Katrina + David were married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony last summer at Edmonton’s Royal Glenora Club. The sun was shining, the skies were blue – you’d never guess there was a torrential downpour just one hour before the ceremony was scheduled to begin! Luckily with some great teamwork we swapped out the chair cushions just in time to seat guests and send Katrina down the aisle looking absolutely angelic.

Just For You Photography was on hand to capture all the beautiful moments of the day, including the couple’s “first look” at The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald. After the wedding Katrina + David enjoyed an amazing honeymoon in Italy!

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

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Credits:

• Coordination + Design: Jennifer Bergman Weddings
• Photography: Just For Your Photography
  
• Officiant: Bill Bulger
  
• Stationery: Pinkpolka Wedding Design
• Florals: Wild Orchid
  
• Rentals: Special Event Rentals
  
• Cupcakes: Whimsical Cake Studio
  
• Ice Sculpture: Ice Works
• Ceremony Music: Marilyn Bulger (Harpist)
• Reception Music: Baseline DJs
• Transportation: Esquire Limousine
• Hair Stylist: Jenn Chivers
  
• Makeup Artist: Priya Kapur
  
• Gown: Enzoani Fatima from The Bridal House
  
• Groom/Groomsmen: Tuxedo House
  

On Sunday, February 3rd we held our first ever wedding planning workshop for brides, grooms and their special guests to enjoy a day of professional wedding planning guidance through a variety of topics. All participating brides received a planning folder complete with checklists, budget guides and valuable resources, as well as a gift bag with generous offers (valued at over $1,000!) from Edmonton area vendors.

Held in Matrix Hotel’s Amber Ballroom, the day flew by with lots of great questions and interactivity. A big thank you to our interns Kelsey and Suzanne for helping out all day!

Four distinct table designs were showcased with décor from Special Event Rentals, flowers from faBLOOMosity and stationery from Pinkpolka Wedding Design.

Tuscan Garden: rustic, earthy, warm and fresh with a palette of walnut, taupe, terracotta, ivory and natural greens

Modern Drama: bold, modern and linear with a palette of deep reds, purples, pewter and black

Traditional Elegance: formal and elegant with a palette of pewter, silver, white and blush

Vintage Romance: soft, feminine and romantic with a palette of ivory, gold and rose

Thank you to our sponsors and partners for their support!

Gift bag partners: Baseline DJ, Cake Couture, Esquire Limousine, faBLOOMosity, Laugh Photo Booth, Novelle Bridal Shop, Pinkpolka Wedding Design, Special Event Rentals, Erica Viegas Singer/Guitarist, Ashton’s Liquor.

Finally, a very special thank you to Funmi from FO Photography for graciously offering to photograph the workshop for us. Funmi and her husband recently moved to Edmonton from the UK. Check out their Facebook page to see a photo each day from their 365 Photo Project!

If you are interested in attending Plan Your Wedding Edmonton in the future, please email us at info@JenniferBergmanWeddings.com.

Cheers!

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

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Recently engaged but not sure where to start? Have you been busy planning for a few months and need help figuring out what’s left to do before you say, ‘I do’?

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Take a break from pinning those peony bouquets and join us for a fun and informative workshop led by Jennifer Bergman, Lead Planner + Designer of Jennifer Bergman Weddings Inc. Plan Your Wedding Edmonton is perfect for couples who have the time (and desire) to plan their own weddings, but could use a little help along the way.

Your ticket to Plan Your Wedding Edmonton includes:

• Professional wedding planning guidance through a variety of topics:
  • Getting started
  • Navigating the guest list
  • Setting and sticking to your budget
  • Choosing venues
  • Selecting your dream team of wedding professionals
  • Creative ideas to personalize your wedding
  • Managing wedding day logistics
  • Wedding etiquette
  • …and more!
• Planning workbook complete with checklists, budget guides and valuable resources
• Décor showcase featuring some of the latest trends in wedding design and décor, including gorgeous linens, customized stationery and centrepieces for every budget
• Personal tour of Matrix Hotel’s event spaces, guest rooms and suites
• Opportunity to have your wedding planning questions answered (and hear other brides’ questions too!)
• Delicious lunch and refreshments provided by Matrix Hotel
• Gift bag with special offers from Edmonton wedding vendors – valued at over $1,000!
  • Baseline DJ – $200 off wedding package
  • Cake Couture – FREE delivery within city limits ($50 value)
  • Esquire Limousine – $100 off wedding limousine package
  • faBLOOMosity – FREE setup and delivery within city limits ($250 value)
  • Laugh Photo Booth – 15% off photo booth package ($75-165 value)
  • Novelle Bridal Shop – $100 certificate towards accessories with purchase of wedding dress
  • Pinkpolka Wedding Design – FREE seating chart with orders over $500 ($180 value), or FREE seating plus 15 tented menus/table numbers with orders over $1000 ($275 value)
  • Special Event Rentals – 10% off your rental order
  • Erica Viegas Singer/Guitarist – 10% off ceremony music booking ($50 value)
  • …and more!

