Stonefields. A different reception venue

How is this for something different. Check out this new spot that is only about an hours drive from Ottawa. Its small, intimate, photogenic and the new owners are really sweet.


http://stonefieldsheritagefarm.blogspot.com/

The Royals

In honor of the upcoming Royal Nuptuals.

Ottawa Wedding Photography.

While I am on the subject of photography, it seems to me that a large number of couples make big mistakes in that decision. Why would I say that, well its the thing I hear the second most complaints about when the day is over. The first----Ottawa wedding dress boutiques.
Its funny, because if you Google "Ottawa Wedding Dresses" the bad reviews are all there on the map pages, just take your pick. Photogs, however get generally pretty rave reviews and this city has some of the best in Canada at very competitive prices.
Why then do folks insist on finding the cheapest package with someone who works part time from home, has no real customer service system and wants to burn you a DVD so you can go make your own album. A good dozen of these newbies vanish a year, yet people still want to trust the memories of a 25K day to a studio that might be a few hundred dollars less if you compare apples to apples.
These same couples would never think of buying their wedding dress online from Korea or
having their hair done by Supercuts on the wedding day, yet they somehow believe there is a magical deal to be had in both photography and video. It ain`t so.
Look to the majors like Mediaball or Cesoir, Photolux, Martin, Geddes and Couvrette.

Being in business is tough, being in business as an artist, tougher.

I guess that’s why I was so irked when Mayor Jim Watson dissed famed Ottawa
wedding/portrait photographer Paul Couvrette http://www.couvrette-photography.on.ca/. last month during that Photogate controversy. After all was said and done, it seems like the City itself was totally at fault for not even showing up for sessions and giving themselves makeovers on OUR nickel!!!

What was Watson thinking when he called professional photography a “frivolous” expense. Gosh, I wonder what he thinks about weddings…no, lets not even go there.
Couvrette stepped up and even donated the profits from the shoot to Ottawa shelter families at Christmas while our new Mayor looked like Scrooge. Way to go.

Great new venue.

Looking for something different for a small wedding reception. Well, hot off the presses, here is the coolest new spot in the market. http://www.armadalounge.com/

You won`t find it on many searches and once you do it will book up fast, so get rolling.

We were there for a late December wedding. Truly great people and a funky location.

Just what will they think of next.?

Ok, this takes the cake for the
worst bridal show ever.http://www.hollyscoop.com/tv/bridalplasty/calling-all-psycho-brides-bridalplasty-is-coming-to-e_2573.aspx

A nice alternative to city hall.

Fun photo of the week.

Funny photo of the week.

Speaking of doves, careful. Its cold out there.

Ottawa Congress Centre/////HUH

So last week I tried to book one of our 2012 brides into the Congress Centre which opens next fall. Would you believe that they do not take reservations for 2012. Baffles the heck out of me.

Whats up, do they think they won't open up on time?

So far, no explanation from them despite two queries.

Last I heard, they hired the top Chef away from the Chateau and he is
set to start next summer. Very odd, but then again, the Centre always
had a strange stance on weddings. Ten years back both the Centre and
the Westin had a clause that allowed them to cancel you within a couple
of months if they booked a convention. Nice.

Ottawa wedding magazine, Issue 2

http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/coylepublishing/ottawaweddings_winter2010_virtual/2010070601/

Here is a link to the second issue. Not as good as the first and frankly very little really good OTTAWA info. It is starting to seem just like all the other Ottawa rags, chock full of ads and very little cool new stuff. The articles are as fluffy as Wedding Bells with little by way of local features.

On top of all that, what about showing the ethnic mix of Ottawa. The two main features were white as milktoast and frankly, pretty boring.

Oh well. Here I was hoping for some good stuff to get my teeth into. Frankly, most of the best wedding info is right here online on blogs and forums and to tell the truth you can get a lot more
of a feel for most service providers on their Facebook pages.

Doves in Ottawa

http://pages.videotron.com/envolees/pictures.html

New Bridal Shop in Town

Hey ladies. You ve gotta check out http://www.luxebridal.ca/

There are a couple of local women who just opened a great looking spot on Dalhousie
featuring a range of wedding dress designs. Prices are mid to top range but some of
these gowns are so unique you will flip.

Only downside, not enough shots of the site to show the range. Get with it girls.

One great band.

This summer I had the chance to hear http://www.swayorchestra.com on two occasions and frankly, I think they are one of the best groups in the area.

I asked about their rates and to my surprise they are only a few times more expensive than a top DJ. What an impressive show and great sound. Check them out.

Deals,deals,deals.

Wow. A friend from Vancouver just tipped me to this site http://www.groupon.com/ottawa/

She actually bought her wedding flowers AND her makeup artist at over half price. Cool
They just started up in Ottawa today. Very neat idea.

The Wedding of the Year???

Okay, so its not about Ottawa, but some of these ideas are kind of cool.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/07/30/hot.wedding.trends/index.html?hpt=Mid

City Hall

Its a classic movie scene, a couple rush into City Hall for a wedding.

In Ottawa, however, nothing could be further from the truth. A friend took this route last week and boy, the paperwork and fooling around with bookings seemed worse than in Southminster United on a bad day.
To top it all off, the actual room where weddings take place looks like the kind of room Rev Canada uses to audit wrongdoers in. My suggestion, try the Unitarian Church on the Ottawa
River Parkway. A lot nicer folks and a beautiful spot to boot.

