info@thelilypadinc.com ..... #2 ELMA STREET Okotoks, AB ..... 403-869-6167
** Photo Album **
Below are photos taken from events we are involved in, as well as photos of our customers on their special day. We are celebrating over 3 years in business!! I have met some wonderful & memorable people!
Enjoy the photos!
~ December 4, 2010 ~ Wreath Making Christmas Party ~ Okotoks, AB ~
A friend of mine is a dietitian and works within the Calgary Health Region. She helped plan a wonderful Christmas get together with a number of the nurses who work in the South region. They had a potluck of amazing food & drinks, and they asked me to join them and teach them how to make a fresh Christmas wreath. It was a very fun filled evening, with about 15 ladies making wreaths they all turned out beautiful & very different.
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~ December 3, 2010 ~ Pembina Pipeline's Christmas Party ~ Telus Convention Centre, Calgary ~
I was very lucky to have to opportunity for the first year, to assist with decor ideas and create all the centerpeices for Pembina Pipeline Corp. The room at the Telus Convention Centre is very large with a very high ceiling, so I created centerpieces of varying heights. A snowflake theme throughout the centerpieces, lit up on the walls & floor, and on the cruiser tables outside the room, it was a sparkling wonderland!
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~ September 5, 2010 ~ Travis & Leda ~ Lethbridge, AB ~
Getting referrals from past bride's is a wonderful thing! Leda is a long time friend of a past Bride and she lives in Lethbridge, but came up to visit and plan with me a couple times. I ordered her napkins, toasting glasses, cake cutting set, cameras, and garter from Wedding Star. Leda & Travis had a beautiful intimate wedding ceremony in the mezzanine at the Lethbridge Lodge, and the reception at Streetside Eatery. It was the first time I decorated at a restaurant, but Streetside Eatery has such a wonderful feel to it, I didn't want to bring in too much. Instead of typical wedding decor of a backdrop, tulle & lights, I placed candles & orchids all around the room. Leda's bouquet was a delicate hand-wired phalaenopsis, mokara & oncidium orchid bouquet. Leda's friend did a wonderful job making the cards for the Wishing Tree (instead of a typical guest book), and she also helped me decorate the two sites. Thanks to Jim & Jaclyn! Thank you also, to the incredible staff at Streetside, you were a big help in setting up & taking-down!
Leda, thank you for letting me experiment and create different elegant bouquets for you. That was a lot of fun. I enjoyed spending the day with you & celebrating your special day!
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~ September 4, 2010 ~ Eric & Jaclyn ~ Lethbridge, AB ~
It is such an honor to be asked by a good friend to help with their special day, I have known Jaclyn & her family for years! I actually taught her, her sister & brother piano when I lived in Lethbridge (taught many of her cousins too, so it was a wonderful reunion at the wedding!). I do not carry Maggie Sottero and that is the designer of the gown she fell in love with. However, I was with her at the bridal store in Calgary when she tried it on for the first time! The Lily Pad ordered the B2 bridesmaids dresses, and her mother's Belsoie dress, as well as accessorize the beautiful Bride with the perfect veil and asymmetrical headband. She had a number of friends and family members helping with decorations & fresh flowers so I didn't do much in that department except help her focus all her ideas together. I did decorate the head table, behind the head table and the guest book table. The one thing I was most pleased to do was play the piano for her ceremony. Asking her 'old teacher to play' . . . LOL . . . I was quite honored!! I asked an acoustic guitarist/vocalist, and violinist to join me, and we made beautiful music all together. THANK YOU to the Nieuwenhuis family for being so kind and welcoming to Kali & I over the years. Your continued friendship is truly a blessing. Congratulations Jaclyn & Eric!
