Take a Walk When Autumn Comes to Town

It's my favourite season! Minus the havoc it wreaks on my sinuses, that is.
With the chill in the air, I was inspired to find Etsy goodies all about material. Some won't keep you warm all day but they're sure to delight just the same :)

This shawl by .: Ellita :. may be for summer but what a great colour for all of you autumn brides!


Also from .: Ellita :. is this 'Ghost Bride Veil' ... eek! ;)


This may not be material but because but because of the woven look, I had to include it! Love this ring by .: galit :. ... love the price, too!


How about this completely hand-knit dress by .: thesorceress770 :.? It comes with a matching shrug ... great alternative for off-beat brides!


This will *not* keep you warm. Not during the wedding anyhow ;) This garter is by the appropriately named, .: GarterLady :.


Do you need gift ideas for your bridal party? These clutches from .: keykalou :. are colourful and funky!


And my favourites this week?

First is a very simple, yet warm idea. A knit tie! Can be worn on a man or woman and it's also made from 100% recycled yarn. Yay .: littlepurls :.


I also LOVE this shrug wrap by .: luxe :. It's warm, soft and so delicate!

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The Brain of a Bride-To-Be

Yesterday was my 30th birthday, and I have to admit, it was probably my best yet! It was a smaller celebration than usual, but much more meaningful. If you’re keen on your astrology knowledge, you’d realize that I’m a Virgo, which brings me to the topic of today’s post.

I’m a Virgo, through and through. Just to give you an idea, let’s analyze the traits of a Virgo.



The Pro’s
Modest and shy
Meticulous and reliable
Practical and diligent
Intelligent and analytical

The Con’s
Fussy and a worrier
Overcritical and harsh
Perfectionist and conservative

I pride myself on my perfectionist ways, my organized planning and even though it’s not a very nice word, I openly admit that I’m quite anal when it comes to planning and details. I also have an unbelievable memory that all my girlfriends envy, and my fiancé fears. Heh ;) I can recite, word for word, conversations that I’ve had with people, I can tell you what you were wearing the first time I’ve met you, and I can give you teeny tiny minute details to events that have happened in the past. So yes, it’s something my fiancé fears.

As a bride-to-be however, some external force takes over your body and even the most anal Virgo (*ahem*, me) loses some of her abilities. This, my friends, is what brides-to-be affectionately refer to as “Wedding Brain”. And I, unfortunately, am suffering from it.

I’ve forgotten to hand in my invoices at work (which is huge because without it, I don’t get paid!), I have the same 2 envelopes sitting by my front door to be mailed (for about 2 weeks now!), I’ve borrowed a friends book and have finished it but continually forget to bring it back to her, I keep telling my friend the same story over and over because I cannot remember that I’ve already told her (how embarrassing!) and I cannot count the number of times I’ve turned to someone and said “Shoot… I was going to tell you something but I completely forget what I was going to say!”

Needless to say, given my normally infallible memory, my friends are all testing my forehead for fever while asking “What’s wrong with you?!”

I always said that I wouldn’t be one of those brides that continually talks about her wedding, or who vacates all other areas of her life to focus on her wedding, but I have to be 100% honest with you…. It’s truly difficult to prevent this from happening when something so huge consumes your life. I’m just one of those lucky girls who has lovingly patient friends who smile and pat me on the head while I stare blankly at them because I’ve forgotten something else.

Hmmm… maybe this is why us brides have bridesmaids? So they can be our brains during our planning process ;)

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I am a Beauty ... It Just Takes Me Four, Five Hours a Day

Pretty much every woman wears makeup. And I'm going to take a really big risk and say most will want makeup worn on their wedding day. Well, whether you're doing it yourself or hiring a makeup artist, you should be educated about what's touching your skin.

I'm not a saint (stop gasping). I've worn makeup and makeup with chemicals for years. I've been wanting to change to something more organic for a while now but as far as priorities go, it wasn't #1 on my list. Then my eye happened. Let me explain. To any of you who haven't had the 'pleasure' of seeing me in the past little while, it looks like someone clocked me in the right eye. It honestly looks like a fresh punch. I've been to the doctor a couple of times and he chalked it up to allergies. I was told to stop wearing makeup until it clears up (which it STILL hasn't). Perfect opportunity to get rid of my old makeup and look for something more natural! It wasn't easy but it was done.

