Sterling + Heng were married on September 11, 2010 – precisely 11 years after they started dating! At the wedding, their family and friends shared the same sentiment: “It’s about time!” We worked together to plan their modern, urban wedding for just less than a year. I truly enjoyed Sterling + Heng’s relaxed demeanours and the strong friendship between these two high school sweethearts is evident.

Sterling and Heng decided they wanted a very unique, very urban ceremony location with a great view of the city. The top level of Windsor Carpark on the University of Alberta Campus was a perfect choice, and we lucked out with a clear day. When considering where to hold the reception, Edmonton’s Matrix Hotel stood out for the couple. It is definitely one of the most modern venues in the city and suited their wedding style perfectly.

Sterling had some awesome ideas in mind for the wedding (after all, she had quite a bit of time to think about it over the years)! Here’s a glimpse of their day captured beautifully (as always) by JDS Photography.

Sterling’s gorgeous bouquet designed by Best Buds (Oliver Square) included cascading white phalaenopsis orchids inset with ivory roses.

Ceremony chairs perfectly placed by the team at Special Event Rentals.

The adorable fairy flower girls and the cutest ring bearer ever – Sterling and Heng’s son. This boy’s going to break some hearts!

Just married!

The handsome groom!

Sterling was a stylishly stunning bride and her accessories perfectly reflected her personality!

Matrix Hotel’s Quartz Ballroom was decorated beautifully in black & white damask accented with turquoise. Alternating centrepieces of white ostrich and peacock feathers sat atop eiffel vases glowing with turquoise lights. Single white carnation blooms in flower tubes were hung from the light structures in the ballroom, creating an amazing chandelier effect!

Small wooden elephants, symbolizing strength and good luck in Chinese culture, were placed on the tables for guests to take home.

Sterling + Heng’s modern wedding invitations and reception stationary were created by PinkPolka Wedding Design.

Sterling, Heng: thank you for allowing us to be a part of your wonderful day. All the best for the future!

Jennifer + Sarah
Edmonton Wedding Planners

{Featured! This wedding was recently featured on Wedding Obsession.}

It’s been a busy month! In addition to helping three amazing couples get married this October, I had the privilege of working with an all-star team of vendors to design a stylized shoot…which, to our excitement, is featured on Style Me Pretty today!

Jenelle Gartner (owner of PinkPolka Wedding Design) and I had been itching to work together on a shoot for a while, and when the fabulous Radelle from Eternal Reflections Photography mentioned she wanted to do a shoot in the fall, we met for lattes and got started! Bringing Janine and James from La Piazza Dasee on board was the obvious next step – the florals and rustic table details are exquisite! Visit the Style Me Pretty feature here to see the stunning images and read about how it all came together.

Millions of thanks to the talented vendors who contributed to the shoot!

• Event Design and Styling: Jennifer Bergman Weddings and PinkPolka Wedding Design
• Photography: Radelle from Eternal Reflections Photography
• Floral Design: La Piazza Dasee
• Stationary Design: PinkPolka Wedding Design
• Chairs & Dinnerware: Special Event Rentals
• Models: Jill Billingsley and Levi McIsaac
• Hair / Makeup: Perugia Salon & Spa
• Bride’s Gown: YBF2
• Bride’s Shoes: Taxi
• Bride’s Ring: Georgie Designs
• Clutch: Bella Fiore
• “Love” Hanger: The Painted House and More
• Groom’s Suit: Vintage Ralph Lauren
• Custom Made Tie: Tie Obsessed
• “Edmonton” Cufflinks: Arete

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Hope you like it as much as we do!

Jennifer

Still hunting for the perfect venue to hold your reception? The Matrix Hotel is one of the newest and most modern hotels in Edmonton. I had the pleasure of chatting with Matrix Hotel’s Catering Manager, Nancy Holan (WPICC), about what makes the Matrix such a unique space for weddings.

Edmonton's Matrix Hotel - Main Lobby

Why is Matrix Hotel a great wedding venue in Edmonton?

Matrix Hotel is the proud recipient of the Greater Edmonton Chapter MPI Event Management Award: 2010 Venue of the Year! Not only do we take pride in our food and service, but the aesthetics of the hotel display upbeat, modern designs and cool décor.

Our Quartz and Amber Ballrooms are perfect for weddings. Both feature 30 feet of floor length windows with silk coverings. As natural light is not commonly found in hotel ballrooms, this is a very unique feature that appeals to many brides and grooms. As well, our hardwood dance floors provide your guests with the ultimate dancing experience.

What spaces does Matrix Hotel have available to accommodate weddings?

• The Quartz Ballroom holds 200 guests for dinner and dancing;
• The Amber Ballroom holds 100-110 for dinner and dancing;
• The Prism Banquet room holds 48 people for a dinner.

Edmonton's Matrix Hotel - Quartz Ballroom

One of the most important components of a wedding is the food. Tell us a bit about what sets Matrix Hotel apart from other wedding venues in regards to cuisine.

Matrix Hotel is very proud of our culinary team and the absolutely delicious creations provided to our guests on a continuous basis. Award-winning Executive Chef Emmanuel David is always open to working with couples to create custom menus and recipes.

Does Matrix Hotel offer any special “extras” for the newlyweds?

Absolutely! Our brides and grooms receive a complimentary suite the night of the wedding, valet parking and deluxe continental breakfast for two. For their guests, we offer a guestroom rate reduction at $10.00 off our regular rate and we’re more than happy to provide special menus for guests with allergies or specific dietary requirements.

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I worked with Nancy on a wedding held at Matrix Hotel in September and both the food and service were exceptional. Stay tuned for photos from that wedding in the coming weeks!

