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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1993-08-18, Page 6Page 6 Times Advocate, August 18,1993 FEATURF 1314qplanner / 111116man has twenty weddings yearly 'By Erin Lebb T -A staff CENTRALIA - If you can't imagine planning one wedding in your life time, then imagine planning 20 - per year! From April to October you may have a hard time getting a hold of Paula Screda, of P.S. Weddings. Sereda is now in her eighth year as a wedding consultant and conducts business out of her "wedding room" at her home. Sereda first had the notion to go into business when she was working at ARC Industries in Dashwood and started a pre -path -awe of the residents making wedding cakes and pompoms. A friend suggested she go into business as a wedding consultant, and Sereda took courses through a certified wedding consultant in Ingersoll, and set a small operation at an Exeter flower shop. Once Sereda be- came pregnant with her fust child she started working out of her home. "At first I wanted to do a little of everything," said Screda. Now P.S. Weddings can assist in many areas of wedding plans from the hall deco- rations tothe brides bouquet. Sereda specializes in fresh or silk floral arrangements, which she cus- tom makes for each bride according to their colours. Sereda will sometimes offer only suggestions to brides who would like to do the work themselves, or she can completely design and decorate the entire wedding. The services she offers include a number of rentals, such as candela- nas,=lauice'backdrops, wedding arches, ceiling centre pieces and more. Seredabas also created a picture frame and easel, which she rents for 3h&frontof.the church or reception that have the couples name specially printedrinthe frame. '"I:feel it ismytradernark," say Sereda, " I like to think it was.an original idea I cameup with." She also has a list of reputable cataers,.seamstresses, photographers, and entertainers, for referral to the -bride. Though Sereda does most of the work herself, she does have a group of reliable friends whom she can call on if she needs extra help. On oc- casion Sereda has done two weddings in one weekend, and it is times like.those that she may need some assistance. "My six year old daughter enjoys helping me too, and I'll sometimes bring her with me when I'm .decorating a hall." Her husband is also helpful when.deliveries and such need tobemade. "I like being creative," says Strada, "I:enjoy-marking with people:and meeting their needs." This typetof work is very rewarding for the -moth- er of two who, along with her job as a secretary for the Pioneer°seed company, also helps her husband on the farm.. "I like the aspect of Working out.of my home that allows me to do my housework and spend timewitltmyfamily." Se edaalsofikes:to:keeptbeitride's budget in mind. "I try to give and estimate, and if it's too much we try to find and alternate route. 1 under- ' eland that some couples are concerned about costs." In Sereda's experi- `enca a small wedding can tun from $500 to $800, and a larger one $1000 to $1500, depending on the amount of decorating required. "i can also give tips op proper seating arrangements, if for example the couples parents are divorced, or there is an uncomfortable family situa- tion." According to Sereda some of this years trends were the colors purple and navy, with many of the ushers wearing a paisley or multi coloured vest. She also noticed that many grooms were becoming more involved with the wedding plans, and often were included in the consultations. Roses and carnations are still popular flowers, though she notices That the "going away" outfit is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Looking back Screda wishes she could re -do her own wedding. "i have a thousand ideas," she says, "but hopefully my daughters will let me help them out with their weddings, I know my six year old has picked out her bouquet already." Prof ssloml Con* fo1�'A�f Occn>ioi'1S !: to'$eredci Like. • 2,1-63S3 Taarla Sereda :df P.. S. Weddings works as :a wedding consul- tantout of her home south of Exeter. Swede, 'who is also a busy mother and wife, is available •by appointment only. Wedding keepsakes Videotaping wedding day a growing trend By Catherine O'Brien T -A staff .gJCETER:•.- .-Videotaping wed- diags is strand thhathas-been grow- ing in popularity over the last few years regardless of the size or style of:the event. `People enjoy seeing the behind the.scenes fun that isn't captured by still photography, said photogra- pher and video producer William Mason. "No matter how many times you see the video there's always some- thing different you didn't notice be- fore." Mason has been working as a photographer for 13 years and de- cided to add video to the business in 1985. "My experience as a photogra- pher made the transition easy," he said. "I .know where to be for the shots and what to expect That's some- thing that only comes from experi- ence." Mason saw the potential in this market. When he began videotaping eight years ago some 45 per cent of people getting married wanted vid- eos, now he said, at least 90 per c :nt of weddings are videotaped. "Whether its professional or rela- tives doing it, the popularity has continued to grow." Mason sees professional video- taping as a natural compliment to photographing a wedding. "The bade and groom are usually nervous and thinking of wedding details, so they miss a lot of what is going on during the day." And many, of these moments aren't cap- .tnred with still photography, he 414 "litutarith a videotape they can sit down..Iater..and see the event un- wrap frun a different perspective." A number of ministers have also commented on the benefits of cap- turing the day on video. "Each time the couple see the video," Mason has been told, "They're reminded of their wedding vows." It also •allows relatives to sec what's happening while everyone is getting ready or waiting for the photographs to be taken. "That's usually when the fun stuff happens and should- be pan of the wedding memory too." Videotaping isn't the only new trend, Mason said. Basically any- thing goes these days. "People have become more crea- tive in their approach to the wed- ding day." That creativity corhes out in what they wear, decorations, vows and how the event is captured. 