Wedding Special

almosthitched — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:17:56 +0000

We are offering our It’s Your Day ( Month of Coordination) Package for a special price. This package is usually $1000

Now we are offering couples this package for $500.00

For wedings from September 2011-May 2011

I’m so excited for this!

See below for details:

Create a stress-free event: one to remember with love.

Is it your dream to sit back and relax on your wedding day and leave all the logistics to someone else…other then your family and friends? Our wedding day coordination package is designed for the couple that has planned their wedding and just need a little professional polish to make their wedding go off without a hitch.

* Two consultations, in which the wedding plans will be discussed in detail.

* Professional advice & etiquette guidance.

* Prepare detailed itinerary of wedding day events.

* Review and confirm vendor contracts.

* Visit ceremony and reception venues.

* On-site coordination for rehearsal, ceremony and reception.

* Supervision of the set-up of the ceremony site, flower arrangements, etc.

* Assistance to the bride and wedding party prior to the ceremony.

* Supervision of the set-up of the reception site.

* Placement of centrepieces, place cards, etc.

* Receiving deliveries on your behalf (wedding cake, flowers etc.)

* Supervision of and communication with vendors for the duration of the reception.

* Assistance to the guests in any possible way.

* Troubleshooting when needed.

* Issue payments to vendors.

* Wedding Day Emergency Kit on hand

* Create a stress-free event: one to remember with love.

Save the Date for the Bridesmaids Movie

almosthitched — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:04:04 +0000

Get the girls together for a night out, this movie will for sure get the girls giggling and their minds off all the wedding planning stress. I loved Knocked Up and the Hangover, so this movie is pretty much the girl version of the “Hangover”.

Starring Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd, Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey and you can’t forget Jon Hamm.

Synopsis: When Annie (Kristen Wiig), a simple Midwestern girl is asked to be her best friend Lillian’s (Maya Rudolph) maid of honor, she struggles to please the snobby, rich bridesmaids at every pre-wedding event.

So see you May 13th in a theatre near you.

Wedding Welcome Baskets

almosthitched — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 23:57:39 +0000

(pic via Puerto Rico Wedding Planner)

Welcome our Out-of-Town guests with a basket or bag. A welcome basket is a package of gifts, treats and information given to out-of-town guests to make them feel welcome. Simple or elaborate, your goal should always be to show your guests that you appreciate them taking the time out of their normal schedules to travel to your wedding celebration.

In addition to whatever you choose to include, a welcome bag should always include an itinerary of the weekend’s events and a handwritten thank you note for attending the wedding (yes, this is in addition to the thank you note you’ll send for the gift).

If you’re having any children coming in town for your wedding, consider creating a special basket just for them, even if they won’t be attending the reception. Such as colouring books, candy and travel size games. The parents would be thankful.

Consider putting in local specialties such as local food or beverages, souvenirs, area maps, tickets or passes to local amusements, bottle water, etc.

Some ideas for our area:

Popout map of Clarington area, local fudge (Village Candy Shoppe), bottle of wine or cider ( Archibald’s Orchard & Estate Winery), local magazine ( Life in Clarington), local coupons ( Bowmanville Zoo, Cedar Park), yummy treats ( Bobbi’s Cake Lollipop Shoppe), Gift Cards ( The Old Newcastle House Taps & Grill) Tea or Coffee ( Lauriam Tea House), buttertarts ( Tyrone Mill).

The Welcome bags can be left at the hotel where the guests are staying and the front desk will usually distribute them to guests upon arrival. The decor of the bags can match the theme of the wedding.

(The Wedding Outlet)

You can also add some standard items such as:

Itinerary outlining all wedding-related activities
Disposable camera
Note pad & pen
Your favorite restaurant menus ( just a few, don’t overload them)
Contact name and phone number in case anyone has questions (Assign a good friend or family member to be the primary contact)
Bottles of water & snacks. Wedding guests that are staying at hotels will appreciate not having to pay the high prices at the mini bar.
Maps or tourist info for the local area. Visit your local chamber of commerce or visitors bureau; they can provide plenty of handouts.
Local coupons (to outlet stops, tourist attractions, etc.)
If you are having a destination wedding, sunscreen, lip balm, magazine’s, sandals, etc.

Just Engaged!

almosthitched — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 22:29:04 +0000

Wearing Princess Diana’s sapphire engagement ring, bride-to-be Kate Middleton and fiancé Prince William make an engaging debut as a couple at St. James’s Palace in London on Nov. 16 – just hours after announcing their plans to wed in London in the spring or summer of 2011. I can’t wait to hear about the details of this wedding.

Fashionista Friday

almosthitched — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:54:40 +0000

I love shopping! What woman doesn’t? And I love doing research on shopping. Everything from what’s hot for the season, new stores or websites and bargains at our local malls. Now I find myself researching topics of unfamiliar territory. A bit of “off roading”- if you may. Being single…and well…never married, you’re probably wondering why the heck I’m writing for a wedding blog. What do I know about wedding topics?

