Ancaster Wedding Show

Incase you missed it, this past weekend on Sunday, August 22nd, 2010 Elite Events Management exhibited at the Ancaster Wedding Show at the Ancaster Fairgrounds, from 10:00am - 5:00pm. Brides to be, along with many mother, friends, grooms, and families lined up eager to enter and see the 100+ vendors from all across Ontario. From DJs, Photographers, Florists, and many many more, the vendors pulled out all the stops to impress the newly engages couples.

We, Elite Events Management, were located near the entrance, displaying our show stopping Candy Buffet's! And they were a HUGE hit! With the crowd nearing 200-300 guests at times we were very busy. Check out our Facebook page for some great snap shots of the Candy Buffet set up. Some other great vendors worth a mention were: Shkank Inc. a Toronto designer specializing in couture custom made dresses, check them out at www.shkank.com and Sticks and Stems Floral Studio, a Waterdown based floral design company, at www.sticksandstems.ca.

Overall this tradeshow was a great success, and we had such a great time meeting all the soon to be wed couples. We truly love the energy and excitement that radiats from the brides and are looking froward to working with those we met! So keep an eye out for Elite Events at the next local wedding tradeshow, you will have to come and check us out to see what next surprise we will be exhibiting!

-Jennifer

CLiC Backyard BBQ - Event Review

Last night was the CLiC Backyard BBQ. It was a wonderful night under the stars, not too hot and luckily it did not rain!! The event was held at the beautiful Hamilton Art Gallery. Every time I go to the Gallery I realize how beautiful it is. As an event planner I see many lovely buildings, but I have to say the Art Gallery really stands out due to the uniqueness of the building and also because of its modern appeal. There really is not one other venue in the greater Hamilton area that has such a modern feel, it is definitely one of a kind. Many people do not know that they can rent the space out for different events, so I just wanted to share with you all that you can, and they also have different rooms that can hold a variety of numbers! And you should at least look into using the Gallery for your next event!! If you are looking for something that stands out, I would strongly suggest it!

Anyway, back to the event; CLiC hosts a variety of events throughout the year, this was the summer event, and we were definitely celebrating the summer season! During the event they had a curator showing a new collection, they had DJ Johnny Angels 78 SPIN – OUT, he was spinning vintage 78 RPM’s, they has a water colour painting demonstration and also, they were showing a new artists collection that was for rent or purchase. It definitely had a old fashioned beach party feel, of course on the menu was watermelon, pulled pork, bean salads and corn on the cob. I definitely think it was a great event, I really appreciated the dedication and effort that went into planning it, as this is something I notice. If anyone is interested in the Hamilton Art Gallery, and they are a young professional I would suggest joining CLiC, becoming a member and really take advantage of everything they have to offer from networking opportunities to art sales, and really everything and anything to do with the Gallery.

Keeping it Fresh!

As an event planner there's more that goes on than just planning someones event for them. As both Lindsay and I have mentioned before in previous posts, you have to think of ALL the little details, communicate, design, mediate...etc. So I find it extremely important to keep up on all the latest trends and new ideas out there in the wedding and event industry. Brides for example are constantly wanting something that will bring a flare of uniqueness to their wedding, something that will make people talk. So we are constantly on the Internet, browsing through magazines (http://www.todaysbride.ca/,http://www.weddingbells.ca/ ) , and watching the latest wedding shows on TLC (http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/weddings) (LOL). This is important because we are the experts, the ones who are giving the professional opinion, so essentially it is our job to be able to provide our clients with the most recent up and coming trends and ideas. I personally love doing this, it is always amazing to see someones face when you suggest that special idea that just blows their mind! So again, we hope you are enjoying our posts and hope some of these things we blog about spark ideas of your own, and inspire you to think outside of the box!

~Jennifer

Everything in between...

Events in general are to celebrate something. In life we like to celebrate the milestones and everything in between that we can make into a party with friends and family. Usually, when we are hired for events we are told that this is a very special occasion because...every reason is different, however, the commonality would be that it is important to that particular group.

