June! It’s almost here! My favourite time of year where this magazine is delivered to many of the Muskoka docks BY BOAT! Yes! BOAT!

The latest issue of Dockside – The Best of Muskoka Magazine is ALMOST here! The publisher sent us a sneak peek of the issue that will be distributed by BOAT to Lake of Bays, Kashe, Muskoka, Rosseau, and Joseph in June.

It is a beautiful, glossy magazine that I’ve seen on cottage owners coffee tables and in the hands of tourists at popular hots spots in and around Muskoka.

We will be in this issue talking about cottage weddings and some of the things you might want to consider before saying yes to a request to host something like this!

When you get your copy of dockside take a photo of our article and send it to us. We will enter you in a draw to win a Muskoka prize pack! Looking forward to seeing those photos!

Dream.Plan.Enjoy. 

Holly Matrimony

The photo that Robert posted on twitter with all of the opened wedding registry items fans purchased for him after finding his registry information was revealed through the Washington Post.                                                         Photo Credit: espn.go.com

It is time for another dose of wedding etiquette! Hard to believe it is Wednesday already isn’t it? We asked Canada’s Etiquette Guy, Jay Remer what he thought about the news this week that a Washington  Redskins player, ‘RG3′ as people have nicknamed him, tweeted a photo of himself and a pile of opened gift boxes from his wedding registry that FANS purchased for him! The Washington Post published his registry information and then people started buying items off the registry. He is getting quite the backlash for accepting these gifts. You can watch the ESPN news clip here of the story. 

Thinking about how this might affect other wedding couples we thought that this idea might seem attractive to those looking to maximize their registry. Though we don’t think they will get the same response that this NFL football star received, Jay Remer was still asked about whether it is okay to post registry information on social media. This is what he had to say! What do YOU have to say? Comment below! 

Welcome back to another peek at an etiquette issue that seems to be on readers’ minds of late. The question is whether or not it is appropriate to share one’s wedding registry using social media as a platform. The short answer from this traditionalist is ‘NO’! And the reason for this is simple. The whole issue of wedding presents has reached epic proportions of greed – or even beyond!

What began in Chicago many years ago as a clever bit of salesmanship, the wedding registry was designed as a convenience for the American consumer.  The department store that began this tradition had in mind to promote such household goods as silver, china and bedding – a replacement for the trousseau or dowry chest.

Today the very idea of registering at a discount box store is very distasteful to me.

Although people will argue that tastes have changed and what people wanted eighty years ago and what people want today are quite different as are shopping venues. But to now ponder the idea of projecting this wish list of every conceivable gift onto the various platforms of social media is totally over the top. This idea smacks of greed because it is never in good taste to overtly ask for gifts – it just isn’t. To cheapen the tradition of weddings and of the institution of marriage by allowing this commercialization to carry on does not bode well for the future.

What will they think of next – a Honeymoon Registry? - Jay Remer. 

Oh yes, they have… honeymoon registries exist and are quite popular! Especially with our couples who are very well traveled. Perhaps another topic for discussion on the next Wed-iquette Wednesday? I think so! 

We are seeing colorful headbands, to bows, feathers and birdcages. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the Great Gatsby is the theme of this season and is largely directing the fashion trends this summer. The 1920’s was all about elaborate accessories with crystals and pearls in just about everything. It sure has made some elegant and beautiful pieces inspired by that era.

Combine these fabulous hair pieces with the straight and low pony trend that we are seeing and these pieces really do pop. The other trend that is hot right now is low slung buns and soft waves.

Check out some of these fabulous hair pieces! Which one is your favorite?

Classic Bridal Accessory
Photo Credit: Wedding Bells

Water Lily Bridal Accessory
Photo Credit: Wedding Bells

Vintage Bridal Accessory
Photo Credit: Wedding Bells

Dream.Plan.Enjoy.

Holly Matrimony

SS 13 Campaign featuring Irina Lazareanu!
Photo credit: Joker’s Closet

It’s new, trendy, Toronto based and all about shoes! Joker’s Closet is a website created by Ashley Ebner which allows you to create your own custom shoes.

