toronto wedding blog

C + R City Views Wedding - Modern + Minimal

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I’m so blessed to be able to work with so many wonderful couples and this wedding was definitely no exception! The bride was so excited about napkins folds and runners as much as I was!

The view at Globe and Mail centre was unreal and Leann Weston was really able to capture the beauty of the space. The florals from Hunt & Gather blew me away as usual. A mixture of little minimal bud vases in gold vases, large textured arrangements, hanging greenery that floated from the ceiling and a breath-taking install above the couple’s head table. The colours was a perfect mixture to mark the changing of the seasons that included dry hay and fresh florals. The couple wants to make the vast modern space cozy for dinner which is why we configured the floor plant to include the couple with all their guests in long harvest tables all connected. This will be a wedding on my top 10 for a long time!

Congrats to the happy couple and hope you endless years of happiness.

Venue: Globe and Mail Centre

Planner: Bisous Events

Photographer: Leann Weston

Citrus Shoot in Paris, France

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VISION

With a company name like “Bisous” it’s clear I get a lot of inspiration from my husband’s homeland and how can you not?! So much history and beautiful architecture in all crevices of the country but in particular, Paris, where my husband spent much of his life. I decided that while in Paris, I would put together a shoot to capture the beauty of the city. Although it is such a populated city, it is regulated that buildings can be a certain height so not to impede the view! We decided we would shoot ontop the city at Montmatre, overlooking the gorgeous city. This area of Paris is so soaked in history, it has its own museum (definitely check it out if you have a chance)! Being named “The City of Love”, it’s clear why with all its winding cobblestone streets, large ornate doors, shuttered windows and traditional Parisian rooftops. To play off the typical cloudy Paris weather and slate blue roofs, we incorporated beautiful yellow and orange citrus hues. Captured by Whitney Heard, we brought on Floraison to create divinely delicate floral arrangement and bouquet. The warm tones and blooms were perfectly mimiced by the cake and coloured desserts by White Lotus Cakery. Hair and makeup by Ludivine Francois highlighted the romantic lace dress provided by The Lace Atelier, and organic stationery by Little North Company. Being able to shoot at the historic Moulin de Galette Restaurant was such a dream and a perfect backdrop. Until next time, Paris! A bientot!

VENDORS

Location: Montmatre, Paris, France - private estate / table photos at Moulin de galette restaurant
Planner: Jessica / Bisous Events
Photographer: Whitney Heard
Florist: Floraison
Model: Mika
Cake: White Lotus Cakery
Hair & Make-up: Ludivine Francois
Dress: The Lace Atelier - gown + veil
Stationery: Little North Company
Napkins and cutlery: Plate Occasions @plateoccasions (plates from planner / glasses from restaurant)
Shoes: Jimmy Choo

Featured on Grey Likes Weddings

Copper + Linen

Featured in the print edition of Hello May Magazine, only available in Australia!

Styling/planner: Bisous Events
Photo: Alyssa Wodabek
Florals: Ashley Elaine Kimmel
Video: One Heart Films
Suit: Indochino
Groom's accessories: Tytan Ties
Dress: Maureen Patricia
Bridal accessories: Posh Veils & The Loved One
Makeup: The Look Bridal
Hair: Puzzle Creations
Rentals: Plate Occasions
Cake: Crumb and Berry
Venue: Berkeley Events

Translucent Editorial

Featured on Ruffled Blog

Planning and Production: Bisous Events
Makeup and Production: The Look Bridal
Photography: Purple Tree Photography
Floral Design: Coyote Flowers
Venue: Airship 37
Wedding Dress and Accessories: White Toronto / Galia Lahav
Jewelry: Anice Jewelry
Engagement Rings: Bluboho
Wardrobe Styling: Katie Goodfellow
Hair: Morgan Inniss
Wedding Cake: Sweet Regards
Furniture Rentals: Detailz Couture
Tabletop Rentals: Plate Occasions
Stationery: Maison Maquette
Model: Sam Leung (B&M Models)
Tea favour: Bottled With Love

Video by One Heart Films:

Sneak Peeks of C+P's Wedding at The Great Hall

2018 has just begun but it's already quite busy over here at Bisous Events. Thank you to all the amazing couples of 2017... here is a sneak peek into Cecilia and Pat's magical winter wedding, our last couple of 2017.

Planner: Bisous Events

Florist: Bloominghill Flowers

Venue: The Great Hall

In-house venue photographer: Dom

Jen + Andrew / Modern Minimalist Wedding

Yesterday we announced that my wedding was featured in the Spring/Summer 2018 issue of Weddingbells Magazine... but we are actually featured twice! Jen and Andrew's ultra modern and minimalist wedding was also featured!

