Calgary Winter Wedding | Calgary Wedding Planner

Archive for the ‘Calgary Winter Wedding’ Category

Vera Wang’s Swoon-Worthy 2012 Collection

May 10, 2011

Ahh, Vera. Where do I even begin? Vera Wang is one of the most coveted designers of bride’s-to-be all over the world. Her gowns are renowned for their elegance and dramatic simplicity, making them the perfect choice for a mountain wedding in Banff, Canmore, or Lake Louise. In her latest collection, Vera takes inspiration from the ballerinas of Degas’ art for an ultra-romantic collection using texture and hues of airy pastels and sophisticated neutrals. Swoon.

I am also loving Vera’s modern take on the birdcage veil…but I’ll save that for another blog post!

Credit: Vera Wang Photography: Kevin Sturman

Credit: Vera Wang Source: Wedding Chicks

Credit: Vera Wang Photography: Kevin Sturman

Credit: Vera Wang Source: Wedding Chicks

Credit: Vera Wang Photography: Kevin Sturman

Credit: Vera Wang Source: Wedding Chicks

If you have fallen in love with a Vera and are looking for the perfect Calgary, Banff, Canmore, or Lake Louise Wedding Planner to pull together a show stopping, jaw dropping event design worthy of your sensational gown, contact us now to book your complimentary initial consultation.

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Sensational Wedding Ceremony: Love Letter Exchange

March 9, 2011

Love Letter Locket: Etsy

I am so excited to share a fabulous wedding ceremony idea that is oh-so-romantic. I have to tell you that when one of our recent couples decided to participate in the exchange of love letters during their February 2011 Calgary wedding ceremony it left Jenn and I, as well as their guests, in awe. So for those wondering how to incorporate this fabulous ceremony into their wedding day here are the key points.

Prior to the wedding day you and your sweetie will each take some quite alone time and reflect on why you love the other person and want to commit your life in marriage to him or her. It’s a great opportunity to share by way of the written word all of the qualities that you admire in the other, the shared moments that you treasure, what you are most looking forward to in the future, and why you have chosen them to be your life partner. When you have each finished writing your love letters, you will seal them in separate envelopes. These two envelopes will then be placed into a keepsake box of your choosing along with a lovely bottle of wine and given to your marriage commisioner prior to your wedding day.

When your big day rolls around, your marriage commissioner will take a few moments during the ceremony to explain to your guests that you have written love letters to one another. At this point you will exchange your love letters (still sealed in their envelopes) and place them into your keepsake box. Your marriage commissioner will explain that also contained in the box is a very special bottle of wine. The letters, and bottle of wine, will be opened by the two of you at a pre-determined milestone in your relationship, at which point you will each read the letter written for you by your sweetheart and share in the lovely bottle of wine.

Here’s to romance!

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Hot Chocolate Bars: The Perfect Winter Wedding Treat

November 19, 2010

With the chilly weather we have been having in Calgary coupled with snow all around I have found myself indulging in one too many warm cups of hot chocolate. There is just something about this time of year that says “hot chocolate.” Given my current hot chocolate craze I thought I would share one of my favourite winter wedding ideas, and that is having a hot chocolate bar. These are always a huge hit and are perfect to set up following the ceremony (your guests can indulge in a sweet beverage while you are off on your photo shoot) and they work equally well after dinner or at the end of the night. When I create a hot chocolate bar for one of my events, I always like to make sure that it is styled beautifully and has ample topping options for guests to choose from. Below are some of my favourite selections.

These heart shaped marshmallows would be perfect in a post wedding cup of cocoa.

One of my personal favourites, white chocolate dipped peppermint sticks! You can find the recipe here.

These peppermint marshmallow pops with white chocolate are too cute! They would definitely add a touch of style to any hot chocolate bar.

If you are looking for some fabulous and cost effective options, you can’t go wrong with mini marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, toffee sprinkles, candy cane sprinkles and cinnamon sticks.

