Kids at #Weddings for your #FridayWeddingFeels
If you’re hosting a kid-friendly wedding, check out these glorious angels that only make the day better.
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Unique Entertainment Ideas for an Unforgettable Reception
Weddings are chalk full of elegance, emotions and memories – but sometimes that might not be enough to keep the attention of all your invitees. To make sure everyone is having the time of their lives, here are some creative entertainment ideas for your wedding reception.
Image / Divine Harp
Electronic Harpist
If you are looking for a musical performance to leave everyone in enchantment, Toronto’s own Alyssa Michalsky, owner of Divine Harp, is the girl for you. A trained musician since the age of 12, Alyssa utilizes an electronic harp to cater to your music taste for a dazzling performance. Whether you want something classical, a cover of Led Zeppelin or even Adele, Divine Harp can do it all!
Image / JamieHolmes.com
Silk Aerialist Performance
DJ Emporium is not only a standout choice for musicians, but also for their eclectic selection of performers such as a silk aerialist. Their in-house performer, Jamie Holmes, transcends the audience with her gracious and alluring routines. For an added artsy bonus, give their photo booths a try with either per hour or full event rentals.
Image / GPinto.com
A Violinist of All Trades
Grenville Pinto’s talent, charm and charisma are the perfect combination for any wedding reception of all ages. With his classically trained background and energetic band, Pinto will put on an incredible show that is sure to impress even the toughest music critics in the crowd. From classical, to hip-hop, to everything in between, Pinto masters it all!
Image / Facebook
Magic and Hypnosis
Leaving a lasting impact on your guests may seem like a daunting task, but with magician, mentalist and hypnotist, Mike Believe, it is easier than you think. Through his use of close-up magic, audience mind reading and sleep hypnosis techniques, Mike Believe will leave you amazed, entertained and thoroughly intrigued – he even has actor Jude Law’s seal of approval!
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DIY Magical Glass Lighting
Lighting is an impactful investment for you wedding that can add drama, romance and ambiance, as well as really draw attention to an ornate venue or make a simple setting just a little more intimate and special.
Photo Courtesy of Pinterest
While you may have your heart set on 100,000 strings of fairy lights, your budget or venue may not be so agreeable.
Rest assured, a little can go a long way. It doesn’t take much to make a big impression and set a mood. Here’s a quick tutorial on creating mason jar lamps for your table centerpieces. (You don’t have to use mason jars either, use hurricane lamps, old glass bottles, or anything else you can get your hands on that matches your style and personality. Using a frosted glass will give a softer, muted light.)
In addition to the string lights, you can also use glow-in-the-dark paint for a completely different and more whimsical lighting effect. (You may want to have a dot painting party though, or your fingers may end up perpetually clamped in the position of holding a wee paintbrush.)
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The Grand Married Couple’s Silhouette Entrance
After you’re married and the initial photographs have been taken, it’s time to enter the reception. It’s the first time you’ll be arriving at a celebration as a married couple. Your entrance needs to be dramatically huge.
Photo Courtesy of Pinterest
A total crowd-pleasing trend right now to consider is the use of silhouettes. You can use a projection screen to create your silhouette for your guests to see, but it’s not mandatory for the effect. Although, a first dance starting behind a screen can be a lot of fun.
Photo Courtesy of DiscoMobile
Photo Courtesy of EverAfterGuide
The use of lighting techniques can also create the silhouette without the need for a screen. It also makes for some seriously gorgeous photography.
Photo Credit: © Susie Linquist Photography
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Brides Priceless Reaction to Guests Flash Mob Dance
Every now and then you stumble across a video that shows the true excitement of a bride when she is surprised by the people she loves. This is one of those videos.
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Saskatoon throws surprise Wedding Reception for Syrian Refugee Couple
Just 10 days after they were married, high-school sweethearts, Al-Noury and his new wife, Athar Farroukh, were forced to flee Syria. Consequently, they were unable to obtain any photos of their big day or even have the opportunity to relax with family and celebrate their love.
