ATTENTION SASKATOON BRIDES: Color Yourself Sexy!

Dear Saskatoon Brides,

You don't have to play it safe -- safe is boring!  If you love color, splash it everywhere in your wedding:  your flowers, your invitations, your bridesmaids dresses.  Even use color in unexpected ways, like on your feet!  A bright splash of color underneath your gown shows off your playful personality and is a sexy surprise.

Take a look at the cover of the Brides magazine for an great example of a pair of sexy shoes in hot pink.

Happy Wedding Planning, 

Wanda Graham of VIVA Weddings & Events Inc.

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I "Pick" You -- Personalized Gift For The Groom

Just before your Groom prepares to meet you at the end of the aisle, send him a small reminder of how much you love him.  This guitar pick is perfect for the music lover (and the guitar picking music lover in particular).  This beautiful sterling silver pick is cut by hand as well as hand stamped.  It is available for purchase from J.C. Jewelry Design on Etsy.com and they will personalize it to your specifications.

The picture shows the lyrics from the Beatles song, "I Will."

"Love you forever and forever

Love you with all my heart

Love you whenever we're together

Love you when we're apart.

And when at last I find you

Your song will fill the air..."

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Saskatoon Wedding Planner Checks Out the Wedding Scene in beautiful LA!

I am so lucky (actually, I'm blessed) to be able to travel from my home in Saskatoon to many exciting and interesting places -- all in the "line of duty" as a wedding planner!  Earlier in 2009, I had an amazing opportunity while I was in Los Angeles for a Wedding Planner Mastermind Group Meeting.  My mentor, Ciara Daykin, was invited to attend the Your Wedding Day Magazine Spring Issue Launch party at the historic site, The Ebell of Los Angeles, and she was able to get invitations for our mastermind group as well.  This party was soooo incredible even the seasoned wedding professionals from Los Angeles were awe-struck by the beauty they were witnessing.

Take a look at this video montage from the party (at the 2:15 mark on the video, you can see our Mastermind Group waving at the video camera!):

Videography by Russell Fowler Studios

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like a Christmas Wedding!

If Christmas is your favorite time of the year, why not plan on having a Christmas Wedding? There are a lot of great reasons to have your wedding during the Christmas Season:

• Churches are already decorated and are at their most beautiful during the Christmas Season.
• The same goes for hotels and other catering venues – they tend to pull out all the stops when it comes to beautiful décor at Christmas time!
• You’ll save money on flowers and lighting – and saving money is good!
• Your family will probably already be at home so what a great opportunity to have everyone altogether!

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"Your Just Desserts" Wedding Reception

Do you love desserts? Would a dazzling array of fine pastries be your idea of heaven on earth? Why not offer a buffet of delectable delicacies for dessert at your wedding reception? Your guests will love it – and they’ll love you too, of course!

Reception at the Indianapolis Museum of Art

Smooth jazz played by a Jazz Quartet

An amazing display of desserts -- creme brulee, mousse, parfaits.....

A silver platter of chocolate covered strawberries, french macaroons,

fruit and custard tarts and other scrumptious sweets!

Beautiful and intricately designed pastries.

Photos were taken by Wanda Graham at the reception at the Indianapolis Museum of Art during the Association of Bridal Consultants Conference in Indianapolis.

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Theme Weddings - Gangster of Love

Nothing can make a wedding more memorable than a great theme. But if you are going to have a theme for your wedding, you have to go big or go home! Take a look at this adorable little gangster….

Wouldn’t this little fellow be the most precious ring-bearer at a 1920’s Gangster Theme Wedding? He would have to lose the machine gun and the cigar before heading up the aisle though!

Photo credit: www.barefootsnapshots.wordpress.com/2007/11/

Beautiful Birdcage Bridal Veils

I was looking at Etsy.com today for some unique wedding accessories for my vintage bride who is getting married in May and I came across some absolutely gorgeous pieces.

Check this out…

Here are two exquisite ivory birdcage veils from Brenda’s Bridal Veils on Etsy.com. The veil in the top picture has a removable fascinator that is embellished with ivory organza petals and studded with Swavorski rhinestones. The veil in the bottom picture has a removable fascinator with feathers styled into a flower with tiny freshwater pearls in the center of the flower. Both of these veils are stunning and would be the perfect finishing touch for the bride who loves the vintage look.

