TV shows such as “Say Yes to the Dress” are more popular than ever right now. The gorgeous designer gowns are the main attraction, but there’s also an aspect of drama that seems to come along with the show. I never put much thought into who I should bring to these festivities other than my mom, but it’s something that’s very important to think about. Also, knowing the ins and outs of how to make your dress appointments all you want them to be is a key piece to take with you through the process. Take notes, and remember this is likely the next most exciting thing after getting engaged, you’ve probably dreamed of your dress as much as the wedding itself. Don’t let stress get in the way of making this experience wonderful.

Olive

When deciding who to bring with you to the appointment think about not just the people who are most special to you, but also the ones who understand this is your day. Friend’s who make the appointment about what they want are not listening to your wants and needs. If you have always wanted a mermaid gown, but your friend loves ball gowns, all you’re going to hear is their opinions reflecting the fact that they see you in a big pouffy gown. Make sure you choose people to come with you who will be honest, but who will also “ooh” and “ah” over each dress you put on. You should feel praised on this day.

Secondly, look for dress shops that will cater to you and your group. I have had experiences with dress shops that ignored my friends and I for about 20 or more minutes. We ended up walking around the store pulling our own dresses off the racks until someone finally helped us. Then the lady continuously told my friend every dress was her dress with no sincerity. I’ve heard great things about places like The Bridal centre in Calgary. You can even take champagne with you and they will serve it to you and your group during your appointment. You should feel pampered through this experience, you only plan to do it once, right?

Amsale

Have a good idea of what style of dress you’re looking for before you go into these appointments. However, also keep an open mind because the professionals often know best. Sometimes what you pictured in your head isn’t what looks the best once you get it on your body. Just keep an open mind, and let ladies at the store do what they do best.

Lastly, just enjoy the whole ride. Try not to get stressed out, or worked up about the little things that may come up. You’re going to find that perfect dress!! Just like your Prince Charming, the perfect dress is out there too!

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Stampede season is here again, and for all you brides looking to infuse some cowboy spirit and western charm into your special day, here are some ideas for the perfect western inspired wedding.

Start off with a country themed invitation to get your guests into the spirit, using traditional style western fonts and earthy materials like twine.

Western Wedding Invitation

Next, choose an uncomplicated, flowing wedding gown with capped sleeves or thick lace straps, and wear your hair down in soft natural waves for a simple country feel.

Western inspired wedding dress

And what screams Western more than cowboy boots? Adding this simple accessory to your wedding dress will make any bride appear that much more joyful and fun, not to mention keep you comfortable well into the morning hours. That goes for the bridesmaids too, and they will probably thank you for it! Cowboy hats are also a nice addition to the groomsmen attire.

Bride with cowboy boots

Bridesmaids with cowboy boots

Keep your bouquet natural and organic, with bright and cheerful colours and unstructured shapes, using flowers like daisies or sunflowers. A nice unique touch might be adding a little horseshoe for luck or wrapping the stems with burlap and tying them with twine.

Lucky horseshoe on bouquet

Simple rustic bouquet

Flower arrangements can be accented with stems of wheat, or small tree branches with bright berries on them, and be presented in baskets, rustic buckets or flower pots.

Western inspired flowers

Use mason jars filled with flowers or candles to line the aisle at the ceremony, either by hanging them on chairs or placing them directly on the ground.

Flowers in mason jars

Bring the country theme to life by holding the ceremony in an outdoor setting surrounded by beautiful trees, with a simply decorated wooden arch and equally rustic wooden chairs. And for a truly authentic experience, why not have your guests seated on bales of hay, covered with fabric for comfort!

Outdoor ceremony

Outdoor ceremony with bales of hay

Bales of hay for seating

For the evening reception, you may choose to move into a barn, or stay outside, if the weather permits, under a canopy of hanging lights and lanterns. Of course, no western style reception would be complete without a live country band and some line dancing.

Inside of a barn

Outdoor lights

Keep your table decorations informal, using a burlap runner on long wooden tables and create low centerpieces using mason jars, for a unique and authentic feel. Using mismatched wooden chairs will give your space a truly rustic look.

Rustic table setting

Mason jar centerpiece

For cocktail hour consider serving simple comfort foods like mini sliders, or mac and cheese and coleslaw in small shot glasses. Finish off with a traditional BBQ for dinner, displaying the menu on a rustic chalkboard. Keep your beer chilling in buckets or a wooden barrel, ready for your guests to enjoy, or serve lemonade out for mason jars for a refreshing, non-alcoholic option.

Bucket with lemonade jars

You can end your perfect night around a campfire, with your guests enjoying personalized s’mores, and keeping cozy with blankets from a wooden basket.

Personalized s’mores

And as an added touch of western hospitality for your out-of-town guests, why not leave a little something special in their hotel rooms to celebrate the Stampede spirit, like a basket filled with barbecue and hot sauces, beer, or rodeo tickets.

Now is a great time to start scouring flea markets for these perfect rustic additions that are sure to bring your western wedding to life. Remember to choose a colour theme and use it throughout your wedding details, such as your flowers, stationery, and even those blankets for the end of the night!