I also recommend including options such as whipped cream, chocolate and caramel sauce, powdered sugars such as vanilla, mint and toffee, white, milk and mint chocolate shavings, syrups such as mint, hazelnut, and raspberry, and liqueurs such as Bailey’s, Creme de Mint, Kahlua, Grand Marnier.

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Brittany & Adam: The Wedding

February 10, 2010

I am so excited to share Brittany and Adam’s spectacular winter wedding with you. I had so much fun planning this wedding in just 8 short weeks. Brittany and Adam are a fun, young couple but with school, exams, shopping for a new home, etc. they didn’t have much time to plan their wedding. As a result, I had the opportunity to work closely with the mother-of-the-bride to create a one-of-a-kind celebration that would be totally unique and a true reflection of Adam and Brittany’s fun personalities.

The ceremony took place at the stunning LDS temple in Cardston, Alberta on December 29th. It was a chilly day but the time spent outside in the frigid weather was well worth it as you can see from the stunning photos captured by the immensely talented Maria Lang.

The reception was help the next day in one of the local Calgary LDS church gymnasiums. Trust me when I say that when we were done with the decor, it looked nothing like a gymnasium! Drawing inspiration from Brittany and Adam’s youthful and fun personalities, their colour scheme of light blue, navy blue and silver as well as the winter season, we created a hip young lounge atmosphere that was beyond cool!

The reception was help the following day in one of the local Calgary LDS church gymnasiums. Trust me when I say that when we were done with the decor, it looked nothing like a gymnasium! Drawing inspiration from Brittany and Adam’s youthful and fun personalities, their colour scheme of light blue, navy blue, and silver, we created a hip young lounge atmosphere that was beyond cool!

To create the stunning transformation, we draped all of the walls in 14 ft. tall soft white fabric and then added uplighting along the entire perimeter that gradually shifted from white to light blue to dark blue. IT WAS STUNNING! In addition, we added a very cool patterned light that gently moved across the ceiling and floor. We brought in modern white leather couches, chairs and ottomans for the center of the room to create a space for guests to hang out and relax. We also set up cool cocktail tables draped in luxurious navy blue linens and 6 seater tables draped in light blue linens and overlays, flanked with uber stylish silver chiavari chairs. Fresh florals of white and green, in square vases, added a touch of sophistication while complimenting our modern theme. The bride’s favourite flower, white amaryllis, were stunning placed at the entrance and exit and were arranged in tall vases filled with clear gel that gave an icy impression perfect for this winter wedding.

Guests dined on delicious bite size delights and enjoyed the hot chocolate station we set up complete with custom cups and toppings that included chocolate shavings, candy cane crumbles, marshmallows, caramel sauce, and more. Live piano music floated through the air and the celebration was nothing short of amazing! Thanks again Maria for capturing all the details of Brittany and Adam’s amazing day so perfectly.

Congratulations Brittany and Adam!

Della & Dino: The Wedding

February 6, 2010

After close to a year of working with the bride, this past Saturday saw Della and Dino’s magnificent black and white damask inspired winter wedding come to life. It was a beautiful day filled with love, laughter and of course beautiful details. It could not have been more perfect! Check out the images below, from their uber talented and highly sought after photographer, Gabe, of Perspectiveye Photography. He captured their magical day with perfection!

Vanessa and Darrin: The Wedding

January 8, 2010

I am so excited to share with you the wedding of Vanessa and Darrin that took place less than a week ago, on January 2, 2010. I was contacted by the bride at the end of November with a request to plan her entire wedding in just 6 short weeks! I was excited and definitely up for the challenge.

These two were full of life and energy and were wanting to infuse their fun personalities into their wedding day. They wanted something simple and elegant but also fun for them and all of their close to 300 guests. Vanessa loves details, I could tell instantly from the large number of details she recalled from the previous Inspired Occasions wedding she had attended. Regardless of the timeline, I wanted Vanessa and Darrin’s wedding to be everything they dreamed of and more. I’m thrilled to report it was just that.

