Cat fight.

If you didn't read the last post about the guest that attended a wedding and got called out by the Bride for giving a so-called "bad gift," you might want to do that here before I go into a tangent.

I had my say on the situation in the previous blog post, and also chatted about it with many friends and family - my opinion stayed the same...until now. The other day I read another article that displayed the text and email conversations between the guest and the Bride and to say I was disgusted is an understatement.

This situation was and is nothing more than a glorified cat fight.

Both parties are at fault. Both are trying to school the other on how to behave, react and treat others. I'm a big believer of "treat others the way you want to be treated", as well as "what we don't know won't hurt us."
Neither the guest or the Bride treated one another with respect, and at times I felt the conversations between the two aired on the side of bullying. To tell someone that they were the talk of your wedding and should be embarrassed that they were talked about and laughed at is a) not nice to tell someone, and b) not nice to do. Why on earth would you be so immature at your own wedding and so disrespectful to another is beyond me. It was a wedding and not a high school prom, right?

The fact that both of them took jabs at one another was hard to read. Weddings are to be a joyous occasion and bring people together, not tear them apart. Clearly, these girls shouldn't be friends, and that is how I would have handled the entire situation. If I was the guest and got that initial text, I would have thanked her for her opinion and then cut her out of my life. No one needs to be judged or made to feel bad for a decision they made with good intentions. But on the other hand, no one likes to be schooled about how to behave after the behavior has been executed, and both the guest and the Bride did that. Keep your comments to yourself, be gracious and be thankful. If you want to make fun of the gift choice to your new husband or wife, do that behind closed doors. Have a chuckle and leave it at that.
If you get scolded by a bride or groom for your gift choice, then make note of the type of personality trait they are showing (selfish, ungrateful, etc) and consider a friendship lost - don't go telling all of your friends and the local newspaper of their lack of tact because it just shows that you don't have much either.

So folks, at the end of this rant, I'd like to say tisk tisk to both the guest and the Bride. I'm tired of hearing about it, and reading about it, aren't you? Let's just drop this topic and call it what it is....a cat fight.

Bad gift or bad Bride?

A girl and her partner attended an acquaintance's wedding and gifted the Brides with a basket of goodies including premium salsa, chips, marshmallow fluff spread and other sweet treats. She took the time to shop for these treats, and signed the card with, "Life is delicious - Enjoy!" Not your standard wedding gift, but a kind gesture none the less to wish the newlyweds well.

After the wedding, one of the Brides texted the girl with this;"I'm not sure if it's the first wedding you have been to, but for your next wedding … people give envelopes. I lost out on $200 covering you and your dates plate . … and got fluffy whip and sour patch kids in return. Just a heads-up for the future."

You know what I have to say to that? Tisk, tisk. 

Firstly, shame on the Bride for sending a text like that, and shame on her for not thinking the girls gift was up to par. I would have retorted to that text with a simple "Just an envelope, eh? I think my gift was better than a paper letter holder." But, that's just me.

When you get married, do not expect guests to even give you a gift. Getting a gift should not be an expectation. If you are only getting married and having a wedding to reap a whack load of money and or gadgets for your home - don't have a wedding. I'm a firm believer that your wedding shouldn't put your guests in the poor house. There are showers, Stag & Does, Bachelorette parties and then the wedding...that is enough to put anyone into overdraft.

Also, expecting your guests to know the cost per plate is ridiculous. Guests should give what they can afford, not what they 'think' each plate is worth. Every wedding is different, and there is no way of telling how much or how little the couple spent hosting their wedding.

