Happy Valentines to all you love bugs. Here is a list of fab things to do this week in the Toronto GTA and surrounding areas to celebrate your love, compliments of your trusted Toronto Wedding Planner!
1. Catch a flick at the Revue Cinema. It's a 'blast from the past' movie-theater, but it has a wonderful air of romance to it. 2. Have a bite at the top of the the world (ok, at the top of Toronto). The 360 restaurant at the CN tower is wonderful. When was the last time you saw the city from those heights?
3. Super romantic and super AH-Mazing, St. Anne's Spa in Grafton, ON is to die for. For a reasonable price, it offers a luxury experience for you and your loved one to kick back and get pampered. They even offer a warm Chocolate Swedish Massage and a Hydrating Chocolate wrap... 4. Spend a weekend at the Ice Hotel in Quebec. Take it from me, this place is incredible. I am not a huge winter lover, but the Ice Hotel blew me away. I absolutely L.O.V.E. it. If you are a winter lover, you can also take part in awesome activities such as dog-sledding;) 5. How about a stay at the Luxurious Trump Hotel downtown Toronto? The hotel is spectacular and if you are looking for a taste of New York, this would be the quickest portal there. 6. How about a helicopter ride? Be it in Toronto touring the city from up above, or Niagara, viewing the falls or the wineries, you've got to do this at least once in your lifetime!
7. For the foodies out there, I've got you covered! If you are daring and up to trying something super-unique and an ultimate culinary experience for the senses, how about dining in the dark? O.Noir Restaurant does just that.
8. How do you like your eggs? Why not celebrate with a good old fashioned (and romantic) breakfast in bed. Stay home and nestle in bed and make your honey an awesome breakfast, complete with heart-shaped eggs! 9. How about something a little more risqué, strictly for those who are not shy and up for a little kink. Laide Lounge is an upscale, seductive and delicious resto-bar on Adelaide that will have your senses mesmerized by their naughty but delectable food and drink. Make sure you call for reservations. 10. And now for the more laid-back. How about a wonderful day of Skating at the Evergreen Brickworks followed by a delicious hot chocolate or hot apple cider at Balzac's in the Distillery District.
There are a ton more things I can think of, but these are my top 10 and certainly some of my faves. Wishing you all much love and romance everyday, Happy Valentines Day from WeDDings Jubilee!
Helpful Wedding Planning Tips by Toronto Wedding Planner Denise Georgiou-Newell.
One of the sad realities that lead to stress during your wedding journey is having so many people weighing in on what “you should do” for your wedding. Well, whose wedding is it anyway? The only people the matter, in theory, are you and your chosen one! I did say ‘in theory ‘ though. Truth be told, what certain people think and want DOES matter. These are people you love and cherish and are important to you. The real question is how do you deal with these people and their demands? Here are some tips to get you on the sane track to planning your big day without unleashing the beast!
1. Create 2 lists with your fiancé(e) regarding your vision:
List A: Your wants. Brainstorm on items you really envision for your special day. Have you always wanted a renaissance themed wedding? Do you love the Art Gallery and dreamt to have the wedding there? Is your style simple and elegant, but you love that splash of vibrant color? Maybe you want to incorporate your engagement in Italy into your wedding. The skies the limit when you’re brainstorming.
List B: What you absolutely, positively do not want. You dislike big weddings so it is important you keep your numbers down; you can’t stand the Centerpiece game; The chicken dance just won’t cut it; A big “NO” to speeches. Whatever it is, write it down!
These lists helps create a joint vision for your wedding and understanding what is important to each of you respectively.
2. Consult with a wedding planner!
Armed with your lists, or at least the vision of your wants, set a consultation session with a Certified Professional Wedding Planner to discuss your budget requirements, wedding planning preparation tips and vendor needs. Consulting with a planner allows you to get a realistic idea of your wedding needs & will give you the confidence you need to deal with any obstacles coming your way. If you are not looking to hire a planner full-time, I urge you to continue with consultations along the way and certainly someone to manage and expedite your hard work on the day-of [wedding].
