Rule-of-thumb ... for the face!

Regardless of what season a Bride chooses for her wedding day, there are certain things that every Bride should remember...

Two coats of waterproof mascara is key for keeping the lashes in tact from tears of joy. No Bride wants train tracks running down her cheeks. Combined with waterproof eyeliner for definition, your eye makeup will remain intact much longer than with regular formulas.

False eyelashes are a great option for Brides who want fuller lashes, and wear quite nicely when applied securely. Do a trial run first to make sure you are comfortable wearing them.

Lips should always be lined, filled in and lipstick applied over top for maximum staying power. Top off with minimal gloss for shine and moisture, but avoid over glossing for your photos. And, always, always, always, have a lip moisturizer on your lips when you’re not wearing lipstick. Keep them soft, supple and protected at all times and avoid products containing camphor, as they tend to dry out the lips.

Just as water is important for the body, it’s equally important for the skin. Dehydration is a major issue for many people, and drinking plenty of water all year round will plump your skin and minimize fine, crêpey dehydration lines. Scrubs will rid the skin of the flakiness and dead skin cells, plus provide a smooth surface for creams to penetrate and makeup to be applied.

Bronzers and finishing powders are great for all seasons – they add a subtle glow to the face regardless of the time of year. Don’t forget to take your bronzer down the neck and décolleté to avoid a demarcation line in the jaw area.

Eyebrows should always be shaped and tidy. After all, they are the picture frame to the eye. Waxing is an inexpensive, quick service that gives you an instant eye lift.

Choose a dual powder in place of a loose powder. Dual powders are the most versatile of makeup items and can be used wet or dry, with a sponge or a brush depending on the coverage needed. And being in compact form, they are perfect for traveling especially to your honeymoon destination.

So while you’re planning all the details of your special day, remember to plan your skin and makeup needs too. Prep your skin in advance, select the bridal look that’s right for you by doing a pre-trial, and don’t leave your most important item to last … you.

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The Proposal- HIS Side of the Story!

From BloggerBrides Fiance:

Every groom has a proposal story that they think was scary….mine REALLY was.

After reading BloggerBrides post about our engagement. I thought it might be cool to tell it from my point of view. After all, there’s two sides to every story…

I distinctly remember when I decided I was going to marry BB. I was in a meeting at work with my boss when out of nowhere the room went dark and silent. I got butterflies in my stomach. One thought kept running through my head: “I am going to marry BloggerBride”, “I am going to marry BloggerBride”. It was a pretty strong feeling. Over-whelming even. When I came out of my trance both the vendor and my boss were looking at me. Apparently one of them had asked me a question. I smiled and said yes.

That night I bought the ring. I felt good about, which is important. With all the pressure from BB, her friends and family I wanted to make sure I was doing this for me and her. Nobody else. I was happy with the ring and I was ready to propose…but I had no idea how.

I kept the ring for about a month hidden in my closet. I knew she wouldn’t find it. She never goes near my closet (your Christmas present is NOT in there). I had a couple of ideas for proposals but none of them felt right. When BB’s family asked me to go the cottage, I thought I’d bring along the ring, just in case.

Once we got to the cottage I knew this was it. It was perfect. The weather was great, her whole family was there and we were having a great time. I tried and tried to get BB’s dad alone so I could ask his permission. It was impossible. Either mother BB or brother BB were always around. By the time Sunday came, I knew if I had to go through with it and hoped he would understand.

So I was out fishing with brother BB when I noticed the sun was starting to set. This was it! I had to get back. I told brother BB I had to go, he was looking at me like I was crazy so I told him I had to use the bathroom….it was the only thing I could think of.

When we got back, I snuck the ring in my jeans pocket. The ring box was HUGE! It looked like I had a rubix cube in my pants (insert joke here). I grabbed a sweater and tried my best to cover it up. I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk. Not an out of the ordinary request but I felt like I gave it all away. She said sure and off we went. At this point I was sooooo nervous. I was saying stupid things like “So what’s on tap for you this week?”. How lame….

We got to the muddy road and I saw that if we didn’t hurry, the sun would set and I would be proposing in the dark. So I asked her to run, and she ran. I was really impressed. No questions, no whining, she just held my hand and ran with me. It was sweet. Something I’ll always remember.

