Ottawa Wedding & Events Blog

South Asian Wedding Planner & Decor- Ottawa

November 28, 2015 / no comments

RSVP Events will be visiting the 7th annual Suhaag Show which will be held on Sunday, November 29 at the Hilton Lac Leamy (3 Boulevard du Casino, Gatineau, Quebec).

We wanted to let our clients know that we now offer South Asian Wedding planning and Décor packages to our Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto clients. South Asian weddings are known for their magnificence WOW factor and we understand this.This can sometimes become overwhelming with all the details involved in planning this huge elaborate event. Couples that are planning to throw a luxurious South Asian wedding in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto have come to the right place.

Source: Photo-3Stems Photography / Planning & Décor: RSVP Events

RSVP Events has experienced and knowledgeable event specialists available to help organize South Asian Weddings. We understand what it takes to plan a luxury event to meet any couples style and budget while still producing an awesome event that will be talked about for years to come. We understand that pre-wedding events are necessary as they create the excitement for family and friends as they count down to the extravagant wedding that is yet to come.

We can cater to your pre-wedding events as well.

– Pithi ceremonies

– Mehndi Ceremony

–Sangeet Ceremony

–Ceremony on the day

– If applicable – brunch/lunch between the ceremony and reception if on the day.

We understand the importance of the religious rituals that unite the bride and groom and also their respective families. At RSVP Events, we can help you make sure every important ritual and ceremony is carried out smoothly so you and your loved ones can enjoy the festivities and union of the families on this important day. In addition, we can offer valuable resources that help you choose the live music, an important aspect of the South Asian wedding, or inspiration for outfits, themes and decorations tailored to the cultural ceremonies.

We have put together wedding packages that you may pick from. View our packages here and contact us for detail pricing. Our all inclusive wedding in a box South Asian Package is the popular choice for most of our couples. Contact RSVP Events today to discuss your intimate details further. All our consultations are complimentary.

Happy Planning

Cheers!
RSVP Events | Ottawa Corporate & Event Planners
c: (613) 219-3552

For more information please contact US

Ottawa Wedding Venue

November 28, 2015 / no comments

Today we focus on the different spaces and areas you can get married in the Ottawa/Gatineau and Surrounding areas. This blog is for those that are finding it difficult to find the perfect wedding venue in Ottawa. Don’t forget these venues can host other special moments such as birthday celebrations, baby baptisms, engagement parties, graduation parties, fundraisers, company retreats, galas and any other special event that you can think of.

I will start with banquet halls. With a little help of lighting and the perfect décor, you can transform any room into anything you can dream of.

Banquet Halls

Think the RA Centre, Tudor hall, St Elias and the Marconi Centre! The good thing about hosting weddings at a banquet hall, is that they come equipped with their own caterer, staffing and all the necessary items you will need to host a great event. You also have the great advantages of decorating them how you want! Some newer venues to also consider is the likes of the Century Planning & Events located about 15 minutes South of Ottawa, the Center is one of Ottawa’s premier wedding and reception venues that you could use to create an unmatched wedding experience.

Source: RA Centre- Photo by Mike & Ness Photo, Wedding décor by RSVP Events

Source: Venue Century Weddings & Events, Photographer: 3Stems Photography, Décor & Planning by RSVP Events

Farms and Tents

Orchardview weddings & Events, Bean Town Ranch, Temple’s Sugar bush and Strathmere are a few of our farm -like venues that we love. Stonefileds heritage farm can host up to a 120 guests. They offer exclusivity access to their historic farm for your wedding. This venue can offer you the rustic look and its a plus if you are looking for a rustic wedding venue style as you wont need much in terms of decor.

Source: Stonefields- Photo: Mark Cooper Photography

Museums

Looking to spend a few more dollars, consider getting hitched in the newly-renovated Canadian Museum of Nature ! You can do a lot with this gorgeous venue. The Museum offers in-house catering, but you are also more than welcome to choose from a list of their preferred caterers which include Gourmet Cuisine (The in house caterer, Thyme and Again, Tulips & Maple, By Town Catering and Creative Kosher Catering. Another favourite is the War Museum and the Museum of History. They offer a choice of 3 caterers: Distinction (amazing company- the in house caterer, the Westin and the East India Company for all the South Asian Weddings.

Other museums worth mentioning include Canada’s Cold War Museum, the gorgeous National Aviation Museum and the National Library and Archives! We love to work with Museums as you can do so much with the space by styling it well. Ottawa offers the best Museum wedding venues in my opinion.