My first stop was actually the place for me ... Pure + simple spa. They carry two lines of organic cosmetics that I ended up sampling. And I have to give a shout out to the ladies working there ... amazing customer service!


There are really only a couple of things I use regularly ... concealer and eye shadow. According to staff, I don't need concealer (did I mention I love them?) but I picked some up because I like to have it handy. .: Jane Iredale :. has a luscious line I've fallen in love with. Some benefits:
* Non-comedogenic, will not block pores.
* Virtually no allergy risk. All products have been sensitivity tested.
* Broad-spectrum UVB and UVA protection - up to SPF 20.
* Anti-inflammatory, helps to calm and soothe irritated skin.
* Very water resistant rating by an approved FDA lab.
* Complete coverage for skin conditions like acne, rosacea and redness following treatments like chemical peels and laser resurfacing.
* Contains no talc or parabens.
* Composed of inert minerals that cannot support bacteria.
* Environmentally aware.
* No products have been tested on animals

Over to eyeshadow. I'm an eyeshadow junkie. I could have bought every colour in the store. I decided to switch from the Jane Iredale line and take a look at .: Pure + simple's own line :.
So many shades and so little time! I particularly liked how light everything felt on my face. And how much fun is this ... the colours can be used on lips and cheeks as well! Did I mention the prices are less than Sephora? Yes ladies ... check it out. Pure + simple has four locations in Toronto but if you don't live here, don't despair ... you can buy their products online!

Happy shopping :)

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I'll Be There For You

Woohoo! Coming soon practically across the street from me ...


Why am I so excited? Besides not having to go to Starbucks, Tim Hortons and the like, I now am going to have a coffee house around the corner where I'm going to be able to support a local small business. Annnnnd ... it's FAIR TRADE COFFEE!!! To learn more about fair trade coffee, visit the .: Fair Trade Toronto :. website.

This is something I've wanted to touch on for a while now because it really does apply to events as well. Many people don't realize that some of the things we take for granted in life can be made more socially conscious. Everything from favours to invites to your honeymoon has a fair trade alternative. A great resource can be found .: HERE :. and I fully encourage you to check it out! One that caught my eye is .: Handmade Expressions :. I love this guestbook!

Get out there and research the good in the world! :)

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What Men Want

Guys can really surprise you sometimes. You think you know them really well, almost inside out in fact, then they hit you with a new piece of information that has you going “whoooa! Never saw that coming”.

Or is it just wedding planning that does that to them?

This has happened quite a bit recently, in some surprising places. When MM and I sat down in a little village pub one evening a week after the proposal, we knew we’d be discussing wedding plans. When, who, how much and definitely what. We were able to quickly agree on our overall style and feel and a bunch of other details. Like a lot of guys, MM is pretty laid back about this stuff and tends to acquiesce to my vision of the way things should be. We both agreed that weddings can get stupid expensive if you aren’t careful and we wanted to have money left over from his deployment windfall to have a fab honeymoon and a nest egg for a house down the road. We agreed to cut corners where possible and not spend on un-necessary things.

But then the talk turned to clothing; specifically to how we and the wedding party should dress for the event.

And that’s where it happened...

Me: “I was thinking I’d go to a few consignment shops and check out their wedding dress section. You can get some really beautiful gowns cheap that way.”

MM: “Used? You were thinking of buying a used dress? Nuh huh, no way. Get a real dress”.

Me: “ A what?” … *lots of blinking as I scrambled to think of what to say* … “They are real dresses.”

MM: “ But they have been worn before right? So they’re used. Ick.” *scrunch face of disapproval*…. “No, You should buy a proper dress.”

While I was still reeling from this info and trying to figure out what it was about a worn-once wedding dress that caused him to balk so hard, the conversation turned to the male attire for the party.

Me: “What were you thinking of wearing? Your dress uniform”?

