Sandra Bettina Weddings & Events
161 Liberton Drive T8N 6A7 Edmonton, AB, Canada

Up bright and early this morning to chat about weddings in the time of COVID with CBC News. Listen below Thanks for having me!

If you’re THIS happy after your vows, you’re doing it right! Hillary & Adam’s micro-wedding was an absolute dream. The two said their I do’s in her parents’ stunning backyard and Adam even brought some special shoes I heard the story about these during my first ever meeting with Hillary ... on their first date Adam forgot to put shoes on when leaving the house (who wouldn’t be full of excitement and nerves because, well.... LOOK AT HER!) but it wasn’t enough to stop her ...from falling for this handsome pilot! Years later, he remembered and surprised her by wearing them to their ceremony ... can’t say I would approve of slippers on your wedding day in any other instance but this was SO good! We are now gearing up with excitement for wedding 2.0 at the end of April () with these two, and we cannnnnnot wait. Xo @hillarysteel08 @b.gracecreatives

Best seat in the house at this micro-wedding Where are my people that agree?! Xo

Today I turned 33... approaching mid-30’s real fast It’s funny, so often when my clients tell me how old they are, I think we are the same age, except that it was actually the age I was when I got married 6 years ago and the gap is actually getting bigger and bigger. Sometimes I feel like I should be more serious or mature than I am. Maybe it’s because I’m a mom or because I feel like my age means I need to be a text book grown up .... but yaaa know what?! Life is too ...damn short. So in honour of my 33rd, here are 3 immature (pfftttt) things I will continue to enjoy that bring me happiness regardless of age: 1. Vegas. It’s my spirit animal - the pool parties and loud beats everywhere you go, flowing drinks, packed dance floors, fancy cocktails, over the top everything and beautiful people. Maybe it’s the Leo in me but I cannot get enough of the life that city brings. I cannnnnnot wait to return and when the world is back to normal. 2. Laughing at all the things. Immature and inappropriate jokes. Dancing like a 4 year old and not caring about what others think. Laugh laugh laugh until it hurts and then some more. 3. Eating Nutella with a spoon. Enough said. PS: fancy pic is by Kahla Kristen Photography, but swipe to see what I ACTUALLY looked like today and then tell me what you do that makes you happy but some consider immature. Xo @ Saint Albert, Alberta

Even though we moved out 3 months ago, today was my last day in this home. The bitter fills me more than the sweet; it’s funny how you can be so connected to an object - a bunch of wood & wires and yet I feel as though I’m saying good bye to an old friend. Thank you home for being the safe haven that you have been for 9 years. For being the place where we got engaged and started our family. For welcoming one daughter with us and then another allowing toys and mess to take yo...u over. Thank you for being strong enough for little feet to learn how to walk and for offering support when they could go no more. Thank you for keeping us warm and for providing walls for so much love and laughter. Thank you for the kitchen where we cooked meals and played chase around the island over and over, little voices squealing in delight. Thank you for the memories; we know you will do a good job providing the same for a new family. You have been good to us, Houston and we will miss you dearly

6 years ago, we held hands and signed up for a life together. I would do it all over again with you @timcassios Xo Nicole Ashley Photography

Upside of a slow summer... more days like this. We took the weekend to visit my family in Medicine Hat and we spent a lot of time outside with family and catching up with old friends; it was everything my soul needed to recharge. Back at the office tomorrow with excitement and energy to tackle my list! ... Xo

