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Brittany and Adam: The Wedding

I am so excited to share Brittany and Adam's spectacular winter wedding with you. I had so much fun planning this wedding in just 8 short weeks. Brittany and Adam are a fun, young couple but with school, exams, shopping for a new home, etc. they didn't have much time to plan their wedding. As a result, I had the opportunity to work closely with the mother-of-the-bride to create a one-of-a-kind celebration that would be totally unique and a true reflection of Adam and Brittany's fun personalities.

The ceremony took place at the stunning LDS temple in Cardston, Alberta on December 29th. It was a chilly day but the time spent outside in the frigid weather was well worth it as you can see from the stunning photos captured by the immensely talented Maria Lang.

The reception was help the next day in one of the local Calgary LDS church gymnasiums. Trust me when I say that when we were done with the decor, it looked nothing like a gymnasium! Drawing inspiration from Brittany and Adam's youthful and fun personalities, their colour scheme of light blue, navy blue and silver and winter, of course, we created a hip young lounge atmosphere that was beyond cool!

The reception was help the following day in one of the local Calgary LDS church gymnasiums. Trust me when I say that when we were done with the decor, it looked nothing like a gymnasium! Drawing inspiration from Brittany and Adam's youthful and fun personalities, their colour scheme of light blue, navy blue, and silver, we created a hip young lounge atmosphere that was beyond cool!

To create the stunning transformation, we draped all of the walls in 14 ft. tall soft white fabric and then added uplighting along the entire perimeter that gradually shifted from white to light blue to dark blue. IT WAS STUNNING! In addition, we added a very cool patterned light that gently moved across the ceiling and floor. We brought in modern white leather couches, chairs and ottomans for the center of the room to create a space for guests to hang out and relax. We also set up cool cocktail tables draped in luxurious navy blue linens and 6 seater tables draped in light blue linens and overlays, flanked with uber stylish silver chiavari chairs. Fresh florals of white and green, in square vases, added a touch of sophistication while complimenting our modern theme. The bride's favourite flower, white amaryllis, were stunning placed at the entrance and exit and were arranged in tall vases filled with clear gel that gave an icy impression perfect for this winter wedding.

Guests dined on delicious bite size delights and enjoyed the hot chocolate station we set up complete with custom cups and toppings that included chocolate shavings, candy cane crumbles, marshmallows, caramel sauce, and more. Live piano music floated through the air and the celebration was nothing short of amazing! Thanks again Maria for capturing all the details of Brittany and Adam's amazing day so perfectly.

Congratulations Brittany and Adam!

Vanessa and Darrin: The Wedding

I am so excited to share with you the wedding of Vanessa and Darrin that took place less than a week ago, on January 2, 2010. I was contacted by the bride at the end of November with a request to plan her entire wedding in just 6 short weeks! I was excited and definitely up for the challenge.

These two were full of life and energy and were wanting to infuse their fun personalities into their wedding day. They wanted something simple and elegant but also fun for them and all of their close to 300 guests. Vanessa loves details, I could tell instantly from the large number of details she recalled from the previous Inspired Occasions wedding she had attended. Regardless of the timeline, I wanted Vanessa and Darrin's wedding to be everything they dreamed of and more. I'm thrilled to report it was just that.

All photos credit T LAW Photography.

The Fairmont Palliser was selected as their ceremony and reception venue for it's historic charm and grand elegance. A string trio greeted guests as they entered the ceremony and set the perfect tone of elegance and sophistication. The groom chose to walk the aisle accompanied by both of his parents and selected the Imperial March from Star Wars as their entrance song. Although unconventional it couldn't have been more perfect. The wedding ceremony was very sweet and complete with secret handshakes and a first kiss straight out of a Hollywood movie.

I was thrilled with their colour scheme of silver and purple as purple is such a hot colour right now and combining it with silver made for a twist on the more typical colour combinations of red and silver or blue and silver that often appear at winter-time weddings.

Vanessa had attended a previous Inspired Occasions wedding a couple of years ago and fell in love with the engagement photo table numbers and the candy buffet and knew that she wanted these incorporated into her special day. I also learned of her love of Kernels popcorn so we decided to offer both a candy buffet (always a huge hit with guests) as well as take out boxes containing the bride's favourite flavours fo Kernels popcorn.

If your budget doesn't allow for high end finishes at every table, consider incorporating these desired elements into the head table and parent tables. It will set these tables apart as being a little extra special for the guests of honour and allow you to still have the high end finishes you desire at a price point you can afford.

For Vanessa and Darrin's wedding we used silver chargers and purple napkins at the head table and 2 parent tables as well as an extra stem of hydrangea and some orchids in the centerpieces on the parent tables. The guest tables still looked incredible in their own right. Another way to add a high end look at an affordable price point is by incorporating some rhinestone buckles. We used rhinestone buckles and silver ribbon on the centerpieces and bouquet vases which added the glamour we were after without breaking the bank. Inspired Occasions rents rhinestone buckles for as little as $2.50 each and vases for $3.50 so there's no reason you can't have the high end look you desire at any budget.

We incorporated a GOBO on the dance floor to bring in some added WOW factor to the reception. It coordinated perfectly with their invitations, seating chart and the stickers used on their candy buffet and popcorn boxes. Their guests were definitely impressed!

Vanessa and Darrin participated in a tea ceremony in the lovely Oval Room prior to the start of the reception. I always love when couples incorporate family and cultural traditions into their wedding day.

I connected Vanessa and Darrin up with an amazing dance instructor and they went about having a fun and flirty first dance choreographed to perfection. Their guests were totally surprised and their dance was an instant hit and set the prefect tone for the fun party that was to come.