Photo Courtesy of LIAM RICHARDS / SASKATOON STARPHOENIX
After arriving in Saskatoon, a CBC reporter, Eman Bare, who was interviewing refugees for another story, spoke to Farroukh who mentioned that she never got to have any wedding photos taken. Bare offered to take a few photos of the couple, and after mentioning them in a Facebook post, things snowballed.
Several individuals and area businesses started contributing, and an impromptu wedding reception came together. A woman donated a suit and a wedding dress, another made a wedding cake, and a local hotel donated a banquet room for the reception.
Photo Courtesy of CBC
Farroukh found out about Bare’s plan only moments before she entered the room for the photo shoot. The couple had invited a few friends to their “wedding shoot,” but more than 50 people showed up to celebrate.
Photo Courtesy of LIAM RICHARDS / SASKATOON STARPHOENIX
Thank you Canada for giving Athar Farroukh the gift of kindness, generosity, and her wedding photos. 🙂
Photo Credit: Eman Bare / CBC
– Catherine Thorpe
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3 Industrial-Hip Wedding Venues in Toronto
Traditional weddings usually call for traditional wedding venues: event halls with beautiful stone floors, delicate wooden furniture, and marble accents. But what if you’re not into the traditional? For the more modern and progressive among you, why not try a more industrial and urban setting? Not only will it modernize your event, it’ll up the artsy factor. So, without further ado, here are some industrial-hip venues for you to consider.
The Steam Whistle Brewery
Photo courtesy of Steam Whistle Brewing
Exposed brickwork and rough wood beams make this space feel both modern and warm at the same time (something of a difficult task!). For this venue, you can choose your own caterers from a pre-approved list of vendors and all libations for the day will be served by The Steam Whistle Brewery. If you’re interested, there are even brewery tours available for you and your guests provided you book in advance.
The Fermenting Cellar
Photo courtesy of Christopher Dew
The Fermenting Cellar is located in Toronto’s Distillery District. Rough walls and the exposed ceiling make for a very industrialized and raw space. It’s this very roughness that makes it such a great blank canvas for any event, however. Pretty much any theme you can think of will work here! What was once a stone distilling and milling building is now able to provide for your event and catering needs.
The Burroughes Building
Photo courtesy of eatertainment.com
This loft style venue has both an interior area and a rooftop outdoor space for your event. You can enjoy the artsy, industrial, and urban interior if the weather’s not to your liking or if you simply prefer to stay inside. For those of you who prefer fresh air, the rooftop provides both views of the sky and the skyline. The 3rd, 6th, and rooftop are all available for rental and can fit quite a few guests.
– Samantha Muraca
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Trend Watch: Wedding Cakes
One of the most important parts of a wedding is the wedding cake because there are a lot of traditions involved. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t put a spin on things and with these new trends, you are sure to turn some heads. Check out how you can breathe some new life into traditional wedding cakes.
Naked Cakes
[Photo Courtesy of Style Me Pretty]
Naked or bare cakes don’t have icing on the sides and the layers are exposed instead. They are becoming more and more popular as weddings become simpler, less extravagant and more rustic and whimsical. Whether you decorate with fruits or flowers, you’re sure to have a cake that is non-traditional and beautiful – not to mention lower in calories.
Chandelier Cakes
[Photo Courtesy of Kaley Cuoco/Instagram]
Kaley Cuoco started many wedding trends this year by getting hitched on New Year’s Eve: one was her romantic blush pink dress and the other is her fabulous chandelier wedding cake. It hung from the ceiling complete with crystals and lights, and looks absolutely luxurious. These types of cakes run in smaller sizes too and hang from a frame instead of from the ceiling.
The Dessert Bar
[Photo Courtesy of Cake Central]
Instead of sticking to one cake or kind of dessert, a lot of couples opt for a whole dessert bar like you would find at a hotel buffet. This way there is a choice and everyone will find something that they like. If you like this idea but still want to go through the tradition of “cutting the cake,” look into getting a small cake or maybe even a pie, especially if your wedding has a bit of a rustic country vibe to it. Any which way, it’s sure to please your crowd.
Dawn Lo is a contributing writer to the Bridal Guide.
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Wedding Cake Traditions
[Photo Courtesy of E Online!]
