Toasting Etiquette

This past Saturday, I was featured in an article about Toasting Etiquette for weddings. If you didn't get the chance to see the article in The Hamilton Spectator, you can read it here.

What are my Top 3 Do's & Don't's for toasting at a wedding?

DO

Keep it short. Don’t ramble on, three minutes max. “People have a short attention span as it is.” Five minutes is definitely pushing it. “Rehearse, practice and time yourself.”

Have notes. It seems more natural to just have points of interest to refer back to. “It’s always good to have something written down because your emotions are running high. You don’t want to just fly by the seat of your pants because that’s when the rambling starts.”

Be yourself and be original. Maybe you want to make it rhyme or incorporate a poem that’s fitting. “It shouldn’t be something generic you got online.”


DON’T

Don’t roast the couple. “Keep it classy.” No one wants to hear about an embarrassing moment on such a special occasion. That includes roasting guests, too. “Avoid calling people out on past mistakes in general.”

Don’t toast yourselves. This is more for the bride and groom. If someone says ‘and cheers to the bride and groom” you’re just supposed to just “take it and smile for the cameras.” Do not clap or clink your glasses or raise your glass. “It’s considered poor taste. You’re just supposed to graciously accept the toast.”

Don’t apologize for being nervous. Most people already expect you to be somewhat uncomfortable speaking in front of large groups. “You don’t need to point it out to make it more noticeable.”


Thanks to The Hamilton Spectator and writer Hilary Caton for inviting me to be share my expertise on wedding toasts Do's & Don't's.

*Picture is from Eye Contact Photography of one of our  awesome 2011 couples, Jenn & Stephen.

Congratulations Jenn & Stephen!

Jenn & Stephen got married in October and now that we've received some pictures from the wonderful Taralea at Eyecontact Photography, we wanted to share a small recap of their special day with you!

Jenn & Stephen were married at The Scottish Rite in Hamilton by Dan from Kettle Creek Weddings. The ceremony was beautiful and everyone was happy to see these two say "I do."

The reception was held at The Hamilton Convention Centre and as you can see their colours were black, white and red. Jennifer was very organized (as mentioned in this post) and these newlyweds enjoyed their day with friends and family.

We had a great time assisting them with our Day of Coordination services and wish them nothing but the best as Husband and Wife.

Congrats again!

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."

Images of You

This is an image of my friends Rhiannon and Jenn ( a Bride-to-be) and myself at the Hamilton Bridal Show this past Saturday. The image of the 3 of us was taken at an exhibitor that was showcasing a mobile photo booth for events and weddings. (Sorry Jenn that you're sort of cut off, but being the stooge that I often can be I wasn't looking at the camera for the first take. LOL). The 3 of us had a good time together. The Bridal show was really busy and had plenty of '10 and '11 brides scrambling around to find the best of the best for their big day.

Working with a Wedding Planner can help you save the stress of going to Bridal Shows - unless of course you like to go. Sometimes the vendors we recommend can offer bigger discounts than the ones offered at bridal shows.

Images of You Photography is a vendor that we just love, and recommend to our clients. Deb will be at the Burlington/Oakville Bridal show on Jan 23-24 at the Burlington Convention Centre. While there, she'll be showcasing her work and offering a show discount on her services. If you're planning on going to the show, stop by, say 'hello' and tell her that I sent ya. She can show you her Bridal Show package price and show you the $150 Guest Book featuring your own enagement pictures that is her gift to you if you're a client of The Bride's Butler!

But, wait...there's more! Not only do the vendors I recommend offer discounts to my clients, but I also offer discounts to clients of my vendors! If you book your 2010 wedding with Deb, you can receive Day of Coordination services  (DOC) with us for 50% off! What a spectacular deal! We're not offering this with any other vendor!

For only $300 you'll get DOC services that include:

- An hour long meeting prior to the Wedding to discuss details

- Continuous support through phone calls or emails leading up to your big day from the moment you book with us.

- Coordination at Wedding Rehearsal (if desired)

- Wedding Day Management including set-up, ceremony, photo shoot, reception & clean up (from 8 to 12 hours on site)

We don't ever offer deals like this!

Remember though, if you book with Images of You first and then book with us to get the 50% off special, you'll not receive the complimentary Guest Book. Added value and discounts from our vendors are only for clients that book with The Bride's Butler and need assistance with choosing vendors for their wedding.

Most Wedding Planners will only refer vendors to their clients if booked for Consultation meetings or Full Wedding Planning services, but we believe that if you book us for Day of Coordination services well in advance (min of 6 wks) and need some guidance choosing a few (not all) of your vendors, we'll throw you some contact information at no charge, cause afterall, we'll be working with your chosen vendors on the day of, so why not have it be with people we know and trust?

So, what will you're image be while attending the Bridal Shows

 this month?

Happy? Excited? Tired? Stressed?

Let us know, leave a comment, send us an email, or post on our Facebook Fanpage.

Good luck & have fun!