Bridals and Groomals

Photo via Rachael Tyler Photography

Bridals are a trend that have been incorporated into the wedding “must-haves” for quite some time now…and for good reason. First of all, it allows you to show off your amazing wedding dress for years to come. Second of all, it gives you the chance to wear the most expensive piece of clothing you will probably ever buy more than once. We love it when a bride brings in a big 16x20 of pure fabulousness.

Photo via Dustin Izatt Photography

Photo via Omi Photo

Photo via Gifford Photography

Something that has recently become more popular, however, is groomals, where the bride and the groom both pose for pictures together before the wedding day. In the past, this has been out-of-the-question for most brides, due to the tradition that the bride does not want the groom to see her in her dress before the wedding day. But with the dawn of the 21st century well behind us, we will be seeing many of our traditions changing, and beginning new ones of our own! Groomals are a new institution that we love.

Photo via Three Winks Studio

Photo via Rachael Tyler Photography

Photo via Rachael Tyler Photography

Photo via Gifford Photography

If you are a bride that has already booked at The Canterbury Place, you can bring your photographer to come and take your bridals or groomals here free of charge! Call to schedule an appointment with your wedding planner. If you have not booked with us, but are looking for a great location to shoot, the use of our facilities is yours for $35.

If you are looking for a fabulous photogrpaher, check out the websites of our preferred vendors, Vandeerbeek Images and Lindsay Jane Photography.

The Canterbury Place's Preferred Videographer: Nathan Pickett Films

The Canterbury Place is very pleased to welcome Nathan Pickett Films as our preferred videographer! Check out his website and blog to see some of his amazing work. You will be absolutely blown away by the beauty and quality of his films. He is amazing at combining music with beautifully edited pieces of film that capture the emotion and atmosphere of the day. He has an office right around the corner with us and shares the space with Lindsay Jane Photography.

Just a few weeks ago, Nate was filming a wedding at The Canterbury Place and edited a video for our office to see- we all fell in love! It is such a happy video, we knew we had to show our brides so that they could see! Plus you will die over the beautiful event! Please watch and contact Nate with any questions or availability.

Where to Save and Where to Splurge

One of our favorite Utah wedding blogs is the Utah Bride Blog (amazing pictures and inspiration right here in Utah!). On 11.20.09 they posted this article that dissects the difference between what flowers cost and what you, the bride, is charged. I found it very insightful! With the current economy situation, many brides are asking "what does a wedding really cost?" And the brides planning here at The Canterbury Place are no different. More than ever we have brides asking for price quotes and breakdowns. We love giving brides more details and finding the perfect fit for their budget (seriously, we are more than happy to figure out something for you)! Lately, we have seen bride's trying to save money everywhere possible. After planning over 150 weddings and events here are my top tips on where to cut and where to spend:

Venue: Spend. Of course I am biased on this front, but by going with a beautiful venue you don't have to spend money on the basics like renting tables, chairs, linens, centerpieces, plates, silverware- believe me those add up quickly! Now more than ever reception centers will price match (us included!) so that you can get the value of not having to set-up or clean up after your event. The Canterbury Place is priced comparatively or below other venues. Do your homework with finding the site, find out what is included and what is extra so that you can compare places and find the perfect setting for you. More pictures of our beautiful facility here

Flowers: Spend within reason. Besides your wedding gown and groom your number one accessory will be your flowers. At The Canterbury Place our on-site florist will design the perfect arrangements that capture your colors and taste (as any good florist will). Our florist is always there to pin on flowers and will have everything set-up when you arrive. A few times we have seen bride's try to really save on their flowers by cutting out the pin-on service or delivery (don't do it!) with their own florists and we have seen mother's of the bride frantically pinning on corsages moments before the ceremony is to begin. There is definite value in not having to worry about those little details and spending a little bit more money to have beautiful arrangements.

Invitations: Save! Invitations are a guest's first peek into the flavor of your wedding, however you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to get a beautiful invitation. Go simple! Choose something that has standard postage and attach your own photo. See some great invitation examples here.

Photography: Spend. The number one thing that you will always have from your wedding is your photographs. These will become priceless to you and it is worth it to find a photographer who's style you love. See our preferred photographers here and here.

Guest Count: Cut, cut, cut! Be brutal with your guest count! The less guests you have the less food, flower centerpieces, and linens you have to rent/purchase. Invite the most important people and enjoy their company with a more intimate atmosphere.

Catering: This portion is centered around what menu you want your guests to eat (i.e. desserts- least expensive, finger foods- mid range, a full meal- most expensive). The menu option will dictate how much your spend. Lately, I have been seeing lots of brides have a full dinner for their close ceremony guests and then having desserts for their reception guests. Get creative! Work with your caterer to find an option that will fit your pocket book and the atmosphere you want your event to have.

Decor: Please save some of the budget for decor! This is how you really personalize your venue- linens and decorative elements is what will set your event apart and make your pictures extra special and unique.
Cake: I suggest going mid-range with this. The cake is one of the iconic elements of the wedding and it really is amazing what can be done decoratively with the cake. There are many less expensive options (note: round cakes are less expensive than square cakes. The more detail and the bigger the cake, the more expensive it gets). I would suggest hiring a professional to tackle this task- for stress and sanitary reasons. Work with your cake artist to design a signature cake for your event while staying on budget. Before meeting with a cake artist you can ask them what a simple three-tier round cake serving 100 guests would cost so that you can compare prices. For our cake artist's online portofolio's click here and here.

