Wedding Planning | Alexandra Lillian Weddings And Events Winnipeg

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April 8, 2020 In Canadian Wedding, Wedding Planning, Wedding Planning Tips By Alexandra

Successfully Postponed Your Wedding? Now What?

Firstly, my heart goes out to you for having to postpone your wedding. Now that your vendors and guests have been transitioned to the new date, what is there to do?

Keep your excitement up by working through these often put-off wedding items.

Create Your Family Photo List

Other than the wedding day timeline, this is one of the other most critical documents on a wedding day. The family photo list allows for structure, efficiency and ensures that no photo combinations get missed. I often budget 30 minutes for family photos. However, if photos go over the 30 minutes it could affect the rest of your timeline.

This list is shared with the planner, photographer and all parties involved. That way Grandma Sue doesn’t wander off when she’s supposed to have her photo taken.

Either the planner or photographer will call out the different family member combinations.

Create Your Music Must-Play / Do-Not Play List for the DJ

Most DJs are great at reading a crowd and will play what guests react well to. However, there are some dividing songs such as the Chicken Dance, YMCA or Macarena that either couples love or hate.

Create a list of songs you wish for the DJ to play and songs / genres you don’t. This will ensure your favorite songs are played during the cocktail hour, dinner and reception.

Write Your Vows

You would be shocked to find out how many couples save writing their vows until the last minute. With the postponement of your wedding you now have time to start chipping away at your vows.

Start with a general outline, then over time start to fill in details.

Write Your Thank You Speech

Like vows, the thank you speech is often written at the last minute. Start by outlining the people you wish to thank, then add a more robust description about what you wish to say.

LOOKING FOR ASSISTANCE WITH YOUR WEDDING? SHOOT ME AN EMAIL AT ALEX@ALWEDDINGSWINNIPEG.COM TO ARRANGE A COMPLIMENTARY INITIAL MEETING.

CLICK HERE to see more wedding inspo!

December 27, 2018 In Canadian Wedding, Wedding Planning By Alexandra

2018 – Year in Review

Wowie, 2018 has been quite the year! A theme for this year has been growth and transformation. One year ago, I set goals for myself both personally and financially. I not only reached those goals but I surpassed them and I could not be prouder!

FINACIAL + BUSINESS GOALS

In January 2018 I made the decision to dive head first into wedding planning full time. As many business owners know, this is a massive leap to take. For my first year after leaving a full-time job I saw a decrease in income, but saw an EXPONENTIAL increase in my happiness! Wedding planning feeds my soul, and getting to do it full time is such a blessing.

With going into weddings full time, I bumped up my goal amount of weddings for the year. In January I set the goal to coordinating 25 weddings, and guess what… I exceeded my goal and coordinated 28!!! I know this may not seem like a lot, but this was a HUGE achievement for me and my company. Lisa my Lead Coordinator played a major role in this success. I can’t put into words how much I appreciate having her on my team! Without her, we would NOT have been named one of the Top Three Wedding Planners in Winnipeg for 2018!

MEDIA GOALS

Starting off the year I gave myself the goal of appearing on TV once. Girl, I knocked that goal out of the ballpark and appeared on TV twice this year! I’m naturally a very anxious person, so it was one of the most nerve-wracking things I’ve ever done. I had the privilege to speak on both Global Winnipeg and CTV News. Both times I had my incredible husband behind the scenes supporting me every step of the way. Funny story, during the CTV taping my husband was trying to take some behind the scenes photos for me (#instahubby am I right?). One of the camera crew saw him doing this and offered to get closer up and get some shots. Needless to say, this guy knew all the best angles and got captured some great moments.

NO WEDDING SEASON COLD GOAL

I’m definitely the type of person that gets sick easily, especially if I don’t prioritize self-care. One thing that changed my life was reading the book The Ripple Effect by Greg Wells. I HIGHLY suggest everyone reads it! He speaks on how we need to “sleep better, eat better, move better and think better,” to live healthy productive lives. This was my go-to book referral for everyone in 2018. Greg, if you ever read this shoot me a discount link for readers!

This book opened my eyes to how necessary sleep is to push through wedding season and not get bogged down with a cold. I took Greg’s advice to heart and DID NOT GET A SINGLE COLD (woop woop) all wedding season! This allowed me to be there for all my clients and put my full heart and soul into their weddings.

