Weddings, Weddings, Weddings…

If I hear about ONE more friend of mine getting married this year, I don’t know what I will do with myself.  *Pictures herself running down the street pulling out her hair while screaming like a mad woman* There comes a time in everyone’s life when it seems like all of your friends are getting married.  In the last three years I have had 8 friends  ”bite the bullet”  and say their  ”I Do’s”.  I have worn four different brightly coloured bridesmaid dresses and danced to YMCA 8 times.  I’m not complaining. It all comes with ”this age”.. The age where if your friends aren’t getting married they are having their first child.  Besides… weddings are fun!

Planning for the big day

What isn’t fun is rushing around at the last minute trying to get things together for the ‘big day’. I’ve always been a planner. I organize my kitchen cupboard with labels so that my husband knows where to find the quinoa and doesn’t mistake the cassia bark for chocolate flakes.  My desk at work is usually impeccable.  The stapler, pen, and highlighter all have their place.  Sure, it’s a little bit OCD… but that’s ‘the way I roll’.

Plans. Nothing EVER goes exactly according to plan. (Just ask Murphy about THAT one!)… There is always something… But don’t fret! That is all part of the beauty of weddings, and the beauty of life. Full of surprises!

Over the last three years I have definitely fine tuned what I like to call my “wedding awareness”.   In general, you have the beautiful bride to be, who wants everything to be perfect; the groom who wants the bride to be happy but gets tired of the word ‘wedding’ a good three months before the date, and really doesn’t care if the place cards are  sage or mint green.  You have the parents of the happy couple who want to be involved in decision making that inevitably get on the nerves of the bride or groom, or both.  Let’s not forget the cute flower girls or junior bridesmaids, the groomsmen who look smashing in their suits, and the lovely bridal attendants who facilitate all of the brides plans. Plans. Nothing EVER goes exactly according to plan. (Just ask Murphy about THAT one!)  You have flowers that don’t match the dresses or that don’t show up at all;  someone who thinks it is funny to lick the icing off the cake on the way through the kitchen; the camera man accidentally keeps his lens cap on; one of the dresses doesn’t fit the bridesmaid; the groom can’t find his suit pants; the dog runs away with the pillow with the rings tied to it; and Uncle Bob gets so drunk that he insists on dancing with your father during the father daughter dance… There is always something… But don’t fret! That is all part of the beauty of weddings, and the beauty of life. Full of surprises!

Unique wedding favors will leave a lasting impression

About three years ago, when a friend of mine was getting married and was close to having a nervous breakdown because her overly priced wedding favours hadn’t made it in time, I decided that enough was enough. Being the co-owner of Herbal Infusions, I thought it was about time I used my business smarts to heal a heavy heart.  (Plus, I really didn’t want to have to piece back together a tattered wedding dress or a batty bride)  Tea favours! The ultimate wedding solution! After pulling an all night-er, I had 250 cute, classy tea wedding favors ready to go.  She still recommends them to everyone she knows.  This year, our best seller by far has been the Peppermint Dream Tea Party Favor with our new pyramid style tea bag.  But the wonderful thing about our party favors is that you can find one to please any wedding guest. Ice Wine for Uncle Bob, Buckingham Palace Garden Party for Aunt Eunice who flew in from overseas, Faerie Falls Herbal Tea for your flower girls, Kama Sutra Chai for your spicy bridal party… You get the idea. The options are pretty much limitless, which is great for both the bride who wants to plan out every single grueling detail and for the bride that just wants to “get ‘er done!”.

Many of us have been through the process of planning a wedding, and for those of you that haven’t… Don’t worry… Your time will come.

I have come across some very helpful websites for weddings that other people may fins useful while planning for their own wedding, helping a friend plan, or trying to find a last minute speech.  When it comes to white dresses and wedding messes, there are never enough resources.

• Everything About Weddings
• Canadian Weddings
• Toronto Weddings
• Destination Weddings
• Wedding Vows and Speeches
• Ethical Weddings
• Green Weddings
• Eco Weddings