I love this idea of letting parents pick the song they will dance with you to at your wedding. Parents tend to put a lot of thought into this or they already know the song. You can even let them surprise you with the song. When my sisters and I got married it HAD to be an Anne Murray song for my Dad. For mine it was "Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?" I get teary just thinking of it.
Comment with the song you used or a song you love.
#ottawaweddingplanner #ottawawedding #ontariovenue #weddingplanningtips #weddingplanningtools #ottawabride ...

Going into the weekend like ....
Name one thing you want to do this weekend and 1 thing you are dreading.
I'll go first. I am looking forward to watching my last episode of the show Ted Lasso (I know so exciting!) and dreading ... always cleaning on Saturdays. Dread that. Now you go ....
Photo by @aliandbatoulphotography
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#bridesmaids #cheers #bridegettingready #tgif #ottawaweddingplanner #ottawawedding #ottawaweddingvendors ...

What am I hoping for in 2022? If you are new here, welcome! I never really do posts about me, mostly tips and tricks and inspo but since its a new year, this would be a fun way to kick it off!
So here we go:
1) I hope this is the last of the closures our industry will see (kind of an obvious one!)
2) I hope all my amazing couples get to have their “Plan A” weddings in 2022
3) I hope our family can go on that March Break trip we gave our kids for Christmas.
4) I hope I don't bawl my eyes out when my second kid goes off to University. (Who’s kidding of course I will!)
5) I hope to get to Cape Cod and visit with our friends we haven't seen in 3 summers.
6) I hope my parents stay healthy even as they age.
7) I hope to spend more time at the cottage with my sisters and their families.
What about you, comment with 1 of your hopes for 2022! Spread the hope!
(tap for vendors)
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#spreadthehope #2022goals #weddingplanner #ottawawedding #ottawaweddingplanner #EricaIrwinWeddings
#quebecweddingvenue #ottawaweddingvenue #weddinginspiration #lebelvedereweddings #lebelvedere #ottawawedding #ottawaweddings
#canadianwedding #weddingplanner #summerwedding #wedecor ...

Day 8 (last ones!) in my series: Newly engaged what’s next? This one is the best part!

RELAX AND ENJOY. ⁠
All the planning falls into place today, its like race day, you have done the training, you are ready! Trust the planning.⁠ Be in the moment with all your favourite people in one room, all celebrating you two and just have fun together.⁠
The day will pass quickly and all the little hiccups will be handled by your team of experienced professionals. That is why they are on your team right?⁠
⁠Have questions? Comment below or DM me.⁠ Or if you have a story about what surprised you about your wedding day, I would love to hear it!⁠
Photo cred to @agatharowland
Planning and Coordination by @ericairwinweddings
⁠Venue @stonefields_estate ...

Day # 7⁠ in my series: Newly engaged what’s next?
Next on our list is ⁠MAKE YOUR WEDDING WEEKEND TIMELINE
Now that you have booked all these A-list vendors, you need to tell them when and where to be especially since some book multiple weddings, you want to make sure you grab the right timeslot.
This schedule is a 6-12 pager which lists everything happening almost down to every 10 minutes. Now this "big guns" is not for you to manage on the wedding day so exhale!! We work on it together, fine tuning it over the planning process, we build in buffers to ensure you are relaxed and having the best day ever. We use it to reconfirm all your vendor timing too. For example, maybe you thought you were going to have a sleep in, a big brunch out and then a run down the canal before your hair and makeup team arrive. Then once I reverse engineer your day from your ceremony start time you are shocked at how early we need to start. The biggest wedding day planning mistake is booking hair and makeup timing incorrectly. I guarantee any wedding that you attended where the wedding started late was likely due to improper allocation of time in the morning.
But no worries I’ve got your back! I love hearing from couples and their entourage "Wow today has been so much fun and so relaxing!" and I do giggle to myself when those late to the ceremony friends are shocked that we actually started on time!
⁠Have questions? Comment below or DM me and make sure you read the other posts in this series, save them for later and share with friends/ clients.
Photo cred to @brophotomariagesweddings
Planning and Coordination by @ericairwinweddings
Venue @lebelvedere
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#engagedottawainsta #engagedottawa #wishtreeinvites #ottawabride #ottawabrides #ottawawedding #ottawaweddingdecor #weddingdaydetails #bridesofottawa#ottawaweddingplanner #ottawawedding #ottawaweddingvendors #EricaIrwinweddings #realwedding #summerwedding #canadianwedding #ottawaweddingflowers #ottawawedding2022 #ottawawedding2022 #ottawaweddingvenue #weddingvenueottawa #weddingtips #weddinginspiration #weddingdetails
#weddingtimeline #weddingschedule ...

