Fun at the Aquarium: Purple & White Bat Mitzvah

Daniela Ciuffa Photography

Daniela Ciuffa Photography

Daniela Ciuffa Photography

Daniela Ciuffa Photography

Daniela Ciuffa Photography

Daniela Ciuffa Photography

Daniela Ciuffa Photography

Daniela Ciuffa Photography

March was a full month, finding me with a bat mitzvah, 2 weddings, a 60th birthday and a case of influenza. April isn't quite as busy, however I do have a few fun events in the works that I'll update you on soon. In the meantime, I will try and recap all of the fabulousness that was March, and starting with one of my all time favourite events.

I was brought into the picture a little later on for this incredible bat mitzvah at the Vancouver Aquarium. The host wanted me to pull everything together for the big day and design TWO incredibly fun candy bars. The first, and my favourite, was a purple and white scheme that I'm sure any girly girl would swoon over if not for the candy at least for the colours and pretty details. The second, a fun and whimsical aquarium candy bar. I didn't have too much time to pull it off, but it came together beautifully and was a big hit with kids and adults alike! On top of the incredible venue (watching the dolphins swim around outside in the moonlight was spectacular) and the fun candy bars, what made this event even more to die for were the wonderful vendors involved. After being acquainted with them at the Aisle Walk Magazine Launch Party, I was thrilled to get to work alongside Jane and her hubby of Pixstar Photobooth as well as Daniela of Daniella Ciuffa Photography. I was also introduced to the incredible work of DJ Jordan of Beyond Sound (such a fitting name, because their service truly was beyond sound) and the magical entertainment of the Underground Circus that wowed guests with contortion and aerial performances a la Cirque de Soliel. There were 7 lounge areas for guests to mingle and take in the gorgeous sights of the aquarium with stunning lounge furniture from FIreworks Event Rentals. Guests took away 2 favors- seeded purple paper cards (just plant the card and watch your pretty flowers grow!) and incredibly detailed and very tasty custom cookies. The show stopping flowers which filled every square inch of the Aquarium with their pink and purple glory would done by the talented team at Grandville Island Florists, and the delectable sushi stations that complimented the catering were put on by Zen Sushi.

Down to the details (and contact info for these fab vendors!):

Venue: The Vancouver Aquarium - (Contact Elisa) E-mail: Elisa.Fabiano@vanaqua.org

Photography: Daniela Ciuffa Photography Email: daniela@ciuffaphotography.com

Photobooth: Jane @ Pixstar Photobooth E-mail: info@pixstarphotobooth.com

Contortionists/ Aerialists: The Underground Circus E-mail: peter@undergroundcircus.ca

DJ: Beyond Sound E-mail: info@beyondsound.ca

Furniture Rentals: Fireworks Event Rentals E-mail: emily@eventfurniture.ca

Sushi Stations: ZEN Sushi E-mail: jun@zensushi.ca

Flowers: Granville Island Florist

Kasey + Tyler

Bella Wedding | Amy + Jason

Through the Lens Photography

Through the Lens Photography

Through the Lens Photography

Through the Lens Photography

Through the Lens Photography

Through the Lens Photography

Through the Lens Photography

Wow, I am seriously in the blogging bad books. I just realized It's been over a month since I've posted anything on here. I'm sorry. I really am. But the good thing about not posting on my blog is that this means I'm busy. Really really busy! So busy in fact, that I don't think I can squeeze another event into the mix until, let's say, October. From now until then I will be happily working away with my amazing client list and their exceptional events that are on their way.

Long overdue, here are some shots from my January wedding photographed by the talented Through the Lens Photography team of Marta and George. Amy and I started working together back in July, and I must say her wedding holds a special place in my heart as we shared both the same ceremony and reception venue. The fact that there is so much love and emotion shared between Amy, Jason, and their family and friends, made it even that much more touching for me. The wedding came together beautifully, both from a design standpoint and from an emotional one. It really was one of those weddings where I went home and just had to squeeze my hubby tight. I love love, and I love seeing it in it's purest form, on the day that two people commit to one another. Sigh.

