Choosing a good DJ?
Dear Diva,
We are getting married this summer and we need a DJ for our reception but there are so many to choose from. What should we be looking for in a DJ?
S. Pynaert
Winnipeg, Manitoba
A DJ can make or break a reception. A good DJ knows how to interact with the crowd to create an upbeat, fun party atmosphere that gets guests out of their seats and onto the dance floor. The best way to ensure you have a good DJ is to use one you have seen in action at recent weddings or parties.
If that isn’t possible, make appointments to meet with a number of different DJs who are in your price range. You can tell a lot about your DJ from your first meeting. Do they treat you professionally? Do they arrive on time; have a neat appearance and a professional attitude? Do they go over the details in an organized and well prepared manner? These are all indications to show you if you are dealing with a professional, well prepared, organized DJ.
When you meet with each DJ, here are a few things you can ask to help you choose the best DJ for your wedding:
- What training and experience does your DJ have?
- Are there past brides you can contact for a reference or video samples from previous weddings?
- Does the DJ have quality equipment and back up equipment?
- Is there an extensive song selection?
- What will the DJ wear to the event?
- Does the DJ have experience working at the venue you will be using?
- Is there liability insurance in place so that you are not liable for injuries or damages caused by their equipment?
- Are they associated with any professional associations?
- Are there any additional costs not included in the package: travel, overtime, etc?
Last but not least – make sure you know who your DJ will be. If you are hiring a DJ company that employs multiple DJs, ask to meet the specific DJ who will be assigned to your wedding and find out what that specific DJ’s past training and experience is. This helps ensure that you don’t hire a company with 15 years experience but then end up assigned the newest DJ who has only worked a handful of weddings.
Be Fabulous,
The Wedding Diva
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Have a question for The Wedding Diva?
Email your questions to diva@imaginemagazine.ca
What Can A Concierge Service Do For You?
So Many Details…
Most wedding days are generally hectic. It seems like there are a million details to take care of. That’s where a concierge service can be of immense help to providing peace of mind on your special day.
“We provide a wide range of services to help the bride on her wedding day” says Adroit Concierge’s Lynn Nault who services brides in Winnipeg and the surrounding communities. “We do all the errands that need to be done.”
A bridal concierge service can help out well before the wedding day itself. A concierge service will stuff, address and mail out invitations, for example. On the wedding day itself, the concierge service will pick up the cake and bring it to the reception, for example, or pick up the boutonnieres and deliver them wherever they have to go.
“We also provide baby sitting services during the ceremony and reception,” Nault says. “We have a children’s table at the reception so that the adults can enjoy their suppers in peace.”
Text By Myron Love
For more information on Concierge Services contact Lynn Nault at Adroit Concierge.
Combined Bachelor/Bachelorette Parties?
Dear Diva,
I am the maid of honor at a wedding this summer and I am planning a bachelorette party for the bride. The bride and groom share many of the same friends and they mentioned recently that it would be fun to have a combined bachelor/bachelorette party so that everyone can party together. The best man and I have discussed this but we aren’t sure what type of entertainment would be appropriate. We want it to be more than just heading to the bar but strippers and that type of thing just don’t work as well in this mixed group. Do you have any ideas?
S. Enns
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Since the bride and groom share a lot of the same friends, it’s likely that these friends share a lot of similar interests as well so plan an event that includes some of those interests. For example, if your group enjoys baseball, plan a guys-vs-girls baseball game in the late afternoon followed by dinner and drinks and then head out to the night club later in the evening. Some other ideas might include paintballing, a concert, golfing, go-cart racing, or even a party bus!
Be Fabulous,
The Wedding Diva
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Have a question for The Wedding Diva?
Email your questions to diva@imaginemagazine.ca
Jeff & Robyn’s Manitoba Wedding
Jeff & Robyn (Shlachetka) Blatz
Married August 2, 2008 in Wabowden
Boy Meets Girl – Robyn and Jeff met in 2004 in Steinbach. “I was junior flight school,” says Robyn who is a pilot with Perimeter Aviation. “Jeff is a carpenter. I was attracted to farm boys and I guess he had a thing for woman pilots.”
