WPIC

"Feeling Good" Chronicles of a Wedding Coordinator

By: Tracey Manaielscu

I asked our WPIC Alumni recently to share some of their most rewarding memories from weddings they have coordinated. We will be sharing these memories with you, our readers over the next few months.

Mary Swaffield of Lavish - Wedding Planning & Design in Calgary, AB sent us this :

Photo credit: As I See It Photography

"One of the most rewarding experiences I've had as a Planner occurred last summer at Chateau Lake Louise. The bride had scheduled her 5 bridesmaids (most of whom had just flown in from Japan for the wedding) to have their hair done at the hotel salon. However, the morning of the wedding, when they went to the salon for their appointment, they found it locked up. The bride contacted me and my team went to work trying to find out what the explanation was. As it turned out, the stylist who had been scheduled to do their hair had been rushed into surgery back in Calgary and would not be able to make it. The back-up stylist for the salon was unreachable.

The bride was devestated and asked me what could be done. Her bridesmaids were panicking and upset. Surely we could do something...

I remember leaving the set-up of the reception area to sit down and brainstorm. Lake Louise is not exactly a bustling metropolis - there was no-where to call, no salons that we could contact. Banff was hours away, and it was a Saturday in June - undoubtably, every stylist in the Rockies was probably booked solid.

Suddenly, it came to me!

The day prior, we had visited the restaurant where the rehearsal dinner was to be hosted. The manager had taken the time to show us around and give us the history of the unique restaurant. During this time, she talked quite a bit about her own history... which included working as a hair stylist for a decade.

BINGO! I grabbed my phone and called the restaurant. No answer. I hit re-dial over and over again for about 15 minutes straight, until I finally reached someone. I asked for the manager, and they told me she was unavailable. I expressed my urgency and they promised to find her and have her call me. In the meantime, I was fielding calls from the tearful bride, who felt that she had let her friends down and ruined their experience. Please oh please couldn't I help? I crossed my fingers and waited for the phone to ring.

Finally - the manager called me back. I explained the situation and said that I needed someone to do their hair. She said, "there isn't really anyone in the area". I said "well, there kind of is, actually". Silence. "OH," she exclaimed - "you want ME to do their hair!".

Amazingly, she agreed, and after finding someone to take her place at the restaurant, she made it to the Chateau in no time flat, and managed to get all 5 of the bridesmaids done, just in time for the ceremony.

The bride was beyond pleased - everyone looked beautiful, and the bridesmaids each came up and expressed their gratitude to us for solving their hair dilemma!

This was one of the first few weddings of my career, and I remember feeling elated that the team had been able to come up with such a creative (and lucky) solution to what could have been a no-win situation. This wedding had many, many other issues, and my team was able to handle each and every one of them calmly and creatively. Many, MANY lessons were learned that day, and to this day it remains one of my favourite weddings, not because everything went smoothly, but because very little of it went smoothly, but the guests and the bride and groom had virtually no idea and were able to enjoy what seemed to be a perfect day!"

Mary Swaffield, Calgary AB
Lavish - Wedding Planning & Design
www.lavisheventdesign.com

WPIC Planner of The Month:

 

Amira Harris owns Posh Productions - a wedding and event production company in Calgary, Alberta.  Amira became a member of the WPIC Alumni in 2007 after learning that there were no other organizations offering programs like the WPIC Course. After being certified for 4 years, Amira still looks for ways to improve through continuing education by attending seminars, conferences, and by purchasing literature to keep current on trends.

Photo by: Shandro Photo

Before wedding planning Amira had worked in a variety of positions for different companies from Oil & Gas, Brokerage Houses to Telecommunications.  Amira quit her corporate world career and set out to pursue her love for wedding and event planning.  From day one Posh Productions has been a full time venture.  Amira's background in finance, customer service and project management has provided her with a wealth of knowledge and experience to apply to Posh Productions every day. 

Photo by: Samantha Ellen Photography

When first starting out, Amira tried everything to promote her business.  Print and online advertising along with networking was the way she got the word out.  Amira tries to help out newcomers to the industry by offering them guidance, tips, lessons learned or opportunities to work with Posh Productions because she remembers what it was like just starting out. 

