~~Sweetness and Spice~~~

Oh, how deserted our little blog must feel, with us being so busy this time of year and all! So, here is another, a rather long-awaited update, this time about where we like to eat cake (= where you can get yours for the wedding!) and where we go for eye candy :P (classy and sassy boudoir photography makes a great gift for your significant other).

Wedding Cake Recs in Ottawa

http://www.facebook.com/cakesbydesignJanice

Tried and tested by yours truly twice, the Cakes By Design did not disappoint! Both times the cakes were impeccably made, super delicious and ready for pick-up exactly when promised. Janice is an amazing baker and working with her is a pure delight! Be it a wedding cake, birthday torte or cupcakes for charity, all her projects are created with equal care, dedication and flawless execution. They are beautiful, delicious and *affordable*. As an added bonus, Janice is a perfectionist and that guarantees your sweet request to come out nothing less then, well, perfect :)

Flowers & Accessories: Resources

Due to popular demand, here are our vendor recommendations for all your floral, ambiance & personal accessory needs (splurge what you'll save here on your well-deserved honeymoon :P):

http://globalrose.com/
Flowers & petals for your centerpieces, bouquets, corsages & boutonnieres. But make sure you pick the delivery date 2-3 days BEFORE your wedding to let the flowers open up a bit & give you time to prep them for arrangements. Stock up plastic waste buckets from Dollarama for floral storage & empty your schedule 1-2 days before your wedding to give you the time necessary to assemble all your flowers (enlist the help of your bridesmaids, friends & family; visit youtube for great instructional videos on how to do flower arrangement/bouquets/etc)

http://www.candles4less.com/specials
Here you'll find great savings on candles, candle holders and vases; bulk buying at its best :P

Your local Ardene store

The Alladin's cave for bridesmaids gifts, accessories for hair, fancy flip-flops, bling of all shapes/sizes/styles/colors, gloves, tiaras and purses. Leaves bridal salons in the dust in terms of savings on your jewelry, so don't miss out and don't fall prey to the salon's evil x10 mark-up on your crystal tiara made in China....Plus, Ardene's famous 5 items for 10$ & other deals make accessorizing your bridal party (& yourself!) a breeze on your wallet and a TRUE one-stop shopping experience.

Next post: back to more lovely wedding themes :)

~~~Wedding at Tiffany's~~~

Dress suggestions: don a stylish diamond white or aqua/light turquoise gown, with or without diamond/silver/aqua accents (lace, embroidery, flowers, sash, etc).

Add a crystal tiara, gloves and plenty of bling to complete the look. If more drama is desired, consider wearing a fascinator hairpiece (in aqua or white) or a birdcage veil.

Flower suggestions: decadent orchids, diamond white roses, amaryllis, or pure white carnations arranged in a cascade, hand-tied (with aqua/turquoise ribbon) or posy style with diamond/crystal/feather/pearl accents/pins/jewelry.

Cake suggestions: make that coveted color edible by incorporating it in your cake! Perfect decor elements would include real or sugar flowers, satin bows and strategically placed bling. For a more fun twist, go with cupcakes :)

Accessory suggestions: shown in the center of the collage is our very own set "Aqua Princess" made with diamond white satin, aqua & white satin ribbons and silver & crystal heart charms. Complete details about this set are available on our website (http://cchicdesigns.vpweb.ca/Wedding-Accessories-for-sale.html).

Reception decor rental suggestions: woo your guests Tiffany's-style by using plenty of crystal, silver and aqua elements in your venue decoration. Satin turquoise table runners with matching satin chair sashes would make a very elegant statement, whereas aqua organza overlays & organza bows for the chairs would give you a more romantic look. We carry all these rental items (along with white satin & polyester chair covers), so just email us (cheapandchicmariage@gmail.com) for details, prices & availability.

 Centerpiece suggestions: decorate your guest tables with white/cream/pink roses in aqua/crystal/silver vases (or in very affordable *blumeboxes*), adding white/pink rose petals and/or some diamond paperweights/diamond crystals of various shapes & sizes if desired, along with candles in crystal/silver/fogged candle holders; for a more sophisticated & luxurious look go for tall and slender centerpiece arrangements like Eiffel tower vases with ostrich feathers, crystal candelabras topped with sprays of dendrobium orchids or chic table candelabras with cascading crystal strings. For table #s, use little silver/crystal frames with printed out/drawn numbers, or other table identifications (names, pictures, song names, etc). Make sure your centerpieces are either low enough or tall enough for your guests to have a comfortable conversation (vs a game of peek-a-boo!). And remember to take into account your favors (if you are having them), since their style & color will also contribute to the overall look of the tables.

Warning: do not go overboard with little trinkets/details, as it may end up looking tacky & overdone! Elegant = no unnecessary add-ons. 

~~~Cream Dream Wedding~~~

Dress suggestions: for a perfect match, pick a gown in ivory, champagne or bronze, with white/silver/gold or pearl lace, embroidery and accents (like flowers). Gathered wedding dresses and bubble hems also work wonders to achieve that deliciously creamy look.

Flower suggestions: to get that soft & creamy look, consider a mix of ivory & white flowers in different hues (vendela/sahara/crème de la crème roses, ivory spray roses, garden roses, peonies, hydrangeas, white rice flower, cream lysianthus, ivory ranunculus, white or cream stock, baby’s breath, white dahlias, etc) arranged in a cascade, hand-tied (with white/gold/beige/bronze ribbons or lace) or posy style with crystal/feather/pearl accents/pins/jewelry.

