Worst Wedding Advice Ever

I just read this great article on TheKnot.com and had to share it! Here's a little snippet, but be sure to read the entire article!

Bad Advice: "My mother-in-law said that it was perfectly fine to spend $9 a plate on dinner for our guests. She based this on my sister-in-law's wedding, where they served cold meat sandwiches, au gratin potatoes, and questionable-looking fruit salad." Morgan, Madison WI

Our Advice: Food is one detail every wedding guest remembers. Whatever your budget, you should allot about 40 percent of it for catering. Work with your caterer to prepare a menu within your budget and try to cut costs in other ways (like by trimming your guest list) rather than skimp on the meal.

Love Note: Abby & Ryan

Heather, the wedding was more than I could have ever dreamed possible!  Everything was perfect and better than I expected!  Thank you so much for all of your helpful recommendations and tips and for making sure everything was perfect on our big day!

-Abby

Read about Abby and Ryan's wedding!

(photo taken by one of Abby's awesome bridesmaids!)

NWR: A Toy for Blog Readers!

I thought I would share a new toy that I found since I'm guessing if you read this blog, you read others!  I have over 100 subscriptions in my Google Reader, but I just found something new called Feedly.  It's based on Google Reader, Twitter and Firefox, and integrates everything together. Your need to be a Firefox user (but why wouldn't you be), and install the Feedly plugin.  But then it will automatically pull your subscriptions from Google Reader so it is ready to go!

Abby & Ryan (02.21.09)

"This is the nicest wedding we've ever been to!"

Ryan made Abby laugh with this comment, to which she responded, "Did you hear what my husband just said?" (Incidentally, I love taking the bride and groom into the ballroom to see it before the guests do - that's how we get fun comments like this!)

We loved working with Abby, and she looked amazing on her wedding day.  The staff at Salon Cielo did a wonderful job on all the ladies' hair, and Sunshine Jones did an equally wonderful job with Abby's makeup.

The ceremony and reception at Deerwood Country Club could not have been more lovely.  Abby chose a palette of black and white, accented with red, for her colors.  The ballroom was dressed for the formal wedding in black and white, with red floral arrangements by Wilson's Limited.  Linens were provided by Connie Duglin Specialty Linen.

Ryan is a vegetarian, so over their years together Abby has also joined in the lifestyle.  But a lot of their friends and family have issues knowing what to cook when they come over for dinner, so they came up with these cute cookbooks full of their favorite recipes to give out as favors!  Ryan actually made these himself - from the design to the execution.  Way to go Ryan!

Paul Deland from D'Land Entertainment did a superb job keeping the crowd dancing through the night, with lots of great sing-along 70's and 80's music.  And speaking of sing-alongs, the bride's mom Nina took a moment to tell the guests about Abby's grandmother, and then led a group rendition of the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love."

Kris Graham Photography and InMotion Video Productions captured every moment, and I can't wait to see the photos and video!  (note: the photos in this post are my snapshots, not pro pics by any stretch of the imagination!)

Pre-Marital Counseling

Our of our favorite wedding officiants, Rev. Craig Grandstaff, Sr., is now offering pre-marital counseling services. His new endeavor, Forever Yours Pre-Marital Counseling, is a state-approved - that means the three-day waiting period is waived, and you get a discount on your marriage license!  Not to mention receiving a "road map" for a successful marriage.

Classes are available once a month.

Bridal Show Sunday!

Be sure to join us at Jacksonville Bridal Connection's Spring Bridal Show this Sunday at the UNF University Center!  The show runs from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, and more info is available at http://www.jacksonvillebridalconnection.com!

WANT FREE TICKETS? Leave a comment here!

Another Open House!

We're having another open house at The Wedding Party, and you're invited!

You are cordially invited to attend an Open House Reception to explore Jacksonville’s first wedding mall

It’s like a bridal show every day!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm 8640-8 Philips Highway, Jacksonville

Be sure to pick up your copy of "Expert Advice For A Stress-Free Wedding," a packet of tips and questions to ask when choosing your wedding professionals.

Plus, we will have great goody bags for each bride and groom that attend!

