Monthly Archives: April 2014

#EARTHDAY Bride

In the spirit of Earthday 2014 this post is all about how to be a more environmentally friendly bride/groom-to-be. What did your kindergarten teacher tell you to do – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle! Today’s Bride and Groom’s are more environmentally-friendly than ever. The bonus about reducing your carbon footprint as you plan your wedding? SAVING MONEY while you’re at it.

So many Brides I have spoken to are foregoing the trip to the Bridal Shop and buying USED wedding gowns online and saving over 50% of the cost. What do you think about wearing a used wedding gown? Is this against the ‘sacred’ tradition of the ‘never-worn’ white wedding dress? Brides today are savvy and care more about being resourceful than being lavish or excessive. Personally I think this trend is brilliant. Take a look at this, with a quick Google search I found Vera Wang wedding gowns starting at $650.00, yes that’s right $650.00!!! www.stillwhite.ca (My tip if you’re going to buy a used gown, make sure you buy from Canada to avoid any surprise shipping duties or surcharges)

Used Wedding Dress

Used Wedding Dress

Not only can you be an environmentally-friendly Bride, you can also be an environmentally-friendly bridesmaid. I first discovered the American site http://www.renttherunway.com and was disappointed to find out that they only cater to the USA. Then I discovered www.rentfrockrepeat.com! No longer do you have to pay $500.00+ for a dress that you may end up wearing for one day, you can now rent a dress for a fraction of the price and return it the next day. This also saves room in your closet and you can quit collecting your ’27 dresses’. Men have been renting tuxes for years, so why can’t women jump on board? I am all for this! I also love to support Canadian Businesswomen and would like to thank CEO and President Lisa and Kristy for bringing this amazing business to Canada.

Lastly, we all know that wedding decor can become costly and can quickly drown your wedding budget. A great way to save money and Reuse and Recycle is to shop your local Recycled Wedding Ads. Websites like Kijiji are great, but why not go straight to the source for ‘all-things-wedding’ with sites like Wedding Bee, Ruffled Blog’s ‘Recycle Your Wedding‘, or Tradesy.com’s Wedding Decor Section.  Use these sites for guest-book ideas, candy-bar accessories, centrepieces, ceremony accessories, etc. etc. ET CETERA! The great thing about this is that you can re-sell to the next bride and groom looking to buy recycled.

HAPPY EARTH DAY EVERYONE!

Make sure YOU want to ‘Say Yes to the Dress’

Posted in Bridal Fashion Week, Fashion, Wedding, Wedding Dress by

One of the most anticipated and best things about planning your own wedding should be picking out THE dress. I say ‘should’ because when you actually think about shopping for the most beautiful and expensive piece of clothing that you will only wear for one day, it can be slightly daunting – yet exhilarating. When do you ever give yourself the chance to go and drop over $1000.00 on a garment of clothing for yourself? The wedding dress shopping experience can be an emotional roller coaster and some women who feel excited about the idea of buying their wedding dress feel rather disappointed after their first appointment. The best thing a bride-to-be can do is be prepared.

If you are the least bit indecisive – like myself – having someone ask you ‘what do you want’ can make you want to run for the hills when faced with a sea of white, shiny, sparkly, poufy, lacey, yet beautiful gowns. Ask yourself what it is that you want before you try your dress on. And I mean what YOU want, not what Mom wants, or your bridesmaids or what will give the best ‘ooh and ahh reaction‘ as you walk down the aisle. You would hope to have a ‘love at first sight’ meeting with your dress and when you find it you will ‘know’, right? Not always (to those that have I applaud you). My advice to those bride-to-be’s who have yet to go shopping is to do a little research beforehand because trust me, they are all beautiful, but you need to find what is right for you. Women want to pick the perfect dress because after-all this is going to be the image left with your betrothed of you, as their bride, for the rest of your lives together (no pressure). Be sure to pick a dress that will leave you with the anticipation to wear it again on your one special day. Yes, budget is important but treat yourself and yes public opinion may matter, but if you fall in love with a dress that doesn’t get the best reaction from your entourage, trust your gut. You know what looks best and feels right on your body.

The bridal fashion market is overwhelming and with so many TV shows and Pinterest boards the selection process can be intimidating. Where does one start? Let’s go straight to the source. Hot off the runway take a look at some beautiful inspiration from Bridal Fashion Week in NYC last week where designers unveiled their Spring 2015 collections. Take some of these styles as inspiration at your own dress shopping experience. I have tried to include a variety that reflects the 2014/2015 bride, IMO. You will see my #1 favourite below and surprisingly it is nothing close to what I wore on my wedding day. Happy ‘pinning’ ladies

 

Out of all the beautiful gowns it was surprisingly easy to pick out my favourite. I love the champagne hue of this enchanted gown. Romona Keveza designed this with details every bride can love. The lace overlay on the bust, the modest princess skirt and embellished belt make this dress a clear winner for me. Source
Romona Keveza (2)

Sources: http://www.wwd.com/runway/bridal-spring-2015 and https://www.facebook.com/OfficialRomonaKeveza 

Happy birthday to my blog!

It’s here! My blog is born, something I have been conjuring up for a few years. I want to welcome you to my thoughts, inspirations and musings of one of the biggest events in your life – your wedding! No two weddings are alike and that is what keeps me yearning for more in this industry. I first started in the wedding industry when I was 20 years young. I was managing over 190 weddings a year at a beautiful outdoor wedding estate in the south of Ottawa and my career has blossomed since those memorable and unforgettable days. I have been so fortunate to be a part of planning small intimate affairs, elaborate Greek, Italian and Asian weddings and I’ve gone through MANY pairs of shoes and sleepless nights to get through it all, but I’ve got to tell you I wouldn’t trade it in for the world. I have met some incredible couples, some of which I call friends today. I have also met some pretty fan-freakin-tastic people who work in this industry too. In the days to come I would love to introduce you to some of these people on this blog who work hard to make your wedding dreams come true.

Whether you are newly engaged and planning your wedding, or one day hoping to meet your perfect partner at the altar, or just curious about wedding planning I promise to try to include something here for everyone. As this blog is about weddings, less about me and more about weddings! Here is a throwback to my wedding circa 2011

Photography: Melissa Johnston
Florist: Michelle Vandenbosch
Linen: Groovy Linen
Dress: Bridals by Al Mor in Winchester (they drove all the way to my house on my wedding day to fix one of my bridesmaids broken zipper)
Tux: Moores
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Hair: Noir Salon and Day Spa

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