Jennifer

Megan + Derek were married in September at Convocation Hall on the University of Alberta campus. They chose to take photos before the ceremony with the fabulous Shaun and Stephanie from Scade Photography. Doing photos first is a great idea for a lot of reasons!

After the ceremony, guests made their way over to the U of A Faculty Club for cocktails, dinner and dancing. Megan + Derek incorporated some really unique touches into their reception to personalize the day:

• Instead of a traditional guestbook, friends and family shared their well wishes and advice with the newlyweds using a vintage typewriter!
• The guest favours were wrapped in mini Chinese take-out boxes and contained a fortune cookie and a Big Foot gummy candy to represent the couple (Derek used to play volleyball for the U of A Golden Bears and as you can see from the photos below, he was a pretty good blocker)!
• Megan + Derek made two wardrobe changes throughout the night…first, traditional Chinese attire; then Megan sported a shorter white dress so she could dance the night away!

Special thanks to Krista and Gayeung for doing an awesome job coordinating the day!

A stunning ring on a pair of stunning shoes – can’t get better than this!

The “first look” reveal at the Hotel Macdonald – I just love their reactions!

Megan is adorable. I think Derek agrees!

Megan + Derek grew their own wheatgrass for the centrepieces!

Check out more amazing images from Megan + Derek’s day on the Scade Photography blog.

All the best, you two!

Jennifer, Krista and Gayeung
Edmonton Wedding Planners

Photo Credit: Scade Photography

Newly engaged in Edmonton and wondering how to start the wedding planning process? You’re in luck! I have partnered with Novelle Bridal Shop to hold a few intimate evening seminars for you beautiful brides-to-be. This is a great chance to have some of your most pressing wedding planning questions answered and to check out Novelle’s stunning 2011 bridal gown collection.

The sessions will take place on November 1st, 3rd and 8th beginning at 7:00 PM. There are limited spots available so hurry and contact Novelle Bridal Shop to confirm your attendance at one of the seminars!

Email: info@novellebridal.com
Phone: 780.761.0888

Hope to see you there!

Jennifer

I am delighted to be featured as the Special Event Rentals Planner of the Month for October!

As part of the feature, I was invited to design a table in their showroom which will be on display until the end of the month. An earthy colour palette of green, ivory, bronze and gold is anchored by sleek black chiavari chairs and matching dinnerware. The lace overlay and romantic rosette details on the backs of the chairs and in the wine glasses add vintage undertones to the look.

Check out the Special Event Rentals website and pop in to their showroom located at 6010-99 Street (Edmonton, AB) to start planning the décor for your upcoming wedding.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

Jennifer
Edmonton Wedding Planner

When I first started working with Tracy + Troy they weren’t exactly sure what they wanted for their wedding, but they knew it had to be very unique. As plans developed, we decided to break tradition and throw a chic cocktail party reception in Shaw Conference Centre’s gorgeous Riverview Room.

Following a beautiful outdoor ceremony at Devonian Botanic Gardens, Tracy + Troy’s guests were greeted at the reception with champagne, live music and delicious hors d’oeuvres. In lieu of standard wedding favours, guests were given portraits of themselves drawn live by two talented caricature artists – Gerry Rasmussen and Laurél Hawkswell. This was a big hit!

The stunning photos below were taken by Sam and Natasha of Sam Ng Photography – they are always so wonderful to work with! Enjoy this look at Tracy + Troy’s stylish day:

Tracy purchased her gorgeous gown from Novelle Bridal Shop.

I know…stunning shoes!

…but Troy would not be outdone!

Terry McDade played the harp beautifully at the ceremony.

All flowers – including these awesome pomander balls – were created by La Piazza Dasee.

As a tribute to her Scottish heritage, Tracy was piped down the aisle by a family friend and escorted by her father who wore a traditional kilt.

Gorgeous!

Tracy and her beautiful bridesmaids carried feather parasols that came in handy on this hot, sunny day.

A champagne ice sculpture allowed guests to keep their glasses filled all night.

Guests took their caricature drawings home in tubes that Tracy wrapped in black and white patterned paper.

Instead of a head table, we setup a V.I.P. lounge area for the bridal party to visit with guests.

Uber-modern lampshade centrepieces worked perfectly with the room and vibe of the party.

Tracy, Troy: it was an absolute pleasure working with you to design your urban chic wedding. All the very best to you both as you begin this new chapter in your lives!

Jennifer
Edmonton Wedding Planner

Photo Credit: Sam Ng Photography

Holly + Ben are one of the most relaxed couples I have worked with! They are both so easygoing and calm – there was no doubt in my mind that they would enjoy their wedding day to the fullest.

Their outdoor ceremony was held at Ben’s family acreage just outside of Devon, AB. The property was absolutely beautiful as the family had worked hard all year preparing for the wedding. Their efforts definitely paid off – the lawn was perfectly manicured and gorgeous flowers were in bloom everywhere! Here’s a shot of the lovely trellis that served as the focal point for Holly + Ben’s ceremony:

Holly + Ben chose a really unique format for their wedding reception. After the ceremony they held a private dinner for their bridal party in the Fantasyland Hotel’s L2 Grill before heading upstairs to join guests at their cocktail reception. This gave them the opportunity to spend some quality time with their closest friends.

Here’s a look at Holly + Ben’s relaxed, fun-loving day, courtesy of Shandro Photo:

Check out Shandro Photo’s blog post on Holly + Ben’s special day, and while you’re there be sure to spend some time looking at their awesome work!

Jennifer

Photo Credit: Shandro Photo.