Hi Everyone!  Wow… what a summer for me with planning my own wedding and also working with some great brides for their weddings later this year.

For a Candy Table Designer, creating a candy table for their own wedding is a combination of a little stress, a bit of panic, but mostly a lot of fun!  Well, for me being the owner of Sweet Something Designs, it was a given that me and my  husband would have a candy table at our wedding in Fredericton NB this past July 31st.  I was thrilled to be be both the Bride and Designer!  Below are the photos my photographer (the talented Julie Whitlock) took at my reception!

If you want to take a peek at my wedding photos that are posted on Julie’s blog… take a peek:  CLICK HERE

For me and my husband John, it was really important to make our wedding day about their entire wedding party, families and friends.  This theme ran throughout every aspect of the wedding, and especially with the candy table.

We wanted to make sure that we included candy that everyone would love, and in order to make this happen, we took the time and  asked each member of the wedding party for their “All-Time Favourite Candy”.  In total, there were 21 different kinds of candy which made for a pretty colourful display!

At the end of the night, every glass container was empty and every cellophane bag was gone!  We’re thinking that this candy table was a sweet success!

Thanks for taking the time to view some images of what we did at our wedding.  If you are thinking about doing something like this for your wedding and event… please check out my website and drop me a line.  I would love to speak to you and we can talk about ideas together and see where it will lead us.

Happy Planning!

Regards,  Marijke

Sweet Something Designs offers custom candy / dessert buffets to celebrate life’s special occasions. They can create an unforgettably sweet tablescape, full of special sweet treats that will delight every guest.

Marijke Daye is the owner and designer behind this company, and she has over 5 years in the event industry. You can view her work on her website and Sweet Something Designs on Twitter. Follow them on Facebook and join the Sweet Something Designs Facebook Fan Page. For more information on how she can assist you, you can reach Marijke at 416.662.9893 or via email: marijke@sweetsomethingdesigns.com

Hi Everyone…=)

Our new engagement ring collection is complete and we are very excited about how incredible these rings look. There are over 100 new styles to pick from.   If you are looking for something specific or unique we can custom design something special for you.

Spring/Summer is a beautiful time of year to plan the perfect proposal and a beautiful time of year for weddings.  We have all the latest styles/ trends for engagement rings, wedding bands and wedding day jewellery.

Diamonds:

At Samuel Kleinberg we are proud of the knowledge & education our team has… Our diamond specialists are certified by GIA (the leading diamond lab in North America and the lab that created the standardized 4 C’s for diamonds.)  We would love to share our knowledge of diamonds with you.

Book a one-on-one diamond education session and learn everything there is to know about buying the perfect diamond for the special lady in your life.   We would love for you to follow us on Facebook: CLICK HERE

To do a little something for the people that joined our page…  On May 1st we will be giving away $250 worth of gift certificates to the store.   And it gets even better… Blue Six Creative is giving away 5 photo shoots to Samuel Kleinberg Jeweller fans.   This is an amazing opportunity to have a fun & creative photo shoot with your partner.  All you have to do is follow the Samuel Kleinberg Page to be eligible to win!!

Note: Names of every member of the page will be put into a Jar and all winners will be picked from the Jar.

Updated May 3rd:  The following Fans on the Samuel Kleinberg Jewellers Facebook Fan page have been picked and they are:

Olivia Naftolin

Tracey Himelfarb Payer

Ashley Faria

Avi Lugassy

Rebecca Holloway

Congratulations to the five of you.  You all have won a free photoshoot with us that can be a family shoot or a “couple” shoot.  Please email us and we can send you more information on the shoots.  You can reach us at info@bluesixcreative.com

Regards,

Jason Miles

Stay tuned for my next post on the Blue Six Blog in May.   I will come back to share diamond info and the latest trends and styles for engagement rings & wedding bands.

Until then, enjoy the warm weather =)

Melissa Spivak
Jewellery Designer

I will be coming back here now and then to show you some of my work, hopefully inspire you, as well as to get you thinking about having Sweet Something Designs prepare a little eye candy at your next event.

