Crazy for Paisley!

Paisley is a whimsical print that can add a bit of fun to your wedding style - especially when we use some beautiful spring colours like yellow and turquoise!

Photo credits: Laura Winslow Photography, hilditchandkey.co.uk, 100layercake.com,

modcloth.com, hellolucky.co.uk, stylemepretty.com, ebay.com, projectwedding.com, pbteencom

We're Back!

After a year-long hiatus with Weddings by Louise, I’m so excited to say…we’re back!

It's been a long year but I'm so happy to be back working with couples planning their wedding day and helping to make sense of the planning process.

Weddings by Louise is now concentrating on three main services for our clients:

Wedding Consultations work well for our DIY clients and couples wanting to handle all the actual planning yourselves.  Each consultation is personalized for your specific wedding needs. We help guide you in the right direction in planning your wedding and can help you organize all of the details during the coming months as you approach your wedding day. Your event consultations are booked by the hour so you receive the service you need when you feel you need it. We also include a free wedding planner book to our clients to help keep track of all your details, guest lists and more.

Décor Rentals are still a part of Weddings by Louise, with an emphasis on designs for head tables, backdrops/chuppahs and specialty tables for your reception. We also offer chair covers, chair sashes and table linens.  Rentals are available to our consultation clients as well as other professional event planners.  All décor is set up and removed by our staff and our rental prices include this service.  Consultation clients receive a 10% discount on decor rental items (before taxes).

We also offer Professional Writing Services for assistance in writing invitations and programs, speeches, wedding website copy, and guidance writing your wedding vows.

Weddings by Louise is now accepting new clients and we’re just an email away at contact@weddings-by-louise.com and we'll contact you within 24 hours.

Tracy & Ken ~ Hollywood Glamour

Tracy contacted me just one month before her May 15th wedding as she wanted us to handle her wedding day coordination so she and her husband-to-be Ken could enjoy a stress-free wedding day. I’m so glad she did! Tracy planned a fantastic day with beautiful decor, excellent food, and their family and guests had a great time.

It was a beautiful sunny and warm day in Beausejour and Lockport for their pictures, wedding, and reception. Manuel Sousa was Tracy and Ken’s photographer and they raved about how easy and fun he made their photo sessions for everyone, including the children. All of their wedding photographs turned out beautifully and Tracy made a very stunning bride to say the least!

Both their ceremony and reception were held at Rembrandt’s Conference Centre in Lockport, Manitoba. The room was beautifully decorated with linens by Planned Perfectly and flowers from Flowers R Us. The dinner menu was amazing (provided by Rembrandt’s of course) and all of the guests loved the food!

The sexy and glamorous Hollywood atmosphere with its red and black theme included tables named for legendary movie stars like Ava Gardner, Marilyn Munroe, and Frank Sinatra, a candy buffet and a very dramatic wedding cake from Dessert Sinsations.

Congratulations Tracy and Ken (and your new blended family!). 
May you have a long, loving life together!

Sweet Treats

As many of you know, I'm a huge fan of Cake-ology - the newest bakery in Winnipeg's Exchange District (on Arthur Street).  Friends, colleagues and I have all tried Pam's creations and we love every morsel!  Here is just a sampling of what Cake-ology can do:

A cake I specially ordered for our office launch party - lemon cake with raspberry buttercream and fondant.  I love the flower and the details along the bottom.  The cake was so moist and the frosting was delish!

Cake-ology cakettes - everyone's favourite!  These decadent little cake balls pack a big punch and they are so great with a hot coffee from the nearby Fyxx or with an ice cold glass of milk.  Vanilla and chocolate are pictured above but they're also available in red velvet, which I haven't tried but it's on my wish list!

Last, but certainly NOT least, my personal favourite - raspberry imperial cookies!  They're larger than they look in this picture and SO good.  The chocolate and ganache ones are amazing too!

These are just a small sampling of what's available at Cake-ology http://www.cake-ology.ca/.  Take a trip during your lunch break or in the middle of running errands on a Saturday and stop in to see what delights Pam has available in her showcase.  The cupcake flavours are always changing and her special order cakes are fantastic.

I think I'll head there for a Snickerdoodle and a lemon cupcake right now!

Welcome!

Welcome to Weddings by Louise's new office -  officially unveiled this week. As well as being centrally located in downtown Winnipeg, the character, history and creative energy in Pantages Playhouse has been an inspiration! After all, the drama, excitement and emotion of weddings have a lot in common with live theatre. Pantages also has special significance for me personally - my own wedding was held here seven years ago.

However, when I was planning the move, there were several reasons I thought it would benefit our clients:

• You aren’t driving all over Winnipeg to see vendors and meet with us at Weddings by Louise. We’re in close proximity to many other wedding vendors such as My Secret Garden florist and Cake-ology bakery, and venues like the Fairmont Hotel and the Millennium Centre.

• We’re convenient to get to. We’re located on Main Street - not far from the corner of Portage/Main and en route from most areas of Winnipeg. If you work downtown, we’re just a walk away or you can take advantage of the free Downtown Spirit #3 bus. Several city transit routes stop across the street at either City Hall or the Centennial Concert Hall.

