By Nicole Warburton

Vintage. Romantic. Green. Individual.

Those are some of the words you might hear this wedding season as couples choose to make their nuptial celebrations more personalized, yet simple.

Colors are rich and earthy, with blues, browns and even jewel tones being used for table linens and bridesmaid dresses. Instead of bright Gerber daisies, brides are opting for more subdued flower hues.

And wedding and receptions sites are becoming more creative. It’s not all about the catered hall anymore. Some couples are going to music clubs, or even a local farmhouse to throw their wedding party.

“Everyone wants their wedding to be unique and to showcase them as a couple,” said Chelsie Crane with Ruby Avenue Events, a wedding and event design company that serves the Wasatch Front.

From Crane’s perspective, one of the top trends this season is for brides to “go green” with their wedding celebrations. That could mean choosing recycled invitations or creating a menu with locally grown or organic items.

Other trends include using fun patterned fabrics, monograms and unique touches to customize a wedding, according to Crane.

Her advice is for couples to not be afraid to break out of the traditional mold for receptions. A wedding should be a celebration, she said.

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“There’s a lot you can do besides stand in a line and shake hands,” Crane said. “A wedding should be an event where you have the time of your lives.”

Likewise, Emma Harris and Raelynn Johnson with Modern Display say brides and grooms shouldn’t be afraid to design the wedding of their dreams — even if they’re on a budget.

When meeting with couples, both Harris and Johnson will ask the prospective bride or groom to describe their dream event. They will then offer ideas and examples to help the bride and groom plan.

One idea is for couples to forego a traditional wedding cake and instead serve a “favor” cake with small boxes of chocolates or other treats guests can take with them.

Other ideas include using fewer flowers on table settings and instead displaying one or two flowers in a unique vase or jar.

Harris said she believes one of the top trends this season is the desire to create a romantic feeling at a reception and wedding. As a result, styles are becoming more vintage and old-fashioned, with wedding dresses that are no longer the traditional white and flower colors and linens that are more sophisticated, Johnson said.

Either way, both Johnson and Harris believe a couple can have the wedding they always dreamed of. The key is to be flexible and open-minded to different ideas.

“There are a lot of small touches that add a lot,” Harris said.

E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com | Source

January 23-25, 2009

Location:
Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto

Show Times:
Friday: 5pm – 9pm
Saturday: 10am – 9pm
Sunday: 10am – 6pm

We look forward to making our spring show as incredible as our past shows.

See you at our January Show!

Get creative ideas from Toronto’s finest wedding experts. With their impeccable taste and vast knowledge, exhibitors can assist you with every aspect of your wedding planning. From choosing the rings, flowers, cakes, music, bomboniere, gift registry, reception facilities, formalwear, decorating ideas, invitations, photographers, limousine, there is much to see and do, you’ll want to spend the entire day. It’s your complete planning and shopping connection.

Choosing a wedding dress is quite possibly the most important fashion decision in a woman’s life. With that kind of pressure it makes sense to turn to the experts. You can’t miss the spectacular fashion shows offering you breathtaking designs for the entire wedding party. Top couture and ready to wear designers present their magnificent collections daily on the runway.

Welcome Wagon’s Bridal Showcases have been recognized as Canada’s largest and most respected bridal shows.

FREE For Bride and Guest
Location: A.N.A.F. Hall
Time: 7:00 PM

With exciting door prizes, fashion shows and gift bags for every bride, come and experience what a Welcome Wagon Bridal Showcase has to offer. Every bride has a chance to win an exciting dream honeymoon to The Islands of The Bahamas, courtesy of Today’s Bride Magazine.

Website: http://www.welcomewagon.ca

Niagara Regions Largest & Most Spectacular Spring Wedding Event!

