Wedding Cake Alternative

Lina Campbell Photography

Here is a great alternative for the wedding cake. Our bride put this in front of her head table, and it was actually the wedding favours for her guests.  The favours were packaged in square boxes, with a ribbon bow on the side of the top of the box for decoration. There are actually over 100 boxes in this picture.  The mother of the bride contacted me to get a base for this idea, however in the end it was custom made. The centrepiece designed by us is in the background on the right. Gold pebbles were added around the foam holding the fresh florals. 19 of these centrepieces were used in the decor.

Thankyou From The Bride

In all the years I’ve been involved in weddings this is without a doubt the most thoughtful thankyou I have ever received. It was a handwritten letter, which makes it even more special. Below is what the bride wrote, 2 weeks  prior to her wedding.

Dear Judi;

What do I say to you that I haven’t said before . Words can’t express how much I appreciate all that you have done for me. I am still thinking of a way to show my gratitude.

I was scrolling through our past correspondence today and really saw how much you went out of your way to get everything done for me and kept my spirits up when things weren’t looking so great. Thankyou for that.

They say that people come into your life as parts of the essentials of a tree.

The branches are people who leave you when things get bad. The people like leaves only come around when they need you and the roots keep you grounded and help when you when times get hard. You are a root !! Thankyou for being mine.

I hope that give you a taste of how much you have meant to me over the past 10 months. 

May God continue to bless and keep you.

MB

It’s letters like this that make my job so worthwhile

Chair Covers Satin Wraps-Why We Don’t Use Them

Although satin wraps can look nice at a venue, we choose not to use them. The cleaning alone is a real effort, plus the fact that once put on the chairs, they tend to look wrinkled, and these wrinkles do NOT fall out.

Instead we have chosen to use crushed taffeta wraps for our chair covers in many colours. They are hung on hangers and are  not folded after cleaning like some decorators do. They are  cleaned after each and every use and ready for the next occasion. 

Crushed taffeta chair covers look rich, and each bow attached looks crisp and fresh when tied.

Depending on the actual chair cover and chair, satin wraps are prone to sliding off the chair and all that money spent on covers is all for nothing and will look terrible in candid shots.

The crushed taffeta covers come with a sewn in seat pocket to help adhere to the chair itself and no sliding off occurs.

Free Backdrop-Free Bouquet

We service the Greater Toronto area, and are 45 minutes or less away from most venues.

 

We are offering:

A free backdrop, decorated in chiffon, the design of your choice with lighting up to 18′ long.

 This offer is valid if booking a head table, cake table, receiving table decor as well as linens – or- chair covers for your wedding.   

Other discounts will be offered if booking your florals whether fresh or faux with our company in the above offer.

Destination Wedding?

Receive one free bouquet for your wedding party when booking all your other floral arrangements. All bouquets are made from the top of the line real touch florals.

Forward your email address and wedding date to info@specialdaydesign.ca and two  brides will be chosen for each offer.

This offer will expire June 30th, 2009.

This is open to all brides.

Check out some of our work at at www.specialdaydesign.ca

We received the Bride’s Choice Award for 2009 for our decor and florals.

New York Bride-Destination Wedding-Pointers

Most brides I work with to the extent I have with my New York bride, I have met personally, however in this case we have never met face to face.

Our first contact with each other was on October 2, 2008, and as of this posting we are still in constant contact.

Melanie and I have worked out such a great working relationship, that neither one of us hesitates to give our honest opinion to each other in order to make her wedding day exactly the way she wants it.

Organization is key here both for the bride and or course myself, as over such an extended period of time so much has been discussed.

Melanie started out emailing me with a planning thread and a list of flowers that she liked and it all took off from there.

I in turn sent her samples of some of the flowers that could be used. I wanted her to see the size and texture of the “real touch” flowers and get her approval

She then sent me pictures of the bridesmaids dresses in order to compliment them with the proper florals.

Her dress is absolutely exquisite and one of the challenges was then for me to make a custom made hairpiece to compliment the dress. She chose a veil from our inventory, and the hairpiece matches the veil.

We then moved on to centrepieces, and both the florals and lampshades are all customized to her vision and in the colours she requested. The lampshades did create a bit of a problem, but we did make a final decision. Even specialized paper and samples were shipped to me by Melanie to use.

Special sized nautilus shells were also introduced to the floral decor.

The chairs for the bride and the groom have a customized floral arrangement to be hung on the back of the chairs to add to the already meticulous designs she has requested.

As an added embellishment Melanie had asked us for  a special design that she wanted created for her wedding party and parents place settings.

The boutonnieres are fashioned a little different than the standard ones you see at weddings, and this only adds to the unique ideas this bride has come up with.

Melanie sent me a sample of her invitations. and they are the finest work I have ever seen done by anybody. The textures used and the beautiful way they are done to co-ordinate with the destination wedding theme is amazing. She also had sent me her save-the-date- bottles done with sand, a small scroll inside and a  parasol all topped off with a cork and a label on the outside. All of these were done by the bride herself, and it just shows the time and effort she has put into making her day an event to remember.

During this whole process, we had to consider that everything being done needed to be shipped to New York city and then in turn down to Jamaica without compromising or ruining any of the materials. We couldn’t ship directly to the co-ordinator at the resort in Jamaica, as Melanie stated that it might get lost.

With so much being done by us for this wedding, it is not unusual to have the contact with each other to the extent that we have.

We are finished everything except her fan programs, which she printed herself,  (she’s a graphic artist) and is shipping to me to be cut, assembled and finishing touches added. Sadly this will be our last project for her wedding that we do together.  

Melanie is  a very special person to me, and has now made this a personal relationship. She is the most thoughtful, gracious bride.  I even got a text message this weekend from her, to wish me “Happy Mothers Day”. She will never know the extent of my gratitude for that simple thoughtful gesture.

So Melanie, I know you are reading this, here is a personal public message for you.