Day # ⁠6⁠ in my series: Newly engaged what’s next?
Contract with your key vendors.
A typical wedding for one of my clients has 10 to 12 contracts that need to get signed with wedding service providers that will make up their #weddingteam with the goal of making your wedding a total success. If you’ve been following along in my series you’ve already checked with some key vendors before picking your date. ⁠For any vendor, it's a bit like matchmaking. There is no ONE perfect vendor for each category in your wedding since all couples have unique style, priorities and budgets of course!⁠ The first one I will say to book will be your photographer (and videographer) then hair and makeup. The first part of wedding planning will be made up of finding the right vendors to book, once they are all locked in you can relax a bit.
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An experienced local wedding planner will have a solid list of great vendors they trust, making it easy to check “to-dos” off the list. You will get to avoid Googling for example "best wedding cake Ottawa" 😬You’ll quickly be able to fill in the blanks with confidence next to florist, decorator, music, cake, photobooth, invitations, transportation etc.⁠
Couples working with me will be given recommendations from a very curated list, with 14 years of experience as an Ottawa wedding planner I have seen many companies come and go, especially through the pandemic. So I have a deep knowledge of reliable and amazing local vendors who take their couples weddings very seriously.

⁠Have questions? Comment below or DM me.⁠
Don't forget to check out the past posts in this series too!
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Photo cred to @brophotomariagesweddings
Planning and Coordination by @ericairwinweddings
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#engagedottawainsta #engagedottawa #ottawabride #ottawabrides #ottawawedding #ottawaweddingdecor #bridesofottawa #ottawaweddingplanner #ottawawedding #ottawaweddingvendors #EricaIrwinWeddings #weddingplanner #summerwedding #canadianwedding #ottawaweddingflowers #ottawaweddingflorist #ottawawedding2022 #ottawawedding2023 #ottawaweddingvenue #weddingvenueottawa #weddingtips #weddinginspiration #weddingdetails #lebelvedereweddings #weddinginvitation #ottawaweddingphotographer ...

Day ⁠5⁠ in my series: Newly engaged what’s next?
Pick a date! I know … most of you thought this was step 1 but NOPE!
(You might need to go back and read my other posts in this series to have more details on the why.)
In 2022/ 2023 you cannot just choose a date and then hope everything lines up to your date if you have a particular location or wedding vendors in mind. I know, hard pill to swallow. The wedding “boom” is real and its here.
⁠It MIGHT work out but here is an easier way to go:
1) Pick a season or a couple months you would ideally like to work with.
2) Decide if you are open to a week day. A “weekend wedding” is now not just Saturday. Fridays and Sundays are very typical. I have done a wedding on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and I will tell you it does not make them any less special or fun!⁠ Pro tip: Sometimes you even get a discount by working with non-weekends!
3) Once you have picked a venue/ narrowed it down, ask for the dates they have available and from there pick a date.
4) Keep in mind that while a long weekend sounds like a good idea, your cottage going friends will not be happy and many hotels require a minimum 2 night stay.
5) Check to see if there is a race/ concert/ festival that weekend. It will cause traffic issues and possibly hotel room issues/ rate hikes.
6) Look at the “typical weather” for your date. For example the last weekend in May is always beautiful while July is always smoking HOT!
7) If you have a particular vendor that you REALLY want to work with ask for their availability eg ME, photographer, decorator for example.
8) Consider an “off season” wedding. Wedding season goes basically from May 1 to November 1. So looking at other months can either give you more flexibility with dates with the venue/ vendors you want or possibly a discount.
Comment below with more questions or input and also try and guess what month this gorgeous wedding was!
Photo by the amazing @agatharowland ...

