Today is February 29th, making 2012 a Leap Year.
This is significant and relevant to the topic of weddings because although times have certainly lightened up quite a bit, there is still the prevailing attitude that men must be the ones to propose to women.
Suffer in your waiting no more ladies! But better get going quick because today is the ONE day that has prevailed for centuries (noted as early as the 5th Century!) as it being perfectly socially acceptable for you to pop the question to your man!
In fact, in the 13th century not only was it a law in certain parts of Europe that women could propose marriage on Febnruary 29th, but if the man dared refuse her, he had to pay a fine!
Pity women were only empowered on one day every four years.....
Wednesday 29 February 2012
Tuesday 28 February 2012
Oscars 2012 - Fashion for Weddings!
We're just off the heels of the 2012 Oscars and it seemed to me that there was quite a bit of white on the red carpet. So just which gowns would translate well for a walk down the aisle rather than the red carpet?
Let's start with a couple NOs! Rooney Mara had on a white gown that to me it was too low-cut and too unflattering to her upper half (reminded me of gauze dressing!); I liked the bottom well enough but just can't make myself like the overall look, especially for a wedding. You decide:
Time to go shopping, Ladies!
Let's start with a couple NOs! Rooney Mara had on a white gown that to me it was too low-cut and too unflattering to her upper half (reminded me of gauze dressing!); I liked the bottom well enough but just can't make myself like the overall look, especially for a wedding. You decide:
(fashionologie.com)
Then we had JLo, who made all the "Best Dressed" lists but clearly this is another dress that is courting disaster (of the nipple kind) and is too much (or too little!!!) for a wedding, again, in my humble opinion:
(tvshark.com)
Apart from those two, we did have some suitable wedding fashion to consider. First we'll start with my Top 4:
1) I really liked little-known Li Bing Bing's gown, very elegant and lacey with lots of sparkle:
(eatluvpray.blogspot.com)
2) Then there was Guiliana Rancic, putting in some va-va-voom! A very different dress but with a lot of wow:
(sheknows.com)
3) Mila Jovovich's one-shouldered dress with lots of beading and sparkle, with asymmetrical draping:
(justjared.com)
4) Cameron Diaz's gown which had a plain top (so I would suggest a nicer necklace to give it some oomph up top) but a great skirt:
(shoppingblog.com)
Some other considerations include the offerings from Octavia Spencer (which I thought was awesome for a fuller figured woman), Shailene Woodley (too matronly - we saw this dress circa 1960!) and Gwyneth Paltrow (awesome if you have a killer body and are in need of a jacket for a Fall or Winter wedding):
(gulfnews.com)
Time to go shopping, Ladies!
Sunday 19 February 2012
Orange - Not Just for Fall!
I've heard complaints from people that they have just returned from "another pink wedding" or "another blue wedding".... It sometimes seems like couples will pick the "safe" colours to work with for their wedding and may avoid others in the fear that it will be too gaudy or too much.
One such colour is orange. Now, brides will incorporate this colour into a Fall wedding theme. But bright orange (and yellow and red) are actually Summer colours. And orange can be absolutely stunning!
The trick is to be conscious about avoiding anything reminiscent of Fall. That means there should not be a pumpkin in sight! And avoid the "burnt" orange tones and avoid mixing it with gold. And no black! This is Summer, not Hallowe'en!
So you want the orange to be bright, or more on the pastel side if your wedding is earlier in the Summer (or late Spring). Keep it simple by pairing it with whites and creams, and it will really shine on its own!
Bright and beautiful, with an orange colour scheme, you can be pretty sure that none of your guests will be complaining about too much of the same!
One such colour is orange. Now, brides will incorporate this colour into a Fall wedding theme. But bright orange (and yellow and red) are actually Summer colours. And orange can be absolutely stunning!
The trick is to be conscious about avoiding anything reminiscent of Fall. That means there should not be a pumpkin in sight! And avoid the "burnt" orange tones and avoid mixing it with gold. And no black! This is Summer, not Hallowe'en!
So you want the orange to be bright, or more on the pastel side if your wedding is earlier in the Summer (or late Spring). Keep it simple by pairing it with whites and creams, and it will really shine on its own!
(theknot.com)
Bright and beautiful, with an orange colour scheme, you can be pretty sure that none of your guests will be complaining about too much of the same!
Saturday 18 February 2012
$446,000 Wedding Dress - Thankfully Not for Sale!
A couple of days ago, a Japanese jewelry designer unveiled a wedding dress garnished with its famous rare pearls. The cost? A cool $446,000 USD. (Can you imagine the UPS "brokerage charge" when it showed up at your door?...Don't get me started!)
Check out the video.
Anyway, thankfully you don't have to worry about your wedding budgets, ladies... this one is not for sale!
Check out the video.
Anyway, thankfully you don't have to worry about your wedding budgets, ladies... this one is not for sale!
2012 Wedding Dress Trends
All you brides getting married this year (especially this summer!)... if you haven't yet ordered your dress, better get out there ASAP! The rule of thumb is to allow 6 months for ordering the dress (it does vary by manufacturer though so could be even more!) and then you may need time for alterations as well.
So for you tardy brides, here is some inspiration from BRIDES. It is the wedding dress trends for this year. To summarize: lace sleeves, more modesty (for example with illusion necklines.. I guess we can thank William & Kate for this)... as well as blush (light pinkish) coloured dresses and two-tiered skirts on your dress.
Sleeves and showing a little less skin will always be in fashion because not only does that suit the personality of many brides but is also required in various houses of worship, but I really don't know if the blush and two-tiered skirt will be here to stay.... Guess we'll see!