Farewell to Bishop of the Diocese of Saskatoon

This evening, my husband and I attended a farewell Mass and reception for our Bishop who was appointed to the position of Archbishop to the Diocese of St. Boniface in Manitoba. It was a beautiful, faith-filled celebration with wonderful music and stirring rituals topped off with a touching message from Bishop Albert LeGatt. The remembrances and ‘musings’ that Bishop Albert shared with us are a reminder that even though he is a man of God, he is still a human being with the same need to belong and be part of a community. As he told us in his homily, when he first came to Saskatoon and he was celebrating Mass at a different parish every Sunday, he was preaching to strangers. Now, when he goes from parish to parish on weekends, he is preaching to friends. How did the scenario change from strangers to friends? I think the reason he went from being a stranger to becoming a beloved spiritual leader is because he opened his heart to the people of the Diocese of Saskatoon and made himself available to all different factions. He attended events, celebrations, conventions, conferences with his flock. He went where he was needed. To put in simple terms: He put a human face on the office of the Bishop. By making himself accessible to his people, he made many friends in a very short period of time. So as Bishop Albert completes his mission here in Saskatoon and prepares to go to St. Boniface, the people of the Diocese of Saskatoon thank him for sharing his heart and his faith. You have been a good and faithful servant to your flock. Adieu, Bishop Albert and God Bless!

Thought for the day…

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves: Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.


- Marianne Williamson

Don't Be Crying "I've Got The Wedding Budget Blues"!

My husband and I had an appointment with our accountant today to discuss our businesses and to do some advance planning for next year’s taxes. Discussing money and taxes is generally not the most exciting of conversations. Like anything that tends to be put off, once you “take the bull by the horns” and just do it, it really isn’t as difficult as you might have thought it would be.

When it comes to weddings, having the “money talk” with your fiancé (and your parents, if they have offered to help pay for the wedding) may not be easiest topic to discuss, but it is an important topic to tackle before you start planning your wedding. Make a date to crunch your numbers – and be sure to meet in a spot that is free of distractions. Remember, everyone who plans a wedding needs to have a budget – even movie stars with deep pockets!

Once you have come up with a dollar figure for your wedding budget, you will want to be sure to get the most bang for your buck. If you have a big stash of cash to work with – great! Go all out and have the wedding of your dreams! For those couples who have limited funds to put together their dream wedding, there are plenty of ways to stretch your dollar to maximize your budget.

Never on a Saturday
How set are you on having your wedding on a Saturday? There are only so many Saturdays from June to September so you will be paying premium prices if you want to have your wedding on a summer Saturday. However, if you are willing to have your wedding on not your typical day, you will increase your odds of getting the venue that you really want. Plus, you will also be able to negotiate for a better price – all because you decided not to go with the typical Saturday wedding!

What was your name again?
One of the best ways to reign in the budget is to limit the guest list. Do you really need to invite the children of your second cousin whom you haven’t seen in over fifteen years? It is nice to be thoughtful and include relatives, but seriously! If you haven’t been in touch with your far-flung relatives in eons, it isn’t necessary to have a family reunion at your expense. Save the cost of inviting distant relatives and instead invite those that are in your inner circle of friends. You want to know everyone who attends your special day. You don’t want to be meeting new people for the first time at your wedding!

This is my brother Darryl, and this is my other brother Darryl
By limiting the number of members in your bridal party, you can save yourself some major coin. Just think about it – each bridesmaid has a bouquet (paid for by the bride and groom), receives a thank you gift (paid by the bride), plus other expenses (like hairstyling, make-up application, etc.). Keep your bridal party to just your nearest and dearest. The savings will add up and you can spend the money you save in other areas, such as your décor.

Go for IMPACT!
If you are working with limited funds, put your money into the element that will create the biggest impact. For instance, adding color to your reception is as easy as selecting colored linens rather than the basic white. The table tops take up a lot of visual space in your room so by adding color with the linens, you are bringing in your wedding colors and creating visual interest as well. Another way to bring color into your reception room is with lighting. Lighting can add drama to your room and will also ensure that décor items such as floral arrangements are highlighted and that they don’t get lost in the dim lighting of the typical reception room.

Let me entertain you!
Music helps to create a mood. There is nothing more awkward than walking into a party as one of the first guests and being greeted by the sounds of silence! Background music signals that yes, indeed, there is a party happening here – please, come in and make yourself comfortable! Select the musical performers that will make your heartstrings sing – at the ceremony, have a classical guitarist or a harpist musically accompany you down the aisle. At your reception, have a pianist play during the dinner. Then, as a cost effective choice, have a DJ play recorded music for the dance. By judicially placing live music at times when the most people will enjoy it, you won’t have to have the musicians playing for as long a period of time to create the same effect.

Help keep your wedding on budget yet fabulous by engaging the expertise of a wedding planner. You can call me at (306) 244-8482 or email me at info@vivaweddingsandevents.com or vivaweddings@hotmail.com and we will work together to create the wedding of your dreams without breaking the bank. Your first meeting with me is free!


Thought for the day…

Don't marry for money. You can borrow it cheaper.