When we got to the dock, the sun was just setting. I felt like my heart was going to explode I was so nervous. We sat at the end of the dock and I just started blurting out things about her and about us. I reached into my pocket, pulled out the rubix cube and thought “Which way is up on this thing?”. I guessed wrong. Right over the water I opened the box upside down. Smooth…very smooth. I flipped the box around and I popped the question. Now I know BB is a crier but holy cow! She was sobbing. I heard yes in there somewhere. I actually had to tell her to calm down and breath.
The walk back was surreal. We just kept saying ‘Did we just do that?” I loved the walk back. It seemed like forever. When we got back we walked in and BB’s mom could sense something was up. I think she thought we were fighting. BB just blurted out “We’re engaged” and they stared at us, dumb struck. I’m not going to lie, I’m a bit of a joker so they may have thought it was a trick, but once they saw the ring, that was it. Tears everywhere all over again.

It was a great experience and I’m glad BB could share it with her family. They are very important to her. My only regret was not getting permission first. If I could do it all again I would have worked harder at that. I’ll have to make it up to him.

There you go, “The Proposal” from FI’s point of view.

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Jingle Jingle

With the end of Halloween (yes, I'm thinking past tomorrow as I write this), Christmas is coming. ACK. I don't know about all of you but I haven't even begun to think about presents yet. For those of you early birds that are out there, I just wanted to give a special shout out and have you take a gander at my Holiday Cards Gallery. If you've been to my site lately, you may have noticed Moments That Shine is under-going some renovations. Because of this, that gallery has yet to be updated with this year's prices and new designs ... oops! Until that is updated (which may be tomorrow, may be next week ... no promises!), the old prices stand. If you're thinking about any of those cards, take me up on the offer now because those prices are insane!!! This is a blog-exclusive offer. I'm not advertising it anywhere else. If you would like to look into things a bit further, send me an email!

Okay ... enough used-car salesman jargon for the day ...

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More Pillows!

I was in talks with Sarah Lansdale after finding her site and she sent me along this lovely collage of non-wedding pillows. Enjoy!

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From Weddings to Cars

I promised that I'd be posting some pics of the 2008 Vehicle Launch event I was hired to coordinate, didn't I? Well, all was set up and 'launched' on Wednesday! The theme for the day was a red carpet event with all the trimmings ... the show room rolled out the carpet ... there was an antique popcorn machine ... there was even a movie (specially edited by IBV) projected on the wall. In the end, a great time was had!

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The Proposal

Every bride-to-be thinks their proposal was special. But mine REALLY was.

We were up at my family’s cottage for Labor Day weekend. We have had our cottage since I was about five. It is the most special place in the world to me.

It was Sunday afternoon, it had been raining all day, but had stopped. My FI was out fishing with my brother. He came back to the cottage, got changed and asked me if I wanted to take a walk to the big fishing dock down the road. I said sure. We started to walk as the sun started to set. It actually started to set quickly… too quickly. My FI inexplicably asked me to start running down the very muddy road, to the dock. I said sure. (An Aside: Later he would tell me if I had bitched about running in the mud, the proposal never would have happened!) We ran hand and hand through the wet mud to the dock. We got there just as the sun was setting over the water. We sat at the end of the dock and my FI took my hand and said… some very sweet things that I have a hard time remembering because they ended in, “will you marry me?” I was shocked. I had no idea it was coming.

It was incredibly romantic.

Then he opened the ring box over the deep water below UPSIDE DOWN. I still cringe when I think how close we came to losing my ring to the gods of Lake Huron! But alas, the box was righted, and the ring fit. We stood up… and I melted down. I sobbed and sobbed like I have never sobbed before, you know, those full body shaking ones. I hyperventilated. But somewhere in there I managed to say, “YES”.

We slowly walked back to the cottage where my whole family was preparing dinner. The sky was purple. It seemed like miles and miles. We held hands and smiled a lot. It was so fun to have this immense secret that no one else in the world knew, but when they did it would change everything. It felt like we were watching ourselves in a movie. It was the very definition of surreal. I could never really explain it and I will never forget it.

We got to the cottage door, took a deep breath and went in. We hadn’t really discussed how we would “announce” the news. I think I just blurted out, “we are engaged”. My mother promptly responded with, “no you’re not!” She didn’t believe us… for like five whole minutes! I seriously had to say, “No, really, we are, I’m not kidding”. It wasn’t the reaction we were expecting, but it was uniquely my mother’s. Once my parents actually accepted that we weren’t joking, they were ecstatic. They cried. All of them, my dad and brother included. I come from a family of criers. My wedding day will be very…wet and salty.

