We hate to admit it, but sadly most of us are not like Beyoncé and did not just “wake up like this!” Achieving flawless skin and a glowing complexion actually takes some serious forethought and effort, not to mention how overwhelming the world of beauty products and treatments can seem at times! Has anyone ever walked into a Sephora without having a minor panic attack over choosing the right product for your skin type amongst the hundreds of options available? Is my skin normal? Is it oily? Maybe it’s a little dry too? How do I even know!? Perhaps this is a tad dramatic, but you get the idea…

This all becomes even more true if you are a bride planning for her upcoming wedding – you want to look your absolute best on your big day, but with all of the time and energy that goes into the planning, what bride has time to think about beauty? Lucky for you, the experts at Forbes Beauty Co. do! We recently sat down with the two lovely ladies behind this local boutique spa, owner/esthetician Laura Forbes, and esthetician/make-up artist Angela Meier, to get the lowdown on what brides should be doing to make sure that they look as fabulous as they feel on their wedding day.

Laura Forbes and Angela Meier of Forbes Beauty Co.

4–6 MONTHS BEFORE

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR A FACIAL

If you have specific skin concerns that you would like taken care of or if you have never had a facial before, the ladies of Forbes Beauty Co. recommend that you schedule an appointment for one well in advance. Not only will taking part in regular facials help to bring out that gorgeous glow (think every 4-6 weeks for best results), but your esthetician will also be able to recommend the right skin care products that you should be using at home. It is best to get an early start, because it can take at least 28 days for a new product to cycle through your skin and start showing results.

START BOOKING REGULAR MANICURES

If you are in the habit of biting your nails or if you are just plain rough on your hands, it is also a good idea to start getting into the routine of regular manicures to ensure that your hands and nails are in the best shape possible for your wedding. Not only will routine manicures allow you to achieve your desired nail length and shape, while keeping your hands soft and supple, but they are also a great way to test out different polishes to find the perfect colour for your big day!

3 MONTHS BEFORE

CONSIDER YOUR BROWS

Thick, full, and natural looking brows have been trending the last couple of years and there is no sign that they are going away anytime soon. If this is a look that you are wanting to achieve on your wedding day, the ladies at Forbes Beauty Co. recommend that you start training your brows early on and leave it to the professionals to do so! Especially if you are prone to over-plucking, it is best to leave the brow shaping and tinting to your esthetician, who will be able to recommend the best shape and shade for you.

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH YOUR MAKE-UP ARTIST

If you are planning to hire a professional to do your wedding day make-up, it is a good idea to book your trial consultation early on. If you do not wear much make-up to begin with or if you have never had your make-up done professionally before, this will give you time to work with your make-up artist to come up with the look that is best for you. It is important to take pictures of yourself with your finished look, both indoors and outdoors, so that you can see how you look in different lighting and adjust the products accordingly to either pump things up or tone things down.

1-2 MONTHS BEFORE

ALL ABOUT MAINTENANCE

Over the last few months, you have been participating in regular facials, manicures, brow appointments, and make-up consultations, so at the 1-2 month mark, it is all about keeping up the hard work, because trust us, it will pay off!

1-2 WEEKS BEFORE

SCHEDULE YOUR LAST FACIAL

According to the ladies at Forbes Beauty Co., it is best to schedule your last facial about 1-2 weeks before your wedding day, especially if you have sensitive skin. This will ensure that any resulting redness or irritation will be long gone, leaving you with a beautiful, glowing complexion, fit for your walk down the aisle.

HAVE YOUR BROWS WAXED

Just like your facial, in order to avoid any unwanted bumps or redness, it is a good idea not to leave your final brow shaping appointment to the last minute.

1-2 DAYS BEFORE

SCHEDULE YOUR PRE-WEDDING MANI AND PEDI

It is the homestretch! With your wedding only 1-2 days away, what perfect way to unwind than with your last manicure and pedicure! To ensure that your hands and feet are looking their absolute best, the ladies of Forbes Beauty Co. recommend indulging by adding a paraffin treatment to your hand and feet servicing. You are the bride after all!

