November 27, 2013

My Christmas Favourites

Since it’s almost December and just 28 days until Christmas I thought I’d post a few of my absolute favourite items!!

1. Hot Chocolate

As if any winter would be complete without hot chocolate and marshmallows in a cute to boot mug. I buy the Rolo hot chocolate from Superstore and it’s the best. I promise.

2. Mercury Votives

Me oh my, I’m obsessed with mercury votives. I own over 100 now… good thing I’m a planner or people would think I’m crazy. These ones are from West Elm (and are on sale right now!) and yes I have them.

3. Cute Pillows

Hello cuteness! This “Baby It’s Cold Outside” pillow can be found at your local Chapters/Indigo for $39.95.. I know, pricey for a pillow but if you buy 2 the second is 50% off!

4. DIY Wreathes

Yes, please. I plan to DIY these this week! My windows need them. Yes need.

5. Stocking & Brown Paper Wrapped Presents

Enough said.

6. Clothes Pin Advent Calendar

This is going on my “Projects to do when I feel like Martha” list.

7. Baskets & Blankets

Much to Royce’s dismay, I bought this amazing wicker blanket basket earlier this summer with wedding gift money and have kept it stocked high in fuzzy blanket coziness in my living room. You can’t go wrong with this. (Royce seems to think that you enter a new realm of adulthood when you buy wicker baskets… yeah, new realm of awesome.)

Happy Holiday Prepping!

xo,

Nicole

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@CREATEDLOVELYEVENTS

Phew. I did it. We took on a lot this year. More

Phew. I did it.

We took on a lot this year. More than ever before. A wedding season in COVID. Expanded into interior design work. Renovated. Shifted our lives with kids now in school (which has felt like the biggest struggle actually for me). And most importantly, stayed happy as an entrepreneur. Which seems so simple, but it’s hard to run multiple businesses under one roof when the world is constantly throwing wrenches at your livelihood. We stayed focused on our clients and found so much joy in seeing them experience their weddings and redesigned spaces. More of our clients were able to gather + connect than I’ve ever been able to serve in the past. And that’s so cool.

We fully booked our 2022 season. Fully booked my interior design side until Jan 15. And are almost done our list of Reno’s for the month. It feels so good. I’m so beyond grateful.

So I’m wrapping up my week and on Dec 3-Jan 3 it’s my turn to breathe a little lighter. Bake with the kids. Twinkle tour most nights a week. Play in the snow (god I hope we see some snow soon!) Rest. And be fully present.

While this didn’t need an announcement, I personally love seeing other entrepreneurs announce a break. Because to me it doesn’t represent burnout, it means our priorities are just where they should be. Work hard, play hard.

Moving into 2022 with another heart felt year. Thanks for being here with me 💕

Blush, white, and blue for this vineyard & lakevie

Blush, white, and blue for this vineyard & lakeview wedding at @oakestatewinery.

I loved the touch of black metal in the frame and vase for that little bit of contrast.

(An easy way to make a feminine airy palette like blush and white a bit less “girly” is to add that contrast in the stationery and vase. Skip the gold and go black.)

Pink babies breath- I never knew I loved babies br

Pink babies breath- I never knew I loved babies breath until this wedding. My mom says it smells like cat pee (😂 her and my dad owned a vet clinic in a small town when I was young) so maybe that tainted my view of it for years.

But now I love it for the volume, texture and whimsy it adds. Which is Exactly why @anewleaffloraldesign and I used it for this years @homesfortheholidaysylw. The first virtual viewing is this Saturday!! Who’s watching?!!

Would you believe me if I told you this was one of

Would you believe me if I told you this was one of my hardest weather days I ever had? Over 200 outdoor weddings and my only weddings I’ve ever needed to tent a ceremony were in June.

There’s a clear top tent over this reception at @fitzwine. I love a clear top on a bad weather day because it allows the light to still come through and glows particularly magically at night.

Outdoor weddings have so many more factors to consider than indoor- even getting food service from the kitchen to tent in rain is an issue. It’s why I don’t recommend maxing out a venue capacity if you can avoid it. It doesn’t leave enough room for tent walls to blow without hitting chairs (and they do blow) nor does it allow a backup plan if dancing or bar needs to fit under the tent too. (Usually sizing up the tent isn’t an option at a winery because there’s rarely unlimited reception space.)

The best weather plan you can make is being willing to shell out the budget for last minute tents/walls/heaters and not maxing out your space. You’ll thank yourself later if you need it.

This sweet couple now has 3 sweet children. It’s

This sweet couple now has 3 sweet children. It’s so rewarding to be a part of my clients’ wedding days, but it’s even better to see their updates on life’s adventures and kids and travel beyond their wedding day.

I had one couple announce their pregnancy yesterday with the same blue ribbon from her wedding bouquet to share it’s a boy 😭

Seeing my clients live out their vows is just so cool. I have the best job.

How soon do you need to be booking for 2023 in the $How soon do you need to be booking for 2023 in the Okanagan? That depends on how specific your ideal venue requirements are, but for vineyards, I’d say be very organized. There’s been a big shift from COVID where I’m seeing many of the venues, caterers, and florists bow out or drastically reduce the number of bookings they’re taking moving forward. Some venues will be taking a fraction of the events they used to, making it much more challenging to find an outdoor space with the capacity or last call you want. (Capacity + last call are almost always the #1 deal breaker for my clients choosing a space.) For this reason, I recommend looking into your planner sooner than you normally would so you know your venue options when their bookings open up. Many venues are planner mandatory so it works well to choose your planner and venue at a very similar time. This all being said, don’t panic. Just be organized. If you know you’re looking at 2023 in the Okanagan, do a little Instagram digging on weddings you love at those locations and be prepared to make a decision when they’re bookings release. (Often January or February, some are open now) Some reasons why this is happening: Caterers that also have restaurants need the wedding capacities to be high enough that they’re making enough money to be leaving the restaurant with staff that night to be at a wedding. COVID restrictions made that extremely challenging. Many vineyards have to close tasting rooms or restaurants for events which disrupts the tourism experience or can distract from the main focus of the winery. There’s also wear and tear, staffing, and passion to consider. Florist costs have risen, floral availability, and carrying costs of postponed weddings and reduced guest count/order sizes can drastically impact a florist. Overall though, entrepreneurs have personal and professional reasons for changing the course of their business and this shift can effect a niche luxury outdoor wedding market.$

Went to the dentist this morning with a toothache-

Went to the dentist this morning with a toothache- apparently I’ve cracked my molar. Dentist asks me, “do you grind your teeth at night?”

Me: “Yes. I’m a wedding planner during COVID.” 😂

So I guess a near root canal is the limit I’ll go to for my clients. 🦷 🥴 yikes.

One of my favorite seating charts we’ve ever don

One of my favorite seating charts we’ve ever done with @paperocelot and the building help of @roycesihlisphoto.

Way back in the day, Royce and I used to stain wood boards for signage on our deck of our condo late at night so no one would notice the smell 😂. Then we moved into our townhouse where custom projects were designed based on how much space we had in the garage to build. So when our current house was listed for sale with a big garage, that was one of our biggest considerations- we knew we’d always be making custom projects to some extent and would need the space. It’s actually one of my favorite parts of the design process is to create pieces people haven’t seen before and are easily my most liked and saved images. Like our champagne wall from years back! My next big project plan for next season is actually a custom kids playhouse that hybrids as a kids hangout nook. So that’ll be a big one!