Wedding Date: June 27, 2015

Color: Turquoise with a little wine inspiration!

It was the perfect June day for Stephanie and Tim’s wedding day! As their close friends and family begin to arrive from the church ceremony, Stephanie and Tim’s entrance was like no other! They arrived in a raised red truck with a little wedding décor strung off the back! (Talk about a great entrance!) Everyone cheered and clapped their hands as they walked past the happy couple into the wedding venue for cocktail hour.

Once their formal wedding photos began in the gazebo and courtyard area, it became clear that this was a very family-oriented couple!  (See the group photo above!) As immediate and extended family members gathered for photos, Stephanie and Tim graciously smiled and welcomed them all with open arms.

Tim is one of many siblings, and Stephanie has now officially become a part of a great big family to call her own!

Here are a few of the many special moments we captured from their big day! 

Wedding Date: June 20, 2015

Color: Turquoise with a little beachy inspiration!

Michelle and Dan wanted their special June day to be perfect in every way, and it was! They had selected the perfect ceremony site (a beautiful church in Plymouth), wedding venue (here at the Canoe Club Ballroom), palette of colors (a soft turquoise blue with hints of coral) and the perfect customized monogram for Dan—a salute to our Super Bowl champs,  a Patriots monogram!

We could not have asked for a more beautiful day for their outdoor formal photos, as they began to arrive from the church. The sky, a beautiful blue, matched the bridesmaid’s dresses. As Michelle arose from the limo, a smile crossed her face—the big day she had planned (and texted us about! ) was finally here. 

As family members arrived for cocktail hour, some snuck over to see the happy couple’s photos take place in the gazebo and courtyard area. One of the groomsmen even captured some extra footage with a GO-PRO camera, just to make their special day a little bit more memorable!

As the wedding party began to line up for their grand introductions in the bridal suite, Michelle’s mother and father were first in line.  “This is his baby, his Cinderella”, her mother said softly as a big smile crossed her father’s face. His little girl would always be his little girl—but today she became Dan’s wife and that was something to be celebrated! J

Here are a few of the many special moments we captured from their big day!

Wedding Date: June 13, 2015

Colors: Hot Pink and Lime Green

Kristin and Peter had the perfect June day for their outdoor gazebo ceremony this past Saturday! As Peter and his groomsmen began to arrive, so did many of their immediate family members in excitement! Everyone was anxiously awaiting the start of the ceremony and of course, our bride Kristin’s arrival! 

As the white stretch limo pulled up to the bridal suite doors, ladies dressed in a beautiful pink began to emerge from the car. Kristin finally makes her way out of the limo, graciously says hello then immediately yells, “I KNEW IT!”. She had caught a quick glimpse of Peter’s aunt who at the last minute was able to attend their special day! The day was already perfect in Kristin’s eyes, but she still had to make her way down the aisle surrounded by her friends and family to her future husband, to Peter. 

Peter didn’t seem nervous, or at least he didn’t to us as he and the groomsmen began to walk down the aisle. Everything was going just as planned….or atleast it was until Peter’s parents began their walk down the aisle. Just as Peter’s parents were able to reach their seats, the best man (sorry! :) ) had accidentally dropped Kristen’s wedding band into the mulch underneath the gazebo! Once we realized what had happened, Stacy (thank goodness!) was able to find the ring and present it back to the best man before the majority of the bridesmaids (and Kristin!) realized what had even happened—talk about a close call! :) 

After their beautiful ceremony had ended, formal photos began on the stone bridge across the river and the guests made their way into the venue to enjoy cocktail hour! What better way to begin your special day, than with a memorable story that will last a lifetime! (We’re pretty sure their cake cutting ceremony also “takes the cake” for greatest cake smash of all time!) 

Here are just a few of the many special moments we captured from their big day! 

Summer Weddings at the Canoe Club Ballroom are always inspired by bright, beautifully bold colors and creative themes! 

Whether you are planning a beachy-nautical inspired theme, a garden-esque affair complete with mason jars and bud vases or a vintage/burlap theme—you have endless opportunities to showcase your theme through linens and table scape decor! 

Here are just some of our summer favorites from past weddings here at the CCB! 

Jaime & Nick: Beachy/Nautical! 

Josh & Chris: Elegantly Garden-esque!

Tina & Michael: Vintagely Beautiful! 

As the beginning of our summer wedding season quickly approaches, we could not be more excited about the emerald green grass and our newly-landscaped courtyard area and grounds! 

What better way to embrace the upcoming season than with bright, beautiful blue hydrangeas and pink rose bushes greeting your guests as they make their way into our venue and courtyard area!

Our newly-landscaped courtyard area and grounds will now include:

• Hydrangeas
• Rose Bushes
• Azaleas
• Shasta Daisies
• Day Lillys
• Holly Trees

....and we are SO excited!! :) 

Here are some of our favorites beginning to bloom! 

Throughout the wedding process and into the wedding, there are many traditions that our couples look forward to enjoying. When your wedding day comes along, there may be no bigger single attraction than the first dance. With the hustle, bustle, and stress of wedding preparations and entertaining guests, the first dance is a crucial time for newlyweds to slow down, embrace one another, and celebrate their union in love. The first dance is not only a special time for the couple but, the mark of dancing and celebration for all in company.

Through the course of 50 plus years of weddings at our venue, the first dance has been transformed from the traditional waltz or formal dance to just about any dancing you can think of. Your wedding is the perfect time to break tradition and choose the song that best represents you and your partner's love! No matter how each couple decides to dance, each couple must choose the song that's most important to them. Need some inspiration?

