Vendor Spotlight: L-EAT!

Who doesn't love food? Food can either make or break your wedding day. It is certainly one of the most important elements at a wedding. If it tastes bad or is served cold (unless it's supposed to be), your guests will be completely unforgiving about it; If it's great, it will have your guests spinning with delight all night long and talking about the 'pleasing-to-the-senses' feast for a very long time.

Now, combine creative chef's, top quality ingredients, amazing customer service and a full service catering company that works with the couple, and you have the recipe for L-EAT!
We contacted our friend Deirdre Anderson at L-EAT, who was thrilled to chat with us and provided amazing insight for you, our awesome readers!

Enjoy,
your trusty wedding planner:)

How did you come up with the name L-EAT?

The name L-Eat is a play-on-words – Tony was going to name the company Elite Catering – but decided to get creative and incorporate the word, eat.

How did the company get started?

Tony Loschiavo founded l-Eat in 1983; his friends in the hair dressing industry suggested that he start a catering business selling sandwiches to hairdressers who were too busy to leave their chairs to go for lunch. From there, the clients started requesting the info of the catering company. From there, our full service catering was born. It’s safe to note that our growth has generally been from word of mouth.

What sets you apart from other caterers?

- We are focused on the balance of all the important aspects of our business.

- Food that is focused on quality and that is at once innovative and consistent but that still offers true value to our clients.

- The ability to customize menus for any occasion and any client.

- Qualified catering sales managers who work closely and efficiently with clients in order to deliver seamless catered events.

- Attention to detail and aesthetics.

- Excellence in customer service and retention – we try to make every client a lifetime client, with great success.

What 5 tips can you give a couple to help them make the best choice in caterers?

- Hire someone who not only has great food but that offers exceptional customer service.

- Hire someone that is truly excited about making their day unique and special

- That shares similar vision and personality – it is a process and couples should really like the person they are working with

- Make sure your caterer listens and interprets the vision correctly.

- Love the food!

What are important questions that a couple should ask a caterer before booking?

- Who will run the catering portion of the function the day of?

- Will the clients contact be on site the day of? (at L-eat yes)

- What the client can expect from the caterer – what is the process?

- In the event of emergencies during the planning stages and the day of – what is the best way to get a hold of the caterer?

Are there any misconceptions that a couple have that you'd like to clear up?

Yes – that caterers just offer typical foods and aren't creative. The ability to be a good caterer is to constantly evolve and customize - often the best ideas come from the couple who are living and breathing their wedding. The caterer should be able to extract those ideas and turn them into reality while giving them good, honest advice.

Do you feel it is important for a couple to hire a Wedding Coordinator? Why?

Yes – we always recommend a wedding coordinator – at the very least for the day of the event. It allows the caterer to focus on the food and service. A caterer and wedding coordinator work together to ensure that everything runs seamlessly and on time – while allowing the bride and groom and wedding party to enjoy their day!

Are there any special promotions you have going on right now?

We try to keep our pricing consistent throughout the year – we never compromise on quality

in order to meet a budget however we are capable of working with couples at various price points by altering menu items and variety.

L-EAT CATERING
3829 Bathurst Street
Toronto, Ontario
M3H 3N1
P: 416.631.9226
F: 416-633-9247
www.leatcatering.com

P.S. For those dying to try their food and just can't wait, they provide all the catering at the Paese Ristorante. Believe me, the food is to scrumptious!

Paese Ristorante
3827 bathurst street
416.631.6585
or
333 King Street West,
416.599.6585

2011/2012 Wedding Trend Predictions by WeDDings Jubilee Planning

With 2010 out of the way, so are many past trends. This new year brings with it an air of excitement with a new decade beginning; and the anticipation of the 'sure-to-be' jaw-dropping Royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Since world events tend to be used as inspiration, it is sure to play a role in your upcoming wedding.

Following is the top 10 list of what I, your trusted Wedding Planner, feel we will see a lot more of this year and into 2012.

