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Top 10 Unique Wedding Venues - Toronto

01/17/2012 20:39:00

Top 10 Unique Wedding Venues - Toronto

Lisa Ng is a Hip and Urban Girl who I have had the pleasure of working with over the 7 years of wedding and event planning. Lisa has been DJ extraordinaire at many events I have coordinated. Lisa has put together a list of Top 10 Toronto Unique Venues. Here's the list. Let us know if you have others to add to the list, or agree/disagree...

1) Steam Whistle Brewery - Host your wedding in the historic roundhouse with features like exposed wood beams, warm red brick, huge windows with views of the city skyline and 30-foot ceilings. It's the opposite of a sterile window-less banquet hall. Best part? Fresh Steam Whistle on tap! Guests can take tours of the brewery during cocktail hour or hang on the huge, newly renovated back patio. The gallery space (bar) can be rented for cocktail hour and there's even a classic photo booth on-site. It's one of our favourite venues in the city. AV works with a built-in house system - you bring the band of DJ. Choice of exclusive caterers, event furniture/decor would have to be brought in.

2) The Berkeley Field House - The clean white space can be left minimal or jazzed up with as much decor as you want. Think South Beach interior, big greenhouse windows, a lovely garden patio and outdoor tent option. Even comes with its very own treehouse and eclectic dressing room for the wedding party. I once attended a family-style Thanksgiving wedding here and the food was phenomenal. The chef is extremely flexible and open to ideas - no rubber chicken or typical steak and potatoes here.

3) The Berkeley Church - The old church has been converted into an event venue and is more edgy than the Field House next door. The space has a large stage (perfect for a live band), exposed cement walls, stained glass windows and a mezzanine upstairs to host your ceremony or cocktail hour. If you're thinking cocktail reception, this would be an excellent space as well. Lots of capacity here for a large wedding.

4) Casa Loma - We love all the different spaces available for use in this castle-like mansion. Host your ceremony in the gorgeous glass conservatory, move into the great hall (with 60-foot ceilings) for cocktails and then into the library for dinner. The picturesque gardens make for great pictures and guests will love lounging on the expansive patio too. The catering is done exclusively by Pegasus Group and I've been to four weddings here. The food is consistent and excellent. The staff are on the ball and even connected over headsets to execute the service of meals perfectly. Book in the late spring or early fall here, the space is not air-conditioned.

5) The Royal Conservatory of Music - Your guests will feel like they are in a floating glass box in the trees in the newly-built The Leslie and Anna Dan Galleries inside the RCM Telus Centre on Bloor Street. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlook the quiet Philosopher's Walk. The Upper-Level Gallery or the Conservatory Theatre can be rented for the ceremony. Bring your own caterer & furniture/decor - exclusive suppliers list.

6) Palais Royale - If you're set on having your wedding on the water, the 4,000 square foot, two-tiered patio at Palais Royale is the best in the city. This 86 year-old dance hall has undergone a major restoration with an art deco vibe, stage and a dance floor to host regular Big Band Dances. The bartenders are trained in flare and will even set the bar on fire!

7) Enoch Turner Schoolhouse - Interestingly enough, the majority of weddings that I have attended here have been for teachers. This charming little schoolhouse even has a working classroom, where you can host your ceremony. Choice of exclusive caterers and furniture would have to be brought in.Bonus: you can stock your own bar from the LCBO by purchasing a Special Occasion Permit. Huge savings here.

8) St. Lawrence Hall - This hidden gem is a city-owned property and the old town hall/event space sits on the third floor of this historic building. Think gold accents, an ornamental ceiling, gas-lit chandeliers all in a crazy pink room. The pictures don't always do it justice, you have to see it in-person. Bonus: Gold Chivari Chairs are included in the rental price. Saves you $10/piece in rental fees. Bring in your own caterer and furniture. You can even stock your own bar with an SOP.

9) The Distillery District - Lots of interesting spaces here including restaurants, art galleries and cafes that can be rented for an event. We recommend that you check out The Fermenting Cellar, Archeo, Balzac's, Arta Gallery, The Boiler House and The Thompson Landry Co-operage Gallery.