MM: “Gah! No, no way. *visible shudder* I’ll wear a suit, I guess. Or a tux, sure. And maybe my dress brogues from the uniform, because no civvie shoes can shine that hard. But no way I’m wearing my uniform”.

I suggested the dress uniform because I am proud of who he is and what he does for a living, and I wanted him to feel comfortable and be himself on our “big day”. Since he is a military man, I thought it logical he’d want to wear his uniform. The refusal and the shudder perplexed me.

Now, I’ve heard his take on being out in public in uniform before and I’ve seen it first hand while having coffee at a doughnut shop before work or grabbing groceries with him after work. The stares, the whispers, the frowns of disapproval, the weird people who pull their children away as if they’re afraid MM will go postal on them or something equally stupid. That is when he is in his “combats” as they’re called; the green camouflage-printed baggy pants tucked into dull black combat boots, the equally baggy jacket over a military green tshirt, all topped by a green felt beret with his regimental cap badge on the front crest area. However, I’ve never heard him react too much about his dress uniform. Granted, he rarely ever wears it. Being army, he gets to go to work in his combats (or “pajamas” as the guys laughingly refer to them, because of how comfortable they are). Other military branches have to wear their dress uniform daily.

So why not his dress uniform? Stares from non-military people at the wedding? They’re all family and close friends, it shouldn’t matter, right? Or was it that he figured he’d want to forget for one day the fact that he was a military man and just be a regular guy? Was he wanting to wear a kilt, since he is proudly Scottish?

All plausible possibilities. But as it turns out, none of these are the reason.


The reason? I asked.

Me: So why not your uniform?”

MM: “Have you seen the colour? That sickly pale green shirt? Ugly! And the jacket makes me look fat.”

And there you go. My colour blind and rather buff proud military man refuses to wear his dress uniform because the colour is ugly and he doesn’t like the way it makes his tummy look.

Yep, guys. They can definitely surprise you sometimes.

…more in this story about our wedding planning to come next week

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I'll Be There To See The New Green Leaves Grow

I opened up my email on Monday to find one from The Wedding Co. that made me smile. Remember when I made that post about a flower I had discovered last year that's a bit unusual? It seems they have discovered it now, too! Finally I've scooped them ;)

To read my original post about the blushing bride flower, .: head over here :. but keep reading to see all of the information The Wedding Co. dug up ...


Belle Fleur

A blushing bride bouquet has set The Wedding Co.'s hearts aflutter and because we'd never seen this bloom before, we thought it was definitely worth sharing.

A few short weeks ago, Holly Coll-Black married her fiancé, Rupert Duchesne; she carried a bouquet of blushing brides created by florist Lidia Tacconelli (Fiori) . Holly had requested a bouquet that was a little different from the standard issue and one that would tie in the gold and pink tones she had used throughout her decor. Though she suspected something green and white would be ideal, the pink, green and white blooms of the feathery serruria florida from the exotic Protea family were chosen based only on Tacconelli’s suggestion that they would be perfection.

Holly’s favourite aspect of the flowers was that they photographed beautifully and garnered many comments from guests, “they were quite different,” she says, “ and now they’re drying in my garage!”

You’d think, with a name like blushing bride, that this flower would be overused for bouquets and wedding flowers when in fact, nothing could be further from the truth…at least today, and in this part of the world.

In the eighteenth century, so legend goes, the flower was exploited for its feathery foliage and soft colours. In southern Africa, suitors were known to propose with a bloom of the wild flower in their lapel, the darker the pink the flower, the more serious their intention. While the name blushing bride might have come from its colouring, it may also have been earned as the suitor’s intention was apparent to all, much to the embarrassment of his bride to be. Unfortunately, it seems these flowers were over-exploited and disappeared for over a century until accidentally rediscovered. Though carefully sustained since, the flower has only been successfully gown as a crop since the mid ‘60s.

Tacconelli says she is always on the lookout for the unusual and since finding them has used blushing brides whenever it’s appropriate considering their limited colour palette and availability. The Protea family is considered highly exotic for Canada, coming primarily from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, probably because of this, blushing brides are less familiar to florists, uncommonly used and always a delightful surprise.

