Ottawa's Wedding Gown Consigment Store

December has become gown month on the Coverall blog! I've had two posts on wedding gowns in as many weeks. I wonder what will come about next...

This week I want to let you know that Ottawa FINALLY has a wedding gown consignment store!! White Haute Bridal is now accepting dresses from past brides (by appointment only) and opens its doors to new brides in January.

The store offers a selection of once loved and never worn dresses at a fraction of the original sale price. All dresses are dry-cleaned and restored to like new condition.

Personally, I love consignment stores for their eco-friendly qualities. Imagine if half of all wedding gowns were purchased on consignment and if every new wedding gown was sold on consignment once used. The impact in terms of materials and chemicals used and the transportation required to get new dresses out to the market would be significantly reduced. (John Lennon's Imagine comes to mind, ha ha).

My dreams of a more socially responsible planet aside, this is a fantastic way for new brides to save some money on their wedding gowns and for newlywed brides to make a bit of money on their once loved dresses. You'll want to call to make your appointment soon as I'm sure White Haute's calendar will be packed in no time!

You can check out the White Haute Bridal website here.

Happy Planning!

Sophie
Coverall Event Coordination
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The Breast Dress Project

There are so many fundraising organizations out there looking to get their hands on your money. While each of these groups is out to serve a good cause, with the economy being what it is these days donating your dollars may not be a realistic option.

The Breast Dress Project is an initiative that was launched this past November. What's so fantastic about this program is that you don't have to dig into your pockets and spend money that you wouldn't have spent otherwise in order to help. The fundraising structure is pretty straightforward:

1. The Breast Dress Project collects gently used dresses from brides whose weddings have come and gone. This frees up a bit of space in their closets for new stuff AND supports a great cause;

2. TBDP then sells the dresses to future brides-to-be who want to look fabulous on their wedding day AND support a great cause; and

3. Then TBDP donates the proceeds from the purchased dresses to support breast cancer research.

Jamie Johnston, one of the project's co-founders, is fighting a personal battle with breast cancer right now. Your support will help to arm her, and millions like her, with the right tools to fight back and beat this for good. I'll be sending my old wedding gown to Jamie next week.

The organization's website is under construction but you can check out their Facebook page here. If you have a dress you want to donate or if you'd like more information on The Breast Dress Project you can contact Jamie Johnston at 613-723-5755 / jamie@groovylinen.com.

I also invite any of you who have your own blogs to post about this project and help spread the word.

Your amigo in this fight for a better world,

Sophie
Coverall Event Coordination Share this: | Digg It | Del.icio.us | Stumble It | Share on Facebook

Clutter

After a busy wedding season I've settled down at my computer to try to sort through my files. The filing system in my office is very organized but the computer tends to get cluttered after a while.

I love to save inspiring photos of weddings and ideas and I'm constantly starting Word documents with thoughts and ideas. My laptop has become a virtual catch-all bucket and it's time to start sifting through to get ready for the new season ahead.

On that note, I think it's important that couples sit down every month or so and do the same with their wedding "stuff". If you're like most brides, you'll be collecting magazine clippings, articles, business cards and ad material from bridal shows and various meetings, and a whole slew of things on your computer for "future reference".

Set aside a regular day each month to go through everything you've collected. In fact, it would be wise to put that in your planning calendar. Anything you're not using should be tossed. For example, you've booked your photographer but you still have business cards for ten photography companies. Or... you've picked and booked your wedding cake but your wedding binder still has 40 wedding cake clippings. All of this is clutter and will only add chaos to your planning.

As you get closer to your wedding date it's important to hold on to only those materials which are relevant to your wedding. If you simply can't throw everything else away (in case a friend might like to use it at some future date) at least put the non-relevant materials into a separate box away from all of your wedding stuff.

By the time your wedding comes around your binder should be narrowed down to essentials only; such as, a checklist of what's left to do, a schedule of the day, your vendor contracts, and contact lists with all of your vendors' names and contact info (you'll want to include your bridal party, MC, and any other important people in this list too). If you have a keepsake binder or if you want to hold on to other relevant planning forms or materials simply bring the items listed to the front of the binder and file under a separate tab so that it's easily accessible.

