I love these fun DIY shower invitations wrapped in fabric envelopes that are featured on Our Life Right Now! The envelopes would also add a nice handmade touch to save the dates. Learn how to make the fabric envelopes over at Dear Lizzy.

By Jennifer Cox

When you get engaged, one of the most exciting things to plan for many brides is wedding dress shopping. I went on two shopping trips, once with my mom and another time with my closest friends. I lucked out and the third dress I tried on was a hit with me, my mother (who burst into tears), and my girls. It was a done deal. But for many brides, the choice can be a difficult one, and sometimes, there are two dresses they love and they just can’t decide which one they prefer.

Enter the new trend of having two gowns for one wedding.

Perhaps a tad indulgent (but nevertheless fun, if you can afford it), having separate dresses for the ceremony and reception is a popular option. Most often, a traditional ball-gown is chosen for the exchanging of vows before the bride changes into a shorter, more modern version for the party afterward. There are some wedding gown collections that now include “reception dresses,” which are usually mid-length and resemble cocktail dresses. There are even gowns that can be “dismantled” and become two dresses in one by either removing the straps or the full skirt/train.

Brides who are throwing a multi-ethnic wedding may also opt to have two ensembles – one that is specific to their ethnicity (such as an Indian or Chinese bride) for the ceremony as well as a traditional North American white wedding gown for the reception. This is a great way to appease your family and their expectations while still giving you the opportunity to don the classic white dress.

Having two dresses isn’t for everyone, but if you like the idea of a “wardrobe change,” it’s your day so why not?

First Photo: One Wed; Second Photo: Affairs With Elegance; Third Photo: Top Wedding Dresses; Fourth Photo: Affairs With Elegance

Jennifer Cox is a Montreal based freelance journalist who loves everything from weddings to foodie news, photography & candy!

I love the look of vintage fashion illustration and I’m super excited that I found a way to use it for a vintage wedding! These DIY place card dolls are a breeze to make!

I got the idea for making these vintage fashion illustration dolls when I saw Claudine Hellmuth’s Sitting Pretties. Instead of using her template, I found some vintage fashion illustrations online and printed them on on cardstock. I folded them like the Sitting Pretties and voila! I love how they turned out!

To make it even easier for you to make these DIY place cards dolls, I’ve uploaded a bunch of vintage fashion illustrations that you can print out.

Here’s the tutorial on the DIY place card dolls:

Go to the vintage fashion illustration images. Right click on the images and save them. If you need more, do a search vintage sewing patterns on Google Images or Flickr.

Print the images on card stock. Cut out the images using scissors and an Exacto knife.

After the doll is cut, fold at the waist and at the knees.

Print out your guest list. I used Tekton Pro Ext. as the font. Make sure that when you print them out there is enough white space between the names. I used scissors with scalloped edges to cut them out. Adhere the names to the vintage paper dolls. (I used a glue stick.)

Turn wine glasses upside down and set the DIY place card doll on the bottom of the glass. Let your guests ‘oooh’ and ‘aaah’ over their cool place cards!

Things are getting busy here at Intimate Weddings and we’re looking for someone to write some fresh and snappy content for our blog. This freelance position will require two blog posts of 200-300ish words per week. Blogger will be responsible for finding images, and crediting images in the blog posts.

This is a paid position. Interested? Send over three samples of your work to christina@intimateweddings.com

I love these tissue paper dahlias! Inside the pretty packaging is a dahlia bulb. Get the template at MarthaStewart.com.

Lily & Robert

Wolfville, Nova Scotia

Wedding Date: July 17, 2010

Number of Guests: 18

Wedding Cost: $5,000

Wedding Ceremony Location: United Church of St. Stephen and St. Paul

Wedding Reception Location: Blomidon Inn

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

We had an intimate wedding as it was much more personal than a large wedding and we could spend more individual time with each guest and vice versa. The atmosphere is more intimate and personal than a large ballroom or hotel setting. Managing the affair was much more easily executed than a large ceremony. A setting that was more like a family and friends get together. Some of our friends commented that they feel that they were our immediate family members unlike a larger wedding where they spend little time with the bride and groom or their family.

What are some the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

There were really few challenges as we met with everyone involved, from the minister, to the flower folks, to the reception staff as well as where we had the entire group stay leading up to the wedding as well as the wedding night to ensure that everything was in place prior to the big day. Following the meeting of all of these people, we corresponded by email with each depending on the input required. More in-depth emails took place between ourselves and the minister to work out the wedding ceremony, as we wrote and exchanged our own vows and had three separate readings done by our wedding guests. Additionally, we worked with our organist to ensure that the music we wanted was discussed and that we were on the same page leading up to our wedding day. Rehearsal the night before was done without some members, who were in travel status but it gave us a clear idea on how things would unfold the following day. Included in the rehearsal was not only the minister and the organist but the caretaker at the church who ensured that our wedding bows were gathered and packed up prior to leaving the premises to go onto to our photo shoot and ultimately our reception. Additionally hair and make up appointments had also been booked months in advance. Both Robert and I have extensive event planning backgrounds which meant that we knew what the roll out of the day would be and who was responsible for what.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

It was not difficult to come up with a guest list as our main objective was to hold the wedding where Robert’s parents did not have to travel too far (they live in Halifax).

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

Highlights of the ceremony were the same as a larger wedding: the bride walking down the aisle of the church, the groom’s reaction to seeing her, reading of the vows, etc.

What were the highlights of the reception?

