Burlington/Oakville Bridal Show
Wow! What a great weekend.
The show was better than I had hoped for. The Candy Buffet was a huge hit! The couples loved it, and I had venues coming up and asking if I wanted to be on their “preferred vendors list” for Candy Buffets!
The Candy Buffets are so much fun to do. I can use my creative side to design each buffet to best suit the theme of the wedding. Be it the colour theme, or another type of theme. I had couples wanting a Blue Jays theme, a Toronto Maple Leafs theme, a Canada Day theme, and more! I’m lucky that I get to do something that is so enjoyable for me!
The possibilities are endless in regards to a theme. Ethnic and cultural sweet, whether it be a British theme ,Hindu theme, or Hawaiian theme (which I am currently working on – excited for that!)
I hope everyone that came to the show had a great time. Brian Wood from CHCH did a great job as MC for the show. It was a lot of fun. Great to see a lot of familiar faces and catch up with vendors that I haven’t seen for a while. And I met some great new people that I’m thrilled to have met and look forward to working with.
Special thanks to two great ladies: Pam, who assisted me at the booth. I couldn’t have picked a better people person to interact with all of the guests. And thanks to Jenn (jmong photography) for coming by and taking the gorgeous photos of my display!
All-in-all, it was a terrific weekend! Thanks to the staff at the Burlington Convention Centre for hosting the 13th annual event!
Photo Credit: jmongphotography.com
And here are a few photos that I took. Not to be confused with the quality of photo’s taken by Jennifer Mong!
I love reality TV as much as the next person. But lets be real… it’s TV! I think as we’ve moved through this “Reality TV” era, over the last ten years, the word “Reality” has seriously been stretched longer than any limo I’ve ever seen!
I’m a firm believer of the saying “to each their own”, but as a wedding professional, hold me back because these wedding shows make me cringe!
It’s not only the fact that some of these shows are “Richly” scripted beyond believe (many reality shows are these days) but I just don’t understand why someone would want the most important day of their lives turned into a mockery? It’s your wedding!
For a viewer, these shows can definitely give you some great ideas for “do’s and don’ts” for your wedding, but take it all with a grain or salt. Don’t focus on the dollar amounts that may be mentioned in the show. There are other financial factors involved that aren’t mentioned. As viewers we aren’t privy to how much something might cost the average consumer, vs how much discount or added extra was given for the advertisement of being on television!
These shows focus a lot on drama, and critiquing the weddings. I am an advocate of certain traditions, and do’s and don’ts at a wedding, but a wedding is still a personal reflection of the couple and a time for the couple to bring in elements of their own lives and the things that they love. But there are two pieces to that statement: First, if the choices of elements of the wedding are that of the couple, who has the right to judge? Second, are the elements that they are bringing in what they truly want, or what the producers want for the ratings of the show?
Enjoy these shows for some mild entertainment. Don’t read too much into them when planning your own wedding!
by: Wayne Alldridge
Is there anything cuter than a little ring bearer in his tiny tuxedo? Or a toddling flower girl in her frilled dress with a daisy in her hair? To some people, there is!
Is it rude to not want kids at the wedding?
No, of course not. You probably adore your little 5 & 7-year old nieces. And love going to see your best friends new bundle of joy. But respectfully you want to keep your wedding a kid-free affair. That’s perfectly acceptable. But don’t pick and choose, and decide early on. You want to be sure that your invitations clearly state who the intended guests are, and without stating “No Kids”.
Tip: On the RSVP card, write “We hope the two of you can attend”
Don’t be alarmed if you see some little ones arriving at the ceremony site. Some guests may want their kids to see you get married, but have arranged for a babysitter for after the ceremony. If you are having a ring bearer or flower girl for your ceremony, then it may be unfair not to invite them to the reception, depending on their ages. Sure you can have your 2-year-old niece trot down the aisle as the flower girl, and have babysitting arrangements made for afterwards, but if your 8 year old nephew is walking down the aisle as a proud little ring bearer, is it fair for him to miss the party? Each circumstance is different so you have to evaluate your own situation.
How can we make the wedding fun for them?
If you have enough children coming, have a kids table. Kids love being with the other kids! The kids table can be set up with small games, for various age groups, but of course nothing too noisy! For the older kids, create a Wedding Scavenger Hunt. Print off wedding related colouring pages and activity sheets. Make up special guest favours (aka: Loot Bags) for the kids. Try to include something that would keep that child amused and occupied at the wedding. Thought about getting personal puzzles made?
The kids table needs to be monitored, after all it is a wedding venue, not a playground. If it’s in your budget you could hire someone to be the official kid monitor/babysitter for the wedding. Kids over the age of 13 don’t typically like being lumped in with the “kids”. They’re at that awkward age where they want to be one of the adults, but they aren’t quite there. If you have one or two coming that are in that 12-15 age range, speak to them personally before the wedding and ask them if they would be willing to be the official kid chaperones at the wedding. It makes them feel important, and keeps them preoccupied at the wedding too. (Throw in a special favour for them, in thanks!)
