Weddings - Calgary Herald

Weddings
Friday, April 25, 2014
Exotic vows
Top destinations
Planning the day
What you
need to know
Trending
What’s hot
this year
A DIRECTED EDITORIAL PUBLICATION OF THE CALGARY HERALD’S SPECIAL PROJECTS DEPARTMENT
Monday to Friday 10:00 – 5:30 Saturday 10:00 – 5:00 409 - 3rd Street SW 403.266.1669 jvairanderson.com
Destination
The
Photo courtesy, Hanafoto.com
Spice things up in an exotic locale
By Meghan Jessiman
For Weddings
A
fter a winter like ours, it’s easy to understand the
overwhelming urge to get the heck out of dodge.
The frigid temps and abundance of snow and ice
makes it easy to understand why so many Calgary brides and
grooms are opting for destination weddings these days.
Trading vows in a winter wonderland has its charms, but
saying “I do” on a white-sand beach with a pina colada on
standby brings an appeal of its own.
Wedding planner Amira Harris gets it. In fact, she’s built
an entire business around helping Calgarians facilitate their
nuptials abroad as the destination-wedding specialist with
Posh Productions Event Planning and Design Inc.
According to Harris, those pondering getting hitched in a
tropical locale need to make a few thoughtful considerations
before they go booking flights.
First, a conversation needs to happen with the couple’s
respective families. While it ultimately comes down to
whether the bride and groom are happy and comfortable
with the decision, having a family chat before the planning
begins is Harris’s biggest piece of advice — just so you can
ensure the loved ones you really want to be there will be
able to make it.
Once the decision to have a destination wedding has
been made, Harris recommends enlisting a professional
to help ensure the planning process runs as smoothly as
possible.
April 25, 2014
“They have experience with what to expect, as well as what
is and isn’t possible in a particular country,” Harris says.
Couples should select two or three locations that interest
them. Then, a planner can discuss the details and help them
make a final decision, Harris says.
“The time of year they are looking to travel will play a
role, especially if there is not an unlimited budget; they are
not going to want to travel during peak season — when costs
are higher — or choose a location during hurricane season,”
she explains.
Most couples have family and friends spread across the
country or around the globe, so it’s important to know where
everyone will be travelling from to be able to obtain options
and rates for all their expected guests.
So how much does it actually cost to get hitched abroad?
That depends on the destination of choice. Interestingly,
Harris notes it can sometimes be more affordable to do a
wedding in another country than planning a major to-do
right here in Calgary.
“You can spend a few hundred dollars on a simple ceremony for two on the beach, or have a reception for 200, with
a band, entertainment and fireworks — at a lot of resorts, the
sky’s the limit,” she says.
“Some couples may wish to only do a ceremony, and some
wish to do all the regular things you would find in a local
wedding. It’s best to have a budget set for how much your
maximum is per guest, as well as a budget for the actual
wedding portion. A specialist can help you determine costs
before you commit to anything.”
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Here are three popular destinations
to consider for the big day.
Mayan Riviera, Mexico
This sprawling stretch of Caribbean coastline on
the Yucatan Peninsula is known for its technicolour reefs and white-sand beaches.
Comprised of a number of smaller towns and
villages (Tulum, Puerto Morelos and Playa del
Carmen), each has its own vibe; there’s a
locale to suit every bride and groom’s tastes.
Jamaica
The third-largest Caribbean island, Jamaica
boasts more than 1,100 kilometres of coastline.
It’s also known worldwide for its friendly locals,
laidback spirit and, frankly, an abundance of
good rum. If you’re in the mood for a party, this
is the place to be!
Dominican Republic
Postcard perfect, this jungle-heavy area
offers couples both Atlantic and Caribbean
backdrops. And with snorkeling, diving, surfing, fishing and jungle explorations all on offer,
guests will have plenty to do before and after
the nuptials.
