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Alex & Patty - Yep! we got married!

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Welcome to our wedding blog. This will mostly updated by Patty and written by Patty. Alex will provide his "love and spiritual support". Feel free to browse the blog, and hey, leave a msg on guestbook if you like the site and the blog :)

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Toronto Photo shoot locations

Me and Alex hired a photographer for our engagement shoot - Jon Thorpe from Thorpe Photo. I actually found him from Facebook Ad. When I saw his site and his work, I was blown away by how beautiful they are.

Me and Alex visited Jon at his studio as well, and had a brief chat with him to take photo for our wedding.. however he was booked full on Aug 8. So we decided to have him to take our engagement photo.

Engagement photos are basically photos with casual wear except the photos are professionally taken. I need the photo so I can put them on the website, and show them off at the reception. lol

We have booked Jon the first week of June to take our photo. The session is around 3 hours, and the price is $400. Prints are extra. We didn’t mind the price because as long as they are good photos. How about where to take photos in toronto? I can’t really think of any on top of my head. So I asked Jon to sent us a list of location with details.

Osgoode Hall

Features: A stunning 1800’s historic building, with colourful manicured
gardens, cobblestone pathways and ornate iron fencing.
Location: Queen and University Streets
Permit: No permit required, however, be sure there are no events or
filming scheduled.

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University of Toronto

Features: Charming old architecture on a beautifully landscaped campus.
Use is limited to certain areas, but those areas are great.
Location: College and University
Permit: $120 for non-alumni / $60 for alumni
Phone: 416.978.2187

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High Park

Features: Incredible gardens and a wonderful pond.
Location: Bloor and Parkside (west, just north of the QEW)
Permit: Permission may be required, as events may be planned.
Phone: 416.392.8188

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Casa Loma

Features: This famous castle provides a spectacular setting. Access to the
conservatory, terrace and gardens are all available.
Location: 1 Austin Terrace (near Bathurst and Dupont)
Permit: $200 to $300 depending on time of day
Phone: 416.923.1171

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James Gardens

Features: Traditional park; lots of trees, flowers, bridges, some water.
Location: Edenbridge Drive (east off Royal York Road)
Permit: $50 to$100 per hour
Phone: 416.392.8188

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Distillery District

Features: historic distillery built in 1832. Cobblestone streets, narrow
alleyways, and old brick buildings make a unique background for
interesting photos
Location: Mill St. (Between Parliament St. and Cherry St.)
Permit: $150.00
Phone: 416.364.4793

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Centennial Park Conservatory, Etobicoke

Features: Three glass houses with interesting plant collections.
Location: 15 Elmcrest Road (west off Renforth Road, just north of Rathburn
Avenue)
Phone: 416-394-8543

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The Old Mill Inn, Toronto

Features: Historic building with a beautiful waterfall and landscaped
gardens.
Location: 21 Old Mill Road
Permit: Permission normally required.
Phone: 416-236-2641

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Union Station (Toronto)

Features: One of the largest and most opulent train stations in Canada,
with fascinating old architecture, both inside and out.
Location: 65 Front Street West (at Bay Street)
Permit: $100
Phone: 416-392-8188

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Edwards Gardens Conservatory, Toronto

Features: Similar to James Gardens, but larger with a fountain and a
staircase. Edwards Gardens website
Location:
Permit: $50-$100 per hour
Phone: 416-392-8188

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Cherry Beach, Toronto

Features: Situated on Lake Ontario (East end of Toronto), featuring Sandy
beach, wooded areas and a boardwalk.
Location: at the south end of Cherry St.
Permit: None required

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Humber Bridge, Etobicoke

Features: Situated on Lake Ontario (West end of Toronto), featuring sandy
beach, parkland & trees, and walkways
Location: Lakeshore Rd. and South Kingsway
Permit: None required

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Alexander Muir Gardens, Toronto

Features: Situated next to a ravine, beautiful sunken gardens, treed
walkways, benches, stone wall & stairs
Location: Yonge St. & Lawrence Ave.
Permit: $80.00
Phone: 416-392-8188
Example wedding: Tammie & Andy

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TD Centre, Toronto

Features: Urban environment, tall skyscrapers, concrete walls, and small
greenspace
Location: Bay St. & Wellington St. W.
Permit: None if venue is canoe restaurant
Phone: 416-869–2277
Example wedding: Melissa & Kevin, Diane & Colin

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Front Street/Esplanade area, Toronto

Features: Nice architecture, shops and outdoor cafes, greenspace with
flowers and water fountain.
Location: Front St. & Market St.
Permit: None required.

