Internship Position: Are You Looking to Gain Experience in the Wedding and Event Planning Industry?

PersectivEye Photography, Firefly Occasions Inc.

Firefly Occasions Inc. is an international event planning company specializing in Haute Couture Weddings and Luxurious Event Design. We have gained recognition nationwide winning awards such as the Wedding Industry of Canada’s Best Ceremony Décor. Firefly Occasions Inc. has been published in numerous bridal publications.

Learn from the best with internationally recognized Wedding Planning Coach, Ciara Daykin, as your CEO and mentor.

Firefly Occasions Inc. is now looking to fill our highly saught after fall internship positions within our
downtown Calgary location. Fall internships with Firefly Occasions Inc. run from mid-September through
December and are unpaid positions. This could be your chance at a new career with Calgary’s premiere wedding planning agency.

Please send your resume and cover letter to our Wedding Division Manager, Kendra Scott at
kendra@fireflyoccasions.com before 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday September 8th 2010.

What’s up in Hollywood Wednesdays: Wedding Dress Style on the Red Carpet

JessiFirefly posts your weekly dose of pop culture

In case you missed the Emmy’s this weekend, we have a quick recap for you. Well.. the important stuff at least. Celebs wore gowns inspired by renowned wedding dress designers. These designers know how to make killer wedding dresses and as you can see, they aren’t too shabby when it comes to making red carpet dresses either. You can thank Celebrity Weddings Blog for the compilation of photos below! www.celebrityweddingbuzz.com

www.celebrityweddingbuzz.com

Above: Kyra Sedgwick

www.celebrityweddingbuzz.com

Above: Tina Fey

www.celebrityweddingbuzz.com

Above: Deanna Argon

www.celebrityweddingbuzz.com

Above: Heidi Klum

She and He Trendy Tuesdays: How to Pose for Wedding Photos

www.ameliastrauss.com

1. Don’t stand square in front of the camera. This is where the saying “the camera adds ten pounds” came from. Stand slightly sideways and move your head towards the camera or angle one shoulder towards the camera to avoid the bulkiness.

2. Point your nose away from the camera and look at the camera. This makes for a sexy smile that isn’t head on and flat looking.

3. Put your weight on mostly one leg. This will help you shift your weight and show off curves and angles that photographers love.

4. Go with the flow. Don’t be shy to be yourself on camera. It’s better to be extra silly and adventurous than stand there awkwardly. Remember that photographers also feed off of your energy. Photos will turn out better when you really give them that good vibe.

5. Gently place your hand on your hip. This will convey confidence in your photos as well as make you look thinner.

6. If you have a floor length gown, wear comfy shoes. Stilettos and grass just don’t mix. Also you don’t want to get your white heels dirty before the reception.

7. Be careful with black eyeliner outside. When wearing black eyeliner it’s extremely hard to look against the sun. Not only does it create a squinty look but the photos will make your eyes look very dim and harsh.

8. When you sit on a couch, your thighs automatically appear bigger. Your upper arms have this same effect when you hold them close against your body. Hold your arm slightly away from your body during photos to avoid this flattening effect.

9. Keep the drinks to a minimum. Have you ever noticed how you sweat immediately after drinking champagne or wine? Nobody wants sweaty wedding pictures.

10. Think about the shots you want to get. Are you really going to use all those photos of yourself with a half-made face while you get your makeup done? You also don’t need 50 family shots. The majority of the photos should be taken of you and your fiancé.

11. Last but not least, don’t overdo anything. This includes tanning, hair dying, teeth whitening and all that good stuff. It’s much easier to Photoshop on a tan than to scrub your entire body with a wire brush like Anne Hathaway in Bride Wars (2009).

www.ameliastrauss.com

She and He Heart Mondays: Skinny Jeans, Skinny Lattes… Skinny Centerpieces?