Well I’ll be honest…I don’t know much about the wedding stuff….that’s why you guys have Bobbi-Jo. But I do know fashion, and I’m continuously reading and researching information for the other shopaholics like me!

One website I like to browse through on a regular basis, is a store in New York City called “White House Black Market” www.whitehouseblackmarket.com

White House Black Market is a boutique that offers beautiful clothing in a simple palette of white and black. Splashes of red, grey and blue sometimes frequent the apparel, but for the most part it’s pretty simple in color.

“The Wedding Boutique” which is featured on their website has a handful of bridal gowns, bridesmaids dresses and accessories for the more classic and minimal styles.

They have four beautiful bridal dresses this season to choose from. All under $700! And I LOVE the accessories especially the “Rosette Bridal Clutch” and the “Ivory Satin Double Rose Clutch”. Rosette’s are BIG this season. They are trendy yet elegant.

Take a peek at the website…and then yet another reason for a roadtrip! Enjoy!

Barb Griffin

Fashionista Writer

McHappily ever after: McDonald’s Wedding

almosthitched — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 22:54:38 +0000

I never thought I would see that day that McDonald’s would offer wedding packages, but in Hong Kong anything can happen. You never know it might even catch on here.

There will be no alcohol allowed, only soft drinks and a wedding “cake” made out of a pile of carefully placed McDonald’s apple pies. And let’s not forget the “french fry kiss” where couples nibble on opposite ends of a french fry before kissing. Best of all, it is very affordable, costing only a few thousand Hong Kong dollars. Hmmmm….I wonder if you could get Ronald McDonald to perform the ceremony?

Would you get married at McDonald’s? I’m not sold yet. I met my husband at Tim Horton’s, but you didn’t see us getting hitched in drive through window.

Groom Cakes

almosthitched — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 12:24:42 +0000

A groom’s cake is a wedding tradition typically associated with the American South. While a wedding cake may often be decorated in white and light in texture and/or color, the groom’s cake can take a variety of forms, many incorporating chocolate or fruit. Cheesecake sometimes serves as a groom’s cake. The groom’s cake is often served at a separate table from the wedding cake at a wedding reception, though it may be served as a dessert for a rehearsal dinner.

With its roots in Southern tradition, the groom’s cake has been around for many years and is back in fashion on the wedding scene.

Modernizing the Groom’s Cake Tradition

Traditionally, a groom’s cake was sliced and boxed for the unmarried girls attending the wedding. She would take it home and place it under her pillow hopeful that the man she dreamed of would become her future husband. Man if it was that easy I would be wedding crashing to find my groom.

Today, the cake is meant to be a reflection of the groom’s interests, favorite sports, hobbies, profession, pretty much anything he enjoys. In my case my husband would have a 24 of beer and a tv remote.

Popular Themes for Groom’s Cakes:

Hobbies – photography, chessboard, poker table, pool table, bowling, books, etc.
Sports – hockey, football, golf, snowboarding, fishing, etc.
Team Sports – the groom’s favorite teams
Wild Animals
Favorite Beer or Beverage

The cake can be ordered by the bride as a surprise for her groom, by the groom himself, or by the bridal couple together. I don’t recommend the cake is to be displayed near the wedding cake, it’s design and presence should not compete with the wedding cake. Which should always be at the top for design and placement.

When to Serve the Groom’s Cake

It’s a personal choice when to serve the cake – at the rehearsal dinner, as an alternate dessert with the wedding cake, or as a late night dessert for the wedding party. Groom’s cakes traditionally tend to be fruit cake or chocolate cake, but that shouldn’t dictate the bride and groom’s choice.

If the cake is to be pre-boxed and taken home by the guests as favors, then there are several creative ways to display it. The slices can be individually boxed and arranged to look like a tiered cake on a cake stand. Alternatively, a couple could order individual petit four cakes in place of one full-sized cake. These petits fours can then be boxed for the guests, and could boast the couple’s monogram.

A groom’s cake is not mandatory at a wedding, but it does add a special and memorable touch.

Wooing Wednesday

almosthitched — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 19:55:41 +0000

Photographer: Jac’s Photography

Fashionista Friday

almosthitched — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 19:40:13 +0000

Today’s Blog isn’t about the coolest bridesmaids dresses or the “in” shoes, but simply appreciating what we have. Clearly I can’t take credit for writing this little story, but I received it via email and I thought it was perfect to share for this time of year.

In all the wedding kerfuffles, crazy appointments and expenses of all kinds, this tremendous story brings us back to simple joys in very hard times, reminding us what is truly important. Be thankful for those in your life and remember this remarkable moment in history.

Enjoy the read, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Barb Griffin

Fashionista Writer

The Wedding Gown That Made History

More Articles By Helen Zegerman Schwimmer

Helen Zegerman Schwimmer
Posted Dec 31 2008

Lilly Friedman doesn’t remember the last name of the woman who designed and sewed the wedding gown she wore when she walked down the aisle over 60 years ago. But the grandmother of seven does recall that when she first told her fiancé Ludwig that she had always dreamed of being married in a white gown he realized he had his work cut out for him.

