Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!

The Wishahmon gang will be taking a break and will return to blogging in January (depending on how much partying will be done!)

We are thankful for all of our awesome clients, wonderful relationships, and new experiences. We hope for all of these things to continue and welcome all positive things to come our way. Wishing all of our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon

2012 Year in Review

This blog post was spurred when facebook asked me if I wanted to see my year in review. Honestly, my personal life is quite intertwined with what's happening with Wishahmon. So, I thought it would be fun to share ten things that happened to Wishahmon that was not quite epic (in most eyes) but made me really happy. Many thanks to all my readers for the support over the past year too!

1) We started off the year with one of our most popular blog posts: Balloons and Weddings! I was so excited to hear from a bride in November that she was inspired by this blog post and decided to incorporate balloons for her wedding in 2013. Learning that I have blog readers and I inspired a bride totally made my day!



2) We helped Ruby Woo with designing their booth at the Wedding Fair and won Best Bridal Booth!


3) Krista came on board and started to put her spin on weddings! We can't wait for her return!



4) We launched Wishahmon Glorious Gowns to help brides find their "dream gown at a fraction of retail price." It was so exciting to launch this aspect of Wishahmon that one day I wasn't walking properly, fell, and broke my foot! I was in a cast for 10 weeks and couldn't do much promoting. When I took my cast off, I had an awesome tan line and the brides started to come on by! Small victories!

5) We started Pinning on Pinterest and instagraming on Instagram. In addition to sharing our thoughts through our blog posts, we are now sharing what we see that makes us smile.

 

6) As part of Wishahmon - Event Creations, we got asked to design the stage for the New Talent Singing Awards for the second year in a row. I got really close to Pakho Chou, he smiled AT me, and I immediately became a fan. My friend even found the courage within her and got up on stage to give him her cowboy hat. Swooon...

7) One of our summer weddings got an "awesome job!" from the Mayor of Calgary, Mr. Naheed Nenshi!



8) After 10 months of planning as a committee member, the annual fundraiser gala for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Hope Gala - Sky's the Limit raised $430,000.



9) After several months of hard work and meeting brides, we made our first sale at Wishahmon - Glorious Gowns in November!

10) We finally figured out a blogging schedule and (kind of) stuck with it. (Baby steps) Mondays are for guest bloggers; Tuesdays are"Tasty Tuesdays" reserved for all things yummy; Thursdays are "Thematic Thursdays" for all decor inspirations and tips; Fridays are "Fashion Fridays" for all things glamorous; and Saturdays we started a new segment detailing Carisa and Richard's wedding planning adventures. We can't wait for their wedding in August of 2013!



Lots of exciting things in 2012! We are approaching 2013 with open minds and open hearts. As always we are going to treat all things and people that cross our paths in the most positive manner. We look forward to all the new experiences, opportunities, and relationships! Wishing everyone a prosperous new year!

~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon

Tasty Tuesday: Milk and Cookies

Couple of things I have to admit:

1. I am thinking more about Christmas than weddings these days;
2. I have been eating quite a bit lately. My 40 minute yoga class once in two weeks is not going to cut any calories from what I have been eating. (Eating two cookies in between typing this blog post);
3. I never understood how Santa can get the milk and cookies I leave for him. The houses I lived in never had a fireplace, so Santa can't come into the house traditionally through the chimney. Non-traditionally, if he was to come through a door, I think we have greater issues with home security. I actually had this conversation with my childhood friend, Melissa when we were 11 years old. She tried to explain it to me and I think I might have responded: "Seriously?!"

 A little bit more grown up now, I still love eating cookies. I sometimes call them biscuits cause it sounds more grown up. But honestly, who am I kidding? I am totally an Asian Cookie Monster. Sometimes when the mood strikes, I will walk 8 blocks to find a cookie in the downtown area.

Here are some photos on how you can serve milk and cookies with some interesting presentations. Some of these might even WOW Santa (if he is able to get inside of your house!) Enjoy!

~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon

Photo Credits: Style Me Pretty

Carisa and Richard: Taking a Break From Planning

This is part 7 of the new blog series about Carisa and Richard's wedding planning process up until their wedding on August 31, 2013. In addition to sharing with readers their love story and wedding planning adventures, insights and tips for brides and groom's planning their own wedding will also be shared!

