DreamGroup gives advice on Planning a New Year's Party

Principal Planner, Sarah Shore was recently consulted by CBC Newsworld's Aaron Saltzman about planning a New Year's Party.

Check out what she had to say:

An Easy Champagne Punch Recipe

For those of you who are hosting a New Years Eve Party this year, we'd like to share with you an easy recipe for a great tasting punch for which your guests will keep coming back for more:

Ingredients:

1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen cranberry juice concentrate
1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen pink lemonade concentrate
1 (6 ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate
1 (750 milliliter) bottle white wine, chilled
2 (750 milliliter) bottles San Pellegrino, chilled
2 (750 milliliter) bottles champagne, chilled
1 cup blueberry juice (such as True Blue)
1 lemon-sliced for garnish
1 mandarin-peeled into wedges for garnish
1/2 cup frozen cranberries-for garnish

Directions:

In a large punch bowl, combine the cranberry juice concentrate, pink lemonade concentrate, limeade concentrate, white wine, San Pellegrino, champagne, and blueberry juice.

Garnish with lemon slices, mandarin and cranberries.

This will yield 35 servings.

What's Inside?

We came across this exquisite trinket box that would be perfect to hold a little gift. A bride can give this to her bridesmaids and perhaps it holds a necklace inside...one that is specially to be worn on the wedding day...or the box can be given as the gift itself because it's so gorgeous.

Find this special keepsake at papyrusonline.com:

A Quote or Two...

Quotes can provide inspiration, provoke a thought and even generate a smile. Our offices are always adorned with a few of our favorite quotes so that when we need to take a moment during the day's busy schedule, we can look at them, take a breath and take solace in their message.

Since they are always inspiring us, we thought that we would share some with you:

"When faced with any particular situation ask yourself, is it is a Minor Inconvenience or a Tragedy? Life is far more fun and enjoyable when you make a conscious decision (hard at first, but it gets easier) to focus your energy on enjoying the moments and not get wrapped up in the 'minor inconveniences' life throws your way."

"If you always do, what you've always done, you'll always get what you've got."

~ From the notebooks of Christine Dalgliesh Bonin

"Be first. Don’t wait. Put yourself out there.
Be the first to say I love you, Thank you, or This isn’t working.
Be the first to propose a better way of doing things.
Be the first to forgive.
Be the first to make a change.
You’ve got the courage. Back it up with a plan. Put it in to action. Do whatever it takes."

~ Carrie & Danielle

A Cute Gift for your Bridesmaids

During our long hours spent researching the internet for the latest and greatest and coming up with inspiration for our events, we came across this cute idea. Our brides are always in need of gifts for their bridesmaids, so here is one that we'd like to suggest:

A Pink Swiss Army Knife just for the Ladies



It includes: Small blade, Nail file with screwdriver, Scissors, Key ring, Toothpick, Tweezers

This pink swiss army knife for ladies can be purchased at The Knot

If you have a product or service that you think our Brides, Grooms or Clients would like, please contact us

Check out the Lastest Issue of WedLuxe Magazine

The Winter/Spring issue of WedLuxe Magazine, Canada's own Luxury Wedding Magazine, has hit the newsstands and DreamGroup is very honored to have three of our weddings featured in this latest issue.

The first is Lili & Ramin's wedding (pg. 46) shot by the endearing Leanne Pedersen.

The second wedding that is featured is Lindsay & Jason's (pg. 68) that took place at the Pan Pacific and was shot by the fantastic photography duo, Camille & Chadwick of Jonetsu Photography.

And last, but definitely not least is the vibrant wedding of Sowon & Phil (pg. 80) that the charming Tobyn Ross shot at the Brock House Restaurant.

Congratulations WedLuxe on a fabulous & beautiful issue!

The Best Thank you Card Ever!

We just received a hilarious Thank you card that must be shared. The second I pulled it from the envelope I was laughing...This bride was so much fun to work with and obviously from the card you can see she has a great sense of humor.

