Toronto Wedding Blog

1/22/2016 Comments

Cutting Wedding Expenses

You're about to have the wedding of your dreams. It doesn't come cheap. After all, no expense should be spared for the perfect white dress and shoes, the matching platinum rings, the gala reception, the flower arrangements, videos and photographs, the wedding giveaways, and even the 6-tiered wedding cake. Unfortunately, your pocket book is becoming alarmingly lighter by the minute. So in order to spend for the things you really want, you'll have to think about cutting back on the things you only kind of want.

Think Twice and Cut Back

Indeed, cutting back on your wedding expenses seems like a good idea. But like all good ideas, it's easier said than done. You want everything to be perfect no matter what the cost is. All reason flies out the window - and for good reason.

If you stop, take a deep breath, and put things in perspective, however, you'll realize that this isn't a good way to do things. After all, though your wedding might not be like any other day, it's still just one day. You don't want to spend your entire savings for just this one day and end up with hardly any money to start your life together as a couple. That's not a good way to start a marriage, and it definitely doesn't put you on the road to happily-ever-after.

Cut Where Nobody Notices

The average couple can indeed be unreasonable when it comes to their wedding. But that doesn't mean you should be, even if you can get away with it. Though you may not want to spare any expense on your dress, suit or the reception, you can cut back on minor things, like the wedding giveaways, table centrepieces, or even cheap wedding party gifts.

Don't feel bad about getting cheaper gifts. Your wedding party are a handful of your and your fiance's closest family and friends. They'll definitely understand why you're giving them less priceier gifts. In fact, they might even expect it.

Cheap Can Be Chic

Breathe easy. Less expensive gifts aren't as bad as you think. Just because they're cheaper, doesn't mean they're tacky. You can put your genius to good use by picking gifts that are still tasteful and elegant.

Simplicity is the key. Contrary to what you may think, friends aren't that hard to please. You can find many sophisticated items as cheap wedding party gifts. Consider cufflinks, liquor flasks, cigarette lighters, and wallets. They're functional, and with your impeccable taste, you're sure to find elegant sophistication under $50.

With that taken care of, you can then spare no expense for your dream wedding outfits . The money you saved from buying cheaper gifts can be used to purchase more flowers or add more desserts for your guests. You can probably even add another tier on your cake. Indeed, by cutting back on some of your wedding expenses, you'll be able to splurge on the things that really matter and have more than enough left over to live happily ever after.

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1/21/2016 Comments

Ask The Right Questions Before Booking Your Wedding Reception

Think saying “I do” is going to be the most emotional moment in your wedding?
Probably so, but putting down a deposit on your wedding venue could be a close runner-up.

Reception costs consume almost half the budget for the wedding, which these days means you can expect to lay out almost $ 18,000, including food. And the venue you select can not only limit your choice of caterers or bakers, it’s sure to affect how much you spend to “cover up” its weak spots or accent its highlights. Most stressful of all, the popular venues book far in advance, forcing cpuoples to make the big decision almost as soon as they set the date.

For that reason, the savvy venue-hunters want to know what questions to ask before they walk in the door, much less signs the contract. Here are a few ideas:

Do you have a pre-set list of caterers I can use, or can I choose my own?

Some venues — high-end ones with their own catering staff, or small-town ones with little competition — require you to use the in-house caterers or choose from a small list of “approved” vendors. It can be difficult to get taste-tests or otherwise put this type of vendor through its paces. If you’re stuck with such a list, search high and low for couples who have “been there, done that” and can give you their honest opinions.

Any restrictions on decorations?

Many venues have them, but rules vary widely from place to place. Common restrictions include: no open flame (or no flame whatsoever), no smoke machines, no tape or tacks on the walls, or no confetti. When linens are provided, some halls will prohibit the use of pins. Ask if the hall can provide any decorations themselves, especially around holidays. Useful centrepiece items such as hurricane lamps or Eiffel vases are not uncommon.

Can we bring our own liquor, is there a “corkage” fee, and do we need a license?

If the liquor is to flow freely at your wedding, you’ll save an immense amount of money by bringing your own. But some venues prohibit this and require you to buy from them. Even worse is the venue that says “yes” to bringing your own alcohol, but charges you a mandatory “corkage fee” to serve it — which typically starts at an unbelievable $10 per bottle or more! You’ll want to be crystal-clear on the fine print regarding alcohol before you commit to a venue.

As for licensing, many places consider wedding receptions to be an “unlicensed social function,” meaning you don’t need one as long as you’re not charging anyone for the alcohol. But be sure to check your local regulations before moving ahead — and ask your venue if they know of any licensing requirements(ie SOCAN)

Is there a cake-cutting fee?

Some venues even limit your choice of bakers, but most don’t. A more common (and sneakier) tactic is to charge you a cake-cutting fee, which like corkage fees, can really add up — often at $1 per slice!

DIY Detective Work

These, of course, are only a few of the questions you’ll want to ask a prospective venue manager. A few more tips while you’re checking out the place:

– Bring a tape measure. Get the dimensions of the room, the tables, and the distance between any features that might impact your decor, like windows. How many outlets are there and where are they located? What kind of climate control is available to you?

– Check the kitchen. Does it look clean, roomy and suitable for your catering staff to work from?

– Check the hall itself. Where will you put the DJ , the cake table, the coffee service? Are there coat racks for your guests? Is a sound system available? Is there an “tie-in” fee to bring your own entertainment ?

– Check out the parking. Is it ample? Is it paved, or can it get muddy in the case of rain? Is there access for anyone with a disability?

