Like every industry, wedding professionals have developed jargon that’s fairly unique and when the term STD started being used frequently, especially when it came to Twitter where brevity is a must, we had a good laugh. I can only imagine a planner asking a cost-conscious bride if she’s considered DIY STDs, only to shock and confuse.

Without further ado, and in light of our ‘you’re engaged, now what?’ theme for this week, a fun Save The Date idea that’s got a little Do It Yourself built in …

Consider getting a custom silhouette created for $10 of the two of you from le papier studio (Etsy). Use the high-resolution JPEG to create your very own save the date with a little text or a sweetly handwritten note on the printed image, even turn it into the front of a homemade postcard. The blend of classic style and modern simplicity of the design will have your friends and family excited for what’s to come at the event itself, and that anticipation is just what you want to create for your favourite people!

Now, when someone asks, have you managed to get your STD taken care of, you can say with a smile, you bet we do and we had so much fun!

Newly engaged? Starting to make some wedding plans? Consider turning your future anniversary date into a piece of art. I just love these Circle the Date pillows from Chakra Pennywhistle’s shop on Etsy, what a great way to keep focused while planning and a super romantic reminder of an important date when you curl up with it on your sofa.

What does it take to hire a professional in the wedding industry? We figured it takes one to know one, so we asked Shirley Lo-Cadotte, Event Planner & Coordinator at Double Happiness Events who has hired her fair share (and more) of wedding pros for some incredible events.

The Wedding Co.:What are the three most important things to look for when hiring a wedding professional?

Shirley Lo-Cadotte: I would want a competent, reputable individual who is totally “me-oriented”. For competency, look at their experience, training and recent work.  Ask how many weddings have they been a part of, and where and how have they learned their profession. Ask yourself if you are impressed by their work. To determine reputation, ask for references from recent wedding clients and research them on-line to see what others have to say.  To determine if they are “me-oriented” I would look for good communication, professionalism, enthusiasm about my wedding and an overall sense that our personalities click.

TWC: Who is likely going to be the first professional a couple hires?

SL: The wedding planner of course – to save hours of scouring websites and attending shows to find the perfect venue and the best vendors. They will also help the couple stay on track and not miss any details.  However, a full service wedding planner is sometimes not in the budget and if that’s the case I would select the venue first as most are staffed by knowledgeable event coordinators who know their venues well and would likely be able to recommend vendors that they have had positive experiences with.

TWC: What kind of items should you look for in a contract with a wedding professional?

SL: Make sure all the who’s, what’s, when’s and how’s are covered in any contract you sign.  Specifically, look at hours of coverage that will be provided, product details if they are providing supplies, the name of the particular individual that will be providing the service if you have requested someone specifically; any cancellation policy (if you or the vendor cancels); any no-show policy (if the vendor does not show up); any back-up policy (if vendor is unable to be present due to unforeseen circumstances); and payment details including due dates and extra fees such as over-time and travel.

Shirley began her wedding planning career in sunny California three years ago and has since returned to her native  Canadian soil and launched Double Happiness Events in Toronto. With both event and catering management experience, she’s met the gamut of the wedding industry and knows what’s what.

More questions and answers available if you click to continue reading the full post.

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When we saw this engagement photo shoot by Winnipeg photographers Jake + Jess (KampPhotography), we knew it was perfect timing to shed a little light on the e-session, or the engagement session with a professional photographer.

Five Questions: KampPhotography

The Wedding Co.: What is an engagement session all about? What have your couples done with the pictures, what would you love to see them doing with the pictures?
KampPhotography: An engagement session is basically a great way for us to get to know our couples, but it’s also a good opportunity to “train” them before the wedding. With so much pressure on photographers and couples to have unique wedding photos, it’s super beneficial for the couple to know how everything works beforehand with a photos session.  Our couples have done a variety of things with their photos, from large format prints, to guest books and wedding favours.  We’d love to see a couple get every photo from the session printed in small 3″x3″ squares, and strung along simple twine.

TWC: How should a couple prepare for an engagement session?
KP:We just suggest to our couples that they relax.  Getting to worked up for the session can make a normally stressful situation (for most people anyways) even tougher.  Couples quite often ask if they should wear matching outfits to which we always ask, “do you normally wear matching outfits?” 99% of couples say “no” and we say “exactly =)”!

TWC: How do you choose where to locate it?
KP: We ask our couples to tell us what best describes them in terms of a location.  For some couples this is a modern spot, for some it’s a warm country setting.  Creating the session around the a couple’s personalities definitely makes the session much easier because they are relaxed.

TWC: How long does an engagement session last, and how much does it cost?
KP: Engagement sessions usually last between an hour and two hours depending on locations, and how into the session the couple gets. With our company, every wedding client receives a session with their booking, but otherwise we charge $250/hr for the session time.

TWC: Ideally, when would you suggest a couple have an engagement session done?
KP: We basically leave timing up to the couple.  Every couple loves a different time of the year, and we definitely try to accommodate that. Generally speaking though, we suggest that the session take place within a year of the wedding (partly so they don’t forget what they’ve been taught).

Love Byrdie and Matt’s photos? Their wedding was a few days ago and Jake and Jess have promised to send us those pics too, so stay tuned for the second part of the story!

The Wedding Co.’s eight pointers to successfully travel through a wedding show finding ideas, inspiration and leave feeling overwhelmed to when you catch a glimpse of your beaming fiancé on your wedding day.

1. Before the show, book appointments to meet with exhibitors you’re already curious about to multi-task and ensure one on one attention.

2. Make a plan; write a list of what you need in order of importance, this way you will stay focused and not be overwhelmed.

3. Walk the show once entirely and then return to the booths that really made an impression.

4. Bring valuable second-opinion people.

5. Take advantage of samples and demonstrations, eat the food and get your makeup done to obtain the most authentic experience and information available.

6. Make notes of what inspires you, what you don’t like and the companies that stand out; you are going to end up with a stack of business cards, making notes will help you remember who’s who.

7. Re-visit; find out if you can access the show again without purchasing a second ticket. The second time might be the perfect opportunity to bring your fiancé or mother.

8. Make it an event – treat the person who went with you to lunch out after.

Have Fun!

The first step to planning a wonderful wedding day is to relax and remember the reason for the wedding is that you are getting married, in other words, you are not getting married to have a wedding.

When it comes to planning, get yourself organized and take it slowly, use all the January bridal shows, wedding magazines and blogs a source of inspiration at first, don’t let them overwhelm you. Look for inspiration in other places too, weddings are about celebrating your personalities and your style — consider what inspires you on a daily basis from a style of architecture, to your favourite artist to the first meal you and your partner shared — inspiration for the design of a wedding can come from anywhere.

When you are ready to do some serious research and zero in on trusted resources, ask your friends which shows, blogs or magazines they found had the most useful and practical information.  Select a couple and stick with them.

Most importantly relax, enjoy being engaged and the wedding planning process, and take it slowly!

The holiday season is still the most popular time to get engaged, surrounded by family and friends or alone on a romantic vacation for two, that age old question is asked again and again and again. The result? Thousands of couples entering the new year with wedding plans on their minds, and, on average six to eight months to get the job done.

This week, The Daily News focuses on some of the biggest initial planning concerns a couple faces. How to announce an impending wedding or send save the date cards, how to hire a wedding professional, why get engagement photos taken and some of the best tools for keeping plans on course.

For many couples, this can be the most important social event to organize ever, regardless of budget or size and it can get overwhelming, start your planning off on the right foot with a day dream and keep reminding yourself to enjoy the experienc