Choosing your wedding dress: the good, the bad, and the ugly!

One of the most important and fun check marks on your wedding to-do list is undoubtedly shopping for your wedding dress. But with so many styles, colors and fabric types to choose from, it can be quite a challenge to figure out just what kind of dress you are looking for! So, to help you narrow down your hunting ground and make your gown selection a more pleasurable process, remember this 4 Cs rule:

1. Cut: what is flattering to YOUR figure in terms of styles available in wedding dresses.
Unless you are size 0 or Lady Gaga, chances are that certain styles just don't work for you, so try to avoid those while choosing your wedding dress. For example, A-line and ballgown/princess wedding dresses are flattering on most figure types, making it almost a default choice for many brides.

Sheath/mermaid/trumpet type gowns, on the other hand, should be attempted only by those with incredibly confident body image (regardless of size or shape), since these styles flaunt the figure, and the wearer should be in the mood to flaunt :P

Empire style gowns can be a perfect fit for a destination wedding or a future mom-to-be, as they are generally lighter, more comfortable to wear, and draw attention away from the waistline.

2. Color: what color fits best with your skin tone and (if applicable) your wedding theme.
If you are blessed with a healthy, glowing complexion - any color will work for you! However, if you have very fair skin, try to avoid diamond white wedding dresses, as they can make you look even paler. Instead, try warmer tone gowns in off-white, ivory, champagne and bronze. If you have a theme wedding, like a masquerade or a vampire ball, break the rules all the way and don on a royal purple, burgundy, crimson, black or any other fabulous shade creation.

 3. Craftsmanship, Comfort and Condition: promise yourself to look for a dress that is well-made (look for quality fabric like silk and stitched accents, not glued), comfortable (that is a very, very important selection criterion, don't settle for dress that doesn't 'feel' right) and impeccable condition (based on what you will be paying for it, don't ever settle for less then pristine). Remember that if you want to resell the dress afterwards, it has to be considered 'worth it' not just by you, but by other people as well, and they will look for craftsmanship, comfort and great condition themselves!

4. Cost: yes, it is incredible how much you are expected to pay for a dress that you will (hopefully) wear only once. And if you have unlimited budget, by all means go to the bridal store with your girl(boy)friends and have a blast shopping for the dress of your dreams. However, if you have to stick to a certain budget, don't let the wedding industry fool you into spending more than what you decided on! But because their persuasion tactics are among the best, here are a few helpful tips on how to get a great dress for a lot less:

Know your rights as a consumer: it's a buyer's market out there for wedding dresses (like cars, there are a lot more dresses made every year then bought, and just like with cars, the price of a last year's model is substantially less, especially when bought 'off hands', which can save you up to 70-90% off the original price tag) but the wedding industry doesn't want you to know that. So, bargain and insist on a deal (but don't be rude :P)! Tip: say it's a last-minute wedding and could they show you their samples/old models/floor models that could be purchased at a major discount. It's very eco-friendly and a win-win situation, really - you will save $$$ and the store will happily unload some of their merchandise. Bonus: you won't have to wait 3-6 month for your gown to arrive :) 

Shop early and/or during off season (August-end of November): in fact, right now is a great time to start! Many of your local bridal attire retailers will host 'end of season sale!' / 'cash & carry'/ 'blow-out sale!'/etc, trying to clear up their gown supply and get ready for new arrivals. Also, keep in mind that you will get better customer service during the off season as the store won't be under the tidal wave of brides. Early bird really does get the best deal!

If store prices are still too much for your budget, consider renting their dresses or buy one online, either from local classifieds ads (kijiji, craigslist. etc) or from ebay (local or international). For the latter, make sure to pick a reputable seller with great track record ('top-rated seller', '95% or higher positive feedback', many previous sales, etc).

Finally, what is the most useful advice we can give? Don't ever settle for less! Listen to your heart and not the sales attendant/your bff/mom/etc, it's not *their* wedding dress afterall. It's yours. And (just like with guys) if it doesn't make your heart beat faster, it's not 'the one'. Period.
Next post, accessories :)

Happy LONG WEEKEND everyone!!

