happy halloween

I'll admit it: Halloween is not my favorite holiday.

However, today does give me an excuse to post this video:



I love the trend of surprise dance routines at receptions. So clever. So fun.
[I would love to see the footage of this rehearsal].

The "original" Thriller wedding dance can be found here.

Other awesome first dances can be found here, here, and here.

iDo, uDo

This link came from my tech-savvy cousin. [Thank you Blair]!

iDo Wedding Couple Edition is a downloadable resource for brides and grooms to organize ten main areas of wedding planning:

1. Contacts
2. Invitations
3. RSVP’s
4. Attendees
5. Gifts
6. Checklist
7. Budget
8. Vendors
9. Events
10. Timelines

The program seems to have many capabilities stemming from these areas and looks very useful for both planners and brides. It also seems very user-friendly, even for the most computer-illiterate of us out there.

Have any of you heard anything about this program, positive or negative, or used it yourselves?

I am planning on downloading this program [$29.95 to buy after a free 30-day trial] once I sort out a few computer kinks on my lap top. [Thank you –again- Blair]!

Cheers to modern web-based technology.

This one is personal...

After a week of "maybe's" and "possibly's" it's an affirmative: my man is coming home for the first time since July when he left to begin training with the RCMP! Although short [Friday night until Sunday evening], I am excited for him to have a home cooked meal, sleep in a comfortable bed, and SEE OUR PUPPY!

In honour of Ben, I thought I would include a clip from our.movie.: When Harry Met Sally. Although I am not as cute and bubbly as Meg Ryan and Ben is not as short and does not ask as many questions as Billy Crystal, we can relate to this movie, this evening [New Years], this friendship, and this quote:

When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.

Smiles, butterflies, and goosebumps.

Have a great weekend.

Video courtesy of agizemk.

To Make you Feel my Love, Adele

I haven't posted a wedding-worthy song in a while and I felt the urge to include this one today.

This timeless classic was originally composed and performed by Bob Dylan and has since been covered by everyone from Garth Brooks to Joan Osborne. One of the newest [& my favorite] covers is by Adele.

This song would be beautiful for a first dance or bride's entrance.


Some of my favorite lyrics:

I can make you happy, make your dreams come true;
Nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the end of the earth for you;
To make you feel my love.

To make you feel my love.

It's all about the details...

I am a planner who is into personal details. In a major way.

Your Wedding Day is to celebrate love, family, and traditions, past & future. What better opportunity do you have to create an environment that is uniquely you?

When I saw this photo I immediately thought of Angie and Ryan's rustic & romantic Victorian theme. [It may also have to do with the fact that it features the curly willow that I am mildly obsessed with].

What's more, the candle in the hurricane vase with the wreath around it is a possible centerpiece idea for the A&R fete. What do you think?

The photography is beautiful. I especially love how all of the details were captured. What a nice way of remembering all of the heard work and thought that goes into planning your special day.

Groom How To: Add Some Style

I love grooms that sneak add clever and personal touches into otherwise traditional wedding attire [gotta please that bride, eh?].

I was telling Ryan about this sock idea the other night and thought I would provide him with some visuals:





More Images & Ideas can be found here, here, here, and here.

I think wedding style should be a thoughtful and personal representation of the couple; why should the bride get all the fun?

Worst.Best.Man.Ever.

This is the funniest wedding ceremony capture I've ever seen. Ever.



What is your favorite part of this clip? The guests' reactions ["shit"; "jesus!"; "oh no"]? The groom's slow-mo "Nooooooooooooooooo!"? The [worst] best man yelling "oh god! oh god! oh god!"? Or, the fact that this is real footage?

So, Worsley: don't get any ideas.

Etsy Bird Faves, Part 2

On a continuous search for all.things.birds, I thought I would report some of my latest finds. [Just for fun].

Cake Toppers
[I don't think any of these are the style you're looking for Angie, but I'm including them because they are adorable].


I really like these love doves [$75] made by Middleburg.


Middleburg also offers this cute pair of blue birds [$49]. [They also come in brown with an ivory tummy].


However, I think that this set [$77] is my favorite of Middleburg's. You can personalize the banner with the wedding date, "Just Married," or "I love you."


These birdy thank you cards [$9 for 6] by turtlepapers are great. I think they would work nicely as wedding Thank You cards.