On our way home from the cottage the next day, we tried to covertly get our friends together at a bar so we could make a Dramatic Announcement like they do on TV. But they all said they were too tired/lazy/stupid to go out on a holiday Monday night, so much for that idea. Therefore in true 21st century style, I announced our engagement the next day via email. CLASSY!

So there you have it, and I think you will now agree that I did have the MOST special proposal of all time.

~bb~

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Pillow Me This, Pillow Me That

Was browsing through sites yesterday and I stumbled upon these fantastic pillows by Sarah Lansdale out of the States. She creates the pillows by hand using the finest of materials. They can be given to more than just ring bearers, too! They're great gifts for newborns/new moms and even little ones who have recently lost their teeth :) My favourite use would be for weddings though ... how great are the personalized ones?!

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Makeup Tips for Seasonal Brides

With the many decisions you’ll make planning your wedding, it’s important to recognize that seasonality plays a major role in all aspects of your special day. That includes your skin and makeup. Whether you are a winter, spring, summer or fall Bride, or if your nuptials will be held in a warm weather resort, make sure you attend to your skin and makeup needs long in advance. Plan ahead, consult an expert and work towards that unique radiance that every Bride wishes for on her wedding day.

Spring Brides are coming off a long cold winter and need to pay particular attention to exfoliating from head to toe. Shed that winter layer of skin and prepare your face and body for the lighter, more revealing fashions that warm weather brings. Manicures, pedicures and facials are a must for every Bride regardless of season, but many of us resume a more aggressive skin and makeup regime once spring hits. At this time of year, pinky beige and rosy browns in sheer shimmers really do give that “glowing bride” look especially when accented with a light dusting of bronzer on the cheeks, forehead and nose.

Summer Brides can often be challenged by the season’s beautiful weather. Longer days and sunnier skies can damage the skin if not properly protected. Use a sunscreen daily to reflect the harmful rays of the sun and remember that excessive heat and humidity can trigger dryness, rashes, and breakouts. Not to mention the melting of your makeup on those really hot days. Use oil free foundations or tinted moisturizers containing sunscreen to avoid “makeup meltdowns”. Always set with powder. Dual powders and blotting papers are ideal for absorbing oil and perspiration and are a great quick fix to banish shine. Have these items close at hand for any summer wedding.

Fall Brides can expect a color change. The falling leaves and cooler weather inspire us to go a little darker and richer to reflect the warmth of the season. Burgundy, plum, and brown eye and lip shades come back, and the tendency is to go a little smokier with shadows and liners. Many Brides begin to lose their summer glow and find that the foundations and powders great during the summer months need to be replaced with lighter shades for fall. Highlighting the hair is popular during this season to compensate for the loss of warmth to the skin as summer tans fade. This is also the time to step moisturizing up to a richer lotion and incorporate regular use of moisturizing masks.

Winter Brides can often overlap with the holiday season. A light, shimmering accent on the eyes or lips perks up a pale winter skin. Warm, glowing, makeup hues are preferred and many Brides invest in self tanners for the face and the body. Pay close attention to the skin and increase your exfoliating and moisturizing facials either at home or at the spa. And always protect and insulate your skin from the harsh winter weather by using foundation daily.

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The 'Off' Season

Supposedly weddings have wound down and this is the time for me to catch up on paperwork, attend bridal shows, update my website, have coffee with clients ... all that good stuff. Someone forgot to tell that to future clients, people needing favours and my messy office.

Luckily I took care of the latter the other day ... the day before I was hired to coordinate a function for a care dealership. The function being in FIVE business days. EEK! Of course it can be done ... little things that I wanted to do this week just get pushed back a bit. The good news is next week I'll have some lovely pictures to post of a 2008 Vehicle Launch Event! What? That doesn't grab your fancy? ;) Maybe this will ...



It's a great idea for a twist on the cupcake cakes that are so popular ... full credit to my favourite bridal magazine from Australia!

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Latest Trends ...

I'm not sure what got me thinking about this first ... the immense pushing of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, the eco-friendly florist a recent bride of mine used, a conversation with an organic-loving friend or maybe it was our recent Ontario elections ... but I'd like to bring my GREEN views into the company. In fact, it's something I should have done a long time ago! What I'm going to do exactly, I'm not sure of yet but I would like to set some time aside to research some earth-conscious vendors and maybe develop a package for clients. We're all borrowing this earth together so it would be great if events received a reputation for *not* wasting.

