Photobook Canada Review

*originally posted over on my other blog, Stuff Lindsay Bought*

Recently I ordered four books from Photobook Canada as Christmas gifts for family members.  All four books are full of pictures of my recent wedding and are similar to those photo books that many wedding photographers offer in their packages package (in fact, some wedding photographers use this exact company to create those books).

To properly review Photobook Canada, I’m splitting the review into two parts. This means it’s going to be a long one, but if you’re considering creating a photo book or using this company, this is a review worth reading.

Designing the Book

First off, if you say, struggle to add photos to Facebook, don’t even both trying to use Photobook’s free design software. It’s not actually that hard to use but it does offer a ton of choices and does require a certain amount of computer intuition, if that makes sense (but don’t worry, you don’t need to know HTML or how to edit photos or anything like that).

You’re also going to need high-res digital JPEG files of your photos and I recommend that you have these ready to go, in a folder on your desktop. You can add in photos after you’ve started the process, but having the majority of them all in one folder will help make things go smoother.

While you can design your photo book from scratch, I recommend using the wizard.  It basically takes your folder of photos and then distributes them over the number of pages you’re going with (and yes, you can easily add in more pages later).

For some people, that might be your book, done right there. For others, you might just need to adjust how the image are cropped or swap the placement of certain images (all super easy to do). 

My pictures were pulled in a weird order so I ended up moving almost all of them around but the wizard did give me some great ideas about how the photos could be displayed. The software offers you dozens of different templates and if it weren’t for the wizard, there’s no way I would have thought of using some of them.

Do spend some time just playing around with the software and seeing what you can do because this program allows you to be quite creative. And do look at some of site’s examples for ideas you can be inspired from.

Overall, I found designing the book to be a fun and easy process. The only thing that annoyed me was that all of the backgrounds have at least some kind of pattern to them. Now, the templates all start with either a solid black or white background and while most templates come in either colour, some of them don’t. So if you have a template that only comes initially in a black background but want it to have a solid white background, well, too bad.

But on the plus side, you can download a free proof of your book and see exactly how it should look in real life.

Checking out and uploading my photos was also a pretty smooth process though uploading the photos can take a while so be prepared for that.

The Actual Product

The Photobook model we went with was the 11" x 8", Imagewrap hardcover book for $65. For this price, we got 40 pages of photos and images on both the front and back of matte laminated hardcover.

In full honesty, I wasn’t at first impressed by my Photobook. Just judging it just from the cover, it seemed rather year-book-y, though one with crisp, clear photos on the front and back.

Thankfully, I was more pleased with what was inside. The paper stock really is excellent and my photos were bright, colourful and laid out just like they were supposed to be. So at minimum we ended up with high-quality year books.

If you want, you can spend more money and upgrade to the PRO series, which, with leather covers, looks nothing like a yearbook. But then the cheapest PRO model is $300.

While $65 for what I got is a bit on the high end, Photobook Canada seems to often run sales/offer discounts or coupons that turn their products into great deals. For example, it’s currently running a holiday promo were using the promo code “HOLSAVE40” will save you 40% the cost of a book.

Review of The William Ashley Warehouse Sale

*This was first posted on my other blog*

So I spent this morning at the William Ashley warehouse sale. Is this event for everyone? No, if you hate crowds, waiting in line or lots of options, skip it.

But if you’re getting married; know someone getting married; getting a new place to live; upgrading your plates, flatware, household décor, etc.; have a lengthy Christmas shopping list; really have any kind of Christmas shopping list or just love an amazing deal, then you want to make the trek out to Railside Road.

I have to admit that I had mixed feelings about heading out this morning to this sale. Part of that was because I had to get up early (we wanted to be there right at the opening time of 10 am because this sale does grow quite the line). But I was also worried that this sale wouldn’t have anything I needed/wanted.

My sister is getting married next year and initially I thought that this sale would be a great way to pick some pieces up for her. But then I started to worry that it would just have discontinued and plain/less attractive patterns and that I was wasting my time going out there.

I was wrong.

My sister is actually getting two different patterns and while the sale didn’t have the one, it did have the other and I was able to get her a serving pattern at an amazing price. If I was a rich sister, I would have got her the four place settings for just under $900; originally going for I think around $2,800.

Yeah, the deals are that good and the selection is excellent (yes, it even includes Wedgewood). When the time comes for me to buy fine china, I’m definitely going to be getting them through the warehouse sale.

While I didn’t buy any dishes for myself, I did get a great stainless steel bowl (you know the kind, with the wavy top) for $14,99, originally $50.

There was of course a ton of other stuff that caught my eye (as well as a few things that were mocked). This sale really had everything from the aforementioned china to glassware to small appliances to Christmas stuff to even furniture.

