4 days to go!

4 days to go until Brooke & Richard are Husband and Wife!

Since last year I've been working with this awesome couple to help them plan their wedding. They have been wonderful to work with and I can't wait to bring all of our ideas, plans and hard work to life on Saturday!

Getting hitched in Paris, Ontario, this couple chose some of the finest vendors to work with, and I will definitely be posting pictures and details about their big day in the upcoming weeks.

If you want to stress less like Brooke & Richard, book us for your 2013 wedding. We're offering 30% off Day of Coordination services on all bookings prior to Nov 30/12.

What a busy season!

Diane, Owner/Lead Coordinator with Natalie & Jason - June 16/12.

Two more weddings to go and then it looks like we're done with our 2012 wedding season - unless of course we get some last minute bookings for October to December.

In 2010, we were booked solid with Fall weddings, 2011 had a mixture of both Fall & Summer and this year it seems like Spring and Summer were the hot seasons to say "I do."

This season we're honoured to have assisted with the execution of 9 weddings - that's a lot of gigs for this  part-time business. Since June, we've had a wedding almost every second or third weekend, with meetings, consultations and rehearsals slotted in between. Whew!

We can't wait to show you pictures from awesome Photographers we had the chance to work with including Ikonica (Porsha & Will), Elizabeth in Love (Morgan & Adam) and some we still have yet to look forward to working with like Unveil Photography (Brooke & Richard).

Congrats to all the newlyweds from this year, and to the remaining couples; we can't wait to be by your side on your most special day!

20% Off = less money & less stress

Save 20% on our popular Day of Coordination services for your September, October or November wedding if you book before July 31/12.

Fall is the season that more and more Brides are choosing to say “I do.” We want you to be able to save money and stress less on your most special day.

Typically, clients will book Day of Coordination services 6-12 months prior to their wedding, but if you’ve been thinking that you can handle everything on your own up until now, then that’s okay!

We have a few Fall dates still available, so book now and save!

As your Day of Coordinator, we’re there to work for you, to make sure that your plans are executed as envisioned and that you are able to enjoy your day as a Bride and not as a Bridezilla. LOL!

We’ll meet twice prior to your wedding, chat on the phone and send many emails back and forth – all preparing you and your vendors for a spectacular day!

Let us manage your wedding party, guests and vendors. Let us set-up your décor details like your gift table, candy buffet, escort cards and centrepieces.  And let us communicate with your vendors to make sure that the services they are providing match with what you ordered.

We don’t offer a discount this large often, so do yourself a favour and hire a vendor that will work for you, have your back and make sure that you get the wedding you’ve been working so hard to plan!

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!

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."

Are you a Pie Bride?

A lot of couples are opting out of having the typical wedding cake. Oftentimes the cake sits there all night as a glorified centrepiece only to be cut by the Bride & Groom and served to the guests - who most likely won't eat it. Trust me when I say, 2 out of 3 times we're packing up half if not more of your cake and sending it home with you. So, if you're a Bride who knows she can leave the cake behind and try something else, I've got good news - pies are a welcome alternative at weddings.

You can get pies in regular size, or mini...and now, even on a stick! You can also get pocket pies, which are like modern turnovers. You can offer a variety of flavours to satisfy the tastebuds of your guests and you can easily pack them up and ship them off with your guests at the end of the night so that you aren't left with all that sweetness before you jet off on your honeymoon.

Pies are more rustic than cute. They provide a certain down-home-country feel than your typical desserts like creme brule, or even cupcakes. Pies can be made openfaced or with a lattes top or with a full top and a heartshaped cutout. And you can choose your flavours depending on the what's available during the season you get married. Apple and pumpkin in the fall - peach and cherry in the summer.

Oftentimes I think that Brides know whether they are a Pie Bride or a Cake Bride (this includes cupcakes). You either like cute, fluffy, iced desserts, or you like sweet, flaky, classic desserts.

Are you a Pie Bride?

12 to 18 months of Planning

Quite a few Brides are planning their 2012 Summer & Fall weddings now. It takes on average 12 to 18 months to plan a wedding. Think of how many hours you'll have to commit to your grand affair over that time. It's about 250 hours in total - that's 6 straight weeks of devoting your 9-5 schedule on your wedding!

If you are feeling overwhelmed with the idea of planning your wedding, rest assured - there are many options available for ideas and inspirations like blogs, websites, magazine and even television shows. If you think that you might need a professional perspective in planning, we offer Consultation meetings. These are fabulous one hour long meetings that are executed with your needs and requirements in mind. Sourcing vendors, choosing a venue and securing a budget plan is perfect material for a Consult.

Think you need more help that just a chat? Our Full Wedding Planning Package is perfect for the couple that doesn't have time to focus on the planning of their special day, or simply don't want to make major decisions without friendly professional guidance. Full Wedding Planning also includes perks like added value and discounts only offered through working with a certified Planner.

Want to plan on your own, but know that you will want everything brought together as you've envisioned it? No worries - our most popular service is our Day of Coordination Package and it includes 8-10 hours of services on your wedding day, plus rehearsal coordination and an hour long meeting. You do the work before, we do the work day of so that you can be the blushing Bride you've always wanted to be.