Being such a large industry, there are many professionals for one to look up to.  Amira loves that she has such a great family of support within the WPIC Alumni Association. 

 

In a few months, Posh Productions will be going into its 5th year of business.  Over those years Amira has learned so much about how to run a successful business.  In those 5 years, Amira has put together a "Posh Team" that she wouldn't be able to live without.  Her entire staff is WPIC Certified and she is always employing new WPIC Planners who are looking for expereience because she remembers how it felt to be just starting out. 

 
Over the years, Amira has worked with so many couples to create their dream wedding!  Each wedding is so unique and personalized to the couple and she has many favourites.  Some of the best details that stick out in Amira's mind are:

• A Traditional Indonesian Wedding Ceremony: A couple got married in Fiji and wanted to have a reception for guests who couldn't make it.  They had another ceremony/reception and incorporated the same vows and attire from their destination wedding in Fiji
• A groom wanted to do his speech to the bride in her native language and learned to do his speech in Portuguese.  The bride and her family were touched and so surprised!  
• A bride and groom surprised their guests by singing 3 songs at the reception.  She sang and he played guitar.

Photo by: Chris + Lynn Photographers

In August 2010, Posh Productions launched its travel division.  This was a major business decision that Amira decided to take on since she was planning so many destination weddings and using a third party to arrange all the travel needs.  Instead of relying on an agent, Amira decided it would be a great fit in the business and would make the entire planning process seamless for her couples. 

In 2011 and early 2012 you can bet you will be seeing a lot of great things coming from Posh Productions.  They will continue to provide an exceptional level of service to their clients.  Amira expects a significant growth in planning and booking destination weddings as the trend continues to grow.  Another division of Posh Productions will be launching this fall, a new and improved website and a few other surprises Amira is hiding and waiting to reveal! 

Photo by: SK Photography

Dress for Success - A Wardrobe Guide for Wedding Coordinators

by Danielle Andrews Sunkel, President of WPIC Inc.

Photo by Richard Emmanuel, Decor by Designing Trendz

So often, when I look at photos of Wedding Coordinators working a wedding, I just have to shake my head. What are you thinking? You were hired because you are a professional, dress like it!

Ladies:

Wearing a cocktail dress and stilhetto heels while Coordinating a wedding not only looks unprofessional, it inhibits you from doing the job you were hired to do.

Photo by Nikko Lim   Seating Chart by Marble Weddings

You are a Wedding Coordinator, not a Night Club Hostess.  You were hired to do a job that requires lots of movement, if your attire is hindering you from doing your job, why are you wearing it??  

Photo by Richard Emmanuel

The ideal outfit for a Professional Wedding Coordinator is a pant suit with a shell camisole underneath.  A longer, flowing skirt works great too. You can bend, stretch, run when you need to, carry and move items, kneel down to pin on the ring bearer's bouteniere, jump up and pin on a groomsmen's bouteniere without worrying about flashing someone.  

Weddings are not casual affairs, so anything you wouldn't wear to a job interview, should not be worn to a wedding. Yoga pants, t-shirts, flip-flops, sundresses or anything of the sort, should not be worn to a wedding, whether you are the Lead Coordinator or an Assistant.

If you are Coordinating a very formal affair, then you wear the suit for the ceremony and it is of course appropriate to change into an evening gown for the reception.

 

 Men:

No fedora, it takes attention away from the bride and groom!

Photo by Barry Cardoso, Decor by The Wedding Decorators

As long as you are wearing a tasteful suit and tie, you are good. Always make sure you get your suit tailored to you, a suit only looks good if it fits properly.

Photo by Purple Martini, Decor by Design2Decor

Invest in a really great tie, like a jacquard or brocade tone-on-tone and tie a Windsor knot. You want to look successful, put-together and dare I say it, dapper.

If it is a more casual wedding, lose the tie or just wear nice dress pants with a dress shirt and tie. A tuxedo with bow tie is overdoing it. You are not the centre of attention, nor should you be, but its okay, its just for the day!

