The Best Wedding Speech
A speech or toast should be brief - from 3-5 minutes in length. Start with a personal reflection or anecdote. How the bride and groom met is always a favourite. You can also use humour or a quote to get the speech or toast started.
Contributed by
of Canada, Alberta —
The Key To Finding A Great Wedding Officiant in Canada
Your wedding IS the ceremony, so be sure to get the perfect officiant. The number one way you will find a great wedding officiant is if they offer you a free - no strings attached - in person consultation. You need to meet your officiant, hear their voice, see if they are normal or "weird" (yes there are lots of weird ones), and just see if your personalities connect.
Contributed by Wedding Ceremont Officiant
of Toronto, Canada M9W 3B4 —
Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Tips
When planning a destination wedding, do your homework to make sure you're aware of the local customs and marriage laws of the destination country. For a memorable honeymoon, the bride and groom should make a separate honeymoon 'wish list' for their choices of location and activities and then compare lists to be sure you're both getting the honeymoon of your dreams.
Contributed by Travel Counsellors
of Tottenham, Ontario, Canada L0G 1W0 — 905-406-0106
Selecting Your Bridal Party
Having a hard time choosing your bridesmaids and groomsmen? Consider including family members (sisters, brothers, close cousins or even parents and stepparents) on both sides since friends can come and go.
Contributed by Blackwood Wedding Planning
of Calgary, Canada — 403-680-2320
Get the Wedding Photography You Want
Want to maximize your photography coverage on your wedding day? Make a list of wedding guests or things that "must" be photographed to your photographer before the wedding. Also give the list to a close friend or relative and ask them to simply go over it with your photographer once in a while to be sure you're getting everyone and everything documented.
Contributed by Photography by Rodrigo
of Toronto, Canada — 888-763-5170
Help Your Florist
When meeting with a potential wedding florist, bring any colour swatches or clips from magazines to show the types of flowers, colours or styles you like. This will help your florist to create bouquets that are perfect for you and better understand your vision!
Contributed by Trillium Floral Designs
of Kanata, Canada K2K2E1 — 613-599-6849
Making a Statement with Colour
If you want to add interest and punch to your wedding decor, add a strong colour accent to your table settings. For recepotion decorations with sophistication and style, begin with plain white tablecloths and chair covers, adding a strong contrast of deep red or black in your chair sashes and napkins.
Contributed by The Perfect Day Miramichi
of Napan, NB, Canada E1N 3A8 — 506-778-8016
Consider the Guest List When Booking a Venue
When planning a wedding, do your best to reserve a location that can accommodate your full guest list. Far too often couples book their wedding venue based on what they guess their RSVP number will be. This can cause significant problems if more people RSVP than what the venue can comfortably handle.
Contributed by Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort & Spa
of Osoyoos, Canada V0H 1V6 — 250-495-5445
Fresh Baked Wedding Cakes
It is very common for bakeries to use frozen cakes they buy from a supplier. Ask if your cake will be baked fresh and how many days prior to your wedding day. The Difference is night and day for the taste of your cake. Don't be afraid to ask the questions, it's a big purchase!
Contributed by
of St. Catharines, Ontario —
Best Wedding Videos
Book your videographer as soon as you get engaged. Waiting too long could diminish the number of good videographers from which to choose. Try not to book less than 2-3 months before the wedding.
Contributed by Video Service
of Brantford, Canada —
Love Your Wedding Photographer!
Meeting with your potential wedding photographer is a must. You and the photographer should be interviewing each other to make sure you're a good fit. Comfort and mutual cooperation is key. Don't get all stressed out just relax and make it fun! You should really love your wedding photogrpaher...
Linda
Contributed by Kap-chers Photography
of Calgary, Canada T3A 1A3 — 403-613-0979
Great Gift Idea for Bride, Groom and Bridal Party
A great gift idea for your Best Man and Maid of Honour is a small miniflip/HD video camera (Kodak, Sony, etc). Given prior to the wedding, it will ensure that great moments during the wedding planning and on the wedding day can be captured on video. You and your wedding videographer will love the extra footage.
Contributed by Pinto Pony Productions
of Toronto, Canada — 416-877-3984
Presentation is everything!
To save some money on food for your wedding reception, order the appetizers in platters. Use different sizes of empty cardboard boxes to create different levels on a table and loosely drape a matching table linen on top. This makes everything seem elegant and it looks fantastic!
Contributed by T.S. Weddings & Events
of Toronto, Ontario, Canada — 416-939-7481
Focus on what really matters
Hubby and I planned our wedding in 2 days by doing this: 1. Focus on each other 2. Stuck to our wedding budget 3. Delegated and trusted others 4. Chose reliable vendors and had them surprise us - much better than anything we could have expected.
Contributed by Katsura Designs
of Maple Ridge, Canada V2W 1W4 — 604-477-9030
Wedding Invitation Order Must
Most printers will add a few extra envelopes to your invitation order free of charge but you should still order extras of everything in your suite because if you need more printed later the unit price will be way higher than what you originally paid.
Contributed by We Do Printing
of Cornwall, Canada K6J 2Z4 — 613-933-7824
Taste That Wedding Cake
Visit the bakery to taste the wedding cake - or the cupcake if that is the case. The cake may look fabulous but it should taste good too. If the baker doesn't offer cake tasting, move on. Don't get stuck with leftover wedding cake that nobody wants to eat.
Contributed by Skystone Decorating & Design
of Surrey, Canada — 604-617-948
Prepare for Rainy Day Weddings
The weather is one of the few things you cannot arrange for your wedding. Make sure that you, your photographer or your wedding planner have some color coordinating umbrellas available. They'll make for extraordinary wedding photographs!
Contributed by
of Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2Z 0R8 —
Wedding Hair Tip
Washing your hair the day before the wedding will make it easier for your hairstylist to control.
Contributed by Brides Etc.
of Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6C 3X5 —
Wedding Favor Presentation Tip
Wedding favor presentation, as well as the favor itself, should reflect you as a couple. Thoughtfulness and creativity can speak volumes. A fun idea for setting out your favors is to hang them from each guest's chair. This is a unique way of showcasing your favors and a great way to dress up those reception chairs.
Contributed by The Favour Shoppe
of Newmarket, Canada L3X 2A7 — 416-554-5257
Put Your Best (Wedding Dance) Foot Forward!
Choose a first dance song and start learning the wedding dance choreography as soon as possible for the most polished first dance as husband and wife. Allow 3-4 months when signing up for wedding dance lessons.
Contributed by Dance Art Studio
of Richmond Hill, Canada — 416-878-4443