On Bended Knee – Jeff popped the question on Robyn’s birthday ( May 5 , 2007). He came to her house, went down and one knee and proffered THE QUESTION and the ring.
Kiss The Bride – Robyn and Jeff were married outside her parents’ place by the lake. She wore a six-layer, poofy wedding dress and he and his groomsmen wore black tuxedos. “Everything went smoothly for us,” Robyn says. “That was out of character. After the ceremony, we went out in a canoe for the pictures.”
Fabulous Details - The dinner was held at the arena in Wabowden with catering provided by a local caterer. Instead of a wedding cake, the couple had a huge dessert table highlighted by a chocolate fountain. After dinner, everyone took a dip in the lake.
Their Time Away – “That was the best part,” says Robyn of their honeymoon. “We jumped into our ‘92 Mustang LX and drove out west camping along the way. We went as far as Kelowna. We stopped for horse back riding in Jasper and dropped into the West Edmonton Mall. We had no idea where we would end up each day.” The last stop on their honeymoon trip was a Motley Crue concert in Winnipeg.
Photography by North of 55 Fine Art Photography
Gowns by All Occasions
Paris Love Wedding Details
The pairing of these details is inspired by Paris, “The City of Love”. Our Paris theme is reflected in the design of the invitation, supplied by Invitations by Dawn and the centre pieces and bouquet supplied by Lorna’s Flowers.
The use of exotic and common flowers in the centre pieces add a unique flair to a wedding’s decor. The bouquet reflects Europe’s style savvy designs with it’s exotic flowers and unique shape.
Budget Savvy Design: Save money by using your centre pieces as table number holders.
For more wedding details, visit our Wedding Details Gallery.
Be Fabulous,
The Wedding Diva
His & Her Style with Glen Peloso
Text by Glen Peloso
Marriage is really all about compromise and when you marry and have to merge your styles there are some simple rules to keep you from divorce over a twenty dollar item, significant in someone’s past. Start with a list of things that each person puts on their ‘must have’ list. Women often have a problem with that comfortable chair that he really wants to have but they simply can not abide. Men often can’t understand why anyone would want a ridiculous antique sewing machine that doesn’t even work! If it is on the must have list – then find a compromise. Perhaps that revolting chair can be recovered to suit both of you or the other option is to ear mark some funds to get a new comfortable chair of his liking. Perhaps the antique sewing machine can be used for her jewelry and as an accent piece in the bedroom, and he won’t have to deal with it. Whatever the choice, remember that the piece makes the other person happy.
It is also perfectly acceptable to create an eclectically furnished room which can be absolutely beautiful. The only real rule here is to try to keep the pieces approximately two time periods apart (i.e. something from the 60’s with something from the 90’s) If you try to match the 60’s and the 70’s, one of the pieces just ends up looking like a hand me down. For instance combining a great 50’s coffee table with a very modern carpet will give the feeling of an impressive loft setting and people will see you as the ‘cool hip’ couple by accident.
Scale has a major part to play in creating a room and this may be an area that requires compromise. If you are moving into an 800 sq ft condo for your first place together and one of you is bringing a large sectional sofa then I worry for your shins! You both have to be realistic. Obviously if one of you lost sixty pounds you wouldn’t wear the same clothes; the same is true for furnishings. Be prepared to sell some things that don’t work and use the money to get belongings that are scaled properly to the space you will share.
If your combined items end up being some what eclectic it can all be pulled together in the accessories. Wall colours, window coverings, and accent cushions, made of complimentary fabrics can give the space a completely unified look, regardless of the furnishings in the room. Choose the paint colour and fabrics together so that everyone will feel comfortable in your new space.
Collections can be the one area where you may have to create ‘his space’ and ‘her space’. Not everyone is going to respond to a stuffed animal collection, or to a collection of ’beer cans from around the world’. My initial thought is to let them go and start a collection of things you both respond to as memories of your new life together. That, however, is not for me to judge. If one of you has to have your collection and the other person hates it – then a space for that is fine, perhaps just not on display for all-the-world to see.
As the late George Carlin would say ‘there would be room for my stuff if it weren’t for her junk’! Keep it in perspective. Your junk will never kiss you good night or bring you hot tea when you are sick.