You definitely weren't a Bridezilla Michele...

Brock House Wedding Show a Huge Hit!

We received the much anticipated photos from the Wedding Show that Brian Noppe shot and we are so excited to share them with you. We had nothing but rave reviews from all of the vendors that participated and the couples that attended. "The best show yet..."

Here are some of our favorite shots from the Show...

To start off the Fashion Show, we had a fantastic Sax Player named Murray Uncyk perform a little Etta James "At Last" to create the feel and set the scene of Central Park in Fall:





Then like any good fashion show...the beautiful dresses swept the stage beginning with wedding dresses from Isabelle's Bridal:













Then our models showcased bridesmaids dresses from Frocks Modern Bridesmaids...the bridesmaids dresses that can be worn again and again:





And we can't forget the handsome guys in Tuxes by The Tux Store:





And last but definitely not least, we had our couture part of the show with Caroline Calvert original designs:






The Fashion Show was so inspiring with such great dresses and even tuxes for the guys. So many of the brides found their perfect dress on the runway.

One of the most satisfying parts of putting together this show was that we raised money & awareness for a great charity called Unique Minds. We've been working with this non-profit organization over the last year to raise funds to help kids overcome their learning disabilities.

We had so much fun producing this show and look forward to doing it all again next year. I think we have some high expectations to reach...no problem!

If you have a unique product or service that you would like to showcase in the 2008 Brock House Wedding Show, please contact us.

Brock House Wedding Show...A Must See!

To all of you Brides out there...we would like to remind you about the 17th Annual Brock House Wedding Show that is taking place Saturday, October 13th.

There are so many tempting reasons to come and visit, but here are just a few:

- A chance to speak with Vancouver's elite wedding vendors
- Delicious hors d'ouevres and wine passed during the show
- Exquisite gift bags stuffed with worthy swag
- New York Style Fashion Show that boasts the hottest fashions to hit the runway
- Lots of door prizes given by participating exhibitors
- Grand Prize Honeymoon to FIJI (value is $7000.00)

Partial Proceeds from the ticket sales will be given to Unique Minds, a local Vancouver charity benefiting kids with special needs.

Reserve your tickets by visiting the official Brock House Wedding Show website or calling 604.537.3575

24 Hours Wedding Guide hits the Orange Boxes!

We are very excited to announce that the 24 Hours Newspaper, the best free daily in Vancouver, has published their 2nd Annual Wedding Guide and our very own Geneve McNally played a large part in creating it. She had the role of writing all of the content with the goal that the readers would be educated about the wedding planning experience.

There are lots of great vendors listed in the guide, beautiful photos and lots of helpful hints to get brides to their wedding day.

Check out your local orange box to pick up a copy or go to www.24hrs.ca to download a PDF version.

Happy Reading!

Fashion Magazine takes some tips from DreamGroup on how to throw a Classy BBQ

Recently one of the writers from Fashion magazine contacted us to see what tips we had on throwing a Classy Backyard BBQ. We gave them our "DO" and "DON'T" Lists and here is what they came up with:

Creating a (Late Summer) Affair to Remember

"Whether a garden tea party, outdoor barbecue or chic cocktail party, throw the summer bash of the year by following the Dos and Don’ts from three top event planners from across Canada"....more

DreamGroup Productions Presents the 17th Annual Brock House Wedding Show, Saturday, October 13, 2007

DreamGroup is presenting this year's Annual Wedding Show for Brock House Restaurant. The show promises to Inspire, Indulge & Inform with some of Vancouver's most elite wedding vendors.

In an intimate and unrushed atmosphere, sip wine and enjoy some edible delights while you wander around and speak with potential vendors one on one, then sit back and enjoy a New York Style fashion show that is sure to leave you wanting more...

- Exquisite Gift Bags
- Fabulous Door Prizes
- Honeymoon Grand Prize to Fiji

There's something for everyone...

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Show times are:

12:00pm-3:00pm
3:00pm-6:00pm
6:00pm-9:00pm

Tickets are $45.00 all inclusive (cash only at the door).