Every time we meet with a client we try to find out why exactly this event has to be so special. It is very important for a planner to understand the goal behind the event. Once we have this knowledge we are able to put ourselves into that persons perspective, hence creating the event of their dreams...(hopefully so)! It is a really unique experience getting to know someone to realize their motives for having an event, and it is something that I personally really enjoy. I get to create something for my clients that ultimately does not only represent myself but also the person who has hired me. I love being able to deliver for someone and create something that is bigger and better then they could have even thought of, but it is something that they wanted...it sounds strange, but this is true. I recently had a client say to me, ``Wow I would have never been able to describe this to you, but this is exactly what I wanted for this event, (Sarah Miller).``

This is why choosing Elite Events Management is the right decision for you. We will create the event of your dreams, that leaves a lasting memory for all those who attend.

Lindsay

A Little Lesson in Etiquette

Ok, here it is all you recently engaged couples open those ears for a little lesson in etiquette. Soon to be brides take some notes, we are going to discuss Wedding Invitation Etiquette. There are three common invitation faux pas to avoid when writing and wording your invitations.

"Mr. and Mrs. ... plus family"
You wedding is in most regards a family affair. But how are you supposed to send out invitations to a whole family and how can you word this eloquently? Answer: Include all the names of the family members. Everyone should be properly addressed when invited to your wedding and this should be stated clearly on the card. For those families who have children above the age of 18, there should be separate invitations sent, even if they still do live in their parents home.

"No Boxed Gifts"
Lets answer this one strait up. It is not good etiquette to discuss gifts ANYWHERE on the invitations. Any registry information should be kept off of the invite. A gift is just as it sounds "a gift" it should not be something that is mandatory, and people should not be obliged to give one (this is a whole other topic in etiquette). If you are concerned about this and still do prefer to have no boxed gifts, just money, speak with your bridal party and spread the information by word of mouth. If you are still going to set up a registry, consider having a wedding website to post this link, along with other important details of your wedding.

"No Children"
If you would prefer an adults only affair it is perfectly fine, that is your choice and is accepted. Now to avoid any confusion about this you must word your invitation to those you only want to attend. Traditionally only those named are invited, but one step further is to provide an RSVP card with the names already written on it. If an RSVP comes back with the children written on, a polite phone call will do to straighten out the misunderstanding. 

Well I hope all you brides to be have taken notes and understand a little bit more of proper wedding etiquette. Remember if you are unsure consult a professional, you do not want to be faced with an embarrassing situation!

-Jennifer

Under the Stars...Event Review

Last night we had the privilege of being apart of the Under the Stars dinner/dance at the 50 Point Marina. This was a fundraising event with funds going to both the Conservation Authority Charity and The Children's Charity of Hope. It was the forth year of this dinner dance charity fundraiser, and this was the first year Elite Events Management was involved. With our involvement the number of guests was increased by over 50% and this year they raised over $2000 compared to $700 last year.

At the beginning of the day we were worried that the weather was not going to cooperate with us and since this was an outside event we needed the weather on our side. We had our fingers crossed and it worked because the weather pulled through and it did not rain. However, it was a bit chilly but when the dancing started that breeze really felt great! Since we were able to have the amazing Mr. DJ Perri at this event, everyone was up dancing the entire night, it was a Gidget style dance party outside under the stars! It was definitely a night to remember, a summer sensation that surpassed our expectations.

Destination Spectacular - Your Top Ten

With the heat of the summer coming to an end, and August finally rolling around the summer wedding season is almost done for 2010. Another great year to celebrate a summer wedding has just about come to a close but many of you have a less traditional idea in mind for the wedding of your dreams. Not worrying about what the weather will be like here with the ever changing seasons, many have jumped on a plane and flown down south or across the world with their loved ones to celebrate their marriage in a foreign country.

So here you go everyone, the Top Ten destinations for those considering a destination wedding. And all you Canadians will be proud to note the special Ontario destination that made this list!

1) Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

2) Las Vegas, Nevada

3) Mayan Riviera, Mexico

4) Venice, Italy

5) Ocho Rios, Jamaica

6) Bordeaux, France

7) Maui, Hawaii

8) Muskoka, Ontario

9) Palm Beach, Aruba

10) Barcelona, Spain

There it is! Top Ten places to have a destination wedding, to see more information about the Top Ten choices please check the Fall/Winter issue of Wedding Bells Magazine.

-Jennifer