We bet cha might like this.

Thanks to my friend Emily for showing me this neat site, http://www.localbidbuy.com/.
There are all kinds of products, restaurants, and even experiences like Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours and music lessons up for grabs on this site.

The Bridal &Wedding section of the site has wedding dresses that are normally $1000+ in the stores for only a couple hundred dollars to start. It's free to register, and the bidding is very similar to that of Ebay. Other vendors that have items available are DJ's, Jewellers, Photographers, Limos, Bakers and Salons.

If you're a Bride that wants to purchase local products and save some money, perhaps this is a route you want to take - or at least look into. Just know that with bidding, there's usually a time period you must wait  until the bidding is closed, and if you're not a patient Bride, this method may not be for you.

I encourage you to check out the site and take a look around for other items that may not particularly pertain to your actual 'wedding day' but can be incorporated in other wedding related festivities - like Stag & Doe prizes, gifts for your wedding party, and experiences or outings for your bachelorette or stag parties.

Do you think you'd keep betting on a "must have" item like Samantha Jones did from Sex in the City?  Find out by visiting the site! SOLD!

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!"

Can you do me a favour?

Wedding favours - also sometimes called 'bonbonnieres', 'thank you gifts' or just simply 'guest gifts' can come in all shapes, sizes and prices.

You may know right away what you want to give your guests as a token of appreciation for sharing and celebrating with you on your special day - or you may not have the slightest idea. Thankfully, there are websites that offer such gifts - like our favourites; Weddingstar and Beaucoup.

Do you want the gift to match the theme of your wedding, your colour scheme, or your personalities? Will it be a practical gift of something your guests can use after the wedding, or simply a decorative gift?
Will it be something to represent tradition or culture? Will it be edible? What about whimsical or nostalgic? The choices are endless - and entirely up to you.

Favours nowadays can be personalized by more than just the favour tag - you can get customized stickers, labels and ribbon with your names, picture or caricature, initials (monogram) or your wedding date on them.

Another question you'll have to ask yourself and your partner - do you want to forgo the favour all together to be eco friendly and green? A good way to do this is to donate to a charity. Many charities offer wedding donation packages - like the Canadian Cancer Society, or Tree Canada.

Still think you want to give a gift, but stay green? Why not give a plant bulb, flower seeds or a tree? How about purchasing from Canadian company TangerineSmile where they make the environment and reducing their carbon footprint a priority?

Do me a favour?

Give your guests a gift that you are happy to send them home with - for at the end of the wedding, when it's all said and done, this finer detail will be the icing on the cake of your fabulous event - so you'll want it to be meaningful and respresentive of you, your partner and the day you said "I do."

Blogger Follower Contest Winner

For the past month and a bit we've been asking you to follow our blog, and all followers would be entered into a contest to win Bride & Groom T-Shirts! It's cool to be a Follower...and our winner is....ASHLEY ROSS! Congratulations Ashley,and thanks for following our blog! We'll be in contact with you so that you can get your prize. Whether you're getting married, or you know a friend who is, these Bride & Groom T-Shirts are awesome for Stag & Does - especially if paired up with a fabric pen! Thanks to all of our Followers!

Best Picture

Can you guess which of the Best Picture nominees from this year's Oscars helped create the theme for these weddings?

What is your favourite movie?

Can you recreate a scene or overall imagery from a film for your Engagement or Wedding photos?

With a little bit of creativity and imagination, I'm sure you can!

*Images from Google search

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

It's cool to be a Follower!

 

Come on, follow us...you know you want to!

Follow this blog for your chance to win Bride & Groom T-Shirts!!!

It's so simple to enter this oh-so-awesome contest....just become a follower of our blog, and ta da...entered!

We'll randomly pick one of our Blog Follwers and announce the winner on March 5th in our blog post,

on our Facebook Fan Page and on Twitter.

Are you following us on Twitter? Tweet with us! @BridesButler

What about our Facebook Fan Page? Are you a Fan??

