size your wedding is it is best to start planning early. Even if your wedding is smaller it is important to plan for problems.  Complications always come up and it is much easier to fix them when you have time on your side.

Tip 2. Research your vendors. If you do the research on your vendors you will have confidence in their work and be less stressed about the result on your wedding day. Don’t just rely on one person’s recommendation as they might have different taste and requirements then you.

Tip 3. Rely on friends and family. As a bride you want to make sure every detail of your wedding is perfect, however, you can’t do everything yourself. Trust your friends and family to help you.

Tip 4. Incorporate “chill-out” time into you planning. Make sure you and your significant other have time together to just relax and enjoy each other’s company. Don’t talk about the wedding!

Tip 5. Establish boundaries at the beginning. It is important for your family and friends to understand this is your wedding and you are not going to be able to please everyone. Having a chat with everyone at the beginning of the wedding planning will make your experience a lot easier.

Tip 6. Work with your significant other. You and your groom might not agree on everything but it is important that you work as a team. The wedding is about both of you and it is important you make decisions together.

Last, but definitely not least

Tip 7. Hire a professional: I realize I am a wedding planner so I am biased, but it really is true. If you hire a full service wedding planner you will have someone with you through all the decision making and if you hire a day-of coordinator you will have someone on the day to make sure everything runs smoothly and take care of all complications. Having a wedding coordinator is a huge weight off the couples’ shoulders.

The Wonderful Wedding Show: Ideas for inspiration!

My booth at The Wonderful Wedding Show. I was going for romantic with a hint of royal. The gold and plum purple really add that royal feeling and the champagne and diamonds add that bit of romance. I also wanted the display to be a bit fun and not too serious so I got a kindof wild centerpiece.

Etiquette Advice for Second Weddings

If you are getting remarried you are probably wondering what the proper etiquette is? Should you have bridesmaids or no? What kind of dress should you wear? What size should the wedding be? You might find yourself always wondering whether what you are doing is proper or improper.

Now that second or third marriages are becoming more common there is almost a stereotype around what the first wedding and second wedding should look like. For your first wedding you should have the Cinderella dress with a big reception and for the second wedding you should have a small intimate setting with a more subtle dress.  There are people who believe it is tacky to have two big weddings.

I personally do not agree with any of these stereotypes. Maybe you got married young and had a big wedding because you knew your dad was paying for it. It might also be that your first wedding was a more subtle small occasion because you were young and did not have the biggest budget and now for your second wedding you want a grand affair! If you are now a bit wiser and want to have another extravagant wedding, I say go for it! I do not think a Bride should feel like she has to conform what she wants on her Wedding day to fit some rules. If you think you found the love of your life and want to have a big party to celebrate then you should!

One area of etiquette that should not be ignored is around gifts. An encore marriage should not expect gifts for a second time; however, a supportive and enthusiastic family will usually give gifts anyways. It is acceptable to have a second bridal shower if someone offers to host it, however, a second time bride should not expect a bridal shower.

At the end of the day there really are no set rules. If you decide to go with a big celebration with a big dress for a second or third wedding it is probably more likely that people will gossip about it, but unfortunately that is just what people do. Ignore the possibility of gossip and plan your dream day!

For services to help coordinate your second wedding check out our website: http://firstclasseventplanning.com/wedding-planning/partial-wedding-planning/

The Art of Being A Confident Bride

For some reason every woman has an image of exactly what they are supposed to look like on their wedding day. The second a lady gets engaged they put this overwhelming pressure on themselves to have the perfect hair, makeup, skin, weight… the list goes on. What most brides seem to forget is the way they are supposed to FEEL on their wedding day. A bride should feel confident, happy and excited. As the wedding day gets closer Brides tend to start to notice more and more of their flaws when they really should be remembering and focusing on all their amazing qualities. Below are a few ideas to help Brides remember how fabulous they are:

1.       Remember that your fiancé loves you just the way you are and probably doesn’t even notice these “imperfections” that you want to change and are subconscious about.

2.       If you are the sentimental person who keeps cards take them out of storage. Re-read some of the loving words from your friends, family and fiancé from the past years. Realize how special you are and how much you are loved just the way you are.

3.       If there is one particular area of your body that is bugging you make a realistic plan to try and improve it (ex. Losing belly or arm fat, fixing bad skin). Everyone has parts of themselves that they are not thrilled about, which is fine. It is just important not to let those few areas define how you feel about yourself. Instead take the situation into your own hands and make a realistic plan to try and improve the areas you are less fond of.