There are 6 main designs to choose from and they are all creatively named (Hello Please To Meet Ya Mister!). Not only can you choose the color you want, but you can choose between a variety of textiles such as leather and suede. Each piece of the shoe can be selected and designed using the available options. The greatest part is the photo of the shoe updates to show you exactly how it will look. You can even pick the color of threading, now that’s really a custom shoe.

The site allows so much flexibility; however, this does not come without a hefty price tag. The price varies between $295-$420 US dollars for these literally one of a kind shoes. The up side is free shipping and the duties to Canada are taken care of. Been looking for those one of a kind wedding shoes? Want your bridesmaids to have shoes designed by you? Check out Joker’s Closet for yours!

Dream.Plan.Enjoy.

Holly Matrimony

Hope your week has started off well! Despite the rain we are still getting much closer to that warm weather we are all looking forward to! I know I am! As long as the weekends are beautiful, Mother Nature can do what she pleases throughout the week but Friday, Saturday and Sunday I pray for good weather as these are prime wedding days and nothing hurts me more than having to move a Muskoka wedding ceremony inside because of rain.

Thought I would let you know that I’m alive and well and though I’m not finding the time right now to blog during the week as I’d like to and as I usually have done, I have found a little bit of time to wedding images and status updates to Holly Matrimony Weddings Facebook Page! If things are quiet here you can usually find something going on over there so make that one of your bookmarks! See what we’ve been up to! Wedding season has started for us already, feels like it didn’t end actually! Happily working away on all of our client files for 2013 and 2014 and looking forward to our first of 2013 IN Muskoka this weekend. This couple has planned quickly and have made some really great planning decisions! One of them will be the ‘screeching in’ of the wedding guests at the rehearsal dinner – I’m told this involves strong alcohol and kissing fish …. I’m sure there will be photos.

Also! Time is running out to register for The Etiquette Guy’s ‘Civility Tour’ where he will teach you the A’s to Z’s of etiquette on May 19th 2013 from 9am-6pm! This course is open to everyone and would be great for wedding parties looking to have a proper afternoon tea, or a formal, 3 course lunch at a private golf course in Mississauga! Belated Mother’s Day gift idea? Click here for more information. Don’t miss this one!

Photo Credit: etiquetteguy.com

Want to know a little more about Jay Remer, “Canada’s Etiquette Guy” who responds to your questions on our blog every week? We thought you might so this is what we found out! We are lucky enough to have Jay Remer coming to teach a full day of learning on the topics of business, dining and tea etiquette! Everything from eye contact to napkins to pinkies Jay will guide you through it! Check out the course outline and register by clicking here.

Jay Remer is on a quest to bring civility back to the world of business and to society in general. His approach is simple: emphasize the importance of using common sense and trusting one’s intuition.

Since his freshman year in high school, Jay has planned and managed hundreds of business and social events. He continues to enjoy event planning, but has taken that passion to a new level by showing others how to be the perfect host for every occasion. By teaching them the skill of careful planning and the importance of developing an eye for details, he empowers them to create events with unique purpose and definite style.

As a lifestyle coach and communications consultant specializing in good manners and etiquette, Jay’s goal is to guide people, providing them with new knowledge to help them sharpen their social skills. His unique approach is based on awareness, gratitude, compassion, responsibility, humility and encouragement.

Jay engages with others in an interactive way to help them increase their level of comfort and skill whether in the boardroom or at formal functions or the dinner table. He teaches them how to prepare for job interviews, host corporate meals and dress for success.

Jay allows his sense of humour and relaxed nature to set the tone for his workshops and seminars. His approach ranges from personal makeovers to corporate retreats, meeting the specific needs of whomever he’s working with.

Jay’s background is like a patchwork quilt with expensive experience in a variety of areas.

In the world of art, Jay was a collector from the age of eight. He received professional training as an art appraiser and auctioneer at Sotheby Parke Bernet immediately after graduating from Colorado College, and quickly began advising advanced collectors of fine arts and antiques.

As a philanthropic member of the duPont family, Jay has supported numerous museums, ballet companies and poverty reduction initiatives both financially and by contributing thousands of hours of his time. His various contributions toward compassionate care for people afflicted with AIDS were recognized by the New York Downtown Hospital where he designed a wing dedicated to their care.