1. Two Wedding Dresses; One for the ceremony and one for the reception. (Special thanks to Chelsea Clinton for reviving this trend as it is one of my favorites).


2. Couture hair designs; lavish hair accessories; stunning hats as well as high quality veils will be a spotlight this season.

3. Victorian and Edwardian era influences will be prevalent in designer Haute Couture dresses. We will see some breathtaking custom designs from fabulous designers worldwide.


4. Sapphire Blues, Violets and Yellows; Golds; Royal Blues & Purples and Charcoals; will be just some of the colors we see in floral design, decor and accents for the big day.


5. Cakes will be more elaborate and grandiose in their designs. Amazing cake artists will present incredible works of art as a focal point for your special day.


6. Brooch Bridal Bouquets and Wedding Bridal Bouquets with vintage Jewels surrounding them will create personalized and unique arrangements.


7. Liqueur sampling stations, specialty tea stations, wine and champagne stations will create the WOW factor to any after dinner station.


8. There will be a greater focus on the Grooms-to-be. From custom designed wedding attire, grooming services and inspired wedding design . The Groom will definitely shine this season.


9. Destination weddings will continue to rise in popularity, however, there will be a higher demand in private and remote locations. People will seek out intimate villa's, private islands and quaint towns around the world to host their weddings.


10. Couples will be heading to more exotic honeymoon locations. Africa, Thailand and Costa Rica will be welcoming a lot more couples in 2011 and 2012 that are looking for a once in a lifetime experience.

Vendor Spotlight: Rowell Photography

You may have noticed that I love spotlighting photographers. It's not that all other vendors don't 'Rock it out' on your wedding day, but I feel that the one of the most common mistake couples make on their wedding day (aside from not hiring a wedding planner), is not investing more financially or otherwise to hiring a great photographer. This is why I, as your wedding planning 'guru', feel it is my duty to find the Crème de la Crème locally and worldwide, to help you with your wedding planning needs.

Aside from getting to know your personal style, your perfect wedding photographer must have the capability of grasping the essence of your personalities as individuals and as a couple. They are there to tell your wedding story. From your engagement and wedding to even your honeymoon. Yes, you heard me right: Honeymoon Photography too (we'll cover that on a future post)! Rowell Photography is one such company! Erika Hancher (one half of Rowell photography), was gracious enough to give us the following interview.

Q. How did you come up with the name Rowell Photography?

A. Rowell pronounced "roll" is Ryan's last name and since we do plan to get married one day we thought it was fitting and easier to say than my last name Hanchar.

Q. How did the company get started?

A. To make a long story short, Ryan and I used to work at a local portrait studio together and couples would often ask us to photograph their weddings on weekends. Eventually we left the studio and took a huge leap of faith and started a photography business. Here is a link to the story of how we met http://rowellphoto.com/met-ryan/

Q. What tips can you give a couple to help them make the best choice in photographers?

A. 1. Make sure the photographer you initially meet is the one who shows up on your wedding day. Its sad but there are so many couples who invest their money into a company they think they love only to find out that the company has contracted in a random photographer to take their place for the day.

2. Be prepared to have a long relationship with your photographer. Most couples will hire a photographer a year before their wedding and then by time they receive back all their prints, canvases, albums and discs of images it could be up to 6 months after the wedding. Plus really great photographers are hard to find, so if you find one hold on to them for life, I am positive your wedding will not be the last time you will need a photographer.

3. When searching for photographers don't just Google "Toronto Photographers" and open 100 tabs of wedding photography websites. Not only will it be overwhelming and frustrating but its time consuming as well. Anyone who has a website can achieve good rankings with search engines. So photographers who claim to be the best in the business may not actually be. Our couples have often told us that weeding through hundreds of photography websites and price lists that didn't make any sense was discouraging and in the end they consulted people they trusted, friends and family and their wedding planners. Every company claims to be the best so if you find yourself getting confused with differences between a coffee table album and a flush-mount storybook album, high resolution images and digital negatives then consider hiring a wedding planner. They will have a list of photographers who they have worked with and trust.