Weddings3
Engagement
The
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Weddings is a directed editorial
publication of the Calgary
Herald Special Projects
Department as a result of
interest in the subject. The
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Weddings was developed by
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————
Cover photo courtesy
Hanafoto.com
4Weddings
How to plan the per
By Shelley Boettcher
For Weddings
C
ongratulations, you’re engaged! You have found someone you want to be with
for the rest of your life, and you’ve told all your friends and family. Now the real fun
begins. Whether you have three months or a year before you get hitched, a wedding
requires plenty of planning. Here are 14 points to consider before your dream day.
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Establish a budget and stick to it. Do you have tons of cash to spend on
your big day, or would you rather spend your hard-earned dollars on a
house or a honeymoon? According to Wedding Bells magazine, the
average Canadian wedding cost about $23,458 in 2013, and 69 per cent
of brides say they spent more than they planned.
Buy a wedding planner book; it’ll help you keep track of everything from
flowers to invitations and music. An offshoot of the popular theknot.com
website, The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner and Organizer (Crown
Publishing Group, $35) contains budget worksheets, digital tools, timeline
suggestions, vendor checklists and lots of ideas to make your day special.
Book a photographer and pick a wedding date. According to Calgary
wedding planners, getting a great photographer can be almost as tricky
as finding your dream partner. Photographer Erin Brooke Burns
(erinbrooke.com) has captured the magical day for hundreds of
Calgarians. She recommends booking nine months to a year in
advance. Prices start at about $2,300 and run up to $7,200.
Thinking of hiring a wedding planner? You may want to engage them at
this stage. Typical rates start at about $100 an hour, and range from about
$2,500 to $10,000 or more, depending on what your dream day includes.
“A basic wedding takes about 250 hours to plan,” says Lisa Hanslip, a
Calgary-based wedding planner and owner of The Wedding Planner Inc.
If that seems overwhelming, consider budgeting for a professional planner
who can do “anything, from hourly consultation to talking through
planning issues that a bride may be having, to literally doing everything
from start to finish,” she says.
Select your bridal party. Pick your bridesmaids, your maid of
honour, your groomsmen, your ring bearer and your flower girl.
Choose your reception location — Heritage Park, the Calgary Zoo and
The Wedding Pavillion are all popular options for Calgarians. The
Fairmont Palliser is also a longtime favourite.
In late 2013, Great Events Catering took over the historic Bow Valley
Ranche. Great Events also has spots in Fish Creek Park, Lloyd Park and
Spruce Meadows, and the company rents everything from chairs to
glassware.
Photo courtesy, Erin Brooke Photography & Design
Weddings
April 25, 2014
rfect wedding
7
Book your flowers and your caterer — perhaps
via your reception location, perhaps not. There
are many florists and caterers in this city; ask
for recommendations from friends,
family, your reception location co-ordinator
or a wedding planner.
Consider looking to Top Chef Canada for your
culinary inspiration and contact Nicole Gourmet Catering (nicolegourmet.com). It’s operated by chef Nicole Gomes, who competed
on the third season of the hit reality TV show.
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Photo by Janine Deanna/Courtesy the Calgary Zoo
A bride shares a moment during a wedding at the Calgary Zoo.
Courtesy, Top Chef Canada
Chef Nicole Gomes.
Book an officiant. If you opt to skip a religious ceremony, you can
find a list of marriage commissioners at servicealberta.ca.
Buy your dress, and book your tuxes. The options in Calgary these
days, it seems, are endless. If you are trying to save some money,
consider The Bragging Bride (thebraggingbride.ca), a locally owned
and operated discount designer and consignment wedding gown
and accessories shop.
Will you have cake? Or cupcakes? You may want to consider nut
allergies and the vast number of people who don’t eat gluten
anymore. Bliss & Co. (blisscupcakes.com) offers a range of options
for various needs.
Music! “If music be the food of love, play on,” Shakespeare wrote in
his play Twelfth Night. You just have to figure out what you want your
guests to hear: classical, jazz, rock? Live music? A DJ? You pick.
Start planning that honeymoon! Whether you opt for a weekend
in the mountains or a sun-soaked tropical destination, you need to
book time off work and possibly update your passports. And yes,
you’ll need to budget for the break, too.