This week, news came out that a slice of Prince William’s and Kate Middleton’s wedding cake was auctioned off for $4,160 in Beverly Hills, California. The wedding was held in April of 2011, making this cake over two years old and probably not very good to eat. As the tradition of wedding cakes morphs and changes with the expansion of the wedding industry – wedding cake pops anyone? – it is interesting to take a look back at the many fascinating and sometimes bizarre traditions to do with wedding cakes.
In a time when the purpose of marriage was mostly for procreation, it’s no wonder that most traditions had to do with fertility. The fact that we have wedding cakes today is believed to have come from an old British wedding item called the bride’s pie, which included a mixture of sweetmeats, oysters and lamb testicles – all rich ingredients to ensure virility. When pies morphed into wedding cakes, they were towered up high as an obstacle for the couple to kiss over. If they had no problem kissing over their wedding cake, then they were sure to have a happy long marriage with plenty of children. Similarly, an ancient Roman tradition called for the groom to hit the bride over the head with bread as a symbol of good luck and fertility.
One tradition you may have heard of that some people still follow is having a bite of their wedding cake on their first anniversary. Sounds a bit odd but it comes from a practice at a time when couples were expected to have a baby by the time their first anniversary rolls around and their wedding cake would be served at the baby’s baptism. Having a bite of wedding cake on your first anniversary is now a tradition from an old superstition for fertility.
[Photo Courtesy of Perfect Wedding Day]
Fertility may not be the first thing of people’s minds when they get married now but the wedding cake has become beautiful works of art – and a tasty remnant of past traditions.
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5 Wedding Favours That Won’t Be Thrown Away
We’ve all been to those weddings with the strange favours. Let’s get real – nobody is going to use a set of coasters with the bride and grooms face on them. So, what are the best wedding favours that your guests will actually take home and treasure and won’t break the bank?
The Soundtrack CD
You probably already have your wedding playlist all picked out. Compile a list of your favorites and burn them to blank CD’s for your guests. The best part? Every time they listen to it, they’ll be reminded of your day and how much fun they had. Not to mention it’s an easy, inexpensive DIY that will add a beautiful, personal touch to your Big Day.
The Simple S’mores Kit
Who doesn’t love a good s’more? Graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate tend to transport you back to childhood and remind you what’s really important. Having an evening wedding? Consider having a bonfire so your guests can crack open the treat for a post-dancing snack.
Sparklers
Remember how excited you used to get when you got to light a sparkler? Watching the fire as you spelled your name and wishing it would last longer? Not only are sparklers great for photo opportunities, their just fun to play with!
Mini Alcohol Bottles
Nobody is going to throw away a good drink! Print up a cute little tag like the one pictured below, or add a personal message, a clever quote, or even a simple “Thank You For Being Here” with the couple’s name and wedding date. Attach it to the bottle with a length of twine and you have just about the easiest, yet totally adorable, DIY wedding favor ever.
Mulling Spices
Looking for something a little less traditional? How about some delicious mulling spice for those chilly evenings? There are two different ways to do this favor. You can gather the cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, cloves, cardamom, and orange peel and place them inside cheesecloth to make individual favors. Or, you can make a Mulling Spice Bar. Set out all of the ingredients with cheesecloth squares and lengths of ribbon or twine and let guests create their own sachet. Have a carafe of hot water and maybe even some spirits to add for a little extra punch.
Breanne Randall is a contributing writer to the Bridal Guide.
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Design Your Wedding Bar Menu
All weddings have a big focus on food and refreshments. Just think about how much of your budget is allocated to feeding your guests! While the appetizers, dinner, and dessert are very important, the bar menu often gets left out of wedding planning discussion and conversation. That’s where we come in! The Bridal Guide wants to ensure that your wedding bar menu is well thought out, planned, and executed. We’ll toast to that!
Whether you decide to have a paid bar, toonie bar, or open bar, there are a couple of options you should consider. First, a signature drink is a fun way to get guests talking and drinking up a storm. Second, have a menu of standard options for the less adventurous drinkers. Finally, try bride and groom recommend drink options for add a personal touch to the menu.
