A few weeks ago, prior to launching my newly re-designed website, I needed some promotional photos to add to my About Me section.
As is often the case when I’m looking for a fabulous vendor in the middle of the night, I put up a Facebook status on my WeddingGirl Dot Ca profile, announcing that I need an amazing photographer to come up with some ridiculously creative promo photos with me. I’m so lucky that Amanda Lachapelle of Amanda Lachapelle Photography was also up at this ungodly hour, and she responded that she’d love to help me out!
The next day, Amanda and I chatted on the phone to see if we had similar visions. Not only did we chat up a storm for over an hour, we realized that we have more in common than just my vintage-photo-session vision. We approach our businesses with similar morals, beliefs, and values. Amanda, like me, looks for connections with her clients rather than just a paycheck. She interviews her clients at an initial consultation just as much as they interview her, knowing that a “good fit” is imperative to a successful working relationship. After our digressions about love, life, and business, Amanda and I solidified our plans to meet the next day and create a vintage wonderland for the photos I wanted to take for my website.
On Amanda’s suggestion, we met at the Vineland Experimental Farm, just outside of St. Catharines. She suggested we take photos around dusk for optimal lighting effects. I arrived on location with my Jeep filled floor-to-ceiling with props, decor, and random pieces of my wedding-planning-life that I thought might serve as inspiration. Amanda took these, plus my ideas from the night before, and not only captured my perfect vision, she played an integral role in helping me to create it!
After hanging vintage photo frames by pearl necklaces, embellishing our decor with feather accents, and even suspending a vintage crystal chandelier from the branches of a pink blossom tree, the two of us had created a backdrop beyond my wildest vintage expectations. It was exactly what I was looking for!! Complete with a black vintage chair from Pier One and some bridal magazines, we were off to the races for some fantastic WeddingGirl.ca photos.
Once we’d exhausted our photographic options with our pink blossomed tree, Amanda and I moved around the property, I changed some outfits, and we captured some more great images.
Lastly, being the lover of rocks and water that I am, we ended up on the shore of Lake Ontario for some final snapshots (with a quick detour to a building whose red door inspired my fabulous photographer :).
For the slideshow of some more of our images, click here! (be sure to wait for it to load)
and for Amanda’s blog about our photo shoot, visit her website here!
All in all, an amazing photoshoot with an incredibly talented individual, who I can now call a friend and colleague! I’m super excited to work with her on some upcoming weddings, and I can’t wait to see what magic she creates and captures next!
Thank you Amanda, for being so creative, so talented, and for being you!!
When I first created WeddingGirl.ca, I was lucky enough to stumble upon the insanely talented Jessica from Fleurish Design Studio. Jessica is not only one of the most talented floral stylists whose work I’ve seen featured at weddings I’ve planned, but her sincerity, kindness, and genuine warmth has made her one of my favourite vendors that I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with!
Wedding day floral choices tend to be very overwhelming for any bride. What colours? what shapes? which designs? – these are all questions that any florist should be able to answer, but that take a floral stylist to design and match to your own personality and unique, creative style. In today’s Bridecast, Jessica tells us about making your flowers your own!
It’s been so busy lately that I completely forgot that yesterday was Monday!! (unless it’s a Friday or Saturday of a wedding weekend, my days tend to melt together!) For all those of you who came back to see Part 2 of our Bridecast with Peter from Edgewater Manor, I hope this was worth the wait!!
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet with Peter Trajkovski, a Sommelier and the Director of Operations at Edgewater Manor Restaurant in Stoney Creek, Ontario.
Nestled along the southern shore of beautiful Lake Ontario, Edgewater Manor fuses impeccable style with subtle perfection. This stunning historic mansion, with its old world interior, embraces your wedding guests in an evening of elegance, charm, and lavish beauty. Edgewater allows brides to plan a picturesque wedding ceremony among its perfectly manicured gardens, with the simplistic elegance of a waterfront backdrop. Following your ceremony, invite guests to mingle with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while you take photos around the property. After dinner, invite your guests outside once more for your moonlit first dance as husband and wife, enveloped in the romance of a starry night.
Here’s what Peter had to tell us about what makes Edgewater Manor so different, so special, and simply magical…
Every bride wants to look special on her wedding day! My advice is to buy tons of wedding magazines to help discover the overall look you want for your wedding day. Your mission will begin by searching to find the perfect dress and then will follow your accessories. When you hear the word accessories most think of veil, tiara, and jewellery; but many brides forget to put time into deciding on their shoes! Shoes are an extremely important accessory that must not be overlooked. Every girl must remember the romantic moment when Cinderella’s prince charming slipped the glass slipper on her foot and declared his true love for her. Well, this true love fairytale should be a reminder to every bride to embark on a journey to find the perfect shoe for their wedding day!
You may be thinking that your dress is long, and you will not even see your shoes, but putting thought into which shoes to wear for your wedding day is an important decision. Think of how long of a day your wedding day will be and how long you will be on your feet, wearing the shoes you picked. On your wedding day, you will on average spend 10 hours or more from the time you put your shoes on to the time you take them off, wearing your wedding shoes while you walk, pose for pictures and dance.