Let’s be serious. Nobody hearts Mondays. So every Monday we are here to lighten the mood and talk about things we do heart: Tall vase centerpieces.

www.artofcreativecelebrations.blogspot.com, www.artofcreativecelebrations.blogspot.com, www.prestonbailey.com

As a kid at the breakfast table you moved the cereal boxes, milk cartons, or any other center arrangements that you could find, in front of your siblings to block his or her face.

Now you’re finally getting married and you’re choosing centerpieces that will dazzle your guests and make the entire room sparkle… not centerpieces that will be great for blocking off guests’ faces.

This is why we love the Eiffel tower vase centerpieces. Not only can you see who is sitting across from you at the table, but the tall centerpieces make a major impression! When we decorate a room nothing makes the room pop more than a big flower arrangement on top of a tall and elegant glass vase.

Tall and skinny center pieces look great when decorated with ostrich feathers as well as floral arrangements.  To add that extra touch, use floralytes or LED vase illuminators to light up the vase. You can hide these lights right inside the Eiffel tower vases without any problems. Floralytes: http://www.printcanadastore.com/60.html

Tip: Talk to your wedding planner or florist to ensure that the flowers you chose fit in the tall vase. You might need to coordinate flowers that specifically work with the vases that you have in mind.

Below is a photo of one of our recent weddings at the Banff Springs Hotel where we used tall tower vases.

F8 Photography

She and He Fridays: A Wedding Planners Wedding

My name’s Kendra Scott, I’m the Wedding’s Division Manager at Firefly Occasions and as of December 19th, I now have my own wedding to plan! Every Friday I write a feature article where I document my personal wedding planning journey each step of the way.

Boys In Bows!

Brett and I went this week to take a look at some attire options for the men in the wedding. This brought up a great question, what is the difference between a tux and a suit? It’s a pretty rare occasion to see a man in a tailcoat these days and with more and more men opting for the less formal, classic tuxedo jacket, some may be a little confused. So what is the difference between a classic tuxedo jacket and a suit? The biggest difference is that a classic tuxedo jacket will use satin on the lapels and the buttons. You’re not necessarily expected to show up in a tailcoat and top hat when the idea of a tuxedo is brought up.

Here’s the thing though, a woman never wants to wear the same dress twice and would never wear the same dress as another woman at the same party. Each dress is different, some may be skin tight while others drape lovely chiffon. It could be backless, or floor length, a halter or empire waist; the list goes on and on. For the most part, any time a man will ever dress up in his lifetime, he’ll wear a suit and tie; a timeless and classic look that women love. But is it just me or does nothing beat a classic black tuxedo and bow tie? I mean really, how many chances are you going to get in your life to wear a bow tie? Prom, wedding, maybe your children’s wedding one day. Unless you’re a Hollywood actor, an event like the Oscar’s won’t come around every year.

So on that note, I told my fiance that I would prove to him that a bow tie was in style, he’s a little on the fence about it. However, what I found was that the tux and bow tie really can’t go out of style. In my research all of Hollywood’s leading men opt for a bow tie when it’s the appropriate occasion. Regardless of age or personal style, the tux and bow tie is sure to be a hit!

And since nobody can resist a dapper looking man in a tuxedo, here is the proof

Kendra:
Upper Arm: Start: 10″ Now: 10.25″ = UP 1/4″
Bust: Start: 35.5″ Now: 34″ = DOWN 1 1/2″
Waist: Start: 28.5″ Now: 28″ = DOWN 1/2″
Hips: Start: 39″ Now: 38.25″ = DOWN 3/4″
Thigh: Start: 22″ Now: 21.5″ = DOWN 1/2″
Total lost: 3″

Jessi:
Upper Arm: Start: 9″ Now: ″ 10
Bust: Start: 37″ Now: ″ 35
Waist: Start” 26″ Now: ″26
Hips: Start: 34.5″ Now: ″33
Thigh: Start: 20.5″ Now: ″20
Total Lost: 2″

She and He Video Thursdays: Testimonial from a “Day Of” Coordination by Firefly

Follow the fabulous lives of the Firefly team, see our client’s testimonials and take a sneak peak at our events, weddings and any other special events.

