Love from Australia

So for many planners and wedding coordinators, having an international bride and groom might seem like a nightmare.  Working with Amanda and Kevin was anything but that… definitely more of a dream.  Being a creative person who enjoys designing decor plans, obsesses about flowers and loves the cute little details, working with Amanda couldn't have been better.  She knew exactly the feel that she wanted, but in some areas she let me do what I do best and trusted my opinion, in other areas she knew exactly every detail and made the decision.  A bride who knows what they want, is organized, but lets you have some creative input and trusts you?  Ummm, I think I made a new best friend!  That's actually exactly how she made me feel the very first time I met her after 5 months of non stop emailing back and forth.  The second time I had the pleasure of meeting her and Kevin was one week before their wedding almost a year after our relationship began.  Stressful? Not really, because I knew that Amanda and Kevin were looking forward to exactly what weddings are all about - they just wanted to express their love for each other and celebrate it with their closest family and friends who have travelled from all over the world to be there and support them on that special day.  I'm already a bit of a sucker for weddings and speeches, and generally most clients will see me shed a tear.  Amanda saw me full on weep, as well as all her guests.  When she began thanking me in her speech I couldn't even manage to hold it back!  It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done, and to top it off her father made a toast to me in front of everyone - way to put me on the spot Mr. Taylor!  haha the point of this little story is that her family and friends were extremely appreciative, warm, welcoming, kind, and I think about them every time I see the photos.  Amanda and Kevin were utterly in love and couldn't keep their eyes (or lips) off of each other.  Thank you for everything Amanda and Kevin!  Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your beautiful wedding.

Another big thank you to all the vendors that made this wedding so beautiful!
Cake: CandyApple Bakeshop
Photography: Robyn Louise Photography
Flowers: The Flower Lantern
Venue: The Rockwater Secret Cove Resort 
Make-up: Christina Visser
Hair: Karyn Gale karyngale@hotmail.com

So… what happens after?

We spend so much time anticipating all the events leading up to a wedding (they are much deserving of it of course), and make all the arrangements for BEFORE the wedding, and during the wedding, but what about after?  There are a few immediate and long term things you shouldn't forget.  Assuming makes an ass out of u and me.


Clean-up
Immediately after, and even during your wedding, your venue needs to be cleaned up.  Most venues require it to be returned to the state you found it in by noon the following day, later if you're lucky.  Do you really want to rush back and force your tired wedding party and visiting family members to go clean?  Doesn't sound like an enjoyable first day as a married couple.

All venues are different - if they have an in-house caterer or it's inside a hotel, all the dish ware, garbage and recycling will be taken care of (and probably your rentals - ask before assuming though).  If you're getting married outdoors or on private property, make sure you talk to your vendors about clean-up expectations.  It might be extra, but it'll be worth it.  A lot of venues also require that you take any garbage or recycling off the property - be prepared!


Brunch & Gift opening
Many couples enjoy the tradition of hosting a breakfast or brunch the morning after, and there you can open gifts and thank those present in person.  This is an added cost, so some people skip it or offer it for a small amount per guest (if at a hotel or resort where you can set-up a buffet option).  If you want to do something casual, ask a family member to host a small one just for out-of-town guests and family members as well as the wedding party.  The breakfast is almost always smaller and more intimate than the wedding reception, and you can ask a few people to help contribute to lighten the burden.  These are my tips, as there isn't much etiquette expected.  Just make sure to make a few arrangements a couple weeks before your wedding, and communicate to those you'd like present.  Have a bridesmaid or family member write down all the gifts you received and who it was from to refer to when writing your thank-you cards.


Payments
Most of your vendors should have already been paid, but double check just to be sure or be prepared to pay the final amount on any invoices that may have changed the night of (labour, liquor, etc).


Thank you's
First send an email or take the time to call your vendors to say thank you.  Also, anyone that leant an extra hand in set-up or clean-up will appreciate another call just to say how much it meant to you.  Then the thank-you cards - you can even start having these prepared before your wedding, but don't make the mistake of sending a generic card or email!  Personalize your thank you cards after opening gifts and documenting who gave you what - and hand write a note that is specific to each guest, family, or couple.  Don't forget these!  They should go out within 4 weeks of your wedding (but the sooner the better…).


Relax, Enjoy, and Love each other! Then eventually it's back to reality and work….

Things I love right now….

ROB RYAN
www.misterrob.co.uk

Just LOOKING at Rob Ryan's designs, I am inspired to create an entire wedding based off these quirky, whimsical and inspirational items.  Favourites include the "His'nHers" mugs which only make sense when together.  Would this not be an adorable wedding gift for a newly wed couple?  Or an image of both bride and groom drinking from their mugs on the morning of their wedding, separated the previous night and anxious to see each other again?  I can picture it, I hope you get what I'm putting down here.