Signature Cocktails
[Photo courtesy of Mariee Ami]
First and foremost, use a signature drink (or a few) as your headline for your wedding bar menu. These drinks should reflect your dinner menu, colour scheme, or wedding theme. Think this way: If your dinner menu is Italian or Chinese, try suggesting drinks from the same culture. If your wedding colours are bright and bold, use coloured liquors in your drinks to play up the tones. If you are having a fall themed wedding, try using drinks with orange, red, and yellow tones to reflect the colours of changing leaves.
Basic Drinks
[Photo courtesy of Brides.com]
Basic drinks are easy to offer up at your reception. They serve as a good option for people who have already tried a signature drink, and want to switch back to a staple for the rest of the night. Make sure to cover all common bases here. Offer a couple of good reds, whites, beers, all typical spirits, and juice/soda mix.
Bride & Groom Recommend
[Photo courtesy of Etsy]
This option is our favourite one! It adds a very personal (and fun!) touch to the wedding’s bar menu. By having a bride recommends drink, you will usually end up with something light, flavourful, and visually appealing for the ladies and youngsters. The groom recommends drink can be all of those things too, but it will typically be something more classic, rustic, and…well…manly! These drinks give guests some insight into the couples likes and dislikes, and anything that connects the guests to the couple at their wedding is a good thing!
Cheers!
Lauren Chan is the Editor of the Bridal Guide.
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Brides Gets A Life-Size Wedding Cake of Herself
You never know what you’ll come across on the internet! After a search for creative wedding cakes I came across this one of a kind wedding cake – a 5 foot, life-size, replica of Texan bride Chidi Ogbuta.
In 2008 Chidi Ogbuta and her husband Innocent decided to renew their vows and have the wedding they’ve always wanted.
The 35 year-old bride and mother of four said, “Growing up I have always wanted a doll made in my likeness. I told my husband that I wanted a unique, personalized wedding – a wedding where my dream will come true.”
The wedding cake made in the bride’s resemblance is a step up from a doll, but it might not be for every bride.
The bride’s style and choice of wedding cake is certainly not traditional, but what’s more remarkable than seeing a mirror image of the bride in wedding cake form is the fact that her husband Innocent “gave his consent without reservations,” according to Chidi.
And what’s more, the husband actually wanted a replica of himself as well! The bakers, ‘Absolutely Edible Cakes’, didn’t have enough time before the wedding to make both partners. They spent 5 weeks making the butterscotch bride, and I have to say it looks pretty darn good.
The six-tier cake not only captures the brides’ unique style, it fed the 500 guests at the wedding and then some.
“We brought the rest of it home and a week later it was all gone,” said Ogbuta. She may not have had the cake as long as she would a doll, but at least she was able to share her dream with all her friends and family and have those memories forever.
It just goes to show that everyone person has their perfect partner somewhere out there, and every person can create their perfect wedding no matter how bizarre.
If you want something a little less intense but equally as creative, check out the Bridal Guide’s cake, catering, and special creations partnership page here: http://www.thebridalguide.ca/business_directory/wedding-cakes-toronto/
Jillian Zacchia is a contributing writer for the Bridal Guide.
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Unique Reception Ideas
[photo courtesy of StudioDVM]
Creating a fun and magical wedding reception is a great way to make your special day memorable. Adding an interesting and unique element to your day is easy and can be done no matter your budget. Below are a few fun ideas that will make your wedding a magical night. (more…)
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The Dessert Only Reception
[photo courtesy of StudioDVM]
Focusing on desserts and cocktails is a great way to make an evening wedding a night to remember. You will be saving money by not having a sit down dinner; therefore, you can have an array of desserts that appeal to all your guests. Be sure to serve a variety of treats from the more decadent cheesecake, the delicious cakepop, and lighter fare like fresh fruit. This will allow guests to pick and choose what they want to eat as they mingle.
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Signature Cocktails For Your Wedding Reception
[photo courtesy of Elizabeth Anne Designs]
Creating a signature cocktail for your guests at the beginning of your reception is a great way to greet your guests after you say your “I Dos”. While you are off taking photos, your family and friends can sip on delicious drinks.
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