What’s up in Hollywood Wednesdays: Celebs Selling Their Wedding Photos. Tacky or Tasteful?

JessiFirefly posts your weekly dose of pop culture

Back in ‘93 it wasn’t hard to find Mariah Carey’s first marriage all over glossy magazines stacked high and low at the supermarket. I wasn’t very old then but how can a little girl forget a celebrity bride wearing a puffy-shouldered wedding dress, resembling a cream puff, plastered all over magazines? And who could forget hottie, Nick Lachey, from 98*C and singer Jessica Simpson’s wedding photos featured in every teeny bopper magazine in 2002?! (This is one of those couples that I think everyone wishes stayed together.) One of the most memorable wedding features that I can remember is Pam Anderson’s. She flaunted a hot little LA style wedding dress on the cover of OK Magazine. Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, Victoria and David Beckham, and most recently Carrie Underwood and Hilary Duff who both married NHL stars… the list of publicized celebrity weddings goes on and on. Celebrity wedding photos are so sought after because everyone wants to see who made the dress, who made the cake, who attended with whom, and for us here at Firefly, we love to see what the décor looked like.

So my question is, is it tacky or tasteful when celebs sell their wedding photos to magazines such as OK, PEOPLE and US Weekly? Weddings are sacred and very private and many people strive to keep it that way. Can you really put a price on family milestones such as the birth of a child or a wedding? What if the couple donated the money received to a charity. Would this change your mind or does it make it even tackier?

On the other hand, who can resist two million dollars for selling exclusive rights to wedding photos!? (AHEM not Eva Longoria and Tony Parker.) Also what celebrity could resist all the attention? A-list celeb couples are almost guaranteed to land a cover spot on a magazine with professional wedding photos. Personally, I would jump on this free publicity faster than Spencer Pratt.

Truth be told, if I were a celebrity and finally married Canadian actor, Ryan Reynolds, you would definitely see me on the cover of PEOPLE wearing a custom-made Vera Wang holding a pink bouquet on the beaches of Tahiti.

Xo- JessiFirefly

Left to Right, Top to Bottom: www.movie.moldova.org, www.1234.thenwordpress.com, www.people.com, www.celebritycrazed.com, www.celebritybrideguide.com, www.insidesocial.com

She and He Trendy Tuesdays: Ultra Chic Lounges at your Wedding

We love lounges at weddings. It’s a great focal point and place for guests to feel comfortable and take a second to take in the blissful moments of the day.

When creating a lounge you need to do more than wheel in the furniture and plunk it down wherever you see fit. Creating an entire lounge atmosphere at your wedding is key. We suggest draping the room and using your color choice of up-lighting similar to the photo below. If the lounge is indoors it should be dim and lit with candles or up-lighting. If the lounge is near the dance floor at the reception, don’t bother with music. If the lounge is being implemented during the cocktail hour, chill lounge music is a great option. At one of our recent weddings we created a lounge with an icy blue feel. The draping was lit up with dark blue and there was an ice bar placed on the opposite ends of the white modish furniture. Overall, it was a great place for guests to chill out and mingle before or after dancing instead of sitting back at their meal tables.

www.stylelist.com

www.masterpieceweddings.blogspot.com

www.prestonbailey.com

www.jasminestarphotographer.com

The following is a photo from a New Years Eve Wedding we did last year.

We created a lounge with white draping and elegant white furniture.

www.fireflyoccasions.com

She and He Heart Mondays: Personal Wedding Websites

Let’s be serious. Nobody hearts Mondays. So every Monday we are here to lighten the mood and talk about things we do heart: Couples creating personal wedding websites

www.blogs.voices.com

Have you created your own wedding website yet? If you’re wondering what the point is, we’re here to tell you! If you thought they were lame, think again. There are so many reasons to create a wedding website. Guests will be given the URL that you have created. Example: www.TheJackson-AndersonCouple.com. Once guests get to the website they will be asked for a password that you created.

