British versus Canadian Weddings

Being in the UK for the past month has given me great opportunity of researching the trends here in Europe versus what we are currently doing in North America!

One thing that has changed over the past decade is the age to be married for Brides is changing! It seems British girls don't want to end up like 'Bridget Jones' starring into their empty wine glass and singing 'all by myself....' instead the average age has now dropped from 32 down to 26 and again couples are deciding to have children in their late twenties instead of waiting until their 30's!

So whats new in the UK.. well hardly anyone has heard of Candy Tables! Cupcakes have only just become really big for weddings in the last 6 months, Momogramming is also just starting to take off and Sweetheart Tables at receptions for just the Bride & Groom are now being seen!

But what you really want to know is what trends are coming through from Europe... well I can tell you that David Fielden suggests putting your bridesmaids in White Dresses with the Bride wearing a Black Wedding Dress...... this will really wow guests - just like Sarah Jessica-Parker did on her wedding day! Black Wedding Dresses on the runways in Paris were also seen in 08/09. If your budget can stretch to it, Black Orchids are definately 'the' new thing! Other colours seen in 2008/9 were Grays & Silvers which are still very popular, Icy Blue's and Turquoise and every shade of Purple from Lilac to Deep Aubergine (Egg Plant).

Smaller decadent weddings of 30 guests or less are becoming increasingly popular, using budgets to really splash out on their weddings and guests. Marquee (Tent) Villages are also very new where multiple rooms and structures are used within a larger tent to create intimate spaces with larger reception areas.

Multiple themes are another great idea especially if you are mixing cultures - or if like me you just love too many different foods and drinks to choose, well now you can have them all! How about a Russian Vodka Bar to start, followed by an Oriental Dinner with Bamboo Place Settings and finishing the evening with an English Tea Party, Scones with Strawberry Jam and Clotted Cream all served on pretty China and Cake Stands!

Speaking with Debbie of Wedding Wonders, guests are also looking at different transportation ideas, one client asked Debbie to transport all their guests in a 'Red London Bus' to the Wedding, with the Bride arriving in a 'White London Cab'!

But whatever you do, don't do like the Brits and get stressed! Planning a wedding in the UK according to the polls is now the 5th most stressful things to do after moving house and changing jobs etc - RELAX, you can always hire a reputable wedding planner to do the organising for you!

Safiya & Casio's Fall Fiesta

It could not have been a more perfect day for Safiya & Casio's wedding day last Fall. With clear blue skies and warm sunshine the day was ready!

I must admit that Safiya had a very clear vision from the beginning on the colours for her wedding and I think you will agree that they came through in everything from the invitations, to the wedding program's, the flowers, dresses - even the boys limo was lit up with Burnt Oranges, plus we were even able to choose the glow of colour in the Reception Hall to light up the walls and ceilings!

What was also fun was that Casio had connections all over Montreal, from his God Mother performing the ceremony, making it very special to a friend of his mothers making the Cake, and even close friends in control of the Music & MC!

When planning your wedding it is always nice to think where the talents are in your family and who can help make it special - but equally it is just as good to think twice before asking your friends or family to do critical parts of your wedding. What would happen if something didn't quite meet your expectations would it potentially ruin a longstanding relationship - so more often than not I would say 'leave it to the experts'!

It really was a unique day and we bought in many cultural elements from Jumping the Broom to African Dancers and I think the guests were amazed at what can only be described as a 'Canadian' way of Opening the Bar!!

Photo Credit: Feddel Photography

Flowers: Flora International

Food Fantasies or Failures!

This week I am blogging from the UK and food and drink, being a Brit, I must admit has been 'one' of the focuses of my trip... In less than a week I have already devoured traditional Fish n Chips, frequented a couple of quaint old pubs, eaten a late night 'Donna Kebab', had a Curry and tonight enjoyed a wonderful home cooked meal from my mother, finished off with a Red Velvet Cupcake! So I have to admit, food is not only the way to a man's heart, but definitely the way to a Planners heart!

So this week with food at the forefront of my mind, what could be better than thinking about the menu you might be considering for your Event! I often meet lots of clients who are choosing a meal that they might not necessarily be that keen on, but choose it because they think it is simple and will satisfy their guests. While I do agree it is lovely to be considerate to your guests - you are never going to please everyone and I do not agree with choosing a menu that you don't love and are not excited about. Remember this is your event, your big day and I really feel that you should be eating your favourite dishes!

Why not have some fun with your menu... one of my clients last year had a BBQ style wedding and we served Southern Fried Chicken, Flank Steak Sandwiches, Burgers with 101 toppings and even Poutine in Take-Out boxes and for dessert we had Ben & Jerry's Ice cream with Cup Cakes. If you are looking for an upscale dinner, think about Surf n Turf, we did Filet Mignon and Lobster Tails for another event and coming up in May we are serving Salmon with Scallops or Lamb Shank for main course!

Have fun with your nibbles and do something that maybe reflects your culture or heritage, for Quebec who can resist mini smoked meat sandwiches, for an upcoming Mendhi party the Fairmont are creating Indian Canapes for my clients, maybe you love Sushi or Greek food, Italian or Chinese.... really here in Montreal we are very lucky with the choices on offer!

Don't be afraid to think outside the traditional menu's, if you are working with external caterers they normally love the opportunity of being more creative - even if you are working with a Hotel or Reception halls, don't be afraid to ask for what you want! Remeber they want your business and should be willing to be flexible on the Menu!

So maybe take some time to really think about the food you would like to serve at your event, have some fun, the meal is an 'event' in it's own right and can form part of your decoration and spontaneously inspire your guests for a meal they won't forget!