4.       Read your resume: This might sound funny, but sometimes one needs to be reminded of all the things one has accomplished. Reading your resume will help you remember all the skills you have developed and all your best characteristics.

The most gorgeous bride is the bride that is comfortable in her own skin, knows who she is, is confident and is madly in love with her fiance!

Invite an EX?!...That Is the Question!

The opinions seem to be quite strong around the idea of inviting an ex to your wedding.  It is a very delicate and usually quite complicated situation.  In difficult situations I like to create a pros and cons list. I have made a sample one below. Pro and con lists are great because they really show you what you stand to gain from your decision and what you stand to lose. If you stand to lose more, then you really should not risk it. However, even before considering the pros and cons I believe the most important question to ask yourself is why do you really want them there. Is it possible you still have feelings for them? Are they one of your closest friends? Would it be awkward if you didn’t invite them?  

Conflict resolution exercise: If this is a topic that is causing conflict between you and your fiancé you should both make your own pros and cons list and then sit down and calmly discuss the lists together.

Pros:

1.       They are great friends with both you and your spouse

2.       If they are close family friends you will make your family happy

3.       You have a tight knit group of friends or live in a small town and if you don’t invite them it will be awkward. Inviting them avoids awkwardness and is just easier

Cons:

1.       Feelings might resurface all of a sudden during the ceremony

2.       They might get depressed, drink too much and make a scene

3.       Your spouse will be angry all night that they are there

4.       It might add stress to what can be already a stressful day and is one of the most important days of your lives

The pros and cons list above is to help you consider the different effects having them at the wedding can have. Every situation is complicated and you want to make the decision that will make you and your fiancé the most happy on your wedding day!

Is an elopement right for you?

The minute I hear the word elopement I think of a story where a couple is forbidden to fall in love so they run off and get married against their parent’s wishes. If that was the case in the past elopement certainly does not mean the same thing anymore. Nowadays elopements occur quite a bit more often and are not such a faux pas as they used to be.  Couples are choosing to elope for many legitimate reasons. Some of them are discussed below:

1. Decreased costs. The elopement is quick and easy with typically very few people involved. However, usually a couple that elopes does have a reception a few months after.
2. Decreased anxiety. If you are a bride that is extremely nervous about being the center of attention while walking down the aisle, going through an entire day of being stared at and taken pictures of this might be a good idea for you. Elopements are a more relaxed intimate experience with a lot less pressure.
3. Cultural differences: If you are combining two very strict cultures it can seem impossible to make everyone happy. There is a high possibility of having large family feuds over the wedding ceremony. Elopement removes all those uncomfortable and upsetting situations.
4. Intimate experience: Maybe you and your fiancé moved away together and lived your lives away from family. If this is the case it might be more meaningful for just the two of you to share the moment together.
5. No time: If you found the man/woman of your dreams and want to get married, but just don’t have the time for a wedding, elopement might be a good option. This problem can also occur when your vacation times never sync up.
6. Not a fan of weddings: Maybe you have witnessed one too many grand weddings that are followed a few years later by divorce. It is possible for an individual to still believe in marriage, but not believe in having a wedding.

Although there are many good reasons to elope always ensure it is what you want. You don’t want to wake up the next day and wish you had done the traditional wedding in the church instead.

The Truth about Cash Bars

The first wedding consultants were upper-class women who informed the family on how to host an appropriate society event. Therefore, I feel that it is my job as a Wedding Planner to tell you the proper etiquette for hosting your wedding. According to the rules of etiquette cash bars are tacky and not suggested. Inviting guests to your wedding is the same as inviting guests to your house. You would never host a dinner and charge guests for their glass of wine or a can of beer. The same principals apply to hosting your wedding. If you are having liquor at your wedding it is not polite to ask your guests to pay for part of the wedding. That being said it is also my job to help the bride and groom stay within budget. There are many alternatives to having a cash bar that will decrease costs.

