What we’ve been up to – Part 1
Hiya everyone! I thought I’d do a quick update on what we’ve been working on for the past few months.
Fall 2016
Aleya & Allan’s Romantic Fall Wedding
Fall was an exciting time for us! As we wrapped up the last of our weddings – hello Aleya and Allan! – we had corporate events and a few networking gigs lined up, too!
Our last wedding of 2016 was a lovely affair. Our sweet couple, Aleya and Allan, tied the knot at York Mills Gallery, and it was a fab fall fete! Our friends at Fete Floral Boutique helped us design a lovely, modern event, complete with lush floral and sumptuous linen.
Aleya and Allan sharing a magical first dance at York Mills Gallery. Photo by Zdenka Darula Photography.
We had a fantastic time working with Aleya and Allan, and sincerely miss the planning process with this organized, laid back couple! We’ll post a full recap soon, too! This wedding was adorable and delicious, and we know you’ll ‘fall’ in love with all of the autumn-details, too!
Wine & Unwind
Our networking event, Wine & Unwind, was a fantastic success! It was the first time we hosted a networking event for industry peers and we learned a whole lot. As wedding and event planners, we typically work behind the scenes on event days to keep everything chugging along. After a long (and wonderful) wedding season, wanted to reconnect with all of the fabulous vendors we always promise to catch up with but never get a chance. Wedding vendors are like ships passing in the night on wedding days – we barely see each other on event days and then have to move on to the next one!
Delicious desserts at the Hilton Mississauga-Meadowvale
Wine and Unwind was a collaborative effort with some fabulous friendors! Our pals at the Hilton Mississauga-Meadowvale hosted this lovely event for us, offering yummy cocktails and delicious food stations and passed appetizers. This event was a great opportunity for fellow event planners and event professionals to tour the newly renovated Hilton Mississauga Meadowvale meeting spaces and facilities, and the friendly staff provided tours all night long.
The lovely Nafeesa from Princess Decor offered up her decor and floral services, and Paisley Peterson Photography captured the details for us. Our friends at Brent Miller Live kept the crowd amped with fun live music, and worked with Ryan from Alley Entertainment, who DJ’d between sets, and provided the lighting and AV for the night as well.
Another very cool feature came from Pop-Up VR, who created an amazing VR display for guests to check out. Since the idea of the event was centred around relaxing and unwinding from a hectic wedding season, the team put together a relaxation virtual reality experience that was a hit with everyone! They also put together a fabulous event recap video, also in VR! Be sure to use your mouse to scroll around the screen to get the full image! Check it out here!
All in all, this was an awesome event to put together and we loved every second of networking with our peers and giving them a chance to check out the Hilton Mississauga Meadowvale! We are definitely planning on doing a few more of these networking events, so stay tuned for more!
Super Hero Party
We love corporate parties. They are so much fun to design and plan, and we get to use colour schemes, concepts and textures that we ordinarily wouldn’t have the option to with weddings. So naturally when the Hilton Mississauga Meadowvale approached us to design their partner appreciation event, with a super hero theme, we had a lot of fun with it! We envisioned an adult version of a traditional superhero themed party, with super-power cocktails, sumptuous black and gold spot linens from Chair Decor, and fun actors from The Hero Headquarters playing the part of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman! We created fun comic book catch phrases to pair with Princess Decor‘s fluffy floral centrepieces, and fun signage to complement the food stations and bars. Check out the pretty details captured by Paisley Peterson Photography below!
Whim Event Planning and Design is a team of 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 2016, Corporate, Wedding, Wedding Planning
The Jewel Event Centre – Claire & Ryan
Claire & Ryan’s Wedding Recap
The Jewel Event Centre, a lovely wedding reception venue in Woodbridge, was home to Claire & Ryan’s wedding this past July. The Whimlets had the pleasure of assisting with the coordination and execution of this beautiful and family-filled celebration. Take a peek at the photos below, from the fine folks at Red Planet Studios.
