Blog Love: KGM Weddings

A good friend of the BF's (who's become my friend!) recently launched her own wedding blog, KGM Weddings. KGM is a Los Angeles-based wedding planner and has spent the last few years planning and co-ordinating weddings for SoCal brides. As well, KGM is a recent bride and her wedding is one of the best weddings I've been to - Glamourous (Vintage/Art Deco feel), Fun (my first photobooth experience) and Yummy (two words: red velvet). If you're looking for wedding ideas, tips or want to see the latest wedding trends, head on over to KGM Weddings. You won't be disappointed!

20% off at Vicky's

Maybe a little something for you and your significant other? wink, wink.

www.victoriassecret.com

For All the JCrew Addicts Out There......

The Launch of Kasia Fink Veils

The lovely Kasia Fink (aka Mrs. SeaBreeze at WeddingBee) recently launched her own custom- made veil & fascinator business. How lovely is her veil? And she also recently made a custom birdcage veil for Budget Savvy Bride! I've been 'fascinated by fasincators' for a long time and I can tell you that they are hard to come by and even more difficult to DIY (I'll show you my DIY fascinator one day). So if you're thinking of donning a one-of-a-kind birdcage veil or fasinator for your wedding or for a special event, you must check out Kasia Fink Veils' website and blog. To celebrate the launch of her business, Kasia is offering both veil and fascinator together for $50 U.S. plus shipping for a limited time.

FYI to Canadian Brides - Kasia is Canadian and hails from Vancouver.

Engagement Photo Candy: Jessie & Corin

Jessie and Corin's engagement photos caught my eye for a couple of reasons: 1) they incorporated their love of snow boarding/skiing into their photo shoot; and 2) it's so obvious they are happy in love and had an amazing time doing the shoot! Photographed by the talented Rafal Wegiel of RW Photography, Jessie and Corin had their photo shoot at the Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta. I love the photo of them on the ski-lift; but my favourite is with Jessie and Corin sitting in the snow with their snowboard raised in the air. So cute! What activity would you incorporate into your engagement photos?

To see more of Rafal's work, visit his website and his blog. Rafal is based in Calgary, AB but shoots weddings all over Western Canada. Thanks to Rafal for allowing me post his work!

The Glitz and Glam of the Junos

Did you watch? I admit, I only had it on in the background while I caught up on my Google Reader. Nickelback were the big winners, taking home Album of the Year, Group of the Year and Fan's Choice. Other winners included Lights, Sam Roberts, The Stills and Kardinal Offishall. To see the full list of winners, jump over to CTV.

Here are some photos from the red carpet:

The Sam Roberts Band

Sarah McLachlan (love her dress)

Micheal Buble

Sarah Slean (love the ruching & pleats on her dress)

Feist (who's wearing a vintage 1920s dress)

Lights

Tara Oram

Melissa McClelland

*All images via CTV.ca, except images of Feist and Sarah Slean, via Dallas Bittle.

Cabaret Vintage

672 Queen St West, Toronto, ON
416.504.7126*cabaretvintage@gmail.com

One of my favourite streets to shop along in Toronto is Queen Street West (between University and Gladstone). Along this stretch of Queen, you will find your old faithfuls such as Zara, Club Monaco, Gap but you'll also happen upon a whole slew of indie clothing boutiques. One such boutique is Cabaret Vintage. Its walls lined with restored vintage dresses, suits, shirts, and even lingerie, Cabaret Vintage is a vintage fashionista's playground. The ages of Cabaret Vintage's clothing range from the 1900's to the 1960's. Here are a couple of dresses from their website - the one of the left is a 1950's school girl plaid dress (which retails for CDN $225) while the one on the right is a 1960's rhinestone cocktail dress (CDN $345). I love the tie around the neck on the cocktail dress.


For those vintage glam brides out there, Cabaret will not disappoint. Check out these beauties:

Price Upon Request

$125 (what a steal!)

Recently, Cabaret's owner, Tao Drayton, posted a short video on YouTube (see below) on how Cabaret can help vintage brides find their perfect gown. If you're looking for a vintage cocktail type wedding dress, then you need not look further. Cabaret will customize one for you! Call or email for more details. (N.B. ~For more vintage glam goodness, I highly recommend you visit VintageGlamWeddings. This site will inspire you to infuse vintage glam in every aspect of your life. I'm not kidding - I blame my fascinator addiction on VintageGlam.)

