Guest Post and an Unexpected Testimonial

Here's wishing everyone a wonderfully warm and relaxing summer, as the end of our chilly Spring marches its way off the stage. Bowen Island is beautiful year-round, but if you really want to catch a glimpse of why British Columbia is 'beautiful', you have to see it in the summer!

We had the pleasure of hosting a party for a prominent Vancouver charitable organization this month. The event was a great success! We received countless compliments from guests, and even overheard a few guests talking amongst themselves about how they regret booking their Wedding venue elsewhere. What an unfortunate situation for timing, but we were thrilled to hear that they loved it here, and hope more people get a chance to see our venue up close and personal. Make sure to check out the Promo Tab if you plan to come scope us out. :)

Onto the 'Guest Post' portion of this update! One of our talented event staff was bar tending at the June charity event we hosted, and she wanted to share a couple of pictures she took using Instagram.

She also wrote us a lovely testimonial which she insisted we post on our blog, so here it is:

"I feel so privileged to be involved in the events held on Alderwood Farm. Everyone involved is such a pleasure to work with, and the guests are always thrilled about their experience there. There has never been an event where several guests didn't come up to me and go on about how wonderful the experience was. The venue is truly breathtaking, but its the people behind the event; the staff and the organizers, who truly take it to the next level. I recommend Alderwood as a Wedding Venue to every single person I ever encounter who is looking for a location. It's not just because I work there and know the organizers, but because I stand behind every aspect of the events from the food and planning to the decoration and the final result. No picture ever taken will do Alderwood justice, so if you are reading this now, you need to get out there and see it for yourself. There is a magic on that farm that simply cannot be captured in any way but by being there and feeling it. Any event at Alderwood is destined to be one that will stay with you forever, so it's worth checking out."


Thank you for the testimonial, we appreciate it!

A Unique Wedding Gift Idea

While randomly stumbling across the internet today, I came across a fantastic idea for a wedding gift! If you aren't familiar with Pon&Zi, it's a web-based comic strip about two interesting little characters who are in love. The comics vary from naive and cute to downright morbid, but there is always a theme of humor or love involved. In a nutshell, it's adorable.

Here's one of my favourites:

Anyway, the creator of this comic is offering his fans a chance to become involved in his artbook project. One of the involvement levels is $125 and includes the artist printing 2 peoples' names in a thank you section of the art book. What an awesome idea it would be to order the book with the wedding couples' names in it, especially if their personalities suit this type of comic.

If you're interested, the link to check out the artbook project is: HERE

The FYI on DIY

The term DIY, which is affectionately known as Do It Yourself, is a great approach in some aspects of your wedding. Invitations, guest favours, and table seating cards, seating arrangement boards or centre piece embellishments are great ways to add your personal touch, all of which can be prepared well before your wedding day.

There are some aspects of your special day, however, which take so much more effort and time than most people realize.

We have a wealth of experience in all of the potentially stressful areas of your wedding day. These are just a small sampling of the things we do so that you can relax and focus on enjoying yourselves:

Covered Dining Terrace is decorated with white pillar candles, white tulle and fresh flowers, large event tent (in case it rains, is windy, etc.), tables, chairs (for ceremony and reception), bar tents and supplies, tablecloths, napkins, silverware, glasses, plates and decorations: including wedding arch, wedding aisle decor, bride entrance tent, tent lanterns and fresh flowers, signing & guest book tables and decorated foot bridge are coordinated and set up the day before and the day of the event. We ensure there are sufficient lighting, power and washroom facilities. Event Coordinator is available on site to make certain the schedule of events (we provide) is performed in a timely fashion to ensure the event moves seamlessly. The day after the celebration, the above-mentioned supplies and rentals are gathered (or disassembled), accounted for and packed for pick up by the rental company. That’s just the start, permits, licences, catering, serving staff and bartenders . . .

We truly care about your experience at Alderwood. We want to ensure that your special day is as stress-free as possible, which is why we insist upon taking care of all of the duties you shouldn't have to, after all it is Your Wedding Day!