No, you still aren’t done. Now is a good time to start thinking about
your vows. If you’ve chosen a religious ceremony, you may not
have to worry about what to say. But if you’re injecting your own
personality into the big day, plan ahead.
Last, but not least, relax and have fun. Enjoy the exciting and beautiful
experience that is your wedding.
April 25, 2014
Weddings
Taking the ceremony
beyond the church
By Annalise Klingbeil
For Weddings
If you don’t want to say your “I
dos” in a chapel, there are plenty of
alternatives in Calgary and area when
it comes to tying the knot.
Many couples are thinking outside
the big square box and getting
married in non-traditional locations.
Others are ditching the confines of four
walls entirely, crossing their fingers,
hoping it doesn’t rain and heading
outside for a beautiful ceremony.
The Plaza Theatre /
Theatre Junction Grand
Now playing: your wedding. The
Plaza Theatre in Kensington and
its 370 seats can be rented for your
nuptials. Hand guests popcorn as
they come in and they’re sure to give
your big day rave reviews. Or, feel
like a star at Theatre Junction Grand,
a historic theatre building in the heart
of downtown Calgary that also hosts
weddings. The 102-year-old theatre
offers a range of rental options.
The Saskatoon Farm
Located in Okotoks, the Saskatoon
Farm’s Garden Centre is a one-of-akind wedding venue. The farm has
a relaxing ambiance and it boasts
stunning natural beauty, together creating an enchanting vibe. Plus, your
wedding photos in the business’s
expansive U-pick saskatoon orchard
will be both beautiful, and, possibly
very, very tasty.
The Calgary Zoo
At the zoo, lovebirds can exchange
their vows at some of the most beautiful outdoor gardens in Calgary. Then,
they can party like animals at one
of the zoo’s many on-site reception
venues. And, for those worried about
the rain, the zoo also offers lush
indoor gardens where couples can
tie the knot. Guests will love visiting
the animals during the break between
your ceremony and reception.
The Devonian Gardens
Whether its summer or winter, your
guests will feel like they’re in the
tropical outdoors when you get married at the Devonian Gardens. No
one will care that the gardens aren’t
actually outside; rather, they’re in the
middle of The Core shopping centre.
Aero Space Museum of Calgary
After they watch you vow to soar to
new heights with your partner, your
guests can mingle under the wings
of vintage planes at the Aero Space
Museum of Calgary. The aviation
museum’s hangar is a unique and
visually stunning place for wedding
ceremonies and receptions.
5
The
Trends
Giving your day
a unique touch
By Shelley Boettcher
For Weddings
Trying to come up with wedding ideas, but you don’t know
where to start? Here’s a look at some top trends in Alberta.
■ Mountain venues: “Sometimes we, as Calgarians,
forget, but people fly from all over the world — the U.K.,
Australia — to get married in our mountains,” says Lynn
Fletcher. A Calgary-based wedding planner (lynnfletcherweddings.com), Fletcher has organized around 600 weddings and says popularity never wanes for destinations such as the
Fairmont Banff Springs and the Rocky Mountains.
■ August and September weddings: “June and July are so
unpredictable now, with the weather,” Fletcher explains.
Photo courtesy,
Amborella Floral Studio
GRADS
DADS
WITH THE PURCHASE OF
ANY PAUL BETENLY SUIT OR
SPORT COAT / PANTCOMBO
RECEIVE A
■ Romantic, casually
arranged flowers, tied
with gold, grey or pale
green ribbons: “It’s that
vintage trend,” says
Misha White, owner and
designer at Amborella
Floral Studio.
“We’re seeing a lot of
soft, romantic, almost
pastel colours and fluffy,
bigger blooms: peonies,
ranunculus, hydrangeas,
garden roses. It’s a loose,
organic style, a little bit
hippie.”
n Creative favours:
Starseed favours from
Consider wildflower
weddingstar.com.
seeds, homemade
jams or stuff that can
inspired key chain that
actually be used by the
is also a bottle opener,”
recipient.
says Patricia MacArthur,
“We have a vintage-
executive creative
director for Weddingstar
(weddingstar.com), an
online store headquartered in Medicine Hat.