 

Plus-sized Planners:

Draping yourself in yards of loose, flowing fabric only makes you look bigger and disheveled.

Photo by NikkoLim

It is even more in important that the curvy planner dress well. You are already battling a stigma that you are lazy and messy. You must wear fitted, structured, quality clothing.

Photo by Barry Cardoso

Don't know what would suit you? Igigi.com has a great tool called the ShapeStylist, that helps you first determine your body shape, then suggests clothing styles for you based on that body-shape.

You may have to start shopping on-line. Stores that cater quality clothing to the Plus-sized professional: Laura Plus, Igigi, Nordstrom and Wide Widths (Fashion Boots). A fantastic store I discovered in Ireland, Evans, ships to Canada in 7 days and only costs £8 (Duties extra).

 

Shoes:

Save your joints, leave the fabulous shoes at home.

Male, Female, Plus-size or Petite, every Wedding Coordinator needs to wear proper, professional shoes.  These should be close-toed, have a rubber sole for traction (you will be running across slick dance floors at times), no more or no less than one-inch high (to properly protect your joints) and broken-in. 

A fourteen-hour day, is not the time to wear new shoes, trust me, I did this once and ended up with blisters on top of blisters and 3-inches of blood going up the back of each pant leg.  Walking on a Cloud, Natralizer, Ecco, Rockport all have dressy shoes that easily fit the criteria, remember its not a fashion show, you are working.

 

Photo by Nikko Lim 

If you know what is flattering on you and how to pull outfits together, than Shopstyle is fabulous. They put all the great on-line fashion finds in one place for you. Its like having an on-line personal shopper!

Thank you to the many WPICAlumni who appear in this Blog post, you look fabulous ;)

WPIC Planners of the Month:

 Kelly Spinelli & Laura Atendido

By: Kim Choy

Fast Talk with Laura Kelly Wedding Design:

Favourite Celebrity Planner: Preston Bailey

Celebrity Wedding They’d Love to Plan: That's easy! Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphris

Mentors in the Industry: Danielle & Tracey from WPIC & the entire WPIC Association

Other Jobs: Kelly – Sales & Advertising, Laura – elementary school teacher

Best Part of Being a Planner: Giving couples an amazing wedding planning experience and wedding day

Favourite Part of the Wedding Planning Process: Seeing all the details, planning, hard work, ups and downs all come together in completely perfect vision

Worst Part of Being on a Taped Reality Show: People always asking us how “real” the show is… its reality TV!

Future Goals for Laura Kelly Wedding Design: Continue to grow the company while still keeping an intimate and personable feel to who we are and what we do

 Photo by: Memories by Marie

Laura Atendido and Kelly Spinelli have been friends for many years, after meeting each other through their husbands, who are good friends.   They developed a strong friendship and then decided that they would take the WPIC Course together.  They were already helping friends and family members coordinate and plan major events and weddings and they wanted the guidance and support of a credible Wedding Planning Course/Association.  Laura and Kelly decided to take the course in 2005 and entered into the Wedding Planning Business.

In 2007 Laura and Kelly joined in a partnership and formally created “Laura Kelly Wedding Design”.  They decided to go against the odds of creating a partnership in the wedding industry.  Having the support from each other gave them both the confidence to move forward. 

Photo by: Studio 2000

They named their company “Laura Kelly Wedding Design” because they liked the sound of “Grace Kelly” name and it incorporated both of their names into their business. They also wanted to establish their company as not only a logistical event coordination company, but a design company that would help couples with the overall vision of their day. 

“Spending the time and investments on professional and custom print material and a very detailed website were very important to us.  We wanted to create a visual brand that didn’t make us seem homemade.”
                            - Laura Atendido and Kelly Spinelli

Although Laura and Kelly remain part-time in the wedding industry, they have come a long way since starting out in 2007. 

When they first began they used word of mouth advertising to create interest and generate potential clients.  To this day, much of their business still stems from referrals and word of mouth advertising. 

Photo by: John Bauld Photography

In 2008, Laura and Kelly participated in the Breakfast Television Live Wedding of Mandy and Harry. 