$50 Keg Gift Card Contest!!!

We've teamed up with Vancouver Contests to offer a brand new giveaway. This time, we're giving away a juicy $50 Gift Card to the Keg Steakhouse! Here's how you enter to win:

Mandatory Entries:

Follow @AlderwoodWeds and @VanContests on Twitter.

Extra Entries:

-Like Alderwood Weddings and Vancouver Contests on Facebook.

-Retweet the following:

#Vancouver Win a $50 Keg gift card! Follow @AlderwoodWeds and @VanContests on Twitter and RT to enter! http://bit.ly/uMVqzs

This contest is only open to residents of British Columbia. The contest will run from October 27th until November 30th 2011. The winner will be chosen on December 1st 2011 by going through all valid entries (twitter retweets, facebook fans of both pages, twitter followers of both pages) and choosing one blindly and at random. We will then check to make sure this entrant has completed the mandatory entry of Following both Twitters - and contact the winner!. In the event that the winner does not respond within 3 business days, we will select a new winner by the same method.

Contest Deadline: November 30 2011

*This contest is featured on ContestCanada.net!*

The Vintage Theme

We are noticing a beautiful Victorian and Vintage influence in a lot of the Wedding designs hitting runways and magazines, lately. Beige, tea stained, white, bows, pearls and lace are all on our mind. So, we collected some pictures to inspire your ideas!

We love the pearl additions to this elegant and smooth vintage-inspired cake.

Local Cake designer: Sweet Thea also has some gorgeous cakes, and we're sure she could make your vintage theme idea into a masterpiece. Check out her gallery: 

http://www.sweetthea.com/gallery/

The right photographer can turn your outdoor pictures into an artistic masterpiece, and we have the perfect natural props for you right here on the farm!

DJ & Allison are a husband and wife photographer team from Vancouver, who have a very impressive wedding gallery. Check them out here: 

http://www.djandallison.com/portfolio/weddings/

The vintage theme also opens up a world of opportunity for bridesmaids attire, and we found the perfect matching gift for all of your bridesmaids:

This exact bracelet was found on Etsy, by The Cottage Path Boutique, and would match our classic vintage silverware and serving dishes exquisitely!

Perfect Peacock Paradise

Tomorrow will be another beautiful outdoor wedding here at Alderwood Weddings, and we are just delighted. We put a lot of work into the venue all year round to make sure that everything is perfect for each couple's big day. I will definitely be taking advantage of the beautiful weather this weekend to take some new pictures!

In the spirit of the event this weekend, I thought it would be fun to post one idea that we would love to see put together: A Peacock Theme wedding. With our lush trees and vibrant gardens as your backdrop, the deep hues of the peacock feather would create a wedding paradise.

Peacock Theme

Here are some pictures we found for inspiration!

The simple elegance of these invitations is really eye-catching.

 Peacock feathers certainly have sexy potential.

 Cakes can range from the simplistic...                           to the dramatic!

There really is no end to the possibilities with this colour scheme, and we could compliment the theme so well with our own added touches to the decor, food, and more. I hope we get the chance to work with a peacock theme soon. :)

*closed* ENTER TO WIN A PORTABLE GOURMET PICNIC BUNDLE!!! *closed*

We are giving away a beautiful portable gourmet picnic bundle!

The bundle consists of a flexible cutting board, a combination corkscrew bottle opener, a classy serrated cheese knife, a wooden serving platter and a beautiful golden organza napkin to present your picnic treat in style! All of these items have their own compartments and come neatly bundled in a beautiful foldable fabric carrying pouch.

It's amazing how lightweight this bundle is. You could easily carry it in your purse for a surprise picnic any time!

To enter:

Mandatory Entry:

"Like" Alderwood Weddings on Facebook Click Here

Optional Entries (Each worth 1 extra entry!):

1. Follow this blog through Google (on the right side of the blog or by Clicking Here) and post a comment on this post to let us know you are a follower. Make sure to include your contact information

2. Follow @AlderwoodWeds on Twitter (linked on the right side of this blog under "Contact Info"), make sure to comment here that you are following @AlderwoodWeds and include your Twitter username. If you are already a follower, please comment letting us know for your entry.

