Welcome Wagon Goes Bridalicious in Cambridge

Obtain the bridal resources needed to get your wedding plans started. Welcome Wagon invites engaged couples to our annual Bridal Showcase on October 4, 2010, 6PM – 9PM, at the Armenian Community Centre, 15 International Village Drive in Cambridge, ON.

This one-day bridal event puts fiancées in touch with local wedding professionals in one central location. With many beautiful exhibitor displays, brides can access many bridal services to make their dream weddings a reality. Large, overwhelming wedding events can create unwanted stress, but a leisurely walk through our intimate, charming bridal showcase can place engaged couples at ease and put ideas and concepts into perspective.

Our show offers a day of 'bridalious' fun. The first 100 brides-to-be greeted at our registration table will receive a free biodegradable gift bag filled with wedding goodies. Exciting door prizes are given out throughout our event. One bride-to-be will have the opportunity to win a 5-hour ‘Night On The Town’ limousine service, courtesy of Brentwood Livery. Meet our MC, an on-air radio personality from Rogers Kitchener Radio Group. A fashion show showcasing the latest in Bridal Gowns, Dresses, Formalwear, Accessories and Music will be a feast for the eyes and ears, courtesy of Simply Irresistible, Tuxedo Royale, and Spin Doctor Productions. And brides-to-be also have a chance to win an exciting honeymoon to a sun destination, courtesy of Today's Bride Magazine.

Admission is free for bride and one guest but registration is highly suggested and walk-ins are welcome. Call 1-877-675-8463 or online at www.welcomewagon.ca for more information and to register. Available to all brides-to-be, while quantities last: FREE Parking, a FREE Today`s Bride Magazine, a FREE Bridal Planner, a FREE Bridal Guide, and plenty of FREE information from local Bridal Professionals.

Welcome Wagon...Making Wedding Dreams a Reality!

Wonderful Time of the Year: Bridal Show Season

Yes, it`s that time in the year where the birds are singing, the weather is beautiful and bridal shows are pending. There are lots of wedding events to choose from. Many require an admission, others are free. These showcases range from small, boutique events to huge spectacular soirees. Which one to attend is more according to one`s tastes, availability and budget.

In the coming weeks, I will be writing about upcoming bridal events particularly within Waterloo Region in Ontario, Canada.

Congratulations to the engaged: you are now embarking on the journey of a lifetime and just getting started. Enjoy this wonderful adventure.

Bridal Show 101

It’s bridal show season! Some of these events can be hectic and overwhelming while others can be intimate and relaxing. I’ve created a list of 11 helpful tips to make your bridal visit a wedding show success.

1. Wear comfy shoes! Leave the heels at home and put on your comfy runners. You’ll be walking and standing with other brides-to-be for hours.

2. Create a plan of attack. Find the list of attending vendors in advance (this should be available on the bridal show’s website). Know who’ll be there and if you need their services.

3. Carry a big tote. Most shows will give you a bag to carry but in some cases it can be a while before you get one! All the vendors will have cards, pamphlets and samples so they’ll be eager to supply them to you.

4. Create an email specifically for your wedding. Instead of having your regular email filled with wedding information, create one especially for your wedding using the free emails available online. Ie. mandyswedding@hotmail.com or suegettinghitched@gmail.com

5. Bring address labels for draws. Instead of wasting time filling out forms, just slap a pre-made label on them. It should include your name, address, postal code, phone number, email and wedding date.

6. Bring a pen and paper. You’ll want to jot down notes and exchange information with some of the wedding vendors. It’s best to record the information immediately so you aren’t left scratching your head later on.

7. Leave your entourage at home. It’s a better bet to bring one or two people whose opinions you value versus a chaotic, albeit, well-meaning posse of ladies.

8. Find out the times of the fashion shows. At most wedding expos the fashion show seating will be given on a first-come first-serve basis. You may want to claim a good seat beforehand.

