Renee + Benjamin | Toronto Wedding Professionals Palooza

^^^ Family and Friends of Renee + Benjamin , please click the “LIKE” button above to the left to submit a “vote” for this couple. The couple at the end of the contest with the most votes will win. Click Here To View The Contest Details + Summary.

Editor’s Notes: Toronto Wedding Professionals along with some great Toronto Wedding Vendors are getting together to offer a cool contest to couples across Southern Ontario where they have a chance to win some awesome prizes.

We both were part of Moxie’s Classic Grill (STC) opening team; but we were both in relationships with other people! So we really were JUST friends, but that quickly turned into the best friendship ever! For different reasons we both became single and stayed strong for each other. There was no denying to anyone around us that something was going on! We were inseparable! We no longer worked at Moxie’s but still remained so close! Although we weren’t trying to get with each other at the time, two of our close friends had been dating for a while by this point. We would all hang out EVERYDAY! Ben worked with the boyfriend and I went to school with the girlfriend.. so the convenience of us four always being together was unreal! LONG story short, Ben had some hurdles in his life and I stayed around and helped him jump them. We realized that there was something more.. we were strengthening our relationship by going through the SAME problem that ended my friends marriage of 7 years with 3 kids. We were different, and it was clear! From April 2007 until September 2007.. not one day did we not talk on the phone for 3 hours and there was maybe 5 days we didn’t see each other in all those months. The connection we felt and still feel today, I can’t put it in words! <3
Even though EVERYONE told us we were in love I didn’t believe it until the same words came out of my Mom’s mouth! I felt an electric shock in my stomach when she said “Renee I think you’re in love with Ben..” , because it was the truth and I finally realized it! He knew all along he still says and on October 1st 2007 our journey together began!

Tell us how you got engaged?

A very dear and close family member of mine became ill. This sparked conversations between Ben and I about when we actually wanted to move to the next step! Time was just ticking away, so Ben decided to ask all four of our parents for permission to marry!  He asked ALL FOUR on November 8th/10 and it was a joyous yes all around! We decided to go celebrate this step in our life, and thought good old Moxie’s STC (where we met), why not!! So we went and had dinner and talked, but Ben was very tense! His lips were even turning blue! But I thought he was just shocked our parents were actually excited! Throughout dinner the old kitchen crew kept calling Ben into the back, but that’s not out of the ordinary! After dinner a gorgeous yummy dessert full of strawberries, whip cream, chocolate sauce, white chocolate brownie crumble, and ice cream came to the table! (But again, not a huge surprise as we worked there before)! Ben got up as if he was going to the washroom but turned around so quick and dropped to one knee! My first reaction was “why are you on the floor”? But the look in his eyes.. I knew why! He told me some of the sweetest things he’s ever said, put his heart out in the open in the middle of a restaurant; on one knee! (And if you know Ben, he’s the QUIETEST guy around so that was a big deal already)! I cried, and said YES of course! After it was all done I went to grab a Kleenex to wipe the tears away and just as I reached for one, I rolled my hand against the dessert! OF COURSE the most precious piece of jewelry I’ve ever owned, (and for only 20 seconds did I own it) was COVERED in chocolate sauce! We laughed so hard and still do now when we talk about it! It was and evening we never wanted to end but I’m sure we will never forget!!

Tell us a little on how you would like to have your wedding and your vision of it?

Generally we are having more of a traditional wedding, but with modern flare!
But all that matters to us is that our guests are smiling and having a great time! We want our wedding to be a fun celebration as we take the first steps into our forever!

Regards,

Sarah Wright

Online Editor | Toronto Wedding Professionals

www.torontoweddingprofessionals.com

Below is all the prizes that will be awarded to the couple who has the most “LIKES” on their individual blog post like this couple. To view all the couples, please visit the main blog post with the contest details.

• Blue Six Creative – Wedding Photography Package consisting of the following: Up to 12 Hour Wedding Coverage by Blue Six Creative Photographer Brett. Also, Doug will also be offering his services to provide 12 Hours of Coverage.
• Having Brett + Doug work as a team to capture your wedding from two angles and provide the full coverage to document your day. After, you will be presented with images from both photographers presented together on a DVD giving you full rights, high-resolution images that you share and use for yourself.
• It also includes an engagement session in Downtown Toronto where you can explore different backdrops. After you will get all the edited images for you to share and use in your wedding planning ($5,500 Value)

• Vivian’s Decor + Designs – is providing a Simple & Sweet head table for up to 12 people, a cake table and complimentary money box. (Value $500)
• Vivian would also love to work with you by offering ideas and advice in planning the decor for your event.

