A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE (wedding) THINGS

(at the moment)

© Melissa Nowakowski February 2010


Here are just a few things that as a wedding planner I'm totally lovin' right now...



GRANNY'S BRIDAL BOOTS!

Bright coloured wedding heels? Done. Bringing back vintage class? Brilliant!

Whether they're Bridal-Bliss white or doused in vibrant colour like red and pink, Granny boots are not just a chic alternative to the classic white pump but are also a fun, edgy pair of kicks that you can wear again and again long after the wedding.

RINGS OF HOPE: GIFTS THAT JUST KEEP ON GIVING

As a thank you to your bridal buds, give something that they'll not only cherish as a memento of your big day but they'll feel good wearing too! The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation's Rings of Hope, designed by Delavaux Jewelry, come in a variety of gorgeous styles. Priced at $39.99, a whopping $20 goes directly to the Breast Cancer Foundation.

Photo courtesy of Delavaux Jewelry

THE SAX: TOSS THE STRING QUARTET TO THE WIND!

Yes, wedding ceremonies and cocktail hours seem to be synonymous with string quartets, harpists and pianists (even solo guitarists are becoming a huge trend). But why go for the ordinary when you can walk down the aisle to the smooth, sexy sound of a saxophone? Think slow and soulful as you stroll down the white carpet and sophisticated, cool jazz during the cocktail hour. Loving it yet? Us too!

YELLOW & TURQUOISE: BRIDAL AND BOLD!

Fun, vibrant and chic, yellow and turquoise adds a bit of everything to any occasion! Whether you're going for 'sweet and charming' like this shower featured on Style Me Pretty or sophisticated and sassy, the yellow and turquoise combination provides an abundance of style options.

Photo by Westpark Photo

THE STRONG, SILENT TYPE: SILENT VIDEO MONTAGE!

That slide show featuring each of you growing up and then your journey together as a couple? I bet you can count on both hands how many times you've seen that at weddings you've attended!

Think beyond stills and create a tribute that's much more engaging and doesn't force your guests to sit through a ten minute array of photographs -- do a silent video montage!

No, I'm not talking Charlie Chaplin style. Collect any videos from friends and family that capture the two of you together -- whether funny, sweet or just a glimpse -- or take some time once a month over the next year of planning to videotape yourselves doing fun (or even everyday) things. Combine those videos with a few beautiful colour and black-and-white photos of you. Play the video on-screen during dinner or the cocktail hour as a SILENT FILM and voila! A testament to the two of you that is animated, beautiful, (sometimes hilarious depending on the footage) and reality TV at its best!

Photo courtesy of Buzz Sugar

ALL THINGS BUTTONED-UP!

Ok, button bouquets and centerpieces are no longer "unique" as they've been picking up momentum as a huge trend, but gosh darn it! I still love 'em! Quirky, colourful and super Eco-chic, button bouquets and/or centerpieces add whimsy and wit to any occasion -- especially weddings where flowers are considered a "staple".

Photo courtesy of Princess Laserton

Photo courtesy of Bliss Tree

TICKLE ME WITH FEATHERED HAIRPIECES!

This planner is a huge fan of all things nontraditional which is why I get excited when a bride opts for a feathered headpiece or fascinator. Whether its big and fluffy or small and colourful, feathers can add that extra "oomph" to a wedding gown or bridesmaid dress while keeping the romance and style.

Photo courtesy of Style Hive

GOODIES FOR THE GROOM: CUSTOMIZED BUTTONIERRES

I've written about these bad boys before and I'm still head over heels for them! Forget the traditional buttonierres of matching flowers for the Groom and give him something he'll be stoked to wear and will want to keep long after the Big Day is over! Fritts Rosenow creates customized bespoke buttonierres customized to pretty much any male-oriented interest out there. Ranging from $25 to $125 each (depending on the materials used), these buttonierres are not just completely original but they're a conversation piece all their own.

Photo courtesy of Fritts Rosenow

A NOTE ABOUT CREATIVITY

© Melissa Nowakowski February 2010

So this planner recently put out a call on Twitter asking fellow tweeters what they'd like to read on the Et Lofte Blog next. Wedding_Crasher posted "What do you love about [being a planner]".


While there are many things that I love about my profession, here's the point-blank answer: the creativity.


creativity (noun): Ability to produce something new through imaginative skill, whether a new solution to a problem, a new method or device, or a new artistic object or form.


Yes, taking on the challenge of, and having the ability to, make a client's lifetime vision a reality is quite rewarding. But there's nothing more rewarding to this planner than having the opportunity to get creative and produce an event that's well beyond that vision.


