Five months after their magical wedding in Italy, Michele and Daniele renewed their vows in front of their family and friends in Toronto.  

Michele’s grandparents weren’t able to travel the distance to Italy for the wedding so Michele and Daniele recreated their special day for their special people in Toronto. 

The excitement was still there as the newlyweds prepared to celebrate their day again.  This time they walked down the aisle together.  It was great to see this special couple so excited again. 

After the renewal of the vows, guests continued the celebrations at their reception where again, they enjoyed an incredible Italian feast.  Guests were also treated to a special video presentation of the wedding celebrations in Italy which was truly magical.    

Michele and Daniele’s renewal of vows was all captured in photographs by the newly and talented photographer Sylvania Alfieri.  

Photo provided by Irina Photography

1.            Watching a beautiful couple renew their vows after 50 years.

2.            Hearing the groom tell his bride he really loves her more than soccer.    

3.            Hearing the groom tell his new mother-in-law, he promises never to miss a Sunday family lunch.

4.            Watching the father of the bride fill with emotion as he sees his little girl for the first time dressed in her gown.

5.            Telling the bride and groom the venue has upgraded their bar at no extra charge.   

Looking forward to 2012 Top 5 Most Memorable Wedding Moments.

Your engagement couldn’t have come at a better time with all the bridal shows coming up in the City so take advantage of the shows. 

I always ask my couples if they would like me to tag along with them at the bridal shows and the reason being is that sometimes the shows can be overwhelming for a newly engaged couple.  Walking around the bridal shows with your wedding planner in tow really makes the experience more enjoyable. 

Photo Courtesy of the Allure Wedding Show

Here are some tips to make the shows more enjoyable:

1.         dress light – Its January and that may not be possible but it does make it easier when walking around the show visiting and speaking with the vendors.

2.         prepare a stack of labels that include your names, date of wedding and contact information – this comes in really handy for all the give-aways the bridal shows offer. 

3.         make of a list of the vendors you must see that day and have questions for them.  Vendors are more than happy to answer all your questions for your big day.  

4.         know the shoe sizes of the members in your bridal party – those shoe sales at the bridal shows are hard to resist and having the shoe sizes come in handy if you see those “got to get”.

5.         try and take one or two people but no more. 

6.         have fun!  it may be overwhelming but bridal shows are fun – you have a chance to meet so many vendors, get great ideas and even win some prizes all under one roof!

The bride walked to church and the groom waited for his bride with a gorgeous boutique created by the local flower shop in the town. 

               Photos provided by skylightphoto.it

After their ceremony, the bride and groom had their traditional walk through the town as husband and wife.  Their guests walked with them and the townspeople showered them with blessings along the way.

                 Photos provided by skylightfoto.it

Their reception was held at La Tonnara –http://www.latonnara.it/en – a wonderful restaurant with a spectacular view of the Mediterranean Sea.  Guests feasted on sweet wine and mouth-watering Italian cuisine.

           Photos provided by skylightfoto.it

Some Canadian elements where brought into the wedding which really had the locals talking with excitement as they saw different ideas.  It was a spectacular day in a beautiful country with an equally stunning couple.    

Their beautiful day was captured by the talented team of httpp://www.skylightfoto.it

Five months later, Michele and Daniele renewed their vows in Toronto where they re-created their beautiful day for family in Toronto.  Yes, Michele got to wear her dress twice!  Michele and Daniele’s Wedding – Part II to follow.

I recently worked with a couple who initially told me they didn’t want a video of their wedding because they didn’t want to have to “act” for the videographer.  I explained to them the importance of having a recorded memory of their wedding day. 

Videos provide the sounds of the wedding.  You can hear your guests having a great time.  Whether it be watching your grandparents’ reaction as you walk up the aisle or see your reserved uncle bust crazy dance moves you thought he never had on the dance floor, the video is an important part of the wedding. 

This particular couple I worked with had so many happy moments captured on video that I overheard the bride tell her groom as they danced their last dance “I can’t wait to see the video”.

The video really makes your wedding day last forever.

About a month before the wedding they began asking for advice and quickly realized how much time and money I could have saved them.  I took them through all the details of their wedding to make sure all was covered.

The best request came one week prior to their long weekend wedding where they decided they really did want a videographer after all.  With the help of the great wedding professionals I work with, I was able to find them an amazing videographer – a task I know they would not have been able to do on their own in such a short period without the huge price tag. 

Every wedding needs a wedding planner.

Happy Planning!

Italy is so magnificent from the beautiful beaches the South has to offer to the rolling hills up North that any simple photo taken turns out stunning.

Most of us are familiar with the popular destinations in Italy like Venice, Rome, the Amalfi Coast and Milano but the small towns should not be overlooked when planning your wedding in Italy.

One venue I found, Locanda Dei Mail Intees is located in the medieval town of Azzale in Varese, a town very close to Milano.

Locanda Dei Mail is situated on a small hill which overlooks Laggio Varese. Couples have the option of an outdoor ceremony on the grounds or a Catholic ceremony in the church located right across the street.

Locanda Dei Mail Intees has 12 rooms and the dining area accommodates up to 100 guests. Their menu consists of a variety of wonderful local dishes and fine wine.

Other fine qualities this location has to offer that your quests will truly enjoy are:

- is only 30 minutes away from Milano Maplensa International Airport;

- very close to the great lakes – Lago Maggiore, Lago di Como, Lugano in Switzerland!;

- jump on the local train and in 45 minutes your quests are enjoying the fabulous shops of Milano;

- or guests can simply explore the surrounding area with guided horseback riding tours, wine tasting tours and let’s not forget the ice cream and fresh milk at the local farms.

A very romantic place to have a wedding!

Tina and Dan had a lot of children at their wedding and they really wanted to do something extra special for them. 

Ice Cream tickets were placed on each quest’s napkin which instantly created excitement as guests were being seated and read what would be in store for them later in the evening.

When the guests heard the DJ play the ice cream song I almost didn’t get the doors open quick enough as children, young and old, rushed with excitement to get their ice cream.

Photo Courtesy of Mango Studios

Lifestrummer Inc. is an innovative online business that is creating exciting offerings for the wedding industry. The company’s concept involves couples sharing their love story by using inputs from the couple and adding a splash of drama, adventure and comic relief, Kalpesh creates a hand-drawn, intimate and organic interpretation of their love story in the comic book style.  In addition to the comic book style, couples can tell their story thorough other work of arts including save-the-date, invitations, guest books, guest collages and animated videos or slide shows. 

Lifestrummer’s business is conducted online so customers come to the site, create an account, upload their photographs and share their story. The artist then reviews the story and conducts an hour long consultation session with the couple in order to learn about their personalities and to get a sense of their vision for the art work. A blueprint is then created which is reviewed by the customer and then moves along to inking, shading and coloring. Voila! The end result is a personalized, eternal and unique work of art created especially for you based on your love story!

The couple chanced upon the idea when they started creating art work based on their own love story. They knew they were onto something when they saw the reactions they got from friends and family about their weekly comic book series titled “Kimi + Kal Adventures”. “Before we knew it, we decided to take the plunge and do this for other couples! It’s just an amazing feeling to know that something you worked on can bring happiness in someone’s life. It’s a really collaborative process, our customer’s vision and insights really shape the artwork”, says Kalpesh.    

Kamna adds “We are storytellers, weaving stories of love, friendship, hope, connections and more. We are always grateful to meet people who trust us with their stories. As gatekeepers of these beautiful stories, we promise to handle them with great care!”

I can’t say enough about how much I love this idea and company!