Why Hire A Videographer?

So, I will be the first to admit that in the past I never really recommended videographers to any of my couples. The reason for this is that a lot of the companies out there had been doing the same type of video for the past 20 years and I thought my couples would get more out of spending a bit more on their photographer rather than hiring a videographer. Well, that has changed! I am still an advocate of hiring a professional photographer, but there are some exciting things becoming available to wedding couples in Ottawa with regards to wedding videos. Two of my favourite companies are: Reno Video Productions and Media Ball!

Instead of getting hours and hours of footage (let's be honest, that gets boring pretty fast!), the video montages that are now available are a great way to get a sense of the overall wedding. Imagine being able to share that with your kids or grand kids! Not only would they get to see what you looked like on your wedding day, they would actually be able to hear some of the touching words and promises that you made to each other. With video, they are able to capture the entire essence of your wedding day. Trust me when I say that this is a video that you will watch over and over and over again!!

But don't take my word for it, take a look at a video produced by Reno Video Productions and see for yourself. Although this isn't one of my couples, the groom is a colleague and friend that recently got married. It was actually seeing this video that got me excited about all the potential available here in the city. If you like the beautiful flowers, they were all done by Ottawa Flowers.

Real Weddings: Janice & Enrico

All photos courtesy of Seize the Moment Photography

One of the best parts of what I do is getting to know my clients while helping them plan their special day. I've been really blessed with all the couples I have had the chance to work with - whether it is for day of coordination or full coordination, I always have a bond with my clients and usually miss them after the wedding because we don't connect on as regular a basis. Somewhere along the ling through all the meetings, emails and telephone conversations I become friends with my couples which makes it that much more special for me to see everything come together in the end on their wedding day!

The beautiful bride getting ready, captured by the amazing Jerome Scullion of Seize the Moment Photography!

One of these special couples that touched my heart was Janice and Enrico. They had been together for many years with no real intentions of ever tying the knot. Then one day, a close family member was diagnosed with cancer and passed away very shortly after. It definitely changed their perspective on life and Enrico proposed a few weeks later!

Handsome Enrico before the ceremony!

Janice and Enrico have an amazing sense of humour and made me laugh on a daily basis. Planning a wedding can be stressful, but I want all my couples to have fun throughout the process! When I first met them, Janice told me that she would have been happy to get married by a JP at City Hall. However, it turned out to be a beautiful ceremony and reception at the Museum of Civilization - Enrico had never been married before and he said since he waited so long to tie the knot he wanted to do it right!

Here are some highlights from their special day:

The ceremony was held in the Southern Salon of the Museum of Civilization - All the gorgeous decor and flowers were from Wedecor.

It was very important for Janice to incorporate Heather (the flower) into her wedding bouquets which was for her mother who had passed away. On the day itself, she felt like her mom was there with her. It was very special, and meant a lot to her.

Family is very important to them, so it meant a lot for Janice to have her son walk her down the aisle and give her away. Her daughter and her sister were her bridesmaids, which also meant so much to her! They walked into the beautiful melodies of a live harpist.

They had a beautiful ceremony, which incorporated their sense of humour at times, surrounded by their family and friends.

Presented for the first time as husband and wife! Congratulations Janice and Enrico!

Me with the happy couple!

This was a photo that I took to showcase the "Eat, Drink and Be Married" shot glasses. Immediately following the ceremony, guests lined up for their recieveing line in the Southern Salon to congratulate the couple and were offered a shot to celebrate with them before heading to the Grand Hall for the reception. Having a shot after the recieving line is an Italian tradition that was a huge hit with their guests!

The gorgeous five-tiered cake was created by Joe from Pasticceria Gelateria Italiana. It tasted even better than it looked, if you can believe it! We also got trays of traditional Italian desserts which was served to their guests after dinner.

Because we were surrounded by such beauty in the Grand Hall of the Museum of Civilization, we decided to keep it simple when it came to the centerpieces. We had three vases of varying heights with floating candles, in which we put black and yellow ribbon to incorporate the wedding colours. Very simple and elegant.