3. Be Grateful, say “Thank you”!
Remember that family and friends are just trying to help. Of course you will have the one person who is living vicariously through you, or someone who just has to be heard, but they are the exception, not the rule. Smile and say: “Thank you, we will think about it and appreciate it”.Whether you do or not, is irrelevant, you are ultimately preventing any potential drama and making someone feel appreciated and needed.
4. Accept Recommendations.
If someone recommends a vendor, don’t be in such a hurry to turn it away. Although you will get friends and family recommending that you save money by having uncle ‘photographer’ with his new pro camera photograph, or a friend who can whip up a great playlist on the iPod plug it into speakers and DJ, some referrals may actually be of true wedding professionals that can provide you great value and added service! For the rest of them, refer to tip #3;)
5. Remember the ‘why’.
You are getting married to spend your lives together. Don’t make everything about the ‘Wedding’. It’s about you and your partner taking vows to be true and dear to each other come what may. Make sure you put aside one date night a week where there is no wedding talk. You ‘DO’ have time and the wedding is NOT going to fall apart because you took time for dinner and a movie. If you are that overwhelmed, then you definitely need to hire a full-time planner:)
Bonus tip: You get what you pay for. Remember that if you are talking to many vendors and you see substantial price differences, it is your right to ask “Why?” What is one vendor offering that the other is not? Usually the higher the price, the more service(s) you are getting. Do your research and don’t just jump at the lowest price.
Wow! What an amazing FAM (familiarization) trip to Jamaica visiting the Superclubs resorts. From the minute we got off the plane, we felt at home. Jamaicans are incredibly friendly to begin with, but the staff at the comfortable and cool Superclubs Lounge at the airport to the Staff at the resorts was like arriving home. We visited the Breezes Grand Resort and Spa, Breezes Trelawny, Breezes Runaway Bay and Breezes Rio Bueno. We even stopped in at the more risqué Hedonism II.
Escorted by the ever so gracious Superclubs Sales Manager for Groups, Steve Koth, and lead by WPIC Director, Lindsay Mogford; Renee Richards, Sandy Stirling, Natalie Faria, Lindsay Laur and myself, began our 5 days of site visits of the gorgeous Breezes Resorts.
We started our journey off with a 2-hour bus ride to the Breezes Grand Resort and Spa, which felt more like 1 hour thanks to the beautiful Caribbean Coast we drove along and lovely townships we passed through. Our bus driver, which was the norm with all our bus drivers, was amazing and we quickly learned that the term “Ya Mon”, was going to be imprinted in our vocabulary for days to come.
Upon arriving at each of the resorts, we were welcomed by refreshing cool towelettes and wonderful Fruity cocktail’s. The resorts were impeccably clean and ALL the staff greeted us, as we would pass them. That truly made the biggest difference. There is nothing like great service to take the experience to the next level.
The first two nights we stayed at the Breezes Grand Resort & Spa in Negril, and were we ever treated like Stars. We not only were surprised with a Chilling Bottle of Champagne and Delicious homemade Chocolate Truffles in our Suites the first evening, but they had also reserved their best tables for us for our dinners and arranged a Glass Bottom boat tour for us on Day 2. We all made a point of enjoying the Beach at least a couple of times during our visit and enjoyed the glistening fluffy sand and the warmest, bluest and cleanest water I’ve seen. Director of Sales, Kenroy Calame, was by our sides’ day in and day out making sure we had everything we needed and that all our questions were answered.
The site visits were always detailed and thorough at all the resorts and covered everything we could think of to make our clients Weddings sheer perfection.
As we toured the gorgeous suites, we first noticed the wonderful designs of the towels on the bed, from swans and hearts to sea fans and conch shells. All were adorned with tropical flowers – truly and art form. Each resort had it’s own ‘theme’ and uniqueness. Breezes Grand Spa & Resort had Hot Tub Suites while Runaway Bay had Plunge Pools.