So what can guests do on this website of yours?
1. RSVP to your wedding
2. See any photos or videos that you have posted as a couple (great for posting engagement shoot photos)
3. Download maps or itineraries needed for the wedding
4. Take quizzes or polls that you have created
5. See a schedule of events
6. Update their addresses and contact information

This will make your life easier as a wedding planner or as a couple planning an upcoming wedding. You can even choose your domain name, song, style and color. This website can exist as long as you want it to and therefore be a great online memory of your wedding. The website is a great supplementary way to involve your guests and organize your wedding plans. Creating a website will cut down on info in your invitations. Nobody wants ten pages of wedding info and instructions in the mail.

Our only word of advice is to not solely rely on this website and always have another means of communicating with your guests. Reasons being, not all guests are tech savvy or have the internet and not all guests check the website regularly for updates or invitations. Also in today’s age, nothing beats receiving hard copy snail mail addressed to your name with neat lacy writing! -It’s so rare!

To create your own wedding website or just see what the hype is about, go to:

www.ewedding.com, www.momentville.com or www.wedquarters.com.

www.ewedding.com

She and He Fridays: A Wedding Planners Wedding

My name’s Kendra Scott, I’m the Wedding’s Division Manager at Firefly Occasions and as of December 19th, I now have my own wedding to plan! Every Friday I write a feature article where I document my personal wedding planning journey each step of the way.

Lately I have been really grateful for the amount of time I allowed myself to plan the wedding. One of the really nice things about having a longer engagement is really having the time to plan the wedding in small chunks and be stress free. I got engaged the same weekend as Carrie Underwood and always envisioned a 7 month engagement. I thought, you get engaged because you want to get married, so why would you ever want a long engagement? Well, since I set my sights on a wedding in the winter, we had no option but to have at least a 13 month engagement. I have to say, it’s been really REALLY nice. Since I work in this industry, booking my major vendors was quick and easy and for the most part done within the first month. Obviously a huge benefit for me is that I’ve seen a lot of these vendors in action and knew who’s style I liked and who best suited myself and Brett. Saving myself the time and energy that most brides put into researching vendors has allowed me to have a lot of time to spend on the fun things such as selecting a wedding gown, bridesmaid dresses, flowers, linens etc. I mentioned in a previous post that we had selected the bridesmaid dress options, I only actually ended up placing the order yesterday. Since I was ordering the dresses for my bridesmaids, I needed to wait to receive all measurements required to place the order. These are the types of things that you need to take into consideration when planning out your time lines. A bridesmaid dress can take four months to arrive but you need to remember that your bridesmaids have busy lives as well.

Account for extra time wherever possible, especially when things are being shipped from the USA. You never know how long something could take to clear customs and believe me we have experienced the best of it when it comes to customs delays. Not only has a longer engagement allowed me a comfortable amount of time to plan the wedding but it’s really nice to be engaged, people always want to hear about your wedding plans. I suppose this leads back into our other project at hand, the hot bride project. If you’re trying to get in shape for your upcoming wedding, you definitely want to leave yourself a healthy amount of time to do it properly! Jessi and I are still working very hard towards our goal and have three months left. We took our measurements again today. It’s hard to notice a huge difference when you measure each week but so far I’d say we’re making progress. I think just taking a break to exercise in the middle of the day helps you focus more on your other tasks at hand as well. So, our arms seem to have gotten slightly bigger….we’ll just ignore that for now haha we’re only a week in. Here are the results so far.

