Elegant blue winter wedding decor inspiration

Something about an inspiration board full of ideas for a white winter wedding leaves me wishing all couples getting married the next few months are blessed with wonderful weather...and maybe some light fluffy snow - unavoidable since we live in Canada!

And of course, a subtle highlight of blue in various shades is a nice contrast that is both elegant and an inspiration. Who can resist bridal shoes that are playful yet a bold statement.

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!

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!

Preview of Ottawa Event Space this week

It must be that time of the year again - once the snow melts and spring is in the air, it marks the beginning of the busiest time for wedding and events. This past week was a pleasure as I was invited to preview a few unique event spaces around Ottawa.

The Westin Hotel - several of us Planners mixed and mingled with Tia and Anne 24 floors above the City overlooking the Canal and admiring the Parliament buildings. What a spectacular view from the Parliament Hospitality Suite...as the sun set, we enjoyed the company and overall experience. Apparently they have undergone a 7 million dollar lobby renovation and added 12,000 square feet of state of the art meeting space.



From this Day Forward - a unique and intimate space nestled in the downtown area. Husband and wife, Tony and Izabela, have created an atmosphere that is romantic for any wedding or private event. Close by to the Museum of Nature for photos and for anyone having a civil ceremony at City Hall..better yet you can host both your ceremony and cocktail reception at this one location.



Juniper Kitchen and Wine Bar - Phil and Vanessa are fantastic hosts and showed us first hand why Juniper's reputation is highly regarded. Before we sat down for a 4 course meal, we enjoyed a tour of the entire venue including a private room hidden away in the back and their very clean and impressive kitchen. All floral designs were created by Vanessa and the menu was delicious. Not only did I enjoy the company but the service was courteous and a pleasure to be around.



Soma Health and Fitness - this weekend was their launch of SOMA Events. What a great time at this modern yet elegant custom designed venue overlooking the Byward Market. Not only was the view beautiful but the music from their house band kept the group dancing. Definately for the clientele that is looking for unique.


And if you haven't already seen the publicity, the new Ottawa Convention Centre is all done and ready to begin hosting events. I'll be getting a private tour next week prior to the Open House on April 23, 2011. What a magnificent addition to Ottawa!