Etsey

Etsy is a great place to troll for wedding bargains. Whether it be hats, invites, or jewellery
the deals just keep on coming. Better yet, add the word Ottawa to your search and voila, some
cool local home businesses that you will surely get inspired by.


http://www.etsy.com/listing/43928010/girls-party-wedding-dress-textured-white?ref=sr_gallery_33&ga_search_query=ottawa&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&order=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

National Gallery Weddings.

We are starting to get super busy this summer, but I squeezed in some time to talk about one of the most talked about venues, The National Gallery.

The good.................

Gorgeous locale. The space as well as the views are #1 in Ottawa
Great reasonably priced parking.
Super acoustics.

The bad, well perhaps it starts with the fact that its really a gallery and not a wedding venue.

First off, your venue will have gallery goers either ogling or wandering through your party, and perhaps even your ceremony unless you have lots of security. This of course adds to the cost. To boot, the place is pricey, probably the most expensive per setting in town. While the food was great, it was still not at the top of the list for myself and my date. Its a long way down from the Cordon Blue and 18.

I think that the worst part though is the list of strange rules that only a Government run facility
could come up with. First, the galleries all close down at 5PM meaning no pix in those cool locales or even a small tour for the out of town guests (hint hint, how bout it NAG.) I have no idea why the Gallery would not leave the place open for an extra hour for the guests given the profit they make on these events.

Finally, it seemed that all the staff, from security, to the servers to the wedding planner were really not very relaxed. Better them than me working for the Feds. Yikes.

If I was rating it by stars, I would call it a 3.5 on 5.

Canadiana---Fun photo of the week

I love the expression on their faces.
What could she have been thinking.?.

Why does this shot remind me of
the Shrek photo just below?

Ottawa Photo Booth

Here is a fun idea, and an Ottawa source for the hardware.

http://mmecanada.com/content/photobooth.html

Funny photo of the week.

Ok, I know they were big fans of Shrek, but maybe they saw it one too many times. LOL

Ottawa Wedding Costs

A quick bit of math on the poll at the side of this blog points out that roughly two thirds of Ottawa brides spend about 20K on their weddings. Interesting, but thats not the whole story.

What about that parking bill at the Westin all your guests paid. How about Granny's flight from
Halifax. Lets not forget all the costs of the honeymoon and the engagement parties. Travel by your pals, hey that's all part of the wedding. Clothing for the bridesmaids, add it on.

My guess is that you can pretty well double whatever you think you spent and then some.

The point of this post. Well perhaps it's worth rethinking how you allocate funds when you
realize you are planning a 50K event!

Invitations at a bargain.

Hey girls, the deals don't get better than this.
http://www.vistaprint.ca

Everything I hear says they provide a great product
at a killer price.



.

Destination Weddings

Here is another take on destination weddings. Enjoy.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/04/30/destination.weddings.dilemma/

Wedding Bells say that 7% of Canadian brides go the destination route, while Martha Stewart

mag says over 22% of US brides go that route. It's said that a destination wedding is less expensive, but I am certain that is only because they are a quarter the size as far as the guest list. I am fairly certain they do not count the money spent by all those friends and relatives getting there. Still, a nice idea for many.

Eventective/Huh?

We recently looked at joining a site called Eventective which lists a range of services. The price was right, but I looked at a number of feedback forums and decided against it.

Why the post. Well, I simply wanted to point out to couples that this is simply a bad way to shop. First, it seems that the site allows you to contact a vendor directly. In reality, it sends your info off to dozens of merchants you did not even ask to contact. One bride to be that I met received over 200 emails from local merchants.

Why bother? Just Google the services you want, compare away and get on with it.

Guess there is a site for everyone, even those who want to be spammed.

Never saw this before.

Its tough to find something original at a wedding. Here's my funny photo of the week
and an idea that combines a couple of cultures and a lot of fun.

The McCaffrey Saga/ Ottawa Wedding Dresses.

So now there is news that Justina McCaffrey is back in town operating just a couple of blocks south of her former husband and former store.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/2010wintergames/McCaffrey+sets+shop+blocks+from+partner/2733475/story.html


I don`t know about you, but I think both of them should be embarrased enough to get out of town. First, they bankrupted leaving their staff holding the bag for some wages and the banks (ie the taxpayers due to Fed funds they wangled) holding the bag for hundreds of thousands they wasted away. Then they spread their messy divorce all over the papers (pity their poor kids). Now they both think its just fine to prance around Ottawa like nothing happened.

A McCaffrey dress, Can U say bad karma.

Destination weddings.

As a person who is looking at wedding planning as a career, the concept of destination weddings

sounds like fun. I recently spoke with a couple of planners who specialize in this field and anyone

looking to plan a southern jaunt should certainly look at http://www.weddinginthetropics.com/

As well, brides should carefully scour TripAdvisor for wedding stories of which there are plenty

on both sides of the spectrum. Take a lot of the negative reviews with a grain of sand (pun) because some of the bridezillas are really laughable. One I can recount was from a bride in

a Mexican resort who complained of those little one inch lizards running around the patio.

Hey babe, they were there first.