When I first met the bride, Jen, at a wedding show, I distinctively remembered how perfectly platinum blonde her hair was. If her hair was any indication of how cool she was, I knew this bride's wedding would be nothing short of that level of coolness. Jen always had a clear direction on how she wanted her wedding, giving me endless visual inspiration in colour swatches and photos of home decor (made sense as she worked for a home magazine). It was such a pleasure to work with her as she was open to brainstorming with me on how to meticulously bring her vision to life. We brought on the best of the best with Scarlet O'Neill who captured this beautiful day and their engagement. Catherine Langlois custom designed the perfect gown for Jen. She definitely looked out of this world... a mix of sci-fi and an angel in the utmost wonderful way. Her flowing gown was not only effortless with a horse hair hem but also came with a removable skirt to reveal the bride's silhouette in a form-fitting gown underneath. The groom looked just as amazing in a perfectly tailored suit from Ted Baker.

The ceremony was held in the historic while modern Conversation Room of the Great Hall with its white everything and huge bay windows. The cocktails and party was held not too far away at the sun-filled Aperture Room with huge skylights and industrial accents. This wedding was the embodiment of urban romance; cool and candle-lit. The bride dyed her own table runners that turned out a beautiful muted lavender and grey blend. Minim Designs did such an amazing job to complement the style with the muted florals with pops of seasonal colours in a variety of unique grey and gold containers the bride collected. The bouquets were also wrapped in hand-dyed silk ribbons from Stella Wolfe. The food and service by Oliver and Bonicinni was phenomenal and since the couple were all about making new traditions, they opted for Krispy Kreme donuts (instead of a cake) along with eclairs and chocolates.

To be honest, I felt a lot of pressure to ensure we executed this thoughtful wedding seamlessly and when I left, Jen gave me the biggest hug and smile that assured me I pulled off the happiest day of their lives. Congrats to you both and thank you for allowing me to not only be apart of your day but for also inspiring me. 

Scroll down for the stunning images!

xo

 

Wedding planning: Bisous Events
Photography Scarlet O’Neill
Ceremony venue: The Great Hall
Reception venue: Aperture Room
Bridal gown: Catherine Langlois
Bridesmaid dresses: Social Bridesmaids, ASOS, Marshalls and Express
Groom’s tux: Ted Baker from Nordstrom
Flowers: Minim Designs
Stationery: Jen Masseau
Chocolate and pastries: Deanna Lee
Doughnuts: Krispy Kreme
Hair and makeup: Tami El Sombati
Bride’s manicure: Rita Remark
Music: DJ Allan Pynn from Floh Back Productions
Wedding bands: Erin Tracy

Featured on Weddingbells Magazine - Click here for the full feature

Honeymoon: Cuba!

Tips when visiting Havana & Varadero, Cuba for your honeymoon or any vacation

Hola amigos!

We are back from our honeymoon with sun-kissed skin. I now understand what Camila Cabello was talking about... Havana really does have my heart. Although it was only a 3-hour flight away, Havana really felt like another world; a quant Latin-European city right out of the 1950's. I thoroughly enjoyed the architecture, the bright colours and the people with such a strong sense of community. Anyone thinking of where to go on their honeymoon that does not have more than a week away from work but wants a good mix of culture and relaxation, consider a Havana and Varadero get-away. It is also a more cost-effective option but remember, foreigners are always given a different currency so Cuba is actually quite pricey when you're outside of your all-inclusive resort. If visiting Havana, be sure to at least stay overnight for 1 day if not so a couple days.

Here are some of my tips when going to Cuba on your honeymoon or on vacation:

  1. Bring lots of sunscreen and a hat. Of course you want a tan but trust me, it can get scorching especially mid-day! Bring some aloe versa just in case you fall asleep in the sun.
     
  2. Bring lots of anything you need. Cuba is not like other countries where if you forget anything, it's easily purchased. It is most likely not available or super expensive! This includes any personal items like lotion, conditioner, hair spray and tampons/pads.
     
  3. Don't bring American money. There is a 10% surcharge for American currency so bring that Canadian cash. You can exchange it upon arrival (just enough until you can get to to a bank or another place or exchange). There are 2 currencies, one for foreigners and one for locals; the key is that the convertible pesos (foreigner money) is the equivalent of the US dollar and will have monuments on them instead of faces. Be sure when you get back your change it's always the foreigner peso or else you're losing 25x face value (1 CUC = 25 CUP).
     
  4. Make lots of change. You'll need to tip lots and it is about 10% however tip 15% if you liked the service. Many places won't be able to give you change since they may be operating in CUP (local pesos) or they don't want to give you their change so it's on you to have exact change. Banks will give you the best rate (bring your passport to exchange money) but oddly enough, our hotel in Central Park in Old Havana gave us the best rate we could find!
     
  5. Adaptor. Some hotels and resorts can differ but usually they will use a euro adapter so bring a universal one if you have one.
     
