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Follow Ciara DaykinWell Saturday is here. Hello Saturday. #dumbass tweet
Follow Simon DaykinThis past summer we did an outdoor family birthday party. The weather held for most of the evening then it poured, but by that time it was late and all the good stuff had happened already. Just because you have a party in your backyard, doesn’t mean it has to look like a back yard.
We hung working chandeliers form the trees, yes, we plugged them in and they gave off a great glow as the sun set. Each guest had their own, individual and different tea cup (it’s the little details people remember and we specialize in little details.
We brought in white chivari chairs for a crisp summer feel and then added pops of color with the teal table cloth and bright napkins. And what is a birthday party without cake? Well we had two, so guests had a choice. Macaroons? Yes please…they also added some pops of color.
A big thanks to Alan Maudie for the photography that night and to Edralyn Chapman of Floral Artistry for the flowers, amazing as always Lyn. And of course to Ciara Daykin of Firefly Occasions, for the design concept of the entire party.
I’m still getting the hang of the image editor thingy on the blog, so the pics are pretty much all over the place, but hey…I think symmetry can be overrated anyway.
Today’s blog post is sponsored by the following key words…Outdoor, Birthday, Party, Event, Alan Maudie, Floral Artistry, Firefly Occasions, Chiavari Chairs, Linens, Chandelier(s), Cake, Macaroons.
Thanks for reading…if you have an upcoming wedding or event and you’d like to meet with us to discuss your vision, please email info@fireflyoccasions.com or give us a call on the old telephono at 1-800-791-5636 EXT 701.
It was a beautiful September day in Calgary, Alberta when Marcia & Steve were married in their stunning backyard. But being Calgary we still had to be aware of the weather, the crazy weather we get in Calgary, Banff and Canmore for that matter. You never know when a cold front will swoop over those Rocky Mountains and lay waste to the best laid plans. That’s why…as wedding planners, we always have a plan B or in this case, an AMAZING plan A. The plan, as you see was to tent the backyard. Keeping in mind the incredible view from this yard, we had to make sure you could still see the mountains. Therefore, it was a clear tent all the way!!! The yard was completely landscaped so we have to use a tent with varying leg heights on it so we could make sure the tent fit in the yard the way it was supposed to.
We also attached (working!) chandeliers form the ceiling…took a little time on a ladder but it looks great…plus I hate heights so it was a fun morning for me. The Bride walked down the side of the house, under the deck and out into the sunshine, down the aisle to meet Steve under an arch Steve had installed in the yard (He loves his landscaping, and he’s really good at it as well, so that helped) The guests were happily seated under the protection of the tent, we removed all tent walls so it wouldn’t get too hot under there. And under the arch, the couple said their “I Dos”.
Once the ceremony was complete, we flipped the tent to be set for the reception and dinner and installed a dance floor on the lower portion of the lawn, we set the DJ up on the grass and the new shed doubled as a really cool bar. We of course included heaters for later on in the evening so the couple and their guests could stay nice and toasty as the partied the evening away. There was also a fire pit in the yard with comfy seating and marshmallows to be roasted.
The Firefly team was on hand to make sure every little detail was looked after and everything went smoothly. If you would like more information regarding our services and how we can assist you in creating the perfect wedding for you or someone you know, please contact us at info@fireflyoccasions.com or give us a call at 1-800-791-5636 Ext – 701
A Christmas Wedding in Calgary
Katrina and Zane got married in Calgary on December 23rd 2010. This incredible winter wedding was held at the Hyatt hotel in downtown Calgary and was planned and designed by us…Firefly Occasions Inc. The couple came to us with a vision of a winter wonderland wedding that incorporated white, silver and blue, lots of romantic candle light and of course some WOW factors. (Something we specialize in!)
So here are a few details on this amazing wedding. Let’s start with the ceremony shall we? I had the idea of erecting a tent INSIDE the ballroom (always wanted to do this) There wasn’t a tent in a color they liked, so I called my tent guy and asked him to build a custom tent just for the couple in their colors. He agreed and the rest is history. We used the tent as a focal point for the ceremony, draping it in crystals and spotlighting it from the ceiling (more on that later) Behind the tent we brought in a beautiful swagged backdrop from our suppliers in California and added hanging votive candles to it at varying heights, looked AMAZING! We draped the entire room in white drape and then lit it in the couples color…in this case ice blue. White aisle runner, Firefly Occasions signature candelabras to line the aisle, rose petals, plenty of romantic candle light and flower balls hanging from the ceiling.