Source Museum of Nature / photo by: Brittany Lee Photos

Restaurants

Planning on hosting a wedding at a restaurant, consider a few of these great options- The Courtyard, Restaurant E18htten on York street, NeXT (AMAZING FOOD) in Kanata & Lagos bar and grill which over looks the river. These venues are really modern and require little décor. I would use lighting and flowers to get the extra elegant needed touch to make it work. A few honorable mentions include the Urban Element which is extremely elegant, Sidedoor, Millstreet Pub and Le Cordon Bleu Signatures.

Source: Millstreet pub Weddings/ Photo Laura Kelly Photography

Galleries and Theatres

My two favourite places to host weddings are the National Gallery of Canada and the National Arts Centre also popularly known as the NAC. The Cube, Wall Space, and the Great Canadian Theatre Company all offer wonderful open spaces to plan any event.

Outdoor Spaces

Ottawa is definitely a gorgeous city with lots of green spaces. Most locations allow for you to host weddings with a special events permit. I love, love the Herb Garden Centre! The Herb Garden is Ottawa’s most enchanting and unique location and it is located twenty minutes west of Scotiabank Place (at the corner of Old Almonte Road and Upper Dwyer Hill Road). Keep in mind that planning a wedding at such venue, requires you to bring your own caterers. Another favourite is the Billings Estate. They do not have restrictions on what caterer to use which is a big plus in my books. The venue is pretty secluded which gives a very private feel to it.

Source: Via Herb Garden Website

Billings bridge estate

Community Centers

Community centres offer large spaces and are ideal for huge weddings. I love to work with the Glebe Community centre located in the Glebe. Take a look at this gorgeous wedding captured by Laura Kelly Photography! Another popular venue is the Wabano Centre located in the Vanier area. Other halls to consider would be the Ottawa University Tabaret Hall , Ukrainian Banquet Hall and the Visitation Banquet Centre !

Hotels

If you are thinking of hosting your wedding at a hotel, think Le Chateau Laurier, The Brookstreet in Kanata and the Ottawa Marriott with it’s 360 revolving room over looking the Ottawa city.

Source: Le Chateau Laurier Website

Gatineau Venues

Gatineau Wedding venues – The Gatineau wedding venues that we absolute love is definitely Le Belvedere . Le Belvédère is located a short drive north of Ottawa, nestled on a magnificent cliff near the historic riverside village of Wakefield Québec. It can host about 200 people. This venue is absolutely breathtaking and you would need to pay it a visit yourself to believe it. The ceremony location over looks the Gatineau Hills-WOW. Have a wedding at the Mill. The Wakefield Mill is located in the Gatineau parks and this makes for beautiful enchanting wedding photos. The price point is very reasonable. Give it a try! Another new location is the Vignoble de Chelsea! I am dying to plan a wedding at this location.

Le Belvedere. Photo from Love and Laughter Photography

The Vignoble de Chelsea

Ottawa’s Newest Wedding Venue

Think Aquatopia water garden conservative! Aquatopia is an elegant, glass-enclosed conservatory, home to a dramatic events venue, on-site café, completely immersive aquatic garden retail experience and the largest indoor water garden open to the public. Evermore Weddings & Events is an elegant country style wedding venue located on 45 acres of farmland close to Almonte!

Source: Aquatopia- photo from website

I hope this gives you a great idea of venues that are located in and around the Ottawa area. Did we miss anything? Tell us in the comments below. If you need help planning weddings, please do not hesitate to contact us. Take a look at our partnered venues here!

IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE- LIKE, SHARE & COMMENT!

Happy Planning

Cheers!
RSVP Events | Ottawa Corporate & Event Planners
c: (613) 219-3552

For more information please contact US

3 Simple ways to determine your wedding budget

November 27, 2015 / no comments

Today we give you three simple things to keep in mind when determining your wedding budget. They are 3 main factors that will really determine your wedding budget.

1. Number of guests– It’s no brainer that the more number of guests you have, the more money you will spend.

2. Time of year– The summer months are certainly the most popular time to wed. With only so many Saturdays in Summer, most vendors try to make the most out of this. . Consider getting married during the week days or the off peak seasons. Be prepared to pay more during summer.

3. Style of wedding- Planning a glamorous wedding can definitely up the budget a little. Are you planning on focusing more on the overall look of your wedding? Planning on using lots of flowers? Do you want a lavish wedding cake?

You can certainly have a gorgeous wedding with the right budget. Having a 60 person wedding with gorgeous flowers everywhere, great food and open bar will have better quality than planning a 300 person wedding with bad food. You need to know what it is that is important to you.