9. Go during down times. Bridal shows that run from Friday to Sunday are generally not so busy on Friday and the most hectic on Saturday. Fewer future brides equals more time for vendors to talk with you. NOTE: There is very little down time in one-day events: show up early or on time, otherwise you may lose out on great event opportunities.

10. Know what to ask. Bridal shows are an ideal way to find the vendor that’s right for you. There is less pressure to commit and you will have time to think about other options if you wish.

11. Enjoy yourself. Planning a wedding can be stressful but it should be lots of fun! Enjoy your time at the bridal event; it should be exciting and inspiring.

Here Comes the Bride…

Welcome Wagon prepares for another wedding show in Kitchener

Despite the downturn in the Canadian economy, beautiful weddings are in the making as brides-to-be will once again meet for Kitchener’s Welcome Wagon Fall Bridal Showcase. This intimate wedding show will be held at Kitchener City Hall, 200 King Street West in Kitchener on September 13, 2009 from 1PM – 4PM.

Free gift bags, bridal magazines and wedding planners will be given to brides (while quantities last). As well, brides will have the opportunity to win the grand door prize of a luxurious 5-hour Girls’ Night-Out limousine service, generously provided by Brentwood Livery.

More than 20 exhibitors will be represented at this intimate wedding show.
"Couples still want to get married and tend to find creative, fun ways to fashion their big day even in this slower economy," says Susan Casey, Welcome Wagon’s Kitchener Bridal Event Coordinator.

Among the show highlights included is a fashion show by Sophie’s Gown Shoppe, Tuxedo Royale, Frey’s Flowers and Complete Music. Brides can look forward to winning exciting door prizes, and there is a chance to win an exciting dream honeymoon to the Bahamas, courtesy of Today's Bride Magazine. “If you’re planning to be married or know someone that is, come meet our exhibitors at Kitchener’s Welcome Wagon Bridal Showcase. It will be time well invested,” Ms Casey said. For your free invitation, please visit www.bridalshowcase.ca or call 1-877-675-8463 to register.

Exhibitor opportunities for Welcome Wagon’s Bridal Showcase are still available. Space is limited. Don't hesitate to contact Susan Casey at 1-519-658-0687 or suezavon@sympatico.ca.

About Welcome Wagon Ltd.
Welcome Wagon is a community-based service which welcomes new arrivals and contacts new parents, brides-to-be and new businesspeople with information on local businesses and services. The Welcome Wagon organization has over 1200 Representatives across Canada. Since 1930, it has served over 500 communities. For more information about Welcome Wagon Ltd, please visit their Web site: www.welcomewagon.ca.

Contact:
Susan Casey, Kitchener Event Coordinator, Welcome Wagon, +1-519-658-0687 or suezavon@sympatico.ca.

Save the Date: Upcoming Brides' Ball

Save the date... The Kitchener Brides' Ball has been set for Friday, June 19th, 2009 - and this year, it's going glam!

The Brides' Ball will take over Elements on King Street for an evening, filling up the venue with men and women in bridal gowns, bridesmaids dresses, tuxes and sexy suits. Think 'celebrity after-party' meets The Brides' Ball.

The event will run from 7:30 pm to 2 am and include cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, dancing, the 'tiara shop' and more. An online auction of products and services donated by local retailers and wedding professionals is scheduled to go live in May. Being held downtown and on a Friday night will allow even more people to attend this year - with the guest list set at 200.
The Kitchener Brides' Ball gives women of all ages and marital status a fabulous reason to ‘don a tiara’ and feel like a princess for the night. With tag lines like ‘Wear your gown again’ and ‘Tiara’s mandatory’ the dress code of the event is ‘Bridal or Formal’ meaning bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, ball gowns, cocktail dresses, suits and tuxedos are all welcome attire at The Brides’ Ball. "Every woman wants to wear her wedding gown again. And every man wants to play Prince Charming once in a while," says Anne Warren, Sales Director for TheWeddingRing.ca and Producer of The Ball. Warren, who is planning to wear a bridal gown, says, "After all, we spend a small fortune on a dress that we only get to wear once and we're very emotionally attached to it…" TheWeddingRing.ca had been looking for an excuse to let brides wear their gowns again when they developed The Brides’ Ball. "It was the perfect opportunity for a community of women - and their soul mates - to get all dressed up and experience a night they’ll always remember, in support of a great cause."

