My Best Friend's Wedding

Okay, first thing here, I am lucky to have about 20 best friends, but Steve sure is one of them, and he got hitched! Yay! I could not be happier! And the best thing about this? My best friend count just hit 21, because his new beautiful wife Danielle is definitely one more to add to the list.

When Steve popped the question, we all were so elated for him and Din but they chose a date that seemed SO far away, I thought I was going to die of waiting for their big day! One thing I was really grateful for, was Steve keeping his word to me and asking my sweet and feisty daughter Brooklynn to be their flower girl, he had promised this role to her about six months before the engagement but was so happy he remembered, it meant a lot to me. Danielle bought her a custom-made tutu for the big day in their beautiful colours of orange and magenta and she received numerous compliments on the get up.

The happy new fiance's chose their venue which turned out to be a place that I had never even been to, even though it was just a few blocks away from where I work. The Calgary Chamber of Commerce is a hidden gem right downtown. It is one of the oldest buildings in the core and the second you are inside you can tell. It was reminiscent to me of the Banff Springs Hotel, the old charm and feel of history and years gone by were everywhere you looked. Danielle brought me for lunch there about a month before their big day and showed me around. At first glance the ballroom, as she warned seemed a little outdated and, at the time we visited, blah, but I could see so much potential in there, with the grand ceiling and the dance floor in the center of the room. The massive windows and the crown molding just added to the ambiance. I knew with the right lighting and their high impact orchid centerpieces the room would just look magical.

Danielle is the most calm and relaxed bride to be I have ever seen. Even the morning of, she was just all smiles and no jitters, and she worked extremely hard on this wedding, right up until the day before. Steve and Danielle hand made a lot of elements to the wedding, place cards, the large painted "trees" with little lamps all over them, the candy buffet and the custom bags that they made. The theme and colours were used so tactfully throughout every detail and someone like me really appreciates all these tiny pieces that make the whole thing come together.

Along with their reception venue, they stuck with a historic theme and chose Calgary Central United Church for their ceremony, the oldest church in Calgary. Their massive wedding party (seven girls and guys on each side) hardly even fit up at the alter. The ceremony was beautiful and all of us had to hold back our tears as our boy Steve became Danielle's new hubby....maybe partially because we were realizing, if all of us were 16 when we met, and Steve was getting married which means we really are getting old, but mostly from sheer happiness for him and Danielle, they really are a perfect match.

The night was a complete success with all of us dancing and hula hooping and partying until the wee hours of the morning, and seeing of our newlyweds off to their hotel to sleep for a few moments before whisking off to their month long honeymoon in Europe. As I write this they are most likely sitting around, sipping wonderful wine and enjoying their new life together, congratulations you two, we love you!

*Photo Credit: www.shutterbirdphotography.blogspot.com

Brian and Stacey's Beautiful Day

There's not a lot of people I know that could say their friendships are as old or as strong as my circle of friends. I feel completely blessed to have a wonderful group of old friends who've been through thick and thin together since High School. A good sign of a true friend is one that you don't see every day, but when you do see them, it's like you haven't skipped a beat. When they have happy mile stones, your heart cheers for them and when they are going through a life challenge your heart aches alongside with them. This happy occassion is one of the events that made our hearts cheer (although the speeches pulled at our heartstrings, I think I was crying for the majority of the speeches).

Brian and Stacey are a beautiful couple inside and out. They have watched each other grow, learn and change. They have overcome obstacles and been on adventures together. Their love is one that everyone looks at with envy. I believe the Maid Of Honour Andrea said it best "they've always been like one of those couples at the mall that are all over each other and all in love that you just hate", ha ha, we all knew what she was talking about!

Stacey is an extremely talented wedding planner. She has not yet taken the plunge to do it professionally, but one look at this wedding and you'd think she had been doing this for years, I think she's definitely found her calling. This made me really proud to see it all come together and at the end of the night told her, when the business gets up and running, she's hired. From the stationary all hand done and matching, to the beautiful centerpieces, the hand crafted linens, the personalized memorial candles, the seating chart, the lighting, the well laid out candy buffet, and the venue pick, it was simply a perfect day, despite the cold and gloomy August weather.

I can't say I take credit for anything with this wedding but the homemade cupcakes, but I did ask Stacey if I could share their beautiful wedding on my blog and "she said YES!". Congratulations you two, we all love and support you in everything you do and couldn't be happier for your new beginning!

The Anti-Bridezilla

I met with Erin after work one day at Starbucks, she works at the same company as me and volunteered her fiance, Cliff and herself to be one of the couples I help coordinate this year. She is a very laid back bride-to-be, she wasn't even 100% on the date yet.

Erin and Cliff have been dating for almost 11 years, and are the same age as me, so yes, they are Junior High sweethearts, which I think is so awesome, they have grown up together, and probably know each other better than they know anyone else. Even before I met up with her, I got a great reading on Erin's personality...she reminds me of me, that's why I like her, ha ha! No, but seriously, she is very easy going, and by the sounds of it so is the lucky guy. She basically said, "he doesn't really do pink" and that was about it.

Like me, her most important expense is photography. I am a true believer that after the day is over, after the months of anticipation, time and expense, the pictures are the one material thing you have to look back on your day. Cheap out on shoes (ducking for cover from you shoe-a-holics out there!), do your own make-up, but make sure you do your research on a great photographer.

When I meet a couple I want a vision. I need to know a look, theme, colour, something about what the couple is aiming for. When I asked this of Erin she told me they were thinking chocolate browns and apple greens. Yes! I love this colour combo, and has been one of the schemes I have thought of for my own imaginary wedding. It's modern, clean and stylish. It's natural, yet super chic. Eco-chic! But yes, this made me a happy wedding planner. I got home that night and worked on their palette. For flowers she mentioned calla lilies and orchids, again, my favorites. The centrepieces we discussed were possibly going to involve live fish. Love it. Donations toward charity in lieu of favors, I will most likely do this at mine too. People spend hundreds of dollars these days toward favors, and half of them get left behind, the other half, thrown out, why not just put it towards something that is meaningful towards the couple.

Back to the anti-bridezilla thing...we still are unsure of a solid date...or place. But we have some beautiful locations in mind, until then, we'll work off the palette I created for this young, modern and laid back couple.