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St. Lawrence Market, Toronto

Features: City architectural landmark, farmers’ market, indoor food market.
Location: Front St. & Jarvis St.
Permit: Call for permit information
Phone: 416-392-7219

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Ashbridges Bay, Toronto

Features: Situated on Lake Ontario, features expansive beaches, a harbour
& marina, and boardwalk cafe
Location: Lakeshore Blvd. E. & Coxwell Ave.
Permit: Call for permit information
Phone: 416-392-8188

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Hart House, U of T, Toronto

Features: Beautiful courtyard, grounds and Gothic style architecture
Location: 7 Hart House Circle (U of T Campus)
Permit: No permit required if wedding is held at Hart House.
Phone: 416.978.2187

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Glendon College, York University, Toronto

Features: Beautiful Rose gardens, treed pathways, an old manor, and stone
walkways
Location: Bayview Ave.& Lawrence Ave.
Permit: permit required
Phone: 416-487-6798

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Spadina House

Features: Victorian mansion surrounded by restored victorian gardens.
Location: 285 Spadina Rd.
Permit: Call for permit information
Phone: 416-392-6910

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Black Creek Pioneer Village

Features: Fully restored rural ontario 19th century village
Location: Steeles Ave. & Jane St.
Permit: Call for permit information
Phone: (416) 736-1740 ext. 5444

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Don Valley Brick Works, Toronto

Features: Comprised of distinctive industrial buildings, a quarry garden,
surrounded by parkland.
Location: Bayview Avenue and Pottery Road
Permit: Permission required.
Phone: 416-392-8188

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Todmorden Mills, Toronto

Features: Adjacent to the Don Valley Brick Works historic site, the
Todmorden Mills Museum is a unique industrial settlement built in the 18th
century.
Location: Pottery Road, west of Broadview at Mortimer Ave.
Permit: permit required
Phone: 416-396-2819

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Sunnyside Park & Pavillion, Toronto

Features: Situated on Lake Ontario, featuring beaches, Late 1800’s
architecture, iron gates, Courtyard with fountain, treed areas and a
boardwalk.
Location: Lakeshore Blvd. and Colborne Lodge Drive
Permit: $40 per hour (for up to 20 people)
Phone: 416-392-8188

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Allan Gardens Conservatory, Toronto

Features: Six indoor greenhouses ¬ great for late fall and winter weddings.
Location: 19 Horticultural Avenue (south side of Carlton between Jarvis
and Sherbourne Streets)
Permit: $40 per hour (maximum 12 people)
Phone: 416-392-8188
Example Weddings:

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Harbourfront, Toronto

Features: Toronto’s newest waterfront park.
Location: South side of Queen’s Quay Blvd. West (between Spadina Avenue
and Bathurst Street)
Permit: No permit required for outdoors; please call to inquire about
indoor permits.
Phone: 416.392.1111
Example Weddings:

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North York Rose Garden, Toronto

Features: In the heart of North York, the Rose Garden has winding
pathways, mature trees and a lovely array of greenery and flowers.
Location: Northwest corner of Yonge Street and Park Horne Avenue
Permit: $12.25 per hour
Phone: 416-395-6055

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Toronto Music Garden, Toronto

Features: Beautiful outdoor architecture, with spectacular indoor
opportunities.
Location: 65 Front Street (between Bay and York Streets)
Permit: Permission may be required, as events may be planned for certain
dates.
Phone: 416-864-3440
Example Weddings:

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Fantasy Fair, Toronto

Features: Ontario’s only indoor amusement park, complete with rides and
attractions!
Location: Woodbine Centre, 500 Rexdale Blvd.
Permit: No permit required; however, rides can be reserved for a fee.
Phone: 416-674-5200

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Other “Alternate” locations

Downtown Streets (candid walking shots)
Fields
Alleyways
Train Tracks
Building Ruins
Train Tracks



Other Locations to Consider

Allen Gardens
George Brown House
Humber Arboretum
Kensington Market (candid walking shots)
Mackenzie House
Old City Hall
Ryerson Campus (Gould Street)
St. James Park (downtown)
Toronto Island

Indoor Locations to Consider
Most indoor locations require permits, although often we are allowed to
take just the bride and groom inside for some quick shots, without a
permit. However, if the bridal party and/or family members need to join
the shoot, then a permit is always needed.

