Although most wedding professionals are a combination of the three, each have specific duties when it comes to what wedding services they provide. Here are the differences between the them:

A wedding designer is responsible for the overall visual aesthetic of the wedding. Designers think in terms of the big picture. They generate the wedding design and decor concept and how that concept will be threaded through each visual element. Often they will work in conjunction with florists, lighting technicians, and photographers to create the look and feel of the event.

A wedding planner is a responsible for planning the logistical elements that bring your wedding vision to life and is involved from the very beginning of the planning process. Depending on the level of service they are commissioned for, a wedding planner will assist with budget creation and management, venue selection, vendor referrals, wedding day timeline, seating arrangements, and so on. They can also act as a trusted advisor on everything wedding related and a shoulder to lean on. A wedding planner will also coordinate the day as well, since they are highly involved with the planning.

A wedding coordinator is not deeply involved with planning the wedding. Their primary duty is to be there on the day and ensure that it runs smoothly and according to plan. You often hear them referred to as day-of-coordinators. Many jump in a month before the wedding to finalize the last minute details, confirm vendor obligations, create a timeline, and oversee the set-up of the décor. Many wedding planners offer wedding coordination serves to their clients as part of their service package. But be aware that wedding coordinators/day-of-coordinators are very different from venue coordinators. 

A venue coordinators or event manager is hired by the venue to ensure your wedding follows the rules and regulations of the space. They may help with your timeline but more often than not they will not help you with set-up or troubleshooting. Most importantly, a venue coordinator works for the venue; their job is to answer your questions about the venue and assist you with your venue layout. They are someone you may contact if you need extra reassurance about the details of your wedding venue, however, their loyalty is to the venue. Their job does not include all the other details that go into planning your wedding.

Wedding coordinators and venue coordinators work side-by-side one another to make sure everyone flows smoothly. But if you want someone who will cue your bridal party, bustle your dress, or set-up décor, I suggest hiring a wedding coordinator not associated with your venue. When thinking about hiring a wedding designer, planner, and coordinator it’s important to understand what your needs and desires are and which potential companies provide the type of services you want. Happy Planning!

You can contact Shannon directly at shannon@kennedyevents.ca

You’ve got the guy, set the date & found the dress and now you find yourself scrambling all over our little city to complete your look. Not to worry ladies! We have some am-ah-zing accessories from two of our favorites in the biz and they will be arriving at the boutique next month!

We have a sneak preview of gorgeous bracelets and earrings created by Haute Bride already at the boutique ready to find a new home! Not to mention, sparkly swarovski crystals & rhinestones will be dripping all over Luxe on May 24th – 27th for the Haute Bride Trunk Show. Please keep in mind, this event is by appointment so don’t miss out on your chance to view the collection of stunning pieces that you will cherish for a lifetime.

So, now that we’ve covered jewels, we cant forget about your locks! Ladies, hold on to your hats as we introduce Blair Nadeau Millinery as a must have for your wedding day.

A Canadian girl, Blair creates her pieces in Toronto, ON and has a spectacular eye for detail and uses only the finest materials in her pieces. Not to mention, she is one rad chic. Look for some of Blair’s beautiful pieces on the shelves at Luxe this Spring.

Ok girls, we are thrilled to be hosting our first ever Coren Moore ‘Maids Trunk Show here at the boutique.  This is the perfect opportunity to score a 100% silk gown made in the oh-so fabulous NYC for 15% off PLUS a free sash. You’re welcome.

We always hear about fancy schmancy celeb weddings on twitter, facebook, blogs and even on CNN. Everything from the tv primetime Kardashian affair (then the split), or Beyonce’s secret nuptials. 2million dollar engagement rings and $100,000 wedding gowns. I imagine the guest list to include the likes of Donald Trump, PDiddy and even Justin Beiber. I do wonder…with the paparazzi and the helicopters flying overhead…does anyone have FUN at these over priced, elaborate affairs?

I dont know about Will and Kate, but it looks like the guests at this recent wedding had a blast and a good laugh.

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF9XBYHrwtk

This spring we had the pleasure of meeting several wedding professionals right here in our little neighborhood through the ByWard Market Wedding Association which consists of a select group of like minded and very talented businesses who specialize in…well you guessed it…weddings!

It was here I met the very funny and talented Andrew Van Beek; a stellar photography professional who shares my enjoyment of Bridgehead beverages.

Somehow I managed to convince Andrew to do a series of stylized shoots featuring his above-mentioned stellar photography, our Luxe gowns and various other talented pros in our industry.