Date:          Sunday, February 3^rd, 2013
Time:          10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location:    Matrix Hotel (Amber Ballroom), 10640 100 Avenue
Presenter:  Jennifer Bergman, Lead Planner + Designer at Jennifer Bergman Weddings Inc.

Please note that there are a limited number of tickets available and you must pre-register for this event. Tickets will NOT be available at the door. For additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@JenniferBergmanWeddings.com or 780.298.8244.

Register Now!

Thank You To Our Event Partners!

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Recently engaged but not sure where to start? Have you been busy planning for a few months and need help figuring out what’s left to do before you say, ‘I do’?

+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +

Take a break from pinning those peony bouquets and join us for a fun and informative workshop led by Jennifer Bergman, Lead Planner + Designer of Jennifer Bergman Weddings Inc. Plan Your Wedding Edmonton is perfect for couples who have the time (and desire) to plan their own weddings, but could use a little help along the way.

Your ticket to Plan Your Wedding Edmonton includes:

• Professional wedding planning guidance through a variety of topics:
  • Getting started
  • Navigating the guest list
  • Setting and sticking to your budget
  • Choosing venues
  • Selecting your dream team of wedding professionals
  • Creative ideas to personalize your wedding
  • Managing wedding day logistics
  • Wedding etiquette
  • …and more!
• Planning workbook complete with checklists, budget guides and valuable resources
• Décor showcase featuring some of the latest trends in wedding design and décor, including gorgeous linens, customized stationery and centrepieces for every budget
• Personal tour of Matrix Hotel’s event spaces, guest rooms and suites
• Opportunity to have your wedding planning questions answered (and hear other brides’ questions too!)
• Delicious lunch and refreshments provided by Matrix Hotel
• Gift bag with special offers from Edmonton wedding vendors – valued at over $950!
  • Baseline DJ – $200 off wedding package
  • Cake Couture – FREE delivery within city limits ($50 value)
  • Esquire Limousine – $100 off wedding limousine package
  • faBLOOMosity – FREE setup and delivery within city limits ($250 value)
  • Laugh Photo Booth – 15% off photo booth package ($75-165 value)
  • Novelle Bridal Shop – $100 certificate towards accessories with purchase of wedding dress
  • Pinkpolka Wedding Design – FREE seating chart with orders over $500 ($180 value), or FREE seating plus 15 tented menus/table numbers with orders over $1000 ($275 value)
  • Special Event Rentals – 10% off your rental order
  • …and more!

EXTENDED: Buy your tickets by January 20th for special Early Bird Pricing!

Date:          Sunday, February 3^rd, 2013
Time:          10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location:    Matrix Hotel (Amber Ballroom), 10640 100 Avenue
Presenter:  Jennifer Bergman, Lead Planner + Designer at Jennifer Bergman Weddings Inc.

Please note that there are a limited number of tickets available and you must pre-register for this event. Tickets will NOT be available at the door. For additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@JenniferBergmanWeddings.com or 780.298.8244.

Register Now!

Thank You To Our Event Partners!

It’s been a while since we’ve posted a Real Wedding, but that doesn’t mean they’re not happening! Over the past few months we’ve helped dozens of couples say I Do in style, and I can’t wait to share their beautiful weddings with you.

First up is a wedding that is near and dear to me as the bride and groom have been close friends of mine for years. Shannon + Nathan were married on a sunny day in July at St. Matthew Parish. Shannon looked stunning in her romantic lace gown (Grace by Maggie Sottero), accessorized with a gold sash and teardrop earrings.

Their reception at St. Albert Inn was full of touching toasts from family and friends, a ceremonial “screechin’ in” of the groom (he’s now an honorary Newfie!), and lots and lots of dancing! The gorgeous images you see below are courtesy of Jill Coursen Photography.

