A Vancouver Bride's Blog

Vancouver Bride got married and moved to... H A B I T

2010-03-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

It's been a while...

2010-01-27T08:21:00.000-08:00

I've been a bit quiet on the blogging front since the wedding... think I needed a bit of a break from wedding madness. I'd promised ages ago to post some pics from the wedding... so, without further ado... here are a couple shots courtesy of the fabulous Hip Wedding Photography.

Beauty of a Moment

2009-12-17T11:31:00.001-08:00

There's a line in the movie Love Actually that goes something like this:

When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love.

When I stumbled onto this site today, the same sort of sentiment came over me.

The Moment Jars is a beautiful project, supporting a book, that allows people to contribute their moments. As I read people's words, I realized, very few of these moments had anything to do with wealth, possessions, hate or greed - all had to do with love & life. It's a beautiful thing; those moments that shape us.

Check out the site, and add your moment.

Sneak Peek

2009-12-02T14:35:00.001-08:00

I've been a very bad bride blogger of late. I needed a little break from it all after the wedding...
We received our wedding photos last night, so I will try to start posting them soon...
S.

[Photo from our insanely talented wedding photographer - www.hipweddingphotography.ca]

// h a b i t

2009-10-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

Hello all.
As M & I have now survived the planning & execution of our "big day", I'll likely be posting less about weddings and more about design, DIY, home, etc...
I will still be posting here - as a matter of fact, I've been asked to write about the upcoming Wishes Whistler event coming up in November - but I'll slowly be moving things over to my new blog h a b i t. It's still in its early stages, but please check it out - and visit often.
Thanks to everyone for all their support, comments & emails since starting this blog. It's been incredible.
xo
Vancouver Bride

I'm back....

2009-09-27T12:38:00.000-07:00

...and I'm a wife!

I can quite honestly tell you that the wedding was perfect - which I never thought I'd be able to say. Neither M or I would have changed a thing. Seriously. Perfect :)

I'll be sure to post some images once we get them from our fabulous photographer.

But in the meantime - how rad are these DIY coat hangers?? [via one of my all time favorite blogs]

Two Days

2009-09-10T22:59:00.000-07:00

In two days I'll be a wife.
We're officially here, have unpacked our bags, and are ready to relax & enjoy.
I'm kicking myself for having forgotten a few key things - like my grandmother's beautiful dangley pearl earrings (clip-ons - as neither of us had/have our ears pierced) and her antique broach for my bouquet... but I remembered my dress - so that's good, right?
Finally feels like it's about to happen... as I sit here in a ridiculously beautiful condo overlooking Whistler Valley, sipping fabulous wine, listening to our playlist & chatting with my soon to be husband, I realize... things are good. xo

Converse Bride?

2009-09-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

Wedding is in three days.

As much a I ADORE my saucy red wedding shoes, I know I'll need something comfy to dance in (because the heels are really surprisingly uncomfortable).

The boys are all wearing grey converse hightops... so I'm thinking of rocking some red hightops?

[photo credit - via]

I squealed.

2009-09-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

Seriously. When I saw this I squealed. How amazing is this convertible dress?!

[ESB had posted a shot of this wedding... and it led me to the rest of the wedding here. Check it out...]

Menus - done!

2009-09-07T21:46:00.001-07:00

Saturday's meal is going to be fabulous.
As I cut the menus, I was salivating just reading the options...

Place Cards...

2009-09-07T21:39:00.000-07:00

264 Corks.
One ball of twine.
88 place cards.
Love them.

DIY - bouts

2009-09-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

It's been a DIY kind of week. With five days 'til the wedding, things are busy!

I'm not sure how I feel about the 'bouts. The one with the crown is for my niece (I thought I'd make 'bouts with cute icons in them for the nieces and nephews... boat, truck & plane for the boys...) - and the other is for the men. What do you think - tacky? cute? I think I might start over with different materials...

Perfect.

2009-09-03T13:56:00.001-07:00

I just squeeled with glee (yes, glee, alone in my home) when I saw these on the Twigs & Honey Etsy site.
Not sure how well this would hold up throughout the evening, but damn it's cute!
Wish I'd thought about garters more than nine days before our wedding!

Something old, something new...

2009-08-27T10:23:00.001-07:00

I was on Vancouver Island visiting my parents a few weeks ago, and got to try on my Mom's wedding veil. It's beautiful, elegant and classic, with gorgeous lace trim.

I hadn't planned on wearing a veil, but love the idea of walking down the aisle in the same veil my Mom wore 30 years ago.

I'm having the double veil & beaded cap removed to modernize it a touch, but it will still hold true to the original design.

Something old - check!

(image isn't of my mom's veil, but the lace trim is very similar)

Don't fret the small stuff...

2009-08-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

17 days to go.

M & I just got back from his sister's wedding in Thunder Bay, Ontario - and what a wedding it was! I haven't had that much fun at a wedding in a long time. It really helped me re-evaluate what's important on "the big day".

