The years have flown by and during a conversation the other day with my business partner/husband John, we began thinking about the number of Wedding Guides we have published and the number of area brides we have been privileged to share our wedding expertise with. We’ve laid out and proofed guides at the cottage, at the onset of the Gulf War, through our son’s minor illnesses, and during the unexpected loss of my mom, who always cheered me on. In her memory, The Canadian Cancer Society will always be included in our pages.
Holding the franchise for the Ontario region, we are part of a group of over 100 cities throughout the U.S., Great Britain and Australia. The Wedding Guide is the largest bridal planner in North America, marrying a multitude of brides annually in local city areas.
Publishing twice a year, we have been privy to over 30,000 weddings, during the past 17 years; brides and grooms who chose us for their wedding planning. We have gotten to know the best in the industry and recommend them and sing their praises, whenever we can.
Considered to be the wedding experts in this area, covering everything weddings from the “I Will” to the ‘ “I Do”, we have to acknowledge and salute our network of wedding professionals, who are there helping couples achieve their dream weddings. It is our belief that products and services originate from people who have ongoing professional interest in the wedding market and we are blessed with many talented professionals. It is a wonderful feeling to know that we are sharing the most important day of a couple’s life.
A wedding marks the beginning of an important time for a bride and her fiancé, and our publication contains great information and ideas in an extensive resource that addresses every detail of a wedding day. The digest sized format is convenient to carry to appointments and it is a valuable companion, practical and specific to this area.
http://www.theweddingguide.ca contains checklists, timetables, an interactive budget calculator (don’t miss this useful tool), Special Offer coupons and advice, while keeping a bride’s wedding plans organized. (See “Planning Tools” for printable checklists, wedding party duties, vendor deposit forms; everything to keep organized.
With a new website, around the corner, which is 21st century savvy in real time, we are excited to continue to deliver to this community what brides want and need.
Our reach has migrated to the social online networks with pages on Facebook and Twitter. Our new social online ‘widgets” are becoming an emerging bridal trend, as brides personalize their social pages with their very own, customized interactive, hi-res video players. We know relatives and family friends who cannot attend the wedding appreciate being part with these neat items. And, our announcement of WGNN, Wedding Guide News Network eight months ago is coming closer to being a reality for all the brides.
It is our belief that products and services originate from people who have ongoing professional interest in the wedding market and we are blessed with many talented professionals. Each category on our current website will direct you to a sampling of the vendors, with direct links to their respective websites. You will find many more wedding professional, throughout the pages of The Wedding Guide.
Portable in size, The Wedding Guide has been developed to help the bride make the correct choices, and to enjoy their engagement; a time that should be filled with joy, hopes and dreams- not stress. Our professional vendors understand a bride’s needs and are there to help handle the protocol and details and always available with new ideas and services.
To get The Wedding Guide Windsor/Essex County delivered to your inbox, please go to: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheWeddingGuide-Windsor/essex
Remember, “For Perfect Wedding Planning at Your Fingertips”, The Wedding Guide is the resource of choice.
Best wishes with your wedding day planning and for a happy life together. Please feel free to email us with any questions you may have regarding weddings in Windsor/Essex County.
Until later,
Sheryl Davies
Publisher
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Top it off with personality
The trend is to personalize just about anything having to do with your wedding. Why not your cake as well? Creative displays of monograms and the names of the bride and groom are topping layers of wedding cakes. From silver initials studded with crystals to subtle monograms in the frosting décor of the cake layers, it’s just another way to add a symbol of your new bond to the elements of your wedding day celebration. A cake topper with your initials joined together in or by a heart is a contemporary way to adorn your wedding cake with something much more personal than a stature of a bride and groom or a spray of flowers. You can even include flowers along with this signature design element. Another unique idea in toppers include one-of-a-kind glass hand-blown artworks.
Layers of fun
Today’s wedding cake bakers are creatively stretching the idea of what the traditional wedding cake can become. It used to be that choosing different flavours for each layer was somewhat cutting-edge, though it’s probably become more the norm when it comes to having a unique cake. In fact, some cakes might not be layered at all- there may be an assortment of four to five cakes, all varying in size, colour, and flavour, that are combined to make a wedding cake display. One of the hottest wedding cake designs today is that of layers of ornately decorated pillows (imagine the finest available to carry your ring down the aisle) stacked one on top of another. Today’s cakes incorporate all types of colour as well, and cake designers are not limited to the whites and creams of yesteryear. We are also seeing cupcakes remain as a cute trend as well as the emerging trends of macarons, a pastry with a colourful topping that can be hollowed and filled with gelato, cream or sorbet. Get more information on what you’ll need to think about when it comes to your wedding cake with The Wedding Guide.
Look perfect on your big day
If you believe the dress is the most important thing you’ll wear on your wedding day, think again. Your groom and your guests will forever remember your radiant face, sparkling eyes and elegant hair. The dress catches their attention only because it enhances your natural beauty. Nearly every woman wishes a team of professionals would arrive on the scene first thing every morning to make her look perfect and camera ready. But this luxury is actually a necessity for brides, according to wedding experts. Professional assistance is beauty insurance.
