KNOTTY ON TOP: 2014

Don't fool yourself into thinking that every one of your guests needs a seat at the ceremony.

Renting chairs can get costly - this coming from someone who has an inventory of rental chairs and benches; $4-12 per chair (depending on style) can quickly translates into hundreds of dollars when multiplied by your 'impossible to pare down' guest list. I'm not saying you should force your Grammy or Uncle Joe with the bad knee to stand; I'm just saying, if your ceremony is relatively short (under 30 minutes), why not set out a few rows of reserved seating and have the rest stand?

I'm willing to bet that any parent with small children, any woman in a short skirt or any man in a cumbersome suit jacket would appreciate the extra freedom that standing allows.

Your back and bank account will thank you PLUS I think it looks super duper cool in photos. Just see for yourself:

source: martha stewart weddings

source: once wed

source: ruffled

image: kt merry photography

souce: snippet & ink

image: bryan aulick photography

source: luxe mountain weddings

source: green wedding shoes

image: john + louise photography

source: green wedding shoes

Also the whole 'guests circling the I do's'? = intimately genius.

Who's with me?

Okanagan's wittiest & most recognizable wedding planner.

Everyone knows I love a good theme. Nothing too gimmicky or over-the-top, just a few subtle details to bring an event to a whole other level of aww-some.

Favours are quite possibly my most favourite way to highlight a well executed theme/colour scheme; I love finding that perfect parting gift that's not only clever but worthy of coveted purse real estate.

Sadly it doesn't matter how cute or perfectly packaged a guest offering is, if it ain't fun, useful or appetizing, it likely won't be making out of the door and that's the whole point right? A gesture of appreciation that's meant to be taken home and enjoyed? or - at the very least - eaten during the cab ride back to the hotel (or with tomorrow's hangover)?

In order to save you precious time, money and the agony of having to repack rejected gifts at the end of the night, I've rallied together my favourite 15 "guest approved bombonieres" for 2014...

1. PLAYING CARDS

"we're bringing cribbage back"

Grammy will have you to thank for her next canasta win and cousin Lyle will really appreciate you spicing up his Saturday night solitaire routine. You can't go wrong with this favour, I mean what poker night or camping trip doesn't need a cool deck of cards?

2. USB STICKS

"nerd alert"

If you work in IT, have tech savvy friends and/or if half the reception attendees have student ID's, this is a win-win-win. One can never have too many flash drives and imagine guests watching the stop motion thank you message you uploaded the first time they plug-in.

3. LOLLIPOPS

"listen up suckers"

edibles are always a good option, but sugar that sparkles on a stick is definitely the better option.

4. FRIDGE MAGNETS

"kitchen art gallery"

Unless you have rich friends with stainless steel appliances, I think creative magnets are a super fun and low cost way to go especially if you have a bunch of proud parents on your guest list that like to hang their kids' artwork. If you're a crazy cat lady, see above; if like washi tape, check out Just Bella's DIY tape magnets.

5. FRENCH CONFECTION

"oui oui"

Macarons: not overly original but tasty as _ _ _ _. If you have a ton of sweet tooths in your audience, check out Kelowna's own Sandrine Pastry.

6. PRETTY COOKIES

"too pretty to eat"

simple yet delicious and Sarah's Sweets in the Okanagan offers custom cookie creations to ensure your wedding is everything but cookie cutter.

7. COMPACT DISCS

"you can't take the honkytonk out of the girl"

Mix tapes may be dead, but mix CD's? Never. As long as car manufacturers keep installing CD players in their vehicles, personalized playlists will be top on my favourite favours list.

8. OIL & VINEGAR

"breaking bread"

If you have tastebuds, I don't need to explain why olive oil & balsamic vinegar would be one helluva parting gift. I love that Olive Us in Vernon, BC has mini-bottles specifically for this purpose.

9. WASHI TAPE

"sticky situation"

Wax paper and washi wrapped candies are a super sweet idea, but so is giving all your crafty amigas their own roll of washi tape for future crafternoons. I can only imagine the mad trading that would ensue in a room full of bloggesses. My go-to online party shop Confetti & Sparkle has a dangerous selection of my favourite Japanese import. P.S. you can also wrap tea lights with this stuff #winning.

10. NO. 2 PENCILS

"lead poisoning"

These are practical, these are more than trendy, these are still used by people. I feel like if I keep telling myself this, it'll be true - I need it to be true. Surely artsy groups and/or tables full of school teachers would appreciate some cute custom pencils, no? I know I wouldn't be leaving mine behind, but I also can't recall the last time I used a non-mechanical pencil... elementary school? whatevs I love them regardless.

11. LAVENDER

"rest easy"

Toss a lavender sachet on every place setting and rest assured they'll find their way to your guests' underwear drawers. These bags of sweet smelling goodness (and sleep) are truly loved by all; adorned with a custom monogram = perfection. Wendy with Hartwood North Farms in Armstrong, BC will hook you up.

12. LOCAL OFFERINGS

"fresh is best"

Find out what's in season and serve it up. Trust me guests that travelled from afar love snacking on local fare whatever it may be. It allows them to go home to their colleagues and brag about the mitt-full of Okanagan cherries they consumed along with their internationally acclaimed Pinot Noir.

13. TEMPORARY TATS

"non-committal"

Thanks to Kal Barteski, we all know where I stand on the temporary tattoo debate (just kidding there's no debate, everybody's a fan). Tattly's buffet of rub off ink makes this party favour a favourable choice.

14. SOAP

"lather it up"

Washing hands never goes out of style, end of story (and germs). It also doesn't hurt that you can get soaps in a variety of colours and fragrances to fit almost any scheme #holla

15. TEA TOWELS