ERIKA & JASON : MUSEUM OF NATURE

What's this I see? Erika + Jason's 2015 wedding in my blog "drafts"?. Impossible I think to myself...

I will admit it's been a while since we've been at the Museum of Nature, once our stomping grounds a few times a month. So falling across this gorgeous wedding shot by Joel & Justyna of Joel Bedford Photography made my day! And come to think of it the first wedding we planned at the Museum of Nature was way back in 2012 was with these same awesome photographers. 

I remember Erika emailing me in the March before her wedding. Her email was simple. "I'm freaking out, am I forgetting something? I feel like I'm not doing enough." Naturally I laughed and said, "Welcome to the world of having a wedding planner!". My best and happiest clients give me complete trust. The trust that I will design, plan and execute their wedding with quality vendors that inspire them. They also don't overthink or overcomplicate. And these two cat loving hipsters embodied what I wish every Toast planning experience would be. 

INDUSTRIAL WEDDING SPACE -OTTAWA-

Hottest trend for 2015 and I'm sure for a few years to come, industrial space.  A lack of which we have in Ottawa, until just recently. But before we unveil our three new top secret locations, let's take a look at what's already available. You may be surprised!                 

   Museum of Nature   

Horticulture Building

New kid on the block, this rejuvenated City Of Ottawa building is sure a stunner. Wide open, barn board wall accents, licensed patio and the best catering staging area i've seen in a while. Biggest bonus is that underground parking has it's own private entrance leading into your event space. Although parking is not included, you can negotiate and pre-purchase parking spaces. On the flip side, they do recommend getting a security guard...you will most likely have wedding crashers from local adjacent bars.

A space, well used and well loved by all planners. A girl can get used to being here every weekend with limitless possibilities and a nice blank canvas. Their T-shaped 3rd and 4th floor gallery space is perfect for host cocktails & dancing with an intimate dinner in the second back half of the room. There are some tricky logistics to pulling this off without a hitch which is why a planner is key when working in this space. 

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 Makerspace North  

Pretty awesome right? This new space has been added to my list of "must-have" spaces. Not many planners know of this awesome gem located in the City Centre building. Although I haven't been onsite, this venue is at the top of my list for clients looking for industrial space. 

Ernst & Young

The big box. Of the mid-century modern weddings we could host in here. There is never too much space especially if your looking for something larger than life. We'll be transforming this space next year for the EY's first ever wedding.

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  Table 40    

For smaller parties looking for just the right mix of Mid-Century Modern with industrial touches where the food surpasses expectation. This is where you'll want to be.

 Side Door

I love this venue for its versatility and wide range of seating options. Perfect for a couple looking to host a celebration rather then a "wedding". Probably one of the coolest basement venues we know of. 

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Restaurant 18

Lofty, chic with a gothic wine cellar ambiance, this spot really doesn't need any decor. With 18's large oversized ornate doors, it may feel as though your partying in your very own mansion. If you haven't been recently, check it out. They've recently renovated. 

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Although Ottawa has a lack of raw space, we've just been introduced to something very new and exciting. Zibi a "world-class" sustainable community and redevelopment project transforming the old Domtar grounds into industrial waterfront event space and condo living. Pretty cool right?!

Albert Island   

Albert Island is currently booking events and weddings for 2016. I recently toured this facility with a client with a guest list of 120. The space is long an narrow and has many posts which we can work to our advantage. This space used to be a storage facility for Domtar and is located at the water edge. With industrial spaces comes tricky logistics. Currently the building has no running water facilities, no washrooms and no onsite parking no air conditioning. Although these may seem like tedious hurdles, washrooms should be installed hopefully before next summer. Fun fact, there is actually a random shower near the main entrance...so if you do pull the chain link handle you will get wet! P.S This location is on the Ontario side which makes it easier for liquor licenses.

   1 Eddy

This old machine workroom is in stage 1 of being rejuvenated. It is connected to the Zibi building. Less posts than Albert Island and connects with a gorgeous outdoor courtyard seen in the picture below. What you don's see in this image is a second part of the room behind the back wall which will soon be torn down to seat up to 140 guests. This space is due to be ready for late fall 2015. Take note that this space is on the Quebec side and local alcohol permits must be obtained by SAQ.

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The Zibi Courtyard

Currently looking at this gorgeous space for a wedding el fresco. Since it's connected to the Zibbi show room and the space mentioned above, you can safely plan to have your wedding either inside or outside. BIG BONUS, you probably won't get any noise complaints! 

This property is located on the river banks however there is a line of trees and shrubery which takes away from a direct view of the water. The best part about Zibi is that as they redevelop the area new warehouse event space will become available. 

If your looking for information or would like to book a tour here is your contact. Jaquie Westeind at jw@windmilldevelopments.com

I can't tell you enough how excited I am to start seeing gorgeous events and weddings planned here, so hastag it for all of us to see #zibbiwedding 

xox Elise

AS COOL AS A CUCUMBER

I'm a people person, and it's blows me away how I always manage to  luck-out with amazing clients. If you can believe it Annaliese and John were our 296th wedding...

" We worked with Elise (of Toast Events) to coordinate our May 2015 wedding at the Museum of Nature. From the very first e-mail, Elise was prompt, professional and an absolute pleasure to work with; we knew we were in good hands!

Her advice was always en-pointe and her experience in the industry was invaluable to us as we navigated the world of wedding vendors and décor. When the big day finally rolled around, we were relaxed knowing Elise had a handle on everything, all we needed to do was show-up. The venue looked stunning, the vendors/guests/wedding party knew where they needed to be and through-out it all Elise was cool as a cucumber, keeping everyone calm.

Elise’s bubbly personality and attention to detail are a big part of what makes her so good at what she does. From noticing and removing two guests (read wedding-crashers) who didn't quite 'fit in', to having pins on hand to fix my bustle on the fly, or stopping traffic so we could get the perfect photo, if you are looking for someone who goes above and beyond to make your wedding day absolutely perfect, I would not hesitate to recommend Elise!

- John & Annaliese Cassidy [May 9th, 2015 - Museum of Nature] "