Therefore, if you are not someone who enjoys and is comfortable in 4 inch heels do not wear 4 inch heels on your wedding day. For instance, my cousin wore flip flops on her wedding day because that was what she was most comfortable in and that shoe represented her; calm, laid back and relaxed. Whereas, I just finished the journey of finding the perfect wedding shoe, which yes, is a 4 inch heel – because I love heels! I wear them often and I am comfortable wearing them. Overall, it is important to look at your personal style and keep in mind the amount of time you will be on your feet when decided on the style of shoe for you. I promise; if you do not put thought into your wedding shoes you will sure wish you had come the time your feet become sore half way through your wedding day!
Once you have decided on a style, you may then be unsure of where to buy your shoes. While researching wedding shoes I realized that regular wedding shoes, the ones they sell at the wedding store, are very uncomfortable and usually do not last to wear again after the wedding day. Therefore I started the search for my own pair of wedding shoes in regular shoe stores such as Town Shoes, Aldo, Style Sense, Le Chateau, and Spring. However, to find white or ivory shoes at a local store is not the easiest thing to do. Then I began to think why do they have to be white or ivory? Who set this standard? I soon came across the perfect pair of shoes that was nor white or ivory. The thought of what others may think crossed my mind, but this colour (which I cannot reveal yet!) and the shoe was so me, I just had to buy them, so I did! Advice to other Brides- To- Be, for those of you who do not want to shock your traditional family, try wearing a white/ ivory coloured shoe for the ceremony and then play it up with a colourful pair of shoes for the reception. Overall, during the search for my perfect pair of wedding shoes I learned that brides can go outside of the box in terms of the colour of their shoe and to look at other stores other than the wedding stores for their shoes.
Finally, a way to get a good deal on a pair of shoes you may have found in a store is to go online to actually purchase your wedding day shoes from websites such as Heels.com. This is a well known website for purchasing shoes at a great price. Also, Heels.com really help you discover your style of wedding shoe for you can search all of their shoes based on style, attributes, brand and size of heels. A few brands that have been very popular are Paris Hilton, Carlos by Carlos Santana and Badgley Mischka.
Overall, it is your wedding day, so pick a shoe that you love and that you will be excited to wear and feel comfortable in on your special day; whether your pair of shoes be white or colourful, flip flops, or 4 inch heels. And whatever you end up choosing – wear them with confidence! It’s your wedding day!!
My good friend is getting married this June. She’s excited, nervous, giddy – and her hands are seriously cramped. After three bridal showers and a pending bachelorette party, my pal was completely out of thank-you cards. And as an ambitious DIY-er, I decided to make some for her.
I went with an embossed look to keep it from looking too “handmade”. It’s fairly easy, fairly inexpensive, and fairly quick, especially if you have a fabulous mother to help you along. Even if you don’t, it shouldn’t take longer than a few hours. You can get all the materials at pretty much any craft store. I ended up spending about $30 for my supplies, but if you need to buy an embossing gun, you’ll have to add about $20 to that.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Blank greeting cards – you can get these in craft stores or paper/office supply stores, usually packaged with matching envelopes. Mine cost $6.00 for a package of 20 cards and 20 envelopes.
Rubber stamp – I actually used two for mine – the actual “Thank You” words and a decorative scroll to pretty it up. The price for rubber stamps varies – the bigger they are, the more expensive. They can be anywhere from $.99 to $15.00.
Stamping Ink – I used clear ink for mine, which was a tiny bit hard to see, but it didn’t show through the color of the embossing powder I chose, which was good. A pad of stamping ink costs around $5.00.
Embossing powder – This stuff comes in small vials that look like they won’t amount to much at all. You’ll actually be using very little, so one vial will be plenty. It comes in a variety of different effects – flat, metallic, and glitter. Watch out for metallic vs glitter – if you’re going for a fun, sparkly look, glitter embossing powder is great. If you want to avoid sparkle and are aiming more for shimmer, choose metallic. If you’re not looking for either, choose an embossing powder without any reflective properties and in a color that will stand out from the color of your cardstock. A vial of embossing powder costs around $5.00.
***If you choose a more translucent or pearlescent embossing powder, your ink will show through from below, so keep that in mind.***
Embossing gun – An embossing gun is a heating tool that melts embossing powder to create a raised, “embossed” effect. It uses a high amount of heat concentrated through a small space, so be careful – the stream of air that comes from its mouth is seriously hot! An embossing gun usually runs about $20.00, but they’re great fun!
Scratch paper – You’ll need to practice your stamping, sprinkling, and heating before you go to town on your actual cards. You’ll also need something to dump the excess embossing powder onto once you sprinkle it over your stamped ink, as well as something to funnel the powder back into the vial. I used a flat-edged pie plate, but a folded piece of paper would work just as well.
Elastic cord, large rubber band, or box – I tied my finished cards together with elastic cord, but you can use a large rubber band to hold them together (as long as it doesn’t curl them) or store them in a box. Bottom line: you want to protect these babies; you’ll work hard on them!