- Scotts Proverb

Pamper Yourself Before Your Wedding Day

This afternoon, I had an appointment for a spa pedicure and a fill on my gel nails. I’ve been getting pedicures for a few years now, but the gel nails are a new “addiction”. When I was at a Mastermind Meeting in Hermosa Beach, California this April, my mentor (Ciara Daykin) asked me to describe my ideal bride. I told her all about my bride: what kind of clothes she would wear, where she would go to have her hair styled, what her hobbies are, and so on and so forth. “And,” I stated, “She would have gel nails!” Ciara asked me to show her my hands. She took one look and said, “Girl, if you want to work with brides like you just described, you need to get yourself some gel nails!” Hmmm. Ciara had a point there – my nails were looking kind of sad.

When I arrived back home in Saskatoon, I went to my regular appointment for a pedicure. As I made my next pedicure appointment, I took the leap and made an appointment for gel nails. The next week, I came back to the salon and spent an hour having someone pamper my hands and make them look gorgeous (not to brag, but my hands do look gorgeous!). It only took one time to get me hooked – I love, love, LOVE my gel nails!

After having my gel nails for a few weeks, I started taking a closer look at my hairstyle. I had kind of got myself into a rut with my hair – well, I guess 30 years with the same basic hairstyle is a little bit more than a rut, maybe more like a hole! I decided to go for broke and get a brand new hairstyle so I could be a brand new me. I had been saving clippings of a monthly newspaper feature called “Beautiful You” from my local newspaper, The Saskatoon Star Phoenix. In this feature, one lucky woman went through a process of beauty, fashion, and fitness changes and her steps along the way were chronicled monthly in the newspaper. After perusing my stack of saved newspaper clippings, I decided that I would go to the same hair salon as was used in the makeover and just let the stylist do whatever she thought would work best for me.

I made an appointment for a consultation and meet Michelle at Visions. My only criterion for a hairstyle was that I had to be able to handle it myself. I am a little bit “challenged” in the hair department so anything that would be too hands-on or complicated would not work for me. After Michelle gave me an idea of how she planned to proceed with my new hair, I made an appointment for the following week. The next Friday, I said goodbye to my old hairstyle and walked out of Visions with an incredible new look. The cut Michelle created for me was sooo great, I can just dry my hair and it falls into place. Amazing!

Most girls love to be pampered. Being a bride is the one time that a girl truly needs to be pampered. She has to look her best because all the eyes that are going to be on her plus she is going to have a permanent record of how she looked on her wedding day with all the pictures that will be taken of her and her new husband. Instead of rushing around in a last-minute frenzy of wedding-related projects and activities, book yourself in for a day of spa treatments like a manicure and a pedicure. Perhaps you could include an aromatherapy message or a hot-stone massage. On your wedding day, have your hair stylist do your hair for you and hire a make-up artist to make sure look you look picture perfect. Another thing you could do is give yourself the gift of a stress-free day by having a wedding planner take care of all the details for your wedding day and let the relief show in your face!

Do you want to enjoy your wedding day? Do you want to look at your wedding photos and see how beautiful and relaxed you were on that special day? Do yourself (and the rest of your family and friends) a HUGE favor and hire a wedding planner to take care of everything. Call me at (306) 244-8482 or email me at info@vivaweddingsandevents.com or vivaweddings@hotmail.com. Your first meeting with me is free!


Thought for the day…

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.

- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Pay Homage To The Past At Your Wedding

I had a meeting at church this evening about the planning of our parish’s 25th Anniversary Party which is going to be held on September 26 and 27. Our planning committee is paying homage to the pioneers of our parish by looking back at the opening celebrations that were held at St. Patrick Parish a quarter-century ago and using some of the same elements that were used then and incorporating them into our upcoming celebration. For instance, the banquet that was held back in 1984 to celebrate the opening of the new parish featured flambéed hip of beef with oven-roasted potatoes plus various salads, vegetables, and desserts. For our 25th Anniversary banquet, we will be serving flambéed hip of beef with the addition of turkey and stuffing (or dressing, if you prefer!). Everything old is new again!

As another part of the 25th Anniversary Party, we are inviting all the priests that served at our parish over the past 25 years. We want to honor our spiritual leaders and celebrate their contributions to our parish. By having our priests return to the fold (so to speak), we will have an opportunity to thank them for helping us grow as a Catholic Christian community. Such guidance is priceless.

We also have church members getting in touch with former members so that our former parishioners can join in on the fun and reminiscing. It will be a time to remember our roots and look back at the changes that have we have gone through over the years. I have found that the friends I have made at my church have become as close as family. They have been there for my husband I through good and bad times but mostly we have a lot of fun together!

By honoring our past, we make a connection with the future. You can include remembrances from the past in your wedding as well. One idea that is really special at weddings is taking elements from your parents' wedding day and using them in your own wedding. For example, you could find out what flower the Mother-of-the-Bride and the Mother-of-the-Groom had in their bouquets and use the same flowers in your bridal bouquet. That would be a very touching gesture!  Find out what readings your parents had at their ceremony and use the same readings at your ceremony. Or how about carrying a lace handkerchief that your grandmother gave your mother on her wedding day? You would be honoring two special ladies with one special touch!