Some things I loved about it:
> The bride got ready in like half an hour, and spent the rest of the morning relaxing & enjoying the morning (and organizing wedding stuff, but she was pretty calm). There was no 3 hour make-up and hair, no over primping... and she looked AMAZING.
> EVERYONE had fun. It wasn't stuffy. It wasn't fake. It was lovely - and all about the marriage, love, family & friends.
> The bride and groom had FUN. By midnight we were all swimming in the lake - bride included. When the bride has fun, the guests have fun.

The wedding was shot by the lovely & talented Lauren Joan - I'll post some pics when they're ready! (Pardon my crappy snapshot - but weren't the tables cute?? Mason jars of candy as a favour, homemade table runners... )

My goal over the next 17 days is to remember what it's all about, and not not fret the small stuff. I have an amazing man & that's all that matters!

39 Days

2009-08-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad little blogger of late. Things are - let's say, busy.

Our wedding is in 39 days, we're in Ontario for two weeks coming up for my soon to be sister-in-law's wedding, we need to move at the end of the month, work is crazy, contracts are piling up... and oh, we've decided to move to Europe at the end of the year.

So I feel like I'm dropping the ball a little on the wedding front... But, it will all get done. I'm trying to be zen about it all...

[get your super cool zen mobile here, made of vintage French magazines and recycled record jackets]

Sweet Seats

2009-07-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

I'll admit I have a bit of a bike problem. When M & I met, I was bikeless, and over the past few years have acquired three of them - two fabulous old cruisers, and a commuter bike. Part of the cruiser's charm are their original well worn parts, but how cute are these cruiser seat covers?!

[get yours here. found here]

Best Friends A Girl Could Ask For...

2009-07-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

My fabulous friends whisked me off on a three day wine tasting, cheese eating stagette this past weekend in the beautiful interior of BC.

The amount of thought & planning that went into the weekend was truly above and beyond. I am so blessed to have such incredible friends. And to top things off, they didn't dress me up in ridiculous outfits or force me to do stupid tasks... they had however made me cute "bride" tank tops for each day of our trip. Far too cute.

Love you girls so much. xo

Marry Me?

2009-07-22T12:02:00.000-07:00

Seriously. If I could marry a company, it would be Studio on Fire. For real.
You have to check out their blog... I can't begin to describe the fabulousness of their work.
[all images from Studio On Fire]

Fifty Nine

2009-07-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

In fifty nine days I will be a wife. Wow.

When I look back at all the daunting tasks that plagued us at the beginning of this - it's incredible how far we've come - but also how far we have yet to go.

Our to-do list is getting shorter and shorter, and the tasks are getting more and more fun. The big cumbersome tasks (finding venues, determining a guest list, etc...) are done and now we're on to printing invites, making boutonnieres, buying accessories & other "fun" stuff.

At this point - things feel good. We have all the big pieces in place (knock on wood)... even if we did nothing more, we'd still have a lovely wedding. And that feels pretty good.

The Perfect Tie

2009-07-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

Holy crap do I love these.

[via here. get yours here]

Doily

2009-07-14T10:34:00.001-07:00

Stumbled onto these beautiful cards here. Seriously. So lovely.

YES!

2009-07-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

So. I Gocco'd my little heart this weekend... and am THRILLED with the results!

There were a few moments of panic and a lot of effort to get the patten to print p e r f e c t l y... but I really love that each card is unique and not perfect.

I'd always known I wanted our invites to turn out like this... but wasn't sure if they actually would (these DIY projects tend to look a lot better in my head) - so I'm a very happy girl.

Exactly two months from this moment, I'll be arriving at our reception - as a wife!

(yes, I realize we're a little late getting the invites out... )

More Jar Love

2009-07-12T18:13:00.001-07:00

On my way back from brunch this morning, I walked by this lovely window display at Front & Company. Reminded me of a DIY project featured on D*S a while back...

I'd love to put something like this up in our house... if we ever find a new house...

Sexy Vest

2009-07-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

Had drinks with friends last night who are getting married in two weeks. The boys are wearing this sexy get-up from JCrew. Super hot, hey?

I've been diggin' the vest with rolled sleeve look and have been meaning to get M out to try some on. Causal, sexy, sophisticated.

[image]

Lazy Sundays...

2009-07-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

While our weekend was crazy busy, M & I managed to have a nice lazy Sunday, involving lots of coffee/tea, good food, conversation & music. I made these killer, healthy bennies... they were soooo good.

Ingredients (add or subtract as you wish):
Organic sesame bread (for the base), poached eggs, roasted yams & onion, black beans, red cabbage, tomato, avocado, feta cheese, lime & cilantro.

We also make a dinner version of this dish.... substitute wild rice for the eggs, and put everything in a wrap.

Enjoy!

Sexy...

2009-07-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

I feel so fortunate to tell you this is the car we'll be driving the weekend of our wedding. Isn't it fabulous??!? My Uncle recently restored this beauty and has been kind enough to lend it to us for the wedding weekend.

