CBC Montreal Living Show

As promised, I am giving you the dates and times for the Montreal Living show that I was interviewed for. The first segment will be aired Wednesday October 3 at 1:00 p.m. on CBC and the second segment will be aired Thursday October 4 at 1:00 p.m. on CBC.

For all those that can't be home at 1:00 p.m. you could always see the segments by visiting the CBC site .

Thank you all for your support!

Etiquette - What's right, what's not???

So I got a call from CBC. They are preparing a segment on Guest and Bridal Etiquette, and wanted to speak to a wedding planner about all these etiquette issues that seem to be on every bride's mind and even more on guests minds!!! Simple questions such as "Is it ok to give Cash as a gift" or "how can you tell your guests not to bring their children, without insulting anyone" or " Is it proper etiquette to have a B-List incase not all you're A-listers end up coming?"

Etiquette is important, however it is also important to know that at the end of the day you as the couple have to do what is right for you and your situation. You don't need to pay for accommodations for guests, however if you chose to, there is no rule against it. Same thing if you want to pay for your bridal party dresses, there is no rule saying you shouldn't or should, so it depends on your circumstances and your budget of course. So my advise to all couples out there is to not worry too much about what is right or wrong...because what might be right for one couple, might not apply to you! Plan your wedding with your heart...however keep an open mind and whenever you are not sure what would be the proper thing to do, then go on the web or buy a Peggy Post book and I assure you all your questions will be answered!!

As for the CBC segment. It will be aired in a couple of weeks on the Montreal Living show. As soon as I have the exact dates and time, I will share them with all of you :)

Lazaro: Profile of an artist...

A childhood passion coupled with a keen sense of style and fit, Lazaro is a natural born bridal designer. Inspired by the after school teachings of his mother, he relies on the lessons he learned while helping to make the family's clothing when designing his new collections. The rich repertoire of skills gained in his adolescence has proven helpful as the Cuban-born New York bridal designer is now frequently described as the leading innovator of the contemporary-classic look. Lazaro's version is a look made immortal by the great Cristobal Balenciaga. "A look of infinite simplicity," says Lazaro, "combining the perfect cut with sumptuous fabrics, romantic grace and light modern movement."

Lazaro's career as a designer of wedding gowns seems pre-ordained. An artist from the start, Lazaro always took pleasure in drawing, painting, and realizing the ideas that once only existed in his imagination. His natural talent and home education shone through in 1981, while still a student at the Ray College of Design in Chicago, when he was awarded "Best New Bridal Designer" in a national competition. Most recently, Lazaro was awarded a "Distinctive Excellence in the Bridal Industry" (DEBI) Award in the category of Style Innovator for Bridal Gowns, one of the most prestigious in the bridal industry, as well as its "Designer of the Year" award.

A master of the contemporary-classic look after almost a decade with his own label, Lazaro's designs are timeless in their elegance. Avoiding trends, he instead expands on prior collections. He incorporates the input from his team of contributors, but more importantly, from brides-to-be as they provide his inspiration. He works closely with his customers during trunk shows to get an accurate picture of what real brides desire. Looking back on his previous successes, Lazaro diversifies his future collections based on what was missing in the past. Priding himself on the ability to design for any bride, Lazaro features everything from slender silhouettes to ball gowns and styles that range from simple to extravagant.

Check out the rest of the fall 2007 collection

Wedding season coming to an end...

Now that the wedding season is coming to an end, I will have more time to communicate with all of you and start sharing ideas and tips with all you 2008 brides!! :)

2007 was a great year for Maddy K and now that I will have some free time, in the coming weeks I will share with you all the great weddings we designed along with all the great ventures we are up to for the new season!!!

Maddy K has expanded, we now have our in house florists, in house creative director, in house invitation designer and in house favor designer as well as our very own Photographer from New York city who will be working with Maddy K on various projects. In the coming weeks I will introduce each expert one by one along with their portfolios so you will learn more about the talent behind Maddy K! :)

In the coming months we will also be launching our new website that will include a detailed portfolio of Maddy K Product line along with a new set of packages... Plus the website will also include detailed information about our partnered hotels in Old Montreal: Hotel Place D'Armes and the Hotel Nelligan!! We are already getting booked for saturdays at both hotels, so for those brides that are interested in them, you'll need to start booking now....soon we will have no spaces left!!!

We are very excited about the upcoming season and we assure you that we will be sharing it with you every step of the way!!!

Shina and Max in Wyndham Cap Tremblant...

The Wyndham Cap Tremblant was a picture perfect setting for Shina and Max's Wedding.

By far the wildest wedding I've ever planned :) The crowd was ready to party from the moment cocktails started and didn't stop till wee hours in the morning...

The day was just perfect for the outdoor ceremony planned... and the reception under a tent like setting was the exact romantic setting that the couple wanted for their special day.