Ask your parents if they have any special memorabilia or mementos from their wedding that you could borrow for your special day. Chances are that these treasures will inspire your parents to share with you their memories from years gone by. Who knows, you may even hear a story you haven’t heard before!

If you would like to celebrate your parents’ special memories while creating special memories of your own but you find that you are having difficulty figuring out how to mix ideas from the past with current trends, then give me a call. We can sit down and talk about what is the best way to combine the past and the present into a beautiful and meaningful creation! You can reach me at (306) 244-8482 or email me at info@vivaweddingsandevents.com or vivaweddings@hotmail.com. Remember, the first meeting is priceless (because it is free!).


Thought for the day…

Church isn’t where you meet. Church isn’t a building. Church is what you do. Church is who you are. Church is the human outworking of the person of Jesus Christ. Let’s not go to Church, let’s be the Church.

- Bridget Willard

Weddings: The Dance of Love

I am so excited! Tonight on ‘So You Think You Can Dance – Canada’, the Top 20 Dancers perform on the live stage for the first time. I love all the different dance shows on TV: ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ (Canada and USA), ‘Dancing With The Stars’, and ‘America’s Best Dance Crew’. Before these dance shows were mainstream TV viewing, you could only watch dance on television as specials on PBS or movie musicals on a cable movie network. This year, the dance series are practically overlapping each other – Season 5 of SYTYCD ended then the next week, the Canadian SYTYCD Season 2 began. Now the first week of September, Season 6 of SYTYCD will begin while the Canadian SYTYCD will be showing the Top 16 Dancers. I think that even I will be on dance overload!

What I find is the most impressive attribute about the top competitors on SYTYCD is how they are able to learn dance routines that are not of their own dance genre. It seems that the classically trained dancers (that is, dancers with a ballet background) are able to pick up the choreography quicker and are able to handle the intricate steps of ballroom and latin styles. However, there always seems to be a couple of b-boys or b-girls that totally shock and awe the judges and audience with how well they are able to perform dance styles that are completely foreign to them.

Why is it that the dancers are able to perform dance routines that are so out of their comfort zone? And why are some dancers’ performances more successful than others? One reason why dancers are able to adapt to such different styles is that they are being taught by master choreographers who are passionate about their style of dance. Some choreographers are better able to communicate their movement to the dancers and they have a dance vocabulary that the dancers are able to understand – they can convey how the dancer is supposed to move their bodies and what emotions they are supposed to portray. The dancers that are more successful with their performances are the ones that have very good dance basics to start with and they are able to take what they have learned from the choreographers and carry it forward to their next dance routine. The most important thing the dancers can bring to their routines is to trust in the choreographer’s vision and dance with abandon. No fear! It is the dancers that hold back that end up failing to perform to the judges’ expectations.

A wedding is very much like a dance performance. I can just imagine the puzzled and perplexed look on your face wondering how these two different things could be alike, but think about it:

- a dance starts with an idea or a vision; a wedding begins with a dream and a vision
- a successful dance performance is as emotional for the audience as it is for the dancers; a well-thought out wedding day is as meaningful for the guests as it is for the bridal couple
- a well performed dance gives the audience a glimpse of the dancers’ souls and personality; a well designed wedding will give the guests an appreciation of the bridal couples’ personality and style
- a dance is designed by a choreographer; a wedding is designed by a wedding planner

To me, it is appropriate to compare a wedding planner to a dance choreographer. My business mentor, Ciara Daykin of Firefly Occasions in Calgary, has the title of ‘Event Choreographer’ in her business and it really describes her role as a wedding planner. The dictionary defines a choreographer as “a person who creates dance compositions and plans and arranges dance movements and patterns for dances and especially for ballets”. Choreography is described as “to plan out or oversee the movement, development, or details of; to orchestrate”. Ciara has adopted this title because she plans out or oversees the movement, development, or details of a wedding; so it is entirely fitting for her to be called The Event Choreographer.

If you have started planning your wedding and are beginning to feel a little bit overwhelmed, I am here to help you! Together, let’s choreograph a beautiful wedding day for you and your fiancé. You can reach me at (306) 244-8482 or email me at info@vivaweddingsandevents.com or vivaweddings@hotmail.com. Our first meeting together is free!


Thought for the day…

I see dance being used as communication between body and soul, to express what it too deep to find for words.

- Ruth St. Denis

You Too Could Have a Stress-Free Wedding Day!