Liz Stewart Floral Designs Grand Opening

Well, the term "grand opening" isn't really correct - it was however, the grand opening of Liz Stewart's new studio on Third Street.  What a big change, literally!  Liz, Tiffany, Shae and the rest of their team have so much more space at their new location! The studio is breath-taking!  I am so jealous, although I know a lot of hard work went into creating the space.  Here are some snapshots I took:

Preferred Vendor Lists

I'm going to climb up on my soap box for a minute, so I apologize in advance. I read a great article today regarding wedding TV shows and preferred vendor lists.  The article is called "Brides Beware! Wedding TV Shows Are Mostly Infomercials" and it was written by a wedding officiant in Los Angeles named Elizabeth Oakes. Here is an excerpt:

The catchphrases “Best of the Best” and “Preferred Vendor” are supposed to make you think providers have been vetted for quality, but the truth is the only quality required is the ability to write a check.

So brides beware! Don’t take everything you see on TV or read in wedding magazines at face value.  Of course you knew that, it's just that when you’re starry-eyed with excitement about your impending wedding you might not see the white tulle being pulled over your eyes.

It’s not that you can’t consider booking these vendors if you like what you see.  Just be aware that you’ll need to verify the superiority of their services for yourself--and that their prices will probably be higher than other vendors, given that they’re paying for pricier adverts and those costs are passed along to you.  It’s always smart to seek independent referrals, references, and recommends from people you know in addition to any media information you receive; your own research and good sense should be your guide....a far better guide than the mediated ones being offered to you under dubious pretenses.

I whole-heartedly agree with Ms. Oakes.  Anytime you are presented with a "preferred vendor list," please ask if these professionals pay to be listed.  Any time you see a full-color, glossy brochure at a venue that contains a list of vendors and ads, they have definitely paid to be included.  And it's not that they aren't great vendors, per se, but as this article says, be sure you are hiring a professional because you like their work, you have checked their references from past clients, and you have verified their business license and checked with the Better Business Bureau for any complaints.

Thanks to fab Orlando wedding planner Kerline Docteur for sharing this article with me!

Sneak Peek: Michelle and Jamaal's Engagement Session

Our friends Melanie and Brad Watson of La Dolce Vita Studio posted a few shots of Michelle and Jamaal's engagement session in their blog today.  I can't wait to see more!  Their wedding will be here before we know it!  I met with Michelle and her lovely mom on Friday to finalize the cake details and discuss floral arrangements and linens - it's going to be amazing!  Lucky groom Jamaal got to head to Tampa for the Super Bowl while we discussed the pretty details.  I'm so happy we will have incredible photographers like Melanie and Brad to capture the wedding day.

(Do they both look like models or what?!)

Love Note: Colleen & J.T.

Dear Emma & Melanie,

We just wanted to thank you both SO MUCH for all your help before & during our wedding!  You two were so professional & organized, but also a lot of fun!! We really enjoyed working with you and really want to thank you for a job VERY WELL DONE!  Your energy, enthusiasm, and organization during our wedding was worth every penny! Thanks again!

Love, Colleen & J.T.

Featured on The Smart Planner!

Today, I have the honor of being featured in "Meet The Planners" on The Smart Planner blog.  Be sure to check it out! http://www.thesmartplanner.com/2009/01/meet-planners-heather-canada.html

Name Changes

I've been on a bit of a blogging hiatus for the past week due to a nasty cold that has kept my brain from functioning well.  I think I'm on the up-swing though! You may have noticed that over the past couple of weeks I have been changing my name back to my maiden name.  Which leads me to a question:  are you (or did you) change your name?  It's really such a hassle!

If you decide to make the effort, here's a quick list of those you will need to notify:

• DMV
• Social Security Administration
• U.S. Passport Agency
• U.S. Post Office
• Employer
• 401k / Retirement plans
• Credit card companies
• Bank accounts / names on checkbook
• Mortgage
• Voter registration
• Doctor, dentist, HMO, medical records, heath-care proxy
• Health, life, auto, and home insurance policies
• Clubs
• Memberships
• Discount, courtesy, and frequent-flyer cards
• Utility companies (phone, cable, gas, electric, etc.)
• Legal Contracts
• Will (you may want to change the beneficiary to your spouse at the same time)

Feel free to comment below - are you changing your name, why or why not, and for those of you already married, what was your experience like?

Christina & Ryan (01.03.09) - Part 2

I just received some photos from Christina and Ryan's beautiful wedding at The Garden Club of Jacksonville!  Thanks to Kris Graham Photography for these wonderful images.