The simply elegant wedding ceremony was held at Merciful Redeemer Catholic Church in Mississauga, a bright and lovely church with little need for added decor.
Claire makes her way down the aisle on the arm of her father
That kiss, though!
The day started off sunny and beautiful, and though a few showers didn’t change the joyous mood of the bridal party. We loved the energy this group had, all smiles and ready to party!
After the bridal party shots in Mississauga, it was time to party! Over at the Jewel Event Centre, all of the vendors were working away, finishing up the final details so the reception could get started. The Whimlets especially appreciated the lovely food displays and personalized service provided by The Jewel staff.
All in all, we had a blast assisting Claire and Ryan with their big day. We wish this fabulous couple nothing but the best for a long, happy marriage and we can’t see what they get up to next! A huge thank you to the many vendors who helped make this wedding a huge success!
Vendor Love:
Day of Coordination/Month Of Coordination: Whim Event Planning & Design
Photography: Red Planet Studios
Videography: Blue Daizy Films
Church: Merciful Redeemer Catholic Church
Reception Venue: The Jewel Event Centre
Entertainment: The Dreamboats
Florist: International Florist
Decor: Ti Amo Decorating Service
DJ/MC: Digital Entertainment Group
Cake: Sprinkles N More
Transportation: Allure Limo
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 2016, Real Wedding, Vendors, Venues, Wedding
Cute Wedding Day Manicures
It’s all about the details for us here at Whim, which is why we felt the need dedicate an entire post to cute wedding day manicures. As we’ve mentioned before, it’s super important to pamper yourself in the days leading up to your wedding; you’ve spent a ton of time, money, and effort planning your big day, so we’re strong believers that you should look and feel your best! We are definitely fans of a little nail art, and have seen some super cute wedding day manicures that we’d thought we’d share with you guys. Keep on reading if you’d like to see some of our favorite wedding day manicures!
CUTE WEDDING DAY MANICURES
You can never go wrong with a classic nude pink manicure for your wedding day. The long, rounded shape gives this option a more mature, classic feel. Via aufeminin.com
You can easily spice up a nude mani with some cute metallic stripes and sparkles. Via mywedding.com
Another spin on the classic nude pink, the jewels near the base of the nail and the long coffin shape give this bride a vampy yet classic mani. Via stayglam.com
Amp up your basic French manicure with some glitzy 3D bows! Via nailartpatterns.com
Can’t decide between a French manicure, or a nude pink? Get the best of both worlds with this gradient French mani! Via brides.com
This short manicure with a sparkle gradient is a sweet option for any bride.
Add an accent nail with some nail caviar for a textured twist.
Nail art isn’t reserved for those with long nails- it looks stunning on short nails, too!
The glamorous nail art of gems upon gems definitely adds an extra oomph to this manicure!
We’re obsessed with these classy, almond shaped pale-pink nails!
Don’t be afraid to spirce it up with some color! Match your mani with your theme, or make your nails your something blue. Via nailartstyle.com
Have we left out any super cute wedding day manicures that you’ve seen recently? Leave us a comment and let us know!
XOXO,
The Whimlets
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!
Tia & Tony’s Fun Reception at Bellvue Manor
This past July, the Whimlets had the pleasure of coordinating a lovely wedding for a very special couple, Tia and Tony! Tia and Tony had a multi-day celebration, culminating in a gorgeous reception at Bellvue Manor! Take a peek at the fabulous photos below, from Treasured Photography!
Tia and Tony have such a great sense of style, as evidenced from Tia’s incredible Hayley Paige Dory gown. She spun to her heart’s content, and made it look effortless all day long! We loved the many stunning details that Tia and Tony thoughtfully tailored to reflect their relationship, like the beautiful multi-tier cake by Spring Bloom Cakes, that featured a Superman emblem, because Tony is Tia’s Superman :). We also realllly loved the cultural flash mob-style dance that Tia and Tony had choreographed for the reception. It started with the bridal party, and by the end almost half of the guests were in on it! The video is very impressive because it’s captured in one take!
