Milestone Events

Nicole and Steve can best be summed up by saying that they are rediculously in love with each other.  You can tell that their hearts race when the other walks into the room.  This is going to be a beautiful marriage.  They deserved a beautiful day to get it all started.

Our journey with Nicole and Steve started in January or February of 2007 over a Baileys and coffee in my dining room  in the middle of a snow storm shortly after wedding fair that year.  We sat here for a few hours and she told me that her dream wedding would be a masquerade ball.  I looked at her and said “You have got to be kidding me…that is sooo cool!”  Eighteen months later (I can’t believe how fast it went by) we were celebrating their marriage in high style.  Nicole is a “go big or go home” kind of girl and so we went big.  We had a long time to plan this wedding and the details were amazing:

She and her bridesmaids spent last winter hand making masks for her guests.  The stationery, all done by Tammy Lyon of Uniquity Invitations, had a masquerade theme.  Nicole and Steve found gorgeous venetian masks on e-bay to wear for a few pictures and I found some fabulous hot pink ones at winners for the bridesmaids to have.

The venues were outstanding: after hours of research we found a small Italian Garden in Hastings Park that set the scene perfectly: fountains, manicured gardens, beautiful statuary.  We discovered at the rehearsal that the gardens theme was called “The Masked Ball” which could not have been more perfect.  After the ceremony the wedding party piled into the limo and drove around the block to the race track where I arranged to have a thoroughbred race horse as a prop for her photo shoot.  Thanks for all you help with this Tracy!  You are a star!

After, they went back to the gardens for the rest of their shoot and we found Todd the Wizard who was walking around on stilts in the garden and he jumped in for a few photos too!  Off to Main Street for a few more pics and then to Heritage Hall for the ball.  Long tables were accented with mirror runners, hot pink roses, and ostrich feathers in candelabras dripping in crystal. 

The vendors that we hired did an amazing job.  Cakes by Meg did the cake; bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres were created by Tracy at La Belle Fleur and David from Sugar Mountain Catering created heaps of beautiful delicious food (mmmm, smoked salmon blinis).  The photos will show you just how amazing these people are!

I love it when Erin Gilmore comes out to play.  You’ll see why when you look at the images.  They are stunning, as usual.  By the way Erin, you should know better than to issue a challenge to me and I am looking forward to our delicious dinner at Quattro on your nickel ;o).

We were Whistler bound in early June for Danice and Yuk’s big day at the prestigious Four Seasons Whistler.  What a blast we had!  Completely sleep deprived my fabulous assistant Natalie, Angela from Reflection Events who came out to play, and I stayed up until 5 am getting all of the floral complete for what turned out to be a rediculously beautiful day.  Even the wet weather couldn’t put a damper on the day.

Working with P.J. Eliott from the Four Seasons and Magnolia Photographic was a pleasure that we hope to repeat soon.  (Thanks for the good times, laughs, and pics guys!).

Here are some photos of our beautiful bride and the product of all of our hard work, courtesy of Magnolia Photographic.

It is something special when one of you own gets married.  Wes and I were thrilled to help Jasmine and Greg make their day unforgettable.  Jasmine was my assistant for a few years before moving on to the Pedersen’s family and we wanted to give her something extra special: basically that meant she could give me colours and that I would just take care of the rest.  And so we did…and it looked absolutely stunning!  Another dream team of amazing vendors came out to support our girl: the fabulous Camille and Chadwick from Jonetsu was there taking over the top photos…Kathy and Steph from Marliss Productions captured it all on video; David, my epicurean magician created an incredible plated dinner off a barbeque and banquet table in a back alley…a culinary MacGyver, if you will.  Performance Works set the scene and it was a perfect day.  Beyond perfect…love you guys!  So happy for you both! (photos courtesy of Jonetsu Photography www.jonetsuphotography.com)

I have been looking forward to this wedding since last October.  I knew these two were something special when we met…but I didn’t realize how special until the wedding day rolled around.  Shantela and Kris are blessed with a huge family: clearly…there were 13 bridesmaids…but I have never felt so welcomed into a family.  On both sides, their generosity and caring spirit really touched me.  They even didn’t mind me being bossy :o).  The other great part about these two is that they are in love…not in that we’re getting married…you are the love of my life kind of way…but the kind where you just know that this it for them…its the tangible kind where you can see it and feel it when they are in the same room together and even when they are not…Kris looks at Shantela all the time like he can’t believe his luck.  I have often wondered if Shantela knows he does that…This couple was just amazing to be around and I count myself fortunate to include them among my friends.

When we first started together Shantela & Kris were determined to leave an impression and I think we did just that.  Details were the order of the day from the brides dress and accessories, to the ceremony progams, the custom table stationery created by my staff (thanks, girls!  You did a great job), the cake., the vintage cars, and vintage flowers  (created by the talented Tracy Bell from La Belle Fleur), even vintage hollywood films playing on the screens at the reception. 

Andrea Miller, the Kitchen and all the staff at Terminal City Club did an exceptional job.  There is no way that I could have pulled this off with out them and when I said I needed the impossible they cheerfully did it (Thanks Alex..I won’t forget the favour).  For almost 300 Italians to say that they enjoyed some of the best pasta they have ever eaten at a wedding is no small feat.  Kudos guys!  My thanks also to Christ the Redeemer Parish, Monsignor Smith, and all of the Parish office ladies.  You were all completely delightful and I am looking forward to our blossoming friendship!  We must do this again together soon!

My fabulous staff transformed the Terminal City Club into a vintage hollywood gala, complete with pintuck organza overlays, crystal and silver candleabras with ostrich feather centers and candlelight.  Calabria Bakery brought it with a lace trimmed 8 tier cake, and of course, Erin Gilmore was there with her army of assistants shooting anything that moved and a lot of things that didn’t.  The photos left me speechless (I know, shocking) so I think it’s best that I let those speak for themselves…she is truly a master at her craft: