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In our regular “Ask The Experts” column we expand our coverage to coincide with the 37th annual “Windsor Home & Garden Show,” April 12 to 14, and examine renovation options. The convenience of having hundreds of exhibitors under one roof is the perfect chance for residential owners to explore all the possibilities. We introduce you to some of the companies on site at the show who are prepared to plant the seeds of inspiration in your mind.

As featured in Biz X Magazine.

#windsorweddingguide. #bridalplanning #trends2019

On the Aisle. 2019 Details What you may see at 2019 weddings. Read the feature article in Biz X Magazine by Sheryl Davies, Publisher of The Wedding Guide Windsor|Essex County.

Click the link below to read the article now.

https://issuu.com/bizxmagazine/docs/biz_x_magazine_april_2019/46

Invitation created by See You There Invitations, Windsor, Ontario photo: Manifesto Photography

#weddings #trends #planning #brides invitations 2019

photo of the day, Blush Photography, Windsor, ON.

ON THE COVER — “Cheers To Small Businesses!” More than 28,000 small businesses provide employment for as many as 100,000 people in Windsor Essex. And many of those small local businesses are flourishing like a green bay tree (or vineyard in this case!). Take, for example, North 42 Degrees Estate Winery, which has completed a major expansion to add a full-service restaurant and an expanded tasting room to their property on County Road 50 East in Colchester. From wineries like North 42 to breweries, clothing stores to gift shops and more, small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy. Let’s get to know a few of them a little better now in honour of “Small Business Month” in Canada.

I'm in the news in the October issue of Biz X Magazine Thank you Deborah Jones.

We're celebrating 25 years and we have helped over 35,000 couples plan their wedding day. The Wedding Guide Windsor|Essex County is proud to be a successful small local business. Click on my picture to read the article.

Wedding Tip of the Day, Wednesday, October 4, 2017

A mix and match look for your bridesmaids looks great when "done right". We have to admit, that we're inspired. From a colourful palette to elegant black, we love the look and your attendants will love that they're able to wear them again..

photo: Carrie J. Photographer, Windsor, ON.

Fall brings out the best of the wedding season, where everyone is comfortable with the cooler temperatures and the bride and groom can truly breath a sigh of relief. The palette is vibrant with rich hues of colour and that makes for a gorgeous one theme colour wedding; white or ivory. Nothing sets these colours off as well against the vibrancy of Autumn. photo: Chalet Studio Photography, Windsor, ON

When you think wedding gowns couldn’t get any prettier, the designers do it again by showcasing the most innovative and stunning looks for the upcoming season. We’re loving the feminine… The Wedding Guide Windsor|Essex County

Engaged. Know Someone Who Is? Please share our post! Click the link below and listen on Sunday, September 24, 2017 at 10 am Tune in to hear the latest in weddings from Sheryl Davies, Publisher and …

Brides are rising to the occasion and saying “I Do” with the most unique signature statements in the history of weddings. And, grooms are just as involved, as couples are marrying at an older age. …

Perfect Wedding Planning @ Your Fingertips Where brides come for all the answers to the questions that are asked every time a wedding is hosted.

©The Wedding Guide Windsor|Essex County

I cannot reiterate often enough, that you need to know who the real wedding professionals are. In this day of “wannabe” vendors in this industry, there are less than desirable business…

Find all the answers to the questions that are asked every time a wedding is hosted. From venues to flowers, invitations to beauty- Free, upscale,128 pages of local, wedding information. Available at selected bridal salons in this county.

©The Wedding Guide Windsor|Essex County

Kara Ro, host of The TKO Show and I sat down on Monday and talked about Weddings 2017 and the planning required. What a fun time we had. We could have talked forever. Have a listen and enjoy. Click…

Enjoy the information!

Your Wedding Reception A Time to Celebrate!

Chalet Studio Photography, Windsor, ON.

When Mom and Dad got married in the ’50’s, it was likely in the front parlor of her home, or the church or synagogue that the family worshiped in.

While things have changed dramatically in how marriages occur, your selection of a location for your special day is still very personal and sets the tone for your entire wedding day.

Inside or outside, in the country or out of the country, or on a sandy beach, these considerations all contribute to the final outcome of the day.

Where your wedding will be is only second in importance only to your choice of spouse, the place or places you select will make all the difference. Your wedding day mood will be filtered through the ambiance of your locale. The backdrop for your photos and video are impacted by the surroundings you select. Choose wisely.

It is imperative that you are realistic with your budget and that you stick to it. Once you decide where your reception will be held, you’ll need to decide whether you want a special theme, or if you just want a classy, well- coordinated and elegant look.

The wedding reception will be the first time you receive your relatives and friends as a married couple. It will be one of the most joyous parties that you and your spouse will ever host.

The reception may be simple or it can encompass a full-course dinner and dance. If the guest list is small, consider a sit-down meal, but larger parties are better-served buffet style or with food stations set-up throughout the room.

Because your reception can be held nearly anywhere, your first consideration in choosing a site is accommodating the number of people you are inviting. Your may want to rent a hall, a hotel ballroom, a country club, or even a yacht. Vineyards and old railroad stations are also becoming popular venues. Today’s couples are inventive and are thinking about their personalities when planning a venue. They are seeking uniqueness as well as a comfortable environment.

