Surprise Horse Drawn Carriage!

Natalie & Peter's wedding day was full of sunshine, and yes, come cool breezes. Their ceremony was held at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Mississauga, officiated by the minister who had a great sense of humour. Part of their ceremony included the "sand ceremony" to symbolize thier new life together.

Natalie looked like a princess in her gorgeous dress that had a sparkly, fitted top and layers of tulle princess skirt... stunning!! Peter was handsome in his tuxedo and was able to relax and enjoy the day once he set eyes on his bride! The girls wore teal dresses and the guys had matching teal vests.

At the end of the ceremony, the church bells rang and the couple left the church in their white carriage - drawn through town to the photo site by 2 magnificent white horses (this was a surprise to the bridal party & guests!) The rest of the bridal party and family members were driven to the photo site in a luxury coach limo bus... talk about classy all the way!

The cocktail hour and reception were held at the Harbour Banquet Hall in Oakville... a gorgeous second floor room of windows, overlooking the lake. The decor was eye-catching all done in silver and teal, with some brown and lots of "Bling" accessories. It was quite the amazing banquet hall. A teal-lit ice luge martini bar was set up in one corner of the room, serving up the signature drink "Sabatinis".. after the couple's last name (Sabata)

The party was fabulous - lots of dancing and enjoyment was shared by all, and the bride & groom were the last to leave! Congratulations Natalie & Peter... a fabulous couple!!

VENDORS:
St. Andrews Presbyterian Church - http://www.standrewsportcredit.ca/wordpress/
Harbour Banquet Conference Centre - http://www.harbourbanquet.ca/
Mark Zelinski Photography - http://www.markzelinski.com/
Studio Studios videography - www.studiostudios.com
Iris Segal Cakes - www.iriscakes.com
Ada's Flowers - www.adasflowers.com
S & A Party Decor - www.sandapartydecor.com
DJ Perri - www.djperri.com
Steel Pan Play - b-panman@hotmail.com
Seating chart, table numbers & menus - Marble Weddings - www.marbleweddings.ca
Two of a Kind Limosines - www.twoofakindlimousines.com

Classy & Traditional = Beautiful Wedding!

Saturday, September 10th dawned clear, bright and gorgeous... the perfect day for Tori & Rob's wedding.

Rob and his handsome groomsmen arrived at St. Jude's church in Oakville in 3 antique "London Cabs" - very stylish and elegant.

The bride and her girls arrived in an antique Rolls Royce - with red carpet treatment and all. Tori was gorgeous in her gown and cathedral length veil. A traditional Anglican wedding service was witnessed by many friends and family, with music provided by both the organist and also a string quartet from the Oakville Symphony. Photos were taken at the church's beautiful gardens immediately following the service.

Guests enjoyed a fabulous cocktail hour on the lawn of the grand Oakville Golf & Country Club, followed by the reception in their upstairs dining room. The couple were treated to a traditional Ukranian bread ceremony blessing involving Tori's god parents and the bride's & groom's parents.

It was a wonderful day and I wish this special couple all the best in their new life together!

VENDORS:
St. Jude's Anglican Church, Oakville www.stjudeschurch.net
Oakville Golf & Country Club www.oakvillegolfclub.com
Oakville Symphony www.oakvillesymphony.com
Flower Deco, Oakville www.flowerdeco.ca
DJ Central www.canadasbestdjs.com
Linens - Higgins Party Rentals www.higginseventrentals.com
Iris Segal Cakes www.iriscakes.com

Hot Day, Bad Traffic - BUT a Still a Successful Wedding!

The day dawned clear and hot and humid for Helen & Eric's wedding day today. And then the news came that a police investigation closed the QEW Niagara-bound for hours, resulting in huge traffic problems. However, with flexibility at Liuna Gardens on our side, the wedding happened as hoped, just an hour delayed. But the guests were understanding, the vendors were accomodating and it was a beautiful ceremony overlooking the lake. A nice breeze and shade of the trees helped to keep guests comfortable.

Following the ceremony and family photos... and photos with their little dog, Chico (wearing a tuxedo!) Helen changed into a beautiful red traditional Chinese gown to participate with Eric and their parents in the special Chinese Tea Ceremony. After the Tea Ceremony, it was back into her wedding dress for bridal party photos at Liuna's beautiful property.