PRE-HONEYMOON WAXING/SUGARING

If you are jetting off on your honeymoon right after your wedding, it is also a smart idea to get yourself bikini ready by booking your waxing or sugaring appointment. The ladies at Forbes Beauty Co. offer both services, but they say that if you are prone to any redness or irritation, sugaring is definitely the way to go. Not only is sugaring gentler on the skin, but many have also noticed that re-growth takes longer than regular waxing. That is a win-win in our books!

Forbes Beauty Co. is a boutique spa located in Ottawa’s Hintonburg neighbourhood. In addition to providing all of the services listed above, the lovely ladies of Forbes Beauty Co. also offer group parties, allowing you and your group exclusive access to the spa. They encourage you to bring in nibblies as well as some bubbly – what a perfect way to kick off your wedding celebrationa alongside your besties! For more information, check out their website at http://www.forbesbeauty.ca/ or by getting in touch with them by telephone at 613-693-1998 or by email at [email protected].

We ALWAYS want to hear from you!

Tag us on Instagram @thedesigncoottawa using #thedesigncoblog to let us know what you will be doing to switch up your beauty routine leading up to your big day!

xx

Stacey & Erin

Engage Ottawa is this city’s only luxury wedding show and this year’s event took place on Sunday, February 14th at the historic Fairmont Chateau Laurier. Unlike other wedding shows, Engage Ottawa is focused entirely on quality, not quantity. This means that brides have unparalleled access to the best wedding vendors that Ottawa has to offer – the best photographers, the best bakers, the best venues, the best bridal salons, the best make-up artists, and the list goes on! All of this along with a delicious VIP brunch, fashion show, bouquet bar, and other amazing luxury giveaways!

If you didn’t have a chance to stop by this year’s Engage Ottawa show, you did miss out on a lot of fun (if we do say so ourselves), but not to worry! The lovely Laura Kelly of Laura Kelly Photography has provided us with some gorgeous images to recap the day!

First stop, the Food Market for the VIP Brunch event that kicked off Engage Ottawa!

The Engage Ottawa runway where gorgeous gowns were featured from With Love Bridal, Ashton Station Bridal, and Zarucci – so stunning!

The talented ladies of One Fine Beauty prepping the models before their walk down the runway!

Not only did With Love Bridal feature gorgeous gowns on the Engage Ottawa runway, but they also hosted a sample sale in our Food Market. Snacking on “appies” while dress shopping – does it get any better!?

While brides were busy checking out all of what Engage Ottawa has to offer, their grooms had a chance to stop by Warren & Chase for a little “groom-ing!”

The Design Co. Great-Gatsby inspired table complete with lux black and gold accents and pops of feminine pink!

The gorgeous station of Evermore Weddings & Events!

Wedecor’s show-stopping display – so beautiful and so romantic!

The deliciously beautiful station courtesy of The Girl With The Most Cake – we are still drooling over their samples!

If you haven’t noticed already, our vendors go all out! Can we just take a moment to acknowledge that Stonefields practically built a barn in the Chateau Laurier!? Such a gorgeous station!

What an oh-so beautiful and oh-so sweet station! That is because the ladies of Osso Beautiful and Osso Sweet were behind it!

The beautiful Le Belvédère station that almost rivals its stunning views!

Check out this gorgeous table courtesy of Groovy Linens!

And to top off the day, we had the amazing Christine Breton live painting the Engage Ottawa displays!

Until next year!

We ALWAYS want to hear from YOU!

Tag us on Instagram @thedesigncoottawa using #thedesigncoblog to let us know what you thought of this year’s Engage Ottawa!!

xx

Stacey & Erin

GEORGES HOBEIKA

GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

RALPH RUSSO

VALENTINO

We ALWAYS want to know what you think!

Tag us on Instagram @thedesigncoottawa using #thedesigncoblog to let us know which haute couture look was your favourite this season!

xx

Stacey & Erin

BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS

ONE-TIER WONDERS

GOLDEN ACCENTS

BERRY-DELICIOUS

PLAYFUL

MINIMALIST

We ALWAYS want to hear from YOU!

