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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.
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.
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.
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
Wish You Could Afford A Wedding Planner?
Many brides whish they could afford a wedding planner but you’ve been given a budget and you’re sticking to it. But it sure would be nice to have some help finding vendors that suit your personality, a venue that matches your style, and assistance with fitting all your details into your budget. Well I’ve got great news! A Firefly Occasions Wedding Planner can fit into your budget! We have a variety of programs to suit your personality, style and budget and we help brides save money on their wedding while providing them with a haute couture experience. Just click here to talk with us about how a wedding planner could fit into your budget. We’ll send you a free gift just for asking (we’re nice like that!).
With the average wedding producing 400 pounds of garbage and 63 tons of Co2, it’s not surprising that we are seeing more and more couples looking to plan a greener wedding. Here are 10 ‘eco-chic’ wedding tips from our friends at SmartBride Boutique.
Bonus Tip: The Honeymoon
Go eco! Eco-tourism is a blossoming industry. Why not spend your honeymoon at a romantic eco-friendly resort, hotel or spa? This way you get to show your love for your new spouse and the planet.
About SmartBride Boutique:
SmartBrideBoutique.com is a premium wedding classifieds website, helping today’s savvy brides create the wedding day of their dreams on a realistic budget without sacrificing designer names, fabulous style or the environment. Past and present brides connect online to buy, sell and save on everything wedding. Smart Brides can have their cake and eat it too!
by Simon Daykin
It’s been a busy few weeks since we last chatted. We hired a bunch of new staff 
coz we’re booking mad weddings. I painted my future son’s room, built him his crib, a change table-dresser thing and Ciara sorted out all his clothes and put them into said dresser thing. Plus I did a 7 hour tattoo sitting with my Tattoo guy Vince Wishart, an amazing artist who I whole heartedly recommend to all my friends looking for ink, check out his talent at www.wish-art.net. Arm’s a bit sore, but I can still type so it’s all good. Our Associate Planner Kendra went up to Kicking Horse Resort in British Columbia to be wined and dined and the group had to be rescued from the mountain top due to a freak snowstorm…the photos are up here so you can check out the perils we face each day to make sure your wedding is the one your guests will be talking about for all the right reasons. Better us rescued than you right!?!?
I also had a top secret meeting last week that I can’t talk about, so you’ll have to stay tuned to see what that is all about…it’s pretty cool…well I think it is anyway! Seems winter is getting one last kick at the can before it leaves us and makes way for sunny, sunny days. We’re still taking bookings for 2010 and we’re meeting with couples who want to get a head start on their 2011 weddings. It’s never too soon to book a Wedding Planner to make sure you get the vendors, venue and dream wedding you want. Click here to secure your free consultation with us info@fireflyoccasions.com.
Get
into the planning groove by having our Associate Planner guide you along the way. You want to plan your own wedding but you don’t want to leave anything out and you certainly don’t want to be working on your wedding day. Instead we’ll help you get into the groove and keep grooving stress free and all the way to the altar! This is the perfect program for brides who’ve started planning but are feeling a bit stuck. Click here for more info.
by Ciara Daykin
I have been super busy with weddings and events. We’ve been building our team and things are rocking! I also just got back from my live event where I was coaching wedding planners from across North America. We’re so pleased that so many of you have written to tell us how much you like our new website and logo. We’ll be launching more and more new and exciting ways for you to discover cool wedding ideas with us so stay tuned.
I know that there are a lot of places you could be getting your wedding information but I really appreciate that you’re getting your info here from me. We now have over 10,000 brides who subscribe to this ezine!
I also have some very exciting news to share with you today… I’m expecting a baby! A baby boy in fact! He’s due July 15th and he’s our first. Simon and I are really excited. But you’re probably thinking- what about weddings Ciara? Well, I’ve got some fantastic clients lined up for early summer but I won’t be doing any weddings personally in the late summertime. That’s why our team has been growing! And our Associate Planners are making a fabulous impression on our brides and grooms. They have been trained in the Firefly Occasions style of planning and handpicked by me to represent the company. We are quite booked up for the summer already but we do have some opportunities left to work with us so please do email us by clicking here to find out which program would be the best fit for you.