In my opinion, I think giving a gift that you chose as a personalized gift (i.e: not a cheque and not something from the registry) is a nice gesture. I'm a fan of personalized gifts. In fact, I have given personalized gifts in the past to friends, and they have been thankful for them. Once, I gave a friend a limited edition print that had a beautiful winter scene and had a Bernese mountain dog in it, which is the breed she owns. I also had it personally signed by the artist. Had she had balked at that gift, I think it would have put our friendship in perspective. Real friends don't judge you on your choices, especially when it comes to gifts. Tisk Tisk. Which brings me to another point, why did this Bride invite the girl who is stated as being an "acquaintance"? You are to invite your closest family and friends to your wedding to celebrate in your joy, not everyone that you know or have talked to a handful of times. That is greedy. My rule of thumb for inviting guests; if you haven't had a sit down meal with them in the past calendar year, they shouldn't make the cut. 

I could go on about how this Bride was out of line sending that text and having that reaction to the gift, but I won't. What I will say again is, if you are having a wedding to make money, don't have one. Do you have a dinner party at your home so you can stock up on bottles of wine and or flowers? No. Do you have a birthday or Anniversary party so you can get gifts? No. You should gather with your friends because you want to celebrate with them, and spend time with them - not to get anything else in return.

So, tisk tisk to the Bride. And I say Bravo to the girl for giving a gift that she felt was suited for the couple. Bad gift? Nope. Bad Bride? Heck yes.

To read this entire story, check it out here on thespec.com

Congrats Lizzie & John!

Remember back in the beginning of the New Year when I told you how excited I was to be coordinating the wedding of Lizzie & John? Well, I've gotten my hands on some photos to share their beautiful and unique winter wedding with you!

Tying the knot on February 16th in Hamilton, these two movie buffs exchanged vows in front of their closest family and friends. With a theme of movies, red, white and black, they captured old hollywood charm.

Photos were captured by their friend Lindsay of Lindsay Taylor Photography and were taken at the RBG in Hamilton and the waterfront. The beautiful fascinator that the Bride wore is from my friend and industry professional Kalee at Frilly Bits.

The wedding ceremony and reception was held at Carmen's and was a fabulous event complete with cupcake from Sweetness Bakery, a homemade photo booth made by the Groom and his Groomsmen, and a choreographed dance by the Bride and her maids.

Congratulations to Lizzie & John! It was a pleasure to work alongside you on your special day, and I hope to spend more time with you in the near future with other events and opportunities. :)



The First Look at the RBG



How adorable are these Ring Bearers?



Nice legs ladies!



The Groom gives his coat to his Bride on the cold winter day.





Sherwood Inn on Lake Joseph

A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I were talking about going away for a weekend this summer. I came across an ad for Sherwood Inn on Lake Joseph in Muskoka and thought it looked amazing. They have a beach, hiking trails, canoes, kayaks, paddle boats and fishing...so it was a no brainier for us to book our weekend there.

While on the website for Sherwood Inn I noticed that they host weddings. You can book the entire Inn for you and your guests and have an intimate wedding on site. The thought of that kicked my wedding mind into high gear as I starting envisioning all of the small details, DIY decor and personalized touches you could have at a venue like that.

Then, just a few days later while scrolling through instagram I saw some photos of a beautiful wedding by Green Autumn Photography. I wasn't sure where it was, but I knew I loved it. I even showed the BF the photos and told him that that would be the kind of wedding I would want one day. And, he didn't even roll his eyes ladies, he's that good of a boyfriend.

Anyhoo, while chatting with Jimmy of Green Autumn at my re-branding photo shoot I asked him where the wedding took place and he said Sherwood Inn! How awesome is that?!?

The Inn

The outdoor Ceremony site

Check out all the natural light! Love it!

Needless to say, I can't wait to go there! Be sure to check Bride's Butler out on Instagram for photos of  our mini vacay at the beautiful resort on Lake Joseph.

Re-branding photos with Green Autumn Photography

Firstly, let me start off by saying; I love Twitter. I have made a lot of connections through the social media site. From drinks and laughs with @JohnLepp, to talking gluten free recipes and weddings with @Sarahdanielleph, to staying informed about Hamilton (#HamOnt) from the likes of @JoeyColeman, @Kitestring and @TourismHamilton...I have fallen in love with Twitter.