Photo by Storey Wilkins

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Makeup Lessons - Private or Group ... Get Educated On How To Work With Your Features

At Makeup In Motion, we firmly believe that makeup should be used to enhance one's natural features and bring them out to their fullest. It's not meant to compete with a woman's beauty, it's simply meant to highlight the best of the best. Whether it's your dark, romantic eyes, your full, pouty lips or your wonderfully, high cheekbones, the right color placed in the right area, can enlarge or reduce a feature instantly. Using colors that compliment your eye and skin tone, textures that are right for the individual and simple application techniques, any woman at any age can learn to work with her own uniqueness.

In come makeup lessons. At Makeup In Motion, we provide private lessons or group sessions...whatever suits your need. Both are great options and cover the entire face from top to bottom, but each is a bit different in format.

Private makeup lessons are conducted at Makeup In Motion's home studio. They are 2 hours in duration and we go through each feature step by step. Makeup In Motion does half the face while the client learns hands on how to do the other half. Eye and face charts are provided along with color charts that detail what we've used. Step by step instructions are also provided to clients who prefer to work this way. Price is $50 and are one on one only.

Group lessons are a great idea for bridal parties, teen birthdays, or women's pampering events. They are held at your venue of choice. The lesson is a hour long and demonstrated on the hostess. Again, we cover the full face, and provide valuable information and techniques that all women can apply to themselves. Each guest then receives a 20 minute makeover creating her own special look. All guests go home with color charts, eye and face charts and our famous Wink Cosmetics wand gloss in our most popular shades. Price is $35 per person based on 6 people and usually lasts about 4 hours.

So if you really want some solid advice on how to work with your features, take the guess work out of applying color, and put your best face forward everyday, then book a lesson and enjoy a transformation that still looks like you....only better.

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Time in a Bottle

Does anyone have one for sale, or could someone perhaps point me in the direction of where I could purchase a bottle for myself?



Honestly, when did life get so busy? I remember summer vacation feeling like “forever” as a child. Those 2 months off from school were endless, but now it seems like a tease more than anything else. I’m sure that growing up we all thought that things would become easier as we got older, but we all have to face the harsh reality that life, in fact, becomes more complicated as we age. Throw wedding planning into the mix and you may as well wave ‘sayonara’ to your social life until you become a Mrs. I actually had a situation come up where my fiancé and I were trying to find time to get together with a girlfriend of mine and her husband and we were looking nearly 2 months ahead because of our commitments.

No, we’re not that popular. We’re just that busy.

Looking at my wedding guide, I have a very busy 5 weeks ahead of me (eek, I actually felt a tummy flip-flop at the “5 weeks” comment!) Confirming vendors, chasing down last minute AWOL RSVPs (that’s another rant all on it’s own!), dress fittings (more for my bridal party than for me), coordinating our bridal party and families, and well, finding time to take care of myself (if time allows!) Saddest part of it all? It’s my 30th birthday next weekend and I’m not sure I’ll have time to celebrate!

Hmmm.... I just had a thought. For my birthday, maybe I could ask for “Time in a Bottle” as my gift! I’m sure I could find a few people who love me enough to chip in together!

I need to learn to shut my mind off this late at night. Or perhaps just skip that extra cup of coffee after dinner ;)

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The Morning After....

Or well, in this case, 2 mornings after.



Like most brides, I’ve decided to join a local boot camp to whip my body in shape for the “big day”. Seeing that my wedding is just over a month away, I’ll admit, I’m pushing myself just a little bit further than I normally would. I’m lucky in the sense that my dress will hide a lot, however the bikini I’ll be wearing the week after is not as forgiving.

Have you ever heard your muscles scream? I rolled over this morning (well, truth be told, I tried to roll over this morning) and heard a yelp. I swear it was my glutes and quads screaming in protest, but quickly realized that the yelp came from my mouth. I quickly slapped my hand over my mouth and looked at my fiancé to make sure I didn’t wake him up, and made a mental note to curse my boot camp instructor after dealing with my “rolling over” issue.

