Event Coordination

Event Planning with a Budget (Workshop)

2012-02-29T10:47:00.001-08:00

Planning a special event in the near future and don’t know where to start? Whether it is a wedding, birthday party, Christmas party or any other type of event, this workshop will get you started.

During two 3-hour sessions, you will learn what steps you need to take, what you should look for when contracting service providers, what details can make your event different than others and how you can save money without compromising your vision and style.
We will include eco-friendly tips.

Participants will leave with an event-planning package including suggested time lines, to-do lists, and helpful tips.

Duration: 6 hours

Cost: $300.00

Location: Montrel, Qc. Canada

Green Meetings Guide

2012-02-20T06:54:00.000-08:00

The Government of Canada is committed to hosting green meetings and ensuring that all environmental aspects are considered in the planning and execution of both small and large events.

The guide contains three broad categories of information:

1. The up-front part of the guide has concise general information on the major steps for

organizing a green event.

2. Checklists in Appendix 1 provide detailed descriptions of specific tasks to ensure that

you cover all environmental requirements at each stage of organizing and carrying out

an event.

3. Appendices 4, Eco-labelling Programs and 5, Further Information, describe relevant

environmental programs and provide links to key Web sites

The green meeting concept

Many of us have had the task of organizing a meeting – setting the agenda, inviting participants, arranging facilities, and ordering food and equipment. However, few meeting organizers are environmental experts. This guide was written with that in mind. It uses plain language and an easy-to-follow format to help make your meeting a green and successful event. It can be utilized for events ranging from small half-day meetings to large international conferences.

Source: Environment Canada

Rhinestones

2012-02-18T10:42:00.000-08:00

Aren't you loving these?

Small details make your wedding special. If you love the bling and are able to splurge, please do that with these rhinestones. You can use them in your napkins, your chair covers, the master table, the wedding-cake table...you name it!

If you are in the mood you can even put them in your wedding invitations or your thank-you notes.
Any color, any shape any size!

Tips to cut costs in your wedding

2012-02-18T10:33:00.000-08:00

It doesn't matter what your budget is, if you know want to save alittle and keep your bills on budget you may want to check these tips:
1. Start with your guest list, the cost per head is the biggest expense. The shorter the list the less expensive the whole thing.
2. Don't even think about an off-site location, a garden when you will have to place a tent or a trendy gorgeous venue, because all of these will cost you twice or three times more than a regular venue.
3. Are you willing to get married on a Sunday? well here you go, most venues will give you a dicount or better rate.
4. Doing brunches, breaksfast and early weddings will help the budget too, because you might be able to skip the alcoholic beverages.
5. If you cannot avoid alcoholic drinks, then you may limit your alternative to wine and a signature drink.
6. Choose simple flower arrangements or alternative decoration for your tables.
7. Instead of a band hire a DJ.
8. Instead of favours send thank you notes.

Photo by C. Fagerlin

Here you go, I hope it helps and remember, it is your day, but you don't want to remember it by receiving the unpayable bills after the honey moon!

A Green Meeting

2012-02-15T07:10:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried to organize your own party or meeting? I bet you have. And you also have noticed the monetary and environmental costs involved in such an undertaking. I am trying to show hosts, planners and suppliers how to incorporate green principles into every aspect of conference and meeting planning. These points might help:

Start by putting in writing your environmental statement or policy for the meeting, and of course share it with suppliers.

Try to use as less paper as you can. Use paperless technology, new media and you wont't only cut down your paper use but your overall cost of the event.

Try to use one same vendor to provide all your resources like cream, sugar and coffee.

Select a venue that complies with your policy, but more important that is near your target group. Reducing distances traveled by hosts, speakers and delegates will leave a lighter carbon print. Coordinate with the meeting venue to ensure that energy lights and air conditioning will be turned off when rooms are not in use and to provide recycling facilities.

If your policy includes it, then Eat green and have meals planned using local, seasonal produce.

And finally please, please, please, practice the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
ing services for paper, metal, plastic and glass.

