Special touches and DIY details

I had so much fun brainstorming and coming up with all the little details for our special day.  I wanted to make sure all the elements were personal; really allowing mine and Derek's personalities to show.  I also wanted to keep things as simple as possible, without breaking the bank.

Here are my top 3 tips regarding wedding details:

Tip #1 Keeping the small details to a minimum creates more of an impact.  You don’t want a million little things everywhere, or else people won’t really take-in anything.

Tip #2 If you would like to add personal details to your wedding day either through signage, decorations, signature cocktails, programs, etc, whatever you do – get a head start on the projects.  There is so much going on during that last month before the wedding and you don't want your projects to lose priority when things get hectic.

Tip #3 Don’t be afraid to enlist friends, family and your bridal party to help!  If you have an A-type personality and are controlling by nature, you may need to let go a little bit, or else things could be very overwhelming.  I understand that this can be difficult if you have a very specific vision in mind.  Either give very detailed instructions or find someone who is an even bigger perfectionist than you are! You will rest assured the job will be done right!

Here are just a few of my favourite elements of our wedding and the DIY projects I included:

• A welcome sign for guests to see as they walked into the wedding venue.  We decided against programs, but I really wanted to highlight our wedding party and family members names, as well as welcome our guests to our big night!  I found a cheap piece of framed art at a thrift shop and then just painted over the glass with black paint.  I used a chalkboard marker to write my message so that I didn't have to worry about the chalk rubbing off during transportation.  I love how it turned out!
  
  
  
  
  
• Signature drinks which were served during the cocktail hour before the wedding.  Derek and I each worked with a bartender from The ARC to come up with a Bride's drink and a Groom's drink.
  
  
  
  
  
• Cute chalkboard signs around the rooms.  I used the same technique as the welcome sign on faux-silver platters that Ashley and I found in thrift shops around town.  It was just a nice way to provide instructions and information to our guests.

• We needed to include some details that paid homage to the date of our New Year's Eve wedding.  I displayed a few clocks around the coffee and at 11:30PM hats and noise makers were "served" on trays to our guests.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Card Box and Guest Book.  These weren't details I stressed over too much, however I'm super happy with how they both turned out!  I purchased our card box at the Great Glebe Garage Sale last spring (and wrote about it here), and then all I did was create some bunting with red felt, twine and press on letters.  So easy!
  
  
  
  
  
  I used our engagement photos to make a guest book through Blacks'.  And I even used our engagement photo props as extra décor which was super cute and brought our photos to life.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Coffee Wedding Favours.  Derek and I are both coffee lovers.  Who isn't, really?!  We are lucky that my mom is an devoted supporter of local vendors at the Metcalfe Farmer's Market and she has introduced us to Poppa Bean Coffee.  Poppa Bean is a small business owned and operated a lovely couple, Sarah and Paul.  I knew their coffee would make the perfect favour for event.  We purchased a bulk order and packaged it ourselves using bags from Pritchard Packaging and I purchased the labels from Etsy.
  
  
  
  
  The label read: The Perfect Blend and included our names and wedding date.  Guests chose from a dark, medium or decaf roast of coffee.
  
  
  
  
  
• Personalized vows.  This was always very important to me and thankfully Derek was on board with the challenge.  It was amazing to share our truest feelings with each other out loud, in front our friends and family.  I believe our vows, and ceremony in general, really personalized our wedding, while adding romance as well as some humour too!
  
  
  
  
  
• A dessert table.  I love the look of styled dessert tables, and since there wouldn't be much décor, I thought it could also work as the centrepiece in the room.  The lovely Melissa from the flour shoppe set-up our sweets the day of the wedding and it looked amazing.  I created tags simply by writing the names of the desserts on white card stock and sticking them in sparkly pine cones which I actually already had as Christmas tree ornaments.
  
  
  
  
  
  Melissa even plated some of my mom's homemade butter tarts, which are a family favourite!  I actually posted the recipe here when I made them for a Christmas dessert exchange.
  
  
  
  
  
  It was fun to have easy to grab desserts like mini cupcakes, cookies, and pretzels, which gave our guests the energy they needed to dance all night (and they did!)
  