For the first time in 2 years, I was thankful for having a platform bed. Normally I loathe the thing, because I have a habit of either stubbing my toe or banging my shin into the base, but this morning it was a blessing. I think I actually heard the angels sing! I managed to grab the headboard with my left hand, and the platform edging with my right, and slowly but surely rock myself onto my left side, with minimal discomfort, settling myself to lazily doze off once again.

And of course, once in my desired position, the alarm went off to start my day. Damn that Murphy and his laws!

So now, I'm sitting on my couch, laptop in reach, blogging about my aches and pains. But on October 18th, when I slip my dress onto my recently boot camped body, I wouldn't have it any other way.

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She Walks These Hills

I promised this post to someone quite some time ago and feel so bad that I haven't delivered yet! Fear no more ... the Etsy Veil Post is here! More specifically, I went on a hunt to find some more out-of-the-ordinary veils or alternatives. Here are some of my favourites ...

*Love* this Etsy vendor. I could easily buy almost everything they have in stock. .: whichgoose :. comes up with funky designs all the time and although this one is more traditional, it doesn't disappoint. You have to go to the page to read what it actually is made from ...



Feathers, anyone? Contact .: hairfascinators :. for this bit of whimsy ...


Perhaps you have more of a flare for the dramatic. .: wildspirits :. can help you out there! It may not be a veil but it makes a statement, that's for sure!


You also don't need to have a veil cover your whole face. This one by .: portobello :. gives you the feeling of being a traditional bride without burdening you with a bunch of material ...


Bring on the birdcage! .: SmittenXOXO :. has put together a simple design sure to delight ...


This is cool. Each beaded flower (one on each side) has a hair comb on the back of it so you can easily attach it to your hair. .: qgdesigns :. has made it simple for you to adorn the birdcage look with the modern twist of today.


Maybe not for everyone but I had to include this design by .: satanica :. For those who would like to wear a hat (all the rage right now!), this retro look may just be what you've been searching for ...


How romantic! I chose to feature this blusher veil by .: CRBoggsDesigns :. purely for the 'awwwwwwwe' factor. Make sure you go to the link to check out the detailing on the material itself ... tulips!


Almost my pick of the week, look at this birdcage (yes, I love them) by .: qgdesigns :. By itself it would be pretty basic but when you look at the closeup of its side, you're instantly struck by the beautiful feathers ...


And that brings me to my favourite find ...

Yes, I know it isn't a veil but as someone who refused to wear one because she was convinced her oddly-shaped head would be showcased, this is a great look. .: GarlandsOfGrace :. has put together a simple concept and made it a piece of art. Hurry because I might snap it up myself!

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All These Beautiful Girls

Thanks for the hello, Tarriell!

More guest authors to introduce today ... can't wait to spice up the surroundings with these two lovely additions. I'm very happy to welcome Vivian and Autumn_Bride to the team :)


Vivian is the owner of .: Vivian's Decorations and Designs :. and as of late August, I can tell you she's an absolute pleasure to work with. I'm not sure that I've worked with another vendor as down-to-earth as she is ... and her smile is infectious! We'll be looking to her for advice, tips and stories on how best to decorate decorate decorate!


I would also like to introduce a new friend who feels like and old one ... Autumn_Bride. She's going to be exchanging vows in just a couple short months so I'm sure she'll have plenty to share with us :) I won't say much more than that as I'm pretty sure she wants to get right into stories. Bring it on, Autumn_Bride!

Looking forward to more musings ...

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Love and Life and Why

So here I am. Blogging again. This time around though I won’t be blogging about academic stuff (social theory, class gripes, professor issues) and sociological observations (why are Montrealers such bad drivers but good dressers? Are video games truly bad for kids?). Nope, I’ll be blogging about stuff rather more fun that that… engagements, weddings and marriage. Ok so yes I will occasionally sprinkle in stuff about academic and military life, since it’s part of my life.