The goal of this post is to help you to save time, money and the environment. Have fun!

Training "How to organize a green event”

2011-05-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

I was so thrilled to participate in this training. My experience on event planning is getting wider and my conscience is getting stronger! A green event integrates sustainable development at all stages of its organization. It is different from a traditional event because it aims to:
Reduce the negative impacts of the event, including environmental.
Increase the positive impact of the event (buying local or fair trade).
And involves three concepts : environmental responsibility, carbon neutrality and zero waste.

A green event can set a goal of zero waste and / or carbon, but the term "environmentally responsible" also involves social objectives and other environmental dimensions. It is obviously more encompassing than the term "carbon neutral" or "zero waste".

If you want to know more about green weddings and eco-responsible event send me a note!

Art exhibit

2011-04-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

The public of Verdun just had the opportunity to appreciate the talent of students in Fine Arts from “Ateliers de Beaux-arts du Rivage” . The works of these students were exposed almost simultaneously, from the 12 to the 24th of April, at the Centre culturel de Verdun and from 11 to the 23rd at the Centre Elgar in Nun’s Island, Qc.
Art exhibitions are traditionally the space in which art objects (in this case paintings, drawings and ceramic) meet an audience. This group of artists managed to form a diverse and beautiful collection and it was a pleasure for me to help putting up this simple, but still gorgeous show.
Ateliers beaux arts exposed drawings and paintings by the students of the Marilyn Farley and Pauline Isabelle and ceramics by the students of Yves Champagne
The openings held Thursday, April 14 to 19 h. at Nun’s Island and Friday, April 15 at the Verdun Cultural Centre were both just a success. Always inviting people to join the art workshops, but also to relax and appreciate the works and take the opportunity to mingle within the community.
Ateliers Beaux-Arts du rivage is a charitable non-profit organization whose mission is teaching and dissemination of art. They offer to adults and children in Ile des Soeurs (Nun’s Island) and the surrounding area the opportunity to develop their creativity through the arts.

Helen's Green Wedding

2011-04-20T23:41:00.000-07:00

My beautiful client Helen began by explaining: "It was after attending to the wedding of afriend that I started thinking, -what will happen to all these flowers, and to all the extraordinary garden decoration and, oh my God!, to the 200 invitations that were sent, the thank you notes to be printed and to the bride's dress to be kept at least for a decade.

It is not possible for us to spend more than $ 20,000dlls to a party, than further to be truly entertaining is also well pollutant. It's my turn to get married and I am making the celebration the best for me, for my fiancé and my guests, but I think is more important to do it well for the planet. "
The event coordinator is then released to find all the providers listed under the category of "eco"and the real work begins.
How to send invitations without wasting paper and printing won't pollute? How to have a French imported wedding dress and not generate pollution? How to maintain low the carbon footprint in terms of food and decor?
Helene wants her wedding to be remembered, so we started by:

Sending the save-the-date cards by email and printing the invitations on recycled paper. We continued by having the dress designed by a local seamstress, we modified our hunger for extravagant flowers and adhere to flowers that are in season and must definitively we will stick to local produce and preferably organic to avoid problems regarding pesticides.

Got any other ideas?
Share them with us! https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Atelier-de-Fleurs-Green-Poppies/138796678527

Energy Efficient Parties

2011-04-13T06:02:00.000-07:00

If you are worried about the planet or about your pocket, you must consider having an energy efficient party.

How? Simple! Consider a daytime event, if held outdoors the better. Or if indoors, choose a place with plenty of windows that will let you save big on energy costs and global warming pollution from conventional lighting.

For additional lighting, use compact fluorescent light bulbs. They use only about one-third of the energy that regular light bulbs do. You can look for energy efficient bulbs and fixtures marked with the Energy Star label, seen it? The blue one, yes.

And how about using solar powered lights alternatively. I love them! Put them in the entrance or around the dance floor if outdoors.

If indoors, your alternative will be candle, bee wax candles preferably. Will add character and romance to your event, just be aware of fire regulations for insurance purpose.

