The Wedding After Party

The wedding after party is not a new invention, I'm quite sure that it has been happening without anyone realizing it for many years, however its no surprise that our generation is beginning to make the wedding after party commonplace. As Millennials we are carving our own path and leaving old social restrictions in the dust, it was only a matter of time before this trickled into weddings, one the oldest traditions out there. 

Photo courtesy of http://conversationpieces.co.uk 

Couples with guest lists of 50 or 500 may have the same problem, not getting to spend time during their wedding with the people they people they care about most.  You may have really wanted to invite your friend at the office but had to leave them out because it would mean you would have to invite everyone at the office.  Or maybe your parents have invited family you have haven't seen since you were a baby and friends of their's that you've never, met which means you will spend a lot of your time talking to people you barely know. Whichever is the reason that stops you from celebrating with any and everyone that your heart desires, the wedding after party is the solution.  You choose the guest list, so invite as many or few as you choose, there is no etiquette rules telling you who you can and cannot invite.

Whether you are having one to celebrate with more or less people, or just continue the party choosing the venue can also be a lot of fun.  Having it in your hotel room or someone's home will make it simple, intimate and cost effective. All thats required is to tell a few people to join you, show up and have a good time. There is also the option of having it in your favourite bar or nightclub if you really want to keep the party going, plus the space is generally larger to accommodate a larger number of people and is perfect for those couples who want to continue to dance the night away. For the adventurous couples you can take your party to the beach, to a roof top patio or the casino, the possibilities are truly endless.

Photo courtesy of http://www.joeydevilla.com/2007/06/28/the-post-wedding-jam-session/ 

One of the sweetest advantages is that the price tag for the after party can be practically non-existent, unless you choose to go all out.  How does that saying go? "The best things in life free." Well depending on what you choose for your party it may not be completely free, but when you compare the cost of the after party to the cost of your wedding I'm sure you will find that it feels like it was free in comparison.

With all of the perks and none of the disadvantages, having a wedding after party is perfect for couples who are facing challenges of obligation during their wedding or couples who never want the party to end. You can invite who you want, have it where you want, do whatever you want until the sun comes up! What's not to love?

Events in the City

Last week was super busy, between the launch of www.edenelleevents.com, and attending a different event every night, I have fallen a bit behind on blogging!

I volunteered to help out with the Launch Party for the Hip and Urban Girl's Guide, which was a fabulous success and a great networking opportunity. Here is the fabulous volunteer team, composed of WPIC grads!

I also volunteered at the Simply Diva's Fundraiser for F.A.M.E held at the Berkeley Church the past Sunday, which was another huge success.  I had the honour of running the silent auction, plus got to sample some amazing food from some of Toronto's best chefs. If you haven't been to Simply Diva's in the past you should definitely get tickets for next year, its an event that shouldn't be missed.

Toronto has so many great events going on every night, its hard to catch them all but look for me at your next event!

Edenelle Events Goes Live!

After several months of hard work I am proud to announce that www.edenelleevents.com is live! I want to thank all of my friends and family who have been incredibly supportive and helpful during this process and exciting new chapter in my life.

A special thanks goes out to TJ Garcia, Beth Davis, Ruben and Sonia Avelar, and Candice Gallinger.  Without your contributions of time, help and creativity I couldn't have done it. I am truly blessed to have such wonderful people around me.

I would love to hear your feedback, leave a message on our Facebook Fan Page and tell me what you think!

Inspiration Board #3

The Sapphire Peacock

Peacock feathers are nothing new in the world of weddings, but using this beautiful embellishment correctly can be tricky.  I recently took a close look at one, and was truly inspired by the colour palette found in these feathers.  The key to success here is focusing on the solid colours and using them with touches of the actual feathers in surprising and unique ways to tie everything together.

The colours I've focused on here are Sapphire Blue, Turquoise, Emerald and Antique Gold to polish it off.

Inspiration Board #2

Sex and The City

I am a HUGE fan of Sex and the City, and with the new movie coming out next week, I thought I would do an inspiration board that invokes glamour and couture.

