Wedding Planning Archives - Toronto Wedding Planners

July 5, 2019

Writing the BEST Wedding Speech Ever!

wedding speech

Writing a wedding speech can be tricky, even more so if you’re hastily scribbling down notes into your phone. Or onto a cocktail napkin after you’ve knocked back a few. Too often we see couples waiting until the last second to write their wedding speech, and then stressing over it. Fear not, though, for your friendly neighbourhood Whimlets have you covered with..

Wedding Speech Tips to WOW Your Guests!

The anatomy of a wedding speech is pretty simple – you are basically thanking folks for their contribution to your upbringing, well being and wedding planning. The order that you can do this in varies, but here’s pretty simple format:

Guests that travelled a long way to be at the wedding
All of your guests for attending and being with you on this special day
Your bridal party and attendants for assisting before and during the wedding
Your vendors (optional) if they’ve gone above and beyond for you
Those that could not be with you and are dearly missed
Your new in-laws
Your immediate family and parents

Next up, you’ll want to turn your attention to your new spouse and speak a bit about your relationship. Telling a sweet or funny anecdote about your relationship is a great way to start. For example, you can talk about how you met if it’s one of those sweet meet-cute stories. Or you can tell the origins of a funny inside joke between the two of you. Or your adventures and misadventures during wedding planning.

Finally, end by thanking your new spouse. You can do this a number of different ways, like talking about your joy at finally being married, or how much the day has meant to you, and your dreams for the future.

Here are a few best practices as you start to get your thoughts together for your wedding speech:

Write your speech down. Seriously – don’t try to wing it unless you’re a professional public speaker. Even they have notes!
Try not to get completely sloshed before you give your speech
Keep it classy – embarrassing your new spouse or bridal party isn’t a nice way to end your program. It’s probably not a great way to start a marriage, either.
Try not to give a super long speech. Your guests have been sitting for a while at this point so it’s a great idea to keep it under 5-7 minutes (we allocate 3-5 for everyone else!).

What are your best tips for writing a killer wedding speech? Drop us a line – we want to hear from you!

Whim Event Planning and Design is a team of Toronto wedding planners and day of coordinators, specializing in modern romantic weddings for fun, sweet couples who are madly in love. Get in touch with us today to start planning your dream day!

April 10, 2019

5 Ways to Have a Charitable Wedding

I bet you’re here because you are interested in having a (partially) charitable wedding.

Huzzah! Kudos to you!

The Whimlets are passionate about giving back and staying grounded and mindful at every stage of life. This is especially important during wedding planning. It’s so easy to get tied up in the larger than life razzle dazzle that come with modern weddings. We urge you to consider giving back a little and have a few tips that will make it super easy and fulfilling!

Host your wedding at a non-profit venue

If you are in a major city, a great way to give back to your community is to host your wedding and pre-wedding events in not-for-profit spaces. These spaces often support the local arts and other honourable causes. This way, the largest part of your budget will be spent supporting important causes in your community. Recently, our team had the pleasure of planning a wedding at The Design Exchange in Toronto, which used to be the old Toronto Stock Exchange building, and is now a patron of the arts.

charitable wedding — Tara Lily Photography

Skip favours for donations

Wedding favours are fun and all, but how often are they just stuck in a drawer and forgotten about, or even worse, forgotten at the wedding and ultimately thrown away? We say skip the fluff and put your dollars toward helping other people. There are tons of charities both locally and internationally that need your help. For extra style points, consider asking your stationer or calligrapher to write up a cute note for each place setting that works with your theme letting your guests know that you’ve made a donation in celebration of your big day. Chances are your guests will love the gesture and not miss the favour at all!

Donate flowers to nursing homes or hospitals

A growing trend we LOVE and are 100% on board with are groups that come to your venue and collect centrepieces and arrangements leftover after the wedding festivities and deliver them to nursing homes and hospitals. Don’t you love the idea of your centrepieces doing double duty of wowing your guests and warming the heart of someone who could use a pick me up? If you’re in the Greater Toronto Area, check out the Violet Heart Project. This group of good guys take on all of the work and make sure that your arrangements go to those that need them,

charitable wedding

Donate that dress

While not every bride is into the idea of buying a gently used gown, you can totally still make weddings more accessible and support a great cause by donating your own dress after your big day. More and more brides are opting for this option, and almost every major city has a shop that caters to this. In Toronto, you can check out The Bride’s Project, which donates proceeds from every single dress sale to cancer research. They also have pretty banging gown options for brides on the hunt for a great deal!

