A Friday the 13th "I Do" - Part Deux

Part I- Jessica and Nick's Wedding

Hope you are enjoying your Sunday! Let's continue with Jessica and Nick's Friday the 13th wedding.

Both the ceremony and reception took place at Bellamere Winery in London, ON. The rustic feel of the winery was the perfect venue for this unconventional couple.

Instead of wearing a veil, Jessica decided to wear a long, black cape made by Nick's godmother. She proceeded down the aisle with her father to "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica covered by Apocalyptica.

courtesy of Jessica

The ceremony, which Jessica and Nick wrote themselves, took place in one of the winery's buildings.

via The Last Forty Percent

Once they were married, the bride and groom walked down the aisle together to "Right Here In My Arms" by HIM.via The Last Forty Percent

Jessica DIYed a lot of the decor including the dogwood table centrepieces. She also designed and made all the paper goods, including the invitations and place cards. In lieu of guest favours, Jessica and Nick made a donation in memory of Nick's father to the Canadian Cancer Society. Guests were encouraged to take a Together.Strong wristband to honour those touched by cancer.

via The Last Forty Percent

Jessica was kind enough to share some 'behind the scenes' details........

How amazing is this card box? Unable to find something that suited her taste, Jessica decided to DIY a card box herself.

courtesy of Jessica

Nick designed Jessica's engagement ring and wedding band. Check out the black diamonds in her band.

courtesy of Jessica

Jessica also made her bridesmaids' jewelery -beaded drop earrings with matching necklaces.

courtesy of Jessica

A month to the day before Nick proposed, both Jessica and Nick each got infinity symbol tattoos on to symbolize their commitment to each other. They used this same symbol on their invites.

courtesy of Jessica

Congratulations Jessica and Nick. Thank you for sharing your wedding with us and showing us that 'strange' may be different but if you stay true to yourself, you're guarantee an awesome time.

*A special thanks to The Last Forty Percent.

Lela Rose Trunk Show - Toronto

via Lela Rose

WHEN?
Friday, February 5th and Saturday, February 6th
10am-6pm

WHERE?
White Toronto (www.whitetoronto.com)
19 Hazelton Avenue, Toronto, ON. M5R 2E1
Tel: 416 849 9196 / info@whitetoronto.com
Call to make an appointment.

To see Lela Rose's collection, visit www.lelarose.com.

A Friday the 13th "I Do" - Jessica and Nick

"There were black and white striped stockings. A black cape. Leather flowers. Black eyeliner. And black and white pinstriped boots. It wasn’t traditional. It wasn’t the norm. But it was perfectly them. It was the story of Jessica and Nick. Exactly as they wanted to tell it."

I don't think I could describe Jessica and Nick's wedding any better than Brianna (of The Last Forty Percent Photography) already has. When LFP posted photos from this funky wedding earlier this week, I immediately contacted Brianna to see if I could re-post the pics. I even bugged Brianna into passing along questions to Jessica. (Thanks Brianna!). Lucky for you and I, Jessica graciously answered my many questions and even provided more photo candy from her 'unusual' Friday the 13th wedding.

You're probably wondering why Jessica and Nick picked Friday the 13th. Jessica tells me there were a few reasons why they wed on such na "ominous'" date. 1) During their first year of dating, in lieu of celebrating their first Valentine's Day together, Jessica and Nick, neither believers in the 'Hallmark' holiday, decided to celebrate the Friday, February 13th instead. 2) Jessica found amazing vendor discounts for a Friday in November (both an 'off' day and an 'off' month for weddings in Ontario, Canada) and surprise, surprise, there weren't a lot of other couples sealing the deal on their selected date. 3) Jessica and Nick wanted throw an event that none of their families and friends had seen before, and that 'strange' can be fun. So this is how Jessica and Nick ended throwing a Victorian/Gothic/Rock n' Roll inspired-wedding on Friday the 13th.

Getting Ready

If you haven't figured it out already, Jessica isn't your typical bride. She may have donned a white wedding gown on her big day but she made sure there were bursts of her personality peeking through, such as her striped stockings and matching platform shoes. Not totally satisfied with her wedding gown, Jessica had the original sash removed and replaced with a black one adorned with a brooch she had found.