Day # ⁠4⁠ in my series: Newly engaged what’s next?
Look at venues.
Booking the venue will also determine your wedding date, which everything
in your wedding planning process will revolve around.⁠ But more on that tomorrow.

6 things to keep in mind when choosing your wedding venue.
1) Is there room to hold your ceremony, cocktail, dinner and dancing? Make sure you see all the spaces that you are renting. Will another wedding be
encroaching on your spaces at any point?
2) What is included in the price per guest? If you are comparing venues its important to look at the number of canapés and courses that are included, also look for champagne toast, cake cutting, wine with dinner ( you will want more than 2 glasses included), what about decor, specialty linens or chairs, seating chart and table numbers, a room to get ready and a room for
your wedding night etc
3) Transportation, will you or your guests need transportation? If so factor this into the cost.
4) Guest rooms, are they on-site or close by? This will be important for your out of town guests or people who want to just stay a night away from home.
5) What are their current gathering restrictions for each space? ⁠ With restrictions coming and going, you are safest choosing a venue that if the limit is 50% of the room that you are prepared for that or for cutting your
list.
6) Is there a lower per guest rate if you consider a weekday (Mon to Thurs) wedding date?
When you work with me on Full Planning, rest assured we do a deep dive into the venue packages to make sure we really compare 🍎s to 🍎s
Comment below with any other tips you think couples should consider or tag a newly engaged friend.

Photo cred to @brophotomariagesweddings
Planning and Coordination by @ericairwinweddings
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#ontarioweddingvenue #quebecweddingvenue
#ottawaweddingvenue #weddingvenueottawa
#ottawawedding  #ottawaweddings #ottawaweddingvendors #ericairwinweddings #ericairwinbrides #weddingplanner #bestweddingplanner #summerwedding #canadianwedding #ottawaweddingflowers #ottawaweddingflorist #ottawawedding2022 #ottawawedding2023 #weddingtips #weddingtipwednesday  #weddingtip #weddingadvice #weddingday  #weddinginspo #weddinghacks ...

Day 3 in my series: Newly engaged what’s next? The B word ….
For some it's a hard word to hear.⁠
No one likes this step (except for all my accountant clients!) in their wedding planning but its a MUST.⁠ Have you guessed yet?⁠
BUDGET.⁠
SET A BUDGET⁠ or at least a draft budget so you have an idea of what’s ahead. Many couples haven’t thought about all of the different pieces that need to come together on their wedding day, and almost all of these pieces have a cost.⁠
Newly engaged couples contact me saying “I have a budget of $30,000.” Then when I ask, does this include both your outfits, your hair/makeup, attendant gifts, transportation, decor, flowers, music, cake etc. many times they say “No, just the food and alcohol at the reception.” I always lay out a detailed budget for my clients so there are no surprises later on. Many online wedding budget calculators have this weird formula of percentages where you plug in the amount that you want to spend on your wedding and it spits out an amount for each vendor you will need to book based on a percentage. This is so NOT realistic. If it spits out for example $200 for your DJ I am sweating already for you at the thought of who this person would be!⁠
A budget also needs to represent where you live!
DM me and we can set up a complimentary phone consultation where I can take you through a realistic wedding budget.⁠
Comment below if you are a budget lover or hater.
Photo cred to @unioneleven
Planning and Coordination by @ericairwinweddings
#engagedottawainsta #engagedottawa #ottawabride #ottawabrides #ottawawedding #ottawaweddingdecor #bridesofottawa #ottawaweddingplanner #ottawawedding #wedecor #unioneleven #dulcecouturecakes #venuetwentytwo #twentytwoweddings #westinottawa #ottawaweddingvendors #ericairwinweddings #ericairwinbrides #weddingplanner #canadianwedding #ottawaweddingflowers #ottawaweddingflorist #ottawawedding2022 #ottawawedding2023 #ottawaweddingvenue #weddingvenueottawa #weddingtips #weddingtipwednesday  #weddingtip #weddingadvice #weddingday ...