Have a great energy efficient party!

Boutonnieres are in!

2011-04-04T06:38:00.000-07:00

Many grooms and groomsmen wear boutonnieres, just like most brides and bridesmaids carry floral bouquets.

But what exactly is a boutonniere? It's a flower bud that is specially made to be worn on the lapel of the groom and groomsmen.

It can be traditionally a rose (in a particular color) or any other flowers that can pass trought the day without the need of water.

Boutonnieres can be a nice touch and a nod to the lovely bridesmaids as they can be matched with the bride and bridesmaids flowers or dresses.

The bride typically arranges the purchase of boutonnieres and corsages when she arranges wedding flowers. Importantly, the boutonnieres are delivered to the groom on the morning of the wedding, so the groom is responsible for making this all work.

Spring Bouquets

2011-03-22T07:19:00.000-07:00

Spring goes from March 21 to June. Lots of fresh colorful flowers are available, mainly fair trade of course!!
Enjoy your spring wedding with spring flowers.
Lots of colors, lots of fresh style flowers, lots of happiness.
In this particular picure you can appreciate orange and red gerberas, pink and orange lilies small with marguerittes; all wrapped with a white satin ribbon. Simple, joyfull, spring-full!

Your flower girls!

2011-03-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

Maybe orchids in a little silk covered basket?

Check list, your basic one

2011-03-07T10:20:00.000-08:00

If you are preparing a small party, here is what you have to do:

1 month before

Choose the type of party you want
Set the date
Prepare your guest list
Mail or e-mail invitations. Telephone calls should be done later.

3 weeks before

Choose the menu, (organize recipies or hire a caterer)
Create time line for preparing food
Buy pantry ingredients.
Arrange to buy, borrow or rent serving pieces
Hire a bartender

2 weeks before

Purchase wine and liquor
Buy any decoration needed.

1 week before

Call guests who have not RSVP’d yet
Start making space in refrigerator and freezer
4 days before
Purchase remaining non-perishables

2 days before

Wash serving pieces, cloth napkins, tablecloths (iron them)
Place frozen food in rfrigerator to defrost

1 day before

Buy perishables
Pick up fresh flowers

4 to 7 hours before

Set up bar
Place flowers
Chill wine

2 hours before

Get groomed

1 hour before

Finish preparing food

Greet your guests and have fun!!

Choosing a Green Venue

2010-12-06T05:14:00.000-08:00

Weddings are by nature geared toward extravagance. Not a bad thing of course, but with extravagance comes a great deal of CO2 or carbon dioxide gas generation, the main contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

You may begin by choosing a venue where less electricity is needed for example. Getting married in an unconventional setting like the beach or at the entranceway to your favorite park is a great idea. It is a perfect opportunity to draw attention to the beauty of the great outdoors (that we all love) and strengthen your environmental commitment. An alternative venue like a local winery if some are within easy reach, or how about a local organic farm.

The logistics of an outdoor wedding without the basics can really be a nightmare, so plan carefully, or ask someone to help you plan and coordinate the day of. And very important, remember to look into permitting from your local municipality.

And if you have your wedding ceremony and reception at the same venue you will save time and money while reducing the carbon footprint of your wedding.

Bridal Shower

2010-10-26T04:33:00.000-07:00

A friend just asked for some ideas to prepare a friend's bridal shower.

While the Shower is usually hosted by the mother in law or the bridesmaid, this one will be thrown by the mother and is going to be a Top Event for the bride and groom. So they will have guests of both sexes and maybe around 25 and 35 years old. Let's get into it!

Start with the invitations! This contemporary invitation neatly displays the bridal shower information along with a full color picture of the happy couple in a cute striped pocket.

The word “Bridal” is assembled with foamdots to make your event pop. A mocha ribbon ties it all together, giving this invitation a complete packaged look.

A Top event cannot go on without champagne, but we do not want to spend a lot, so why not having a BED & BREAKFAST Shower? Guests will bring presents related to the bed and the host will serve breakfast with some mimosas!

