Internship Position: Are You Looking to Gain Experience in the Wedding and Event Planning Industry? http://ow.ly/18PhYD
Follow Ciara DaykinHoly crap...9 days with no tweets!!! Film shoot went well-BB Declan is growing and doing REALLY well & I still need to write an ezine...LOL
Follow Simon Daykin
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
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.
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
A survey done by Mercure Hotels of 1000 couples found that 60% of couples fall out with friends and family over wedding planning. That sucks! But I know it’s true. It’s often why couples come to us to help them plan their wedding.
Melissa Micallef from Mercure hotels said: ‘This research shows that couples often lose sight of their own dreams for their special day in trying to please other people. ‘Having a professional to take care of the planning details alleviates a lot of that stress. Making the most romantic day of someone’s life a dream come true takes a special type of person who is not only creative, diplomatic and meticulous, but above all a romantic who understands that every couple is unique.’
I pride myself on having built my company over the last 6 years on the above attributes. We’ve had many, many happy couples over the years and helped them achieve unique weddings inspired by both of their personalities. And when your personality is reflected in your wedding your friends and family are ultimately happy because they can see that the day is truly a reflection of the love you share.
I hope that we can help you. I’m excited to help you. Just click here to inquire about how we can help you plan your perfect day.
You can view the article here.
By Ciara Daykin
As I celebrate 5 years of being married I look back at my own wedding planning and 5 years later I can tell you from my point of view as a bride what I’m glad I did and what I wish I had done.
My own wedding was my inspiration to begin my wedding planning business which has grown significantly over the years and helped many couples have their dream day. What I learned from my own wedding I have passed on to the couples who’s weddings I help plan and now I want to pass on this wedding wisdom to you.
What I Would Do Again…
1) Marry Simon- I have to be a little bit cheesy in this article because afterall it’s my 5 year wedding anniversary as I write this. But I wouldn’t change the man if I had to do it all over again.
2) Write Our Own Vows- Simon and I spent quite a bit of time writing our own vows for our wedding. It was so worth it. It’s the part of our wedding that I cherish the most. We actually spent a lot of time designing our entire ceremony with our priest. Cool thing, that same priest is going to baptize our new son Declan in a couple of weeks.
3) Plan It Together- We planned our wedding together. It wasn’t me locked up in a room planning by myself. Simon was very involved and therefore our wedding was a reflection of both of our personalities and that made it a lot of fun.
4) Prolong the Party- We planned a wedding weekend in Banff and all our friends and family made it a vacation. We went rafting, sightseeing, and generally partied all over Banff. It was an absolute blast.
What I Would Change…
1) I’ve Become a Fan of Flowers- I went the cheap route and didn’t do my due diligence when it came to choosing my florist. Oh the wonderful florists I know now that I wish could have design my wedding flowers! My wedding flowers died during the pictures and when my bridesmaids asked if they could throw away their bouquets I said, “sure but take them down to the river and take the photographer with you.” And that’s where we got the most amazing picture… lemonade out of lemons!
2) A Pro Videographer- I have to say I love my wedding video but my husband laughs and says it was the IKEA of wedding videos… we had to put it together ourselves. Our friends videotaped the day but I ended up doing the video editing myself. I love watching it on our anniversary or if I’m super mad at Simon (hey- it makes you remember why you love him!) and if I had to do it over again I would put some of the budget towards a pro videographer.
3) I Would Eat- One of the biggest pieces of advice I give to my brides is you have to eat during the day. I look back at my photos and I remember being starving! I wish I’d eaten something as you can really see how exhausted I am in my wedding photos which makes me really upset. I perk up again in the photos at the reception but by then it was too late.
Ciara’s Bridal Advice
The biggest thing I would do again is have my team help with the day. Although we were in the very early stages, Firefly was there as the wedding coordinator making sure that everything I had planned came to life. I didn’t have to set up, tear down or deal with the nitty gritty on my wedding day and I will forever be thankful for that.
I’ve been a bit quiet for the last little while but my life has been anything but quiet! On July 14th at 1:55pm I welcomed into the world our new little baby boy Declan Rhys Glendon Daykin. He is so adorable and sweet. And has definitely been keeping Simon and I on our toes. The picture featured here was taken by our friends at White Dress Photography. If you want to see more pictures of Declan you can find them here.
