Father of the Bride

We've had posts about the Maid/Matron of Honour, The Best Man, Bridesmaids and the Mother of the Bride, but have yet to cover the Father of the Bride.

The Father of the Bride is usually the most important man in a Bride's life, next to her future husband. He is the man that will walk her down the aisle and 'give her away' to the Groom. He typically offers a toast at the reception and can give a speech if he so desires.

What should The Father of the Bride say to his daughter, future son-in-law and guests?

Here are some topics to touch on:

Welcome - The Father of the Bride usually speaks first, or is the second to speak after the MC or the Best Man speech. He should welcome guests to the wedding and thank out of town guests for joining in the celebration. He should thank people that made the day possible and participating in the planning process and the overall upbringing of the Bride.

Ceremony - He should mention the union that took place at the ceremony and the love his daughter and the groom share for one another. A nice quote, bible verse or song lyric can help with expressing any emotions he may wish to share.

The Bride - The Father of the Bride should talk about the Bride, how proud he is of her and provide a few fun facts about her. Keep this brief as not many people care to hear long winded stories of her childhood like losing her first tooth, her awkward teenage years or the troubles she got into during College. Talk about some of her talents, skills and accomplishments, but keep it short and sweet.

Their Relationship - Mention the relationship between the Bride and Groom. How they met, how he felt when he knew his little girl was in love and his hopes for them for their future together.

The Groom - Welcome him to your family and provide him with a few tips and advice like family traditions, etc. You can poke a little fun at him if you have a good relationship with him, but keep it classy.  You don't want to embarrass him or your daughter. Be sure to make him feel special and accepted.

Wise Words/Toast - End your speech with a few relationship lessons and wise words. Offer an example from  your relationship with her mother if it's a healthy one. Tell them about your hopes, dreams and wishes for them and your excitement of what lies ahead for them as a family.

The Father of the Bride is an important role in a wedding, so be sure to take it seriously, but have fun with it as well. Weddings are an emotional day, so be sure to cherish every moment.

*Photo by Angela Devries Photography from the wedding of Natalie & Jason

Wedding Videos

The word 'video' makes me think of a VHS - an old school way to capture memories. These days technology is so high end that you can end up with a wedding video that looks like a mini-movie.

I had the pleasure of meeting and working with the team from Captivate Bridal for the wedding of Natalie and Jason this past June. Now, I've gushed quite a bit about their wedding here, and here and have bragged about ther 2 page spread they got in the Hamilton Halton Weddings Magazine - and once you see this video you'll know why this wedding is one of my all time favourites. Not only are Natalie and Jason adorable, oh-so-good-looking and in love, but their wedding was full of beautiful details, precious moments and many smiles.

Click here to watch the film.

I love how it starts out with the boys kickin' back and having a game of road hockey. What a great way to let off some steam that accompanies the nerves of a wedding day.

And then at 1:44 you get a look at how Natalie spent her morning getting ready with her best girlfriends.

If you're a Daddy's girl, you'll get choked up at around 3:10 when her Dad enters and you can hear parts of his speech to his daughter and her new husband. Sigh.

Also, take note of how many times Jason looks at Natalie so adoringly. I found myself smiling along with him and even getting a little misty eyed.

Kudos to Captivate Bridal for capturing their wedding in such a beautiful and memorable way.

Do you want your big day captured on film? Then check out Captivate Bridal so you too can have such a fabulous keepsake.

*Photos by Angela Devries Photography

Happy New Year!

It's 2013!!

Where has the time gone?! If you've been planning a wedding that's to take place this year, you'll know what I mean about time flying by - there just never seems to be enough of it!

2012 was a fabulous year for The Bride's Butler. We executed 9 weddings, had a few mentions and articles in The Hamilton Spectator, won the Diamond Readers Choice Award for Best Wedding Planner in Hamilton and had TWO of our Day of Coordination weddings featured in the Hamilton Halton Weddings Magazine!

Each year I get to meet new vendors, as well as work with some old favourites. I'd like to thank a few of them for their continued support, assistance and wonderful service in 2012.

Elizabeth In Love - Morgan & Adam (August)

Angela Devries Photography - Natalie & Jason (June)

Golden Horseshoe Photo Booth - Brooke & Richard (September)

Designs By Law - Brooke & Richard (September)

This Chick Makes Cakes - Mary-Anne & Anthony (August)



Langdon Hall - Porsha & Will (July)



Also I want to give big hugs and many thank you's to the gals that assisted me this year; Brittany, Melissa, Teresa & Krista. Your help, dedication, support and friendship do not go unnoticed. Thank you. xo

Lastly, thank you to the couples that invited me to be a part of their special day. Working with each of you was a pleasure and I'm so glad that your wedding was a day of love, laughter and happiness.

All the best to everyone this year - may it be a fabulous year!

Imitation is the best form of flattery

Need ideas for your wedding but are sick of looking in magazines and on blogs? You can always get inspired by weddings you've attended, or from what you see on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest - but here's an idea....what about looking at the portfolios of some fabulous Wedding Photographers to see what other Brides & Groom's have done?

Taking a peek at their photos not only showcases their work and style, but can also give you ideas on things like your centrepieces, flowers, decor and even your dress, jewelry and hairstyle!

Check out some of the beautiful and inspiring photos from the following Photogs we adore, like:

Red Lotus Photography

Unveil Wedding Photography 

Elizabeth In Love

Angela Deveries Photography

Eye Contact Photography

A Saaweet Wedding!

Natalie got married to the love of her life, Jason on June 16^th and we were there to coordinate their special day.

It was a beautiful, yet hot summer day when these two love birds said “I do.”  Both the ceremony and the reception was at Liberty Grand in Toronto (on the Exhibition grounds). Natalie is all about the fine details, she had a complete vision in her mind of how she wanted her day to look and feel, I think we did a pretty good job bringing it all together for her and her hubs.

From the rose petal aisle, to the lemonade stand for guests after the ceremony – to the homemade cookie favours, cupcake tree (or rather tower) and small personal touches like a picture frame stand with little pictures of loved ones passed, to a note card detailing their flower choices, this wedding was simply beautiful!

On top of all the beauty that was in the details and décor, there’s Jason, Natalie and their wedding party too! A great looking group of people that were such a pleasure to work with. Not one person complained, or didn’t offer to help out in some way. This couple was truly blessed to have been surrounded by such great family & friends on their wedding day.

With Natalie owning Cupcake Diner, it was expected that there’d be some sweet treats available! The late night buffet consisted of homemade goodies like cupcakes (chocolate mint, lemon, red velvet just to name a few) and cookies. In conjunction to the sweet table, there was a buffet of French fries – a perfect snack for party!

The new Mr. & Mrs will be featured in an up-coming edition of the Hamilton & Halton Weddings Magazine, so be on the lookout for that! In the meantime, check out some pictures here of the happy couple on their special day. It was a pleasure and an honour to have been a part of Natalie & Jason’s day. We hope that they had a fantastic time with memories to last a lifetime.

Congratulations!

To see more pictures, like us on Facebook, or you can also go here.

Venue: Liberty Grand 

Florist/Décor: Sue Gallo Designs 

Cupcakes & Cookies: Cupcake Diner

Photographs: Angela Devries Photography