I guess that calls for a little more elaboration about me. I’m a grad student living in Ontario, but I’m originally from the prairies. I’ve lived all over Canada and I love this country. I speak fluent French, love Mediterranean and prairies food (think roasted meats and potatoes, pie and perogy!), and hate the colour pink. It’s a redhead thing. My fiancé is an army corporal (that’s an enlisted rank, not an officer rank). This adds an extra dimension to our life together and to the planning for the upcoming wedding. If you read my entry, you’ll know already that he’s going to be heading to Afghanistan early next year and will be back just a few weeks before the wedding.

Oh.. .by the way… I’ll be calling my fiancé “MM” … short for “Military Man”… just so you know…..

Thanks to Susan for giving me this opportunity. I’m excited. I have a ton of ideas on what I’ll be wanting to blog about and some of them will seem a little less wedding-ish at first glance, but I hope you’ll enjoy what I share as I start out on this journey called ‘wedding planning and execution’.

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Let's Make A Mystery

"It's about time!"

That's what everyone is going to say in the next little while with all of the introductions I'll be making :) The first person I want to formally welcome to the Moments That Shine blog is this year's winner, Tarriell.


Tarriell's entry actually made me cry. I'm not sure if it was the heartache behind the story or just her style of writing. All I know is I was very drawn to her. When I called her up to chat about the wedding, there was chemistry! An hour and forty-five minutes after saying, "hello?" we finally hung up the phone. You'd think with all of that time, her wedding had a bunch of details and we were chatting about specifics. WRONG! She was very recently engaged and absolutely nothing was booked yet. We just hit it off and time flew by!

In the short time that I've know Tarriell, I've concluded that she has a great sense of humour, loves weddings, is never at a loss for words and most importantly, has such a strong passion and commitment to her fiancé. I hope you'll all help me in making Tarriell feel more than welcome here!

Cheers,

Susan

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You Took A Picture ...

This is long overdue! I was going to post pictures from the photo shoot with .: JBSmith Photography :. but Jessica told me she popped the disc in the mail so I thought I'd wait and give a few more details once it arrived ... and I'm glad I did! Now I get to rave about Jessica even more. I swear it was like Christmas when I opened up my mailbox yesterday ... I saw a package and got all excited ;)

When you receive a DVD from Jessica, professionalism rings out from the moment you lay eyes on things. Just check out the cover from our session ...

But wait ... there's more! Upon opening the case, you're treated to a proper DVD (no Sharpies involved with this gal!) and even instructions on how to best care for it.


Woohoo! Next was time to pop the disc in my laptop and check everything out. I'll share a few favourites with you and let you know any stories along the way ...

Jessica has been a good friend of mine for a couple years now. In fact, I don't even remember when we met (except I know it was cold out!). She was gracious enough to do head shots for me a while back but quite frankly, styles change ... and so do businesses! Over the past little while I've been lucky enough to find some steady associates and I wanted to introduce them to everyone. After all, clients should know the others that I'm going to bring to their event!

(I'll be formally introducing them soon but so you know now, from left to right ... Crystal, Me, Nicole.)

I wanted an outdoor shoot to play on the city's vibe ... what we weren't prepared for was the humidity of the day! We were all set with umbrellas in case of rain but stomping around Toronto in the thick air wasn't overly fun. Luckily we managed to make each other laugh to pass the time ...


If you haven't noticed already, I'm going to post more of the less-than-serious pictures this time around. I love Jessica's 'feet shots' so I had to see if she would do one for me. Personally, I think everyone just wanted to shut me up :) Truth be told, I wanted to show off my $17.99 pair of shoes.


You may have read Jessica's blog last week where she posted a few of her favourites from the shoot (if not, it's over .: here :.). In that batch she posted a photo of the three of us jumping. Aside from the awesome company that day, those shots produced my favourite memory. You'll notice in the first picture it's just the three of us kicking up our heels ... and in the second one we have a couple of visitors ...



