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.
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