The Rehearsal Dinner

Our last post focused on The Rehearsal and all that it entails, so now we’re going to chat about The Rehearsal Dinner. 

Typically hosted by the Groom’s parents, this event occurs after the rehearsal of your ceremony. This is an event that you hubby-to-be might want to be involved in a bit more, and if it’s alright by you, you should let him pick the place, type of food and if there will be a theme. For some ideas, check out this article on The Knot. 

Most couples will have a semi-formal Rehearsal Dinner at a local restaurant or even at the venue if they have on site catering or a restaurant. The dress is business casual and the atmosphere is relaxed and enjoyable. Everyone is excited, and a little nervous as they await the wedding that is about to take place. The rehearsal dinner is the best time to present your parents and wedding party with their gifts and to thank them for their support, participation and love during your engagement. If you don’t like to make grandiose speeches, take the time to chat to each person and thank them – as you likely won’t have the time or the proper thought process to do it on your actual wedding day.

Who pays for the Rehearsal Dinner? Usually the Groom’s parents, but this is quite old fashioned as it was because the Bride’s parents paid for the wedding. Nowadays, couples are paying for their own wedding, or pitching in a 1/3 with both sets of parents. So when discussing the wedding budget, be sure to factor in the Rehearsal Dinner. Work out a total and method of payment that works for all parties involved.

Be sure to have fun at your rehearsal dinner, but we advise that you keep alcohol consumption to a minimum and try to limit your salt intake. You don’t want to be dehydrated or bloated on your wedding day. Enjoy the company of your family and friends and be sure to enjoy the moment.

So, who’s invited to the Rehearsal Dinner? Parents, Grandparents, the wedding party and their significant others and your officiant (specifically if you’re a member of a church). If you have guests coming from out of town for your wedding, it’s a nice gesture to invite them to the dinner as well.

Whomever is hosting the event should send out the invites about 3 weeks prior to the wedding. It’s usually assumed that there will be a rehearsal followed by a dinner, but you should still send out a formal invite. Need some ideas? Check out these rehearsal dinner invitations by the Wedding Paper Divas.

Wishing you a fabulous time at your Rehearsal Dinner!

Hole in One!

Hostess with the Mostess featured this 30th Birthday party from Michelle at Crazy for Design. This theme can be used for young and old, male or female - as long as the birthday girl or guy likes golf!

The elements, colours and textures used to create this themed party are pefect for a man. Simple, clean lines are far better choices than glitz and glam, especially for a 30th party for a dude.

Using original themed names for food & drink exentuates the theme

When planning a themed party think about the guest of honours likes, dislikes, hobbies and lifestyle. To save money, try incorporating items that you already own or can borrow from other guests. Make your own stationary/printables, or use an affordable online dealer like Etsy.

With the Oscars approaching this will be our last post about Birthday Parties for the series this month. We hope you enjoyed some of the theme ideas and have been inspired to host your own fete!

Need help? Mention you saw our "Birthday Party" series on the blog to get $100 off your first Consultation meeting with The Bride's Butler.

* post gathered from information & images found on Hostess with the Mostess

True Colours

"But I see your true colors shining through. I see your true colors and that's why I love you, so don't be afraid to let them show your true colors, true colors are beautiful like a rainbow." ~Cyndi Lauper

Choosing your colour palette for your wedding is one of the most pivotal components of the planning process – other than choosing a date and venue. The colours (or colour) you choose will help set the tone, mood, theme and style of your wedding. This decision may come easy, but for others choosing a colour theme might be somewhat daunting.
Below are some helpful hints on how to choose colours for your wedding day.


Big Picture

Take a look at your surroundings. What colours does your venue already have within in it? Is it a yacht club with nautical accents? A golf & country club with naturalistic elements, or is it a banquet hall with gold pillars? For inspiration to get you started, look to the prominent colours of your site or setting.

Maybe the Season is your reason

Perhaps you will choose red, silver and grey for your winter wedding. Or maybe you’re getting married in the fall and you want to play up the colours of the leaves (red, orange, yellow, brown). Whatever the season may be when you get hitched, let the environment help be your guide when choosing your colours.

Trends
Every wedding season has its most popular wedding colours. Check out wedding blogs, magazines and television shows for ideas and inspiration. One of our favourite blogs for colours inspiration is The Perfect Palette. We also like this fun colour palette - you just might find something new about yourself.