4. Budget accordingly for good photography. The average couple allots 10% of their budget (and I mean their entire budget including this like venue, floral, shoes, dress, limo rental, insurance, dance lessons, cake etc.) for their wedding photography. If you love photography and if documenting memories and art is an important part of your life then having a larger budget for photography is definitely in order. This day will only happen once, and you will only have your photos to remember it by. Invest in Photographers you feel are knowledgeable, believe what you believe to be true about photography and documenting memories and life and invest in that company.

5. Are there any misconceptions that couples have that you'd like to clear up?

a. We are not all just photojournalists, or portrait photographers, we are a mix of styles. Having a either style is lovely but its not for everyone, some couples like fun, colorful images, while other couples want a more refined, dramatic and classical look. Both styles are full of life and exactly what we do. But we believe that the best weddings have a balance of both when it comes to photography. Ultimately our couples decide on the style of their photographs.

b. Photography pricing is all over the place. This is far from the truth. Yes there are photographers who charge $1500 and photographers you charge $15,000 and many many more in between. But wedding photography is not just one type of photography, it bridges on so many styles and across so many products and through the eyes of so many artists. They can't all be similarly priced.

My perception on pricing is this: You can buy a Timex watch for $15.00 or a Rolex for $15,000. Both tell time. but which one would you rather be wearing? There is no right or wrong answer it is just about personal taste. In wedding photography there is high, medium and low end, just like any other important product or service you would ever purchase.

Q. What are important questions that a couple should ask a photographer before booking?
A.
-Will you be the photography team at my wedding?

(Be sure to ask if the company contracts photographers to take their place on the day of the wedding. If they cannot guarantee that the photographer you are meeting with will be the one that photographers your wedding then it is probably a good idea to source another company to meet with. You have invested your time to visit the photographer and getting to know them and how they will shoot your wedding. If someone you had never met, who doesn't know any of the details about your wedding or who personally invested in being at your wedding shows up then what a waste of time you spent getting to know the original photographer who was going to shoot your wedding in their style for you.)

-When will my products be ready?

(Ask this and if you do not get a specific answer or time-line consider other options for your wedding photography. If a photographer doesn't know how long it will take them to complete your wedding images, albums prints etc. then you have to question how long they have been running their business for and how many weddings they have done at this business.)

-How many weddings did you shoot last year?

(Don't ask how many weddings they shoot in a year, ask how many they actually shot last year. This will give you a rough idea of the type of work flow the photographer may or may not have to deal with during the course of the wedding season)

Q. Do you feel it is important for a couple to hire a Wedding Planner/Coordinator? Why?

A. Yes I do. I think every couple should hire a Wedding Planner Coordinator because in most cases this is their first and only wedding and they most likely will know very little about what goes into making a wedding an event that people will enjoy and above all an event the couple and can relax and enjoy. There are lots of resources out there for couples to help them plan their own events, but there are also lots of resources out there on how to change the spark plugs in your car but most people will still take a car into a mechanic. Why do they still do this? because the mechanic has easy accessibility to the tools and the top of mind knowledge to get the job done efficiently. Wedding Coordinators are the same. They work alongside your vendors to make sure your dinner is served hot, they make sure your guests are seated at the right tables, and they make sure all your vendors show up, and that the event runs on time. Wedding Coordinators are essential. This shouldn't even be a question in my opinion. i think when couples get engaged a wedding planner/co-ordinator should just magically appear. It would make the wedding planning process so much more enjoyable for the couple.

Q. Are there any special promotions you have going on right now?

A. From December 20th 2010- January 20th 2011 we are giving away 50% off all engagement/pre wedding photo shoot packages. Please contact us for details and mention that you heard about it here.

Thank you so much to Erika for her insight. I look forward to working with both of you soon!


Rowell Photography
705-321-1102 (Barrie)
647-863-2005 (Toronto)
Studio Address:
6 Regalia Way
Barrie, Ontario
L4M 7H7

*Although we love all our vendors, our opinions may vary slightly on certain tips and points.