We've set a goal of 100 by Easter weekend...so, please, hop to it! LOL!

To all of our current fans on FB, and followers of this blog and on Twitter - thank you for your support.

We appreciate you sharing your time with us, and for telling your friends and Brides-to-Be about us!

Signs you're a Bridezilla

Bridezilla ("Bride" + "Godzilla") is a term used to describe an unpleasant bride who leaves behind severely annoyed family, friends and bridal vendors in her manic quest for the perfect wedding.


It's well known that most Brides want their wedding to be perfect, memorable and enjoyed by all - but at what cost? Some brides can start out 'normal' and within months or even weeks become a Bridezilla.

What are the signs that you may be on your way to suddenly becoming, or are currently in the midst of being a Bridezilla?

You change your mind constantly about wedding details, thus leaving your vendors in a state of confusion as to what 'exactly' you want. You're not really sure what you want - because basically you want it all - so you throw your hands up in a fit of exhaustion and shout "I don't know! I don't know!"

Sometimes this kind of behaviour is followed by stomping of the feet, slamming of the doors, or balling of the eyes.

You've got a Wedding Planner and yet, you're still micro-managing. You want to oversee every decision, every detail, and every vendor as if you're a Manager.

You're not - as a bride, you're the celebrity - let vendors (a.k.a. professionals) do their job - you're job is to smile, and be happy.

You're requests (ahem, demands) are becoming more and more elaborate. You want each gerber daisy to have exactly 12 petals. You want every straw for your cocktails to be bent at a 90 degree angle.

You get the idea. This sign is in the same catagory as mico-managing. Just relax, and accept things for the way they are - you've accepted your Groom for the way he is right? Right? Oh gosh, we sure hope so.

You treat your wedding party like a mean teacher who isn't afraid to use the strap would treat her school children. Your friendships are waning because of your bossiness and overly controling behaviour.

Your friends have gathered to help you celebrate your love and union with your Groom. Your wedding party are like the munchins in the Wizard of Oz - happy and cute characters that want to have fun. If you want them to help you walk down the yellow brick road (or, say, the aisle) you must act like Glinda the good witch, and not the Wicked Witch of the West - cause remember, a house fell on her head.

You get the idea, right? We just suggest that the best way to ward off the Bridezilla behaviour as a Bride is to be mindful. Know what your limits are with your groom, your family members, friends and vendors.
Look at the big picture - not all the small minute details that the average guest doesn't even notice or care about. And, of course, let your Wedding Planner do their job - let them be the one who goes nuts on the cake decorator for using purple icing instead of blue, and let them tell the DJ that his song selections are so 20 years ago. You, just focus on being the Bride by enjoying the moment, and smiling.

Bridezillas don't smile - they don't know how to...and that my friend is the ultimate sign that you've morphed from a blushing bride to a Bridezilla! Eeeeeek!

Do you have Bride Brain?

Is your wedding the only thing you are thinking about these days? Do you sit at work and daydream about centrepieces, and unique favours for your guests? Most Brides during the planning process are always thinking about their wedding in one way, shape or form.

"I shouldn't eat that ice cream, I have a dress to fit into"
"Will my bridesmaid look good in that colour?"
"How much money do we have left in our budget for decorations?"
"I love that band! I have GOT to book them for our reception!"

For the next 12 months or less, you will be thinking about your wedding in some way or another. It's normal.
This is the biggest day of your life, and you want it to be perfect. So, make notes, doodle your ideas on paper, create inspiration boards on-line, join bridal chat forums like BridalTweet, and read wedding & event related blogs. With all of the information you've gathered, all of the ideas you've seen, read, heard and collected, you are bound to have a little bit of what we in the industry call, "Bride Brain".

Catherine from For Your Event Planning posted this image in a blog post on Jan 8th. Can you relate?

It's okay to have Bride Brain - as long as you can still focus on other things like your career, your relationship with your fiance, your family and other social gatherings not directly related to your up-coming wedding. Have no shame in thinking, talking and dreaming about your wedding - that is just one of the many special things about being a Bride. You are only a Bride for a short while in your lifetime, so enjoy it and make the most of the time you have being the centre of attention - just be sure not to get carried away and become a Bridezilla.

