My mom loves carnations, but honestly I've never been a big fan of them. That was until I started to see them like this! Carnations can look amazing when grouped together in big bunches like in the photos attached. Best thing about carnations is they are very inexpensive and can look fantastic and elegant for a wedding or shower.

Photo sources: belladesignstudio.blogspot.com, http://www.purejoyflowers.com/, Flicker, http://www.projectwedding.com/

In addition to helping make your wedding dreams come true within your budget – and perhaps saving you from costly mistakes - a consultant will save you time. With today’s hectic lifestyle, many bridal couples and their families do not have the time for the detailed planning and work that a beautiful wedding requires.

Won’t a consultant want to run the whole show?
A professional bridal consultant will work with you to handle as much or as little of your wedding as you wish. After all, it’s your wedding. The consultant is there to help you and your family and make the day as perfect as possible.

Why can’t I do the planning myself?
You certainly can do the planning yourself, and that sometimes is part of the fun. But it also can be a hassle: checking out many sources for each vendor category, making sure all the details are in place and worrying about whether you’re getting the best deal and whether everything will turn out right. An ABC bridal professional has the training and experience to make it all come together while you relax.

Do I need a contract with my consultant?
You should have some agreement in writing. While some people prefer a formal contract, a letter of agreement signed by both of you is usually enough. This is an informal contract which spells our fees, payment schedules, and what each of you will do.

What qualities should I look for in a consultant?
You should be comfortable with the person. You will be spending a lot of time together planning one of the major rites of passage in your life.

How can I tell if a Bridal Consultant is reputable?
All Association of Bridal Consultant members agree to uphold the ABC Code of Ethics and Standards of Membership. Look for the Association’s logo and ask to see a current ABC membership certificate or contact the Association to verify a bridal consultant’s status. Be sure to ask the consultant during the interview what kind of education and experience they have. The designation of Professional Bridal Consultant ™ is awarded to Association members who have completed the Professional Development Program. Some senior members have the designation of Accredited Bridal Consultant™ or Master Bridal Consultant™. Each of these has a certificate and indicates higher levels of training and experience. Some members also participate in Association–sponsored seminars and workshops. Certificates indicating that they have completed this training also may be displayed.

What will a Bridal Consultant charge?
ABC discourages its consultants from charging a percentage of the cost of the wedding. Most ABC consultants charge an hourly rate or a fixed fee, or a combination of both. All these methods are acceptable, but you should clarify in writing how and when you will compensate your wedding coordinator for his or her services.

A wedding consultant is part of your budget, not an extra expense. In fact, you often save money because a consultant suggests affordable alternatives that still enhance your wedding. The professional bridal consultant will work with you to produce your dream wedding, including the consultant’s fee, all within your budget.

How can I tell if a Bridal Consultant is providing a quality vendor?
Bridal Consultants work with many different wedding vendors and service providers. They have experience to know who is best suited for your wedding. The consultant’s reputation depends on the quality of the services you receive. A bridal professional is committed to providing the best possible wedding for the lowest possible cost. Also the consultant’s job is to keep you on budget.

The Association of Bridal Consultants is the only organization dedicated exclusively to serving wedding professionals –and brides- worldwide since 1955. www.BridalAssn.com

One of my brides was looking for some decorations for her ceremony. We tossed around the idea of pew bows, but when I dragged out what I had in my stash of decorations, they were just not going to cut it for her wedding. So I started doing some research on what we could do that would be inexpensive, but contemporary for her wedding.

First place I naturally go is to the Internet to search all my favorite blogs and websites. Naturally Martha Stewart Weddings was my source of inspiration for this project.

So I took some ribbon and tissue paper I had around the house, and here is my version of it:We're going to use hot pink and orange flowers for hers, with black ribbon, but we LOVE how these turned out and how easy they were to make!

Want something a little different for your wedding day? Or maybe you're looking for that perfect dress for your engagment party or rehearsal dinner. We love the new looks from the 2009 fall runways. We're seeing some fabulous short dresses from all our favorite designers. Here are just three of some great looks.

*Images from Instyle Weddings

We've been busy running around the city meeting some amazing vendors. Photographers, florists, DJs, pastry chefs and of course venues. It's amazing how many great locations there are in the city to host an event. Some of the best locations are not very well know, so we've been doing some serious investigation to find them.

Tonight I met with Maria Elena from Endeavor Arts Gallery & Event Space. They are located on 1st Street SW between 12 and 13th Avenue. For those local Calgarians, or anyone that's been in the city for a while, it used to be the old Night Gallery location. Well it's come a long, long way from what it used to look like.

What I love about the space is that it's truly a blank canvas. While the intent is to turn it into a digital media art gallery, it still is and will be an amazing event space. Just think of all the cool things you can do with a beautiful space like this! Check their site out for more great photos!

http://www.endeavorarts.com

One of the top wedding trends is adding color in unexpected places. Most brides are hesitant to wear a red wedding dress or a light pink one for that matter. But there are other ways to incorporate color into your wedding day. It can be as easy as dying your crinoline! You can do this at home or visit Wedding Cabaret on Etsy. Just send them your crinoline and they'll do it all for you.