Down to the details:

Ceremony: Good Sheppherd Catholic Church (Fr. Stanley Galvon officiated)

Ceremony Music: Trudi Stammer (Organ) and Curtis Marta (Violin)

Reception: Morgan Creek Golf Course- always a treat to work with Lani and the venue is perfect and accommodating.

Decor Rentals: Supplied by Wedding Design Studio and I must say I love their products. The stunning centerpieces were easy to assemble, giving me plenty of time to perfect the other aspects of the wedding.

Cake: Stunning cake and cake shaped cookies were done by the talented Anna Elizabeth Cakes. Swoon. Check out her stuff, and you may just die. You might have to throw a party just to have an excuse to hire her. Pretty pretty.

Videography: by Fairytale Productions, and although I haven't seen the finished product, they were very nice to work with.

DJ: Jesse of Bradley Music. It was my first time working with him and was truly a total blast and would reccomend him to anyone.

Floral: Stunning flowers were done by one of my local favourites, Petals & Stems.

Candy Buffet: Hello Bella Events, aka moi. The Candy Bar, oh the candy bar! Had to be one of my favourite parts. Amy and Jay were so much fun and decided instead of matching it with the elegant theme of the decor that we should go fun, colourful, and nostalgic (the candy bar was in another room so it's ok that they didn't match!). The candy Amy & Jay selected was all very fun. Some modern favourites, some classics, but they all were selected by members of their family and wedding party. I took the nostaligia theme and ran with it- designing vintage candy shop labels, and after finding THE perfect fabric, even breaking out my sewing machine for the first time to sew the backdrop and table cloth.

The Morgan Creek Wedding Gala + Winners

Thursday night was spectacular fun, bringing many vendors and even more brides-to-be together at the Morgan Creek Wedding Gala. We had so much fun creating our booth, and an incredible time talking to brides and their fabulous entourages. If you came, I hope you got a chance to speak with myself, the other Jen, or Meghan (my incredible assistants) but I know it was a busy night so if you want a little one on one time don't be afraid to email me!

We featured a mini Bella Sweets Bar to give everyone a taste of some of the fun things we like to do. I started off designing a silver and white table to try and keep things elegant and neutral, but I couldn't help it and just had to throw a little pink in there! The centerpiece was an incredible and blinged out wishing tree provided by the FABULOUS All Occassions Chic Decor Rentals whom I highly reccomend for any event decor.

We are so thankful to have some excellent prezzies to give away! So without further ado, here are the winners!

First up, we've got 5 Kitty Card Luxury Lifestyle Membership cards, and the WINNERS are:

1. Amber Jane Allen

2. Allison Dumbrell

3. Nicole Hewa

4. Sarah Campbell

5. Amanda Haight

For the $100 Hello Bella Gift Certificate, the WINNER is: ~Jessica Witzel ~

And last, but certainly not least, we've got the winner of the $500 Zoom Teeth Whitening from Kosmetiks Dental (I'm not jealous at all!).

The lucky lucky winner is: ~Wendy Strachan~

Congrats to all the winners and be sure to check your inboxes soon!

The Perfect Pair: Wedding Coordinator + Venue Coordinator

Full post on the Morgan Creek Wedding Gala to come, but in the meantime I had to re-post two fabulous articles by some of my fave LA based planners Amber Events and Jesi Haack. I found that many of the awesome brides who stopped by our booth last night were confused about the difference between the banquet coordinator provided by their venue, and what it is that we do. Although your venue coordinator is a vital piece of the puzzle and will be of endless amounts of help to you, what they do and what we do are entirely different! Working together with both a wedding co-ordinator and a venue co-ordinator is probably one of the best insurance policies you can get! If you're unsure of how the both of us can make your day run absolutely perfectly, then read on!

Venue Coordinator vs. Independent Coordinator By Amber Events

"Recently a potential bride with whom I felt that I clicked with emailed me to say basically: "thanks for your follow up, but we booked Venue X and they provide a wedding coordinator and so I don't need your services." I was sad for her because I really liked her and she has no way to know that the wedding coordinator promised to her is a venue coordinator, not a wedding coordinator. I'd like to explain the difference between the two.

