Katie & Mitch Get Hitched / Planning A Wedding from Calgary

The most fun was had on on the day Katie & Mitch got Hitched , lots of laughs and even a few tears. Most of the tears belonged to Mitch ( bless his heart xx)
Katie planned her big Newfoundland wedding from Calgary and here's how it went ...

When did you get engaged & how long did it take to plan your wedding ?

"We were engaged November 7 2015 and I think we messaged you Nicole to book both you and Nate on November 9 2015 (haha) - so yes we started super early! We also knew we needed a venue for approximately 200 guests and in Newfoundland everything books up fast!
We had about a year and a half from when we were engaged until when we got married. We never wanted a quick engagement so this was a perfect amount of time for us. We had the big things booked super early on (venue, photographer, transportation) - and was just the little things left to do closer to the wedding!"

Wedding Planner ?

"We did not use a wedding planner. We booked Glendenning as our venue and it's like an all inclusive - food, all decor, wine, DJ, cake and even flowers. It was an awesome deal! "

What was the hardest part of the planning process?

"The hardest part for us was planning from away. We live in Calgary now, so trying to coordinate times to meet people, food tastings etc it was difficult. However we had an amazing support system from family and friends and all of the people we had booked for our wedding were so great and worked around our schedules! "

Looking back , would you change anything ?

"The only thing I think I would change would be to start hair and makeup earlier, or have the stylists come to my house instead. It took a little longer than we had anticipated so we only had an hour at my house to get our dresses on and eat. Kind of felt a little rushed! "

What was the highlight of your day ?

"The highlight of my day was walking down the aisle. I always love sitting on the end to watch the bride walk down and see the grooms first look. It may seem silly but seeing Mitchell crying at the end of the aisle when the doors opened made my heart burst but I did love every minute of our day - it was perfect!"

Any Advice for brides to be ?

"My advice to other brides would be to take it all in, try to have a few moments of just you and your groom alone. Everyone told me how fast the day would go by but honestly it was the fastest (but best) day of our lives. In my opinion, having amazing photographers and a videographer was a million times worth it to us, and it just helped us remember and capture our whole day."

Planning a wedding from Calgary - not easy . Katie worked with some amazing local vendors and here's what she had to say about her experience with them ..

The Studio Beauty Bar

"Hair and makeup - studio beauty bar. The girls are so sweet and our morning at the studio was so much fun. They even provided wine glasses for mimosas Myself along with my bridesmaids plus the moms were super happy with the makeup and hair.

Wedding Gown - The Ivory Suites"

" Ivory suites - I went to all of the wedding dress shops in St. John's. All of the shops were great but ivory suites really outdid themselves with customer service. They opened the shop two times for me when it was closed to accommodate me when I would be home from Calgary. All the ladies are wonderful there!"
 

Wedding Venue - Glendenning Golf Resort
Florals & Decor - Event 3Sixty

"Glendenning - Mary is the event coordinator from this venue, when we would go to glendenning she was super helpful and even worked with us when some guests couldn't make it last minute."

"Event 3Sixty"- Kristyna was who we dealt with for decor and flowers. She worked around our schedule from living in Calgary and had everything perfect - from the back lighting to centrepieces! I wanted a huge bouquet full of peonies and the girls to have baby's breath and our bouquets were amazing."

 

Wedding Cake - Pam Picco

" Pam Picco - So easy to work with. We missed the cake testing so she met me privately to provide us with a bunch of samples for our cake. We wanted buttercream and not fondant and she made sure our cake was exactly what we wanted! "

Katie & Mitch !! we loved our time with you guys ! Thanks so much for having us xxoo

 

About Her Best Day Ever...

I recently had A few minutes with Our Bride Robyn , I'm always curious about the wedding experience as a whole . Robyn had so many RAVE reviews about local wedding vendors here in Newfoundland ! All the love !! Also she was kind enough to share some personal info about her planning experience , you know ... for the inquiring minds;)

Thanks Robyn for having us xx

How long did it take to plan your wedding?

I had been looking at ideas online off and on for a couple of years prior to getting engaged; however, the actual planning time took about a year.

Did you get started as soon as you got engaged?

