Meet Our Vendors: The Tasting Room!

This year at Wed By Hand, we're debuting something new and completely fabulous: a tasting room! The Wed By Hand will feature local, artisan and DIY options for your wedding day--all from really fantastic companies! What's even better? You get to sample food from all of these companies right at the show--for free! With your admission to the show, you'll not only get to meet these vendors but also taste their delectable goodies. It'll be a truly scrumptious destination at the show on Saturday! A preview of the companies that will be there:

Auntie Loo Weddings

With a Bachelor of Science in Animal Behaviour, Miss Kate of Auntie Loo Weddings never thought she would end up making and decorating wedding cakes. After a few unlucky turns and some fortuitous sugar flower classes and after having taught herself the basics, Miss Kate is now running the wedding cake department of Ottawa’s unique egg, dairy, and gluten free bakery. Drawing on colour swatches, fabrics, themes, and images, Miss Kate works closely with couples to create unique and custom cakes. Emphasis on unique, because as a rule, Kate says “I never duplicate my own or other peoples’ work. I think every cake should be as individual as the couple.” This means that even traditional or simple wedding cakes should be different and certainly unique to the couple; Miss Kate encourages couples to go for designs that are special to them.

DAVIDsTEA
In the past few years, signature cocktails and dessert bars have become all the rage in the wedding world. If you're looking for a different way to add a unique splash to your wedding, adding a tea bar might be the way for you to go. DAVIDsTEA will be on hand at Wed By Hand to teach you how to create a DIY Tea Bar and let you sample some of their delicious teas. Yum!

Honey Pie Hives & Herbals

Hailing from Prince Edward County, Honey Pie Hives & Herbals, combines beeswax and propolis with organic herbs to make natural and healthful products. The small farm-based business offers small jars of honey and bars of soap, delightfully adorned with hand-drawn labels, inspired by vintage labels and catalogues, as wedding favors. They also offer gift baskets for members of the wedding party. With years of experience making favors, “many people choose our little jars of honey since it has so much romantic appeal – a natural sweet made from the nectar of flowers, it is the essence of love itself.” 

The Candy Store
Hoping to put together a gorgeous candy bar for your wedding but not sure how to do it? The folks from Ottawa's The Candy Store will be on hand with a lovely display and will teach you how to DIY your own candy bar. You'll learn how to create a feast for your guests' eyes and tummies on your wedding day!

Carolina's Box of Goodness

Does the idea of Brazilian family recipes paired with traditional French baking techniques get your mouth watering? Carolina’s Box of Goodness cooks up handmade artisan brownies and custom celebration and wedding cakes for special events. What sets them apart? They “use only the finest ingredients, such as premium Belgian chocolate, Grade AA Canadian butter, Ontario eggs and Madagascar bourbon vanilla, and everything is baked entirely from scratch. The cakes and brownies are also always handmade and baked to order – this means that each order suits the individual client, while ensuring freshness. Unique recipes and the use of local ingredients and packaging in order to support the community remain close to heart at Carolina’s.

Sweet! Cupcakes

Feeling like you need a playful dose of luxury in your wedding? Look no further – that’s exactly what Sweet! aims to bring to your wedding. The Rockland based online business specializes in cupcakes, mini cupcakes, and cake pops. In order to ensure complete customer satisfaction, Sweet! provides consultations while building a relationship with customers, handcrafting every single aspect of their products. Everything can be customized, flavors, colors, and garnishes, so that your perfect wedding vision comes together. The flavors are bold and rich, importing their own products from places like Belgium and Hawaii, while also using local produce and basing flavors on what is seasonally available.

Morsel Desserts

With a lifetime of experience baking with her mother, grandmother, and other women of her extended family, it was a no brainer for Robin Coull to make a career of it. And so, Morsel was born. The homemade dessert line features gorgeous cupcakes, with recipes that change with the seasons, perfect for your memorable occasions. Continuously grateful to be part of the happiest day in a couple’s life, Robin Coull can’t help but smile throughout the entire process. Inspired by fellow bakers and recipes collected from many countries travelled, her best advice is not to “over complicate things, the main thing you want your wedding to be is fun for you and your guests.”

Havana Cafe & Catering
Havana Cafe, a wonderful Cuban cafe in Old Ottawa South, offers catering for those who want a little spicy flair. The fusion of traditional flavours with the artistic presentation of the plates here at Havana have a create authentic dining experience. Oslaide Guerra, the owner and chef, has over 15 years in the food and hospitality industry will delight your taste buds with his passion for cooking. If you're looking for something fresh, unique and deliciously refined, you will definitely want to stop by their table in the tasting room on Saturday!