Below are a few suggestions:

1.       Consider having your wedding during the day. Guests are far less likely to drink in the morning or afternoon.

2.       You could have a signature drink. A signature drink can be pre-made with a combination of juice, soda and liquor. This keeps guests drinking, but at a fraction of the cost

3.       You can always choose not to serve alcohol. If you have great music, entertainment and good food your guests will still have a great time

4.       You can also have a beer and wine bar. This decreases the cost as the expensive spirits are not available

5.       The location of your wedding can decrease costs too. If you have a backyard wedding you can purchase your own liquor license and have your provincial liquor commission sell you the liquor. The liquor purchased will be cheaper than the charge per drink or bottle that a hotel, golf & country club or any other wedding venue would charge.

Cash bars or toonie bars have become increasingly popular as a way to decrease the cost of the wedding; however, they really are not appropriate according to the etiquette rules. If you really want to have a cash bar remember to mention it on your invitations so guests can remember to bring cash!

 

Your Bridesmaids/Groomsmen Deserve the Best

Below are a few of my suggestions to find the perfect gift for your bridesmaids/groomsmen. Keep in mind that some of the suggestions I make for bridesmaids can be used for groomsmen as well and vice versa.

I want to start off by making a brief statement about gift certificates. I really don’t understand when people say gift certificates are not personal. Gift certificates can be very personal. Someone actually has to know what stores you like and where you buy things. Just because they want to save you the trouble of having to make a return or exchange for a different size does not mean that they care any less.

Bridesmaid Gifts

Ladies who like fashion and makeup:

1.    Cute clutches with nail polish, lipstick, pocket mirror, gift certificate to favourite restaurant or spa and anything else cute inside.

2.    A beautiful scarf and gloves

3.    A bracelet or set of earrings

Ladies who like to travel:

1.    A gift certificate for Westjet or Expedia to go towards their next adventure

2.    A cute carry-on bag with her favourite CD

Ladies who like music/movies:

1.    Tickets to their favourite band’s concert

2.    A new iphone/ipad docking system with gift certificate for itunes

Ladies who like fine dining/night life:

1.    Gift certificate to favourite restaurant

2.    Gift certificate for a limo service- They can use this the next time they want to have a fabulous night out

3.    A fabulous pair of new shoes for dancing – Try to buy them from a store that she can return or exchange just in case they don’t fit

Ladies who like sweets:

1.    A basket filled with all the delicious chocolates and candies that she loves

2.    A cute mini cake in a fancy box made from the same baker who makes your wedding cake

3.    A big fancy cupcake in a fancy box

4.    Edible Arrangements: Chocolate dipped strawberries and other fruit

Groomsmen Gifts

Gentlemen who like fashion:

1.    Watch

2.    Wallet- can include a gift certificate inside

3.    New tie, cufflinks and pocket square

4.    An appointment booked with a tailor to get a custom made sport coat (already paid for).

Gentlemen who like to travel:

1.    A gift certificate for Westjet or Expedia to go towards their next adventure

2.    Ipod with itunes gift certificate for those long flights

 

Gentlemen who like adventure:

1.    A Jet ski or boat rental for a day

2.    A sky diving experience that all the guys are going to do together

3.    A day on the hill (ski/snowboard trip)

4.    A new ipod with some great road trip tunes

5.    A gift certificate for Westjet or Expedia to go towards their next adventure

Gentlemen who like fine dining/night life

1.    Gift certificate to favourite restaurant

2.    Gift certificate for a limo service- They can use this the next time they want to have a wild night out

I hope this provides you with some inspiration to help you find that perfect gift!

A Honeymoon Straight From Hollywood

I recently watched The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and decided I have to go see where this movie was filmed. I have always wanted to go to New Zealand and this movie convinced me that this is the year. I started doing research and found that you can go on tours of exactly where some of the scenes from The Lord of the Rings were filmed. I love the idea of going to amazing places I thought I would only ever see on tv or in a movie. I decided to do some research and have included below some links to tours your can go to for different movies and tv shows. I find movies give you ideas of areas you might not have ever thought or known to visit.