Another item is the green "This bell" hand printed cushion cover.  Love the green.  love the image.  This is where an entire wedding took form… the invitations, the flowers, the colours…. (Ok, I've snapped out of my wedding-day-dreaming now).

Check out his store on Etsy to buy items like this "Listen to the World" tape and Alphabet Bag (great bag to put your bridesmaids gifts in….).

SCRABBLE LETTERS

Who knew the game you grew up playing with your dad would be trendy in 2012?  Well it is.  Scrabble is a huge hit.  I'm sure many of you play on your iPhone or via internet games with your Facebook friends and every now and then dust off the old board (yes, the real board, with real wood letters).  It can also be on your walls, be whispering words of wisdom, be on the mugs that you gift and in your wedding pictures.  I think it's an adorable trend, and may jump on board.  Maybe Monopoly will be the 2013 game of choice?

Take a look at these adorable wedding photos on Intimate Weddings blog using scrabble letters!

Family Dynamics

It’s becoming more and more common that the main cause of stress for the should-be excited soon-to-be married couple is their complicated family dynamics.  Women with close relationships to their step father and birth father wonder how to please and honour both without hurting one of their feelings.  Feuding relatives and parents make invitation lists and seating plans a daunting task for any bride and groom.  So how do couples cope?  Do they have to play flame diffuser, therapist and shoulder-to-cry-on for their relatives, as well as wedding planners?  It shouldn’t be so.

I’ve seen quite a few different scenarios thus far in my wedding planning, and I’m sure to see many more yet to come.  My biggest piece of advice is to not stress over it, and be honest with the people around you.  If one parent is irate that the other is invited, gently let them know it’s important for you to have both of your parents present, and that you’d appreciate both of their support and am sorry if it causes them any discomfort.

Do you invite your father or mother’s significant other(s)?  Tough question, and it depends on the situation entirely.  Do you consider them family?  If yes, then it only seems natural to invite them.  If your parent who has a partner would be happiest with their partner present, and you have a friendly or loving relationship with them, then I believe they should receive the invite.  Consider your feelings towards this person opposed to your family’s, or at least consider your own feelings first.  It is your feelings that take priority on your big day.  Once again, if it causes tension with your other parent, explain to them that it’s what you want and that you understand it’s a bit uncomfortable for them but hope everyone can get along for your sake and that their understanding would mean the world to you.  Don’t say to one parent that the other requested their partner be invited, it will only make it more tense and give them reason so mutter nasty comments that might start with “selfish” and end with words I don’t find appropriate for my blog.

Many brides wonder how to honour both their stepfather, who they have developed a close and loving relationship with over the years, as well as their birth father.  I have a few suggestions to consider.  First of all, it doesn’t have to be a father-figure that walks you down the aisle.  If it’s your mother that you feel raised you, then consider having her walk you down.  You could also give this honour to your brother (if you have two, I would either avoid this or ask your older brother, but find a way to honour your younger brother as well).  Another option is to have one of your father-figures walk you down the aisle, but dance with the other for the “father daughter dance”.  This way, both get their shining moment with their daughter and feel like they are a part of your big day.

Make sure you’re upfront with all people involved about your expectations for your wedding day.  If you’d like to have family photos done with both your parents and/or their significant others, let them know ahead of time so that they aren’t caught off-guard in the moment and they can mentally prepare. 

Most times over not, everything goes smoother than anticipated because the people around you want you to enjoy a stress and drama-free day.

Sneak Peak!  a few photos I snapped during set-up at The Rockwater Secret Cove Resort at Amanda & Kevin's wedding on the Sunshine Coast in June.  Decor plans, graphic design, wedding management and coordination by TLC Weddings and Events, coordination assistance by Diana Newson at Original Newson Events (ONE).  Flowers by Kathryn at Flower Lantern.

What should be in your wedding binder?

To all you women braving the wedding planning process sans professional help - here's a basic list of what you should include in your wedding binder.  If you have this organized and handy, you can delegate tasks to all your loving family and friends who have lent their hands to help, but won't need to commit every phone number to memory or try to explain things to your groomsmen via phone while having fake eyelashes glued on (you should not be stressed out and trying to explain decor to men with sharp objects and glue near your eyes).

