Doggie "I Do's and Don'ts"

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So your very best friend is your dog and you and your partner have decided that you want the precious pooch to be part of your wedding party.  Having your dog, cat or pony part of your wedding ceremony is becoming a popular and admittedly catchy wedding day trend.  The question is exactly how should you include your four legged friend without causing any great disruptions or added wedding day stress.

Here are some quick pointers if you are thinking you want to include your furry friend in your wedding day plans.

Outdoor ceremonies, outdoor receptions and outdoor picture taking is the best time to include your pet.  Steer away from including pets at full indoor events unless it is just a quick walk down an aisle and out to the pooch sitters from there. 

Make sure that your dog has been taken out for a good run the morning of your event.  There is nothing more beneficial to quell bad doggie manners than an extra long walk in the park to unleash pent up over active puppy behaviour. 

If you are walking up the aisle with Rover make sure to put him on a leash.  Decorate the leash in your wedding colours and pass off your pet to the person who will be your official wedding day pet sitter as soon as you make it to your hubby to be.

                     

If you decide riding bareback into your outdoor wedding hoedown is the perfect touch to your western themed wedding some serious pre-planning should take place.  Make sure bathing your horse with extra special care and a fresh scented shampoo is a task done the day of the wedding.   Entwine your wedding day flowers and coloured ribbons thru his tail and mane for a picture perfect photo op walk down the aisle.  Horses can get jumpy when placed into unfamiliar situations so ensure your horse knows you well and his character is of a calm nature.  Have this type of wedding in an open field type setting to ensure your guests have some distance from you as you ride in on your horse. 

                                      

Finally make sure to inform your photographer well in advance that an animal will be part of your wedding day plans.  The more time your photographer has to plan this added touch the more creative pictures she will be prepared to capture for the two of you. 

Your Attendance at a Wedding Show is Requested Before You Are Wed!!

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Attending a wedding show before your Big Day can simplify the process of getting thru the months leading up to your wedding.  The Fall Wedding Event held annually in  September in Windsor is timed perfectly for couples getting married in the upcoming year.  Many couples prefer to get the majority of their wedding planning done before Christmas, the two evening Fall Wedding Event is the perfect opportunity to visit over 100 businesses to finish up the coordination of you wedding before the busy Christmas season begins.

Guests visiting booth space at the 2010 Fall Wedding Event

                                                                           

Many couples walk into a wedding show and may feel overwhelmed at first.  Every element that must be planned and organized before your wedding day is right there in front of you.  As a planner of these shows for over 25 years, I would like to make a few simple suggestions. 

1.  Prepare a short "to do" list of items you want to target at the show...for example, go to the show with a list of 3-5 things that still need to be organized-ie a DJ, a florist, a wedding cake, a musician for your ceremony and a photographer.  As you walk thru the show make sure to pick up brochures from every booth space to review when you get home.  While at the show stop and talk to every business category on your targeted "to do"list.  Try to make an appointment with one or two of the businesses that you connect with at the show on your "to do" list.

2.  Once you are in the relaxed surroundings of your home go thru the bag of materials you have collected.  At this time you can go to the show website where many businesses may have their own website linked or you can go to each businesses websites that you may be interested in individually.  This will give you a chance to do your own research in a relaxed setting and research other catogories of business that you did not target at the show but might have to be booked as your wedding approaches.

3.  Wedding shows give you the opportunity to connect with business owners.  Remember that during the months &weeks before your wedding day and on your wedding day, you will be working with these business people closely.  The suppliers you ultimately choose should have your trust and should be easy for you to get along and work with.  A wedding show gives you the opportunity to seek out the personalities behind a business that best suit your personal sense of style.  Talk to and meet these business people at the show.  I promise you, your wedding day will less stressful if you are working with people you connect with. 