Wedding Venues in Ottawa

Choosing a wedding venue is a mix of location, staff and food. What most people use as a guide
to whether a venue has good food is simply recommendations. BUT, and a really big BUT, just
because your Mom had her wedding at the Delta 20 years ago does not mean its still great. Chefs, for example move around every couple of years (they can be a tempramental lot) and
standards can slip rapidly.
Now you have a tool to help you out. Oh my god, our tax dollars finally being used for something helpful.
http://ottawa.ca/cgi-bin/search/inspections/q.pl?ss=home_en&qt=fsi_en

Its kinda shocking what you get to see behind the curtain. Many local caterers just don`t seem to understand food safety. Ok, a leaky faucet is no biggie, but check out Eggspectations, a spot that
has been touted recently in the Wedding Bells forum as the hottest caterers. Anyone with half a
brain in the kitchen knows that the easiest way to get food poisoning is with eggs, yet look at this.


http://ottawa.ca/cgi-bin/search/inspections/q.pl?ss=details_en&sq_fs_fdid=B837F7B5-936D-4400-B6BE-DCAF86CCEC9A

As for me, I`m checking out everone on this list before I put a single bite in my mouth I didn`t cook!!!!!

Shopping for your wedding on Kijiji

I buy and sell quite a lot of stuff on Kijiji. Someone paid me $100 dollars for my old G3 and we
both walked away happy.
Buying wedding services there, no way. Now every now and then you can find a used McCaffrey dress that's a steal. Services however, no deal. Every now and then someone posts a horror story of some part time florist or DJ they hired on Kijiji and to their surprise, it was a fail.

Gosh, what a surprise. C`mon ladies how can a video guy charge you a hundred dollars for a days
work? Stick with the pros, the more established the better.

Don`t make me say I told ya so.

Wacky snap of the week.

So you`re still trying to cut out second cousin Sarah to save a few dollars on the reception. How about these people in China who fed over 3000 people at a reception for 3 DAYS.

Got single friends.

Have em learn Chinese!!!!

(CNN) -- Some 24 million Chinese men of marrying age will find themselves lacking wives in 2020, partly because of the country's one-child policy, which has led to the abortion of female fetuses, state media said Monday.
Sex-specific abortions have led to a large male population born since the 1980s, the China Daily newspaper said, citing a study conducted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
The gender imbalance means that the next decade will see many intergenerational marriages: young men married to women much older than them, the study said.
China's Communist Party implemented the one-child rule three decades ago, amid fears that the country would not be able to feed a skyrocketing population. The policy has prevented about 400 million births, China Daily said.
Couples living in cities are barred from having more than one child, unless neither parent has siblings. In rural areas, the law allows for a second child under certain circumstances. And the guidelines are looser for ethnic minorities with small populations.
Enforcement varies, but usually takes the form of fines to discourage extra births.
The policy has curbed population growth, and has led to forced sterilization in some parts of the country, the U.S. State Department said. Because of a traditional preference for male heirs, many Chinese also have aborted female fetuses, according to human rights groups.
Even within the country, calls to overhaul the law have increased in recent years, China Daily said.
But China has said it will maintain its one-child policy for at least another decade.

Ottawa Wedding Magazine

For my first post of the New Year, here is something new for Ottawa, our own wedding magazine.

It seems that Wedding Bells has finally met its match in the local market. For years they have
ignored locals and charged rates that were outrageous. Who did you think was paying for those $8000 a page ads, but little ole YOU. I suppose it was fine for the big guys, but little merchants
who paid those rates eventually passed them on to clients and more than one I know went out of biz owing Wedding Bells big cash. Eventually a megacorp took over Wedding Bells and they jacked the rates even more.

Congrats to some locals for seeing the business opportunity and creating a mag that is well printed and features ONLY local content. The first issue is very strong visually, though the writing is a little weak and the ad content to editorial is way too high. Hopefully they will not
follow the Wedding Bells trail and turn into one big ad surrounded by a few wire story tips.

I hear you can pick it up at any of the major wedding merchants and that it will be available at
the Bridal Fair next week. In case you can`t find one, here is the online version.
http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/coylepublishing/ott_weddings_virtual/2009120801/

Merry Christmas

I have been away in the Caribbean, more on that later. But I thought I would take a minute to
wish all my readers the Best of the Season and to post this link to some great Christmas wedding decor.

It might seem a little gauche to steal next Holiday Season and own it for your wedding, but hey, if you take on Christmas, better have some great ideas.

Enjoy. http://www.weddingdecoupage.com/christmas-wedding-ideas.html

Funny shot of the week

Can`t wait til this swine flu scare is over, and yes, I am another who thinks it was all a hoax.

Now thats a video

Would you believe that these folks are from Toronto.

Ottawa wedding video

I`m amazed at how bad most Ottawa videographers are. Do you really have to book a company in Toronto or Montreal to get good video. Sure, the prices here are low , but the creativity truly sucks. Oh well, eat your heart out Ottawa girls and check this out. Yup,they are from Toronto and big bucks. Frankly I think you are better to avoid the locals, who all seem to be doing it as a part time gig anyway. The best seems to be Ron Cogan and Thru the Lense...but even then, kind of weak and lots or stories about poor customer service from Cogan.

OH well, at least someone in Canada does it well, but at this price, holy cow.
http://www.stillmotion.ca/site.html

DIY stuff.

I just found this great Canadian blog on DIY ideas.

http://www.weddingobsession.com/category/do-it-yourself/

Ottawans can get supplies at Michaels but also check out the Dollar stores. The biggest one seems to be at Bank and Somerset.

Just when you thought you had see it all.

What did these girls do to deserve this. There oughta be a law!

Wedding dress forecast.

Looks like we are finally losing our love affair with sleeveless dresses. How many of you have been to a wedding where the bride wore a dress that was, shall we say, overflowing.