Happy Planning!

Sophie

Coverall Event Coordination

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Ottawa Wedding Planners Gathering

I'm doing a bit of a lazy post today... okay, a SUPER lazy post today. I just wanted to give a shout-out to all of the local Ottawa WPIC Planners who came out last Saturday for our little get-together at Fat Tuesdays.

It was a great night filled with lots of chatting and great ideas flowing. It was wonderful to see everyone and I'm looking forward to some of the collaboration that was discussed over the course of the evening. More to come on that later.

And... here's where the super lazy part comes in. My very good friend, Lynn Lee from Weddings Unveiled, already posted a picture from the evening and listed everyone who was there. So rather than regurgitate Lynn's post I'll just send you there. Here's the link. (THANKS LYNN! xoxo!! lol).

And now back to work on my last wedding of the season which is coming up this weekend. Today's main focus: getting the hundreds of votive candles into holders and packed up.

Have a marvelous weekend everyone!

Sophie
Coverall Event Coordination Share this: | Digg It | Del.icio.us | Stumble It | Share on Facebook

The Bridal Expo 2009

Hi Everybody!

I know I've been a little MIA lately. I came down with a horrible flu and I've been working around the clock getting last minute details together for The Bridal Expo.

Now the show is done and the flu is gone and I'm back (like it or not, ha ha).

This year was the second year of The Bridal Expo which is a unique bridal show for Cornwall's modern bride. The majority of my weddings take place in Ottawa and surrounding area but I still work very closely with the Cornwall market and I use the show as a method of showcasing the city's very best wedding vendors.

Cindy put together a great table setting for the Coverall booth this year.

After the success of last year's show we moved to a larger venue (the Cornwall Civic Complex), designed a brand new website (www.thebridalexpo.ca), and made improvements to just about every aspect of the show. As a result, the show was a huge success again this year and we're looking forward to many more successful shows in the future.

For a list of the year's exhibitors check out the Exhibitors section of the show website. You can also view more images from the show on The Bridal Expo Facebook page.

Cheers!

Sophie

Coverall Event Coordination

The Bridal Expo: A Show for Cornwall's Modern Bride

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Tina & Curtis: Fit For a Princess

This past August I had the pleasure of working with Tina and Curtis on their beautiful castle wedding. This couple pulled off the ultimate "Princess-meets-Prince-Charming" themed wedding. Tina & Curtis signed on for a Month-of contract to make sure that each detail was properly executed on the wedding day. I can take no credit for the creativity and focus of this extremely well-thought-out theme; this was all Tina.

The colours were pink and purple and the ceremony took place at Singer Castle (but where else could a Prince and Princess be married?). The castle was such a lovely backdrop for the ceremony and the stone walls set the tone for the secondary theme (stone) which also ran strong throughout the day. Prince & Princess, Pinks & Purples, Stones & Castles... LOVE IT!

The shots below were graciously provided by the fabulous team (Steven & Katie) at Unveiled Photography in Kingston. These guys really know how to balance fun and professional and they are such a pleasure to work with. I have the good fortune of working with them again next August and I can't wait! Thanks again you guys!

Here's a little glimpse into the beautiful day that was Tina and Curtis' wedding.

You can view the entire slideshow on the Unveiled Photography website.

Congratulations Tina and Curtis! And may you live Happily Ever After!

Sophie

Coverall Event Coordination

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Your Wedding Reception or Anniversary Celebration on TV!

Hello Everybody!

I just found out about this great opportunity being offered by Mountain Road Productions that could get you and your party on TV!

Ottawa's new gourment vegetarian restaurant, Zen Kitchen, will be the subject of a new television series called 'The Restaurant Adventures of Caroline and Dave' which will air on the W Network in January 2010.

The show is searching for participants to host a small wedding reception or anniversary party at the venue which is to be aired on one of the series' episode's. The restaurant can hold 36 for such an event - so if you have a party coming up in the next couple of months and might be interested in this fun opportunity be sure to get in touch with Sonja Osberg by email, or phone: 613-237-4447.

Let me know if you're chosen! I can't wait to watch!!

Cheers,

Sophie

Coverall Event Coordination

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