If you are a Calgary area bride and need help pulling together your Western wedding experience, contact us now to book your complimentary consultation and we’ll have your guests saying Yee-haw!

 

As many of you have probably seen on our website I am known around Inspired Occasions as the “accessory queen”. I love necklaces, big chunky bracelets and funky earrings. It’s become a recent trend for many brides to wear unique pieces with their gowns. These are some favorites I found, and hopefully they will inspire you for your wedding day.

Nineteen Owls

I love how this couple coordinated their accesories! So CUTE!

JL Designs

This Next

Enjoy Events

If you’re looking for something fun and unique to spice up your big day check out Stella and Dot. They’re are very popular right now, but have something for every personality and everyone. If you need help making sure your wedding day style fits right with your decor vision, contact us.

Often times when planning the Big Day much of the focus is based around what the bride and her girls will be wearing, or carrying as they walk down the aisle. Well, how about the little ones who are leading the way? Here are some fabulous ideas for you Calgary Brides, about what your little flower girls can hold onto as they go.

Instead of a typical pomondor ball, why not something that’s like a fairy princess wand?

Music City Events

These birch baskets filled with orchids are so cute!

Etsy

Watering cans would be so perfect for a spring wedding! Personalize them with your own colored ribbons.

The Knot

Isn’t this little floral purse adorable?

Hawaii designs

Ask your florist about some creative ways to make your flower girl feel special. There are so many options, it could be hard to choose…

We all have moments of nostalgia, reminiscing about the simple pleasures in life, and now more than ever, brides are making this atmosphere of soft romance a part of their wedding day. The vintage theme is one of the top wedding trends of 2011, and is now showing up in all facets of a wedding: attire, flowers, décor, favours, transportation and more. Think lace accents, pearls, soft faded pastels, elaborate patterns, and afternoon garden tea parties. Whether you want to add a just a few vintage touches to your wedding or are looking for the complete vintage experience, the choices are endless! And it looks like this is one trend that’s here to stay.

The first, and one of the most important aspects of planning a vintage wedding, is finding the perfect gown. Vintage dresses are typically unique pieces and have incredible workmanship, a sure way to be a truly original bride. If a vintage dress is not as fashionable as you might like, restoring and adapting it to more modern trends could be a good solution, without compromising the gown’s old school charm. Some great materials to consider are satin, for a light and airy feeling, lace, for its intricate details, or taffeta for a smoother look. Whatever your choice, make sure it compliments your personality, and use your gown as a piece of inspiration for the rest of the wedding décor.

Here is some inspiration to get you started.

Strapless vintage wedding dress

Vintage wedding dress

Tea length vintage inspired gown

50′s inspired vintage dress

Retro style vintage dress

And for the more contemporary bride, here are a couple of a vintage inspired gowns with a more modern silhouette.

Vintage inspired lace gown

Vintage inspired gown

If you’re a Calgary bride and need help pulling together your one-of-a-kind vintage wedding experience, contact us now to book your complimentary consultation and make your vision a stunning reality.

There may be some of you out there like me who have been a bridesmaid more than once. This meaning your closet is beginning to look like the girl from the movie 27 dresses. For those of you who haven’t seen this movie, it chronicles one girl’s love of all things weddings which leads her to be a bridesmaid 27 times. There’s a long running joke where brides laugh and say they must look better than their bridesmaids and threaten to put them in something large, bright and taffeta. I am one of the girls who has been lucky to have my nearest and dearest dress me in something beautiful, rather than something you can’t wait to forget. If you are about to be a bridesmaid , or if you’re the Bride herself, here are some samples of dresses your friends will thank you for!

Jill Thomas Photography

I love these little black dresses, this is something that could definitely be worn again.

Jennifer Bowen Photography

These yellow dresses would be perfect for a destination wedding…

Destination dresses

I love when Brides have their girls in different styles, not every body type will suit the same thing, this is a great option.

Red Photo Co.

These long purple dresses are fabulous! What a fun color and with the slit up the side they could definitely be shortened if your girls so choose.

Beautiful Wedding

If there are only a couple of girls standing up with you a great option could be getting the dresses at a place like BCBG . They have fun dresses that your girls could definitely wear time and again. If they don’t have the sizes you need ask about ordering as most stores can get the product shipped in.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about wedding shoes. I remember about a year ago shopping with a girlfriend of mine to help her find the perfect pair of white shoes. Well it sure opened my eyes that the right pair of white can be difficult to find. I myself know that my wedding shoes will be pink, but here are some of my other favorites. What color and style will you choose…

Shoes and Bags

This Bride and all her girls got into the colorful spirit!

As In Events

Silver Touch

Find the perfect shoe to match the color and theme of your day…

These red rosebud shoes are to dye for! I think these may be my dream shoes if they were pink.

Riccardo Studios

Whatever shoe you choose make sure you think a little bit about comfort. If you’re like me it may be a good decision to get two pairs of shoes, the gorgeous fun pair for the ceremony and pictures, and some comfortable ones for the reception. You’re going to be on your feet all day and you shouldn’t be feeling the pain on the most special day in your life!