Tiara Shop Cocktails Hors D'oeuvres Dancing Donations Silent Auctions
Raffles & Prizes Grand Prize Online Auction Entertainment
Tuxedo-Lounge & Brandy Bar On-site Photo Booth Video to Air on RingTV
Plenty of Free Parking


QUICKER, BETTER & EARLIER BREAST CANCER SCREENING, CLOSE TO HOME
The Brides' Ball will prove there's strength in numbers. Awareness and funds will be raised for the Waterloo-Wellington Breast Centre (WWBC) at the Grand River Hospital. The WWBC is home to a regional breast assessment service and the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP), where patients are referred to by physicians and radiologists when abnormalities are detected. The OBSP service enables patients access to the new digital mammography technology, that has been proven better at detecting breast cancer in younger women, pre-menopausal women and women with dense breast tissue. By supporting the screening program and the clinic, we're able to help increase screening for all women in the Waterloo-Wellington region and provide quicker assessment for all women.

WHO
Everyone is invited - Company owners and their staff, brides & grooms, married couples, single ladies (pull that bridesmaid gown out of your closet!) and friends are welcome to don a tiara at The Brides' Ball.

DRESS CODE
Bridal or Formal. Last year's events saw tuxedos, suits, bridal gowns, bridesmaids' gowns and cocktail dresses.

TICKETS
Tickets are $30 each.
The Ball runs from 7:30 pm to 2 am.

BUY TICKETS ONLINE Click Here
BUY TICKETS BY PHONE 519-568-8007.
BUY TICKET IN PERSON A list of additional Ticket Ambassadors
will be available in May 2009.

HELP
A volunteer committee will be hitting the streets and The Ball to help raise awareness, funds, sponsors and ticket sales for The Brides' Ball and its cause. If you'd like to join The Brides' Ball team, contact bridesball@theweddingring.ca This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 519-568-8007. You can reach Event Coordinator, Anne Warren, directly at anne@theweddingring.ca This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 519-851-9889 as well.

The team at TheWeddingRing.ca and The Brides' Ball are encouraging every local business, retailer, wedding vendor and member of the community to take part in the event. There are endless opportunities to give back, either by attending or by sponsoring The Brides’ Ball or by running promotions in-store with proceeds towards The Brides' Ball event efforts.

If you have products or services to donate to the event, the online auction, the silent auction or more, please contact us!

The Bride's Ball is produced by TheWeddingRing.ca
Wedding Ring Inc. (also known as TheWeddingRing.ca or ‘The Ring’) is an Ontario-based media company that has been in business for nearly six years. The Ring interviews and reviews wedding vendors and trends from London to Toronto, offering their information free of charge to brides – online at TheWeddingRing.ca and in print in Bridal News Magazine. The Ring has a large membership of brides, with several million page views a year to their website. Their corporate office can be reached at 519-568-8007 or 1-877-203-3338 of by visiting www.theweddingring.ca

The Brides' Ball is co-produced by Pure Potential Weddings.

Welcome Wagon Gets Ready To Tie The Knot

Say “I do” to Waterloo Region’s exciting wedding event!