Next post, we'll show you the symptoms of being a Bridezilla. Will you need a prescription?
Check back to find out!

Will you marry me?

Proposals!

Who doesn't love a great proposal story?

Boy meets girl. Courtship. Love. Congratulations!

I love how in the movies, men usually state the girls entire name -

first and middle while on bended knee. "Mary Margaret, will you..."

And, for some reason I think that about 85% of the time, the girl answers with "of course!"

I wonder if there's a way to find out what the most common phrase uttered after a proposal is?

"Seriously?" or "Oh, my God!", and 'of course' there is the big one, the one the guy wants to hear..."YES!"

(Btw, if you find this percentage, holler at me will ya? Thx)

So, you said YES, now what?

You tell the masses about your proposal, that's what! Share your exciting and happy news with friends, family, co-workers, neighbours, and with whomever you want - flash that rock and your ear to ear smile all over the place! You deserve it, you're getting MARRIED!!

Most couples get engaged and right away they are changing their facebook status from In a Relationship to Engaged. They are tweeting about the proposal, and even possibly sending an announcement to the local paper. What did you do? Did you create a wedding website, or did you happen to have your proposal taped and then uploaded onto Youtube? How did you spread the news?

Once the news is spread, and the congrats and well wishes are graciously recieved, it's time to get into the nitty gritty of planning your wedding. But, we do stress (before you start to stress) that you take time to enjoy being engaged before you dive deep into the planning process. :)

So, what do we suggest are some of the first things you do after the engagement, but before the planning?

Brainstorm with your fiance the type of wedding you both want.

Will there be a theme? How do you want to express your own seperate personalities as well as your togetherness? For some couples it's through colours, unique details or the style of attire and venue.

To help you brainstorm, we suggest that you pick up a few magazines. Our favourites are Martha Stewart Weddings, Today's Bride, Weddingbells and Toronto Life's 2010 Wedding edition. Clip out pictures and create inspiration boards. This part of the planning is so much fun!

Next, hire a Wedding Planner. Whether you're a DYI Bride, and you want to plan every detail of your wedding on your own, or you're a full-time professional with little time or desire (gasp) to plan your own wedding, a planner can help you get the wedding you've always dreamt of. Planning a wedding takes lots of time, patience, money and compromise. Yes, even though it's all about the Bride, remember that there are mothers & mother-in-laws that will have input about your wedding ideas. A Planner can be your right hand woman, your rock, your therapist, and your saving grace when the going gets tough.

Then of course, you have to set a budget. Sometimes the creation of a budget involves you, your fiance, both sets of parents, and your Wedding Planner. The budget will depend on who is paying for the wedding. Be prepared to use your compromising skills. :) Your planner can also aid you with making proper decisions in regards to sticking to and within your budget.

Lastly, do your research! If you only want to hire a Wedding Planner for DOC services, thus eliminating your chances of getting industry discounts, extra value and referrals of trusted professionals usually only offered through Full Wedding Planning services, make sure you do much research before you book any vendors. Ask questions, get a second opinion and try to meet or consider 3 vendors at a time. Basically, pretend you're Simon Cowell of American Idol - only much nicer, and way prettier, and choose the vendors you want to see go to Hollywood (a.k.a your wedding) with you!

We're so glad you said YES! and are on your way to planning your

Happily Ever After.

*even Wedding Planners sometimes need inspiration. Today's post was inspired by a blog post at www.weddingaces.com

When it comes to stationary....

When it comes to stationary, I like to refer clients to professionals.

If you're not the DYI type and want to have someone else manage this task, then I suggest you check out Cheri from Invitations by SanSheira's. Cheri works with The Bride's Butler and is very creative and fun to work with. She makes all of her invites by hand, and dedicates her time to every couple.

