He Asked...

"I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." - Harry Burns, When Harry Met Sally (tribute to Nora Ephron)


There is nothing more beautiful (and exciting!!) then when two people find their perfect match and decide to spend their lives together.  Our friends, S and A (this could get confusing) jetsetted to Turkey for a fun-filled vacation and unannounced to S, A had a romantic proposal in mind.  On their second day in Istanbul he popped the question and the two have been living on a cloud ever since. With their friends anxious to see them (and the ring), we threw them an impromptu get together for all to celebrate.


Jenna Placey at The Investment Baker prepared the cupcakes for S and A. With creams, golds and whites as the colour palate and vanilla as the flavour of choice, she prepared beautiful and tasty treats. See the pictures below:

The Happy Couple!!

Congrats S and A!! Couldn't be happier for you two!

Yours Truly,

A

Making a Cameo Appearance

"Fashion fades, style is eternal." - Yves St. Laurent

Fashion fads come and go, but history has a way of repeating itself. From the reintroduction of high-waisted bell bottoms to the current obsession with all things neon, you can always count on seeing trends re-emerge in bigger and better ways.

Then there are the classics; those that never go out of style and stay the ever-reliable choice. This very much applies to jewelry, particularly those finer finds crafted of gemstones and pearls; passed down through generations, maintaining their glamour with every wear.

Cameos have become increasingly seen this season. With updated versions lending to the look of daytime chic, or strikingly vintage infused pieces exuding evening elegance, cameos are once again making their mark in the accessory world.

Salvatore Ferragamo 'Cameo Pendants with Swarovski Crystal Earrings'  - Luisa Via Roma

Juliet & Company ' Cameo Stud Earrings' - Shopbop

Sophia and Chloe 'Cameo Earrings' - Max & Chloe

Nia 'Cameo Pendant' - Bauble Bar

Lanvin 'Pave Cameo Necklace in Blue' - Neiman Marcus

Gem Kingdom '"Peau D'Ange" Silver with Oval  Vintage Cameo Pendant'  - Endless

Dolce & Gabbana 'Brass and Resin Cameo Ring' - Net-a-Porter

'Cameo Ring' - Bauble Bar

Sicily's 'Large Gold Filigree Design Cameo Ring' - Fantasy Jewelry Box via Polyvore

Face it, they're gorg.

Sincerely,

S

Real Wedding: A and Mr. X

"There is no more lovely, friendly and charming communion or company than a good marriage." - Martin Luther King

It is been four months since we tied the knot, and I think about my wedding (almost) daily. I would do it again monthly if that was socially acceptable. We made memories to last a lifetime and are grateful to our family and friends whom made it possible.

This past week I was delighted to learn that our wedding was featured in the latest issue of WedLuxe; my bible through the wedding planning process. I am honoured to be included in their publication and am excited to share our day with their (and our) readers. So without further ado, here are the highlights of our wedding, as outlined by WedLuxe.  A full list of our vendors are detailed in the article.

Ashley + Daniel | Wedluxe

Yours Truly,

A

A Shoe In

Shoes are an investment (or at least that's what I tell Mr. Z when I come home toting yet another shoebox). Shoes always fit, and if proper care is taken, they can last for many years. Every girl who's collected her fair share of bridesmaid dresses, or has a summer calendar stacked with weddings galore, knows the importance of finding that one perfect pair to get you through the season. 


Check out some fabulous footwear, all courtesy of Shopbop, to take you from the bridal shower to the dance floor.

A go-to lil' black shoe...

Jean-Michel Cazabat 'Zelta Sling Back Sandals' 

 Heavy metal...

Alejandro Ingelmo 'Grace Metallic Platform Pumps'

Lovely laser cut...

Alice + Olivia 'Larimore Laser Cut Pumps'

Wicked combo of leather 'n' lace...

Giuseppe Zanotti 'Open Toe Lace Pumps'

 Beautifully blush low riders...

Loeffler Randall 'Tamsin Stamped Lizard Pumps'

 Snake a pair of these...

Sergio Rossi 'Cachet Pumps'

If the shoe fits, buy it.


Sincerely,


S

From One Bride to the Next - Part Three

The next tidbit of advice I offer, before you embark on the best day of your life, is again about scheduling.  Having your day mapped out will help navigate it seamlessly and I cannot stress enough how important it is. 