We were happily jumping along when all of a sudden we were approached by two rather eager and perky people. All I heard at first was, "we want to take a picture!" ... I'm pretty sure Jessica heard the same thing. We weren't sure if they wanted to *take* our photo or be *in* it ... either way we decided to go with it ... you never know who you'll meet in Toronto!
It turns out that they were two dancers going to school at George Brown. When they saw us jumping around and being silly, they wanted to join in. The shot turned out amazing ... we all actually jumped at the same! And honestly, those professional leaps added some credibility to our look. My only regret is we didn't catch their names or contact info! If anyone knows who they are, I have a photo I would like to share with them ;)

Once again I'd like to thank Jessica from .: JBSmith Photography :. for giving up her day to work with us. No one else could make me feel like screaming, "BANANAS!" is a normal thing to do ;)

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Boutonnieres and corsages galore.

Erin – A couple of questions we are often asked are “What is the difference between a boutonniere and a corsage?” and “Who do we give a boutonniere or corsage to at our wedding?” Many brides want to know what the “rules” are to avoid leaving any one out.


Jess - It is confusing. Well, as for what is the difference, a boutonniere is designed for a man to wear so is usually more simple, just a single bloom such as a rose and some greenery. A corsage can be a pin on for the lapel, a wrist corsage or a pin on for a purse/clutch and these are designed for women and are a little more floral and decorative.


Erin – Corsages and boutonnieres are given to any one attending the wedding that is a “guest of honour” or someone very special or close to the bride and groom. Typically the entire wedding party has flowers. All the woman including the bride, maid of honour and bridesmaids, are carrying bouquets so then we give the groom and all of the groomsmen a boutonnieres. Moms, Dads, Grandparents and any brothers and sisters that are not in the wedding party also get flowers. This is usually the minimum. Other people to consider are the Master of Ceremonies, any out of town guests, god parents and aunts and uncles. Of course the list can go on and on and you have to draw the line somewhere so a good rule of thumb is – if they are going to be in the professional photos taken that day, they should have a corsage or boutonniere.

Jess - Now keep in mind that rules are made to be broken (and we are all in favour of that at Periwinkle!)- I’ve seen bridesmaids wear wrist corsages instead of carrying bouquets (nice idea if there are lots of bridesmaids, and works well if your wedding style is a little more off beat than traditional). Lots of Mother’s of the Bride and/or Groom are opting out of corsages, preferring to carry a small clutch of flowers instead, or even a single rose with a simple ribbon that they carry only for the ceremony and photos and then set down for the evening. Many grooms are more involved in the planning these days and are asking us for more minimal boutonnieres, a cluster of berries for example instead of an actual flower- all lovely and all interesting takes on the norm.

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Lights Go Off Around You Like Some Photograph

Sneak peek time!

Our photos from JBSmith Photography have been edited and are back now. Jessica has posted a few of her favourites up on her .: blog :. and I'll be showing off a few more of them soon.




Working with Jessica is always a treat and we're super excited about these pictures! Stay tuned for the others because there's a great story behind the jumping photo :)

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What You Waiting For?

Etsy time!

I've actually missed these posts so let's get straight to them ...

These crinolines by FishyFaceStudios are affordable and can be completely customized for whatever colour you desire.




How about more bling? Here's a great hair pin sure to add the perfect amount of modern glam to your outfit. Contact creationsbylonni for more details (and more designs!).

Staying on the sparkly side of things, I found this artist I'm completely drawn to. The ring below is delicate yet not perfect ... love it! And as a gift for that guitar player in your life, how about a guitar pick necklace? I know I want one and I only own a guitar ... don't know how to play it yet! The artist of both of these pieces is chrisparry



Crave something different for your centrepieces? These funky numbers by thefunkyshack (how appropriately named?!) are sure to be a conversation piece!

Switching gears to something a bit different ... these art pieces by papercutsbyjoe are a wonderful keepsake or gift to the couple.


These flowers are made all of clay! For the non-traditional bride, how about one of these creations by dkdesignshawaii? Check out the store's other designs as well!


And my favourite pick for this time around? I *love* the style of this ...

A great way to display a wedding photo (or any photo, really) with some old school charm. This is by PictureThat. How cool is that?!



I'll be on the hunt for more Etsy finds this week so stay tuned! If you have any you've found that you would like me to profile, by all means ... contact me!

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