Partial proceeds will be given to Unique Minds, a local Vancouver organization that benefits children with learning differences.

For more information, visit: Wedding Show Information

To reserve your tickets, visit: Wedding Show Ticket Reservation

Sustainable Weddings…A Convenient Truth

The idea of hosting a sustainable wedding has become quite the hot topic over recent months due to an increase in the concern for the effect global warming is having on our planet. The realization that a wedding, although significant and deserving, is adding to the problem because of the high consumption of goods and polluting it brings with it, couples are choosing to make their weddings more environmentally friendly by incorporating several eco-conscious elements into their wedding day.

Incorporating sustainability into one's wedding makes sense considering the amount of time we spend on the road in our cars attending to wedding details pre and post event, the travel emissions expended through guest travel and honeymoon voyages, and finally, the endless hours spent on our computers researching wedding options and printing all the necessary documents needed in carrying out a successful wedding. There are many wonderful ways to do your part in making your wedding more sustainable, here are just a few:

Vendor Selection:
A great way to help make your wedding low-carbon is reducing the gas emissions released into the environment by choosing to work with vendors that operate close to your place of residence or at the very least close to the venue at which your wedding is to take place. You will likely need to visit your vendors and venues several times leading up to the wedding and opting to work with ones close to home will limit the amount of time spent in your car driving and thus cut the amount of gas emissions being radiated into the atmosphere. Alternatively, host your ceremony and reception at the same venue to cut down on travel emissions on the wedding day.

Food & Drinks:
Hire caterers and work with venues who “operate green” by recycling and offering sustainable food options like using local and seasonal produce, chemical-free organic foods, offer fair trade, organic coffee and tea, and ones that incorporate food products like free-range chicken and sustainable seafood like wild salmon into their menu options.

Many local caterers and restaurants, like The Butler Did It Catering Co., are making efforts to reduce their environmental ‘footprint’ by initiating in-house Sustainability Programs -- visit Green Table for a complete list of these local companies. Furthermore, you can elect to offer locally harvested wine and beer – which is not difficult considering the wealth of fabulous wineries and breweries situated throughout BC.

Stationery:
For items like invitations, programs, place cards, seating charts, menus, and thank you cards hire stationers that work with recycled papers where at all possible and who make use of the environmentally friendly vegetable or soy based inks. These days, there is an excellent variety of stationary products that fit the recycled/eco-friendly category and they aren't all the brown and natural coloured papers we have associated with recycled papers of the past.

Contact local invitation design expert Crissy Giesbrecht of Par Avion Design to create your perfect eco-friendly invitation. Another fabulous option that will take your stationary needs to the next level is to send save-the-dates, invitations, and thank yous via e-mail “story cards” as created by local design entrepreneur Doris Blanchet of Nova Terra Studios visit www.321forkeeps.com – to view the fabulous selection of template and customizable designs. Be sure to mention to your guests either on the back of the invitations or programs the measures taken to help make your wedding sustainable. It’s a great opportunity to educate your family and friends!

Out of Town Guests:
Ask guests that are flying in to consider purchasing carbon offsets (a.k.a. environmental credits – visit Safe Climate for more information) for their flights to counterbalance the gas emissions being spent during their trip (David Suzuki lists companies where offsets can be purchased). If you are uncomfortable asking guests to incur these extra costs, you may wish to purchase them on those guests' behalf in lieu of favours. Recommend nearby hotels (preferably ones that offer in-house ‘green’ programs) to your out of town guests so they do not need to drive far distances to and from the venues. Encourage guests to rent hybrid or fuel efficient cars or to buddy up with other guests and carpool on the wedding day.

Flowers & Décor:
Select locally and/or organically grown flowers to make up your table arrangements and bouquets. Have potted flowers as centerpieces which can be given away to “one lucky guest” at the end of the night or transplant them into your garden to be enjoyed daily. Reclaim items that your friends may have had at their weddings like corks used as place card holders, etc. Instead of cut flowers use rocks and/or seashells and all natural beeswax candles to create that perfect centerpiece.