With his former wife, Jay was a dedicated dog fancier, specializing in Bull Terriers. The couple bred notable champion show dogs and pioneered many initiatives to improve our understanding of canine genetics.

Jay is a well-regarded host and has learned many of his hospitality skills from an early age. He has travelled extensively and gained first-hand knowledge in working with different cultures. He was an award-winning innkeeper and restaurateur, with an eye trained to anticipate the needs of others.

Jay became an actively certified graduate of the prestigious Protocol School of Washington for Corporate Etiquette and International Protocol in 2007. The next year, he completed Speakers Boot Camp with world-renowned speech coach Sue Gaulke. In 2012, he became one of a burgeoning crop of certified tea and etiquette consultants under the tutelage of Bruce and Shelley Richardson, two of America’s foremost trusted tea authorities.

Jay began producing his own local Etiquette Guy television show in 2010. The program is now broadcast vial Bell TV to 1.6 million households across Canada. He began hosting a second TV show, Fundy Tidings, in 2012. In this show, Jay interviews experts on a number of “difficult subjects” ranging from bullying, poverty reduction and literacy to suicide and depression. He believes that by creating greater awareness about society’s weakest links and the things that can be done to make a difference, more people can become part of solutions to help maintain and improve a healthy, civil society.

Jay responds to the steady flow of etiquette questions he receives by e-mail, meting out advice to people around the globe. He hosts LinkedIn’s largest group for Etiquette and Image Consultants, on which he enjoys interacting with colleagues throughout the world, discussing a variety of closely related topics.

Jay has contributed to such office library references as Before You Say Yes by Doreen Pendracs, a must-read book for anyone considering joining a non-profit board for the first time; and Honor and Respect by Robert Hickey, the current go-to book on forms of address. He writes a weekly etiquette column for the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal and contributes regularly to such publications as Today’s Parent, Long Island Boating, Ignite, Restaurant News and Etiquette and Lifestyle.

Do you check the weather network before heading to work or making plans? Use it on your wedding day too!

While I work on the wedding itineraries for upcoming client weddings I always look into the time the sunsets on the wedding day and include this as a line item in the wedding day itinerary. I find that I need to know this information a lot in Muskoka as wedding couples tend to incorporate sparklers or professional fireworks displays that require us waiting until the sun has gone down. For couples that don’t have pyrotechnics on the brain, even just knowing when the sun will be setting so you can take sneak out for a nice sunset photo with your honey and photographer. Sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate but most times we are lucky enough to get some great photos and though we could leave it to chance, I do use sites like The Weather Network to think about these plans ahead of time and ‘schedule it in’. If you head to this website you can click on News & Information tab along the top, select Sun, Moons and Seasons, select the city closest to you (or the lat and long) and the date you’re interested in and it will tell you! Love having tools like this. Though there are a few other sites – depending on where they are based, they might not get close enough to the area you’re marrying to give you a really great idea. Time and Date.Com for example gets me as far north as Barrie, Ontario but if I use The Weather Network I can get to Gravenhurst, ON when thinking about this wedding in particular, that will be on Lake Joseph, a few minutes away from Gravenhurst but over an hour away from Barrie. Both calculators will give me a great idea on something like sunset but I use the one that gets me the closest when it comes to weather as I need to be as accurate as possible. I’ve been on an island where it is pouring rain and storming but 20 minutes away at the cottage it is dry! I need to master Mother Nature… for now I have tools like this one.

Dream.Plan.Enjoy.

Holly Matrimony

Remember these? Photo Credit: http://www.myfashionlife.com/

Was chatting with one of my lovely brides the other day at her itinerary meeting and as a Wedding Planner I always write in WHO will have the rings and talk about possible scenarios, the likely path for that ring before it gets to her finger and whether she has any doubts. We started talking about who should have the rings and how we could keep them safe. I was sharing some funny ways we have kept the rings safe in my experience with coordinating weddings and we came of with this idea. Remember these mittens on a string? We were joking that we should tie the rings to a string much in the same way that you would have worn these, the person in charge of the rings (typically the best man) could have his safely attached to his string, hidden inside his suit jacket. For a winter wedding this could be a cute idea on its own with having neat patterns/matching colours as an accessory for the groomsmen (or groom). Kinda like the ‘soap-on-a-rope’ idea no? You obviously don’t want to lose the wedding ring on the wedding day but it is sure worth that conversation about how to keep it safe and I’ve certainly had couples have fun with this idea. How are you keeping the rings safe? Have you ever seen a neat way to keep them safe?