As you can see, the view was spectacular!

We had two large screens located on the stage, in which we had a photo montage playing when the guests entered the room. They tried to include pictures of as many of the guests as they could. It was a huge hit with everyone. At the end of the night, Jerome from Seize the Moment put together a slideshow of some of the pictures he had taken throughout the day. It was incredible that he had over 80 pictures that he was ready to show at the end of the day. That is a testament to the quality of photographer that he is - being able to take so many amazing pictures that he could show on the same day! Great job Jerome! For a couple that didn't want a photographer when I first met with them - they were so happy they changed their mind!!

Their grand entrance down the escalators! Most people don't get the opportunity to do this, so it was really special when the Museum asked if we wanted to do. The last time it had been done was when President Obama was there for a visit! You can't tell in the picture, but I was actually tucked down behind Janice holding her dress in the back so that she wouldn't trip on it.

Enrico really wanted to have a special mix of Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion singing the Power of Love for their first dance. Quality Entertainment came to the rescue and was able to put the two versions of the song together so that each verse was a different singer. They even had a part where they laid the versions on top of each other so that it sounded like Andrea and Celine were actually singing together. They went above and beyond to make Janice and Enrico's first dance so special. It was magical! After dinner, Quality Entertainment got the party started and kept it going until 2 am!


I had so much fun helping Janice and Enrico plan their special day! Hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I enjoyed planning it with them!

Creative Centerpieces

Most people just assume that they have to have floral centerpieces because it is traditional, but you can actually have a lot of fun and get creative when it comes to what you are going to put in the middle of your guest tables. Don't get me wrong, I love flowers and I think all weddings should at least have some, but don't feel you are limited to flowers when it comes to centerpieces! It is a great opportunity for you to bring out your personality and make your wedding unique.

Photo by Daydream Photography

For example, I had a bride that was taking photography in school and for their centerpieces they laminated a number of her images, immersed them in a vase filled with water with rocks on the bottom and surrounded the vase with tea light candles. A very simple way to bring themselves into the details of the wedding, and was very memorable for their guests.

Photo by Francesco Maragoni Photography

I had a groom that was a huge comic book fan, and they incorporated his love of super heroes into their centerpieces by naming each of the tables after a different hero and put pictures of that character on the table along with vases fill with candles.

Photo by Daydream Photography

Vases filled with water and floating candles is a simple was to create a romantic ambiance for your wedding, without having flowers. You can incorporate ribbons with your wedding colours around the vases to bring in the colour.


Another idea I did was for a 30th wedding anniversary: the traditional gift for a 30th wedding is pearls so what I did for the centerpiece was include pearls and orchids strung together in a vase which was then immersed in water with a floating candle on the top. Around the vase I had strings of pearls and each table had different pictures of the couple at various stages in their marriage. It was very personalized and symbolic for the couple.

Photo by Tripp Photography

If you love flowers and want to include them as centerpieces, that is just as great! Maybe try playing with the sizes of the arrangements - never feel like every table has to look exactly the same. Another fun idea is mixing fruit with your flowers.


It is your day, so you can have fun with it. Think outside the box: there are ways to double the centerpiece as a favour such as boxes filled with chocolates or mini cakes which your guests bring home at the end of the evening. A lot of couples are choosing to incorporate crystal chandelier or candelabras to their centerpieces which is another beautiful alternative to flowers. At the end of the day, have fun and go with what represents you best. Never feel like you HAVE to do something a certain way when it comes to your wedding. It is your day, so do what works best for you!

Happily Ever After

It is so easy to get wrapped up in all the details that come with planning a wedding so I always try to remind my couples what is really important throughout the process and that is them! What I mean is that a wedding is one day of your life but your marriage will last a life time. A wedding is an amazing celebration of the commitment and promises that you are making to each other as husband and wife.