Decorate the room with great simple flowers, it's a breakfast after all and we want our guests to start enjoying their day! Choose seasonal flowers and go with your theme colors.

What about the favors and the dessert? Do both in just one piece! These packed cupcakes are just perfect.

White Elegant Flowers

2010-10-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

Nothing can be as elegant as white orchids. This particular arrangement was made for a 50 year Wedding Anniversary. There was no budget to go extreme, but there was lot of taste while choosing the flowers.

Being certainly certified with another Certification!

2010-10-18T05:37:00.000-07:00

Getting there!

This whole weekend was an incredible one. 20 hours, lots of information and meeting great people.

I am working on my certification as a Wedding Planner. I passed the whole 20 hours secluded in a room where an expert from the WPIC filled us not only with information, but with energy and optimism.

I just got the Certification as all other participants who had to pass an exam on the following weeks after the training.

Looking forward to help you with your wedding!!

Annie and Jayson's wedding

2010-09-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

Our beautiful couple care about the environment and wish that everything is reflected in their marriage. They therefore chose to make a green wedding.

She wants to keep it simple and local, however, she needs a helping hand to harmonize the whole, so that’s why she decides to hire a professional wedding planner.

As this is an eco wedding, we will be using fair trade and local flowers for the bridal party. Some plastic and reusable flowers will be used in the tables. They will cover the candelabra that Annie has at home, reusable after marriage, of course.

Annie wants to use some of the decorative items that she has or that just found at a vintage store. and lots of ribbons will be hanging from a tree in the entrance of her house. She is using tehir own backyard and some of their own furniture for a more eclectic style.

Annie and Jayson involved the organic farm with which they have been doing business for years. So the caterer will use their vegetables to create original gourmet plates.

The Bridal Bouquet

2010-08-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

You want your bouquet to look as breathtaking as you do.
Remember that the bouquet is an accesory to your gown, it doens't have to match, it has to go with it. But more important, it has to reflect your personality.

Choose flowers from the season, and you have to decide if going with pale flowers or bold colours. And then choose the color scheme. Once you come up with this, send us all your wishes and we can design something nice for you.

The bouquet should make a statement and reflect your personality and style. Either using an eye catching color, or crystals, jewelery, ribbons, feathers, etc

You may choose the Shape: Round or Cascade
The Style: simple, moder, classic, elegant, casual, vintage, etc.

And it can go wrapped in the same fabric of your dress, a ribbon in bold colours or lace or Ribbon in white or offwhite.

For the Bridesmaids you may choose:
Same color,
Softer color than the bride’s bouquet
Bolder color than the bride’s bouquet
Smaller size and always to go with their dress.

Churches

2010-08-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

These are some examples of the decoration you can have for your ceremony. Either a Church, a Temple or a Hall.
You can even just have a bunch of candles, candle holders or like this beautiful setting with cylinders, candles, water and lots of elegance:
Want to change the traditional white for a tasteful pink?

Flower Arranging Tips

2010-08-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

Garden party!