King Edward HotelFour Seasons Hotel
University of Toronto (Victoria College & Hart House)
Toronto City Hall
Old City Hall
Mississauga City Hall
Markham City Hall
The Eaton Centre
The Manulife Centre
Union Station / The Skywalk
Fairmont Royal York Hotel
St. Lawrence Hall
York Event Theatre
BCE Place (they will say “no” if you call in advance, but they have said
“yes” many times on the spot if we do some quick shots of just the bride
and groom)

If I found some where else interesting in toronto, I will post it up. Stay tuned!

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15.May.08 wedding Comments (0)

Wedding DJ

few week ago, we finally sent the payment to Brian from High Five Entertainment. We didn’t really spend a lot of time looking for a DJ mainly because most of the DJ site I went.. they all suck. Either they don’t provide pricing, or their site is so outdated that needs to fix it up.

We actually got Brian’s name from Hello DJ , we were looking for someone who’s hip, fun and trendy. I think both Hello DJ and High Five fits what we were looking for. Except Hello DJ is totally booked, so we looked into High Five. The price and the package is perfect for my reception! (700 + Tax for 8Hrs of DJ-ing, and lighting rentals)

I guess now me and alex just have to figure out what music we want for the reception! stay tuned!

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12.May.08 wedding Comments (0)

Cheap evening gown and bridesmaid dress..$100 and under

My bridesmaid's dress

I just rented a car on Sat to our biggest asian mall in toronto - Pacific Mall. It’s located at the corner of Steels Aves and Kennedy.

I suppose to just pick up a pair of new eye glasses, but then I end up doing dress shopping for my bridesmaid - Linda.

If you go up to the top floor of Pacific Mall. You will find people are selling all kinds of stuff and all kinds of prices. We found this store called “earth”.

They sell dresses all under $100! It’s good for events that you just want to look fabulous for one day!

So I got a cute brown dress for Linda as her bridesmaid dress for $90, and it also includes a shawl. Best deal EVER.

Their website is at http://freedress.ca/

If you are good at bargaining, you should definitely go there to check it out!

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05.May.08 wedding Comments (0)

Wedding Hair..up or down?

In a few weeks, I will be meeting up with my hair make up artist - Anita, to to do my bridal makeup trial.

Now I have to do some research on what kinda hair style I want for my wedding. I am not a big fan of fancy hair style that makes me look like a princess in the castle. Yet all the wedding hair style I find so far are just a bit overwhelming for me. I am a either pony-tail or down hair style person.

So I will post up couple images that I found online for inspiration first

Hair front view

I found this photo on Flicker
I love the hair bang. I guess I want one on mine :)

hair_frontview.jpg

Up-do hair
I really like those up-do hair that is natural, a bit of weaving, and leaves a bit of hair bang

hair_updo2.jpg

large_image.jpghair_updo_sideview.jpgweddinghair.jpghair_updo_backview.jpg

Hair Down

I am not sure if hair down would be great for summer ..but I guess I should give it a try.

down_hair.jpghair.jpgdownhair.jpgdownhair2.jpg

And even Angelina’s look from the movie “Wanted”. I find it sexy.

Angelina Jolie

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25.Apr.08 wedding Comments (0)

Wedding Invitations ..for none computer users!

Thanks to Alex, our invitations are actually email-invitation!!! We didn’t really send to a heck a lot of people due to lower budget in our hands, but this e-invite really save us a lot of money for making an actual paper invite.

However, we still have people who don’t use computer. Grandparents, parents and some people who don’t work next to computer day by day..

So I actually spent some time to look up paper made wedding invitations. I found this place online called “Indian wedding cards“. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not just Indian weddings!!! They are actually hand made paper and they look very nice!! Here’s few samples.

wedding invitation scrolls

I found this cute scroll invitation. The size is : Box : 6.5″ x 1.6″ x 1″; Scroll : 3.75″ x 8.5″; and it comes with an envelope : 9.25″ x 4.25. And if you buy in bulk, it cost $1.5US each. or click the links here for more details : Orange scroll - White scroll - Brown scroll

The only thing that I am not quite sure is that the paper box is not as solid, the cardboard can be easily crushed if there’s heavy object on top of it.
scroll invitations

Here’s another look of it.. they are actually quite small!!