Tag us on Instagram @thedesigncoottawa using #thedesigncoblog to let us know if you would choose a naked cake for your wedding day!

xx

Stacey & Erin

JANUARY 25,  2016

WHAT WE'RE

LOVING NOW –

JANUARY EDITION

1 – "Estella" Gown; 2 – "Tiernan" Gown; 3 – "Ephra" Gown

THE NEW NEUTRAL

We won’t lie, we are absolute suckers for anything with a little bit of sparkle and we love seeing that recent brides share our sentiment! From dressing their bridesmaids in gilded gowns, to mixing pops of silver and gold to make even the most rustic of weddings luxurious, metallic accents have become the new neutral and we are totally on board!

KATE SPADE KITCHEN

What girl doesn’t love her some Kate Spade? Known for her sophisticated style and her fun, upbeat take on design, Kate Spade is the epitome of modern femininity. We are already completely in love with her collections of clothing, handbags, and jewelry, but she has recently released a line of kitchen products that are totally registry-worthy!

MISMATCHED MAIDS

Gone are the days of matchy-matchy weddings and we are all for it! Brides are beginning to move away from the completely coordinated wedding party and are allowing their bridesmaids some more choice in terms of what they wear on their big day. This certainly does not mean that you need to let your bridesmaids go wild and choose any dress in any colour, but sticking to dresses in a similar shape or colour spectrum will keep the mismatched look effortlessly coordinated. The bonus: your bridesmaids will have more freedom to choose a dress in a shape that best suits their body and will allow their personal style to shine through!

Bridesmaid Dresses: (1) BHLDN; (2) Joanna August, French Connection, Rebecca Taylor, Anthropologie, Donna Morgan; (3) Amsale, Reformation; (4) Lela Rose, WToo, Joanna August, Adrianna Papell, Stardust Celebrations, Jenny Yoo, Amsale, BHLDN

JEFF LEATHAM

If you have not heard of him before, Jeff Leatham is the genius behind the insanely gorgeous floral wonderland that was Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello’s wedding this past November in Palm Beach, Florida. Jeff Leatham is certainly not new to the world of floral and event design, but since seeing the photos from this dreamy couple’s dream wedding, our obsession with his simple yet over-the-top aesthetic has absolutely been renewed!

We ALWAYS want to hear from YOU!

Tag us on Instagram @thedesigncoottawa using #thedesigncoblog to let us know what you are obsessing over this month!

xx

Stacey & Erin

TAKE SONG REQUESTS

Let's face it, great music is synonymous with a great party and there are certain songs that are just guaranteed to get your guests busting a move on the dance floor! Why not take the guesswork out of planning the perfect reception playlist and ask your guests what they want to hear directly? Taking guests' song requests is a sure-fire way to keep your DJ spinning all the crowd favourites and to keep your dance floor packed all night long! A fun way to get your guests thinking about what they want to hear ahead of time is to take down their requests when they RSVP to the wedding. You may simply include a line on the reply card directly, or if you're short on space, you could include a separate enclosure card altogether.

CREATE A LOUNGE AREA FOR YOUR RECEPTION

We cannot relate to this personally, but the reality is, not every guest at your wedding will want to let out their inner Beyoncé and break it down on the dance floor all night! For those guests who would rather put up their feet than kick up their heels, offering a designated post-dinner seating area creates a great space for guests to relax together, while still remaining part of the party. Sure, it is perfectly fine for guests to return to their dinner tables to mingle and chat, but depending on the size and scope of your wedding, you may run the risk of having guests scattered all over the place! A lounge area (especially one strategically positioned near both the dancefloor and bar) is a great way to bring everyone together and keep the party going!

CONSIDER A PHOTOBOOTH

Photo booths are certainly not new to the wedding scene, but year after year they always remain a huge hit with guests of all ages! They not only serve as a great source of entertainment for guests who want  break from dancing, but they also make for a fun alternative to the traditional wedding guestbook. To put a personal spin on the wedding photo booth craze, we recommend that you get creative with it! Why not consider customizing a photo booth backdrop to include you and your partner's initials and wedding date? Or why not take a cue from the couple below who had a cut-out of their family dog printed, giving the fun props a personal spin? Either way, your guests are guaranteed to have a blast!

CONSIDER SERVING A LATE NIGHT SNACK

In order to counteract the wearying effects of too much merriment, serving a late-night snack is a great way to not only keep your guests' stomachs satisfied, but to keep the party going until the wee hours of the morning as well. With it sometimes being a few hours between dessert and the end of the reception, guests may be ready for something else to nibble on, especially if they are busy working up a sweat on the dance floor! Late night snacks can be savoury, sweet, or both, but it is best if they are hand-held and can be gobbled up in just a few bites. Some of our favourite options include tacos, sliders, and donuts, but really anything goes!