Now what about weddings going ahead? Don’t worry! I’m not going anywhere. But I am becoming more and more exclusive in regards to the brides and grooms I’m working with. I’ll only be working with haute couture brides and grooms whose weddings we are fully planning and designing. This is really where I shine as a planner and designer and where I’ll be focusing my attention. If you feel that you could be one of these couples please contact us by clicking here to come in for an interview to ensure it would be a good fit.
Sparkle, Groove, Captivate
Our new wedding programs have officially launched and they are getting an awesome response! Run by our Associate Planners, these are flying out the door (they’re tons of help for you but easy on your budget!) so if you want to get some wedding help you need to contact us now by clicking here.
Sparkle- Sparkle on your wedding day instead of fizzle because of the stress. Our Associate Planner will WOW you and your guests with keeping the day running smoothly and well organized. Click here for more info.
Groove- Get into the planning groove by having our Associate Planner guide you along the way. You want to plan your own wedding but you don’t want to leave anything out and you certainly don’t want to be working on your wedding day. Instead we’ll help you get into the groove and keep grooving stress free and all the way to the altar! Click here for more info.
Captivate- Let us help you captivate your guests with your radiance! Imagine planning your wedding with our Associate Planner who guides you through each step and connects you with your need to know vendors. Every detail is taken care of and your guests are WOWed by all your special details. You enter and you captivate! Click here for more info.
By Simon Daykin
Right then, We’re gonna do it a little different this issue no pictures, just info!!! During the Bridal Fair I got a ton of questions about what to look for when going after a Wedding Planner. You know you need one, but you want to make sure you get the right one. You don’t want a “CCP” or a little old blue haired lady that has no idea what the current trends and styles are, so you need to know what to look for yes!?! Oh, “CCP” is a phrase I coined that means “Clipboard Clutching Planner”, this planner resembles a deer in the headlights, but with a clipboard! So below are my 8 Simple Rules To Finding A Wedding Planner.
Here we go in no particular order…
1. Can They Provide “The Hook Up”?
Does the Wedding Planner have good relationships with vendors and venues? Can they pull you the discounts? Do vendors and venues want to work with them? We pass on all the discounts that we get from vendors DIRECTLY to our clients, and we get those discounts because we bring those vendors a lot of business and they love working with us. Having your planner be able to “hook you up” is one of the reasons you hire a planner in the first place. Your planner should be fighting for you to get you the best deals they can.
2. Are They Insured?
Pretty simple question no??? A lot of planners are not insured, they rely on venue insurance which doesn’t always cover them. You MUST make sure that in the event of any kind of accident, both you and your planner are covered. Wearing a lampshade on your head at a party (when it’s your choice) can be hilarious, having a lampshade fall from the ceiling and bonk one of your guests on the noggin….not so funny. It’s your ass, so cover it guys!!!
3. You Got A Real Purdy Website
What is their web presence like? Do they have a great site out there? People seem to love this internet thing and do tons of research before they even contact a planner. So take a look at the planner’s website. And this is always a red flag for me…do they have a real email address. Is it weddingplanner25@hotmail.com or is it info@fireflyoccasions.com? Have they taken the time to set up a real email? This may be the web snob in me, but I feel that real email addresses are REALLY important!
4. And Speaking Of Websites…
Really look at the portfolio section. Does the planner have a varied portfolio or do all the weddings kinda look the same? You want your wedding to be as unique as you, so you need to know that the planner can pull off a unique wedding. You don’t want to become just another wedding in the eyes of your guests. Also look to see if the venues in the back ground are different. If the planner works mostly with the same venue I find that they become “lazy” in their design strategies and reproduce old weddings, and you don’t want that either.
