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.

--------------------------------------------------

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.

Welcome Bags For Your Wedding Guests

Choosing to have a destination wedding means asking family and friends to travel great distances in order to join you on your special day. One way to show your appreciation is to provide a welcome gift that your guests will receive upon their arrival. A bag filled with an assortment of goodies that will hint at and prepare them for the fun that awaits is the perfect way to kick-off your wedding celebration and show your guests how excited you are that they have decided to join you.

As part of the package, you should include relevant information about the wedding and the location. Be sure to include the itinerary of planned events, maps and guides of the area, and perhaps information about activities that may interest them. Your guests will appreciate the gesture, especially if they accidentally left their invitations and itinerary at home.

Welcome To Our Wedding” tote is ideal for creating welcome bags for your guests. The best part is that they travel flat and can be packed once you arrive at your destination. Although great as they are, they can also be personalized if you wish. Click on the photo above for more information. – Photo courtesy of Kate Aspen Shops

Ideally, you want your gifts to be meaningful, maybe even giving a hint of some of the activities planned for the week. Keep in mind that the quality of items included is more important than the quantity. A couple of thoughtful items will mean more to your guests than a bunch of junky souvenirs. Here are some ideas of items that could be included:

• Custom-labelled bottles of water
• Sunscreen
• T-shirt
• Hats
• Luggage tags
• Local map of the area / guidebook
• Locally made rum (Jamaica) or tequila (Mexico)
• Macadamia nuts or cookies (Hawaii)
• Postcards
• Beach towel
• Spanish-English dictionary
• CD of local music
• Flip flops monogrammed with the couples’ names and wedding date

Keep in mind that the items you choose should be non-perishable and don’t require refrigeration, as hotel rooms can make it tricky to keep things cool. Also remember that guests have limited room in their suitcases, so items should be easy to pack and compact.

These flip flops with your initials are a fun gift for some of your guests. Click on the photo above for more information. – Photo courtesy of Kate Aspen Shops.

Although decorative baskets look nice, they are bulky and next to impossible to take home. Instead, choose something with a local flair, like a woven bag in bright colors from a Mexican market or a monogrammed beach bag. Other alternatives if you’re on a tight budget may include using cellophane and ribbon, or purchase simple gift bags from your local dollar store. Maybe even include tissue paper in the same shades as your wedding colors.

Think of how excited your guests will be to check into their hotel after a long flight and transfers from the airports and find your gift waiting for them. The excitement and energy your welcome bag will generate will immediately get everyone in the mood to enjoy the celebration, while also letting your guests know how much you appreciate them and the fact that they have chosen to join you for this special occasion.

----------------------------------------

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 info@creativeweddingsandoccasions.com.

Receiving Lines – A Thing Of The Past?

Receiving lines are as much a tradition as the wedding ceremony itself. It was an opportunity for the newlyweds, their parents, and key members of the wedding party to personally welcome their guests and thank them for being part of their special day. It could happen after the ceremony at the church or at the reception that evening (usually during cocktails prior to the main meal).

Most of us have either had the experience of standing in line for what seems like forever, waiting for those in front of us to stop talking and move along, or worse yet, actually been in the receiving line as part of the wedding party, shaking numerous hands of people we really don’t know and making small talk as they move along, really just wanting to pass along their good wishes to the bride and groom. Neither could be considered a pleasant experience, but we do it because it follows the rules of etiquette.
More recently, in light of H1N1 and other illnesses, people are questioning the wisdom of having a receiving line. Just think of how many hands you’re shaking, and therefore, how many germs are being spread. Ewww!

Don’t get me wrong! It is still important for the couple to speak with and thank each and every one of their guests for coming, but a more popular option nowadays is for the bride and groom to move from table to table throughout the evening, greeting each guest individually. Sometimes you may even arrange for the photographer to follow you and get a photo of the couple at each table with the guests there just to ensure that you have a picture of everyone. It’s a little more time consuming this way, but I think the conversations are more genuine. An ideal time for this usually is as the couple finishes their meal and before the cake is cut.

If you’re having an ultra formal wedding, you may not be able to escape the receiving line experience, but there are a couple of things you can do to speed it up. As a rule of thumb, if the guest list is over 125 people, then just include the bride and groom, their mothers, and the maid of honor. If the guest list is under 125, you can include more members of the wedding party. It is up to you whether or not the fathers of the bride and groom and the best man join the receiving line, but remember that the less people the guests have to greet, the quicker the line will move.

And make sure you use lots of hand sanitizer….

------------------------------------

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 info@creativeweddingsandoccasions.com.

You are welcome to publish this article in other blogs or e-zines, but please ensure the signature file above is printed along with the article.

Breakdown Of A Wedding Budget

Setting up your budget is one of the most important tasks for a couple starting to plan their wedding. Ironically, it is often the task that is put off the most, or worse yet, completely ignored. Perhaps it is because it seems to be so overwhelming or maybe it is because people don’t like looking at the numbers. Whatever reason, setting up your wedding budget should be one of your first tasks before anything else. It will give you a guideline of how much money you have to spend, and therefore, give you a realistic idea of what you can and cannot do.

