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Picking a wedding venue 101
Wow - look at that amazing shot above, from Alexandra and Angus's wedding at Cecil Green (big thanks to the uber-talented Kristian Holmes of Page & Holmes Photography for capturing this moment)! When picking a wedding venue, it's super important that it has the right feel, vibe, and price. It can be overwhelming though, which is why Breanne Dodge, founder and lead planner of ThistleBEA has once again graciously sat down with me to give us the best industry advice on everything from contracts to permits to possible pitfalls. Enter your email above to get this month's downloadable cheatsheet. You'll get a venue checklist so you don't forget anything on your venue tours, and a shortlist of Breanne's fave local...
Wedding budget tips and tricks – part two
Welcome to part two of our guide to the best wedding budget tips and tricks! ThistleBEA founder and lead coordinator, Breanne Dodge, is sharing their top tips for how you can stick to your budget with most of your wedding vendors. Read on for details on where you can absolutely save some cash - and where you really shouldn't skimp! Can you negotiate with your vendors? Any tips? You can absolutely ask if there is any wiggle room, as long as you do it respectfully, but don't assume they’ll give you a better price because most often they are individuals or small businesses, not big corporations. Ask about group discounts or promos for things like hair and makeup, especially if...
Wedding Budget Tips and Tricks
Ok, how is it February already? We spent so much time and energy on our exciting new changes, January completely slipped by! Thankfully it's not too late to introduce one of my favorite new resources - a new blog series, starting right now! Every month, ThistleBEA founder and lead coordinator, Breanne Dodge, will be sharing their pro tips on a new wedding planning topic. First up, one of the biggest challenges in wedding planning: budgeting! We picked Breanne's brain and they have spilled their top wedding budget tips and tricks with us. Don't forget to enter your email address to get our monthly cheat sheet! This month, a budget breakdown calculator where you put in your budget, and we suggest...
5 Steps to be a Kick Ass Wedding Attendant
I haven’t had many opportunities to be an attendant, partially because I choose to keep only a handful of friends, and partially because weddings are my jam, but I’m no good at being a guest. I was recently an attendant for a best friend/soulmate/ex-co-worker and I was actually scolded for trying to work. In fairness, I told them to slap me if I worked, so I asked for it. I have a hard time just enjoying myself in the traditional sense when it comes to weddings because I get high off of making problems disappear. Seriously, if some of the couples knew what problems I had to deal with at their wedding day that they never saw, they would be...
L & B’S NATURAL WEDDING
August 5th, 2017, was the wedding day of L and B. Their Saltspring Island wedding was ThistleBEA’s first destination coordination, set at Ruckle Provincial Park and Beaver Point Hall. The bride and groom had rented out Bed and Breakfasts in the area for their family as well as for the bridal party, creating a very intimate weekend for all of them together. ThistleBEA provided our day-of coordination package (A Day In The Life) with a few tweaks: since the bride was very organized and involved, she took on several tasks that traditionally belong to the day-of coordinator, neatly showcasing not only L and B’s strengths and flexibility, but ThistleBEA’s as well.Rentals were by the Rental Stop; flowers provided by Thrifty Foods....
REFLECTION OF A GRANVILLE ISLAND WEDDING AT PERFORMANCE WORKS
Part seven of a seven part series of the ins and outs of planning and executing a decor heavy DIY wedding Heather and David’s wedding at Performance Works on Granville island, as I mentioned, was a special one for me. This bride was a childhood friend who I hadn't seen in years who trusted me (a newer wedding coordinator in the grand scheme of things) to execute her wedding flawlessly. This amount of trust put into me was overwhelming and I remember finishing the wedding and just being so thankful for the opportunity. After I dropped the Uhaul full of decor off at Heather’s family’s house, I got to hug each of her family members which really, was the best...
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ThistleBEA’s planners share their weddings, their tips, and ideas on how to keep your wedding affrodable