October is definitely one of the best months of the year (move over June and July), why you ask?
How about a list of 10 spectacular things to do in October:

1. Celebrate all those awesome people in your life who are born in this deliciously dramatic month (I am one of them lol) and because Libras are so charming and witty (and so darn handsome, just check out these fellow Libra celebrities!), a great party is just around the corner...

2. A long weekend!!! You can finally sort out stuff at home, your plans and your love life. Hurray!

3. Great food: Thanksgiving parties are a culinary feast and should be viewed as such, not as a party you dread attending for a) lack of excitement; b) pesky conversation topics, c) certain relatives you wish you could avoid indefinitely, or d) all of these. And if you suspect that party food is not going to rival the Food Network's dishes, it gives you a great opportunity to get creative and whip up something tantalizing yourself (so go online, pick a dish, go grocery shopping and play personal chef at home afterwards). A bonus: if you bring that spectacular creation to your family dinner, you will start a great conversation about something everyone enjoys and can relate to: FOOD :)

4. Intense Creativity Attack: October lets your inner artist out like no other month (Scary decor for the front door? Easy! A spur-of-the-moment dessert made out of pure boredom? Delicious! A DIY Halloween costume? Sure! Afterall, you don't really want to pay those 60$ or more for a polyester ensemble made with basic sewing skills in China...)

5. Spontaneity: October weather has a habit of rapidly changing without prior notice, so revel at the opportunity to practice being spontaneous yourself! A rainy day - go to the museum or a show, a great day outside - head out to the local park, go Apple picking, or hop in the car with some friends for a great weekend getaway (sometimes unplanned fun is the best fun you'll ever have :P).

6. Inspiration & Ideas: the weather outside may be frightful, but the fire in your heart is delightfully hot and is generating ideas & to-do-lists at a speedy pace (must be the start of the school year...). So go ahead and compose that poem, write a story, paint a picture, create a website, make your wedding favors/invitations, and otherwise indulge in this October tide of inspiration and ideas.

7. A little bit of Introspection: nothing like the abundant waiting times in October (traffic, bus, doctor's appointment, etc) makes our minds wonder, often focusing on those good ol' problems and trying to find a solution. And it's great because once you work through an internal dilemma and find a solution (any solution, really), life certainly becomes brighter, so cheers to that!

 8. Widen your social circle: Did we mention parties??? What a great opportunity to practice your social skills and make new friends! Plus, if you are at a Halloween costume party, it's so much easier to navigate through potential friends (Hello Ms60s/BettyBoo/HermionyG & MrPimp/GarbageCan/SofaGuy!) and friends with potential to become much more (What a lovely Superhero/Pirate/Officer costume...) :P

9. Inconspicuous crush remover/break the ice time: let's say you have a friend, who crushing so hard on someone but is afraid to make a move(and you are tired of hearing all about it & them being dateless)? Halloween parties are THE hook up parties of the year - it's just so much more fun and disarming! And your friend will thank you after wards for the push & the pep-talk (if it works out: great!, if it doesn't : they can move on with their lives and you will have more fun topics to talk about together). So go ahead, dress up as Pirates or Vampires (don't forget the rum and the confidence!) and go score some booty!

10. Adventures in the bedroom - perhaps the most fun & useful one of the list, why not take Halloween behind close doors and explore (under the pretense of that creepy Oct31 holiday of course) your romantic fantasy together? And that's why October is the best :D

http://cchicdesigns.vpweb.ca/

We finally have a website! Visit us at  http://cchicdesigns.vpweb.ca/ if you wish to obtain more specific info about our services, request a quote or read comments from our past clients friends.
However, to view our web-site, please copy paste its name into your web address window (on top of your browser), since google search cannot locate this domain name for some reason.

The Jewel Season Is In!

Ah, Autumn. A glorious season that sparkles with amber, ruby, emerald and onyx.

A wonderfully lush and cozy time of the year designed to curl up by the laptop fire with a nice cup of tea and a favorite fanfic book. To bask in the warmth of a setting sun and breathe in the scent of the morning rain, veiled by the fog and the memories. In fact, it's one of the best times to get married and it's a pity most couples do not consider it. After the mad summer dash to the alter, the wedding vendors are a lot more affordable, the breathtaking scenery outside almost guarantees the perfect wedding photos, and the air is filled with romance like never before.
But the best part, in our opinion?
You can get away with having a perfectly weird/geeky wedding theme under the pretense of a Halloween Party!