Daily Entries (Worth 1 entry per DAY):

Tweet about the giveaway: CANADA #Win a Gourmet Picnic Bundle from @AlderwoodWeds http://bit.ly/k8uvFp ends August 1 #giveaway

Bonus 5 ENTRIES!!! (Worth 5 Entries)

Blog about this giveaway or write about it on your website and post a comment with a link to your blog/website post, including your contact info. Make sure in your blog post that you link to this page.

**************************************************************************************

This giveaway is only open to residents of Canada, excluding Quebec (due to Quebec governmental rules regarding sweepstakes). Please note that you must complete the mandatory entry (explained above) to be included. The contest ends August 1 2011 at 11:59pm PST. If the winner does not respond within 2 days, I will select another winner at random from all remaining entries.

This giveaway is featured on ContestCanada.net!!!

and also on Win Free Stuff!!!

We're in the middle of starting this blog up...

Please pardon our appearance in the meantime. Lots of useful BC wedding service articles and trends will be coming soon! :)

Alderwood Photo Album

Alderwood Weddings, a set on Flickr.

Pictures from weddings and around the farm.

Promo Code Phrase

Our Ultimate West Coast Buffets have been designed to include special touches that personalize each and every event (Vegetarian menu is available). Your guests will be talking about how amazing their food experience was for years to come, and we want you to come by and have a taste of what we're talking about.

We offer a tasting menu for prospective clients, which includes a 3 course sampler menu and a refreshing beverage accompaniment.

Promo Phrase: If you book your tasting with us and mention "Blog" you will receive one of our infamous Tiramisu pies to take home with you after the tasting for FREE. 

Call (604) 947-9434 or email us at alderwoodfarm@shaw.ca for more information or to book your tasting.

All About Alderwood

Just 20 minutes by ferry from West Vancouver or Granville Island is a Magical & Memorable Venue to host your Wedding Ceremony & Reception.

Alderwood Farm is five acres of West Coast wonderland – hidden on Beautiful Bowen Island. A Two acre garden venue is set-up for your private event and provided with full service catering.
The covered Ceremonial Rock Garden set with lush plants, white pillar candles, parasol & paper lanterns creates a romantic venue for your special occasion. Beautiful flower arrangements, fresh salal garlands and tulle enhance the natural decor. Also included signing table & gift table decorated with white linen and fresh flower centrepiece and a two-hour weekday rehearsal time. The beautiful tiered patio gardens; charming farm animals and the natural surroundings provide the perfect setting for many memorable pictures.
Take a look at our photo album.

At Alderwood we create memorable experiences and allow you to enjoy your day and feel like a guest at your dream wedding. We pride ourselves in being able to offer a complete and full service venue. See the special services listed below that are available to customize your celebration. With all the details taken care of you can show up and “Just Say I Do”.

Read what a few clients have said, in our guest book.

Our commitment is to provide a uniquely fun and lovely sanctuary for your Wedding, Special Event or Retreat.

Our on-site Specialty Food Shop offers full service Catering with an emphasis on local and sustainable food of the highest quality. Whether it is a stylish West Coast Buffet or an intimate cocktail reception, we pride ourselves on making every event a success. Catering Champagne Service Cake Storage and serving service Meet and Greet Reception Bartenders Bar Tent & Set-up Décor enhancement(s)

Alderwood Farm 1351 Adams Road, Bowen Island, BC tel.604.947.9434

Relevant Links

Here is a growing list of  websites and articles we thought you'd find helpful. None of these links are sponsored, so you don't have to worry about spam. These are simply for your convenience. :)

A brand new Bowen Island resource:
The Snug Life

Some great shots of Bowen Island:
http://www.bowen-island-bc.com/

An excellent source for handmade items for your wedding - if you don't know about this website, check it out.
http://etsy.com