Welcome Wagon, the Canada's largest and most respected greeting service, will host a Bridal Showcase on Sunday, March 8, 2009 from 1pm - 4pm at Kitchener City Hall located at 200 King Street West in downtown Kitchener, ON. Brides and grooms will have the opportunity to meet and discuss their big day with many wedding professionals while discovering the latest wedding products and services.An elegant fashion show will be presented by A Moment In Time Bridal Boutique and Tuxedo Royale. Brides and their guests will be able to get an up close look at the gowns and formal wear in this intimate setting. Featuring unique displays and showcasing some of Kitchener's leading wedding professionals, Welcome Wagon’s Bridal Showcase also offers thousands of dollars in door prizes will be given to some very fortunate attendees. During the Welcome Wagon Bridal Showcase, one lucky bride-to-be will win the Grand Prize, a romantic one-night getaway, compliments of Best Western St Jacob Country Inn of Waterloo, ON. All attending brides-to-be will have a chance to win a romantic honeymoon getaway courtesy of Today’s Bride magazine. All brides-to-be will receive a free gift bag, filled with wedding products and services, plus a free current copy of Today’s Bride magazine and a free wedding planner (while quantities last).

"Brides have so many important arrangements and decisions to make before their wedding day…it can be overwhelming. This intimate bridal show gives them the brilliant opportunity to discuss their wedding dreams and interview the wedding experts personally," says Welcome Wagon Event Coordinator, Susan Casey. "Brides and grooms will have a chance to sample delicious cakes, view the photographer's work, meet the DJ, smell gorgeous fresh flowers, plan their honeymoon, pick a reception site, secure guest accommodations and a lot more—all in one day, at one location." Admission is free but by invitation only. Please call us to register at 1-877-675-8463 or visit us online at www.bridalshowcase.ca.

Exhibitor opportunities for Kitchener’s Welcome Wagon Bridal Showcase are still available—please contact Susan Casey at 519-658-0687 or info@welcomewagon.ca.

About Welcome Wagon Ltd.
Welcome Wagon is a community-based service which welcomes new neighbours and contacts new parents, brides-to-be and new businesspeople with information on local businesses and services. The Welcome Wagon organization has over 1200 Hostesses across Canada. Since 1930, it has served over 500 communities. For more information about Welcome Wagon Ltd, please visit their Web site: www.welcomewagon.ca.

Surprise, Surprise...NOT

In continuation of the last blog, as promised here is the 2 Strangers and a Wedding update. I believe this was a well-rehearsed publicity stunt--it worked, didn't it? What's your opinion?




Two winners of a Calgary matchmaking contest decide not to get married

Calgary Herald
Thursday, October 30, 2008
CREDIT: Leah Hennel/Calgary Herald


Jeff Weber and Kimberly McCorkell decide not to marry after seeing one another for the first time at the wedding ceremony for 'Two Strangers and a Wedding', contest held by Calgary radio station Energy 101.5 at Canada Olympic Park.


CALGARY - Two winners of a Calgary matchmaking contest which tested the "love is blind"theory decided not to get hitched at first sight Thursday morning.


KimberlyMcCorkell, a 34-year-old case worker, and Jeff Weber, a 24-year-old Universityof Calgary economics student were set to get married Thursday at 8 a.m. at Canada Olympic Park as part of Energy 101.5's Two Strangers and a Wedding Contest.


At the altar in front of 180 guests and media, both decided they need to wait and get to know each other better.


In recent weeks, McCorkell's ex-boyfriend Craig Nelson launched a public appeal to win her back. He was at the wedding but left after the announcement. McCorkell and Weber both said if Nelson weren't still in the picture they would have married each other Thursday morning.


© Calgary Herald 2008

What Happened to the Sanctity of Marriage?

I found this article and was stunned silent. How this is happening nowadays is beyond me. Surely this farce is being denounced. No amount of money or prizes can replace marrying for love. I can imagine the Suffergites, feminists and every vicar, minister and priest are having a field day about this situation. Read the article and give an opinion. As soon as I see the results of this radio promotion, I'll update the situation.





I Do Day: Monday Bride makes her big decision

Robin Summerfield
For The Calgary Herald


Thursday, October 30, 2008


The Canadian divorce rate hovers at about 40 per cent. It's important to keep that in mind when considering the following story.


This morning at 8, two strangers -- a 34-year-old bride and her 24-year-old groom -- are set to sign on the dotted line as part of a month-long promotion by a Calgary radio station.


