CREATING YOUR OWN DESSERT TABLE

We can't all have Amy Atlas create a spectacular dessert table for us but here are a few tips from the expert herself to help you create your own:

- Take something that inspires you and create your dessert table around it. The design can be inspired from something as personal as a family heirloom to as simple as the pattern on the host’s invitation. Let the dessert table tell a story about the event so that the dessert not only becomes functional, but becomes part of the event design.

- Create a beautiful backdrop for your dessert table. Décor elements complete the look of a dessert table and a fabulous backdrop is the perfect way to incorporate artistry to the table.

- Pick beautiful linens and unique vessels to dress up your dessert table. Since your sweets will be the star of your dessert table, the linens and vessels should have a coordinated, tailored look.

- Always sample your dessert vendors before using them for your event. A beautiful cake is not always the best tasting cake! The key is to find the right balance.

- Pick desserts that not only look good together, but provide a balance for your guests’ palate.

- Incorporate some type of tag element to dress up the dessert table. This will show your guests how personal your dessert table is. You can do this yourself, or have a graphic designer create personalized tags for you.

- Provide goody bags for your guests as take-home desserts. It is always a treat to give your guests something to take home to remind them of how sweet the day was.

Photo Credits: Amy Atlas

INSPIRATION - AMY ATLAS

Amy Atlas, a highly sought after NYC event planner, is the queen of eye-catching custom high end dessert tables. Keeping the overall theme and style of your event in mind, she pairs tasty treats with unique vessels, striking linens and magnificent backdrops to create a visually stunning dessert display. See for yourself…

Photo Credits: Amy Atlas

THIS MONTH'S VIVA LA WEDDING Q&A

Q – Are cupcakes and candy buffets a thing of the past?

A – The cupcake craze hit the wedding scene when brides decided they wanted a unique alternative to the traditional wedding cake. Candy buffets soon followed. Not only are cupcakes and candy buffets still holding their own, they're now also appearing together along side the wedding cake and a variety of other tasty treats. May I present to you… the dessert table. Looking for inspiration? Stay tuned for my next post on the queen of eye-catching high end dessert displays.

CALCULATE YOUR WEDDING CARBON FOOTPRINT

TerraPass let's you calculate your total wedding carbon footprint by taking into account four different sources of emissions:

1. Airline emissions from guest travel - For most weddings, this is by far the most important category of emissions. Planes burn a lot of fuel, and these days most weddings bring together people from all over the country and the world.
2. Automobile emissions from guest travel - Cars aren't likely to be a huge source of greenhouse gas emissions for your wedding but if you have a lot of local guests, they will collectively burn a modest amount of gasoline getting to the event.
3. Energy use in hotel rooms - Hot showers, lighting, and air conditioning all require electricity. For large weddings, this energy use can add up.
4. Energy use for the wedding itself - The DJ, the caterer, temperature control, lighting - whether you have your wedding on the beach or in a banquet hall, the event itself requires some energy.

IT'S EARTH DAY!

Are you keeping the environment in mind when planning your big day? It started out as a trend but Eco-Chic weddings are here to stay. From invitations, to transportation, to decorations, to food - there are a wide variety of ways that weddings can go green. Below are some tips on how to walk down the aisle in style, without leaving a big carbon footprint.

Invitations – Send out plantable invitations. Botanical Paper Works is a Canadian company that creates wonderful invitations your guests can plant after receiving them. The paper’s embedded with wildflower seeds so you just plant the paper in soil, water it and then watch the flowers grow! You can go one step further by creating a wedding website and sending out your invitations electronically. Not only do e-vites cut down on waste, it’s an easy way to track RSVPs and the website is a perfect tool to provide your guests with updates.

Rings – Stick to conflict free diamonds mined in Canada. Birks favours the use of Canadian diamonds in the creation of its bridal jewelry. You can also melt down old jewelry that you no longer wear and have your rings custom made. Wood rings are yet another option. Touch Wood Rings is based in British Columbia where artist David Finch will work with you to create a ring you love and feel good about wearing!