5. Full Time, Part Time Or Just Time To Time
Does the planner you’re looking at work as a planner full time? You want to be able to contact your planner when you need to. If they are at their day job from 9-5 do you really think you’ll get their best when they get home and THEN start planning your wedding? When I’m done at work, all I want to do is watch TV and veg the hell out. So are they planning weddings full time or is this a hobby business for them? I don’t want to knock newer planners or part time planners, but if I were building a house, I’d hire a guy who builds homes for a living, not a guy who builds them in his spare time. Hire a professional. I’m just sayin’…
6. “Preferred” Isn’t Always A Good Thing
In the wedding industry there are things called preferred vendor lists. When you meet with a venue they may recommend people to you. This seems great, the venue says they’re cool…so they must be, right? Well not always. Preferred vendor lists can be bought. A vendor can give the venue a chunk of money to be on that list. The venue may not have EVER even worked with them, but they pay, so they play. Ask the venue if their list is based on reputation and talent or if companies can simply buy a spot on the list.
7. Is Your Planner An “Expert”?
Does your planner travel? Do they attend conferences? Hell, do they speak at those conferences? Is your planner an Expert in their field? I feel planners should travel and always be learning more stuff, because let’s face it…you can’t be trekking all over hells half acre looking for new wedding trends. It’s the planner’s job to do the learning for you and bring that to the table when planning and designing your wedding. Ask them if they belong to any Associations, if they speak at conferences and if they travel to track down the latest and greatest in wedding stuff.
8. And Finally, Do They Know You Exist?
When I was getting married, I had to insert myself into any meeting I wanted to attend, because most planners only focus on the Bride. It’s not their fault, they don’t know any better. They focus on the Bride because history tells them the Groom wasn’t interested. Well that was THEN, this is NOW and we’re re-writing history here fellas. Make sure your planner knows you, the Groom exists and that you want your opinion heard. When you meet with your planner for the first time, make sure you attend that meeting. You can get a lot from a first impression, if the planner doesn’t ask you your opinion when they first meet you, it’s a good bet they won’t…ever!
Simon’s Gutsy Groom Advice
I know some of the above points may seem a little harsh, but after some of the questions I got last weekend I had to write this. I hate having the Groom overlooked in the planning process. Now I can’t do anything for you if you take yourself out of the process, but you won’t do that will you???
The thing is, the odds are very good that you will not figure out you hired the wrong planner until your big day comes and it all goes pear shaped. So if you follow these 8 simple rules, you’ll have a better chance of getting it right the first time. And don’t be afraid to ask the planner for references, ask them to hook you up with their past clients, the parents of past clients, hell…ask them for vendor references from photographers or DJ’s etc they have worked with in the past. See what the other pros in the industry have to say about them.
It never gets any better than a first impression, you’ll be spending a lot of time with the planner you choose so make sure it’s a good fit.
Click here to book your free consultation with Firefly Occasions & Gutsy Groom and we’ll take care of everything…and everyone!!!
By Ciara Daykin
It doesn’t matter what venue you’re getting married in or where you’re having your wedding reception, it’s all about the logistics. From the way you organize the timing of your entrance to the reveal of your wedding cake you can use each opportunity to WOW your guests. And the best part, is it’s simply the logistics of the day, and often these little tweaks are low cost to no cost for any bride and groom to do.
Enter With A Big Oooo Ahhh
Every bride wants all eyes on her when she enters into the room. Well, at a wedding we did (that actually won the award for 2008 Best Ceremony Décor in Canada) we had the bridal party walk down the aisle to a string trio playing Pachabel’s Canon. Pretty typical wedding right? But then… when the doors opened to reveal the bride, instead a trumpeter walked out of the doors and joined in the song and then the bride followed. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Sure we could have had the trumpeter standing with the rest of the band the entire time but then we would have missed out on the DRAMA!
Cocktails Blah, Dinner OMG!
At a wedding we did on New Year’s Eve we had the cocktails take place in one third of the ballroom. We used all the hotel furniture and linens and had a couple of simple white flower arrangements. It was pretty but nothing out of this world. But then when it came time for dinner, we opened the airwall separating the ballroom and revealed an amazing dining area complete with an 80’ red drape backdrop, silver chiavari adorned tables with overflowing red flower centerpieces, lampshade chandeliers and pinspotted tables. People’s arms shot up trying to take pictures over other guests.
