A Bride's Attire... Tips and Ideas: Wedding Dresses

Bridal attire is the crux of the bride's wedding day! With so many options for dresses, shoes, headpieces, accessories, where does a bride even start to decide what is best for her?!

Starting this week, I'm offering a blog series that will discuss each aspect of a bride's wedding attire... starting today with the Wedding Dress!

Your bridal look - and in fact your whole wedding theme - starts with the dress you choose. And so, because of this, the bridal gown will be the most influential and vital purchase you will make for the whole wedding experience! The gown you choose will be a key element in setting the tone and theme for the entire wedding.

So, before you start to shop for your dress, take time to think through a few questions... what kind of a feel do you want your wedding to have?
Do you want a formal, traditional, elegant wedding or do you prefer a whimsical, fun, informal event?

Will the wedding be indoors or outdoors? Will it be local or destination? What season of the year will it be when you get married? And do you have a "dream" look that you want for your dress? Also, you need to determine in advance what your budget is for your entire wedding outfit and then stick to this. Remember to include the dress, shoes, undergarments, accessories, headpiece AND alterations in the amount of your budget! Once you have an idea of the overall feel and theme for your wedding and dress, and what your budget it - then its time to go shopping!

When shopping for your dress, it helps to take some photos with you of dresses that you like from magazines or online bridal sites. This will give the bridal consultant an idea of where to start selecting dresses from the hundreds of styles that most stores carry.

Start by trying on the styles you have in mind, but if you aren't finding your dream dress in those styles, be open to trying on completely different styles you didn't think you'd ever like. You might be very surprised to discover that you actually fall in love with a totally different look and find your actual dream dress is something completely unexpected! Its happened to many brides in the past - including me! When I got married 27 years ago, long sleeves were very "in style" - and so I tried on one dress based on what the sleeve looked like.. but as I put the dress on, I started to laugh because it had SO much lace on it... rows of lace around the bottom of the dress. However, when I walked out of the change room in that dress... everyone's mouths dropped open and when I looked in the mirror, I fell in love with that dress... miles of lace trim and all!! So don't be afraid to try on something different and unexpected!

Another tip for dress shopping is to wear a skin-coloured or strapless bra/panties and do your hair and makeup nicely. This will help you get a more accurate over-all look in the dress.

But I think the best tip of all for shopping for your wedding dress is to only take a couple friends or family members along with you to the appointment! Even people with the best intentions can end up confusing you and sabatoging your own interests, so if you have too many voices with you at the appointment, you're going to get frustrated. And always remember - this is YOUR dress, so if YOU love the dress, then stick to your opinions and don't let others sway you! If the dress make you feel like a bride... brings tears to your eyes and butterflies in your tummy... then go for it!

When considering the myriad of different styles & colours available in bridal gowns today,

keep in mind what style/colour is going to look best on you and what will best suit your wedding theme. You especially want to select a colour or hue that enhances your own skin tone and not make you seem pale or washed out. The options in dresses go from very traditional to ultra modern... from long trains to floor length to short and sassy cocktail dresses... and these all come in a multitude of fabric choices. And Colours! Never before have brides had so many colours to choose from in dresses! Colours range from pure white to eggshell to ivory to every other colour you can imagine! Non-white wedding dresses are becoming more popular all the time! Whether pale, muted, neutral shades or bold, bright, vibrant colours, anything is acceptable these days.

Regardless of what style or colour of dress that you choose... in the end, what is most important is that you choose the dress that makes you feel like the beautiful bride that you are!

Once you've selected the dress, the hardest part is done! Stay tuned for the next blog where we look at some fun elements of your bridal attire that will help you create your own unique look through your choice of shoes, headpieces, and accessories.

Surprise! A 10th Wedding Anniversary Party

Peter & Wendy have been married for 10 years... and Peter wanted to surprise Wendy with a party to celebrate their anniversary ....

"Celli's Osteria", a fabulous Italian restaurant in downtown Burlington has a lower level restaurant called "Big Tomato", and we were able to rent out this space for this special private party.