Welcome to Food Week!

We've saved the best for last for you, ladies and gents. Welcome to Food Week on the Wed By Hand blog! I don't know about the rest of you, but when it comes to planning a big event or even a small get together, picking out food options is always my favorite part of planning.

This year at Wed By Hand we're rolling out a new feature: a Tasting Room! We're so excited to introduce you to 10 small local companies who are here to help you create a really awesome experience for your wedding guests through food. From vegan cakes to a tea bar to cuban food--you'll be able to sample a ton of delectable food from people who truly care about what you put in your tummy! It's going to be such a fun part of the show this year--and it's free with your show admission!

This week we'll be sharing all sorts of ways you can customize your food with local options. It's going to be a tasty week!

Meet Our Vendors - Decor!

For some brides, the downside of her wedding day is that it really is just one day. Countless months, minutes and migraines are spent trying to make this one day as beautiful and as special as possible. While photographs do an excellent job preserving memories and feelings, imagine having your wedding flowers and décor that last a lifetime. 

Paige Beckett of Sawyer and Sprout offers flower-alternative accessories and handmade décor; fabric and paper items last longer than flowers and are reusable. All of her items are customizable (to match wedding colours, themes, etc.) and prices range from $15 for boutonnieres to $100 for a large bridal bouquet, while discounts may be offered for multiple item purchases. Without the time to personally DIY, Sawyer and Sprout also offers customized paper and fabric bunting, and other décor items that will last year after year, while providing that eco-friendly, handmade feel to your special day.

Meet Our Vendors: Flowers!

 
Full Bloom

It feels especially appropriate to have a flower company that takes every opportunity to be eco-friendly. Full Bloom, a home studio based floral company, offers traditional flowers with a modern twist. Full Bloom’s bottom line is to create unique floral arrangements that match each couple’s individual style, all while keeping a focus on personal service and the environment. The company not only offers suggestions on how to reduce, reuse and recycle your wedding and event flowers, at the end of the wedding season they also plant a tree or seedling in honor of the couples “which in a small way is saying thanks to the environment for providing the flowers!”

 

Blumenstudio

With 17 years of experience as a floral designer, Kat Kosk of Blumenstudio, has found weddings to be her daily calling. In addition to handtied planter arrangements, Blumenstudio “represents quality and pure clean designs” with “scents, textures and flavours abound and envelop the senses.” Growing up in Germany and moving to North America just a short nine years ago, Kat Kosk has finally brought a long-time vision into reality specializing in European-inspired floral arrangements.

Sparrow Floral

Sparrow Floral specializes in vintage-inspired floral arrangements. At Sparrow Floral they create a whole feeling with their decorating. They don't shy away from being unique, creative and inspiring in all of the work that they do. If you are looking for a unique and vintage spread for your wedding, they are the ones to call.

Meet Our Vendors: Invitations

We are incredibly excited to introduce you to the invitation vendors we will have at Wed By Hand this year. Each of them has their own distinct style and something unique to offer different types of couples tying the knot!  


Whether you are looking for something designed from scratch right down to each tiny letter -or- you are looking for something a little bit more ready-made but extremely beautiful, we have you covered!

  


Six Modern Paper Goods 

If all you have is a venue, fabric, flower, or photo that is driving the concept of your wedding, have no fear. Six Modern Paper Goods is an Almonte-based social stationary company that develops custom work for couples with a vision. The alternative designs truly allow the non-traditional couple to let their personalities shine through. The clean and modern designs can be ordered in complete wedding packages (including table numbers, place cards, signage) that provide a cohesive look and flow to your entire day. For the budget-conscious couples Six Modern Paper Goods offer all designs in a DIY-printable format, for the handy and budget-conscious couples, while still having access to high quality professional design. Wed By Hand attendees can look forward to seeing a new season’s assortment of wedding invitation designs and reception graphics at this year’s show.