One of the questions we get asked most often is "what do you recommend as wedding favours?" or sometimes "do we REALLY need to give them?" Personally, I love a good wedding favour. Not only is it a nice way to treat your guests with a little surprise and "thank you" but it also acts as a design element if it's part of the tablescape; it's a great way to incorporate the colour, vibe and adds an additional layer and visual interest to the table. We do, howe...ver, have some recommendations when it comes to what to choose when planning these little touches. So before you head to amazon and type in "wedding favours" think about the following: Make it consumable or personal, to the guest and not you. As much as your guests love you, the truth is that, unless it's your Mama or grandma, they don't want anything with your name or wedding date permanently etched into it. Sorry to say, but most will just end up in the trash. 1. Custom chocolates in your colours, cookies representative of something special to you, mini bottles of your favourite wine or bubbly, or another favourite treat are all great options! Another bonus to this? You can actually use all the left overs (many guests do forget them). 2. Double duty items. A personalized coaster with the guests' name that also acts as a take-home gift AND place card hits triple duty and makes for an adorable and memorable detail. The same can be a applied to a beverage glass, stir stick or even dessert spoons. Yes, these will be a higher investment up front but the multi-use of one item will get close to averaging out in the end. PS: Not nearly as many guests will leave these behind. 3. And finally, make it a guest experience. A unique photo booth with take-home picture, a sketch artist, cool temporary tattoos (no, don't hit up the kids' section at Dollarama) or another fun and interactive DIY will be remembered, unique and fun! So let us know, what are our thoughts on favours? Xo @eternalreflectionsphotography

Wedding Gang Defined

Ever wonder what your wedding pros go through to make your wedding come to life? Probably not, but now that you're here you might as well give it a read. From a planner's perspective, most of our work happens BEFORE the day. I won't even get into the months of planning, designing, scheduling and managing the logistics but for the 2 weeks before your wedding it's go time. Confirming and reconfirming details, checking list after list, memorizing names and... details, making changes you've asked us to (now it's uncle Bob who sits at table 12 and not uncle Bill who sits at table 21 who will be taking the card box) and then memorizing those again. Check the rental list again. Do we have 14 +1 (just in case) x 120" round, 8 + 1 (again, just in case) 90 x 156 recs, in addition to all the speciality tables, enough napkins with some to spare, how about chargers and candles (of each type based design of course), oh and just making sure the cocktail tables are the right height. Yes, got it. Now, the photographer is asking for a location change - ok tracked it. Oh but wait, the couple wants to add on 2 hours because they know that their uncles (it's always the uncles) have a bro-dance planned for 10:30 pm. Ok, booked and confirmed. New invoice sent, confirmed payment and tracked it. Next... On to the physical items. Double checking the emergency kit, running errands for items that are out and often for you, packing allll the things - don't forget the clear dome umbrella because ALBERTA. Got it all - yes. More phone calls and changes. Got it - now we print. FYI: We print an average of 150 pages per wedding. This is all BEFORE your wedding happens. All the while we manage other clients and family and the house gets little messier (exhibit A: counter) but adrenaline is high. Add a rehearsal, then a couple of 12 hour days and BOOM - a crash to THE WEDDING HANGOVER (and not the one you will have). Well friends, THIS is what it looks like but my cuddle buddies sure do help Xo See more

You’re a guy that girls could only wish for to have as their daddy. Involved, kind, funny, playful and always willing to learn together to do better for our girls when we get stuck on what the right way to parent is. Proud to have you beside me in this journey @timcassios. And to my dad, Zoro... the guy who got up with me for years every single night to get me a glass of chocolate milk so I could fall back asleep but still insisted I brush my teeth and patiently waited whil...e I hesitantly did so in the wee morning hours. The guy who, to this day, will drive six hours here and back just to help me when needed and who spends hours organizing our yard, cleaning our garage or refinishing his granddaughters’ picnic table without being asked. Nothing is too hard when it comes to your kids Happy Father’s Day to the two most important dads in my life. Without you, I wouldn’t be me. Xo @ Saint Albert, Alberta

The white Phoenix chair, one of my absolute favourites! So elegant yet simple. You can expect to see it again this weekend during a romantic and intimate ceremony Xo ... Design: @sandrabettinaevents Photo: @eternalreflectionsphotography Floral Circle: @fleurs.flowers Rentals: @majestic_weddings @simplymariarentals

Happy should have been wedding day to these two! We had an incredible day planned @fairmontbanff but the universe had other plans. The wedding has been postponed but the fun these two have together hasn’t. They have a meaningful day with family planned and we are just as excited for next year as we were for this. Countdown 2.0 is on! ... Xo Photo by @gwphotography @ Banff, Alberta