The following photo were taken by Emblem Photography
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~ September 4, 2010 ~ Julio & Madeline ~ Calgary, AB ~
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~ August 7, 2010 ~ Neal & Christine ~ Okotoks, AB ~
Some Brides do an amazing job planning decor, buying supplies and making arrangements all on their own. Christine is one of these Brides. She had very good ideas and was able to visualize how they would look, put together in the end. She bought ribbon, tulle & vases from Michaels for her ceremony and she wanted a garden-country feel to all the bouquets & vase arrangements. She found lace doilies, made the cupcake stands herself, and Judy from Cake Sensations made the perfect mini cupcakes for her centerpieces. I supplied some loose blooms to be scattered on the tables. Her ceremony was at St. James in Okotoks and only vase arrangements on the altar and some flowers at the end of the pews were needed to pull together her country feel. I love being there to deliver flowers & see the Bride & Bridesmaids smile when they first see the flowers. However, this time big Thank You to Jaclyn for delivering and setting up all flowers for this wedding. I got the best text message from Christine the next day, "Flowers rocked. Pics to come as they come in. We had the greatest day!" Thanks so much, Christine :)
Wedding day photos by Candice Ward
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~ August 1, 2010 ~ Kirk & Diane ~ Calgary, AB ~
Word-of-mouth and friends really are the best referrals for me ~ Thank you! Diane’s parents are members of the Foothills Search & Rescue group with me, and her mom asked me about my business one day after a meeting. She came over for a visit, and filled me in on the nice quiet family weekend they were planning. Diane did not want to be the center of attention at all!! They went for a hike with the family the day before and the ceremony & reception was held at the Rocky Ridge Ranch in North West Calgary. She bought her knee length purple Bella Formals Venus chiffon dress from The Lily Pad, and I was also able to do some simple gerbera centerpieces lit by a coaster and surrounding candles. She didn’t want a bouquet, but I arranged a garden style bouquet and luckily she loved it! They stood on the stairs as immediate family stood beside them and the rest of the guests watch from above on the balcony. It was a beautiful & relaxed day, simply about celebrating family, friends and their marriage. Thank you for letting Kali and I share in that joy!
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~ July 23, 2010 ~ Frank & Jane ~ Calgary, AB ~
I consider myself very lucky to be able to work with Kristine, from Trans Canada Weddings. Now that she has closed her store front and working from her home in Calgary, she has changed the name and branding of her business. Dazzling Event Productions now caters to not only weddings but all corporate and family events. She asked me to join her for a décor & flower consultation with a bride in May and I was so excited! I have never been a part of an East Indian wedding. WOW it truly is an event fit for royalty. Family/friends, rich colors, food, music & dancing, defines this wonderful day for the Bride & Groom.
The Lily Pad created centerpieces of two heights because in a large room (Sheridan Cavalier Hotel) it really gives the eye something beautiful to look at when you have different heights of centerpieces. These martini glasses were filled with black-red, red, yellow, and orange roses, red, orange and yellow asiatic lilies, red and orange gerberas, red and yellow alstromeria, red hypericum berries, yellow solidago, and yellow and red orchids. I tucked 3 white lights in amongst the flowers, and in the tall martini glasses I put a light in the base so it would shine even from the bottom. Then I finished each off with gold sparkles.
This wedding gave me the opportunity to work with some beautiful tropical flowers. I made large arrangements for the church, pew décor, vase arrangements for the hors d’oeuvres & buffet table, and also smaller ones for the women’s bathroom. The room looked stunning with all the flowers and décor that was provided by Dazzling Event Productions. Thank you very much Jane & Frank for allowing me to share in your magical day! They were still there when I went back to do take-down at 1am. What an incredible celebration!
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~ July 10, 2010 ~ Travis & Cayley ~ Calgary, AB ~
Sometimes a couple works so hard to make their family happy on their wedding day, they can get lost in it and forget that the day is really truly about their love for each other & they are the most important people that day. I am a phone call away for a chat and even just a coffee visit, if that's what the bride needs to relax during the sometimes stressful planning. Cayley is such a genuinely beautiful person inside & out it was my pleasure to share this time with her & Travis. Plus, Kali loved her time chatting with their baby girl, running around with their son (who is 2 days younger than Kali) and Cayley's mom! I think she misses them now, after spending so much time with them! Cayley found her gorgeous gown at Cottonwood Bridal, but found the perfect tea-length Belsoie Jasmine bridesmaids dresses at The Lily Pad. Her bouquet was a very special part of her wedding. She sadly lost her sister, who was her best friend a few years back, and so the pink roses, flower gems & a photo attached to her bouquet allowed her to carry her sister with her all day; in her heart and hands. Their ceremony was held at the beautiful Bar None Ranch, just North West of Okotoks. Her family was a big help when decorating the Red Deer Lake Community hall the day before their wedding. I thank them very much for inviting my assistant Jaclyn, Kali and myself to stay for reception & the dance. Watching Kali try to convince Jase to dance with her was priceless. Thank you so much for including Kali & I both in this wonderful time, and I do hope we can meet for coffee again in the future.