Planning your wedding should be fun. This is the biggest project (event) that you two will be planning ever. It is understandable that you want the best possible wedding. Wanting the "perfect" wedding can be stressful and frustrating. I always advise my clients to take breaks from planning and to take time for each other. Continue to plan dates with each other and enjoy each other's company.

Carisa and Richard will be taking a short break to Singapore. I am so happy for them and hope they will have loads of fun, eat lots of Singaporean food, and keep their minds off of wedding planning. We can always get back to work (planning) in January!

Below is a picture I found when googling "Singapore wedding." I thought I would check out the Singapore wedding scene in case I found something that Carisa and Richard should check out when they are on vacation. Then I stopped myself because "they are on vacation." I posted this picture on this blog because it is uber cute. Regardless of whether this picture was staged, I like how this bride and groom looks like they are having fun with their pictures! You should always have fun at your wedding and in photos!

~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon

If you missed the first couple of blog posts on Carisa and Richard's wedding planning adventures, you can catch up on how they got engaged, set the date, found a venue, found a marriage commissioner, found a photographer, sent out invitations, and taking care of out of town guests.


Photo Credit: Ruffled Blog

Romantic Waves DIY Tutorial

Over the last couple of months, I have been watching youtube videos on how I can curl my hair to get romantic waves in my hair. I have tried to use my curling iron, flat iron, braiding my hair, putting my hair in a bun, and sleeping with my hair wet in these bizarre brides and buns! There has been a lot of sleepless nights without a lot of benefit to my hair and overall look. Great hair with dark circles around my eyes is not the look I am going for!

I read numerous blogs daily to get inspiration. Then finally it hit me that brides are probably wanting romantic waves to complete their wedding look too! Through Bridal Musings, I found an awesome DIY tutorial done by Severin Hubert, hair stylist and director of the The Hepburn Collection. Good luck! Let me know how it goes! (If it goes well for me, I will take a picture and post it on instagram!)

~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon



Photo Credits: Bridal Musings

Winter Wedding Themes

Most Calgarian brides rush to book and plan their summer weddings because there are really a limited amount of warm days. Hot days even less. The remaining brides plan spring or fall weddings. Although not necessarily a warm wedding, it won't be freezing cold. For the brides that chose to have a winter wedding in Calgary, kudos to you for your braving the freezing cold. (Can you tell I am not a fan of -30 degree weather?)

I am a fan of winter themed weddings though! It is truly spectacular when you transform your venue into a winter wonderland. Color suggestions include white (of course!), blues, and purples. I also suggest lots of lights and candles to warm up the theme. You don't want your guests to be reminded of the cold weather outside! If you need some inspiration, here are some weddings done by my idol, Preston Bailey!

~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon

Photo Credits: Preston Bailey



JDRF Donation - Thank You!

Last month was Diabetes Awareness Month and we ran a promotion for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). I would love to thank all of our new friends that "liked" us, and all of our friends that helped spread the word on this promotion through their own facebook and twitter pages. I think we did a great job raising awareness for JDRF!

I made my donation to JDRF as per our promotion earlier this month. With my donation, I received an ultra cute teddy bear named Huggies. I will be providing him a great home with my close friend's daughter. She is six years old and has type 1 diabetes. She is my inspiration for volunteering with JDRF. I hope one day there will be a cure for type 1 diabetes.

Thanks again everyone for supporting me and JDRF!

~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon

Desserts in a Jar

There is something comforting about eating food out of a jar. Maybe it reminds of baby food? Being all grown up now, there are grown up ways of eating out of a jar. Some of these are even quite gourmet! ( I absolutely do not mean grabbing something out of the fridge, eating it and putting it back.) Imagine bringing out these jars of food at the end of your wedding reception as a late night snack. Comforting and sweet to end off a great wedding night! (I would even be ok if someone offered me a jar of dessert at their house!)

Be ready to drool over these desserts!

~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon





Guinness Chocolate Pudding, Blueberry Trifles with Mascarpone Whip, Cheesecake in a Jar, Individual Peanut Butter Pies, Cherry Crisp in Jars, Tiramisu in shot glasses, Coconut + Lime Macaroons with Custard, and Mini Donuts with Hot Chocolate

Carisa and Richard: Out of Town Guests

This is part 6 of the new blog series about Carisa and Richard's wedding planning process up until their wedding on August 31, 2013. In addition to sharing with readers their love story and wedding planning adventures, insights and tips for brides and groom's planning their own wedding will also be shared!