Dream.Plan.Enjoy.

Holly Matrimony

With seven weeks to go before I arrive in Toronto to share some of my thoughts on etiquette and civility, I want to share some insights into what I will be covering – this is not just about learning good manners and how to teach them. The six pillars of civility – an Etiquette Guy original – will be the topics investigated during a delicious formal lunch. A bit like rubbing one’s belly and patting one’s head at the same time, not only will participants learn to dine like a diplomat, but converse confidently about the principles that guide us through the day with civility – putting other people first, but not to the exclusion of being grounded ourselves.

If you could do one thing for yourself, let it be to have compassion – yes, for yourself! We are all human; we all make mistakes; and we must allow ourselves to be less than the perfect people we push us to be. How important is having compassion for us? It is critical. How can we live in a civil world if we cannot be fair to ourselves? We can learn all the etiquette in the world, but if we lack compassion, it is all for naught. Compassion is just one of the six principles we will come to incorporate into our lives. Come and join us for an unforgettable day filled with great discussions, a great lunch and an introduction to taking tea like an aristocrat.

These skills will improve one’s professional credentials, personal sense of self worth, and interpersonal skills. – Jay. 

Have you ever taken an etiquette course? Canada’s Etiquette Guy, Jay Remer will be coming to Toronto May 18th and 19th to teach you the nitty gritty on the subject at a fantastic private club in the Greater Toronto Area! It is a steal – you will learn over a 3 course lunch as well as during a tutored afternoon tea. There is sooooooo much in this day that you won’t want to miss – for beginners to seasoned experts – there will be something for everyone! Register today! Check out the course outline by clicking here.

Photo Credit: etiquetteguy.com

Happy Spring! Having survived a longish winter, most of us are busy planning weddings, writing about the latest trends in weddings, or answering endless streams of Dear Abby style questions from far and wide often disguised as questions on weddings. As a traditionalist I have had to become flexible in many ways to keep up with the latest in fashions, venues, gifts, and entertaining. Once I get beyond the eye rolling stage, I take a deep breath and focus on the important values that I think are key to all weddings – and which are based in age old traditions.

1. The real uniqueness in every wedding is the union of the bride and groom. Two families come together for the first time and form new friendships and new bonds. The heart connections are what are unique. The details of the wedding should always take a back seat to the value of this union.
2. The host has the final say in how the guest list will be handled. If he or she defers to others, that is their choice. Imposing on a host’s generosity by suggesting additions to the guest list is extremely rude.
3. The invitation should contain all the information one needs, including who is actually invited (if the children are not invited, don’t ask) and RSVP. Be sure to follow any dress code.
4. As there is never any mention of gifts on any invitation, word of mouth is the best way to spread the word. Today, wedding web sites seem to be the repository for copious amounts of information – every question one might have is answered on these personal sites.
5. Guests are expected to bring a wedding present to the reception or mail one ahead to the home of the bride’s parents. Although one technically has a year to buy a gift, unless there is a really good reason, do it sooner – a lot sooner.
6. Thank you notes should be hand written and mailed out as soon after the gift or card is opened as possible.  Both the bride and the groom can share in this responsibility.

What sagacious advice would you add to this list? - Jay. 

If you would like to learn more on the subject of etiquette like brushing up on your social skills, dining skills and learning how to ‘take tea’ properly Cananda’s Etiquette Guy Jay Remer will be coming to the Greater Toronto Area May 18th and 19th (choose the day that works for you) to teach a course at the Private Mississaugua Golf & Country Club from 9am – 6pm each day. It will include a 3 course meal, a tutored afternoon tea, and light refreshments throughout the day. It is open to anyone who wants a refresher or someone who has never had etiquette training. These are important life skills and a must take course for everyone! For more information such as location, registration information and course outline, visit here.