If you would like to be involved in, volunteer time, or donate prizes for an amazing event please check out the Jessie Payne Memorial Rodeo which is held in the Foothills every Mother's Day.
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~ June 26, 2010 ~ Chris & Kristina ~ Okotoks, AB ~
"Can we come over right now to talk flowers?" SURE! Kali was in bed, so they both came over and we put together the flowers for their wedding in one sitting. This is very rare for a wedding, but these two were very well organized. Kristina had printed off photos of what she wanted for her Bridesmaids and boutonnieres,so putting everything together was done in no time! Very organized Bride & Groom! It is wonderful to see the Groom very involved in the planning process. I'm glad you both had a fabulous day! Thanks again!
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~ June 5, 2010 ~ Matt & Leslie ~ Calgary, AB ~
After a week of rain & unpredicatable Calgary weather, June 5th was a gorgeous sunny day, perfect for their outdoor ceremony! I designed bouquets with dark purple, lavender, ivory & greens to compliment her lavender & ivory gown and the Bridesmaids lavender dresses. Tucked neatly between the flowers in Leslie's bouquet, was a beautiful butterfly heirloom brooch; the perfect finishing touch to her spring bouquet. I was fortunate enough to work together with Dazzling Event Productions, and decorate for their reception at Earl Grey Golf Club.
It was wonderful to work with such a calm, accommodating and understanding Bride! When the fresh flowers didn't go our way a couple days before her wedding, I called her, and she trusted me with whatever I came up with as a substitute. The smile on her face when I delivered her flowers in the morning, made it all worth while :) Thanks, Leslie!
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~ April 17, 2010 ~ Dennis & Nicola ~ DeWinton, AB ~
Nicola was so easy going and kind she was a pleasure to work with. Nicola & Dennis had a lovely evening ceremony with their families and a casual reception. They wanted to sit with their family, not sit on their own infront of everyone. Their family was laughing and joking the entire rehearsal (Nicola came in piggy back on her dad during the rehearsal!) and I think they set up the chairs, covers, sashes, and linens for the tables in record time! Thanks for the help! I decorated a 10 x 10 backdrop swagged with black, ivory & navy fabric and lights, as the backdrop to their wedding ceremony. She ordered B2 dresses from The Lily Pad and I also designed some simple & elegant calla lily arm bouquets. The centerpieces were large floating candles in a glass bowl, with floating dendrobium orchid & delphinium blooms, overtop blue & clear glass gems.
Thanks for the laughs! I wish you & Dennis a lifetime full of continued laughter & smiles :)
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~ April 2010 ~ * My Trip to New York City * ~ NYC, USA ~
I had the wonderful opportunity to check out the WeddingChannel Couture Show at the InterContinental The Barcley in New York! The WCCS has been the most established & premier bridal industry trade show in NYC, since 1995. National & international designers, retailers & press attent to introduce and check out the latest fashion trends in the bridal world. I saw some designers I already carry (Alfred Sung & Jasmine Bridal), and I picked up a couple new & exciting lines (Anaiss & Annie Girl Couture Creations). There were many other high end designers on site, such as: Grupo Rosa Clara, Ann frances, Mikaella Bridal, Paloma Blanca, Simone Carvalli, Justine M Couture, Galit Levi ... hundreds!