HOW TO:
*** Seriously, PRACTICE!*** PLEASE practice on some scratch paper, then move on to your actual card stock to make sure the embossing color/finish shows up the way you want it to.
Wasting precious card stock is not fun.
Stamp – carefully stamp your design onto the card stock.
Sprinkle – dust some of the embossing powder over the wet ink. It’s okay to use a lot – make sure you get all parts of the design covered.
Shake – tip the excess embossing powder onto your “dumping plate”. Tap the edges of the card to get rid of all the loose powder. Sometimes it helps to flick the card with your fingers
Heat – slowly heat the powdered stamp with the embossing gun. It will take a few seconds to heat up, then your image will melt and rise very quickly. Use an even, sweeping motion with the embossing gun so the texture is consistent over the entire image.
And you’re done!
These were a huge hit at my friend’s bachelorette party as well as at my own house – my fiancé loved them so much he decided that we’re going to make our own thank you cards too!
Have you bought your wedding dress and are now looking for an amazing way to accessorize and personalize your Wedding Day look?? – Heidi Allen of Rich Bride, Poor Bride and Weddings, Heidi Style! tells us about how to complement wedding dress styles with the perfect jewelry and bridal accessories. Be sure to share this post with anyone you know who is looking to complete her perfect bridal look!
Well guys, it’s officially the end of an insanely busy month. 5 weddings in 4 weeks is certainly a great way to keep the WeddingGirl.ca team on our toes! With May’s insanity over now, it’s time to get back into the swing of planning things – amazing blog posts, fantastic Bridecasts, and some new and exciting upcoming changes!!
Here’s a great way to kick off June:: A fabulous blog by our lovely MillyHa about how to decorate with all kinds of creativity!
Table decor has been one of the most exciting parts of wedding planning for me so far. Beautiful linens and chair covers were important to me. But, then I came to having to decide what to do for centerpieces. The problem arose because I am not a huge flower lover. As pretty as they can be, I wanted to try to make the centerpieces more in tune with what I like. And thus started the search for a centerpiece that didn’t contain flowers or candles (my venue wouldn’t allow the open flames).
When looking for options for a unique non-floral centerpiece, I noticed a few things. It seemed that they tended to follow a few different trends. Here are some suggestions if you are like me, and are looking for an alternative to a flower/candle centerpiece.
‘Tis the Season – Season-Inspired Wedding Decor
The time of year you get married can be great in assisting you decide what you’ll use on your tables. In the fall, colourful leaves, pumpkins, and apples are plentiful and would be a wonderful addition. I love the idea of a carved pumpkin (think more intricately carved rather than Jack O’Lantern) in the center of the table.
In the winter, bare branches, small evergreen sprigs with berries, or a bowl of coloured Christmas ornaments could help set the mood.
Springtime is when traditionally you would see lots of flowers on tables. How about decorated eggs in the colours of your wedding, instead? Or a pot that has freshly grown potted grass?
Summer centerpieces could boast in-season fruit that could also double as your dessert. And, of course there’s always sand and shells when you’re going for a beach-y feel.
By using the season to assist in the planning of your table decor, there are some beautiful options to think about.
Treat Your Guests
What better way to welcome your guests and add lots of colour and fun to your tables than with edible centerpieces? With the ever increasingly popularity of the candy buffet, I think it would be a great idea to do mini buffets on each of the guest tables. By using some clear glass jars, candy in the wedding colours, and having each guest seat marked with some sort of container (candy bag/Chinese take-out box, etc.) it would provide you with a pop of colour and could be used as guest favours as well. I absolutely love it when brides layer the candy in the colours. Another option could be a fruit bouquet. They’re lovely to look at, great to eat, and less pricy than an actual flower bouquet. I’ve also seen cupcakes/mini cakes boxed up and placed in the center of the table that have been used as a centerpiece. At the end of the night, guests take the one that’s theirs, and you aren’t left to deal with all those flowers and candles the next morning. ‘Treating’ your guest to an centerpiece is a fantastic alternative to traditional flowers and candles.
Taking it Personal
If you’re looking to avoid flowers and candles for centerpieces, another option is to have them reflect the personality of the couple. Avid readers? How about setting up books in your favourite titles on the tables? For frequent travelers, you could use pictures of you in all the different places you have gone together. If you’re into movies, make each table’s theme revolve around a film you love. These centerpieces can vary from sports memorabilia, board games, cars, whatever you can think of. The only limit is your imagination (and, perhaps, the budget).
There are lots of options available for a bride who’s looking to try something different than flowers and candles for centerpieces. I myself have chosen to use large glass vases filled with yellow jello and slices of lemon that stay suspended where you place them. Sounds weird and people look at me funny when I say it, but the trails that my mom made turned out beautifully. Not only do I get away without floral centerpieces, but I get to add an element of fun to the table. I know leaving flowers out of the decor is a ‘don’t’ for many people. But, for those of us who wish to make it a ‘do’, there are lots to choose from.