  6. A travel guide or download the offline map. I have been to plenty of third world countries but this is the one that has been the hardest to get internet. Even if you get it, it's 99% not free even at your 5-star hotel. This may be the best time to make sure you have space on your phone, an offline map, and all the places and directions you wanted to visit/eat at saved on your phone. Either way, it's a great way to disconnect from the real world and work emails!
     
  7. A good relaxing book. Since you'll be soaking in some sun and disconnecting from the world, bring a good read.
     
  8. A lock for your suitcase. So, it sounds a little terrible to be untrusting but regardless, it's better to be safe than sorry. Make sure you take care of your cash and have photo copies of your ID. Overall, Cuba is a safe country but just to be safe side.
     
  9. A towel. Some casa particulars are known to be missing some items so bring a towel just in case.
     
  10. Umbrella and a windbreaker. It can be very windy along the beach or malecon at night so make sure you have something to  keep you warm and dry.
     
  11. Stomach pills. Your stomach may not be used to their food and as we mentioned, the pharmacy doesn't have much so bring this with you.
     
  12. TP and hand sanitizer. Self-explanatory. There aren't many public washrooms, especially ones that have soap and/or toilet paper.
     
  13. Flash light. As a communist country, there may be be power outages. If there isn't, it is still very dark at night to reserve energy even in highly populated tourist areas so a flash light isn't a crazy idea. We couldn't even see on the beach a few metres ahead of us if the moon wasn't visible and on the sometimes bumpy cobble stone roads in Havana, a flash light would've come in handy.
     
  14. Bug spray. Havana wasn't an issue but I sure did get bitten in Varadero even by the beach.
     
  15. Bring some gifts for the locals. Here are some items they desperately need or would like: Tylenol/Advil, bars of soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, nail polish, band-aids, razors, spices, baby toys, clothes, sweets/chocolate, and of course, a little tip here and there where ever you can.

Bon voyage... but in Spanish!

 
Old Havana, Cuba taken by my husband

Old Havana, Cuba taken by my husband

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my hubby & I 

my hubby & I

 

Havana, Cuba

Havana, Cuba

 

New Review: Liz + Ari

From our beautiful bride, Liz:

 

Finding out about Bisous Events was the luckiest discovery I could have possibly made. 

When I began planning my wedding, I saw their work on Instagram one day and bookmarked some photos as inspiration, and kept going back to gawk at them. I had never considered having a wedding planner, but when my wedding was six months away, I had a panic attack. With so many decisions to make, family pressures/(strong) opinions, and budgeting anxieties, I felt I had lost control. I no longer knew what I wanted for my wedding; if I was on time, too late or too early to do things; and lost confidence in my abilities to put it together. 

I went back to the Instagram photos from Bisous Events, and decided to contact them.

I am so grateful that I did. Jessica Auvray helped me every step of the way. Although she was planning other weddings at the same time, I still felt like I had her on my side 100%. She is incredibly organized, very responsive, has great taste in decor - she has the ability to make your wedding exude a feeling, not just make it look pretty - and is bossy in the best possible way. She also seems to know the most stylish vendors in the city in order to pull the whole look together, including the smallest of details. On the day of our wedding, we already knew in advance that we didn't have to worry about logistics. Jessica and her assistant ran the show and ensured everything went as planned. I couldn't have imagined having the wedding we had if it weren't for Jessica. Throughout the six months of working with her, I also got to know her as a person and she is simply lovely. She is thoughtful, encouraging, supportive and patient. These are qualities that I don't think wedding planners necessarily need to have in order to do a good job, however they are qualities that make her stand out. I felt like I had a friend helping me. 

In short: she rocks. If you are in need of a planner, or even if you don't think you need one, I highly recommend Bisous Events.

 

Thank you for being so sweet to work with! I know wedding planning can be very wonderful but also very emotional.

Liz looked absolutely stunning (along with her bridal party) on their big day and I was so happy to be apart of it!

Gros bisous!

Neil Ta Photography

Neil Ta Photography

French Café Shoot - featured on Grey Likes Weddings

Warm neutrals in this Parisienne-inspired photoshoot

Neutrals are so hot right now for weddings during all seasons.

Bisous Events was obviously French-inspired in its name (Bisous meaning kisses) and so when we got the chance to team up with international French photographer, Lénaïc Sanz, we knew we had to do something to nod to the always-inspiring city of Paris, France! 

Lénaïc sent me an image of a Parisian lady sipping coffee and I loved the warm tones in the image for a cafe-inspired shoot. I immediately looked for venues that gave a gritty, historical and warm vibe in Toronto while Lénaïc was in town. The French Café photoshoot was set in nowhere other than above an existing coffee shop, Merchants of Green Coffee, in the Jam Factory venue space. The venue provided lots of natural light on the cloudy day (which lent well to the shoot since Paris is known for its cloudy days), exposed bricks and beams and access to hot espresso downstairs! 