  
  
  
  
• A bag piper.  A must!  Our piper, a high school student who lives in my parents' neighbourhood, was amazing!  The ARC restaurant isn't very large, so the pipes were loud!  It was awesome!
  
  
  

When I start writing all the details down like that it seems a little overwhelming.  Please know that I was not the only person responsible for organizing details - I had so much help from our friends, wedding party and families.  It wouldn't have been possible without their help.

And although I took care of creating the decorations and little details, Derek was in charge of transportation and execution the day of the wedding.  I left everything in his trusty hands (with detailed instructions) and he made sure everything was where it was supposed to be, all the while I was enjoying my wedding morning at my parents' house with the ladies.  It was great not to have to worry about anything the morning of the wedding.

Derek and I are both very happy with the way everything turned out.  And even though there were a few glitches on the way (like a venue change mid-planning phase) and at the last minute being told the bridesmaids couldn't walk down the aisle with sparklers like we had originally planned, it didn't matter in the end.

The end result was an intimate, upbeat and happy celebration.  I think the special touches we added really represented our families, personalities and our relationship, which was my main objective.

My best friend's wedding

My best friend forever got married this past weekend!  It was such a whirl wind of excitement, planning, emotions, anxiety, fun and most of all love.

I am so happy for Ashley and Matt, who are now taking a well-deserved "mini-moon" together, to relax after this big event.  They are planning a larger-scale honeymoon to Italy next May.

Ashley had a beautiful garden party style wedding in her Aunt and Uncle's backyard.  Her colour scheme was gray and yellow with accents of white and green.  It was so fresh!  The wedding was complete with the big, crisp white tent, lanterns, lush greenery, a bathtub of beer (yes - bathtub!), white twinkle lights and an in-ground swimming pool that some guests (and the groom) may or may not have jumped into later in the night.

To keep it simple - it was perfect.  Ashley totally blew my mind by executing the most beautiful backyard wedding I could have imagined.  I say she blew my mind because she was never one to day dream about all the details of her future wedding or go crazy with a wedding pinterest board before (or even after) she got engaged.  Unlike me, her best friend, who awkwardly purchased wedding magazines without an engagement ring and who basically had a wedding planned for every season so that I would be prepared.

Ashley went into her wedding planning with a fresh pallet, free of any preconceived ideas or plans.  And I think that is great.

Her concept was that she wanted to DIY as much as possible, keep the cost low while filling everyone up with the love her and Matt share along with delicious food and lots of beer and wine.  She didn't want things to feel stuffy, overly formal or too "planned out".  Kind of like a fancier backyard BBQ with a wedding to kick things off.

And she succeeded in doing just that.  The wedding reflected her and Matt perfectly.  They are a very down to earth couple, who focused on the important aspects of the wedding without getting caught up in the silly details which is so easy to do.

Here are a few pictures of the wedding venue, so that you can have a small appreciation for all the hard work Ashley put into her special day.  All while looking amazingly beautiful, I might add!

And here are a few action shots during the ceremony which was held in the front yard.

In the limo, on our way to the wedding!  These are Ashley's beautiful sisters on the left.  

And the bride, herself, who could not have looked more stunningly beautiful.  Matt's a pretty lucky guy!!!

The photos above were taken by me and a few of the wedding guests.  Here is a sneak peek from Ashley's amazing wedding photographer Tiffany Richard from Photography by Tiff.

Congratulations Ashley and Matt!  I wish you the all the happiness in the world as you grow together in your marriage!

xoxoxo

The greatest weekend since last weekend

Did everyone have a great long-weekend last weekend?  I hope so.  But not to worry if you didn't because this weekend is one of the most exciting weekends in Ottawa, and one of my personal favourites.

Our beautiful city is hosting Ottawa Race Weekend which creates so much buzz and energy.  

I've participated in the Ottawa Race Weekend's half marathon twice.  The first time was in 2009 with my best bud, Ashley (yes, those are matching outfits) and my other girlfriend, Jenny.  It was a first half for all three of us.  Since then I've done one more, Ashley's become a super star and completed 4, and Jenny had had enough after her first!

I was at the race in 2010, but had a different perspective.  It was still exciting and I loved cheering on my girl, but I missed the actual running part.  