{A very special thank you to Jessica for coordinating the day so I could enjoy and celebrate with my close friends!}

A collection of family wedding photos were displayed outside the ballroom, while ornate gold frames showed guests to their seats. The centrepieces were a grouping of gold sprayed bottles and floating candles. The bride’s father handmade the chunky wooden table numbers which added a gorgeous contrast to the table décor!

The couple included a special thank you note at each place setting to let guests know how much their presence was valued. An expansive pink and gold sweet table included cupcakes, macarons, cake pops and a variety of tasty candies.

A huge congrats again to my dear friends – wishing you a lifetime of happiness together!

Jennifer
Edmonton Wedding Planner + Designer

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Credits:

• Wedding Coordination: Jennifer Bergman Weddings
• Photographer: Jill Coursen Photography
  
• Rentals: Arlene Yam Decor and Special Event Rentals
• Flowers: Flowers Alive
  
• Invitations + Stationery: Pinkpolka Wedding Design
• Reception Music: Baseline DJ
• Transportation: Esquire Limousines
• Gown: Bridal Début Edmonton
• Hair: Amber at Lavish Salon & Spa
• Makeup: Bella Mia Makeup

City and Dale is a local lifestyle blog devoted to delighting in what’s new, hot and undiscovered in the capital region – from fashion and style to tasty eats and local happenings. We were thrilled when editor Kendall Barber contacted us to be their wedding expert for a new series: The Edmonton Wedding Guide. The guide is chock-full of fabulous local vendors, unique venue ideas, and tips to help you along the way. Follow the links below to view the full posts and be sure to keep City and Dale on your list of regular reads.

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(1) Unique Edmonton Venue Ideas

• If you have a lot of out-of-town guests attending ensure there are hotel options nearby or be prepared to provide transportation for your travelling guests.
• Is having a rockin’ party one of your wedding priorities? If so, don’t forget to ask about noise restrictions and closing time.
• June through September is an extremely busy time for weddings in Canada and especially in Alberta where our warm weather is short-lived. If you are set on a summer date be prepared to begin planning at least 12 months in advance.

(2) Gowns, Baubles & Shoes

• Before trying on wedding dresses, do your hair and makeup as though you are going out for a nice dinner or a night on the town. It’ll give you a better idea of what the gown will look like on your big day.
• Your dress should complement your wedding location, season and style. Share these important details with your bridal consultant so he or she can help guide you towards choices that will work best.
• Break up your shopping trips – visit no more than two boutiques in a day. You don’t want to become overwhelmed or get confused. 

(3) Cakes, Flowers & Stationery

• When it comes to dessert, there’s no need to play it safe! Be bold and have some fun with your wedding cake’s design. This is a great area to incorporate your personalities and shared interests.
• If you’re on a tight budget, instead of cutting back on all flowers focus your floral funds on a few important areas: your bouquet, the head table, and a statement piece at the reception. These items will be in many photos throughout the day.
• Your invitations set the tone for your wedding’s style and level of formality. Ensure the design, typeface and wording reflect just that.

(4) Photographers – Who to Snap Your Big Day

• When choosing your professional wedding photographer make sure you see an entire wedding that they’ve shot. It’s also important that your personalities are compatible – you’ll be spending a lot of time with them on your wedding day!
• Allow enough time for your photos. Most photographers want at least 2 hours (3-4 is even better). Your wedding planner or coordinator will help ensure your wedding day schedule can accommodate this important photo time.
• Have an engagement session with your photographer. This is like a practice session for your wedding and will help you feel more comfortable when the big day arrives.

Jennifer
Edmonton Wedding Planner + Designer

Your wedding invitations and stationery should reflect the tone and level of formality of your event, but they should also reflect you: your style, your personalities and your relationship. After all, that’s what your guests are coming to celebrate!

I have the pleasure of working with Pinkpolka Wedding Design – Edmonton’s premiere wedding invitation and stationery boutique – for many of our clients’ events. Read on for owner Jenelle Gartner’s top tips when considering your wedding stationery.

Tell us about the stylish lady behind Pinkpolka Wedding Design!

I am Jenelle Gartner, the owner and designer of Pinkpolka Wedding Design. I have always been drawn to art and creating, so it was a natural progression that I chose a career in graphic design. I graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communications and a minor in Business and Marketing. Before starting Pinkpolka Wedding Design, I worked as a designer for corporate design studios gaining invaluable experience in commercial design and production.

