Meet Hello Bella's Pretty New Face!

Well, if you haven't noticed by now, Hello Bella has had an Extreme Makeover, Logo Edition! Normally this wouldn't warrant a post or announcement, but for me, well, anything that involves de-pinkifying requires some sort of explanation! Yes, it's true- I am a pink girl through and through, and I'm sure my pinkness was extremely evident in my former branding and website design. So why the change? Well, I'd be lying if I said I've been happy with any of my previous logo designs. I wanted something that reflected myself, but also my business. The girly girl designs and scripty fonts were over the top cute, and oh so very me. But were they my business? Are my day to day activities all frilly and pink? The truth is, I do mostly weddings, and the majority of them are NOT pink weddings. I also do showers, birthdays, anniversaries, bat/bar mitzvahs, and pretty much any event that's an excuse to celebrate. The celebrations I design and plan are not geared towards only females, or only girly girls, and I really didn't want to pigeon hole Hello Bella into a single specific type of event service.

The new logo is simple, clean, and hopefully still pretty! I've kept touches of pink here and there, but have introduced a pretty teal blue green to the mix. My logo, which started over a year ago with a bird motif, now incorporates a sunburst or firework (you choose, whichever you like!). I figure regardless of your event, you're probably hoping for a gorgeous, sunny day, and what better way to represent this than a sunbust! Alternatively, it also reminds me of a firework, which to many is a symbol of celebration! Interestingly, and coincidentally, my first wedding last summer took place on an insanely crazy Vancouver day that resulted in the most wicked of sunsets and was topped off with an over the top display of fireworks during the Symphony of Fire. So see? It's only fitting.

Well enough with the long and dragged out explanation! Go check out my new website design for yourself (there may be little bugs but they will soon be worked out) at www.hellobella.com and while you're at it maybe fan me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter if you haven't already!

Thanks again to everyone (my amazing clients, vendors, family and friends) for your support and I hope you like the new look;)

xoxo

A Peacock Affair | Hello Bella Bridal Shower

Flowers by Ah Perfect Petals

Flowers by Ah Perfect Petals

Flowers by Ah Perfect Petals

Flowers by Ah Perfect Petals

Cake by Anna Elizabeth Cakes

Flowers by Ah Perfect Petals

Nothing makes my job more fun than when a hostess like Sandie comes along. Sandie, the sole bridesmaid/MOH for her best friend's wedding wanted to throw the bride a very special shower. Something as beautiful as it would be meaningful, and a party she would never forget.

A very pregnant Sandie left the design in my hands and let me run with it, and knowing that she was stylish and loved attention to detail as much as me made the planning process easy and exciting. (It's hard coming from a creative standpoint and having a vision- if my clients don't share that vision or have dissimilar tastes, I of course work within their parameters- however it's much more rewarding getting to do something creative and pretty! So thank you Sandie!)

An eager and charming client wasn't the only part of this event that made it such a blast to design and plan. I lined up an excellent team of my favourite vendors knowing that they would share my vision, and boy they did not fall short! The shower was held at the renowned Italian Kitchen (part of the Glowbal Group) in the upstairs section that isn't used during the day (THANK YOU Italian Kitchen and our INCREDIBLE server/bartender Mark who let us take claim over the entire upstairs). Mark, by the way, was so amazing and made the most succulent mock mojito I have ever ever tasted. Vanilla Apple Mojito - To. Die. For (definitely stealing this drink recipe for my upcoming housewarming). Ok, sorry about that little tangent- back to my amazing vendors!

Once deciding on our colour scheme I phoned up my florist Kari of Ah Perfect Petals. Kari is a hidden gem in a world of countless florists, and if you're lucky enough to work with her you'll know what I mean. She really really cares about her clients and that is so pivotal in a client/vendor relationship. And her flowers- oh her flowers! Her creative eye is spot on and her design skills impeccable. I sent her about 5 inspiration photos prior to the shower, some outrageously intricate, and some more simple. She absolutely blew the roof off of any expectations I had, and I can't thank Kari enough for her part in creating this gorgeous event.

Another vendor I love to work with (and who you'll probably see often on my blog and facebook page) is Anna of Anna Elizabeth Cakes. An up and comer with an incredible eye for detail, this young talent is sure to garner a lot of attention in the cake world. I let her know the theme/colour scheme we were working with, and that same day she came back to me with an assortment of design renderings to help us decide on our cake design. I loved how our cake turned out, and her fondant work and handpainting is amazing. Her cakes are always original- no boring copies here! And if you think these cakes are just pretty, wait until you try one! She pays as much attention to what's on the inside as she does on the outside with flavours like vanilla bean cake soaked in raspberry simple syrup with rapsberry coulis with white chocolate buttercream. DELISH!

My vendor trifecta I've affectionately dubbed AAA (Ah Perfect Petals, Anna Elizabeth Cakes, and All Occassions) was rounded out by the wonderful rentals at All Occasions Chic Decor Rentals. Carolyn is awesome to work with, and was extremely accommodating with my last minute orders and changes! The gorgeous wishing tree, peacock feathers, brown and turquoise linens were all rented from All Occassions (pink runners were generously supplied by Kari of APP).

There's a slew of inspiration out there for peacock weddings/events. Both Sandie and I shared the vision that although the theme was peacock, we didn't want it to overwhelm and take away from everything else. A touch here, and splash there was all that was needed. In addition to the gorgeous jewel tones throughout the room, we used peacock feathers to accent the table settings and I designed a peacock menu inspired by a wedding invitation I spotted on etsy. The same peacock graphic was also echoed in the wishing tree notecards and the he said/ she said game cards. Sandie ordered customized Jones sodas online that featured a picture of the bride and groom and was a much enjoyed guest take home favour.

Well, that was a long so I shall stop here! Hope everyone enjoys their April and check back soon for more blog posts!

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!