The Cocktail hour was held at Burlington Golf & Country Club while the Bride & Groom had more photos taken there and then the reception followed.


Congratulations Eric & Helen on a beautiful and special day, despite the delayed start! It all worked out and was a special day!

VENDORS:

LifeImages Photography (Alex) www.lifeimages.ca
Norris Films Videography (Norris) www.norrisfilms.com
Liuna Gardens (Ceremony) www.liunagardens.com
Burlington Golf & Country Club (reception) www.burlingtongolfclub.com
Gala Decor (Christina) www.galadecor.ca
Lush Florals (Melanie) www.lushflorals.ca
All Life's Milestones Officant Tom Chire www.alllifesmilestones.on.ca
Quartet, Alicia & Trent www.aliciaandtrent.ca
Guitar & Vocals, Mike & Wendy www.mikefreedman.com http://www.wendyirvine.ca/
Andy's Cakes www.andysweddingcakes.com
Mainstream Entertainment (William) www.mainstream-entertainment.net
Fox Run Limosines www.foxrunlimos.com
Satine Makeup & Hair www.satinestudio.com
Chinese Lion Dancers www.sammychengtorontoliondance.com

FAMILY & FRIENDS Wedding Theme...

Canada Day holiday + perfect weather + lots of close family & friends = a wonderful wedding day for Sharon & Marcus in Kitchener-Waterloo...
Sharon & Marcus celebrated their marriage at Benton Street Baptist Church in Kitchener, with 21 close family & friends standing up for them in their bridal party and 230 guests on hand to celebrate their special day. The ceremony included the unique element of all guests & Bridal party lighting candles to symbolize the special connections that the couple felt with their guests. Also, at the end of the ceremony, the couple also symbolically "jumped the broom" before starting their recessional.

A Classic Car drove the couple from the church to the photo site, while the bridal party enjoyed the comfort of a Limo Bus.
The reception hall at St George's Hall in Waterloo was a vision in white and lots of "bling"... crystals, sparkly fabrics, and special lighting effects A delicious meal was served by wonderful staff from St. Georges... who did a great job in a tightly set up room! The program included touching, and sometimes. humourous, speeches as well as a special video prepared by co-workers at ESPN and a surprise video of the wedding day itself!! Following a late-night delicious Portuguese seafood & Sweet table, guests were treated to a SURPRISE... 3 Samba Dancers who put on a great show & really got the party pumping.
Sharon put so much thought and work into the day... providing flipflops for female guests to wear for dancing, providing amazing gift bags for guests in their hotel rooms, preparing bubbles for "fun" and bottles of wine as favours. She printed and framed and labelled wedding photos of guests that were placed randomly on reception tables. A "FAMILY" tree held small cards with old photos of guests, again all labelled with who they were. A second tree was used as their "WISH" tree - where guests could write a wish on a card & hang it on the tree for the couple, in lieu of a guest book.

Escort cards were hand-written and decked out with "bling". So many small yet personal touches that really showed Sharon's tender heart & love for family & friends. Sharon & Marcus made a stunning couple who are obviously crazy about each other. They were so relaxed and flexible, willing to change the agenda as needed to suit the flow of the event...they were a joy to work for! And in the end, I believe that they and all their guests truly enjoyed their incredible day.

VENDORS:
Leah Lee Photography (California)http://www.leahleephotoblog.com/
www.leahleephotography.com
Jeff Rocchi Videography jeff_rocchi@hotmail.com
St. George's Hall http://www.stgeorgehall.com/
Benton Street Baptist Church www.bentonstreetbaptist.org
Brentwood Livery Limousines www.brentwoodlivery.ca
Memory Lane Classic Cars & Limousines www.memorylanelimo.com
R.S. Divas Dancers www.rsdivas.com
Jerry Jerome Steel Drum Band http://www.gigmasters.com/Soca-Band/Jerry-Jerome-And-The/
Julia Weddings (Decor & Florals)www.juliaweddings.ca
Pat's Party Rentals (Red Carpet)www.patspartyrentals.net
Jirina Wedding Bakery www.jirinasbakery.com
Sherwood Systems (Lighting)www.sherwoodsystems.com
Joe Resendes Portuguese Catering toniresendes@hotmail.com
You Cakes - Felicia (Groom's cake) youcakes@gmail.com

A Fairy Tale BARN Wedding!!