Questions? Call or email us, we're always excited to hear from Brides whom are in all stages of their planning process!

Rain on your Parade

They say that rain on a wedding day is good luck.

We say, if you think that it's going to rain, you should be prepared. Spring weddings have a higher chance of rain than Summer or Fall weddings - although, lately, Ontario weather has been so hard to predict. Therefore, we suggest you be prepared and roll with the punches, or storm clouds... the best you can.

Overcast and rainy days can sometimes make for the best wedding pictures! Just ask your Photographer for his/her thoughts. I bet they will agree. They may even be able to show you some examples which will ease your mind if rain should fall.

Outfitting your wedding party (WP) with rain boots and umbrellas is not only a popular trend for Spring weddings, but is also very smart. Match the umbrellas and boots to your wedding colours or personality (plaid, stripes, polka dots).

Be sure to get large umbrellas for two members of your WP to use (golf size) and have a few on hand for your guests. The only time you want your face to get wet is when you shed a few tears of joy - so try to stay dry the best you can. Having rain boots and umbrellas also make for fabulous and unique photos. And, if it doesn't rain, you can always use those items simply as props.

No matter what Mother Nature throws at you on your wedding day, be prepared, have fun, and smile!

*Images found on Google search

Congrats Lisa & Jon!

A big congratulations to love birds Lisa & Jon! They got married on October 9th, 2010.

I met Lisa through The Ancaster Wedding Show and she took advantage of the promotion we were having of $100 off Day of Coordination services. She seemed a little stressed with her wedding quickly approaching, so I was glad to be able to help relieve some of her anxiety and reassure her that I would help her take care of a lot of the finer details on her wedding day.

My Assistant for the day was Erin, who also is a WPIC Alumni and was looking for another wedding to volunteer for to get her feet wet. She did a great job helping me out with executing Lisa's plans as well as accompanying the wedding party on their photo shoot to 3 different locations.

Lisa & Jon met on the internet, and they are quite the cute couple! They have great family and friends, and I simply adored her Uncle who was the MC for their wedding.

The ceremony was held at a local United Church and their reception was at the Renaissance Hall in Hamilton. The gals wore a deep purple which complimented Lisa's fall theme nicely. She had a few details that were personalized - my favourite being the ring pillow that her nephew held as Ring Bearer was a baseball on top of a bed of fake grass! This was because Jon proposed to Lisa while at a baseball game. Too cute!

Overall, Lisa & Jon had a great wedding day - the weather was beautiful, no major issues arose, and everyone had a great time dancing and socializing.

Wishing Lisa & Jon all the best in their new life together, we're very thankful to have been a part of your special day!

3 Brides & a Butler

The Bride's Butler had the honour of providing Day of Coordination services for 3 weddings in the past 2 weeks....October 9th, 10th and 16th.

I have plans to tell you all about each wedding - but I'm waiting on photos from the photographers to go along with the posts. Here's just a little info of each to get you started....

Lisa & Jon wed in Hamilton on October 9th. Their wedding was beautiful! The gals wore eggplant coloured dresses, potted mums filled the church and all the guys looked dashing. Lisa looked beautiful in her strapless dress - and I'm sure her Groom would agree. Both of them were surrounded by fabulous family and friends. They were very blessed to have a great day. I'll tell you more about their wedding in our next post.

Alexis & Kevin were our "Surprise Wedding" clients - they got hitched on October 10th in Welland. Helping coordinate an event like this was a first for us, and we loved every minute! I'm hoping to have at least 2 posts dedicated to their event because of the uniqueness. This couple had it right - no fuss from family and friends with planning decisions (colours, location, etc) - their wedding was all about them and their love.
We had a fantastic time with Alexis & Kevin - I can't wait to tell you more and show you pictures from their wedding!

And lastly, Helen & Jason tied the knot outside at Webster's Falls in Dundas on October 16th, and they couldn't have had better weather! This laid back couple planned a romantic outdoor ceremony and we were there to help them execute their vision. Three piece string quartet, sheppard's hooks with hydrangeas, white chairs placed beside a rivine that cascades down a waterfall...simply romantic! Helen & Jason are a great couple who I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with! I'll post about their wedding in a few weeks.

In the past 2 years of assisting Brides with their weddings, I've never executed 3 weddings in 2 weeks - it was fantastic! Busy - but fantastic! It was wonderful to have been continuously surrounded by so much love and excitement  these past 2 weeks. I love my job, I love helping out Brides & Grooms and I love seeing a wedding (or event) come together as planned! Thanks to my October couples for trusting me & The Bride's Butler with your most special day!

Congratulations!


*Stay tuned for upcoming posts about these weddings

Falling in love with Fall

As a Bride you either know that you want a Fall wedding or you don't. Some Brides would prefer the bright colours and sunshine of the summer, or some would rather have a pastel infused spring wedding, and then there are others that want the crisp, romantic feeling of a winter wedding. Pick a season that speaks to you.  I love Fall.

It's so rustic - so natural and just oh-so-awesome!

Pumpkins, hay bails, leaves and corn stalks

Gold, brown, sage green, orange and red

Cider, apple pie, cinnamon and cream

I love the season of Fall.....for me, it's the perfect time of year to fall in love or say I do.

* Image from Google images.