While I’ve been a bit tied up Team Firefly has been busy working on weddings. It’s been a busy summer and fall is coming quickly and seems to now be the most popular time of year to get married. We have some fantastic couples that we’ve been working with and their relationships have been giving us the inspiration for their wedding decor. I can’t wait to show you what we’ve come up with.
Today has special significance to me though. It’s my 5 year wedding anniversary with Simon. 6 years ago while we were planning our wedding I was inspired to start Firefly Occasions and here we are both working at the company with a great team and we’ve just added a baby to the mix. It’s been an adventure to say the least! But my wedding anniversary provided me with the inspiration for my article today. I was thinking back to that magical day and I know as you plan your wedding and deciding where to spend your wedding budget you’re wondering what will really make a difference and what will not. Well, 5 years after my wedding I want to share with you what sticks out in my mind and what I’d change if I did it all over again (same guy though!). Check back next week for my list!
Love and bridal bliss,
Ciara
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.
Cupcakes, Candy Bar, Wedding Cake, Sundae Bar, there are sooooo many options! Probably my current favourite is the Sundae Bar we posted earlier this week on the blog:). However, I can’t have it all and my unhealthy obsession with Crave Cupcakes has taken over. The majority of my guests are travelling from Ontario and though they have their own cupcake shoppes there, I know many are looking forward to tasting these little mouth-fulls of joy that I won’t stop talking about . We’ve decided to go with a sweet table of mini cupcakes, macaroons and a 6” cake. This week I came across so many cute options for cake toppers and I’m really excited for the topper we’ve selected. I didn’t want a traditional Husband and Wife cake topper and I wasn’t sure what I did want. Luckily, Etsy.com never fails and I found an abundance of great ideas! I really liked the “Love” topper and custom colours were an option which is wonderful. However, I really fell in love with this sugar rose. I can’t believe the talent some people have. Can you believe this is made from sugar!? I’m curious to see how it’s shipped? Hopefully it’s not in little pieces when it arrives. They do say though that they won’t ship to Canada….minor detail haha that’s not stopping me.
Now that we’re within our six month mark to the wedding we can finally arrange a meeting for our cupcakes and cake… one of the only aspects my fiance has any interest in.
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.
At one of our weddings we arranged for Italian opera singers to dress up as waiters. Nobody except the bride and groom had any idea. When these waiters started to sing, the guests were pleasantly surprised. They sang a very special song that was sung to the bride by the grandfather when she was a little girl. This was a very special memory at this beautiful Italian wedding!
Every Monday we post a question or hot topic on Twitter and Hash tag it. On Fridays we collect our responses and post them here on our blog for all to read. To join the fun and post your responses, go to www.twitter.com and follow Him @simon_daykin and Her @CiaraDaykin. Don’t forget to add your hashtag #fireflywed when you post your response for next week’s blog.
QUESTION
CiaraDaykin: Would you have a crazy hairdo for your wedding or keep it conservative? Answers w/hashtag #fireflywed to be posted on blog
TWITTER RESPONSES
shannacremers @CiaraDaykin: Conservative for sure. When I look back in 40 years the last thing I want to say is “What was I thinking!” #fireflywed
JerricaG #fireflywed: I would definitely go conservative, I don’t want to look back in 20 years and say, “What the heck was I thinking?”
Robynbeazley @CiaraDaykin If I did it over again – wild! #fireflywed
FACEBOOK RESPONSES
Sheila Barbagianis-Comer: Originally I wanted my hair to be a lot more rocker faux-hawk-ish, but it just didn’t work with my traditional dress. We had to take it down a notch to the more tamed version, but it still looked pretty awesome!
Robyn Beazley: If I did it over again – wild.
Let’s be serious. Nobody hearts Mondays. So every Monday we are here to lighten the mood and talk about things we do heart.
She and He heart Bedazzle my Bonbons.