Not wanting to spend money on fresh flowers that would eventually die, and looking for a way to incorporate leather into her ensemble, Jessica turned to The English Rose Company in the UK to create this amazing leather rose bouquet. A matching boutonniere was also made for Nick.

The First Look

Ewan Phelan is a genius for perfectly capturing these below intimate moments.

The Bridal Party

Stay tuned for photos from Jessica and Nick's ceremony & reception at Bellamere Winery (London, Ontario) as well as some 'behind the scenes' photos from Jessica herself!

All photos by The Last Forty Percent Photography

Watters Trunk Show - Toronto

It seems like there a whole slew of trunk shows and sales are going on this weekend! For those of you who have been coveting a Watters gown, you might want to see if you can score a deal at their trunk show.

via Watters

WHEN?
Friday, January 30 & Saturday, January 31

WHERE?
Felichia Bridal
2587 Yonge St.
Toronto, Ontario Canada
M4P 2J1
647 - 350 - 5559
email: info@felichia.com
www.felichia.com
Call to make an appointment.

To see more from the Watters collection, visit www.watters.com.

McCaffrey Haute Couture Sample Sale - Toronto

WHEN?
Friday, January 29th to Saturday, January 30th
10AM to 6PM

WHERE?
McCaffrey Haute Couture Boutique
114 Cumberland St. Suite 200 (Yorkville)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
416 928-1334/ torontoretail@mccaffreyhautecouture.com
www.mccaffreyhautecouture.com
Visa, MasterCard, Debit or Cash will only be accepted during this sale.

FYI - Justina McCaffrey is no longer affiliated with McCaffrey Haute Couture. Justina now heads up her own eponymous label at www.justinamccaffrey.com. For the full 411 on this split , click here.

I wish I was....

Diane Kruger so I could wear this dress and have "Pacey" on my arm (BF - just make believe!) Not many people can pull off 'mustard', let alone pull if off with such style. This would totally rock as a Hollywood glam wedding gown in white or champagne. Did you have a favourite dress from the SAG awards?

via Popsugar

Happy Monday!

Bridechka is Getting Married!!

A big, hearty Mazel Tov to Bridechka as she and the Big Guy walk down the aisle today. Bridechka, thanks for taking us along for the ride. Have a frakkin' fabulous time! Be sure to check out the recaps on her Jewish/Russian wedding in NYC on her blog and on Wedzilla!

Stephanie James Trunk Show - Toronto

Back in December, I attended the grand opening soiree of Sash & Bustle, Toronto's latest arrival to the bridal scene. Described as a "modern bridal loft" by its owner Cynthia Martyn (who is already known as one of Toronto's foremost wedding planners), Sash & Bustle houses chic bridesmaid dresses and bridal gown alternatives. Sash & Bustle is not like any other bridal salon I have been to (and I've been to A LOT). Located in the Garment Factory Lofts building, this industrial yet inviting boutique is filled with white modern furniture, crystal chandeliers, elegant bridal accessories, and of course colourful bridesmaids dress! At the back of Sash & Bustle, hang the 'bridal alternatives.' Think non-traditional, non-poufy, non-blingy, no superlong train but still fun, elegant and chic. One of Sash & Bustle's 'bridal alternative' collections is that of Stephanie James Couture. Stephanie James is based in Hungtingon Beach, CA and is known for her flirty, vintage-inspired and unique bridal gowns.

via Stephanie James Couture

For those of you north of the border, Sash & Bustle is the only retailer in Canada who carries Stephanie James Couture! Even more exciting is that Sash & Bustle will be hosting a Stephanie James trunk show next weekend (Friday, January 29th - Sunday, January 31st), and Stephanie James will be there in person to consult with brides. Cynthia tells me that Saturday is completely booked but there are still appointments for Friday and Sunday. So if you're looking for a gown that is unlike anything you've see out there already, be sure to check out Stephanie James' trunk show.