Julie & Gina - An Old Montreal Wedding

When choosing your Montreal wedding or event planner, it really is about the 'click fit' more than anything else. Do our personalities fit, will we have fun planning this wedding or event together, did I understand your vision and build trust? Well, for me often I only get one chance when working with couples from out of town to do this and do it well, and usually over the telephone! This is exactly, what happened when I met Julie, 'over the phone' for the first time!

It was clear from the outset that they wanted a beautiful intimate roof top wedding, with around 25 of their nearest and dearest! Coming from New York and trying to work and move house at the same time, I was able to take the stress out of the organisation, so they were able to relax and enjoy the lead up to their special day!

The wedding was planned in just 3 month and we had our rooftop restaurant overlooking the old port of Montreal, Julie had chosen soft lilac's and greens for her flowers and we even had a religious officient, who although could not perform a religious ceremony, we were certainly able to bring in religious elements that were very important to Gina.

So everything was PERFECT...... except mother nature and the heaven's opened!! At this point there is only one thing you can do.... 'go with the flow', no-body want's rain on their wedding day, and although we cannot always predict the rain - we can certainly plan for the rain which is exactly what we did. Those umbrella's were whipped out for the photographs and the rooftop reception was moved to a very intimate old stone part of the restaurant!

So if rain is part of your special day - embrace it and smile just as Julie and Gina did, their wedding day was still extremely special and to them just perfect!

Photo Credit: Joseph A Photography

Flowers: Flora International

Cake: Decor Gateaux Montreal

Fusion Decor Delights!

I met a lovely lady in Toronto a few weeks ago who had the most beautiful table settings and I thought it would be fun to showcase these to you! Whether you are planning your wedding, a party or even having friends over for dinner, hopefully this will inspire you to do something perhaps a little different!

Deep Pinks, Purples & Orange are always strong fusion decor colours, start by thinking about your base colours and your accent colours... use different table cloths for layering eg. a deep pink table cloth with a purple organza overlay looks stunning. Why not use different coloured china to jazz up the table setting or bring in some Gold! What about little embellishments on your napkins or to use in the centre of each place setting in the theme of your event - as you can see on the pictures below, Butterfly's have been used as the table accents.

Now I am not suggesting that we can all re-create this incredible Elephant all made out of flowers - but what an exceptional centrepiece! Even if you are not a professional florist, there is nothing to stop you experimenting with flowers..... pick up a couple of small square vases, fill the bottom with coloured stones and then simply cut the stems of some roses short and fill the vases tightly with the roses either using the same colours or lining up 2 different colours of roses and see what a great centrepiece you can create!

A different look are these beautiful Peacock inspired table settings covered in Peacock feathers, the deep purple and aqua marine colours really blend well together and give a lot of warmth! While you may not cover all your tables with Peacock feathers, you can certainly use them as accents. The centrepieces here are large gold bowls with floating candles again in complimenting colours and petals! Again the added touch of a pink favor box really gives some punch to the overall look!

So whatever event or party you have planned over this year - don't be shy to try something different and create a new look just for you!

With special thanks to Nisha Chandra of Nisha Chandra Events who kindly let me photograph her tables! Absolutely stunning!

Bride & Groom Canada in Montreal

Yesterday, myself Chris and Elisa exhibited at the Bride & Groom Canada wedding show at the Windsor Ballrooms in Montreal. I must admit I wasn't sure what to expect, being my first show - but overall we had a really good time and ended the day on an exhausted & happy note!

I loved the design of my booth... with white contemporary furniture from Luxe Decor stunning flowers in deep pinks & purples from Flora International and of course lots of sweets and mini cupcakes to tempt everyone with! Chris was dressed up by Waxman's and Elisa and I were jewelled up by Trink Jewelry... it was almost an oscar moment!

It's interesting as I meet a lot of wedding planners skeptical as to whether to do a show or not, myself previously included but what I found was great fulfilment in being out there, face to face, meeting lots of wonderful couples and having the opportunity to present myself to them and learn more about their expectations for their wedding day.

I noticed that almost 50% of the couples I met were investigating ideas for their 2011 or 2012 weddings and it's good to see that they are beginning to plan early, this gives them so many more options for their ceremony & reception locations, which after all is going to be the place they remember for the rest of their lives!

Congratulations to Naomi Grunzeweig who won her very on 'Personal Wedding Coach' to guide her through the process and ensure nothing is missed!

KISMET South Asian Wedding Show

Last week Chris and I were fortunate enough to be in Toronto for the Kismet South Asian Wedding Show which was spectacular! Congratulations to Paras and his wife Anita and their partners on, what I am sure was a very successful event. http://www.kismetweddingshow.com/

We started with the Fashion Show which was such an array of flamoyant colours, beautiful beaded dresses with lots of sparkle and even the grooms had stunning outfits to look at, especially the 'Sherwani's' with their swords and all! Newly engaged couples were called on stage for a competition and I was glad to see that I am not the only one who would not have a clue as to how to put on a Saree..... even more so, as it was the 'brides to be' trying to dress their grooms in the Saree!

The decorating companies were amazing, the 'Mundaps' for the Ceremonies were just beautiful and it was lovely to finally meet Amol Kapoor from Jashan Decorators! The Fusion Style Table Settings really got my mind racing and there is just too much to mention in one blog so more to come later this month!

I must admit it was fun to get my hand painted in Henna and I certain got my fix of Curries - a must for any Brit! Overall we had a fantastic day, met many great suppliers and made some wonderful connections! So come on Montreal.... when are we going to catch up with the South Asian market here!

This Sunday, I too am turning my hand at exhibiting at the Bride & Groom Canada Show which is taking place on Sunday 7th March from 11.00 am - 7.00 pm at the Windsor Ballroom! So if you want to stop by and say 'Hi' I would love to see you there......