Royal Blue Fall Wedding

I had the pleasure of planning this special August wedding for P & S. Like many of my clients, they welcomed me into their lives from engagement party to rehearsal dinner. I really felt like I knew them personally.


Not only were they warm and inviting, they were so easy to work with and trusted my professional opinion and advice. The minute I met them, I envisioned navy blue as the foundation marrying various shades of orange and pink colours - playing with various flowers that soften and romanticized the decor.




This wedding was unique in that it was hosted at the Royal College of Physicians which housed a beautiful room (formally a monastery) for both the ceremony and reception. The spacious area right outside the room sported a bright skylight and marble floors to which guests enjoyed cocktails. What made this unique was that the College is not open to the public to host private events - everything (from chairs and tables to linens and decor) was brought on site.



All photos were taken by: Darren Brown - photobybrown.com

Rentals - Partytime Rentals
Catering - Whalesbone Catering
Cake and cupcakes - Little Cakes
Flowers - Sage Designs




Wonderful time, wonderful people, wonderful wedding day!

South Asian & West Indie Wedding

This 2011 South Asian & West Indie wedding brought together traditional lavish Indian-influenced customs together with traditional Western culture. A wonderful couple who share a heart-warming story of how they met and a long history of being in love. Glad to see their closest family and friends share in their wedding day.

All photos courtesy of Jones Digital Solutions, Bryan Jones.




Both the ceremony and reception were held at the Ottawa Marriott Hotel.




Some of the traditional wedding highlights included a white wedding dress...


....simple yet elegant decor provided by Awe Events....




...flowers from Trillium Flowers Kanata...


....and of course a custom wedding cake provided by Artistic Cake Design.


Lastly the Bride's family influence from Trinidad, West Indie included a Steelpan band during cocktails:


Congrats to my beautiful clients...wishing them a long happy life together!

Catering Weddings and Events

Food is usually very important to my clients. It is one of the areas that most or much of their total budget is spent on when planning a wedding or event. Along with decor and entertainment, the catering leaves a lasting impression whether good or bad....hopefully great.

All photos are of Whalesbone Catering - courtesy of David Kawai


Over the years, we have had the pleasure of tasting unique and tasty menu creations from several caterers here in Ottawa. Caterers include Thyme and Again Catering, Tulips and Maple Catering, and Scrumptious Catering.


For 2011, we were lucky enough to work closely with Epicuria and Whalesbone Catering. Epicuria uses the freshest local products to ensure the highest quality menus. Whalesbone Catering (including their restaurant on Bank Street) specializes in the freshest sustainable oyster and fish supply in addition to other fresh local ingredients. Each company is unique but both have earned a reputation for their impressive presentation, the highest quality of food and experienced and professional staff - they always work so hard to please guests.




A great caterer not only provides a menu, they should also be able to play a key role in alcohol selection, estimating consumption, and offering recommendation of the best type of alcohol that pairs well with the specialized menu they created for clients.


Although a planner must allocate a higher portion of their budget to leverage a caterer, the money spent definately does not compare when your guests leave raving for days after the event, about how great the food and service were at your wedding or event. It's very true, you get what you pay for!

T & D Kingston wedding

Sometimes simple is better and for this November wedding it was just right! A lovely, warm bride and groom and two families that were brought together to celebrate in the small city of Kingston.

The ceremony, cocktails and reception were all at one site, making it easy for most of the guests who were from out of town. The Renaissance Event Venue is a historic church nestled in the heart of Kingston. It is a venue that is not only elegant but has detailed character. It is great for private functions, special events, weddings and small gatherings or parties. The staff was a pleasure to work with and Dennis made my job very easy. Photo courtesy of the Renaissance (Jessup Food & Heritage, Ltd.):


For this wedding I had the pleasure of working with the following professionals:

Rob Eamer of Rare Photography
John Clement of Clement DJ Services
Sandra Jackson of Sandra Jackson Wedding Rentals and Giftware
Janet of Janet's Flowers in Napanee

Kudos to the Courtyard by Marriott in Kingston - although it just happened to be the same weekend a hockey tournament was in town...the brand new hotel made up for it by being so close to the Fashion outlet stores ;)

Thanks Kingston and I am looking forward to working for another happy wedding client in your small city!

