Toronto Wedding Vendor Reviews and Resources | Wedding Planning in Toronto

Rock Chic Wedding | Brent Foster Photography

in Real Weddings,Toronto Wedding Vendors

Toronto Wedding Society Vendor Elite, Brent Foster Photography, sure has some killer clientele. When he sent us this real wedding of Irma & Dan we got really excited… I mean really excited. This wedding is a true mix of the couples personalities combined with Brent Foster’s keen eye for detail and the telling of a love story. No flashy thousand dollar centrepieces here – this is true love, on budget.

Here’s what Brent had to say:
Irma describes her and Dan’s wedding as butterflies, rainbows, flowers and rock’n'roll.

Irma had one request at her wedding. “Absolutely NO DRAMA allowed at this celebration. No long faces, no bitterness nor party poopers will be appreciated.” The day was just that.

This was a do-it-yourself wedding from start to finish, and the personal touches made the day. The couples personalities shined through from a home made butterfly bouquet, to star wars masks for entering the reception. Irma even found her dress at a Sears outlet store for 80 dollars! The couples goal was to make the wedding beautiful, to have it fit who they are as a couple, and to make it not cost them a lot of money that they don’t have.

Irma and Dan took their parents wedding rings, had them melted down, and custom made into their own. Their wedding was rock’n'roll from start to finish.

Credits:

Photographer: Brent Foster Photography
Venue: The Windermere Manor
DJ: Music Central
Celebrant: Kettle Creek Weddings
Hair: Kayla Douglas
Tuxes: Tip Top

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From Sketch to Stunning | Valencienne | Julia’s Pretty & Petite

by Crystal · 0 comments

in Beauty,Toronto Wedding Vendors,Weddings

When you’re shopping for a gown if you’re very petite or plus sized finding a dress that fits can be a challenge. Enter – custom bridal gowns… Kim Ironmonger at Valencienne makes it easy to have the gown you want in proportion to your frame. Just check out this beautiful gown for pretty & petite, Julia!

From Kim at Valencienne:
Julia is a very petite girl and she had gone around town trying on dresses where most of them overwhelmed her tiny frame. Upon coming into Valencienne knowing custom would be the way to go, she wanted something demure and elegant but with the grandeur of a big dress. It was our challenge to give her what she wanted in a gown that wouldn’t overpower her. We had the bodice extremely fitted past her hips and then the bottom was quite wide, while keeping it all delicate with tulle and lace. The fabric choices were very important in the design as we wanted to keep it as light and airy as possible. On her wedding day, Julia’s gown fit her like a glove and was every bit as ethereal as she was.

The Inspiration/Sketch:

The Stunning:

Crystal

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Book Inspired Wedding Cake By The Caketress

by Toronto Wedding Society · 0 comments

in Uncategorized

We love this book inspired wedding cake created by Toronto’s The Caketress. The couple got married in The Library Room at Bellvue Manor in Vaughan. If you look close you can even see some “book mice” hiding in the flowers. It’s cute and gorgeous at the same time. Check out The Caketress’ blog for more stunning and creative cakes.

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Brett Culp | The Films That Tell Your Story | ISES Toronto Event

by Crystal · 0 comments

in Event Planning,On Location,TWS Talk,Video

On a very rainy Wednesday September 21 I was invited by ISES (International Special Event Society) Toronto Chapter to attend a dinner and talk by an industry icon – Brett Culp. For those who don’t know, Brett Culp, is a master cinematographer who not only shoots video he finds your CinematicME and shares it with the world.

So, what did this Wedding Pro learn? If you haven’t already – whether bride, groom, parents or vendor – get in touch with your story. Your LIFE story. The reason you are who you are and CELEBRATE it. When you know who you are, are comfortable with who you are, and share that with those around you – only good things await you.

A big thanks to ISES Toronto for inviting me. If you’re a Wedding Pro and not yet a member – what are you waiting for? Industry events, networking and comraderie are simply the beginning of why to join.