A few quick tips for making it all work:
- Gather together the items for the appropriate room – ie beds in bedrooms. The hire a professional or an “objective neutral” friend to help make the decision about what stays and goes
- Both of you get to create a “must keep” pile then try to honour your new partner’s wishes on that pile
- Create a simple drawing of each room of your new space on graph paper where one square equals one foot. Measure the furniture you have and place it in the rooms to make sure it fits properly
- If room allows, create a his space and a hers space for personal things that the other person doesn’t really like (the hockey picture collection or the royal Dulton collection)
- Create a list of furniture and accessories that we need to buy together so that the space becomes a collective creation going forward and equally contribute to the “things we would like to buy” fund
The 4 “Cs” of Diamond Rings
Photography by Fred Elcheshen
Engagement Ring by Bijou Design & Creation
Text by Norma-Jean Alt
If you are shopping for an engagement or an anniversary ring, you need to familiarize yourself with the elements of diamond quality before you get to the buying stage. Invented by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the diamond grading system is commonly known as the “4 Cs” – carat, clarity, colour and cut.
Carat
Carat weight measures a diamond’s size. Each carat is equal to 100 points. Thus, a .75-carat diamond is the same as a 75-point stone or a 3/4-carat diamond. The larger a diamond, the rarer it is. Not only are larger diamonds found infrequently in nature, but they also show off the stone’s colour and cut to their best advantage.
Clarity
The purer a diamond, the more brilliant it is. A diamond’s clarity is judged by the number, colour, type, size and position of inclusions, i.e., “nature’s birthmarks” it contains. The fewer inclusions – the more valuable it is.
Colour
The purer the colour of a diamond, the rarer it is. Truly colourless diamonds are the most valuable, while those with subtle yellow or brown tones – as determined by a grading system – are less so. Comparing stones side by side is the best way to see the colour of each stone.
Cut
Cut alone is the single most important factor in determining the fire and brilliance of a diamond. While nature is responsible for the other three Cs, it is the cut of a stone that releases its sparkle and beauty.
There are several different shapes of cut diamonds. Marquis cuts are no longer popular. Today, Princess, Round, Oval, and Emerald diamond rings are chosen by many couples. The current trend is a ring with a center stone and side diamonds. As for settings, the prong setting is still the first choice for most buyers, but the bezel setting is also popular. The hot metal for diamond rings is still platinum. Although it’s pricier, it’s also heavier, hypoallergenic, and will never tarnish.
The following is the G.I.A. grading system standard for diamond colour:
Grade D, E, F: Colourless - This diamond colour is the finest and rarest.
Grade G, H, I, J: Near Colourless – Known also as White, experts sometimes find them hard to distinguish from Colourless when they’re set and offer excellent value.
Grade K, L, M: Faint Yellow - Referred to as Top Silver, these diamonds have a yellow tinge and are more common.
Grade M, N, O, P, Q, R: Very Light Yellow -- The yellow tint is easily noticeable.
Grade S-Z: Light Yellow - Even though you may not be able to see the almost imperceptible letter grade distinctions between colourless and near colourless, buying a diamond with G.I.A. Certification, will guarantee its quality.
Twelve reasons for problem skin
As a bride your beauty is not only about lotions and potions it’s about making healthy lifestyle choices.
- The Sun. Without protection from the sun’s rays, just a few minutes of exposure each day over the years can cause noticeable changes to the skin. Freckles, age spots, spider veins on the face, rough and leathery skin, fine wrinkles that disappear when stretched, loose skin, a blotchy complexion, thick wart-like, rough, reddish patches of skin, and skin cancer can all be traced to sun exposure.
- Smoking. Cigarette smoking causes biochemical changes in our bodies that accelerate aging. 10 years of smoking is statistically more likely to develop deeply wrinkled, leathery skin and an unhealthy yellowish hue to their complexion than a nonsmoker
- Lack of exercise: Living a sedentary life contributes to aging skin, because exercise helps to tone your muscles and get your blood flowing which is important to nourishing the skin.