When you meet with your stationary specialist, it's best to have your wedding colours and theme chosen. Knowing the style and feel you want for your wedding helps formulate the perfect invite. The invitation is the first thing from your wedding your guests see - so it helps set the mood and tone of the event.

Is it a formal affair? More casual? A candle light ceremony, or a bunch vow renewal? Weddings come in all shapes and sizes - and so do invites! Try to bundle your invitation order to include all pieces like the RSVP card, direction card, accommodation note and all envelopes. You may also want to order thank you cards along with your invites if your photographer doesn't offer it in their package. One thing to remember when choosing and ordering your wedding stationary is that it should all be consistent with one another. All pieces should reflect the same image/style/feel, etc of your wedding.

Will you be picking your invites based on your theme, cultural background, or just simply by your budget?

Work together with your Wedding Planner and your Stationary Specialist to create your own unique
and personalized invites. It's one of the many tasks in the planning process that is very fun and allows for creativity.

Shown is a Thank You card done by Veronica of Cinnamon Saturday who works with Cheri. This is a cute and whimsical way to take a wedding picture and make it unique.

How will you choose to inform your guests of the style and theme of your wedding? Colours? Textured paper? Ribbons or Jewels?

It's up to you....and your fiance too of course. :)

And the Oscar goes to.....

With the awards season upon us, I got a little inspired to put together an Oscar themed wedding on Bridal Canvas. Using gold, red and black - I created a collaboration of images to portray an elegant and sophisticated event where celebrities dine on the finest of foods, and drink the best of the bubbly. Getting married? Hosting an event?
Try making an inspiration board using magazine or online images. Have fun!

Oscar Winter Wedding by Diznee

The images for this canvas where sourced online from various sites.
These images are not from our portfolio.

Choosing your Master of Ceremonies

You've announced your engagement, you've set your wedding date, you've found your dress, you've ordered your cake, flowers and transportation, you've made your guest list, and now all you need to do is make it all come together on one day - one big day - one day that will be considered the most important day of your life.

You have the starring role on that day, you're like celebrities actually.
Your Wedding Planner is your Director, Producer, Stylist, Engineer and even your Therapist - but who is the Conductor? Who announces you and your wedding party and who ties all of the various elements of the evening together?
Who has this honour? Your MC!

Choosing an MC is sometimes an easy task, and other times it can be daunting for the couple. Who do you know that likes to talk in front of a crowd, but isn't a class clown or major attention seeker? Who knows you well enough to be able to tell stories about you individually and as a couple? Who can work well with your Wedding Planner to ensure proper timing and execution of the many event logistics? Your MC!

Suggestions for whom to pick as MC are typically the Best Man, a close friend or a family member. To learn more about choosing and or being a Wedding MC you should read the book "The Wedding MC" by Tom Haibeck, or talk to your Wedding Planner.

Your Wedding Planner should meet your MC prior to your wedding day, most likely at the rehearsal if not before. The two of them will work together during the wedding reception in regards to timing. Almost 95% of the time the set timeline/agenda for the reception changes based on food preparation, service and consumption, guests arriving late and speeches going over or under time. Your MC should be able to 'roll with the punches' and be able to maintain a sense of professionalism (a.k.a maturity) as the night unfolds.

Your MC should have fun, and aim to keep the celebration exciting, positive and memorable. They should try to engage guests in interaction, and strive to make sure everyone is having a fabulous time.




What does an MC 'typically' do?
- Requests the guests to take their seats if needed
- Announces the wedding party & the Mr & Mrs.
- Welcomes your guests and introducing him or her self
- Toasts the couple (if desired)
- Says Grace (or introduces the person saying a blessing)
- Announces the dinner (in most cases only if a buffet)
- Thanks the catering staff on behalf of the couple after dinner
- Presents the "kissing game" to your guests
- Makes jokes and announcements throughout the evening
- Introduces special guests for their speeches
- Announces other events throughout the evening (first dance, cutting of the cake, late night buffet, bouquet toss, etc)

As the Bride & Groom, you should meet with your MC throughout your planning process, keeping them involved and up to date with your plans, ideas and hopes for the evening. Feel free to give your MC guidelines in regards to the content they wish to share with your guests and feel free to ask them to read what they have prepared. Most Brides do not like surprises on the day they've taken months to plan to perfection. :)


Being an MC is an honour, and officially makes them part of the "Wedding Party".