No extra money was spent on this big reveal. We could have had the airwall open the entire time. But to give the guests a big surprise it was logistically brilliant to keep the airwall closed so they could all experience the reveal at the same time.
Wedding Cake Goes From Hum Drum to Holy Wow!
One of my favorite ways to do this is with the wedding cake. At one wedding we put it on a stage above all the guest tables. It was a beautiful cake with butterflies on it and we put up a white drape behind it, lit it from behind and attached faux butterflies to the drape to make it look like the butterflies were flying off the cake. It was a small logistical change from having the cake in the middle of the room at eye level but it increased the grandeur of this unique cake.
With that same wedding we got wind up butterflies and wound them up and put them inside each guest napkin and then put a Jones soda on top, which was the favor. When people went to undo their napkin a butterfly fluttered out causing big laughter and smiles of surprise.
Ciara’s Bridal Advice
Take a look at your wedding currently. Where are you spending your budget to impress your guests? With a simple logistical tweak could you double the impact? Comb through each detail and you’ll be surprised at where you could add in some lavish logistics.
By Ciara Daykin
I was reminded recently of a bride who neglected to thank her sister-in-law during a wedding shower and it tragically led to a 2-year rift in their relationship. The bride’s misstep in not thanking the other person was completely unintentional. It simply happened because she was invited to say a few words to everyone during the shower and she was so nervous speaking in public that she forgot to mention her sister-in-law. Long story short: Her sister-in-law didn’t speak to her for 2 years and the relationship is only now being mended.
It totally sucks and you don’t want this to happen to you!
There are a lot of things going on in a bride’s life as she gets ready for her wedding. Between showers and rehearsals and just showing off your ring and the wedding day itself, there’ll be a lot of times when peoples’ eyes are on you. Being the center of attention can be fun, but only if you’re ready.
If you haven’t done so yet, take the time to prepare a handful of speeches/ talking points which you can have memorized and ready to deliver at a moment’s notice. While you may not be giving speech after speech you’ll be telling your story multiple times… and there may be some parts you want to keep private, so figuring out what you want to share before you’re asked is the best idea. But don’t memorize them to the point where your delivery makes you sound like a robot. Here are some things you’ll need to cover:
How did you get engaged?- People will want to know and you’ll need to say it over and over. Make sure your story matches the mood of the engagement. Was it romantic? Make sure you highlight the romance in your story. Was it spontaneous? Make sure you highlight the spontaneity. Was it fun? Zany? Unusual? Highlight those elements and talk about why it is special to you. It’s fun to relive the moment and share why you said yes!Ciara’s Bridal Advice
Speaking in front of people can be scary, but what better way to let your personality shine through? Just be yourself and be sincere and your speech will be a hit. And don’t forget- your groom will more than likely have to give a speech or two as well, and he’s probably just as worried about it as you are! So why not write your speeches together and practice them on one another? Don’t forget to thank him in your speech either. He’s been putting up with all this wedding chaos too.
A BONUS TIP- Get some great thank you cards and practice the art of appreciation. Whether a friend buys you a wedding magazine, your aunt sends you some lace from your Gramma’s dress, or your girlfriends throw you a shower- you should be sending out sincere thank you cards. The more thank you cards sent before the wedding the more joy there will be at your wedding. (In my DIY Wedding Planning System I have a whole template to make thanking easy- it’s 50% off right now with code HOLIDAYS09.)
Ciara Daykin is the CEO of Firefly Occasions Inc. a wedding and event planning company with offices in Calgary, Alberta Canada and Beverly Hills, California, USA. Ciara’s popular bi-weekly ezine newsletter is read by over 7500 brides. Ciara is a frequent speaker at wedding industry functions and coaches other wedding planners across North America.
Ciara provides each bride she works with the haute couture wedding experience. Her planning website can be found at http://www.fireflyoccasions.com/ where you can sign up for her free report, “10 Tips to Take Your Wedding From Cookie Cutter to Couture.” She and her husband Simon Daykin are a husband and wife planning team and document their adventures on their popular blog http://sheandheplanweddings.com/