Glenn & Alex's July Wedding

Better late than never...here's a July wedding that the Beyond Events team was happy to be a part of. It was a special day for Glenn, Alex and their two cute-as-can-be children. Not only was it two people getting married who are obviously in love but a day to celebrate the unity of a family who will enjoy a continued happy life together.


The outdoor wedding ceremony was held at the Rockcliffe Park gazebo off of Sussex Drive. It was a beautiful, sunny day while guests enjoyed the overlook of the Rideau Canal.


Cocktails and the small intimate reception with their closest family and friends were hosted at Le Nordik Spa's Boreal Room. Not only was it nestled among the spa but this romantic venue offered lodging for some guests.



Also had the pleasure working with:

Anne-Marie Bouchard of AMB Photo who is a genius at capturing the beauty of weddings in her photos. To see more photos of this wedding please visit here.

Sophie Branchaud of Sage Designs who is a floral designer and decorator - to read her blog post about this wedding please here

Julie Sheridan-Cole the master behind the Sugar and Spice Bakery wedding cake.


The chair and table rentals for outdoor wedding was provided by Chez Lili Party Rentals.

Videographer for the day was Ron Cogan.

Disc Jockey services were provided by Pulse Entertainment.

The Bride and bridal party hair and makeup was styled by The Loft.

Family and friends also stayed at the Hilton Lac-Leamy

Congrats and I'm so honoured to share in this family's special wedding day.

The new CE Centre in Ottawa

I had the pleasure of having a private site tour of the new CE Centre in Ottawa. With my hard hat and construction boots, I was led by Kate Buchanan (Sales Manager) around the 220,000 square-foot event space located near the Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier International Airport.

Photo courtesy of ©mivphotography2011:

The expected completion date is early December and there are already many shows planned. Upcoming shows include:

Ottawa International Motorcycle Show
January 13, 2012–January 15, 2012

The Home Renovations Show
January 20, 2012–January 22, 2012

The Ottawa Wedding Show
January 28, 2012–January 29, 2012

Not only is the space great for galas, conferences and tradeshows but there are several pre-function spaces and separate meeting rooms that can also be dedicated to social events such as dinners, parties, and weddings of any size.

All food and beverage catering is provided by Great Canadian Plates by Tulips & Maple who is the exclusive caterer for the new CE Centre. There are sample four plate menu packages that start from $70/person.

The facility is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Candidate in its efforts to minimize impact on the environment.

I am glad I had the chance to preview the CE Centre when it's nearing completion of it's final phase of construction. It will be a state-of-the-art event facility that will be a pride of Ottawa.

Ottawa Convention Centre Wedding

So in love and happy to be a part of their wedding...that's how I felt after planning this couple's wedding! Everything was perfect, all details were taken care of by Beyond Events.


The Bride looked gorgeous in her wedding dress.


The ceremony was held at the Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica. Since their wedding was small and intimate, all of their family and friends were invited to sit at the altar for the ceremony.



Their vision was simple but there were key details that really made this day special. The Bride's Mother sent beautiful silk Lily flowers from Japan and those were incorporated into her bouquet by Sophie Branchaud of Sage Designs. Gorgeous florals!


The Groom is a huge Edmonton Oiler fan so we had Little Cakes design custom cupcakes that had their logo. Of course that meant that the topper would also carry the hockey theme.




Not only was the Groom a huge hockey fan, he really loves wrestling as you can see by the gifts he provided to his Best Man and Groomsmen.



We were one of the first weddings to be hosted at the new Ottawa Convention Centre (OCC).

And of course, while the reception was in full swing at the OCC, the Bride and Groom's family and friends were just getting started at the Photobooth!




Low and behold, our wedding photographer (Van Tran Photography) got a kick out of the wrestling belts so he had to have his photo taken too! Well done with all the images capturing the day!


Special mentions to Groovy Linen Rentals for the Lilac linens that brought beauty to the room and the Starwood Westin Hotel for accommodating out-of-town guests and the Bride and Groom.