Cake suggestions: cream creations of various styles & shapes would be a delicious hit, either with buttercream/royal icing, fondant or white chocolate. Fitting embellishments would include fresh flowers or petals (to match your bouquet?), white/gold/bronze/beige satin ribbon, edible gold or pearl accents and romantic floral or figurine toppers.

Accessory suggestions: shown in the center of the collage is our very own set "Day Dream" made with ivory iridescent satin, white satin ribbons, ivory chiffon flowers and pearl & crystal charms. Complete details about this set are available on our website (http://cchicdesigns.vpweb.ca/Wedding-Accessories-for-sale.html). 

Reception decor rental suggestions: create that enticingly cozy atmosphere by covering your guest tables with ivory, gold or beige overlays or tablerunners and use complementing chairs covers in ivory or white satin (or polyester) covers, with or without ivory/gold/beige organza or satin sashes (bows). We carry all these rental items, so just email us (cheapandchicmariage@gmail.com) for details, prices & availability.

 Centerpiece suggestions: can’t go wrong with candles here! For a lush & romantic setting, arrange candles in crystal/gold/fogged holders [wrapped with lace for extra romance!] amidst strings of pearls or petals  around low square or round vases (crystal or bronze/gold-sprayed, tied with beige or white satin ribbon or string of pearls/crystals) featuring small arrangements of flowers (real or artificial) to match with your bouquets. Roses, stock, carnations, rice flower and dahlias are the most affordable real flower options, whereas if you feel like splurging, consider peonies, garden roses, calla lilies, gardenias or ranunculus. For table #s, use little gold/bronze/pearl frames with printed out/drawn numbers, or other table identifications (names, pictures, song names, etc). Make sure your centerpieces are either low enough or tall enough for your guests to have a comfortable conversation (vs a game of peek-a-boo!). And remember to take into account your favors (if you are having them), since their style & color will also contribute to the overall look of the tables.

Warning: do not go overboard with little trinkets/details, as it may end up looking tacky & overdone! Elegant = no unnecessary add-ons. 

~~~It's a Nice Day for a White Wedding~~~

It's spring time and that means 2 things in the wedding industry: a tidal wave of last-minute clients (procrastinating brides; those suddenly canceled on by vendors; the brave few that want to plan a wedding in 3 months, etc) and more leisurely, yet steadily, pouring consultation requests by the newly-engaged (and super organized!) couples that wish to explore all their options as far as wedding decoration rentals/supplies go.

So, to help out all those couples that are still trying to determine what style & color pallete to pick for their big day, we will make a few blog posts with close-up examinations of popular & recurring wedding themes, along with more great & unique theme ideas that just might be The One for a select few. Each post will have a nice little inspiration-board type collage containing suggestions for dress styles, bouquets, cakes and accessories, along with coordinating reception decor rentals (available from yours truly :P) and centerpiece ideas that are both affordable & elegant. After all, it's not the amount of $$$ spent that determines the WOW factor of any wedding, it's the perfectly matched look of all its components & ingredients. But enough introduction and on to the more fun & exciting stuff!

~~~White Wedding~~~

Dress suggestions: for a perfect match, pick a gown in white or diamond white, with white/silver lace, or silver/iridescent/crystal embroidery and accents.

Flower suggestions: think diamond white flowers (iceberg roses, casablanca lilies, lily of the valley, dendrobium orchids, white stock, baby's breath, etc) arranged in a cascade, hand-tied (with white/silver/gray/iridescent ribbons) or posy style with crystal/silver/iridescent/feather/pearl accents/pins/jewelry.

Cake suggestions: any style as long as it's a diamond white concoction covered with buttercream/royal icing, white chocolate flakes, fondant or coconut flakes. Awesome cake embellishments would include fresh flowers (to match your bouquet?), white satin ribbon, edible silver/pearl accents, elegant crystal monograms, or simply white rose petals.

Accessory suggestions: shown in the center of the collage is our very own set "Moonlight Serenade" made with diamond white floral lace, matte white satin, iridescent white flowers, iridescent floral lace and iridescent crystal charms. Afterall, if your accessories are just generically white, it may end up looking boring & unoriginal instead of unique & personalized. Complete details about this set are available on our website (http://cchicdesigns.vpweb.ca/Wedding-Accessories-for-sale.html).

Reception decor rental suggestions: chances are that your guest tables will already have a lot of white & silver in them (linen, cutlery, plates, glasses, napkins) so if you want to add more depth & hues, try renting silver overlays or table runners (in satin or organza) and consider covering your chairs with white satin or polyester covers, with or without silver organza or satin sashes (bows). We carry all these rental items, so just email us (cheapandchicmariage@gmail.com) for details, prices & availability. 

Centerpiece suggestions: candles in crystal/silver/fogged holders, white/silver petals or glass pebbles/crystals arranged around low square or round vases (crystal, silver or faux-crystal plastic, tied with white satin ribbon or string of pearls/crystals) featuring small arrangements of flowers (real or artificial) to match with your bouquets. Roses, white lilies, dendrobium orchids, baby's breath and white stock are the most affordable real flower options, whereas if you feel like splurging, consider lush white peonies, garden roses, calla lilies, lily-of-the valley or gardenias. For table #s, use little silver frames with printed out/drawn numbers, or other table identifications (names, pictures, song names, etc). Make sure your centerpieces are either low enough or tall enough for your guests to have a comfortable conversation (vs a game of peek-a-boo!). And remember to take into account your favors (if you are having them), since their style & color will also contribute to the overall look of the tables.

Warning: do not go overboard with little trinkets/details, as it may end up looking tacky & overdone! Elegant = no unnecessary add-ons.
 

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 :)

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 :)