More Trends for 20-10

The wedding dress trend post inspired me to collaborate more general wedding trends for the year.
My personal favourite - mismatched bridesmaids dresses. I thought of doing this for my own wedding playing with colours, but then with the style of wedding we wanted, it didn't seem like it would completely work. I love the idea of chosing a colour palate and letting the wedding party chose the style of dress that suits them best.
Birdcage Veils - vintage styles are coming back

Edible Wedding Favors -Candy buffets are a wonderful late night treat for guests!
Colour Trends
Spring / Summer Turquoise, platinum, coral, pale yellow & champagne
Fall / Winter Deep red, teal, violet, mocha, sage
AND another personal favourite - Edible Topiaries!

10 trends for 20 10

Wedding Bells has listed the top 10 trends for dresses in 20-10.

1 - V neck dresses
2 - Ruffles (paired with a fitting bodice of course)
3 - Black - just a touch, not the entire dress!
4 - Illusion (sheer necklines)
5 - Print - subtle pattern throughout the fabric
6 - Sleeves (ick, not my 6th choice!)
7 - One shoulder
8 - Draping - gorgeous for DW gowns!
9 - Gold
10 - Bustier (corsets)


Take the 'What Dress Suits You Best' quiz! www.weddingbells.ca/quiz/16/16

BUDGET!

Weddings are definately fun to plan! Deciding on colours, the wedding party, and invites are all 'fun' tasks for a couple to explore. Of course, with any added 'wants', the budget can sometimes get out of control.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind
First, what is the most important thing when it comes to the big day? Do you want memorable photos or videography to be able to gawk over for years to come? Or would you rather splurge on a breathtaking venue?
What are aspects of the wedding that you don't feel will be huge costs? Will you get a limo for the entire wedding party? Do you really need to buy all of the bridesmaid's dresses?
And of course, are family members pitching in to help cover any of the costs?
Many newly married couples are left in debt by their wedding by not sticking to a budget. Trust me, if you shop around you can find the perfect (budget friendly) aspects to add to your day!
Some facts from bridesmag.com

• The typical couple spends $22,947 on their wedding
• 43.7 % of the budget goes towards the reception site, meal, cake & bar
• 15.2% of the budget is spent on photography
• 5.1% of the budget is put towards flowers
• 0.9% of the budget goes towards the groom's tux rental

Slice.ca offers some advice on breaking down the budget

http://www.slice.ca/Advice/SliceBlog/BlogPost.aspx?sectionID=42&postID=74855

PURE by Justin Alexander

More and more brides are feeling the need to go 'green' for aspects of their wedding. Invitations that are bio - degradable, and favors such as donations or seeds are becoming popular as environmental issues become more public.
Justin Alexander introduced a new line of 13 wedding dresses under the 'green' line in 2009. PURE provides brides with an eco friendly, organic and biodegradable option when shopping for dresses. The fabrics used to create these dresses are entirely organic; these pure silks and cottons have been produced without any harmful chemicals or dyes. Each dress from the organic wedding dress collection is 99% biodegradable, allowing it leave a virtually invisible footprint after the wedding!

For more reading check out -

http://weddingfashion.suite101.com/article.cfm/pure_by_justin_alexander_wedding_dresses

Wedding Shows

Wedding shows are a great opportunity to have various vendors all in one location. Here are some tips from an experienced bride attending numerous shows!

* The most important thing!!! Wear comfy shoes! Sometimes you have to wait around to talk with vendors that you are really interested in
* Bring a Maid of Honour or Bridesmaid along to help carry all of the fun stuff you will get!
* Take your time & arrive early. Most brides arrive around the fashion show times to make sure they get a good seat, and then browse after the show is finished
* Becareful of who you give information to! I received calls up to a year after my wedding saying that I had won things I had no interest in following up with (gym memberships, free mortgage quotes etc.) Some brides come prepared and have numerous peel and stick address labels to make sure they 'enter every draw' at the show. I don't think these labels are a necessity but are a good idea so you aren't stuck talking to someone as you write down your information for them.
* Take your time when you get home to go through what you received. The shows are overwhelming and tiring, so it is a good idea to take the time to sort everything into categories (photographer, venues etc)!
* Have fun!!! This is a wonderful experience to get some great ideas for your big day!!

Here are some upcoming show dates & locations

Sunday Feb 28 -
Kitchener Waterloo Gay Wedding Show

Sunday March 7 -
Burlington Bridal Showcase @ Burlington Art Centre

Something Blue

I love blue flowers! Any combination of blue shades look gorgeous together.

Yummy Cakes!!

The cake is a classic symbol in wedding celebration. It is a long standing English tradition to save the top tier of the cake and serve it either on the couple's first anniversary or at the christening of their first child. Wedding cakes were traditionally made of fruitcake, so the process of saving it was preserved by the brandy and fruit in the cake itself. Nowadays, fruitcake is a very rare choice for cake flavours so they won't last for more then a few months in the freezer. With my own wedding, I was completely opposed to fruitcake even for the top tier. We definately had a good laugh as we celebrated our first anniversary with our families, making them try the year old freezer burnt banana chocolate cake. Personally, I don't even think wedding cake is necessary at all receptions as most catered dinners come with a wonderful dessert.

Cupcakes on the other hand have become very popular in place of wedding cakes. Here are a few ideas on why they are being seen at more weddings

Cupcakes can be easily personalized

They are very economical (keeping costs down for the budget!)

You don't have to cut them as they are already portioned (and you don't have to pay the hall's cake cutting fee!)

They can double as a centrepiece

They are really trendy

A great DIY project (much easier then making an entire wedding cake!)

Can be made into many different flavours!

Hamilton Halton Bridal Show

The eye popping colour at Stephanie Thompson's booth!

Hottest Hors D'Oeuvres

Retro Canapes
* Cheese Sticks
* Deviled Eggs
* Swedish Meatballs
* Pigs in Blankets
* Mini Quiche Lorraines
* Baked Brie in Puffed Pastry
* Celery Stuffed with Pimento Cream Cheese
* Stuffed Olives
* Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Contemporary Canapes

* Wild Mushroom Risotto Balls
* Mini Reuben Sandwiches
* Smoked Salmon Flan
* Baby Lamb Chops with Minted Relish
* Asparagus 'Cappuccino' in Shot Glasses
* Peking Duck Tacos
* Thai Tuna in Wonton Cups
* BBQ Pork on Brioches with Onion Jam

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog. I became interested in the wedding industry when I spent a lot of valueable time researching for my own special day. I feel my passion for weddings can assist brides when planning a fairytale day.
I was grateful for the opportunity on Sunday January 10th to work alongside Stephanie Thompson at the Hamilton Halton Bridal show. I learned that this industry is fuelled by word of mouth and you really need to be passionate about what you want to create. Stephanie's goal to 'make things pretty' has inspired me to take the next step and start focusing on what I want to create for future brides.