• Paper Bliss – is providing the Stationery for the couple “at cost”, this will cover all the materials for all the Announcement + Day of Stationery that will be designed and hand-crafted by Laurie from Paper Bliss. Paper Bliss is also offering the couple to choose from their selection of Favors and they will also provide these to the couple “at cost” that will offer the couple those savings as well.

• StylEyes – will provide the winner (bride only) of the contest full-face airbrush makeup applications for engagement photos, bridal makeup trial, wedding day makeup and a touch-up and removal kit. (Value $285)

• Brides Etc. – will provide the Bride with a Free Hair Trial as well as Free Bridal hairstyling on your wedding day. Tania Dee has 20 plus years experience in the beauty industry. ($300 Value)

• Scotia Entertainment – will provide professional DJ Services for your Reception. They will provide up to 8 Hours of service by providing the winner with a professional DJ that will provide a Sound System and full music library. It will also include 2 Semi-Intelligent Lights & a wireless Microphone to make your reception memorable. ($950 Value)

• Enduring Promises Wedding Officiants – will provide the services of one of their Officiants to work with you in the planning process and help the couple create a personal and memorable wedding ceremony.
• They will be walking them through every step and element of the wedding ceremony to ensure it reflects who they are. ($300 Value)

• WeDDings Jubilee Planning Services – is excited to present to the winner of this contest a fabulous planning prize. The winner of this contest will receive 3 hours of Wedding Planning consultation as well as a gift certificate of $250 to be used against any of our planning packages. In addition, we would also like to offer the winner a 3 hour Planning and Consulting prize from our sister company Travels Jubilee for any travel or guest service arrangements the winner may need for their wedding or wedding related festivities, guest arrangements, room blocks, car services etc. (Total value: $750)

• Petals, Stems & Leaves – would love to support the winning couple by providing them with all of their floral needs for their wedding “at cost”. Owner and Head Designer Nicole North will donate her time to work one on one with the winning couple to design and plan the flowers for their wedding. She and her staff will also donate their time to create all of the arrangements. With these savings the couple could enhance their wedding with more flowers or use those savings towards the cost of the wedding itself.

• Buds and Blooms: Corrine who owns and designs for Buds & Blooms is offering the winner a $75 gift certificate to be used at Buds & Blooms Online Storefront. Buds and Blooms is an independent Canadian design label specializing in delivering high-quality, hand-made, reasonably priced, gorgeous adornments to fit any lifestyle.

Night Day Productions -is excited to offer a “Prequel” Featurette Video ($700 value) that includes the following to the winner of the contest:

• Up to 2 continuous hours of 1-camera video coverage of your engagement shoot with Blue Six Creative in downtown Toronto

• Immediately followed by up to 1 hour of interviews session (same location, 1 camera)

• Video footage from this shoot will be edited into a 3-5 minute featurette: candid moments from your engagement shoot spliced with interview segments, highlighting how you and your fiancé met and why you can’t wait to spend the rest of your lives together
• Complete edit with tasteful transitions, non-copyrighted music and titling included.
• It also includes one web-sized video file that could be used to upload to your Facebook profile to share or “save the date” with them.
• This tribute to your relationship will be submitted on one Standard Definition playable DVD, ideal for showing off at your wedding reception.

Sweet Something Designs – would like to award the winner of the contest with a sweet $250 gift certificate that can be used towards a Sweet Table Candy Buffet for 75 or more wedding guests at your reception. It would include set-up and tear down at the end of the evening. It would make a perfect take away for guests and some will simply enjoy sampling before they head back to their table.

Wedding Bliss | For New Beginnings – would like to award the winning couple with a free Wedding Dress at their upcoming fundraiser. They are holding a charity Bridal Dress Sale & Bridal Show where dresses valued between $800 to $4000 will be sold for $99 to $350. As well as all the couples entering in the contest will get two complementary tickets for the event on March 6th, 2011.

Samuel Kleinberg Jewellers – is awarding the winning couple with a $250 gift certificate that they can use towards the purchase of their wedding bands. Samuel Kleinberg has been celebrating events like this with their clients for over 42 years and jumped at the chance to participate in this contest.

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Good Luck! Also, please take the time to check out what each wedding professional offers by clicking on the pictures above.

We will also be giving away prizes from more Toronto Wedding Vendors for 2nd place, so please check out the main Blog Post with all the contest details and what those vendors will be offering.

Regards,

Sarah Wright, Online Editor | Toronto Wedding Professionals