Finally, to Brett Culp - I heard your story loud and clear. Passion is hard to ignore.

This is one lesson I am completely taking to heart… and so should you!

Happy Planning!
Crystal

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From Sketch to Stunning | Valencienne | Jojo’s Sex In The City Style

by Crystal · 0 comments

in Beauty,Toronto Wedding Vendors,Weddings

This HAS to be my favourite gown of all time… seriously! Oh to do it all over again! You go, Jojo! I’m so delighted you found the dress of your dreams made by the talented Valencienne!

From Kim at Valencienne:
When Jojo came into Valencienne she had one inspirational person in mind, it was Carrie Bradshaw from Sex in the City; she had just come back from New York, after seeing all the latest trends around the city she knew she had to have something with pockets and a big buckled belt. Jojo was such a fun loving girl that we knew the dress had to be something fun and fashionable. Her dress was made of light silk taffeta with a big ballooned skirt that was shorter in the front and longer in the back, hidden in the gathers of the dress was perfectly placed pockets and the gown was finished with a custom taffeta covered leather belt unique to her dress. Those pockets ended up being the perfect picture accessories

The Inspiration/Sketch:

The Stunning:

Are you as gooey eyed and jealous as I am? *swooooooooon*

Crystal

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Casa Loma Wedding Cake by The Caketress

by Toronto Wedding Society · 0 comments

in Uncategorized

Here’s what The Caketress had to say about this beautiful pale pink and gold wedding cake.

“Designing a cake for a couple is not just about technique and decorating but knowing how to style it to their tastes. I usually like them to describe the feel of their cake in few words, and as I’m creating every touch of their cake I literally have those few words echo in my head. For Emily and Davis those words were “timeless”, “beautiful”, “romantic” and “clean”. Why do I do this? It insures when all the design elements come together (much like a puzzle pieces) that the result is their dream cake.

For the design of this five tier wedding cake we based it slightly off of her absolutely stunning invitations designed by Paletterra. The blush pink and gold floral cake was to be displayed and enjoyed at their beautiful reception at Toronto’s historic castle, Casa Loma. Cascading flowers finished the look of this red velvet and vanilla cake with strawberries. I truly love how pretty this cake turned out. It’s one of my current favorites. Congrats to Emily and David and thank you so much for allowing me to create your wedding cake.

Cake by The Caketress

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From Sketch to Stunning | Valencienne | Amy’s Multiple Inspirations

by Crystal · 0 comments

in Beauty,Toronto Wedding Vendors,Weddings

Oh the options in custom bridal gowns are ENDLESS so when bride Amy was inspired by multiple looks (including a bridesmaids dress) she went to Valencienne to have it all turned into this stunning gown.

From Kim at Valencienne:
Amy first found out about us after visiting our web site and learned about the custom bridal here at Valencienne; she had seen another gown that we created for a bridesmaid where the wedding took place in Tuscany, and wanted her own version of it as a bridal gown. Amy had always loved the idea of ruffles and lace, and we melded both together with a vintage tea-dyed border lace then pleated to create structural ruffles around the hem of the gown. She wanted something that could be described as modern couture, with simple clean lines… but with a twist. On her wedding day she was overjoyed with the response from all her family and friends, telling her it was so modern and unique and yet embodied her style perfectly.

The Inspiration/Sketch:

The Stunning:

Don’t you just adore the flirtiness of this gown?

Crystal

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From Sketch to Stunning | Valencienne | Marchella’s Glam Girl Gown

by Crystal · 0 comments

in Beauty,Toronto Wedding Vendors,Weddings

Never one to shy away from GLAM our very own Kim Ironmonger of Valencienne worked closely with bride Marchella to create a very Hollywood inspired look for her big day!

From Kim at Valencienne:
Marchella came to Valencienne with very definite ideas about her wedding gown, she came armed with lots of research and inspiration from magazine pictures and wanted a little bits from many different gowns. So together we came up with a design incorporating a mixture of all the bits and pieces that she loved on each gown, while keeping in mind her old Hollywood vintage theme and her venue the Eglinton Grand Theater – which embraces a very vintage Art-deco vibe. The final result was a huge skirt made out of silk peau du soie, she requested an unusual color of platinum silver, and the back was bustled and detailed with three vintage crystal brooches.