I have enjoyed so much working with you in order to make your ideas and dreams a reality. Not once that I know of – lol – did you get worried, upset or flustered in order for us to overcome some obstacles we encountered along the way but kept  exactly what you wanted in your focus, and made the process work.  Even though we did have to make some changes due to circumstances beyond our control you were readily agreeable and accepted them. I have conversed with you via email and phone more than any other bride I have worked with but I knew each contact with you would never be a problem and any issues that arose were rectified and dealt with accordingly in a very sweet manner from you.

As our planning time together winds down, I have to admit I’m going to miss working with you. No… that’s wrong. I’m just plain going to miss you. Your personality alone speaks volumes. I would be at your wedding in a heartbeat and I really do appreciate the invite, however other obligations have to be met.

I know your day will be one of the most spectacular weddings Ocho Rios has ever seen.

It has been my absolute joy and pleasure to work with you on your wedding and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

And now I wish both You and Rob congratulations and God’s Blessing on Your Wedding Day and…. may He always be the heart of your marriage, the  light of your home and the ever-present partner in your life together.

With Love

Judi

The Brides Lose

Unprofessional conduct in the bridal industry has a snowball affect and leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of brides using wedding vendors.

That hold true to forums, administrators and moderators running forums.

Due to some true unprofessionals, we have chosen to leave  some  forums along with several very reputable vendors for this very reason.

Even though there may be a few good vendors left , the ones that were a mainstay, acted with courtesy and respect for other vendors and have contributed for years, are pretty much gone.  They will not advertise on these forums as they do not want to be considered or grouped together with unethical, non-professional people.

We have been in the wedding business for over 23 years, and find it sad that pathetic attempts are made by others to undermine, deceive, lie and blatantly play games on forums to try to convince the brides that they are professionals and know what they are doing.

Last year alone, we had 5 brides contact us to tear apart or fix bouquets that were made by a vendor on a board. They approached us in many cases in tears, and it was evident by the way these bouquets were put together that someone that didn’t know what they were doing had put these together, and used inferior product contrary to what the bride was paying for. These brides did not come from one forum, but a few that lets anyone advertise a business. Even with faux flowers, there is a right and wrong way to do things.

Our company only has full-time staff working for us with the exception of installers for decor on the weekends. 

We graduated at the top of the class in floral design, work with both fresh and artificial florals, and are extremely well known in the industry by our peers. We socialize with our suppliers regularly and have regular social times with not only our competitors, but many in the wedding business.

For years we have had great working relationships with other vendors, even those in direct competition with us, but the newcomers in the last while seem to think they should bulldoze over everyone and try to fool the brides.

The vendors sections have steadily gone down hill and continues. The proof was in a poll I recently took, and most brides don’t even look at the vendors section anymore for various reasons.

The emails I have received from brides and other vendors in support of comments that have been made is overwhelming, not to mention some are very sad due to the goings on by these same vendors on other forums.

Brides have told us that these vendors that feel threatened, have any kudos of our work removed from other forums. If that isn’t a direct sign of inferiority I don’t know what is! I would mention the forum names, but don’t want to give them free google advertising. This and many other stories have been told to us just how far threatened people will go. How sad and inappropriate for that vendor and the owner of the forum. We still have correspondence coming in, and on another forum a bride told quite a lengthy story about her nightmare with these same vendors.

 Who loses?  The brides first and foremost, the actual forum itself as good vendors won’t advertise, other forums and even other vendors.

Price is not an issue here, quality, customer service, and professionalism is.

Many of the reputable vendors have lower prices to fit any budget, but the finished product is far superior to any of these vendors of the work that many of us have seen. 

One of the things I find to be the saddest, is that we mentor, help, advise and give lessons to many up and coming industry hopefuls. They have continued on to be successful, without any malice towards others in the industry. These threatenend vendors however continue to bash, play games and in general make themselves look truly unprofessional and in turn it reflects on the industry itself.

You are welcome to email me with your comments and questions about these vendors. As we are involved with consumer advocate groups, we will be more than happy to direct you to the proper sources with your complaints as we have done in the past. Any comments left here are moderated,  approved or denied prior to being published.

We will now advertise only with forums that are involved with checking credentials of vendors and that keep it fair, respectful and monitor closely those that are involved.

An update however is worth injecting here. Just this week ( May 21. 2009) a supposed professional went onto several forums and publicy accused another vendor of trying to ruin their reputation by sending a private message to a bride.  They didn’t mention who the vendor was, just that they were being trashed by them.

This very same vendor being trashed, posted several items on a board and bumped ever other vendor off the page, then played dumb about it.  They are now posting how terrible that something like this could happen to them. Well HELLO!! Why are you posting all over the internet if you don’t want people to know that your reputation is being trashed. Seems like a sympathy trip to me and she got it… as well as another way to advertise freely… Sheesh, it takes all kinds. Several vendors emailed me about this same company, we had a laugh or two, then I left that forum as well. However I had planned on it for several months anyway.

Another problem with specific forums is that some mods are friends with some vendors. They go out of their way to push and refer their friends, which in itself is unfair. Doesn’t matter if the vendor is good or not…. and that is a biased opinion being given that certainly doesn’t help the bride at all. My point is in the above post with having to re-do bouquets.

On another note, an owner of a destination forum decided she didn’t like a couple of vendors, and removed all postings about them, and will not let brides give good referrals about these same vendors.

 We appreciate all your information, emails, phone calls, and correspondence about what has been said and done. All of the problems are documented and turned over to our group for reference.

Competition is healthy, and we welcome it. True professionals do.

With all this being said, it is now time for us to get back into the business of weddings, and focus only on keeping our brides happy as we have for many years. forget forums pretty much, and do what we always do with success.

Wedding Vendors Now The Enemy !!

This is an update about bridal forums and why vendors are leaving forums in droves.

Published on a very popular site recently was an article for DIY brides. We know the economy dictates frugality for weddings right now, but to turn vendors into the brides enemy is beyond my comprehension for a wedding forum.

This all has to do with bargaining or negotiating. The offending site needs to get a grip.

Comments in bold made below are directed at the offending site.

 They have told  brides to go to flea markets and practice bargaining to get lower pricing. Take the skills they learned at the flea market and approach their wedding vendors with the same attitude?  Hello !!! we are NOT flea market vendors. We are professionals providing a professional service that in most cases has taken years of schooling, study, and exams to get where we are now and considerable expense to get our businesses up and running.

They then told their brides to be indifferent, take someone with them to their vendors and literally play good cop, bad cop. Yup !! That will really make your vendor want to work with you. This comment bowled me over.

It tells the bride to ask every single thing that is included in your package.  If every single thing is put on a quote, more time is involved, therefore in the end  it leads to higher pricing. Some things are necessary to know, others are a given and when working with a professional there is no need to have everything itemized.  It also depends on the individual vendor you are working with whether itemizing is actually needed.

After some discussion with other vendors about this terrible advice given  most have agreed that they wouldn’t work with any couple that has this attitude. One vendor even went as far to say they would show them the door.

Some vendors are pulling their advertising due to this outrageous post, and in my previous post, once again the brides lose.

Most vendors will always negotiate and try to accomodate their clients, but to cop attitude as soon as you walk in the door, will literally get the bride nowhere. Seems this wedding advisory site forgot that vendors are still human beings.

A lot of our associates are not only offended but insulted that this site would consider having a bride degrade and lower herself  to this standard, and to even entertain the thought of treating a vendor this way.

Courtesy and respect with each other goes a long way, and this is just about the worst advice I have ever seen coming from a wedding site. In the end it will actually defeat the purpose of making wedding preparations enjoyable and cause more friction that certainly is not needed . The planning process is supposed to be enjoyable not filled with attitude and conflict.

This is actually sad to see coming from such a popular site, and the author should really be not only embarrassed but ashamed of themselves.

Update:  Due to the uprising from paying vendors on that site… they pulled the above advice from their site, and in the end several vendors pulled their advertising.

Thanking Your Wedding Vendor

This is a bride from North Dakota that sent me some pictures of her wedding. She is a long distance bride of course, but I love to hear and see how their day went.

Here was her very unique way of thanking me on her day.

Florals From Our Past Brides

http://s77.photobucket.com/albums/j74/specday/Florals%20From%20The%20Past/?action=view&current=97a3c668.pbw

Ceremony Alternative-The Rings

Some wedding vows include a sand or hand ceremony. I came across this alternative and found it quite unique. This works if you have few guests or want to prolong the ceremony a bit longer.

The wedding rings are tied onto a ribbon or string of your choice of colour.

The guests pass the rings amongst themselves and say a blessing of their own either out loud or silently.

Some wonderful things can be said by your closest friends and relatives.

The rings are then returned to the officiant for a final blessing prior to them being exchanged.

What a great alternative and unique idea.

Tiaras – Clearout

These are brand new tiaras in our stock being sold at clearance prices. We will no longer be carrying tiaras, as we  custom make hairpieces and fascinators.

All these are in Canadian prices, shipping is extra to anywhere in North America.  

UB-87     $ 59.99

UB-86     $45.99

 
UB-82     $59.99 – crystals and pearls

 

UB-59     $87.99 – crystals

LC-512     $61.99 – crystals-baguettes

 
LC-412     $ 25.55 crystals

 

LC-400    $ 62.99 – crystals

 

LC-379A      $ 59.95 crystals and pearls

BB003      $ 36.99 crystals

BB037     $ 48.99 crystals

Email info@specialdaydesign.ca for more info. Spam filters are in place and you will be required to verify your email address prior to us receiving your inquiries.

I Have Been So Blessed!!

I’m sitting here thinking about the 2009 wedding season as it starts to become progressively busier.

 I can’t help but reflect on my past brides and what their lives are like now, as many days for them now go by without a thought of their wedding on their mind.  We had shared many emergencies, from re-doing bouquets from amateur vendors posing as professionals, getting last minute ministers, finding a cake company 3 days before the wedding, re-doing misprinted invites from a diy bride, rescueing a wedding party, ironing into the wee hours of the morning for a bride who rented items somewhere else just to mention a few things, but all now looked back on with a great amount of laughter by us all. Being in the business for 20 years, there are so many stories that could be told

So many from so many years ago have kept in touch and I treasure that bond we have formed, and the closeness that has evolved.

While I watch these girls go through the evolution of life, from their excitement about their wedding, their grievances about their new spouse, the joy when they found out they are pregnant, the loss of a parent,  coping with daycare and kids….. the list goes on,  I would never know about any of these girls I care about if they hadn’t met me as just a vendor for their wedding. 

I firmly believe that as a wedding vendor, I have been so blessed by these strangers that entered my life on such a happy occasion, formed a bond, and have included me in their lives for so long.

I cherish each and everyone of these ladies and their families. Not only has my list of friends increased over the years, but I hope it continues with new bonds and friendships in the coming years.

 God Bless each and everyone of my brides, past, present and future. Thankyou for including me in one of the happiest times of your life.

Floramatique and Real Touch Flowers- Difference

 

 

FLORAMATIQUE WARNING:

———————————————————————————

Update-

Well to date I have had several emails from designers all over the world who have had the same problems with the Floramatique mentioned below. Seems like a lot of us have been had with this brand of flowers. Unless they change their pricing and the integrity of this type we and several others now, are no longer promoting, buying or selling them anymore.  We have since announcing we will no longer carry them, had an abundance of U.S. brides contact us as well.   We did note though that others have even slashed their prices on the Floramatique just to get rid of them.   Anyway you can read the original post about the Floramatique below……..

________________________________________________ 

I am  not only disappointed but very disgusted after promoting the Floramatique line of flowers, with recent events.  I have a  bride from the U.S. that I have spent time, travel and money on, and likewise the time she has spent in conversations with me adds up to many hours. This bride is meticulous in her choices and I unfortunately thought I was selling her the best. Was I ever wrong, and it appears the knowlegeable agree with me.

Along with many things this bride and I are doing together, I  completed her very expensive bouquet with Floramatique flowers that have been in my shop for just over 2 months. After completing the bouquet, I noticed the Floramatique dahlias in a cream colour have all changed colour and gone a noticeable, brown and pale orange hue. They plainly look old, and absolutely disgusting in her bouquet. I bought these on sale with smaller stems as I believed it was a promotion and at that time they looked ok.