Another stationary option is this adorable note set [$14 for 6] by pearlmarmalade. I love the Parisian Etiquette.


This nest [$4.75] by theseasonalcottage is awesome. I think it would be adorable at the entrance table in the curly willow display I have envisioned. Or, somewhere on the pie bar.


The possibilities for these nests [$2.75 for 3] are endless. They're small enough to make a statement without going overboard and they could work very well within our rustic and romantic, Victorian decor.


I like this pin [$55] by ValerieLynn. I don't know where I would put it [maybe somewhere on the bridal bouquet], but I think it's sweet.



I'm a sucker for stamps and I really like these two by craftpudding. This one [$10] would be awesome for any wedding-related correspondence; this one [$12]would add a special touch to holiday correspondence.



I love this save.the.date [$18] by merrygolucky. This bird stamp set [$26.75] by cottonblue could come in handy with wedding correspondence including thank you cards.

And last, but not least...


These cards [$10 for 6] are just great. I love them.

Initials in Bloom...

Keeping with the personal theme, I wanted to include a couple of examples of the flowered monogram feature I previously described to Angie. [I hope these photos do a better job describing this DIY project then I did]!


I love these initials used at the entrance to the reception venue. I picture Ryan & Angie's initials in white or eggplant [depending on whether the backdrop is light or dark] hung with ribbon in the wedding colours at the front door of the venue. [They would also be lovely at the entrance to the ceremony venue with a chalkboard directing guests to the garden: "Wedding, this way"].


Here is another view of the same initials. So pretty. Thoughts?

An Excited Bride offers helpful DIY instructions on her blog found here. The project itself looks quite simple and the end result is very sweet.

Personalize it.

I am all about adding the personalized touches that make a wedding special and unique to the wedding couple. Although these details are sometimes overlooked or unnoticed by guests, they add character.

My personal mantra and what I will accomplish as a wedding planner:

When a bride and groom are seated at their head table and take a moment to look around at the most important people in their lives they will be within an environment that mirrors their vision. They will feel comfortable, content, and complete in the center of an evening full of love&happiness, catered specifically to their individual story.

How perfect?

The Knot [aka. The Bible of Wedding Planning] offers many 'lists' to help during the days leading up to your wedding. One of my favorites can be found here.

Angie: I love the idea of personalizing your MOH/Bride's Maids' Flowers based on the flower's meaning. How sweet is that sentiment? [I guess it also helps when your MOH has a flower named after her]!

One of my favorite personalized details, thus far:


Miranda was able to capture Angie and Ryan's favorite features: her freckles and his laugh lines. Perfect.

If you're a bird, I'm a bird.

One of my favorite movies of all time also has one of the most romantic scenes of all time [selon moi] with a bird reference. So [naturally] I've included it here for inspiration [& for goose.bumps.and.warm.fuzzies].



*sigh* I could watch this over and over...



This beautiful film also features an amazing soundtrack. This song brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. I would love to do a smooth waltz across a dance floor with Jimmy Durante or Billie Holiday singing "I'll be seeing you" in the background. One day... but for now I have the film.

Video Montages Courtesy of SgtFluffyMcFay and Shellelover.

Etsy Bird Faves, Part 1

As promised, here is my [first] list of Bird Finds on one of my favorite websites: Etsy!


I love these address labels [$10 for 60] by Krystan. I think they'd be very nice for invites or thank you notes [maybe with your new address, Ryan and Angie]? The colours can be personalized [i.e. to match wedding/ envelope colours].


How precious are these cake toppers [$60] by RedLightStudio? Again, you can personalize them with your colours [an 'eggplant' tie, perhaps]?


OK, it's a play.on.words. but I like it. This Bird Cage Veil [$22] by MarlaJDesigns is very pretty. This designer offers various styles of Bird Cage Veils [the style I think you were refering to last weekend, Angie].

Another example of her Veils can be found here.

On a Non-Bird-Related-Note: She also makes beautiful hairpins [everyone loves a little hair bling].


This design [$20] would look beautiful in a bride's up do.


These stunning bobby pins [3 for $22] would also add a little sparkle to a bride or bride's maid's 'do. They would also add a pop to any bouquet.

More hair bling can be found here, here, and here.

Wedding Websites

Personalized Wedding Websites are becoming increasingly popular for Brides&Grooms to communicate with their guests, attendants, and parents. On a wedding website the couple can upload photos, include driving directions to their venue, list their registries, and provide area information for out of town guests. They can also tell their "story" [how we met... where we became engaged... etc].