2010-08-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

How to plan a garden party
 Step 1
Decide ahead what type of theme you want to use for your garden party. Revolve the theme around a particular flower for example. Flowers can provide great decorating ideas. Set a date, preferably on a Saturday.
 Step 2
Choose a menu that fits your theme. Try to be practical, cause you won’t be able to prepare most of the dishes in the garden unless you have a proper outdoor kitchen.
 Step 3
Create a guest list of the people you want to invite to the party. This guest list should give you an idea of how many people who will attend the party and the amount of food you need to prepare ahead of time. Ask for a RSVP.
 Step 4
Depending on the theme you’ve chosen, create invitations that match the theme of your garden party. E-mail and phone invitations are eco-friendly.
 Step 5
If there are any items that you need to rent for the party, then do so at least two or three weeks ahead of time. This will cut down on confusion or late deliveries. If you plan on hiring a catering service, plan the menu with the caterers and make certain a few days before the party that they know when to arrive at your home and begin preparing the meal.
 Step 6
Shop for any items that are on the menu if you plan on preparing it yourself. Get any frozen goods that can be stored ahead of time, then shop for perishables a day or two before the garden party.
 Step 7
A week before the party confirm your guests and make whatever adjustments that are necessary.
 Step 8
Make sure a few days before the party that you thoroughly clean the site where you plan to hold the garden party. If you need to do any yard work, such as weeding or mowing, do so at least a week in advance. Wash and clean any outdoor furniture, such as lawn chairs, tables, and make certain that other outdoor appliances are in working order.
 Step 9
Make sure that all silverware, dishes, or linen that you plan to use for the garden party are washed, cleaned and ironed a day or two before the party. Make sure everything is in top order.
 Step 10
If there are any dishes on your menu that can be prepared in advance, do so at least a day or two before the party. This will free up a lot of your time on the day of the party.
 Step 11
Any craft store will have supplies you can use to make your own place holders. Design them depending on the theme of your party.
 Step 12
On the day of the party, decorate the site where you plan to hold the garden party. Use the flowers you’ve bought or clipped from your garden as decoration. Flowers can be placed in vases or bowls on the tables on your patio or they can be hung from baskets or placed strategically in flower pots around the party site. Decorate the tables with your fresh linen and napkins. If it is windy, don’t forget to put table cloth weighs.
 Step 13
Make sure that you time all of your preparations for the party so that you’ll have ample time to dress, prepare any beverages you’ll be serving, and greet your guests.

Summer events

2010-08-03T09:48:00.001-07:00

Montreal Summer Events in 2010:
Believe it or not, this town is a happy town!! Its high energy specially on this season brings a lot of events to our streets. I am telling you, Nothing will stop us from dancing in the streets.

Streets close off to cars to make way for sidewalk sales and restaurant patios. We have festivals, concerts, theatre…and also pools, tennis courts, biking, picnics and more and more and more:

Beginning with:
the Montreal Fireworks Competition
Dancing under the sun events in some parks all over Montreal
F1 Canadian Grand Prix
Les FrancoFolies de Montréal
Montreal Jazz Festival
Just for Laughs
Circus Festival Montreal Complètement Cirque
Fantasia Film Festival
18th century market
Montreal’s fashion festival.

And if you want to avoid people, just open your door, set up a table and chairs and invite your closest friends to a party!

Wedding season coming soon!!

2010-05-04T06:55:00.000-07:00

Are you prepared?
Have you chosen your Bridal Bouquet? The flowers that you carry during the ceremony are as important as your dress or jewelry.
We can help you find your style! info@greenpoppies.com

Same Sex Weddings

2010-04-21T05:41:00.001-07:00

I got to tell you, same sex weddings are great fun!

Same-sex marriage is a civil rights, political, social, moral, and religious issue in many nations. We're fortunate here in Canada to legally recognise same sex marriages since 2005 across all provinces and territories. In fact, in Quebec 2% of all marriages are same sex marriages - of this 2%, 17% came from other countries and 8% from other provinces, lets hope this continues to increase and we welcome many more same sex couples to Quebec and in particular Montreal to be married!

Our services bring the best of what Montreal has to offer to same sex couples all over the world looking for a gay or lesbian wedding planner in Canada. Many countries around the world have taken the bold step of providing gay and lesbian civil unions, but Canada's approach has been even more progressive. Gay and lesbian couples are not only entitled to gay and lesbian civil unions or civil partnerships in Toronto, but legal same-sex weddings.

It's great to see so many of their friends and families join the couple for the celebrations. The emotion the ceremony brings is really overwhelming. and of course the intense partying that follows!!

So far the same sex weddings tended to be much smaller intimate weddings, which is wonderful as there are many intimate locations to choose, from historic to rooftop weddings to garden weddings to the waterfront.

Congratulations to all of you who have decided to commit and I'm also greatly looking forward to welcoming you if you are getting married in Montreal.

You’ll be delighted with a tastefull party, but mainly you will finally have a legal piece of paper with all the symbols and meanings of a ceremony of this kind.