I contacted my supplier here in Canada, and they out and out refused to compensate me at all for the flowers that are not only in the brides bouquet, but the others that I cannot do anything with and were to go in the bridesmaids bouquets ( 6 more bouquets to be exact). I got told that what I purchased were sample florals…. no one could tell me how long they had been around…. but it doesn’t matter, the importer won’t even stand behind their product.

Dahlias ,Callas & Amaryllis

Anything it seems in the Floramatique line that has a white or cream colour will and has changed colour, specifically the callas and for sure the dahlias and now we have heard the amaryllis as well . There is a warning on the box that states they may change colour due to environment…. and that’s fair, but certainly not before the arrangements are even complete and for sure not having been exposed to any elements whatsoever, including the sun.

Due to this turn of events, I will no longer promote the Floramatique line of flowers, and of course severed my ties with that supplier. This was a long standing relationship between them and myself, and to be treated in a cavalier manner about this problem doesn’t sit well at all.  The bride is absolutely in love with her bouquet however it now needs to be taken apart and replaced with something else. This results in disappointment for the bride, doesn’t make our company look very good, and certainly leaves a bitter taste in my mouth with this supplier.  

Long term customers deserve to be treated fairly, and if the product is inferior, then it should be replaced. This was an expensive lesson on my part.

I believed the Floramatique were overpriced to begin with and couldn’t justify the markup to a lot of brides when the real touch in a lot of cases are not only better, but far more realistic, especially the orchids and callas I carry now. Those that contacted me feel the same way about the real touch.

I could spray the Floramatique with a possible sealer, however that would only add expense to an already expensive flower and I don’t know if it would last, or peel, or make the flower worse. Dyeing them is another whole story in itself.

I  am not willing to take the chance that all of the Floramatique colours  will change colour, and if there is no compensation forthcoming it isn’t worth the risk or expense.

August 21, 2008

Please Note: (Completed Designs Excluded)

WHOLESALERS

Within the last 6 months or so, we have been directing many inquiries to the real touch wholesalers of these flowers. We have had to change our policy. It has been far too time consuming for our staff to answer all the emails and direct these inquiries to the proper source. We are not salespeople for these companies. We will ship directly to you charging retail prices for individual stems.

 Check with us for availability on your requirements. All special orders will have to be paid in advance prior to us shipping.

BOUQUETS AND FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS

We will continue to design and ship completed arrangements as ordered throughout North America. All arrangments are shipped via Canada Post and USPS to our American customers to keep shipping costs down . We do expedite rush orders. We will be posting special pricing packages and pictures of designs within the next few months.

 

In this picture- amaryllis, roses, orchids-as you can see the Floramatique rose looks spongy.

Real touch orchids on wedding cake- they are identical to real orchids

Permanent  botanicals in the florist industry have come a very long way. An alternative to real flowers are the real touch  These flowers can fool the most seasoned professional at times, until a closer inspection and in most cases are superior to the Floramatique in looks.

Floramatique have colours injected into the petals and are not dyed like the standard artificial flower. A natural variation in the petals and stems, veins showing, along with thickness, and a soft moist touch,  make these flowers look and feel like the real thing, but only in some flowers. The Floramatique orchid has veins that are far too deep to look realistic and some of the other types offered are the same way.  They are made of polyurethane, not latex- are are supposedly waterproof and  crush proof, but will fade and, will change colour if using the lighter colours plus the callas rip easily.

Real touch are less expensive and some are made of latex. Others are an actual silk flower with a coating on them to make them feel real.  These are a great alternative to the Floramatique.  These florals are considered a grade 5 or 6 which is the highest grading of artificial flowers. 

I have left these pictures rather large so you can see the quality of this new generation flower.  There is a varied assortment of flower types available. 

The orchids are real touch, the roses and amaryllis in the above pictures are Floramatique. They are spongy to the feel. The Floramatique are more expensive than the real touch.   

Real touch bouquets have been added below so you can see them in a as they appear in a bouquet.

These are high end real touch in semi cascade bouquet.

INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO REAL TOUCH FLOWERS
Here it is the end of May 2008 and the response plus inquiries to these flowers directly to me has really kept me busy.
In another post I mentioned where inquiries were coming from, but just today I spoke with Australia, Georgia, and England. If you want the real touch flowers, I can sell directly to anyone that inquires at info@specialdaydesign.ca. You are more than welcome to send me an email with your specific requirements, but please remember I am a wedding decorator, florist first, and as this is the busy season my responses may be a couple of days coming back to you. If the traffic to me keeps going as it has in the last few months, who knows, I may give up the business entirely, and strictly wholesale and retail these wonderful flowers.

Real touch flower stems for sale.

January 30,2009

We have several stems of the real touch florals for sale and will consistently add to this as time progresses. 

Real touch roses in white/cream, red, burgundy and light pink.

We ship anywhere in North America. Shipping is extra

visit us at www.specialdaydesign.ca and contact us through our site.

When making inquiries, please provide the quantity required and postal or zip code to assess shipping charges.

Spam filters are in place and a verification email will be sent to you from the site in order to verify legitimate email addresses.

Light Pink

White/Cream

Burgundy and Red

Minimum order of 12 – $ 67.00/doz  Canadian funds while current supplies last.