All the resorts we viewed had many stunning ceremony sites that were set-up for us and even got to ‘witness’ a couple of ‘real’ weddings. The décor set-ups from Ceremony, Reception, Cake Tables and hors d'oeuvres & Champagne Stations were gorgeous. It was easy to see that Breezes takes great pride in what they do and go out of their way to ensure that their Couples get exactly what they envision. The possibilities are endless.
During one of our site visits, we met a young woman whose sister had just gotten married at the Breezes Grand Resort and Spa. She could not stop raving about the experience and how organized the Staff was to make the wedding flawless; but what truly stood out to her were the Photographer and the Photos. She told us that the pictures were immaculate and unique. I should mention that all the Photographers for Superclubs are fully trained and extremely talented individuals, however, if you still have a preference of bringing your own photographer, you are welcome to, at a surcharge.
The Reception Facilities throughout the resorts were great and capable of accommodating anywhere from a small intimate party of two to a large group upwards of a couple hundred. The dining options and menus are extensive and almost everything can be customized, not to mention that the reception can be held anywhere on the resort be it Beachfront, Poolside, Oceanside or elsewhere. If you can imagine it, I guarantee the Breezes Staff will do anything and everything in their power to make it happen and then some.
We were lucky enough to experience the cuisine at all the restaurants, from the casual Reggae Café, Gran Terraza and Victoria Market Buffets, casual elegance at Munasan Japanese to the upscale Italian: Pastafari (or La Pasta) and French: Piacere. ALL the food was mouth-watering. My personal favorites were the Italian and French; although being a Paris and Venice die-hard makes me biased.
Every evening, we would meet our hosts at the Piano Bar for Cocktails and conversation. The entertainment varied nightly at each resort. At Breezes Grand Resort and Spa we enjoyed watching a fire-eater & a man who could balance absolutely anything on his head, including a beach lounger. Needless to say we left in awe. Hedonism II had us singing Sweet Caroline and Red Red Wine for days on end; The incredible dinner and conversation at Runaway Bay with Franklyn Eaton - General Manager, Amoi Leon - Director of Sales, Shane Beeker - Sales Coordinator
and Patricia Clarke - Wedding Coordinator, stimulated our senses. So much so that we completely forgot about going out to catch the shows and dancing that even the locals come over to enjoy. Rio Bueno had us singing and dancing all night with Tamika Higgins - Director of Sales and Sheryl McKoy Thompson - Wedding Coordinator, followed by a Pajama Party and late night Pizza to keep us smiling. However, the ultimate entertainment came the first night in Negril when our very own, Renee Richards won the grand prize by going through a series of challenges dreamt up by the hilarious MC.
The ultimate fulfillment came to us in the form of children the day before we left. Organized by Breezes Rio Bueno’s Public Relations Director, Burchell Henry, we took a bus to one of the Early Childhood Education Schools, where we met some of the sweetest and most beautiful children. We were honoured to gift the children new Books, Candy, Clothing and school items like Playdoh, Stickers and Pencils, and they showered us with big smiles, laughter and many, many hugs. Jamaica, although a beautiful Island, has pockets of poverty. Superclubs have put their humanitarian foot forward to help the less fortunate. Burchell Henry has made it his mission to help provide to Nursing Homes, Pediatric Hospital units and Schools. I can speak for the whole WPIC group in saying it was the most humbling experience we’ve ever had.
Overall, our five days of truly getting to know the resorts, their staff, each other and having an amazing leader in Steve Koth direct our visit was nothing short of fabulous. From the remarkable beaches at Breezes Grand Resort and Spa in Negril, the All Ages fun-filled resort at Breezes Trelawny complete with a Circus School and Waterpark; the Awesome infinity pool, 18-hole Golf Course and Plunge Pools at Runaway Bay; the 9-Whole Golf Course, beautiful Oceanside Pool, and Plantation themed Breezes Rio Bueno; and the Blue Mahoe Spa and 24-hour Gym facilities at all the properties; I would not only recommend Superclubs, I am already planning my family vacation there.
