Chock full of personal details and unique touches, it’s no surprise that Alexis + Tom’s charming summer wedding was featured in the latest issue of Blush Magazine.

The entire celebration was held at Christ Church – a beautiful 1920s church in the heart of downtown Edmonton that looks like it belongs in Europe! An intimate late afternoon ceremony flowed right into an outdoor cocktail hour complete with delicious appetizers, lawn games and an assortment of refreshing drinks such as cucumber water and strawberry lemonade. 

At the reception guests were treated to a decadent family style dinner catered by Culina and an illustrious dessert table full of cakes and pies made with love by family members.

Her keen eye and love for bicycles made Blake Loates the perfect fit to photograph this wedding! Enjoy a glimpse of Alexis + Tom’s big day below.

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design

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Credits:

• Wedding Coordination + Design: Jennifer Bergman Weddings
• Photography: Blake Loates
• Catering: Culina Catering
• Stationery: Pinkpolka Wedding Design
• Florals: faBLOOMosity
• Rentals: Special Event Rentals
• Cake: Cake Couture
• Reception Music: Mr. Entertainment
  
• Hair: Headlines
• Makeup: Suzanne Dargis
  
• Gown: Paloma Blanca from jojobride

The Canadian Event Industry Awards (Star Awards) is a national award program that recognizes outstanding achievements in Canadian special events, meeting management, conference planning and exhibition management.

Last month we were honoured to attend the awards gala in Toronto and take home a Star Award for Best Wedding Under $75K! The award-winning wedding was Paula + Sheldon’s Scottsdale, Arizona soirée. This family-friendly destination wedding entertained guests over an entire weekend and provided them with the quintessential southwestern experience.

Jennifer Bergman accepting the 2014 Canadian Event Industry Star Award for Best Wedding Under $75K

Photo Credit: prombee

Photo Credit: foxbackdrop

We are thankful to work with truly amazing clients who entrust us with such important milestones in their lives, and talented industry professionals who continue to push the envelope. Congratulations to the fellow winners and nominees across all categories!

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design

The latest issue of Bridal Fantasy Magazine features an article we wrote outlining some Edmonton wedding planning tips, titled Top 10 Big Day Blunders. In other words, problems or hiccups experienced by many couples who plan their weddings without professional help. If you are in the midst of planning your wedding, have a read and avoid these common planning pitfalls!

1. Not hiring professionals. From photography to flowers and everything in between, if you try to cut costs by hiring hobbyists or inexperienced wedding vendors you may end up with more headaches than you bargained for. Prices tend to reflect quality and experience, so if you think you’re getting a really good, cheap deal — there might be a reason for that!
2. Guest list regrets. If you really want someone or a group of people at your wedding, then make sure you invite them. The extra cost per head will seem inconsequential after the wedding, and you may end up regretting that they missed your special day.
3. Being inconsiderate. Be mindful of the demands (time, financial) that your wedding will place on guests and your bridal party. For instance, if many of your guests are travelling from out-of-town it is thoughtful to arrange transportation for them to get to your ceremony and reception locations. Likewise, if your attendants are paying for their attire you may want to cover their hair and makeup costs on the wedding day.
4. Technical troubles. We’ve all been to a wedding where the slideshow doesn’t work! This creates an awkward pause in your reception program. If you absolutely must have a slideshow, ensure you have the right equipment and cords rented well in advance and that someone is responsible for testing it before the reception.
5. Not having a contingency plan. Of course your wedding day will be warm and sunny with a gentle breeze…but what if it’s not!? So many couples forget to plan for things going wrong. If you’re having an outdoor wedding, make sure that you have an alternate location in case of inclement weather – especially here in Alberta!
6. Running out of alcohol. If you’re supplying your own liquor for the bar it’s always better to overbuy and return the unopened leftovers than to run out before the party is over. There are lots of helpful resources online for estimating quantities required. (Note: The same rule applies to candy or sweet tables!)
7. Reception program runs too long. After approximately 2.5 hours sitting at their dinner tables guests will get antsy, so you want to ensure that your dinner service and speeches are completed within this time period.
8. Family or friends had to “work.” Paying a little extra for décor setup and teardown services through your decorator, coordinator or venue could save your sanity and be a real gift to your loved ones. They’ll appreciate being able to enjoy the wedding weekend without the added stress of cleaning up after the party.
9. Forgetting to thank people. You may think you can “wing” your speech, but it can be difficult to think clearly on such an emotionally charged day. Too often couples don’t take the time to prepare their thank-you speech in advance and they miss thanking very important people (in some cases their parents who have footed the entire bill for the day)!
10. Not enjoying the planning process. Most couples spend 12-15 months planning their wedding day…that’s a lot of time to be stressed out about wedding details! Don’t let the planning consume you. Take breaks, delegate tasks to those who offer, and if you know you just don’t have the time or energy to put into the process, hire a planner or coordinator to take some or all of the planning off your plate.