The atmosphere is very "Italian"... with walls and tables and decor done in various autumnal shades ... industrial piping along the ceiling with hanging crystal chandeliers... bookcases along the walls displaying various vases and bottles and artifacts... the room is a pleasing eclectic mix of visuals and a great location for a private party!

Guests were invited to attend this great evening... and about 40 friends arrived between 7 & 7:30 pm, enjoying drinks and antipasto platters.

At 7:30, Wendy & Peter arrived - and it was very evident by Wendy's shocked expression that she truly had no clue about this being a party for her - for them! After mingling and greeting guests for a bit, the dinner began and guests enjoyed a leisurely and delicious dinner. A scrumptious carrot slab cake was presented for the "bride & groom" to cut together before it was served to guests.

A dear friend, and the minister who had performed their wedding 10 years ago gave a speech in their honour.. and then a touching video was shown - a special work that Peter had made to honour Wendy. Following the video, Peter & Wendy enjoyed a "first dance" together with a song that he had over-taped with a personal message to her part-way through. The rest of the evening was filled with guests visiting together as well as dancing, with great music provided by DJ Ron of Perpetual Rhythms.

Congratulations on 10 years of marriage Peter & Wendy... and wishing you many more years together!

VENDORS:
Venue - Celli's Osteria www.cellis.ca/
DJ - Ron Finlay from Perpetual Ryhthms http://www.perpetualrhythms.com/
Video Production - Cole McFarlane http://500px.com/ColeMcFarlane

A Perfect Day for a Princess Bride!

Amy never thought she'd want a princess wedding dress... but on Friday, she looked every bit of a princess! Her sparkling tulle dress looked amazing on her and she was glowing... and was a bit teary as she walked down the aisle to meet up with her groom, Nathan. The ceremony had some nice personal touches as Nathan's dad was the minister who performed their marriage.

Photos were taken on the beautiful grounds of West Haven Golf Course while guests did a photo guest book and enjoyed the cocktail hour. The wedding colours were ivory and apple red and the dresses, flowers and reception decor were stunning.

The reception was served by great staff at the club and guests were entertained by brother of the bride, Ryan, who was a funny and "natural" MC for the evening. Speeches and a slide show of the couple were tender and touching.

In lieu of favours, guests were each given a gift tag that said "Choose a Charity"... and they were instructed to put their tag in one of three baskets, representing three charities... International Justice Mission, Compassion Canada and Austism Ontario. This was a neat way to give donations to charities and to involve guests in the process.

The evening was rounded out with lots of fun dancing and guests enjoying visiting around their tables. A highlight was all the guests watching bride Amy and her brother Ryan doing the dance to "Thriller" together... very entertaining.

The whole day was a perfect day... with the rain and cold holding off until later in the evening and with the event running smoothly for the couple and their family and friends. Congratulations Amy & Nathan!


VENDORS:
Ceremony Venue - North Park Community Church - www.northpark.ca/
Reception Venue - West Haven Golf Course (Rob) - westhavengolf.com/
Photographers/Videographers - www.kolabcinema.com/
Florist - Nicole Cake (London) nicake@gmail.com
Ceremony Musicians - DaCapo Strings dacapostrings.wordpress.com
DJ - Rob from Music Central www.musiccentral.ca/
Late-night Limo - Checker Limo - www.voyageurtransportation.ca/

Rain Rain, Go Away!

A creative, detailed wedding plan for an outdoor ceremony and barn cocktail reception
was severely threatened as the sky turned dark and the rain poured down. All the preparations for setting up were on hold as we anxiously kept watching the weather forecast... which said it was to clear up by 4pm. With the ceremony scheduled for 6 pm, there was a glimmer of hope.

At 4:00 pm, the clouds broke, the rain stopped and the sun came out and the bride said ' Let's do this!"... sending everyone into frantic set-up mode! While the couple had their private photos done, the bridesmaids in cream-coloured dresses and heels, the Mother of the Bride in her sparkly dress and heels and the handsome groomsmen in their vested outfits all pitched in to help us get the outdoor venue set up! Water was dumped off chairs and many old towels put to good use to dry the chairs off before arranging them on the lawn. Mason jar vases with baby's breath were set out to line the aisle. The lemonade stand, signing table, photo booth props, and memory photo displays were all put in place and just in the nick of time - we were ready for a wedding!

