Beat the Heat - Part 2: Summer Wedding Beauty Tips

Photo by:Regis Andrade

One thing we know for sure is that you want to look HOT on your wedding day – as in sexy, beautiful, gorgeous etc… but a lot of you summer brides fear that the steamy weather could have you looking like a hot-mess instead.  For Part-2 of my ‘Beat the Heat – Summer Wedding Survival' series, I have written a few beauty tips to keep you looking (and feeling) your best even in the steamiest weather.

(Click HERE to read Part 1: Planning Tips for Summer Weddings)

Shine control.

Although first instinct may be to load on the pressed powder to eliminate that t-zone shine, it may actually work against you giving you a caked-on look!  Instead, keep your makeup looking light by turning to some blotting papers for shine control - they are quick, convenient and easy to carry with you! 

Staying power.

Invest in a solid makeup primer – it sets a foundation for your makeup and keeps it in place longer... especially in the heat!  Apply your primer after you moisturize your face (don’t forget to use a moisturizer that has a decent SPF) – than apply your makeup as usual. 

Avoid Raccoon Eyes
Cut down the appearance of “raccoon eyes” by staying away from cream based eye shadow – it tends to settle, smear and smudge more in the heat than a powder based shadow.  If you find creams easier to work with, find a powder shadow in the same tone and apply a light dusting overtop of your cream shadow… this will help seal everything in place.  

Don’t forget to finish the look with a good quality waterproof mascara.

Avoid a Sticky Situation

Ok… so, no one likes to talk about it but lets face it ladies: Under a hot dress, in the heat, a little thigh rubbing can cause serious chaffing and uncomfortable red marks! Ouch!  If you tend to have this problem (and don’t worry lots of people do), here is a nifty little trick to make sure that you can still dance the night away.  Just rub a little deodorant on your inner thighs before getting dressed.  This stops the potential sticking and rubbing that causes chaffed legs!  In a pinch, a little bit of baby powder can also do the trick, but won’t hold up all day.

Just a final note before I close, remember if you are purchasing new products for your wedding day, pick them up at least a few weeks in advance and try them all out to avoid any potential allergic reactions on the big day!

If you guys have any great summer beauty tips please leave them in the comments below!  

Summer Wedding Survival – Part 1

Happy belated Victoria Day Everyone!  I hope everyone had a chance to relax and get out and enjoy the great weather.  For most of us, the May 2-4 weekend marks the (un)official start of summer and all the sun and fun that comes with it!  With that in mind, I thought this an ideal time to start a blog mini series on summer wedding survival.  So, without further ado...

Part 1:  A few things to consider when planning your summer wedding...

Avoid Peak-Sun Hours (if possible)

If you are planning an outdoor ceremony, consider planning the ceremony either before 10am or after 3pm to avoid the ‘peak’ sun hours - when the sun is at it’s fiercest.  If there is no avoiding a mid-day ceremony, be sure that you have some sort of shade for your guests! Even some cute wedding parasols can make a huge difference!

(*bonus: parasols look great in photos and make excellent favours for guests too!)

Stay Hydrated

Make sure that you plan to have plenty of water available for all of your guests and your wedding party! For a cute way to incorporate this into your wedding consider setting up a “water bar” with pitchers of water flavoured with different fruit combinations. I found some great recipe combinations for flavoured water from Jamie Oliver here! 

Keep your menu fresh and light

Let’s face it, no one wants to eat a big heavy meal when it’s hot out.  Luckily, summer is the perfect season to buy and eat local fruits and veggies – talk to your caterer about local summer options in your area.  

Protect your cake

Make sure when you order your cake for an outdoor wedding that you take the heat into consideration.  Although buttercream icing is delicious, it doesn’t fare well outside in the summer.  Even with the hardier fondant covered cakes, limit the amount of time it will need to be outside, and make sure to place it in a well-covered shaded area. 

Have a Back up Plan in place

Yes, I know, no one wants to believe that rain is possible on THEIR wedding day and I sincerely hope that you get the perfect weather that you have in mind.  Just in case though, it is SO important not only to have a back up plan in place but also a dependable team of people who are ready to make the switch to Plan B if necessary (yet another reason to hire a wedding coordinator...wink wink).  

Next week, for Part 2 of the summer survival guide I have some great bridal beauty tips to make sure that you are looking your best and that your bridal "glow” doesn’t turn into a “shine” in the heat!

5 Tips to Avoid Last Minute Wedding Stress

Now that the warmer weather has finally arrived and the first long weekend of the season is upon us, I am looking forward to the upcoming flurry of weddings and all the excitement that they brings!  For those getting married this summer/fall you are in the final stages of planning and the countdown has begun; a prospect that can be both exciting and a little stressful for most.  So, for today's blog post I have put together a list of 5 things that you can do to get organized and banish some of that pre-wedding stress. 

• First and foremost, if you haven’t done so already, hire a “month-of” coordinator to help you in the home stretch!  A month of coordinator will make sure that all those last minute details come together exactly the way that you have carefully planned them!  Just knowing that your coordinator will be there to manage the wedding day for you (with their emergency kit and tons of knowledge), goes a LONG way in eliminating lead up stress.

• Avoid procrastination and get your seating chart finished as early as possible!  This little “guest jigsaw puzzle” is often a challenge – especially when left to the last minute.  As soon as your RSVP deadline has passed start calling those stragglers and non-respondents so that you can begin plotting the tables early.  Having this guest information early means that you can also finish your escort cards/seating chart etc and knock a few more things off your last minute “to-do” list.