Add a volunteering component to your bachelorette/bachelor party and give back to your community

Not everyone is into getting sloshed and singing off-key karaoke (or whatever else you get up to), but even if you are, there are plenty of ways to give back a little while still having a blast with your besties. We suggest contacting local soup kitchens, food banks, or even do a charitable sporting event to raise funds for your favourite causes. We don’t see why giving back can’t also include celebratory drinks afterwards!

A few final thoughts…

Staying grounded and mindful is the best way to enjoy your festivities and walk into married life with the best possible mindset. Consider kicking off the next chapter of your life by hosting a charitable wedding and giving back to those who may not have as much as you. Even if your budget is stretched thin, there is a way to have a charitable wedding!

charitable wedding

March 20, 2019

5 Tips for Negotiating with Wedding Vendors

A lot of couples have a big time misconception about wedding planning and negotiating with wedding vendors, and I want to share some tips about how to artfully and tactfully discuss pricing with your vendors. Almost every wedding vendor I know is a small business that has a family to feed, pays taxes and works hard to make magic happen for their clients. Truthfully I don’t know many of them that enjoy being asked to lower their rates, as it devalues the hard work that they put into every event that they work on.

My job as a wedding planner is not to bargain with vendors on pricing. My job as a planner is to educate my couples on the range of costs for the wedding services they need to book, and to help them find vendors that fall within their price point. My role is to also help with creative methods of making the most of their budget.

That being said, I’ve had many couples that have asked me to push for bargains and discounts, and so I’m sharing five tips for how to artfully negotiate while maintaining a great relationship with your vendors.

Do your homework about a vendor’s services before meeting them

It doesn’t make any sense to meet with a vendor who is out of your budget, no matter how much you love them. Be sure to request preliminary pricing with your vendors before meeting with them – especially for service-based businesses. While you may be willing to stretch your budget a bit for a vendor you really love, if they are thousands above your price point, it will save you both time to nix the meeting before it happens.

Be up front with your budget for that vendor’s services

A lot of couples are wary of this questions when vendors ask, and there is a misconception that vendors ask about budget so they can max it out. This simply isn’t true of any ethical vendor. The reason that vendors ask about budget is so they can qualify whether or not they can serve you best, and oftentimes, in the case of product-based businesses, to customize a design that suits your wedding AND your budget.

Ask for custom packages to suit your budget

Speaking of custom quotes, it’s a great idea to ask for customized packages that may suit your wedding better than the standard packages offered by a vendor. For example, if a photographer’s wedding package offers 12 hours of service, but you need 8-10, ask if there is a custom option available that suits the number of hours you need.

Consider requesting a freebie rather than an outright discount

In the example above, I mentioned asking the photographer for a custom package to suit a lower number of hours of wedding day coverage. A great approach would be to ask the photographer to throw in an engagement session, and lower the number of hours, rather than asking the photographer for discounted services.

Many vendors are much more willing to offer a freebie than an outright discount to their pricing. Negotiating on points like albums for photographers, stand rentals for wedding cake vendors, a toss bouquet from a florist, or extra decor for invitation suites from a stationery vendor are a better way to enhance your existing services without devaluing the work of the vendor.

Be polite in your dealings

I cannot stress this point enough. Many wedding vendors get multiple requests for any given wedding date, so approaching with a less-than-polite attitude may result in that vendor not even wanting to chat with you. While wedding vendors are business owners, the vast majority of them are well-intentioned people who want to show up and serve their couples well, and being rude will only result in them refusing your wedding outright. Be prepared for some vendors to be unwilling to negotiate on the pricing for their services – if you push the issue, you may damage your relationship with that vendor.

Finally…

Budget can be a touchy issue while wedding planning, and it can be tempting to want to push for discounts with every vendor. Bear in mind the tips above, and remember that a vendor who feels valued by their clients will likely go far above and beyond to ensure that the wedding is a smashing success, and a vendor who does not feel valued will do the bear minimum that the contract stipulates. Did we miss an important tip for negotiating with wedding vendors? Drop us a line and let us know!

March 13, 2019

Wedding Glossary – Toronto Wedding Planner

THERE ARE WAAAY TOO MANY WEDDING INDUSTRY WORDS, TERMS AND ACRONYMS, AM I RIGHT?!

I remember when I was planning my own wedding, it felt like there were so many acronyms and so many terms that were thrown at me in every meeting with every vendor. I felt like i was out of the loop and didn’t always understand the lingo.

