"Unveil"ing Alison & Eric's Wedding Day!

JD from Unveil Wedding Photography captured some great shots from Alison & Eric's wedding day! To view more of the stunning pictures, click here. We were so honoured to have been able to assist this wonderful couple.

Here's what Alison had to say to us after her speical day:

I just wanted to say thank-you for the work you did on our wedding day. I have a busy life that didn't include a lot of time for wedding planning and you really helped me get organized and just enjoy the day. When my co-worker, Jason, recommended you I wasn't sure if I needed a coordinator. Looking back, hiring someone to take care of all the details was the best decision I made. I run a large retail store, but handing over the reigns that day was a huge relief. From stressed out family to bad weather, to wine shortages -  you had it all covered. The things that were important to me were impeccably executed, and I appreciated your advice with the other details. It was a pleasure to have you on my team during such a crazy day in my life. You're very talented at what you do and I will recommend you to anyone I know who is planning a wedding. You're a cool lady and I wish you all the best :)

* Photographs from Unveil Wedding Photography

*Testimonial provided by Alison via email

Leigh & Derek are about to be a Mr & Mrs!

On Saturday, November 5th, Leigh & Derek will get married and become Husband & Wife. We're so happy to be able to celebrate in this occassion with them and provide Day of Coordination services.

Leigh booked us back in April when we were offering 30% off our most popular service in celebration of the Royal Wedding. We met in Ancaster and discussed her plans for their big day.

They will say "I do" at the Town Hall in Ancaster and will have their reception at the Hamilton Golf & Country Club. Leigh & I will be sitting down shortly to go over all her plans and details with a fine tooth comb. This way, she'll be able to enjoy her day and relax knowing that The Bride's Butler is there to execute, troubleshoot and bring her ideas to life!

We're so excited to be joining them on their special day! Click this link to see some of their engagement pictures from Nate at Red Lotus Photography. They are adorable, and we can't wait until the 5th!

Selecting your venue

This Saturday I’m going with my clients Brooke and Richard to look at a venue for their 2012 wedding. Do you know what to look for when deciding on a venue? Here are some helpful tips:

Dates:
Do they have your specific date available? If not, are you willing to change yours? Perhaps any Saturday in July is okay with you – or maybe you want a Friday. Check first – this will help you narrow your venue selection if you are dead set on a specific date.

Décor:
A lot of Brides & Grooms will fall in love with the décor and want to book right away. Be sure not to get caught up in the looks of it all. Remember; don’t judge a book by its cover. You want your venue to meet other needs as well.

Electrical:
What is the lighting like? Can it be lowered or altered? Will you need extra lighting? Also, check out the number of outlets in the room. This will come in handy for your DJ, Photographer and Decorator (if you hire one).

Candles:
Are you allowed to have candles lit during your reception? If so, can they be open flame, or must they be contained within a vase or jar? What about sparklers or fireworks?

Food:
Do they provide the food through in-house catering? Or do you have to hire an outside company? If they provide the food, what are your options and can you build from the existing packages – for example, make the filets bacon wrapped, or swap out mashed potatoes for baked. Also, can you bring in outside food? This is an important question if you have religious or traditional beliefs you need incorporated into your special day.

Drink:
Is alcohol (bar) included in the menu cost? Will you need to bring in your own drinks and bartender? If so, you’ll need to incorporate a liquor licence into your budget.

Extras:
What’s including with your booking? Some venues offer discounts at local hotels, or other wedding vendors such as limo and cake. Do they include linens and dishware in the price, or is that extra? Find out exactly what the “packages” offer.

Bathrooms:
Be sure to check the bathrooms. Are they easily accessible? Are they clean and well maintained? How many bathrooms and stalls?

Room layout:
Are you on the main level, or the second floor? Lot’s of stairs? Is there a room for you and your Wedding Party to freshen up in? Is there enough room for all of your guests and a dance floor?

Costs:
Is there a minimum you must spend in order to have your wedding at the venue? Is it slightly cheaper to have your wedding on a Friday rather than a Saturday? Are you able to cut costs by removing items from their “packages”? Also, keep in mind that 50% of your budget will be spend on the venue, including food & beverage.

Payment:
What kind of payment schedule do they follow? What percentage of your total cost is the deposit, and also find out if you have to pre-pay for your event, or pay the night of (balance owing). Also, find out about any hidden costs – this translates to read the contract!

Photographs:
When looking at the lighting, think of your pictures – although most Photographers should bring adequate equipment for this. Will you be taking pictures on site? Where, and will you need a permit or permission or are the grounds included in the booking of the venue?

Staff:
Meet the Manager/Owner and the Chef if possible. If they have an Event or Venue Coordinator, they will likely be your main contact. This person is key for your Wedding Planner, as we work together on your special day to ensure everything runs smoothly. Remember, a Venue Coordinator is not the same as a Wedding Coordinator.

Parking & Transportation:
Is the parking free, or will you have to pay per car? Is there enough parking for your guests and is it accessible? Will they have to park away from the location and walk? Will it be well lit at night? Is your venue near any hotels? Is your venue easy to find via a street map or road signage? If you’re ceremony is held at a different location, how far is this venue from it? You shouldn’t have your guests drive more than 30-45 minutes if possible.

Weather:
If you’re planning a summer wedding, does the venue have A/C? If not, how many windows open and to what degree? If in the winter, does the heat work and or is there a fireplace? If you’re having your ceremony at the venue and you want it outside, will it be tented, or do they have a room that can be used if it rains? How do they plan to maintain the grounds in wet weather such as rain or snow? Do they plough, drop ice melter, etc?