So for you tardy brides, here is some inspiration from BRIDES. It is the wedding dress trends for this year. To summarize: lace sleeves, more modesty (for example with illusion necklines.. I guess we can thank William & Kate for this)... as well as blush (light pinkish) coloured dresses and two-tiered skirts on your dress.
Sleeves and showing a little less skin will always be in fashion because not only does that suit the personality of many brides but is also required in various houses of worship, but I really don't know if the blush and two-tiered skirt will be here to stay.... Guess we'll see!
Saturday 11 February 2012
Putting the Bling Back In!
If there is one thing I hate (okay, well there are many but this is definitely one) it's when that pretty, expensive diamond on your left hand starts to lose its shimmer thanks to the "stuff" that accumulates on and around it thanks to everyday life.
You may also notice that sometimes you can start getting a red rash or irritation underneath the ring due to the accumulation of irritants on its surface.
But it's not hard to keep it sparkly and sanitized! No trip to the jeweler required!
Just soak your ring in equal parts ammonia and water for 30 minutes or just good ole warm water and a bit of dishwashing liquid will do. An extra-soft (think baby) toothbrush will help to really get off the dirt. Then allow to air dry or use a lint-free cloth to dry.
Then shine, baby shine!
You may also notice that sometimes you can start getting a red rash or irritation underneath the ring due to the accumulation of irritants on its surface.
But it's not hard to keep it sparkly and sanitized! No trip to the jeweler required!
Just soak your ring in equal parts ammonia and water for 30 minutes or just good ole warm water and a bit of dishwashing liquid will do. An extra-soft (think baby) toothbrush will help to really get off the dirt. Then allow to air dry or use a lint-free cloth to dry.
Then shine, baby shine!
(benmoss.com)
RIP Whitney Houston
Well, I love blogging about hearts and flowers and all the happy things that go along with weddings and other joyous events.
But I just heard the news: Whitney Houston is dead at age 48.
Say what you will about her rather colourful life, from a musical perspective she will go down in history as one of the best. From a wedding "first dance" and "crowd slow dance" perspective she gave us such hits as:
RIP Whitney.
But I just heard the news: Whitney Houston is dead at age 48.
Say what you will about her rather colourful life, from a musical perspective she will go down in history as one of the best. From a wedding "first dance" and "crowd slow dance" perspective she gave us such hits as:
- I Will Always Love You
- One Moment In Time
- I Believe In You and Me
- The Greatest Love of All
- Hold Me
RIP Whitney.
(Photo from HipHopRx)
WEDDING CAKE AND FAVOURS... ALL IN ONE!
So today I thought I would share a really neat idea. I saw this live at a wedding I did this past November at the Glenerin Inn in Mississauga and it was a real hit!
We know the traditional wedding cake, we know the cupcake tower, we've seen the minicakes but here is where the minicakes (or cupcakes) are boxed in clear packaging with a nice ribbon and a tag and taken home by the guests as their favours! How great is that? I love, love, love double duty items!
Here's an example (photo from Wedding Cakes by Nicole) of what I'm talking about:
We know the traditional wedding cake, we know the cupcake tower, we've seen the minicakes but here is where the minicakes (or cupcakes) are boxed in clear packaging with a nice ribbon and a tag and taken home by the guests as their favours! How great is that? I love, love, love double duty items!
Here's an example (photo from Wedding Cakes by Nicole) of what I'm talking about:
Friday 10 February 2012
Roses are Red...
Lovers & friends… Valentine’s Day is coming up, now only a few days
away… And how many of us are going to be
sending or receiving a bouquet of red roses in honour of this special day?
But with so many flowers to choose from, why does the red rose dominate Valentine’s Day? True it is strikingly beautiful, buy why is it the “King” of the roses?
Quite simply, roses have been assigned special meanings based on their colour, the “secret language of love”. The vibrant red rose is universally understood to stand for love, passion and desire, making it hot, hot, hot for this mid-February holiday!
But with so many flowers to choose from, why does the red rose dominate Valentine’s Day? True it is strikingly beautiful, buy why is it the “King” of the roses?
Quite simply, roses have been assigned special meanings based on their colour, the “secret language of love”. The vibrant red rose is universally understood to stand for love, passion and desire, making it hot, hot, hot for this mid-February holiday!
But long before ever there was Valentine’s Day, the red rose was revered
as a love symbol. The ancient Romans
honoured the love goddess Venus with this flower. Ancient civilizations used red roses as décor
for marriage celebrations. In recent
centuries it may not have been considered “classy” or “appropriate” to express
one’s love outright with words… so a single red rose was all that was needed to
convey one’s most heartfelt emotions!
In modern times, the drama of the red rose, particularly against the backdrop
of a white wedding dress or white décor, cannot be disputed.
All hail the red rose.. and Happy
Valentine’s Day!
(image from wallpapers-freereview.net)
Tuesday 7 February 2012
im·pre·sa·ri·o
There was a reason I chose the word "Impresario" for my Wedding & Event Planning company....
Yes, I have always thought it was just a really cool-sounding word, but because of its definition, that being "a person who organizes or manages public entertainments, especially operas, ballets or concerts" (Dictionary.com), it just struck me as being "it"!
Of Italian origin, being used as early as the mid-1700's, it is a word that conjures up the image of the grandeur that accompanied theatrical productions of days gone by. And to me, perfect for someone who would be in charge, in modern times, of orchestrating the "grand production" of a wedding, a corporate event, or an important celebration.
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