Since launching Whim Event Planning & Design, one of my biggest passions was to help couples feel empowered in their planning decisions by removing some of the mystery around the wedding industry. I hope this glossary helps you!

Aisle Runner: fabric or other decor that runs the length of the aisle

A-Line: a dress shape that has a fitted bodice and a slightly flared skirt starting from the waist

Appliqué: a french word that means ‘applied’ and in the wedding industry refers to decorating fabric by applying and layering other cut pieces of fabric over it

Arbor: a group of branches or latticework that forms an archway for a bride and groom to stand beneath during their wedding ceremony.

AV: refers to audio/visual – most venues require you to work with an AV vendor to determine your sound and lighting requirements. Often work hand in hand with a DJ.

Ball gown: a tight, fitted bodice and definite waistline with gathered or pleated full skirt.

Ballet: a veil that falls somewhere between the knee and the ankle. Also known as a Waltz veil

BEO: Banquet Event Order – this is the document that outlines your final selections for food, drink and service times with your reception venue. This powerful doc will determine your service for your reception and must be signed off by the venue and the couple

Bentwood Chair: a popular option associated with laid-back, effortless elegance

Birdcage veil: skims the face and head, never falling below the chin

Black Tie: A formal dress code that calls for tuxedos and evening gowns

This wedding glossary contains over 100 essential words and terms, so instead of making this the longest blog post ever, click this image below to receive the full version!

February 13, 2019

Venue Spotlight: Crystal Ballroom in the Omni King Edward Hotel

There are few venues with the sheer opulence and grandeur of the Crystal Ballroom in the Omni King Edward Hotel.

Dubbed the first luxury hotel in Toronto, its history of hospitality is unparalleled, much like the Crystal Ballroom itself. Every space in the Omni King Edward drips with style, but the newly reopened Crystal Ballroom is truly a space like no other. If you are interested in reserving the Crystal Ballroom for your function, it is important to note that the venue is considered one of the most-sought after spaces, and should be booked well in advance of your wedding or event.

Crystal Ballroom in the King Edward Hotel

The beautiful space underwent a $6.5 million renovation to restore the ballroom to its former state, with many modern touches, like the chandeliers and state of the art AV system. The history of the space is impressive, dating back to the 1920s with some of the most high profile events in the city happening in this decadent space.

My favourite features of the Crystal Ballroom are the floor to ceiling windows that wash the room in bright, sunny light, which make for stunning wedding photos. The space is approximately 5,000 square feet, and so can host gala-sized events easily. I also love that the space is completely private from the rest of the hotel. The hospitality team is amongst the best in the city, and the history of the Crystal Ballroom is both extensive and interesting, a fine talking point for guests. Fine art wedding enthusiasts, designers and anyone who is a fan of urbane, romantic space will want to check out the Crystal Ballroom as soon as possible!

February 11, 2019

Boho Glam Broadview Hotel Wedding

Guyssssss! It’s a new week, I’m feeling good, and I want to share some solid wedding inspiration!

I’m excited to share our Broadview Hotel wedding editorial that we shot last March in Toronto!

Wedding editorials are my favourite! Why? Because our team gets together with other wedding vendors in Toronto and we produce something that we dreamed up from scratch. How does the process work? Usually a few wedding friendors get together over a class of prosecco and a tasty snack and start talking. Usually the conversation turns to wedding trends and inspiration, and from there one of us will throw out a crazy idea and BAM, a shoot is born! I particularly love working with Paulina from Fete Floral because she understands my need to not recreate someone else’s ideas but to create our own. We usually think of ideas that are centred around a destination or an era, or even food!

This particular editorial was featured in print in the fall issue of Today’s Bride, and we couldn’t be happier with how it turned out! We wanted to create a geometric design with some cosmic features that showcased the beautiful architectural history of the Broadview Hotel. The colours popped and so did the models!

A huge thanks to our amazing team, who showed up early, worked late and help put this great collaboration together! We’re only as strong as our team and I’m so proud of everyone! We absolutely could not have done this without the Broadview Hotel, and we’re so grateful that they chose partner with us on this!

Co-conspirator, Producer & Stylist: Whim Event Planning & Design
Co-conspirator, Producer & Floral Designer: Fete Floral Boutique
Photography: Samantha Ong Photography
Venue: The Broadview Hotel
Beauty: Blush Pretty

Cake & Sweets: Mademoiselle Vanilla
Stationery: RSVP by Whim
Bridal fashion & Accessories: Vera Wang Toronto
Menswear: C|E Clothier
Entertainment: Alley Entertainment
Vintage furniture and accessories: Vintage Glam Events
Place settings: Plate Occasions
Tabletop rentals and candle wall: DX Event Rentals
Luxury chocolate favours and lollipops: Succulent Chocolates
Cosmic floral wrap: Designer Dance Floors
Candles: Helix Candles

Whim Event Planning and Design is a team of Toronto wedding planners and day of coordinators, specializing in modern romantic weddings for fun, sweet couples. Get in touch with us today to start planning your dream day!