This weekend, I had the pleasure of helping at a wedding at my church. On Friday evening, I directed the bridal couple and their wedding party through a rehearsal of the wedding ceremony and answered their questions and concerns about everything and anything that could happen at their wedding the next day. Then on Saturday, I was on hand before, during, and after the ceremony to help the bride and groom and their wedding party as well as to assist the priest as needed.

I met this couple previously during the Marriage Preparation Classes at our church. My husband and I are one of the presenting couples for Marriage Prep and we have the unique opportunity to meet the young couples who will be getting married at our church. I was thrilled to be able to assist them on the last leg of their preparations for their wedding. When the bride and groom arrived for the rehearsal on Friday night, they were both very nervous about what they had do during the ceremony – where they should stand, when they should sit, what their responses should be to the priest’s questions, how to ‘do’ the unity candle ceremony, and why certain parts of the ceremony where to be done the way that I was directing them. I found myself spending a lot of time reassuring them that we would go through the entire order of the ceremony so they would be prepared for the actual ceremony the next day. I also let them know that if they had any questions after running through the rehearsal, I would be happy to answer all their concerns before they left for the evening.

After running through the order of the ceremony (and answering many questions from all the participants in the wedding), everyone seemed to be more at ease with what was going to be happening during the actual wedding ceremony. Before bidding everyone goodnight, I encouraged the couple to have a relaxing evening and if they had any further concerns, to write them done and we would take care of them before the ceremony.

As I locked up the church on Friday night, I thought to myself that I really hoped this beautiful couple had enjoyed their engagement period and that I wish all of their questions had been answered a lot earlier than just the day before their wedding. How unfortunate it is that the last few days before beginning their married life together, this couple still was unsure about what was going to transpire at their ceremony.

Couples deserve to enjoy the entire journey, from the first moment when she says “Yes!” to when they say “I do”. All the steps along the way should be embraced with joy – don’t wait until your wedding day to enjoy yourself. The best way to make this happen is to have someone point you in the right direction. That ‘someone’ is a wedding planner.

A wedding planner wears many hats. Your planner is an idea person, a color co-ordination expert, the keeper of the budget, a conflict resolver, a negotiator, the go-to person for etiquette and much more! One of the main benefits of hiring a wedding planner is that the two of you (and your family and friends) will be able to enjoy the wedding day because the wedding planner will ensure that all of your dreams for your wedding will come true.

If you want to have your dream wedding, feel free to give me a call and I will be delighted to assist you. Call (306) 244-8482 or email me at info@vivaweddingsandevents.com or vivaweddings@hotmail.com. And remember, our first meeting together is free!


Thought for the day…

I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,
A church filled with family and friends.
I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife.

- Author Unknown

Check the Sports Schedule When Selecting Your Wedding Date

It's Game Day for the Riders! There is nothing like a Saskatchewan Roughrider football game to get the craziness started in Rider Nation! Rider fans are renowned for being the most passionate (and some might say, the most crazy) fans anywhere. You will recognize Rider fans by their green-clad bodies but what is the most specific distinguishing feature is the watermelon helmets that the most devoted fans wear on their heads. Hence the term, 'melon heads'.

It's a busy time of the year for weddings as well. Sometimes it happens that a wedding of a friend or family member is on the same day as your favorite team's game day. Most fans will make the sacrifice (begrudgingly) to forgo the game and attend the wedding. But is a particuiar challenge for all involved when the wedding day is during the playoffs and your favorite team of all time is in the finals. I remember attending a wedding a few years ago during the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the series was down to Game 7 on a Saturday night. During the dance, some of the groomsmen had set up a television in a back corner of the hall so they would sneak off to catch a few minutes of the hockey game then wander back to the dancing on the other side of the reception hall. After a while, those few minutes had stretched out to 20 to 30 minutes at a time, with many more of the male contingent – and some females as well – crowding around the TV to watch as the action heated up. Well, the game on TV wasn't the only thing that was getting heated up! The bride was getting more than a little 'miffed' about her wedding reception being hi-jacked by a hockey game! The only thing that got the male half of the guests back to the party was the conclusion of the game – with about one half of the guys whooping it up because they were happy with the outcome of the game and the other half of the guys crying in their beer vowing that their team would win the 'big one' next year.

At another event that had the same circumstance (a playoff game during the wedding reception), the bridal couple already realized that the game might interfere with the festivities. What this couple did was have the Master of Ceremonies update the guests with the score every 15 minutes so the guests were able to keep track of the game. This approach worked better than the one used at the other wedding but it still was not the most ideal situation.

If at all possible, avoid choosing your wedding day during the playoffs. For some sports, the date of the final game is known far in advance (CFL Grey Cup or NFL Super Bowl). Many sports do not have a set date for the final games because it is contingent on how many games are played in each playoff series (NHL Hockey, NBA Basketball, or MLB Baseball). You know your friends and family best and know what sports the majority of your crowd is 'into'. You will be a considerate host and your friends and family will be very appreciative of your thoughtfulness if you take this into consideration when you are planning your wedding.