Below are some pictures of the day taken by the Manny Favas from Papillon Studios, who did a great job of capturing all the special moments of the day.

7/7/07 - Lucky Day For Weddings!!

The gazette had a story this morning about how so many couples are getting married on this date just because it's considered lucky!!! Of course, I know that the date is extremely popular from all the requests I got and all the vendors that gave me a hard time while I was planning Zehra & Ahmed's wedding this coming saturday!!!

Here's the link for the story: Lucky in Love

Special thanks to Marian Scott from the Gazette for writing this story :)

Very Exciting Things... Maddy K Jewellery designed by Lydia Lukidis

Ok so we are in the midst of the wedding season and so far the weddings have all gone great!!! Amidst all the wedding rush, we have been working very hard on some exciting new ventures that will be announced very shortly!!! :)

I could however officially announce that the Maddy K Bridal Jewellery line designed by Lydia Lukidis (who happens to be a very talented and creative jewellery designer) is ready and will be launched very very soon!!! We are in the process of creating a transactional site that will allow brides, bridesmaids and anyone who loves jewellery to purchase these exclusive pieces online ready to wear for their special day!!! :) We will be delivering across North America.

For all of who don't know Lydia lukidis, I encourage you to visit her website www.lydialukidis.com and be awed by her creativity and talent !!! :)

Here are some facts about her: Lydia Lukidis won this years' second place in the Best of Montreal Survey in the Mirror newspaper, under the section of best local fashion designer.

Lydia has also had some press coverage lately. Her jewellery has been featured in Loulou (cover and editorials), Clin dOeil, Life & Fashion, Star Inc, Mariage Québec and Flare.

Bill and Rosie's Weddings

I know It's been a while...thank you all for your complaints and reminders that I haven't updated my blog... I appreciate it!! Things have been extremely hectic, and with the summer season here, I really don't see things slowing down for a while, so I ask all you faithful readers to please be patient with Maddy K. :) I will do my utmost best to update the blog as regularly as I could...however, don't forget that brides need lots of attention, specially when their wedding is around the corner, so we have to give those brides the attention they need :)

Below are some pictures from Bill and Rosie's Wedding. They were such a great couple to work with - it was truly a pleasure!! Ceremony took place in the Basilica de Notre Dame followed by a reception at the stylish and trendy Hotel Place D'Armes. Photographer was Monique from Studio Iris Photography... I don't need to say what a great job she did, pictures will speak for themselves.

Mark & Steve's Wedding - April 7, 2007

So the wedding turned out to be a beautiful wedding. Exactly what Mark and Steve wanted! Their week end in Montreal was just as fun as the wedding itself. Their guests that came from different parts of the US loved Montreal City and all had a great time visiting Old Montreal, partying downtown Montreal as well as the Gay Village!

Photographer was Christina from Christina Esteban Photography! She's Great!

Ceremony and Reception was at Restaurant Chez Queux in Old Montreal - Great food...ask for Mr. Kouba!

Here are some pictures of the wedding:

Planning a Bridal Shower ...Thought of Lounge6??

As we're getting closer to the wedding season, I am getting more and more requests from Mothers and Maid of Honors asking me to help them find intimate but yet different spots for Bridal Showers!! We have in Montreal many original locations that could cater to bridal showers, baby showers and any other intimate occasion.

Lounge 6 is just one of those places...it's a hip and trendy lounge at night, but during the day it transfers to a space that brides to be are loving for their showers! It is very different, nicely decorated, great ambiance and best of all affordable! Not to mention the food and staff are absolutely great!!! Definitely worth checking out, you won't regret it!!! Visit www.loungesix.com or call and ask for Jimmy, he will take good care of you and will make sure to cater to all of your needs for your special day! :)

How to be a Wedding Planner Tutorial - Re-Scheduled!

I have decided to reschedule the May 13th Tutorial for a later date due to the fact that it falls on Mothers day. Upon booking the date I didn't realize that it fell on Mother's day and was focusing on finding a date before the summer rush!! Unfortunately my season rush starts right after the May 13th week end and goes througout the whole summer.... I will try to find a sunday that is not as busy as all my summer sundays, however I can't promise anything!! If we are not able to find a date for the summer, then the tutorial will take place early fall!

Once again thank you to all those that inquired, I have your email addresses and will email you once a confirmed date is set!

How to be a Wedding Planner Tutorial...

Thank you to all those who have emailed me and inquired about the Maddy K Tutorial - Basics of becoming a wedding planner!!

Here is more info:

Date: Sunday May 13, 2006
Location: Nelligan Hotel in Old Montreal http://www.hotelnelligan.com/
Registration: $300
Time: 1-5 p.m.

If you would like more information or to register for the Tutorial, you could email me at Madeleine@maddykweddings.com

Want to be a Wedding Planner??