Here’s a glimpse of our first shoot at the Ottawa Convention Centre (huge thanks to Lianna!) featuring our gorgeous model Nisara wearing a knock out Pattis Bridal gown.

Another special thanks to Delilah Haggar of Esthetics & Makeup By Delilah, Kathy of Cut + Blo and More Flowers for their amazing contributions.

Enjoy!

It’s our favorite time of year at Luxe Bridal for our ‘Maids! Coren Moore is having her annual Fall Promotion starting TODAY until October 31! All of her ‘Maids dresses are a whopping 15% off and any orders of 8 or more (of the same style) are 18% off! This year Coren Moore has opted to sweeten the pot and every dress comes with a *FREE!* 3′ sash. Dont miss out on this awesome promotion – brides..your girls will thank you for it!

My husband Ryan sent me an amazing video today about a man and woman from Essex, ON who got married two weeks ago. Ok, so what, you may ask. That’s not entirely news worthy one might say. But then I would argue that the amazing-ness stems from the idea that the bride had no idea she was walking into her own wedding! Geez, the woman wasn’t even engaged yet! And then I would add that the best part is; she planned the whole darn thing and didn’t even realize it. I love this video! Operation White Cake is a GO!

This whole scenario got me thinking that if I was to help surprise my best friend’s fiance with their wedding what would I choose for her?! Talk about wedding bliss! What dress would she choose if she was shopping? What about colour?! Naturally, I figured she may want to have more than one option and why not?! So here are the dresses I would chose from Luxe Bridal on her big day. (In no particular order )

1. Amy Kuschel’s tulle tea length dress, Paige
2. Robert Bullock’s sexy & sophisticated lace number, Firra (which looks amazing with a belt!)
3. Kitty Chen’s fabulous fit and flare Charlotte

Recently, Luxe Bridal had the good sense to host the launch party for Halftone Media; an album design company created for busy professional photographers. Halftone Media was founded by one of Ottawa’s sweethearts; none other than Liz Bradley of elizabeth&jane photography. (Her website is adorably captivating. We love her and her work!)The event was catered to Ottawa’s amazing pool of photography talent, whereby Maddy and I had the pleasure of putting many faces to the fellow tweeters we have been chatting with over the past 12 months.  Among those was Amy Symes of Amy Symes Photography who (spoiler alert!) happened to bring her camera (whoa!) and took some wonderful candid shots of our boutique (please see below!)

The event was produced by Amy Karlin of Splendid Events who just happens to be one of our favorite planners in the city (Amy not only enjoys organizing the lives of busy professionals and planning splendid weddings but the occasional mohito as well). We have had the pleasure of working with Amy on several occasions and we are so pumped to have her planning our 1st anniversary bash this September…(more info coming soon!)

For us, spring is our favorite time of year at the boutique. The new gown styles are rolling in and we can barely stand the anticipation. Let’s just say, we love the UPS guy.

One of my personal favorites is en route from Amy Kuschel’s workshop in San Francisco and Eureka!; it’s freaking fabulous.

Eureka! is soft and classic ballgown with a 50′s vibe which looks sweet yet chic against a back drop of the vibrant colours found in classic comic books and on the periodic table.

We just added the Liz Fields bridesmaid and bridal line to our roster of talent at Luxe and we chose one of her floor length strapless chiffon numbers which pairs nicely with an utterly amah-zing (I am obsessed with Happy Endings) red heart shaped swarovski crystal clutch.

I am also a sucker for a man in converse and I got a huge kick out of these kicks with ‘groom’ embroidered on a light blue pair. Love!

The past few weeks at Luxe Bridal have been wild and crazy to say the least! Our clients are pouring in to pick up their gowns and alterations are in full swing. We love spring!

Our new collections for fall 2011 are starting to arrive and we are so excited to show off these amazing pieces. As always, you won’t find any of these dresses anywhere else in the city and in this case anywhere east of Calgary.

We are pleased to introduce you to Fillmore, one of Amy Kuschel’s latest creations. This silk taffeta gown is constructed by hand in San Francisco and exudes a stunning breath of sophistication. In the spirit of spring, we paired it with a lovely robin’s egg blue and vibrant chartreuse. Naturally we added a pair of crystal drop earrings created and designed by Ottawa’s very own Isobel Walker of Bel Bridal. We added a sparkling swarovski crystal clutch and a lovely pearl and silver brooch which is available by special order at Luxe.