May 1st brought out the very best and brightest of the super hot Toronto Wedding Industry at the newly redesigned Arcadian Court and brand new Arcadian Loftabove Toronto’s The Bay at Eaton Centre. A veritable who’s who came out to see the new space and wish owners, Oliver & Bonacini (famed Toronto restauranteurs & caterers) the very best!

Check out some of the gorgeous eye-candy!

LOVING this new Toronto hotspot for weddings & events. What about you?!?!

In our bi-monthly column with DJ Danny Floh Back we wanted to address a common question from couples… “Can we pay you in cash to avoid paying taxes?”. Check out what he has to say… below!

Why Cash Is Not King – By Danny Floh Back, DJ Floh Back Productions

Trying to cut a deal for your entertainment with cash is one of the biggest mistakes couples can make when hiring a DJ.

Clients are strongly encouraged to higher vendors who provide a contract and invoice for their services.

By making a cash deal, you are going below the radar.  The company will surely not issue you any paperwork, and they aren’t going to show a record of the transaction for the government to see.

If there is no record, that means no commitment from the vendor to even be at your reception.  If your flowers don’t arrive because you made a shady cash deal, then the room wont look or smell as nice.  But if your DJ doesn’t show up, that means no party.

I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had people call in to book us after they had made some unfortunate cash arrangement with a club DJ or a friend, who bailed on them at the last minute.  (Shockingly, one groom-to-be called in and told me a story like that and then offered me cash to avoid taxes got a stern talking to!)

Aside from potentially not showing up, there are a whole wack of potential legal ramifications without proper documentation.

If your DJ does not offer you a contract, it likely means he does not have proper credentials or insurance to boot.  You need that paperwork if a speaker falls on grandma during the dancing, or the hall catches on fire.  You don’t want to end up in court with the hall or the DJ company fighting over who has to pay the damages.

Savvy venues are now demanding that your DJ show proof of liability insurance before even stepping through the door.  They know a company with no insurance is likely bringing in a whole bag of unprofessional through the door with them.

Cash arrangements are a shady approach, and will therefore attract the sketchy people in an industry with an already bad reputation.  You wouldn’t make a cash deal for your mortgage, your car payments, or your health-care package, why treat the most important night of your life any different?

Danny runs DJ Floh Back Productions, an award-winning DJ team out of Toronto, dedicated to a  high level of professionalism and customer service. www.flohback.com 

I don’t know about you but I have a killer sweet tooth! Honestly, I’ve been known to get up and seek out a chocolate bar at midnight just to satisfy a craving! So, when Sweet Design Company ended up in my inbox the day after the Easter long weekend all I could say was HECK YES!

Custom sweet tables for your Toronto wedding or event… yummy and pretty (double-win)!

For more information: http://www.sweetdesigncompany.com/

Just because we really can’t get enough of this boho wedding gorgeousness… you HAVE to see the video!

Click this photo to be taken to the video.

Sometimes we receive a wedding that just takes our breathe away… this next wedding did just that. J.R. Clubb of  Barefeet Photography wed the love of his life, Cat, in a “Bohemian Royalty” themed wedding to not just represent their personalities but be more about community so they recruited family &friends to help with the DIY decor and set-up.

As a wedding photographer himself, J.R. knew the value of visual imagery so they focused on the details, atmosphere, and light. They enlisted their guests to help capture the day by providing toy cameras. All the food was vegetarian.

Music was important to J.R. & Caterina, seeing that both families have very talented musicians, they hired their brothers perform.

The weather was perfect, the Giresi family home welcoming, the summer light was golden and their “Bohemian Royalty” themed wedding was beautiful! It was the perfect day!

Credits:
Venue: Giresi Family Property
Cinema Video: Danny Alexander
Wedding Coordinator: Maryanne Grieve
Letterpress Invitation & Program: Verity Ink
Flowers: Forest Glen Herb Garden
Wedding Dress: Ivy and Aster
Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss
Attire Emblem Gifts: Love Medals
Head Piece: Brooke Giresi of Lil Miss Vintage
Make up: Karla Lopez
Live Music: Jeremy Clubb / The Chocolate Robots
Catering: Serene Cuisine
Cake: Cyndie Doyle
Desserts: Jacyln Sanders
DIY Decor: Tara Dimuzio
Signage: Ezio Desantis
Officiant: Dru Fess
Ceremony Arbour: Sean McNight of Urban Nature Centre
Bartend Team:Whitney, Zoe, Chris & Jenn
Chief of Staff: Susan Averill
Special thanks to Guest Photographer Marco Puzic (J.R.’s brother-in-law) for his extra coverage and hard work setting up.