All photos credit T LAW Photography.

The Fairmont Palliser was selected as their ceremony and reception venue for it’s historic charm and grand elegance. A string trio greeted guests as they entered the ceremony and set the perfect tone of elegance and sophistication. The groom chose to walk the aisle accompanied by both of his parents and selected the Imperial March from Star Wars as their entrance song. Although unconventional it couldn’t have been more perfect. The wedding ceremony was very sweet and complete with secret handshakes and a first kiss straight out of a Hollywood movie.

I was thrilled with their colour scheme of silver and purple as purple is such a hot colour right now and combining it with silver made for a twist on the more typical colour combinations of red and silver or blue and silver that often appear at winter-time weddings.

Vanessa had attended a previous Inspired Occasions wedding a couple of years ago and fell in love with the engagement photo table numbers and the candy buffet and knew that she wanted these incorporated into her special day. I also learned of her love of Kernels popcorn so we decided to offer both a candy buffet (always a huge hit with guests) as well as take out boxes containing the bride’s favourite flavours fo Kernels popcorn.

If your budget doesn’t allow for high end finishes at every table, consider incorporating these desired elements into the head table and parent tables. It will set these tables apart as being a little extra special for the guests of honour and allow you to still have the high end finishes you desire at a price point you can afford.

For Vanessa and Darrin’s wedding we used silver chargers and purple napkins at the head table and 2 parent tables as well as an extra stem of hydrangea and some orchids in the centerpieces on the parent tables. The guest tables still looked incredible in their own right. Another way to add a high end look at an affordable price point is by incorporating some rhinestone buckles. We used rhinestone buckles and silver ribbon on the centerpieces and bouquet vases which added the glamour we were after without breaking the bank. Inspired Occasions rents rhinestone buckles for as little as $2.50 each and vases for $3.50 so there’s no reason you can’t have the high end look you desire at any budget.

We incorporated a GOBO on the dance floor to bring in some added WOW factor to the reception. It coordinated perfectly with their invitations, seating chart and the stickers used on their candy buffet and popcorn boxes. Their guests were definitely impressed!

Vanessa and Darrin participated in a tea ceremony in the lovely Oval Room prior to the start of the reception. I always love when couples incorporate family and cultural traditions into their wedding day.

I connected Vanessa and Darrin up with an amazing dance instructor and they went about having a fun and flirty first dance choreographed to perfection. Their guests were totally surprised and their dance was an instant hit and set the prefect tone for the fun party that was to come.

I was thrilled to open my in box earlier this week to find the following email from Vanessa. “Terra, there are not enough ways to say thank you in the world! THANK YOU! Everything was so perfect and everyone has been saying how beautiful and organized the entire day was. Where would we be without you? Definitely not happy and ecstatic like we are right now! I can’t imagine anything to be more perfect – thank you, thank you, thank you!” Do I have the best job in the world or what?!

Congratulations Vanessa and Darrin on an incredible wedding day! You are a fantastic couple and I wish you every happiness in your future together.

Divine Damask

January 5, 2010

The past couple of months have been super busy here at Inspired Occasions. In addition to getting the final touches together for Della and Dino’s divine damask winter wedding later this month, it was a flurry of activity planning 2 300 person weddings back to back; one with an 8 week timeline and the other with only 6 weeks! Stay tuned for details from those two amazing weddings which occurred on December 30th and January 2nd. I can’t wait to share with you all of the amazing details from those two dazzling weddings.

On another note, I was delighted to see that Della and Dino’s wedding invitations made it onto Plush Invitations 9 Most Memorable of ’09. The bride, Della, has been amazing to work with over the past year and I can’t wait to see all of the delicious details come together for her and Dino’s spectacular damask inspired white and black winter wedding celebration later this month. Be sure to check out their fabulous photographer, Gabe McClintock of Perspective Eye Photography sometime in February to see images from this incredible Calgary wedding!