PERSIAN WEDDING AT FAIRMONT CHATEAU LAURIER

The Chateau Laurier feels like a second home to me. I’ve had the honor of planning weddings here since our first in 2012 and have been one of their preferred wedding planners for some time now. I love designing in this space as it’s a little slice of Europe. The construction of the Chateau dates back to 1909 with some of its furniture bound for Ottawa sinking to the depths of the ocean with the Titanic in 1912. As iconic as this building, we have equally designed some beautiful fairytale weddings here. This Persian weddings ceremony was held in the Laurier Room with the reception in the grand Ballroom. We incorporated a stately floor plan with long angled tables which stretched the length of the room. The details were simple and decadent.

Photography by Lace & Luce

E+R ANDAZ HOTEL WEDDING

When I first met with Liz & Ryan they were looking for an alternative venue to host their wedding. Zibi, The Mill, Adelina, Restaurant 18, Side Door and Andaz were my first suggestions. But after chit-chatting a bit further when I could decode what they were actually telling me- I went out on a limb and said “When you’re telling me your ideas, I think of those hot and balmy long summer nights downtown on a roof top sipping a cocktail enjoying the sunset.” And so I pitched Andaz as the perfect location for a modern New York rooftop cocktail style wedding. Chic and minimalistic.They immediately fell in love with the idea.

The magic in choosing this space was that it required little to no decor. The furniture and ambiance spoke for itself and allowed the couple to focus the majority of their budget on food & beverage.

Their ceremony took place in the Dalhousie Room with a quick champagne toast as we moved all the ceremony decor upstairs to the 16th floor, Copper. The couple had a first look in Stanley Park before the ceremony so after their toast, guests move upstairs for cocktails followed by poke-bowl stations.

But enough about the details, enjoy!

Photography by Ali & Batoul Photography

S+D O'Born Room National Art Centre Wedding

I first met Sarah about a year before her wedding as she was preparing to leave and move to England with her fiance. Planning a wedding while being away left Sarah feeling a little overwhelmed, and so she sought our help to ensure her wedding was designed and executed seamlessly. Planning her wedding was truly effortless. In our initial consultation she said:

““I love everything you do, so even if you tell me to put my bridesmaids in white dresses- i’ll do it!!”. ”

— Sarah

Music to my ears! And so we began to tour spaces for her minimalistic monochromatic wedding. Sarah chose the perfect venue, the O’Born Room at the National Art Centre- my current favourite space to design in. With such a gorgeous blank canvas with endless natural light it was easy to envision, design and choose vendors for Sarah’s wedding.

Our mood board boasted fresh crisp colours with my signature touch of acrylic furnishings, invitations and table stationary. I went as far as designing and building acrylic charger platforms that allowed for a gorgeous pave of florals to be seen through them.

During her time abroad, Sarah gave us complete trust and allowed us to guide her through the wedding planning process without question. I mention this because it’s important to understand that a wedding materializes in it’s own time. Should you try and rush the process- chances are you’ll be making decisions too far in advance, where in reality- I can guarantee you’ll be changing your mind closer to the wedding date.

About %80 of our clientele is what I like to call “reverse destination brides”. Meaning, they now live abroad and are planning their wedding back in Ottawa. It’s also not uncommon for us to officially meet out brides the day before their wedding. Crazy right?!?

This all goes to show, when you trust your planner and vendors to do what they do best- magic happens and expectations are exceeded.

So without further ado- Sarah & Darien’s gorgeous wedding bellow.

Enjoy:)

Planning & Design: Elise Toast Events

Photographer: Photography by Emma

Florist: We Are Pollen Nation

Invitations & Stationary: Milestone Paper Co

ADULTS ONLY

Toast Events Real Wedding Invite by Lafabere

Sorry but your kids aren't invited.....

In 2016 I started seeing a shift in couples requesting kidless weddings. Now in 2018, it seems like it's not even a question anymore. Quite simply- they should stay home. I know it sounds harsh. But that seems to be the way. In 2018 I'm seeing "black tie only"....

So obviously I get this question a lot. "How do I tell my guests their kids aren't invited to the wedding?".

STEP ONE: SETTING THE STAGE

And I feel like I've kinda mastered this one in a two step process. It all starts with the method of your message. The first way I suggest, is to subconsciously hint in the RSVP by adding a line that says " We have __#__ seats reserved for you".

If you don't think your guests will get the hint- add "adult only reception" in small letters at the bottom of your main reception invitation.