DARE TO GO AGAINST TRADITION

We won't lie, we love the traditions embedded in weddings, but with that being said, we are also all for breaking them! If a certain tradition does not feel right to you or your partner, forget it! Just because it is something that "is done," doesn't mean that it is something that you need to do too! By picking and choosing the traditions that best suit you and your partner, you will not only stay true to yourselves, but you will also create an incredibly personal day that will both meaningful and memorable to your guests for years to come.

In the meantime, we want to hear from YOU!

By tagging us on Instagram @thedesigncoottawa using #thedesigncoblog let us know what you plan to do to make sure your guests have the best time ever at your wedding!

xx

Stacey & Erin

When you are playing host to the biggest party that you will probably ever throw, it is not only vital that you and your partner have the time of your lives on your wedding day, but it is also important that your guests enjoy themselves too! Sure, when it comes down to it, your wedding day is ultimately about honouring the love between you and your life partner, but it is also an opportunity to celebrate that love with your closest family and friends (read: have one epic party!). With your guests' experience in mind, we have put together some tips on how to leave them saying "that was the best wedding EVER!"

MAKE SURE THE DAY "FLOWS"

When you think back to your childhood and your days as a student in school, there was nothing worse than listening to a teacher drone on and on and on for what seemed like an eternity! If you are not careful, elements of your wedding day could have a similar effect on your guests. To avoid turning a sentimental moment into a painful one, it is important that your wedding day as a whole "flows." We are certainly not suggesting that you need to rush through it (quite the opposite in fact!), but it is a good idea to keep things moving along at a reasonable pace, so that your guests' attention will be on you and your partner throughout. Ways that you can ensure a good flow to your day would be to try to keep your ceremony and any breaks as brief as possible. A good rule of thumb is to try to aim for your ceremony to be about 20 minutes in length (excluding the processional and recessional) and to keep any breaks (such as if you are planning to do your photos in between your ceremony and cocktail hour) to about an hour and half, if at all possible.

MAKE  TIME FOR EACH AND EVERY GUEST

This is a tip that you have likely heard before and it really and truly just comes down to good etiquette (or so Martha would say!). It makes no difference whether your guests have traveled a great distance to be with you on your wedding day or not, it is imperative that you take the time to greet each and every one of them. You may decide to divide and conquer during your cocktail hour, visit guests' tables during dinner breaks, or kick up your heels with your guests on the dance floor, but no matter how you do it, it is so important for you to let them know how much their presence means to you on your special day. A little thank you always goes a long way!

GO THE EXTRA MILE FOR OUT-OF-TOWNERS

Speaking of showing your gratitude to your guests, it is also a good idea to put in a little extra effort for those who have traveled from afar to be with you on your wedding day. If it's within your wedding budget, an always appreciated gesture would be to create a welcome bag or basket to greet your guests when they arrive at their hotels. Fun items to consider including would be some snacks (bonus points if they happen to be local or personal favourites), some bottled water, a list of local amenities (such as some restaurant recommendations and where the nearest Starbucks and drugstore are located), and perhaps even a bottle of wine. Alternatively, another more budget-friendly idea would be to request that some nearby hotels set aside a block of rooms for your wedding guests. This will ensure that your guests have no trouble securing accommodation for your wedding weekend and they may also benefit from a discounted rate!

PUT EXTRA CARE INTO YOUR SEATING PLAN

Creating a seating plan is often one of the most dreaded tasks during the planning process – organizing two sides worth of family and friends into tables of six or eight can be quite the headache to say the least! As much as you just want your seating plan to be finalized, so that you can move on to bigger and better things, it is important to take special care when choosing who sits where and with who. Grouping guests based on similar interests and backgrounds is a great way to ensure that your guests feel comfortable and that dinner conversation flows freely.

