Ultimate Trend Alert: The wonderful world of fascinators

So some of you may be asking yourselves:  ”What in the world is a fascinator?”  It’s only the hottest trend in bridal accessories to date and likely to continue on into 2010!  A fascinator is a headpiece worn in your hair which is usually made with feathers, flowers, beads, ribbons and is attached to a comb, clip or headband.  The term fascinator actually originated in the 1750’s and refered to a head covering, usually a scarf made out of crochet or lace.  Although the term became obsolete by the 1970’s, it’s definitely come back into favour. 

Many brides are opting to use a bridal hair fascinator instead of a veil or equally trending bridal hat.  Others may combine the two, wearing a fasicinator with a birdcage veil or pillbox hat or perhaps wearing the traditional veil for the ceremony and changing into a bridal fasicinator for the reception.   The only limit to its use is your imagination.  They come in all shapes, sizes and styles.  They can be extravagant and bold or simple and understated.  You can even add a little colour to your wedding look with a fasicinator.  If you can’t find something that suits your fancy or want to add your own personal touch to one you purchased…just go ahead and make one. 

 

Some of our clients even dawned the new trend (above:  Sandra-courtesy of Heather Fritz Photography, Meghan & Mike-courtesy of Sarah Hutton Photography ) 

 

Even celebrities are sporting this look.  Fascinators are now becoming more mainstream and are popping up on red carpets everywhere.  Sarah Jessica Parker (as Carrie Bradshaw in the movie Sex in the City) wore an extravagant piece to go with her equally extravagant Vivienne Westwood wedding dress and at the London movie premiere she wore a custom-made Philip Treacy design.

  

Whatever style, shape or size, you’re sure to garner some attention with this retro, vintage inspired look.

Nelia ~

Old World Charm…

Meghan and Mike are a down to earth, easy going couple who loved old world charm.  I first met this gorgeous couple back in April 2009 and a few weeks later we were off scouting the ceremony location at Websters Falls in Dundas.  As you can see from the photos below, the location was the perfect setting with a streaming river and a rustic stone bridge…how romantic!  The weather definitely co-operated with us that day.  Our “blessing of rain” about 1 hour before the ceremony quickly ended giving me and my assistant enough time to wipe down all the ceremony chairs…good thing I had packed my emergency kit with towels.

These beautiful little gems where the perfect addition to the bridal party…they did a fantastic job…aren’t they cute!

With the river as their backdrop…Mike & Meghan perform the sand ceremony…beautiful!

These monogramed programs served dual purpose…a hit with the guests who were able to cool themselves down in the hot July sun!

Meghan & Mike along with their bridal party were always up for anything for the photoshoot.  To get these amazing waterfall shots (below), all the girls as well as the photographer brought their flat shoes…much needed for this hike!  It was quite the journey to get to this point but well worth the effort.  Sarah from Sarah Hutton Photography did an amazing job!  She really captured the true essence of the couple.  Which, of course wouldn’t have been complete without a shot of the girls in their cowboy boots! 

 

After an extraordinary ceremony in Dundas, we were off to the reception at The Healing Barn located in St. Agatha…the perfect match for this down to earth couple.  Meghan, a DIY bride at heart, did a great job capturing the rustic charm of the barn with touches of perfectly placed antique decor giving it that old world charm.  For a personalized touch, framed pictures of the couple were added throughout the entire barn.

Their favours were inscribed mason jars that doubled as everyones glass for the night…another hit with their guests!

These cupcakes, I can honestly say were the BEST cupcakes I’ve ever had.  Some of the delicious flavours included peanut butter cup, caramel filled, and cinnamon.   They were sooooo good, we made sure to hide a plate for Meghan who also loved them very much!  Thanks to Diane from Flavour !!!

 

And after all the speeches and thank yous were done their families and friends really knew how to kick back and have some fun…nothing like a little line dancing to kick off the night!!!

 

Meghan and Mike you truly are an amazing couple with a flare for life and I wish you all the best in the future …. which I’m sure will be filled with one adventure after another !!!

 Shelley ~

Ultimate Trend Alert: Veils and Hats!