New Zealand (The Lord of the Rings): http://www.newzealand.com/ca/feature/middle-earth/#contents

New York (Sex In the city): I definitely want to one day sip a martini at the same restaurant Carrie and the ladies chatted at. http://onlocationtours.com/tour/sex-and-the-city

New York and Jersey (The Sopranos): http://onlocationtours.com/tour/sopranos/

Hawaii (Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean): Who doesn’t want to go where Johnny Depp has been! I am guilty of buying and watching four of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in one weekend:P http://www.robertshawaii.com/kauai/hawaiimovietour.php

England (Pride and Prejudice): This is on my bucket list. I am a HUGE pride and prejudice fan!: http://www.britishtours.com/pride-and-prejudice-tours

Mamanuca Islands in Fiji (Cast Away): Although this might not be an extremely famous movie I always thought the location look incredible. This tour is done by sailboat!
http://www.viator.com/tours/Fiji/Fiji-Mamanuca-Islands-Sailing-Cruise-including-Lunch/d23-5204SEASPRAY

Scotland, England (Harry Potter): Seeing as Harry Potter is filmed in two different countries it would depend on which one you want to visit. This site explains the top 10 Harry Potter locations to see. http://www.visitbritain.com/en/Travel-tips/Britain-for-kids-and-families/Top-10-Harry-Potter-locations.htm

Think of your favourite movies or tv shows when you are planning your wedding if you are looking for something fabulous and unique!

 Happy Honeymoon Planning!

He Just Wants To Show Up To The Wedding!

So you get engaged and the next thing you know he is telling you he wants nothing to do with planning the wedding. This is a tough situation to be in because even if you are a bride who knows exactly what you want you will want to have that supportive second opinion throughout the planning process. What can you do to make him excited about the wedding and want to be involved in the planning?

First: It is important to understand where your groom is coming from. Weddings have a lot to do with colour schemes, flowers, cakes and dresses… all things that guys are not particularly interested in. Consider if he was having a big football party that a lot of people were going to attend, it was going to be expensive and he wants the day to be perfect. If it was a football party you might feel a bit out of place and not interested, this is probably how your groom feels. That being said, take the time to sit down with your fiancé and ask him how he feels about the wedding. A LOT OF FIGHTS AND HURT FEELINGS CAN BE AVOIDED BY SIMPLY HAVING OPEN COMMUNICATION. There might be some underlying reasons why he does not want to be involved and it is important that you both are on the same page.

Second: Once you understand how your groom is feeling you need to try to give him tasks he would be interested in. A few types of tasks you could assign are: buy the best man and groomsmen gifts, purchase/rent his attire and his groomsmen’s attire for the wedding day, picking the band or dj, transportation, honeymoon plans, or the rehearsal dinner plans. You could also suggest that he help pick out the menu for the wedding or participate in the cake tasting. If your groom is unorganized, forgetful or just extremely busy it might help to provide him with a list of things he can do.

Third: If your groom is still reluctant to help with the wedding try to explain to him why the day is so important to you. Some grooms do not understand the excitement around the wedding. They don’t care what colour the chair sashes are or how many tiers the cake is and they don’t understand why you do. Obviously your groom loves you and wants to make you happy so it is important to COMMUNICATE with him.

Fourth: The last thing I can suggest is to make sure you are supporting your groom when he is trying to help. If your groom is giving his opinion and you are instantly saying “no” it might make him feel like he is not needed. Although you might know exactly what you want for the wedding, make sure you are taking into consideration your groom’s needs and wants because it is his day too.

If none of this helps turn to your maid of honor and bridesmaids for help and support :)

DIY BRIDE!

Do-it-yourself brides are a kind of bride that seems to be becoming increasingly rare, which is sad because they are just wonderful to work with. What?…DIY brides working with an event planner? Yes, it is true! Just because you are a DIY bride does not mean you need to do everything by yourself.

Below is a list of the many reasons a bride chooses to be a DIY bride:
1. To save money
2. To be personally involved in everything for your special wedding day to ensure everything is perfect
3. To ensure a really creative and unique vision for the day comes to life exactly as you envision.
4. To make something that nobody else has at their weddings.
5. To feel that what you are creating is more heartfelt and meaningful because you are putting your own time and energy into your event

If a bride chooses to be DIY she is going to be very busy with all of the projects she is deciding to make herself such as centerpieces, favours, table numbers, place cards, thank you cards, or invitations etc. The amount of work required to be a DIY bride should not be underestimated; it takes a lot of time and energy to start and finish all your projects. As the planner I take care of all the other details that the guests might not see. I ensure the event runs smoothly and nothing is forgotten. There is a lot more involved in a wedding then what the guests see. With my help a bride can focus on her projects and relax knowing the rest of the day will be planned and coordinated perfectly. I can also help a bride cut costs as I LOVE doing DIY projects so I know the best places to get supplies, where to get coupons and I can get discounts with many vendors!