Everlovin' Press

Using handmade and antique modes of production a “designerly” aesthetic, and most finishing techniques done by hand, Everlovin’ Press know how to stand out from the rest. Producing an original line of greeting cards and stationary, Everlovin’ Press designs and prints pre-made and custom or semi-custom letterpress stationary. For the wedding crowd they offer invitations and invitation sets, RSVP cards, place cards, menus, programmes, thank you cards and more. The Everlovin’ Press products represent “the marriage of contemporary design savvy with traditional printing technique and handmade charm” which results in an “almost sculptural object which feels lovingly and laboriously produced.” Close consultation with clients ensures that the couple’s vision looks good on paper.

We can't wait to see these designers at Wed By Hand!

Meet Our Vendors: Dresses!

Victoire

With two locations in Ottawa (Dalhousie St. and Wellington St.), the ladies of Victoire will be bringing vintage cocktail and wedding dresses to Wed By Hand! These dresses are perfect for the kind of gal that is looking for something a little different. Whether you’re a bride, bridesmaid, guest or important family member, Victoire offers garments that blend “classic good style with a dash of rebellion”. 

At Wed by Hand the girls offer a selection of their unique vintage dresses on site with their own unique flair. These dresses rarely make a trip out of the store but year yet again they are taking a trip to the Glebe Community Center. Victoire Boutique wants to add some new hip flare to the wedding scene. 

 

Photo by Melanie Rebane

With Love Bridal Boutique
Located in Stittsville, With Love is a truly unique wedding dress shop & offers an equally unique shopping experience. Whether you're a bride on a budget, looking to go green, or planning your wedding in a matter of weeks, With Love has a dream gown for you. With Love offers a large selection of once loved and never worn wedding gowns in current styles from some of the best designers in the industry. Purchasing a once loved gown at With Love Bridal Boutique provides you with the same special attention you deserve, and a designer gown at a fraction of the cost.

For brides on a budget, With Love offers gowns from Maggie Sottero, Pronovias and Essence of Australia for up to 70% off. For the eco-friendly bride, buying on consignment is a great way to go green. Given that these gowns are clean and in perfect condition, nobody will be able to tell the difference! Reduce your carbon footprint by purchasing on consignment!

Workshop Wednesday: How to Plan an Awesome Wedding, Regardless of the Budget

We're excited to welcome back Amy Karlin, founder and creative director of Ottawa's own Splendid Events, back to Wed By Hand this year. Last year Amy's workshop was incredibly popular & you'll want to join us for this must-see wedding workshop about planning your wedding.  She'll be focusing on how to plan a polished wedding on a small budget.  And, very importantly: how to set and stick to a budget.  Because we all know each of us, hiding under the surface, has a dash of Bridezilla and a pinch of princess, just waiting to find that perfect pair of shoes, diamond earrings or dress that we just can't live without, and we'll have to sneak in the back door and claim, "this old thing, I've had it for years!"  

Amy has been planing, coordinating and hosting events professionally, and as a past-time for years, and after having a ball planning her own wedding in 2010 she got hooked on weddings, started Splendid Events, and has never looked back.  She has provided countless brides and grooms with unique and fabulous eco-conscious, wedding planning, all the while helping to grow and support Ottawa based businesses.  

Amy will help us keep on track by providing each attendee with a budget planning worksheet, which we'll also be posting for your convenience on the Wed By Hand Blog.  Amy will walk you through the sheet, plus her top tips for staying sane during the planning process.  She'll also be showing off examples of quality wedding attire, decor and other such stuff that can be found locally for great prices.  This workshop will be filled with insider's tips you won't want to miss!

Meet Our Vendors: Wedding Planners!

Jane Eaton “I Do” … Green!
Planning a fabulously unforgettable wedding can be a lot of work. It’s a delicate balancing act of needs and requests while trying to fit in as much of what’s near and dear to you and your partner. For many couples, that includes the environment. While “I Do”… Green! does provide their professional event planning services for events of all sizes and types, the focus is on environmentally friendly weddings. While planning her own wedding in 2009, Jane Eaton found a gap in the options and information available to the eco-conscious bride. 

Using innovative ideas, imaginative tools and professional and caring support, Jane Eaton can “help you decrease the carbon footprint on your big day without compromising your personal style or budget”. And her biggest tips to the DIY bride? That “its still important to have a coordinator for the day of, you should be celebrating the special day with friends and family – let someone else worry about the logistics.”

Kennedy Events
Kennedy Events will join Wed By Hand for the first time this year. Specializing in both wedding planning & event design, Kennedy Event's mission is to "establish personal connections with our clients, allowing us to better interpret and execute their unique wedding vision."