Don’t forget the moms
The biggest fashion decision for a wedding is, of course, the wedding gown itself. Next comes the attire for the attendants. Since the search for the perfect Mother-of-the-Bride dress may include a special order or custom tailoring, right after the bride and attendant attire is chosen is the perfect time for the bride to talk to the mothers about their ideas for the dresses. The bride should discuss her preferences of lengths, colours and styles with both/all mother. It’s important that the mothers’ gowns do not conflict with the colour of the attendants’-oftentimes because of this consideration, more neutral colours are worn by one or both mothers. A few traditions seem to hold when it comes to choosing Mothers’ attire: these dresses should never be longer than the bride’s or attendants’ gowns. The same goes for the style: they should not be more formal or lavishly decorated than the bride’s gown. Many bridal salons offer diverse selections of mothers’ gowns, check out our trusted salons online.
Shoe tips
Since you and your bridal party will be on your feet all day, and maybe much of the night, it’s important to pick wedding day shoes that are not only beautiful, but comfortable as well. Take into consideration all the wear and tear that you shoes will have to endure and add tip0s to protect the bottoms and heels of your shoes. If your shoes, or more likely your bridesmaids’ are dyed to match, you may want to also have them scotch guarded in order to protect them from rain and snow. Most wedding fashion salons have shoes for sale and can give you expert advice on what shoes work best with different types of attendant and bridal attire. Begin your quest for the right shoes early and try to break them in a little before the big day. Today’s bridal shoes are absolutely stunning and for shoe-loving brides, you’ll have a blast finding your perfect pair!
Until later,
Sheryl Davies
Publisher
Perfect Wedding Planning @ Your Fingertips since 1992
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Expert advice
Here at The Wedding Guide office, we live, eat and breathe weddings. If you have a specific question about protocol, etiquette or something that may be unclear to you, please go to “Ask the Editor” online for your private one-on-one conversation.
If you have a specific question about protocol, etiquette or something that may be unclear to you, please go to “Ask the Editor” online for your private one-on-one conversation. |
Facebook and The Wedding Guide Windsor/Essex County
As your local web portal for this area, www.theweddingguide.ca, we are constantly adding information to our Facebook site daily. Check in and see what’s new, what’s exciting and what’s cutting edge. These are tips that will make your wedding day go more smoothly.
Social Media Widgets We do these unique and innovative online social app tools for brides. Share with all your friends, family and wedding party, near and far. The cost is reasonable and the widget can be shared on all social media pages with your friends. (Facebook, Twitter and 50 more. For more information, contact us at dmscommunications.info or call us 519-252-8463.
Special Offers Online
Our wedding professionals have provided special money-saving offers to help you with your wedding cash flow. Check our online Special Offers, top right hand side to save money.
Planning Tools from us
Online under Planning, did you know that you can print out checklists, budgets, timetables and duties for your wedding day? Check out our handy organizational tools at www.theweddingguide.ca
Fabric Makes the Difference
Though you may fall in love with a particular style wedding dress, the fabric in which the dress is created can make it truly spectacular. Familiarize yourself with wedding dress fabrics, as certain ones are better suited to different weather and in creating a particular ambiance. For instance, tulle is often used as an overskirt in creating those fairytale gowns you may have dreamed of since you were a little girl. Different types of silks breathe better in the heat of summer while medium to heavy weight types of silks like Dupont or Peau de Soie, work well for dresses to be worn in the winter months. It truly pays to bone up on your fabric knowledge if you are having a custom-made gown of your own design.
Guy Wear
Though tuxedos are the typical choice for menswear for today’s modern weddings, they do come with many more choices than the typical white shirt, black bow tie, cummerbund, jacket, pants and suspenders. In fact, today’s tuxedos and accessories often incorporate more style and colour than the suits worn in past years past. Vests are often used with, or in place of, cummerbunds and come in various colours and fabrics. Bow ties, neck ties and ascots are often coordinated with the fabrics of the best or cummerbund as well. Cuff links and studs are not only functional, but are used as high-fashion accents to enhance the entire look of the tuxedo they are worn with.
Wedding Day Assistance
Maybe you couldn’t afford the services of a wedding consultant to plan your entire wedding. Or maybe you loved planning your own wedding but would prefer to have someone else take charge on your special day, so you can just relax and enjoy yourself. Hire a wedding consultant for the day! Provide clear, detailed notes and instructions for anyone that fills this special role for you. This could be the biggest luxury; or necessity- you give yourself!
Double check the details
Even though you may be a perfectionist, you’ll want to double (and maybe even triple_ check all your wedding day details. The perfect time to double check all the essentials is when you are getting ready to go to print with your invitations. Confirm the day of the week, date, time and location of your ceremony and reception. Go over the guest list to ensure there are enough invitations (including a few extra for addressing mishaps). Verify that you didn’t inadvertently miss putting someone on the list. You would be devastated if they weren’t a part of your wedding day. It’s a great idea to have your groom and someone else from both sides of the family review the list as well. Of course, carefully check the spelling of all the names and locations on your wedding invitation. If you haven’t ordered your invitations yet, check out our list of expert stationers. www.theweddingguide.ca
Keeping everyone happy
It would be great if there were an inside secret that would help make everyone happy on your wedding day, but unfortunately, there is no such thing. Keep in mind, while it is nice to be able to comply with other’s wishes, itis your wedding day. While considering any special needs of your family and friends, remember to be true to your feelings and values. Rest assured that those who love you will honour your choices. Take complaints with a grain of salt; there is always a perfectionist in every group that gathers together. Who knows, it may even be you! Whatever glitches may occur, make sure to relax, take it in stride and most of all, and enjoy your day.