Check out the awesome video captured by PhotoKitch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTI11FAO-z0
This doesn’t even scratch the surface of this standout wedding! Tia and Tony thoughtfully planned with their guests in mind, and managed to stay cool and look like movie stars in the process. There are so many amazing vendors to thank for working hard to make this day perfect. Check ’em out below!
Vendor Love:
Wedding Coordination – Whim Event Planning & Design
Church: Immaculate Heart of Mary
Venue: Bellvue Manor
Photography: Treasured Photography
Videography: PhotoKitch
DJ: DJ Haresh
Hair & Makeup: AK Makeup & Luxotic Studios
Cake: Spring Bloom Cakes
Decor: Beyond the Limits
Decor: Enzo Drapes
Decor: Wonderwall
Photobooth: SelfieShootr
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 2016, GTA, Real Wedding
The Hudson Bay’s Fall Scanning Event
The Hudson’s Bay Wedding Registry Event
This September and October, we had the pleasure of attending the Hudson Bay’s fall scanning event at the flagship Queen Street location in Toronto, and boy was it a blast! Hudson’s Bay wedding registry
Many of the couples in attendance were aware that the event would feature an up-beat atmosphere, but quite a few guests were pleasantly surprised by the different interactive stations scattered throughout the registry area.
Both events were very well received, with couples coming out from all over the GTA just to partake the great product demonstrations, yummy snacks and beverages and the opportunity to receive personalized assistance from the Hudson Bay’s friendly and knowledgeable staff. Quite a few of our own couples attended, which was great to see, because it’s easy to fall behind on finishing the registry! We always recommend starting early so you can add new seasonal items later on ;).
A few features we especially loved:
Delectable Snacks
Anyone who knows Michelle and I, knows that we loveeee oysters! Our friends at Oyster Boy had a beautiful display and spent the afternoon happily shucking away! 
Sweet Godiva treats that had us begging for more!
Sparkling wine and Beer from Pelee Island Winery and Steam Whistle! I think guests especially loved sipping a good drink while building their dream home interiors!
As you can see, I was enjoying myself hugely :).
I also want to give a shout out to the event DJ, from TypeO Dj Service for absolutely killing it and creating such a fun and upbeat vibe throughout the event!
All in all, this event was fantastic! We want to give a huge shout out to the Hudson’s Bay and all of the event sponsors for putting together such a fun and thoughtful experience for engaged couples across the GTA. It’s a magical time in any couple’s courtship, and we’re so happy the Hudson’s Bay Wedding Registry team added that extra oomph to the fall scanning event! We encourage you all to check out the next opportunity to Sip, Scan and Celebrate, and we’ll keep you posted on when that will be!
xoxo,
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!
Sip, Scan and Celebrate with Hudson’s Bay!
Fall is here, which means wedding planning for 2017 and 2018 is in full swing! Many of our brides ask us for advice on how to get started with a registry for showers and the wedding, and luckily we have a very fun few events coming up that will help with this very task! Hudson’s Bay
Get ready.. It’s time to Sip, Scan and Celebrate with Hudson’s Bay!
As a past bride, I can tell you that the Hudson’s Bay has the best registry experience in the GTA, and we recommend it to all of our couples. I found the experience of building a registry online and in-store to be quite easy, both for myself and my guests.
We’re stoked about this event because it is going to be a great opportunity for couples to build a beautiful registry, chat with the team of experienced and personable Hudson’s Bay consultants, and enjoy yummy fare! Not to mention, if you check out the Queen Street location in Toronto, you’ll get to hang out with the Whimlets!
Here are a few reasons to register with Hudson’s Bay:
- They have the best products from the top brands in the world
- Between Hudson’s Bay and Home Outfitters, you’ll have everything you need for your future love-nest!
- There are stores located all across Canada – so even your most remote guests can access your registry
- The Hudson’s Bay Rewards Program is fantastic
- If you’re not sure how it all works, the consultants are happy to help!