And finally, the pièce de résistance, the hats! I could spend all day trying on Cabaret's selection of millinery.

via blogTO

For more vintage fashion candy, visit Cabaret Vintage in person or browse their website, http://www.cabaretvintage.com.

For My Dream Home.......

Happy Monday! Well, the BF left yesterday. Very sad, but I'll be seeing him next week, so not that sad! (Seriously, we're so not long distance. ) We'll be off to San Diego for my cousin's wedding. Maybe Mo from Pink Argyle can suggest some must-see's and must-dos? Hint, hint!? If you haven't checked out Pink Argyle yet, hop on over....you will drool over her wedding venue.

While the BF was here, we decided to go condo-shopping. I've been renting for awhile and thinking of taking the plunge to ownership, especially since it's a buyer's market. Anyways, the condo-shopping prompted the BF and I to discuss the must-have's in our dream home. I want a chef's kitchen. He wants a steam room. We both agreed that we HAD to have a wine cellar since we're both winos. We're a long way from our dream home but I already know what my dream wine cellar will look like. Voila!

Spiral Cellars via CasaSugar

Spiral Cellars will come into your home, dig a hole wherever you want, install a wine cellar which you access via a spiral staircase through a "hidden" trap door. Sigh. Why am I not independently wealthy?

What are your must-have's in your dream home?

The Junos Tonight!

The very best in Canadian music will strut their stuff tonight and compete with one another for the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Award, the Juno. Although it will be a little less glamorous and glitzy than the Grammys, tonight's Juno ceremony is still the biggest night in Canadian music industry. Back in February, I blogged about some of my favourite Canadian artists nominated for Junos. One of those artists is the lovely Kreesha Tuner. She's up for two awards. Check out her video for 'Bounce With Me.' It was my ringtone for months.

Have you heard of Lost Fingers? Based in Quebec, this jazz-influenced band remixes 80's/90's hits to give them a totally different sound. Listen to their version of Technotronic's "Pump Up the Jam." I guarantee it will bring a smile to your face.

thelostfingers.com

The amazing Sarah McLachlan will be honoured tonight with the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award and will also be performing. Has it really been 12 years since the first Lilith Fair?!?

www.sarahmclachlan.com

A few weeks ago I attended CHUMFanFest during Canadian Music Week, and watched Divine Brown perform. One word - Unbelievable! She's sassy, soulful and simply makes you want to dance! I'm looking forward to her performance tonight. Visit her site to listen to some of her tunes.

www.divinebrown.ca

Frugal Fridays: 30% off at BCBG

BCBG doesn't often have sales on its regular priced merchandise so this is quite an event!! For those of you looking for something unique to wear to/in a wedding, this might be a good place to start!


How cute is this dress? I'm seriously considering it..............

All images via BCBG.com

Designer Bridal Gown Sampe Sale in Toronto

via Monique Lhuillier

Sorry for being MIA as of late. Work has been crazy! Plus, the BF is leaving this weekend so I can't really justify hiding in my bedroom in my off time to work on my blog while he's around. ;) Just wanted to let you know Dina Alonzi Bridal is having a sample sale which starts today. Dina Alonzi carries Monique Lhuillier , Amsale, Lazaro, Kenneth Pool, Melissa Sweet and many other designers. Great opportunity to snag a 'champagne' gown for a 'beer' price.

When:
Thursday March 26 - 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Friday March 27- 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Saturday March 28- 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Where:
Dina Alonzi Bridal
3020 Bloor Street West
(At Royal York & Bloor)
(416) 236-0270
Website: www.dinaalonzibridal.com
Email: info@dinaalonzibridal.com

Weddings are in the Air....

Wedding season has definitely begun. Case in point? The flurry of celebrity engagements and weddings that have occurred as of late. Just this past weekend, "Winnie Cooper", Natasha Bedingfield, and Bruce Willis all got hitched. What do you think it is? Is it spring? I know in colder places like Toronto, spring marks the beginning of 'wedding season' mainly because couples don't have to brave the elements on their big day (especially if they want to get those 'outdoor' shots!). How about sunnier places such as LA, SF? Is there a true 'wedding season' in such places?