Gerbera Daisies $42.00/doz Canadian funds (shown white,yellow,salmon)

Colours available are red, rose, salmon white and yellow. The stems are flocked to imitate fresh gerbers

  

 Cream/white real touch callas – $ 83.40/doz

Real touch open white roses 4″ across top of bloom and 29″ long – $58.50 qty of 10 – only 10 left – flower discontinued

Silk peonies light pink/fuschia 30″ long x 5″ across top of bloom
only 18 left – $ 81.00/18

Destination Wedding-Guest Blogger from New York City

Update Feb 19, 2009

For all you DIYers here’s a little something I put together for my invites. It cost me blood sweat and tears and lots of cuts but I finally got them out this week. I am by no means the first person to attempt the passport invite but I took it a step further.  My invite consists of a passport invite, 1 boarding pass and a luggage tag RSVP card.  I wanted the cover of the passport to be leathery if not suede. Curious Collection’s by Arjowiggins “Touch” paper provided me with that (limited colors).  The paper is awesome!!.  Word to the wise it doesn’t feel as leathery or nice if you print full color on the paper I believe the printer ink flattens the texture a bit.  I wanted my ticket holders to be metallic; I found another little treat at Curious Collection.  It is called the “Translucent Irridiscent” paper and it changes in the light. They have that in a range of colors.  Curious paper is on the pricey side and you have to find a retailer that will sell you letter-size if that’s what you’re looking for but I believe I found an alternative for the “Touch” paper at http://www.marcopaper.com/touche.htm (you can also get samples here—don’t remember if they are free).  Remember this is all cover weight!! To test in your printer I suggest you call them up and ask for a sample they are free!  For my boarding passes I used Xerox glossy on both sides 80lb paper. I also used this for my luggage tags.  The template for my passport was done in Photoshop (I am a Graphic Designer so this was within my scope).  I made the stamp seals and the regular stamps myself and put it together.  All I needed were exacto knives, (cutters never worked for me but they may for you) a self healing mat, lots of replacement blasé, a single hole punch, a long reach stapler, a steel ruler, a corner rounder, a pair of scissors, a steady hand and patience.  It was so well worth it I got compliments all around and saved myself a ton of money doing it and printing it myself.  I did 150 of these and I have no regrets.  To get them where they were going I used http://www.zazzle.com/custom/stamps to make my custom stamps.  It was so easy and it added a personal nice touch—for those with monograms you could use that on your stamps.  I got my envelopes (both RSVP & my Invite) at https://www.paperandmore.com/cat-metallic-envelopes.html and I use metallic chocolate-bronze (a beaut—-I love metallic).  They were pretty reasonable and the shipping to the US was $3.99 once you spend over $15 (not sure about Canada).  My labels were my icing on the cake. I got them from Staples but you can find them online and any office supplies store.  Because I had such a dark envelope I couldn’t use the clear labels I had wanted originally so I opted for gold foil labels and put the same logo for my stamps on them.  They came out awesome.  The fonts I used here especially in terms of the dingbats (picture fonts e.g. palm trees) were courtesy of http://www.dafont.com.  I have put together some pics to show you the end product.  Never be afraid to try stuff on your own—you’d be surprised at what you can come up with. There are all kinds of templates out there you just have to look for them.  I hope this helps some of you in your planning.  Till next time….happy planning!

Next up my save the dates…I know I am going backwards! lol

 

 

 

NY Bride w/ Jamaican wedding is back!!

So I guess I should start with how my journey began.  I have no experience in planning a wedding and no women who have gone through the process to guide me either.  It is especially hard when planning a destination wedding.  I have to rely on the internet, bridal magazines and great vendors like Jewel Marsh (my Wedding Coordinator) and Judi Tutton (my Floral Specialist).  I read articles on the knot and joined several bridal forum boards. The brides on these forums are so talented and so willing to share their ideas and help in any way they can.  I got inspired 20 times over so that after a while it became like info overload.  My initial trepidation in planning my wedding faded.  There were so many answers to so many questions I had.  I found info on everything from tips on insuring our wedding rings and changing my name to hotel recommendations and online and in store coupons. 

To start planning you have to have at least an idea of what you want your wedding to be like.  I started with a travel theme.  In my case, I wanted my destination wedding to be like a party away from home so I decided to make it a week of celebration.  My fiancée and I are different cultures so we wanted everyone to get to know each other before the day of the wedding.  I decided to have my wedding on the Friday of the “wedding week” so that everyone could have the day to relax after the wedding before heading back home. 

I like to make a splash with everything I do so I decided to make my save the dates the same way.  My sister’s fiancée sent her a “Message in a Bottle” when they first started dating.  I thought it was so cute so I decided to send out “Invitations in a Bottle” for my “Save the Dates”.  I went online and did my research they were so expensive and I really didn’t care for any of them.  I decided to make my own from scratch.  Due to my Graphic Design background the artwork was easy enough but putting each bottle together was labor intensive.  It was totally worth it!  The looks on my guests face when they received it was priceless!  You can see the finished result below.

With a “Save the Date” being such a big hit I had to come even better with my actual invitations.  I have not completed them as yet but I will be sharing that with you guys as well.  Again very labor intensive but so far I am happy with the results.  I will share that with you another time!

 

NY bride getting married in Jamaica w/ Canadian florist & Jamaican WC

So here I am the bride getting married in Jamaica with floral specialist in Canada and a wedding coordinator in Jamaica.  In each case I have to exhibit a lot of trust in these women which is not usually easy for me to do.   Brides have to be weary of vendors period!  There are so many shams out there if one domino falls your whole day could come crumbling to a big mess.  In addition to that, there are so many of them to contend with; florists, videographers, photographers and the list goes on and on.  So it is great leap of faith to deal with one out of country.  Your personalities have to mesh, you have exhibit more trust than normal and most importantly you have to do your research.  One of the hardest things I faced with my out of country vendors was communicating via the telephone while I was at work.  The internet, a camera and a great long-distance plan are your best friends invest in them.  I was able to find vendors who I could call when I got home after work.  You have to be able to work your vendor’s schedule and vice versa.  My vendors really go above and beyond in that sense. I have to give special mention to Judi on that.  Not only has she given me permission to call her during off hours but she calls me as well.  Another thing I had to forego was regular traditions in wedding planning, like the cake and food tastings, the meeting with DJ and the photographer etc.You have to find professionals you can trust, read everything about them and make your decisions carefully.  I can only speak for myself as every case is different.  If you are a bride that has have control over everything and is unable to give up on all if not some of these things then destination planning is not for you!!   A classic e.g. of a sacrifice I had to make was my food tasting.  The taste of my food is very important to me.  I was able to arrange a tasting through my wedding coordinator in Jamaica (my sister and her fiancée did it on my behalf when they visited).  I trust my sister’s taste buds more than I trust my own so that worked out perfectly. 