Kennedy Events' primary goal is to exceed their clients’ expectations while offering support through the planning process with innovative concepts and flawless execution. Kennedy Events has designed our planning services to be as comprehensive as possible, allowing the client to be involved with the planning as little or as much as they wish. As a bonus, the crew from Kennedy Events will be featuring design ideas that are easy to reproduce for our DIY-ers as well as planning strategies!

Meet Our Vendors: Accessories!

When it comes to your special day, adding special accessories to you, your groom's or your bridesmaids' outfits is one of the ways you can truly personalize your wedding. Handmade accessories provide brides with the opportunity to customize their day in a way that reflects their personality while supporting small, local businesses. At Wed By Hand in 2012, we'll have a variety of vendors on hand to help you accessorize yourself, and we're excited to introduce you to each of them!

Magneties
While most of the wedding hype gets focused on the bride, we simply cannot forget about all the tie-wearing folk! Combining a love for drawing with screen-printing, Magneties offers a spin on a traditional wedding accessory. Each design created by artist Annabel Dubuc, finishes with an “elegant yet hip necktie”. Custom orders for entire wedding parties are available, where clients choose from a variety of designs, inks, and tie colours. The images used can be drawings or photos (that are then photoshopped), combined with water based inks (good for the environment, hello!) and quality soft microfiber, resulting in a truly unique accessory for members of your wedding party as well as special friends and family members.

chelsy anne jewelry
A self-taught mother of two, chelsy anne offers simple, eco-modern, silver jewelry made with semi-precious stones and fresh water pearls. Her delightfully intricate pieces offer a wide range of accessories, from hairpieces to earrings, and a bridal specific jewelry line. Her number one tip for the bride is not to “let the dress compete with the jewelry. If you have tons of detail at the top of the dress do statement earrings over a statement necklace.” Having finally found her niche as a jewelry artist, seeing her pieces you can tell that she is influenced by love – and what would be more appropriate as an adornment for a bride?

Flights of Fancy - Photo By foodiePrints
A bridal bouquet that can be dismantled and transformed into hair pieces or wardrobe enhancers!? What? Oh that’s just a creative option possible from Flights of Fancy – creations and custom hair accessories from Kate Arnold. Using everything from reclaimed vintage buttons, jewelry, sparkles, feathers, and more. With an emphasis on the affordable, Flights of Fancy hopes that a custom piece can be found to suit any individual in your wedding party; mothers of the groom, a boutonniere for the dashing gents, bridesmaids, and beyond. The one-of-a-kind pieces range in all sizes as well, from “tiny flights for glower girls to large statement pieces for very bold brides!” Consultations are recommended so that flights can be created with the bride’s vision of her special day in mind. And with any luck, the gorgeous custom pieces can be worn again!

Higashi Design
Pulling inspiration from bridal gowns, a bride’s personality, the shape or colour of a crystal, or even a tight deadline, Higashi Design produces individually tailored and personalized jewelry and headpieces. Melonie got her start making wedding jewelry after a friend asked for a handmade tiara. She made the crossover from the world of high tech to full-time jewelry making and has “been riding a great wedding referral wave” ever since. Using semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystal and freshwater pearls set in either sterling silver or 14K gold-filled; Higashi Design offers pieces blending the simplicity and harmony of her Japanese heritage and some intricately detailed designs. Taking into account each bride’s personal taste and budget, she even provides complimentary gift-wrapping – one less thing to worry about!

Bel Bridal
Bel Bridal offers variety of handmade bridal accessories that range from vintage glamour to modern chic and a combination of the two. Owner Isobel's selection of accessories are designed to change any outfit into something special. Each of Bel Bridal's designs are created by hand with loving care and all are unique and special.

urbanite jewelry
Owner and designer Krista Leben designs jewelry that’s fresh and modern. urbanite jewelry's simple, modern and sophisticated designs are perfect for the bride who wants something unique for her and her bridesmaids. Urbanite’s pieces are designed with the philosophy that simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication in mind, and Krista’s styles appeal to a wide range of women—from brides to junior bridesmaids to the mother of the bride.

Meet Our Vendors: Photography & Videography

This year at Wed by Hand we are featuring several lovely photographers all with their own unique style. Photography plays a huge role in how you can create, document and remember your big day. Without further ado I present to you our photographer roster!

