Spotlight On Groomsmen’s Gift Ideas

Wedding season is pretty much upon us, and after a small hiatus, we are back with some groomsmen’s gift ideas that will help busy brides and grooms put smile on the faces of their main men…

For the fashionable & timelessly put together guys:
LGFG wallets: http://www.lgfg.ca/product.html

For the trendy but practical dudes, how about these cool N-product time pieces? We were so very excited to find these unique wrist pieces, which hail from our home base of Ottawa, right here in Vancouver at Walrus! These i-pod nano holders are a fashionable way to keep your i-pod on your wrist and to have it double as a watch: http://n-product.com/collections/deckster.
You can order these babies online or check out their website for stockists in Canada or the US.

For the sporty bunch, how about a personalized sterling silver golf ball marker? These beauties by E. Ria Designs are timeless and classy: http://ca.etsy.com/listing/93135317/personalized-golf-ball-marker-pocket?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=Golf+ball+marker

Happy shopping!

A Gorgeous Vintage Glam Wedding: Michelle and Luc

While I sit here still inspired by the romance of Valentine’s Day, I am more than excited to bring you our first feature wedding of 2013! First of all, it’s obvious that this is one stylish couple! The old hollywood glam vibe that characterises these beautiful photos by Evan McMaster is a true testament to that. Let yourselves be taken away by the beauty of Luc & Michelle’s vintage-glam East Coast wedding.

A few words from the Bride: Luc and I were completely ready and happy to get married. We did everything backwards, first us, then along came our dog Rocco, then we had our first son Olivier and then our second son, Leo. At this point we had it all, a beautiful loving family. That’s when we realized we wanted to get married, for all the love we already had. What a great way to bring everyone who has supported us all along together.
Our main goal for our nuptials was for everyone to have a great time and to dance the night away. We kept it simple and true to us, which I think is really important for a couple planning a wedding. We made every single decision together or with each others opinions so we could both really enjoy the process and the day itself. I’m not saying it was easy; we didn’t agree on everything and we both had to let some things go that we wanted in order to make it work. As most brides, I had a vision that I wanted to execute in the best way possible and this is how I became a DIY bride.

Michelle’s advice: <<…to any bride willing to take on this crazy challenge: Make it about you AND your fiance. The men may not want to pick out flowers but they do want to be involved, have an opinion and feel important. Don’t sweat the small stuff. We made a list of the things that were most important to us at our wedding (food, music, photography, decor etc…) and we put more focus on those things and it made us feel much more relaxed for the big day!
Don’t be afraid to ask or to refuse help. Make sure you get the right people for the tasks that need getting done and don’t let just anyone do the things you want done a certain way.
Only take on challenges you are ready to tackle and finish with a smile, you want your wedding planning to be a great memory, not a job. Last but not least, stick to your budget!!! I can’t say it enough. I never budget anything else in my life but I added up every single penny we spent for our wedding and we never had any issues about our financials because we had agreed on what we wanted to spend. There are hundreds of wedding planning books that can help (yes, I had one… two actually!) and all brides should have one.
All in all our wedding was really everything we had dreamed of and much more. Our families and friends moved us like never before and it truly is an amazing thing to feel that much love in one room, all for us. Our wedding party made the whole day so much more fun and I would do the whole thing over again the exact same way even though some things didn’t go according to plan. It was perfect and we are so happy.>>

Venue: St. James Gate http://www.stjamesmoncton.com/stjamesgate/ at  Fox Creek Golf Club: http://www.foxcreekgolfclub.ca/front; Catering: St. James Gate;                         Bride’s Dress: Mori Lee http://www.morilee.com; Shoes:http://www.littleburgundyshoes.com
Bridesmaid dresses:Allure Bridal http://www.allurebridals.com/index.php?id=3&product_id=751; Hair and Makeup: Sereno Hair and Body Care                            Men’s Tuxedos & Shoes: http://www.mooresclothing.com/mor/index.jsp
Boutonnieres & Corsages: Pomp and Plumage:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/61449836/andersen-boutonniere-in-purple-feathers?ref=usr_faveitems; Photographer: Evan Mcmaster http://www.evanmcmaster.com
DJ: DJ Sonny D http://www.djsonnyd.com;                                                                          Host: Julien Dionne http://www.juliendionne.com
Nails: Tina Wedge http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nailtini-Nail-Bar/248097925217753?rf=226863610668467; Cake: Cake Box, Moncton, New Brunswick
Dessert tables and entrance decor: Lace and Twine: http://laceandtwine.com

The Perfect Union: Marrying Favours to your Favourite Cause with Favour Donations

A popular trend with wedding favours has been to replace the more traditional <<take home>> favour with donations to the bride and groom’s favourite charity in their guests’ honor. 