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design

Earlier this week we shared the inspiration behind Jonelle + Sheldon’s wedding design. Today we’re excited to reveal more of their classic wedding with romantic details in soft tones of cream, blush, peach, taupe and gold. 

Both ceremony and reception were held at Edmonton’s Shaw Conference Centre – its central location makes it convenient for guests, and as most of Jonelle + Sheldon’s friends and family were travelling from Fort McMurray for the big day, Shaw was a perfect choice.

Want to see more? Check out the full feature on Wedding Obsession and their amazing photo booth images on Kelly Redinger’s blog!

Jonelle + Sheldon: You’re such a sweet couple and its very evident you make one another so happy! We had a blast working with you and wish you all the best!

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design

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Credits:

• Coordination + Design: Jennifer Bergman Weddings
• Photography: Kelly Redinger
  
• Officiant: Howard Saunders
• Invitations/Stationery: Pinkpolka Wedding Design
• Florals: Wild Orchid
• Rentals: Special Event Rentals
  
• Lighting: Production Lighting
• Cake: Cake Couture
  
• Ceremony Music: John Fedor (Cellist)
• Music: Premiere DJs
• Transportation: Esquire Limos
• Hair System: Hairbro
  
• Makeup Artist: Anita Gill 
• Wedding Gown: Lilybridal  ubackdrop

A lot goes into the wedding design process at JBW. We begin by determining a bride and groom’s wedding style – the look they envision, the atmosphere and feelings they want their event to evoke, the level of formality, etc. We then create visual inspiration boards and detailed budgets. Once we’re all on the same page we execute, securing rental and décor items, collaborating with a florist to design centrepieces and bouquets, and working with a stationer to create the couple’s invitations and reception stationery to perfectly reflect their wedding style.

We’re excited to share more of our 2013 weddings along with the design boards behind them so you can get a glimpse at how we take inspiration and make it reality.

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Jonelle + Sheldon wanted a classic wedding with romantic details and soft tones of cream, blush, peach, taupe and gold. The inspiration:

Photo Credits (clockwise from top left): Blush Wedding Dresses– Style Me Pretty; Chandelier Hanging Altar – Southern Charm; Paper Hearts – Etsy; Ivory Peach Wedding Cake – Cake; Peach Rose Centrepiece – Style Me Pretty; Romantic Tablescape – Karen Tran Florals; Peony Bouquet – Revelry Event Designers; Floating Candles – By Word of Mouth; Candles Down Aisle Ceremony – Paper Doll Studio.

…and the reality!

Photo Credit: Kelly Redinger.

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Come back soon to see more of this beautiful wedding as featured on the popular blog, Wedding Obsession.

Cheers!

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planner + Designer

This weekend we had our last wedding of 2013 at The Enjoy Centre in St. Albert. Together with our talented team of event partners we transformed the Moonflower Room into a dramatic winter wedding in rich tones of indigo, cranberry and gold. Below are a few shots of the transformation progress over the two-day installation.

{Planning Tip: Don’t overlook a venue just because the aesthetic doesn’t fit your vision. If it is a perfect location and suits your budget, you may be able to spend a bit more on décor to transform the space!}

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design

This weekend we had our last wedding of 2013 at The Enjoy Centre in St. Albert. Together with our talented team of event partners we transformed the Moonflower Room into a dramatic winter wedding in rich tones of indigo, cranberry and gold. Below are a few shots of the transformation progress over the two-day installation.

{Planning Tip: Don’t overlook a venue just because the aesthetic doesn’t fit your vision. If it is a perfect location and suits your budget, you may be able to spend a bit more on décor to transform the space!}

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design

Congratulations to the winner of our 5th and final giveaway: Karla G. Karla wins two lift passes for Marmot Basin Ski Resort in Jasper, Alberta ($175 value)!

Thank you all for participating in our JBW Turns 5 giveaway series – the response was phenomenal and we’re so glad to have brought some holiday cheer to 5 lucky winners!

Wishing you a safe and relaxing holiday season,

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design