Category Archives: Real Life Wedding Planning

Niagara Wedding Planner | Real Life Wedding Planning: The Registry

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Our wedding is still 10 months away but we have already had friends and family members asking us where we are registered so we thought it was about time we checked the registry off of our to-do list. We decided to register at The Bay and Sears.  The Bay was our first choice because they had the most comprehensive list of housewares and their online registry system is the most up to date and user friendly. It shows the description, a picture, and even whether or not the item is on sale. It was also very easy to add to online from home.wedding registry

We started our Bay registry in store. It was nice to be able to see the products first hand. Unfortunately, we did not have nearly enough time to complete our registry. After an hour and a half of walking around scanning we probably accomplished about half of what we needed to. This was partly due to the associate taking over a half hour to get us to sign a piece of paper and explain the completion card while going off on random tangents completely unrelated to our registry process when we had a finite number of hours that day. It was also partly because of The Bay’s store layout. It was very difficult to find prices on anything (which is probably what they’re going for being big in the registry business in Canada) but when you’re looking at eight different toasters that all look almost the same and range in price from $30 to 250$, price does become a factor. We also wanted to make sure to choose a variety of price points so all our guests could find something they’re comfortable with. If everything is either $20 or $500 it either could make a guest feel like they can’t find anything to give or they feel they have to buy a multitude of inexpensive items just to end up with an appropriate gift.

It was still fun to walk around the store with the scanner and pick out things we would like to have for our future home together as a couple. We did it together so that it reflects both of our personal styles and picked out a few things that each of us wanted. I hope to go back in the future and add a few more home decor items in person and will make sure to give ourselves plenty of time.

wedding gift

For our second registry we decided to use Sears because they too had an online registry system which I always find most convenient as a guest. We decided to compile this one strictly online. The Sears online system is much less user friendly. When we tried to add items directly from the Sears website by logging in it led to an endless loop of asking us for our login and password and system errors. Each item from the Sears website had to be manually added to the online registry using the item numbers. Needless to say it wasn’t as quick and painless as The Bay’s online registry. The Sears registry also doesn’t show pictures or sale prices and the descriptions are more difficult to interpret. Luckily the Sears registry is more for filling in holes from our Bay registry with things that are either unavailable at The Bay such as power tools or items that are available at The Bay but are lower in price at Sears.

- Britta

Niagara Falls Wedding Planner | Real Life Wedding Planning: Wedding Inspiration Sites

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Now more then ever brides depend on the internet for planning their wedding. With so many wedding sites out there, it makes it really easy for brides to picture their perfect day.

Here’s a list of the most popular wedding inspiration sites.

Style Me Pretty

The Knot

Sash and Satin

Green Wedding Shoes

Once Wed

What do you think? Do you use these sites to help plan your wedding image? Are there any other sites you use? If so what are they?

Niagara Wedding Planner- Real Life Wedding Planning: Floral Design

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cream and pink wedding bouquet

Finding my florist was surprisingly easy and painless. I did some research on vendors, looked at a lot of websites, and asked people in the business for referrals. The florist I chose to work with is Carol Van Zanten of Vinifera Floral Design who was recommended to me by my ceremony officiant. I met with her “just to keep my options open” judging from the beautiful arrangements on her website I incorrectly assumed she was out of my price range. It turned out she was very reasonable and accommodating. She spent a lot of time with me going through her portfolio and getting a sense of what I wanted and gave me a very reasonable quote. I brought along photos of arrangements I liked so she could get a sense of my vision. I was happy to have met with her, she was very professional and knowledgeable and she made me feel like a very important client. I look forward to working with her in the future for our special day.

peach and yellow spring bouquet

I have some background in floral design so I went into the meetings with an open mind. Some flowers aren’t available year round so it would be terrible to have your heart set on a particular flower only to find out the flower you wanted to use in your wedding in February is only available May through October. I told the florist which flowers I did not like and we went from there. The florist had some great ideas as to what flowers would suit my style and were cost effective. I felt as though the independent florists I visited had much more creative license than some other well known establishments or chains that seem to rehash the same arrangements for every wedding. I am very excited to see what Carol creates for me to walk down the aisle with.

florist in niagara

I have a lot of respect for what florists do. It is hard work the experts just make it look easy. Thanks to websites like Pinterest, some brides think it will be no problem to DIY 20 centrepieces, 5 bouquets, 10 boutonnières, and 8 corsages the day before their wedding by picking flowers from their garden or buying in bulk from a local store. From my own experience in the industry I can tell you it will take you hours upon hours (especially on a first attempt) and most flowers, especially those picked from the garden, might not even make it through the ceremony because they have not been conditioned the way flowers from a florist have been. You may end up spending more time and money in the long run than if you hired a professional in the first place. There is a reason they are professionals. It is best to find someone who you are comfortable with. They can always use less flowers or different flowers with a similar look to fit almost any budget.

