Cupcake Camp Montreal 2010

Hi everyone,
It took all week to go through all the delicious cupcakes and be able to report back to you all!  Cupcake Camp Montreal was a huge success.  With over $34,500 being raised for Kids Help Phone & Tablee des Chefs us Montrealer’s should be very proud.  In addition to all the wonderful people who donated over 21,000 cupcakes, the volunteers who donated their time and award winning calmness, and all those who stood in line for hours, yes I said hours.  I must admit I arrived just in time and just before the doors were set to open, as if I were even 10 minutes later, I would have been one of those unfortunate people who had to continue waiting in line all the way down Renee Levesque.  Even with the winter chill in the air, Montrealer’s kept their bodies bundled and their belly’s ready.

It was literally every cupcake fan’s dream! Walking through the exhibition it was so hard to choose which to select to taste as there were so many amazing flavors, I don’t know how people could walk away with only 3 or 4! The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth was packed with cupcake fans, so much so that it was nearly impossible to get to the tables where they were presented, but rest assured I made my way through.

There was so much to see and do … the gourmet coffee, movies for kids, a kid play area for coloring & fun and just the excitement of being in a room with over 20,000 cupcakes! Another fun thing to do was the Cupcake Cannon where you could buy a cupcake for a donation to the charities & have it shot at someone else or yourself.And lastly the competition… there were some seriously talented people taking part in the competition see below for some pics! 

 

There was so much to see and do … the gourmet coffee, movies for kids, a kid play area for coloring & fun and just the excitement of being in a room with over 20,000 cupcakes! Another fun thing to do was the Cupcake Cannon where you could buy a cupcake for a donation to the charities & have it shot at someone else or yourself.And lastly the competition… there were some seriously talented people taking part in the competition see below for some pics! 

The kids cupcakes were awesome, you could tell they put their heart into them. As for the pros entries so many stood out there was one which was a replica of an IPhone, another was of a Jack, and finally one of the Canadians Monster!

I was really impressed with the kids competition (photo below) and the amateur cupcake entries, especially the amateur entry of a fairy - great job by everyone!

All in all it was an amazing day that did something spectacular. It is really amazing how something so small, like a cupcake, can do something so powerful!

Congratultions to everyone who participated, volun teer, adn most importantly sampled!!!

Can't wait until next year!



The Announcement

You'll have to properly inform guests of the extravagant event you plan to throw. The theme for your event starts with the invitation, which makes a huge statement while marking the person's expectations, and sets the tone for the whole evening. So, you'll want to be sure to keep your paper products a clear reflection on your style whether very formal, semi formal, modern, Victorian, casual, etc...

An invite with gold engraved script and a snow white ecru border is appropriate, but not too enchanting. To go totally out without stepping out of bounds, consider some of these ideas. Choose the finest paper: textured, flock, embossed, patterned a heavy stock, or marbled papers for the rich Chic look. Forget the natural floral-pressed papers; even a light weight text paper is a little too delicate. What's hot right now, and has been for a couple of years, is BIG, BOLD,  and BEAUTIFUL: elaborate typefaces -- invites that feature embellishments and ornaments, trimmings and ribbons, or fonts that are thick and heavy -- and reminiscent colors like teal, red wine, tangerine, and fuchsia; and rich textures such as velvet ribbons and baby brass pearls or stones.

Embrace embellishments and monogram watermarks. A simple two tone border or a double layered seal might be enough trimming. Unifying all your event stationary elements for your invite, reply card, menu card, envelope, and even program is crucial.

Whatever style of invitation you choose, make it's eye-catching!

Chat soon,

J

Cupcake Heaven

Who loves cupcakes? I do! I do! But sometimes I just wish that they didn’t need to be so…ummm….cupcake-y.  So let’s talk about this.

Perfect for your next sweet table (yep, we do those too!) Cupcake Wrapture offers couture for cupcakes. At OTTE, our jaws dropped when we found these beauties based out of Vancouver, BC.  With perfect polka dots, tantalizing twists, and gorgeous glitter It was almost impossible to pick a favorite but I fell head over heels for Hugs n’ Kisses. So cute for an engagement party!

Order them online at http://www.cupcakewraptureshop.com/

Looking for something a little more kitschy? Roundabouts Cupcake Sleeves are just the thing! Wrap up your delicious delicacies so your friends are pleasantly surprised when they realize that what looks like a burger or a root beer float is actually a cupcake! Being the girlie girl that I am, I LOVE the Glam Powder and can’t wait to use them at my nextspa party! They even do custom work YAY!