Kendra:
Upper Arm: Start: 10″ Now: 10.5″
Bust: Start: 35.5″ Now: 34″
Waist: Start: 28.5″ Now: 28.25″
Hips: Start: 39″ Now: 39″
Thigh: Start: 22″ Now: 21.5″
Total lost: 1.5″

Jessie:
Upper Arm: Start: 9″ Now: 10″
Bust: Start: 37″ Now: 35″
Waist: Start” 26″ Now: 26″
Hips: Start: 34.5″ Now: 34.5″
Thigh: Start: 20.5″ Now: 20″
Total Lost: 1.5″

She and He Video Thursdays: Firefly Team on the set of the Still and Beating Heart (2011)

Follow the fabulous lives of the Firefly team, see our client’s testimonials and take a sneak peak at our events, weddings and any other special events.

What’s Up in Hollywood Wednesdays: Pop Princess Hilary Duff Marries NHL Player

JessiFirefly posts your weekly dose of pop culture.

www.radaronline.com

Pop princess Hilary Duff and Edmonton Oilers hockey player Mike Comrie tied the knot at the San Ysidro Ranch near Santa Barbara last weekend. The wedding was fairly small and intimate for a celebrity wedding with only 100 guests. Comrie, 29, and Duff, 22, were wed at 8 p.m. under an arch of flowers.
Many celeb weddings get blown out of proportion or end up on the cover of magazines. There will be reports on who made the dress, who wore what, who attended and who was seen talking to who. This was not one of those weddings as it remained very private. The couple wanted it to be an intimate ceremony.
The reception was held at a private estate located just minutes from the San Ysidro Ranch. According to Radar Online, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony chose the same venue to spend their wedding night in 2004. The rates are roughly about $4000 per night, depending on the time of year. After the wedding, the couple held a brunch on Sunday at the Ranch for all of the out-of-town guests. According to an eyewitness from PEOPLE magazine, Mike held his arm around Hilary for most of the romantic, candlelit ceremony, and they both looked extremely happy.

Duff and Comrie had been dating for almost three years before the wedding. Of all places celebrities are spotted, the lovebirds met on a plane flying to Idaho. Ironically they were both staying at the same resort and they ended up spending an entire weekend together. Comrie proposed to his princess in February while the two were vacationing in Hawaii. This was a complete surprise to Duff as well as her entire family.
Reflecting back on the Lizzie McGuire days, Duff has really grown up and finally experienced her own, real life, Cinderella Story! Since Comrie is from Edmonton, all of you fellow Albertan readers can keep your eyes peeled for the new Mr. and Mrs.!

xo- JessiFirefly

www.yinthinks.blogspot.com

She and He Trendy Tuesdays: 5 Ways to Trash Your Wedding Dress… and Make it Look HOT

She and He introduce a weekly cutting edge style combo for him and her.

“I can’t trash my dress! My daughter might wear it in 20 or 30 years.” Common’ ladies, as much as we would like to think so, this rarely happens. So why not have a “trash the dress” photo shoot? The photos are absolutely stunning and are far from ordinary wedding photos. They are sure to get your friends and family talking about your wedding long afterwards. I mean, how many of your friends’ photos have you seen where the bride is standing in the warm, teal, Caribbean ocean in her once worn wedding dress?

She says: My favorite trash the dress shoots are in the ocean at destination weddings. The ocean view is just too beautiful to go to waste.

Another reason to have a “trash the dress” photo shoot is because in many cases the dress can be salvaged and you won’t actually “trash” your dress. Dry cleaning these days is pretty good and they are capable of getting rid of most stains. If you’re still skeptical about it, purchase another white wedding dress that isn’t as expensive as your one and only precious gem hanging in the closet. Or, if you’re a bride who has two wedding gowns (one for the reception and one for the ceremony) you can “trash” one and keep the other.

He says: These photo shoots are out of the ordinary and crazy and that’s exactly why we love them. You have to be a brave bride to pull it off!

To check out a trash the dress photography expert go to http://staceywightblog.ca/category/trashthedress/ to see some amazing beach shots of brides and grooms trashing their wedding attire. Whether or not you’re going on a destination wedding, we posted five photos below to inspire you to trash your dress!