Great new flavours
Though chocolate is still one of the most popular wedding cake flavours, new flavours always seem to make their way into today’s wedding cakes. The emergence of Latin cuisine into today’s mainstream culinary choices has brought the decadent flavours of dulce de leche (“sweet milk”, otherwise known as caramel), and trés leches (three milks- sweetened condensed, evaporated and regular) to super special wedding cakes, plated desserts, and even ice cream. Some popular and often unusual flavours today include: carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, Kahlua white Russian cake, cheesecake with strawberry filling, lemon with lemon curd filling, chocolate truffle, angel food with raspberry filling, banana chocolate chip, mocha cake and hazelnut filling, and even a cannoli cake. Make sure you schedule a tasting before selecting your wedding cake. Check out our article on wedding cakes so you can chose your dream cake and find your dream bakery.
Macarons are the new, hot pastry item and they can be served with sorbet, gelato, ice cream or just plain with a dollop of whipped cream Yummy!
Until next time,
Sheryl Davies
Publisher
The Wedding Guide Windsor/Essex County
Southwestern Ontario’s Official Bridal Magazine, planner & websiteServing brides for 17 years with local, expert advice.
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Many couples prefer a more candid style of photography to capture the essence of their wedding day that is often described as natural or unobtrusive. Instead of the numerous photographs of people grouped together and ready to smile at the photographer’s cue, they choose a relaxed yet elegant style of photography known as Wedding Photojournalism to document the activities of their special day.
Some brides and grooms think they may be turned off by this style, classifying it as the latest trend in wedding photography, thinking they don’t want a photographer that will produce or direct their wedding day by creating a “cliché” or “posed ” shots that were once leaders in the genre, like the wedding dress on a hangar or the groom dipping the bride during their first dance.
Actually, by definition, a true wedding photojournalist is there to record the events of your wedding, capturing it all as it happens. Whereas a traditional wedding photographer will mingle with your guests and allow his personality to work with him or her, the weddingphotojournalist is more of an observer, working as more of an outside documentation of the day’s events. Proponents of this style of photography say it results in much more emotion in the final product with truly heartfelt images.
If you think the wedding photojournalism is the style in which you’d like your wedding-day memories preserved, set appointments with several photojournalists to view their portfolios. Find the style that compliments yours.
Watch for Wedding Guide TV in hi-res, in shareable, but not subject to be stolen, format. This protects your photographer’s copyright and lets you post online without your images being used commercially.
Until later,
Sheryl Davies
Publisher
PRESS RELEASE
Bridal Idol 2010 Winners Announced by The Wedding Guide Windsor/Essex County
For Immediate Release
March 19, 2010
Windsor, Ontario
This year’s contest was much larger than year one, and the final night saw 400 people cheering on their brides at Place Concorde’s Canadienne Room. It was an exciting evening and Dawn-Marie Dominas from Dawn-Marie Entertainment was our hostess for the evening. Her 20 years of Karaoke and singing experience made her the perfect choice for this contest.
Dawn and her team spent 7 weeks, from January 27 to March 5, twice a week at The Whiskey Rock and Roll Bar and The Victoria Tavern, our two host clubs for the competition.
The winner of the competition was Bethany Danter (Jerritt Burton, fiancé) and she comes from a family of nine- with musician parents. Bethany says, ” Because of the fact that we have a large family and there are going to be plenty of weddings to pay for, in the near future- at least one of them is now financially easier. ” She adds, ” Special thanks to the businesses that were involved; it really was a great event. Bethany took home prizes worth $15,050.
Second place winner was Dana Thompson, who started performing the moment she could talk, singing into a broccoli microphone!! For 15 years, she taught at the Royal Conservatory of Music, performing in 8 different countries, Europe, Universal Studios and Disneyland. ” Bridal Idol seemed like the best thing to do after she got engaged to utilize her talent.” She is so thankful for the $3460 prize package that will assist her and fiancé Ryan Peladeau in planning their wedding.
The total prize package for the contest was $24,240 and contestants received prizes throughout the seven week competition throughout the preliminaries and semi-finals.
To view pictures and the 7 weeks of Bridal Idol competitions: http://www.facebook.com/Bridal.Idol?ref=ts
Bridal Idol 2010 ten finalists will all go directly to the quarter finals at Bluesfest Idol.- coming soon and ending on the big stage in July.
Media Contact: Sheryl Davies, Publisher, Wedding Guide Windsor/Essex County, 519-252-8463 . [email protected]
Bethany Danter Winner of Bridal Idol 2010 
Dana Thompson, 2nd place, Bridal Idol 2010
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