2018 showed me that I’m able to achieve more than I could ever imagine. I’m so excited to see where 2019 takes me and my business! BRING IT ON 2019!!! <3

-Alex xoxo

November 19, 2018 In Canadian Wedding, Wedding Planning, Wedding Planning Tips, Winter Wedding By Alexandra

Top 5 Things to Consider When Planning a Winter Wedding

Winter weddings are PERFECT for the bride who wants a moody, romantic candle lit wedding. I have the privilege to execute several winter weddings in 2018 and could not be more excited for them! For all those 2019 / 2020 brides thinking about having a winter wedding, here’s five things to consider when planning a winter wedding in Winnipeg!

Guest Availability

With all the many holiday events, the winter months can be busy for some people. Keep this in mind when choosing to plan a winter wedding. Here’s a month by month breakdown;

November: Early November can still feel a bit like fall. So if you want a Winter wedding, hold off until the last two weeks of the month.

December: Choose dates after Christmas and don’t be afraid of hosting a New Years Eve wedding! People want to celebrate, so why not have them celebrate with you!

January / February: Most people are back from winter holidays at this point. If you want the most amount of people to attend the wedding, then these months are a safe time to get married.

Flowers

Fresh flowers are one of my favorite parts about weddings! The smells, colours and textures, ughh it’s heavenly. However, the one time I will suggest ordering silk flowers is if your winter ceremony or wedding photos will be outside. Most flowers don’t do well in the cold and will start wilting if left outside for too long. Even if your bouquets and boutonnieres are silk don’t worry, your floral arrangements for the ceremony and reception can still be real!

Ceremony Locations

Since Winnipeg gets so cold in the winter months, your ceremony will most likely take place inside.

However, if you do choose to host an outdoor ceremony please ensure your guests are told in advance so they can dress appropriately. Have blankets or a hot drink waiting for them when they arrive. Who could say no to cup of hot chocolate? Depending on the size of your wedding, rent 4-6 heaters for guests. And last but not least, keep your ceremony short! No one wants to sit out side for longer than 15 minutes in minus 10 -20-degree weather.

Photos

I can’t stress this enough, but please please please book an indoor photo location apart from your reception venue. Both your wedding planner and photographer can help you find a spot that matches your style.

If you do want a couple of outdoor photos, ensure everyone in the wedding party is prepared with warm clothes. There’s nothing worse than catching a chill on your friends wedding day.

Make sure everyone has a warm jacket, mitts, and comfy slip on winter boots. Ugg’s are perfect for this!

Scheduling for daylight

If you’re a Winnipeg, you know that our winters are cold and we have a little amount of daylight. One thing to consider, is how important photo with natural sunlight are to you. If natural light is important to you, consider bumping up the ceremony time.

In late December the sun sets around 4:30 PM, so if you want natural light for your ceremony it would be wise to have your ceremony by 3:00 PM at the latest.

When you envision your wedding day, is it in the winter? If so, please keep in mind these five tips to planning a winter wedding. Your wedding planner will also be able to help you with all the smaller details that often get forgotten.

CONTACT Alex and her team at alex@alweddingswinnipeg.com to learn how to plan the perfect winter wedding!

November 8, 2018 In Canadian Wedding, Engagement, Wedding Planning, Wedding Planning Tips By Alexandra

What Bride’s Won’t Admit While Wedding Planning

They Judge Their Friends Weddings

Girl, we have all been there. Almost all my couples have told me that if they go to a friends wedding leading up to their own, they will take mental notes about what they liked and didn’t like about that wedding. This can be things like the order of events, colour scheme, or first dance song. Keep in mind that this doesn’t have to be a negative thing! You could go to a wedding and adore how they changed up their wedding day timeline. Let your wedding planner know about what you like and don’t like from those weddings. Your planner will be able to create a theme or timeline that works best with your vision!

Hating Everyone’s Unsolicited Wedding Advice

Becoming engaged is such an exciting time. When you get engaged A LOT of people come out of the woodwork and tell you how things should be done on your wedding day. Auntie Sally believes you should do X, Y, on your wedding day, but then your friend Dayna thinks that the perfect wedding day should include A, B, C. As a bride, don’t be afraid to be straight forward and direct about what you want YOUR wedding day to be.