Yesterday could not have been a more perfect day for Bride Katie & Groom David!! The weather cooperated more than we could have hoped for... slight cloud cover, gentle breeze, comfortable temperatures and NO Rain!!

The farm property of Katie's parents was tranformed into a fun, relaxed and yet elegant wedding venue for the big day. White chairs were lined up for the ceremony overlooking the large pond. The aisle was lined with shepherd's hooks with hanging mason jars filled with simple daisies.

As guests arrived, they were served lemonade at the gazebo by the pool. Gift cards were placed in an antique suitcase.

The girls dresses were all made by the mother of the bride (as were all the decor items for the day!!) Dresses were short, all the same style but in different colours... royal blue, deep purple, fuschia and deep turquoise. The girls all carried bundles of wheat and lavendar... and they all wore cowboy boots! The guys sported tuxedos with vests & ties to match the girls. Four adorable children rounded out the bridal party.

After the ceremony, the guests enjoyed a signature cocktail called the "Striker" and many delicious varieties of appetizers. They also entertained themselves by visiting the "photobooth" and then playing various "garden games" such as bean bag toss, horseshoes, giant jenga, croquette, etc. The receiving line allowed guests to finally enter the barn... an incredible and amazing facility that the brides' parents have completely renovated to be an event space. The huge barn beams were lit up with strands of mini lights. The walls were decorated with a wide variety of antiquities and "country" decor. Long tables were set up with white linens and runners made of burlap. Place cards were also made of burlap. Centerpieces were assorted tin containers with ivy and purple flowers and raffia, as well as mason jars with sand and pillar candles.

The upper level of the barn seated a few other guests & wedding helpers - and this was also where the live band was set up. The "hub" of the barn was the uniquely designed "saloon" built right into the center of the barn. A very popular spot all evening!

The bride and groom were introduced into the reception, encircled by their bridal party holding sparklers... and then the couple proceeded to perform a well-choreographed first dance, much to everyone's delight & surprise!

A buffet meal was served at a tent outside, followed by homemade pies and carrot cake served in one part of the barn after. Local Band, 'Ziggy Jones' kept the crowd dancing to great music. Later in the evening, many homemade squares as well as some pizzas were put out for guests to enjoy. Several of the guests also enjoyed the fresh evening air around a huge bonfire with some musicians singing & playing guitars.

It was indeed a magical and special day - full of great memories and fun times with friends & family - a wedding day to remember!!

VENDORS:
Young Hearts Photographers www.younghearts.ca
Flowers from Holland Park Gardens Burlington www.hollandpark.com
Ziggy Jones Band (& DJ) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ziggy-Jones/143124855718020?sk=wall
Its My Potty www.itsmypotty.com
Caterers from Oakville Conference Centre www.oakvilleconference.com

Sweet Cheeks Event - AND RIDE - a huge success

Better a late review than a forgotten review!!

Back in May, the Sweet Cheeks Bike Team for the Ride to Conquer Cancer held a wonderful fund-raiser dinner/auction/dance event. It was held at the Flamborough Golf & Country Club where a great meal was provided and a fun evening was enjoyed by all who attended.


Highlights of the evening included a video about the Ride, a jewellry raffle, a "Joker Poker" Draw and a big hit was the "Heads & SWEET CHEEKS" game. Many silent auction prizes were bid upon - and a special guest auctioneer arrived to sell of a few special "live auction" items. The center focus of the hall was the "Hope & Memory Tree".
Music was provided - free of charge to the event - by "Something Blue" (wedding)DJs... who did a great job in playing a variety of great music for us all evening.


The Ride to Conquer Cancer was then held on June 11-12 --- and the team successfully completed the 200km ride from Toronto to Niagara Falls. They, along with all the other riders, raised over $17 million for Cancer Research.

Way to go Team!! SUPER job!!

www.conquercancer.ca

Great Fundraiser Event coming up!!

The Ride to Conquer Cancer is coming up soon... and the "Sweet Cheeks" team of cyclists from Waterdown are gearing up, training hard and working at raising the funds needed to participate in the ride!

Everyone is invited to help support the team by coming to the annual "Yellow & Black" Fundraiser featuring a great buffet dinner catered by Gator Ted's, a silent and live auction and a professional DJ-hosted dance.