Because our wedding is being held up in Whistler (about 2 hours from Vancouver, BC), and the ceremony is 25 minutes past there, I have a feeling I'll be driving the BMs (and myself) to the ceremony, as we will be the last to arrive...

White dress, red heels, sexy car... LOVE IT.

Tradition

2009-07-06T12:23:00.001-07:00

A dear friend of ours gave us a book about wedding etiquette & traditions. It's been interesting reading about where these things originated & how they've evolved in modern times...

Did you know bouquets were originally made of fresh herbs, and were said to ward off evil spirits?

I think it would be quite lovely to carry a bouquet of fresh herbs... and these bouts are quite fab & herby too!

[image]

Ceremony location - CHECK!

2009-07-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

So, we're just over two months away from the "big day"... and until Saturday didn't have a ceremony location. But check it out - isn't it perfect??? Secluded, rustic field, overlooking the mountain...

Ring appreciation

2009-07-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

My heart stopped when I saw this ring on 100 Layer Cake this morning.

So beautiful. Elegant. Antiquey.

Owl love

2009-07-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

So. Yesterday was a big day. We checked two things off the wedding checklist... Met with our jeweler about rings and did a bit of registering. It was WAY more fun registering at the Cross than the Bay. If you're in Vancouver, check them out - they have such lovely, unique home accessories. I love the owl lamp we put on the list!

Registering...

2009-07-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

M & I have been putting off registering for gifts for a long time now. Yesterday we gave it a shot - and failed misterably (but had a lot of fun).

I just don't think we're registry people. But, we'll get there.
We did find a lovely place setting by Vera Wang that we loved, but wow, are plates expensive! Michael thought it would be fun to juxtapose "rugged hunter" duck plates with the Vera Wang... I'm surprised we didn't get kicked out.

We'll try round two this weekend - we're thinking we'll do a wine registry at Liberty, fun home accessories at The Cross, and staples at the Bay. Wish us luck...

Show off

2009-06-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

I stumbled onto this image on the Once Wed site, and thought it was a cute way of displaying images of us, family, friends and those who can't be here to celebrate.

Even if we don't display photos, the twine/clothespin combo is a fun way of displaying menus/ seating charts/ programs/ anything!

Never ending 'bout quest

2009-06-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

I'm having issues committing to a certain 'bout style. I love them all.
And I REALLY love these... a lot.

Simple, rustic & elegant.

[via here]

New Love

2009-06-15T14:53:00.000-07:00

Picked these beauties up this weekend on a little shopping trip to the States.

Hmm. If the shoes I ordered for the wedding don't work, maybe these would??

[image]

Baby Fever?

2009-06-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

So, I'm not really a baby kinda girl. I do however enjoy other people's babies. (Though, not all other people's babies). We happen to have a few friends with little ones on the way (including a new baby niece or nephew!) I just love these glass baby bottles by Life Factory [via].

The bottles are Bisphenol A, phthalate, PVC & polycarbonate-free, are dishwasher safe and come in a bunch of super cute colours.

Tweet! (the non 140 character kind)

2009-06-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

How cute is this cutting board?? What a great housewarming/shower/bday/wedding gift...
Get yours here for a mere $14!

[via here]

For the man in your life...

2009-06-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

Men typically don't seem to appreciate a great card like us gals do.

So... what better way to guarantee yourself a birthday/anniversary/Christmas/etc... card than this All-In-One Card Stamp!

All he'll have to do is find a piece of paper - and voila! He's created a lovely & thoughtful card.

Get yours here: http://pleaseenjoy.com

[found via here]

Confirmed!

2009-06-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to confirm that our wedding will be shot by the fabulously talented Barry of Hip Photography. M & I both loved Barry's style, and after meeting him last week we felt even more thrilled with our decision! His wedding site isn't up yet, but I will be posting it as soon as it's live. If you're in the Vancouver area and looking for a photographer, Barry's your man.

[images: Barry Calhoun]

Ceremony

2009-06-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

This could be our ceremony location -- we're just waiting to hear back.
The little vineyard/inn is just too perfect. I think I'll cry if it doesn't work out.

I caved...

2009-06-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

... and bought the pretty red shoes from Urban Outfitters. The price dropped today from $128 to $65, so I bit the bullet and paid the $50 shipping fee. Now I just hope I love them & they fit....

Words of wisdom

2009-06-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

Sera at Broken*Saucer just made my day:

"...if my guests want something from a wedding besides what I provide at this shindig, they can get their own wedding."

Amen sista.

Honeymoon

2009-06-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

M & I are planning to honeymoon in Europe in the spring, but wanted a little post wedding honeymoon to tide us over. We'd discussed a few different little get aways... and then it all became clear. AUSTIN, TEXAS.

You see, M & I are both music fanatics. If we hadn't started talking music the first fateful night we met, we likely wouldn't be in the process of planning a wedding. We have both always been very passionate about discovering great new bands & seeing live shows, so what better way to celebrate our marriage than a trip to music mecca Austin?!

