Finding unique, small details for your wedding, like personalized guest favours, cake toppers, wedding party gifts and jewellery can be a difficult task with so many online stores to sort through. But, Kimberley Rasokas has combined her passion for weddings with her five years of experience in the wedding industry to offer Canadian brides creative and innovative products on her website, The Creative Bride. The online store is filled with tons of unique goodies for you and your guests that can be shipped anywhere in Canada, or picked up at her Cambridge studio, including an interactive candy table, DIY favours, personalized treats, accessories for cake cutting and topping and even items that are destination wedding specific.

Kim mixes enthusiasm and passion for weddings with professionalism and friendly service to help brides make their dreams become a reality – no matter what the budget is. With her experience and dedication to always take weddings to the next level, we think that The Creative Bride is destined to be famous among the bridal community. We met with Kim in her cozy home studio, browsed through her endless product samples and found out more about what makes The Creative Bride so creative. Let us explain...

Personally speaking...

Just as the name suggests, Kim told us that the brides who shop at The Creative Bride are just that – creative. "They want something a little out of the ordinary or that special personal touch for their day," she says. "They don't want the 'cookie cutter' wedding. I want to do weddings with brides and grooms who really want their weddings to reflect themselves and why they fell in love." Kim adds, "I love to take a bride's idea or inspiration and put it outside of the box to go from the wedding design she 'likes' to the wedding design she 'loves' so that everyone will talk about it for years to come."

Elyssa Robillard was one such bride who says that her experience with Kim for her May 2007 wedding was great. "She gave me plenty of options and every time I wanted to change something she was more than happy to accommodate me... Kim provided us with fast, affordable service and favours that we loved. They were unique and we heard form all our guests that they enjoyed them."

Taking weddings to the next level and building on a bride's ideas is part of what Kim says contributes to the high level of service she aims to provide her brides with. "I am intent on listening to what the bride really needs and wants according to her likes/dislikes and budget." That's why she says, "I don't try to sell you everything in the book, just what is right for you and what will work for your day."

The creative products

Since Kim knows that each bride is different, The Creative Bride's favours are extremely popular because of the variety they have. "There are so many cool and unique ideas for favours right now", says Kim. "Favours are limited only by the bride herself." Kim says she has favours to suit any theme and budget, even 'green' favours for the eco-friendly bride.

Tsha, who purchased personalized chocolate bars from The Creative Bride, says that she would definitely recommend Kim to other brides who are planning a wedding. "The Creative Bride has all of the things a bride would look for – great ideas, great products and services, great personal touches and a great person to work with!"

A sampling of favours that The Creative Bride offers are those from Kate Aspen, Weddingstar, Event Blossom and more. The online store is organized by brand and category, like seasonal theme (e.g. Autumn, Winter and destination weddings); practical keepsakes (e.g. salt and pepper shakers, insulated bottle holders and wine stoppers); and crafts/DIY items (e.g. unique favour labels and containers). Kim also says that she can get whatever it is you're looking for and will source it out for you with a great price.

Creative Bride originals

Kim has also used her creativity on her own designs, including custom candy favour tables, which she says are especially popular. "Brides love this option because it is very impressive to guests at a wedding."

This rings true for Jen and Mike Donnelly's September 2008 wedding as Jen says that guests talked about the candy buffet for weeks after the event was over! "I loved the set-up Kim did with all of the different vases full of candy and the variety of candy she had. It was a beautiful addition to our wedding."

The unique candy table is meant to be used for guest favours, but it's also an addition to your décor as the colours of the candy are matched to your wedding colours. Kim shops for the candy for you (after finding out what you want, of course), sets it all up in vases and takes it down for you. She also custom designs eight ounce favour boxes with a photo or special message of your choice, with up to eight different designs possible. "This table is a great way to get your guests to chat and mingle," Kim says, as they fill their boxes with candy of their choice to take home.

Another original favour from The Creative Bride is your own brand of chocolate bar. Kim makes a label from one of her multiple designs for the chocolate bars with photos, fun facts about the couple or whatever you want to make it personal. Then, she provides the chocolate bars to you, wrapped and ready for your guests to enjoy.

Tsha told us that what she loved most about her experience working with The Creative Bride was "Kim's way of making the favours so personalized... She even had her own idea for a favour bag for the children invited to the wedding. The bags were a great hit!"

Accessorize with accessories

The Creative Bride's repertoire of products doesn't stop at favours as the online store also has guestbooks and pens, tiaras, unity candles, garters, flower girl and ring bearer accessories, handbags, 'just married' flip flops and fun cake toppers and knives, like the shoe shaped cake cutters. You can also get funky accessories for yourself and the groom, like t-shirts, as well as gifts for your bridesmaids (e.g. monogrammed bags and emergency kits) and groomsmen (a BBQ tool set or monogrammed coasters). And this is just a taste of the extensive products offered on the site.

Also featured in the online store is handmade jewelry by Glimpse Creations, a jewellery designer based in Burlington with many customizable options available, like hairpins, tiaras, necklaces, earrings and bracelets. Glimpse Creations has been one of the top twenty Swarovski Designers for North America for the past three years.

Pricing it out

Kim told The Ring, "I will work with any bride on any budget" – she just wants to help you make your dream wedding become a reality. Plus, she says that she is more than happy to create a custom quote with all of the costs detailed and up front. "There are no hidden costs or add-ons that will pop up later; what you see is what you get."

Jen told The Ring that for her order she gave Kim her wedding budget. "She worked with it and the outcome was amazing. Kim went above and beyond my expectations with the candy buffet."

Prices vary depending on what favours, gifts and accessories you buy so make sure you check out The Creative Bride online. Taxes are additional to the listed prices, but here is a sampling of how much some of Kim's favours and accessories cost:

• Candy table - $4.95 per person
• Personalized chocolate bars - $2 each
• Personalized tags & labels - 45¢ each
• Guestbooks & pens - $24.99 to $29.99
• Monogrammed bags for bridesmaids - $10.50 each
• Monogrammed coasters for groomsmen - $11.50 each
• Glimpse Creations' tiara - $130
• Glimpse Creations' necklaces - $45 to $80

"The value of the products/services we received seemed to go over and beyond the prices we paid," says Tsha. "Kim was able to help us work within our small budget and a short time frame."

The Creative Bride definitely fell within Elyssa's budget, as well. "I was actually surprised at how affordable they were... I feel they were a good value for what we received."

Walking you through it...

Check out The Creative Bride's online store and order any or all of your wedding related items. Or, if you prefer to meet with Kim to discuss details, you can set up an appointment with her. Orders can be placed online with a credit card, or you can order right through Kim via email or phone. Kim suggests ordering as soon as you know what you want as orders can take six to eight weeks to be delivered (but they usually come within three to four weeks); though she did tell us that rush orders can be done with an extra fee.

You can choose to have your order shipped directly to you – anywhere in Canada for applicable shipping fees; but, if you're local, orders can also be picked up from Kim's home studio in Cambridge if you make an appointment.

With so many unique and creative favours, DIY items, bridal party gifts and accessories for you, the shower, stagette, ceremony, reception and honeymoon, The Creative Bride is a one-stop online shop for so many details of your wedding. Kim's enthusiastic attitude showed us that she loves her work and it translates to the great job that she does at The Creative Bride.

Details, details, details

• Kim recommends ordering your favours and gifts 6 to 8 weeks before your wedding date, and approximately 2 to 4 months before for candy favour tables or custom designed items.
• All online orders must be paid for at time of order.
• For Kim's personalization services (candy favour table, chocolate bar labels) a deposit of 50% is due at booking.
• The remainder is due a week before the wedding.