So here you go ladies, direct from The Knot, a forecast for 2010.


Trend 1: '50s Flair
Bridal designers must be as obsessed with Mad Men as we are: There were enough high necklines, tulle skirts, and tea-length styles on the runway to make even Don Draper swoon!
Trend 2: Bits of Black
Not just for the goth bride anymore, this dark hue showed up in all kinds of wedding dress details, from dainty bows and sashes to bolder, allover embellishments.
Trend 3: The Bold Shoulder
Thanks to First Lady Michelle Obama, it seems the one-shoulder style has really taken off. But this season, unlike in years past, the over-the-top details are what really make these asymmetrical necklines stand out.
Trend 4: Bows
From droopy satin styles to more structural ones, these girly details are the hottest knots to hit the bridal fashion runways.
Trend 5: Couture Cover-ups
You want to wear a strapless gown, but don't want to feel overly bare? You're in luck. This season, you can take your pick from floor-length lace coats, airy tulle boleros, feathered capelets, and more.
Trend 6: Garden Glamour
This year, designers were big on blooms of all different sizes, from simple, cherry-blossom details to oversized, eye-catching rosettes.
Trend 7: Illusion Necklines
It's clear which neckline reigned supreme this season -- be it bateau, V-neck, or even one-shoulder, sheer straps mean subtle, sexy coverage.
Trend 8: Metallic Touches
Want to shine on your walk down the aisle? Consider one of the hot, new styles glittering in gold and silver details.
Trend 9: Raw Edges
From the sound of it, you may think this trend might leave a wedding dress looking unfinished, but these rough, just-cut hemlines and details make for a completely unique bridal look.
Trend 10: Pretty Pleats
Accordion to us (couldn't resist), this playful detail adds the perfect amount of texture to embellished and simple wedding gowns alike.

Wedding Etiquette/Funny shot of the week.

Note to self.....................................never eat a piece of cake as big as your head.!

Researching Weddings with Google.

Ok, this may seem obvious to most of you, but just in case, here goes.

If you are searching for history' politics or math, Google web searching is fine, but using Google Image Search is really the cat's meow when searching for wedding services. Got a wedding at the Chateau and want to get an idea of what the place looks like in photographs--use Google Image
Search instead of a standard web search.

Its a great way to get wonderful cake ideas, decor concepts or even plan your hairstyle.

Wow, wow and wow

If anyone finds a better site for wedding themes and decor, please let me know.

This one is a killer http://feteny.com/

Spooky Cake.

Too bad most of our Ottawa caterers are not as funky as the guys and gals on Cake Boss. Oh well, happy Halloween.

OOOPS. I spoke too soon. LOOK what I found at the Carp Farmers market just last week
http://thegirlwiththemostcake.com/

Whats up with PARKING at weddings.

A friend went to a wedding last month at the Chateau Laurier. To ransom her car she had to pay TWENTY TWO DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The same goes for the Westin. So lets do the math. Say you have 150 guests at the wedding. Thats a tidy $3300 these asphalt and concrete storage huts make for the hotels at every wedding. Seems like robbery to me.
Wouldn`t it be nice if they offered you something for bringing them all that biz.

Makes you want to go rent a tent somewhere.

Just in time for Halloween.

Wedding Ideas Ottawa

Ok, I promised I would not say anything about Ottawa wedding planners or consultants.

But hey, I didn`t say that I wouldn`t say things about folks in other cities...............

LUV these people..............some great ideas here girls.


http://www.weddingchicks.com/

A great way to snoop.

Ok, so you we have all heard about Google Maps, but have you tried using it to scope out wedding suppliers?
Its simple, and may save you a lot of hassle. Just type in the name of the merchant or business and go to Google Maps. When the map loads, there is a little orange "guy" sitting on top of the
zoom button. Grab him and drag him to the location. Voila!!!!

Those google map cars have scoped out pretty much everyone candidly and it might save you a trip to some merchants house in the burbs if you see it online first. We checked out a couple of
suppliers and frankly, they shouldn`t be in the biz if their front yards look like yard sales.

Getting the real scoop on Ottawa Hotels and Wedding Venues.

Here is a great trick for checking out Ottawa hotels and wedding venues.
Its really simple. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels

Just type in a hotel and check the rating. In particular, read the bottom few
bad reviews just to see what things guests encountered. Now this doesn`t
get you lots of exact info on weddings, but it sure gives you a pretty good idea.

Some of the feedback is really surprising. Have fun.

Ottawa Wedding Photographers

Choosing a wedding photographer is a tough call. There seem to be hundreds in Ottawa, yet those who offer both an artistic eye AND good business practices are few and far between. My advice, stick to the studios who have a good ten year or more rep and book early.

Recently I have read that Eventi Productions and Josh Brown Photography are the latest victims of a competitive marketplace. Both seem to have disappeared and the forums and Facebook pages have some angry brides looking for blood. It seems that a number of chat groups make a habit of talking up the latest, greatest, newest (read cheapest) photographers only to discover shortly afterwards that their super deal vaporized.

Here is some recent discussion from the Wedding Bells forum-----------yikes.


Anyone having troubles contacting Mark Cooper? #4217452 - 10/05/09 11:55 AM

I had my wedding back in May and it has been hell trying to get my pictures from Mark Cooper. He messed up my order and still hasn't sent me the CD of the digital files – which I already paid for. It has been 4 months now and I'm getting a little annoyed. Last I heard from his was in August. He hasn't returned any of my messages? Does anyone know what's up?