• Avoid wedding burn out and plan a few “wedding planning free” days – mark them in the calendar and make sure to spend this time relaxing (date-night, perhaps?).  I know it is hard when you feel like there is so much to do… but taking a break and letting your thoughts catch up with you will make you much more efficient when it is time to work.   

•  Create a wedding “command station” in your house to organize all of your wedding supplies (wardrobe, decor, cake knife, guest book etc).  Pick up a few Rubbermaid bins (or similar) and label them: “Ceremony decor” “Reception decor” “Wedding Coordinator” “Wardrobe” etc and divide your gear accordingly.  From this point on, every time you come home with a new wedding related purchase*, place it directly into the correct container.  You will be so thankful for this organization later when all you have to do is throw the pre-packed and organized bins in the car!                                                                                                             * note: make sure to clean/polish and remove any stickers or tags from all of your items before adding them to the correct bin.  Doing this one item at a time is less stressful than in bulk the day before your wedding.

•  Spend half an hour (now) organizing all of your wedding paperwork into a binder or accordion file (vendor information & contact, contracts, guest list, etc)- keep adding any new paperwork as you move forward.  When it comes time to meet with your coordinator 4-6 weeks before the wedding, take this binder/folder with you. Having everything readily available in a well organized binder will make the flow of information to your planner very efficient – which means you will have more time to spend talking about the things that are really important to you on your special day.  

Getting these few things out of the way NOW means that you can relax a little and enjoy the summer sun!
If you have any great tips or tricks that you can share, leave them in the comments below! 

Let’s keep this wedding season exciting and as stress free as possible! 

Have a great long weekend everyone and Happy Planning! 

* "Erase Stress" (left) image in the collage above is by: Alan Cleaver

Are you dreaming about the Caribbean?

Whether you're imagining yourself in a wedding dress on a white sand beach, or you simply see yourself escaping the ordinary to relax on a luxury vacation or honeymoon, Sandals® and Cara Mia Events are ready to make your dreams come true!  I am proud to announce that after completing the Sandals® certification course this past weekend, I am officially a Certified Sandals' Specialist and am ready to help you book your next luxury escape to a Sandals resort! 

The Sponsored Sandals Certification Training this past weekend was graciously hosted by The Courtyard Marriott Hotel in downtown Toronto under the direction of Erin Pleizier (Catering Sales Manager for the Marriott and fellow WPIC member!).  The whole day was in true “WPIC style” and a completely brag worthy affair.  After completing our training we were treated to a fabulous reception complete with a delectable array of appetizers (Including "mashed potato bar" Mmmmm), local vendor showcases, photo booth, mind reader, DJ, and more! Such a treat!

Linens Provided my Chair Decor

Linens Provided by Chair Decor

It sure makes continuing education easy and fun when it is done like this!

Thanks again to the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada, The Downtown Courtyard Marriott Hotel, Erin Pleizier, Sandals® Resorts everyone else who had a hand in organizing this great event.  I can’t wait to start booking dreams with Sandals!

Who's Your Planner?

Welcome to the new blog for Cara Mia Events!  This is an exciting day indeed... after over two years of running my own business, I have decided that it is high time that I join world of blogging.  I will be blogging everything weddings/events - tricks and tips of the trade, new exciting trends, local talent, interesting ideas and my adventures in the wedding industry.  I feel, however, that for my first blog post it is fitting to introduce myself to you - so here we go...

So, who is Cara Cassidy?

Cara Cassidy
Cara Mia Events

First and foremost, I am the owner and lead planner for Cara Mia Events, and I love my job!  I love the excitement of the being involved in the planning of an event from the ground up and seeing what began as a vision become a reality.  I love the small details and the personal touches and of course, there is nothing more exciting than the “big day” itself.  I am personally invested in each event that I work on; in fact the night before any big event I am filled with the same excitement and energy that I had the night before my own wedding.

So, how did I come to be a wedding planner?  Well I really think that I have been training for it all my life.  The first job I ever had, at the age of 14, was as a banquet server at a HUGE Italian wedding hall, and it's there that I fell in love with weddings and everything that goes into making them spectacular!  Since this first venture into the world of weddings, I have worked in many related industries (film and television, music, entertainment) and I eventually figured out how combine all of these passions for my true career - planning and coordinating weddings and events!  Perfect!  After about a year working as a coordinator of brand-marketing events I decided to launch my own event company so that I could focus on the types of events that I love so much. I completed my certification through the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada (the only Canadian Wedding Coordinator Certification Institution that regulates its members) and began building Cara Mia Events. 

So as a fun way to start this new blogging adventure I thought I would give you a few fun facts about me

- I used to be a bit of a karaoke junkie – I even hosted karaoke for years in the evenings to pay my way through university.

- I LOVE to bake, cook and eat!  I would eat all day if I could!

- I am married and a mother of two

- My guilty pleasure?  Not surprisingly… I love girly wedding movies (shhhhh don’t tell anyone)

- I hate feet… love shoes… but hate feet. 

- I love all things homemade and creative – I always have a list of projects that I am working on
- I love to travel and hope one day to do a lot more of it!

So, there you have it… my first blog post is in the bag!  Check back often to follow my adventures in planning and to get your fun wedding fix!

I would love to get to know some of you as well… feel free to tell me about yourselves in the comments below, or tell me about an event that you currently planning!