K-W BRIDAL NEWS | January 2004

each review we write contains valuable tips and budget cutting techniques as well as what to spend, who to hire and why. it's all about the 'give brides what they need' concept here in The Ring, and it's all local, just for you!

one-week-only free wedding planner experiment
Your Wedding on a Silver Platter
[click for details]

celebrity cooking personalities, lingerie for all bodies, classes on 'how to do a striptease'' and yoga...
When you're a bride, it’s easy to forget you’re also a woman. Grab the bridesmaids and do something fun that you've never done before...

spotlight on dj's: what you didn't know
Types of DJ’s, DJ's vs. Bands, What You Should Be Looking For, References A Must?, Meeting the DJ, Equipment and Backup Plans, Booking the DJ, Selecting the Music...

BEST ROMANTIC PROPOSAL
When Tim asked me to be his girlfriend he took me to the Kissing Bridge in West Mountrose on August 29 2002. We walked to the middle on the bridge he gave this cute little speech and I answered yes by kissing him at 12:43am. One year later I decided we should go back there for our one year since there is a cute little B&B. ...We even stayed in the "Kissing Bridge Suite". We went out for dinner and saw American Wedding and as we were driving back he seemed nervous. We decided not to get each other anything as we went away for the weekend (kinda) but as 12:30 came around and I gave him a scrapbook of our one year together. We headed towards the bridge so we could be there at the exact time. Tim kept saying cute little things about why he loved me and kept looking at his watch. Finally he said he got me a present too and pulled out the ring I had been admiring for months! And at 12:43am I said yes again with a kiss. It was perfect. We plan to get married there as well...on the same day..but maybe 12:43PM
There a story behind the kissing bridge which is why Tim decided to take me there in the first place. He told me that mennonites used to get married there and to finalize the whole thing as a kiss. Now, the whole community sees anyone who kisses on the bridge as being married in a sort of non-official way (which is why the answer of yes to his questions had to be a kiss!).

how to choose your photography STYLE
...using editorial photo-journalism style to capture wedding day moments you remember and moments you didn't know even happened...

decorators aren't just for the rich and famous
You can have a decorator for as little as $500. Our favourite decorator has been decorating wedding dreams for eight years at hundreds of halls and outdoor locations across the K-W area, and they decorated The Ring's booth with our favourite Gerberas...

when to use a caterer and what you'll spend
From barbecued spare ribs and potato salad to seafood buffets and roast duck a l’orange, H&M Catering makes extravagant wedding meals without the $50/person price tag you would expect to...

what's in a cake?
how many layers can you get? what flavours and colours? what do they cost?
...celebrity-style wedding cakes from scratch, from her own sketches, or from photos that her couples have brought in. And when the taste is mouth-watering, the picture is beautiful and the price is right...

tuning in to popular music
top 6 MOST POPULAR DJ REQUESTS at weddings

Best Pop/Dance song:
Hey Ya – Outkast
Best Urban song:
Crazy in Love – Beyonce ft Jay-Z
Best Country Slow Song:
I Melt – Rascall Flatts
Best Country Fast Song:
Beer for My Horses – Keith Urban ft Willie Nelson
Best Wedding First Song:
Come Away With Me – Norah Jones
Best Modern Rock Song:
Seven Nation Army – White Stripes

riding in style: a refuge from the crowd
Usually transportation is the last item that any couple books for their wedding and yet there isn't a bride or groom around that doesn't want sleek transport for their wedding - a white stretch for 10, an excursion SUV, or a basic 6 passenger limo! The Ring has done some research and found that if you go with the right company, your limo can be more then a nice ride. It'll be your refuge from the crowd (very important), your chauffeur can be your personal assistant and champagne pourer (very nice!), and your day can get about 10% less stressful (very priceless). Everyone needs a way to get away... Our review on Brentwood Livery sheds some light on what you really can get out of your wedding ride for about $395 and up (if you're marrying on a saturday between May and October)... click for more...

I just want to say thank you to all of you that spend and save time here with me in The Ring. This little 'wedding web ring' of brides, free information and wedding experts is a concept that started out small and then took on a life of it's own - all because of your interest and participation.

We launched back in October 2003 to our bridal community and have since then, grown by about 1000%. Your visits to the pages of The Ring are in the thousands this month, you've come out to our events just to meet The Ring's staff in person, you're registering and participating in our free chats, and well, we really couldn't be happier!

If you're still a little bit confused as to why you're getting all of this priceless local info for free, it's because weddings, researching, and writing are three of my first loves. Since my mom was a wedding consultant for years while I was growing up (still working on that by the way), it could've gone either way. Either I'd become bored to tears with weddings, or I'd fall in love with them. Well, I was infected with a love for weddings, details, brides, flowers, decorations, gowns, and of course, K-W. The Ring makes it's money from reviewing vendors that we've individually selected as being amazing at what they do. These experts have allowed me to drill them with questions, check their references, write about their personalities, services and prices - and all in an effort to make your planning easier. Essentially, some of k-w's finest, most popular and most highly regarded wedding services have paid for The Ring so that you don't have to.

I know better than anyone that you can't take two days off from work/family/school each week just to plan your wedding details, make a hundred calls or go to thousand appointments. So, with that in mind, I hope you take all this local research and information I've found for you and put it too good use. The Ring has just saved you about four months worth of work. :)

See you in The Ring!
Jennifer Goulden, Director & Editor
THEWEDDINGRING.CA & KWWEDDINGRING.CA

thefree wedding plannerexperiment
You Give Us: A couple who have only just begun to plan, who have more than six months before their wedding date, and have a budget of $10,000 or more (not including wedding attire)
Details: Your names, wedding date, wedding budget, contact information, priorities, your theme (if you have one), your colours (if you've chosen them), your style, your personalities that you'd like to reflect, and as many wishes as you like...
And We'll Give You: Your wedding on a silver platter, on your wedding date, and within your wedding budget, done entirely by top-name vendors we trust, planned by the staff here at The Ring, and coordinated by your brand new personal wedding coordinator.
Deadline: You must send us your info by January 23rd, 2004
The purpose: To give you the best contest ever, to give you the best wedding ever, and to tell your story in The Ring, from start to finish!
Warning: Please do NOT enter if you won't be able to put money down to reserve the different services, vendors, etc. Most vendors require 10-50% down to book your date. Others don't need to be booked until closer to your date.