Yes, it's definitely not for every bride out there, and most of you will probably frown right about now and click away from this post. But the few rampid fans of anime/manga/sci-fi/RPGs/comic books along with goths and geeks of all ages will probably read on. Yes, it would be incredible to incorporate personalize your wedding day with your favorite past time, and why not? Just take a look at these happy couples:

And it can *GASP!* save you quite a bit of cash, starting with remorseless slashing of bridal attire price tag: a custom-designed, quality costume (be it a ballroom dress or a cat/batsuit) will probably ring in 200-300$ and will have just as much (if not more) WOW factor as a designer haute couture gown for 5,000$. Forget the professionally-made and usually expensive conventional centerpieces, instead get creative and design your own, or borrow an idea or two from the internet, just take a look at these fabulous online DIY centerpiece finds:

Also, make sure your theme is sufficiently hinted in your wedding invitations so that your guests will come dressed inappropriately:

 After all, a wedding is a celebration of a union of hearts and souls, so go ahead and make that wedding day truly YOURS :)

And speaking of Cinderella...

Congratulations again to Princess Pascale & Her Prince Charming Michael, a couple blessed with a truly fairytale romance and a perfect happily-ever-after beginning. May love, joy and harmony always be with you, and may your married life bring you lots of pleasant surprises and great adventures! :) 

And on this happy note, I bid you all adieu until the next update! Ahoy!

Ottawa: Caught in a Good Romance :)

Dear All, this is just a short memo about our recent move to Ottawa, but please do not panic - we will still provide our sevices in Montreal and surrounding area, it's just that our small  cozy little Westmount location was getting way too crowded with all that artistic inspiration and tons and tons of decor. So our new phone # is 613-869-8079 and our new location is in Ottawa at 251 Applecross Crescent, which is in Kanata. I promise a new update soon to come, with more exciting pics, useful info about vendors and some quirky but fabuous and budget-savvy ideas for an unforgettable and magical wedding. Take care all and don't forget to check back soon!

Summer is not over yet :)

Yes, it definitely isn't - at least not in Montreal, with +30C and cloudless blue skies to keep us company and prolong the eternal vacation mood among most of us. Well, at least for everyone outside the wedding industry, you see - for us it's a definite marathon, and the professional urge to satisfy all of our wonderful clients all at the same time does pose an occasional challenge. So we would like to sincerely apologize, from ourselves and on behalf of everyone else involved in making your wedding dream come true, if our response these days is slower then usual. But enough about us, and on to some fabulous wedding finds we came across in the last few weeks:

If you just got engaged and have no clue (why should you?) about how to plan a wedding, invest your dear 12$ and purchase a wonderful book called the Bridal Bargains: Secrets to Throwing a Fantastic Wedding on a Realistic Budget, written by consumer advocates Denise and Alan Fields. Like the book boasts, it will save you 100s, perhaps 1000s on your wedding bill. No spoilers here, just buy it - you won't regret it.

Ebay - yes, it is scary to buy your wedding dress from China, but where do you think your average (affordable, sort of) retail bridal store gets their merchandise from? Just make sure to use ebay.com and not ebay.ca (it has a lot LESS options to choose from). Silk petals in cream/gold/turquoise/moka/etc, veils of all shapes and sizes, gloves and yes, even and especially wedding dresses can be yours for a fraction of the price you would pay for similar products that have been MARKED-UP by the retailers. Just make sure you pick a good ebay vendor with a nice track record and a lot of previous sales to prove it.

Your friends and relatives that got recently hitched: they will no doubt have plenty to talk about which local vendors they loved or hated (and their opinions will be fresh), what they WISH they knew when they were planning their wedding (and they should give that advise to you now :P), and maybe even give you any left-over wedding-related merchandise they accumulated but never used. It is guaranteed to be a hit party if you invite them all over to vent to share their adventures in planning the perfect wedding. 

Sounds like fun? Yes, it really should be. Don't be a martyr and try to do everything yourself. Even if you LIKE to be in control and DIY as much as possible, please spare your nervous system and enlist some helpers. Plus, it really is a situation where the more the merrier actually applies :) 

And to finish the post on some colorful notes, here are a few of the wedding highlights we had the pleasure to be part of in the last couple of weeks. Enjoy :)