A venue coordinator works for that venue. That is where their loyalties lie, and that is not a bad thing or a good thing, it just is. Their job is to sell the venue to brides, give out a list of preferred vendors, answer questions about the venue, assist with room layout and tasting, and make sure that your wedding follows the rules and regulations of the space. They may or may not help with the master Timeline of the wedding day and rarely do they help decorate or design for your reception. They do know what works and what doesn't in a space, so trust them if they say "that won't work!". Depending on how large the venue is, they may have four or more weddings they are juggling that weekend. On your wedding day, they may not even be the person you have been talking to all of these months, as it is a very challenging job and some venues tend to have high turnover.

Don't get me wrong, a venue coordinator's job is very, VERY important, but they are not your wedding coordinator. Neither is your DJ, a photographer, or florist. Yes, they all coordinate things that directly relate to them (a photographer will help with the Timeline as that affects pictures, etc), but they are not orchestrating every single detail of the event like an independent coordinator will.

As an independent wedding coordinator, our loyalty is to you, our client. Not your parents, photographer, videographer, DJ, florist or venue. An independent coordinator's job is to assess what level of service you need and to go above and beyond that. And to do it in a timely manner, with patience, and with a smile. Whether hired for "month of" coordination or full production, an independent coordinator will become the adviser and orchestrator of the entire production and how all of the vendors tie in together, as well as all of the millions of details that need to be dealt with. And this is just the logistical stuff. Then we have the emotions that come into play during the planning of a wedding. I'm not kidding when I say that half of what I do as a wedding coordinator is to act as a good old-fashioned shoulder to cry on! An independent coordinator will help you with wording of your invitations, encourage you to let your personality shine through, debate the pros and cons of the shades of Bashful vs. Blush roses, give you advice on sticky budget questions, advise you how to seat your divorced parents during the ceremony, remind you to hold your bouquet low as you walk down the aisle, and hug you goodnight at the end of the day.

A venue coordinator and an independent wedding coordinator are both extremely important as they each have a specific job that they are good at doing. A wedding with strong coordinators working hand in hand usually provides a seamless and stress free wedding day for all involved!"

And just in case you're still confused, here's a couple insightful scenarios from the incomparable Jessi Haack:

{SCENERIO 1}

The blushing bride swells with excitement as her newly adorned groom dips her ever so gently, just at the precise moment their song chimes the last tune. They take a humble bow to their guests. The father of the bride grabs the mic. Everyone is smiling, anxiously awaiting what kind and funny words the proud father will share. Everyone, that is, except for the bride. She knows her father too well and knows that he has enjoyed one too many Marry Mojitos(her talented wedding planner came up with that one). The bride stands frozen in place, a solid yet uneasy smile on her face, completely unsure of how to put out this impending fire. Luckily, her trusty wedding planner is standing by with a fire extinguisher. Because of the intense planning sessions spent together in the 12 months preceding this moment, her planner has learned priceless pieces of information. At this moment in time, she holds this valuable golden nugget: the father of the bride has a tendency to over-indulge in the special sauce. She swoops in and gracefully sneaks the mic away from the FOB and transitions the toasts over to the Best Man. Fire extinguished.

{SCENARIO 2}

The party is in full swing. The cake has been cut. The lovebirds are slow-dancing seventh grade style in the center of the dance floor…to a fast song. The guests’ attention is ushered toward the screen. The slide show, cleverly staged by the brother of the groom, is cued. As the opening photos flash across the screen, the music begins to garble. It sounds as though the speakers are playing a mean game of “Chubby Bunny." The guests glance around uncomfortably. The bride and groom look up at the screen with a frozen smile. The feedback in the speakers growls louder and more intrusive. The wedding planner is frantically flipping switches and jiggling wires. The sound check went flawlessly! Why is this happening? As organized, trustworthy, and together the wedding planner has proven to be, this unforeseen complication could happen at any time. Just when the crowd’s attention span was about to run out, the venue coordinator rushes into the audio room and flips a switch. All of her years of experience in one venue taught her that there is a specific electrical complication that acts up unpredictably. The music smoothes out, and the slide show plays on. The guests laugh in all of the right moments, the bride and groom kiss each other sweetly as they remember their childhoods.

