It has been a long while we have not posted any entries in the blog.  We sincerely apologize to our blog followers.  We have had a very fruitful summer and fall wedding seasons.  In the next few weeks, we will share our great adventures with clients in their wedding planning and coordination.

To give you guys a brief overview, we have done four weddings and one 5-year wedding anniversary celebration.  We started off with Prisca & Lionel’s classy & elegant 5-year anniversary celebration photoshoot.   Then, we had Dianna & Fabian’s fairytale themed wedding that we planned since October last year.  We also had a partial wedding planning for Karen & Edwin’s wedding in September.  We had a big bang in our late 2010 wedding season by coordinated two magnificent weddings in two days.  On the first day, we had Martina & Edmund’s simple, classy & luxurious wedding, which we had a great time working with world-renounced vendors, such as Cloud Nine Creative Inc. & Thomas Haas.  On the second day, we coordinated a 200-guest wedding for a very lovely and sweet couple – Vivian & Matthew.

We are very grateful to witness the blossoms of their authentic love stories, and to experience the fruits of our wedding planning and coordination.  We will have these featured weddings posted shortly.  So stay tuned!

I think everyone can agree with me that wedding is one of the most memorable celebration and milestone in life!  Some are lucky to have limitless budget, those couples can certainly go for 6 star venue, Cartier rings, best caterers, celebrity make-up artist and such.  However, I think what truly interest me as a wedding planner, is to plan a unique personal wedding with tight budget.  When you have all the money in the world, it’s easy to purchase the most beautiful decorations and the limited edition wedding dress.  It’s when you have a tight budget, yet want to throw a fun and high-end looking wedding, that is what makes planning a wedding challenging and very very fun!

There is a lovely couple, Caitlyn and Josh, who is planning their Tuscany theme outdoor wedding for this September.  Unfortunately, her fiance and father have both been laid off during the recession.  Their love is too strong to let anything to get on its way; therefore, this pair of gorgeous couple are determined to keep planning their wedding away.

From the original $35,000 budget cutting down to a $5000 wedding in four months, it is super high stress and no easy task for the bride-to-be.  That’s when Caitlyn turned to me for consultation, and here I am, working on an authentic blueprint just for them!

• From a breathtaking $13,000 vineyard wedding venue, we change to Caitlyn’s parents’ gorgeous backyard. (FREE, of course!)
• From a $5,000 traditional wedding buffet menu selection, we change to a $1,500 wedding theme related menu.  That includes different kinds of olives, parma ham with melon, tomato and boccocini salad, gourmet pizza, and tiramisu! (Can you get more Italian than that?)
• From a $1,200 wedding dress that Caitlyn wants to buy, we settle for a very similar dress half the price by having a local seamstress to make it for her.
• Instead of splurging $1,500 on alcohol, just cut this option out and serve home-made fruit punch.
• Instead of renting a formal evening coat at the price of $300, we buy the $120 tuxedo at a discounted rack.
• Instead of spending $1,600 on a florist/decorator, we spend $250 auctioning flowers at a farm and another $50 for miscellaneous decorations.
• Instead of hiring a wedding photographer that would originally cost Caitlyn $2,000, we put out 25 disposable cameras for guests to take pictures.  It costs less than $150, and guests always love to get involved!
• Instead of paying $300 for a make-up artist and hair stylist, Caitlyn is asking her bridesmaid to do it for her.
• Instead of the $800 phenomenal string quartet, we go for the $20 for 2 Italian opera CDs for background music.
• Skip the fancy letterpress invitations that would cost Caitlyn $1,200, buy some color cardstock and a beautiful looking stamp.  DIY invitation cards in less than $120.

I can’t stress enough that I’m a big fan of personalizing and make all things unique.  Cookie cutter wedding is never for me.  During the financial hard times, another belief is weighing extra heavy in my heart these days.  I believe that style, beauty and ambience are priceless.  Beautiful things are not only for the riches; one should never sacrifice and compromise for style, even for you budget brides out there.  Simply do more research, take the time out to DIY projects, and think of cheaper alternatives!  If you do not have the creative bones in you, do what Caitlyn does, email me at info@blueprintforlove.ca or reach me at (604)773-3631,  I’ll be more than happy to chat with you!

What I love most about wedding is allowing me to think outside the box.  When it comes to decorations, colors and themes, really…sky is your limit!  I find that many couples tend to go with the conservative garden theme, the timeless fairytale theme, or the fun-loving beach theme,  I would ask them “Why?”  The answers I get from them is not because the couples really like the above mentioned themes, it’s because they think those themes are common and easy to work with.

If you are one of those couples who also think that way, I’ll give you a big fat WRONG right now.

Your wedding should reflect who you and your fiance are.   Don’t be afraid to let both of your personalities, hobbies and passion shine out.  Afterall, you are the shining star on that day, it’s time to tell everyone what you’re really made out of.

Think wild is the key! 

If your fiance like cigars and you adore fuschia pink, why not combine these two things together?  Imagine the groom and groomsmen wearing their stylish black tux, enjoying their cigars and embracing their manhood, while wearing a pair of fuschia pink socks and cufflinks to shout out some personality and uniqueness.  As party favors, you can even give out cigar shaped chocolate wrapped in gold foil to your guests.  How cool is that!?!?

Or if the groom is a chemist and the bride is an artist, how do you implement the two extreme professions into the wedding?  Well… how about renting a contemporary art gallery as a venue instead of going to the common hotel and golf club?  Instead of using crystal cylinder or square vases to put flowers, what about using different shape of flasks as vases for a change? 

Get the idea?  Simply close your eyes and let your imagination run wild!  If you’re still having difficulty in creating your very own unique wedding theme, drop me a line and I’d love to chat with you!