When stars align
Mike and Carrie's upcoming wedding is the best-kept secret in town. We talk to the pros to find out what to expect
Photograph by: Jason Merritt, Getty Images
With rumours of country singer Carrie Underwood and Sens star Mike Fisher's impending nuptials, we asked Ottawa wedding planner Stacey Price to envision their fairytale wedding.
Price, who has 51 weddings on the books for this summer, has built a solid reputation for executing memorable, high-end events. She was behind weddings for both Jason Spezza and former Sen Wade Redden.
While she was hoping to land Underwood and Fisher as clients, Price believes Underwood may have opted for either Preston Bailey, who organized Oprah's 50th birthday bash and Ivanka Trump's recent wedding, or Colin Cowie, a party planner to the stars known for designing spectacular celebrations around the globe.
"The first step in keeping things hush-hush is for the vendors to sign a confidentiality agreement. You don't want anyone to blab."
A good wedding planner must be discreet, focused, and, above all, a good listener.
Price expects Fisher and Underwood to stay true to their morals, values and religion.
Fisher, a country boy at heart who grew up in Peterborough, and Underwood, who was raised on a farm in Checotah, Oklahoma, have publicly stated that they would like a laid-back wedding rather than an opulent, star-studded affair. While the lovebirds may initially have preferred an intimate event with mostly family and friends, celebrity websites claim the guest list is now topping 250 people.
Rumours suggest the wedding is slated for mid-July -- possibly July 10 -- near Nashville or Georgia, although their new property in West Carleton, just minutes from ScotiaBank Place, could do in a pinch.
Keeping the wedding location secret is tough for anyone to pull off -- especially if you're rich, famous and beautiful. Some stars go to great lengths to keep their plans under wraps. Chelsea Clinton's upcoming wedding location is so secret that guests are to wait for a personal phone call from her wedding planner to tell them where to go.
"I've heard that Mike and Carrie's guests have all been told to show up in a farmer's field where they will be flown or bused to the real wedding location," Price says.
"I always thought it would be in Tennessee. I've heard that the wife of one of her roadies is making the wedding cupcakes and she lives in Tennessee -- although cupcakes can be shipped anywhere."
There's another rumour that the wedding might be held in Renfrew.
"If it's in my backyard, I'll be really upset. Maybe there's a Renfrew in Tennessee," Price says.
There's no denying that Fisher and Underwood ooze chemistry and that forthcoming nuptials will be oh so romantic, from the elegant wedding invitations to the whimsical bouquet of flowers.
Gerry Arial of Silver Rose, often described as Ottawa's florist to the powerful and famous, says Underwood's bouquet should be simple yet elegant.
Many factors determine the makeup of the bouquet, from the length of the bride's gown to its colour. A wedding bouquet should always be carried slightly off to the side as an accent piece, Arial says.
"Carrie Underwood is very dainty and petite, so we'd recommend either sweetheart or spray roses with very little greenery. The bouquet should be one colour and one type of flower. It should also be wrapped in sheer ribbon with nothing hanging down."
Underwood is sure to be dressed in a chic yet timeless gown, perhaps in silk to suit her slender frame.
David McCaffrey, designer and president of McCaffrey Haute Couture on Sussex Drive, says her dress should be fun, with a longer bodice that goes below her backside with random, bias-cut pleating.
"I would make a defined sweetheart neckline. She's in great shape, so she'd want something that clearly defines her body."
On the skirt, McCaffrey says he would add organza flowers and ostrich feathers. The silk satin gown would be made in an ivory tone to highlight Underwood's golden hair.
Cristie Vito, creative director of Ottawa's Stellar Events, says the couple's publicist deserves kudos for keeping everything under wraps.
"The media gets a little bit to go on and then throws in some potential changes to keep everyone guessing," Vito says. "They don't want to be bombarded by strangers on their big day.
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