Of course, these are my opinions. Set your own priorities and spend on what will make the biggest difference to you! We know that many bride and grooms would love to spend their money many places but because of the economy can't. Hopefully these tips can help you know where to spend. Also, check out our post from a few months ago for more tips on staying in your budget!

All pictures in this post are from NaKeisha and Nathan's wedding on 09.25.08

Post by Ashley

Food Options

One of the first decisions you need to make when planning your reception is the food. Do you want something hearty or light? Do you want it to be buffet style or served?

Buffet Style
Even within this category, there are several options. At The Canterbury Place, we offer several different kinds of buffets. One of those is a dessert buffet. We offer crepe buffets, ice cream buffets, petite dessert buffets, and more. These buffets are beautiful and fun; who doesn’t enjoy sweets? It’s also a great option if you are on a budget!


If you want something just a little bit heartier, we can also do a deli buffet. We will load the table with rolls, meats, cheeses, an H’ors d’Oeuvres, salad, and dessert. This type of buffet is very affordable, and will help fill your guests just a little bit more.


We also offer full dinners. Our chefs will serve your guests at the buffet with a delicious
meal, complete with salad, sides, an entrée, and dessert. We also have your choice of H’ors d’Oeuvres to put out before the buffet. This helps to give your event just a little bit of flexibility. With a served dinner, late guests might miss the serve time. A buffet, on the other hand, remains open for a time, so late guests won’t miss their dinner.

Served Dinners
For something more formal, we can also offer served dinners. Our staff will bring each course to your table while your guests sit back and relax. This gives the wedding a very elegant feel, and the guests always enjoy having a delicious meal brought straight to them.
You can talk to your wedding planner about what style you think might best fit you. You can also view our menu options on The Canterbury Place website. After following the link, click “full brochure.”

Happy Thanksgiving!

The wonderful holiday that allows us to pause and give thanks has finally arrived! At The Canterbury Place, we are grateful to all of our wonderful vendors that help us give our couples their dream wedding! And we are especially grateful for our fabulous brides and their families for allowing us to be a part of their special day!

We will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, but our office will reopen on Friday. Happy Thanksgiving!

An Autumn Wedding

Shayla and Mike recently had a fabulous fall-inspired wedding at The Canterbury Place! Their wedding was in mid-October, so the ambience was perfect! Deep red leaves were falling from the trees, so Shayla chose to have the leaves sprinkled on the aisle.

Her fall theme also permeated the inside of the building. She carved pumpkins with her family and friends to use as her centerpieces. This added a very unique and personal touch to her event. The centerpieces sat on stunning cranberry crushed toppers. The tones complimented the building perfectly.

The floral arrangements were spectacular! They were a range of autumn colors, and her bouquet even had some of The Canterbury Place’s fall leaves framing the bottom. The flower's were done by The Canterbury Place's premier vendor, La Belle Fleur.

The cake was one of the most darling fall cakes we have ever seen! Heather of Ambrosia Wedding Cakes did an amazing job. Her precision is truly remarkable.

Congratulations, Mike and Shayla! You are a darling couple, and we wish you all the best in your lives together!

Winter Sale!

Photo via {Retrospeck Studios}

The Canterbury Place is offering a special sale! We understand how hard the economy can be, so in addition to our monthly sales and price matching, we are introducing:

The Winter Package for 250 guests
$2895.00

Includes:
-Grand Piano
-2 Framed HDTV’s
-Indoor and outdoor sound systems
-A Wireless Microphone
-Table Linens in Black, White, or Ivory
-The entire Facility from 4:00-12:00
-Floor and Table Easels
-Candle-lit Centerpieces
-Dishes, silverware, and glassware
-Personnel- an experienced wedding planner for one hour
-A hostess to oversee your event
-A full staff of servers, clearers, dishwashers, and chefs
-Choice of one of our ala carte desserts (to see the menu, see our website under winter sale pricing or come in)

To qualify: Book your reception by February 1, 2010 for a date between now and April 30, 2010
*Price Includes service charges and gratuity!
Additional guests will be charged the menu price of $5.00 per person

Isn't this a great sale?!? We are hoping that it will make it easy and affordable for you to have your reception at The Canterbury Place!

Decorating the Arch

Currently at The Canterbury Place, we are booking up our spring and summer months for fabulous ceremonies and receptions! Many of these ceremonies will take place outdoors, where our couples will speak their vows underneath our beautiful arch. While the arch looks great on its own, we also have amazing décor options to help give your ceremony the right feel!

Chinese Lanterns are a great option. We used these for the first time last summer, and we loved it! They had such a fun feel, and looked absolutely fabulous in pictures. Lots of brides want to find décor that’s unique from the traditional wedding, and this look definitely fits that description!

Another option is the Organza Draped Arch. This look is classic and elegant, perfect for brides who want a romantic feel. It's also great for pictures during and after the ceremony, and will be very memorable to your guests! We can drape the two front pillars, or we can drape the entire arch.

Photo via Three Winks Studio

Photo via Vanderbeek Images

For brides who prefer an indoor ceremony, we have an option for you as well: the Floral Decorated Arch. We can meet with the florist and figure out the perfect way to decorate the arch with your favorite flowers. This will help add a very personal touch and give a whimsical feel to your ceremony. The Canterbury Place is also very flexible and loves new ideas! If you’ve thought of new way that you would like to decorate the arch, we’d love to see if we can make it happen! As always, you can talk to your wedding planner about how you can get one of these great looks, or create a look of your own!

Post by Madison