12th Annual Niagara Spring Wedding Show
Saturday & Sunday January 17th & 18th, 2009
Quality Parkway Hotel & Convention Centre
327 Ontario Street, St. Catharines

Show hours – 12 noon to 5:00-p.m. both days
Fashion Shows – 1:30-p.m. & 3:30-p.m. daily
Tickets – $10 sold at the door includes taxes

Canada’s Longest Running & The Region’s Largest Wedding Event! 40th Annual Hamilton-Halton Spring Wedding Show Saturday & Sunday January 10 & 11, 2009 Hamilton Convention Centre Downtown Hamilton, Ontario Canada

Show hours – 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily
Fashion Show times – 1:00 p.m. & 3:30 p.m. daily
Tickets – $12.00 sold at the door (includes taxes)

Hamilton-Halton Spring Wedding Show has been produced annually since 1969 and is Canada’s longest running bridal showcase.

The name of the show was changed from “Prestige Bridal Show” to the present name in 2004 to better represent the region it serves and the show continues to be an important stop for couples planning their wedding!
Area couples rely each year on this Wedding Show as one the most important aspects of successfully planning their weddings. The show helps thousands of brides and grooms-to-be, find, compare and learn more about all the new products and services that area business have to offer.
You’ll meet over 200 top bridal professionals all in one convenient location who will help you to make important buying decisions for your special day.
Be sure to leave yourself enough time to watch our spectacular fashion show and to try your luck at winning one of the many fantastic door prizes and draws, plus much, much, more…

See you at “Hamilton-Halton Spring Wedding Show 2009″ – It’s today’s answer for busy couples planning their weddings!

Website: http://www.bridalshowstoday.com/hamilton_halton_spring.php

The Holiday Inn will be hosting the Barrie Bridal Show, one stop shopping conveniently displayed under one roof. The Spring 2009 show date is February 1st followed by the Fall 2009 show date of Sunday, September 20th. Both shows are open to all future brides and their entourage from 10 am to 4 pm. The Barrie shows feature two runway fashion shows at 12 noon and 2:30 pm (times are approximate). Admission is just $5.00, pre-registration is not required.

Website: http://www.areaproductions.com/

The beautiful Cardinal Golf Club will be filled with all the perfect touches that make a bride’s day special. The Spring 2009 show date is January 10th followed by the Fall 2009 show date of October 4th. Both shows are open to all future brides and their entourage from 10 am to 4 pm. The York Region shows feature a fashion show, seminars and treats at 12 noon and 2:30 pm (times are approximate). Admission is just $5.00, pre-registration is not required

Website: http://www.areaproductions.com/

Location:

Metro Toronto Convention Centre (NORTH BUILDING)
255 Front Street West
Toronto, ON, M5V 2W6

Phone: 905.264.7000
Fax: 905.264.7300
Address:
136 Winges Rd., 2nd Floor, Unit 10
Woodbridge, ON L4L 6C4

Email: info@canadasbridalshow.com

Directions:

DIRECTIONS – By Road:

From the West:

* Take the 401 East to 427 South
* Follow the Gardiner Expressway and exit at Spadina Avenue and go north
* For the North Building, proceed further north on Spadina Avenue to Front Street and turn right

From the East:

* Take the 401 West to the Don Valley Parkway south
* Follow the Gardiner Expressway to Spadina Avenue and go north
* For the North Building, proceed further north on Spadina Avenue to Front Street and turn right

DIRECTIONS – By Train & Bus:

Union Station, Toronto’s main rail station, is a block away from the Convention Centre, connected by the weather-protected Skywalk. The Bus Terminal is just five minutes away by cab, ten minutes by public transit.

DIRECTIONS – By Public Transit:

Streetcars, buses, subways and GO trains provide the city with one of North America’s safest and most efficient public transit systems. It connects all parts of Toronto and outlying areas to Union Station, the city’s transportation hub. Union Station is accessible from the Centre via the Skywalk, a weather-protected walkway.

The Wedding Show hosts wedding industry experts in a boutique-inspired setting. Bride and grooms can see the latest in wedding gowns, wedding cakes, invitations, photographers, event planners and more.