The Dress – Wedding dresses made of organic cotton, hemp, soy, bamboo and fair trade silk are becoming more and more available. Not only is this option environmentally friendly but natural fibres are breathable and a lot more comfortable too. Located in Toronto, Adele Wechsler's collection of glamorous eco-couture wedding gowns were created not only with the environment in mind, but with a bride's need for style as well. You can also go vintage and buy from a local thrift shop or have a family member’s or close friend’s dress tailored to you. Karma Wear is an eco-boutique in the Byward Market that exclusively sells environmentally friendly clothing. Their dresses are perfect for your rehearsal dinner or a casual outdoor summer wedding and these are dresses your bridesmaids really will wear again. Really.

Makeup – Go green glamorously with CARGO Cosmetics. Their PlantLove professional collection is a complete line of eco-fabulous makeup available at Sephora. My fave is their lipstick - each cased in a tube made entirely of corn. This bright idea has even inspired Hollywood to go green. Ten of the lip hues dubbed Celebrity Favorites were designed by top actresses who individually collaborated with CARGO to create their ideal lipstick shade.

Venues - Hold your ceremony and reception at the same place to cut down on the fuel that would be consumed if your guests had to travel from one location to the other. It’s also great if you can choose a venue that is close to home. The closer the venue, the less distance required to travel and the less energy consumed.

Food – Ask your caterer to use the 100 mile rule – basically, work with ingredients that are grown and produced within a 100 mile radius.

Transportation - If you’re looking to arrive in style, instead of renting a limo for your grand entrance, why not use a horse and carriage? It’s romantic and doesn’t burn gas. Have the wedding party carpool and encourage guests to do the same.

Accommodations – Check with the Hotel Association of Canada for hotels rated under their Green Key Eco-Rating Program. Here’s a look at how our Ottawa Hotels are doing (rated out of 5 keys).

Flowers - Use locally grown flowers instead of flowers that are out of season which may have been flown in from other areas of the world and grown with pesticides.

Decorations – Try to reuse your ceremony décor for your reception as well. Doing this will also help you reduce your costs! Again from Botanical Paper Works, check out their plantable confetti perfect for outdoor weddings. Scatter it everywhere and the following spring a carpet of wildflowers will mark the occasion!

Guest Favours – The greenest thing to do when it comes to favours is to forget about them altogether. They’re really more commercial than traditional anyway. But if forgoing the favours isn’t an option for you, why not donate to a local charity in your guests’ honour?

Rachel & Aaron's Wedding in the Bahamas

Rachel & Aaron know how to throw a wedding!! The day started at the most beautiful little resort I've ever seen called the Compass Point in Nassau. It had 18 pastel-colored cottages lining the appropriately named "Love Beach." Their vows were exchanged in front of 27 of of their closest friends and family along the dock. Then they took their entire entourage to the largest water park you have ever seen in your life. Can you believe Rachel's hair stayed PERFECT through the entire day, even going through water slides! The evening was a total blast - everyone got into the music and danced the night away. Rachel & Aaron - congratulations again -- you were amazing to work with and I wish you tons of happiness!

VIVA'S BOOK CLUB - GREEN WEDDING

In honour of upcoming Earth Day on April 22nd, check out Green Wedding by New York Times Style correspondent Mireya Navarro.

Green is the new white for today’s brides — metaphorically speaking.

Environmentally conscious couples are often appalled by the cumulative carbon footprint of traditional weddings and are seeking ways of expressing their earth-friendly values as they express their love.

Green Wedding shows there are smart alternatives — products and services as well as planning decisions — that can reduce environmental harm while ensuring a joyous, memorable and stylish celebration.

HAPPY EASTER!

Photo Credits: ha! photography

WEDDING SHOW SURVIVAL GUIDE

Wedding Shows are attended by thousands of brides to be (and future grooms) each year. Not only can they be a fun way to spend the day, they’re also the perfect networking tool when planning a wedding because they allow you to meet with so many vendors in a short period of time all under one roof. But in order to make the most of your day and keep it as fun and stress free as possible, you need to have a game plan.

Click on these images for details on Wedding Shows here in Ottawa and review the tips below before going to ensure your day is an enjoyable and productive one.

1. The early bird gets the worm - Find out when the doors open and be one of the first brides there. If you wait until late afternoon it will be crowded and harder to get around with longer waits to talk to the vendors you’re looking to hire.

