Workshop Wednesday: Be Your Own Florist!

Spring is in the air for flowers week here at Wed By Hand pulling us out of the reality of this snowy January.  We’re very excited that the lovely Erin Carmichael of Full Bloom floral design will be sharing with us the elegant craft of creating gorgeous bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages for our wedding.

Photo credit Melanie Rebane Photography

Erin hosted a workshop with Wed By Hand last year, and by popular demand and heaps of positive feedback she’s our returning expert, so you’re sure to leave having discovered your hidden talent for flower arranging!

Photo Credit Scott Lee Roberts Photography

Erin, a florist with a green thumb and outlook on life, offers services such as having a tree planted in your honor after your wedding which you can watch grow and replenish the earth, as well as the option of having your flowers passed on to brighten someone’s day.  With her eco-friendly approach you’ll be sure to learn to maximize your budget, make your flowers go the distance and thank the earth for giving them to you on your wedding day.  

Workshop Wednesday: DIY Wedding Invitations

Invitations week has arrived, and the talented Danielle Wojtyniak is going to be hosting a workshop that will take the stress right out of this top-of-the-list wedding task.  As invitations are one of the first things that go out and are intended to reflect the style and vision of the wedding to come, many Brides and Grooms fret about them; what to include, what size, style and paper to use.  Well, the answer is here from Six Modern Paper Goods based in Almonte, and Danielle who will be showing us how to DIY our perfect invites.

Danielle will be providing us with an overview of printing methods, a list of materials required, such as a knife and a ruler.  She’ll be giving us a list of local and online resources for supplies, including paper, printing and envelopes.  And she’ll also be offering us ideas of the different DIY strategies you can take, such as design and print your own, buy a design and print at home and buy a design and have it printed.

There will be example invitations, printed on a home inkjet printer, for us to browse and compare to professionally printed invites, and Danielle will demonstrate the ever so daunting cutting and folding techniques that will turn you into an expert.  So dig out your favourite exacto knife, buy some extra colour cartridges for your printer, and get ready to DIY some fabulous invites that you can give yourself a pat on the back for.

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!

Workshop Wednesday: Planning Your Wedding Day Photography

This year, we’re so excited to have have so many great photographers at Wed By Hand to offer you advice for your wedding day.  Amna Hakim we will hosting one of our photography workshops and definitely has the talent and experience that you want to hear about.  She has been an Ottawa based photographer for 4 years, photographing a variety of lucky couples.  Amna finds the most common questions she gets from her brides are about how to plan their wedding day pictures with their photographer.  So, saving you time, and from stress, which in turn will get you the most from your money, Amna will be showing how to be completely prepared for your wedding day pictures.

Amna travels extensively for her work, and absolutely loves what she does, “I get to be a part of people’s lives at one of their happiest moments and I feel honoured to be able to preserve this for them.”  Amna’s photographs are colourful, dramatic and at times playful capturing the true essence of the emotions of the day.  

In Amna’s workshop you’ll learn the importance of planning your day with your photographer, and all the answers to your most important wedding day questions such as, how long the getting ready shots take, how long the portraits take, and how important is it to have an engagement shoot.  You’ll also have time to ask Amna for her expert opinion too, and I’m sure some of you have questions you’ve been dying to get answered.

With Amna’s experience, knowledge and friendly demeanor you’ll walk away with all the knowledge you need to hire a great photographer, perfectly suited to your needs.  As well as how to communicate with your photographer, prepare for your shoot and ask all the right questions, making the most of your wedding day photos.  

Workshop Wednesday: DIY Photo Albums

Looking for a way to preserve your wedding photos? Want to do it in style? byfield~pitman photography owner Ben Welland will lead a DIY Photo Album at the 2012 edition of Wed By Hand. Ben will teach you how to create professionally printed coffee-table style photo books from your wedding pictures. Ben will show examples of different photo book styles by several high-quality, low-cost companies, and he’ll teach us how to use free programs so we can make your own. With a slideshow and detailed step-by step guide, brides and grooms will have the tools and know-how to produce professional quality bound photo albums for their families and friends after the wedding.

About Ben & byfield~pitman photography: Owner Ben Welland launched byfield~pitman photography in 1997. He graduated from Algonquin’s photography program in 2000, and is now a full-time professional photographer. Along with a team of 4 other top notch photographers, Ben shoots at about 15 to 18 of those 20 weddings a year, and says “it's part of who I am now. Being at weddings almost every Saturday of every summer for the better part of my adult life has become my "normal". I really love the work. And that passion comes across when I speak about wedding photography (and photography in general!)”

Ben’s work has been featured in Ottawa Xpress, where he’s been working since 2003, and more recently, Capital Xtra!, Guerilla, Dharmaarts, and Voir. This workshop will be a great way to pick an expert's brain about how to preserve the memories from your wedding for years to come!