Sash & Bustle
233 Carlaw Avenue, Unit 2
Toronto, Ontario
M4M 3N6
hello@sashandbustle.com
www.sashandbustle.com

Anne Barge Trunk Show - Toronto

via Anne Barge

WHEN?
Friday, January 29th and Saturday, January 30th

WHERE?
White Toronto (www.whitetoronto.com)
19 Hazelton Avenue, Toronto, ON. M5R 2E1
Tel: 416 849 9196 / info@whitetoronto.com
Call to make an appointment.

To see Anne Barge's collection, visit www.annebarge.com.

Maggie Sottero Trunk Show - Toronto

Maggie Sottero via Brides.com

When?
Wednesday, January 27 to Sunday January 31

Where?
Ritché Bridal
1662 Avenue Road
Toronto
416-789-4378

To see more of Maggie Sottero's collection, click here.

All about the Flu...

See what happens when I leave the West Coast? I get hit by the flu. Not fun. I seriously felt like I got hit by a truck. I came back to work from vacation for 2 days and then preceded to take 2 sick days. Ughhh. I felt so ill that I actually went home to my parents. Sometimes all you need is your mommy, even when you're in your thirties. hehehe. I did manage to watch the Golden Globes last night. My favourite dress from the night is that of Emily Blunt. Soft, frilly and feminine. Love it!

via Popsugar

Which dress did you covet?

The Wedding Show - This Weekend - Toronto

The Wedding Co. hosted its first boutique-style wedding show, The Wedding Show, eight years ago, focusing on uniting brides with unique wedding vendors. The Wedding Co. continues to host it annual show this weekend, exhibiting the goods and services of 115 hand selected wedding vendors. My favourite calligrapher, Barbara Kua Calligraphy, was selected to participate so be sure to check her (and many other exhibitors) out!

via The Wedding Co.

Date: January 15-17, 2010
Where: The Carlu, 444 Yonge Street, 7th floor
Map & Directions
Times: Friday, January 15, 5-9pm
Saturday, January 16, 10am-6pm
Sunday, January 17, 10am-5pm
Cost: $20.00 (Receive a $3.00 voucher by subscribing to The Wedding Co.'s weekly newsletter)

Ritche Super Sale - Toronto

Banana Republic - 20% off - Today ONLY

Last night, I hit up 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica with my Banana Republic 40% off coupon (the week before they were handing out 'give back' coupons when you made a purchase). Well ladies, I scored one of the best deals ever!!! I bought this lovely leather jacket at 40% off!! The leather feels like buttah.



Anyways, if you're a Banana Republic online shopper, check out today's deal! Happy Shopping.

Brekkie in the O.C. with Pink Argyle

Greetings from La La land! While most of you have already headed back to work or school, I'm luckily enough to be in week 2 of my vacay. Sigh. Life is good. Did I mention it's been sunny and warm?! The BF and I have been pretty busy seeing friends, family and not to mention throwing a New Year's Eve party! This past weekend, the BF, being the good BF he is, drove me to Laguna Hills to meet Mo from Pink Argyle. Mo and I had pondered where exactly to meet since she's in San Deigo, and I'm in LA. Luckily, someone on Chowhound had already posed the question and in response, the Break of Dawn was recommended. Now this was the second time I had met someone through my blog, the first being Jess from JessReads whom I met at the Sash & Bustle opening. With Jess, neither of us knew what we looked like, we just knew each other's names and we both live in Toronto - akin to a 'blind friend date.' With Mo, it was a bit different since we've gotten to know each other through our blogs and have even exchanged emails. In other words, I really feel like I know Mo.....even though we had never met. Oh how technology brings us all together! Mo and I (and the BF aka my chauffeur) had a great time chatting. It was really like seeing an old friend I hadn't seen in awhile. Mo and I discovered we had a lot in common....we are both of Asian descent, we both have 2 sisters, we are both wedding bloggers and we both have ex-boyfriends who became 'mystics' in exotic countries (long stories).

In addition to the great conversation, we chowed down on some delicious breakfast. I had the Potato Skillet.


And the BF had the yummy omelet.

In you live in the O.C., I highly recommend Break of Dawn. Thanks Mo for a great time!

Have you met your 'blogger friends'? What was it like?

White Toronto Bridesmaid Promotion