Spring is definitely in the air!   The sun is shining, buds are starting to blossom, and fashion is changing from dark greys and blacks to lots of bright oranges, yellows and teals!   Spring is one of my favourite seasons for this very reason, I love colour!   It’s fun, rejuvenating and exciting…much like how candy makes us feel!   Colour is one of the most important aspects to consider when designing your candy buffet. Whether you are opting for an all white elegant buffet, a fun multi-colour retro candy buffet, or a themed buffet full of greens, yellows or pinks, coordinating the colours is important in creating dimension within the table and ultimately pulling together the entire look of the table. It’s fun to creatively add your own style into the buffet with colour as well as experiment with adding different accent colours, even colours that you may not think would compliment each other.   Here are some of my favourite buffets from some of the best designers in the business.   See how they use colour to create an impact and ultimately make the entire table sparkle like Spring!

Looking forward to coming back soon on the blog.

Sweetly Signing Off,
Marijke

~

Sweet Something Designs offers custom candy / dessert buffets to celebrate life’s special occasions.  They can create an unforgettably sweet tablescape, full of special sweet treats that will delight every guest.

Marijke Daye is the owner and designer behind this company, and she has over 5 years in the event industry.  You can view her work on her website and Sweet Something Designs on Twitter.   Follow them on Facebook and join the Sweet Something Designs Facebook Fan Page.   For more information on how she can assist you, you can reach Marijke  at 416.662.9893 or via email: marijke@sweetsomethingdesigns.com

Check out the images below — how are you making your wedding stationery unique?

Stay tuned — there’s a special surprise about this invite that ties in with another essential element of every wedding. I don’t know if i can spill these beans just yet, but trust me, when i can say, i will!

Paper Bliss | Stationery and Gifts is a unique Toronto company that offers stylish, unique designs to create one-of-a-kinds for everyone. You can view their work on their website and Follow Paper Bliss on Twitter. Follow them on Facebook and join the Paper Bliss Page. For more information on how they can assist you, you can reach Laurie Hannoush at 647.205.7442 or via email: laurie@paperbliss.ca

What is your name and where are you from? My name is Marijke Daye.  I am originally from Fredericton, New Brunswick, but now call Richmond Hill, Ontario home.

What is one of your New Year’s resolutions? Although I don’t usually establish any “New Year’s Resolutions”, I did make a commitment in August to fulfill a lifelong dream of starting my very own small business.

What website do you like to frequent often? Besides my hotmail and regular social media sites (facebook and twitter), I love www.stylemepretty.com, www.wedluxe.com and www.theknot.com.  And maybe a tiny bit of www.tmz.com!

What kind of services/products do you offer? At Sweet Something Designs, we want to create the most amazing candy buffet/bar for our clients and their guests.  Each and every tablescape is designed with our client’s vision in mind. Their unique ideas help create a customized candy buffet that will wow their guests. Whether it’s a
birthday party for 50 close friends or a wedding for 200 guests, Sweet Something Designs will ensure that each buffet is one-of-a-kind!

Who is one local wedding professional that is in your category that you admire? Although there are not many local businesses that deliver the unique type of service that Sweet Something Designs offers, there are many Toronto based wedding professionals that I admire.  Since my background is in event management, I appreciate and admire the work of local event coordinators.  Cynthia Martyn of Cynthia Martyn Events and Cindy Johnson of Platinum Events Group are two local wedding planners that are at the top of their game.  Both of them are successful small business owners who have been able to establish a strong presence within the marketplace.  I aspire to have the success that they have had.

Who is one local professional that you also admire and is not in your category? Carol Moxam is a local professional that I admire.  Carol is a pioneer in the event industry and I admire her leadership. I had the opportunity to meet her in August 2009 at Special Event Bootcamp, a workshop for event industry professionals.  Attending this workshop was an important step in my career, as Carol encouraged each attendee to pursue their dreams. Out of this two-day bootcamp, Carol’s encouragement and my desire to accomplish a lifelong goal,  Sweet Something Designs was born.

What is your website? The Sweet Something Designs website is: www.sweetsomethingdesigns.com

Why do you do… what you do? Two reasons.  The first reason is that I am an event professional by trade and love to create an event that will leave lasting memories.  The second reason is simply I LOVE CANDY.