If you’re a DIY bride, you really want to check this sale out. There are dozens of different types of vases, a huge selection of ribbons and lots of candles and other décor-type things.

Like I mentioned at this top, this sale is not for everyone. Don’t go with a big group, don’t bring kids and do have a budget. And if you can, go on a week day; this sale on the weekend is a bit nutty.

The William Ashley warehouse sale wraps up on Sunday, December 5, and is open every day except for Mondays and Tuesdays. More details can be found over here.

Review: Secrets From Your Sister

Two Thursdays from now I will be trying on wedding dresses for the first time. I’ve been told wear clothes that are easy to change out of, heels that are similar in height to what I’ll wear on my wedding day and a really good strapless bra.

While I already do own a couple strapless bras, I decided to use wedding dress shopping as an excuse to get a really nice, high-quality one. And since proper fit is particularly important when you’re wearing anything strapless, I decided to skip the mall lingerie shops and instead head down to Secrets From Your Sister, at Bloor, just west of Bathurst, where one’s bra shopping experience includes time with a professional bra fitter.

I headed down there on a Saturday, just before one, and there were two ladies in front of me, waiting to be fitted. I waited for about ten minutes (they provide chairs and magazines) and during that time the store quickly filled up with shoppers. So first tip: go during the week or first thing on the weekend.

When it came my time to be fitted, I told my fitter what I was looking for and she took my measurements. She then returned with a couple “normal” bras just to make sure my measurements were right. Once she was satisfied, she returned with a pair of strapless bras, both which fit perfectly.

The whole process was actually quite speedy and surprisingly modest. Yeah, the fitter sees you in your bra but hey, that’s her job and since you’re in your own little change room, it’s not like anyone else sees you. And if you’re worried about belly fat or your overall body image, don’t be. You’re not getting fitted by professional models and when I was there, ladies of all kinds of shapes and sizes were stopping by to be fitted.

While Secrets From My Sisters is a lingerie shop, its focus is more on “practical” bras, though it does have some cute matching sets. If your wedding dress require a good foundational garment (or maybe your bridesmaid dresses do), this is definitely a store worth checking out. Their products are a bit pricey (I picked up a Panache Superbra at about $80) but they will last a long time if you take proper care of them and the customer service is excellent. You can also return any unused bras for store credit (just leave the tags on) so if you end up picking one out that doesn’t quite work with your dress, you can swap it for something more appropriate.

Venue Review: The Toronto Botanical Garden

About It 

The Toronto Botanical Gardens are a scenic and accessible location for your Toronto wedding. Fully renovated in 2005, the Gardens pride themselves on being a “green” venue that’s also a good bang for your buck. It’s also a great spot i

f you want to have your ceremony and reception in the same place.

The Botanical Gardens offer a number of rental spaces but for most weddings, you’ll want to book either the Floral Hall (seats 200 with room for

 a dance floor) or the Garden Hall (seats 80 with room for a dance floor). The attractive Westview Terrace can be rented with the Garden Hall while the Floral Hall comes with its own outdoor space. The lobby can also be rented with either space.

Pros

- Great setting that is sure to be remembered by your guests 

- A choice of seven caterers

- You can bring your own alcohol and there’s no corkage fee

- A “green” venue

- Space is quite flexible 

- Comes with tables and chairs

- Both outdoor spaces include water features

- Basic on-site lighting and sound system 

- Decent washrooms 

- Plenty of free parking

- Air-conditioned 

Cons

- My biggest issue with both the Floral Hall and the Garden Hall is that while the outdoor spaces are great, the indoor spaces would require draping and tons of flowers/candles/whatever to look great- It's not really that cheap; the Garden Hall will run you $3000 for a Saturday night

- No real bridal room though you can use one of the smaller meeting rooms to change in

- Will host up to two events though depending on what spaces you rent, you may never see the other party 

- Choice of seven caterers; all the choice can be a bit overwhelming 

- While this is great place to do photos, you’ll need to get a permit

Useful Links

Weddings at the Botanical Gardens 

Photo Gallery 

Venue Review: Steam Whistle Brewery

About It

Located inside the historic Roundhouse (255 Bremner Blvd), the Steam Whistle Brewery features two different rooms for rent. The first and smaller room doubles as the brewery’s store/gallery while the second room is used exclusively for events and comes with a large patio.

Both rooms feature high ceilings and post-and-beam features while the larger room features two walls of windows, one which looks into the brewery and one which looks onto on a small park and the base of the CN Tower. The smaller room features a large, permanent bar and can be included with the larger room for a reduced rate.

