Friday, November 19, 2010

Why would ANYONE get married at City Hall when there's an Alternative?

When you think of a quick ceremony and exchange of vows you either think of Las Vegas or your nearest city hall right? Think again ....

Here are a few stats that maybe you didn't know.

Did you know that City Hall here in Ottawa does about 1400 weddings per year?
Did you also know that its on a first come first serve basis? So basically there is no guarantee you will be married on the day that you show up in your wedding best. Why be another number/statistic at City Hall, after all you're wedding day is one of the most important days of your life and should be shared with more than the 5 people allowed to witness at city hall.

Weddings InStyle is your intimate alternative to weddings in the city.  They are conveniently located at 107 Murray Street in the heart of the Byward Market, and offer onsite Wedding Officiants, and can provide witnesses if required.  They are open 7 days a week by appointment.

Their beautifully decorated wedding chapel can accommodate anywhere from 2 to 100 guests. This wedding chapel is chic, hip one-stop wedding destination.

The 2000 sq. ft. intimate, well-appointed, modern space is the most unique wedding venue in Ottawa – a great alternative to the typical, non-descript, already-been-there-for-your-friend’s-wedding feeling most of the Ottawa banquet rooms, hotels, catering venues not to mention City Hall have to offer.

Weddings InStyle was created to offer couples opting for an intimate glamorous affair an alternative. Budgets might be tight these days, but that doesn’t mean that style and romance are going away.

Civil weddings or bigger than “BIG” Sex in the City weddings were the options at hand, before Weddings InStyle. There were no turnkey full service options available in the downtown core that could accommodate 2–100 guests without compromise. Imagine, getting help navigating through the sometimes overwhelming process of planning a wedding. A little fact, the average wedding takes 200-300 hours to plan. Can you say WEDDING PLANNER? It IS one of the hot trends for 2011.

What makes them qualified? Their Expertise comes from running Ottawa’s only premier concierge Balance InStyle for the past 5 years. This affords them the resources and talent of managing all the time consuming details required for a flawless wedding day and of course saves their clients a bundle. Just say Weddings and Babies and watch the price tag go up!

Big or small their promise to you is that it will always be InStyle.


Thursday, November 11, 2010

New wedding trends shake things up

CNN is reporting on the trends we can expect for weddings for the coming 2011 season. Andrea Correale, owner of Elegant Affairs in New York, shares tips on wedding trends that will be making a buzz in 2011 and ones that should be avoided altogether.

A major trend with wedding receptions is mixing the shapes and sizes of tables. It's one of the quickest ways to switch things up at a wedding, yet it's a rather unique trend.

The days of just doing round tables of 10 are pretty much over.
So mix them up: Have a triangular table, raise some up, throw in different types of chairs and stools that complement each other. Also, people are getting rid of assigned seating. If you want to make it one big fab extravaganza, create a setting that allows for people to get up and move around, like a lounge, and allow people to sit where they want to sit. Ditch the nameplates.

Wedding planners are in for 2011 and its about time! An average wedding takes about two to three hundred hours to plan. Wedding coordinators used to be a luxury, but now it is essential to a well-planned event.   Hiring one saves you both time and money not to mention your sanity.

Another trend that are up and coming is holding a wedding reception at brunch time, you can get away with having a fabulous event without really breaking the bank. Brunch food items are less expensive, and you can always have a nice easy morning punch, like a cocktail or passion fruit juice mix. Couples can do this in lieu of having a nighttime reception.

With money being tight these days there are alternative trends for the wedding gifts. More people are being environmentally friendly and charity-friendly these days and asking for donations instead of gifts. I believe it has something to do with the economy. With all the recent events going on, more people are being driven to give, and they want to share that feeling with their guests. Donations to charities are becoming another trend that seems to be replacing the traditional wedding gift and reduces pressure on guests and their decisions of what to give.

Couples are thinking out of the box for locations to get married. The trendy places to hold a weddings, are venues that create a setting of togetherness. A place where people are breaking bread together, be it serving dinner family style on long tables, having salads in the center and drinking fine wine while being in a place that feels like home.

One trend that couples should avoid at their weddings, is don't be predictable. Stay away from the traditional timing of a wedding. Typically, you have the first dance, people sit down for the flower-throwing, and so on and so forth.
Take away some of the rigidness. Mess it up a little. Maybe you do the toast before you cut the cake, or as a couple, you can do the toast yourselves. You can move around the room to break up the strict formality of the event. Just keep it a little loose and clean so that the wedding itself becomes a surprise.

Happy Planning! We at Weddings InStyle are here to serve our couples at the highest level and look forward to meeting you someday soon.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

We have the power VESTED in US to MARRY you!

Are you looking for a Civil or Spiritual wedding? If so, Weddings InStyle is the ideal spot for you. We are Ottawa’s chic alternative to a city hall wedding. Both of us here at Weddings InStyle are licensed Officiants. We are licensed to perform marriage ceremonies by the Register General of the Province of Ontario. All of our Officiants are licensed and understand the importance of making your ceremony a memorable one. Rest assured, if you are looking for a male officiant, you know the older distinguished gentleman that you, or your parents might have envisioned performing your ceremony, not to worry, we work with a lot of great officiants and assure you that we can find you that perfect person! We meet with all our couples and get a feel for their  personalities and match accordingly.

We are able to perform:
Civil Ceremonies
Religious Ceremonies
Spiritual Ceremonies
Interfaith/Interspiritual Ceremonies
Same Sex Marriage
Renewal of Vows


You also have the ability write your own vows or choose from a variety of traditional vows you feel best reflects you as a couple. So the popular question is … how long is the ceremony? Are you ready for it??? A typical ceremony lasts about 12 minutes. It’s true, it really does flash before your eyes. So savor it, take the time, maybe consider writing your own vows, (don’t worry we can help you remember your lines) ENJOY the short 12 minutes where all eyes are on you. No pressure. :)We LOVE being a part of this journey and it is an honor to be able to join our couples in holy matrimony.
For more information about us visit our website www.weddingsinstyle.ca or make an appointment and come get inspired in person!We look forward to meeting you and marrying you … InStyle! 


Amanda & Jillienne

Something old, new, borrowed & blue!

You have found the one to marry, now you need to find your something old, new, borrowed and blue .... Ever wandered where this originated from?
Tradition of course, but where and what does it all mean? This tradition began in Victorian times and each part of the rhyme is symbolic.
Something Old - represents the bond to the bride's family and her old life
Something New – represents the couple's new life together and their future hope for happiness, prosperity and success
Something Borrowed - from a happily married woman is meant to bring similar happiness to the bride
Something blue - represents fidelity and constancywww.weddingsinstyle.ca



Ottawa Wedding Chapel in the Capital



Weddings InStyle is the new chic, hip one-stop wedding destination, conveniently located at 107 Murray Street in the heart of the Byward Market. Our 2000 sq. ft. intimate, well-appointed, modern space is the most unique wedding venue in Ottawa – a great alternative to the typical, non-descript, already-been-there-for-your-friend’s-wedding feeling most of the Ottawa banquet rooms, hotels and catering venues and City Hall offer. 
Whether you'r looking for a simple ceremony with a few close friends and family, a reception cocktail party for 100 or something in-between, we can design the perfect package for you.
By entrusting your important day to Weddings InStyle, every detail will be addressed in our quest to maintain a legacy of extraordinary service.
Regardless of your budget we can help you celebrate InStyle.

For more information please visit our website www.weddingsinstyle.ca