Re: Anyone having troubles contacting Mark Cooper? [Re: Emjay] #4219235 - 10/05/09 07:01 PM

surprise surprise, I had pretty much the same problem a year and a half ago.Warning, this thread will get deleted very soon to keep future potential clients from knowing about these problems.

Maybe try going to a wedding show? He always seems to show up at those...
Reged: 09/10/09 Posts: 10 Loc: Ottawa
Re: Anyone having troubles contacting Mark Cooper? [Re: RBM] #4220294 - 10/06/09 12:03 AM

Wow! If he's had bad reviews deleted there are still lots of them here anyways. I was just looking at one by SuperExcited060609 on this thread http://forums.weddingbells.ca/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=3145242&an=0&page=9 She says he is "Very cocky, with a huge ego. Makes you feel so small and insignificant." Who needs that from someone that you've paid a couple thousand dollars to flykem I really hope you get your pictures.
Post Extras:

Posts: 12

Thanks for all the info. I had a funny feeling I wasn't the first and unfortunately won't be the last. I am still trying to get ahold of him by e-mail and phone - guess the next is a home visit!!
Post Extras:

Re: Anyone having troubles contacting Mark Cooper? [Re: Sun_Bride] #4225343 - 10/07/09 11:55 AM

He didn't show up for our engagement shoot last night, so something might be wrong. I hope everything is okay because this is very out of character for him.
Re: Anyone having troubles contacting Mark Cooper? [Re: stassy] #4225810 - 10/07/09 01:37 PM
how do you know it's very out of character? Do you know him personally? Or do you just mean based on your experience with him so far?It doesn't seem all that out of character based on the various (now deleted) comments I've seen on this board before.

stassy, it looks like you're now having the same problems that flykem has been having for months and that many others have also had in dealing with himThere are lots of other excellent photographers in Ottawa, none of them have as many negative comments as Mark Cooper.
lilmrsd WB Devotee Reged: 04/06/08 Posts: 1423 Loc: Ottawa, ON
Re: Anyone having troubles contacting Mark Cooper? [Re: barb0918] #4228622 - 10/08/09 09:44 AM

Posts: 1200 Loc: Ottawa
Re: Anyone having troubles contacting Mark Cooper? [Re: stassy] #4229405 - 10/08/09 01:06 PM
I have trouble believing there was a "family emergency" each time a bride has had similar complaints in the past. When it was my own personal experience, he offered an apology but no explanation as to why I was ignored for 3 months. --------------------Loc: Ottawa, ON

Wedding Bells.

Weddings Bells is the bible of the industy in Canada. As long as you don`t mind reading a brick that is 95% ads (and hey, what bride doesn`t) it's great.
Their site, on the other hand is less than inspirational and their forum is kinda wimpy. We do scour it for some good gossip, but the problem is that any negative reviews are quickly wiped, since they seem to be more concerned about their advertisers than freedom of speech.
Not here folks. Drop those comments in the articles and they are there for good. I have no
advertisers, except of course the Google Ads I eventually plan to add in the margins. If its a
fair comment, its fair game and like the Courtyard Restaurant bit down below, I think we all learn from the discussion.


BTW, I hear rumours about a new wedding mag that is Ottawa based and I say HURRAH.
The rates in Wedding Bells are pretty outrageous and guess who pays for them in higher priced
fees to you from the merchants who advertise.

Funny wedding photo of the week

Someone has a good eye and a sense of humour. I wonder if it made the album???

Video Video Video

It seems that Videographers in Ottawa are an endangered species. Every few years, someone is "hot" and then they are gone. I scoured a couple of forums and here are some comments. For some reason, Ottawa Videographers seem to have some of the ugliest sites on the planet. It seems like they are largely folks who shoot weddings as a small part of some other biz. Frankly, I would only book one of the major ones. Looking in the phone book from three years ago, most of the entries are no longer in business. Who knew.?????

So far the best looking Ottawa site seems to be Mediabox, but even that is a little thin for folks
who claim to be digital image whiz kids. Again, they also look new, so caveat emptor.


HERE ARE SOME COMMENTS FROM OTHER BLOGS AND FORUMS>

Ron Cogan...................................conservative, but dependable. Ron does a lot of Jewish weddings, so he kn0ws what events are key and can be trusted to get the shots.



We went with Memento and we are SOOOOOO happy with their work! When we went with them, I really wasn't sure what we'd get but our ceremony video took our breath away! The owner edits tv shows so he's a professional and his editting really shows that.He also tapes in HD and the DVDs that he gave us were HD and a blueray. We just wanted our ceremony to be taped: 1 hour. His prices were really good and we are just beyond happy with their work! Post