Price: $20

Schedule:
Fri., January 09, 2009, From: 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Sat., January 10, 2009, From: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Sun., January 11, 2009, From: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Where?
The Carlu
444 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON, M5B2H4

Parking: Yes
Parking Details: Underground parking with entrances off of Bay St. and Gerrard St. W

Venue Details:

Return to 1930s elegance and charm at The Carlu. Formerly the seventh floor of Eaton’s College Park, this multi-functional venue hosts cultural and social functions, meetings, conferences, trade shows and fashion shows.

Designed by famous French architect Jacques Carlu (1890-1976), the venue reflected his unique style from the furniture to the fashions worn by the staff. His other notable projects include Paris’ Palais de Chaillot at Trocadero and New York’s Rockefeller Center. The seventh floor space was originally comprised of private dining and function rooms, and an acoustically near-perfect concert hall which featured performances by internationally renowned talent, before closing its doors in 1979.

The current restoration by Toronto’s ERA Architects was a two year project. It’s one of the finest surviving examples of the Art Moderne style in the world, and a testament to the historical and architectural grandeur that is a part of Toronto’s heritage.

The seventh floor is divided into five major areas: The Grand Foyer, The Concert Hall, The Round Room, The Sky Room, and The Clipper Rooms. Comprising approximately 50,000 square feet of useable area, The Carlu accommodates events from 10 to 1,700 people.

Many of the original artwork and structures remained, including the Lalique fountain, and a wraparound mural designed by Natasha Carlu in The Round Room . The Art Moderne-inspired furniture design and fixtures, an original domed ceiling, the use of monel metal, and black vitrolite glass throughout the floor, is all a part of staying true to The Carlu’s original elegance.

The multi-functional Concert Hall was said to have “the best acoustics in North America,” by pianist Glenn Gould, and with its balcony level can accommodate live theatre, concerts and cinema, in addition to gala dinners and cocktail receptions.

For more information please call 416-597-1931, or write to events@thecarlu.com.
Getting There:
By Transit:
On the Yonge Subway line get off at College.

With destination weddings on the rise, it is becoming more and more important for couples to have a means for informing their guests of their upcoming wedding plans as well as provide recommendations for out-of-town guests.

Wedding websites allow your guests one-stop shopping when it comes time for them to arrange their travel plans as well as other details. You can be as specific as you wish and link your website directly to the hotel reservation pages that you would like to recommend to your guests.

You will find that having a website is not only a time-saver but a budget-saver as well. The multiple mailings that can sometimes become necessary to communicate with your guests can easily eat up a good portion of any wedding budget. Allowing your guests to RSVP online will also cut down on your wedding expenses. No need for RSVP cards! However, you can always order just enough for those guests who may not be web savvy.

Destination weddings have definitely become a way for couples to express their style in a less traditional way. If you choose to have your wedding in a destination location, try to make it a fun experience for you and your fiancé as well as for your guests.

Destination Wedding Tips

1. Location, Location, Location. When selecting a location, choose one that appeals to your tastes and wedding style. Keep in mind, however, that because it won’t be as easy as going down the street to the local church to attend your wedding, you’ll have to assume that your guest list may be smaller. You’ll need to get a good sense about the number of attendees you wish to have before selecting your event facility so you can be confident that it will be appropriate for the crowd.

2. Less is More. Destination weddings can be expensive not only for those getting married, but also for those attending. Try to be mindful of that when selecting your wedding site so those who are closest to you can afford to attend. Consider having your wedding during the off-season so costs will be lower. Traditionally, accommodation expenses are covered for the bridesmaids by the bride’s family and for the groomsmen by the groom’s family. All other guests should be responsible for their own expenses. Most hotels will work with you to offer group discounts.

3. Assist your Guests. You may know the location that you will be flying off to for your dream wedding like the back of your hand, but most of your guests will not. Your wedding website can be a tool to help you educate your guests about the area, local attractions, accommodation ideas, the weather and directions. Making their job easier will only amount in a larger turnout at your wedding. Use your website to remind them of the things they may not consider such as a passport if required for your chosen location.

Article by Wedding Window