Your vendors, whether in country or a block from your house have to be good about getting back to you. Now I know there are some brides out there that can be very demanding and they believe that they are the vendor’s only client.  The trick is to find a vendor who makes you feel like that even though it’s far from the truth.  Beside’s their track record and reviews, how special the vendor made me feel was an important factor to me when it came to choosing mine.  I wanted vendors who made my day important to them as it was to me.  I know it doesn’t seem that way now but I have to reiterate my hesitance in dealing with an out of country vendor.  At least in Jamaica, I have relatives who offer me a modicum of control (which I have to believe I have) to deal with having a wedding coordinator so far away.  That and the fact that I have met my wedding coordinator face to face make me extremely happy with my choice.  My wedding coordinator Jewel has also shown me her work first hand when I went to Jamaica in February (she just happened to have had a wedding around that time).  I met with some of the vendors she works with and I was very happy with them as well.

I really was blessed in the vendor department.  I have mentioned Jewel but I must make special mention of Judi (my floral specialist) as well.  What can I say about her she has been phenomenal!  She is delightful my first phone call with her told me that.  We hit it off right away.  She listened to all my ideas and she totally got it…got me.  I am so happy I decided to take that leap in calling her that day.  She is so on point with everything and so accommodating.  She works with my hours and she never disregards my ideas.  In fact, she often improves on them without stomping on them.  We have been in constant communication and she is sooooo great about getting back to me.  She has a gift for taking my visions and turning them into reality.  So far she has finished my bouquet—-which I am happy to say she has done an awesome job on.  We are currently working on my bridesmaid’s bouquet which I am so excited to see how it turns out.  I’ll probably share it when it gets done!!  I will be sharing with you my gradual planning process, by sharing ideas some mine, others inspired by past and present brides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brides Choice Award

 

 

We are very pleased to have been awarded the Brides Choice Award with over 100,000 vendors competing. Our florals and decor told the story.

From The Wedding Wire Site:

Our winning vendors have set the bar high for this competition, demonstrating excellent service and expertise in their industry.

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that Special Day Designs & Rentals has won the 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards™!

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A big thankyou to my clients, both past, present and future and of course to the Weddingwire network for hosting such a great site.

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Here’s the Press Release

Congratulations! You have been chosen to receive a 2009 Bride’s Choice Award! This award recognizes vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility.

WeddingWire would like to commend you for all of your hard work and dedication to the wedding industry and look forward to a great 2009.

We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community,” according to Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry.”

Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds through surveys and reviews. That means your past clients have spoken on your behalf and chosen you for this honor!

With this honor you will receive the 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards badge to place on your website and blog.

In its inaugural year, the Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and honors vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility.

This year’s recipients represent the top three percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which includes over 100,000 wedding vendors. That means Special Day Designs & Rentals is one of the very best in wedding decor and florals.

Congratulations to the 2009 winners!

2009 High School Prom

Well we got the verifying email and follow-up phone call for the Sacred Heart High School Prom. This will be our 3rd year doing the prom at  The Manor in Kettleby, Ontario.

I spoke with the guidance office yesterday… and although they haven’t picked a theme this year, I can’t tell you how not only excited I am but flattered to be chosen again to help them make their prom a success.

It’s always a hoot doing this function, and I look forward to it every year. Read my previous post on the kids I met last year… the staff and students bar none are just the best bunch of people I have met and worked with.    

Thankyou Yvonne, once again for the opportunity to help you out.

Weddings Beautiful

Heading into 2009, we are really looking forward to all the new weddings that are in the planning stages with us.

A new blog is in the works called Weddings Beautiful, and we will be publishing pictures, links, and information from the varied contacts we work with or know around the globe.

It won’t be a busy as this blog, should be easier to navigate and full of information for the discriminating bride.

Christmas At Doggie School

2009 New Policy

December 24., 2008

Decor Appointments Only

As much as we regret doing this, we have to change some of our business policies. Unfortunately it only takes a few to ruin it for the rest, and this holds true even in business.

As of January 1, 2009 there will be no more free consultations. Our fee will be $25.00 for your initial appointment.   Our studio/store is decorated, has a sit down area with samples for you to see, a floral inventory and catalogues from all our major suppliers.  We still offer an unlimited amount of time for your appointment which usually takes 2 hours or more.

This fee will be deducted from your invoice after signing a contract.

As in the past we are very flexible with time and days that the appointment is required, and will do everything humanly possible to accomodate our clients. 

In the last year we have travelled to meet clients, given innumberable hours of advice and suggestions, only to find that some clients have taken everything that we have offered them and gone elsewhere. That of course is their privilege, but it has been at our expense.

I cannot emphasize how much we regret doing this, but we believe this to be a good business practice at this time.

Service Dogs-Who And What You Meet Along The Way

 

 

This is a picture of a very special service dog.  Carly came to live with a bride and groom that I worked with in the summer of 2007.  He was one of a few dogs trained to service autisitic children at the time.  The family has twins, a boy and girl- age 6, and the little boy is non verbal.  His mother tells me that he is a bolter, and will run after anything with wheels.  This family became very special to me in the process of making their wedding arrangments, and I was fortunate enough to spend a whole Saturday afternoon and evening with Carly.  As we were having a barbecue, on another occasion, one of the guests that arrived was another service dog that trained with Carly.  These two dogs ran and played together until they were both exhausted, and so happy to be together again.  I cannot tell you what a privilege it has been for me personally to be involved and get to know what goes into training and support that comes with having a service dog. I commend the trainers, foster families, and the owners that the dogs end up with.  The mother of this little boy can now relax just a little bit knowing that the dog will prevent her son from running.  All we need to do now is educate some places, specifically family fun parks as to what service dogs are for and what they do. 