Here are 10 of Canoe Club Ballroom's "Greatest Hits":

As long as your first dance wedding song has a special place in the couples' heart, it will be perfect! 

As your wedding day quickly approaches, your special to- do list seems to be getting even bigger! One of our favorite parts of the wedding planning process is the cake tasting appointment, and trust us this is definitely one to look forward to!

Decorative design and the shape of the cake are just a few things that you will chat about, but the cake flavor (or flavors!) are the most important! What better way to try the different flavors a bakery has to offer than sampling them for yourself! (Our favorite is red velvet!)

Here are a few tips to help make your bakery experience a great one:

1.) Research cake styles ahead of time! This will help you figure out if you want a round, square, mad hatter shaped cake before your appointment so you will be able to focus better!

2.) Decorative scrolls, rose ruffles or an ombré look? The design of your wedding cake is also a very important aspect as it will capture your personality and may even showcase your wedding theme!

2.) Bring a swatch! If you have a swatch of your wedding color make sure to bring it so that everything matches!

3.) Wedding Cupcakes or Cake?! We find that about half of our couples decide on wedding cupcakes instead of a traditional cake due to the abundance of flavors they can offer! Cupcake tiers allow you the opportunity to pick up to 10 different flavors for your guests! Just make sure you order the traditional small top tier cake (anniversary cake!) to place in your freezer and eat a year later to celebrate your marriage!

Be sure to set up your bakery appointment by atleast 4 months prior to your special day! Here are our favorite recommended bakeries to help get you started!!

Veronica’s Sweetcakes

Cake in a Box 

Just Desserts 

As your special day approaches, many friends and family members will begin asking you about your wedding registry and the items you have selected! Wedding registries are an important aspect of a wedding as it provides your guests with several ideas and items that will eventually become a part of your future home!

Whereas Many couples still choose to visit the popular sites in person (Macy's, Crate and Barrel, Bed Bath & Beyond etc), as they are typically presented with the official scanner to add items to their registries, Some couples are now taking advantage of the stores' online registry system to update and create their own!

Here is a list of the top 5 items we suggest to include in your wedding registry:

1.) Full Sets of Dining Flatware Silverware (make sure to also include the "hostess serving set" for the larger silver serving spoons and forks!)

2.) Complete Dinner Sets! This is your chance to finally get those matching dinner plates, salad plates, cereal bowls, coffee mugs and saucers you have always wanted!

3.) 16-18 Piece Cookware Sets! Your matching set of pots and pans for your new home is just a click away!

4.) Crock Pot! Who doesn't love homemade meatballs and soups? Make sure to also include a slow cooker/ crock pot cookbook on your registry!

5.) Luggage Sets! Don't forget to scan/click on a luggage set for the two of you to share! This is a great thing to have for not only your upcoming honeymoon but any future trips you will take together as a married couple!

If you and your fiancé are looking for something a little different for your special day, be sure to visit the Travelers Joy website and add it to your list of registries! This website is a great way for your guests to help make your honeymoon a memorable one by purchasing activities for you to do from snorkeling and horseback riding along the ocean to a romantic dinner at a beautiful restaurant!

Weddings are the most exciting moments in almost every single person’s life. The individual wedding is at the forefront of people’s memories after the fact but the events & planning before are surely exciting as well. The bridal shower is a time you get to meet with all your friends and receive gifts for your new life you are about to enter. Games are something you can integrate into Bridal Showers to jazz things up.    

Bridal Shower games are far from required but if you are looking to spice things up, you should absolutely consider adding one. Chances are you will have a range of different ages at your bridal shower and plenty of people who are unfamiliar with each other. One way to ensure a fun time and to get people friendly with each other is to include one of these classic bridal shower games to get things going.

Bridal Shower Bingo:

Bridal shower is extremely similar to the normal game of bingo with a wedding and bridal twist. First, just replace the word BINGO, with BRIDAL. Secondarily you’ll need to replace numbers with facts relevant to the to-be-web in each square. For example, each square may be a town the bride met the groom or the name of their first pet.

Follow the rules as you would traditional BINGO and the first person to  mark a line in a row wins a prize.

Wedding Jeopardy:

Create a chart by labeling a piece of paper with the brides name written across the top. Then along the side of the chart add several different categories (cities, foods, restaurants, colors). You can then create questions that pertain to each different category. After your main chart is created, you’ll needs to give out pens ad note cards for each guest. It may also be fun to give out a prize to the winner as well to make it more competitive.

To play; each person gets a chance to pick a category. When the question is called out, each person in the room will have minute to write there answer down. After a minute, everyone will show their answer and those people with the correct answer will get a point. The person with the most points after the game, wins.

Make your entire wedding process that much more enjoyable by taking advantage of every event and planning activity. You are building memories that will last you forever! 

With all the wedding traditions that surround us, it is always fun to think about how everything came about. Here are five surprising and interesting facts about weddings that you may have not known.

1. Why is your “Ring Finger” your ring finger? As we all know, the fourth finger on the left hand is designated for engagement and wedding rings. This is so because it was actually once thought that this finger had a vein that led straight to your heart.

2. Why do brides wear veils? Interestingly enough, brides traditionally wear veils because ancient greeks & romans believed it protected them from evil spirits.

3. Why a wedding cake? This tradition also comes from the ancient romans as guests used to break a loaf of bread over the brides head for fertility sake.

4. Where did the term, “tying the knot” come from? In many cultures across the globe, the hands of the bride and groom are actually tied together in order to demonstrate their new bond and the couples commitment.

5. Traditionally flower girls would throw flower petals in the bride’s path to lead her to a plentiful future.

Next time these wedding traditions pass you by, you can now know what they mean and where they came from!