I'm so excited just thinking about it.
Do you have any suggestions for great venues, restaurants, hotels, etc... in Austin??
Thanks!

Getting closer...

2009-06-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

I just bought a gocco printer off of ebay. I'm so happy!

Can't wait to print our invites!!!

It's going to be a busy week for us in wedding land. M & I discussed wedding details last night over this amazing beet salad and wine... we have a lot of work ahead of us.

Plans for this weekend?
> Find a ceremony location (rustic field in Pemberton?)
> Find rehersal brunch location
> Register for some basics
> Design invites

Plans for next week?
> Buy fabric for BM dresses (we're having them made!)
> Get marriage license
> Print invites
> Make appointment for our rings

Wish us luck :)

Yay!

2009-06-02T16:23:00.000-07:00

Big congrats to Once Wed for launching their gorgeous new site.

While you're on the new site, be sure to check out Zack & Lauren's wedding recap. It is the epitome of rustic chic - and those bridesmaid outfits are awesome!

The redesign is by the always amazing ALSO who never cease to amaze & inspire me. Check out their work - it's ridiculously wonderful.

DIY

2009-06-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

My DIY list is rather extensive, and with three months to go I really need to get things moving. Especially the invites that I have yet to design or print... mainly because we don't have a ceremony location to put on the invites!

The DIY list is as follows:
Bouts // Corsages // Ring pillows // Invites // Place cards // Centerpieces // Seating chart // Website // and who knows what else...

I just did a really quick mock up of the bouts (just using stuff from around the house - these are not what they will look like) -- and then it occurred to me... WHAT IF I'M A REALLY BAD DIY'er??? What if my bouts are ugly? And the invites look like crap? And the place cards look ghetto?

This week is going to be all about DIY. Look out.

Damn you...

2009-06-02T11:36:00.001-07:00

...Urban Outfitters for charging $50usd to ship to Canada.
The shoes are only sold online, so I can't even drive down to the States and buy a pair...

*sigh*

Do i bite the bullet or start looking for different shoes??

Flower Free

2009-06-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

We plan to have a relatively flower free wedding. The only flowers will be my bouquet, and the BM bouquets. For centerpieces we were thinking large candles in mason jars in lieu of flowers... but then I stumbled upon these (via 100 Layer Cake).

Holy crapola - aren't they cute? I love the big table numbers, and the fact that the plants will live on in someone's home! Eco friendly AND beautiful.

Canadiana

2009-06-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you guys, but I tried on a lot of dresses before finding "the one."
Heck, I dated a lot of men before finding "the one." What can I say - I like to be 100% sure before I commit to something.

In my quest for the perfect dress, I tried on everything from pouffy to simple to extreme, finally landing on a beautiful, simple yet elegant dress from local designer Barbra Allin (bought at Bisou bridal).

If you're in Vancouver and on the hunt for the perfect dress, I would highly recommend Bisou. Not only did they have an incredible selection of both local and international designers, but the staff are INCREDIBLE. Super friendly & knowledgeable.

[images from Bisoubridal.com > Lillen / Barbra Allin / Tara Keely]

Stamp Love

2009-05-29T13:49:00.001-07:00

I ran across these address stamps on the Green Wedding Shoes site and just had to post them. What a beautiful and simple way of putting your return address on wedding invites... or any mail for that matter - and for $18usd you really can't go wrong!

Get your very own here.

Details

2009-05-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

As we have yet to find an officiant or photographer, I should really not be worried about the details at this point... but after seeing these chalkboards (via here & here), I think they'd be a super cute addition to our "rustic" wedding.

Jackpot?

2009-05-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

M & I were pretty disappointed that the folks at Stone photography were already booked on our wedding date, but they DID refer us to another fabulous photographer - Barry Calhoun.

His wedding site isn't live yet, but we've seen some of his work and it's FABULOUS.

I'm PRAYING that he's within our budget & will agree to shoot our wedding!

[image: the talented Barry Calhoun]

Home Sick

2009-05-22T15:10:00.000-07:00

It's been too long since I've really felt home.
This blog makes me yearn for "home" even more (found via here).
So beautiful. Enjoy.
And Happy Friday :)

So close...

2009-05-22T10:35:00.001-07:00

Well, M & I finally found a local photographer that we LOVE.
One of my lovely BMs has been on the hunt for great photographers and had sent these guys my way.
The bad news is that they're booked on our wedding day. Very booked.

Check them out - they're totally wonderful!

[all images: Stone photography]

Think Pink

2009-05-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

M & I, as I've likely mentioned before, are big wine nuts and have been drinking a lot of great rose wines of late. I'd mentioned the Joie rose & the Kettle Valley pinot gris earlier (both from the interior of BC), but our new favorite has got to be the Vieille Ferme rose that our friends B & L recently introduced us to.

Light & dry - perfect for the patio and reasonably priced at about $13/bottle.