They will be introduced at the altar and may or may not decide to get married.


And if that weren't odd enough, a former live-in boyfriend wants the bride back. The 40-year-old launched a website (iheartmondaybride.ca), put up a billboard declaring his love, and hopes she chooses him.


They all have cute nicknames: Monday's Bride, Monday's Groom, or Manday, and Forever Groom, the ex. (Their real identities have been a closely guarded secret.)


It seems the stuff of a bad romantic comedy but it's very real for the three people in the triangle.
"In some ways it will be a certain way of getting closure on the issue," the ex says of this morning's wedding, which he will be attending. "I'm still kind of hoping she pulls me out of the crowd and marries me on the spot."


In late September, Energy 101.5 launched Two Strangers and a Wedding. Billed as a social experiment to test the love-is-blind theory, the station picked one bride from 52 applicants. A field of 35 grooms was whittled to five. Everyone went through extensive background checks and tests.


On Monday, the bride picked her groom, a 24-year-old former professional athlete, but also admitted she is torn about her ex. They are still very close and he initially encouraged her to enter the contest, she says.


Yet, that night, the radio-matched pair got their marriage licence in a well-orchestrated "first date" at the registry office. Both wore blindfolds and their conversation was taped for the station.


"This is a very unique situation. It should be every girl's dream, but it's gruelling, it's agonizing. You don't want to hurt anybody and you don't want to get hurt yourself," says the bride, a case worker in Calgary.


"There's really no way to make everyone happy," says the groom. "I think it's important that we don't get caught up in the hype but look at the big picture. I honestly believe this may work."

After meeting all three people in this triangle in person (at different times), it's impossible not to root for them all. They're all sane, rational and nice people who just want to find love. And that's what we all want, I guess.


Yes, this arranged-marriage-plus-ex-boyfriend-plus-radio-contest triangle is a real-life soap opera -- and human nature makes it difficult to turn away. It's all silly fun, after all. But in all this hype, it's easy to forget these are real people with real feelings and all three have real lives to resume once hype dies down.


This morning, the veil of anonymity will be dropped, a decision will be made and whatever happens, three people's lives will be changed.


And then the rest of us, all the looky-loos, will have to find somebody else's drama to tune into.
Or better yet, we could all get our own lives.


rsummerfield@theherald.canwest.com
© The Calgary Herald 2008

Wedding: American Idol Style

A chic, intimate black and white Hollywood wedding was had for American Idol's LaKisha Jones. Season 6 fourth place runner-up Houston native got married to Larry Davis on October 5, 2008 in Los Angeles. The couple had met in February 2008 through mutual friends. Fifty wedding guests including season 6 idols Haley Scarnato, Melinda Doolittle, Gina Glocksen and fan favorite, Sanjaya Malakar witnessed the ceremony held at the renowned Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

The celeb-friendly hotel was decorated with round white candles resting on floating black stands, and red rose petals dotted along the floor. The bride's five-year old daughter Brionne, serving as flower girl and junior bridesmaid, threw petals from a black and white basket.

Larry proposed to handbag fanatic LaKisha in June with his recently late mother’s vintage Louis Vuitton handbag. Inside there was a 4.5-carat Zales diamond and a card that read, “Happy today, happy together, happy forever. From Mr., to Mrs.”, LaKisha told PEOPLE magazine.

"People might say we did everything too soon, but no one can ever tell you what your heart feels,” said Jones, “and when the time is right to have those feelings.”

The minister, Dr. Ed Montgomery of Houston, joked with the guests during the ceremony, "Pay attention. What I'm about to say is very important: We'll have the results right after these messages."

LaKisha wore a strapless Alfred Angelo gown, custom crystal-encrusted shoes by Stuart Weitzman and a quarter of a million dollars in jewellery: diamond earrings, necklace and bracelet by Neil Lane. We’d expect nothing less from this soulful singing Idol star.