Bridal accessories are an integral part of bridal attire, however, they are often overlooked and minimized.  Well not anymore!  Bridal trends for 2009 & 2010 suggests that bridal accessories can create a bigger impact on your wedding look, and are here to stay.  Over the centuries, wedding veils were an essential element to any wedding ceremony.   The lifting of the veil was often a part of the wedding ritual, symbolising the groom taking possession of the wife.  In recent times, the concept of the veil has been reformed for some bride’s from its religious significance to nothing more than a  wedding accessory.  Nevertheless, it remains a timeless piece which can inspire and transform your look. 

The Bubble Veil is a trend we have seen in previous years and continues to be a popular choice amongst brides.  It is a fun, girly alternative that can add that wow factor to your wedding look.  They are a puffier, fuller alternative to the traditional veil and will definitely set you apart from the traditional bride. 

 

The Mini Hat is a look that was all the rage in the 1930’s through to the 1960’s and has definitely made its way back into favour with today’s brides.  This look is ideal for any bride going for an old-fashioned Hollywood glam feeling.  The hat can be accompanied with any type of veil, but is most commonly used with the birdcage veil.  The Pillbox style is generally worn in the center or back of the head and looks best with fitted sheath dresses and suits.  similar to the Pillbox hat, the Cocktail hat is also a small, brimless hat that is best worn on the top of the head with a slight tilt to one side.  It can also be accompanied with a veil and is usually adorned with a spray of feathers or flowers.  This type of hat will look good with any style wedding dress. 

 

Pillbox Hat

Cocktail Hat

The Birdcage Veil is probably the most popular trend this season worn by glamorous Hollywood starlets and brides alike.  Recently, Drew Barrymore dawned this look at the premiere of her movie “Grey Gardens” back in April 2009.  Madonna wore a black birdcage veil for her castle wedding to Guy Richie and a classic birdcage veil was the style of choice for Katherine Heigl for her winter-themed nuptials to Josh Kelley.  This look even maked its way into the movies with Reese Witherspoon wearing a simple birdcage veil in the movie “Sweet Home Alabama” and Jessica Alba who also wore this type of veil in the movie “Fantastic Four:  Rise of the Silver Surfer”.  This vintage inspired look makes a strong, fashion-forward statement and offers a sophisticated, chic style.  It is best suited with up-do type hairstyles and is ideal for shorter cuts.  The birdcage veil compliments any wedding gown style.

 

Whatever style you chose, you’re sure to set yourself apart from the traditional bride and make a contemporary, chic statement with any one of these modern takes on a classic look.

Nelia ~

Ultimate Trend Alert: Wedding Wands

Traditions used to welcome newly married couples at the end of the ceremony have evolved over the centuries.  Some of these traditions date back to Roman Times (400 BC) and many of them are still used today.  A well known example would be the tradition of “throwing rice”, which dates back to the ancient Hebrews and Egyptians.  Rice symbolized fruitfulness and was a symbol of good wishes.  It was also thought to ward off evil spirits surrounding the bride and groom.   Confetti also became a popular alternative.  “Confetti” (from the root word “confectionery”) is an Italian word referring to sweetmeats, grains and nuts which are covered in sugar.  These tasty treats were used to shower the newly married couple as they made their way out of the church.  Today, paper confetti has become a more popular alternative.  We have even seen the traditional paper confetti evolve into photo confetti…creative and personalized…love it!  However, as we all know, most ceremony sites do not allow any type of confetti to be used due to the cleanup nightmare….which brings us to wedding bubbles, an environmentally safe alternative.  Those traditions, while still a popular choice for some brides are falling a bit by the waist side for others in favor of a more trendy, in-style and up to date alternative. 

Ultimate Affairs are always on the lookout for the newest and hottest wedding trends across the board.  We like to offer our brides interesting and unique ideas to incorporate  on their special day, perhaps setting their wedding apart from the traditional.  A unique and very interesting concept we recently came across was the idea of using  “Wedding Wands” in place of  confetti or bubbles.  A great alternative and an acceptable option for any ceremony site…no mess!  It also makes a great keepsake for your guests and kids absolutely adore them…they will keep them busy for hours! 

How can one use these wands?  Ideally, wands should be distributed to your guests before the ceremony as they are being seated.  Your ushers or wedding planner can explain their purpose or just add a little note in your ceremony program, that should do the trick.  Have your guests ready with these in hand.  They can begin waving their wands as the couple makes their way down the aisle or out of the church…a sea of ribbon flickering in the air…makes for a great photo opportunity.

