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!
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!
- Published in 2019, Wedding Planner Tips, Wedding Planning, Wedding TIps
Janean and Carlo’s Soft, Dreamy Vaughan Wedding at Da Vinci Banquet Hall
A few years ago, Janean and I connected in my office and we had such a lovely conversation. Janean is a smart, beautiful and above all kind soul who had a very specific vision for her wedding – dreamy and romantic with large, lovely blooms. I had the best time working with Janean and Carlo to create a design that stayed true to that vision. Check out the fabulous pro photos from Yasmeen Mesrie’s team over at Muse Moi Studios!
We loved this soft palette. We focused mainly on a lot of ivory and white with touches of very antique champagne and pink tones – nothing overly bright, and the barest hint of greenery with tons of romantic candle light. Janean is more into full blooms rather than greenery, and while we love both, we can respect that choice, too! A standout feature of this design was the full floral ring around the beautiful cake from Sammy Cakes and the oversized cherry blossom arch hanging above the head table. We loved the use of all white drapery and cherry blossom stems, which in turn caused the full fresh floral head table runner to pop even more. The entire bridal party was a treat to be around, and this crew had just the best day!
Janean and Carlo, we’re wishing you the best that married life has to offer. We were honoured to be a part of your big day and we can’t wait to see what else life has in store for the two of you! A huge thank you to the amazing team that worked so hard on this amazing wedding!
Vendor Love
Venue: Da Vinci Banquet Hall
Ceremony Venue: St Clare Catholic Church
Wedding Planner & Designer: Whim Event Planning & Design
Decor & Floral: Princess Decor
Photography: Muse Moi Studios
Cinema: SDE Weddings
Wedding Cake: Sammy Cakes
Stationery: RSVP by Whim
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!
- Published in Uncategorized
Demelza and Shaan’s Romantic Fusion Wedding at Pearson Convention Centre
Do you love greenery and pops of colour? Do you love fusion fetes with amazing food? If so, Demelza and Shaan’s wedding will knock your socks off! Our sweet couple tied the knot in June of 2018, with the type of wedding details that make our hearts sing! This wedding is the perfect example of how a space can be completely transformed with drapery, lighting and greenery.
Shauna Heron Photography
Particular details that we love include the use of greenery and edison bulbs to create a unique and magical mandap design and that this carried through nicely into the reception. I love the secret garden feel of this mandap style. I’m also a huge fan of open concept mandap designs, especially for larger weddings because there really isn’t a bad seat in the house for any of your guests. The drapery and lighting was soft and elegant, and the wispy greenery juxtaposed nicely against the bride’s colourful attire.
Speaking of attire, another detail that I loved is how stylish our couple is – they looked like movie stars the entire weekend. From Hindu ceremony to reception, each outfit was incredible! It’s hard to decide on a favourite, but each outfit suited the room design perfectly. We loved Demelza’s pink lengha, as well as her white reception gown.
Demelza and Shaan’s reception design required a room flip from Hindu ceremony to reception as guests mingled and the couple refreshed and changed outfits. We love, love, love the versatile design of the stage, which incorporated the mandap detailing and added a ton of greenery with bright colours onto the reception tables. The abundant use of greens made for very sumptuous centerpieces that popped against the backdrop of the hall. Hats off to the creative team at Xclusive Designs for creating this masterpiece – it is definitely one of our favourites from 2018!
We’re sure you are going to love the details so take a peek at Shauna Heron Photography’s gorgeous captures, and let us know what you think! As far as fusion weddings go, this one takes the cake! A huge thank you to the fantastic team of vendors who came together to make this beautiful wedding a reality! Demelza and Shaan, it was a privilege being your wedding planning team, and we are wishing you the best that life has to offer and the happiest married life!
Vendor Love
CEREMONY VENUE: Pearson Convention Centre
RECEPTION VENUE: Pearson Convention Centre
PLANNERS: Whim Event Planning & Design
PHOTOGRAPHER: Shauna Heron Photography
VIDEOGRAPHER: Henjo Films
FLORIST/DECOR/DESIGN: Xclusive Designs
RENTALS: Cast & Co
CAKE ARTIST: Maria Pereira
BAND/DJ: Empire Entertainment
MAKE-UP/HAIR ARTISTS: Beauty by Vic – Victoria Price Makeup Artistry, Alicia Azeez
CATERING: The Host
HORSE: Fairytale Horse and Carriage
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!
