Real Wedding: SueAnne & Allan’s Multicultural Celebration

Weddings are usually a blend of family and traditions, but the celebration becomes even richer when you are able to include cultural traditions as well! Such was the case with SueAnne and Allan’s wedding. It was a mix of her Chinese ancestry and his Croatian ancestry, creating a wonderful blended celebration that became uniquely their own.

SueAnne made a beautiful bride.  Photo courtesy of Vermilion Photography

SueAnne chose a deep shade of peacock green for her bridesmaids and feature accent color. It is important to remember that the bridesmaids can wear different styles of dresses and still look like part of the wedding party by unifying the same color. – Photo courtesy of C. MacRae

Right from the beginning, it was very much a family event. The ceremony took place at the groom’s family parish, St. Thomas More Catholic Church. Many of the bride’s family are quite musical, and were able to perform the ceremony music. Selections included Pachebel’s Canon in D and Schubert’s Ave Maria; as the bride’s grandfather played the piano, her aunt the violin, and a family friend sang. The groom’s two older nieces looked sweet as can be. They were decked out in sunny yellow as they scattered flower petals down the aisle. The younger set of twins followed closely behind, holding each other’s hand as they each carried a ring pillow, capturing the hearts of the guests as they made their way down the aisle.

The groom’s older nieces looked cute as can be in these sunny yellow daisy dresses. - Photo courtesy of C. MacRae.

The reception venue was Calgary’s Forbidden City restaurant, recognized for their authentic presentation of Asian food. Food is very important at a Chinese wedding celebration, and guests were treated to a full ten-course meal fit for kings. The guests feasted on numerous Chinese delicacies, including shark fin and chicken soup, deep fried stuffed crab claws, shrimps and scallops on leaves of snow peas, and lobster served in a creamy sauce just to name a few. Dessert was wedding cake and sweetened red bean cream with lotus seeds (another Chinese treat!).

As in Chinese tradition, the bride had multiple dresses. She began the day in one of her Western dresses, which she also wore for her afternoon pictures. During dinner, she changed into a stunning Chinese gown in scarlet red. Later in the evening, she switched into her third gown – a custom made dress hand-sewn in China, also in the Western tradition.

However, it was Dress #3 that stole the show! – Photo courtesy of Vermilion Photography.

Part way through the dinner service, a traditional Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony was performed. This is a very significant event in a traditional Chinese wedding. It is symbolic of the bride being formally introduced to the family of the groom. During the ceremony, she presents tea to her future in-laws as a sign of respect. Normally performed earlier in the day at the home of the groom’s parents, it was a wonderful opportunity for the guests to witness this cultural tradition.

Throughout the evening, amidst the toasts, there were additional musical performances by friends. In particular, guests were wowed and amazed by an incredible vocal duet of Rigoletto’s La Dona e Mobile. Totally unexpected, the guests were completely moved by the opera performance and the singers were treated to a standing ovation and choruses of “bravo” at the end.

Bottles of Red Bordeaux with customized labels were distributed as wedding favours to the guests. – Photo courtesy of C. MacRae,

Soon the cake was cut and the dancing started. The groom’s mother, an excellent cook, had made a variety of Croatian sweet treats, that were set-out later in the evening, much to the guests’ delight. In addition, bottles of wine were presented to their guests as wedding favors.

Congratulations to the Newlyweds! – Photo courtesy of Vermilion Photography.

It was a wonderful day of family and friends – exactly what a wedding should be! On behalf of Creative Weddings and Occasions, we wish SueAnne and Allan all the best as they their married life together. Special thanks to Hao Wang of Vermilion Photography, Calgary Co-Op Bakery, and DJ Adam from Outright Entertainment for their contributions to the day’s event.

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Cathy MacRae is a certified wedding and event planner, and owner of Creative Weddings and Occasions and Del Sol Destination Weddings. Located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, she plans wedding for couples in and around the Calgary and Banff area, who want a wedding that is a unique and personal reflection of them. She is also a destination wedding specialist, working with couples who desire to wed in various picturesque dream locations throughout the world. For more information about planning your own wedding or for advice from Cathy, please contact her at info@creativeweddingsandoccasions.com.

'Say Yes To The Dress’ Five Rules To Wedding Dress Shopping

Every bride wants to look beautiful on her wedding day. You should be a vision of radiance, making your groom feel like he is the luckiest guy in the world as you walk down the aisle towards him. It’s your moment, and you deserve to look your absolute best!

However, with so many options on the market, how do you go about finding “the dress”?