- Registrants get access to exclusive offers and special VIP events
- FINALLY get that KitchenAid Artisan Mixer you’ve been coveting from your mom’s kitchen for years
Now… Here’s why you should come hang out with us on September 25th and October 16th 2016!
The Scanning Event:
At both the Yorkdale and Queen Street locations, guests can start a new registry or add to an existing registry, all while sipping yummy bevvies (from Pelee Island Winery and Steam Whistle) and enjoying delicious snacks! Both locations are pet-friendly, and fur-babies will be treated to special treats from Pawsalicious! All registrants* have the chance to win a weekend getaway courtesy of Marriott Hotels, and will receive a gift from Treelings!
You’ll also get to hang out with us – you know you wanna – we’ll be onsite viewing product demos and covering all of the action!
Interested in Attending?
Good – we want to meet you, too! Click here for your invitation and instructions to RSVP
Important Dates:
September 25th and October 16th at both the Queen Street (176 Yonge Street, Toronto Ontario) and Yorkdale (3401 Dufferin Street, North York Ontario) locations
We can’t wait to Sip, Scan and Celebrate at Hudson’s Bay with you! Leave us a note and tell us which event you’ll be attending!
Xoxo,
The Whimlets
*Please see in-store for further details on contest
- Published in 2016, Vendor spotlight, Wedding Planning
Recap: Celia & Stud’s Elegant Mississauga Hindu Wedding
Intimate Hindu Wedding in Mississauga
Celia and Stud were married on Friday July 22nd 2016 in a beautiful Mississauga Hindu wedding, and our team had the pleasure of assisting this lovely couple. The bride and groom envisioned a low-key but celebratory affair, full of beautiful decor but with a warm and intimate feel for their nearest and dearest. Take a peek at a few photos, from our friend Bruce of In Your Prime Photography! Enjoy!
Photography: Bruce – In Your Prime Photography
Venue: Hindu Heritage Centre
Wedding Planning: Whim Event Planning & Design
Decor: Soulmate Wedding Decor
Florist: Berries & Blooms
Tassa: Toronto All Starz Tassa Band
A huge thank you to all of the wonderful vendors who helped make this beautiful Mississauga hindu wedding a dream come true!
The Whim Event Planning & Design team are certified Toronto Wedding Planners and Day Of Coordinators. Our office is conveniently located in Woodbridge, Ontario, and we service the GTA and beyond. Contact us today for more information, and to learn how the fun-loving Whimlets can help you enjoy the wedding day of your dreams!
xoxo,
The Whimlets
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 2016, Real Wedding
Cute Wedding Signs you Need
By Tarisha Beniprashad
A ton of couples are opting to add cutesy personal touches to their wedding decor by adding handwritten (or not) signs around their ceremony and reception venues, and we are absolutely obsessed with this trend. Whether it’s a quote that near and dear to your heart, some fun dance floor rules for your guests, or a luxe welcome sign, you can’t go wrong with making the addition of a few signs to your decor. If you’d like to see some incredibly cute wedding signs that you never knew you needed, just keep on reading!
CUTE WEDDING SIGNS YOU NEED IN YOUR DECOR
Welcome guests to your ceremony or reception (or both) with this casual and fun design from Style Me Pretty!
We love this lighthearted “dancefloor rules” sign that was featured on Perfect Wedding for a reception where the couple wants to inspire a real dance party!
Writing a little thank you note on an elegant mirror is a super cute and personal way to thank your guests for sharing your special day. We love this idea from Wedding Party!
A perfect rhyme to add to any candy buffet or sweet table, featured by MODWEDDING!
We’re not surprised that Buzzfeed included this idea on their list of fun ways to entertain kids at your wedding. Make your reception rave-inspired with this fun option!
Encourage guests to amp up their cocktails with fruit & syrup stations, with their own signage. Another awesome idea from Perfect Wedding!
Wedding Chicks came up with this simple way to let your guests know your wedding weekend has its own hashtag.
A witty Pinterest sign to accompany a brilliant idea- stock your venue’s washrooms with emergency must-haves to keep your guests ready for anything!
