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    Your Bridal Suite 519
    “Inspiration and design for weddings and events”

Pinning Your Way Through Planning Your Wedding!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

How many times have you been to a website and found something you loved that you don’t want to forget? Lots I’m sure! So what do you do? Save it on your desktop? Bookmark the website? Print out a copy and put it in a file or a bindersomewhere? All of the above? Now…how many times have you later found that picture and thought…”now where the heck did I get this from? The rest of that wedding was so cool! I’ll never find that again”…Like a million?!

Well I’m pretty sure I used to do that on a daily basis. I would have images saved in a folder on my computer with a corresponding word document with links to where I originally found the photos! So time consuming! It was irritating and I would inevitably lose a link or forget to copy one and then close the website without knowing the path I’d even taken to get to the site in the first place, then searching through the browser history…it was just a pain.

Well no more! Pinterest has come to save us all from these frustrations, and simplify our lives. And I’m proud to say that I’m happily addicted!

pinterest logo

Sure you can pin things for your home, or your kids, or your favourite fashion…and I totally do all of those things! But where I find Pinterest the MOST useful is when I’m trying to gather my thoughts for a wedding! You can take all of those inspirations that have been flying around in your head for months and finally organize them all in one place. Creating an inspiration board will allow you to see all of the ideas and design elements right in front of you so you can get a more cohesive vision of how everything will come together!

 

The concept of Pinterest is to “Pin” your “Interests” to various boards just as you would with an actual physical board. And it keeps those boards organized by category or however you decide to label them.

If you don’t yet have a Pinterest account, I am encouraging you to get one. Just get one setup and get started…you’ll get the hang of it before you know it and will be an addict in no time!

Once you set up an account you can specify what categories of things you’re interested in and then your ‘feed’ will only funnel things through that are of interest to you! It will take a bit of time for Pinterest to figure out exactly what you like, so don’t get discouraged if it gives you a few bizarro things the first few times you use it!

Check out this article on Mashable.com that shows you how to get the most out of your Pinterest account titled “7 tips for Planning a Wedding on Pinterest“

Happy Pinning!!

Be sure to check out my own Pinterest boards here!

Written by Kate Vanderlugt of The Little White Dress

Your Bridal Suite 519

“Inspiration and design for weddings and events”

Posted in Wedding Planner Tip, Wedding Planning Tags: ,

by Kate

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blizzards + burgers + belly laughs – how will you celebrate YOUR winter wedding?

Friday, February 17, 2012

For all you super cool winter brides, here is a fun little snapshot of Leslie & Mike’s  frosty wedding… brought to you courtesy of Anne Edgar Photography.

The festivities began  at Leslie’s parents home – the perfect place for a photographer to capture all of the fun, chaos & anticipation of a girl on her way to walk down the aisle.  Detail shots, pix of the bride dressing, photo ops with bridesmaids.  Fairly standard stuff.

Except that Leslie & Mike were thinking a bit more outside the box for their fab winter wedding… and  had something  more interesting in mind for their wedding party.  Instead of heading straight for the venue,   the bride & girls  headed to Wildcraft, where they met up with the groom & groomsmen for some beverages, gourmet burgers, & belly laughs.

As the sun was setting, we headed thru the snow storm to beautiful Hauser Hall for some aisle walking & ring trading.    Champagne toasts, laughter, and naturally – photos in the snow were mandatory.  Dinner & dancing, love & laughter wrapped up a perfect snowy winter day.

Congrats Leslie & Mike!

winter wedding

photography { Anne Edgar Photography }

wedding officiant { Martti at Kettle Creek Weddings }

Posted in Photography, Real Weddings, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , ,

by Anne

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Bridal Suite 519 wish you all a…

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

 

Posted in Uncategorized

by Tracey

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Going Green with Wedding Flowers

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Flowers are such an important part of any wedding day, and a good place to start with some green ideas. Flowers come from farms worldwide, as well as from our own back yard, and making some careful choices that reduce an event’s impact, and still keep it “eco-chic”

Beyond the flowers themselves, the choices about containers, arrangement styles and accent pieces can mean large amounts of chemicals, and waste headed to the landfill. A simple thought to keep in mind along the way is, where will piece this end up, a week, a month, or a year from now.

Here are some ideas to get started.