Friends… If you have a bestie that’s engaged and your already married, do them a favor and hold back from overwhelming them with a zillion pieces of advice unless they ask.

They Get Caught up in What Guests “Expect” on their Wedding Day

Who gives a F*&^ what your guests want, this day is about you and your hubby. This mindset of truly personalizing your wedding is becoming more popular and we at ALWeddings are totally on board! Your wedding doesn’t have to follow any rules. If you don’t want traditional stationary then don’t, or if you don’t want to do dances then don’t!

To be honest, as wedding planners we start salivating when couples come to us saying they want an nontraditional wedding. This means we get to flex our creative muscle and design an epic wedding that matches our client’s vision.

Photos by: Xandra Photography

September 14, 2018 In Canadian Wedding, Past Clients, Uncategorized, Wedding Planning By Alexandra

Melissa and Dylan’s Wedding

I first got introduced to Melissa a couple years ago in New York while sitting next to each other at a hockey game. We both work in the events industry and instantly hit it off while talking shop. At the time I had just launched my business and spoke about how excited I was to see it grow. Who would have thought that several years later I would coordinate her wedding?

Some of my favorite photos from their wedding day included their fur baby Leo. I swear I’ve never met a more handsome and smiley dog before. Don’t they make the perfect little family?

Melissa and Dylan chose to tie the knot at the brand-new venue Whitetail Meadow. It was the perfect backdrop to bring Melissa’s vision to life. My favorite piece of décor used on their wedding day was the macramé hung from their ceremony arch. This beast was not light, but tied (yes pun intended) everything together.

Can we take a moment to appreciate the stunning flower arrangements created by Lily Stone Garden? The bouquets looked so effortlessly pulled together and added the perfect pop of colour. Many of my 2018 couples decided to use a garland of greenery down the middle of their tables, but the added blooms gave it that extra wow factor for guests.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, what makes a wedding truly special is the people. Melissa and Dylan were surrounded by the sweetest and most kind group of friends on their wedding day.

I wish Melissa and Dylan the best in this new exciting part of their lives!

VENDORS

August 21, 2018 In Canadian Wedding, Uncategorized, Wedding Planning By Alexandra

Janelle and Riley’s Club Regent Event Center Wedding

As a wedding planner I’m constantly surrounded by love and beautiful relationships. Janelle and Riley’s love however, is the kind of love that could bring a tear to anyone’s eye. With every look and touch they shared on the wedding day it was apparent how much they loved each other.

Janelle first contacted me about planning her wedding in May 2017. She had an elegant meets modern vision for the wedding design. The bridesmaids wore beautiful floor length light pink gowns, and the guys wore sharp blue suits. To give the venue a modern twist, she used floating candles in glass vases on guest tables and added a “LOVE” marquee sign in front of the head table.

Janelle and Riley chose the Club Regent Event Center for the wedding reception. I was completely giddy with excitement when Janelle told me, as I had never worked there before! As a wedding planner it’s always fun to explore new wedding venues. Their staff was amazing to work with! They perfectly mixed professionalism and humor. I don’t think I’ve laughed more at a wedding!

Both myself and my lead coordinator Lisa were incredible proud of how everything came together on Janelle and Riley’s wedding day. We wish them nothing but the best in married life!

VENDORS

Stephanie Anne Cakes

May 10, 2018 In Canadian Wedding, Wedding Planning, Wedding Planning Tips By Alexandra

What to Wear to a Wedding

At a clients one month out meeting, the bride expressed how a couple of her wedding guests had reached out to her unsure of what was appropriate to wear for her formal or black-tie optional wedding. I thought that if a couple of people are curious on what to wear, so would others. With that in mind, I decided to write this blog post on what to wear to a wedding. In this post I will outline for women, what to wear to a black-tie and formal, semiformal, and casual wedding.

Before we dive into what to wear, I thought a good place to start would be with what NOT to wear. I’ll try to be nicer about this than Stacey London and Clinton Kelly from the TLC show.