[photo of the boys from Sunday night... when a lot of La Vielle Ferme, Joie & Kettle Valley were consumed]

cuchè collection

2009-05-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

I came across these cute suits by cuchè in my inbox this morning. Not only are the suits sexy & sophisticated, but they're designed & made right here in Vancouver, Canada.

After all the chaos leading up to a wedding and summer quickly approaching, I think we all deserve a cute new suit.

Shop cuchè here.

RIFLE love

2009-05-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

I stumbled onto the RIFLE website tonight (via my new favorite blog) and have absolutely fallen in love with both her design & wedding portfolios. She does such an incredible job of branding weddings with charm, whimsy & elegance. And I'm really diggin' her RSVP web pages - they really complete the package.

Crushing...

2009-05-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

I have a new photo crush - Jill Thomas. Her photos are so natural, beautiful & vibrant.

Check her out - she's fabulous.

2009-05-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon these beautiful felt flowers through her great blog. What a great way to accessorize a dress, shirt, tank top... anything!!

Ode to the Mason Jar

2009-05-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

Of late, I've become rather enamored with the Mason Jar.

Functional, nostalgic & beautiful.

I think my Mason Jar affinity started when M & I ate at at Bandidas Taqueria for the first time. (If you live in Vancouver, or plan on visiting, check it out - amazing vegetarian, home style Mexican food). The restaurant serves water in Mason Jars - I thought it was so cute. Since then, M & I have talked about getting replacing our glassware with Mason Jars - when we finally find a permanent home.

But - I digress.

I think Mason Jars with a thick white candle inside could be a really simple, elegant centerpiece, and would go well with our textured, rustic theme.

[image from here]

Positive Messaging

2009-05-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Camille called me the other day to let me know she's jett-setting off to London for the week... and she wants to get me a little Wedding gift from the Keep Calm Gallery while she's there! So many beautiful, positive, happy prints!

Chie Love

2009-05-11T14:44:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, I bought a pair of gorgeous blue Chie Mihara shoes (left).
Last pair, my size, marked down from $300 to $100. They make me very happy.
I wore them this weekend to my very dear friend's wedding (her wedding colour was blue, so I thought it was rather fitting!), and can I just tell you how comfortable they were?? I was on my feet all night and didn't once think about my feet once.

I wish he made these shoes in red. For $100.

Bicycle Love

2009-05-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

I just stumbled onto these images via A Farmhouse Wedding.

In our constant quest to personalize our wedding, I'm thinking that our cruiser bikes could be a great prop for post-wedding photos? We've had so many wonderful days out on our bikes it would be really nice to incorporate them into our day. I love love love the little "Just Married" signs on the backs of these bikes.

If the ceremony is close enough to the reception, we could even ride our bikes there!

The updo

2009-05-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

I desperately don't want anything overly precious happening on my head on our wedding day. Something simple and out of the way would be great. Portia de Rossi has become my new hair idol - it always looks so elegant, yet casual (and have you seen her on Better off Ted?? Has to be the funniest show on TV. I actually spit water out of my mouth, nearly killing M's laptop.)

[images from here and here]

Le List

2009-05-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

I hadn't planned on posting our "to do" list... mainly because I think it will stress me out - but let's see what happens. Maybe it will inspire me to check some things off?!

My lovely soon to be sister-in-law is getting married 3 weeks before us, so we're both starting to realize all the things we have yet to do... Hope this helps, H.

So... here we go:

> Find an officiant
> Find a ceremony location
> Find a photographer
> Book a block of hotels for guests
> Register
> Build our wedding website
> Design, print & send our invites
> Honeymoon? (We're planning for Italy in the Spring)
> BM Dresses & Accessories
> Marriage License
> Chairs for outdoor ceremony (location TBA... I guess I have to be more specific than "rustic field")
> Transportation
> Timeline for the day/night
> Rehearsal dinner/lunch location & invites
> Make up? Hair??
> Finalize menu
> Get M's ring
> Seating chart
> VOWS
> Pick an MC

Hm. And those are only the big things... I won't stress you out with the little things :)

Wedding Music

2009-05-06T14:22:00.000-07:00

Today on CBC Radio 3 (listen online!),Grant Lawrence has been discussing wedding music - first dance songs & wedding playlists. Check out their blog to read what CBC Radio 3 listeners have to say!

Dead sexy

2009-05-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

After my little meeting last night with the BMs, my "to do" list has grown exponentially. One of the items that hadn't even crossed my mind was how we're going to actually get to the ceremony. I guess M & I don't drive our little VW Golf there together?!

In my perfect world, I'd arrive (and the two of us would leave) in a black '67 convertible Mustang. (It's been both M & my favorite car since long before we met.) Or anything cool and old would be incredible. Don't worry - it's on the list...

[image from here]

The Kiss...

2009-05-05T18:24:00.001-07:00

Have you thought about this?
What will the kiss be like??

I think these two have just about the cutest kiss I've ever seen.

Romantic & dramatic.

[more images here]

Hot!