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!

Happy New Year!!

Welcome 2010!

It's a new year. A fresh start? Or continued excitement? What's the beginning of your year looking like? Are you planning a wedding? Attending a wedding? What about resolutions? Got any?

As a bride, you probably have a few - check out the article on The Knot entitled "10 Resolutions for every Bride". for a few recommended resolutions.You may want to add some of them to your list of 'goals', or you may just find it a funny read. Here's hoping that whatever tasks you choose to add to your resolution list, you accomplish them, cause everyone loves the sweet smell of success.

Speaking of success, The Bride's Butler has a few goals for 2010.

1. Blogging! We want to keep our readers/followers/fans and clients up to date on what's happening within our company and the wedding & event industry. We aim to post every 5 days or so.
2. To have over 200 Facebook Fans by peak wedding season, June 2010. If you're a fan, thanks for the love...if you're not a fan yet, why not?

3. Keep offering clients the best service we can at the most affordable  rates! We are continuously working with other wedding/event vendors to give you exclusive rates and extras not offered without a referral. Saving you money  is just as important to us as it is to you.

4. And of course, this year, we want to continue to get noticed!! We want The Bride's Butler to be 1 of the top 3, or better yet, the only Wedding & Event Planning company you think of when dreaming, thinking and planning your wedding in the Hamilton and surrounding areas.

Look for our ad in the Wedding Guide 2010 by Toronto Life Magazine, and our listing in Today's Bride featuring WPIC certified planners.

We hope that you reach your goals and that we reach ours as well. In fact, if we can work together to reach our goals, that's even better!

In order to reach your goals, you'll have to have a plan with set tasks and due dates. You should do research - and lot's of it.

For all you brides who got engaged over the holidays and are just starting your wedding planning - we recommend that you take your time at the Bridal Shows, ask lots of questions and try not to forget that a wedding isn't about money, or flowers, or colour schemes - it's about the love you have for another and how you will share one of the most important days of your lives together expressing your commitment to each other among the presence of friends and family.

Here's to a fantastic year ahead!

Top Trends, Ideas & Inspirations..according to The BB.

We're about to ring in a new year - where oh, where has the time gone?

2009 was a fantastic year for The Bride's Butler.
We had our first 'official' wedding as a certified, registered company, and executed 4 weddings in the year. Great start for a part-time business, I'd say. We also did some advertising like being an exhibitor at the March Welcome Wagon Bridal Showcase, and by participating in word of mouth gatherings like Rona's Ladie's Night and a Hamilton Business Network meeting. This past year, The Bride's Butler created a Facebook group, which is currently being transformed into a Facebook Fan Page which is a better format for our type of business. Please become a fan if you aren't one already!

So, while looking back at our achievements this year, it got me thinking about some of my favourite Wedding & Event trends, ideas and inspirations from 2009. Below are some of my favourites from the past year.

#1 - ETSY.com

I just love this website! It's pretty much like an online flea market for all things homemade and vintage. Search for specific items, or simply pick a category like 'weddings' and see items like veils, cake stands, jewellery, invitations and more all available for purchase. If you like the DIY look, but aren't all that crafty, ETSY is definitely the way to go to save time and money.

#2 - Flowers & Fascinators

Most brides are wearing their hair in a more natural style for weddings, so to add a touch of personality and class, many are adding flowers or fascinators. Fascinators are typically flowers with beads, crystals, tulle, and feathers. Sometimes they can have a small headpiece with a veil. Simple, elegant and beautiful.

#3 - Eco Friendly Chic

Everyone should try to make as many elements of their special event green; like using recycled paper for your stationary and paper goods, or creating menu items with food from local suppliers and giving eco friendly favours. My favourite favours for guests are either ones they can eat with little packaging, donations to charities, or plant/tree seeds and bulbs.