Now when I say "creativity" I don't mean looking for a concept in a magazine/blog/web site or taking an idea from a previous event I had done and replicating it. To me, that is not being creative. That is being inspired.


True creativity, I believe, comes from the depths of your own imagination. It's the drumming up of an innovative idea (or surpassing an existing one by largely tweaking it until it IS innovative).


It's the originality of thinking that will leave a lasting impression not just in your clients' minds but your own.


It's the ability and desire to take on the challenge of outdoing yourself with every idea you conjure up.


It's the not being limited by the same-old-same old rules or being afraid of contradiction, imbalance or being brazen in your approach to problems or ideas.


Creativity is truly the drive in my profession and what I look forward to with each and every client with whom I have the privilege of working.

COLOUR ME THIS

© Melissa Nowakowski January 2010

As a wedding and event planner I always strive to find unique colour combinations for my clients. After all, who wants the ho-hum of black and white or be a trend groupie with last year's colours of the wedding season?

Here are the top three colour combos that Et Lofte Events will be showcasing in their events this year:

DRAW IN YOUR GUESTS WITH GREY AND RED: There's a big misconception that the grey and red combo is for Gothic-inspired events. While in some cases that may be true, grey and red can actually be a stunning combination of sophstication that offers lots of variety in decor and style. It's all in how you play with it!

TICKLE US WITH TURQUOISE AND PURPLE: Bright, bold and most importantly, FUN! How can you not feel energetic and happy with this colour combo? Pair it up with quirky decor and florals and you have a whismical event. Match it with clean lines and stylish accessories and you have a chic soiree.

OH THE POWER OF LIME: Lime green is this planner's all time favourite colour to work with as it goes so well with so many colours on the wheel. Pair it up with pink for a soft look or couple it with black for funky, modern personality. Lime and brown works well as a compromise between soft and bold and Lime matched with plum is vibrant and fun!

Never be afraid to play around with colour. Some of the most unlikely colour combinations create huge impact for any event.

Happy planning!

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE...ER...COOKIE

You have to love William Sonoma for it's innovative kitchen ideas. You have to love them even more for offering an idea that can be applied to any event.

For the optimum Do-It-Yourself-er, the Message in a Cookie cutters set makes beautiful personalized cookies for any occasion. The set includes hear, star and scalloped cutters that include phrases, words and letters so that you can "typeset" a personal message to your guests or carry out your theme.

Photo courtesy of WilliamSonoma.com

Add a dab of food colouring to your fave sugar cookie recipe (to match your colour scheme of course!), imprint your personal message and toss 'em in the oven and voila! Your very own set of personalized cookies ready to jump in action as your favours, placecards or as an addition to your invites!

Now how sweet is that?

A WINTER WEDDING THEME
TO TICKLE YOUR TASTE BUDS!

Photo courtesy of www.thecookiebatch.info

© Melissa Nowakowski December 2009

There are an abundance of winter wedding themes that add an extra dab of bliss to the holidays. But what wedding theme could be more warm and fuzzy than a Gingerbread Wedding!
Love the sweetness of Gingerbread but just can't see it in your wedding? This planner can!

Sit back with a warm cup of cocoa, close your eyes and picture this:

COLOURS: Cozy your wedding up in warm hues of tan, cream and poppy


FLORALS: Use cream coloured florals with a dab of brown hypercium berries for a splash of colour. Want to get super adorable? Have a lone Gingerbread bride peak out from the bouquet and accessorize the Groom's boutonniere with a miniature Gingerbread man!


CENTERPIECES: What could be more fun (not to mention über cute!) than Gingerbread houses of different shapes and sizes? (And you can just imagine the fight over who gets to take the centerpiece home!)

Photo courtesy of www.celebratingchristmas.com

MENU: Spice up your menu with the taste of Gingerbread (just be sure to add the flavour to specific menu items for impact rather than to everything)! Serve up Gingerbread Martini's (Absolut Vanilia, Kahlua and Gingerbread liqueur) during the cocktail hour and Hot Gingerbread Toddies or Lattes during dessert! Include baked German gingerbread apples with your late night table! Toss the traditional wedding dessert and offer Gingerbread Squares with Honey-Mascarpone Cream! The possibilities are endless!



CAKE: Forget the cake knife and server! Try a Gingerbread Wedding Chapel on for size and break a piece off the steeple in lieu of the traditional cutting of the cake. Let your guests come up and break off their own piece of the Chapel rather than serve cake.

Photo courtesy of www.cookiesandcake.co.uk

ENTERTAINMENT: Have a "Decorate your own gingerbread man" table set up with plain Gingerbread Men, icing, sprinkles, candy and more. You'd be surprised to see the excitement on children's faces and just how many adults sneak over to do it too!