Oh, and did I mention we shut off all the lights and pin spotted the aisle…yup, amazing effect, no cost to the couple. The guests sat in darkness as the Bride walked in and out of pools of light on her way down the aisle. I got this idea while attending a Sarah Brightman concert, why can’t we have a ceremony in the dark I thought? The couple loved the idea, so we went with it.
For the reception, we decided to use square tables, a kings head table on a stage and centerpieces of varying heights to break up the room. In my humble opinion, the room looked stunning. We love surprising the guests at our events….so we kept the dance floor portion of the room completely hidden until it was time for the first dance. When the time came, we snuck the Bride and Groom into the other section of the ballroom and our Firefly staff pulled back the curtains as the first song began to play. Again, a WOW factor for the guests, no cost to the couple.
Wedding Planning and Design by Firefly Occasions Inc
Flowers by Edralyn Chapman of Floral Artistry
Photography by Brian Henninger
Venue – Hyatt Hotel
So hello everyone, seems like it’s been forever since we dropped a post here…no worries, that is all gonna change. My name is Simon Daykin, I am the President of Firefly Occasions and I do some other stuff as well. I’m the “He Said” part of this blog. Mostly because I am the only guy in the company, I’m looking for more, so if any guys you know wanna be a planner, send them my way. I’ll take good care of them I promise. Sorry, bit of a tangent, I do that….so bear with me.
Anyway, I’ll be taking over blog duties from here on out, call it a birthday present from my wife (CEO Ciara Daykin) my b-day is Oct 30th. So things are gonna be silly, fun and I hope you like it. So we can get to know each other better, here is a photo of me and our son Declan at a wedding in Mexico.
Happy Halloween everybody, have WAY too much fun but be safe…and if you’re out at “Grave Gala” at Hotel Arts in Calgary on Saturday night, I’ll be there too….come over, say hi and buy me a drink…you know, coz it’s my Birthday and all….
After all the wedding commotion is complete you may still be feeling anxiety. Perhaps you haven’t been getting enough sleep, and taking care of yourself and the stressors in your life, you may still have an uncomfortable feeling. It is important to understand that there is someone to talk to if you are feeling some level of post nuptial depression. Speaking to your parents is generally a good start to opening up and finding out where these anxieties stem. However, they may also be coping with giving you away. There is always a professional who can help you understand these feelings and find a way to dissolve them.
Do not feel guilty or ashamed of these feelings as they are yours. Find a way to open up and get the helping hand you require.
Sometimes when the stresses of life and planning a wedding get to be overwhelming, a natural reaction might be to act less than the composed bride that you are when things don’t go according to plan. You might throw a temper tantrum or just be down right mean to one of your wedding vendors in hopes of trying to bully them into giving you what you want.
This is the best way to NOT get what you need for your wedding day. As bullying is becoming more and more socially recognized, so is a zero tolerance policy towards it. Often times, vendors will ask you to take your business elsewhere if working with you means taking the brunt of your negative emotions.
So how do you handle yourself when one of your wedding vendors is being difficult or unresponsive you ask? You act with grace and be completely professional and well mannered.
First think of how the situation with your vendor got off track. Was there a miscommunication, are there factors that are out of their control, are you not providing all of the proper information? Vendors are on your side for your wedding day and will always go above and beyond to help you.
However, if you believe that there is nothing justified for the way something has gone off track, the best way to handle it is to send an email or call the vendor and ask if there is something they need from you in order to do get you what you need. By approaching the situation and finding out first off if there has been a miscommunication somewhere, you avoid the unnecessary tantrum that could essentially make things worse and you still remain the graceful bride that you are!
Bridezilla is not a myth. With all the stress and worries of planning a wedding you can lose sight of your cool and collected self. This hectic atmosphere wears away at your friendly and generous nature, leaving your partner as the prime target to unleash stress. Picking on your partner can fracture this otherwise happy time. To banter less with your partner it is important to delegate responsibility so you are less stressed.
Take time away from planning your wedding to spend time with your loved one. Go out to dinner, go to the spa, visit friends and family to discuss topics other than your wedding. When you can relax and give some responsibilities to those around you, you can avoid taking out frustration on your partner. If you have hired a wedding planner they can help keep your worries at bay so you can celebrate with your loved ones the proper way.
Wedding invitations are actually quite formal and do have very specific rules around how best to word the invite. For example, who is hosting the wedding, is it yourself and your fiancé or is it your parents?