2009-05-05T16:34:00.000-07:00

My BMs and I will be wearing red heels on "the big day"... which means I have an excuse
to shoe shop :) I'm digging these red Jeffrey Campbell hells (they look cute, yet comfy), and I've been lusting after these sexy little shoes by Objects in Mirror since I laid eyes on them (though, i'm having a tough time rationalizing the $300 on sale pricetag).

My boss rocks

2009-05-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

I can't begin to tell you how much I love my V&A William Morris print water bottle. My boss gave it to me over the holidays and it's an absolute must have in my day to day life. It's functional, environmentally friendly, so beautiful, and I'm always getting compliments on it! (mine is on the left)

I'm not sure exactly how they're wedding related - maybe they'd be a good addition to a BM gift? Or maybe your Mom would like one for Mother's Day? I got one for my Mom!

I picked the one up for my Mom from here.

[images from here]

BM Dresses...

2009-05-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

My lovely BMs are coming over tonight to help ease my anxiety, delegate some of the "to dos" and make a bit of an action plan.

One of the more fun "to dos" will be shopping for their BM dresses & accessories. I was hunting around online this morning for charcoal grey strapless dresses (which is a lot harder than it sounds) and stumbled upon these cute little numbers on Vancouver's Frocks website (dresses by Charsa Design - $275-$285usd). You can pick your own colour & customize the dresses. Super cute.

Brilliant

2009-05-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

During my morning panic, M & I hunted around the interweb in hopes of finding a great local photographer. If it were in our budget, we'd hire Blue Olive Photography in a heartbeat. Their photos are so candid, and ooze passion & emotion. Love it.

[images from Blue Olive Photography]

The four month panic.

2009-05-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

So. Laying in bed this morning I had a mini panic attack.
We're getting married in four months. Four months.

We don't have an officiant, a photographer, a registry, invites (heck, I still have to learn to gocco print so that I can design & print the invites)... and I'm sure there are a million other little things we need as well.

I'm stressing a little bit about finding a photographer that we a) love and b) can afford.

In my dream world Max Wanger would come shoot our wedding at a reasonable rate.
My backup dream world, a photographer with a similar, fabulous style would come shoot our wedding at a reasonable rate.

Our wedding is September 12th in Whister, BC. If you know someone (or are someone!) that could fulfill my dream, please get in touch with us!
Thank you :)

[photo credit: the fabulous Max Wanger]

Etsy Love

2009-05-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

I have to monitor the time I spend on Etsy, or I'd constantly binge shop.

I'm loving these beautiful clutches (from here) and these earings (made by my dear friend Carly). If only I had my ears pierced.

Venue

2009-04-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've posted with the details of our amazing reception venue... Now that it's confirmed, I feel like posting about it won't jinx it :)

I'd never eaten at the Rim Rock until M suggested it as a venue and took me there for dinner.

MY GOD. Best food I've ever eaten. The service was incredible, the food was to die for, and the wine selection was endless...

I can't believe we'll be serving Filet Mignon, Lobster, Sablefish... to our guests - it makes me so happy.

We're hoping to do the ceremony in a local field, so the wedding will be a lovely juxtaposition of country casual & cozy elegance.

So excited.

Yum

2009-04-30T17:37:00.000-07:00

I've been seeing a lot about this blog lately... and I can see why.
The food looks so fabulous and fresh. I can't wait to find the boxes that have our cooking utensils and try some of these. I'm hungry just looking at the photos.

Slipping...

2009-04-30T17:18:00.001-07:00

I was out having drinks for M's birthday last night, and our friend Joanna was joking that she's tired of looking at that moose boutenir when she checks the blog. Read: start posting again.

I realize it's been a while... but things are turning around! We've finally moved (into a FABULOUS place)... I fired an awful client that was killing me... and the sunshine is out. I feel like things are turning around and I'll finally have time to focus on ME, which will include wedding fun... and therefore blogging :)

Enough rambling...

I love love love the poster (left) - it's been rather inspiring over the last week during the client debacle. (by her... found here)

Progress...

2009-04-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

Things are somewhat coming together...
The splash page is up on our website... now I just have to build it... *sigh*

'Bout obsession...

2009-04-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

I just had to blog this site. Far too cute.
Found it via here.

Place Cards...

2009-03-31T13:23:00.000-07:00

I've enlisted my fabulous, wine loving friends to save their corks for me. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to use them for - but I knew they'd be useful in our texture inspired wedding!

I just did a rough mock up of what our place cards could look like. Thoughts?

We'd use a variety of colourful cardstocks (like the stripes used here) - and I'm hoping we could find labels with dashes around the edges - like our save the dates in my last post. M has beautiful writing, so I would enlist him to write out the names!

fun with invites

2009-03-13T10:26:00.000-07:00

I was really inspired by some packaging I saw on d*s the other day and started drafting up some invites. The plan is to find a range of beautiful, patterned papers, and adhere the white 'info' band to it... the band will wrap around the back with more information...
I'm wondering if this could be mailed as a postcard? Are there regulations about postcards beinging only one flat piece of paper?