One final thing to get clear before you autograph that contract is your venue’s cancellation policy. But hopefully, with these helpful tips, you’ll have done enough homework to rest easy in your choice and not worry about having to cancel. Now that you’ve signed, take some time to sit back and relax … before you tackle the next task in that thick wedding planner!

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1/8/2016 Comments

Wedding Guest Book Activities

Traditional couples don’t have to have traditional guest books. Certainly you can purchase a standard guest book and ask your guests to sign it, but there are so many more guest book-like activities that are more unique.

Let’s move from the popular to the less well known. One very popular option allows guests to sign a picture of the wedding couple. Simply take a picture of the couple and have it matted in a mat several inches larger than the photo itself. Place a frame around this, but don’t include the glass or Plexiglas frame. You’ll add this later. Some people prefer to use “bulldog” clips to keep the mat together instead of putting the picture in the frame. The picture can be framed after the wedding.

Most couples choose a nice photo of themselves for this picture/guest book option, although if there’s a formal engagement photo, this is an excellent way to preserve that photo and show it off to friends and family. If photos are taken before the wedding with the couple in their wedding attire, you can certainly use this photo. Many couples opt to either leave the mat empty or they place a temporary picture in the mat and add a wedding picture later.

Be sure to have a nice Sharpie marker handy and place the picture on either a sturdy easel or on a table where guests are sure to see it.

Another option is instead of providing a picture of the couple to sign, the guests are provided with a picture of themselves! Simply provide a Polaroid camera and assign someone the job of taking pictures of the guests as they arrive at the reception. Once the picture is dry, provide a Sharpie and they can sign the picture, make a note to the couple or hand draw a silly picture. It can be whatever the guest wants it to be. This is a unique, and personal, way for guests to “sign in” at the wedding.

Whoever handles the taking of the pictures should also handle putting them in an album of some sort. A scrap booker might provide a special memory book with the Polaroid pictures in it, or the pictures can simply be placed in a nice album and presented later to the couple.

Many guests don’t give a great deal of thought to the guest book. They whiz by the guest book table more concerned with getting their cocktail and hitting the dance floor. If this is a concern, provide a “traveling” guest book. Send each guest something either to sign or decorate before the wedding.

In this “traveling” guest book scenario, there are several options. One of the easiest is to send each guest a small piece of paper and ask them to write something meaningful or thoughtful for the bride and groom on it. The pieces of paper are returned prior to the wedding (to ensure a better response, provide a self-addressed stamped envelope with the paper) and can be compiled in some meaningful way for the wedding couple and presented to them on their wedding day.

If the guest list is a creative or particularly close group, there is one other option that is even more meaningful. Again, in a scrapbook fashion, send each guest a piece of paper to sign or decorate. The paper should be the size of a photo album, so it might be a 6 x 6 piece of paper, an 8 x 8 piece of paper, or even 12 x 12, if the guests are up to that larger size.

In a letter that arrives with the paper, the guests are instructed to create a memory page for the couple. They might include photos, quotes, little anecdotal stories, or combine all of these with stickers or embellishments. It’s thoughtful, meaningful and personal and it’s an excellent way to include guests who might not be able to attend the wedding, but would still like to be a part of it.

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1/7/2016 Comments

Weddingwire Couple's Choice Award 2016

The WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards® recognizes the top five percent of local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the organization, winners of the WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards® are determined by recent reviews from over a million WeddingWire newlyweds.

   Toronto’s Own DJ XTC Entertainment Services Wins a WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award® 2016
Toronto, Ontario – January, 2016 – WeddingWire, the leading global online wedding marketplace, named DJ XTC Entertainment Services as a winner of the prestigious WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® 2016 for DJ's in Toronto!

The WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® 2016 recognizes the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. The esteemed awards are given to the top local wedding vendors in more than 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding florists, based on their professional achievements from the previous year.

While many industry award winners are selected by the host organization, the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® winners are determined solely based on reviews from real newlyweds and their experiences working with DJ XTC Entertainment Services. Award-winning vendors are distinguished for the quality, quantity, consistency and timeliness of the reviews they have received from their past clients.

“We are thrilled to celebrate such a high-caliber, committed group of professionals for the Couples’ Choice Awards’® eighth year,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “We are proud to continue to serve as the industry leader, with over 2.5 million consumer and peer reviews, and feature award-winning merchants such as DJ XTC Entertainment Services who understands the impact reviews have on their successful businesses.”

As a Couples’ Choice Awards® winner, DJ XTC Entertainment Services is highlighted within the WeddingWire Network, which is comprised of more than 400,000 wedding professionals globally.

DJ XTC Entertainment Services is proud to be one of the top DJ's in Toronto in the WeddingWire Network. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. We value all of our clients and truly appreciate the positive feedback that helped us earn the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® 2016.

For more information about DJ XTC Entertainment Services, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today.

To learn more about the Couples’ Choice Awards®, please visit www.weddingwire.com/couples-choice-awards.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire, Inc. is the leading global online marketplace connecting consumers with event and creative professionals. Operating within a $200 billion industry, WeddingWire, Inc. hosts 10 million monthly unique users across its mobile and web platforms. Consumers are able to read over 2.5 million vendor reviews and search, compare and book from a database of over 400,000 businesses. Globally, it provides these businesses the technology they need to serve their clients through advertising, marketing and business management tools such as websites, payment processing, invoicing and contracts. Founded in 2007, the WeddingWire portfolio of sites serves couples and businesses across 14 countries in North America, Latin America and Europe, making it the worldwide leader in weddings with brands including Bodas.net, Casamentos.com.br, Matrimonio.com and more. The company employs more than 650 and maintains global headquarters in Washington, DC and international headquarters in Barcelona, Spain.

I would love to hear your thoughts.
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1/7/2016 Comments

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