As you can see, ask lot’s of questions. If you’re working with a Planner, they will be able to guide you through the selection process of finding the right venue for your wedding. Don’t wait too long to find, select and book your venue. Some places are booking 16-24 months in advance!

What do you love about weddings?

Someone asked me the other day why I love weddings. There isn't just one thing, but many. And it's not so much about the things as to why I love weddings, but more of how weddings make me feel. Weddings are about two people in love proclaiming their love and commitment to one another. They're about promises, hopes and dreams. What I love about weddings is in actuality, the love.

But, aside from the feeling and all the mush - I love other things about weddings too. Like, the atmosphere - all of the fine details coming together to form one big picture. If done right, your guests will walk into your reception and will smile, gasp or even laugh at all of the personalization and details you've worked so hard to bring to life on your special day.

What I love about weddings is the coming together of family and friends. Hearing the laughter during the speeches, seeing the tears being wiped away as the couple says "I do" and watching everyone get down and boogie on the dance floor! What I love about weddings are seeing the Bridesmaids care for the blushing Bride - making sure her hair is just so, and that she's comfortable and having a good time. I love to see the Groomsmen bonding with their buddy, the Groom. Watching them clink their beer bottles, pat him on the back and simply smile at him as he smiles at his Bride.

There are many things that I love about weddings. What do you love about them? Do they remind you of how lucky you are to have found your life partner, or do they provide you with hope for love that has yet to come? Do they make you smile, laugh and dance? Weddings are a beautiful thing. There's a reason why this tradition is still around to this day...weddings make people feel good.

Jenn & Stephen are getting married!

This Saturday, The Bride's Butler will be on hand to assist in Day of Coordination for Jenn & Stephen.

I met Jenn for the 1st time in person earlier this week (she lives in Alberta with her hubs-to-be) and let me just say, this gal is organized! I love it when I work with clients that have a binder full of all the proper documents, ideas and info needed to execute their special day.

Jenn & Stephen are getting married on October 15th at the beautiful and historic Scottish Rite in Hamilton. If the weather cooperates, they will have pictures taken on site and then at the legendary Hess Village. Gotta love the cobblestone, old buildings and the entrance sign to this Hamilton landmark. Their pictures will be simply wonderful, I just know it!

The reception of approximately 100 guests is being held at the Hamilton Convention Centre. Their colours and black & white with splashes of red. The red will be displayed via up-lighting provided by the HCC. Samantha, my Assistant for the day and myself are really looking forward to bringing all of Jenn's ideas and hard work to life on Saturday.

Jenn, like me is celiac, so her cake and cupcakes for her guests are coming from Sweetness Bakery. Hamilton has so many cupcake shops, but Sweetness guarantees peanut-free and provides gluten free options, which the majority of them don't. A girl always wants to have her cake and eat it too - especially on her wedding day!

We'll be sure to post some pictures from the wedding as they become available to us - but for now, here is a pic from their engagement session. What an adorable couple! We can't wait to be with them when they say "I do."

Take your seat please....

There are many ways to inform your guests on where they are to be seated for your wedding.

You can stay simple and basic and have alphabetical escort cards, or you can get creative and think outside the box.

No matter how you decide to display this information it is best to be clear so to decrease any confusion. When planning this detail, also keep in mind the space to which your guests will be able to look at or hunt for their names. Will you be creating a bit of a line up or cluster? Be sure that you have enough space for your idea, and that you have enough info - i.e: table number, guest first and last name.

A lot of times I see couples incorporate their theme into the escort cards/display - and this is fabulous and exactly why you have themes and or colour palettes when planning your big day. Keep all details in your wedding concise.

Some ways to inform guests to please take their seats are:

- Old fashioned chalk board
- Escort cards hanging from a tree or twigs in a pretty vase
- Photos tacked to a bulletin board (left plain or covered in fabric)
- Handwritten names on rocks, seashells or stems of a lollipop
- Escort cards hanging on a clothes line (twine or ribbon)
- Handwritten names on a window or window in a door

Etiquette Tip: Setting a Table

Do you know how to properly set a table for an event? Maybe you're hosting a Bridal Shower, Rehearsal Dinner or just simply a Dinner Party and you have no idea what is proper etiquette for the table setting.

Here are a few diagrams to show you just how to do it.

Informal:
This set up is great for casual Bridal Showers, Baby Showers, Breakfasts or Luncheons.

Almost everyone has the silverware and dishware displayed in this diagram. If you're not serving alcohol, you should remove the wine class and replace it with a saucer and cup (which normally sits beside the soup spoon, but you can put it where the wineglass would be to save some space).

Remember this, you always enjoy your meal from the outside in.

Formal:

Now it gets a whole lot trickier. If you're hosting an event where you are the one setting the table, then take note. Again, you eat from the outside in, finishing your meal at the top with the dessert spoon and or cake fork. After each course, you should be removing the appropriate silverware and dishware.

At the end of the meal, you should only be left with the place card, water glass, cup and saucer, napkin and dessert utensils & plate.

Remember to place your napkin on your lap, and if you excuse yourself from the table during the meal, place it on your chair (or on the back of your chair if it's not overly soiled). The only time you can place your napkin on the table is when you are finished eating. Another way to signal that you are finished is to place your dinner fork and dinner knife side by side with the ends resting at the 5 if your plate was a clock. If you cross your knife and fork over one another to form an 'x', this tells the serving staff that you are not finished, but merely taking a break (ie: restroom).

As a guest, do your best to follow the place setting and using the proper utensil for the meal. If you're unsure, watch what others are doing at your table and you'll be just fine.

Bon Appetite!