If it’s your parents, many people believe that the invite should say “Mr. and Mrs. Jones invite you to celebrate in the marriage of their daughter Melissa Jones to David Morris, son of…” If you are the host you could say “Melissa Jones and David Morris invite you to celebrate with them…” there are numerous options. What if your parents are divorced, what if one has passed away.
We encourage you to meet with a stationer to discuss all of the options for your custom invitations. They will normally have all of your wording options available for you to browse through while you’re discussing style and colour as well. If you’re from Calgary, take a look at www.glimpz.ca or www.crackleinvitations.com
Seating your guests does not have to be with a boring paper tent and block letter names. Have fun with seating your guests. Table numbers or names can hang from your centerpiece, be floating in glass bowls, or be a photo of you and your newlywed holding their table number.
Instead of your table number or name sitting in a card holder, paste it on a wine bottle with flowers pouring out. Make the table setting playful. If you choose to seat every guest specifically around the table, you can put personal photos on their plate. Choose a fun photo that can become a conversation piece. Such as baby photos or your guests in costume so the other guests have a fun icebreaker to meet those who will be seated with them. For a more elegant choice, have their wine glass engraved with their name. This is a great wedding favor as well. Seating your guests with flare is the perfect welcome to your special day.
Finding and selecting the perfect date for your wedding day is the next best thing besides the engagement itself. When considering dates for your special day, it is also important to consider dates to avoid. These dates are specific to any holiday such as Canada Day, Remembrance Day or dates during the Christmas season. If selecting a holiday for your wedding date is something that is important to you, it is also best to understand that you may be paying more for services from vendors or some vendors may not be available at all.
If the holiday you choose to get married on falls on the statutory holiday, you will be paying an extra fee to any vendor as they have to pay their staff time and half. Some vendors also choose to close up shop over the holidays so if they choose to remain open for your wedding day, they will be sure to charge you extra for the changing or canceling of their holiday plans.
Venues may opt not to be available on any holiday, as there might not be enough staff available to make your wedding day the extraordinary day that you deserve. If a holiday wedding has been your dream, be sure to ask all vendors you are considering what their extra fees are and if staffing problems will be a concern in ensuring the full delivery of their product or services.
Choosing a vendor can seem like an easy decision when you know a friend in the business. Among further discussion though you may find this can be a bad idea. Although hiring your friend, for example as you DJ, can save your pockets it can leave problems during your wedding. Your friend also wants to celebrate this wonderful day with you, and if they are busy rushing around cueing music or taking requests they miss out on being a guest.
This can lead to a job performed poorly since they are focusing on joining in instead of completing the work as they would with a stranger. This is definitely something to take into account when hiring your friend. Instead, consider hiring a close business partner. This leaves the possibility to still take advantage of any discounts and hire a company you trust all while your friend enjoys your wedding.
Your boys are probably the most influential and most important people in your life. They are there every step of the way, sometimes from early childhood or your first day of college. It is only natural that you ask them to be your groomsmen as you marry the woman of your dreams (or the most influential and most important female in your life, besides your mom) but how do you really express your appreciation for being with you up there as you marry your sweetheart?
Personalized gifts are a great idea to give to your groomsmen as they are more meaningful than a generic gift and who doesn’t love getting something with their name or initials on it?! Almost anything can be personalized these days, such as flasks, cufflinks, camping chairs (great for personalizing with nicknames), cigar boxes, vintage pub signs, dog tags, money clips and pocket watches – the list is endless.
Pick a special time to get together with your groomsmen to give them their gifts, or you can give it to them at the rehearsal dinner or just before the ceremony. Your groomsmen will be just as thankful as you are for being a part of your wedding day.
What wedding gifts should I get for my Bridesmaids?Your bridal party has been there for you throughout your wedding and now it is your chance to give back. Choosing a gift for your girls can seem tough but there are many different options to choose from. If you have a smaller budget for gifts you can opt for clutches or jewelry that matches their bridesmaid’s gowns. Consider the items they will have to purchase for your wedding and use those items as gift choices. This will save on their budget and yours.
If you are looking for a gift that will wow them or add a personal touch, there are engraved jewelry boxes, named robes and slippers, unique art pieces or sculptures, or a full spa day at their favorite salon. Each bridesmaid is unique and special to you, find that part of them that you love and put it into the form of a gift. Remember, these are your girls and they will love anything that comes from you.