CONSIDER YOUR GUESTS COMFORT

No matter what time of year you plan to say "I do," it is important to keep in mind what your guests may need to stay comfortable throughout the day and into the evening. You can make sure your guests' needs are met by offering up small items such as sun hats and fans for a summer wedding ceremony, wraps to pass around when the temperatures dip, or flip flops (otherwise known as "dancing shoes") for when guests are ready to kick off their heels and kick up their feet on the dance floor! Generally inexpensive, these small details can have a major impact on your guests' overall enjoyment on your day.

We had so many great tips to share with you this week, we have decided to split this post into two! Stay tuned for next week's post where we will continue sharing our tips for how you can make sure your guests say, "that was the best wedding I have ever been to!"

In the meantime, we want to hear from YOU!

Using the comments section below or by tagging us on Instagram @thedesigncoottawa using #thedesigncoblog let us know what you plan to do to make sure your guests have the best time ever at your wedding!

xx

Stacey & Erin

The New Year is all about new beginnings and a fresh start. It often gives us the inspiration we need to create change in our lives for the better. If you are newly engaged, this is doubly true for you as you are planning for the day that will kick off the next big chapter in your life! Regardless of whether you are getting married or not, New Year's resolutions are always harder to keep than they are to make. No matter how hard we try, time and time again we often find ourselves falling into the same trap – make a resolution and with the best of intentions, vow to keep it, but somewhere around February or March (or maybe April if you are truly committed) we often stop and say to ourselves "well, that was nice while it lasted!"

If you are in the midst of planning your wedding, we know better than anyone else that you already have a lot on your plate, but we hope that this year we can inspire you to make at least one resolution to benefit not only yourself, but your partner too. Here are three resolutions that we think are actually worth sticking to…

MAKE TIME FOR "NO PLANNING" TIME

Free time? What is free time you ask? If you are recently engaged, "free time" may seem like a distant memory to you. What downtime you had in the first place is now most likely spent scouring Pinterest, attending wedding-related meetings, and making sure every last detail is just right. No matter how busy your life seems right now, we think that it is important for you to carve out some time away from wedding planning.

Too much time spent agonizing over your guest list or which shade of pink is better for your escort cards can make you begin to question why you are even doing this all in the first place! Taking a timeout from planning to spend some quality time with your fiancé(e) (no, sitting next to him or her on the sofa with a glass of wine in hand, while on Pinterest does not count!) is a necessary break to take because your wedding will be here before you know it!

ASK FOR HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT

This is a toughie. Most of us resent the idea of asking others for help and the thought of relinquishing control may be almost painful for some – especially when it comes to your wedding. Regardless of the size and scope of your wedding, planning one is no small feat. There are so many decisions to be made, so many little details to sort out, it can at times feel overwhelming. So overwhelming that it can turn the best of us into, we really hate to say it, but a "bridezilla" (or "groomzilla!") and when these signs and symptoms start to show, you know that it is time to get some help!

Whether this be help from your family, from your wedding party, or from an industry professional, it is important to know that you are not in this alone and the process can actually be a lot of fun (at least we think so)! Asking for help when you need it and delegating certain tasks to willing assistants can not only take some weight off your shoulders, but it can also remind you that this time in your life is not meant to be a burdensome one, but one filled with lots of love and positivity!

STAY POSITIVE – NO MATTER WHAT!

Speaking of positivity – being positive is something that you need to vow to yourself to stay no matter what goes wrong during the planning process and even on your wedding day! This may be the most important resolution that you can make for yourself this year because unfortunately, things won't always go according to plan and things will go wrong.

No matter the help that you have on your side, there are certain things that can simply not be prevented through careful planning and without a positive frame of mind, even the smallest hiccups can feel like insurmountable disasters. It is important to keep things in perspective and not lose sight of what is truly important – you are marrying the love of your life after all!

xx

Stacey & Erin

We want to hear from YOU!

Using the comments section below or by tagging us on Instagram @thedesigncoottawa using #thedesigncoblog, let us know what your New Year's resolution is!

If you haven't heard already, for the first time ever Pantone has released not one, but two colours of the year for 2016 – "rose quartz," a soft blush pink, and "serenity," a light dusty blue. Separately, these colours have been popular choices for brides in recent years, with pastel tones being favoured for bridal bouquets, bridesmaid attire, table décor, and even wedding dresses. Together however, they may seem like a much less natural pairing for a wedding colour palette – we hate to admit it, but at first glance they certainly bring about thoughts of baby showers and nurseries!