Favours:
This is one area where every couple can make their weddings more sustainable by offering guests edible delights like organic teas or honey as their thank you gifts. How about delicious organic chocolate favours made locally – Sweet Thea offers some wonderful options. Couples can choose to purchase tree saplings that are indigenous to the BC area to give to their guests with the message to plant them somewhere special in memory of the couple's wedding day.

Without question, it is everyone’s duty to try to create a positive effect on the environment in some way and what better way to celebrate the uniting of your families by doing your part to ensure that future families have a healthy planet on which to live. Explore your options… The Internet provides a wealth of information on sustainable products, local ‘green’ businesses, and the efforts being made to lower gas emissions and neutralize the carbon dioxide being put into our atmosphere daily. Visit www.portovert.com or The Knot for articles and additional ideas on increasing wedding sustainability. Look at it this way, since climate change is a global issue, any type of emission reduction you make today will have a positive effect on our planet as a whole tomorrow. What could be simpler and more rewarding than that?

Just for Fun!

We wanted to share some movie & tv quotes that we've collected which brides may be able to relate to or perhaps just get a little chuckle out of. We've started with one of the most memorable ones...on our list anyway. Enjoy!

SEX AND THE CITY:

Carrie: [off screen] The only thing harder than choosing a spot for your wedding when you hate weddings is choosing a wedding gift for your friend who hates weddings.

Charlotte: What about a guest book?

Carrie: There's gonna be like eight of us there. There's no one to keep track of. I can't believe Miranda is getting married.

Charlotte: [holds up heart shaped dish] This is pretty!

Samantha: Oh, she'll hate that. Too domestic.

Carrie: And too bridey.

Samantha: Yeah, let's try not to piss her off.

Charlotte: Maybe we should just buy her a stapler, wrap it in brown paper and just smear some dog poo on it! Think she'd be comfortable with that?

Carrie: Fine. We'll get the dish.

STEEL MAGNOLIAS:

Truvy: What are your colors, Shelby?

Shelby: My colors are "blush" and "bashful".

M'Lynn: Her colors are "pink" and pink".

Shelby: My colors are "blush" and "bashful" Mama!

M'Lynn: How precious is this weddin' gonna get, I ask you? That sanctuary looks like it's been hosed down with Pepto-Bismol.

THE WEDDING PLANNER:

Geri: Uh Pierre, you know I love you, but if you ever use another carnation in my bouquets I will deport you, ok?

WORKING GIRL:

Tess McGill: What if he doesn't?... pop the question?

Katherine Parker: I really don't think that's a variable. We're in the same city now, I've indicated that I'm receptive to an offer, I've cleared the month of June... and I am, after all, me.

MURIEL'S WEDDING:

Rhonda: I've seen your book. You've tried on every dress in Sydney!

Muriel: That doesn't mean I'm gonna get married.

Rhonda: Then what DOES it mean?

Muriel: It means I WANT to get married. I've always wanted to get married

.

SABRINA:

Maude Larrabee: Did Elizabeth pick out her dress yet?

Mrs. Ingrid Tyson: We're still working on the guest list. Six hundred so far, and that's just on our side!

Patrick Tyson: That's not a wedding, it's a town.

Mrs. Ingrid Tyson: Stop, it's going to be wonderful! Elegant but simple, lavish but tasteful...

Patrick Tyson: Cheap but expensive!

Visit the DreamGroup Productions website OR Call us at 604.537.3575

LATEST GREATEST NEWS…

DreamGroup Productions Inc. Conquers Whistler Market

We are proud to announce that DreamGroup Productions has been asked to represent Whistler Blackcomb as one of two official recommended Event Planners in executing Whistler Blackcomb weddings atop the mountain and in the village. We are very excited about this wonderful opportunity and look forward to assisting Whistler Blackcomb in the years to come!