"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