 

#4 - Bird Themes

Bird themes for weddings and special events (like Baby & Bridal Showers) this year seemed to have taken flight. Peacocks, doves, sparrows and owls have popped up in many event details like; stationary, napkins, favours, decor items and even in attire pieces - like garters, ties and fascinators.

#5 - Colourful Shoes

Dress up any outfit with a pair of colourful coordinating shoes. Add a splash of colour to that little black dress with a pair of pink, yellow or even animal print heels! Many brides will wear shoes that are their favourite colour, or that matches their bridesmaid dresses for that extra added style and personality.

Those are just some of my favourite trends, ideas & inspirations from 2009.

I have plenty more, but one more that comes to mind, and will always be a favourite for each and every year are - Proposals!

I love hearing how someone proposed, where they popped the question and how they told their family and friends the fantastic news. The Bride's Butler personally congratulates Jenn & Brett, Nikki & Mark, Christine & Chris and Kayla & Kyle on their 09 engagements.

Let's celebrate 2009 on New Years with happy memories of the past year, and with hopeful ambitions for the year ahead.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

BB Tip #7 - January is "Bridal" season. There are plenty of Bridal Shows to attend. You can find a listing at www.ontariobride.com. Wear comfy shoes, bring a reusable bag for all of the info you will gather and take labels with your name, address, phone number and wedding date for all of the contest ballots.

Remember, if you're feeling overwhelmed after meeting tons, and we mean tons of vendors, call us and we'd be happy to meet with you for a consultation meeting.

Pictures from: blog.weddingpaperdivas.com, blissweddingmarket.com, birdcageveils.com  & etsy.com

It's So Tinsle!

I saw a little bit of the Disney Holiday Special "Prep & Landing" the other night. I had it on when my good friends Jenn & Brett over - whom by the way got engaged two nights prior! Yay!

In the show one of the elves would say "That's so tinsel!" whenever he was excited - sort of like Paris Hilton's "That's hot" - or if you're an 80's child "Rad, tubular and wicked!" So needless to say, I've adapted the slogan this holiday season.

So, what do I think is "so tinsel"?? Themed parties - especially the ones where it's mandatory for you to wear your ugliest Christmas sweater (or vest). You know the ones....with the 3-D images, or lights that actually light up. Or how about the puffy paint, or the bedazzled Christmas trees? I like to refer to these wacky sweaters as "Cosby" sweaters - which if you don't know is due to Bill Cosby from the Cosby Show (yes, I'm an 80's kid if you haven't already figured that out) :)

Next time you are going to a holiday bash, raid your closet (or your parents) or even make a trip to a consignment shop and get yourself decked out in the ugliest, most tacky Christmas (or Cosby) sweater you can find! It'll be soooo tinsel!

 

Holiday Cocktails

It's the holidays...time to whip up some feastive goodies, and serve some holiday inspired drinks!

While entertaining this year, reduce the costs of serving alcohol by offering signature cocktails. Give your guests 2  options, and use the same base alcohol (like rum or vodka) for both of them. Also, serve domestic beer and wine.

If you really want to limit your costs, ask guests to BYOB (Bring Your Own Booze) and just offer your signature cocktails.

You can choose your signature cocktails either by the name - like a Christmas Cosmo, or Peppermint Stick, or simply choose them by colour - like Sour Appletini or Pomegranate Martini. There are plenty of cocktail recipes on the web, and also premade drinks can be found at the LCBO if you didnt want to shake or stir your own.

Match your drinks with your colour or theme of your gathering, and be sure to offer virgin drinks for those that are DD or under age. You want everyone to be able to celebrate the wonders of the season with you.

If you didn't want to serve alcohol at all, there are plenty of other options like holiday eggnog, mint hot chocolate and ciders.

Be sure to have fun this holiday season, but please drink responsibly. Don't drink and drive.

Cheers!