Olivia looked absolutely stunning in her strapless ballgown! She was just glowing all day and despite the weather, was relaxed and enjoying her day. She & Mike had a private "first look" moment, captured by the photographer, before the bridal party joined them for photos.

Guests arrived and the ceremony started right on time and a personal ceremony was led by Olivia's papa, a life-long minister. They signed their register in a very small, quaint gazebo covered in greenery.

Guests enjoyed appetizers, cake and fruit served in the barn and lemonade from the outdoor stand.

After a brief stand-up reception, due to the cool fall evening temperature, the chairs were brought into the barn for a program of speeches and a slide show. It was a cozy and intimate evening. As Olivia & Mike are deeply involved with the youth from their church, the youth group was invited to join the party after speeches for a huge bonfire and dance in the barn... which they all loved and thoroughly participated in.

So, the rain DID go away, and Olivia & Mike enjoyed the wedding of their dreams, surrounded by family, friends and the youth that they love! Congratulations to a beautiful couple!


VENDORS:

Venue: Oasis Country Retreat - barb.hoekstra@gmail.com;
Caterer: Mamdouh Dahab - Chef of Basilique www.basilique.ca
Photographer: When He Found Her (Reid Lambshead) http://www.whenhefoundher.com/blog/
Decorator: VanGeest Special Occassions www.vangeestspecialoccasions.com/
Parking, Bonfire, DJ, Set-up crew, clean-up crew: MANY various friends!

"Plan B" was Wonderful!

Plan A was an outdoor wedding ceremony - on the east lawn of Knollwood Golf Course, with white chairs set up, facing a pond... a wonderful plan A for the wedding. But rain poured down, soaking the grass and the skies played games all day... sunny, cloudy, rainy... what to do!? Finally, to be sure that we wouldn't get rained out, Plan B was decide on... to have the ceremony inside Harris Hall (a barn) instead.

The reception tables were pushed to the back of the room. Chairs were set up in rows facing the large stone fireplace. Candles lined the mantle. The table centerpiece flowers, in mason jars, were set out along the floor in front of the fireplace and in other strategic locations around the room. And the effect was BEAUTIFUL! It was cozy and intimate and ended up being better than outside!

There were many unique touches to the wedding... hand-made table number signs on wood.

A glass lemonade jar was used as the card holder. Mason jars, flowers, lot of votives accented the room. A "just married" banner was hung across the fireplace. And as a "guest book", guests painted the palms of their hands and made handprints on large canvases, and signed their names.

Sarah was a beautiful bride...

dressed in a lace gown with a deep open back. Neil was very handsome and they made a stunning couple - definitely well-suited for each other. The weather cooperated enough for them to get videos and photos taken outside while guests enjoyed cocktails on the patio.

Speeches were very tender and meaningful and a slide show highlighted their lives. It was a wonderful day for this special couple.

Congratulations Sarah & Neil!

VENDORS

Venue - Knollwood Golf Club www.knollwoodgolfclub.com
Videographers - KoLab Cinema www.kolabcinema.com/
Photographer - Elizabeth in Love http://www.elizabethinlove.com/
Florist - Jeans Flowers - www.jeansflowers.com
Cake - Weils of Westdale http://www.weilsbakery.com/
Officiant - Rev. Dan McLean http://graceunitedcaledonia.com
DJ - As You Like It DJ - www.asyoulikeitdj.com/

Hot Day for a Rustic Chique Wedding

Deanna & Adam had a rather hot summer day for their wedding on July 14th - but the humidity didn't put a bit of a damper on the day at Balls Falls Conservation Park. A nice breeze helped to keep things comfortable!

The ceremony was held in the country chapel on the grounds and then had time for photos on the grounds. Many of the guests enjoyed winery tours at nearby wineries... others stayed around and enjoyed lemonade and garden games - and relaxing on picnic tables and on picnic blankets under trees.