Day 2 in my series: Newly engaged what’s next? Step 2 in planning your wedding here we go.
(missed day 1? Go catch up on my last post).
Your wedding day is the only day where you get to look around and see all the people you love all in one room, there to celebrate the two of you.
So...⁠
MAKE A GUEST LIST⁠
It’s difficult to say “We want 120 guests at our wedding” until you actually make a list. Couples can be surprised at how quickly the guest count grows, and you cannot look at venues (and a date) until you have a list of guests. And now with gathering restrictions coming and going you are safest choosing a venue that if the limit is 50% of the room that you are prepared for that or for cutting your list.
⁠Here are some tips to help navigate making your list:
1) Ask yourself this important question: “Would I invite this person/couple out for dinner at a nice restaurant and offer to pay the bill?” If the answer is no, then they don’t get added to the list or if you have a “B” list they go there.
2)Show it to both sets of parents. They may add or possibly take away guests from the list as well.
3) In these times we live, have an A list and a B list. At any point in your wedding planning these days things could change so be prepared to move to a smaller “must have attend” list. (another reason step 1 was HIRE A PLANNER!!)

One last thing on guest lists, I hear all the time “we are inviting all these people but we don’t expect them all to come”. This is not a strategy. Expect 10% to not come and in these current times expect almost everyone to say yes. As weird as that sounds people right now are mostly saying yes when invited to a wedding because time together is so cherished right now.
Comment below with what guest count you are hoping for or if you are already married how many guests you had!
Photo cred to @brophotomariagesweddings
Planning and Coordination by @ericairwinweddings
Venue @fairmontmontebello ...

Day 1 in my series: Newly engaged what’s next?
Rings went on fingers during the holidays, so I decided to do a series to help newly engaged couples jump start their planning. First though, breathe and enjoy being engaged for a moment … but not too long because the wedding “boom” is here so chop chop. I know everyone is asking you two "so what's the date?" I am going to explain why that's actually step 4 and not step 1.⁠
You just know that my step 1 is going to be HIRE A PLANNER⁠.
ESPECIALLY during a freaking pandemic where things are constantly changing.
If you’re thinking of hiring a Wedding Planner, do it right away. Let a planner show you how to take great ideas and make them work in your city! If you already have a Pinterest board (or 20), great we can show you how to bring those ideas to life, on budget.⁠
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Some couples start planning on their own and then come to me when they are overwhelmed, frustrated, and have already booked a couple of items on their list. Had they come to me right away I could have laid out a plan, shown them options they maybe didn’t know about, and saved them so much time on Google trying to find trustworthy, experienced vendors.⁠
Still aren't sure where I can help? DM me and let's set up a complimentary phone consultation to talk specifically about your wedding!⁠
Stay tuned over the next week for great tips and try and guess below what is going to be step 2 in your planning!
Photographer cred goes to the amazing @greyloftstudios
Venue: @fairmontmontebello
Planning and Coordination: @ericairwinweddings
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#engagedottawainsta #engagedottawa #ottawabride #ottawabrides #ottawawedding #ottawaweddingdecor #bridesofottawa #ottawaweddingplanner #ottawawedding #ottawaweddingvendors #ericairwinweddings #ericairwinbrides #weddingplanner #bestweddingplanner #summerwedding #canadianwedding #ottawaweddingflowers #ottawaweddingflorist #ottawawedding2022 #ottawawedding2023 #ottawaweddingvenue #weddingvenueottawa #weddingtips #weddinginspiration #weddingdetails #weddingday #weddingmoments #ottawaweddingphotography #ottawaweddingphotographer ...

I am starting a new series to help newly engaged couples kick start their planning. So make sure you are following me or invite a newly engaged friend to do so!
But first comment below with what you THINK I am going to recommend and check tomorrow to see if you were right!
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#ottawaweddingplanner #ottawawedding #ontariovenue #weddingplanningtips #weddingplanningtools #ottawabride ...