Hi, At my wedding a few weeks ago we got Robert Cato - http://ioanfilms.com/ (his blog, for samples of his video's - http://blog.ioanfilms.com/ You would have to contact him directly for prices. He is honestly one of the most talented videographers I have seen in a VERY long time. I haven't see what he has done for our wedding yet, but it should be ready in about month or two. He was very professional, filmed in HD and incredibly creative.His Contactse-mail: Robert.Cato@gmail.comPhone: 514-895-6209He films for Montreal, Ottawa, & Toronto.
For those that are interested in the above videographer, I asked and have received a general price for his wedding day service, and also a list of 'add-ons'. I am copy and pasting from his msg. If you contact him, please mention Sabrina referred you from this website. Local Commission - Ambition Package (aprox. 80 hours of production and post production) : Unlimited Coverage 2 Shooters Multiple HD Cameras, Live Audio Wireless Mics, Glidecam, Glide-track and 2 X 5D Mark II DSLR Cinema Option Opening Sequence with Animated Headings and Titles Cinematic Wedding Highlights Segment Bride and Groom's Preparation Religious Ceremony Photo Session Coverage Reception Final Edit - up to 40 minutes delivered on fully chaptered SD DVDs (4 Copies) Online HD Trailer (2-4 weeks after the wedding). Investment: $2500 + taxes*the Complete HD Movie Feature for Apple TV, Xbox360 and PS3 or Blu-ray disk (see the extras):Additionally, we offer the following extra features:Love Story: Your unique love-tale showcased on video. We either cover your engagement photo session or arrange a particular shooting séance. $600Save the Date: Announce your wedding day with style. We craft for you an exclusive online video-invitation months before your wedding day. $500The Dailies/Same Day Edit : A beautiful montage - shown at your reception - highlighting the preparation and wedding ceremony. $600Sunday Edit: The highlights of you wedding day edited the next day. $500Behind the Scenes: Coverage of the Bridal Party and Dinner Rehearsal. $300Photo Fusion Montage: Not the ordinary slideshow, but something unique that includes motion, music and still photography. We provide the photographer. Prints available. $800Blu-ray Authoring: Since we film your wedding with HD Cameras, why not having your main feature delivered on Blu-ray. $500_________________ETA: He informed me that his prices will increase by about 50% after his website is complete and after all his current edits are delivered (I am guessing he means once his current job-list of customers is fulfilled). So if you book him now, you book him in at these rates. --------------------

The Best and Worst Churches in Ottawa.

Ok, I wanna hear your stories. Get those comments rolling folks.

Mine. Well the best has to be Blessed Sacrament in the Glebe primarily because Father Joe is such an amazing man. The worst, just a few blocks away at Southminster United. If I was Anglican and this was my church I would convert to anything else. The officiants are snarly, cold and their idea of church music is funereal. They once stopped a wedding ceremony to take a
grandmothers camera away-----yikes, forget about getting any shots.

Prettiest church, some say the Notre Dame Basilica, but frankly its got some tacky stuff going on
with the latest paint job. Take a look at St Patricks on Kent. Classic beauty.

Fashion Tips

In keeping with my weekly funny photos theme, here`s one that I have entitled, "Flourescent is never an IN color at a wedding."

Indoor Wedding Locations in Ottawa

With all the rain this summer I thought I might make some suggestions for 2010.

Here are some snippets from blogs I have read.


Museum of Civilisation, which is both pretty on the outside and you can get great shots on the inside. It was cloudy, but no rain, so we didn't have to go in, but I heard something that's it's only $25 for a group . I think that the Bank of Canada building downtown has a lobby that people have used for photos...

National Gallery of Canada - you have to call IN ADVANCE and reserve. You can't just show up.
Costs seem to hover around $200, but thats a small price to pay for the security of knowing you
are safe from a repeat of this summer.
- Chateau Laurier - will only let couples having their reception there take photos.

- Museum of Civilization - $25 fee to take photos, but no reservations required.-

Aviation Museum - free after 4pm, but only open until five-

Bank of Canada lobby - free, no reservations required, open until 5

That said, it's pretty rare that it pours rain for an entire day, so even if it's raining a bit, maybe pick up some umbrellas and you should be fine. .Last, what you can consider is doing the family photos inside (because the background/backdrop is not really important for these photos...it's more about the people in them) and then equip your wedding party with umbrellas and do some outside shots.There are a few covered/sheltered places too - right by the canal locks is a favourite spot.

One more thing is to consider a photographer with an indoor studio. There are only a couple of
studios among the hundred of photogs in Ottawa so that might be a good question to add to the list of "what ifs."

Sala San Marco.

Scouring the web I found this thread about Sala San Marco and it reminded me that I had heard this SAME type story from a different bride just last year----SHAME ON THEM. It seems they will bump you if they get a better offer!!! Unbelievable.

Here is the post from WB.


Superbride325 New Member Reged: 04/02/09 Posts: 12
Warning of Sala San Marco (Ottawa) #4215662 - 10/04/09 07:25 PM

Hi Ladies, I have recently been through the hardest and most emotional time of the wedding planning process. I do not want any of you to feel how i felt so I just want to give all the brides out there a heads up that if you are thinking of booking your wedding at Sala San Marco (ottawa) please think again!!!! We booked there in March 2009 and they called us in September to tell us they double booked our wedding!!!! The guy offered to give us another date (a Sunday) and get one of his family friends to do our chair covers. (Thanks but everything was already booked for that date). He told us he can get us the same deal he gave us at a hall that he wanted us to have our wedding at. So we waited, and waited for him to get us the deal. All the waiting and anxiety got to us and we just wanted to secure a place so we booked elsewhere. Since we couldn't get the same deal he gave us, we have to pay a little extra for the hall that we want.We asked him to pay for the difference to help us out since it was his stupid mistake. He refused and said he won't give us a penny! Please pass this along to whoever you want and make sure that they are careful.We found out later that they have a tendency to "double book" alot! If you are having your wedding there, call them and ask them to check all their calendars to make sure they are not double booking you!!!Hope i am saving some of you from heartache and stress!!! --------------------