One of my favourite shots from the shoot.
This is now my Twitter avatar. :)

It was because of Twitter that I was introduced to Jimmy and Sonya Bender of Green Autumn Photography.We connected because of his beautiful photos, but also because his colleague Tim was the videographer for this awesome wedding. We started chatting on Twitter, then became friends on Facebook, and then starting following one another on Instagram. We made plans to meet over coffee, and became instant friends in real life.

When I started telling Jimmy and Sonya about my plans for Bride's Butler, and they shared in my excitement, I knew that I wanted to bring them on board for my journey. Not only did they spend two hours of their time the other week taking photos for the new website, blog and printed material, but they also agreed to offer an exclusive discount to future clients of mine. They have joined me along with a selected group of other wedding professionals to provide a package that will meet the needs of so many Brides in the Hamilton and surrounding areas. I can't wait to unveil everything in July!

There are no words or gifts to show my gratitude to Jimmy and Sonya for their time, support and friendship. I just can't wait until the bookings start coming in for the package we will be offering that includes Green Autumn so that we can join forces and create magic doing what we love to do!

Thank you Jimmy and Sonya for a fun morning of photos, and for making me feel comfortable and laugh at myself in your presence. And thank you to Twitter for introducing me to friends that have become more than words on a screen, but friends I can hug.

Goofing around with Jimmy & Sonya.

Smiling for the rapid clicking of the lens.

The R.S.V.P card

Guest Blogger: Rebecca Leary from Wedding Paper Divas

Find this invitation & RSVP card set from Wedding Paper Divas

At the very least, wedding invitations include the actual invitation and the R.S.V.P. card. While the wedding invitation sets the tone for the celebration and provides the who, what, when, where and why of the event; what exactly is the R.S.V.P. card? Sure, we know that it means to respond to the sender with whether or not you plan on attending the wedding – but is it perhaps something more?

First, let’s take care of the basics. R.S.V.P. is French for Répondez S'il Vous Plaît, which literally means: respond, if you please. Or simply, please respond. Please note: it is redundant to write: Please R.S.V.P., which would translate to: Please respond, if you please. Now, is the R.S.V.P. card something more than a count of attendance? 

Well yes, and here’s how:

For the Couple
Whether your budget is $5,000 or $50,000, making sure it’s allocated properly and not wasted is a high priority for every couple and the R.S.V.P. card gives you a certain amount of budget control. It is with this card that you can keep a handle on wedding costs by simply filling in the number of guests and/or writing their name(s) on the M line. This way there are no surprise guests and if you want an evening without children, it politely lets guests know they need to make the proper arrangements. Also, if you are offering menu choices, you can offer guests the option to select a single entrée rather than providing dual entrees, letting you make sure the appropriate amount is prepared. Finally, if you are hosting multiple events, simply list all of them on the R.S.V.P. card and keep track of attendance all in one place.

Beyond the budget, the R.S.V.P. card helps build excitement for the day to come. As you start getting them back in the mail, you’ll find that guests, both those attending and those who cannot, often write a personal note of congratulations. Compiled into a book, box or binder, these messages are yet another keepsake of your special day.  

Wedding Paper Divas

For Guests
It is an honor and a privilege to witness one of life’s most intimate moments between two people. As a guest, it is helpful to pay close attention to the subtle clues on the wedding invitation – location, attire, wording, etc. – and the R.S.V.P card, observing the same elements as noted above. Every last detail was carefully selected to let you, as a guest, know what to expect in accordance to the couples wishes – all in an effort to ensure everyone has a great time.

After all, if it was your wedding, you’d expect the same from your guests.

As a final note, to account for those who forget to fill in their name on the R.S.V.P. card, (yes it does happen) simply make a numbered list of the guests and write the corresponding number on the R.S.V.P envelope by the stamp. It’s an inconspicuous spot and will save you the trouble of trying to figure out who sent it.

Author Bio: Rebecca Leary is a seasoned writer and guest author who enjoys connecting people with thoughtful products, services and ideas as they relate to the wedding and event planning industries.