Event Details:
DATE: Friday May 13th, 2011
TIME: 6:30 pm - 1:00 am
PLACE: Flamborough Hills Golf & Country Club
COST: $35

Why not buy a table of 8 and invite some friends to enjoy a great evening out while supporting a wonderful and worthy cause!

For tickets or more information, email me at mgayla@cogeco.ca

www.to11.conquercancer.ca
www.flamboroughhills.com

You're Invited to a BOUTIQUE Wedding Show April 8-9, 201

This coming weekend, Friday, April 8 and Saturday, April 9, there will be a great "boutique" wedding show for discerning brides held at the beautiful
Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville.

On Friday night, come & enjoy the "VIP Night" including a Jazz Band, Refreshments, Hors d’ Oeuvres, VIP Gift Bag, Free Novel Give Away’s by Author Jodi Picoult, Free Glen Abbey Brunch Gift Certificates for First 30 Brides ($30.95 Value), and Special Prizes to be Won.

On Saturday at 2:00, enjoy a great fashion show, highlighting the latest styles in bridal wear & men's formalwear.

Lots of great prizes to be won & awesome vendors on hand to give you creative ideas for planning your perfect wedding.

Check out the website to Pre-Register for the show - save 50% of the registration cost AND be entered to win a $100.00 Gift Certificate to The Bay/Home Outfitters!

Regular Adult Admission: $10.00 (at door) & parking is free!

Show runs Friday from 5pm - 8pm and Saturday from 11am - 5pm


Be sure to stop by my booth to say Hi and to enter your name in a draw for a great gift basket....

Hope to see you this weekend at the show.


http://glenabbeyweddingshow.com/
http://www.thebridalshow.ca/thebridalshow

Wedding Bliss Sale a HUGE success!

On Sunday, March 6th, about 180 brides and their friends & family showed up at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Toronto to try to find their dream wedding dress.
Great designer dresses were sold from $99 - $350, and some brides even went away having bought 2 dresses!!




There were also many great wedding vendors on site to help brides make plans for their upcoming weddings.

The event couldn't have happened so successfully as it did without the great team of volunteers who helped run the event! Thanks to everyone for the roles they played!


Thanks to all the guests who showed up - your tickets sales as well as your purchases all went to support a great cause in the New Beginnings Charity.


For more information about this charity, check it out at:

www.newbeginningsprogram.ca

Wedding Bliss Sale - March 6, 2011

Are you getting married & don't yet have your wedding dress?!
Then you need to check out the fantastic upcoming "Wedding Bliss Sale"...

This amazing event will have hundreds of dresses on sale from $99 - $350 including some incredible designer dresses. And the awesome thing about THIS sale is that while you can get the dress of your dreams, you will be helping to support a wonderful charity that helps women & children in need!

The Wedding Bliss for "New Beginnings Charity Recovery Fundraiser" is a wedding experience you don’t want to miss. New Beginnings had an unfortunate flood in their offices last summer which has drastically impacted their ability to help women & children in Toronto. All proceeds from this event will help them as they struggle to get back on track with serving women in need in our community.

SO - while YOU shop for a wedding dress and get some great ideas & plans for your wedding from wedding vendors on site.... you will also be making a difference in your community!

This year’s event will be held Sunday, March 6, 2011 from 10am to 6pm at the Sheraton Hotel Toronto.

Check out their website for more information, to purchase tickets, to find out about contests & to see some of the dresses that will be available for sale! And then plan to come & support this charity & hopefully find your perfect dress at a great price!

http://www.weddingblisssale.com/

Hamilton Bridal Show was a great weekend!

January 9 & 10th was a great weekend at the Hamilton Bridal Show... the largest number of attendees since 2006!!

Each day featured two awesome fashion shows highlighting the newest bridal fashions as well as grooms, mothers and kids.

Two floors of vendors were on hand showcasing their goods & services.


I had the privilege of talking with many wonderful couples, brides & moms and their friends. Four lucky brides won the beautiful gift baskets that I had a draw for.

I look forward to following up with the many brides I met that weekend.
My goal is to meet with bridal couples over a cup of coffee (my treat & no obligation) to hear about their wedding plans and share with them the Wedding Day Coordination services I can provide to them to make their special day the best it can be... stress free & well organized for them!