I've been getting numerous requests from people that would like to shadow me or interview me just so that they could learn more about becoming a wedding planner. Wedding planning industry has been booming in the past couple of years, and although the profession is extremely popular now a days, the reality is that there is very little information out there on how to become a wedding planner.

So after contemplating, I have decided to launch the first ever Maddy K Tutorial - Basics of becoming a wedding planner!! This half-day session will give planners-to-be, the basic knowledge they need to launch their wedding planning career! The session will be an interactive session, and will allow lots of time for questions and answer period...

For those that are interested to register for this workshop could ping me...

Stay Tuned for more details...

A Bridal Luncheon

A bridal Luncheon, is a dress-up, fancy lunch party that more and more sophisticated brides are opting to host for their girl friends and family. This event is one event that a girl could add a little "frou-frou" and love it...just because it's an all girls occasion. It is the ideal setting for a group of girls to gather and go totally feminine!

The bridesmaids' luncheon is nearly always hosted by the bride, to express thanks to her maids for their efforts. Attendees may include the bridesmaids , as well as any other close female friends or relatives participating in the wedding, including the mothers of the bride and groom, sisters and favorite aunts.

It's a way to personally acknowledge each bridesmaid and friend to her contribution to the wedding, and to focus some attention on them, since they'll take a back seat to the bride at every other wedding party.

The perfect menu for a bridesmaids' luncheon should be light and luscious. Start the meal with a chilled soup served in dainty teacups. Follow your refreshing first course with a zesty chilled potato salad and a main dish of poached salmon with lemon-dill sauce. The perfect ending to a perfect day? A berries and cream trifle, presented in an elegant crystal bowl. In conclusion, this is an intimate affair, and is one that will probably be dearest to your heart!

"Different" is what everyone wants...

I've been meeting with so many couples that are in the midst of planning their 2007 and 2008 weddings, and of course are in the stage of hiring a wedding planner. What they all have in common is that they want their wedding to be "different". I've noticed that "different" is no longer "different" since it is what every couple is looking for.

Three weeks ago, we had planned a wedding to a very special couple at the restaurant Decca77. Initially the couple wanted to get married down south, so we planned a beautiful destination wedding for them, however that was not enough, since they couldn't have all their freinds travel for their wedding. So as a solution, we also planned a cocktail party for those that were not able to attend the Mexico wedding!!

Decca77 is an absolutely gorgeous restaurant located on Drummond. The staff were great, and so was the ambiance. It was a night full of martinis, great wine and delicacies made by the chef at Decca77!

The guests were wow-ed by how beautiful the place was!! We also worked with Alain from Alain Simon Florist, who had created beautiful arrangments to put on the cocktail tables, and all over the bar!! The arrangments were different but yet brought out the colours of the wedding, without overimposing and looking too much!! The bride and groom had wanted an elegant but yet a very different affair, and that is exactly what they got!! So yes, different is what everyone wants, and more and more couples are opting for that "different" that will better reflect their lifestyle and personality!

I will post some pictures of that wedding as soon as I get them, meanwhile, here are some pictures of the restaurant Decca77. I hight recommend the place for private events, and if you are interested in finding out more about the restaurant, check out the link www.decca77.com or call and ask for Najat and tell her that Maddy sent you :)

Maddy K Chocolate Favors

These Maddy K favor boxes have proven to be a perfect accessory for your event! Not only is it something that will get the guests to talk about, it is also gives your event that touch of elegance and the feel of personalization.

Usually I put Genevieve Grandbois chocolates in it, however you could also chose to put other chocolate brands in it, or personalized candies, or even a personalized gift.

Maddy K @ John Abbott College

I am so excited cause I will be teaching a new course at John Abbott College. The course is part of the event planning program, and will teach students the basics of Event Marketing. Courses will begin next week and they will learn hands on experience to plan and market an event!! So the question is....what event will it be???

I'll keep you posted!

Meanwhile, if you know anyone interested in the field of event planning, click here (page 27) would love to see you in class!!

Maddy K Invitations cont...

As promised here are some pictures from the show this pas week end:

To see more samples, please email info@maddyk.com for more information.

Maddy K Invitations

Happy New Year to Everyone! May 2007 bring all the happiness, health and prosperity to each and everyone of you. I would like to also take this time to thank you all for your support through the past year, and am looking forward to introducing to you many new products in the coming year!

This week end is extremely exciting for me... we will be launching the new line of Maddy K Invitations exclusively for Casa D'Eramo at the Let's get Married show in Montreal. The new line will cater to brides that want the clean, simple and elegant invitations designed by the touch of a wedding planner!

If you do have the chance to visit the show at place Bonaventure, pass by the Casa D'Eramo booth and you will see a sample of the Maddy K Invitations.

I will upload pictures from the show shortly!

Enjoy your Week-End!