So, today's tip is to schedule your hair and make-up appointments as early in the morning as possible.  I am by no means suggesting that you and your maids begin your day at 6 am; but the earlier, the better (within reason). On your wedding day, you will be so excited and anxious that there is no room for a slow start.  Once hair and make-up is done, you can begin your getting ready pictures, solo shots, preparing for your reveal, etc.  Give yourself ample time - you can never predict the little delays like your eyelashes going awry, the need to redo your 'do, or your zipper getting stuck. Things are bound to get tied up at some point in the day, so being ready early is helpful. Limo drivers, photographers, videographers and other key players are also working on a schedule, and so if you're not ready, their timeline will be affected (and no one likes a cranky vendor).


Be punctual and practical and you'll be a happy bride.


Your truly,


A

For the Dads...

"Any fool can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a daddy!" - Philip Whitmore

The father daughter dance is a beautiful and touching (albeit cheesy) tradition.  It is bittersweet for a father to give his daughter away on her wedding day and their dance is a tribute to the special relationship they share.  With your wedding day being dedicated to you and your groom, your dance with your dad allows you to slow down and have a cherished moment with your old man. In honour of Father's Day, we have put together a list of our top 10 song choices for Daddy/Daughter dances at your wedding reception (in no particular order).

1. Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton
2. My Girl by The Temptations
3. You are the Sunshine of My Life by Stevie Wonder
4. The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra
5. Isn't She Lovely by Stevie Wonder
6. Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle (A's choice!)
7. Lullabye by Billy Joel
8. I Loved Her First by Heartland (a real tearjerker)
9. Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
10. Have I Told You Lately by Rod Stewart

Wishing all the dads the very best today and always. We would especially like to send a huge thank you to both of our fathers for everything they have done for us in the last year.  Our weddings would not have been what they were without you and we are sincerely grateful and lucky to have you.

Happy Father's Day!

Until Next Time,

A & S

Colour Rocks!

"Jewelry takes people's minds off your wrinkles!" - Sonja Henie

An engagement ring is a very personal piece of jewelry and there are so many ways to add extra pizzazz to define you and your hunny.  If you think white diamonds 'pale' in beauty, you might want to consider a bolder choice of a coloured stone! Whether sapphire, ruby, or emerald; there are many non traditional options and you can look to the top designers for examples.

Below are some of my top picks:

Neil Lane's Natural Pink Cushion Cut Diamond set in Platinum

Harry Winston's The One - Yellow Cushion Cut with Pave Diamond band - my personal fave but I might be biased :)

Fancy Deep Blue Pearshape Diamond from Graff

Ruby and Diamond 3-stone ring in 18kt White Gold found at Birks

Collection by Vianna, Prasiolite and Diamond Ring in 18kt Yellow Gold found at Birks

And now some celebrity coloured bling:

Carmen Electra sports a Black Diamond solitaire

Carrie Underwood rocks a flawless Yellow Diamond ring designed by  Johnathon Arndt

In March Halle Berry announced her engagement with this Emerald and Diamond ring designed by Robert Mazlo

And of course everyone's favourite Duchess flaunts an 18 Carat Sapphire surrounded by Diamonds

Have a colourful weekend!

Yours truly,

A

Cute as a Button

The use of buttons, edible or not, have begun to 'pop' in the whimsical world of weddings. From stylish boutonnieres and bouquets to delectable cakes and décor, these fun little add-ons make for a crafty accessory.

Birdcage Button Cake (The Caketress)

Button Cake (Everything Etsy)

Vintage Button Cake (100 Layer Cake)

Button Cupcake Topper (Style Me Pretty)

Wedding Favors (Button Empire - Etsy)

Boutonnière (Oh My Deer)  

Button Bouquet (Pinterest)

Button Bouquet Wrap (Green Wedding Shoes)

Button Table Runner (Jessica Claire)

A real 'hot button' trend.

Sincerely,

S

Meeting Monique

"Life is short. Use the good china." - Monique Lhullier

Last night, I had the great pleasure of attending a wonderful event hosted by the talented Catherine Lash of The Wedding Co.  William Ashley's Bloor street showroom was the venue and it lent itself well to showcase Monique Lhuillier's elegant bone china collection, crystal gift ware, silver flatware and her classic stationary.  The room was filled with brides-to-be and their mothers or maids, exquisite crystal, sparkling ivory gowns and pink champagne.  Jessica Smith from Cake Opera Co.  was in attendance with another masterpiece as the room's centerpiece.  She and her team created a stunning 5-tier white cake inspired by Monique Lhuillier's Sunday Rose gown.  It was magnificent, as usual, and their cupcakes were a big hit amongst the ladies. There were models roaming the room in Monique's 2012 Fall collection, sold at White Toronto, and you could not help but be blown away by their beauty.