Pros
- Dana, the on-site events manage was very friendly and seems like she’d be easy to work with
- You can bring all your own alcohol except beer and there's no corkage fee
- Choice of eight different caterers
- The smaller room features tons of original artwork that changes roughly once a month
- Tons of historic charm; both rooms would require minimal décor
- Hosts only one event per day
- Comes with a coin-operated photo booth machine
- Comes with free ice
- Steam Whistle supplies the bar staff who also double as tour guides and will give tours of the brewery during the reception
- Great bathrooms
- Accusable by the TTC and cab-friendly
- Air-conditioned
- Lighting system that’s more sophisticated than what most venues have

Cons
- Vague “yeasty” smell in the air (it is a working brewery after all!)
- Only Steam Whistle beer is allowed
- Choice of eight caterers; all the choice can be a bit overwhelming 
- No on-site sound system
- No real bridal room though you can use the staff lounge
- As of April 2009, there is construction going on on the outside of the Roundhouse, including on the patio area. The patio construction should wrap up by early summer 2009 with the rest of the construction wrapping up later this year but who knows...
- There may be some internal construction going on in the large event room next year
- No free parking and paid parking can be tight depending on what’s happening in the surrounding area

Useful Links
Planning Your Event at Steam Whistle
Photo Album
Room Rates

Venue Hunting

Two weeks from today I’ll be looking at three different venues: the Steam Whistle Brewing Roundhouse, the Toronto Botanical Gardens and the Kortright Centre. I’m hoping that by the end of April 17, Shawn and I will have picked our venue.

We’ve already looked at two places – the Great Hall and the Berkeley Church. We both loved the Berkeley Church and we’re still considering it but I think the Great Hall might be out. It no longer allows you to bring in your own alcohol and that’s something we’re looking for because buying alcohol through a caterer is not cheap. Plus, by being allowed to bring in our own alcohol, we can decide what we want to have served, from specific brands of beers to certain vodka flavours.

While we did like the overall look and feel of the Great Hall, we just found that the Berkeley Church had a similar look and feel but with air-conditioning, outdoor space and nicer details.We expect that the Roundhouse, another 19th- century building heavy on period charm, will be the Berkeley Church’s main competition and I’m curious to see how the two stack up.

Meanwhile, the Botanical Gardens and the Kortright Centre will be offering something a bit different. Both of these modern venues have an emphasis on the outdoors and on being “green”. From the pictures that I’ve seen, both are stunning spaces with tons of possibilities and they both offer the beauty of an outdoor wedding while at the same time, providing the security of a great indoor space.

Friday, April 17, is certainly going to be a busy day for Shawn and me and I’ll be sure to share all the details of our venue hunt.

The Berkeley Church

Tuesday, Shawn and I stopped by the Berkeley Church for its open house.

Located at 315 Queen St E., the Church was built in 1871 and now acts as one of Toronto’s more interesting and original wedding venues. Actually, it’s two venues in one—there’s the original church part and then a newer, small addition called the Field House.

First the good news. The Berkeley is truly an eye-catching venue that is sure to be remembered by your guests. It’s quite flexible, no picking from one of four dinner packages here, and is staffed by friendly people who reply quickly to emails.

Now, in all honesty the actual church part does show its age however, overall, the room is impressive. It has a 60-foot cathedral ceiling; original wood floors; 17-foot stain-glassed windows; two fireplaces; a large, ornate bar and a stage. There’s also a massive mezzanine and a small though adequate bridal suite.

The Field House, which opened in 2007, is smaller and plainer than the actual church however it’s brighter and more intimate. Its plainness also lends itself to more decorating possibilities. But the Field House’s real asset is its huge garden that contains a creek, a small bridge, a gazebo

and a “tree house” that’s complete with A/C and heat. And if that’s not enough outdoor space, there’s also a spacious rooftop garden off the large bridal suite.

Now the bad news. The Berkeley Church is not cheap. It’s also not expansive either but if you’re looking for a deal, look elsewhere. At the open house, we were given a quote of about $130 a head though we were warned that our actual cost would likely be higher since we’re only having 100 guests. So I emailed the Church to try to get something more specific and was sent back a very thorough quote package that added up to $141 a head.

That price doesn’t include alcohol or an elaborate meal (it was three courses, nothing fancy) but it does include the venue; all staffing including an event planner and a mandatory security guard; linens; furniture; soft bar and post-wedding cleaning up.

For now the Berkeley is staying on our venue shortlist but that price might eventually push it off.

Some basic facts about the Berkeley Church

Capacity: up to 400 for a sit-down dinner in the church part; up to 150 in the Field House though you can set up a tent in the garden and grow that number
Rental fee: $3,500 Saturday; $2,800 Wednesday-Friday; $2,400 SundayTime: noon—2 am
Bring your own alcohol: Y
Outside caterers: N
Outdoor space: Y
Parking: N