“There is such a personal connection when you are a part of a couple’s wedding.  We feel honoured to share in the journey and success of the day”
                               - Laura Atendido and Kelly Spinelli

Laura and Kelly were submitted to Rich Bride, Poor Bride by friends, without knowing.  They were casting for Season 5 of the show, which airs on Slice Network.  They later received emails and phone calls from the show.  Being big fans of the show, they decided not to turn down the opportunity.  After their audition, they were added to the cast of Rich Bride, Poor Bride for Season 5 & 6. 

The Cast of Rich Bride, Poor Bride

Laura and Kelly offered some advice to new WPIC Alumni entering into the industry: Invest time, money and energy into a really good website and gain experience in the industry to give you the confidence and knowledge to be your own company. 

One of the most memorable weddings Laura Kelly Wedding Design spoke about was the first wedding of this season (2011) in Muskoka, Ontario.  The bride rented a vintage boat and arrived at her ceremony on the dock by boat.  The last bridesmaid made her way to her spot on the dock, the entire bridal party pivoted towards the water and on cue, the bride and her father, sitting in the back seat of the boat, veil blowing in the wind, came out from around the bend and drove onto the dock!  “Kelly and I were literally in tears and the guests were out of their seats in awe!” says Laura. 

WPIC Planner of the Month: Monica Hill

 Photo by: ENV Photography

by: Kim Choy

Monica opened her wedding planning company – Aisle Plan Your Day – in 2006; she has been in business for five years now.  She decided to take the WPIC Course after many years of being the one to plan the weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, showers, and stags & stagettes for her family and friends.  So many people in her life encouraged her to make a career out of planning all of these milestone events.   Prior to planning these big events, Monica wanted to get into radio/television or fashion design, but she ended up following her passion and get into wedding and event planning.  (We’re glad to have her!)

“I knew in my heart I had a true passion for planning so it only made sense to proceed with this career” ~ Monica

The name Aisle Plan Your Day was thought of because Monica wanted a company name that created some type of emotional response and described to her clients what she does.  Choosing a name that started with an “A” was important to her as it allowed for her to be at the top of directories without having to invest into higher ranking and placement marketing.

Photo by: Kelsey Nielson Photography

Starting out, Monica invested her money into the Yellowpages advertising and social media websites.  She started to attend many wedding planning conferences, this was important because it allowed her to network with other vendors in Canada and beyond.  Networking with others beyond Canadian borders was important for Aisle Plan Your Day’s  growth since Monica knew that working with destination weddings was her ultimate goal with her business.  Establishing and maintaining relationships with vendors early on helped to create some innovative cross-promotion ideas with various companies. 

“In our industry, networking and attending conferences on a regular basis is an integral part of success, as it’s important to form new relationships and stay up to date on current trends within the industry, so that we can offer the best to our clients.” ~ Monica

Monica is also a WPIC instructor.  Monica’s favourite part of being an instructor is being able to share her knowledge and stories of hardships and successes as a wedding planner. “Being able to advise on all aspects of wedding planning to new wedding planners in the industry is so rewarding, when I see how their determination has led to success in their own lives” says Monica about teaching for WPIC Inc. 

She is thankful to WPIC for allowing her to travel across Canada and worldwide to teach and network with hundreds of wedding planners in the industry. 

“I truly love my job as an instructor for WPIC and having the opportunity to be the first point of entry into the business is very rewarding.” ~ Monica

Monica’s favourite part of her job as a wedding planner is the creative planning process.  She likes to work with couples that like to think “out of the box” and create personal touches that reflect their personalities rather than creating a “cookie cutter” wedding. 

 
Photo by: Kelsey Nielson Photography

Among other things, Monica loves being able to bring the couple's vision to life on their wedding day.  Since she plans destination weddings, she loves that she has the opportunity to attend FAM trips to view and explore the various resorts and private venues available to her clients.  “I truly love travel and being able to incorporate travel into my wedding planning career is something I have always wanted to do” says Monica of planning destination weddings. 