To see more of this absolutely stunning wedding: http://blog.barefeetprojects.com

How many weddings do you attend in a season? No matter if it’s only one (your own) or 50 the take away wedding favor should be something super memorable.

Enter – Glory Hole Doughnuts!

This super creative doughnuts (never thought I would say that) are all handmade from natural ingredients but what really makes them exceptional is the flavours… chicken & waffle, cotton candy, s’more… heck yes!

For more yummy goodness check out: http://www.gloryholedoughnuts.com

We just recently caught wind of an amazing contest from Toronto Wedding Photographers Trevor & Larissa and couldn’t wait to pass it along to all you newly engaged couples out there!  It’s a chance to let your individual personality shine… and win a free Engagement Session as a result!

Don’t delay – there are less then two weeks left to take advantage of this amazing opportunity…This photography-duo is encouraging you to think outside the box – and WIN the opportunity to work with them as a result!

All you have to do is come up with a unique, creative or wacky concept, location, or idea for your session – something that really reflects the two of you as a couple, and fits your personalities. It could be based on a theme or hobby that you both love, a significant landmark or area you’d like to re-visit, or something crazy you’ve always wanted to try together.

The sky’s the limit really — simply come up with a creative, unique idea for your session and share why it’s perfect for the two of you, and you could win!

Entries are being accepted until the end of March, and the top five ideas will be featured on their blog and put to an online vote.

The public will choose their favourite submission and one lucky couple will see their session idea come to life absolutely FREE!

Last time, It was an attitude (and love) filled Mad Men themed session at The Paddock that won – stop by visit Trevor & Larissa’s newly designed blog to check out the photos and get the details on how to submit YOUR idea for a chance to win.

What are you waiting for? Go Now. Dream Big. Get Creative. Enter. WIN!

“Engagement Sessions are an amazing idea for a lot of reasons: they build trust, create unique candid images, let us get to know each other, and help couples understand the process of being in front of the camera.  But by far, the BEST part about working with couples for E-Sessions is encouraging them to add a little bit of themselves into the mix.

This is how the Engagement Session Your Way Contest was born, and why we’ve decided to bring it back again this year by popular demand!   

We absolutely love hearing unique, off-the-wall, creative ideas from our couples about how to incorporate personality into a shoot and this contest lets us turn one amazing idea into a free session!”  

-Larissa Issler, Trevor & Larissa | Documentary meets Fine Art

I’ve included links above, but if you need them here is the breakdown:

Contest Details:  http://trevor-larissa.com/Contest/EngagementSessionYourWay
Our Website:  http://trevor-larissa.com/
The Blog:  http://trevor-larissa.com/blog

For anyone that follows TWS you’ll know just how much we LOVE Kim Ironmonger at Valencienne! So, when Kim sent us news that she would be hosting a trunk show on March 8, 2012 -  filled with gorgeous Elsa Corsi jewellery… we were smitten and couldn’t help but drool just a little bit. I mean, really? Gorgeous couture bridal gowns – romantic, whimsical, etheral – AND gorgeous baubles! HECK YES! Sign us up!

Elsa Corsi Jewellery & Valencienne Bridal Boutique Toronto

Image Courtesy: Joee Wong

When you think of movies, sporting events, stage shows, concerts and blocks of TV programming, have you ever noticed that they all consistently run within 2.5 to 3 hours?  All these forms of entertainment, typically run for the same amount of time.  Strange?  Not so much.  So whats so special about “2.5 – 3 hours” and why does this happen?

It’s simple.  That is typically the maximum amount of time that a human being can stay focused and interested in any form of entertainment and funny enough, this also relates to dancing at weddings.

Whether you recognize this or not, the DJ at a wedding is providing entertainment.  He/She is responsible for keeping the guests engaged and interested at the reception, especially once dancing starts.  So, when writing your itinerary, ideally you should schedule dancing for 2.5 to 3 hours.  Anything less, will make the guests feel unfulfilled, and if this portion runs longer, you run the risk of creating numerous highs and lows which could affect the atmosphere of the event.

Keep in mind that every wedding is different and I’ve played at weddings where they’ve danced hard for 6 hours straight.  So the length of your dancing time will ultimately be determined by you, your guests and the skills of your DJ.

Michael Coombs – DJ / MC
Michael Coombs Entertainment