Never ever wear white, unless your directed to on the invitation. Sure in 2018 we are generally more flexible on wedding attire. But wearing white is still a major faux paux. Unless you want evil looks from a bride, I would highly suggest hanging up your white dress and saving it for another event.

Formal and Black-tie optional

A couple weeks ago a friend of mine introduced me to the company “Name of Love.” They are a mail order bridesmaid dress company based out of New York. The styles are so classic that you can wear them even as a wedding guest. Something special about the company is that they have a local connection. One of the founders is originally from Winnipeg (woop woop). They have a ton of elegant, minimalist dresses that fit a formal and black-tie optional dress code. Here are a few of my favorites:

Planner tip: When purchasing a dress look for an investment piece, one which you can wear for years to come. Ensure it’s a timeless piece, purchase the dress in black, navy, or burgundy.

Semi-Formal

The main difference between formal and semi-formal, is that with semi=formal you can play around with colour a bit more. A dramatic red or sweet blush pink are perfect options.

Keep the length a bit more conservative. Definitely do NOT wear a mini dress. Save that for the after party. ;).

Casual

For a casual wedding play around with some fun floral prints, stripes and colour. This will be the typical attire for a country wedding.

February 3, 2018 In Canadian Wedding, Engagement, Styled Wedding, Wedding Planning, Wedding Planning Tips By Alexandra

Global Winnipeg – Top Wedding Trend for 2018

January 5, 2018 In Canadian Wedding, Destination Weddings, Engagement, Wedding Planning, Wedding Planning Tips By Alexandra

Top 5 To-Dos, Before the I-Dos

Congratulations to all the beauties out there that just got engaged! This is an exciting and special moment in your lives, make sure to take a step back and let it all soak in. To keep this time as stress free as possible, here is a list of my top 5 to-dos, before the I-dos. Follow these to-dos, and you will be well on your way to a relaxed wedding planning experience.

Budget

Budgeting can be tough, especially with so many ideas, pressures and opinions on what your wedding day should be. Any experienced wedding planner will sit down with you before jumping in head first and create a detailed budget. This will allow for your planner to refer vendors, venues and designs that are within your budget and avoid potential disappointment later on. Everyone deserves the wedding day of their dreams, but let’s make sure you don’t go broke in the process.

Choose Your Venue

There are venues out there to fit any style and budget. The one tricky thing with venues is that popular and trendy ones book up far in advance. Create a list of both your top three venues and top three wedding dates. This way you have some flexibility and a backup plan if your first choice is already booked.

PRO TIP: There are dozens of hidden gem venues that fly under the radar which can be both more affordable and flexible than the trendy venues of the moment. I recently had a friend tie the knot in a relatively unknown campground near Winnipeg and the pictures looked just as incredible as venues triple the price and the bride and groom could have their wedding on a prime weekend.

Hire a Wedding Planner

Hiring a planner early in the wedding planning process will take a lot of stress off your shoulders, keep the process organized and save you money in the long run. As a wedding planner, three services I offer are full wedding planning, month of wedding coordination, and consultations. Each services fits a certain client’s needs and budget. For example, full wedding planning clients can expect;

Monthly wedding consultations;
Creation of a budget breakdown;
Wedding design and inspiration;
Vendor management;
Creation of a day-of wedding timeline;
Confirmation and coordination of details and logistics with vendors, ceremony speakers and other service providers;
Collection of small décor for the wedding; and
Coordination of your wedding rehearsal, ceremony and reception.

As a planner I have worked with a wide range of wedding vendors in the province and would be able to suggest venues, florists, bakeries, officiants, etc. to fit your budget and vision. When you work with an experienced planner, you can be rest assured that you are working with professional, pre-screened vendors who are reliable and affordable (never mind that some vendors often throw in little extras for a bride and groom when the booking is made through a planner they have worked with before).

Hire a Wedding Photographer

There is a wedding photographer out there to meet every style and personality. Similar to wedding venues, great photographers book up far in advance. This is why hiring a photographer is one of my top five to-dos before the I-dos. Feeling stressed about how to pose and position yourself? A great photographer will make you and your fiancé feel at ease and gently guide your through the photo process.