February 4, 2019

Date Night Ideas for Engaged Couples in Toronto

Wedding planning is a lot of fun, but can also be an all-consuming amorphous blob that takes over every aspect of your life. This can take a serious toll on your relationships, especially with your spouse-to-be. Since we’ve seen it all when it comes to pre-marital drama and heartache, we want to help you alleviate a bit of that by sharing great date night ideas to check out while you’re wedding planning. Bonus points if you avoid all wedding talk on your date night!

Get crafty and make something special together

YayMaker, formerly known as Paint Night, is a fun way to spend an evening creating with your sweetie.

With locations across the GTA, you’ll have a ton of options when it comes to location and what you’ll be making. Options include painting on canvas or glass, planting terrariums and designing custom wooden signs! Soon there will even be an option for candle making and floral arrangement, too! This’ll be especially handy for you crafty DIY brides out there! If you decide to check out a YayMaker experience, use code ‘yaymaking’ to grab a discount especially for you!

Check out a chocolate-making workshop!

Check out a fun workshop like those offered by Chocolate Tales.

These are great for beginners or those with a more advanced level of chocolate knowledge. You’ll get to roll up your sleeves and get very hands-on in a 90 minute session that will teach you how to make your own gourmet chocolate treats.

Explore a park and have a picnic

This is an easy, low-cost option that can be done at the drop of a hat. My husband and I keep a blanket and basket in our trunk in the summer and if the mood strikes, we grab a few snacks and hit the road for the prettiest park we can find. Consider exploring High Park, which is so walkable, has tons of picnic spots and lots of animals to meet with. Very instagrammable, too!

Take a cooking class

This is a personal favourite of mine. Married life, for us, consists of lots of cooking, and one of our favourite date nights is still to crack a bottle of wine and tackle a new recipe together. We rotate on who plays sous-chef but in the end, we have a lot of laughs and a delicious new dish to try out. We’ve only had minimal kitchen disasters 🙂

While it may be very tempting to cut back on date night during your year or two of wedding planning, consider adding a few options to your schedule to keep your stress levels low. Your engagement is a beautiful time to continue to deepen on your bond as a couple, and the saddest thing we see happen is when couples neglect their own bond and get too wrapped up in their wedding. The wedding will be for a day or two, but your marriage is for life! Keep those fires burning bright and prioritize your relationship all the time! What are some of your favourite date night options? Drop us a line and let us know!

January 10, 2019

Modern Romantic Fusion Wedding in Milton

When I had my first Skype appointment with Nicole and Kevin, I knew right away that they were part of my tribe, and their style lined up so beautifully with my own. I was thrilled when they let me know that we were planning soulmates, and the fun began! I love fusion weddings and this one is very close to my heart. This Indian-Korean-Canadian bash was such fun to plan, and full of so many personal touches that really made the wedding feel like the fusing of two cultures and two souls.

When finding the right venue, Nicole wanted tons of natural light and beautiful grounds, and so Rattlesnake Point Golf Club was a match made in heaven for us, especially as Kevin is a huge golf enthusiast. The team at Rattlesnake made us feel very welcome and were very accommodating to ensure that we had the perfect menu to suit all tastes.

We worked with quite a dream team to put together this wedding design – Princess Decor provided the decor and floral, and Vintage Glam Events provided the vintage touches. Nicole’s dream was an elegant reception with muted ivory and champagne tones. Greenery and lush florals featured prominently in this event design, as well as soft ivory drapery for the head table. We paired this with warm tapered candle light, gold geometric pieces, and gold-rimmed glass charger plates. Our own team at RSVP by Whim designed the invitations and day of stationery. Simply Lace Photography artfully captured all of the fine details in this post!

I really loved how fun the family and bridal parties were – there were so many funny moments and jokes throughout the night. The performances were stellar – including the remix of Punjabi MC and Gangnam Style that the bride and groom performed during their entrance, as well as all of the family and bridal party dances! What a talented bunch! It didn’t hurt that everyone looked fabulous, especially our beautiful bride with a change of outfit for the reception. Another very compelling detail for me, an admitted food-over, was the addition of a late night churro bar!