“Being involved in WPIC has opened so many doors in terms of creating partnerships with various resort chains and travel partners.” ~ Monica

Like most planners, Monica says that the worst part of her job is the “after the wedding is over” stage.  Being a main contact for a year or so, clients tend to become close friends through the planning process. 

One of Monica’s most favourite weddings to date was an English/Scottish themed wedding.  They were a young and hip couple looking to create a very special day for their 220 guests.  Many of their guests came from other countries for their wedding, therefore the couple really wanted to include a variety of cultural traditions from the food to the music.  The bride’s family wore the family tartan, there were bagpipers at the ceremony and reception.  Scottish children performed highland dancing at the reception.  The father of the bride even learned how to play the bagpipes a month prior to the wedding so he could perform a surprise for the grand entrance at the reception. 

  
Photo by: Kelsey Nielson Photography

Another favourite, is a destination wedding she planned for clients and their 60 guests in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.  The couple were from Iqualit, Northwest Territories and wanted to incorporate some of the Inuit tradition into their wedding day in the Caribbean.  The couple had custom-made traditional Inuit groomsmen wedding clothing designed in their wedding colours for the groom and his groomsmen to wear at the ceremony.  They were in thick wool, long-sleeved shirts in 35⁰C for a beachside ceremony; however it was important for the groom to incorporate this element into their wedding day. 

 
By: Resort Photographer, Occidental Grande Resort, Punta Cana

Monica admires so many people in the wedding industry, especially within the WPIC Family.  When deciding to focus her business on destination weddings, Monica put a lot of consideration into someone she wanted to work with to represent the travel aspect of her business.  Jenn Borgh, who is also WPIC Certified, works very closely with Monica to help plan Aisle Plan Your Day’s destination weddings. 

Being a WPIC Instructor, Monica has had the opportunity to receive first hand advice, experience and training with Danielle Andrews Sunkel and Tracey Manailescu (Co-Founders of The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada).  She has gained the knowledge necessary on all aspects of wedding planning from etiquette, business set-up, networking, marketing and so much more.  Danielle and Tracey have guided her and believed in her every step of the way.

“I am truly fortunate to have such amazing mentors in my wedding planning career, not only are Danielle and Tracey business associates and mentors; I consider them to be very dear friends.” ~ Monica

Some of Monica’s favourite celebrity wedding planners are Preston Bailey, Jung Lee and Colin Cowie.  Monica was fortunate enough to be able to meet Colin Cowie in Nassau, The Bahamas in November 2010.  Monica says she used to write Oprah on a regular basis begging for a chance to grant her wish of being able to meet Colin in person and to shadow him for a day of work.

“It was incredible meeting him and hearing firsthand of his experiences and advice for success” ~ Monica

If Monica could choose any celebrity to plan their wedding, it would be Oprah Winfrey and Stedman.  Why?  Because they have been a couple for so many years and truly represent the foundation for a lasting relationship.  “I can only imagine all of the elements that would be incorporated into the wedding and the trends that would be created from their nuptials.  Everything about the wedding would be over the top and elaborate!!”, says Monica when describing her dream of being Oprah’s wedding planner!

Over the years of running Aisle Plan Your Day, Monica has learned that the wedding planning career is very slow to start off until you have the opportunity to build a portfolio and showcase your talents to future clients.  The biggest learning opportunity was when she had to determine rate for services and the hours and time that go into planning a wedding.  In order to create more learning opportunities for new wedding planners in the industry, Monica tries to not use a regular assistant for her weddings.  There are always so many new alumni who are looking for volunteer opportunities to gain experience and build portfolios, Monica tries to give them a chance to build their confidence and gain firsthand experience. 

 

The best advice Monica gives to new WPIC Alumni is to attend regular networking events and conferences to build relationships with other vendors and keep connections in the industry. 

Featured WPIC Alumni of the Month:

  
 Caryn Lim studied fine arts in college and then went into Education at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.  Upon graduation she started her wedding business immediately.  In 2003, she was approached by three different couples for help with their wedding.  She says, “They saw something in me that I didn’t know I had and to this day, I’m forever grateful to them for helping me discover the talents in me!” She had never done a wedding before, but decided to take them on.  Read on to see where those three weddings have taken her to this day! 