Photo courtesy of Favour Ideas

Wedding wands can be customized to incorporate your wedding colours and can be personalized with special information such as your wedding date, name of bride and groom, wedding phrases etc.  You can also find wands that contain glitter inside.  When your guest’s wave them in the air a fine misty of glitter welcomes the couple, a fun and unique alternative.  You can even pick the colour of the glitter to suit your wedding colours.

Photo courtesy of Wedding Wands

For the DIY, budget conscious bride, consider making these wands yourself.  Weddings By Colour offers step by step instructions, including a supply list to get you started and on your way to creating your own ribbon wands.

TIP:  For those of you with young flower girls…we all know how long those floral bouquets tend to last…not long.  Wedding Wands are a great alternative…fun for the kids and more likely to remain intact throughout the day.

Nelia ~

Wedding to Wedding Planner!

I was first introduced to Ultimate Affairs at a wedding show. The whole idea of a wedding planner was a completely new thing to me. Sure I had seen the shows on TV and read the articles in bridal magazines, but it all seemed so fake to me. But after speaking with Nelia at the wedding show and doing a little research I quickly realized that hiring a wedding coordinator seemed like an important wedding day investment. The second time I met with Ultimate Affairs, Josh and I sat down with Nelia at their office and discussed what they had to offer. Josh was sold as soon as he was told “Lindsay won’t have to worry about a thing”. After investing our time and money into making our wedding into the perfect day, we both wanted to enjoy it stress-free. Nelia and Teresa definitely allowed us to do that. They took care of everything: saving a bridesmaid’s dress from an alteration disaster, set up and tear down of every ceremony chair (over 100), keeping us on time, and ensuring every detail at the reception was perfect.

Josh and I were married in the Victorian Gardens at Waterloo Park on August 23, 2008. It was even better than I could have imagined. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, the gardens were in full bloom, and I was surround by my friends and family. I had always envisioned a small outdoor wedding. Something simple and classic with a beautiful and elegant reception where friends and family could laugh and mingle. My theme of “something blue” was used subtly in every aspect of my wedding.

 

 

After over a year of planning every detail from the venue and vendors to the colours and concepts. Josh and I had the perfect wedding.

My wedding dress, the second one I had bought, was the perfect dress. With a band of lace from my grandmother’s wedding dress sewn around the empire waist and a soft flowing train, I felt like a princess.

Pete, from One2One Photgraphy, caught every moment and detail. With his creative eye and english charm he was able to catch every special moment and create fun and special pictures that will last a lifetime.

Pam, from Flourish, went above and beyond what was expected of her as well. My flowers were perfect and beautiful and the centerpieces simply and elegant. She was even thoughtful enough to give my girls pretty bracelets with their names on them.

My wedding cake, however, was my favourite aspect of the wedding. Yvonne, from The Cake Box, created a 3-tier cake that matched the color of my bridesmaids dresses perfectly. And with simple silver hearts outlining each tier, it was simply spectacular and tasted incredible.

I had an amazing time planning my wedding and I look forward to continuing the journey at Ultimate Affairs…until then…

Lindsay ~

Katie & Dan

Katie and Dan were a cute young couple who called upon the Ultimate Affairs team to help them plan their special day.  They were a busy couple, Dan working and Katie in school full time, not to mention the little one they had at home as well.  Katie envisioned a wedding that was traditional but unique and fit their personality.  One element that was quite unique was their choice in transportation.  They opted for the city bus!  Yes, that’s right.  We rented Grand River Transit for the day. 

The ceremony took place at a church and was quite a traditional service

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The photo shoot took place at Riverside Park.  They even took time to buy and eat a hot dog!

The reception took place at Polish Alliance on Avenue Rd in Cambridge.  Quite a traditional looking hall, however the decor was far from traditional.  We enlisted the help of Special Events & Flowers a fabulous decorating company in Cambridge.  Lynne Krete and her husband Tim really out did themselves; speciality linens of chocolate brown, custom tables with actual trees coming out of the center complete with hanging LED tealights from the branches, gorgous floral centerpieces with uplighting which really accented the piece.  An impressive showing…thank you Lynne!

   

To add another nice little twist to the night, we hired the services of a hot dog vendor and provided each guest with a ticket to enjoy a hotdog for the late night buffet along with some other goodies.  Great night.