What are some of your business goals for 2010? Sweet Something Designs is a new, young company, therefore my primary business goal for 2010 is to start to grow the business and establish a strong clientele within the Toronto event industry.

Finish this sentence:  Not now, not ever I will… Compromise my values and integrity. Or go skydiving!

My life is… Great!  I have a loving and supportive family, good health and am now finally able to fulfill a dream of starting my own small business, doing something that I love.

3 things we can find on your desk? You would find my iphone, laptop, and a picture of my niece and nephews.

What is your next business purchase? My next business purchase is a trolley!  I need a trolley to carry all of
the candy, vases, etc. to the events.

When are you happiest? Family is such an important part of my life; they are stability when every other aspect of life is always changing.  This is something for which I am truly grateful. Being with them is when I’m at my happiest.

What is a guilty pleasure of yours? Definitely magazines! I might have a slight obsession with magazines.  All
kinds…US Weekly, OK, Glamour, Chatelaine, Martha Stewart Weddings, WEDLuxe…  I buy them all.

If someone wanted to contact you, what would be a good way? You can contact me via e-mail at marijke@sweetsomethingdesigns.com or via telephone at 416-662-9893.  I am also on twitter at www.twitter.com/sweetsomethingd

Thanks very much Marijke for taking the time to help us understand your business.  We hope to see you at an event that we are covering.  We will surely sneak over to the Candy table and pick up some goodies for us and for our wives at home!

All the best to you and your business in 2010!

Regards,

Jason Miles

Sweet Something Designs is a unique design business, serving the Greater Toronto Area, which specializes in custom candy/dessert buffets to celebrate life’s special occasions. Whether it’s your child’s 1st birthday party, your dream wedding or a fabulous grand opening, Sweet Something Designs can create an unforgettably sweet tablescape, full of special treats that will delight every guest.

Born out of a sheer love for candy and a passion for creating memorable events, Marijke Daye is the designer behind Sweet Something Designs. As a graduate of Ryerson University’s Event Management Certificate Program and with over 5 years in the event industry, Marijke has joined her expertise in event planning with her knowledge of  ”all things sweet” to form Sweet Something Designs!

The word manzanita actually means little apple, but the item we’re talking about has nothing to do with apples… at least i don’t think they do. Humboldtliving.com defines manzanita as the following:

The Manzanitas are a subgenus of the genus Arctostaphylos. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from southern British Columbia in Canada, Washington to California and New Mexico in the United States, and throughout much of northern and central Mexico. They are characterised by smooth, orange or red bark and stiff, twisting branches.

Essentially, they’re these really cool branches that twist and turn and you can use them as centrepieces! Hang crystal strands off of them, attach orchids or spider mums, spray paint them any colour to match your decor, or just coat the natural branches with a nice varnish. We’ve been getting a ton of inquiries from brides looking for these awesome branches for either centrepieces or for wishing trees — apparently it’s impossible to find a company that ships these bad boys to a Canadian address. Well ladies, not anymore! Designed by Yours Truly is here to save the day

If you’re interested in Manzanita branches, here are a few things to consider:
• natural red branches are more economical than sandblasted, and can be spray painted. Pricing starts at $20 for the 18″ branches, and go up from there.
• sandblasated branches are absolutely gorgeous, so if your budget can handle it — it’s definitely something to consider!! Pricing starts at $36 and go up from there.
• crystal tree rental is also an option for those of you who aren’t the biggest DIY-ers, so brides in the GTA and surrounding area, these are $65+ (plus setup/delivery).

Laurie Hannoush, Lead Graphic Designer

Paper Bliss | Stationery and Gifts is a unique Toronto company that offers stylish, unique designs to create one-of-a-kinds for everyone. You can view their work on their website and Follow Paper Bliss on Twitter. Follow them on Facebook and join the Paper Bliss Page. For more information on how they can assist you, you can reach Laurie Hannoush at 647.205.7442 or via email: laurie@paperbliss.ca

Daniela is the Owner/Designer of Momento Design and you can hit up their website at www.momentodesign.ca She can be emailed at info@momentodesign.ca and if you wish to contact her at the studio, you can reach her at 905-668-2383  Her studio is located in Whitby, Ontario.