Order them online at http://www.roundaboutcupcakes.com

Want to give this girly dessert a masculine touch? Get inspired by Butch Bakery and try a recipe with beer, whiskey or bacon. He’ll have nothing to complain about.

They don’t ship to Canada but it’s definitely worth a look: http://www.butchbakery.com/

If you love cupcakes as much as I do, and c’mon I know you do, join Jaime this weekend as she visits Cupcake Camp Montreal in support of the Kids Help Phone and La Table des Chefs. On Sunday November 21, 2010 from 1pm-5-pm at The Fairmount Queen Elizabeth Hotel.

For More Information Check Out: http://cupcakecampmtl.org/

 

With Love,

C

Why Create a Wedding Timeline

As much as I'm sure you would love to fast forward to your wedding day immediately after your fiancé pops the question, weddings take time and careful consideration to plan. There are many elements to making your day everything you always dreamt it would be, so it is imperative to create a time line leading up to your wedding day.

Hiring a wedding planner to facilitate every aspect of your wedding from venue to menu, from decor to floral is the first move you should make.  If you choose to be a more Do-It-Yourself kinda bride ensuring someone orchestrates the big day for you is key, otherwise what fun will you have?  You will need to keep track of important tasks, vendors, participants, and most importantly, deadlines. Having every detail accounted for and mapped out will help alleviate any unnecessary stress.

Here are a few tips from the team at Over the Top Events:

Decide the formality of and style of the big day (traditional, victorian, themed, elegant, modern, chic,...)

Create your budget. Consider everything from the dress to the wedding officiator, including everything in between

Start interviewing and booking wedding professionals: planners, ceremony site, receptions sites, caterers, waiters, bartenders, photographer, videographer, florists, etc.

Get inspired by checking out the trands for the upcoming wedding season

HAVE FUN!!!

Chat soon,

J

A Fabulous Dress

Hi Everyone!

Let me share these fantastic bridesmaids dresses from Two Birds Bridesmaid. The girls were wearing them in short Cabernet Red at a recent waterfront wedding and the result was spectacular! So flattering, absolutely adorable and totally re-wearable (I swear!). As a lover of all things pink I’m personally digging the Fuchsia but at OTTE we think that the Aubergine and Olive are just to die for!

Finally, a dress that your bridesmaids will wear with a genuine smile!

Check them out at: http://www.twobirdsbridesmaid.com/

 

With Love,

C

About the Owner and Lead Designer

Jaime Korey is not your average event planner. With a rich background in the marketing and hospitality industries Jaime has developed a love and passion for the little things that make an event POP.  To each event, Jaime brings an unsurpassed attention to detail and a creativity that is simply to die for.

For 10 years Jaime honed her logistical and management skills working with organizations including Marriott, Club Med and Royal Caribbean Cruise lines. Acting as the director of strategic group management Jaime trained Marriott employees on all elements of hospitality service, logistical coordination and most importantly, customer satisfaction. At Club Med Jaime organized and orchestrated all of the private charter events and worked to enhance local sales as Chief of Bar. She made sure to take each event, both social and corporate, to the next level always striving to exceed expectations. While at Royal Caribbean Jaime worked at sea to coordinate all of her clients needs as the onboard group manager.

After working with such great organizations it was finally time for Jaime to take matters in to her own hands. With a love of creativity and a passion for the event industry Jaime opened up the doors to one of Montreal’s finest event planning companies: Over The Top Events.

For the past 6 years Over The Top Events has been a trailblazer in the Montreal Event industry bringing the hottest trends and inspiring creative design to events across the island and beyond. With full service event design and coordination and a unique line of custom invitations Over The Top Events is your top stop for all of your event needs.

Call us today to find out more about how we can make your next event spectacular.

Welcome to our New Blog

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to the brand new Over The Top Events (OTTE) Blog. My name is Carolyn and I will be the voice of OTTE while Jaime is hard at work planning all of your weddings and special events.  Every Wednesday I promise to bring you the newest and most exciting wedding trends and special event buzz.  We’ve got a great 4-week rotation set up for you where we focus on Fashion, Etiquette, Great Finds and Fabulous Food. From time to time Jaime will hop on to showcase some of her magical event creations or I’ll pop in to share my newest burst of inspiration.

At OTTE we custom design our events for each an every client so it’s only fitting that we do the same for our blog!

We want to talk to you! Ask us your questions, share your concerns and let us know if there is anything you want to see. We can’t wait to hear from you J

With Love,

C