Summer is not over yet :)

Yes, it definitely isn't - at least not in Montreal, with +30C and cloudless blue skies to keep us company and prolong the eternal vacation mood among most of us. Well, at least for everyone outside the wedding industry, you see - for us it's a definite marathon, and the professional urge to satisfy all of our wonderful clients all at the same time does pose an occasional challenge. So we would like to sincerely apologize, from ourselves and on behalf of everyone else involved in making your wedding dream come true, if our response these days is slower then usual. But enough about us, and on to some fabulous wedding finds we came across in the last few weeks:

If you just got engaged and have no clue (why should you?) about how to plan a wedding, invest your dear 12$ and purchase a wonderful book called the Bridal Bargains: Secrets to Throwing a Fantastic Wedding on a Realistic Budget, written by consumer advocates Denise and Alan Fields. Like the book boasts, it will save you 100s, perhaps 1000s on your wedding bill. No spoilers here, just buy it - you won't regret it.

Ebay - yes, it is scary to buy your wedding dress from China, but where do you think your average (affordable, sort of) retail bridal store gets their merchandise from? Just make sure to use ebay.com and not ebay.ca (it has a lot LESS options to choose from). Silk petals in cream/gold/turquoise/moka/etc, veils of all shapes and sizes, gloves and yes, even and especially wedding dresses can be yours for a fraction of the price you would pay for similar products that have been MARKED-UP by the retailers. Just make sure you pick a good ebay vendor with a nice track record and a lot of previous sales to prove it.

Your friends and relatives that got recently hitched: they will no doubt have plenty to talk about which local vendors they loved or hated (and their opinions will be fresh), what they WISH they knew when they were planning their wedding (and they should give that advise to you now :P), and maybe even give you any left-over wedding-related merchandise they accumulated but never used. It is guaranteed to be a hit party if you invite them all over to vent to share their adventures in planning the perfect wedding. 

Sounds like fun? Yes, it really should be. Don't be a martyr and try to do everything yourself. Even if you LIKE to be in control and DIY as much as possible, please spare your nervous system and enlist some helpers. Plus, it really is a situation where the more the merrier actually applies :) 

And to finish the post on some colorful notes, here are a few of the wedding highlights we had the pleasure to be part of in the last couple of weeks. Enjoy :)

Peonies, Roses, Lilacs and Love :)

Dear all, I'm sorry for a rather late update - time flies so fast these days, I can't believe we are already in the middle of August! But before summarizing our last weekend excursions,  I would like to say a few words about a fun wedding of Bianka and Corey, a young couple who said their I-do-s on July 31 this year in Hudson, QC. The ceremony took place in a very nice old chapel on the shore, amidst awesome weather and a town fair in full swing, complete with a live band and homemade jam and cookies.

Accompanied by loud cheers and applause from their guests, tears of joy were sparkling on Bianka's face as her and Corey exchanged wedding vows and were pronounced husband and wife. The celebration didn't end until the early hours of the morning (after all, most guests were their age and it felt a lot like a fairytale end of a prom) and we have learned a few crucial little details to keep in mind as a possible advice for young couples everywhere:

1. If you have supplied your own linen for the big day (yes, some brides opt for that to save $$$) and your guests are known to party like it's 1999, don't be surprised to see your crisp white linen transform overnight into an abstract new age painting complete with hard to explain splatters of crimson (we are hoping it's a mix of beer and rose-flavored red pot potpourri....)

2. Any cake mishaps can be fixed with a few well placed flowers (real or artificial) or extra matching decor on hand. While it's very scary to see the cake resemble the tower of Pisa upon arrival, prompt cover-up or removal of damaged base can make it look fabulous once more.

and,
3. Garters can be a choking hazard (!) So please don't leave that inebriated lucky guy with his prized possession in the bathroom alone...
But overall, it was a fantastic wedding and a lot of people wondered how everything matched together so well. The trick? The right hand has to know what the left hand is doing and the rest is pure luck. In Corey & Bianka's case, coordinating was easy, because not only did we do their reception & church decor, we also created all their personal flowers (bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres made with lush peonies and crystal accents) and supplied a few of crucial wedding accessories as well (cake set, box for envelopes and a picture frame). The lucky part was that the cake matched perfectly with our decor even though we had no idea what it was supposed to look like and the cake lady had no idea as to what our decor was going to be either. Lucky indeed :)

Finally, if you haven't visited Hudson/Oka yet, plan an outing this weekend, you won't regret it. It is the most charming and cozy little neighborhood of a town we have seen in the Montreal surrounding area and it's only about 30min away by 40 West.
Now, moving on to the wedding of Kevin and Abigail in Montreal this past weekend. Our heartfelt wishes to the newlyweds and their family & friends, who all worked so hard to make this fabulous wedding take place.
Here's a few teaser pics from their lavender & lilac butterfly fantasy:

 

 And oh boy was that cake delicious!!! In fact, it was the most original-tasting wedding cake we have ever tried - a rich and very flavorful fruit cake made with a myriad of various spices leaving your tastebuds wondering and wanting more :P

May your summer be just as delicious, until next update everyone!

Hugs & kisses,

Tania