Are you newly engaged and not quite sure where to start? Don’t worry, you’ve got this! 

First of all, welcome to the wild and wonderful world of wedding planning. Whether you’re a spreadsheet queen, a freestyle planner, or if you’re still trying to figure out what wedding planning looks like for you, your best friends will be the vendors you choose to help you on your wedding journey. 

Ottawa houses some incredible wedding suppliers who will bring your wedding vision to life. We spoke with some of our fellow industry experts for their top tips to help you find your feet on your wedding journey as you enjoy that extra sparkle on your ring finger. 

First Things First

The best place to start is to figure out what you want. Britt from Gloss Events & Decor says:

Dream big! Imagine what your ultimate day would look like if budget wasn’t a factor. Once you have your wish-list, you can then pick and choose where you want to spend to ensure you get all the elements that are most important to you while fitting into your budget!

As you start to piece together your vision,

Katherine from Pollennation recommends finding visual aids to help inform your vision. The industry is full of technical terms and you’re not expected to learn all of them!

​​“We encounter a lot of people who worry about not knowing “a lot about florals” and that is totally ok! You don’t need to know exact names of florals or the exact number of tables/table plan etc, that can all get worked out later. A few Pinterest photos of what you want the florals to look like and the colours you want to include in the wedding is just as perfect! This gives the florist a good indication of what you are looking for but also allows for them to make suggestions or tailor your design ideas into something unique and specific to your wedding”

Choose vendors you feel a connection with

Don’t forget that whilst you’re choosing your suppliers, you’re choosing the people that are going to be involved at the heart of your wedding, with some of them even there all day!

As Ryan & Laine from Rubicon Photography explain, choosing those people isn’t just about their work.

"Hire a photographer that you feel a genuine connection with. Of course the quality of their work is important, but there's lots of incredible talent out there! Before you make your final choice consider this: you will spend more time with your photographer on your wedding day than you will with your future spouse! The photographers you choose will absolutely influence your experience of the day (this goes for videographers too!). You're going to be experiencing every emotion under the sun, so surrounding yourself with a team you can trust to capture it all - while making you feel super comfortable - is key to having an incredible experience, and ultimately beautiful memories to help you relive it over and over again!"

Start your research before you start scheduling consultations

As a bridal boutique, our expertise is all things bridal wear, and our advice to the newly engaged bride is to start your research before you start scheduling consultations

"Start browsing styles online now to get a feel for current bridal designers and styles that you like. Sometimes it’s easiest to start by looking at the designers carried in bridal boutiques in your area. Aim to book in at bridal stores with gowns that match your style and budget around 10-14 months prior to your wedding to ensure you can shop without any timeline worries. Remember to keep an open mind, and don’t be afraid to say ‘yes’ when you think you’ve found it!"

If your partner is planning to wear a suit for the Big Day

Mario of Mario Uomo suggests looking into timeless, rather than trendy looks.

“Aim to have a timeless look for your wedding. Sure, trendy looks are fun to gravitate towards, but they’re trendy for a reason: here today, most likely gone tomorrow. What won’t be gone, though, are your pictures. They last forever, and so should your wedding style. A classic navy blue or black suit are ideal looks for a long lasting image that will always be in style.”

Schedule a trial with hair & makeup ahead of time

Figuring out your bridal look means selecting hair and makeup artists and scheduling a trial with them ahead of your wedding.

Shannon from One Fine Beauty advises: 

“When preparing for your trial makeup appointment, plan to have it somewhat close to the wedding date - 1-3 months works best. At that point, you’ll have your dress, jewelry and accessories picked - all things that help the whole vision come together.”

Make your wedding favours memorable and entertaining!

When it comes to wedding favours, everyone wants to do something memorable. There are so many great ideas out there, but if you want to make your ‘favours’ something both entertaining and something that definitely won’t be left behind,

as suggested by Cat from MDRN 

"Consider replacing your wedding favour with a photo booth that prints. Photo booths can offer studio quality portraits of your guests and you can upgrade your paper to luxury media that shimmer or looks metallic. Not only will it offer a beautiful take home print for everyone, it’s a wonderful entertainment piece to your evening."

Over the next few months, we’ll be working with fellow vendors to bring you even more tips and information to help make wedding planning a breeze. 

Don’t forget, planning is a journey; take it at your own pace! Right now, you get to just enjoy this moment and celebrate your engagement! Congrats, Babe! 

Photography by: MDRN Photography, Rubicon Photography