Last year, I was back in the race!  Ashley and I decided to wear different hats ;)

I had to include this picture because it really shows what type of man I am marrying.  Derek is the most supportive and encouraging person.  He was so proud of me that day, and clearly, very excited!  Here he is coming in for a hug - so glad my sis caught it on camera!

So now it's 2012 and thought I should stick with the pattern I have created and take the year off.  Obviously I only run on odd number years.  

I will enjoy seeing the running spandex everywhere and feeling the energy in the air as thousands of inspirational athletes prepare for the big day. As a nice, flat, picturesque qualifier for the Boston Marathon, there are many elite runners gracing our city this weekend.  I am sure I will miss being a part of those pre race jitters though, so next year the plan is to run again!

You think that's enough excitement for one Ottawa weekend?  Well, it's not!  There is debate on whether this second event is ranked higher on the scale of amazing-ness.  For me?  It's a tie.  

I know some people who are as excited about the Great Glebe Garage Sale as kids are about Christmas morning!  This local garage sale is legendary.  If you are not familiar with Ottawa, The Glebe is an upscale neighbourhood just south of downtown.  It is known for it's main street which is full of trendy boutiques, great restaurants, coffee (and tea) shops, a plethora of spas, and art galleries.  

It's a very desirable (and expensive) place to live; many of the beautiful large homes on the tree lined streets are a century old, and are walking distance to downtown, the Rideau Canal, farmers markets and lots of green space.  

All that to say - these rich people sell nice stuff!  People have been known to walk away with anything from rare pieces of fine art, traffic lights, bicycles, antique jewellery and loads of kitchenware.  So tomorrow, Ashley (who is also taking a year off from running the half) and I will be participating in another type of sport - garage saleing.  

My favourite purchases from the past are: 

• our outdoor wooden bistro set seen in the background here:

• my vintage pyrex mixing bowls seen on top of my fridge, here:

• And thirdly an awesome tennis racket that Derek is now calling his own.  

Tomorrow I won't be going in with much of a plan, which is just fine by me.  It makes for a less stressful garage saleing experience.  It's when your mind is clear and open that the real gems shine through.

I will be keeping my eyes peeled for one specific item though, and that is - an antique briefcase/suitcase to use at our wedding.  Something like this charming case from etsy, but that doesn't cost $60 plus tax and shipping.  I'm thinking more like $30.  

Other than that, I'm just planning on enjoying the day with my friend, and strolling through those lovely tree-lined streets to see what catches my eye.

If you are planning attending but don't have much experience I would suggest checking out this site for more information and helpful tips.  You can also search #gggs for twitter updates.

From my experience, here is what I think you should know: 

• arrive early (like before 7am), and pick up a coffee from Bridgehead 
• bring a travel mug which you can then use for discounted lemonade (there are kids selling lemonade EVERYWHERE!)
• if you are driving, park outside the Glebe, as it will be a nightmare to escape the madness

I'll definitely let you know what Ash and I end up purchasing.  If anyone finds something really neat, I want to hear about it!  

And if you see a wicked antique suitcase tweet me the location @loveleehoneybee!

Have a great weekend and good luck to all the runners (and garage salers!)

Introducing the fraser café's Table 40! (and our NYE wedding décor)

Since we've booked our venue at the fraser café's Table 40, we have been lucky enough to visit the space a couple times to show our friends and family.  I get more and more excited each time I visit and can't stop thinking about décor, our wedding party's attire, photo opportunities, what the weather is going to be like, and of course my dress (AND SHOES!!!)

I have found that using the Olioboard website to create vision boards has helped me put my ideas together and see how things will look side-by-side.  I have basically been collecting all of my ideas on Pinterest and have now transferred some of my favourites over to inspiration boards.

For the basic décor - we won't need to do too much.  The space is already styled and decorated quite nicely.  

Think:

• Concrete floors, dark charcoal walls, exposed ventilation and industrial type lighting. 
• Some of the ventilation and pipes are painted an orange-y/red which I'm warming up to as an accent colour.  
• All of the doors (bathrooms and coat room) are old and rustic and there are even some antique shutters hanging on the wall which I love.  
• The tables, along with the bar, are made of solid maple.  The edges are irregular shapes, there are holes in some places on the top and you can see the knots of the wood.  With the amazing glaze over top of the wood, it looks absolutely beautiful.  If my description is off, you can check out the pictures below.