Hue do you think you are?
All of the colours of the rainbow have a variety of offspring called ‘hues’. Sure, there is red – but then there’s Scarlett, Maroon, Salmon, Tomato, Cherry, Blush and Coral. Be sure to find out what your colour choice is called. Find a fabric swatch or paint chip if you can that is similar to the colour you’ve envisioned. This will help you when choosing other elements – most specifically stationary.


Consistency is key

Whichever colour you choose, be sure to stay consistent with your choice throughout all of your wedding details. For example, if you decide to have brown as your sole colour, you can incorporate different hues and textures of the colour into your event – but if you have 2 or more colours that aren’t from the same ‘hue’ family, say hot pink and navy, you should try to stay as close to the original colour as possible. Consistency is key and helps maintain the theme, mood, tone and style of your wedding.

Overall, have fun with your colours – make them mean something to you and your groom. Maybe they are your high school colours cause that’s where you met, or maybe they’re derived from your birthstones, or even the national colours of the country you’re visiting on your honeymoon. The choices are endless, and you pretty much have the scale of the rainbow to choose from.

This blog post was inspired by an article featured on www.theknot.com.
“15 Tips for choosing your wedding colours” by Amy Keith.
Images from Google search.

Wine Not?

If you're looking for a romantic, classy, exclusive venue for your up-coming nuptials, why not look into Ontario's Wine Country? Check out Wineries of Ontario for official information about Ontario's beloved wine regions including Niagara on the Lake, Grimsby, Prince Edward County, Toronto and Pelee Island.

Niagara on the Lake is one of my most favourite areas to visit all year round. From walking and shopping during the holidays, to experiencing a live theatrical show and picnic in the spring or summer, there is plenty of things to do and enjoy while visiting for the day, weekend or even a few days to a week.

Niagara on the Lake (NOTL) boasts many Inns as well as B&B's because it's a very popular location for romantic getaways, honeymoons and even weddings! Niagara's Finest Inns showcases some of the most exquisite Inns in the region. Having your wedding ceremony and reception at an Inn allows you to have an intimate gathering with close family and friends and yet feel like you have travelled away to a remote piece of property, but you are really only about 20 mins from Niagara Falls and an hour or so from Toronto!

If you need a bit more room for hosting your wedding, try Vintage Hotels - where you can find information on hotels like Queens Landing, Pillar & Post and Prince of Wales.

Wineries in the area that have large rooms dedicated for weddings and special events are; Hernder Estate Wine, Casablanca Winery &; Inn and Peller Estates.

No matter what you choose, having your wedding at a winery or an Inn within the beautiful region of Niagara on the Lake allow you to have a theme at your fingertips. Incorporate wine into the menu, use corks as place card holders, use grapes and vine leaves in your decor, centerpieces or cake and give an engraved or personalized wine stopper as a guest favour. There are plenty of ways to enhance the theme of your wedding with fine details.

Think you might want to look into an Inn or winery for your wedding?

I say, "wine not!"

Oh Baby!

My little nephew is about to arrive!! He'll be the first kiddo for my brother & sister-in-law.

Nephew’s arrival also makes first time Grandparents – for my parents, and for his mama’s parents. Talk about some major spoiling to be had, eh? He’s about to create quite the uproar with the Morris family – and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome him into our loving, creative, baseball lovin’, fishing going, boat rowing, golden retriever owning, and somewhat kooky family. Okay, okay – very kooky family!

As a proud and happy Aunt (and of course, as a Planner) I’ll be hosting a Baby Shower for the little guy and his mama in the spring. For now, I’m going to keep the theme a secret – but once the mini Morris is here and both him and mama are happy and healthy, then I’ll let you all in on the theme for the fete.

I've bounced around a few ideas for a theme.

Can you guess what they are?

Planning a Baby Shower is just like any other event you plan – big or small. There are plenty of logistics to consider, guest lists to be made – with addresses to secure, and of course you need a budget. Also, having a theme is fantastic for choosing and gathering décor items, and making or buying guest favours and for creating a menu.

Hosting a Baby Shower or any other life celebration? Need help bringing a theme to life? Give us a call - we’d be more than pleased to assist you with creating and organizing a most memorable event. We can offer you ideas, suggestions and vendors in a personalized Consultation meeting, or plan and execute the entire event on your behalf with Full Event Planning.

So until next post, "Auntie Diane" wishes you a fabulous weekend!

*Images from Google Images and Hostess With The Mostess Blog