NOW MEET KEESH -(He’s not fond of Barney)

Being an avid dog lover, I couldn’t go without posting a picture of my very special dog.  If I thought I could clone him I would.  He is without a doubt the best behaved dog I have ever owned.  The multitude of tricks he can do and remembers astounds me.  When working with him as a puppy, I used hand signals for a lot of his learning.  On command he can sing, dog talk, fetch whatever I ask for, change his leg position when on his hind legs from begging to praying and so many other  positions he can get into. He does however believe that every visitor is exclusively for his entertainment, or he is theirs.  We were told he is a cross between a Vizsla and Keeshound, however I tend to think he is Golden Retriever and Collie. What an absolute joy this dog has brought to my life.

With so many contacts and comments about funny dog pics on blogs, I had to show you these pictures. Keesh is the best behaved dog, I have ever known, and never gets into trouble, however the exception is in the pictures below. As a puppy, he was left alone with a door open to the garage for him to use his paper. Being bored he decided he’d do some re-cycling of his own. The pictures are self explanatory. 

Reviews From Brides

I have asked some brides to review me on weddingwire.com. You can check out this site for yourself and read completely what our clients have had to say.

The complete review and ratings are at the above website. There are other reviews not yet published, but will be added within the next couple of months.

Here are a few excepts from these reviews.

- It was stunning, and we adore her and thank her so much for making our day what I had always envisioned my wedding to be. I felt like a princess!!! Thank you Judi!!!

- She really works with you to ensure that you have a beautiful setting and she is such an easygoing and sweet person. She really made my wedding site beautiful. When we walked into the room and saw it all decorated we were so pleased. I had so many compliments on her work and I recommend her 100%

- What I really enjoyed most was that she did it because she wanted to help me make my wedding beautiful, and to make it fit with what I envisioned, not because it was just a “job”

- During the last few weeks before the wedding, we realized that we didn’t have anyone to decorate the cake, and Judi graciously offered to decorate it for us. She did an amazing job. Thanks Judi for everything!

- After meeting with several floral boutiques with the hopes of finding the perfect florals for my special day, I came across Special Day Designs. After our first encounter, I knew right away that she was different than the others. She invited me to her home and we met for 3 hours to discuss every little detail of my florals and decorations. She really listened to what I wanted and complimented my desires with her own knowledgable, professional and creative advice.

- My bouquet almost brings tears to my eyes, she saw my vision for decor, and brought it to life!

- Judi went above and beyond to assist me and my husband and make our day wonderful.

- Our tent was decorated just as I had wanted, my bouquets were exactly as I had dreamed, and my centerpieces were the talk of the night

- She always went the extra mile to ensure that everything was perfect for our wedding day.

- …she went above and beyond and I am so grateful to her for that.

- I had already discussed head table decor with another vendor when I had met Judi so I was not planning on using her services for this purpose. That is until she showed me some pictures and gave me some quotes. I was blown away. I decided to book her for these services as well and I am so glad I did. The head tables looked absolutely marvelous and I felt like royalty when sitting at them.

- She was so helpful and accomodating, and always in such great spirits! I felt like she cared about me personally as well as my wedding day itself. Judi’s decorations were beautiful!

And last but not least, a bride wrote me and told me in a personal note that the humour, relaxed atmosphere, and general planning with us left her relieved, refreshed, and excited about everything we did for her. She emphasized that the laughter was so important to her….it was the best therapy for her when at times she felt so stressed.

2009 Oscar Del La Renta Wedding Runway Show

 Oscar Del La Renta Wedding Runway Show

2009 Badgley Mischka Wedding Runway Show

 Badgley Mischka Wedding Runway Show

Nature’s Backdrop-God’s Paintbrush

Fall was  never a favourite season of mine. I couldn’t understand or never enjoyed the beauty of reds, oranges and yellows, that are inevitable as fall arrives and I particularly didn’t want to be reminded that winter was just around the corner.

My favourite time of year is spring as I watch everything living awaken with new life and look forward to the  days of summer and the beauty that is nourished by warm rain and a hot sun. 

I love the smell of freshly cut grass. 

Recently though I have come to appreciate the changing of seasons a little more. As time progresses everything must change, so why not stop and take in the beauty of these changes.

These fall pictures were sent to me of Burchart Gardens in Victoria B.C.

Only God’s paintbrush could produce such beauty and the ultimate in decor.    

 

Fall Themed Flowers Work Anytime Of The Year

Here is the latest bouquet done in real touch flowers with some high quality silk greenery added. I especially like the feathers giving this creation that added touch.

Another view

New York, New York

Within the last few weeks we have been working closely with a bride from New York City. She has given me her ideas and pictures of what she envisions for her destination wedding. Everything from centrepieces to the bridal party florals we have worked on.  I have to tell you that her idea is not only very unique, but has both her and I excited awaiting the finished result. She shipped me a carrying holder, which I can’t elaborate on right now to do a mock up of what she wants. I can tell you that this holder is not available anywhere in Canada that I know of and I did a lot of research looking for it. Not only is it extremely rare and unique, but absolutely beautiful.

I am going to ask this bride to be a guest blogger on this site. I think it is important to get first hand knowledge from a destination bride what goes into the planning aspect. In particular I want my readers to join in the contact and comraderie that a bride and her vendor can have. We have been in touch several times via phone and email, and have established a wonderful working relationship as well as had a few humorous moments.

I am so very pleased to be a part of this brides wedding, and cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to posting the pictures of her completed projects. I am waiting right now for her to see the samples of the florals I sent her both in real touch and the Floramatique, make some final decisions and then continue to do her mock up for her.

I certainly hope she accepts the offer to blog on this site……

Update:  She has accepted and will start blogging about her upcoming destination wedding hopefully this weekend.

Smashing Makeup

Denise, the Founder of Smashing Makeup, has always had a passion for makeup, and her dream was to become a Makeup Artist.

She studied at Elegance Schools Inc., a registered private career college located in London, Ontario and received her Certificate in Make-Up Artistry. Through this in-depth program, she learned the techniques of professional make-up artistry, including day and evening applications, blending techniques, bridal and bridal party applications, fashion styling, photography for black & white and colour, corrective make-up and TV make-up.”

Denise is a former  bride of mine and was a treasure to work with. It was quite obvious by her own wedding  that she knows exactly what she is doing and in all of her  pictures not only is she gorgeous, but had a complete natural look. She was stunning!!