This was definitely not Pantone's intention when deciding upon its 2016 colours and according to the Pantone Institute's executive director, Leatrice Eiseman, they were chosen together as they "demonstrate an inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and a cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace." It is no secret that at The Design Co. we are all for bringing order and peace to the wedding planning process, but if you are doubtful that rose quartz and serenity truly belong together in a wedding palette, we have put together some wedding inspiration based on Pantone's 2016 colours of the year to try to convince you otherwise!

BRIDAL STYLE

WEDDING PARTY

FLORAL & DÉCOR

STATIONERY

Now, if you still are not ready to say "I do" to both rose quartz and serenity, these two colours certainly pair well with others – who says we need to play by Pantone's rules after all? If you are feeling the warmer blush tones of rose quartz, you may want to consider pairing it with colours such as marsala (Pantone's 2015 colour of the year), navy, gold, or even emerald green. On the other hand, if the cool, tranquil blues tones of serenity are more your speed, then you may think of using this colour alongside other soft hues such as lavender, peach, ivory, or silver.

XX

Stacey & Erin

We ALWAYS want to hear from you!

Would you consider combining rose quartz and serenity for your upcoming wedding? Let us know by commenting below or by tagging us on Instagram @thedesigncoottawa using #thedesigncoblog!

When you work with the best of the best – the best team, the best venues, the best vendors, and the best couples – narrowing all of our fabulous weddings down to create our "Best of 2015" list was likely one of the hardest tasks we have had all year! As Marry Me Productions and Full Bloom Floral Design, we have loved every single one of the 2015 weddings that we have been lucky enough to be a part of. Now, officially together as The Design Co., we cannot wait to see what 2016 has in store for us! While we patiently (read: impatiently) await the start of next year's wedding season, take a look at some of our best from 2015…

BEST CEREMONY

Photos Courtesy of: Joel Bedford Photography

Venue: Fairmont Le Château Montebello, Montebello, Québec

BEST HEAD TABLE

Photo Courtesy of: Miv Photography

Venue: Hotel Nelligan, Montréal, Québec

BEST CENTERPIECES

Photo Courtesy of: Miv Photography

Venue: Fairmont Château Laurier, Ottawa, Ontario

BEST RECEPTION

Photos Courtesy of: Union Eleven

Venue: Fairmont Château Laurier, Ottawa, Ontario

BEST BOUQUET

BEST ESCORT CARDS

Photos Courtesy of: Geneviève Albert Photographe

Venue: Le Belvédère, Wakefield, Québec

BEST SEATING CHART

Photo Courtesy of: Union Eleven

Seating Chart: Wishtree Invitations & Stationery

BEST CAKE

Photo Courtesy of: Miv Photography

Cake: Girl with the Most Cake

BEST BRIDAL SHOT

Photo Courtesy of: Studio GR Martin

BEST PERSONAL ELEMENT

 Photo Courtesy of: Miv Photography

Venue: Hotel Nelligan, Montréal, Québec

WISHING EVERYONE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON!

xx

Stacey & Erin

Now it is time to hear from YOU!

Let us know what your best moment of 2015 was by commenting below or by tagging us on Instagram @thedesigncoottawa using #thedesigncoblog!

Share with us on Instagram! Tag us @thedesigncoottawa using #thedesigncoblog to show us what you have planned to make your big day your very own!

DECEMBER 14,  2015

What made

my wedding day

the best day ever!

Aside from the blaringly obvious reason why my wedding day was the best day of my life so far (I got to marry the love of my life and best friend – duh!), looking back on my wedding day now, there were (believe it or not) some other very important pieces that went into making that day truly the best ever for me.

1. Our Venue

After we got engaged, choosing our wedding venue was one of the first decisions we made, second to choosing our wedding date. I was naïve to think that this decision would be an easy one, not realizing all of the other decisions that coincide with choosing the perfect place to say I do – how many guests would be attending, the “overall look” I was hoping to achieve, whether we wanted it to be indoor vs. outdoor, the list goes on…

In the midst of trying to put all of these pieces together (along with trying to keep my sanity intact), I realized that first and foremost, it was important to me to host our wedding in a location that had special meaning to us as a couple. Once I had this “ah-ha” moment (in the words of the great Oprah), it made everything else come together much more seamlessly.