• Table of Contents 

• Hotel/resort or venue information
• include the address/directions, phone number and contact information for the venue manager or any of your on-site contacts

• Supplier contact information
• Compile a list of all your suppliers and their phone numbers (business and cellular)
• go the extra mile to input their email information and business address (especially if your items are being picked up from them and not delivered)

• Wedding Party contact information
• Names and numbers for all your wedding party members, important family members involved as well as your MC

• SCHEDULES
• You can format these how you like, but a delivery and pick-up schedule for all rentals, flowers, decor, equipment, etc is necessary
• There is no such thing as too much detail (think music, entrances, MC Announcements, speeches)

• Speeches
• A copy of your speeches
• A detailed outline of when your MC will be making announcements and a guideline of what they will be saying (depending on your MC, you can give them an outline of what is needed and they can take it from there, or they may want a word-for-word script from you)

• Decor/Set-up instructions
• Format this how you like, but my preference is to divide my decor checklists into sections such as:
• Ceremony
• Cocktail hour
• Center pieces
• Reception
• Miscellaneous

• Floor plans and seating arrangements

• Budget & invoices
• Assuming you've been inputting everything into a detailed budget, you should also have a payment schedule to keep track of which deposits have been paid, which suppliers require cheques on the day of or which will be processing charges on your credit card.  Prepare your cheques the day prior and have them ready in envelopes so that on the day of your wedding, your suppliers don't need to chase anyone to get paid.  If you're going to see them the days leading up to the wedding, you can even give them a post-dated cheque then and get it out of the way assuming none of the charges are up for revision after the wedding day.

Baby Shower Thank-you cards

Custom, double sided Baby Shower Thank you cards designed by TLC Weddings & Events!  A beautiful way to thank your friends and family for their generosity, and with such a cute picture it's definitely frame-able (or at least fridge worthy).

Thank you card on one side, irresistibly cute picture on the other!  Contact TLC for your custom thank-you cards.  Photography by Sherry Nelson

Shaping your wedding

Right from the get-go, shapes are a part of your wedding and decision making.  First comes the ring... Princess? Marquise? Emerald?  What silhouette (a fancy word for shape really...) will your dress be? A-line? Mermaid?  What shape(s) will your cake be?  Round tiers, square tiers, or do you want to be adventurous and have each tier a different shape (yes, you can do that!)?  There are more places than you realize where shapes can actually make a big difference, and what seems like a small decision may be a cost-effective way of making  your wedding absolutely unique.  

photo by Kathi Littwin Photography, program by Peak a Boo Design

Invitations

Be gone, days of old.  Square and Rectangular aren't your only options for stationary these days.  Heck, some people don't even use paper for their Save-the-dates anymore (think... custom printed balloons...).   Consider round invitations like seen here on Wedding Paper Divas!

Ceremony

How do you want your guests to see you when you're taking your vows?  Do you want some guests to catch a glimpse of you when you walk down the aisle to never see you again and only know by cue to stand and cheer that's it's over (that's for all the little 5 foot nothing ladies out there...)?  Or do you want the setting for this extremely intimate moment to be... intimate?  Even with 150 guests or more you can achieve this.  Think about setting your chairs in a circle completely around you so that you have friends and family surrounding you from every direction - this also allows more people to access those VIP front row seats and reduces the amount of rows deep you have to go to squeeze in every last 2nd cousin, work friend, and all your parents pals from the old country.

Tables

Did you know that you don't have to have 5 or 6 foot round tables for your reception?  No lies.  Square tables with two people on each side (leave enough space for 2 feet per person) have the same effect, but are completely original and seat the same amount of people.  Another option is to opt out of separate tables and have long family style tables, with that being said you can position the tables in a "U" shape (there's that word again....), and have your dance floor in the middle.  This option creates a warm, family environment and no one feels like they're at the "extras and work friends" table way in the back, because everyone has a front row seat for the dance floor.

From top left: Photo by Q Weddings, Tinywater Photography, Design by Artisan Events, Last photo by Reign 7 Photography 

Now that you've decided what you're using as a table, think about what goes on top!  Charger plates, centerpieces, table signs... make it your own and think outside the box (pun very much intended).

Cake

As I previously mentioned, your cake is where you can really express your individuality (x2), and play with shapes.  My personal favourite at the moment is tiers of different heights such as below.  That's only one option - think about a hexagon shape for all your tiers, or a large square base with smaller round tiers on top.  If you like the idea of small desserts opposed to one large cake, think about small individual square cakes opposed to the typical cupcake.