W A T E R

www.weddingbee.com

P A I N T

www.damsel.typepad.com

F I R E

www.littlewillow.com

MUD

www.markeric.net/www.jamierphotography.blogspot.com

G R A S S

www.2duce2.com

She and He Heart Mondays: Extraordinary Escort Cards

Let’s be serious. Nobody hearts Mondays. So every Monday we are here to lighten the mood and talk about things we do heart:  Extraordinary Escort Cards

I can’t think of anything more boring than a blank piece of paper with a name on it. Escort cards shouldn’t be dull or overlooked. There are so many ways to create escort cards that not only add a personal touch to your wedding but also impress guests with your creativity and thoughtfulness.

She Says: This is another one of those great little ways to make the wedding all about you as a unique couple.

Guests love little details like this. They will take photos of the cards, talk about them and in some cases cherish them! For example, the little candles below serve as escort cards and wedding favors.

So what’s the difference between escort cards and place cards?

Escort cards tell guests at what table they should sit at.

Place cards are at the table and tell guests in what seat they should sit.

Some important tips for creating escort cards:

1. With a large amount of guests, avoid tying the cards to trees like the photo on the bottom left. It will take forever before guests find their card.

2. Try organizing the escort cards in alphabetical order rather than table numbers to make the process quicker. If the cards are tied to items, line up the items so guests don’t have to search.

3. Don’t have loose leaf escort cards at outdoor weddings (even on a sunny calm day). The wind could sweep them off in a second. Hold them in place with faux diamonds, river rocks or ribbon.

4. Keep them consistent. If you write Mr./Mrs. on one card, continue to do this on all of the others.

5. Depending on what your escort card is, decide whether you want to give one out per person or per couple or per family.

Photos Left to Right, Top to Bottom: www.theknot.com, www.josevillaphoto.com, www.theknot.com, www.elizabethannedesigns.com, www.diyweddingprojects.com, www.LIWeddings.com, www.lisalefkowitz.com, www.papertastebuds.com, www.countryliving.com

She and He Fridays: A Wedding Planners Wedding

My name’s Kendra Scott, I’m the Wedding’s Division Manager at Firefly Occasions and as of December 19th, I now have my own wedding to plan! Every Friday I write a feature article where I document my personal wedding planning journey each step of the way.

This weeks post was a fun one for me because it meant spending some time looking at fabulous shoes! I have my heart set on a specific pair of shoes that I can see in my mind. The problem being that I don’t think they necessarily exist in real life. So the search for a great pair of shoes has been on for some time now. Shoes are something that I always admire on other people but generally can’t justify spending an outrageous amount of money on – as much as I’d love too.

Here are some of the options that I’ve found which are super cute AND affordable. I have to say that I am so in love with the Badgley Mischka options that I’ve been seeing all year. I know the trend has been to have a pop of colour with your shoes, however for me, I think ivory. Which may sound boring and traditional but I genuinely love the smooth, creamy, warm appearance of Ivory as a colour. And after all, your choices should be made to best represent you right. So I’ve gone somewhat traditional in colour but I definitely want something that is fashion forward. Here are some of the options I’ve come across so far. Please feel free to give me any input!

Okay, onto the other project at hand. Jessi and I promised last week that as we go through this “Bridal Bootcamp” we would post weekly measurements at the end of every Friday’s post. So, here we go, the starting point!! If you’re hitting the gym for the big day as well, please update us with your progress in the comments. We can encourage each other

Kendra:
Upper Arm: 10″
Bust: 35.5″
Natural Waist: 28.5″
Hips: 39″
Upper Thigh: 22″

Jessi:
Upper Arm: 9″
Bust: 37″
Waist: 26″
Hips: 34.5″
Upper Thigh:20.5″

www.myglassslipper.com

www.myglassslipper.com

www.myglassslipper.com

www.myglassslipper.com

www.myglassslipper.com