Caryn found the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada's Course through Google!  Prior to taking the course, she had planned conferences, summer camps, fundraisers, drama productions and church anniversary celebrations.  She has always loved the decorating aspect of events much more than the planning.  She has made her specialty in the industry wedding decorating and handmade invitations however, she wanted to take the WPIC Course to educate herself more in the wedding industry.  As for that stationary part of her business, her love for making handmade Christmas cards for friends and family each year slowly turned into a wedding invitation service to go along with the decorating. 

 

Since starting out, Caryn has made her business full time in just two and a half years.  Caryn confesses that she didn’t have any solid plans on how she was going to conduct business.  She just jumped right into creating her company without any business or marketing plans.

“I just went with the flow, but believe me, that’s not a wise thing to do!”

Caryn suggests to new planners getting into the industry to not just jump in with no plans like she did.  It is very important to make goals for yourself, get out and meet new people, volunteer your time and find every opportunity you can to gain experience and make contacts.  She also says to never see fellow wedding planners as competition, everyone should be working together to grown each other’s businesses!   

“With time, I am learning how to do business the right way”

 

Over the years, Caryn has become to love the final moment when everything about the wedding comes together.  All of the photos in her website gallery were all taken by herself, this is when everything in the room is set and ready for the big reveal to the bride and groom.  “Taking those photos is the moment for me!”  Her favourite part is being so appreciated by the couples for her hard work.  Even though it is her responsibility and it is in the contract, every couple is still so surprised to see the reveal!

“Taking those photos is the moment for me!”

Last year, 2010 Caryn’s company came in contact with over 200 couples!!!  Caryn explains that even though each job has its own stress and obstacles, she loves how happy her job makes her feel!  She loves that couples see the value in her work and have her be a part of their wedding. 

Caryn can’t recall how she came up with her company name A Timeless Celebration Wedding & Events Inc.  She explains, “A lot of times I come up with ideas and designs in the strangest places and random moment.”  Her business card was designed by herself after she had a dream about the way it should look.  She woke up, fired up Photoshop and went to work! 

“Another time, an idea came to me when I had my head down and blow drying my hair in the morning!”

Caryn’s partner, best friend and sister, Gloria is definitely someone she would not be able to live without!  Gloria joined A Timeless Celebration Wedding & Events Inc. last year and has since taken a huge load off of Caryn’s shoulders and become the greatest asset to the company.  Gloria now oversees the Montreal branch since Caryn’s move to Toronto to open another branch!  Caryn says of her sister and partner, “We work very well together, we think alike and we complement each other in our strengths and weaknesses”.  Caryn says they think alike so often that they will often show up in the same colour without coordinating prior… (We do that in the WPIC office too!!!)  Caryn’s parents have even made deliveries and ironed sashes, friends have helped with heavy lifting and the assembly of invitations.  These people have greatly helped Caryn be to where she is today!

 

Caryn has launched four companies and websites thus far:

-          A Timeless Celebration Weddings & Events Inc., 2005 – Montreal & Toronto – decorations, linen, and centerpieces

-          My Wedding Feathers, 2010 – Online Clients in USA & Canada - dedicated to feathers and feather centerpieces

-          Touch of Love Invitations, 2011 – Online Clients in USA & Canada – invitations and stationary

-          Bellus Oil Portraits, 2007 – Online Clients in USA & Canada – 100% hand painted oil portraits

So why did Caryn create all of these businesses?

She wanted to create a place that clients could come to, to be efficient with their time in planning their wedding.  “It’s less work for brides and grooms to come to us for multiple items and once they work with us on their invitations, they know that they can trust us with their wedding décor and also wedding day coordination!”

Caryn’s dream for 2011 is to continue to create beautiful weddings for all clients.

We Wed Bridal Show Produced by WPIC Alumni

by Tracey Manailescu

Devoted To You's Rhonda Lam,WPICC,  Carmen Luk, WPICC and Elton Lau, along with Christina Li, WPICC at MEC (Markham Event Centre), Ambassador Group, and Jessie Yam, WPICC of Impression Events co-produced the highly anticipated, First Annual “We Wed Bridal Show” on March 4th and 5th, 2011 at the Markham Event Centre. 