{THE MORAL}

Of course being a wedding planner myself, I want to persuade you of the extreme importance of hiring someone to walk with you through the planning process from day 1. Someone who will get to know you on a personal level and use your personality in the planning and design of your day. But let’s be honest. I am a bit biased. The truth is, the partnership between your Wedding Planner and the Venue Coordinator is the ultimate unbreakable defense system. Armed with personal knowledge, your planner acts as the advocate of your personal preferences and needs. Armed with knowledge of the facility details, the venue coordinator covers the gaps the planner cannot fill. You see, your planner spends the time with you the venue coordinator can't. And the venue coordinator spends the time with the venue that your planner can't. It’s a brilliant collaboration!

From Hello Bella: I hope that these great posts help clear up some confusion, and of course if you ever have any questions, don't be afraid to ask!

Fabulous Giveaways!

Are you coming to check out Hello Bella Events at the Morgan Creek Wedding Gala? If so, you're in for some amazing treats and incredible prizes. We're lucky enough to have some generous vendors offering some goodies for you to win, and I get to give them away! To win, though, you'll have to come to the Wedding Gala yourself! Ok ok- perhaps I'll throw in a little contest for you guys as well! Be one of the first 5 readers to leave a comment and I will enter you into the draw for the big prizes as well if you can't make it out!

Here's the lowdown on what's being given away!

Sugarcane Sugar Lip Treatment: 100 lip balm tins will be a part of the Hello Bella Swag Bag giveaways, so be one of the first 100 brides to arrive to receive this awesome lip treat valued at $6! Sugarcane Skincare is not only an amazing natural skincare product line, but it's also locally owned and operated by female entrepeneur Melissa Joaquin.

About the goods: For delectable and dependable moisture, Sugar Lip Treatment with natural SPF 10 is filled with essential oils of vanilla, grapeseed and jojoba and mixed together with real sugar extreme moisture. A thin coat under your lipstick or your bare lips will leave them feeling soft, not greasy.

Zoom Teeth Whitening from Kosmetics Dental (Dr. Randy Narayan) Value $500

Come visit the Hello Bella booth to enter your name for a chance to win FREE Zoom Whitening! This is an awesome prize and considering we're giving away 3 prizes at our booth, your chances are pretty good to win! What better way to get those teeth sparkling for your photos! Dr. Narayan is an incredible dentist with state of the art equipment and incredible skill and comes highly recommended by me (and believe me, I'm not a dentist lover).

About the goods: Take a first step in feeling good and looking great with brighter, whiter teeth in less than an hour. Zoom! teeth whitening is safe, effective and very fast, and performed only by a dental professional

Gift Certificate from Hello Bella- Value $100 - This will also be a part of the draw at our booth, and will be valid on any of our packages! It'll be packaged in a pretty little box that you can use to store wedding things in later!

The Kitty Card Luxury Lifestyle Membership- Value $25 (not to mention all the deals and discounts it will get you!)

About the goods: The Kitty Card is a luxury lifestyle membership that gives ladies discounts at stylish boutiques, luxurious spas and swanky lounges. Kitties are an elite group of high powered, high heeled women. As a Kitty you'll be given preferential treatment and special offers just by flashing your card. You'll also receive VIP access to private parties, shopping events and pampering days

Expedia Cruise Ship Centres- Entry into a national draw for a free dream vacation. Travel Agent Sheila Boulton offers incredible deals on vacations, honeymoons, cruises and destination weddings. If you're looking to book a holiday, you'll be more than pleased with her service and value.

Press Release: Hello Bella selected as 2010 Bride's Choice Award Winner

Vancouver, BC – January 19, 2010 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced Hello Bella Events has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for wedding and event planning!

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

Hello Bella Events is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

We are happy to announce that Hello Bella Events is among the very best wedding and event planning companies within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/hello-bella-events-design-cloverdale/4c286c7abe0bede5.html.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding vendors. WeddingWire enables engaged couples to search, compare and book over 100,000 reviewed wedding vendors nationwide, from wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding vendors, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. In addition, WeddingWire has partnered with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) to provide its network of local vendors and online wedding-planning tools in the Weddings section of www.MarthaStewartWeddings.com. For additional information, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.