“It’s very popular.”
■ Dressing to reflect
your personality: Brides
wear the gamut — strapless gowns, full skirts,
fitted styles. Grooms, on
the other hand, may
have a hipster influence — perhaps Converse sneakers or cool
brogues, notes Calgary
wedding planner Lisa
Hanslip (askawedding
planner.com). Or they’re
sporting an unconventional suit with a bright
tie. “There’s a lot of fun
stuff happening.”
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6Weddings
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■ Custom rings: “Four out of five
people coming in choose custom work,”
says a spokeswoman for jeweller J. Vair
Anderson Jewellers. Rose gold is increasingly popular, because it’s flattering on
almost all skin
colours. White
metals, especially
platinum, are in
demand, too.
■ Vintage influences:
Perhaps the invitations
look like chalkboards.
Or a clawfoot bathtub
holds drinks at the
reception. Or there’s an
old-fashioned candy
bar.
■ Cake toppers
■ Woodland themes: Maybe
poly resin antlers hold place cards,
or there’s a mossy centrepiece.
“It mimics what we’ve been
seeing in home decor trends,”
notes MacArthur.
■ DIY chic: Sometimes people
decorate with things they’ve
made; other times, they shop
on sites such as Etsy.com. Either
way, if it looks homespun but well
done, brides want it.
■ No favours: Some couples
are giving charitable donations
instead of favours, or asking for
charitable donations instead of
gifts.
■ Eco-friendly presentation:
Maybe recycled paper invitations
or e-invitations, potted plants or
lanterns instead of cut flowers.
■ Menus from close to home:
“The farm-to-table hundred-mile
diet and eating organic is
important to many couples,”
says Fletcher.
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that reflect the
couple’s interests:
Weddingstar offers
everything from
cute little bears
to porcelain
newlyweds
in various poses.
(One is fishing to
catch the bride;
another sports
hockey skates.)
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Weddings
■ Ornate invitations: multiple
layers of papers, even pretty
boxes to hold the details.
“The first impression a guest
has of the upcoming event is
the invitation. This really sets the
tone for the whole event,” says
renowned Etsy artist and designer
Barbara Stanaitis from Bella
BaroqueDesign.
“Nobody wants their wedding
to be ordinary in any way.”
■ Pinterest: “It makes it easy for
a bride to share her vision of their
big day,” says MacArthur.
First-dance favourites
Looking for ideas for the first dance, or your
wedding playlist in general? Some suggestions:
At Last, Etta James
I Do, Colbie Caillat
This I Promise You, ’N Sync
When a Man Loves a Woman, Percy Sledge
Kiss from a Rose, Seal
Marry You, Bruno Mars
Can’t Help Falling In Love, Michael Buble
Everything I Do (I Do for You), Bryan Adams
I Got You Babe, Sonny & Cher
You’re the One That I Want,
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
We Belong Together, Los Lobos
Only You, The Platters
You’re the First, The Last, My Everything,
Barry White
7
SPONSOR CONTENT
Demand drives high-end boutique
One-of-a-kind dresses available at Ette
Calgarian Courtney Kos knew she should
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to countless friends and acquaintances who
mentioned they were leaving the city in
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“They just weren’t finding what they
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Kos is aiming to change that, one beautiful
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She’s the owner of Ette, a specialty designer
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The shop carries exclusive dresses and
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Wedding fashion designers include Israeli
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Prices range from about $4,000 to
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“We bring in a lot of lines that haven’t
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The shop offers a range of accessories,
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“They want to look like themselves at
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address Suite 800 – 16th Avenue SW (Corner of 16th Ave & 7th Street) Calgary, AB T2R 0S9 Canada | Tuesday to Saturday Open from 10am - 6pm | Sunday Open from 12pm - 5pm
8Weddings
Weddings
April 25, 2014