- Weather: Cold winds and low temperatures contribute to aging skin by making skin dry. Extreme changes in temperature shock the skin just like going in and out of door in winter. Heaters and air conditioning can make the skin very dry
- Facial Expressions. Repetitive facial movements actually lead to fine lines and wrinkles. Each time we use a facial muscle, a groove forms beneath the surface of the skin, which is why we see lines form with each facial expression. As skin ages and loses its elasticity, the skin stops springing back to its line-free state, and these grooves become permanently etched on the face as fine lines and wrinkles.
- Gravity. Gravity constantly pulls on our bodies. Changes related to gravity become more pronounced as we age. In our 50s, when the skin’s elasticity declines dramatically, the effects of gravity become evident.
- Sleeping Positions. Resting your face on the pillow in the same way every night for years on end also leads to wrinkles. Called sleep lines, these wrinkles eventually become etched on the surface of the skin and no longer disappear when the head is not resting on the pillow. People who sleep on their backs do not develop these wrinkles since their skin does not lie crumpled against the pillow.
- Stress: Stress and worry cause frowning, and over time the muscles in the face actually conform to that movement. Be aware of your stress level and use relaxation techniques and do activities you enjoy this will help you look and feel younger.
- Lack of sleep: Too little sleep makes you look and feel tired with dark circles and bags under the eyes, and sagging skin. The average adult functions best with around 8 hours sleep each night and maintain a sleep routine that includes going to bed at the same time each night.
- Nutrition . To have a balanced diet eat healthy and follow your Canadian food guide, drink 8 glasses of water daily and support your diet with vitamins and minerals.
- Skin Care. When was the last time you had a professional facial care that included a deep cleansing, pore care and balancing of the skin. Having your monthly facial may slowdown the ageing process.
- Home Care. The soap and water days of your grandparents are over. Pollution, nutrition and lifestyle make it necessary to properly tend to your skin both day and night.
Glowing vibrant skin is determined by the health and lifestyle decisions you make every day. Talk to a certified skin care professional about what you can do to prevent you not looking your best for your special day.
Written by Jessica LoRusso, Certified Master Esthetician
Bachelor Party Timing?
Dear Diva,
My wedding is coming up in a few weeks and my best man mentioned that he is planning my bachelor party for the night before the wedding. I know this is traditional, but I would rather not have a hangover the morning of my wedding. I would like to be able to enjoy the party without worrying about throwing up on my bride the next day. Is it rude for me to ask him to plan the party for earlier?
T. Harms
Winnipeg, Manitoba
The weekend of the wedding is going to be hectic and while the night before is the tradition it is very common to have bachelor and bachelorette parties planned earlier, sometimes even weeks before the big event. Let your best man know your preference now, before he has done a lot of planning. Just explain that you want to be able to really party with the guys and if he plans if for the night before the wedding, you’ll have to tame it down in order to be functional for the wedding the next day. I am sure he will gladly oblige.
Be Fabulous,
The Wedding Diva
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Have a question for The Wedding Diva?
Email your questions to diva@imaginemagazine.ca
Family Bridal Shower?
Dear Diva,
We have a large family spread out across the province and many of them will have to drive quite a distance to attend the shower and engagement party. We would like to plan one large event that will serve as both the engagement party and a family shower but we’ve never planned a shower that would include men and children. We need some ideas on how to put together a shower that will be enjoyable for everyone in attendance.
W. Neufeld
Brandon, Manitoba
A couple’s shower/engagement party sounds like a wonderful solution. The key to pulling this off successfully is to approach it like you would any family gathering. What types of activities does your family usually enjoy together? If you have a lot of golf fanatics, you may want to plan a family golf tournament followed by dinner and gifts at the golf club. If your family often enjoys outdoor events, plan a picnic lunch at a local park with baseball, soccer or other events that family members can enjoy together.
Once you have the basic family gathering aspects covered, you can bring in the special wedding celebration aspects by decorating in colors to match the couple’s wedding colors. You may want to plan a short program with a toast to the couple. Trivia questions and other fun bridal shower games can also be modified to work for a larger group if you wish. Make sure to include time for the couple to open gifts and to mingle with the guests afterwards.
Be Fabulous,
The Wedding Diva
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Have a question for The Wedding Diva?
Email your questions to diva@imaginemagazine.ca
