Tasted

So much for a sample. We were expecting small samples of appetizers and the mains, but instead, it was a six course meal along with wine pairings.

It started off with a trio of canapés, which consisted of tomato and bocconcini skewer, foie gras mousse crisp, seared scallop, and moroccan lamb chop to name a few. Devika and I each got a plate which had three samples of different items. This was the most important sample for us as we'll be having these canapés served during the "cocktail" hour before lunch. Each piece of these tiny pieces of food were heavenly delicious! We didn't have high expectations for the food here, although we wanted to, before getting there. But our minds were quickly changed once we had the canapés.

From this point on, everything we ate won't be an option for us to choose from as the buffet is a set course. However, we did enjoy sampling them!

We each received a small cup of soup, an Autumn squash soup that hit the right taste buds. Next was an appetizer which was either a salad or risotto. I'm butchering these items, as it was just a salad. It be exact, the salad was a Red and White endive bundle, with poached pear vinaigrette, candied walnuts, and roquefort. And my risotto was a braised short rib risotto, grilled fennel, roasted red pepper coulis, and shaved padano.

Next were the mains, and as if one sample of the main wasn't enough , they provided a sample of two mains. These plates were exactly what the guests would get at the wedding but the serving was scaled down. The mains were really good, all seemed to be fresh ingredients, and wasn't overpowered with too much salt or flavour. At this point, we were already really full...

...but who can pass on dessert? We each received a trio of dessert samples. Each plate had three different samples of a potential dessert. Devika and I mixed and matched, and nibbled from each other's plate. The dessert wasn't the greatest, other than a couple items, compared to the quality of their other food.

So two and a half hours later, we were pleasantly happy with the quality and deliciousness of Sunnybrook's food. It was a non stop sampling of food. We felt like we were on a cruise again! Although we couldn't try any of the food that will be served at the buffet, seeing and tasting the chef's food gave us confidence that the food served at our wedding will have the same standards.

Not only did we have a nice meal, we also met some nice couples who we sat with. They must have purposely sat us together as everyone's wedding at the table was in October. It's comforting to talk to other couples who are going through the same wedding planning as you are.

Until next time...!

- Dennis.

Tasty!

Tonight is the tasting night at Sunnybrook, where we get to have a sample dinner for the reception! Unfortunately, they're just going to give us a random sample of the food they prepare, and not the actual food that we'll have that day. The reason being is that there will be other couples there doing the tasting as well. If we luck out, an item they serve tonight may be an item we have on the menu on our day. They plan to discuss other information about our day as well, including any questions about the set up, decorations, etc. Should be a fun time!

- Dennis.

Tips

Many of my posts have been focused on updates on the wedding plans but I thought I should share some of my new found wedding planning knowledge (it’s very limited) with future brides and grooms:

Tip #1: Work from a budget (include the small things). It helps you stay on track.
Tip #2: Think about making your own favours, invitations, table cards etc. It's one way to add a personal touch to your wedding and save money.
Tip #3: Don't be afraid to ask for help. If family and friends are willing to help out then get them involved.
Tip #4: Use the library – it’s a great way to get books on wedding planning, do it yourself ideas and wedding etiquette. The one book that I recommend is, Miss Manners' Guide to a Surprisingly Dignified Wedding. It’s helped me keep my inner bridezilla hidden!
Tip #5: Have fun! At times it may be stressful but it will all be worth it in the end.

With only two posts this month you are probably thinking, what are they doing? Taking a break?! No, we’ve actually scratched off a few things from our list: We’ve ordered the wedding favours, I found a great pair of shoes, and we’ve booked a tassa band. In case you were wondering what a tassa band is, here is a link to a YouTube video of group we’ve hired for the Hindu ceremony: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD2JO_K9H28

Tassa drums are found amongst Indo-Caribbean people. The word "tassa" comes from the Persian tash and Hindi tasha, which both mean "kettle drum". Aside from India itself, tassa groups can be found in Trinidad and Tobago, Florida, New York, Canada and Texas and various other places where the Indo-Caribbean communities are found. Tassa drumming can usually be found at a various Indo-Cultural events such as Hosay, Hindu weddings, or even parties and certain clubs. Reference: Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tassa

Enjoy the long weekend!

-Devika

Shout Out

I guess I'm suppose to update this too, right?

The time is winding down and although we would like to enjoy the summer months, we can't help but need to keep on preparing for the big day.

I wanted to say thanks to Devika for always being on the ball with things and keeping us on track. Planning a wedding is a once in a lifetime experience, so we should take advantage and enjoy the planning, which we are. Although deciding what to do, where to do it, and how to do it can sometimes be stressful, it's very rewarding at the end.

- Dennis.

Monday night

It's almost 11pm on a Monday and I'm reviewing our guest list because we are so so so so close to finishing our invitations. I printed the directions today and counted the number of stamps we need to purchase and an exciting trip to Kinkos is planned for tomorrow to print the RSVP cards. It starting to feel like we're working towards a magical and happy moment in our lives and I get excited when I start thinking about my speech. There's so much to say, so many people to thank and I don't want to say that this will be the only moment I have to say these things but it'll be a special time to say all of the things I want to say because everyone we care about will be together.

So the invitations should be crossed off our list shortly, wedding dress alterations set for August, and I think the next few weeks will be spent doing the not so fun things: writing the programs, shoe shopping (that's right, shoe shopping is not fun), creating the seating chart and list of fun goes on.

More soon...

Devika

Here are a few pictures from our engagement shoot

http://www.documentographer.com/blog/?p=1649

What...it's the end of June already?

I wanted to add one more post before we hit July, which would mean that we are almost 3 months away from the big day (SCARY!) . Just kidding, it's going to be fine. After rescheduling for the 3rd time, we finally completed our engagement shoot. It was fun to get to know our photographer, Catherine (make sure you say hi to her at the wedding) and it was really nice to spend time with Dennis because we got a chance to laugh, be silly and enjoy getting our picture taken. We'll post the link to our pictures once Catherine gets a chance to upload them.

On Saturday, we started putting together the invitations. Dennis did all the hard work; measuring and cutting the ribbons. I definitely did not have the patience for that. Here's a picture of all the fun at the Lo-Ramcharan residence (notice the measuring tape around Dennis' neck, he was being very accurate) :
After being cooped up all day we decided to go for a walk and came across the G20 protest at Queen and Spadina:Nothing mixes up a day of making invitations like watching a protest (we only stayed for a few minutes).

Next steps: Wedding dress alterations, saree alteration for Dennis' mom, and getting the smaller items off our list (shoes, shirt, tie, jewelry etc.)

More soon!

-Devika

Engagement Shoot

We originally had our engagement shoot scheduled for Sunday, June 6th in the afternoon. We checked the weather the entire week leading up to that day, and every day showed 90% of precipitation. So when Saturday came around, we made a decision and postponed the shoot because the photographer said it'd be best to shoot while it's a nice day. Sunday comes along, and we didn't see a drop of rain the whole day! The sun came out in the afternoon too! The temperature was a little on the chilly side though. New date scheduled for the shoot in a couple of weeks.

- Dennis.

Countdown!

Coordinator and Wedding Bands

With only 142 days to go we've decided on a wedding planner to help us manage some areas of the wedding. I'm happy to say that we have a lot of great friends and family that have offered to help us and we will definitely be recruiting their assistance.

Also, we picked up our wedding bands on the weekend. I wonder if it’s bad luck to wear my wedding band for a few minutes each day just to get use to it?

Up next: assembling invitations and engagement shoot (exciting), we will keep you posted.

Enjoy the sunshine!

-Devika