Engagements.ca, celeb weddings and engagements

MAY

Shopping For Your Wedding Dress

Hey, George Michael, are you listening? You might decide that you DO want a wedding dress after all, once you hear how easy this is once you have tips. Oh, you already have tips? I don’t want to hear about it.

Anyway.

If you’re ready to go out and buy your wedding dress, read these tips. Numbers 6 and 7 are really good -- at least for me, the impulsive chick.

6. Shop around
You didn't get engaged on your first date, right? Likewise, you shouldn't buy the first dress you try on. Give yourself all the options and the time to think by shopping more -- and elsewhere -- before you buy.
7. Sleep on it
Even after you think you've found your gown, take a day to be absolutely sure it's the one for you. Since bridal gowns are custom-made, most salons put a no-return policy in their contracts; if you can get any money back, it probably won't be any more than 50 percent of the cost.

I should have read this earlier. That way I wouldn’t have had to RE-paint the living room because it turned out looking like egg yolks exploded on it the first time. But that’s a whole other story.

15 Must-Read Gown Shopping Tips [MSN Lifestyle]

APR

Your Wedding Dress in Colour!

Pink is the new white now, it seems. Or if pink isn’t your thing, at least you’re not limited to a white wedding gown anymore. Of course, you were never truly limited -- you’re the bride, it’s your day, and you can do what you want -- but at least now the options are being marketed and easier to find.

Many brides don’t wear white, but they usually stick to the white family: ivory, off-white, cream. This video shows you that you can go a little crazier without looking crazy. But if crazy’s the look you’re going for, I’d suggest black with red polka dots. In taffeta!

Latest Wedding Dress Styles [Today Show video]

APR

Wedding Gown Shopping Tips

Celebrities know how to do it. Sometimes. But at least they have stylists to help them. This is all about YOU.

Don’t blow your budget on an impulse. Nobody will think you’re a special bride if you wear a black strapless mini -- they’ll just think that you’re ‘special.’ And not in a good way. Think short bus.

I know that it’s freakout time and deciding on what to have for lunch is a curve ball that you didn’t expect. So take a deep breath and read these tips. THEN go shopping. It’ll be fine. Breathe.

The gift that I’m giving you if you don’t buy the abysmal green taffeta prom dress for your wedding: Shoes. Because then you’re ready.

15 Must-Read Gown Shopping Tips [MSN Lifestyle]

JUN

Something Funky: Custom Designed Beaded Jewelry by Michelle the Bead Lady

Michelle the Bead Lady was the best-kept secret in Montreal. No more. Now that people have gotten wind of her creations, the girl’s on caffeine and adrenaline making the funkiest jewelry around.

“I specialize in custom designed beaded jewelry. I use all kinds of materials (glass, crystal, ceramic and semi-precious stones). I even work with wire, sterling, thread and metal. I seem to have a knack for making special custom-order gifts for the women in the bridal party.”

Using a nifty ‘getting to know you’ questionnaire, she’s right-on with the perfect unique piece every time. You tell her the colour scheme, and Michelle’s good to go …and within your budget! Each piece is personalized by the bride and the questionnaire is included with the gift to see how it all came together.

In addition to bridal party gifts, Michelle also makes party favours. And, again, they’re unique in that every one is hand-made.

And since the Bead Lady really never needs to rest, she also throws bridal party showers

“where we all sit and make the gifts for the guests or the jewelry for the wedding...or just to have a chill night with the ladies.... have some wine and do something crafty!”

Sounds fun, huh? Michelle is a recognized artisan and designer with over 20 years of experience with beads and jewelry. Give her a buzz, and give your guests and bridal party (and you!) a funky treat.

Something Funky: Michelle the Bead Lady [www.somethingfunky.ca]

JUN

What To Wear On Your Wedding Night

Tip #1: Men are visual. Your guy is no exception.

Tip #2: There’s no such thing as ‘trashy’ to a man. There’s no exception.

Tip #3: Don’t wear his old button-down shirt and sweats. He may love it every other night, but this night is the exception.

Tip #4: A woman’s body is beautiful. Yours is no exception.

Tip #5: Buy something new. Something special. This night is something special. Make it exceptional.

Romantic Intimates - Bridal [La Vie en Rose]

JUN

This Year’s Baby Blue: Lime Green

Yup, it’s back. Lime green has made its vibrant return. This year’s baby blue is lime green. At first, I thought ‘oh no!’ but then I was in a Target store and found this ab-fab lime green blouse that I just HAD to have. Now that it’s warm out, I’ve been wearing it to death. Well, I have to …it’ll be out again next year, right? Rightio. Anyway, I was looking for some comfy shoes to wear for my wedding, once I kick off those killer heels. I found ‘em, and guess what? They’re lime green.

Lime green flip flop with iridescent flowers with green centers. Loved by such luminaries as Sarah Jessica Parker on "Sex In The City", Maria Shriver, Vera Wang, Heather Locklear and Ivana Trump to name a few. Not only are they high fashion, but they are also extremely comfortable and stunning in their brilliance! Each sandal is a hand crafted work of art. All Swarovski crystals, approximately four hundred per set, are hand placed.

