My Weblog

Flowers

I'm going to dedicate this week to discuss your wedding flowers. The flowers you choose will help you express yourself with style and elegance.

You should book your florist twelve to nine months before your wedding date, depending on how much you will be using flowers as your decor.

Your bridal bouquet can set the tone for the rest of your wedding flowers and floral decorations. You can  harmonize your bouquet with your dress, wedding theme, and personality.

Using white or monochromatic flowers is typically traditional. To create a formal look use one variety of flower in different shades of the same colour. If you would like a more relaxed feel to your wedding, try using a mixture of flowers and colours.

You can find photos of these flowers on Bride and Bloom Magazine.

 

A-Line Dresses

A popular dress among brides is the A-line dress. It's a timeless and classic design. I love that designers have been putting a new modern twist to the style. Some of my favourite A-line style dresses are seen above.

Dresses from top left to bottom right:

Atelier Aimee
Sonia Cholette
Claire Pettibone
Anne Barge

All these dresses and more can be found on Brides.com

Love Day!

Happy Love Day!!! I just want to take a minute and talk about what Love Day actually means and represents. Beyond the roses, chocolates, greeting cards, expensive dinners and materialistic things, the real meaning of Valentine's day is to celebrate love. Not just romantic love, but all love. Love for your friends, or children, your family.

I am saddened to see how commercialized Valentine's Day has become. It's not about how much money you spend or who's boyfriend was more romantic. It's a day to let everyone you know and cherish in your life how much you love them. You should also transfer this feeling of love and generosity you feel on Valentine's Day to every single day of your life. You shouldn't just be romantic and loving one day out of the whole year. Live everyday like it's Valentine's Day. Tell the people you love how important they are to you. I know the stress of life can put a damper on things, but wouldn't all your stress just melt away if you came home and your partner had surprised you with dinner, or a movie night in? How wonderful would it be to sit down and eat dinner with your family every night? How wonderful would it be to make time for your friends, to celebrate your friendships?

Above I have displayed a few pictures of my life and the people I love. My boyfriend, my friends, my family, my nieces, my nephews, my cat...they all make me who I am today. Without them, without their love, my world would be a lonely hole. So today, I'm taking the time to thank them for being born, for choosing me to be in their lives, and for loving me conditionally.

Happy Love Day!!!

Hoa Bridal

For the next few days we're going to talk about bridal dresses...one of my favourite topics! Don't you just wish there was a job in the world where you could wear a wedding gown all day long?! Ahhhhhh....swoon!

One of my favourite Torontonian designers is Hoa Bridal. Their dresses are STUNNING! I have walked by their store window numerous times, with my mouth hanging wide open and my gaze fixed on the beautiful trail of white fabric. I'm surprised I haven't bumped into anybody on the street yet!

TearDrop's 2008 Wedding Invitation Collection

I would love to share with all of you my 2008 wedding invitation collection! You may view the video on YouTube.com. The collection will go live on the our website shortly. Keep checking back for updates!

Lite up fruit slices for your drinks!

WOW...I heart this product! Add some pizazz to your signature cocktails with these coloured LED fruit slices in four assorted colors and 3 multi-blink options. How fun would your guests have with these! Think of the brilliant and fun colours that would be illuminating your venue! You can find these at Z Gallerie.

Signature Drink

I've always loved the idea of having a signature drink at a wedding. You can be creative and have fun with this! You can print out little tags with the name of the drink and tie it around the base of the glass. You can use beads, glitter, feathers...the sky is the limit! I personally love custom letterpressed tags to match the colour or theme of your wedding. I have created a number of these tags for previous clients, they are so much fun to do and they add a bit of whimsy and personality to your wedding!

Sealed with a Kiss

Ingredients:
1/2 oz. Smirnoff Vodka
1 1/2 oz. Mint Baileys Irish Cream
1/2 oz. Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
Chocolate syrup
Garnish: Mint leaf

Directions:
Chill Martini glass by placing ice in empty glass and let stand. Mix Mint Baileys Irish Cream, Smirnoff Vodka, and Godiva white chocolate liqueur over ice in a shaker. Shake well or until frost develops on outside of metal shaker. Remove Ice from chilled Martini glass. Drizzle chocolate syrup along the inside edges of the chilled martini glass. Strain cocktail from shaker into chilled martini glass and garnish with a mint leaf. Enjoy.

Limelight Food Illuminated

I found a wonderful caterer in the Chicago area called Limelight Food Illuminated. They believe in creating healthy beautiful food and even offer organic catering for all you eco brides. On there website they have a recipe for tantalizing eggplant gratin. See recipe below.

EGGPLANT GRATIN WITH SAFFRON CUSTARD
Serves: 6

2 Japanese eggplants, slice thin
1/4 cup Pomace olive oil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup red onions, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon died basil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
5 Roma tomatoes
2 eggs
1 cup ricotta (bulk)
1/2 cup cream
1/8 teaspoon whole saffron
6 oz Parmesan, shaved
2 oz fresh basil

Slice eggplant very thin, with a slicer or mandoline. Brush with Pomace olive oil and roast. Toss sliced tomatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast. Sautee onion, garlic, and basil. Mix eggs, ricotta, cream and saffron. Layer 1/3 of eggplant on bottom of pan. Cover with 1/3 of tomato and 1/3 of onion mixture. Sprinkle ¼ of Parmesan on top. Repeat with layer 2 and 3, leaving the Parmesan off the last layer. Pour cream/ricotta mixture over the whole thing and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
Bake approx. 30 minutes. 

Marcia Selden Catering and Event Planning

Marcia Selden Catering and Event Planning is a Connecticut based caterer that will create mouth watering food for a backyard barbecue or a refined black tie! The photos on their website will make your mouth water!

Good Gracious! Events

Good Cracious! Events is an event planning company that also specializes in food. They create unique, custom weddings, but their talents don't stop there. They also do showers, rehersal dinners and ceremonies. They are based in California, but travel to other destinations as well.