For more information about this great vendor see www.smashingmakeup.com or contact her at info@smashingmakeup.com

Winter Weddings

Simple and elegant this brides bouquet was designed for an evening candlelight ceremony. Made up of white real touch roses, maribou and scattered crystals and added to the ambience, it will be breathtaking.

Her bridesmaids will be carrying this arrangement with a few added embellishments. This picture was taken from one of my inspiration books.  Her decor will follow along the same theme.

This is one ceremony that will be without a doubt memorable.

Our Clients Wedding-What Can & Did Go Wrong

When it came to her own wedding the bride I’m about to write about, is one of the sweetest, laid back, calmest people I have met in a long time. She is the girl I previously wrote about that told her bridesmaids to pick out any dress they wanted to wear, each one different, as long as it was black and knee length. Right there that tells you how easy she is to please, and the added benefit is the girls get to wear their chosen dresses again.

Okay, let’s go back to where her plight started. This was a September 2008 wedding.

Dress

She bought her dress 9 months prior to her wedding, was told it would be there in 6 months but it didn’t come in when promised. Matter of fact the stories she was told ranged from it’s still on a boat from China, there was a mixup in shipping, and your dress went to Edmonton in error. (Bride lives in Toronto area) It is now a month before her wedding. 3 weeks before her wedding the dress finally arrived. In altering the dress, they cut it too short, and without permission from the bride they added lace to the bottom of the dress. Now they tell the bride, that is the dress she ordered, the original try on dress is conveniently missing from the store, however the bride has pictures to prove what the original dress looked like. 3 days before the wedding this poor girl finally has her dress sorted out but her veil that they ordered is the wrong colour. 2 days now before the wedding and they promised her she would have her proper veil. Well the store never opened the day she was to pick it up. Evidently they are notorious for closing and opening whenever they feel like it. She finally got a call to tell her she can pick up her veil at a photo studio next door to the bridal shop…… At this point anyone normal would probably be seeking a rubber room!

Guests

The mother-of-the-bride when arriving at the church cannot figure out why all the guests are outside the church mingling. The ceremony is only 10 minutes away from starting. The church is locked and no one can get in.

Minister

There was a rehearsal, and the minister knew the time the ceremony was supposed to begin, but wrote the time of the ceremony incorrectly by 2 1/2 hours.. There was no minister.  A mad scramble was on to get the church unlocked and find a minister, only to be told the one available is on maternity leave and cannot perform the ceremony as it would interfere in her maternity benefits.  I can’t imagine what the bride was thinking at this point. Somhow they found a minister.

Music

Because the minister wrote the wrong time down, he gave the organist the wrong time as well. Needless to say there was no organist for the ceremony. There is one saving grace though. The brides uncle who was to pipe her back down the aisle ended up doing the same going up the aisle. According to the brides mother this actually was very touching….. and ended up being probably better than having the organist anyway. Seems the mother is as laid back as the bride.

Ceremony

After all this chaos and well into the ceremony, you guessed it. The bride dropped the grooms ring right at the alter. She stooped down to pick it up, and I think this is one of the cutest pictures I have seen in a long time. As the bride put it, “it was the thud heard around the world.” She said it broke the tension, everyone laughed and the rest of the wedding went off without a hitch. 

This bride took everything in stride, and her mother told me, that she had an ”Oh well, what can you do!” attitude. She never got flustered, angry or upset about anything.  She was strictly focused on marrying the man she had chosen, and eventually that was going to happen. These were hiccups along the way, but in the end everything worked out.

One gracious bride.

She also was kind enough to write a review about me personally on www.weddingwire.com . She wrote the following:

Judi is unbelievable! She is so accomodating and has lots of great ideas. You feel like you are dealing with a friend, someone who really cares about your day! She has lots of great ideas and is so helpful and honest. Judi was the best vendor that i dealt with on a day when so much was at stake! I can’t thank her enough for making my day so amazing!

Some Destination Wedding Bouquets

These are all made from the top of the line silk, real touch, and floramatique flowers.

 

 

New Photographer

As many of you know, we have been helping a lot of up and coming wedding vendors in the last few years. We have promoted this new talent for many reasons.  Take a look at this section for vendors that we have or are working with, and we will be adding to this list.

Now meet George Macinski. I knew George through the CGTA affiliation, and he has now changed direction and becoming a professional photographer. Below are a few pictures that although repeats on this site, they were taken by him at our store. He is meticulous in still photography, this I have seen first hand, and is looking forward to doing more wedding photography. 

We wish him all the best in his new endeavour, and look forward to working with him next year.

His website is http://www.photoexpressions.synthasite.com/

ALL PHOTOS ARE COPYRIGHT OF PHOTO EXPRESSIONS

ALL DESIGNS ARE COPYRIGHT OF SPECIAL DAY DESIGNS & RENTALS

  

This wedding cake was designed by another up and coming vendor who we are promoting. More about her later. The detail on this cake is incredible.

2008 Wrap Up

It almost seems impossible that 2008 is almost done. Looking back over the year and reflecting on all the new clients and associates we have met I can’t help but be so very thankful for another wonderful year.

Not only were we booked almost solid, but our beautiful new store opened and the brides for 2009 are elated at all it has to offer.

Today we are just finishing up the final preparations for our first bride of 2009 who is getting married January 3.

We are now looking forward to some very new experiences , which we are very excited about.   Our calendar for 2009 is filling quickly.

A big thankyou to all our brides of 2008 for making this year so successful.  It has been fun, rewarding, at times challenging but in the end judging by all of your thankyou’s to us…. your weddings were unique, beautiful and a day you will remember for the rest of your lives.

I also want to publicly thank my staff for taking the lead when needed, and doing such a great job at all the venues. Our decorators and designers are just the best . I was comfortable knowing how competent  all of you are and how happy the brides were with your work.    

To all my faithful readers, some I know, some I don’t but judging by my stats, there are quite a few of you, I want to wish each and everyone of you all the best in the New Year. May it be happy, healthy and properous for you all.