4N, in the nine yeas, Bart DeVries has "My advice to couples is to do weddings, he has seen trends change. what they are comfortable with and not what someone may be pressur- ing them to do." One of the biggest changes has been the time of year weddings are photographer sees occurring. Traditionally summer weddings were popular. Now the fall has be- come a busy aim. changes t • The bottom line for those in the Picture Perfect been photographing wedding industry is that they have to be adaptive to such changes, Ma- wedding son said. -.0111111 • r4.'4 • At least 90 percent of weddings today we videotaped, said William Mason. It is a trend that is here to stay. By Catherine O'Brien T -A staff EXETER - Perhaps one of the most important parts of a wedding, aside from the ceremony itself, is capturing it on flint. Bart DeVries has been doing just that on his own for the past nine years. "No two weddings arc the same," he said. For the photographer, the wed- ding day starts with the bride get- ting ready, then the service and formal photos. This usually takes five hours. The crunch time is after the ser- vice. That's when the photogra-• pier has to get a lot of different shots. '.People are also excited and • don't really want to stand stiI l for photos,' he said. DeVries has noticed changes in lands over the years. "It seems more people arc getting married in late summer and early fall," he said. "But that could change again next yea." Couples are also holding the cer- emony later in the day. "Some cer- emonies begin late in the after- noon, with a light meal and dance following." Some of the changes in wedding style arc a direct result of the re- cession. People are spending less money arc wedding packages, he said. The whole process seems to be more relaxed he said, so people feel free to move.away from tradi- tion a little. There arc still some of the ex- travagant weddings, but DeVries said most couples who want to go that route arc probably wailing for the recession to ease up a little. Regardless of what type of wed- ding people choose, DeVries al- ways recommends they only spend what they can afford. The size of the wedding parties have remained the same over the years, but DeVries has noticed the couples arc older. r "11 looks like people pre waiting „ra bit longer behaf raisrying." Following cake trend since 1961 Wedding cakes can be as stylish as the bride's special dress By -Erin Lobb T -A stiff LUCAN - In the 60's most were square fruit cakes 3 or 4 layers high, -and in the 70's it wasn't uncommon to see fountains on them filled with water to match the bridesmaids dresses. In the 80's they tended to be matte of white cake,_and in die 90's many are artificial, but no matter how you slice them, wedding cakes have always been an important tradition in any wedding. Alita McComb is an Elginfield woman who has been following the wed- ding cake trend since she first began making -the cakes in 1961. Now, 32 years later, she's still baking and decorating wedding cakes for dozens of brides each year. Although she has no idea how many cakes she has made, she says that from early May to late October she has been putting in almost full time hours in order to meet the demand of the brides. McComb has always worked out of her home, and used the same recipes which she has collect- ed from friends, and relatives over the years. "I saw a demonstration in a store once," says McComb, "I thought it looked interesting so I bought a kit and started from there." McComb says it's only practise that has enabled her to amalgamate recipes to turn out some of the best fruit cakes, but some of the wedding cake magazines and books help too. "When I make fruit cake I make a lot of fruit cake." This is certainly true as she makes 80 to 90 pounds of fruit cake at a time. Though accord- ing to McComb fruit cake isn't as popular as it once was. McComb says 'that some brides just don't care for it and instead choose a white, carrot, chocolate, mocha, or marble wedding cake. • Second wedding brides have also had cakes done in a pink blush or an ivory icing instead of the traditional white, but regardless, fresh or silk flowers seem to be adorning the tops of many of this years calces. Accord- ing to McComb the plastic bride and grooms that adorned the top of many wedding cakes in years past are now not as popular as the other toppers or even as popular as having a china bride and groom. "A lot of couples like to have an ornament that they can keep, so the china bride and grooms are nice." Other traditions of late have been the use of bridges or stairs to connect higher and lower layers, and the choice of a chocolate cheese cake instead of more traditional cake. Her cakes can range anywhere from 3150 to 3375 depending on the size and ingredients. "I have no problem making cakes for 400 but if it is up- wards of 700 people 1 will often make matching cakes for thkextra peo- ple." These large numbers -can costs a little extra, but creating the cakes are no problem for McComb who has created cakes as high as seven layers. McComb says that often brides arc unsure of what they want, in which case she can suggest something for them, but some will also come with a picture of the cake they would like, "that makes it easier, I can do any- - thing as long as I have a picture to go by." "Many caterers these days offer a special dessert with the areal, so the cake isn't always needed for a dessert: However many brides still like the look of a cake and opt for an artificial cake." McComb is in the process of creating a room in her home which will showcase all of her creations. "Brides will be able to sec some of the dif- ferent styles and choose a cake they like." ~ding cakes galore fill the home of Mita McComb of Lucan. After 31 years of wedding cake making McComb is as ambitious as ever, and is hoping .to get more involvefi in the rentals of cakes, which she ictir'tes to the brides taste.