Brides.com offers a template for personalized wedding websites. They look pretty good and are worth a 'trial run' if you have the time. The best part: it's free!

Ryan and Angie: Let me know how you like it, if you try it out.

Image courtesy of Brides.com

Something fun for Angie...

Brides.com has a fun feature relating to Brides and their Astrological Signs.

Find Angie's "Bridal Style" here.

Personally, I love her Astrological "Wedding Mantra": "I envelop my guests in the beauty of my creative vision."

Angie: my hope is to help you accomplish your Creative Vision.

Link Love

I came across this wedding music website in my 'searches' and think it's a pretty good resource for compiling a wedding soundtrack.

Our Wedding Songs provide lists of songs for specific time periods of the day. Apart from the usual "Processional" and "First Dance" suggestions, the site provides ideas for the start of the ceremony, "Unity Candle Lighting," "Cake Cutting," and the "Dollar Dance!"

Angie & Ryan: I am not exactly sure of what a dollar dance is, however it sounds like you might want to think about having one! [However, if it involves your guests throwing loonies at you while "if I had a million dollars" plays in the background I take it back].

Once Upon a Time...

I am very excited to present a sneak peak of Angie and Ryan's engagement shoot with Miranda.

This beautifully artistic piece depicts Ryan and Angie's love story and sets the tone for their wedding.

Birds of a Feather.

Before Angie and Ryan's bird theme was officially established, we discussed personal touches to correlate with the rustic.and.romantic motif they envisioned for their special day. I thought a vintage bird cage would be a beautiful addition to the welcome/ gift table to hold cards.

Once the presence of "the bird" was established it didn't take long for me to start searching for vintage bird cages... here is my first find:



Found on Etsy for $15 [a steal] this 10'' by 17'' cage would look very nice on a patio after the wedding [maybe with a plant inside?].

What do you guys think about using a cage at the reception?


Here is an example of a bird cage used for cards and well wishes. How sweet?

Images courtesy of inwiththeold and the knot.

love birds.

As I mentioned, much was accomplished during our weekend meeting. One of the things we established during our wedding chit-chat was a previously unrecognized theme.


It seems that Angie and Ryan's wedding has taken on a love bird theme, stemming from Ryan's nickname for Angie: bird. From the rustic fall setting to the twig and wiggly willow accents, the wedding planning thus far has indeed been inspired by birds. So [naturally] I will be posting bird-like inspiration from here-on-in.

Image courtesy of GypsyRabbit.

Les belle fleurs.

I am excited to report a very successful first Meeting.of.the.Martha's [a.k.a. Angie's Bridal Team and me meeting to go over DIY and flower ideas].

Today we browsed beautiful floral arrangements and stationary at Granville Island and creative and personal touches at Michael's.

With flowers fresh on the brain, I feel it necessary to post some of my favorite blooms for center pieces, bouquets, and boutonnieres within Angie's colour palette. As always, The Knot is an excellent resource.


This bouquet features deep purple hydrangeas and waxflowers, as well as white stephanotis [yay for Steph's signature flower].


These bouquets include purple calla lilies and green orchids.


This bouquet includes burgundy mini calla lilies, roses, tulips, and tuberoses.


This bouquet features tulips in deep purple as well as purple and green orchids.


This bouquet includes roses, astible, and agapnathus [which I don't think we saw today but I really like].


These bouquets use the ranunculus blooms that Angie really likes in white and dark pink.


I love this wedding party. The lighter bouquets look stunning with the eggplant bride's maids dresses.


Finally, I cannot forget about the main man in this equation: Ryan! I love this single calla lily boutonnier.

"Earth laughs in flowers." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
All images courtesy of The Knot.

i love ellen.

I am a huge fan of Ellen and couldn't be happier for her and Portia to be legally married! From a Wedding Planner's perspective, their ceremony and reception provide ideas for beautiful and personal touches.

Many of these intimate details can be found in this beautiful montage.



What's more, I love Ellen's surprise to Portia: having Joshua Radin sing at the reception. I've been a huge fan of Joshua Radin for a while now and have seen him live. He is truly amazing with a beautiful, beautiful, voice.

Here is Josh singing one of my favorite love songs "Today" live on the Ellen show.



Image courtesy of ellen.