For the tall, lanky 21-year-old who had survived hunger, disease and torture this was a different kind of challenge. How was he ever going to find such a dress in the Bergen Belsen Displaced Person’s camp where they felt grateful for the clothes on their backs?

   Fate would intervene in the guise of a former German pilot who walked into the food distribution center where Ludwig worked, eager to make a trade for his worthless parachute. In exchange for two pounds of coffee beans and a couple of packs of cigarettes Lilly would have her wedding gown.

   For two weeks Miriam the seamstress worked under the curious eyes of her fellow DPs, carefully fashioning the six parachute panels into a simple, long sleeved gown with a rolled collar and a fitted waist that tied in the back with a bow. When the dress was completed she sewed the leftover material into a matching shirt for the groom.

   A white wedding gown may have seemed like a frivolous request in the surreal environment of the camps, but for Lilly the dress symbolized the innocent, normal life she and her family had once led before the world descended into madness. Lilly and her siblings were raised in a Torah observant home in the small town of Zarica, Czechoslovakia where her father was a melamed, respected and well liked by the young yeshiva students he taught in nearby Irsheva.

He and his two sons were marked for extermination immediately upon arriving at Auschwitz. For Lilly and her sisters it was only their first stop on their long journey of persecution, which included Plashof, Neustadt, Gross Rosen and finally Bergen Belsen.

Lilly Friedman and her parachute dress on display in the Bergen Belsen Museum

Four hundred people marched 15 miles in the snow to the town of Celle on January 27, 1946 to attend Lilly and Ludwig’s wedding. The town synagogue, damaged and desecrated, had been lovingly renovated by the DPs with the meager materials available to them. When a Sefer Torah arrived from England they converted an old kitchen cabinet into a makeshift Aron Kodesh.

“My sisters and I lost everything – our parents, our two brothers, our homes. The most important thing was to build a new home.” Six months later, Lilly’s sister Ilona wore the dress when she married Max Traeger. After that came Cousin Rosie. How many brides wore Lilly’s dress? “I stopped counting after 17.” With the camps experiencing the highest marriage rate in the world, Lilly’s gown was in great demand.

In 1948 when President Harry Truman finally permitted the 100,000 Jews who had been languishing in DP camps since the end of the war to emigrate, the gown accompanied Lilly across the ocean to America. Unable to part with her dress, it lay at the bottom of her bedroom closet for the next 50 years, “not even good enough for a garage sale. I was happy when it found such a good home.”

Home was the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. When Lily’s niece, a volunteer, told museum officials about her aunt’s dress, they immediately recognized its historical significance and displayed the gown in a specially designed showcase, guaranteed to preserve it for 500 years.

But Lilly Friedman’s dress had one more journey to make. Bergen Belsen, the museum, opened its doors on October 28, 2007. The German government invited Lilly and her sisters to be their guests for the grand opening. They initially declined, but finally traveled to Hanover the following year with their children, their grandchildren and extended families to view the extraordinary exhibit created for the wedding dress made from a parachute.

Lilly’s family, who were all familiar with the stories about the wedding in Celle, were eager to visit the synagogue. They found the building had been completely renovated and modernized. But when they pulled aside the handsome curtain they were astounded to find that the Aron Kodesh, made from a kitchen cabinet, had remained untouched as a testament to the profound faith of the survivors. As Lilly stood on the bimah once again she beckoned to her granddaughter, Jackie, to stand beside her where she was once a kallah. “It was an emotional trip. We cried a lot.”

Two weeks later, the woman who had once stood trembling before the selective eyes of the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele returned home and witnessed the marriage of her granddaughter.

The three Lax sisters – Lilly, Ilona and Eva, who together survived Auschwitz, a forced labor camp, a death march and Bergen Belsen – have remained close and today live within walking distance of each other in Brooklyn. As mere teenagers, they managed to outwit and outlive a monstrous killing machine, then went on to marry, have children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and were ultimately honored by the country that had earmarked them for extinction.

As young brides, they had stood underneath the chuppah and recited the blessings that their ancestors had been saying for thousands of years. In doing so, they chose to honor the legacy of those who had perished by choosing life.

Helen Zegerman Schwimmer is the author of Like The Stars of The Heavens. To contact her please visit: helenschwimmer.com.

Budget savvy brides rejoice!

almosthitched — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 20:16:28 +0000

David’s Bridal Wedding Dress Picks from www.stylemepretty.com

I just saw this on weddingbells blog and I had to share. I know when I was getting married I found the perfect dress, for the price my parents could afford. unfortunately it was from David’s Bridal and I didn’t have time for a road trip. So I am so happy to announce David Bridal is coming to Canada. They will be opening two stores in March 2011, Mississauga and Scarborough. It will be so nice to have a budget-savvy bridal retailer near by.

Weddningbells also mention Vera Wang will be designing an affordable collection exclusively for David’s Bridal. So stay tuned:)