Choose locally grown or Fair Trade flowers

Favorite wedding flowers, such as roses, orchids and hydrangeas are almost always imported from other continents, and are grown under varying standards for labor and environmental practices.  Choosing Fair Trade certified flowers ensures that the farms  follow strict standards for their workers and environmental practices.  Many locally grown blooms are available, and are farmed in greenhouses year-round , with some seasonal field crops that require less energy to grow. More and more local organic farms are also selling to florists, and often grow more  unique varieties than conventional growers.

Keep it real

Insisting that no dyes or aerosol products, such as leaf shine, spray paint, or adhesives are used will not only reduce chemicals, but will ensure the flowers may be composted.
Fresh flowers or plants are much better than artificial stems that are produced in overseas factories, often under poor working conditions. Even though they may be used again, they will ultimately end up in a land fill, and will not bio-degrade.
Choose bouquets styles that don’t need a plastic holder, and opt for ceremony and reception arrangements styles that do not require floral foam, the unfriendly spongymaterial used as water source in many floral arrangements. Lower arrangements or collections of small containers and candle holders are ideal. Many accents, such as colored lights, are one-time use, or require batteries that are discarded after one use.

Rent whenever possible

Many florists will rent vases for ceremony and reception arrangements, and the containers are often high quality, made of glass or ceramic and will be used several times over. Choose center piece styles that can be hand-tied, and guests can simply lift them out of the container to take home. Candle holders are usually available to rent as well.

Starting with  beautiful blooms and simple designs is a big step towards making your day a little greener.

 

 {Photography: Rabbat Photography}

Written by Pam Salisbury of Flourish Florals

Your Bridal Suite 519

“Inspiration and design for weddings and events”

Posted in Wedding Florals, Wedding Trend Tags: , ,

by Pam

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Choosing Your Ladies!

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

They are the ones who have always been there for you, the ones that you can rely on through thick and thin and now they are the ladies who will stand beside you as you start a very important new chapter in your life.   Who you choose as your bridesmaids and what you ask of them will be an important part of you journey down the aisle!   Throughout your wedding planning you will be relying on this special group for emotional, practical and spiritual support.

 Here are some hints to help you make the experience a smoother one!

Picking your “Entourage”

 Trying to accommodate and please everyone is where things can get a bit tricky.  The consensus of brides today is to follow their hearts and set aside tradition in choosing who will stand by them on their big day.  What’s also perfectly acceptable now is that brides and grooms are choosing members of the opposite sex to be a part of their bridal party.  You may ruffle a few feathers with your choices but it is your wedding day!

 Photography {Bassem}

Dress Stress

The dress your bridesmaids will wear should compliment your own wedding gown in style and formality.  It’s always nice to get feedback from your girls… they need to be comfortable wearing these dresses!  You should also be considerate of financial issues, age-appropriateness, the different figures of the girls and the ability to re-wear the dress after the wedding.  Another traditional element that has been forgone is having all the bridesmaids dresses being “identical” to each other.  A lot of brides are giving their girls the option to choose their own dress as long as it is in the same colour, length and/or fabric family.  This way the girls get to choose something that suits their style but still mesh with the overall look you are trying to achieve.  Taking the time to consider these points only adds to the overall positive experience of your wedding.

 Photography {Bassem}

Money Matters

 As the bride you need to put yourself in your bridesmaids’ shoes.  You most likely have been there yourself!  Recognizing that the costs associated with being in the bridal party may not be everyone’s “cup of tea”.    Your financially challenged friends/relatives secretly may dread being asked to spend that kind of money.  You need to reassure them that you won’t be offended if they cannot shell out the money.  If they are someone that you absolutely can’t imagine not having in your bridal party… then there is always a way to work things out.  Offer to pay for part of all of the expenses involved.  

 Photography {Burton Hill Photo}

Special Gifts for your Girls

 Your Bridesmaids have been with you through the highs and lows of this journey and it is only fitting that  you give them a token of your appreciation!   You can surprise them by treating them all to mani-pedi’s the day before the wedding, or personalizing the gift you give them to their taste and the bond you have with them.  Each person will have a different meaning and place in your heart.    

Just a few things to ponder as you are planning your special day!

 ~ Happy Planning! ~

 

Written by Afzia Shareef of Style & Elegance Wedding & Event Coordination

Your Bridal Suite 519

“Inspiration and design for weddings and events”

Posted in Real Weddings, Wedding Planner Tip, Wedding Planning Tags: , ,

by Chrissie

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