Gettin' er done...

2009-03-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

So, last week I bought my dress!!!
While M and I have been engaged since June, this really made everything feel very real - and exciting! So, now that we have the date, the venue and the dress, I'm feeling like things are starting to come together. I know there are a million things left to be done, but for now, I'm feeling good!

Cuties.

2009-02-25T10:40:00.000-08:00

Heather at We Met in a Bar posted this real wedding a couple days ago and I had to share. These flower girls are adorable, and the bride's dress is perfect - simple, elegant, yet unique.

Check out the rest of this wedding on her fab blog. Photos by Matthew Morgan.

Mid-morning smile.

2009-02-13T11:15:00.000-08:00

I can always count on A Lovely Morning to make my day... five minutes on her blog consistently brings a big smile to my face... and her wine cork heart did exactly that :)

Also - check out her latest project... it's so beautiful.

Last fabric post... I promise.... maybe.

2009-02-13T10:50:00.001-08:00

I feel like every blog I've read over the past few days has had sewn paper & fabric posts. I don't know if it's a sign that I'm meant to make this my theme, or I'm just following some trend... but the fabric thing makes me really happy. As you can tell. By my last few posts. Sorry. I'm done. Promise. Maybe.

(image: d*s)

Real Wedding Inspiration

2009-02-12T15:50:00.000-08:00

My lovely friend Lynanne passed these photos along from her sister's gorgeous wedding, and I had to share. I love the beautiful fall colours, her elegant attire and the red cowboy inspired boots!

Fabric Fortune

2009-02-12T12:56:00.000-08:00

M & I have talked about donating money to a charity in lieu of guest favors. These ridiculously cute diy fabric fortune cookies (found here) might be the perfect medium for this? The paper inside could provide a happy fortune and information on our charity of choice... and the exterior will fit our textured, fabric theme!

Check out the whole 'how to' here.

Can't get enough...

2009-02-12T11:12:00.000-08:00

So, I'm mildly obsessing over this sewn fabric theme for the wedding... I'd originally found the idea on Purl Bee's site yesterday... but then I went to the source (Inchmark), and am now even more obsessed.

M & I were at a wedding back in the summer where the couple had made up this fabulous little booklet of with information about each guest, a quiz about the couple, stories and other goodies... The 'we heart emily' questionaire reminded me of this, and is in keeping with the fabric theme. The candy packaging is another great extension of the brand!

I honestly need to stop looking at Inchmark's site... I'm obsessing.

Inspired

2009-02-11T16:34:00.000-08:00

So, the general aesthetic of our wedding is starting to come together. The moodboard in my last post really captures the tone we're trying to set - textured, warm, sophisticated, but fun.

In terms of invites, I've been thinking gocco printed postcards... until I ran across these cards today on d*s by The Purl Bee. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the homemade, textured feel of them (though, I think I would skip the torn edges for our purposes... though they are lovely).

So - now imagine those cards, using the fabrics shown in my last post on the jars, with the wedding information lovingly gocco'd. Maybe a variety of fabric shapes? I think I'm in love.

This 'feel' could carry on to place cards, labels, save the dates, thank you cards... anything! It will be a lot of work to make 80 invites/thank yous/etc... but hey - I have seven months... and some amazing friends!

Nelle Contest!

2009-02-10T10:59:00.000-08:00

The always lovely Brooklyn Bride has teamed up with Nelle handbags, offering up the opportunity to win up to five (fabulous) Nelle clutches for your bridesmaids.

To enter, create a moodboard that reflects your vision of your bridemaid's wedding style, inspired by a Nelle bag! More details here.

Above is the moodboard I've entered... I'm really pleased with it, as it reflects my exact vision of our wedding! Wish me luck!

Apologies...

2009-02-09T13:10:00.000-08:00

I've been seriously neglecting the bloggosphere the past few weeks - my sincerest apologies.

M & I are in the process of selling our place (fingers crossed we close in the next few days) and I'm working two jobs so things are just a little hectic! I did however do some dress shopping with my lovely bridesmaids on the weekend and stumbled upon this little jem of a dress. Thoughts?

Also, a girlfriend was over this weekend and brought me photos of her sister's wedding. I will post them shortly - they're stunning... Beautiful fall colours, and she wore red cowboy boots!

shtty day, prtty design

2009-01-27T14:02:00.000-08:00

I would like to start today over.

Wake up early to a steaming hot cup of tea in bed & a kiss from my sweetie. Get up in time to pick up the groceries for tonight's dinner party before needing to starting work (and maybe even get to yoga). Spend the morning being super productive dealing with my overflowing work inbox & attending to the many increasingly urgent freelance issues. Take a nice break mid-day to browse wedding blogs & do a bit of blogging. Finish up the day having been super productive, pour myself a glass of wine and prepare the finishing touches for dinner before guests arrive.

