The Dress!!!

This was probably the HARDEST topic not to blog about the months leading up to the wedding. But with the Office Groom dropping by the site every once and a while, I just coudln't risk him finding out! So with begrudgingly tight lips, I've kept it a secret but now I can finally do the reveal!

I found my gem of a dress at Ferre Sposa, a small boutique located on Bloor Street West. After trying one too many dresses at other stores, I was about ready to give up until I discovered Ferre Sposa while on a walk. The dresses displayed on the window front immediately gave me the confidence that this store would not disappoint, and once I had a look inside I knew that I was right.

The dress caught my eye almost instantly, with his bedazzled sweetheart neckline and gorgeous ivory satin fabric. And when I put it on - WOW! I felt like a movie star (coincidentally, when I looked it up online after trying it on, the description included the words "old HOllywood").

Like most images online, the photos I found didn't really do it justice. Although one shot managed to capture the amazing train.


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I loved how simple yet elegant it was. Personally I'm not one for too much beading and lace on a dress, but the Swarovski crystal detailing along the neckline was just perfect! Guests told me later that when I walked down the aisle of the church I was sparkling (literally and figuratively!).

Ok, ok... enough babbling! Here are a few photos of ME in the dress :)


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I'll have more photos soon of the detailing once I get them from our photographer!!

The Final Fitting

In just 3 hours I will be putting on my gown for (hopefully) the last fitting before the big day. Please, oh please, tell me that...

... the last year of working my butt off at the gym has paid off
... my mom will give me even the slightest positive "Ooh" when I come out of the dressing room
... That my BMs keep their cool - 'cause if they lose it, I'll lose it LOL
... I didn't accidentaly spend the balance for the dress on something else. I'll soon find out when I go to the bank to pull out the money.
...I still love my dress as much as the first time I laid eyes on it

Amen.

Trash The Dress?

I love how this trend is becoming more and more popular! Pretty pictures of a bride the Big Day is lovely. But wicked cool pictures of a bride in lush forest is awesome! I haven't decided yet whether I'm going to do a TTD shoot after the wedding, mostly because I have to somehow convince the Office Groom...and my mom that this would be a good idea! I wonder if I could convince them if I showed them a few samples of other risk taking Brides like this...


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...or this...


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...ok, maybe not this...


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The trend is is becoming so popular that CBS did a segment about it earlier this week.

So tempting!

Why Didn't I Discover These Earlier?!

How cute are these custom hangers by Etsy seller Lila Frances? Perfect for THE wedding dress photo or as gifts for the special ladies in your bridal party! Unfortunately for me, the wait time is anywhere between 8-10 weeks - so it looks like I'm a bit too late for this awesomeness.



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Although... it has given me a few ideas about making my own type of custom hangers...hmmmm...

Something Blue

How gorgeous are these Christian Dior Haute Couture dresses?!



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Revealing The Dress Before The Big Day

Today was the first time that a good friend (not involved in the wedding party) asked if they could see my dress. You'd think after all the time and effort spent looking for one, and the amount of money paid to finally pay for it would make me all gung-ho to show it off.

But I'm not.

Frankly, I'm all about the surprise. I know that a photo of the dress, especially on a model, won't be a true representation of what it will look like on me, but there's something about just keeping it as much of a secret as possible that appeals to me.

Wedding dress aside, I like to have a bit of a "wow" factor when I walk into a room wearing a knock-out outfit for a special function. And there's nothing wrong with that! I think a lot of women would agree that that first initial reaction from others can be very satisfying (especially if it comes from another woman - 'cause let's face it, half the time we dress up to impress other women, not men).

So, in typical passive-aggressive-Office-Bride nature, I've chosen to ignore my friend's request (which was online, thank goodness), lol.

Have you managed to keep your dress under wraps?

Summer Lovin'

Man on man is it ever beautiful outside today! The clear skies and bright sun was my inspiration for today's inspiration board. Nothing says summer like pink, green, and white :)



Flowers from Fleurs.
Shoes worn by beautiful bride Caitlin.
Bridesmaids photo from The Knot.
Cupcakes created by Mossy Cupcakes.
Wedding Dress by Stephanie James Couture.

Ferre Sposa - My Kinda Shop

So I've been doing all this posting about dresses and realized that I haven't said anything about where the dresses are coming from! As of this past weekend, all of my ladies have put a deposit on their dresses (Yay!) and it all happened at a wonderful boutique shop called Ferre Sposa.


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I discovered this lovely shop on my way home, after a disappointing visit to another bridal store down the street on Bloor Street West. When I walked passed Ferre Sposa I immediately stopped in my tracks. Two beautiful gowns were displayed in the storefront and a quick peak through the window led me to believe that this was one chic (and organized) shop. My instincts were dead on once I stepped inside and had a look at the collection.


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I was greeted by a friendly woman named Alice who was more than happy to show me around. The best part - there was no one else in the shop, so I had her undivided attention without any distractions. After a couple of dresses I found THE DRESS, and she promised that she would speak to the owner about getting me a dicount (high five!) - which I did end up getting (with some additional haggling from my awesome-bargain shopping mom!)

Ferre Sposa also carries the entire Dessy line for Bridesmaid dresses - Dessy, After Six, Alfred Sung, and Lela Rose. I had a look through the catalogue and had no doubt my girls would each find something amazing to wear. As long as they picked the same colour and fabric, they could pretty much choose from over 50 different styles!

If you happen to be in the Toronto area, and more specifically around Bloor and Ossington, I would definitely recommend dropping by Ferre Sposa. A great selection along with great service made for a great shopping experience! And in my opinion, the experience plays a big part in finding the perfect dress :)

Wedding Trends 2010

I consider myself to be a good balance between classic and trendy, and hope that this will translate for the wedding. While there are some traditional elements that Office Groom and I both want (Church ceremony, formal attire, full dinner reception and dancing, etc), we also wanted to add in several not-so-traditional elements (a party bus for our "limo," a dinner reception...in a brewery, a photobooth, and a garter surprise near the end of the night teeheehee).

I was interested to see what other trends are becoming popular at weddings, so I used good ol' Google and typed in "newest wedding trend 2010" for my search.

I found an interesting article at Get Married. I was surprised to find that without intentionally doing so, we are apparently doing a few other trendy things for the wedding, like...

Comfort Food - Cupcakes and cookies for dessert all the way!

Wear Again BM Dresses - Although I've asked the girls to use a particular designer and colour, they can each pick their own style! I figured there was a better chance they'd be able to wear their dresses again if they chose them.

Blogging - And all this while I was just doing this to get wedding talk out of my system, lol!

Personalizing - I was suprised to see this one on the list, because isn't every wedding suppose to be personalized? Then again, looking back at some of the cookie-cutter weddings I've attended, I guess not (errr...except for yours)! Everything from themes that tie in common interests that a couple share, personalized guest gifts, and DIY projects, the list is endless on how to make your wedding personalized!

Would you consider your wedding traditional or trendy, or a mixture of both?

Say Yes to the (Little White) Dress

(While waiting for my meeting to begin...Gotta love a good old Google search)

Whether you're wearing it all day, or just for the reception, how can one resist these fun alternatives to the long gown?

For the Modern Audrey (Caroline Hererra)


For the Off-Beat Rocker (BCBG Jewel-Embelisshed Cocktail Dress)


For the Sleek Greek Goddess (Gucci Long Sleeve Gathered Dress)


For the Sassy Party Girl (Etsy's YourFairyTaleWedding)