Catherine hosted an interview with Monique Lhuillier which gave guests advice and tips about how to register and some suggestions from her experience.  Monique was friendly, bubbly and eager to wow the crowd with her pale pink accented china, her rose encrusted crystal bowls and, of course, her gowns.  She talked of her inspirations and the recent popularity of coloured gowns in the industry.  She alluded to using more colours in her next collection but said we would have to wait for it to be released.  Monique also advised young women not to be scared of their china, a lesson my consultant at Ashley's had mentioned when registering.  She said to enjoy serving your food on beautiful pieces and not to lock them away in a hutch.  The highlight was when Jackie, of William Ashleys, took a pen and hit a plate from her collection as hard as she possibly could.  She explained that bone china is extremely durable and chip resistant.  To drive the point home further, Monique invited her husband up (I loved that he was there) and asked him to stand on one of her tea cups! It was quite amazing and a great lesson to everyone not to be scared of your 'fancy' dishes.  They are to be used and enjoyed and life is too short, as Monique said, to have beautiful pieces hidden.  I know I was inspired and can't wait to host my first meal with our wedding china!  It was great to hear Monique discuss fabrics and patterns and the designing process and she graciously helped brides with decisions about jewellery and veils for certain gowns they had purchased.  She was a joy to talk to and was friendly and complimentary of our city.

Below are some photos from last night (they were taken on my blackberry, I need an iPhone!):

The Sunday Rose inspired cake by Cake Opera Co. - you can find the cake topper on Amazon

Stunning tablescape from ML's tabletop collection and flowers from Lilium

Catherine Lash (right) interviewing Monique Lhuillier

Monique's husband on the tea cup!

Me and Monique :)

I am so inspired and honoured that I was apart of such a fantastic event.

Yours truly,

A

All Stores, One Registry

“Then they [couples] have the audacity to go shopping and pick out their own gifts. I want to know who the first person was who said this was okay.” - Chelsea Handler

Registering for wedding gifts is a fun (mostly) and imperative step in the wedding process. After all, who doesn't want to pick out hundreds of gifts!?  First, you must decide where to register and then you and your soon to be Mr. need to agree (or so we make them believe) on all household essentials.  Mr. X and I registered at The Bay, William Ashley's and Pottery Barn.  Our choices were based on our china pattern which was exclusive to Ashley's, the Bay being Nationwide and our obsession with all things Pottery Barn.  We were thrilled with all of our gifts, however, we both felt the websites needed to be updated and we had second rate service at many of the stores.

I often hear people say they wish they could register at Best Buy, Home Depot, Restoration Hardware, Crate and Barrel and William Sonoma, and the list goes on; well now you can!

Myregistry.com is a brilliant website that allows you to register everywhere you would like and organize it under one universal registry.  If you have already registered, it allows you to sync your existing registries and send guests to only one site.  Myregistry.com also enables you to tastefully register for cash gifts.  You can create different categories that guests can then contribute towards. For example, the honeymoon fund, baby fund, finished basement fund, etc.  The options are endless!  The best part about this site is how easy it is to use.  You can scan a barcode from your phone in any store for the item to be added to your database as well as add items while surfing online.  It really can't get any better than this!

Check out this video from their site:

Start clicking and scanning and soon you will have an organized, one-stop shop registry.

Yours truly,

A

From One Bride to the Next - Part Two

"It's always helpful to learn from your mistakes because then your mistakes seem worthwhile." - Garry Marshall

There are many things that in hindsight I would have liked to know before taking the plunge.  So next on my list of things every future bride should know is about ensuring you and your photographer are on the same page.

My advice is to make a shoot list and photography schedule.  Within weeks leading up to your big day, provide your photographer with a list of 'must' shots.  Discuss your visions with your photographer beforehand so you will not be distracted or worried the day of.  If you have a desired shoe picture that you found on Pinterest, or you fancy a bridesmaid shot without your groom's little sister; share it with your photographer.  Each photographer has a different style, and although after admiring SMP for years it seems obvious to capture each hor d'oevre, escort card, witty sign and petite dessert; it might not be part of your photographer's repertoire.  They are not mind readers and you will be too busy on your wedding day to play artistic director.  Be clear about the pictures that are important to you and don't be shy to ask for things outside the box – you are the client. After all, after the wedding has come and gone, all you have left are your photos. Oh and a husband :)

Yours truly,

A