Trevor Booth Photography, Windsor, ON.

If you’re being married in a season and locale like southwestern Ontario, which is noted for good, reliable weather six months of the year, there may be a lovely garden, historical mansion, outdoor stadium or arboretum available. With some creativeness and innovation, your wedding will be a memorable and beautiful celebration; one that all your invited guests will long remember!

Once you have decided on the number of guests that you are inviting, you are ready to begin interviewing reception sites and caterers. Remember that the services of a professional banquet facility or caterer can enhance and expedite the planning of your reception. Reserve your spot well in advance and promptly pay any necessary deposit.

Visit the reception site and map out how you’d like it to be arranged. If you opt for a receiving line, plan where the guests will be entering the room and decide also whether the line will be formal or semi-formal.

At a sit-down dinner, the order of service should be; bride, groom, maid of honour, other attendants, parent, and guests. Once all have been served, the best man presents the traditional toast to the married couple.

If you are cutting a cake, it comes after dinner. The couple cuts the first slice and shares it. Then, the caterer finishes serving, while the newlyweds visit with their guests. Before the bride and groom leave, the bride may toss the bouquet, while the groom may fling his bride’s garter. It all depends all the couple and their wishes.

Finally, you and your groom may leave the reception for your honeymoon or a few nights away from your normal routine. As you leave, your family and friends will send you off with their best wishes for peace, prosperity, and happiness in your new life together.

Remember that the most magnificent receptions are brought to life with the kind of creative planning afforded by an organized agenda, with the collaboration of bride, groom, and several key vendors. Set the stage for a successful celebration with a well-thought-out plan of action.

*For more bridal planning information: [email protected]

Buying Your Wedding Gown

For many women, shopping for their wedding apparel is the highlight of the wedding planning. What an exciting moment when the perfect gown slips over your shoulders, and you glance in the mirror and say, “This is the one; this is my gown!” Bridal shop consultants thrive on this moment; it’s a reward for the many difficulties of their jobs.

Before you begin to shop, you may want to get ideas about the styles you like by paging through some bridal fashion magazines. Be sure to attend one or two bridal fashion shows, to see selections of dresses that are available in your local bridal salons. Then, focus on making a few decisions. First, consider what price range will fit your budget. Second, decide whether you will have a formal, semi-formal, or informal wedding. Select some bridal shops, phone to check their hours and ask if you will require an appointment to try on gowns.

Then, ask a friend or family member to go with you. This should be someone who will be honest about which styles flatter your figure and complexion. Let the salesperson know some of the features of gowns you think you would like to try. However, keep an open mind allowing the sales consultant to suggest some styles that will work for you.

In doubt about which type of gown may be appropriate for you? Here are a few guidelines:

Any woman can wear a long white gown no matter what her age or if she has been married before. However, you will find that some styles are more suited for younger brides; some look better on more mature figures.

The formality of the wedding takes precedence in choosing the style: Gowns with a train, whether a sweep, chapel length, or cathedral length are reserved for formal or semi-formal weddings.

Only first time brides should wear a train and a veil; they are traditionally representative of the innocence of youth but with changing rules.

A bride considering an informal ceremony will likely choose a floor length gown without a train, a tea length gown, a knee length suit or cocktail dress.

Encore and mature first-time brides should consider a bridal hat, a hair arrangement of flowers or fabric bows.

©The Wedding Guide Windsor|Essex County

#gowns #brides. weddings

Your Best Man & Groomsmen @ Your Wedding

The best man usually a best brother, cousin, father or friend of the groom must be prepared for anything and be willing to help the groom solve any problem. Organizing the bachelor or dual bachelor/bachelorette party is one of the first responsibilities. He must also make sure the groom arrives at the wedding on time.

Carrying the bride’s ring is an extremely important task assigned to the best man. He may sometimes be responsible for the marriage licence as well.

The best man usually does not stand in the receiving line if there is one. He signs the marriage certificate as an official witness. He must ensure that the clergy/offiiciant receives payment, which can be conveniently placed in a sealed envelope.

Trevor Booth Photography, Windsor, Ontario- will travel

At the reception, the best man sits to the bride’s right, the perfect position to execute his duties as toastmaster/MC. The clever best man rehearses his toast beforehand, knowing that his practiced toast is always better than an impromptu one.

Lastly, some best men are asked to gather all rented clothing from the groom’s wedding party and return it the next business day to the formal wear store.

The groomsmen are friends and relatives of the groom (and) sometimes the bride and have a wide variety of jobs. Some groomsmen double as ushers but usually don’t have as many obligations as the best man.

They are required to be at the rehearsal, we they learn the wishes of the clergy/officiant. At the rehearsal, they may practice lighting and extinguishing the candles for the ceremony, should familiarize themselves with the entrance, exit and washroom locations for the guests’ comfort and learn seating arrangements.

The groomsmen/ushers should arrive at the wedding an hour prior to the ceremony to get their boutonnieres, ready the programs and assist with any last minute details.