- Britta

Niagara Wedding Planner- Real Life Wedding Planning: Don’t be afraid to ask for help

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niagara wedding plannerIf you really knew me, you wouldn’t believe me when I say that I don’t like being the centre of attention. Sure, I’m kind of goofy. Sure, I like to entertain my friends and family with my humour and, ahem*, my outstanding wit. But when it comes down to life’s events that revolve around me, I just want to shrink away under a warm blanket with a cup of tea, watch You’ve Got Mail, and munch on a bag of ruffled sour cream and onion chips, not worrying about the ridiculous amount of crumbs accumulating on my chest. But alas, we’re getting off topic.

I was the kid who, at her own birthday parties, hid under the desk in her bedroom playing with her Pound Puppies while her friends pinned tails on donkeys downstairs. I was the girl who, all dolled up for Grade 8 Graduation, cried when her parents wanted to take photos of her in her dress at home before the ceremony. I was the young woman who spent her university graduation day playing Super Nintendo with her mom on the living room floor, eagerly sidestepping the anxiety of walking in front of that large crowd of people to shake hands with a stranger and acquire one of the most important pieces of paper that would ever sit in her makeshift home office.

Don’t get me wrong; I’ve certainly changed since those days. My confidence has grown; I enjoy my accomplishments. But, unfortunately, on my biggest days, I still sometimes want to escape the attention, positive as it may be. I can’t possibly be the only one out there who feels like this! I know I’m not the only bride who, before the ‘big day’ arrived, tried to think of every possible alternative to being the focus of her own wedding day! I mean, couldn’t we just have a party in a darkened bar? Couldn’t we skip the head table and just sit with everyone else? Couldn’t we use our wedding savings to buy a house instead, and then have a big housewarming party?

All of these thoughts ran through my head at some point, and all are certainly valid options. But the fact is, a well-planned day will make you forget that any of these nerves ever existed. The day will go by so quickly, so smoothly, in a way that will only end up being fun for any couple, shy or outgoing. How did I overcome my worries? Easy: I asked for help! The best thing you can ever do for yourself when you start to plan your wedding is ask for help! Believe it or not, people want to be involved! Your mom! Your dad! *Cough* Weddings Tied with Lace! *Cough* Your brothers and sisters! Your friends (So thaaaat’s what the wedding party is for!). I speak from experience: Find your style. Find your fun. Be involved. But for the love of weddings, save your sanity and ask for help.

- Mel

Niagara Wedding Planner- Real Life Wedding Planning: Wedding Gown Shopping

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niagara wedding dress shop

For my summer wedding I was looking for something to suit my classic, somewhat preppy, nautical wedding theme. It was a tad difficult to find a variety of styles to try on seeing how I’m not a strapless ball gown enthusiast. I found simple, elegant, fit and flare gowns in soft fabrics to be few and far between.

Walking in a bridal shop for the first time was overwhelming. There were so many dresses everywhere you looked, it was hard to know where to start. The whole experience turned out to be much more laid back than I had anticipated. It helped to bring photos of styles I liked so the consultants could point us in the right direction.

I tried on a variety of styles in several stores. From full ball gowns (that weighed a ton) to backless silky charmeuse gowns; I tried themSt. Catharines wedding dress all. It was very helpful to try on different styles to see what worked best on my body type and from there it was simply a matter of preference and price.

One big difference between the countless episodes of Say Yes to the Dress ( which I’m sure we’ve all watched) and my personal experience was no one asked me what my budget was. To me this was like taking a person with a car budget fit for a compact and showing them a seven passenger SUV hoping they’ll fall in love with all the extra space.

Most places allowed me to dress myself which I didn’t expect either. All the consultants were friendly and knowledgeable and seemed to genuinely want to help me look great on my wedding day. Judging by the comments on my undergarment preparedness, it would seem many brides don’t take the advice of the magazines and websites they troll and wear all sorts of crazy colours instead of nude coloured garments which look best under white.

I highly recommend making an appointment. At one particular shop we just popped in to look around as we had just finished shopping at one down the road. The woman was extremely rude and left us on our own because we had not called ahead even though there was absolutely no one in the store. Everything was outdated looking and we didn’t feel the need to try on anything in that store anyway so we promptly left (no wonder there was no one in there).niagara wedding dress store

In the end I think it is most important to find something you feel great in and you can move comfortably in. You can always tell when someone is wearing the dress or the dress is wearing them. In the end I found a great dress that fit my budget.

Tips for Wedding Gown Shopping

  • Make an appointment
  • Bring photos of the styles you are interested in wearing or trying on
  • Wear nude under garmets
  • Leave lots of time, you never know how long you appointment could run
  • Make sure to let the consultant know your budget

wedding gown shopping

lace wedding dress

- Britta