Don’t be fooled by these bedazzled little bon-bons, they look too good to eat… yet they are completely edible. –And delicious! The glittery chocolate comes in six different flavors and 24 different colors. Flavors include mint, raspberry and even peanut butter. They are perfect for dessert displays, or just for indulging at a bridal shower. The glittery little treats have been featured in magazines and have generated their fair share of buzz over the past few years. The bon-bons consist of Belgium and Swiss chocolate. So how can this glitter they’re covered in be edible you ask? The glitter is a combo of sanding sugars and cake colorings which have no taste or even texture. If you’re interested in finding out more about these little gems visit: www.bedazzlemybonbons.com.
Every Monday we post a question or hot topic on Facebook and Twitter and hashtag it. On Fridays we collect our responses and post them here on our blog for all to read. To join the fun and post your responses, go to www.twitter.com and follow Him @simon_daykin and Her @CiaraDaykin. You can also join the Firefly Occasions Inc. Facebook group. Don’t forget to add your hashtag #fireflywedding when you post your response on Twitter.
Click the Image Below to see the responses:
Follow the fabulous lives of the firefly team every Thursday. See what our past clients have had to say and take a sneak peak at our events, weddings and other special events.
Your weekly dose of pop culture is posted by JessiFirefly.
“California girls, we’re unforgettable, daisy dukes, bikinis on top. Sun-kissed skin, so hot we’ll melt your popsicle…” – Nobody said it better than Katy Perry. She sent out her save the dates which are more like “save the weeks”. Russell Brand and his lovely fiancé got engaged in India. A week long wedding ceremony in India would be truly unique and amazing. It’s a tradition in India to extend the wedding celebrations for an entire week. The cards that the couple sent out were in the shape of a henna tattooed hand with an engagement ring on it. I can imagine the celebs have a very exciting week planned for their lucky guests attending the ceremony. If you want your wedding to be spectacular and far from cookie cutter, similar to the celebrity couple, planning a Royal Indian theme wedding is a fabulous idea. Imagine rich colors, elaborate jewelry, delicious Indian food, vibrant colored flowers and intricate patterns on detailed wedding attire. Perhaps Katy will wear a traditional Sari for her rehearsal dinner or even the wedding?
Indian weddings are very sacred and traditional and include many special rituals which last a week long. My favorite ritual is one that takes place in many communities of the Hindu Religion. The sisters-in-law hide the shoes of their jija (brother-in-law) and returns them only in exchange for money. Indian wedding or not, I would sure love to part-take in this fun filled ritual! If you’re interested in more information on how to have a traditional Indian wedding visit http://weddings.iloveindia.com.
Whether your wedding is this summer or next you need a wedding planner. Even if it’s just to take care of all the details on your wedding day, it’s totally worth it!
Brides have a lot on their minds leading up to their wedding day and it can be completely overwhelming. But wedding planning should be fun, not stressful. We don’t want you to get to your wedding day and just want it to be over.
That’s why you need a Firefly Occasions wedding planner. We can help you with everything from choosing the venue, down to choosing the napkin fold, or we can customize a program for you to help you just where you feel it’s most needed.
Our bride from this past Saturday posted this message on facebook that I wanted to share with you:
“Thank you Ciara and Simon & the team at Firefly Occasions for a wonderful wedding! We couldn’t have done it without you and everything was amazing!!! (Even though it had to be inside…)ha ha.” -Amanda
We’ll send you a free gift just for asking how we can help you (we’re fun like that!). So email us at info@fireflyoccasions.com or call us at 1-800-791-5636 ext 701.
by Ciara Daykin
It was supposed to be a beautiful springtime outdoor wedding but when snow started falling in Calgary in May we knew the wedding would need to be moved inside. Luckily our backup plan worked out perfectly and the couple were married with a backdrop of a beautiful oak wall with lime green and brown lampshade chandeliers. The aisle was lined with green amaranthus and guests sat in gold chiavari chairs.
The bride and groom had a ton of fun taking photos with Perry Thompson Photography and returned to their room at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce which had been completely transformed into their reception. Tables had corkscrew place card holders, green napkins, chocolate brown dupioni silk table cloths and of course the gold chiavaris. You can see that chairs really do make a difference in the atmosphere of the room. The centerpieces were a combination of low boxes filled with green button mums, freesia and roses and tall lampshades on a vase with green orchids floating inside.
Click on the thumbnails below for a better view of these awesome pictures from Perry Thompson Photography!