This wedding was a highlight for me and I could not have done it without the incredible team of vendors that came together to make magic happen. A huge thanks to our amazing team – I can’t wait to work with you all again!

Vendor Love:

Wedding Planning, Styling & Design: Whim Event Planning & Design
Photography: Simply Lace Photography
Videography: Beautiful Life Studios
Decor & Floral: Princess Decor
Vintage Rentals: Vintage Glam Events
Church: St Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church
Reception Venue: Rattlesnake Point Golf Club
Wedding Cake: Fruitilicious Creations
AV & DJ: Alley Entertainment
Bride’s Gown: Becker’s Bridal Toronto
Bride’s Makeup & Hair: MUAH Beauty
Bridal Party Makeup & Hair: Beauty by Sacha
Stationery: RSVP by Whim
Transportation: Badder Bus
Chair Rentals: Made with Love Decor
Late Night Churro Bar: El Habanero Churrobar

November 20, 2018

Bridesmaids Dresses That Are Anything But Basic!

Calling all stylish brides & bridesmaids! If you’re like us, you’re probably fed up of seeing bridesmaids all wearing the same styles, season after season. If you’re a bridesmaid, you’re probably tired of spending $ on a dress you’ll never wear again. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of non-traditional bridesmaids dress options that are anything but basic.

Rent Frock Repeat

Looking for sustainability and style at a fraction of the price? Look no further – Rent Frock Repeat, an upscale dress rental service, has you covered. We love the entire concept of this store because it gives you access to designer labels that would likely be out of budgets for most bridal parties. Plus, they make fitting and renting super easy and have tons of styles to choose from. You can keep your girls all matchy-matchy, or have everyone mix styles, colours and patterns. One ting is for certain, your girls will turn heads in these designer pieces!

non-traditional bridesmaids dress — Rent this Badgley Mischka for a fraction of the retail price!

Yaya & Co

This stylish Canadian boutique stole my heart ages ago, and I’ve long thought that many of the trendy pieces, like cute separates, jumpers, and dresses, would be perfect as non-traditional bridesmaids dresses. We love the versatility of the outfits, and your girls will thank you for picking highly re-wearable designs.

non-traditional Bridesmaids dresses — Yaya & Co is a stylish Canadian boutique that has the perfect mix of trendy and whimsical pieces

ModCloth

We heart ModCloth! Not only does the site boast dresses so cute you’ll want to be in your own bridal party, but there is even a section dedicated to affordable, and adorable wedding gowns! With prices to fit every bridal party budget, you’ll be the least bridezilla bride on the block!

We definitely think that some tradition is good when it comes to weddings, but we are all for personal style coming out to play in a big way when it comes to fashion. Let your bridal party shine and forgo too many traditions. Let the girls dress for their figures, in flattering colours, fabrics, cuts and styles. Check out the awesome stores above, and I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed!

October 24, 2018

Wedding Photography Styles

We Whimlets enjoy taking the time to educate our couples and readers alike on different aspects of wedding planning.

Today’s topic is Wedding Photography.

Two questions that drive me crazy are ‘How much does a wedding photographer cost?’ and ‘Who is a good wedding photographer?’ It’s not that I don’t know the range of wedding photography costs or know of amazing photogs – the answer really is ‘it depends.’

What does it depend on? Well, you!

Photography is so insanely personal – wedding photography even more so! I think it’s much more important to nail down your wedding vision and thematic style before launching into the vendor search. You definitely want a wedding photographer who is experienced with your particular style and will capture your details accordingly.

For example, in the above team photo of the Whimlets, we wanted our shoot to be light, airy and full of fun. After working with Tom a few times, we knew that everyone would be very comfortable shooting with him and that natural fun would shine through in our photos. Tom has that innate ability to make people laugh and is super laid back, which always helps if you’re feeling a bit camera shy. His style is also modern and romantic, which works well for our company branding.

Based on this logic, it wouldn’t make sense to book a photographer who specializes in modern, moody photography to shoot a fine-art designed wedding or vice versa. Think strongly about the style of wedding you want to have, and the venue you’re booking. If you want dramatic photos, a space chock full of natural light may not be the best choice.

Our friends over at Here Comes The Guide have put together an awesome guide and glossary defining important terms about wedding photography, so you can feel confident going into those vendor meetings!

Whim Event Planning and Design is a team of Toronto wedding planners and day of coordinators specializing in modern romantic weddings for fun, sweet couples. Get in touch with us today to start planning your dream day!