The colours for this are Sex and the City Pink (of course), Vanilla Glaze, Onyx and Chrystal for some sparkle.

Anna Maier-Ulla Maija Spring 2011 Collection

I came across this line recently, and I immediately added this line to one of my favourite bridal collections. I am in love with the balance of detail and simplicity that I see in this collection, as well as the full skirts. Here are some highlights.

For more of their collection go to www.ulla-maija.com Photos courtesy of Flare.com

Inspiration Board #1

Magnolia Tree

Last month, walking around my neighbourhood there were quite a few cherry trees and magnolia trees (plus several other bushes and trees with flowers on them that I don't know the names of) all fully in bloom.

This is the best part of spring before the flower petals fall off and the green leaves replace them. I have this things for trees with flowers on them, maybe because the house I grew up in had several of them in our backyard.

Manzanita branches have been very popular in the wedding industry for a little while now, but I personally hate bare branches because it reminds me of winter. There are so many beautiful flowered trees, like magnolia trees, which is where I derived my inspiration.

The focal colours are Carnation Pink and Cloud White, and they are accented with Grass Green and Bark Brown so that its not overwhelmingly feminine and a touch of Chrome for glamour. A natural spring palette has so much to offer, why not take advantage?

Nicole Miller Spring 2011 Bridal Collection

New York based designer, Nicole Miller, recently debuted her 2011 spring bridal collection. The trend was simple, no frills beauty with trumpet silhouettes. This could be the perfect dress to pair with loud or bold accessories, hair or make-up. This line will not be available until June 30th. Here are some of my favourites.

Photos courtesy of Vogue Australia

The Vue Event Venue Grand Opening

In april I attended the Grand Opening of The Vue, which is the newest event venue By Peter and Paul's. They also own Paramount, Bellagio and The Manor and offer a multitude of services for weddings and events. This venue, however, has a very different look and feel from the others.

Its located on the Royal Woodbine Golf Club, the floor to ceiling windows over look the greens but don't forget its just minutes from the airport so there is quite a bit of industrial-looking landscape as well.

There is a stunning foyer, followed by one main room equip with 3 bars and 4 separate booth seating areas. From pop art to chandeliers to a DJ booth adorned with neon lights, this venue has a unique decor filled with geometric shapes . Friday and Saturday nights The Vue will be open as a nightclub, and available to rent for events the remainder of the week.

I was happy from the very start of the evening, but of course being greeted with champagne is the easiest way to win me over. They had waiters making their rounds with appetizers and two food stations serving risotto and catfish. The food was really good, I'm not a big fan of fish in general but I really enjoyed the catfish, which should be a good indication as to the caliber of the food (I was too busy enjoying the food to remember to take pictures).

In a separate room to the side of the main room they had what I call desert heaven, with an assortment of brownie and cheesecake pops, strawberries with a pistachio creme and a chocolate foundation with all kinds of goodies for your dipping pleasure. I surrendered to temptation (in the name of research, I swear!) and tried everything but the chocolate fountain simply because the line up was too long.

The food at The Vue is courtesy of the Table Talk catering division of By Peter and Paul's, as they don't have their own in house catering, and from everything I tasted that night you will not be disappointed.

Overall this venue has great potential for both weddings and events. There is to option to spend very little on decor at this venue, considering that it matches the theme that you are going for. The nightclub feel, coupled with the view of the airport area make this venue more suited to a wedding after dusk for the best pictures, although I'm sure the latter problem can be conquered by a good photographer.

thevue.ca

Introducing the Essence of Elle

Welcome everyone to the Essence of Elle. This is where you will find out what Edenelle Events is all about, through weekly inspiration boards and articles on wedding and event planning that share insights and ideas.

I am especially excited to be able to share my inspiration and findings from my travels around the world as well, which will be happening very soon.

The Edenelle Events website is underway and will be launching very soon. Stay tuned, there are plenty of great things to come!