I'm not going to pretend I'm a trend-setter though! This has been evolving for quite some time now ... I'm merely a band-wagoner. I found a great article just now over here. I love the idea of using only locally grown foods for a wedding ... it takes an effort but it's completely do-able!

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The Venue

Tonight I am taking my Mum and Dad to an open house at The Doctor's House, which is my weding venue. They haven't seen it before and I haven't been since we booked it last winter. I'm very excited.

Now that I have started planning I have a zillion questions for them. I am bringing my camera to take pictures of our room and the chapel so I can have a better idea of how to decorate. Is it tacky to be snapping away while people much on free hors d'oeuvres? Probably... Oh well.

I am going to make my dad do a practice walk down the aisle. $10 says he cries, actually, I bet we both do. Maybe I should get it all out so I don't make that horrid crying face while I'm walking down the aisle for realsies! I'm terrified of that face. When I post my proposal story you'll hear all about my body shaking sobs when that went down.

After tonight I won't be back at the Doctor's House till I'm decked out in a spectacular dress. If I think too hard about this, I might have a breakdown, or burst into tears. So for now I'll just think about the free hors d'oeuvres.

~bb~

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BloggerBride: The Introduction

Hello!

My name, for the purposes of this blog, is BloggerBride. Susan at Moments That Shine has asked me to document this crazy little process called “Wedding Planning”. I thought I would start with an introduction of sorts.

I’m in my late 20’s (ugh- typing “late” any decade kinda hurts!) and my fiancé just turned 30. We have been together for about 6 years, and engaged for the last 13 months.

My wedding will be the first for my family. My parents are British and are finding some of the North American "traditions" a little odd. (It's not the first time. They skipped my High School graduation for a trip to Florida and I had to ask other parents to take pictures of me!)

My Dad told me recently that he couldn't believe how many weddings I go to every summer and that he thought he had been to 3. One of those being his own. My mother, on the other hand, is just starting to grasp the magnitude of the occasion. And such- is beginning to freak out. I stupidly bought her a "Mother of the Bride" guidebook... which was written for a wedding with 300 people where the bride’s family pays for everything. Silly, silly me. I have "assigned" her to flower duty in hopes that it will keep her preoccupied and not worry about the rest; like the budget.

My fiancé is half Filipino and half Irish. An exotic (read: hot) mix. He has an older brother who is married, so his family has been through it all before, and if they are throwing in their 2-cents, it isn't reaching my ears- yet. Thank god. Our families haven't met yet. That should be interesting. Mine drink, a lot. His don't. Nuff said.

Our wedding is taking place next June (actually, 249 days from today- but whose counting?) in Kleinburg at a cool little venue called The Doctor’s House (more on this later). We have some things done, and a lot still to do. In the coming days/weeks/months I will be writing about things that have happened (I bought my dress!), things we are going through (Invites! Guest list! Flowers!), and a lot of things that we are hoping to do (parachute into the reception! Just kidding!)

I hope you will all read along- maybe learn, definitely laugh. Next post, “The Proposal”.

~bb~

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Busy Fall ...

We've been busy the past little while! Summer is always packed with weddings but fall has been insane!!! Four weddings and a bridal show in the past five weekends ... not to mention some invitations orders and plenty of meetings for more bookings (not that we're complaining).

The most special of all these occasions happened on September 30th when our own lovely colleague, Crystal, married her beau. I can't think of a more appropriate wedding to start the blog with!

Some of you may remember Crystal from your own weddings and functions as she comes out to assist as much as possible. The ceremony and reception site were the same ... Le Jardin in Woodbridge. We arrived early to set up decorations and help make sure vendors popped in according to schedule ... and of course to make sure the bride-to-be was still calm. Everything turned out beautifully from the traditional wedding cake (made by the groom's aunt) & the truffle cake to the alternating tiered centrepieces on all of the tables. And of course the bride was gorgeous in her Audrey Hepburn-inspired gown.

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We're All Set Up!

Welcome to our little spot on the blog world! We've been trying to get this going for some time now but with the wedding season in full swing, it was challenging to say the least. We're here now though and ready to keep you coming back for more :)

Rather than go on and on just about Moments That Shine, we plan on bringing in guest authors in addition to our own postings. That way things stay fresh as well as updated and there is something for everyone!

Have fun reading and please keep checking back!

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