I was thrilled to open my in box earlier this week to find the following email from Vanessa. "Terra, there are not enough ways to say thank you in the world! THANK YOU! Everything was so perfect and everyone has been saying how beautiful and organized the entire day was. Where would we be without you? Definitely not happy and ecstatic like we are right now! I can't imagine anything to be more perfect - thank you, thank you, thank you!" Do I have the best job in the world or what?!

Congratulations Vanessa and Darrin on an incredible wedding day! You are a fantastic couple and I wish you every happiness in your future together.

Divine Damask

The past couple of months have been super busy here at Inspired Occasions. In addition to getting the final touches together for Della and Dino's divine damask winter wedding later this month, it was a flurry of activity planning 2 300 person weddings back to back; one with an 8 week timeline and the other with only 6 weeks! Stay tuned for details from those two amazing weddings which occurred on December 30th and January 2nd. I can't wait to share with you all of the amazing details from those two dazzling weddings.

On another note, I was delighted to see that Della and Dino's wedding invitations made it onto Plush Invitations 9 Most Memorable of '09. The bride, Della, has been amazing to work with over the past year and I can't wait to see all of the delicious details come together for her and Dino's spectacular damask inspired white and black winter wedding celebration later this month. Be sure to check out their fabulous photographer, Gabe McClintock of Perspective Eye Photography sometime in February to see images from this incredible Calgary wedding!

Candy Inspired Whimsical Wedding

Check out this whimsical candy inspired wedding that was featured in the New York Times.  I love how creative and unique this wedding is and talk about FUN!!!  While sometimes too much of a good thing is too much, in this case I think going over the top is what makes this particular wedding so fabulous.  It's simply delicious!

While not many of us would go to this extreme, regardless of how much we love our sweet treats, there are many ways to infuse your love and candy into your wedding day details.  Check out some of the ideas I found below to add the perfect touch of tasty whimsy to your wedding day!

Lollipop wedding invitation: Wonderful Graffiti

I am super excited about the way we are incorporating lollipops into one of my upcoming summer weddings.  It is going to be a beautiful and elegant wedding and the lollipops are going to add the perfect, unexpected twist.  You'll have to stay tuned to see how we pull it all off!

While you may not want to carry a bouquet of candy on your actual wedding day, why not have fun at your rehearsal by carrying a candy bouquet and having your groom sport a candy boutonniere? 

For my own wedding rehearsal I decided to make mini bouquets for myself and my bridesmaids using blow pops and greenery and boutonnieres for my hubby and his groomsmen using the same supplies.  They were a huge hit and helped lighten the mood before practicing our "I Do's."

Lollipop wedding bouquet and candy boutonniere: Source
Candy Themed Cake: Cake Lava

If you really want to try something non traditional, you could opt for a wedding cake pinata! This is a very fun alternative to a regular wedding cake and could provide a new twist on the popular candy buffet.  This would be great at a wedding with lots of little ones but I bet you would have a fair share of "big kids" running up to snag some tasty treats too!  

Wedding cake pinata: Weddingbee

Calgary Wedding Day Coordination Sale

Tis the season of giving!  With Christmas just around the corner (yes, I have to admit, I already have my tree up and fully decorated) I have decided to offer all you deserving Calgary brides out there a special winter sale so now there is no excuse to not have a wedding day coordinator for your winter or spring wedding!  

After countless hours meticulously planning your wedding I know that you want to be able to actually enjoy it, and you should!  You can’t be both the bride and the coordinator and your family and closest friends shouldn’t be put in this role either…unless you want them to miss out on the amazing experience that will be your wedding!  You deserve to be treated like a celebrity on your wedding day, having every detail covered and every need attended to, and that’s just what you’ll get with an Inspired Occasions coordination program.

So now onto the details of this very special sale.  Are you ready...drumroll please...I am offering a $250 discount off of any day-of coordination package booked for a November 2009 - March 2010 wedding.  Just mention this blog post to receive your special discount.  What exactly does this include you ask?  

We’ll meet with you before your wedding to make sure that we have a thorough understanding of your wedding vision, down to the smallest details.  We’ll handle confirming all contracted vendors so you can actually enjoy the month leading up to your wedding knowing that no detail will be overlooked.  We’ll make sure your ceremony runs smoothly and clean up afterwards.  On your photo shoot you will be treated to the superstar service you deserve with your own personal assistant to take care of you and your wedding party’s needs…from snacks to beverages to hair and make up touch ups, we’ve got you covered!

At your reception, we’ll make sure all the details you worked so hard to plan dazzle! We’ll keep things on track and be the point of contact for any questions that arise so you aren’t being bothered throughout the evening and can fully enjoy your months of hard work and planning.  Oh, ya, I also include some extra special bonuses that you won't find elsewhere that are sure to make your day complete!!!  Our dates are filling up quickly so if you’re ready to have the luxurious wedding experience you desire and deserve, contact us now to book your free initial meeting to discuss your wedding needs!   

Think Pink Wedding Inspiration

In honour of Think Pink (Breast Cancer Awareness) month, I have decided to put together a pink inspired wedding post.  This one takes a fresh, fun and youthful approach to a very pink celebration.

Hot pink wedding shoes: Liana Photography
All pink bouquet: Martha Stewart
Pink lanterns at a tented reception: Inspired Occasions
Pink centerpiece: The Knot
Pink photo table number: Inspired Occasions
Pink martini: Brides.com
Pink wedding cake and sweet table: Amy Atlas 
Pink candy buffet: Project Wedding
Pink Flip Flop "Dancing Shoes": Inspired Occasions