This sign a charming way to let your guests know that there’s no assigned seating plan. This can be found for purchase on Etsy.
We’re obsessed incredibly cute way that we found on Pinterest, to offer bug repellent to guests at your outdoor ceremony!
The Knot recently featured this fun and lighthearted way to direct guests to your reception area.
Photographer Audrey Rose captured this beautiful luxe welcome sign option for your ceremony.
A simple and elegant, yet touching quote to accent your existing decor. We found this design on Tidewater and Tulle, a unique wedding inspiration site from Southeastern Virginia!
A extremely cute little sign from a wedding at Boar’s Head Inn that tells your guests all they need to know about your signature drinks!
These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to cute signs that you can include in your wedding decor. We hope that our little selection gives you a little inspiration for your own signage! Have you seen any super cute wedding signs lately? Leave us a comment below and let us know, we’d love to hear from you!
xoxo,
The Whimlets
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!
Bridal Party Gift Ideas
By Tarisha Beniprashad
Your bridal party has (hopefully) been at your beck and call throughout the planning of your wedding, and it’s customary to reward their efforts with a token of your appreciation upon the arrival of your big day. We know that it can be pretty tough to choose one item that you think all of your bridesmaids or groomsmen would appreciate, so we’ve come up with a list of a couple different options for bridal party gifts that we think anyone would be happy to receive!. Keep on reading if you’d like to find out about some awesome bridal party favors.
BRIDAL PARTY GIFT IDEAS
Here are some gifts we think your bridesmaids would swoon over:
Foldable Flats
These babies will be the superheroes of the day for your bridesmaids, and probably for you, too. Easy to fold up and stuff into your clutch, your bridesmaids will be forever thankful when they realize can pull these comfy flats out and finally take off the heels that they’ve been teetering in all day. This is a great option, especially if you’re on budget; we’ve found these Sidekicks Foldable Ballet Flats on Amazon for less than $20!
Compact
If your bridesmaids are into makeup, and even if they’re not, there’s no doubt they could use a cute little compact to throw in their purse. Useful when touching up your lipstick on the way to work or taming those frizzies once you get to the office, we’re positive your bridesmaids would appreciate this present. You can find reasonably priced engraveable compacts at Things Remembered.
Best Friend Bangle
Jewelry can be a risky choice, since not everyone has the same taste. However, if you choose something that’s simple and very basic, all of your maids will be able to work it into their everyday accessories. That’s why we love the idea of matching bangles- simple, and easy to wear! Kate Spade has some gorgeous Bridesmaid Idiom Bracelets that come in both gold and silver.
Keepsake/ Jewelry Box
You can’ go wrong with a jewelry box. We’re sure most of your bridesmaids could probably use a place to keep their more precious jewelry. You can’t go wrong with this adorable little box from Things Engraved.
PRO TIP: IF YOU CAN GET IT ENGRAVED OR MONOGRAMMED, DO IT. PERSONALIZING YOUR BRIDAL PARTY GIFTS IS A LITTLE STEP THAT’LL SHOW THEM HOW MUCH YOU APPRECIATE THEM.
We’re sure the men in your party would appreciate these ideas:
Cufflinks
This is one of the most universal presents you can choose for your groomsmen; at some point or another, we’re sure they’ll need a nice pair of cufflinks. Easy to choose, easy to please. Find different styles of cufflinks to suit your men at Brookstone.
Pocket Watch
Every groomsmen should have a classic timepiece in their collection. Not to mention, this would be a very dapper accessory for them on your big day! Spruce up the accessory wardrobe of your groomsmen with a classy pocket watch from Things Engraved.
Money Clip or Card Case
Save your groomsmen from those dreaded bulky wallet bulges by gifting them a trendy money clip or card case. Easy to keep cash or cards handy without having to carry around a full-sized wallet, this would be a phenomenal present that would come in handy during those special occasions. You can find sleek, engravable money clips and card cases at stores like Things Remembered.
Valet Box
Pretty much a jewelry box for boys, we’re positive your groomsmen would find themselves storing their most valuable items in a spiffy valet box from The Wedding Shoppe.
