Here are highlights from one international and six Canadian wedding planners that might surprise you.
Jane Dayus-Hinch
England
Jane has planned over 1,000 international weddings. She once organized a dual-language Greek family wedding for 1,600 guests. Two napkin styles had to be designed – one for the women and another for the men because the couple couldn’t agree! At another wedding, the cake alone cost over $4,000. The total cost of that wedding was $2.4 million. One bride wanted to marry a knight in shining armour and Dayus-Hinch made it happen – literally!
On one occasion, a florist built a waterfall of flowers with a huge number of lilies. The fragrance was so overpowering, the entire head table had to be moved to sit with the guests.
Cristie Vito,
Stellar Events, Ottawa
Cristie is the creative director and senior wedding planner. She encourages couples to incorporate their cultural traditions, such as a Hindu wedding she planned where the invitations were delivered with a box of sweets made of milk, sugar and nuts. On the wedding day, the groom, dressed in traditional white Indian attire, arrived in a horse-drawn carriage, followed by a colourful sea of family and friends singing and dancing.
Whitney Pizale,
Bliss Events, Toronto
Whitney recalls a couple whose first dance was professionally choreographed with the groom wearing kneepads under his tuxedo so he could slide across the floor.
Another couple had two deer heads set up on the gift table with vintage wooden skis and poles used as the guest book. A number of hotel guests didn’t find the deer heads funny and nearly came to blows with a groomsman!
Katie Wright,
Drama Queen Wedding & Event Planning, Calgary
Katie remembers a warm, sentimental wedding in a corral on the groom’s pasture, decorated with hay, sunflowers, barley and the skeleton head of a bull. Guests sat on square hay bails and the music, of course, was country. Let’s hope no one had allergies!
Monica Yau & Gary Tam,
Blueprint for Love, B.C.
Monica and Gary built their own wedding around Disney characters. They purchased Disney figurines for all 25 reception tables. A framed 2,000-piece jigsaw puzzle of Mickey’s and Minnie’s wedding was hung and the cake topper was Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
Sonia Gonzalez,
One-of-Kind Weddings and Events, Toronto
Sonia recalls a dog as the flower girl. Another couple created a structure of acrylic blocks, each engraved with a virtue. Each block was assigned to a friend who spoke about the virtue and how it was portrayed in the couple’s relationship. When each friend was finished speaking their block was added to the tower with the bridal couple placing a lighted candle at the top of the tower.
Melissa Samborski,
One Fine Day Event Planning, Toronto
Melissa once transformed a cellar into a modern and romantic venue for 200 guests. Over $10,000 was spent on special effects in lighting and more than $20,000 was spent on flowers.
Written by Marcy Cornblum