Not only did this realization point us in the right direction for the rest of our planning journey, but for me, it also made our wedding day that much better. It is difficult for me to put into words what it meant to be able to look around on our wedding day and see all of our closest friends and family gathered in a place so significant to us – saying that it was a special day really is an understatement.

2. The Personal Touches

Like many brides, I spent many, many hours planning out every detail of our wedding to ensure that it would be absolute perfection. I spent my time choosing flowers that would best coordinate with our theme; reviewing and re-reviewing and re-re-reviewing (I dare you to say that three times fast!) our wedding stationary; and even painstakingly picking out the groomsmen’s matching socks – I wanted every detail to be juuuust right.

Perfect socks aside (and they were perfect), the details that made our wedding the best for me, were the personal touches that we chose to incorporate. Not only were these the parts that were the most fun to put together throughout the planning process, but they were also the aspects that truly made our wedding our very own. Having my dad’s shirt sewn into the inside of my dress as my “something blue;” our memory table featuring our family and friends; our gold corgi table number holders and life-size corgi cut-out for the photobooth to represent our dog, Charlie; and kicking our reception off with a pre-dinner dance party – these are just a few of the details that made our wedding so special to me.

3. Having Vendors That I Could Trust

Like I mentioned earlier, a lot of time and energy goes into planning a wedding. So much so that it can cause you to be so stressed out that you question why you are even doing this in the first place and makes running off to elope a very, very tempting option! As a perfectionist and control freak (yes, I will admit it), my then-fiancé pointed out that if we were going to make it to the end of our engagement, we were going to have to get some help – FAST. And not just any help, but the right kind of help to make sure that I could feel comfortable enough to let go of that control.

Realizing this early on allowed us to put together the perfect team of vendors that we could trust. From our planner, to our florist, to our photographer, and even to our DJ - our team was not only there for us throughout the months of planning, but they were also there to make our wedding day absolutely effortless (on our part, that is). Any question or concern that we ever had was answered and addressed. All that we had to do on our wedding day was focus on what was important (please brace yourself for the cheese-factor) and that was each other! Knowing that everything would be taken care of just the way we wanted truly helped to make my wedding day the best ever.

Brittany xo

We want to hear from YOU!

Share with us on Instagram! Tag us @thedesigncoottawa using #thedesigncoblog to show us what you have planned to make your big day your very own!

The Details:

Planning and Design: Stacey Price, The Design Co. (formerly Marry Me Productions), Ottawa, Ontario

Floral Design: Erin Carmichael, The Design Co. (formerly Full Bloom Floral Design), Ottawa, Ontario

Photographer: Miv Photography, Ottawa, Ontario

Venue: Hotel Nelligan, Montréal, Québec

Dress: Janine Adamyk Bridal Couture, Ottawa, Ontario

Bridesmaid's Dresses: Jenny Yoo Collection

Light-up Letters: Michaels

Picture Frames for Memory Table: Michaels

Personalized Mr. & Mrs. Pillow: Dream Weaver Gifts, Ottawa, Ontario

Table Number Holders: The Cool Factory, Etsy

Corgi Cut-Out: Paper Studio, Ottawa, Ontario

Photobooth: Inhouse Studio, Montréal, Québec

DECEMBER 1,  2015

Joining forces

was the natural next step…

After working together for the past 5 years on some of Ottawa’s hottest weddings, collaborating on an official level just makes sense.

Being engaged is one of the most exciting times of a couple’s lives and having everything you need all in one place turns the daunting task of wedding planning into an enjoyable experience.

Celebrated wedding planning company Marry Me Productions (that’s me!) and floral powerhouse Full Bloom (that’s Erin!) decided to combine our existing businesses to elevate the process of wedding planning to the highest level in Ottawa, Montreal and beyond.

This is our goal at The Design Co.  From our in-house planners, to our florists, designers and stylists, no area of your wedding is left to chance.

And yes, we really do have the best job in the world.

Every day we get to work with amazing people and put our creative minds to the task of designing the ultimate wedding. What could be better than that?!

This video sums it all up perfectly. Well, not the part when I sing.  Just plug your ears for that part.

xx

Stacey and Erin