PRO TIP: In the past 4-5 years, many couples have began prioritizing wedding videos before wedding photos. While each come with their advantages and disadvantages, be warned that high quality videographers are far fewer in numbers than photographers and should ABSOLUTELY be booked early to avoid disappointment. While some photographers may claim to also be able to shoot video simultaneously, I highly recommend that you have a separate vendor for each service (I have unfortunately seen the results of a photographer trying to do both and neither product ended up being as good as it could be).

Choose your Bridal Party

Which best pals will you choose to have stand by your side on the wedding day? Ignore the politics and pressure, think of who you are closest and trust most. For some this is an easy decision, but for others can be difficult. If you are part of the latter group, don’t fret – not everyone has a rock solid group who are the automatic choice. Regardless of your decision, everyone in your life will be happy and supportive on your wedding day.

Pro Tip: Wedding parties come in all numbers. I have seen as low as three and as many as seven. Also don’t forget your partners situation and their desires in filling out their roster.

Congratulations again on your recent engagement. Happy planning!

Photography by Aimee De La Lande Photography

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PLANNING YOUR BACHELORETTE PARTY

December 24, 2017 In Destination Weddings, Engagement, Past Clients, Photoshoot, Wedding Planning, Wedding Proposal By Alexandra

Top 10 Moments and Happenings of 2017

Pop the bubbly – It’s time to reminisce on the past year and tell you about my top 10 moments/happenings of 2017.

Who’s Who Wedding Magazine

In the Fall 2017 Winnipeg Free Press, Who’s Who Wedding Magazine I had not one, but THREE features. This was a huge honor and something I’m very proud of. It was definitely my TOP moment of 2017.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MAGAZINE.
First Wedding Show

I participated in my first wedding show in March with the Big Day Wedding Expo at Assiniboia Downs. Let me tell you, wedding shows are not easy! It took a lot of time to design my booth, marketing material, and set everything up. Luckily I had my assistant Lisa there to keep me company during the show!
CLICK HERE to read a past blog post about my experience at the show.
Taking on More Weddings

At the start of 2017 I gave myself a goal amount of couples to help on their wedding day. I’m so happy and proud to say that I surpassed that goal by SEVEN weddings! That’s huge! I can’t wait to help my 2018 and 2019 couples with their weddings.
Lisa becoming a Lead Wedding Coordinator

Lisa has been with me from the very beginning and has been a major part of our company’s growth. This year she took on her first solo wedding and became a Lead Wedding Coordinator. I’m so excited to say that she is continuing to lead weddings and assist me in 2018. I’m so thankful to work with her, she’s an absolute rockstar!
First Destination Wedding

This summer I had the privilege to help a couple from Calgary plan their wedding in Clear Lake, Manitoba. Clear Lake is such a special spot. I’ve gone up there every summer for the past six years with family, but this was my first time being there for a wedding. If you or anyone you know are looking to plan a destination wedding, I highly suggest Clear Lake!

[Photos by Esther Funk Photography]
Wedding Planner Pals

Shout out to all the planner pals I’ve met this year, you know who you are! It’s great to have alleys to grab a glass (or bottle) of wine, and catch up about life and business.
New Venues

In 2017 I had the chance to work at several new wedding venues. One of my favorites I had the chance to work at was Ashgrove Acres. In September I had not one but three weddings there. It was my home on weekends. The venue is so diverse and offers many different photo-op spots for couples and their wedding parties.
Self and Business Improvement

As a business owner I’m always trying to push myself and grow. Courses, podcasts and books are my largest source of inspiration. Shoot me an email at alex@alweddingswinnipeg.com and I can send you a list of my favourite books and podcasts!
First back-to-back weddings

My first back-to-back weddings are happening in a couple of days on December 30 and 31. This is a HUGE milestone that I’m excited to accomplish. I will most likely spend the following 24 hours vegetating in bed watching Netflix but it will be worth it!
Planning my Wedding

After getting engaged in November 2016 many of our vendors were booked within a couple of months. Spring/Summer/Fall 2017 was spent refining our design, creating a guest list, having our engagement shoot, and shooting our pre-wedding video. In July 2018 my fiance and I say our “I-do’s.”

I’m excited and ready to take on 2018! I still have several dates available for month-of wedding coordination in April, May, August and September. Give me a shout at alex@alweddingswinnipeg.com and I would love to hear more about your upcoming wedding!