Highlights of the reception was the cosy atmosphere at the Blomindon Inn and speeches, along with pictures. We had pictures taken with the bride/groom with each set of invited guests and will print copies and provide as gifts back to the guests.

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

Advice for couples is to have an intimate wedding as it is more personal for both the guests and bride/groom alike.

Vendors:

Wedding Venue:Blomidon Inn

Wedding Photographer: This Is Photography

Aren’t these DIY name cards/wedding favors fantastic? Nerissa over at The New Domestic created them for a housewarming party. She folded origami paper in half. Then she folded and glued the bottom and stiched the sides to create mini envelopes. She put random goodies inside the envelopes so her guests got a nice surprise when they opened their place cards.

By Jennifer Cox

Should we host a simple cocktail party or an inevitably more complicated sit-down dinner?

I battled with this decision when planning my own wedding.  They each have their pros and cons, and I love the feeling that each type of event creates. A cocktail party is more relaxed, the food is less costly (which means more wiggle room to splurge on certain items), and the laid-back atmosphere really reflects who we are as a couple. And yet a sit-down dinner is more formal and traditional, something we also considered ourselves to be.

So, which is best?

Cocktail party receptions are much easier to coordinate – there’s less food, meaning less logistical nightmares such as rentals (dinnerware, flatware, serving dishes); there’s often more menu choices (so there’s something for everyone to eat, including vegetarians and guests with allergies); and they’re very intimate. These types of parties are more appropriate for smaller weddings.

A sit-down dinner may take more time to plan, however there’s something to be said about the formality and elegance of hosting a three-, five-, or seven-course meal for your closest family and friends. It’s definitely the more traditional route and creates a classic setting for a reception. But don’t forget: a more formal meal calls for things like seating charts, escort cards, table numbers, complete place settings, and in general a lot more organizing.

It’s really about what works best for your party. We had a lot of out-of-towners that we were hoping would come into Montreal to be at the wedding, so in the end we decided we wanted to have a full meal for them. But I definitely think the next time I get married (to the same man, of course, maybe for our vow renewal down the road) I would love an elegant, intimate cocktail party. I even have my centerpieces picked out (but don’t tell my husband – he’ll have visions of the bridezilla I’d become last year!)

First Photo: Lilian Haidar Photography; Second Photo: Inspirador; Third Photo: The Plantation House; Fourth Photo: Project Wedding; Fifth Photo: My Dream Wedding Venue; Sixth Photo: Bridal Guide

Jennifer Cox is a Montreal based freelance journalist who loves everything from weddings to foodie news, photography & candy!

By Jennifer Cox

My parents were married in Montreal at Loyola Chapel, which now sits on the campus of Concordia University, in 1979. Decades later, when I started studying Journalism at Concordia, I loved walking by the chapel and looking at the front steps where all of my family, including grandparents who were no longer with us, had walked, stopping to pose for pictures in front of the big wooden doors. I was never the little girl who dreamed about her wedding, but when I saw the chapel in person, I knew that that was the one thing I wanted for my own special day: to get married at the same chapel as my parents.

And we did. Just two weeks after they celebrated their thirty-year anniversary, my husband and I got married in front of the same altar, with our guests lined in the same pews, surrounded by many of the people who had witnessed my own parents tie the knot.

To really remember the significance of getting married at the chapel, I met with our photographers (the incredible davina + daniel) months before and gave them some of the pictures from my parent’s wedding. They were clever enough to photograph them so, on our wedding day, they were able to refer to the pics and then “recreate” the same photos. It worked beautifully – we had about a dozen shots that looked like mirror images from my own parent’s wedding. I later put them in side-by-side frames for my mom and dad.

Jennifer Cox is a Montreal based freelance journalist who loves everything from weddings to foodie news, photography & candy!

Photos of Jennifer’s wedding: Davina + Daniel

Thinking of a destination wedding in the UK? Check out these stunning wedding venues!

Wedding Venue  – Bradford, England

The Tomahawk Hotel Group consists of several beautiful hotels which provide the perfect wedding location; there is Aston Hall, the luxury hotel in Sheffield, Woodlands, a contemporary boutique hotel in Leeds and finally the Great Victoria, a landmark luxury hotel situated in Bradford City Centre.

Aston Hall is one of the most in-demand wedding locations throughout Sheffield and South Yorkshire.   There is a beautiful local church connected to Aston Hall through the gardens, perfect for a traditional wedding. As Aston Hall is an approved location, civil wedding and partnership ceremonies take place inside the opulent hotel.

Woodlands hotel provides a similarly luxurious experience and is considered to be an ideal wedding location in Leeds and Yorkshire. The hotel specializes in “Exclusive Use weddings” meaning that the wedding party can use the whole of the venue for their celebrations. However, the hotel is able to cater for weddings of all sizes.

The Great Victoria in Bradford provides a wedding venue which is more unique, for couples wishing to avoid a stereotypical wedding. The venue often attracts modern and lively couples that are impressed by the hotels contemporary touches.  The Great Victoria provides a setting which can cater fully for 45 guests during the day and 85 for the evening.

Wedding Venues -  Newcastle, England

Along with being one of the most popular conference venues in the UK, The Sage Gateshead is an ideal wedding venue.  Occupying one of the most dramatic urban sites in Europe, the spectacular open public spaces and glazed front offer superb sweeping views across the River Tyne and the vibrant and exciting cityscape of Newcastle Gateshead. The experienced staff at The Sage Gateshead will assist in helping you plan the ideal layout for your wedding, ensuring the wedding venue is decorated or themed to match your wedding ideas and also advise on what may work best for you to ensure your wedding day is the very best it can be.

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