STEP TWO: THE BOLD

Likely after you've used the first two initiatives- there will be no need for any additional conversation. HOWEVER! If the "bold" decide to +1 their kid on your rsvp, you have but no choice to address the issue. 

If this guest is close to you, a personal call is in order. Explain that by having an adult only reception, what your really saying is that you want everyone to have a great evening laughing and dancing while having a few extra drinks without having to leave early because of their kids. What you want to communicate is that your wedding is the perfect excuse to take the night off and truly enjoy it. It's really not about you- it's about them. See how I did that ;) ;) 

If the guest isn't close to you, likely it's an invite by your parents- hence they should be the ones to call on your behalf and preach your message. 

CONCLUSION

I've never had any issues with the two-pronged attack ;) 

I would say that most guests no longer expect to bring their kids for the whole or even part of the wedding. So Don't be shy- what used to be a faux-pas is now the norm. 

x Elise 

DESIGNING WITH TOAST

Although i'm a serious paper pusher and a little bit too organized for my own sake, I really am a designer at heart. I design purely on feeling, so if your talking to me about a particular creative element you'll hear me say something to the tune of "I'm really "feeling" the tattered look, haunted...almost like we printed your invitations on a piece of torn wall paper from an 18th century Parisian chateau"...  or "I need to "feel" the movement in the florals, wispy, ethereal..".

There are so many things we take into account when we're styling a wedding. Because we want it to reflect the client style, we'll take in as many details as possible from Pinterest, movies you love, books you read, places you've traveled and really just things you like. I sometimes think knowing exactly what you don't want can help me hugely in the long run. It's like a spiders web, if you don't like modern design styles then we know you also wont like a host of other thing which we can rule out right at the get-go!

““Well I know what I want and I have everything I like on Pinterest, so why do I need a stylist?” ”

— Client

It's a good question and I have a great answer! It's all about sourcing. Since your wedding is most likely a year away, the items you are renting now will have gone through on average minimum 60 more weddings before gracing your guests. So that two year old chivary chair that looked decent last year when you booked them, is now- falling apart, wobbly, the cushions are flat, uncomfortable and stained. And that goes for all rentals. Linens, lounge furniture, tableware etc. And that white dance floor you ordered....well it's beige now because the vendor didn't care for it properly....

It's also about curating your wedding to the smallest detail from font choices, RGB color codes, paper weights, creative twists on traditional wedding decor etc. We even go as far as hand-making specialty "one-of" decor accents to ensure your wedding is completely unique- a reflection of you. We want Aunt Betty to walk in and say "OMG that is so Sarrah". 

So what does styling look and feel like with us? Well! Your customized style file comes wrapped in a pretty little box right at your door step, the old fashioned way. Snail mail. I like to think it makes the experience a little bit more tangible! 

Bellow is a great example. Enjoy! 

xoxo

Elise 

THE WHISPERING WALLS OF CHATEAU GUDANES

“Chateau de Gudanes, an abandoned, neglected and ruined chateau tucked neatly into a deep valley in the French Pyrénées. A site where the first stories of religious tragedies began in the 13th century.

Until now, reawakened by an Australian family as they start their restoration, giving back the love it deserves and unravelling the spirit of the past. Opening the door to a world of wonder, both real and imagined. ”

— http://www.chateaugudanes.com/

I'm a hopeless romantic... 

So it may not come as a surprise when I tell you I've been following the Chateau de Gudanes Captain's Log for two years now, waiting in anticipation for what hidden treasures would appear next. The journey of a piece of history at risk of being lost forever, brought back to life with sneak-peaks into the secret details they're trying so hard to salvage.

The Chateau is said not to be restored into a "pretentious" museum piece, but rather a public space of refuge. A gathering place for Parisian weddings, festivals and extended stays. And although I have already "ticked" the little box beside "Plan a castle wedding in Europe", I must say this modern day fairy tale and a trip to France is an experience I simply must have. 

Your all welcome to come with me, eat fine food, drink a little too much red wine, and share some laughs.

So until then, as the French would say; A bientot! 

DO THEY MAKE THE LIST?

The infamous "guest list" can be your biggest hurdle. It's almost as nasty as the "b" word, budget. Forget the old method of "List A" and "List B" and check out our cute chart when second guessing potential attendees. 

Still wondering exactly how many guests you'll have on your actual wedding day? Not to worry, we have a special little formula to help you more accurately gauge your bottom line. Always be sure to request quotes based on your max guest list. This way you'll stay on budget and might even have some moolah if your attendee list shrinks!