The Inspiration/Sketch:

The Stunning:

Are you a glam girl? Don’t you just adore the details on this gown?

Crystal

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DIY Country Real Wedding: Annie & Ryan | Dave & Charlotte

by Crystal · 1 comment

in Real Weddings,Toronto Wedding Vendors

Dave & Charlotte Photography recently sent me this super cute vintage country wedding of a couple, Ryan & Annie, that really took DIY to heart and it shows. Every detail of their big day they personally touched and worked to create a little piece of wedding day magic for their guests. I think it’s super sweet!

Some of you may even recognize the groom! Ryan Snodden is a CBC weatherman out east - http://www.cbc.ca/nl/blogs/ryansnoddon/.

The wedding took place on the family farm in Georgina, Ontario!

From the happy couple…

When planning our wedding we looked at venues in Costa Rica, St. Lucia, Ontario and Newfoundland but we were always drawn back to Ryan’s childhood home, a 300 acre Beef cattle farm just south of Lake Simcoe. The farm has been in the family since the 1800’s. We knew planning a wedding in Ontario, from Newfoundland, was going to be a tad stressful, but we took it on knowing it would be the only place that truly felt like us.

We wanted a really laidback and fun wedding with our close friends and immediate family. Many elements of our wedding were DIY and this really helped to allow our personalities to shine through. A natural feel for our ceremony was important to us and we chose to have our guests shuttled five minutes to “the back 40”, where a natural clearing in the forest exists. Then we all headed back to the house for cocktails and the marquee reception.

Again, with such an intimate wedding we wanted our guests to feel relaxed. Our bridesmaids and groomsmen chose their own attire, so each could show their individual style and personalities. We envisioned our wedding to be a backyard party, bonfire and all, and we definitely think we succeeded in setting that vibe. When it was time for our first dance, our fantastic photographers, Dave & Charlotte, suggested that we stay out by the fire. What an awesome idea!

CREDITS:

Truck: 1951 Ford F-100. All Original. Owner – Dave Matt, Sutton Ontario.
Dress: The Bridal Salon, St. John’s, NL http://www.thebridalsalon.com/
Shoes: Nina http://ninashoes.com/
Clutch: Davie and Chiyo, Etsy Store http://www.etsy.com/shop/DavieandChiyo
Shrug: Holly Stalder, Etsy Store http://www.etsy.com/shop/hollystalder
Groom’s suit: Moores   http://www.mooresclothing.com/mor/index.jsp
Hair Flower: Handle and Spout http://www.handlespout.com/
Engagement Ring: Bogarts http://www.bogartsjewellers.com/
Wedding Bands/ Bride and Groom: Diamond Design   http://www.diamonddesign.com/
Florals: Bought loose flowers and Bouquet from Petal Pushers (Keswick, ON)   http://www.petalpushersflowers.ca/
Flowers arranged by bridesmaids!
Marquee rental (and all other rentals except chairs): All Reasons http://www.allreasons.ca/
Catering: O’Malley’s Catering    http://www.omalleyscatering.com/
Desserts:
Groom’s mother, Grandmother and Bride’s mother
Homemade wedding cake: Groom’s mother
Peanut butter cup cookies: Bride’s mother
Lemon and butter tarts: Groom’s grandmother (Grandma Snoddon)
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie: Costco
Squares: Groom’s grandmother

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Western Glam Wedding | Rachel A Clingen

by Crystal · 2 comments

in Floral,Real Weddings,Toronto Wedding Vendors

Rachel A Clingen has to be one of the most creative decorators in the Industry and this recent wedding she sent us is absolutely no exception… chocolate brown and red made this western glam wedding just absolutely perfect! If you’re looking for a super creative wedding designer and decorator for your big day – you HAVE to check out Rachel!