Do you want to know 'what's the score' when it comes to planning a 'world championship' wedding? Call (306) 244-8482 and ask for Wanda or send a message by email at info@VIVAweddings.com or vivaweddings@hotmail.com and we can get started with your game plan. The first meeting is always free!


Thought for the day

Go Riders!

- Wanda Graham

Bring Your Family and Friends Into Your Wedding

Today is my daughter Desirae's birthday. I know every parent thinks their child is special, but in my case it really is true! I have two terrific kids – Desirae is a 'princess' and her brother Bryn is a 'prince'. As befitting of someone with such 'royal' bearing, my husband and I took the birthday girl and her brother along with Grandpa and Grandma out for a wonderful meal at John's – a fine restaurant in downtown Saskatoon. We enjoyed a leisurely meal together with lots of laughs from the re-telling of funny family stories and sharing of recent happenings since the last time we were all together. Reflecting on what a great evening we had together, made me think: Isn't that what special occasions are made of? Beautiful location, fine food, time with loved ones enjoying the moment.

How can a engaged couple planning their wedding translate the feeling of an intimate family gathering into their wedding day? To start, do a little investigating when trying to locate your ideal wedding venue. Make sure to select a venue that is the right size for the number of guests you plan to invite to your reception. If you go with a space that is too large, your tables will be spaced too far apart and the party dynamic will not develop. Each table will be like a separate island and there won't be any interaction with neighboring tables. If the space is too small, then you will have plenty of interaction with your neighboring tables but it will be from people bumping into each other as they try to navigate around tables that are placed too close to one another. Either of these situations will impact your party's mood, and probably not for the better!

When it comes to the menu, the bridal couple has the responsibility of making selections that their guests will enjoy. It's not easy to design a menu for 50 to 400 people (just try to get two people to agree on something!). If you find yourself perplexed as to how to appease all the different factions attending your wedding, then be sure to ask your catering staff for advice. The caterers are your food experts: they will know what menu choices are typically well received by the dining public and what food works best for large or small groups. If your family has a favorite recipe, check with your caterer to see if they would be able to recreate that family favorite for your guests. If your caterer is unable to accommodate your request, perhaps that recipe could be made for the rehearsal dinner or another of the wedding related events. Bring your family's favorites to the party and make all your guests feel like they are part of the family!

Sharing family memories and reliving fun times with your friends at your wedding celebration can help your guests connect with one another. Maybe your Uncle Frank and your college room-mate have never met before the wedding, but if you have memorabilia from family gatherings and pictures from your days on campus as part of the décor (as long as they are PG rated!), you will have your guests reminiscing about fun times and sharing stories with each other. Yes, the wedding is about the two of you; but you have to remember that you are the hosts of the celebration and you have a social duty to provide for your guests' comfort and pleasure.

When it comes to planning those special touches for your wedding day, I would be happy to help you implement your ideas into your wedding celebration. Feel free to call (306) 244-8482 and ask for Wanda or send a message by email at info@VIVAweddings.com or vivaweddings@hotmail.com. Our first meeting together is always free.


Thought for the day

A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future.

- Author Unknown

Folkfesting in Saskatoon

Last weekend, my husband and I went “Folkfesting” with four of our friends. For those not from Saskatoon, Folkfest is an annual multicultural event where each participating ethnic group hosts a pavilion where “visitors will find cultural displays, dance, song, food, folklore, fables and skits” (quoted from the official Saskatoon Folkfest website). For the price of a “passport” (which is the ticket to enter each pavilion as well as a “ticket to ride” the city transit system as you travel from one venue to the next), our group was able to travel around the world without leaving our city!

On our “travels,” we stopped at the Caribbean Pavilion where we were able to enjoy tasty Caribbean Jerk Chicken and Chicken Rotis and “Jamaica-Me-Crazy” rum punch while grooving to the steel-drum band and watching the colorful dancers cavorting on stage. Before leaving the pavilion, we strolled through market place and admired the colorful jewelry, clothing and objects de art. Next, we stopped in the Ukrainian Pavilion and fill our plates with Perogies, Cabbage Rolls, Kubasa sausage, and a bowl of hot Beet Borscht. While we enjoyed our food from Baba’s (Grandma’s) kitchen, we watched the antics of the dancers as they jumped and twirled to the traditional Ukrainian music. We left enough room in our stomachs to have desert at the Greek Pavilion. As we watched a travel video of the beautiful Greek isles and watched the Middle-Eastern dancers perform, we enjoyed sticky-sweet baklava and a shot of ouzo. Opa!