Here are a few more things we think everyone would love:
Passport Cover
This option (and the next) are fantastic ideas, especially if you’re having a destination wedding. Passport covers are a small way to make your travels feel a little more luxe. We’ve seen some adorable covers on Etsy!
Luggage Tag
A personalized leather luggage tag would be the perfect way for your bridal party to easily identify their bags. Getting tags monogrammed with each person’s initials in gold or silver is a cute way to spruce this option up! Check out the options on Shutterfly; you could even add photos to the tags that they offer!
Robe
Your hardworking bridal party will definitely deserve a little R&R after your big day, and a fluffy robe would be the perfect relaxation accessory. The Bay has some luxurious robes that you could also get monogrammed.
Flask
A classy little flask would be a great gift for your entire bridal party- who doesn’t like to keep a good swig of vodka handy? Things Remembered has some classy designs to choose from.
This list definitely isn’t exhaustive, but we’ve outlined some pretty cute options that we hope will help you on the quest of searching for your perfect bridal party presents. Have you been a part of a bridal party and received an awesome token of appreciation? Think we left out any cool options? Leave us a comment below and let us know!
XOXO,
The Whimlets
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 2016, Uncategorized, Wedding, Wedding TIps
Wedding Planners: Necessity or Luxury?
By Tarisha Beniprashad
Not many couples realize how integral hiring a wedding planner can be, until they start trying to plan their big day on their own. Wedding planners are basically there to relieve some (all) of the stress from the soon-to-be newlyweds, and make their dreams come to life. Although many couples do manage to pull their wedding day off without the expertise of a certified wedding planner, there are definitely perks to hiring one. Keep on reading if you’d like to find out some of the merits of having a wedding planner!
What can a wedding planner offer you?
Stress Relief
If this is the first event you’ve planned on your known, chances are you haven’t worked with any of the vendors that you now have the option to hire. Shopping around to various vendors for food, decor, flowers, music, and cake, just to name a few, can take a while. With a wedding planner, they’ve already been around the block a few times, and likely know who would be your best bet, depending on your personal vision and budget. You can save a ton of time at this stage of planning, when you’ve got a wedding planner handy.
On the day of your wedding, we’re assuming that you probably won’t have time to be focused on whether the right chair covers were delivered to the venue, or if the flowers will arrive on time. Most wedding planners offer day-of coordination, which pretty much means they’ll take care of everything on the day of your wedding, so that you don’t have to deal with any mishaps (knock on wood) yourself. Even if you don’t want to spend the cash on a planner from start to beginning, it’s a good idea to think about day-of coordination, for the sake of your own sanity!
Getting what you want!
Wedding planner can come in especially handy if you’re working with a tight deadline. We’re all prone to procrastinating every now and then, but it can become pretty tough to secure a vendor or venue if you wait too long- especially if you’re planning your I do’s during wedding season, as many couples are! With a wedding planner at your side, you’ll likely have a better chance at nabbing some great vendors, even at short notice. Wedding planners usually have relationships with a number of vendors around their city, which can totally be of benefit to you- sometimes your planner can even call in a favor if they really need to!
You’ve probably been dreaming about this day for months, even years. But when it comes down to actually planning it, the harsh reality of real life can sometimes sweep away some of your fantastical ideas. Wedding planners are no stranger when it comes to working with a budget, and can be an amazing source for ideas that’ll make your dream wedding a reality, but won’t break the bank. From DIY’s to finding great deals, your wedding planner will do anything to make your vision come to life!
With all this being said, it’s totally possible to plan and execute your own wedding beautifully. However, wedding planners definitely make it easier on you during the planning process as well as on your big day. It really depends on your creative ability and patience for planning- deciding whether or not you need a wedding planner at your side is a personal decision. We’re sure your wedding will be a stunning affair either way!
Think we left out any important details? Drop us a line and let us know what you think about wedding planners!
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 2016, Budget, Uncategorized, Wedding Planning, Wedding TIps