FAVOURS: The obvious and most practical choice for favours would be Gingerbread men but there are an abundance of Gingerbread Men/House - themed items out there...everything from soaps to key chains and bookmarks. Other ideas? Make a donation in your guests' names to a homeless shelter or a charity 'house' like the Ronald MacDonald House.

Photo courtesy of Faysfavors.com

LOCATION: Host the wedding in a Victorian mansion or a building with similar architecture. Want to get really in theme and have a unique destination wedding? Host your wedding at the Gingerbread Mansion in Ferndale, California!

Photo courtesy of thegingerbreadmansion.com

Feeling warm and fuzzy yet?

AND JUST TO CONTINUE WITH THE SPIRIT OF GIVING...

Another photographer with whom I had the pleasure of working this past year, Joee Wong from JW Photography, is also offering a special gift to wedding couples in need. See below for a clip from his Blog about his BIG GIVE for 2010!

Good luck y'all!

Here we go ! The Big Give is back for a very special couple in 2010 ! Now that I have officially stopped taking anymore bookings for 2010, I’m hoping I will find a lucky couple sooner than later.

If you don’t know what this is all about, here’s a little information on my wedding giveaway…

Over the years, I have been truly blessed to be surrounded by amazing couples whom I have built strong relationships with as a result of documenting their weddings. They are the backbone of my business and I cannot thank them enough for spreading the good word about myself and my team. These former strangers have given me so much and I feel that it is only right that I give back to a deserving couple…What better once-in-a-lifetime experience can I give to someone than a once-in-a-lifetime WEDDING !

So here’s what is up for grabs:

- Full Wedding Day coverage with myself and my Associate(s)
- Engagement Session (if possible)
- JW Signature leather 12×12 30-page Flush Mount Album
- JW Signature leather 10×10 30-page Flush Mount Albums for Parents
- Up to 100 custom Thank You cards
- Edited high-resolution digital files
- Travel and accommodations inclusive !!!

This gift is valued at over $15,000 !

Here’s what I’m looking for:
- A couple who has a wonderful story of how they met or has overcome great odds and adversity
- Why photography is so important to them
- The couple must be getting married somewhere in North America in 2010 with a set date and venue, provided I am available for that date
- The couple must be willing to appear on this blog and have their story shared to my readers

How to submit the story:
- send your entries to info@jwphotography.ca with a small picture of the deserving couple
- entries can be submitted by anyone…friends or family of the couple or even the couple themselves…I am really hoping for an awesome, couple to do this for.

*** The DEADLINE for submissions has been tentatively set for January 15th, 2010 and the winner to be announced February 1, 2010. ***

There are absolutely no strings attached ! I’m a giver It’s just as simple as that.

-Joee

I received this recently from Andreas Avdoulos from Andreas Photo with whom I had the pleasure of working this past year and thought I would pass it on...Good luck y'all!

A Special Donation:

Each year a few dozen families give me access to their lives for one day to document their wedding event. By establishing a strong level of trust and comfort between the couples that I work with, I am able to capture the images that you see in my gallery. Without them, I would not have the body of work that I do, and for that I am grateful.

This past week I confirmed that I'll be donating my photography services to a family in need through the Woodgreen Foundation in the form of a family portrait session and prints this coming spring.
In the spirit of giving and sharing, I've decided to offer a wedding photography package to one very lucky couple***!

This is what I'm offering:
- Rehearsal coverage OR an engagement shoot
- Full coverage by myself and my associate photographer
- Three bespoke 11x17 Japanese silk, hand bound 80 page books (One for the couple, two for the families), presented in archival clamshell boxes
- Twenty Artist signed and mated Fine Art 11x14 Gallery Prints
- Edited and post processed high-resolution files on personalized USB drives
- Online gallery for one year

This Wedding Collection has a value of over $14000, and I'll be donating this package to one lucky couple this year!!!

This is what I'm looking for:

1. A story about yourselves, about your life, and the details of how you met....the more details the better.
2. A couple who have gone through great hardships and heart aches to get to where they are today with their soulmate.
3. A couple who are willing to have their story published on this website and in print.

***If you're planning a big six figure wedding, and are in position to afford such a photography package, I'm afraid that you cannot qualify for this - this is not a freebee handout, but a charitable donation that I'm offering to a couple that are truly in need. Please keep this in mind when submitting your entry.

***Please send your submissions to andreas@andreasphoto.ca by January 1st 2010.
***This donation is for 2010 and 2011 dates, provided I am available on the day.

Thank you for your help!

andreasphoto inc.
tel. 416 994 8131 email. andreas@andreasphoto.ca