Studio 96 Designs offers a one stop area for brides to view items for decorating their wedding. We also carry many inspiring books and publications (as well as mock bouquets)to help brides choose their personal flowers.

We offer rentals for many of our items.

Our connection in the gift basket industry allows us to put together fabulous gift packages for bride and groom,out of town guests,and even favors (favours) should it be required.

We visit with our clients at their convenience and consultations are free. It is our goal to provide a comfortable (and stress free)and personable environment for everyone who comes through our door.

If you would like to contact us, we are located at:
429 Sherbrooke Street
New Westminster, B.C.
V3L 3N1
Canada
s96decor@email.com

Centerpieces are a wonderful way to grace a table, and it's a treat if you can have a guest take it home with them (perhaps by a game rigged up by the M.C.) Flowers are of course the most chosen element. But personal touches can make these decorative items very memorable:

1)Fruit: Colourful and unexpected.

2) Origami (or paper airplanes).

3) Combine your hobbies: We've paired golf and wiener dogs, and Winnie-the-Pooh and football (see below picture in gallery) for centerpieces.

4) Diversify your height, or shape. This creates visual appeal, and breaks up the monotony in a large room.

This is a great way to ensure that your wedding dollars get their ultimate use. Take everything from the ceremony site and have it play a secondary role at the reception.
This large arrangement marked the place for the bride and groom to stand at the ceremony, and then took a place of pride behind their head table. All the pew markers on the chairs graced the head cake and gift tables.

Weddings are a gathering of family and friends when all is said and done. If something is very meaningful to you, have it incorporated somewhere special in the celebration.

A young lady , and a client of ours had a very special piece of jewelry from her grandmother that she wanted to carry down the aisle. This was particularly special to her since her grandmother passed away before the wedding. Something that meaningful is meant to be seen at every opportunity during the wedding. It ended up being secured to the top of her roses, where it belonged.

The poor carnation. It gets a bad rap that just isn't deserved. When it's put together with more of its kind and color (colour), great things begin to happen, and all the possibilities are surprising.
What else can you ask more of a flower:
Hardy
Can stay out of water
Firm stem for pushing into foam
Rather inexpensive
Wide array of colors (colours)

As Bride and Bloom Magazine said "It's the flower that may surprise you."

Weddings these days have become less and less traditional, and the 'rules' of certain elements have relaxed. For example, your bridesmaids.

If you are having more than one attendant, chances are you will see a diversity of body types, skin tone and heights. Not every gal is going to suit the same dress. A possible solution is for the girls to pick out their own, with some helpful guidelines (color,length etc).

Trying to match everything, whether it's decor flowers or dresses, can cause more trouble than it's worth. You could be pulling your hair out trying to match lavender to lavender. Working within tonal families of a color group will eliminate stress and add visual appeal.

Wedding favors (favours) are tokens of appreciation for your guests, and a small way of thanking them for sharing your special day. Here is a small list of some of the really great ideas we have seen while going about the ballroom:

1)Cookies (fortune,sugar or biscotti):If there is a baker in your family and they want to help, you are most fortunate! One bride we decorated for had an aunt who made this awesome shortbread, in three different flavors.(yum)

2)Donations: Very heartfelt and people are so touched to be part of something meaningful

3)Mini Firecrackers; Either your own handmade ones, or storebought, this may be time consuming, but it is great for a small wedding;especially at Christmas.

4)Chocolates...Of course.It doesn't have to be the most expensive Belgian Chocolate. Hershey's Kisses in colored foil wrappers look dressed up in imaginative packaging.

5) Mini Hot Chocolates (or individual exotic drink mixes). Not something people would get for themselves. And it's a bit of a treat,too.

6) Mini Jams: While we're on the subject, same reason as above.

7) Picture frames, or Mini Albums:Most guest will want a picture of the bride and groom. This is a great way to share a special photo, and it gives the guest a special place to put a wedding photo if you send one in your thank you cards.

8) Fruit:If it's in season, or if your region is famous for a particular fruit. Examples may be Asian pears, or cherries.

As you can see, most of these on the list are edible. Guests will appreciate an early nibble if the dinner is delayed (and having experienced Chinese weddings through family...yes, it will happen. Or you can be delayed at the photo session). Food is also a good option should you be on a tight budget. Other great cost effective ideas include soaps, candles, magnets, pens, and even seashells if you're having a beach wedding.

I should mention first of all, I am not a wedding planner. I'm a decorator, and have had the privelage of working alongside these very highly organized folks.
Some of my clients have been uber-organized and have held their own through bridesmaid dress crises, civil strikes, family pressure and language barriers. However, you may think of hiring a wedding planner if:

1) You work a lot, or have an irregular schedule: If you have a work schedule that doesn't allow you to visit the vendors you need to, you may want a planner to do this task on your behalf.

2) You've got a lot of guests coming in from out of town: Sometimes you may have to put them up in hotels, or organize transportation. Logistics are part and parcel of this part of the wedding.

3) Your fiance doesn't live here: I've seen it a few times where the workload falls on the bride-to-be because her fellow is literally a province, state or continent away. Usually another pair of shoulders to carry the load of a lot of little details can be helpful.

4) You want someone with objectivity: A third party is able to keep you within budget, point out any potential problems, negotiate prices and stay neutral.

Wedding planners (contrary to the Jennifer Lopez vision of what they are) can handle as little or as much as you want them to. Just ask them, and tell them what you have budgeted so far. Most are understanding ladies who know what it means to juggle and multi-task, so they know exactly where you're coming from!