 Ben Li, WPICC from MEC

In conjunction with the show, they hosted a series of  wedding workshops prior to the main event. The objective of these seminars was to bring awareness of wedding planning and the importance of hiring professional vendors to the engaged couples.

Danielle Andrews Sunkel and myself, Tracey Manailescu representing WPIC, presented the very first seminar called, "Wedding Planning 101 -Local Wedding vs. Destination Wedding" back in December to engaged couples. Fellow WPICC, Michael Coombs from Prodigy Entertainment presented the last one called, "Wedding Entertainment -Spice Up Your Wedding Reception!"

The MC of the Fashion Show & seminars was Anthony Choi, WPICC from No. 2 Entertainment.

There was a beautiful fashion show with 50 dresses from Asia and Canada. We loved the headpieces!

  

WPIC Alumni Sandy Stirling of Stirling Wedding Designs and Wanda Corbett from Just For You Weddings showed support and had a beautiful booth.

 Sandy is holding a Dove from Love Doves

Here are some of my favourite booths:

Check out these cakes:

Ruelo Patisserie

Ruelo Patisserie

Ruelo Patisserie

Tastee Bakery

Congratulations on a very successful event. 1200 attendees!!! We are very proud of each of you!

WPIC Featured Planner of the Month:

 
 Photo Courtesy of: David Leyes

by Kim Choy

When Jennifer Maxwell got married in 2006 it was a fabulous day celebrated with close friends and family.  However, there were a few mishaps, Jen wanted to ensure that other brides didn’t make the same mistakes she made for her wedding and wanted to share her knowledge with them.  A year after her wedding she decided to take the WPIC Course.

“It became my mission to ensure every bride has a gorgeous wedding” ~ Jennifer Maxwell

Before planning Jen did many things!  She ran a daycare in the Beaches for ten years, and then went back to university for a degree in theatre where for 8 years, she landed different roles in commercials. Her last “job” was a customer service representative for a home health company, here she learned a lot about networking, which is a must have for the wedding industry.

It was at these places that she was often the one organizing company functions and parties for staff and guests.  It was something she always offered to do, and something she enjoyed.  Jennifer decided to open up her own wedding planning company and put her passion for planning into her own business. 

 Photos Courtesy of Jennifer Maxwell 

She wanted brides to be wise and educated about the way they plan their wedding, and know where and why to spend money on certain aspects without cutting corners on the wrong things. After a discussion with her boss and the support of her husband, Jen decided that running her own company would provide more joy and freedom in her life.   Jennifer decided to name her company a very fitting, Wise Bride. 

To make Wise Bride fulltime, she needed the help of her husband who carried them through the transition.  During this time Jen took on short term contracts with other organizations and kept acting for a bit.  After gaining enough experience and learning to charge more for services she started to put limits on what “full planning” meant so that profits were growing and not giving away her time for free. 

“A wedding is more than just a party, it’s a significant commitment that a couple celebrates and shares”
~ Jen Maxwell

To market her company she started telling anyone who would listen what she did, and networked like crazy!  Bridal shows were visited; business cards collected and follow-ups were made with every vendor she came in contact with.

Jen’s favourite part of the wedding planning process is the creative brainstorming portion.  So many couples have a vision for their wedding but are not quite sure how to narrow the scope, Jen is there to help her couples define a theme or structure for their wedding so that it suits who they are as a couple.

 Photo Courtesy Of: Glen Neville

The best part of Jen’s job is when the dancing begins at the reception.   This is when all the major events are completed and she can sit back and enjoy watching her couple have a great time at the party they planned together.  Some other favourites:

• Seeing the bride for the first time
• Sending her bride down the aisle
• Bringing the couple into the reception room for the first time and seeing their faces

The worst part Jen’s job is the end of each wedding night. Although Jennifer keeps in touch with many of her couples, this means that her job for this wedding is done, and it’s time to say goodbye to a couple she has worked with for months.