Don’t forget to take a look at our popular Wedding in a box Package

Happy Planning

Cheers!
RSVP Events | Ottawa Corporate & Event Planners
c: (613) 219-3552

For more information please contact US

RSVP Events is on Instagram

November 26, 2015 / no comments

We love Instagram! If you are not already Following us, be sure to follow us today! We have exciting things that we post on a daily basis, you do not want to miss all the prettiness!

Happy Planning

Cheers!
RSVP Events | Ottawa Corporate & Event Planners
c: (613) 219-3552

For more information please contact US

4 Things not to DIY for your wedding

November 25, 2015 / no comments

Planning a wedding is definitely very exciting for any newly engaged bride. It can also become extremely stressful very quickly, especially if you are thinking of planning 90% of it on your own. One wedding trend that seems to be here to stay is the rustic wedding. To save on costs, brides are attempting DIY projects. It seems like everyone is DIY-ing these days. Whether you’re planning of doing a DIY project because you are crafty or trying to save money they are a few things you should not DIY.

We are going to give you a few tips especially if you plan to DIY: To start, pinpoint all your wedding ideas & have a planned wedding budget! Once this is decided, decide what you will DIY and what should be left to a professional wedding specialist. We do not recommend DIY-ing the following things.

Wedding Photography:

Photo credit: Ashley Notley Photography

Bride and Groom: My best friend’s sister’s boyfriend is a photographer! Me: A professional photographer or taking it up as a hobby? Sound familiar? Some of the advantages of hiring a professional is that they wont know anyone a the event and there is little chance of them mingling and socialising, which could potentially have them not capture an important moment (Speeches, reactions). They would also have all the proper equipment required to shoot a wedding such as lighting and all the different cool lenses. Your wedding photos will be something you treasure for years to come, I am sure you have heard that before! I would suggest spending some money to ensure you get what will be the best thing that you will ever spend your money on!

Photo credit: VIA Noiva Com Classes

Wedding Food: Are you considering asking friends or even your family members to make all your favourite dishes? They maybe great at what they do, but catering to a wedding is a huge job on its own. Even if they are able to cater to your entire wedding party, they would need to have all 80 or a 100 plates ready at the same time at the right time. This is hard to do! People love to talk about how great food is, but they will also be the first to talk about bad food. Consider leaving this task to a caterer. You don’t guests referring to your wedding as “the wedding that had horrible food, I went home and ordered pizza!” So true!

Wedding DJ/Music:

Photo credit: Via Brides Ways

Using an Ipod to play your wedding music is never a good idea. We can tell you about all our horror stories but we wont. Hire a professional DJ or band for your peace of mind. They will also make basic announcements through out the wedding about important milestones coming up through out the day. Guests might also want to make requests during the reception and a DJ or a band would know when to play it and if it is appropriate.

Wedding planner: Yes you have friends that can assist on the day (go back to point 1. about hiring friends or family members). You can choose to hire a planner for the duration of the wedding planning process or someone just on the day. This will make a huge difference between making your wedding feel like it was truly handmade vs. well put together and organized. A professional planner will ensure you a stress free day and ensure all your DIY items work with your theme.

Read our blog: 5 Reasons to hire a professional vendor!

Happy Planning

Cheers!
RSVP Events | Ottawa Corporate & Event Planners
c: (613) 219-3552

For more information please contact US

How to plan a winter wedding

November 24, 2015 / no comments

Winter is upon us! Who doesn’t like a winter wedding? The great advantages of having a winter wedding is how much you save! Not only is this an off season for many vendors, but it’s an opportunity we urge for you take advantage of as you can save thousands of dollars by having your wedding in this season. If you are thinking of having a winter wedding and not sure how to go about it, we have a few great ideas. Grab a hot cup of coffee or tea and read on.

Planning a wedding in the colder months presents its own challenges but our tips will have you wanting to plan the perfect winter wedding you have ever imagined- we promise!.

Photo via: Happy Wed

SAVE THE DATE: It might be the slow times for a lot of the wedding vendors, but it’s a busy season for a lot of people. Not only is it busy, but it is an expensive time of year with all the holiday shopping, vacations and people taking time off to enjoy the holidays. Your guests may have other commitments and you need to ensure you give them plenty of time & notice for the wedding. You can do this by sending save the date cards as early as 4-5 months prior to the big day.

Found : Paper divas

COZY UP: Think of your guests and how you are going to keep them warm. Provide lots of options to keep your guests warm and comfortable especially during the ceremony and cocktail hour. Make sure you provide some wraps for guests to cover up, hot drinks for right after the ceremony and ask your venue if they provide heating items such as heat lamps, a fireplace area or even heated floors.