In honor of Movember (the month formally known as November), here is a fun DIY project which can be done easily to highlight your Favour Donations during your dessert course or at your dessert table.   This DIY project can be adapted to almost any cause…all you need is cardstock, a pair of scissors, a stamp and some ink.

Include a note card on each serving platter, or a framed note on an easel as the centerpiece to your dessert table, explaining that a gift has been made in honor of your wedding guests.  It will make a bold, thoughtful statement.

Spotlight on Photographers: Spreading the Love for a Good Cause with Juna Photography

A couple of weeks ago we spread the word about 100 Moments of the Love, the wonderful event being put together in support of Vancouver charity Take a Hike,  by the very talented Vancouver based photographer Justin Morrison of Juna Photography.

Today, we are extremely happy to give you a sneak peak of Justin’s endeavours which have benefited this very worthy cause: http://www.junaphotography.com/blog/. To see more of Justin’s work go to www.junaphotography.com.

Write to us at admin@wildflowerweddingsblog.com to tell us about your charity event!

Groom Approved Favours: Favours that get the seal of approval from your number one guy and his best buds

Ever noticed that typical wedding favours very rarely appeal to male guests? Ever ask yourself why shouldn’t they? Well here are a couple of ideas for guy-friendly wedding favours. Another perk for the diy bride and groom…they are also budget-friendly!

Our fav guy-friendly favour of the moment: customized golf tees

These are from another one of our favourite Etsy vendors, LaserBeam Creations. Tees can be customized with a personalized message from the Bride & Groom, and you can also choose from the variety of colours that are available. Pair a few tees with a cutomized monogrammed golf ball…a unique combo which is almost guaranteed to impress your male guests.  

Another favour idea from LaserBeam that is likely to get a thumbs up from the boys are their bottle opener key chains.

Our Easy DIY Budget-Friendly Wedding Favours

These days, who doesn’t like a tasty cup of loose leaf tea?  With all the known health benefits of the different tea varieties, why not offer your guests a cup or two of tasty antioxidant filled goodness as a thank u gift for being a part of your wedding day festivities.  Our top pick for wedding favour tea: Love tea #7 by none other than David’s tea!!  That said, with all the different teas on hand at David’s, you may want to go with a personal favourite, or a variety that goes with your wedding theme (maybe some Fantasy Island for an island destination wedding…).

Here’s our version of these tasty favours:

These favours are so easy to make and a fun afternoon or morning project that can be tackled with your bridesmaids or family members.  Even more awesome is the fact that they can cost you under two dollars each to make if you DIY it!  The tin containers can be purchased at Lee Valley Tools, and the small cello bags and twine at most craft stores, like Michael’s.

Decadent dessert & favour ideas

This past weekend, I stumbled across the gather pop-up shop in Vancouver’s historical Gastown, and discovered Bouchee Cheescakes. Their product, beautiful mini cheesecakes, are absolute mouthfuls of Heaven which can double as perfect additions to any wedding dessert bar or heavenly wedding favours!

Speaking of Heaven, check out this beautiful wedding cake by Morsel based out of Ottawa, Ontario… simply divine and perfect for any retro style wedding (or even a wedding theme inspired by one of our all time favourite romantic movies…remember a Walk in the Clouds ?).

Cozy-Comfy Rehearsal Dinners

Planning a DIY wedding and feeling short on time?  You may still like the idea of having a rehearsal dinner the night before your wedding for close family and friends.  However, you may be feeling a bit anxious about committing to spending three or more hours at a restaurant when you still have last minute loose ends to tie up (speeches, DIY bouquets, boutoneers, etc.).  Consider hiring a local caterer or at home chef to prepare a delicious home cooked meal for you and your loved ones and hosting it at a family member or close friend’s house.  It can often be a more economical way to say that extra thank you to family and friends for all their help and hard work, and a fun way to get people together and acquainted before the big event.  Another perk, you can often work with your caterer to develop a menu that fits your budget, and also craft a meal that takes into consideration things that may be important to you (organic or local fare for example).  The setting is much more casual and comfortable than sitting at a restaurant.  Another bonus: caterers or at home chefs will often clean up when the meal is done.  We love The Kitchen Gourmet based out of Moncton, New Brunswick!