The next day, I toured the streets of NYC and I was welcomed into Kleinfeld (Say yes to the Dress, on TLC) by the assistant manager. She was very accommodating and gave me the full tour of this huge & world re-nowned boutique. They were filming when I was there. They have the one large private fitting room you see on the show, and on the wall behind that there is a cabinet that houses a camera, so Brides can webcam with their loved ones who could not be there with them for this experience. The show room floor has a few dressing rooms, then approximately 15 smaller rooms each with a consultants name in lights the door. On a different floor, they have approximately 20 rooms specifically for the Bride's fittings. I saw a few very happy brides during their fittings. One particular Bride had her gown, maid of honor, flower girl & mothers dress, all designed by Monique Lhuillier. The Bride's gown was shimmering and looked like it was encrusted with pieces of glass. I have never seen anything like it! I walked through the room full of over 80 seamstresses! And they have a special smaller room where the fine beading detail is done (you often see this room on the show). I squeezed my way through that back room full of gowns, and you look up and all the gowns that have been purchased are stored on a computerized track (similar to the drycleaners, but larger scale). Once the dresses are altered, all loose threads trimmed, pressed, and packaged up (stuffed with a paper body) the Bride drives up to the front door, and a man dressed in a tux brings out her gown, and places it neatly in her vehicle. Can I higher a nice man dressed in a tux for all my customers, I wonder?? hmmmm ;) It was a wonderful experience, and Michelle was so kind.
After a couples days of business, I had one day to tour as much of NYC as I could! I recommend taking more time than one day! I saw almost everything, but I was so stiff & sore from walking/running everywhere! Thank you to by beautiful friend Lisa, for letting me invade her home for a few days! I can't wait to go back and experience all NYC has to offer again ~ Perhaps April 2011 :)
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~ March 27, 2010 ~ Bill & Stacey ~ Arrowwood, AB ~
Stacey & Bill are unlike any High School sweetheart couple I have ever met!! They have been together for over 20 years and now were able to celebrate their life & love, together with their family & friends. They wanted food, music & flowers to surround them during their day ... and WOW did they ever. Tulips & gerberas were everywhere, beautiful music filled the church and the community hall, and the caterers from Lethbridge really out did themselves. I have to thank Stacey & Bill (and Stacey's mom) for their hospitality and kindness during the planning process, the decorating & day of the wedding. I had awesome helpers (Shauna, Sheri & Tara), and they did a wonderful and organized job getting everything ready. We were surprised when you invited us to stay for the wonderful supper, Shauna & I appreciated that more than we can say. Thank You.
If you are ever out towards Arrowwood, please visit Stacey & Bill's cafe, Centre Street Eatery! Yummy! I will be back for a visit some day soon!
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~ February 6, 2010 ~ 4th Annual Fashion Show ~ Okotoks Recreation Centre ~
The Lily Pad featured the Grad 2010 fashions in the Okotoks Youth Fashion show again this year. We had 14 incredible models who each wore 3 dresses and had an incredible time walking the runway. Good Job Girls! The youth centre hosts this show every year along with a silent auction as a fundraiser for their youth activities & equipment. Thank you to my helpers, again couldn't do events like this with out you: Jaclyn, Lacey, Shelby & Tara :)
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~ January 17, 2010 ~ Bridal Fantasy ~ Telus Convention Centre, Calgary, AB ~
What a weekend! We had an exhibit booth, selling booth and we also had dresses in the Boutique Fashion Show! I met some wonderful people, and I look forward to helping them pick out the dress of their dreams or create the flowers they will love for their special day. Thank you to my helpers, Jaclyn, Nadia, Shannon, Diane and Melody ... I could not have done this show without their help. Also, I appreciate all the Brides who came by the selling booth to purchase their gowns, you had a lot of patience ... lots of people were in that small space! Thank you to everyone for stopping by & hope to see you very soon.
Have a wonderful 2010!
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~ January 4, 2010 ~ Aaron & Melissa ~ Bahamas ~
The Tuesday before Christmas I got a call from Melissa at 11am ... by 2pm Wednesday afternoon I had her dress in her hands! This was the fastest I have ever ordered a dress and had it ready for a Bride! Luckily my supplier had her exact size and color in stock, so they shipped it out to me overnight. Aaron & Melissa had a very beautiful and private ceremony on a beach in the Bahamas. I'm so happy that everything came together for you!
We love because it's the only true adventure ~ Nikki Giovanni
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Thank you for letting us be a part of your special day!
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