4.  Make sure to fill out ballots for all the prizes offered at a wedding show...these are no strings attached giveaways and there are always a lot of prizes to be won.  You cannot win if you don't take the time to fill the prize ballots out.  To make this process easier bring sticky mailing labels to the show that include your name, phone number, address, email address and the date you are getting married.

5.  Bring along other decision makers that are helping you plan and paying for your wedding.  Parents appreciate seeing what you are spending their money on and a visual is much easier for them to appreciate than an abstract description of something. 

6.  Brides there is no easier method than a wedding show to help your groom get things done in a painless and quick fashion.  Grooms often like to be part of making the decisions of particular components of the wedding including music, food service, formal wear, insurance & future home plans and the wedding location.  By having your mate attend a wedding show the exercise of running him all over town will be eliminated.  Once you have targeted the elements he wants to be part of send him down to the Members Bar at the Caboto Club to play pool or watch some sports on TV while you take your time going thru the reminder of your "to do" list.

7.  Make sure to visit each Theme Room at The Fall Wedding Show.  The themed rooms are an exclusive customized feature of The Fall Wedding Event and these fully decorated mini reception rooms will offer you loads of special and unique ideas for your wedding.  This year's general theme for our themed rooms is "A Walk Down Memory Lane".  Come see what our featured decoraters-It's A Swanky Affair, Dream Weddings, Anything & Everything, Crystalove and Windsor Event Decor dream up for their very special themed rooms

2010 Themed Room by It's A Swanky Affair

2010 Themed Room by Crystalove

2010 Themed Room by Windsor Event Decor

2010 Themed Room by Anything & Everything

This year's Fall Wedding Event takes place Wednesday and Thursday evenings September 21st and 22nd at the Caboto Club of Windsor from 5:30-9:00 pm.  The evening hours make it simple for you to meet as a couple in a central location after work and get your planning done.  Admission is just $8 at the door and if you register online at http://www.weddingshows.com/ you will be forwarded a $2 off admission coupon.  Pre Registration is not mandatory and you can bring along as many guests to the show as you would like. 
The Fall Wedding Event is Nouveau Event Planning's "warm up wedding show" to the 25th annual Wedding Extravaganza Show (also at the Caboto Club) held annually in January at the Caboto Club.  The 25th annual show will offer many new and exciting features in 2012.

Ring it in

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There is no bigger party than New Year's Eve; for this reason an increasing number of couples are choosing this occasion to celebrate their special day. It is a night of love, romance and new beginnings: what more special way to share your New Year's kiss is there than with your new husband?


While this idyllic winter wonderland seems like a perfect occasion to have a wedding, it's important to remember that many people plan their New Year's Eve far in advance. Whether it is florists, photographers, venues, or caterers, this date gets booked quickly for parties. Everything should be booked approximately two years out. Save the date reminders should be sent out a year and a half before your big day and invitations 6 months out. Furthermore, if you have family coming from out of town and staying in a hotel, reservations should be made between a year to two years in advance, depending on the location and the hotel.

Because of the time of year, deep colours such as aubergine, red, and black are very trendy for a NYE wedding. Consider a black-tie event as people love to dress up on New Year's Eve. It's a glamorous night; as the bride, make sure you are the centre of attention. Look classic but add some sparkle and hollywood glamour to your fashionable look.

Copyright Rebecca Wood Photography

Remember to amp up the romance of the night: roses are a great flower choice. If you want to be creative accent the arrangements with feathers or flowers that you wouldn't normally see in December.

Copyright Robyn Rachel Photography

Just make sure you keep a firm budget, as many suppliers may charge premium pricing on New Year's Eve. Lock pricing in with your contracts early in the planning stage. As the big day approaches keep in mind that you will have to organize both Christmas preparations and a wedding at the same time. Getting help from a wedding coordinator can be a tool for a stress free New Year's Eve wedding. Check out some of this area's best and most experienced wedding planners:
Beautiful Weddings by Me
A Perfect Day Wedding and Event Planning

Finally remember to have fun. After all this is a double celebration!

Copyright Kristin Vining Photography