It is critical that the budget is established before you commit to anything else. This means sitting down with everyone involved, be it just the two of you, or including both sets of your parents as well, and figure out how much money you are willing to spend on the wedding. Anyone who is contributing should be at this meeting, or at least have sent their information

ahead of time of what they are willing to contribute. If people are offering to pay for certain aspects, such as your dress, or the alcohol at the wedding, still make sure that they give you an actual number to work with. You don’t want to make any assumptions, only to find out their idea and your idea of dollar amounts don’t mesh. By the end of this meeting, you will have a better idea of what you can spend, which will guide you through the rest of the wedding planning process. Too many times, couples forget this critical step and end up deeply in debt when they come back from their honeymoon.

Your budget will let you know what is realistic when you start meeting with vendors. There is no point of looking at a photographer that starts at $5000 when your budget only allows you to spend $2000. Of course, there is some flex room. If you find an awesome deal on your dress, then that may allow you to spend a little more elsewhere, such as on your flowers or your DJ. The other way it can work is if there is something really important, even essential, such as having your reception at a specific venue, then you can allot money for that. But on the flip side, when you overspend in one area, it means cutting back elsewhere in order to make that happen. This is where a wedding planner can prove to be extremely useful, as they are usually masters in manipulating the budget, and can sometimes even save you money through relationships they have established with quality vendors in the area.

An average breakdown of wedding budget expenses is as follows:

• Food & Beverage 30%
• Flowers & Décor 15%
• Wedding Planning 10%
• Venue Rental 8%
• Extra Cushion 8%
• Dress & Accessories 6%
• Lighting & Sound 5%
• Tipping 5%
• Photo & Video 4%
• Cake 3%
• Printed Materials 2%
• Transportation 2%
• Hair & Makeup 2%

There are a number of factors that will affect your budget. For example, the number of guests you have for your wedding will really set the tone and narrow down what you can and cannot afford. If you have a smaller number of guests, you will most likely spend less on food and alcohol OR be able to spend more per person on food. Another item to consider is in relation to the size of your wedding party. The more attendants you have, the more you will have to spend on flowers (e.g. bouquets and boutonnieres) and gifts for each member of the wedding party. Many wedding planners have spreadsheets that allows you to break the budget down even more, including adjusting the budget to reflect the number of guests you plan on having as well as the number of attendants.

Your budget is critical to the success and enjoyment of your wedding. No one wants to get married with the knowledge that they are going hugely into debt hanging over their heads. Creating and sticking to your budget will keep you grounded and make your wedding something that you can relax and enjoy, knowing that you planned smartly.

---------------------------------------

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 info@creativeweddingsandoccasions.com.

You are welcome to publish this article in other blogs or e-zines, but please ensure the signature file above is printed along with the article.

Two Alternatives To The Traditional Wedding Reception

Newly engaged couples often sit down to begin planning their wedding. They have big dreams and stars in their eyes. However, often enough those exciting ideas are quickly tossed aside once they start figuring out the huge costs that are associated with having the big wedding reception they always imagined. First there is the cost of renting the venue. Probably the biggest expense is the food, which is normally a plated dinner or even a buffet, followed closely by the alcohol expense. Then there is the cost of entertainment, which usually means hiring a DJ or a band. Finally, there is the décor. When most couples start adding up the figures, it causes a lot of concern. How do they have the wedding reception that they want without the price-tag to match?

I think the first thing to remember is that the purpose of a wedding reception is for your guests to join with you in celebrating that the two of you have committed your lives to one another. It is a party to celebrate your marriage, but what you have to remember is that the party can take a variety of forms. Better yet, some of these forms will be able to save you money and make your wedding dreams more attainable than you ever imagined.

Cocktails Reception

One option to consider is to have a late afternoon or evening ceremony followed by an elegant cocktail reception. Create a lounge space with minimal furnishing that encourages your guests to visit and socialize. Servers can bring out trays of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres or maybe set up different food stations around the room. Perhaps you would prefer to set-up a dessert bar with a variety of decadent treats to satisfy any person’s sweet tooth. Whatever you choose, your food costs will be less than paying for a full dinner meal. A trio of jazz musicians off to one side can perform ambient background music or bring in that DJ who will really get the party started. It can be the black-tie affair you want, but without the price tag.

A lounge space is not only trendy, but a great way to utilize an open-spaced area. Guests can have the option of socializing or dancing in a club-like atmosphere.

Morning Brunch

Another option is to have a morning ceremony with either a brunch or lunch reception. Your food costs associated with either breakfast or lunch is usually much less than the price of having a dinner reception. Perhaps you might have a signature drink, like a mimosa, or perhaps you would choose to only serve local beers, but another added benefit of a brunch wedding will be reduced alcohol costs. A classical guitarist or a pianist could be hired to play background music, but you won’t have the additional costs of a DJ. Whether you choose an indoor or an outdoor venue, this can be a wonderful way to spend a weekend morning, especially if your wedding includes families and children.

A brunch wedding is more friendly than formal. It sets a welcoming tone that your guests will appreciate as they spend a wonderful morning together.

There are lots of great ideas out there that can let you have the wedding reception you want. Sometimes, you just have to be able to think outside the box, or know someone who can help you get there.

If you’re interested in getting started in planning your wedding, contact us at Creative Weddings and Occasions.

-------------------------------
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 info@creativeweddingsandoccasions.com.

You are welcome to publish this article in other blogs or e-zines, but please ensure the signature file above is printed along with the article.