We Have A Venue!

If you follow me on Twitter then you may know that at the beginning of March we officially booked our wedding venue! So what direction did we go with in our search? I’ll be totally honest since we’re all friends here. I started to get extremely frustrated in our search for a venue. Everything that I came across has some form of restriction since Aravind and I are planning a Sri Lankan/Canadian fusion mix. The venues we did find that were able to accommodate our requests weren't very 'us'.  This was not a fun way to start our wedding planning.

Our venue requirements:

1. Lots of room to dance! 
2. Willing to do 50% traditional Canadian wedding food (ex - chicken, potatoes, vegetables, salad) and 50% Sri Lankan food (either in house or catering in)
3. Accommodating (A lot is happening to plan a perfectly balanced blend of cultures)
4. Not too far from our ceremony (The ceremony is happening at our church in Hamilton) 
5. Easy to get to since most of our guests are from out of town. 

Easy requirements right? We also thought so! 

After some few setbacks, we are so excited that we found the venue of our dreams. It has everything we could ask for and more! I couldn't be happier!

Curious yet? I am very happy to announce that we will be celebrating our marriage at The Atrium in Burlington. It has a glitter ceiling, people!! A glitter ceiling! The Atrium has lots of windows, an outdoor patio and incredible food. Even a hotel down the street which is perfect since most of our guests are from out of town. Dealing with them as been a dream. 

We are extremely relieved to have such a major decision out of the way, or at least I should say I am. With our location pinned down we can start planning some of the other major things.

Did anyone else have a difficult time deciding where to have your ceremony and/or reception?

Our Story

As I begin my journey to planning my wedding, I thought it would be a good idea to introduce you to the the Mr. and tell you a little bit about us. 

Aravind and I met in our first year at McMaster University sometime in September 2007. Unfortunately, it wasn't love at first sight or anything close to it. We were involved in the same group on campus and ended up having most of the same friends. Over the course of the year those friends started to hang out outside of school and eventually became our core university friends. During the 2008 school year, Aravind and I would spend lots of time talking on msn messenger (a little nostalgia right there) and slowly became better friends. This friendship would continue to grow in laughter, conversations about life, future plans and truly getting to know each other. Fast forward to March 2012 when our love lives were definitely not something to write about so we began going to the movies, having dinner and moving into the 'grey' zone. I remember telling myself that I couldn't possibly like Aravind in that way but before I knew what hit me, I had fallen for that loud and wild first year with long hair who wore XL sweaters and had an even larger personality. Somehow I had found the one I had been looking for this whole time and he was right in front of me. Aravind is still loud and wild but he is also extremely hard working, kind, sweet, and I'm sure I could just go on forever. He makes me laugh every single day and most importantly, my family adores him. We may not have the perfect love story but it is perfect to me. We have a relationship built on a strong friendship, trust and a copious amount of laughter. I get butterflies when I think about September 4, 2015 - the day when I get to marry my best friend. 

Exciting News

As I'm typing this blog post I've realized 2 things:
1.) I have not blogged in a long time! Opps. Sorry about that one!
2.) I'm a little sad to see February go. I love that February is still fresh in the new year. We can make changes and still work on making those resolutions come true. February gives us hope that spring is around the corner and during February, my favourite holiday takes place, Valentine's Day. I know, technically it isn't an actual holiday but I honestly love it! I love being able to buy or make treats and little cards for all those around you. To me Valentine's Day isn't strictly for romance, it's about showing everyone around you how much they mean to you! I like to send cards, texts and make phone calls to those that mean the world to me. I think it makes the world a nicer placer. What can I say? I love everything to do with love!

On February 4th, I received another reason to love February even more. As some of you may know, I got engaged to my best friend and love of my life. (insert happy dance!) Aravind and I are working on finalizing a date and a venue as well as getting ready to throw a colourful, loud and love filled Sri Lankan/Canadian wedding next September. I will be blogging about my experiences and some details about my wedding along the way! I hope you guys will stick around and follow my journey as a wedding planner to becoming a Mrs!

Next on the blog: The Story of Us! 

A+J. The Results

Oh boy! I couldn't be more proud of this wedding! Not only was the bride my best friend but as you may recall this was a budget wedding. Yes, that's right - the words budget and beautiful wedding CAN go in a sentence together. Amanda and I worked for months planning every detail and calculating totals to make sure this wedding was under $10,000. Was it hard? Yes. Was it worth every late night and countless phone calls to find the perfect vendor to match our price point? Absolutely! We came in just under budget and planned this wonderful day in just under 8 months. 

I can't thank everyone who played such a huge part in making this day a success. You are all amazing. 

I hope you enjoy looking at these pictures as much as I do. Happy 4 month anniversary, Amanda & Jamie! xo 

Photographer: Moments Like This Photography
Make Up: Kasia Wiszomirski 
Venues: Mount Hamilton Baptist Church and Polish Union Hall Burlington
Event Planning: Eat, Drink & Be Married Events
Day Of Lead Planner: I Do's by Dawn
Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero - Adorae 

Being the Hostess with the Mostess

With the holidays quickly approaching, I'm sure some of you are planning parties to share in the holiday spirit with your family and friends. Here is my guide to help you become the Hostess with the Mostess with little stress! Happy Planning, dolls! 

                                                        ____________________


1.) Send out your invites early! At least a month in advance to allow for your guests to properly plan (to find a babysitter, make sure that they are definitely free for your wonderful party!)

2.) After you have your guest list, I suggest making a rough draft of the menu. Remember to keep in mind allergies and dietary restrictions. Adding some healthy options is always a good idea! 

3.) Two weeks before your event, finalize guest attendance and your menu. Get some of the shopping out of the way so you don't stress a few days before the party. 

4.) Create a manageable plan for prepping/serving food and drinks. 

5.) One week before begin cleaning your house. On the morning of the party it is easy to quickly tidy if all the clutter is gone and is less stressful!

6.) Make sure to have some music playing and light some candles. They are great for ambiance. 

7.) Remember to relax and enjoy! You have prepped ahead of time so no need to stress. The holidays are meant for spending time with the people you love. 

Happy Holidays!
P.S I'd love to hear/see how your parties went! 

Thanksgiving Blessings

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that everyone is having a wonderful day. I can definitely say that I'm one blessed girl! Today (and every other day!) I'm thankful for my supportive and incredible friends & family, my business, the lovely people who have faith in this little company and I'm especially thankful for love - the passionate, silly and everything in between. Xo

Pink, Grey and White Wedding Inspiration

Today's wedding inspiration is a pink, grey and white wedding full of loveliness. I pictures peonies, satin ribbon against different shades of grey with pops of crisp white. Perfection. 

*all pictures from Pinterest. Photo of bride by Vitalic Photography.