10) The Gardiner Museum - Catering is done in-house by Chef Jamie Kennedy and it is hands-down . Do the late-night french fry cones, you will not regret it. It's a modern minimalist space with lots of natural light and a view of Queen's Park.

Let us know your thoughts...any favourites that we missed? Agree or disagree with the top 10 on the list?

2012’s Top Wedding Trends

01/07/2012 16:36:00

2012 Top Wedding Trends ~ The Globe & Mail

1. ANTI-MATCHING
That parade of bridesmaids in matching pink-taffeta gowns? So 2011. Today’s ceremonies make room for individual differences, including attendant dresses that flatter all body and skin types, even if they differ in colour and style. The anti-matching trend extends to engagement rings combining white and gold metals.

2. BESPOKE SUITS AND RENTED GOWNS
In the past, grooms rented their wedding outfits and brides purchased theirs. Today, though, the practices are being reversed: More and more men are buying custom-made suits for their special day, while thrifty brides are leasing them through salons like Montreal’s Oui, Je Le Voeux.

3. DROPPING THE VEIL
Bridal veils are disappearing this season, giving way to fresh-faced brides sporting natural-looking makeup. Hairstyles are consequently simple and unfussy, embellished with feathers or vintage clips.

4. EMBRACING BLACK
Often banned from weddings, black is turning up in more and more palettes, colouring everything from table linens to centrepieces and floral arrangements to bridesmaid dresses. Vera Wang even showed an inky goth wedding gown during Bridal Fashion Week in New York. Will black become the new chartreuse?

5. POPS OF COLOUR
White is still the (non)colour of choice for wedding gowns, but it’s being enlivened this year with hits of bold colour in the form of vibrant shoes and slippers, brilliantly bright sashes around the waist and eye-popping jewellery including bejeweled drop earrings and statement necklaces.

6. COMMUNAL TABLES
Forget head tables that distance couples from guests: Today’s weddings are intimate sit-down dinner parties with brides and grooms ensconced among the invited at long, communal tables. Meals, moreover, are increasingly consisting of locally sourced ingredients and regional wines. It’s about “community building,” experts say.

7. ROMANCE vs. VAVA-VOOM
Last year’s royal wedding spawned a two-pronged gown trend: the lacy, lady-like dress (Kate Middleton) and the sexier sheath (Pippa Middleton). Think demure neck lines and full sleeves (like those by Toronto designer Lea-Ann Belter) if leaning toward the former, thigh-high slits if going for the latter.

8. SELLING SHORT
Got great gams? This is the year to show them off, as shorter wedding gowns are also proving popular. Toronto designer Belter, who makes lacy minis, cites another reason for the new cropped hemlines: “[They] allow brides to flaunt their killer shoes.”

9. FLOWER-LESS CAKE
The sugary rosettes and other faux blooms that traditionally adorn wedding cakes are being plucked and replaced with more inventive embellishments, such as cascading ribbons of coloured fondant. At Cake Opera Co., Alexandria Pellegrino hand-paints her cakes in pale, romantic hues, creating a form of edible art.

10. DIGITAL WEDDINGS

While paper invitations remain the norm, social media is assuming a bigger role. Twitter and Facebook keep participants connected, while the proliferation of wedding blogs by industry experts such as The Wedding Co. provide up-to-date information on suppliers and trends. Tweeting during ceremonies, however, stretches good taste.

See full article and beautiful photos:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/fashion-and-beauty/fashion/fashion-features/short-gowns-flowerless-cakes-and-black-accents-2012s-top-wedding-trends/article2293199/

Wedding Planning Tips

11/17/2011 18:22:00

Great Wedding Planning Tips

1. “We do not remember the days, we remember the moments” Caesar Pavese

Savor each moment. So many couples say that their wedding was a whirlwind. Take time to be really be together during your wedding day. Let your wedding planner handle the details so you can enjoy your guests, your dinner and the dancing!

2. It’s all About You!

Your wedding should be a reflection of you. Think about the day you wish to have, not the day you “should” have.

3. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo da Vinci

Who would argue with da Vinci? Your budget will be grateful for the sophistication.