The cocktail hour & reception was held in the barn .... set with square tables for guests, the head table set up in front of open barn doors with the chapel in the background. The tables had a burlap runner down the center and then mason jars of wild flowers, candy sticks and mini lights.

Chinese lanterns with mini lights in them were hung from the ceiling... and mini lights wrapped the beam posts and were tacked around the perimeter of the barn. The colours were grey, pale yellow, light green. A unique idea was using old window frames to showcase the seating chart... one table list in each window pane!

The bridal party guys were dressed in grey casual pants, white shirts, blue plaid skinny ties and blue 'runners'.

Girls wore casual grey, short dresses. After the ceremony, the bride kicked back and relaxed in her Burkenstocks!

Congratulations Deanna & Adam on being a fun, relaxed and wonderful bridal couple! All the best in your new life together as husband & wife!


VENDORS:
Venue - Balls Falls Conservation Park www.ballsfalls.ca/plan-your-event/weddings/
Caterer - Niche Catering www.nichecatering.ca/
Photographer - Shawn Taylor Photography www.shawntaylor.ca/
Transportation - Niagara Classic Tranport www.nctcanada.com
DJ - Spectra Audio Visual www.avniagara.ca/home.htm
Flowers - The Watering Can https://thewateringcan.securesite.ca/

A Beautiful Day for a Great Couple!

Jason & Melanie have been planning their wedding day for over a year and a half, with Jason counting down the days, hours & minutes on Facebook for much of that time!! Finally, this past Saturday, they became husband & wife!

Community Church in Waterdown was the venue for both the ceremony and reception ... and all the decor was done in both blue & green, the bride's favourite colours. :

Melanie is also a big "DIY"er - and so many of the decor elements were made by her... tissue balls of all sizes, seating chart, lettering for bulletin boards, posters of family photos, table name cards, etc. The tables were all named after wedding movies... Father of the Bride, The Wedding Singer, Meet the Parents, The Wedding Planner, etc.

The ceremony included personally written vows, a hand ceremony and a sand ceremony - as well as a special song sung by one of the bridesmaids. After the ceremony, the bridal party had photos taken in the yard behind the church and guests enjoyed appetizers on the patio while the cermeony room was "flipped" and turned into the reception hall.

After a buffet dinner, speeches and a couple of fun games, the couple danced their first dance to a song sung and played on guitar by the father of the groom & his friend. The guests enjoyed dancing as well as playing fooseball, air hockey, pingpong & basketball in an adjacent games room! It was an intimate and fun evening.

Congratulations Jason & Melanie - thanks for letting me be such an intimate part of your wedding day!

VENDORS
Venue - Community Church - www.communitychurch.ca
Officiant - Matt Pamplin, pastor of Grindstone Church mpamplin@grindstonechurch.com
Musician & Makeup Artist - Christie Latta christielatta@gmail.com
Soloist - Catherine Wickett - catwickett@gmail.com
DJ - Aaron White - www.djaaronwhite.com
Caterers - Maitre 'd Catering - http://www.goldbook.ca/burlington-on/caterers/maitre-d-catering-5201/
Decorators - Marian Van Geest & Jan Stevens of Van Geest Special Occasions - www.vangeestspecialoccasions.com/
Florist - Samantha Forrest of Pocket of Posies - www.pocketofposies.ca
Cake Decorator - Grant Brierly of Grant's Custom Cakes - grantbrierley_@hotmail.com
Linen Rentals - Josie Gibson of With All My Heart Wedding Decor - www.withallmyheartweddingdecor.ca/
Videographer - Jason Matos Photography -
http://www.jasonmatosphoto.com/
Photographer - Heather Braaten (friend of family)
Assistant Wedding Coordinator - Susan Zuk of Elegant Details www.elegantdetails.ca
Volunteers who helped with various elements of wedding: Karen Hayes, Mary Montini, Jolaine Montgomery, Lois Montgomery, Sonya Cuttriss, Pauline, Jo-Anne & Marc Rudy, Shantelle Matos, Liz Walmsley,