Stephanie and Jared

The Canterbury Place had tons of amazing weddings all through-out the summer. And to cap off our summer weddings, Stephanie and Jared held their elegant wedding and reception here on August 31st! They are a beautiful couple, and so in love! Here’s a peek into their special day: *

*Note: All pictures per Affordable Wedding Photography

Jared is a firefighter, so they incorporated that theme on their picture table that they had a friend set-up.

Congratulations, Stephanie and Jared! We wish you every happiness in your new lives together!

Vendors:
Venue: The Canterbury Place
Cake: Julie Hill of Layers
Invitations: StylArt
Catering: The Canterbury Place
Flowers: A family member
Photographer: Affordable Wedding Photography
Wedding Planner: Madison

Post by Madison

Giveaway!

Today we are offering something extra special to our loyal blog readers- a giveaway! So what are we giving away today? Our famous ceiling swags! Above is a picture to get you excited.
Details: The ceiling swags retail at $350.00-$500.00 and are an amazing addition to any bride's decor. They are available in a range of colors and you can choose any that are in stock if you win the giveaway!

Rules:

1. You must be having a wedding at The Canterbury Place (if you are not booked yet, that is fine).
2. If you already are planning on having ceiling swags as part of your decor, these cannot be a substitute.
3. You can only enter the drawing once.

How to Enter:

1. Follow The Canterbury Place's blog (it's easy! Just click the Follow button to the right)
2. Fill out the following questionnaire

Deadline:

• The deadline to enter is Monday, November 2, 2009 at 6:00pm
• The winner will be randomly selected and contacted via email. If the winner doesn't claim his/her prize within three business days a new winner will be selected.

Best of luck!

Post by Ashley

Place Settings

If your wedding plans consist of having a served wedding dinner, than I am sure that you have thought of the dreaded seating chart. Making a seating chart can be a lot of work, but it really makes it more comfortable for your guests to enjoy your wedding. Here are some tips on how to make it as painless as possible!

1. Ask your wedding planner for a floor plan of your dining area. That way you will know how many tables will be set up for your wedding as well as how many chairs will be at each table.






Once you have received your RSVP's you should write down each of your guest's names and cut them out on slips of paper. That way you can arrange and rearrange them on the floor plan until you come up with the perfect combination. Remember to think about the dynamics of the table- try to sit family and friends together, but also consider age group and personalities when assigning seats. This is also a great time to play matchmaker- if you have two people you have been meaning to introduce, this would be the perfect time!







Once you have everyone at a table, begin making place cards. Make a card for each guest that has their name and table number written on it.





Give your wedding planner back your floor plan so that she can appropriately number each table and know how many place settings each table needs. Also mark on the floor plan any guests who have special dietary restrictions so that they can be served the correct meal. Give your planner your place cards so that she can set them up for you in a central area for guests to easily find.

Remember that you want to enjoy your wedding and also ensure that your guests do too! Making a well thought out seating chart will help in creating the perfect atmosphere.

For more tips, please click here or here.

Post by Ashley

Groom's Cakes!

Cake by Heather Berntsen

At The Canterbury Place, we’ve noticed that groom’s cakes are gaining popularity. Then, we realized we didn’t know where the groom’s cake tradition started! So we decided to do a little research. Here is what we found out:

Where the custom of the groom’s cake started is a little unclear, but many believe it may date back to early Rome. Traditionally, the cake would be broken over the head of the bride. The cake and crumbs would fall all over the floor, and the guests would scramble to eat it.

Another theory dates back to the South in the nineteenth century. The groom’s cake was intended to be a wedding favor. Customarily, it was a fruit cake. Pieces of cake would be boxed up and taken home with the guests. Single female guests were to put it underneath their pillows when they went to bed that night. This would supposedly make them dream of their future husbands.

Cake by Heather Berntsen

Generally, groom’s cakes depict one of the groom’s hobbies, favorite sports, interests, or colleges. Many times the groom’s cake will be a surprise from the bride that he will see on the wedding day, at the rehearsal dinner, or at the luncheon.