• We are accessible. There is parking for drivers with disability permits on the street and Pantages Playhouse is equipped with an elevator to our second floor office area.

• You have wedding planning resources to reference in our office, including some of the top wedding books by authors such as David Tutera, Sasha Souza, and Mindy Weiss. We also have the latest issues of Martha Stewart Weddings, Wedding Bells, among others.

• You have the opportunity to visualize your wedding colours and centerpieces when you can see a mock up of your table set up in our office decor space.

• You will have privacy during our meetings and can openly discuss your wedding day details without strangers overhearing your plans or personal details.

If you would like to discuss your wedding details or arrange an initial meeting while you consider our services as your wedding coordinator or decorator, you can call us at 837-3958 or email weddingsbylouise@mts.net. We look forward to seeing you at our new location!

Wedding Feng Shui

You may have heard of the principles of feng shui being used in the design and decor of your living spaces but did you know it can be applied to your wedding as well?  Your choice of colours, room layout and symbolism may influence your celebrations and life together.  The fundamentals of feng shui have been practiced for thousands of years in the East and have gained popularity here.  Whether you are open to the concept or doubt its philosophies, it is something to consider when planning your wedding

Your Venue

Choose your wedding sites based on who you are.  Do you feel more comfortable in a romm with dark wood, historical architecture and heavy fabrics?  Is a hall with high ceilings and large windows with a view of the outdoors more your style?  Your comfort in these areas can have an affect on you on your wedding day.

Your Room Set Up
The southwest area of the room is the marriage/relationship sector and should be where the two of you sit, if possible, or where your gifts are kept during the reception.
Seating and table shapes influence the flow and atmosphere.  Long tables with guests seated on either side can create a confrontational effect, especially if the guests are not on good terms already.  Round tables allow a smoother flow in your room and your guests will feel more at ease with their tablemates.
Dark corners of the room should be filled with lighting or plants to eliminate the dark energy hiding in the shadows.
A backdrop will hide and soften any sharp angles or distractions behind your head table.

Your Colours
Feng shui suggests off white as the ideal colour for a wedding dress.  It's a soft, relaxing colour and will help calm the anxious energy you feel on your wedding day.
What colours do you feel create a specific mood or atmosphere for you?  If you want a fun, festive party then brighter colours can enliven the decor.  For a more elegant and formal event, softer colours can project a more relaxed mood.
Testures can make a large difference too.  Soft fabrics, shiny satins, and billowy sheers will add a more feminine ambience to your space.  Metal, wood and stones can incorporate a more masculine feel.  A combination of a few of both will create a balanced yin/yang energy - perfect for the beginning of a partnership in marriage!

Your Cake

If you want a grounded, stable relationship for the two of you, a low square wedding cake can symbolize that for you.  A tall multi-tired round cake represents an adventurous marriage with rising energy for you to grow together.

photo courtesy of www.bakingshop.com

You may want to include one or more of the suggestions above.  It's a fun way to personalize and balance out your wedding celebrations, from location and decor to your cake and colours.  And there's also some great news...we recently spoke with Nicole Normandeau of Orange Poppy Feng Shui http://www.orangepoppy.ca/ here in Winnipeg.  According to Nicole, February 2010 to February 2011 is a very lucky year for romance, creativity and travel - perfect for weddings, honeymoons, and especially destination weddings!

Trust Your Wedding to a Professional

You're considering hiring a wedding planner for hourly consultations, full planning services, or simply wedding day coordination and now you're getting quotes from various companies.  The industry standard for professional planners starts at $600 for day of coordination and includes the services of a lead coordinator and an assistant.  The average full planning package starts at $1500 and should include the services of wedding day coordinators as well.

There are planners out there who charge $200 a wedding day.  I'm a firm believer that you get what you pay for so I'd be very wary of what services you'll receive for that price.  At about $10/hour you need to ask yourself, and them:

• What wedding experience do they have - what sizes of weddings, venues, cultures?
• How many staff does that include and what experience do they have?
• How did they handle problems and emergencies that arose?
• What training and education do they have?  Is it by a government and/or industry-approved program?

Wedding coordinators who have successfully completed the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada course are trained in all areas of wedding planning and coordination, how to run a wedding business, and how best to serve our brides, grooms and their families.  WPIC expects all graduates to adhere to a code of ethics, continue to build on their education through attendance at annual conferences and training, and to network within their large international community of alumni.  They are also the only wedding certification program recognized by the Government of Canada.

Another association for accredited wedding planners is the Association of Bridal Consultants.  In addition to an application process that requires proof of education and experience from consultants, they also have a professional code of ethics for all members.  They have an education program for novices and professional development for more seasoned planners, and hold their Business of Brides conference each November for members.

Wedding professionals who belong to these organizations, as well as others such as ISES (International Special Events Society), have proven their commitment to providing the best possible service to you for your wedding and take their business and reputation very seriously.

WPIC and ABC wedding coordinators and planners do include those just starting out as well as wedding veterans.  The fees they charge will range depending on their experience, location and the services best suited for your personal needs. Think about it - if it came to something important like getting your taxes done, would you rather have a certified accountant doing them or the woman next door who will do it for a quarter of the price?  On such a special occasion as your wedding, you deserve the best service available from a wedding professional.