Nelia ~

Our new office

Well, it is long over due…but we’re happy to announce that our Ultimate Affairs office is finally done!    Everything is in place and looking sharp!  Still need to put our our newly attained wedding art work for our currently bare walls, but once everything is in place our space will feel cozy and comfortable.  We’ve already held a few meetings in our new space and it was well received.  Although Williams was our home away from home for a while (thank you Williams), we are ecstatic to finally have our own place again…everything at our fingertips…no more lugging around our laptop to meetings.

   

       

Here are a few pics to showcase our office…still need to put up some decorative pieces.

Our office hours are by appointment only.  If you’re in need of a consultation or thinking about hiring a wedding planner…don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email…we’d love to hear from you!

Welcome our newest team member!

It’s been another great year for Ultimate affairs…busy little bees!  We are excited to be bringing on another member to join our already great team of certified planners.  Helps us welcome Lindsay Laur!

Lindsay approached us months ago interested in becoming involved in the wedding planning industry, wanting to shadow us or assist in any way.  The interesting twist is that Lindsay had been an Ultimate Affairs client!  That’s right!  Lindsay planned her own wedding from start to finish (with some advice and recommendations from us a long the way) and we were brought on in the last month and on the wedding day to bring all her hard work to life, smoothly and flawlessly.  Needless to say, the day turned out just as I had expected…perfectly!  Lindsay definitely made it easy for us, with all the elements and details in place.  With our expertise and detailed timeline, the day went off without a hitch!  It was at that moment that I really saw the raw potential she possessed to plan weddings.  When she approached us, we couldn’t have been happier.  We brought her along on some of our weddings to see if she would make a good fit and we were instantly impressed to say the least!  Her intuition and determination to get the job done was fabulous…oh did I mention, she was just supposed to be shadowing?  She took charge when needed and got the job done.  Her outgoing personality and ability makes you feel at ease and stress free which makes her a great choice for any couple needing help planning their wedding.  Lindsay has just completed her WPIC certification….congratulations!  She will be joining some fellow WPIC’ers  at the 5th Annual Wedding Professionals Conference taking place at Beaches, Turks & Caicos to become Destination Sandals certified.  She will also be working on obtaining her Destination Wedding certification which will allow her to help our clients plan weddings anywhere!  We are excited to have her on board and part of our team.

Wedding Trend Alert! Ultimate Find

It appears that the 2009/10 wedding season will be all about the recession conscience bride and groom.  Weather it be the couple who’s lively hood has been challenged, or sensitivity being paid to guests who may have fallen on hard times.  This season, the DIY bride is in luck!!  There is a movement from large and lavish, to, “I like it, and will do it myself.”

A selection of options for invitations and save the dates are closer than you think! http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/results.aspx?qu=damask&av=TPL000

And just a little “wedding planners secret” for wording, check out:  www.marthastewartcrafts.com/index.php?v=msc_weddings_etiquetteguide_weddinginvitationwording

The damask trend can carry in other aspects of the wedding as well!!

Also easy to DIY!! Hello wallpaper!!!

And finally….maybe not a DIY project, but I think it’s just soooooo beautiful!!

A winter wonderland…

Braving the cold winter chill doesn’t sound appealing, but having a winter wedding has it’s advantages. 

 

When we met Teresa and Scott, we knew that this wedding was going to be far from ordinary.   With all the possibilities and unique winter theme ideas we were in planning heaven!

Teresa and Scott chose Paris Grand Country Club located in Paris, ON as their venue of choice for both their ceremony and reception.  The advantage of this venue is that you have the option of renting the club house located out back for you and your bridalparty…a beautiful place with all the amenities!  The day couldn’t have been more perfect, the ground covered in pure white snow with just a slight chill in the air. 

 

The room was converted from ceremony to reception and guests were welcomed in and pleasantly surprized by all the little details that really transformed the room into a winter wonderland.  Although the room was beautifully decorated with hues of icy white, blue and silver, there was no lack of warmth.  The twinkle of candles on the tables as well as the centerpieces gave it the ambiance we were looking for.

   

Our couple were such great sports for enduring the chill during their photoshoot…along with the bridal party!  In return….great looking pictures!

     

Thanks for the memories.

* Photos courtesy of Heather Fritz Photography