We went out the following night and continued our globe-trotting. Our first stop of the night was the Peruvian Pavilion. As we sat down with our Peruvian food and drink (Tamales and Sangria), an Andean musical group came on stage and played hauntingly beautiful music with pan-pipes and a lute-type of stringed instrument and drums. After the musical performance, we took a look at all the Peruvian crafts and clothing. I bought a whole bunch of finger puppets – everything from a mouse, a donkey, and a tiger to Santa Claus and Frosty the Snowman. I said I was buying them for my nieces but I’m not sure if I want to give them up – they’re so darn cute! Our next visit was to the Sudanese Ppavilion. The women at this pavilion were exceptionally beautiful and had a regal posture. We took a quick look at all fine clothing and carvings that were on display and admired a fine black wooden walking stick (with an elephant carved into the handle), then we headed to the Brazilian Pavilion (hey, that rhythms!). Here we had Churrasquinho (which is Brazilian BBQ), Feijoada with Farofa (black beans and sausage), and a Brahma Beer. We were dancing in our seats as we watched the salsa dancers perform and we were impressed by the skills of a soccer player who performed all kinds of tricks with a soccer ball. After bidding farewell to the exciting Brazilians, we headed for the German Pavilion. We immediately went on a surveillance mission to find seats – it was lightly raining and everyone was crowded into the beer tent. Once we had claimed a table, we took turns getting into line for the wonderful German food. We had plates of Schnitzel, potato salad, and the most wonderful Sauerkraut ever! And of course we had the requisite German beer! After singing some German drinking songs and doffing our beer, we bid ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ to the German Pavilion and headed for our last stop of the night – the Irish Pavilion. As we walked into the Irish Pavilion, we heard the thrilling sounds of the North Saskatchewan Regimen Pipes and Drums. There is just something spine-tingling about hearing ‘the pipes’! While we were drinking our Irish Coffees, we tapped our feet to the music of the group, Circling Over Shannon. As we finished our in-city travels, we all agreed that Folkfest is the next best thing to actually visiting these countries.

If you and your family have ties to your ethnic origins, why not incorporate some of your cultural traditions into your wedding celebration? There is no better way to infuse your personality into your special day than to add your ethnic customs, food, and music into your wedding festivities. Do your grandparents have a certain recipe that they always make for family occasions? Why not include that special recipe in your menu to share with your guests?

If you want to add a touch of your ethnic customs and culture into your wedding day but aren’t sure what is the best way to go about it, give me a call and I will be happy to help you. Call (306) 244-8482 or email me at info@vivaweddingsandevents.com or vivaweddings@hotmail.com. Oh, and our first meeting together is “on-the-house”!


Thought for the day…

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.

- Jane Howard

A Honeymoon in Paradise

Have you always dreamed of having a romantic honeymoon in a stunningly beautiful location? Your dream honeymoon locale may be closer than you think! Take a look at the picture to the left of this post. This is a photograph of the Chateau Lake Louise which is located in the Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. As you approach the road to the Chateau, you catch a quick glimpse of the hotel through the trees. As you turn into the road up to the Chateau, the full magnitude of the building takes one’s breath away. Taking a walk around the grounds of the hotel provides many more opportunities of breathless wonder. As you first see the unimaginable color of the emerald green waters of Lake Louise and the stunning view of the mountain and glacier at the far side of the lake, you think to yourself, “Surely this cannot be real!” The scene is so achingly beautiful, it is hard to believe that it is actually real and not just a beautiful scene painted from someone’s fantastical imagination!

It would take a very special building to complement the mountain scenery and the Chateau Lake Louise meets that challenge. This beautiful hotel is majestic and elegant. The lobby, lounges, and restaurants are grand with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. There are historical photographs throughout the hotel with informative tidbits of local history printed on the frames of the artwork. There are touches of alpine décor (is there such a design style?) with scenic depictions of life and nature in the Alps. The Victoria Dining Room is a particularly great example of Alpine design. The buffet lunches that were presented for us were outstanding! The buffet table was as long as a Canadian football field (at least that is how is seemed to me!) with an amazing variety of salads, seafood, hot dishes, and a carving station. And this was for lunch! And the hospitable staff – most of whom come from points across Canada, as well as from many international points – were charming, friendly, and top-class. All these elements were expertly co-ordinated to create a magical and pampered experience. This would be a wonderful spot for a newlywed couple to spend their honeymoon!

Perhaps you might even decide to have your wedding at The Chateau. While we were in residence at the hotel, we happened to catch a glimpse of an intimate family wedding being celebrated in one of the smaller reception rooms. The wedding party made use of one of the terraces overlooking the lake for their ceremony and pre-dinner cocktails followed by a specially prepared buffet menu for their reception. The Chateau staff even created a “simple but elegant” wedding cake for the couple!