If you have a lot of out of town guests coming to your wedding, like Carisa and Richard, you want them to have a great time right? The first thing you will want to do is help your guest find some where to stay. While they might not mind sleeping on the floor of your unfinished basement, they might prefer their own hotel room. Check out hotels around your venue, online and ask for a walk through. Keep in mind travel distance and whether there are things to do, see and eat around the hotel. Also, try to find a couple of hotels around your venue that has different price points. Your guests might have different financial and amenities preferences. Your efforts will be appreciated.

Ask your out of town guests their travel preference within town. If they prefer to drive around to do some sight-seeing, look into some car rental companies for them. If they prefer not to drive, have a couple of telephone numbers of some taxi companies or make sure there are public transit available for them. Afterall, you don't expect them to just sit in their hotel room when they are not at your wedding.

Lastly, I think it is a wonderful touch to put together some welcome baskets for your out of town guests. These can be previously prepared and set up in their hotel rooms when they arrive. Here are some ideas on how to create your own out of town gift baskets.

~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon

If you missed the first couple of blog posts on Carisa and Richard's wedding planning adventures, you can catch up on how they got engaged, set the date, found a venue, found a marriage commissioner, found a photographer, and sent out invitations.

Photo Credits: Colin Cowie Weddings

Headpieces by Pronovias

If you feel having a veil may be too traditional of a look for you, maybe you can consider having a bridal headpiece from the Pronovias 2012 Bridal Accessories Collection. These headpieces are exquisite and will work with any hair updo you are thinking!

~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon















Photo Credits: Pronovias 2012

Chalkboard Wedding Signs

Signs have always been popular for weddings. It is a great way to provide your guests with practical directions and cute ways of injecting some personality into your wedding. Chalkboards are no longer just boring ones you remember from your childhood school days. They are now in unique frames, have different colored chalk written on them, and they are transformed into works of art through different drawings and fonts.

If you are thinking of incorporating chalkboard signs into your wedding and need some inspiration, here they are!

~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon













Photo Credits: 1) Etsy – BeeCurious 2) oncewed 3) Love is a Big Deal 4) Etsy – Pig & Pepper Press 5) BizBash

Momofuku Wedding Cakes

I saw David Chang of Momofuku on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (of all places). I thought he was quite charming and talented. Who doesn't love a charming man that can cook?! He takes traditional, classic foods and puts his twist on it. Of course, with my curious mind, I googled him. Turns out he has 11 restuarants, including Momofuku Milk Bar. Why did this particular restaurant catch my eye? Because it also does wedding cakes! His wedding cakes look like they are "deconstructed"? (I vaguely remember this term when I watch Foodtv.) His cakes don't have the usual fondant or butter cream covering. You can can see what you are eating. Totally cool.

Here are the flavors that are available:
apple pie cake cheesecake filling, apple compote, pie crumbs
banana cake**banana cream, hazelnut crunch, gianduja fudge
birthday cake rainbow cake crumble, sprinkles, vanilla frosting
carrot cake cheesecake filling, milk crumbs, streusel buttercream
chocolate chip cake passion fruit curd, chocolate crumbs, coffee buttercream
chocolate malt cake malt fudge, malted milk crumbs, charred marshmallow
dulce de leche cake dulce de leche frosting, milk crumbs
mint cookies n’ cream cake cookies n’ cream frosting, mint cheesecake, chocolate crumbs
pistachio cake** lemon curd, pistachio frosting, milk crumbs
pretzel cake stout ganache, burnt honey frosting, pretzel crumbs
strawberry-lemon cake lemon curd, pickled strawberry jam, milk crumbs

~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon

Photo Credits: Momofuku Milk Bar

Celebrity Weddings: Sam Lee and Pae Leung

This post is a little late by a couple of weeks, but it is mostly because I missed this wedding! I can't believe it! This is what happens when I don't keep up with gossip websites!

Sam Lee got married on November 17, 2012 to his fashion designer girlfriend, Pae Leung. I don't know how popular of an actor he is but I always loved watching his movies. Most recently, I "loved" him all over again when watching the TVB series, Ghetto Justice <怒火街頭> .  He always appeared (to me) to be an actor that has his own acting and fashion style. This was also apparent through their wedding. His outfit was totally cute. Checkered three piece suit with a velvet bow tie, shoes without socks, and a totally rockin' hair do.

If you are bride that is confident and not afraid of sharing the spotlight with your groom, take inspiration from Sam!

~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon

 

Photo Credit: ihktv.com