Cake by Julie Hill

Where ever the groom’s cake tradition may have started, we love it! It’s a fabulous way to give your groom something special, a great way to incorporate his personality, and an opportunity to do something a little more fun and funky than you might do with your own wedding cake. Talk to your wedding planner about how you can surprise your groom with a cake!

Cake by Julie Hill

For more information on groom’s cakes, visit:
http://www.hudsonvalleyweddings.com/guide/g-cake.htm
http://www.online-weddings.com/articles/grooms-cake-tradition.asp
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art28010.asp

Post by Madison

The Bride's Suite!

One of the most fun parts of the wedding day is dressing yourself up to look like a princess! You should be pampered and indulged and enjoy the beautification process to the fullest! But to do this, you need the right environment. At The Canterbury Place, we have a gorgeous bride’s room that provides you with luxury and privacy for your big day!

There is a larger part with plenty of room for your bridesmaids, mom, mother-and-law and flowers girls to ready.

Photo via Izatt Photography

We will even bring you a platter of food to snack on while you get ready with your closest family and friends! The big windows in the room look out on the dining hall, so you can take sneak peeks at your reception set-up!

Photo via Izatt Photography

Of course, the bride needs her own suite! So she has her own room to make her preparations!
And don’t worry…the bride’s room also has what every bride needs: huge mirrors that allow you to see every angle of you in your gorgeous gown!

Photo via Izatt Photogaphy

To cap the night off, you can even do your bouquet toss out of the window!
And, as an added bonus, photographers love this room! You can get some amazing shots.

Photo via Izatt Photography

Most importantly, the bride’s room allows you to enjoy memorable moments with the people that mean the most to you on the biggest day of your life!

Post by Madison

Catering With Flair!

Food is a very important part of the wedding. We all know that when guests come to a wedding, they are always excited to see what delicious food they will get to eat! There are a couple of great options you can add to your catering to make your wedding really unique and fun for your guests. Here are a few things that we love:

• Chocolate Fountains! No one is disappointed when they come to a wedding and get to help themselves to fresh fruit, fluffy marshmallows, and salty pretzels dipped in delicious, silky chocolate! Chocolate fountains are so beautiful, too, that they become a part of your décor. At The Canterbury Place, we can even dye a white chocolate fountain to make it one of your wedding colors!

• Candy Bars! Candy bars help cover a lot of bases. They are beautiful decoration, they provide extra treats for your guests, and they can be used as a favor! You can get the candy in only your colors, so that it enhances your event and adds a pop of your personality.

• Coffee Bars! This is especially good after a served dinner. While your guests are mingling and talking, they can grab a cup of hot coffee and relax.
  
• Hot Cocoa Bars! At The Canterbury Place, this is one of our wintertime favorites. Hot cocoa bars add a unique touch to the wedding and allow your guests to warm up while the snow is falling outside!

These are the types of unique, special touches that will be memorable to both you and your guests. Talk to your wedding planner about how you can add one of these fun food options to your catering!

Post by Madison

Christina + Jonathan

Today we are showing off pictures from Christina and Jonathan's wedding held here at The Canterbury Place last September. One of my favorite things about our building is how it transforms for every wedding. The flowers, cake, linens and decorations that are selected for each event makes the atmosphere completely unique. We definitely are not cookie cutter and if you want something new, we will find a way to make it happen for you! This bride, Christina, had croquet on the grass before the reception (adorable!) and her tea blossom favors corresponded with her teapot invitations. The style of her photographer matched her modern-vintage style as did her flowers and bridesmaids dresses. If you love thinking outside of the box, or have an inspiration picture that you would like to turn into reality for your wedding, call us to see how we can make it happen for you!

Post by Ashley

Sneak Peak: Kelsey and Tanner

Today, at The Canterbury Place, we have been adding pictures galore onto our website (check out the image gallery section)! And we just added the most beautiful pictures from Kelsey and Tanner's wedding. To see the rest of this gorgeous couple's wedding click here. We promise that you will loves this bride's style and the stunning wedding cake!
All pictures were taken by Dustin Izatt- we adore his style and how he captures the emotion of the day.
If you had your wedding at The Canterbury Place and would like to be a featured bride on our website, please email me at information@thecanterburyplace.com

Post by Ashley