If guests of the bride and groom are to be seated in separate sections, the ushers will need to find out the relationship of the guests to the couple. Once established, the right arm is offered to the lady, who is then escorted to the open pew or seat closest to the front of the church or ceremony site. The farthest forward pews or seats are traditionally reserved for immediate family members.

Last to be ushered in are the mothers of both the bride and groom. The ushers, then, unroll the aisle runner. They stay in the back of the church/venue during the ceremony, directing late guests to back or side seats.

Immediately after the ceremony, the groomsmen escort bridesmaids down the aisle. Ushers then escort out the mothers of the bride and groom and, sometimes direct the departure of the guests in an orderly manner.

The groomsmen usually do not stand in the receiving line, if there is one, but do sit at the reception table in an alternating pattern with bridesmaids. The groomsmen and ushers’only obligatory duties at the reception are to mingle with the guests, give help when needed, possibly propose a few toasts and make merry!!!

Afternoon Tea & Bridal Showers

Afternoon tea, known as “low tea,” is what most people think of when they hear “high tea”. It involves manners, lace, and dainty food. Served in the mid-afternoon, traditionally it was served on a low table. It was considered to be a ladies’ social occasion.

High tea was a working class tradition that was served on a high table at the end of the workday, shortly after a heavy dinner meal, around 5 P.M.

Legend is that afternoon tea started in the mid-1800’s by the Duchess of Bedford. Oil and gas lights were available in wealthier homes by then, and eating dinner at a later hour became fashionable. The Duchess, who found the length of time between breakfast and dinner a long wait so she invited friends for snacks and tea, which was a fashionable drink at that time. The idea spread across high society and became a ritual for ladies of leisure. As it became a more popular pastime, it spread beyond the wealthy and become accessible for everyone.

North Americans are now learning about the amazing benefits of tea and its peace and relaxation at the tea table. There is a swing back to the more refined and genteel break in the afternoon for tea.

It is a tradition, a ritual and a quiet and elegant affair that celebrates the joys of companionship, beauty and delicious dainty foods. Afternoon tea is a “calm” in a day of busyness, a space where one can “get off the clock”, with steaming cups of tea, that cheer the soul.

Afternoon tea is a genteel affair that brings back memories of a more serene and gracious time. The traditional time for tea was four or five o’clock, but today most tea rooms serve tea from three to five o’clock. The menu consists of tiny sandwiches or appetizers, scones served with jam and Devonshire or clotted cream and pastries of cakes, cookies, shortbreads and sweets.

#teas showers brides luncheon

Your Rehearsal Dinner

A dinner following the wedding rehearsal is not a necessity, but it is a lovely way to begin your wedding festivities and allows your attendants and families to relax and get acquainted.

Jaques Scheepers Photography

The meal is traditionally hosted by the groom’s parents, and includes the immediate family of both the bride and groom, the clergyman or officiant and members of the wedding party and their spouses. In some circumstances, you may want to include special and out-of-town guests who have already arrived.

The rehearsal dinner is the traditional time for the groom’s father to make a formal toast to the couple. It is also an appropriate time for the attendants’ gifts to be given out. Seating plans and place cards are especially important at this dinner, probably a first meeting for more than one of the group. The bridal couple generally sits at the head of the group, their parents flank them. The members of the wedding party are seated throughout the rest of the family members and special guests. Presumably, they will feel more at ease and be able to assist in making the other guests more comfortable.

Because it is an icebreaker of sorts, relax and enjoy the rehearsal dinner. Don’t linger too long, however. Brides look terrible with bleary eyes. Get home early and pamper yourself tonight- for tomorrow you’ll be married!

#rehearsal dinner brides festivities #weddings brides #families attendants

Wedding Arrangements When Parents are Divorced

If your parents are divorced, there are probably several different decisions you must make to accommodate, as smoothly as possible, several potentially explosive situations.

Photo: Chalet Studio Photography, Windsor, Ontario, will travel

Here are the following suggestions as alternatives to established tradition.

Your Invitations: It would be proper for the parent with whom you have been living the longest to issue the invitation, if applicable. The other parent is not mentioned. However, if both parents agree, the invitations may be issued in both names.

Introducing the Future In-laws to Each Other: Protocol would dictate the first introduction should be to the parent with whom you have been living, followed a week or so later by a visit with your other parent.

Giving the Bride Away: Unless you are personally estranged from your father, it is he who walks you down the aisle and gives your away.

Seating at The Ceremony: The bride’s mother and her immediate family (parents, husband and children) are seated in the front row. The second row is left empty. The bride’s father, after walking the bride down the aisle, sits with his present wife and parents in the third row.

The Reception Line: Traditionally, the bride’s mother stands in the receiving line and her father mingles with the guests. (no problem here) However, if the brides wants both her parents in the line, be sure to separate your divorced parents with the stepparents or grandparents to eliminate confusion among your guests. If you are serving a sit-down dinner, be sure to assign separate tables for your parents and their spouses.

One would hope that on this, your most memorable day, your divorced parents would set aside personal feelings and consciously avoid creating any tensions.

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