People ask me what my favourite moment on a wedding day is and I honestly have to say when the bride walks down the aisle to meet her future husband. When all eyes are on the beautiful bride, I always look at the groom. It gets me every time to see the groom's expression when he sees his bride for the first time! Don't get me wrong, I love all the details that go into making a wedding unique and personalized for each couple but there is just something magical that happens when a groom sees his bride for the first time!


Obviously one of the most important aspects of a wedding day is the ceremony and I try to help a couple make that special. If a couple is not getting married in a church with a traditional ceremony, I always recommend Lynne and Keith from Exception Ceremonies. Each ceremony they create is unique to the couple they are marrying - honestly, they have never done the same ceremony twice! They incorporate some humour into their ceremonies, while still focusing on what is important: the start of the couples life together as husband and wife. If you want a ceremony that will stay in the memory of your guests for years to come, definitely contact Lynne and Keith. To find out more about Exceptional Ceremonies, visit their site at www.exceptionalceremonies.com


First photo credit: Josh Jefferies Photography
Second photo credit: Francesco Maragoni Photography

A New Take On Gift Registries

I recently had the pleasure of meeting one of the innovative creators of Wedding Republic, Hana Abaza, and loved what she had to say about her online registry:

With a Wedding Republic gift registry, you can create a gift list that reflects what you really want. Basically, your registry is a cash fund. You can select your gifts so guests can see what they are contributing towards, and at the end of the day you get the cash. This gives you the ultimate flexibility to use the registry (and cash) to get the most out of your gifts!

It’s easy and convenient for both you and your guests. Nothing is off limits: from camping gear to a big screen TV to that chic plate set only available at a niche store that’s locally owned, you can set up a gift registry that is perfect for the two of you!

Choose gifts from their gift list add your own. You add the photo, cost and description of your ideal gifts. You can even add expensive gifts and break them apart using WR’s Puzzle Piece feature. Guests can then buy “piece” of the puzzle!


Guests pay a small percentage fee on every gift transaction (currently 4.5%). Creating, managing and sharing the registry is completely free for the happy couple, making the gift process for your wedding stress free and fun!

WR is going to be a huge hit with couples - who wouldn't love help saving for a down payment on a home or that dream honeymoon you wish you could go on? To learn more, visit them online at www.weddingrepublic.com

Celebrity Status!

Yes, you are seeing right! I got to meet Jane Dayus-Hinch from Slice's hit TV series Wedding SOS. Even if you aren't a bride, or work in the Wedding Industry - who doesn't love watching Jane help couples turn a disaster into a beautiful wedding?!? I was at a wedding planners conference with WPIC (Wedding Planners Institute of Canada), and she was there. We even gave her an honourary WPIC pin!



And as if that wasn't exciting enough - I also got to meet Preston Bailey! Wow, what an inspiration! He told us about how he got started and some of the exciting projects that he has worked on. His designs are absolutely breathtaking!


It was amazing to meet Jane Dayus-Hinch and Preston Bailey, and hear their stories from their mouths. The best part was even though they are so well established in this industry, they were more than happy to share their experiences and advice with relatively new planners!

Model Makeover Day

Last year I collaborated with Christine Tripp of Tripp Photography on a few events that we called Model Makeover Day. The idea behind the events was that we wanted to pamper women by doing their makeup and hair, dressing them in designer gowns from Dominique Levesque Bridal and then doing a glamour photo shoot with Christine. For each event we did, part of the proceeds went to a local charity called Angels In Action that helps women in Ottawa suffering from Ovarian cancer. It was really important for us to tie this event to a charity that benefited women: essentially it was women helping women! The events were a huge success - seeing the transformations happen before our eyes was incredible. As women, we rarely step back and pamper ourselves and the smiles on each of the women's faces was priceless!

Here are some of the photos taken by Tripp Photography:





To see more, visit: www.modelmakeoverday.com

We are not doing any of the smaller events this year because we are working on plans for a gala event next Spring. Stay tuned for more information!

Special thanks to:

www.tripphotography.com

www.chapeauxdemadeleine.ca

www.dominiquebridal.ca

www.bourgetspa.com

www.taiknots.com

www.spahara.com