Hey, I figure if they’re good enough for Ivana to wear around her house, they’re good enough for me to wear at my wedding. And they’re lime green! I’m so stylin’.

Lime Flip Flops With Crystal Flowers [Advantage Bridal]

JUN

Bride’s Purse

I know, I know, you don’t want to hold a purse at your own wedding. But won’t you be kicking yourself when you want to freshen up your lipstick? Yeah, you’ll want a little something to put your little somethings in. Your mother could hold onto your lipstick, keys, tampon (oh no!), compact, whatever, but what if you can’t find her in the crowd? Do yourself a favour and have your own little (operative word!) purse. And make it pretty.

Bridal Purses [Wedding Gazette]

JUN

The Feng Shui of the Wedding Dress

I don’t understand Feng Shui. I won’t pretend to understand Feng Shui. But I sure as hell ain’t gonna fight Feng Shui when it comes to my wedding dress.

Feng Shui deals with energy that is all around us. Energy can be static, stagnant, refreshing revitalizing, sticky and much more. The energy you desire on your Wedding Day should be new, fresh, alive and vibrant.

Got it.

Do not buy a gown to please your mom or mother-in-law. The dress, if designed for someone else will bring down the vibrations without your awareness.

Check.

Never borrow or rent a dress from a bride that is divorced. If you must be sure to do a sacred cleaning to the dress.

Okey dokey.

Begin the journey with your husband as a true representation of who you are.

Will do, Feng Shui!

Feng Shui Wedding Gown [About]

MAY

To Veil or Not to Veil?

That is the question. According to tradition, it is considered bad luck for the bride to be seen by the groom before the ceremony. Well, unless this is an arranged marriage (can you believe that those still happen?), the groom would have seen the bride’s face already -- and chances are, without makeup, even! Anyway, depending on what website’s position you subscribe to, the traditions continue …who lifts the veil off of the bride’s face (her father or her husband?), what it means if the bride lifts her own veil (she’s raging her own independence against his male dominance), thick versus sheer (thick being “more traditional” subordination but, hey, I can’t see!), etc… I wasn’t going to wear a veil. I thought fresh flowers in my hair would be nicer. In the bridal store, when the owner heard me say this to my mother, he asked “Are you going to be a flower girl at this wedding? Only flower girls wear flowers in their hair.” I knew this wasn’t true, but I didn’t want to get into a fistfight with the man. In the end, I’d do what I wanted to do anyway: wear flowers in my hair, no veil. He stuck the veil in my hair (it was attached with a comb), my mother cried, I thought I looked beautiful …I scrapped the flowers in the hair idea and bought the veil. That’s not to say that I did the “right” thing. There’s no right or wrong on this issue. You just have to do what’s right for you.

A Message Board Discussion [Brides Magazine]

MAY

Engagement Rings: A Girl’s Best Friend

engagement ring.jpg Well, next to your guy, the ring’s your best friend. Yeah, that’s what I meant. Yahuh. Really, though, what girl doesn’t dream of her engagement ring? And the size of the stone! Uhh, size doesn’t matter? Oh. Okay.

Anyway, when my guy proposed, he knew that I had a ring of my grandmother’s that I always wore. It had a HA-UGE diamond in it. So, he got me a candy engagement ring in case I wanted to use my grandmother’s stone for sentimental reasons. He figured that I wouldn’t want to keep hers in a drawer because I wouldn’t wear TWO diamond rings. I wouldn’t???? Oh yeah, I wouldn’t.

We were going to get my grandmother’s stone reset in a more modern setting. That’s when I happened across BlueNile.ca. Uhhh, yeah, THAT’S when I happened across the website. Yeah. Okily dokily.

As the largest online retailer of certified diamonds and fine jewelry, we offer outstanding quality, selection, and value.

Whether or not you already have a stone, or whether you intend on going to a jeweler or getting the ring online, BlueNile’s a great place to start. You can build your own ring so that you can have a fairly good idea if what you have in mind will actually look good.

And remember, size doesn’t matter. Words of advice from an ex-boyfriend of mine. Alrighty.

Engagement Rings [BlueNile.ca]

MAY

Spring Wedding? Spring Makeup.

Ah, spring. Sun shining, air fresh, flowers flowering. And if you’re a spring bride, you should represent that bright, clean feeling with your makeup, shouldn’t you? Actually, you should look like spring even if you’re a winter bride, so this article on spring makeup caught my eye. Now, if you don’t consider moisturizer to be makeup, then I don’t wear any. But I sure as anything am going to wear makeup for my wedding. The crisp, clean kind. The stuff that doesn’t look goth or dramatic or like my grandmother wears. (I won’t say anything about blue eye shadow in case you use it.)

The shades of spring evoke images of youth and freshness. Think dewey pink or sun-kissed bronze.

Don’t let the “young” word throw you. This is freshness for all ages. And regardless of age (and I think I’m as old as dirt), we brides should all look bright and new.

And please, if you’re a non-wearer like I am in your day to day life, know that your wedding day is NOT your typical day. Besides, for the photographs alone, you should be wearing makeup so that you don’t look all shiny and greasy. Know what I mean, jelly bean?

First Blush [The Montreal Gazette]

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