- Published in 2018
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
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!
- Published in 2018, Real Wedding, Wedding, Wedding Planning
Planning a Wedding with Divorced Parents
The last thing you probably want to think about when you’re planning the most important day of your life is divorce. I know, it’s kind of a depressing topic, but the fact of the matter is, it affects a ton of people. On the optimistic side of things, I think it is very possible to create a positive experience while wedding planning with divorced parents. That said,
Planning a wedding with divorced parents can be hard.
This can create awkwardness during key moments during the wedding if not approached with sensitivity and open communication.
My parents had a rather acrimonious split when I was around 5 years old. I had some of these very same constraints to consider, as well as stepparents and estranged extended family members. I won’t lie, I had a few moments of real anxiety while I was planning, but in the end, all was well.
Here are a few tips that I followed to minimize the awkwardness on the big day.
Have a sit down together or with each parent separately and show them your plans
- Start the conversation well in advance of the wedding and get their input on important items like invitations, receiving lines, seating and dances. This should be a well thought out meeting, not a quick chat in passing. Be sensitive to areas where they may feel insecure. For example, if one parent is remarried and the other is single, perhaps suggest that the single parent still bring a date or a guest. Also be open and honest with your parents about items that mean a lot to you. For example, your parent may not be up for taking photos together, but they may agree to walk the bride or groom down the aisle. The key takeaway here is to listen to both parents and let them feel heard. Hopefully you will never go through a divorce, but they have and likely are feeling equal parts nervous and excited.
Keep all of your cards on the table so there aren’t any surprises on the wedding day and be firm about your own boundaries. Your comfort is important here, too.
- It’s totally okay to not want your mom’s new boyfriend to attend if your mom cheated on your dad with him. Just be sure that your mom is aware that this person is absolutely not invited out of respect for your father, so there aren’t any surprises and confrontations on the wedding day. It’s also okay to want a stepfather-daughter or stepmother-son dance if that person has played a big role in your upbringing, as long as everyone is aware in advance. Make sure both parents are aware of where they will be sitting, when in the program their speech will be and any other important details they are involved in. Keep in mind that no one likes to be caught unawares, and your wedding is a time for love, not petty revenge.
Recognize them both equally
- The thing is, even though I had mixed feelings about my parents’ approach to parenting post-divorce and their relationship with one another, they’re both my parents. I found it very important to make them both feel recognized and loved for all that they did to raise me into the person that I am today.
Divorce is tricky, and requires you to tread through your wedding planning with a ton of sensitivity. Unfortunately not every divorced family co-parents well, but following the tips above will help to minimize any discomfort all around.
Events by Whim is a team of spunky Toronto wedding planners, specializing in modern romantic weddings for fun, sweet couples. Get in touch with us today to start planning your dream day!
- Published in Wedding Planner Tips, Wedding Planning, Wedding TIps
Wedding Planning with Authenticity
Feeling like you aren’t planning an authentic wedding is a crappy feeling. I can’t tell you how many couples have lamented that the wedding was starting to get out of hand and feels like something they’d not even want to attend. That makes me really sad, because weddings shouldn’t be about putting on a show – they are an opportunity celebrate (not showcase) your love. When the good folks over at The Wedding Pic reached out and asked if I would address the topic, I felt like it was a good chance to really let my thoughts on the subject loose.
Authenticity in wedding planning is always on my mind, and truthfully, it’s something I evaluate when I do my initial meetings with couples. Planning a pretty day is well and fine, but I’m here for true love stories, and genuine, loving couples. If I don’t get that vibe in the initial consult, I awkward-Nick-Miller-moonwalk right out the door.
Check out the link below to read the article, and definitely follow The Wedding Pic, a leading Toronto-based Instagram influencer sharing engaging and inspirational wedding content and offering practical relationship and wedding advice for modern couples.
