Sensationally Yours

Pulling together a beautiful wedding often depends on meticulous attention to detail. For the bride-to-be, planning this wedding can be a time-consuming affair, and it’s those little details that risk being overlooked. There are the obvious decisions, like location, flowers, and bridesmaids’ dresses, but what about the little touches that add personality and flare to any wedding celebration? It may be a small token of appreciation for the groomsmen, a unique garter or veil, or a perfectly picked cake topper—when it comes to your wedding needs, you can count on Mary Banks, of Sensationally Yours, to make it happen.

Banks started her business just over two years ago. Sensationally Yours began as a custom gift business from her home but quickly expanded into a storefront in downtown Halifax, and into the wedding business. “I was originally just going to work from home and focus on custom gifts,” Banks says. “I started doing more with weddings and found that it was a great fit. There is definitely room for more custom wedding services in the city, so I work with brides and source wedding favours, reasonably priced accessories, gift ideas, anything they need.”

With the latest trend of destination weddings in places like Cuba and the Dominican Republic, more and more brides are turning to Banks for a stress-free ceremony. “I have a lot of fun with the destination weddings. They very much want a wedding that’s trouble-free, so they can get on the plane, land, get married, and have a great time,” Banks says. It can be anything from designing a custom program for the ceremony to selecting a token of appreciation for family members making the trip to see the wedding.

“I work with them and find that perfect gift that’s easy to take with them, isn’t crush-able, and will get through customs. When the bride gets there, she needs to be able to quickly assemble her gifts. It’s important she be ready with bags, labels, and pre-cut ribbon,” Banks says.

It’s not just wedding-related favours and gifts at Sensationally Yours; Banks offers custom gifts and baskets for any occasion. Depending on the needs of her client, she often uses Canadian-made and Nova Scotian products, whether it is local preserves, honey, Nova Scotia–roasted coffee, a tartan scarf, or tea leaves from Mahone Bay. “I like to work with the smaller stores, the locally owned businesses and independent shops,” Banks says. “It’s about supporting the community and supporting Nova Scotia.”

No matter where you live in Canada, Banks will work with you to make sure your gift has a personalized touch. This is an asset for customers who are living away, but sending gifts to family members in Nova Scotia. “There’s one customer that I work with out west who has family here,” Banks says. “He often has special requests, like the type of cookies that his Dad likes, and I am happy to go out and get them for him. There’s a little bit of custom purchasing involved.”

Another type of gift that Banks enjoys working on is the employee appreciation gift. From sweet treats to bath products, she can create a one-of-a-kind “thank you” for a company’s employees.

“When companies have cutbacks, the first thing they forget about is their employees,” Banks says. “You know what? Sometimes it’s just a little gift bag with chocolates, but the goal is to put a smile on the employee’s face and make that employer look like the star.”

You would think running a small business, designing custom gifts, and sourcing wedding accessories would be enough, but Banks also takes the time to offer business and administrative services to other small businesses in the community. This might be anything from designing a custom letterhead to working on spreadsheets and databases. “I like working with other businesses to help them to get the work done,” Banks says. “For a very small shop with small revenue, to pay big business centre prices can be a bit too expensive.” This innovative and resourceful approach helps other small businesses in Nova Scotia to expand and grow.

For Banks, living and working in Nova Scotia mean a variety you won’t find anywhere else—and it’s variety she enjoys. “I love the creative work, but I also love the accounting and business side,” she says. “I’m the type of person that does a variety of things—to just do one thing is hard for me!” There’s no doubt that whatever your needs might be for custom gifts or wedding supplies, Sensationally Yours will help you create something that is truly unique and sensational.