Many of her clients deal with her online through the entire process, so if you don’t live in Durham Region… it’s easy to connect with her for information and pricing through to the finished product being shipped out to you from her busy studio.

Best of luck with your wedding planning and please check out this local vendor that inspires us.  Hopefully you will see her soon on this blog offering you some tips & advice as a guest blogger.

Regards,

Sarah

So the magic question amongst brides seems to be: How do I get super-nice invitations without the bill being too steep?

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Your paper choices will affect your price. metallics, textured metallics, patterned papers and duplexes (papers that are different colours on each side of the sheet) will always raise your price
• Your printing method will also affect your price. You don’t need to go with raised printing, or letterpress… You can get an equally beautiful invitation with a “wow” factor using digital printing which is the most economical way to go.
• The size of your invite, as well as the number of inserts will have the biggest impact on your price. If you’re open to it, consider a wedding website that holds the bulk of your information (directions, accommodation information, RSVP information), and all you need is a simple setup with your ceremony card. This may actually be a way to incorporate the metallic patterned papers you oh-so-love since you’re cutting out the amount of paper you really need!!

In the end, your invitation designer should be sensitive to your budget needs, and should have some creative ideas on how to meet your costs. And, if you really love the $9 invitations but you can only bring it down to $7.50 and you had really only budgeted for $6, maybe you can find somewhere else to cut down your costs? Talk to your other vendors and see if they’d be willing to offer you a modified deal, you don’t get what you don’t ask for!

Happy Planning!

Laurie Hannoush, Lead Graphic Designer

Paper Bliss | Stationery and Gifts is a unique Toronto company that offers stylish, unique designs to create one-of-a-kinds for everyone. You can view their work on their website and Follow Paper Bliss on Twitter. Follow them on Facebook and join the Paper Bliss Page. For more information on how they can assist you, you can reach Laurie Hannoush at 647.205.7442 or via email: laurie@paperbliss.ca

Here are a few photos of the purple and white candy table that I created for Jasmine, John and their 60 wedding guests. Enjoy!

Looking forward to coming back soon on the blog.

Sweetly Signing Off,
Marijke

~

Sweet Something Designs offers custom candy / dessert buffets to celebrate life’s special occasions. They can create an unforgettably sweet tablescape, full of special sweet treats that will delight every guest.

Marijke Daye is the owner and designer behind this company, and she has over 5 years in the event industry. You can view her work on her website and Sweet Something Designs on Twitter. Follow them on Facebook and join the Sweet Something Designs Facebook Fan Page. For more information on how she can assist you, you can reach Marijke at 416.662.9893 or via email: marijke@sweetsomethingdesigns.com

Answer | Terry @Scotia Entertainment - My actual DJ Setup is 4′ wide, typically we ask for either a 6′ or 8′ Banquet table to be set up for us and if possible to have the DJ situated close to and facing the dance floor.  We do have a 4′ table that we can bring along if we have advance notice as well, sometimes in a tent or private property this is asked of us and we can bring this if needed.

With our basic 2 speaker system we require at least 2 feet on each side of the DJ table for the speaker stands, alternately in some situations the speakers can be setup further away from the DJ in another area of the room.

For larger rooms we have larger sound systems and sometimes light shows so the space we need to setup can vary depending on the package and equipment we are bringing.  If space is an issue it is best to discuss with us as it can vary from venue to venue and package to package.  We do have smaller DJ Setups that can be used is a smaller setup space is required.

Drop us a line if you have any follow-up questions.

Regards,

Terry, Scotia Entertainment

———-

Thanks Terry! Very much appreciated.

- Jason

Scotia Entertainment is a professional DJ based in Mississauga that covers Southern Ontario. You can view their website and follow them on Twitter and Facebook. Terry Holdershaw and Michelle Clayton can be reached via email at terry@scotiaentertainment.com and michelle@scotiaentertainment.com for further information on how they can help you.