I chose to start a boutique design firm specializing in wedding invitations and stationery because I have a distinct style for pretty and cute design. I also enjoy working on such happy and joyous projects which have so many creative elements such as unique paper, shapes and textures along with creative finishes that have limitless possibilities.

What does Pinkpolka offer?

Pinkpolka Wedding Design is a boutique design studio specializing in wedding invitations and stationery. We offer couples stylish and unique stationery options to turn their wedding into a beautifully branded event. We have a large collection of “Off-the-Rack” designs which offer couples a more affordable option of choosing an existing design and simply changing the color. We also provide coordinating stationery to an invitation suite including products such as place cards, menus, seating charts, table numbers, guest books, banners, signage, dance floor decals and thank you cards.

What makes Pinkpolka different?

With a background in commercial design, Pinkpolka was created to offer a fresh perspective to Edmonton’s wedding stationery market. First and foremost Pinkpolka is a design studio – not a stationery store. We pride ourselves on providing creative, non-traditional solutions to wedding stationery. We are not crafters or hobbyists so we take our business seriously and want all our couples to have a polished and professionally designed invitation suite. Choosing Pinkpolka Wedding Design means you are getting the experience and expertise of a professionally trained graphic designer who can provide solutions to any custom project. Some of our projects require hand-assembly, but all of our invitations and stationery are professionally printed and produced using the highest quality supplies.

What’s your favourite part about the stationery design process?

I have two favourite parts of the design process. The first is seeing a couple’s reaction when I present the mock-up of an invitation design. The excitement and happiness clients exude is priceless and makes my job extremely fulfilling. Most clients don’t know what to expect with custom design and when they finally see a visual of the concept we discussed it is usually more than they could have imagined. Seeing these reactions truly makes my day!

My second favourite part of the process is packaging a completed reception stationery order. Our company mission statement is to “create beautifully branded events” and this part of the process embodies that statement. It makes me so happy to see a perfectly coordinated suite of stationery including such items as menus, place cards, signage, favour tags and thank you cards!

What are some exciting stationery trends you’re seeing for weddings?

• Simplicity: A common trend this year was to keep things simple. A lot of couples decided to use a phone and email RSVP, rather than a traditional mail-back insert. Many designs this year used a postcard style invitation with an extra “info card” insert. The info card works well to include RSVP information, a wedding website and any other travel or event related information. In many cases the cost was quite low so clients could invest in some extra details such as envelope liners, cigar bands and metallic stock.
• Bold Typography: Couples have been gravitating to bold uses of typography – both in modern and traditional designs. Using this typography treatment creates quite the statement and demands attention!
• Customization: This year I have had a high number of custom orders. Our “Off-the-Rack” collection includes more than 75 invitation designs, but the majority of clients this year have wanted an invitation created with their own vision and style rather than choosing an existing design.

What are your top tips for brides and grooms when considering their wedding stationery?

• Figure out your style. Not all stationery designers are created equally. Similar to wedding photographers, stationery designers all have distinct styles. Do your homework and look at a company’s portfolio section to see if they are the right fit for you. You might also want to check each vendor’s pricing to see which one falls within your budget.
• Have a clear idea of what you want to spend. It is easy to become overwhelmed by all the beautiful wedding invitation designs and ideas out there. When you begin adding ‘extras’ like metallic paper, envelope liners and cigar bands, price can increase quite quickly. Know what you are willing to spend and prioritize what you are willing to compromise. Most of the time I will build quotes based on a couple’s ideal invitation and from there optional pieces can be eliminated to bring down the budget.
• Infuse your personality into your wedding stationery. I believe it’s important for couples to be true to themselves throughout the entire process of planning a wedding, especially when it comes to their wedding stationery. Too often, couples have a strong preference to certain colours and styles of invitations but want to make sure they conform to conventions they believe are proper. Social standards have evolved greatly and it’s more common for wedding invitations to be creative and customized to reflect the couple’s personality.

The invitations featured above are custom Pinkpolka designs for some of our 2011 clients. Check out their online portfolio to view even more stunning stationery suites!

Thanks for sharing, Jenelle!

Jennifer
Edmonton Wedding Planner

This is awesome – I just had to share!

Jennifer

Source: The Knot.