2. Slip on your Uggs for this event - Hard concrete floors mixed with hours of walking around from booth to booth can make for very sore feet at the end of the day so your shoes should be comfortable ones.

3. H2O – A simple bottle of water can cost over $3 so throw a couple in your bag before leaving the house in the morning. It can get hot, the air can get very dry and after spending the day sampling cake and chocolate covered strawberries - you’re going to need it!

4. Don’t bring the whole posse - While it may sound like a fun excuse to get all the girls together there are going to be A LOT of people there and it may be difficult at times to navigate through the crowd. Sticking to a group of two or three is best, otherwise your time may be spent trying to find your crew instead of focusing on finding vendors for your big day.

5. Map it out - All Wedding Shows have a website that lists the vendors who are going to be there and usually include a floor map with their booth location as well. Take a look at the list and map if available before hand. Check out the vendors’ websites ahead of time and try to determine which ones you want to talk to. Highlight them on the floor map so they’re easy to find and when you’re at the show, only take the business cards and brochures from the vendors you’re interested in. It will make it less confusing when you’re weeding through your bag at home.

6. Q & A – Prepare questions ahead of time and bring a pen to take notes. You will be talking to many vendors all with different services to sell and information to give. Make quick notes after talking with each of them so you will remember what they said and what you liked/didn’t like about them.

7. Patience is a virtue - If you really want to talk to a vendor don’t get discouraged if their booth is crowded by other brides to be. Walk around and come back later. If the crowd around them doesn’t ever seem to get any smaller, wait for the fashion show to start. The floor usually thins out when the show is on.

8. Don’t give into the pressure - You’re sure to run into vendors who will tell you that they only have one opening left for your wedding date. While the best vendors do book up quickly, there are a lot of vendors at the show to talk to so don’t feel like you need to sign with the first one you come across.

9. Draws, draws and more draws - If you’re hoping to win one of the many draws a Wedding Show has to offer come prepared with pre printed cards that have your name, address, phone number and email address on them. This will save you time at the show and make entering the draws a piece of cake.

10. Have fun! - After all, you’re getting MARRIED!! Whether you’re going with your fiancé, mom or maid of honour make the most of it. Go early, get your stuff done and then head out for a great lunch and a cocktail or two to thank them for sharing in a productive day.

Saskia & Ian - Calgary

<

Victoria Butterfly Gardens

We are so excited! We've been busy this winter shooting commercial jobs for the Butterfly Gardens, Truffles Catering, Robinson's Outdoor Store, the Canoe Club and a Yoga Studio. We've been waiting for the images to begin appearing in ads and the first one is on display along the highway from the ferries. It's huge! Christina was driving back from the airport the other day so decided to take a quick pick.

PERFECT PROPOSAL

Wedding Paper Divas recently ran an Engagement Story Contest (unfortunately only open to US residents) and Chris & Courtney of Connecticut were the winners! Here’s their story as told by the bride to be…

My boyfriend Chris and I are avid skiers, so when he told me that the lifts at our favorite resort (Killington, VT) were opening early for season pass holders one Saturday morning, I couldn't resist. We got up early and managed to be the very first to get to the lift. Unbeknownst to me, Chris had been in communication with the mountain staff for months and had convinced them to open the lifts a half hour early just for the two of us. There were a lot of people getting their skis together behind us, so I didn't think anything of it at the time. The lift attendants played along and said it was going to be a beautiful day, but really busy since it was a special weekend for pass holders.

About half way up the lift, Chris brought my attention to the returning chairs on the opposite side. There was a sign on the back of the chair that said, "Hi hunny!" I didn't catch on right away, but there were a total of 16 signs on the chairs that passed, each with a special memory or inside joke from our time together. When we got off the lift, the last sign at the top of the mountain said, "Will You Marry Me?". We clicked our skis off, Chris got down on one knee, said some of the nicest words anyone has ever said to me and asked me to marry him. I said yes, and then two of our best friends came out of the background holding cameras and champagne glasses with our names engraved on them. We toasted on the top of Bear Mountain!

Photo Credits: CRL Media Group

THERE'S ONLY ONE REAL 'TO DO' LIST

For all you brides (and grooms) feeling a little overwhelmed with the planning process and what seems like a never ending 'to do' list...


Photo Credits: Everyday People