The title “Wedding Planner” should not be confused with “Babysitter” 
Depending on the set up of the room, have the kids table set up closer to the washrooms, and not near the entrance to the kitchen, where wait staff will be coming and going with trays of food and beverages.
What do we feed the kids?
Find out from the venue what they can offer as a kids meal. Kids over the age of 10 could very well eat the meal that is being served. Call the parents yourself and give them the choices available, and ask what their child/children would rather eat. Also ask them if they require a high chair or booster seat. Having all of this information ahead of time to give to the venue will make things run smoother. Ask the venue to put a pitcher of water, and a couple of pitchers of juice and milk on the table. The chaperones can refill the smaller kids cups.
Kids love treats, so have a little spread of candy and sweets out for the kids to help themselves too.
One last important tip: have battery operated candles on a kids table – not real ones!
do it once, do it right!
Don’t know where to start? Overwhelmed and feeling the pressure? You are essentially planning the biggest event of your life. Take part in one of our Weddings 1.01 seminars to ensure that you have the wedding of your dreams
~Wedding Traditions, Etiquette & Roles
~Planning Timeline
~Time & Cost-saving Tips
~Vendors: Sourcing & Negotiating
~Where to shop to save money
~Do-it-Yourself projects for the Crafty!
~Cake & Cupcake Tastings!
~What to expect on the wedding day & Creating an Itinerary for a smooth day
~Do-it-Yourself Emergency Kit for the big day
Cost: $75 for you and one guest (fiancé, mom, maid of honour – whoever)
Location: Burlington. Venue to be determined closer to the date.
2012 Seminar dates:
Winter: Sunday March 11th
Spring: Sunday May 6th
Summer: Sunday July 15th
Fall: Sunday October 21st
Time: Noon – 4pm
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Congratulations to all of the happy couples that got engaged over the holidays.
Cheers to a happy and healthy 2012!!
If you have dreamed of a destination wedding, but it just isn’t in the cards, or you simply enjoy the romance and atmosphere of Niagara Falls, then look no further. Fallsview Casino & Spa Resort is the place to go.
I was fortunate enough to receive an invitation from the event coordinators at Fallsview to attend a special event that they were holding for local wedding planners. An opportunity for them to show us, all that Fallsview has to offer. And let me tell you, I wasn’t disappointed!
Upon arriving at Fallsview, the largest and most elegant gaming resort in Canada, as it sits atop the cliffs overlooking Niagara’s Horseshoe Falls, I was directed through the grand entrance with its enormous water feature, through the parade of shops, past the 1500 seat Avalon Theatre, to an elevator that took me up to an elegant lounge.
I was pleased to see some familiar faces of my fellow WPIC wedding planners, including President of the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada, Danielle Andrews Sunkel. While we chatted and mingled, wait staff circled with tray after tray of delicious hors d’oeuvres, including one of my faves – turkey sliders! Off of the lounge was a large outdoor terrace, overlooking the falls. The terrace was only part of the 3000 square feet of licensed terrace space that the resort has to offer.
We were then invited down to the Grand Ballroom for lunch. The over 30 000 square foot ballroom is divided into 5 elegant ballrooms, each of which is over 5000 square feet with 17 foot high ceilings. We were taken to Ballroom E, which had been beautifully transformed with floor to ceiling draping, erected by the in-house Audio/Visual team, and with elegant table settings with grand centrepieces. The ballrooms can be transformed to suite any style or theme
.
Chefs were busy cooking away at the two food stations that were set up on either side of the ballroom. The food was top notch! Fallsview is equipped with a 30 000 square foot kitchen, as well as a new kitchen dedicated to South Asian cuisine!
After lunch we were taken on a tour throughout the resort, including a tour of the Spa, as well as viewing a couple of the suites with their stunning views of the Horseshoe falls.
Imagine waking up to that view in the morning?
The Fallsview Spa has many treatment rooms where you can enjoy a therapeutic massage, body wrap, facial, manicure, and other all-natural services. The Spa also includes full 24/7 access to their state-of-the-art fitness gym and swimming pool.
Also suitable for indoor and outdoor ceremonies, the Fallsview resort would make an exceptional venue for any wedding, especially a weekend getaway wedding! With fun & excitement, relaxation, elegance, fine dining, shopping and more, the Fallsview Casino Resort marks the spot!
Special thanks to Lianne Nieuwesteeg, Resort Sales Coordinator, for inviting me to the event. And to all of the other staff members for their hospitality and fabulous service. 5-star all around!
Cannot wait to return for an overnight stay!
by: Jennifer Mong, jmongphotography ~ www.jmongphotography.com
Special thanks to Jennifer Mong for writing this blog for Marble Weddings
do it once, do it right
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“do it once, do it right”
