Back Door Bride

In the spirit of showing you behind-the-scenes at events we've done, these fun photos were taken at a wedding we did at The Carlu, Toronto's finest example of the Art Moderne style of architecture and design. The Carlu is a sleek, sophisticated and extremely well-run venue, but a tough place to sneak a bride into without guests seeing her before the ceremony unless she's there well before the guests start arriving. Due to time constraints, that wasn't going to be possible, so we had the grand idea of bringing Gillian and her bridesmaids through the underground parking lot and up the freight elevator. You can see from the pictures that we had a great group of ladies who embraced this idea wholeheartedly and got right into the spirit of things... and the fabulous Storey Wilkins was more than willing to go along for the (literal) ride!
Special thanks to Gill & Dan and your fantastic wedding party. That was a whole lotta fun!

Dog Days of Summer, Part Deux

This post is for any would-be event planners who think our world is only about glamour and fabulous parties: Cut to the day after the wedding described in the post below. I am sitting (after 2 hours of sleep) in the tent, on a case of beer. For the people who know me, that is probably a pretty funny image in itself, but I digress. I have a plastic bag over my right hand (there wasn't a rubber glove to be found on the island) and am clutching a rag soaked in paint remover, attempting to remove footprints of floor stain from the dance floor before the barge arrives to take the rentals back to the mainland. How did these footprints get there? Well, this wedding happened to take place over the Canada Day holiday and we ran out of stain while preparing the tent floor. Because stores were closed, we were delayed in finishing the staining... and this meant it didn't have time to dry properly before tables had to be set, linens laid and flowers placed before guests arrived. Cater-waiters, florists and everyone else setting up the tent managed to track their prints ALL over the dance floor... luckily, the colour was almost identical, but there was no way I could let it get returned in the condition it was in.
I thanked Leigh Tynan (below) for the great photos but was secretly relieved she wasn't there to capture what was surely one of the more ridiculous moments (okay, make that hours) in my illustrious career!
Photo by Leigh Tynan, Tynan Studio

Dog Days of Summer, Part One

Nothing says 'summer in Ontario' like a wedding in Muskoka. And nothing says 'logistical challenge' like a wedding on a private island in Muskoka... Behind the beautiful photos are months of preparation: tents, flooring, lighting, power, flowers, florists, tables, chairs, ovens, plates, glassware, chefs, catering staff, DJs and their equipment, alcohol (lots and lots of alcohol), musicians, officiants... all these things have to be barged over in a delicate dance of precise timing, the favour of the Weather Gods and plain old good luck. Once everything is in place, the next step is to get all the guests there! A few magical hours later, it's all over and the work begins again to get all of the above OFF the island... If this sounds like a lot of work, it is a lot of work but the chance to share a unique place you love with your family and friends is worth all the effort in the world... then throw in a glorious sunset for good measure and you've got an experience few people will forget anytime soon!

A great big thank you to Leigh Tynan who not only took the gorgeous pictures but also schlepped stuff on and off the supply boats! Talk about team spirit!

Party In the Trees

I gasped out loud when I read about The Yellow Treehouse a couple of months ago in Metropolitan Home magazine. Talk about taking our Swiss Family Robinson fantasies to new heights! This project was originally commissioned as a publicity stunt by the Yellow Pages -- everything used to construct it can be found in their book -- and built in a giant redwood forest in New Zealand. At first it was used as a temporary restaurant (and, not surprisingly, booked out solid for it's run) but now it's used exclusively for private parties... can you imagine? Read more about the project (and the fascinating construction process) at the official website.

Photos credited to Lucy Gauntlett at Yatzer.com

The Pictures you Didn't See...

Many of you have seen the super-stylish wedding that photographer Jackson Huang and his bride Saxon Grimes threw last August when it was featured in WedLuxe magazine. Now it's time to share some of the ones you didn't see...
No matter how much planning goes into an event, something inevitably goes awry. In this case, the elevator in the building where Jackson's spanking new studio is located broke down -- with guests heading to the tea ceremony inside! The fire department was called; doors were pried open and 5 people were rescued; happily with plenty of time to make it to the celebration.
Lisa McPeek of Jackson's team at Ikonica was quick to document the excitement -- I am so grateful for pictures like these because they show the whole story behind every event. Thank you Lisa!