Girlygirll WB Lurker Reged: 10/04/09 Posts: 58
Re: Warning of Sala San Marco (Ottawa) [Re: Superbride325] #4215682 - 10/04/09 07:30
OMG... you poor thing!!!! Thats horrible!!! You made the right choice in going elsewhere.... don't even worry about the money at this point because you now know you can trust your new venue with your most important day! They should have absolutley refunded you.... wow!

elminowski New Member Reged: 10/04/09 Posts: 13
Re: Warning of Sala San Marco (Ottawa) [Re: Girlygirll] #4215855 - 10/04/09 08:34 PM

I'm really sorry to hear about the unnecessary stress, and thanks for sharing so that fewer people have to deal with that kind of poor business. I'm still in my early planning stages, and I'm *really* hoping to avoid businesses exactly like this - thanks for posting!

punkbridetobe WB Chatterbox Reged: 01/04/09 Posts: 258 Loc: Ottawa, ON
Re: Warning of Sala San Marco (Ottawa) [Re: elminowski] #4216427 - 10/05/09 12:21 AM

I was thinking about going there as well! Ill just stay away now...although i do think this happens alot from what i can tell with everyone posts!Sorry to hear the stress you've been having to deal with! im sure your wedding will be fantastic at the new place tho!

Chris25 New Member Reged: 12/19/08 Posts: 28
Re: Warning of Sala San Marco (Ottawa) [Re: FutureSC] #4217404 - 10/05/09 11:39 AM

That's too bad. I met with them when I was looking at venues and despite having an appointment, I had to wait in the hallway for about 25 minutes. It didn't get off to a good start for me so I decided to go with my instinct and not book there.

inlove4life WB Addict Reged: 06/13/08 Posts: 3027 Loc: back in Ottawa!
Re: Warning of Sala San Marco (Ottawa) [Re: Chris25] #4218048 - 10/05/09 02:15 PM

I think someone else on here had a bad experience with sala san marco a couple years ago (when I was on here with a diff. username lol) - but forget the details. Does anyone else remember? I'm really sorry this happened to you - that's terrible! Do you at least like your new venue????

After this all happened we heard it happened to a couple two weeks before their wedding. I'm just thankful we had time to find another venue! Also the only reason they realized they double booked was because a decorator called them and told them that two brides were requesting her services. They would have never found out if it wasn't for that! --------------------

YouTube - Hilarious Wedding Events

YouTube - Hilarious Wedding Events

Ottawa's Most Romantic Wedding Reception Room.

I have toured pretty well every wedding reception hall in Ottawa. If I had to pick the most romantic, hands down it's got to be the Quebec Suite at the Chateau Laurier. Its perfect for
an intimate affair for 75 or less. It features a gorgeous foyer and ante room for a reception
and the decor is fantastic. This photograph from the Chateau site does not do it justice.

Down Boy, Down.

Laugh of the day.

Ok, here is the first of many fun photos to come.

Gotta love these candids, they write their own headlines.

Money saving ideas for your Ottawa Wedding.

Here are some thoughts on saving money without going really cheap. Its a rough, tough ride, but
hold on, because here we go.

Cut the guest list. Whats more important to you, that fourth cousin you have not see in five
years or that dress you`ve eyed for months. Choices have to be made and some are regretted.
Whose wedding is it anyway?


Hold your wedding at a fantastic location that already has a lot of ambience. For example: gardens, museums, zoos. You save significantly on floral and décor because the space decorates itself.

Choose an off night or get married in the off-season. Any day other than Saturday can be negotiated for lower costs. Same thing goes for months like January and February when venues have less demand.


Book the photographer for only the key shots and you`ll get a better photographer as a bonus.
Let your snap happy relatives capture the reception, oh and avoid those throw away cameras on each table////everyone has a cell phone camera these days.

Bring your own alcohol. Google away, there are lots of venues in Ottawa that are happy to provide this service.

Make your own invitations. Hey, that fiance of yours says he`s great on the computer, so test his skills.

A designer gown for half the price. Go ahead, just Google the designers name, your city and the word USED. You might be amazed.


Trim hard liquor from that open bar. Wine is just fine.


Renting two limos? You can hire a double decker bus for the price of one and its more fun.

Take the flower arrangements from the ceremony to the reception, this might halve your flower budget.

The wedding industry loves to sell you knickknacks. Having mementos of your special day is a good thing, but you don't need very many. Put together a wedding album, and perhaps preserve your wedding dress. . Do you really need a personalized pen to sign the guest book?

Choose a videographer OR a photographer, not both.

Courtyard Restaurant.

Hot off the presses.

I was recently at the Courtyard Restaurant for a wedding reception and was not impressed.

The supposed start time of the meal was an hour late through no fault of anyone, since everone
at the event was sipping cocktails for AN HOUR AND A HALF. Now I am no prude, but thats a
bit much.
The room hold 60 comfortably and the place was crammed with 90---it looked like a diner on Canada day. To top it all off, the staff seemed surly and finally when the food arrived most plates were STONE COLD. Even the desserts were cut into sizes so varied that people at my table complained to the server that they were being ripped off. Yikes.

Can I say something nice. Well, the structure is beautiful, but thats thanks to some masons 100
years ago.

FEEDBACK

Don`t you just love the net. Within a couple of days of this post I entered into a discussion with the Manager of the Courtyard. You can see her posts in the comments section. Here are her some of her comments.