Recently, Randy Fenoli, of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress and fashion director of Kleinfeld Manhattan, did an episode on his advice to brides on how to shop for their dress. Here are his five rules to wedding dress shopping success:

1. Don’t try on a dress that is outside of your budget. If you fall in love with something that you can’t afford, everything else will pale in comparison and leave you feeling disappointed. Don’t set yourself up for disaster!
   


2. Don’t keep secrets from your consultant. Your consultant is working with you to make the most of your appointment and help you find exactly what you’re looking for. She/He is an expert in the field. Not being honest and sharing pertinent information, such as that you already have a dress that you have your eye on, or style concerns will limit the effectiveness of your shopping time.
   


3. Leave the entourage at home. The best dress shopping experiences are usually limited to one or two people supporting you. The more people you bring with you correlates to the more opinions that will be expressed which will often leave you feeling confused and possibly even overwhelmed. Include one or two people who are closest to you, and who will support you and your decisions, putting aside their own agendas and what they would choose for themselves.
   


4. Once you find the dress, stop shopping. With so many options out there, some brides find the dress of their dreams, but are afraid that they missed something and feel the need to keep looking. This can only lead to disappointment. If you find another dress, then comes decision time. If you choose to go with the second dress, then it means forfeiting the deposit already paid on the first dress. Trust yourself and your instincts and stop shopping when you find the dress!
   


5. Always wear underwear. What can we say? Your consultant will be in the room with you helping you in and out of the dresses.
   

Randy’s rules are great, but if I may, here are some of my own words of wisdom to keep in mind when you go shopping for your wedding dress:

• Make sure you establish a clear budget before you step foot in the bridal salon. Know what your price point is, and be sure to include room for alterations and accessories.
  


• Start shopping early. Unless you’re buying off the rack, you’re best to start at least eight to nine months before you’re wedding.
  


• Shop with an open mind. You probably will have preferences about the styles you like, but don’t rule out suggestions that your consultant makes. Trust her to lead you in the right decision.
  

Your dream dress is out there. It’s just a matter of finding it. Keep Randy’s rules (and mine) in mind and your shopping experience will be far more successful and enjoyable!

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Cathy MacRae is a certified wedding and event planner, and owner of Creative Weddings and Occasions and Del Sol Destination Weddings. Located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, she plans wedding for couples in and around the Calgary and Banff area. She is also a destination wedding and honeymoon travel specialist helping couples plan their weddings in paradise all around the world. For more information about planning your own wedding or for advice from Cathy, please contact her at cathy@creativeweddingsandoccasions.com .

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Say It With Shoes - The New Way To Shout Out Your Sense of Bridal Style

Every bride's dream is to look amazing on her wedding day! It only makes sense that her shoes should be as styish as her dress!It may have all started with Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw and her passion for Manolo Blahnik shoes, but since then, speciatly shoe designers, like Blahnik, as well as Jimmy Choo, and Christian Louboutin have moved into the forefront of fashion design. Celebrities like Oprah Winfry, Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Kidman, and many more have taught us that fashion is more than just the outfit, but involves the complete look from head to toe. For the stylish bride, this means it's not only about "saying yes to the dress", but also finding a fabulous pair of shoes to go with it!

All over the world, brides are moving away from the traditional white satin pumps and opting for something with a little more pizazz! They want something that reflects their personal sense of style. They want something that's fun. They want something that is going to complete the whole look and make everyone say "Wow"!

Color is huge! Lemon yellow, cobalt blue, racy red, and hot fuschia pink are just some of the stunning shades we're seeing brides choose for their shoes to go with their wedding white. It's a fabulous way to incorporate your wedding colors, and can even be carried through to your bouquets and such.

In terms of actual styles, you can choose from strappy sandals to sexy slingbacks. Maybe pumps are more to your liking. The best part is that no matter what your particular taste, the possibilities are endless!

My only recommedation is for you to carefully consider the size of the heel. The fact is that you're going to be on your feet lots throughout the day, with opportunities to sit far and few between. The stiletto hell may look fantastic, but will you be able to survive the day in them? If you absolutely have to have the killer heel, then at least have a second, more comfortable pair of shoes that you can slip on for the reception.

Shoes are a great fashion accessory! Not only are they fun, but they allow you to make a statement about who you are. What better day to express yourself and your sense of style, than on your wedding day!

So all I can say girls, is go out there, have fun, and make Carrie Bradshaw proud!

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Cathy MacRae is a certified wedding and event planner, and owner of Creative Weddings and Occasions and Del Sol Destination Weddings. Located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, she plans wedding for couples in and around the Calgary and Banff area. She is also a destination wedding and honeymoon travel specialist helping couples plan their weddings in paradise all around the world. For more information about planning your own wedding or for advice from Cathy, please contact her at Creative Weddings and Occasions.

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