We We actually planned and booked our wedding before getting engaged. By booking our venues, commissioner, music, etc. prior to announcing our engagement, we created a day that was just for us with everything we wanted. It was also fun to be able to say our wedding was completely booked the day

Did you use a wedding planner? Why or why not?

No, we didn’t use a wedding planner. I’m a very organized individual, and with plenty of time to plan, I felt a planner wasn’t necessary. I don’t regret this choice. Our wedding was also small and simple. I DIYed all my decorations and hired someone to do the setup and take-down. This was a good compromise that worked for us.

What was the hardest part of the planning process?

I didn’t encounter many difficulties while planning the wedding; however, as we wanted to keep our wedding small, I would say the hardest part was narrowing down the guest list.

Looking back what would you have done differently?

Absolutely nothing! Our wedding was exactly what we wanted and more. The lead up was very stress-free, and the day was perfect from start to finish. It was so relaxing and fun!

Any advice for brides to be?

I read a lot online about brides being overwhelmed and stressed leading up to their wedding. If you want to avoid this, my best advice is to keep it simple. We had a very small wedding party (one person standing for each of us), and a small guest list. This made everything from getting ready, to transportation, to pictures easy and stress-free. From the very beginning, I was determined that this process, and the wedding day itself, was going to be relaxed and enjoyable. We avoided a lot of traditions we didn’t like and focused on what we envisioned for the day. In the end, I have no regrets about our wedding -- it was absolutely perfect for us.

The Skinny about the Vendors ...

Leaside Manor , where Robyn got ready & spent the night before and the night of her wedding day ....

We stayed at Leaside the night before and the night of our wedding in the Parker Suite. The room was so beautiful (as is the manor itself), and it was relaxing to have some space to ourselves in the midst of a busy wedding. The staff here were so professional and friendly, the food was delicious, and the building and grounds were impeccably clean! We will most definitely return to Leaside again.

 

That Dress & Veil from Ever After Bridal Boutique ...

Ever After- This was the first and only place I went to try on dresses, and I ended up picking the second one I tried on. Connie was fabulous, and the service I received was excellent! She knew what kind of styles I liked and worked within my budget to choose a dress off the rack that suited me perfectly. There was no pressure -- it was a relaxed and fun experience. I walked out of the salon just over an hour after I went in with dress and veil in hand.

 

About her perfect Hair by Mobile Hair By Allison...

Allison worked quickly and efficiently to create beautiful hairstyles for myself, my Maid of Honour, and my mother. She is so talented and very friendly which helped make the morning of our wedding fun and stress-free.


The Decor ... Lacy Rose Design

Lacy Rose Design- Lacy was amazing to work with! She took all the decor items I had gathered and made everything come together perfectly. She knew exactly what kind of style I liked, and she added her own touches to create the vision I had in mind. Lacy is also such as sweet person in general, so it made working with her a dream!

 

The Venue - Rocket Bakery

Rocket Bakery- I cannot say enough positives about our experience at Rocket Bakery. The staff were absolutely amazing with answering our many questions, accommodating our visits to the venue, and being as helpful as possible. I always felt like we were top priority whenever we contacted them (even though I know they were very busy with other customers/events). The space itself is stunning -- the exposed brick walls and original wood floors were exactly the look we wanted. This is the perfect heritage space for a wedding!

 

Marriage Commissioner - Wendy Squires Ennis

Wendy Squires-Ennis- Wendy was our Marriage Commissioner, and from the first conversation we had on the phone, we knew she was the right fit for us. Wendy was so friendly, professional, and organized. She has years of experience in the industry, so she offered us lots of great advice and tips for things we wouldn’t have thought of. Wendy gave us the option of having exactly wanted in our wedding ceremony and let us personalize it in a way that was completely unique to us as a couple.

The Groomer for their fur baby - The Dirty Dog Salon

Dirty Dog Salon (Bay Roberts)- I refer to this place as the hidden gem of dog grooming! The ladies regularly groom our dog, and they did not disappoint with our pup’s wedding haircut. We love that he is never there for more than a couple of hours and always leaves looking adorable.

 

Heather & Brad

Cindy & Josh