Some pictures were taken on the evening we first met with Steve Capyk, Event Coordinator at Table 40, some after a Sunday brunch with our family, along with a few I stole from their facebook page.

View of the bar from the entrance.  It is an open kitchen style, so it's neat to see the food being prepared behind the bar.

View of the entrance from the bar.  I'm imagining that Derek and I will be married in front of the orange-y/red screen.  I would like to flank it with some tall branches strung with white lights in vases.

The wing back chairs and love seat which are currently in the front entrance.  I'm thinking about bringing them into the space to create a lounge area and adorning them with some sparkly pillows.

I love the bar, stools and all the exposed piping.

One of the two tvs which are in each corner of the room.  We are thinking of playing some of our favourite romance movies on silent throughout the evening.  You've Got Mail anyone???

One of the rustic doors which leads to the coat room.

Table 40 set up and ready for an event.  Some tables will be moved to the side to accommodate hor d'oeuvres/dessert stations as well as a place to sit and eat for those who wish to rest their legs.  The others will be moved out. 

My goal is to incorporate some New Year's Eve sparkle, vintage flair and a hint of tartan while still keeping with the industrial/rustic vibe of the space.  Here is my vision board for the décor.

• Ever green wreaths on the front door of the restaurant, along with 2 small Christmas tree/shrubs strung with white lights flanking the door way.  I would also love a red carpet leading from the side walk up the steps to the front doors and some type of welcome sign.
• Candle holders made of mason jars, covered with vintage doilies, with some tartan or sparkle accents tied around the top.
• A cluster of clocks on one of the tables (guest book or favour table maybe) - to represent the NYE count down.
• There are a couple wing back chairs and a love seat at Table 40 which I plan on dressing up with some fun and sparkly accent pillows in gold, silver and black.  Maybe even toss in a faux-fur throw to keep things cozy?
• Tall branches, strung with mini white lights in vases placed in a few corners of the room as well a smaller version on a table.  I love the picture of the branch in the vase of pine cones.
• For the dessert and appetizer table - the use of old wooden crates to add varied heights along with some burlap accents to keep with the rustic feel.
• I also plan on including photos of Derek and I in the space.  I'm thinking just a few nicely framed photos on some of the tables and bar area.

Another way I would like include the NYE sparkle is through my bridesmaids!  I am not sure if I have mentioned it before, but they will not be wearing matching bridesmaids dresses.  In order to keep things unified, the girls will all be wearing knee length dresses, but in various colours/metallics including: black, gray, silver, gold, and champagne.  This is what I'm envisioning.  

I am planning for my attire to have a vintage feel so to pull us all together I'm thinking some chunky vintage jewellery for the bridesmaids.  And I don't mind if there are duplicate dress colours (I have a feeling black may be popular), just as long as there is some variety.  I love mixing metallics, so I can't wait to see who ends up in fabulous gold and silver dresses.  All of my girls are stunningly beautiful and I imagine them looking smashing, in sexy and fun cocktail dresses ready to attend a formal New Year's Eve wedding party.    

I'm in the process of creating some inspiration boards for my own attire - one being solely assigned to my footwear!  I can't wait to go dress shopping and I think I may be even more exciting for the shoe shopping that will follow!  Derek and I just booked a trip to New York City in June, so I may save the shoe shopping for then.

I believe Carrie Bradshaw may have actually started the whole non-matching bridesmaid trend in the first Sex and the City movie.  Too bad that wedding was a bust - they all looked so amazing!

Picture from Storkie.com.  There is a whole article about the non-matching bridesmaid dress trend.

What are your thoughts on non-matching bridesmaid dresses?  I think they have definitely grown in popularity.  Each of my bridesmaids has such a unique personality and style, so I think it will be fun to see that shine through in the dress they choose which will be sure to compliment their body type and make them feel their best.  And do you like mixing metallics like gold and silver?  I just can't wait to see everything come together.