Wedding Season 2021 is a wrap and here is what I learned.
The event industry was hit HARD over the last almost 2 years and we have pivoted more than a ballerina?? Trying to think of something that pivots a lot.
BUT here are 3 good things that I have taken from all of this:
1) Couples and their guests are so HAPPY to be at a wedding right now. There is no grumbling about "I have 8 weddings to go to this year". I think people have realized how precious time together is now.
2) Working with clients where we are well "matched" is a must. There is only so much I can do as a Planner, I do not make the rules and yes many times I find the rules unfair but working with couples that are understanding and in the end just want to be married
is a God-send.
3) I need to have a deep list of trusted vendors going into 2022/ 2023 because the boom is here and many providers are booked so I need to be able to have options for clients that are dependable and trustworthy.
2022 is going to be my busiest year yet and I am ready for it. So get ready for some seriously beautiful 2022 weddings on this account!
As always I am very appreciative of referrals so if you know someone getting married in 2022/ 2023 please let them know they can set up a call with me to chat about their wedding (no charge I promise) and we can see if we are a fit!
I also want to say a special thank you to my amazing assistant Ahmad. My mind reader and "better half" at every wedding.
I would love to hear below what you took away from your 2021!
Photo by @agatharowland
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#thatsawrap #weddingseason2021 #stonefieldsestate #thegatheringevent #ericairwinweddings #ericairwinbrides #ottawaweddingvenue #ottawawedding #ottawaweddingplanner #weddingplanner #weddinginspiration #weddinginspo #wedding #weddingtipsandtricks #weddingplannertips #weddingplanner ⁠
⁠#ottawabride #ottawabrides #ottawaweddingvendors #ottawarealwedding #ottwedvendors #luxuryweddingplannerottawa ...

Kathleen and Alexander's wedding wraps up 2021 wedding season perfectly.
What a wonderful note to end a tough year on! Thanks to the amazing team of people who helped make this wedding perfect. It takes an army of people on a wedding day.
Photo by @agatharowland
tap for all vendors
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#thatsawrap #weddingseason2021 #stonefieldsestate #kleinfeldsbride #thegatheringevent #ericairwinweddings #ericairwinbrides #bridesbouquet #chapelwedding #ottawawedding #ottawaweddingplanner #weddingplanner #weddinginspiration #weddinginspo #wedding #weddingtipsandtricks #weddingplannertips #weddingplanner ⁠
⁠#ottawabride #ottawabrides #ottawaweddingvendors #ottawarealwedding #ottwedvendors #luxuryweddingplannerottawa ...

Anyone else Black Friday shopping today?
What's on your list and tell me where you are finding deals!!
I was at the stores for 7 a.m. getting 3 new cell phones/ plans already, got my husband his birthday/ Christmas gift and then have an whole afternoon off for shopping online to get my kids lists done. Photo by @tracy.grace
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#ottawablackfriday #blackfridaywedding #engagedottawainsta #engagedottawa #ottawabride #ottawabrides #ottawabridetobe 2 #ottawawedding #ottawaweddings #firstlookinspiration #weddingottawa #ottawaweddingplanner #ottawaweddingvendors #ottawaweddingdesigner #canadianwedding #weddingplanner #luxurywedding #EricaIrwinWeddings #ericariwinbrides #bridebouquet #brideportrait #graceandgoldstudios #venuetwentytwo #venuetwentytwowedding ...

When it comes to hair and makeup, I HIGHLY recommend everyone has it done by a professional. I sometimes see one or two people in a wedding party opting out and doing it themselves but to be honest, in photos you can tell.
If you are a professional makeup artist or stylist that’s a bit different of course but most of us are not able to do our makeup or hair the way someone else can.
Also its nice to be pampered on a wedding day and not feel stressed or rushed. Because without fail, a wedding day will be the day you are just not pulling off the look you want yourself.
I know I personally am not great at doing my own hair or makeup to the level of some of my wedding beauty peeps!
What about you are you killing or more like me needing help?
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#ottawaweddingmakeup #ottawaweddinghair #ottawaweddingparty #lebelvedereweddings #lebelvedere #weddingtipwednesday #weddingtips #weddingtip #weddingadvice #weddingday #weddinginspiration #weddingdetails #weddingdaydetails
#engagedottawainsta #engagedottawa #ottawabride #ottawabrides #ottawabridetobe 2 #ottawawedding #ottawaweddings #firstlookinspiration #weddingottawa #ottawaweddingplanner #ottawaweddingvendors #ottawaweddingdesigner #canadianwedding #weddingplanner #luxurywedding #EricaIrwinWeddings #ericariwinbrides⁠ ...