Jen’s favourite wedding detail a wedding she was an assistant for Claudia Kent, at Nestleton Waters Inn on September 11, 2010.  The groom is a fire fighter and they wanted that day to mean more than just a sad reminder of the tragic event on 9/11.  Each of the groomsmen and groom (all fire figthers) had personalized fire hats made with their nicknames embossed on the hat.  These hats sat on the head table for all to see. 

Photo Courtesy of: Jennifer Maxwell

“It was a fabulous and totally unique tribute to this group’s friendship” – Jen on firefighter Groomsmen

There are many people that Jen admires in the wedding industry.  Clauida Kent has always been a great source of inspiration and calm and is always just a phone call away.   Claudia always seems to have just the right thing to say.  Nancy Lee is gracious and so service oriented, which are wonderful qualities in a planner.  Jen also admires fellow rockstar wedding planners Melissa Nowakowski, Jolyn Saramanga and Denise Georgiou who are all supporting their families and running a business with style and balance.  Jen lives vicariously through WPIC’s traveling Crystal Adair-Benning who travels the world to plan weddings.  Michael Coombs and Bill McElree are also admired by Jen who continue to work hard to ensure every couple’s wedding is a personal event.   Then there’s Danielle Andrews Sunkel and Tracey Manailescu for creating the entire WPIC Family, where everyone can count on each other for awesome wedding support and incredible learning opportunities. 

“I Heart Colin Cowie!!!” – Jennifer Maxwell

At the 6^th Annual Wedding Professionals Conference in Nassau November 2010, Jen had the pleasure to meet Colin Cowie.  Jen appreciated Colin’s amazing weddings and events he creates and also because his whole life is about elegance.  Jane Dayus-Hinch is another favourite of Jen’s.  Jen knows Jane personally and notes that what makes Jane special is her spunky, down-to-earth nature.  Jen recently put together a very successful WPIC Get Together featuring Jane Dayus-Hinch. 

Jen’s goal for 2011 is to maximize her time and reaching as many brides she can.  She has had to reevaluate how to manage her business and family after having her son a year and a half ago, and she will have to do that again, since she is expecting again in September!  She is currently focusing on teaching wedding planning courses for brides. 

Congratulations Jen on your business, your career and your little one on the way!

Diva Weddings & The "Get Hitched 2010" Toronto Gay Pride Parade Float

by Danielle Andrews Sunkel

This year marked the 30th Anniversary of the Gay Pride Parade in Toronto, Canada.  To commemorate the Parade's special birthday, ManCrunch.com sponsored "Get Hitched 2010".  

Six couples, most of whom are from States that still do not allow Gay Marriage, were legally married on top of a float while cruising down the streets of Downtown Toronto during the Toronto Gay Pride Parade.   

Coordinating all 6 of these weddings were the amazing team of Jennifer Dobrijevic and her assistant Kim Choy of Diva Weddings and Events.

The couples later had a combined reception at the Sheraton Centre Toronto, where On-site Coordinator, Sarah Ferguson, is also a WPIC Alumni. 

A photo of the couples and the "Get Hitched 2010" Organizers:

Photos courtesy of Kim Choy & Jennifer Dobrijevic

A Charity Buffet

by Danielle Andrews Sunkel

We've seen the Candy Buffet, the Seafood Buffet, the Chocolate Buffet, now make room for the Charity Buffet!  

I got this idea from one of my bride's, Angela Gil (now Pereira). In lieu of favours or the traditional Donation to a Charity, she created these Charity cards, each worth a $2 donation, which I placed at each of her wedding guest's placesetting.  

During the course of the evening, guests were encouraged to go to the Charity Buffet and choose which Charity they would like a donation to be made on their behalf by placing the card in the corresponding vase.  

"Donations to Charity in lieu of a Favour" is extremely popular, but countless times I have heard guests grumble, "What if I don't support that charity? Why is a donation being made in my honour to something I don't wish to support?" With the Charity Buffet, guests get to decide where the money goes.

Love it!  Thanks, Angela (& Dan)!

Photos courtesy of my assistant, Dulce Avila