Wouldn't that have been nice. F.

Anyways. The highlight of my day has been finding the fabulous Lovely Morning blog. Oh what joy you have brought me today.

I was first impressed with her beautiful, elegant gocco New Years cards (left). What a smart girl - send NY cards instead of Christmas cards!

I then stumbled onto her ridiculously stunning wedding invites/envelopes (centre/right - click link to view more), featuring calligraphy by the ever talented Love, Jenna.

*sigh*

Fifty Million

2009-01-26T17:28:00.000-08:00

Last night's lotto was an estimated fifty million dollars.

M & I had a nice little day-dreamy chat about what we would do with fifty million dollars...
The usual things came up - charity, family, friends, travel, house... but the thing I found really interesting is how we said it would impact our day to day lives - what we'd do with the time (if we left our jobs).

For M it meant maybe playing more music, recording an album, taking up photography seriously, going back to school...

For me it meant starting the business I've had on the back burner for a year, immersing myself in art (painting, printing, sewing, creating...), taking more classes & maybe freelancing more seriously...

I'd love a big, beautiful bright studio where I could hole-up and work away - and a studio for M wired with all the techy things he likes where he could play (&blog) 'til his fingers hurt.

The more I think about these passions of ours, the more I realize you don't need fifty million to fulfill them. You just need to start. (though I wouldn't say no to his & hers studios... and an extra few hours in the day).

So, how is this wedding related? Well, both M and I said that if we became fifty million dollars richer, we wouldn't change a thing about how we're planning our wedding - and I think that's pretty cool.

What are your passions? If you had the time and money to do whatever you'd like - what would you do? And what's stopping you?

(photo from d*s. i'll kill to have a bright studio like this. bonus points for the beautiful old wood floors & white walls)

First Dance

2009-01-21T13:19:00.000-08:00

The first wedding planning item M & I talked about within an hour of being engaged was what song we would dance our first dance to. As usual music was the first thing on our minds.

We'd thought Bob Dylan's Shelter From the Storm (not this version - but similar) would be really nice - even though it's a little depressing.

M Ward, one of my longtime favorites, just release his latest album Hold Time. His song Never Had Nobody but You just might be my new favorite first dance song. It's cute, upbeat, not cheesy & all about love. Check it out on his myspace page & let me know what you think!

Fun, Fresh & Fabulous!

2009-01-21T13:10:00.000-08:00

I saw this image on d*s ages ago but it has really stuck with me. It may have been our original inspiration in opting for a colour pallet in lieu of one or two wedding colours. I love love love the warmth, freshness & personality of these colours & patterns. And what a great little gift idea!

M & I were at his cousin's wedding in Thunder Bay last August and they had done something very similar, but with jam (these are syrup). It's something everyone can use (or keep!) and means more because it's homemade.

Ensuring my Fertility

2009-01-20T16:12:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned earlier, M is fairly adamant about not cutting a cake at our wedding. I'm not exactly sure why, but I think it has something to do with conforming to traditions without thinking about what they represent.

So, I did a little research. Let me tell you, there isn't a lot online about WHY we cut the cake... but there is a ton about HOW to cut the cake. That in itself is a little disheartening.

So, without further ado:

"The wedding cake has been an important part of the wedding celebration since Roman times when a thin wheat cake, representing bounty, was crumbled over the bride's head to ensure her fertility." (from here)

Now we all know. And it's even a Roman tradition, baby ;)

(image from here)

Eco Invites

2009-01-20T15:38:00.000-08:00

M & I are trying to keep our wedding as eco friendly as possible.

For us this means:
> Minimal cut flowers - only the bride & 2 bridesmaids will hold flowers... no flower centrepieces, decor, etc...
> virtually paperless invites. We're thinking of sending out postcards as invites with very basic wedding info and a link to our website. This eliminates envelopes, full folding cards, rsvp cards & envelopes and all the little maps and things some people include - this will all be done online. We're lucky that my Grandparents are super hip & online or this might not work :)
> no junky favors that will just be thrown out. We will either donate funds to a charity or do something edible?
> lots more little ideas, but this is what comes to mind!

I love these postcard ideas (above)... simple & cute! I was having issues determining how to make our invites look sleek on both sides, but I think we'll aim for a 'designed' front & casual back :)
(images from here and here)

I'd love to hear readers thoughts on more eco friendly wedding ideas!

More Bouts...

2009-01-20T13:13:00.000-08:00

I'm developing a slight boutonniere obsession. Found these 'beaut 'bouts on Martha's site.

On a side note, does anyone else find Martha Stewart's site really awful? It's slow, hard to navigate and the links rarely work. There are so many great ideas & beautiful things on the site... but it's like pulling teeth to get to them!

Dear Vera...

2009-01-20T12:44:00.000-08:00

... for my wedding, could you please send me this dress?

The Future is Bright

2009-01-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

(Images from here)

This post is totally wedding-un-related, but I just wanted to voice my excitement & hopes for the new American President. Bring on the change!!