And, for some reason I think that about 85% of the time, the girl answers with “of course!”

Most couples get engaged and right away they are changing their facebook status from In a Relationship to Engaged. They are tweeting about the proposal, and even possibly sending an announcement to the local paper. What did you do? Did you create a wedding website, or did you happen to have your proposal taped and then uploaded onto Youtube? How did you spread the news?

Once the news is spread, and the congrats and well wishes are graciously recieved, it’s time to get into the nitty gritty of planning your wedding. But, we do stress (before you start to stress) that you take time to enjoy being engaged before you dive deep into the planning process.

So, what do we suggest are some of the first things you do after the engagement, but before the planning?

Next, hire a Wedding Planner. Whether you’re a DYI Bride, and you want to plan every detail of your wedding on your own, or you’re a full-time professional with little time or desire (gasp) to plan your own wedding, a planner can help you get the wedding you’ve always dreamt of. Planning a wedding takes lots of time, patience, money and compromise. Yes, even though it’s all about the Bride, remember that there are mothers & mother-in-laws that will have input about your wedding ideas. A Planner can be your right hand woman, your rock, your therapist, and your saving grace when the going gets tough.

Then of course, you have to set a budget. Sometimes the creation of a budget involves you, your fiance, both sets of parents, and your Wedding Planner. The budget will depend on who is paying for the wedding. Be prepared to use your compromising skills. Your planner can also aid you with making proper decisions in regards to sticking to and within your budget.

Lastly, do your research! If you only want to hire a Wedding Planner for DOC services, thus eliminating your chances of getting industry discounts, extra value and referrals of trusted professionals usually only offered through Full Wedding Planning services, make sure you do much research before you book any vendors. Ask questions, get a second opinion and try to meet or consider 3 vendors at a time. Basically, pretend you’re Simon Cowell of American Idol – only much nicer, and way prettier, and choose the vendors you want to see go to Hollywood (a.k.a your wedding) with you!

*even Wedding Planners sometimes need inspiration. Today’s post was inspired by a blog post at www.weddingaces.com

When it comes to stationary, I like to refer clients to professionals.

If you’re not the DYI type and want to have someone else manage this task, then I suggest you check out Cheri from Invitations by SanSheira’s. Cheri works with The Bride’s Butler and is very creative and fun to work with. She makes all of her invites by hand, and dedicates her time to every couple.

When you meet with your stationary specialist, it’s best to have your wedding colours and theme chosen. Knowing the style and feel you want for your wedding helps formulate the perfect invite. The invitation is the first thing from your wedding your guests see – so it helps set the mood and tone of the event.

Is it a formal affair? More casual? A candle light ceremony, or a bunch vow renewal? Weddings come in all shapes and sizes – and so do invites! Try to bundle your invitation order to include all pieces like the RSVP card, direction card, accommodation note and all envelopes. You may also want to order thank you cards along with your invites if your photographer doesn’t offer it in their package. One thing to remember when choosing and ordering your wedding stationary is that it should all be consistent with one another. All pieces should reflect the same image/style/feel, etc of your wedding.

Will you be picking your invites based on your theme, cultural background, or just simply by your budget?

Work together with your Wedding Planner and your Stationary Specialist to create your own unique
and personalized invites. It’s one of the many tasks in the planning process that is very fun and allows for creativity.

Shown is a Thank You card done by Veronica of Cinnamon Saturday who works with Cheri. This is a cute and whimsical way to take a wedding picture and make it unique.

How will you choose to inform your guests of the style and theme of your wedding? Colours? Textured paper? Ribbons or Jewels?

It’s up to you….and your fiance too of course.

With the awards season upon us, I got a little inspired to put together an Oscar themed wedding on Bridal Canvas. Using gold, red and black – I created a collaboration of images to portray an elegant and sophisticated event where celebrities dine on the finest of foods, and drink the best of the bubbly. Getting married? Hosting an event?
Try making an inspiration board using magazine or online images. Have fun!

Oscar Winter Wedding by Diznee

The images for this canvas where sourced online from various sites.
These images are not from our portfolio.