Cake by Cake Crumbs

Photo by Lisa Hubbard

Wedding Paper Divas

I've recently designed and ordered invitations, RSVP Cards (two different types!), Reception Cards, 'Wishing Well' Cards, and all the necessary envelopes with return addresses pre-printed from Wedding Paper Divas in cooperation with one of my brides.  I must say, although we went back and forth for weeks regarding colours (I'm talking CMYK adjustments of 1 or 2, cream background or grey background? all the necessary fuss to make your invites perfect and oddly part of the reason I like what I do), Wedding Paper Divas made it easy.  With endless possibilities for designs and options to customize, all you have to do is enter your text and choose what items from the same line you need (YES I DO believe in outer AND inner envelopes!).  In addition, we had a professional designer send us our digital proofs with new suggestions we hadn't thought of.  


Take a look at a few of my recent favorites!

Invitation help!

That daunting task of sending out your invites is coming up (exciting if you know what you're doing, daunting if you're inviting 500 people and hand writing each invitation) - here's a guideline for addressing your invites! These are suggestions of course, as invitation etiquette is different depending on who you ask. This style combines a formal outer envelope, allowing for a modern and less formal inner envelope. I do recommend two envelopes, however, if you skip the inner envelope then you need to formally address your guests - which is also up for debate! Are titles too old fashioned? Many would say they're necessary, but some brides and choosing a more modern route and addressing the envelopes using each persons full name, free of titles. I won't even start on the hand-written versus printed label debate....


Please feel free to print the below image, or email me if you'd like me to send the information via email:
taryn@tlc-weddingsevents.com

Beautiful Anniversary Gift

TLC Weddings & Events now offers basic Graphic Design and photo art.  We can create save-the-dates, invitations, all your wedding signage or beautiful digital photo art like this to frame in your home!

Photography by Linsey Hulls, Select Photography
www.selectphotography.ca 

Save The Date designed by Taryn, TLC Weddings & Events

Two of my amazing clients (who live in Australia although the below picture was taken in BC as you may have guessed) recently sent out their Save The Dates (designed by myself, photography by Robyn Louise Photography, www.robynlouiseblog.com).  Because their guest list includes friends and family from allover BC and Australia, the added cost of sending out Save the Dates seemed a little unnecessary, although the purpose of them useful as many guests need the advance notice to make travel and accommodation arrangements.  That's when we designed the below image and sent it out via email.  Some shutter at the word when in relation to weddings, but with an international guest list, it really was our most efficient option. And if done right, can still look effortlessly elegant!  You can link the image itself to your website, which is where I recommend having an accommodation page along with all your other useful wedding info.

Pressure is on boys...

Did you know that your job title could be "Proposal Manager"?  Neither did I.  That might be the best job I have ever heard of.  At the same time, I think planning thousand dollar engagements every day might make your own love life seem consistently disappointing.  The reason I bring it up is because it was on the 6:00 o'clock news today!  With Valentine's day only a few hours away (5 hours, 10 minutes to be exact), there is pink, red, flowers, hearts, love stories and inspirational, tear-jerking proposal stories everywhere you turn.  I kind of love it, but maybe that's because I'm lucky enough to be in love, or maybe that's because I like pink and fancy hotels.  Nonetheless, I'm feeling particularly romantic today after spending an amazing weekend at The Rockwater Resort with my amazing partner, who treated me to a couples' massage and dinner, so I thought I would spread the love.  Boys - take hint.

www.globaltvbc.com

www.fairmont.com/pacificrim/GuestServices/Weddings/theperfectproposal

TLC at the Sunshine Coast Bridal Affair 2012

Custom Vintage Themed Stationary

This is why I love what I do... I get to find an excuse to design vintage stationary and dream up decor in my spare time and consider it work!  Take a look at these custom designed vintage table signs and stationary that I did myself!  Print on sticker paper and paste onto your mason jars or galvanized pails, or print on a thick stock paper and hang from the candelabras.  Here's a new way to display your table numbers.

Style Me Pretty Inspiration board!

Pastels are pretty, but burgandy is better!

Brides - don't fade into the background,

stand out against bold, rich hues.

TLC's new website is up! 

www.tlc-weddingsevents.com

Go to my site to learn more about my packages & services, about TLC, contact information and galleries.  I'll keep blogging so don't stop visiting the us at 

www.tlc-weddingsevents.blogspot.com

Inspiration Board

View my Wedding Inspiration Board on TheKnot.com

Take a look at my cute, country style inspiration I just created on The Knot!


Cheers xo

Custom Vintage Postcards

Save the Date & Engagement Photo Session

The engagement shoot isn't JUST about flirty flowers, walks through gardens and fields that you've never taken before, and catching cute kisses on camera... it's about him too (a little bit).

I LOVE this idea, and already plan to have one taken on the soccer field when my certain-someone pops the question.  After your shoot, print out Save the Date cards with this fun photo on it, or even just send prints of the photo to all your guests.

Check out the rest of the gallery and read their story on Style Me Pretty