scroll invitations

Here’s another scroll invitation, it’s a bit bigger . The size is : Scroll: 5″ x 9.25″; Box: 7.0″ x 2.5″ x 1.0″; Envelope: 9.25″ x 4.25″. If you buy in bulk, it’s $1.5 US each. The box and the scroll paper is all handmade. Pretty nice stuff. See more details here.

scroll invitations

Now here’s another scroll invitation,but this one is ENORMOUS. It’s size: Scroll: 11″×8.5″, Box: 12.25″×4.75″×0.65″+ Mailing Envelop. It’s kinda cool that you can even print the event info inside the fold of the box.. but it’s just too big!! See more details here.

scroll invitations

another view of the package.. it’s almost as long as Maki!! yikes!

wedding invitation

This one is a bit reasonable for the size. It’s 5.5″X 5.5″. The card itself holds another two cards that you can print your stuff on. If you buy in bulk..it’s $1 US each card! sweet! see more info about this card here.

See the texture on the card cover..

This one has a semi transparent handmade paper as cover.

And the cards inside, you can print whatever you want on them. See more detail about this card here.

Here’s another similar card but different texture. Click here to see more detail

This one has a transparent paper letter envelope, but the size of the card is on the big side as well (size: 7.75″ x 7.75″).

See more detail about this card here.

I am choosing all the cards around the color orange or white because my main color scheme for my wedding is yellow/orange/white.

I really like this one in particular because it’s not as big, and the unique letter cover. pretty nice.

See more details about this card here.

I guess right now my main concern is.. I don’t think I need to send out more than 5 paper invitations!!! Grr!!
If I have enough orders of the cards, then I can use those samples that I paid for at the indian wedding cards against the full purchase. Now I guess I’ll just have to go to a store and buy some cards…. chinatown here I come~~

Stay tuned!!

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23.Apr.08 wedding Comments (6)

My French Nails!

Okay, I have to admit it. I am NOT a makeup person nor manisure person nor pedicure person. I barely put on moisturizer on my face or my hands. I really let things go “natural”. Me and Alex went to visit Mike and Claire in St Catherine just this past weekend. Mike is Alex’s best friend from highschool and will be his best man at the wedding. His wife - Claire is a beautician who works in a Salon in St Catherine. She asked me if I would like to do “French Nails”. I was like “huh? what is that?”. She said it’s basically nail polishing with white tips. People these days do the fake nail more than having a hand painted french nails.

So I guess I’d give it a try. (It’s free anywayz, why not?) So Claire took her time trimming and polishing my nails and then put the white coating at the tip. Later put two coat of nail polish and finished with a top coat.

French Nails!

Pretty Neat eh? It made my sausage finger looks pretty elegant and smooth. (Believe me, I DO NOT save any nails, I trim them as soon I see them!!)

French Nails!

Another detailed look. Believe me, those white tips on my finger nails are hand drawn. Pretty nice eh?

French Nails!

Me flashes my nails!! (Look! you can see the trail of white tips…)

Oh yes, I am definitely getting those again for my wedding day. It looks good with my ring!

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14.Apr.08 wedding Comments (2)

CityHall Wedding Chamber

Today we finally took sometime during lunch to take a look of the Wedding Chamber at CityHall.

Toronto CityHall

Yep, our famous Toronto CityHall. The Wedding Chamber is at the East Tower 3rd Floor.

CityHall Wedding Chamber

Yep, this is the door of the Wedding Chamber. It looks like an office door!!! LOL

CityHall Wedding Chamber

The ceremony room is fairly small. It sits 15 people and stands another 15-20 people. So people, if you are coming to my ceremony, be here 10 min early to grab a seat!!

CityHall Wedding Chamber

Yep, be here early, this is all the seats you get!!

CityHall Wedding Chamber

I guess this is where we’ll sign the contract of “Wife/Husband Club”

CityHall Wedding Chamber

CD Player and a tissue box. I guess when you get married, you would need music right? CD player always come in handy. And when you know you actually got married, you will be too excited and cry, so I guess they prepared the tissue paper for ya.

CityHall Wedding Chamber

One good thing about getting married at City Hall is that the room comes with flower already. You don’t need to spend another money to get fresh flowers except bringing your own bouquet. And it’s around 190 bucks to get married here. (Compare to $500 if you are going to hire an Officiant to marry you outside of City Hall.)

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11.Apr.08 wedding Comments (0)