We’ve all had cake and cupcakes at weddings, some of you may have even enjoyed the recent trend of macaroons.  But if you are looking for something delicious and sweet as an alternative to cake and cupcakes you might want to consider doughnuts!  Doughnuts are fantastic comfort food, they come in a variety of shapes, colours, and flavours, and they are very affordable.  I don’t know about you, but doughnuts bring me back to the simple days of childhood.

As with any element of your wedding or special event, presentation is key.  If you opt to have doughnuts play center stage at your wedding reception, make sure you think about the set up.  Will you stack them into a tower, place them on a variety of footed cake plates, present them on silver trays?  Do you want full sized or mini doughnuts?  Do you want to offer doughnuts in lieu of wedding cake or cupcakes or do you want to bring them out for a late night snack?

Trays of pink, white and chocolate doughnuts via Green Wedding Shoes

You can still “cut the doughnut” if you want to go this playful route and skip the cake altogether.

donuts and milkMilk and doughnuts

Doughnuts and milk would make a perfect late night snack.

Doughnuts on cake plate

Present doughnuts on a variety of footed cake plates if you want to incorporate a vintage vibe.

action station wedding food

Fry Girl Inc.

How amazing would it be to have a mini doughnut action station?!  Guests could come up and receive their made to order doughnuts piping hot.

Mini coffee and doughnuts

These mini coffees and mini doughnuts are adorable!  They would be perfect for a morning wedding.  Imagine greeting your guests with one of these cute delights.  They would also be perfect for after dinner for those craving a bit of a caffeine lift and a sweet treat at the same time.

If you are a Calgary Bride and are looking for some exceptional doughnuts to share on your wedding day, you have to check out Jelly Modern Doughuts. They offer gourmet donuts, a stylish store front, and a variety of unique flavours that you won’t find anywhere else.  I love that they also use locally sourced and organic ingredients when possible.  My hubby even gave them 2 thumbs up and he is a self proclaimed anti-doughnut eater.

If you are planning a Calgary, Banff, Canmore, or Lake Louise wedding and are looking for ways to infuse fun and unique elements into your wedding day we’d love to hear from you!  As  Wedding Planners and Designers we love nothing more than working with couples to create signature wedding experiences for will leave your guests in awe!

A friend of mine recently got engaged and it made me think about all the things that go along with it: booking a venue, picking a dress, and narrowing down your guest list. Luckily for this friend of mine the guest list part came pretty easy. I know for some Calgary Brides however, choosing who will and will not be invited to your special day is a hard decision to make. Are you obligated to invite people who invited you to their wedding 6 years ago? Do you invite great aunt and uncle so and so that you haven’t seen in 15 years? The guest list can be one of the hardest parts of planning your wedding. Here are some tips and tricks to making it go as smooth as possible, without creating enemies.

Royal Wedding

* First off you and your fiancé should decide how many people you are going to invite. Go through your budget, and pick a number that you feel you can manage. Maybe inviting 200 people will feel overwhelming for you and 150 might seem like a better number. Also, make sure you know how many guests your venue can hold. You don’t want to invite 150 people if the venue will only cater to 100.

* Next, you should each make a list of who you would like to invite. Then you can put them together and number them by importance. Will you invite just your closest family and friends? Or do you want to throw the party of the year with every person you know?

* If your parents are playing a big part in the wedding talk to them about a number of how many guests they can each invite. This could take up a large part of your final number unless you sit down and talk about it first.

* Finally will you be inviting children to the reception? If most of your friends and family have children this again could make the list even larger.

Try not to feel the pressure that family and friends can often unintentionally put on you to invite more people than you want. Just think, once this piece of work is complete you can get to the fun part like designing your big day!

Ahh, Vera. Where do I even begin? Vera Wang is one of the most coveted designers of bride’s-to-be all over the world. Her gowns are renowned for their elegance and dramatic simplicity, making them the perfect choice for a mountain wedding in Banff, Canmore, or Lake Louise. In her latest collection, Vera takes inspiration from the ballerinas of Degas’ art for an ultra-romantic collection using texture and hues of airy pastels and sophisticated neutrals. Swoon.

I am also loving Vera’s modern take on the birdcage veil…but I’ll save that for another blog post!

2012 Vera Wang CollectionCredit: Vera Wang Photography: Kevin Sturman

Couture Wedding DressCredit: Vera Wang   Source: Wedding Chicks

Best of Vera Wang CollectionCredit: Vera Wang Photography: Kevin Sturman

Lace back Vera Wang wedding gownCredit: Vera Wang   Source: Wedding Chicks

2012 wedding gownCredit: Vera Wang Photography: Kevin Sturman

Credit: Vera Wang   Source: Wedding Chicks

If you have fallen in love with a Vera and are looking for the perfect Calgary, Banff, Canmore, or Lake Louise Wedding Planner to pull together a show stopping, jaw dropping event design worthy of your sensational gown, contact us now to book your complimentary initial consultation.

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