Not sure about your crinoline? How about colored shoes. We've posted these beautiful Something Blue Satin Manolo Blahnik shoes before and still LOVE them! Whether you choose blue shoes or hot pink shoes, a little color peeking out from under your dress will surprise everyone and make for some great photos!

As promised, here is our inspiration board inspired by the new Dessy bridesmaid dress we posted yesterday!

*Image sources: Dessy.com, Martha Stewart, The Knot, Brides and Flicker

I'm in LOVE with this new bridesmaid dress from Dessy! A fabulously funky departure from the traditional dresses bridesmaids have had to endure! Your maids will love this beautiful floral pattern and they'll look great! Stay tuned as we'll be featuring this dress in an inspiration board in the next few day!

So after you walk down the aisle and say I do, there's a little bit more work if you're planning on taking your sweetie's last name. Now before you think it's overly complicated, or get too worried about it all, here are some quick tips.

After your officiant registers your wedding (which they do pretty quickly after your wedding) you can go to a Registry office and submit an application for a Marriage Certificate. It takes about a week for it to come in. Once you have this document, you can then apply for a new drivers license in your new last name. Again, that takes about a week to get processed and they'll send you a new one. At the same time you can change your name on your vehicle registration.

With your new drivers license and marriage certificate you can begin contacting your credit card companies, banks, and of course don't forget to notify your HR department of your new last name. Some of these places will want a photocopy of your marriage certificate and drivers license. You'll also want to contact Revenue Canada and notify them as well, they will make all the changes with one phone call.

That wasn't so hard was it?

1. Prioritize your priorities - Is it the dress? The food? Photography? Pick your top three priorities and the three things that are least important, and budget accordingly.

2. Plus One – Don’t feel obligated to invite a date for all your single guests or all your pals at work. Cutting guest doesn’t only save money on catering, but on all other items that can quickly add up such as favours, centerpieces and invitations.

3. Save on postage – Sign up for a free wedding website to collect RSVPs or include a phone number for guests to reply to. This saves money on postage and printing costs. Not to mention it’s environmentally friendly too!

4. Think outside the box – Opt for less traditional reception. Host a cocktail and hors d'oeuvre party after an evening ceremony, a lunch after a morning ceremony or a dinner reception on a day other than Saturday. Alternatively set a date in wedding off season (October – April).

5. Happy Hour – Have wine served at the tables instead of having a bottle of red and white at each table. How many weddings have you been to where you see full bottles of open wine at the end of the night? Save money by having the wait staff pour your guest wine before dinner. Close the bar for an hour during dinner, or opt for a toonie or loonie bar. Your guests won’t mind chipping in a dollar or two for each drink and it will help with the costs of the bar, which is often a big expense at a wedding.

6. Pay now or pay later? – Ask vendors if they offer any discounts for paying in full up front. Often you can save 10% for doing this. These savings can add up.

7. Two for One – Stack favours in the center of your guest tables or have mini wedding cakes tiered as centerpieces. These will serve as guest desserts/favours and centerpieces.

8. What’s in bloom? – Ask your florist which flowers are in season and stick to these for your bouquets and other floral needs. You’ll save a lot of money by doing so.

9. Picture Perfect – Shop around for a photographer and ask if you can purchase or if a CD of your digital images are included in the package. You can save a bundle by being able to print your photos when you need and many photography shops let you create beautiful photo books.

10. Fairy Godmother to the rescue – Many brides and grooms think hiring a wedding consultant is an added expense to their budget. In reality, hiring a wedding professional can save you all kinds of money in the long run. Many of them have relationships with vendors that can get you discounts on their products and services. As well, this is their business, so they know who is out there and have already done the leg work for you, so let them recommend the vendors that meet your needs and are within your budget. As an added bonus, on your wedding day, you won’t have to worry about all the details. They will be there quarterbacking your day and ensuring it runs smoothly.

I'm a HUGE fan of Candy bars at weddings, birthday parties, holiday events, and any other kind of event you can think of. But now more and more brides and event planners are trying to think outside the box. So I got to thinking about my favorite food, POPCORN, and how much fun it could be at a wedding or other type of event. Kernels has so many amazing flavors and it is such an affordable option. Just fill glass containers with your favorite kinds, from Chocolate to Jalapeno Jack and you're set. Over at Wedding Star you can even purchase these cute Popcorn containers with cute stickers on them that would be perfect for your wedding! Don't like the containers? Visit Michael's or Creative Packaging and find some glassin bags or plastic bags, decorate with your choice of sticker and VOILA! A fun, interactive bar for your guest to munch on through the night or to take home to eat the next day!

You can also have fun with this idea with cookies too!