Friday's Fabulous Find is sending you smiles!

When I walk into a well designed florist shop, with all the beautiful colors, tropical and non-tropical flowers filling the quaint Vancouver flower shops, all I can do is smile.  It helps me to stop and "smell the roses". My latest experience with a local florist, Celsia, in the heart of Kitsilano was an exciting one, so I just had to share it with you:

www.celsiaflorist.com

If you have not yet visited this beautiful Florist shop that is tucked away on 1930 Arbutus Street, just off of 4th Ave, you need to hop in and say hello.  Although all the designers at Celsia are truly amazing, I had the privilege of having my dealings with Chelsea.  She will blow you away with her creative designs.  She is quick on her feet to guide your ideas into a direction that will make them into reality very quickly.  Don't take my word for it...take a look!

Whether it's decor or a bridal bouquet you are looking for Celsia Florist would love to be a part of your day! If your reason is

 Wedding, Events or Just Because!

Celsia Florist can take care of it for you.

3 Things to keep in Mind when choosing a Bridal Bouquet with budget in mind:

• Ask yourself are the flowers that I want in season?  If not, ask the florist what type of florals they recommend that ARE in season, or what alternative flowers would have a very similar look to what you desire.
  
  
• Don't use expensive florals as fillers within the bouquet, especially amongst large blooms.  A lot of the time, you can't even see the fillers.  And sometimes you can have some of your fillers be greenery which will be less costly.  
  
  
• Don't try to make a bridal bouquet yourself unless you are a florist.  Some brides think, "I can do it on my own".  When florists buy their flowers, they bring them to their shop and go through quite the process to care for them.  Ensure the florist you are using is conditioning their flowers to ensure longevity and quality. 

We always love hearing from you so let us know what you think of the blog on DreamGroup's Facebook Page!

By Sandy Pandher, Associate Planner with DreamGroup Productions

With her "hands on" energetic approach to planning, Sandy offers a perfect balance between assertiveness and calmness -- two qualities instrumental in qualifying oneself as a great planner. This smart, savvy and dedicated planner's passion is in building relationships and connecting with each of her clients so that their wedding day can truly reflect who they are as a couple and what their love story symbolizes. Sandy is best suited to the busy Urban couple looking for a knowledgeable and intuitive planner to help bring their wedding vision to life.

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We promise to inspire, inform & indulge!

Monday's Montage: Stunning Centerpieces

Oh pretty things…  I could go on for days! I know too well just how time consuming finding the perfect florals can be. To help you in your quest for the ideal centerpieces this parade of pretty flowers has flower arrangements for every wedding style. Your planner and your florist really appreciate seeing images that you have collected when creating your design. We can spot the trends, note your style and favourite colours to create the most breathtaking personalized wedding for you.

By Jayleen Deelman, Associate Planner with DreamGroup Productions

Jayleen Deelman has been with DreamGroup since 2010 and has made her way from our Star Wedding Coordinator to a Dedicated Associate Planner.  Jayleen is upbeat, good natured, and always smiling. She is attentive and with her passion for everything weddings she is key in carrying out a fluid and enjoyable wedding day experience. Clients adore her sweet disposition and her desire to make their wedding a memory they will never forget.

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We promise to inspire, inform & indulge!

 

 

Ask a Planner... "the centrepieces are how much!?!"

Hello,

My fiancé and I are experiencing serious sticker shock at the costs being quoted to us for various wedding services. For example, we met with one photographer duo that charges $300.00/hour with a minimum of 6 hours for both of them and then we met with another photographer (just her) who charges a flat fee of $5000.00 plus tax for as many hours as you need her on the wedding day. Yikes! My question is why are some so inexpensive and others so expensive in comparison?  I like both photographer’s styles and am just trying to understand the difference.  We also met with 3 florists and they all quoted different prices even though we shared the same thoughts with each about what we were looking for. Again, what’s the difference?

Thanks,

Puzzled Bride

Hello Puzzled Bride,

Wedding Budgets come in all shapes and sizes, prices, and calibers and every wedding is important no matter what you are able and willing to spend.  Why a particular product or service may be more with one vendor than another can be due to several factors.  First of all, you need to ensure you are comparing apples to apples or in this case Roses to Roses.  For example, I once had a bride that received a quote for a centerpiece for $300.00 from a popular downtown florist, she then met with a “wholesale” florist who quoted $125.00 for “the exact same thing” or so the bride thought.  In the end the lesser expensive arrangement was exactly what I predicted it would be… a considerably scaled down (albeit still beautiful) version of the original $300.00 arrangement quoted.  The height and circumference of the vase was much smaller than the one that would have been used in the $300.00 arrangement AND there were about 2/3 less orchid stems both affecting the overall magnitude and diameter of the end result.  In this bride’s case, that is all she needed and the savings realized outweighed the desire for something grand.   

Other variables that will affect fees quoted in everything from photography to wedding planners to cake artists and beyond are years of experience, level of confidence, use of the latest technologies, how in demand a vendor is, and certainly their reputation.

The important thing to do is first ensure your budget is in line with your needs and wants and secondly HIRE THE RIGHT VENDORS for YOUR WEDDING.  As a planner, one of the first things we do after drawing up a realistic budget is short list vendors that will help maximize the bottom line OR the vision or both depending on a client’s priorities.  This is the “trick” to creating a successful end result no matter what your expectations may be -- hire vendors whose portfolio of work -- whether it be florists or photographers -- emulates the look you are going for. That way it’s not about how much you are spending, but rather the look you are trying to achieve. Another super important thing to do is BE HONEST WITH THE VENDORS you are meeting with and let them know your budget limitations up front so they can in turn be honest with you and help guide you in a realistic direction.

At DreamGroup, we have a list of vendors that we know will help maximize budgets and then a list of vendors that maximize visions and we try and ensure that we bring the right clients to the right vendors whenever possible. Of course, some of these vendors do overlap, but the point is that the vendors you hire should respect and appreciate your priorities whether it’s getting the best bang for your buck or upstaging the Jones’ daughter’s wedding. :O)  Don’t be frustrated at the varying quotes.  Just look for the one that you feel gets your vision and works within your budget parameters.  That’s all that matters.  Best of luck with your wedding plans!

Wedding Planner signing off!  Until next week… keep those questions coming in!  Submit your questions by emailing us at askaplanner@dreamgroup.ca

Cheerio,

Genève 

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Genève McNally, Principal Planner, DreamGroup Productions

Genève first began her wedding career in 1999 as the Catering Manager for one of Vancouver’s most sought after wedding venues, Brock House Restaurant.  In 2004 Genève and college friend Sarah Shore ambitiously started up what is now one of Vancouver's longest running and most trusted wedding planning companies, DreamGroup Productions Inc.

These days, in addition to working with her clients in a full planning capacity, Genève focuses her attention on the sales and marketing aspects of the company and is most often the friendly voice you will chat with when first inquiring with DreamGroup.  Genève is known to inspire and excite both clients and industry associates alike with her exuberant personality and joie de vivre!  Her ability to be refreshingly candid and her in depth knowledge of the wedding industry have earned her the friendly moniker “Two-Cents McNally”.  Genève also teaches the Wedding Planning classes offered through the dg Academy and is the chief correspondent behind DreamGroup's weekly Blog feature Ask a Planner.

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We promise to inspire, inform and indulge!