Beautiful ceremony and reception venues, great team of vendors and a fantastic couple...what else can a Wedding Planner ask for?

Weddings are for men too...introducing the Man Registry

Located on Bank Street in Ottawa, Stroked Ego offers a full selection of wedding bridal gifts for the Groom, Fathers, and Groomsmen. The Stroked Ego Man Registry is a stylish selection of male-­dedicated gifts, fashion accessories, and grooming products.

Cufflinks, bow ties, neckties, pocket square hankerchief, colourful socks, grooming or shaving essentials, business card holder, flask, money clip, timepieces and much more....Stroked Ego can help make sure the men in your life are the best dressed!

And to make the gifts even more special, personalize them by engraving or embroidering them to make a lasting impression.

Navy Blue Inspiration

One of my favourite wedding colour inspirations for 2011 has been navy blue. It is such a warm and regal colour that boast sophistication.

These are some inspiration boards created for a lovely couple who were married in August. These boards were developed for them to ensure we had a vision when we started the wedding planning process.

By adding several tones of fuchsia, orange and greens in contrast to the picture perfect navy blue base. The wedding decor was not only beautiful but suitable for the first ever wedding hosted at the Royal College of Physicians here in Ottawa. And it enhanced the blue stained glass windows that radiated the room for the ceremony.

Can't wait to share the professional photos from this August wedding...already miss this couple!

Unique Wedding Favour that will Peak Your Senses

Looking for a unique wedding favour idea? How about a gift that will stimulate the senses and leave a lasting impression with your guests? Why not consider a personalized Bamboo pouch filled with your choice of 3 products such as THANN Rice Extract Body Milk, Bath and Massage Oil, Aromatic Soap or Shower Gel.

I love their product lines because they appeal to both women and men and all their products are dermatologically tested, suitable for even the most sensitive of skin types. To personalize the favours even more, take a trip to the store to experience the smells, pick and choose the products that peak your senses the most and watch your guests love the creativity. To personalize it even more, tie a ribbon with both of your names, wedding date or a personal message that you'd like to share.


About THANN - THANN features all-natural and paraben-free skin, body, hair and aromatherapy products. THANN collections include natural face cream and skin moisturizers, body lotion, natural body butter, natural massage oil, essential oils, paraffin-free candle, sls / sulphate-free shampoo, shower gel, natural salt scrub, clay mask cleanser, toners. Wholesale for spa products is also available. THANN promotes only environmentally friendly products and packages, supports human rights and is against the use of child labour and animal testing. In addition to THANN's retail presence in over 22 countries, the brand is active within the industries of hospitality, supplying amenities to five-star resorts, lounges and hotels worldwide. Feel free to visit their store at 829 Bank Street Ottawa, Ontario or shop online.

Way to Paint Canada Pink Ottawa!

It's been a few weeks since Paint Canada Pink Week in Ottawa but here are some fantastic photos taken by Amy Symes Photography. She was able to capture all the events and we are so thankful to have her as the official photographer for Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation's CIBC Run for the Cure Ottawa-Gatineau. Her photos say it all (please visit her blog)...wonderful week and lots of local support. Thanks to Samantha Testa for the music and Amy Symes for the photos:

Paint Canada Pink Week 2011!

It's been a year and here we are...Paint Canada Pink Week is back and this time it's the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation's 25th anniversary! Are you ready to Paint Canada Pink? June 24 to June 30th is Paint Canada Pink week in Ottawa-Gatineau and marks 100 days until the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure on Oct 2nd, 2011! Here's some the week's worth of great events that everyone is invited to:

In our community Beyond Events and other fantastic local businesses are Painting Canada Pink to support creating a future without breast cancer.

Other special support from the local community include Lisa MacLeod, MPP and Councillor Marianne Wilkinson, and a Samantha Testa, a young Ottawa singer who will perform for us on June 28th.

We are challenging you to be creative about what YOU can do help PAINT CANADA PINK and get others talking about and fundraising for the Run for the Cure. Join our facebook page: Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure - Ottawa-Gatineau or follow us on twitter: @RunfortheCureOG