Thanks again for letting me know about your experience, and which wedding it was. We are aware of a problem with cold food, we have recently renovated our kitchen, and we realized that we need more heat lamps than what we put in. They are on order, and for now we are trying our best to heat the plates extra hot, as well as the food, etc. It is very unfortunate that some of the food was cold at the wedding, I am extremely sorry about this. We are doing our best to fix this as quickly as possible. As for the timeline, in the planning that we did with the Bride and Groom they wanted to sit down for dinner around 6:15, with a speech from them after that, and then the service beginning after that. So 7:00 / 7:15 sounds about right for the first course to be put on the table, considering it takes about 15 minutes to take the orders and process them in the kitchen. The timing of events is usually set by the couple. And as for the amount of guests, again, we tell our clients how many the room can hold comfortably. If the wedding couple decides to max out the space due to the number of guests they would like to invite, we do our best to accomodate them. Often with weddings it is more important for the couple to have the friends and family that they want to have at the wedding there, and have it be a bit tight, rather than not invite people they want to have at their special day. Perhaps as a Wedding Planner this is something you will address with your clients when you work with them! Wedding Planners certainly do help couples to set better timelines, and to judge the correct venue for their wedding in terms of size. Anyway, thank you once again for your feedback. I would ask that you please post my comment on your blog. Considering that your review of our restaurant could be damaging and harmful to our reputation, I believe it is only fair on your part to post my reply. I think it is great that you will be posting about your experiences, good or bad, and I have no problem with that. In fact, a dialogue is healthy, and ultimately beneficial to us as a restaurant as we grow and learn from comments!

Here are my comments back.

What can we learn from this. First, that the Courtyard was upfront and did not try to duck the issue. Second, that they are professionals who will fix it. Finally, that venues are often put in a tight spot by couples who have not carefully preplanned the size of their guest list and book a hall that is too close to the max. Cheers to the Courtyard, and thanks for your feedback.

Choosing a color theme for your wedding.

Here is a great tool to help you choose a color theme for your wedding. Enjoy.

http://www.brides.com/planning/receptions/colorstudio/

Ottawa Hair and Makeup

Well ladies, this is my first post and the topic is Ottawa hair and makeup. I have taken the
liberty of quoting from a major Wedding Bells post from last year and I think there is a lot of
great info here. One of the problems with that forum is that negative posts are often vanished, since I hear that anyone who is an advertiser can have them wiped out.


Canada Rooms - Connect with others in these geographic regions >> The Central Provinces

Pages: 1 2 >> (show all)
my_jane New Member Reged: 10/17/08 Posts: 24
Ottawa: The ULTIMATE makeup/hair thread! #3222289 - 10/17/08 03:30 PM


Ok Ottawa ladies, it seems like people are ALWAYS looking for hair and makeup artists on this board. Pretty much every day there is a new post asking the same thing "can someone recommend a stylist and makeup artist for my wedding".Without saying too much about who this information comes from...let's just say that someone very close to me is a wedding planner. These are her notes on hair and makeup in Ottawa. She said she wouldn't mind me posting them, so here they are:HAIR (on site)Anne Marie Rooney: Specializes in high fashion work, but also does weddings.Loretta: Focuses mainly on haircare for seniors, but also does weddings.pHAIRis: Rebecca is popular. She books up fast.Bombshell Beauty: mixed results on Kerry. Some customer service issues.Hina Mughal hina_mu@hotmail.com: very talented stylist (also does makeup). Recommendation to brides: she excels at hair, so hire her to do your whole bridal party and hire someone separate for makeup.Lisa Cava lisacava@rogers.com: Never had an unhappy bride who dealt with Lisa. So much care and compassion goes into her work. Paying the few extra bucks for her is worth it.Germaine Desiredhair@hotmail.com: No website, which is a deterrent, but she's a great stylist. Still don't understand why she is so cheap.MAKEUP (on site)Artist GroupsPro Makeup Group: Trio of artists who prefer doing high fashion shoots insteadd of weddings, but they will do weddings if asked.Ottawa Makeup Artists: 5 freelance artists working under the same name. Highest prices in Ottawa. Lots of excellent feedback, some negative. Complaints of rudeness when answering email.Glam Artists: 2 freelance artists in this group. Trendy and cool, but somewhat inexperienced. Pro Freelance ArtistsSarah Walsh: Lots of positive feedback about the quality and care that goes into her work. Brides like that she does trials at her cosmetics counter.Katrina Ballard: Very nice girl. Will travel on site for higher price than is listed on website. Great selection of products and colors. Positive feedback.Meca Makeup: Website is hard to navigate, but overall, is a good makeup artist. She's great if you like bright colors and funky designs.Kaye Davidson: Limited feedback. Website is outdated, but she is GREAT at special FX makeup and concealing bad skin or tatoos.Zena Saab bee.u.tee.by.zena@hotmail.com: Limited feedback. Is more into dramatic makeup. Great for evening wedding looks.Hina Mughal hina_mu@hotmail.com: Does both makeup and hair, but cannot accomodate large wedding parties.Beata Zwolan: Teaches makeup artistry at Versailles Academy. She is good if you can get ahold of her! Disappointed in her website.Nancy Sheppard: Good for simple makeup. Limited, but very positive feedback. She's a real sweetheart.Cosmo FX: Great work. Doesn't take on as many weddings as she used to. Bombshell Beauty: See above (hair)Seema Haider: Great for ethnic makeup and fashion. Also does eyebrow threading.Artistic Faces: Sherri is pregnant, so isn't taking many bookings right now.Makeup and EstheticsBeauty by Tracey: Known for her children's spa parties.