Click here to check out our feature, and let us know what you think!
Did we miss a great wedding fund source? If so, leave us a comment and let us know! We’d also love to know how you funded the wedding of your dreams!
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!
- Published in Uncategorized
Build Your Wedding Fund
We get it, weddings are mad expensive. We’ve worked with our couples to develop rock solid budgets, to get us from “Yay we’re engaged!” to “I do!” With that in mind, we’ve collaborated with the fine folks over at The Wedding Pic to write an article outlining the most ways to build your wedding fund. It basically comes down to help from family, personal savings and lastly, credit. We’ve had couples using each method, or a combination therein, to build their wedding fund. Personally, I’m not a fan of the credit approach, unless its a short term solution. I realize that there are a lot of large payments that need to happen right before the wedding (hello, venue final payment!), so I totally get using a credit line for cashflow purposes. However, I have actually turned couples away who have told me that they are piling on the debt to pay for the wedding. I just can’t get behind that – it’s much better to scale back smaller and start your married life without a whole pile of debt.
As with any project involving money, there are benefits and detriments to each option, and we’ve outlined them all. Click the link below to check out the article, and definitely follow The Wedding Pic, a leading Toronto-based Instagram influencer sharing engaging and inspirational wedding content and offering practical relationship and wedding advice for modern couples.
Click here to check out our feature, and let us know what you think! Did we miss a great wedding fund source? If so, leave us a comment and let us know! We’d also love to know how you funded the wedding of your dreams!
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!
- Published in Uncategorized
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!
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.
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!
ModCloth has sizes and prices to fit every budget, and dresses for every theme!
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!
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!
- Published in 2018, Colours, Trends, Vendors, Wedding Planning, Wedding TIps
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.
Wedding & Lifestyle Photographer Tom Wang captured this lovely shot from our 2017 team shoot!
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.
Candid moments during Ryan and Alycia’s wedding reception captured by Muse Moi Studios
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!
- Published in 2018, Vendors, Wedding Planner Tips, Wedding Planning, Wedding TIps
Ryan and Alycia’s Romantic Mississauga Wedding
A Romantic Mississauga Wedding..
Ryan and Alycia hosted a lovely romantic wedding in Mississauga. These two lovebirds met as children, as their parents are longtime friends. Ryan proposed by planning a gourmet at-home dinner experience, complete with pretty decor, a professional chef and hand-lettered menus. We helped a little, but the concept and design was all his, and we couldn’t be prouder!
We loved their wedding day so much – especially since Ryan is a vendor we frequently collaborate with (enter shameless plug for Alley Entertainment here) and is a dear friend for years and years. On their wedding day, Ryan and Alycia were both emotional and deeply in tune with those emotions. We frequently tell our couples to just lean in to how you’re feeling, as the day goes by so quickly. Their first look was beautiful – complete with tears and watery smiles.
We started with an large-yet-intimate wedding ceremony at Red Rose Convention Centre, designed in collaboration with our friends at Princess Decor. Nafeesa worked with us to create a cherry blossom frenzy that wowed guests as they walked in. Cocktails followed with a quick room flip into the reception.
A huge thanks to our dearest Yasmeen of Muse Moi Studios for capturing these lovely photos of our dearest couple. Ryan and Alycia, we are wishing you all of the happiness in the world – we’ve enjoyed every second of planning with you, and can’t wait to see what you do next! We hope you all enjoyed this romantic Mississauga wedding.
Team of Vendor Magicians:
VENUE: Red Rose Convention Centre
PLANNING/DESIGNER/STATIONER: Whim Event Planning & Design
PHOTOGRAPHER: Muse Moi Studios
DECOR/DESIGN/FLORAL: Princess Decor & Floral
BAND/DJ: Marxman
MAKE-UP ARTIST: Beauty by Bu
HAIR ARTIST: Beauty by Bu
DANCE FLOOR WRAP: Designer Dance Floors:
BRIDAL GOWN: Kleinfeld
ENTERTAINMENT: Jestr Events
TRANSPORTATION: Limo Guy
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!
- Published in 2018, Real Wedding, Wedding Planning