Source: The Knot , Blog

WEDDING TIMELINES: Unlike a summer wedding, during winter it gets dark pretty quickly. You need to consider how your day will play out when creating a time line. Photo opportunity is very limited during winter. Give yourself plenty of time for this. Because it gets dark pretty fast, lighting is very important. Ensure you have lots of lights around your venue for photo purposes.

Photo:Beal + Thomas

WARM WINTER MENU: Find great and creative ways to incorporate winter themes into your menu. Think of having a hot chocolate station or serve mulled wine and cider! Be creative. Your guests will appreciate this. Coffee and baileys any one? mmmm

I hope you enjoyed our winter wedding tips. If you have other great ideas, leave them in our comment box below.

For more gorgeous inspiration, or if you’d like to discuss planning and styling options for your winter wedding contact RSVP Events today!

Take a look at our winter wedding package:

For a complimentary consultation contact: planner@myweddinginabox.ca

Happy Planning

Cheers!
RSVP Events | Ottawa Corporate & Event Planners
c: (613) 219-3552

For more information please contact US

Ottawa Wedding Venue

November 23, 2015 / no comments

Today we highlight Ottawa’s wedding venue Orchard View Weddings and Events! Are you looking for a rustic yet elegant wedding venue? Then you might want to consider this venue. We are always blown away by the beauty of the grounds and landscape. We consider Orchard view as Ottawa’s destination wedding venue.

Here’s a quick sneak peek of some weddings we have planned at this gorgeous venue.

Photo credit: Ashley Notley Photographer

Photographer: Thorne Foto

Photo: Mitch Lenet Photography

Orchard view wedding and events is part of our wedding in a box package. For a information visit My wedding in a box!

Happy Planning

Cheers!
RSVP Events | Ottawa Corporate & Event Planners
c: (613) 219-3552

For more information please contact US

5 Ways to Wow your wedding guests

November 20, 2015 / no comments

Do you want your wedding to stand out? Planning a wedding that truly reflects your needs is the key to having a unique wedding! Follow our 5 tips to ensure a great event!

1. First thing on our list is PERSONALIZATION: Make this wedding about you! The overall theme, feel and look of your wedding needs to be a reflection of the two of you. What makes you, YOU! Think of something you unique that reflects the both of you. If you like to travel, why not create a slide show with all the cool and awesome places you have travelled too? Do you like wine? Why not host your wedding at a vineyard? Have your guest sample different wines and cheeses during cocktail hour. Use some wine barrels and corks as part of your wedding décor.

2. Have an ORGANIZED wedding! Having an event planner will definitely help you stay organized and on track for the big day. Most wedding planners have a wedding monthly to-do list, wedding timelines, budgets and will help keep you on top of all your wedding appointments. Read our blog about what to do when feeling overwhelmed!

3. Giving your guests a great EXPERIENCE is the key to keep people talking about your wedding for years to come. How can we achieve this? By setting the right atmosphere, great food, awesome entertainment and by ensuring your wedding is very personal. Here are 9 awesome ways to entertain your guests!

4. You have to hire a professional WEDDING PLANNER! Wedding planners work for you to ensure you have the wedding of your dreams! We are the main contact between your wedding vendors and yourself. You don’t need to worry about all the little things on the day of your wedding! Just enjoy the day! To find out more about what we can do for you, contact us today!

5. We already mentioned this, but please HAVE FUN! Planning a wedding is definitely stressful! After all the planning, the day is now here! Try to enjoy it as much as possible as it does go by really fast. If you hired a professional wedding planner, you should have nothing to worry about!

Photo credit: Mitch Lenet Photography

Happy Planning

Cheers!
RSVP Events | Ottawa Corporate & Event Planners
c: (613) 219-3552

For more information please contact US

Table set up with Wedding Menus

November 19, 2015 / no comments

I love the little touches that wedding menus bring to the table. They can be used as added wedding décor. I usually tell my clients that the menus are definitely optional and are not a must. They are definitely good to have! The advantages of having a table menu is to let your guests know what meals will be served, what is coming next after each course and sometimes the ingredient involved with a specific meal.

Here are some gorgeous menus for inspiration:

Source:The Wedding Chicks

Source: Modwedding

Source: Oh So Beautiful Paper

Source: Wedding Wire

Be creative with it!

Cheers!
RSVP Events | Ottawa Corporate & Event Planners
c: (613) 219-3552

For more information please contact US

Winners of the Wedding in a Box Package

November 18, 2015 / no comments

Last year RSVP Events gave away a full wedding to one lucky couple! Yes we did! We partnered up with a few of our amazing vendors to give one lucky couple a FREE Wedding! Zac and MJ were married on a beautiful September day at Orchard View Weddings and Events Centre!