AMBphoto by Anne-Marie Bouchard With ten years of photography experience, Anne-Marie decided in 2009 to start her own business. Working weddings gives her the opportunity to blend “all sorts of photography: landscapes, portraits, macro, high speed, candid, you name it – you get ALL this when you photograph a wedding.” All of these styles come together during the challenging, surprising and exciting event that is a wedding. Having worked in the business for many years has taught Anne-Marie the important lesson that “It’s ok to say no. I’m not the right fit for everyone and everyone is not the right fit for me.” This is because she understands how important it is to really build a relationship with the couple and be able to capture their magic. The days are long and the editing process can be longer but for Anne-Marie one of the best parts of shooting weddings is getting to know the couple, hearing how they first met, and watching them to fall in love all over again through the lens of her camera. As the official photographer of Wed By Hand, many of the photos you will see from our show come from AMBphoto.

Becca Wallace Photography Blending fine art work with commercial wedding work pulls together a unique set of images that can themselves be seen as works of art. Processed images are combined with watercolors, pastels, and resin resulting in enhanced details, colors, shapes and textures within each photograph. Believing that “everyone should have access to excellent, high quality wedding photos,” means that she has packages to offer couples with any budget. Becca Wallace Photography is artistic with a personal touch.

{First Kiss Films} Inspired by her father and getting an early start filming her first wedding at the age of 14, its no wonder that {First Kiss Films} creates unique multimedia for your wedding day. {First Kiss Films} specializes in hand-cranked 16mm and super 8mm film. In a world where much of our photography and videography have gone digital, owner Bridget's use of 8 and 16mm film is a truly special way to capture your wedding. The cameras capture onlooker’s attention with the classic sound, originality and beautiful designs. The film is processed, digitally edited and transferred and then charmingly packaged in a chic DVD tin. As one of only five companies across Canada creating lifestyle films using solely vintage cameras, not only will the experience be completely unique, but you can be sure that your wedding film will preserve the emotions and energy nostalgic to the retelling of your wedding day.

Monique Simone PhotographyUsing an editorial aesthetic to stylize her shoots, Monique Simone photography helps to put her clients at ease while providing a natural, fun, fresh set of photos. Offering personalized services such as hand-made books, custom production and retouching, and full film options really helps to give the couple final say on the overall mood and feel of their special day. Feeling like her craft is to “tell the story of weddings through photographs”, Monique Simone photography is truly able to provide photos that are made to measure, as opposed to the traditional cookie cutter shots.

Natalie Lyle Photography Natalie Lyle focuses on capturing of a story with a photojournalistic focus and expressive, natural, cinematic style. As a small photography business Natalie Lyle Photography can provide accessible and flexible packages to suit every couple and bring out the essence of their special day. Clients can rest assured that each image will be retouched with custom processes in order to suit the couple and their individual story. As she sees it, Natalie is sincerely honored to get to be invited into the preservation and commemoration of such a personal day.

Vanessa Dewson Photography + Design Need a break from all the hoopla that is planning a wedding? Why not turn to a vendor that can tackle more than one aspect of your special day? The answer is Vanessa Dewson Photography + Design. Working with Vanessa gives you access to a photographer with an eye for photos as well as printed materials. Vanessa also works while keeping the environment close to heart by utilizing digital photography, natural lighting as much as possible, rechargeable batteries, eco-friendly suppliers, materials and packaging from 100% recycled materials. Not only are the soft proofs of images and design concepts shown through in-person viewings, on-line galleries and email (good for the environment), but add that familiarity and personal connection that gets you through the stress of dealing with a million different people leading up to your special day.

Voulez-Vous Boudoir PhotographyMany people hear wedding photography and think of engagement shoots, groomsmen peeking out from behind trees or bridesmaids doing synchronized jumps in a field. Voulez-Vous Boudoir Photography offers something a little different: owner photographer Bri specializes in ladies boudoir photography. Each session is tailored to the client in order to bring out her vision, highlighting her sexy, naughty, or sassy side. Keeping in mind that the company’s motto is “Boudoir for real women by real women”, inhibitions and insecurities should be left at the door. Being one of the few Ottawa photographers who specializes specifically in boudoir, Bri and her team really go the extra mile – with outfit, jewelry and shoe consulting and shopping if necessary, with the goal of making her clients feel comfortable and at ease. Far from the traditional wedding photos, Voulez-Vous Boudoir Photography aims to leave each client with a heightened sense of confidence and a resonating beauty while embracing the sexy from within.

Post written by Thea, Wed By Hand Coordinator