If you find yourself in need of assistance while planning your dream wedding, don’t hesitate to give me a call. No matter what wild and wonderful ideas you have or how overwhelmed you may be feeling, just remember: Everything is possible – the impossible just takes a little longer! Call (306) 244-8482 or email me at info@vivaweddingsandevents.com or vivaweddings@hotmail.com. Our first meeting together is complimentary (that means it’s free!).


Thought for the day….

Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.

- Ashley Smith

NEWS FLASH!! Saskatoon Wedding Planner goes "off the beaten path" in Calgary

Last week, I was in the Canadian Rocky Mountains – Lake Louise to be exact – to meet with some amazing Wedding Planners in a Mastermind Group. It was an awesome experience and I’ll share more about my trip in upcoming blogs. On my way home from Lake Louise, I stayed overnight in Calgary and planned out all the shopping stops I would make the next day before heading back home to Saskatoon.

Bright and early the next day (well, maybe 9:30 a.m. isn’t that bright and early!!), I checked out of my hotel room and drove to the first stop on my list. As I drove from place to place on my shopping expedition (Tim Horton’s for coffee – check, Chapters Bookstore for the latest wedding magazines and newest books on entertaining and parties – check, The Pottery Barn – check, Williams-Sonoma - check), I eventually pointed my vehicle in the direction of 17h Avenue SE to make a stop at The Social Page on 16th Avenue SE to see what this store had to offer. After looking at some pretty stationery, I got back into my car, looked over my list and saw that there was only one more stop left to make – Home Sense. I love Home Sense! This store has very cool home décor items and great prices on crystal, glassware, serving pieces, and so on. You just have to make sure that if you find something you like, you have to buy it because it won’t be there the next time you come to the store. So anyway, off I go! I headed back east on 17th Avenue SE. As I approached the end of this long street, I realized that I had missed the turn-off on to Macleod Trail heading south so now I had no choice but to turn north onto Macleod Trail because I had reached the end of the road (so to speak). “No problem!” I thought to myself. "I’ll just take Macleod Trail heading north and turn east at the first major intersection. Then I’ll just find an access road onto the Deerfoot Trail and head off to Home Sense and after that I’ll be on my way back home."

I turned right onto the next major street and drove past the Stampede Park and the Saddledome. Eventually, I reached a fork in the road. I could have kept on following this road but I would probably have ended up downtown, which is not where I was going. My other option was to turn right and keep driving east and hopefully hook up with the Deerfoot Trail. So, I thought to myself, “Okay! If I head cross this little bridge, at least I’m heading in the right direction.” After I crossed the bridge and drove a bit further, I realized that nothing was looking familiar to me and I wasn’t sure that I would be able to get onto a main throughway that would get me to where I want to go. I started patting my right hand on the passenger seat to see if I could find the Calgary map – nope, not there. I reached down between the driver’s seat and the console, then I reached into the backseat to poke around back there – nope, the map wasn’t there either. What the heck?!?! As I kept on driving, heading in the direction that I thought was the correct way, I kept seeing unfamiliar streets in the industrial area and I knew that I was definitely in the wrong area. Every once in a while, I could see the traffic on Deerfoot Trail off in the distance but I just couldn’t find the right road to access the entry ramp. I could see where I wanted to be, but I just couldn’t figure out how to get there.

As I drove back and forth (and in circles), I ended up driving further off the beaten path and wound up in a residential area; which I knew was not where Home Sense was located. I continued to drive down neighborhood streets until I reached a stop sign. At last! An indication that I had found a more major street that than the one I was just on! I eventually ended up at an intersection where I saw a gas station. Halleluiah!! I decided to fill up the gas tank and buy a city map and figure out where I was!

As I took a look at the Calgary map and found where I was (boy, was I ever way, way off the trail), I was quickly able to find out where I wanted to go and I planned out the easiest and quickest route to get there.

So, what does this story about getting lost in Calgary have to do with weddings and why I am starting off my blog with this epic tale of travelling trials and tribulations? Well, planning a wedding is a lot like planning a road trip. With travelling, you need to have clear, precise directions with a plan to guide you from where you are to where you want to be. With a wedding, you need a clear vision of what you want your wedding to look like and feel like so that you end up with the wedding of your dreams. It’s like that old adage: “If you don’t know where you are going, you may not like where you wind up!!”

Save yourself the waste of time and money, the headache of keeping on-budget, and the frustration of not getting the results you were hoping for. Give me a call at (306) 244-8482 or email me at info@vivaweddingsandevents.com or vivaweddings@hotmail.com and let’s talk about your wedding!


PS: By the way, I did eventually make it to Home Sense and found some fabulous décor items – but that is a story for another day!

PPS: I’m a lot better at planning weddings than I am at driving through the unknown parts of Calgary without a map!


Thought for the day….

Ask and you will receive.
Search and you will find.
Knock and the door will be opened for you.

- Matthew 7:7