Here's a picture of Natasha Bedingfield on her wedding day. According to SocialiteLife.com, she donned strapless, white Vera Wang gown.

via SocialiteLife.com

New! Joe Fresh Beauty

Have you heard? Or seen it? The creative minds behind Joe Fresh Style have launched a beauty complement, Joe Fresh Beauty. The timing really couldn't be more perfect in light of our 'new economic reality.' With over 200 products ranging from $4 to $16, this beauty line is easy on the pocket book allowing you to experiment with its 60 shades of lip and eye colour pretty much guilt-free. For more deets, check out http://www.joe.ca/en/beauty/products.

via Joe Fresh Beauty

Winnie Cooper is Married!

Danica McKellar, better known as the actress who played Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years, tied the knot yesterday in La Jolla, CA. According to Celebrity Bride Guide, Danica wore a mermaid style gown which laced up in the back. Judging by their attire, it looks like Danica and her husband, composer Mike Verta, were going for a more traditional look for their nuptials. I'm not loving the tiara/veil/up-do combo. I think she would have looked 'softer' with her hair down. What do you think? To see more photos, click here.

via Celebrity Bride Guide

Andy The-Anh Fall '09

Hope you had a good weekend. I thought I'd wrap up my Toronto Fashion Week recaps with photos from Andy The-Anh's collection. Always a favorite at Fashion Week, Vietnamese-born The-Anh did not disappoint. He actually has me looking forward to next Fall (ok, maybe that's stretching it a bit). Andy The-Anh is known for combining luxurious fabrics in order to flatter the feminine form. I love his use of bold colours, and the creative draping in his dresses. Swoon! Hope you enjoyed my little recaps of Toronto Fashion Week!

via blogTO

Gown Preservation

Interesting article on the man behind Toronto's Courtesy Gown Preservation, Gus Polyzois. Mr. Polyzois has been cleaning and preserving gowns for over 40 years!

Comrags Fall '09

Love, love the Comrags Fall '09 collection! From the colour palette (emerald, teal, rust, red, grey) to the fabulous fabrics (twill, knit, crush, wool, jersey) - I love it all (especially the shift dresses - I would buy one in every colour)! To see more of this amazing collection, click here.

via blogto.com

Alfred Sung Trunk Show

Sorry for the late notice on this one! Wedding gowns are just another cog in the Alfred Sung empire. The iconic Canadian designer has three bridal collections: Pure, Signature and Paradise. This dress is from the Signature collection. How awesome is the back?

via Alfred Sung Bridal

WHEN?
This Weekend!

WHERE?
Ritche Bridal

1662 Avenue Road
Toronto, Ontario
M5M 3Y1
www.ritchebridal.com
416.789.4378

To see the latest Alfred Sung collection, visit Alfred Sung Bridals.

Frugal Fridays: Deals & Steals

Free Fan Program Template

via Aylee Designs

Joe Fresh Style Collection '09

Joe Fresh Style is the brainchild of Joseph Mimran, the co-founder of Club Monaco (which is now owned by Ralph Lauren). Known for its affordability and down-to-earth casualness, the Joe Fresh collection is available across Canada in Real Canadian Superstores and Loblaws. (To my friends to the south of the border, Loblaws & Real Canadian Superstores are a chain of grocery stores but also house 'home and lifestyle' sections.) I usually find great staples at Joe's (e.g. t-shirts, hoodies, yoga gear) and once in awhile I find something funky (e.g ruffled blouses, stylish flats).

Last night, Mimran previewed Joe's Fall '09 collection as part of Toronto Fashion Week. In an interview with the Toronto Sun, Mimran said he wanted to offer 'an innocent Canadian ideal.' Perhaps its the cabin fever I'm current experiencing (FYI - today is the official last day of winter) but I'm not getting the the inspiration behind the latest Joe collection. Would you wear a puffy, down-filled skirt? Or a patterned knit cat suit? Maybe I'm viewing the collection too literally. What do you think? Hit or miss?

Images via Toronto Sun