Live From the Ultimate Bridal Fantasy

Today is Northeast Florida's first bridal show of 2009! Head to the Renaissance Resort at the World Golf Village to find everything you need for your wedding. The show runs from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm today, and admission is only $10.

Bride Wars!

Tonight Melanie and I joined some of our favorite wedding pros to watch Bride Wars. Unless you live under a rock, I'm sure you've heard of this wedding-themed movie staring Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson.

The premise of the movie is that two best friends who have been dreaming of their wedding days all their lives are accidentally booked on the same day at The Plaza.  Hopefully a far-fetched occurrence, I'm sure, and one that wedding planners will ensure never happens after this movie!

The movie was great, and if you haven't seen it yet I'd highly recommend seeing it with your best girl friends. Thanks to Christine Hoffman at TPC for coordinating our outing! It was great spending time with Chris, Nicole from Sharon Batten, Monica from To Do-ers, and Cate from TPC.

"Rock The New Year" Bash

The Wedding Party gang before our first annal "Rock The New Year" Bash!

Last night we had the best time!  The Wedding Party through a get-together for wedding professionals to relax and socialize and get ready for a great 2009.  When we originally picked the date back in October, Theresa Fishburne from Simply Delicious! Cakes commented that it was also Elvis' birthday, and that got the ball rolling for our 50's themed event.

As you can see from the photo, we all dressed in 50's attire, until it was time for the Gator game, and then lots of orange and blue came out.  Laura Parrish, of Celebrated Occasions, Theresa, and I spent several hours creating a giant juke box to hang over the dance floor, and we add Elvis photos, records and music notes around the room.

Theresa created three different cakes that were topped with fondant records, and Connie Duglin Specialy Linen provided black and white check table cloths.

If you need help with a themed event, give us a call!

A Lovely Note

Hi Heather,

I just wanted to thank you so much for all your hard work!!! (and your assistant of course!!) Everything was perfect and I could not have asked for a more beautiful wedding!! It really was great having you there and thank you so much for doing such a fantastic job! I really felt like you had everything under control and I didn't even think about any of the details, which was great...and neither did our Moms which is always a good thing!! ;)

Thank you again, and we could not have done it without you! I don't know if you like to have any pictures of the wedding, etc., but I will forward the photo link to you if you like (I think the pics should be up in a few days!).

Thanks and I hope you have a happy and healthy New Year!

-- Liz

Read all about Liz's wedding here!

Now On Newstands!

It's finally here - the debut issue of Southern Weddings!  I picked up my copy this morning at Barnes and Noble on my way in to the office.  While I have only had a chance to flip through the pages, I can tell already that it is on my "faves" list!

What are your favorite features or articles?  Post a comment to let us know!

Cristina & Ryan (01.03.09)

Our first wedding of 2009 was a great success!  Cristina and Ryan couldn't have asked for better weather for their outdoor wedding at The Garden Club of Jacksonville.  The simple but elegant decor in the courtyard was mirrored by the bride and groom's words to each other during the ceremony.  Their moving vows were officiated by Cheryl Raby of A Vow, Two Keep in front of 60 of their closest family and friends.  The bride and groom blended their families with the Sands of Unity ceremony, with Cristina pouring sand from Florida and Ryan using soil from Kansas. Kyle Wehner provided classic violin accompaniment that accented the sophisticated style the bride embraced.

After the ceremony, the guests moved inside The Garden Club for cocktails and hors d'ouevres while the bridal party posed for photos by the St. Johns River.  Dinner was served after the bride and groom danced to "Fly Me To The Moon," and the bride's father gave a wonderful welcome speech.

Catering By Liz provided the scrumptious food, including Pistachio Crusted Chicken and Wild Mushroom Risotto.

Table linens in chocolate brown bengaline were topped with pale pink and green floral arrangements by Riverside Event Design.  Cristina designed elegant programs, table numbers, menu cards, escort cards, and place cards in ivory and chocolate brown, accented with a gold stamped design and pink rinestone.

After dinner, DJ David Hanscom of Y? Entertainment provided a variety of dance music.  The gorgeous wedding cake, provided by Etiquette of Chocolate, was pale green with small sugar flower accents and set atop a beautiful apple green bark table cloth.  In lieu of a groom's cake, donuts were served.

Photographers Kris and Kate from Kris Graham Photography captured every moment with their artist style.  Here is a post with more images!