The bride, Tanya, sipped on her espresso as she got ready for her big day in her custom lace robe by Catalfo. Make-up by Ford Beauty and hair by Bridal Hair Collective was effortless glam. This classic wedding deserved beautiful stationery to reflect the mood by Paper Mache Co. Every bride needs 2 gowns (am I right?) for the ceremony and reception, both from Sash and Bustle and rings by Anouk Jewelry. The ceremony space was entirely assembled on-site by the talented designer behind Mums Garden, Erin with fresh latte-coloured florals. The table also was adorned in florals and flowy fabrics and accentuated with the chocolate-coloured cutlery. Le Dolci supplied the lovely cake.

Merci beaucoup to all the vendors that participated in this chic photoshoot!

Featured on Grey Likes Weddings - click here to see the full feature!

Planner, producer & stylist: Jessica Auvray / Bisous Events / bisousevents.com / IG @bisous_events / FB: bisousevents / twitter bisous_events 

Photo: Lénaïc Sanz sanzlenaic@gmail.com / IG @sanzlena

Venue: Jam Factory IG @jamfactoryto

Model: Tanya / B&M Models @bnmmodels

Hair: Amy Griffiths info@bridalhaircollective.com IG @bridalhaircollective

Make-up: Janet Ford / www.FordBeauty.com / Instagram: Ford_Beauty

Florals: Erin / Mum’s Garden  info@mumsgarden.ca IG @mumsgardenfloral

Dress & Accessories: Sash & Bustle / Andrea Dineen andrea@sashandbustle.com IG @sashandbustle / gowns: Ivy & Aster "Heron" and Truvelle “Sasha”

Robe: Sarah Catalfo / BY CATALFO / www.ByCatalfo.com IG @bycatalfo

Ring: Anouk Jewelry / anoukjewelry.com / FB: anoukjewelry / twitter: ANOUKbyAnat / IG @anoukjewelry

Table top rentals: (Bisous Events) / Chairs: (owned by florist)

Cake: Lisa / Le Dolci / IG, Twitter: @ledolci / www.LeDolci.com

Stationery: Yan / Paper Mache co. @papermacheco

 

A Wedding Planner's Wedding!

I am officially married!

Some wedding planners get married before getting into the business but I did it the other way around. It definitely helped me in planning my big day and it was everything I could hope for!

There is a lot of pressure when it comes to planning your wedding day when you're in the industry but I knew from day 1 that this wedding wouldn't be about impressing everyone but instead be a reflection of us and we would stay true to the things that were important to us. This is how I see my clients' weddings and it was no difference for myself! I wanted to ensure both our families with the multiple languages were all comfortable and having fun. 

Here are the common questions everyone I know or meet including my current couples and all the wedding vendors ask:

1) How do you feel?

Well I basically feel the same. It's not bad like it sounds! I always felt like Joseph was my husband and I would spend forever with him. We already blended our families, lived together for years, travelled together, purchased our home together and raise our dog. I am so happy to call him my husband, it really feels natural. 

2) Was it crazy planning your wedding day while still planning all your client's weddings?

Yes and no. Yes because it was weird being on the other side of things. No because this is what I do for a living, all the logistics and vendor sourcing is normal. I do have a new found respect for brides! I did not expect to be so emotional on the day but oh did I shed some happy tears!

3) Would you do anything different looking back?

Some things happened like moving venues 1 month prior to but really, I wouldn't change anything! 

4) What was your favourite thing about your wedding? 

There are really too many things to name since I planned it from Day 1 but here are a couple high-lights:

  • My dog, Misu, was our flower pet and walked down the aisle with my sister!
  • The food. We're huge foodies and the food was phenomenal!
  • The weather. This is something you could never control and our wedding was inside but the weather really made everyone in a good mood especially since most of our guests travelled from outside Canada to be with us. This also allowed us to be able to walk around for our wedding day photos.
  • My dress. I don't know when I'll ever be able to feel so beautiful and glamorous again! My hair and make-up looked so lovely too.. and it looked that way even at the end of all the hours of dancing!
  • All our families travelling from far and wide to be with us. I don't know another day I could wrangle all these people from France to Florida to England together again.
  • Marrying my love, Joseph!

It was an amazing day with so much love... but I'm glad its back to normal about being back on the side I'm most comfortable with, behind the scenes!

Thank you to everyone that made our days everything we could wish for!

Planner: Bisous Events
Venue: The Great Hall
Photographer: Ally Ho / Evolylla Photography
Florals: Flower 597
Calligraphy/Stationery: Paula Lee Calligraphy
Dress: Ines Di Santo
Suit: 18 waits
Rentals: Plate Occasions & The Perfect Table
Make-up: Glow by Mimosa
Hair: Puzzle Creations
DJ: Docteur Mephisto