Sarah Houston - 2011 Spring Collection Event

Hi All - I know I've been MIA . Blogging, unfortunately, has taken a back seat in my crazy schedule. However, you know how I love to support local businesses so I wanted to let those in the Tdot know about the Designer Weekend in Yorkville" event at the Sarah Houston salon. Sarah Houston specializes in designing vintage wedding dresses. Please click on the image above to visit the Sarah Houston website.

Hope you're all well!

-PB

The Unbride is Back!!

After a small hiatus, the Unbride is back, and with a brand new site! It's pretty awesome looking, no?


To celebrate her site's re-launch, The Unbride is giving away to one lucky reader a birdcage veil from Castle Bride Couture. Below are some of Castle Bride's veils. To enter, head on over to The Unbride! Plus, you can see which veil The Unbride's alter ego, LA based photographer Justine Ungaro, wore on her big day.

I'm loving the middle one in the bottom row. You?

via The Unbride

Chrissy and Andre's Old Hollywood Wedding: Part III

Now that you've seen photos (Part I and Part II) from Chrissy and Andre's big day, let's see which aspects of their wedding was "Do-It-Yourself ."

First up, the most challenging DIY project (but still a favourite) according to Chrissy, the wedding invitations. Here's what Chrissy had to say about her fabulous invites:

We were inspired by Art Deco invitations found online. Everything was printed on card stock that was purchased at Kinkos. We ordered the vertigo black tie pocket folds and envelopes from Cards & Pockets. We had our invites printed at Northern Artists (at St.Clair & Yonge). We decided to include a movie ticket to keep in line with our 'film premiere' theme which contained info that we didn't want on the actual invite. For the front of the invite, I ordered the feathers from Ostrich.com and used a glue gun to apply it to the ribbon (the ribbon was also glued together on the back - it just slides right off the invitation) and then added a crystal in the centre.

Chrissy also DIY'ed the flower girl's pomander.

Chrissy and Andrew decorated the ceremony room themselves including the 'altar.' The large patio mosquito net was purchased from IKEA for CDN $20!

The aisle runner was purchased from Michaels, and was scattered with flower petals from efavormart.com. Chrissy and Andre also place lace lanterns from IKEA along the aisle.

Chrissy and Andre designed, printed and assembled their 'film premiere' programs. The front of the program had their movie poster (which was also DIYed). I loved how they included a word search in their program.

For the gift box, Chrissy purchased boxes from Solutions, cut some holes in it, and added ribbon, jewels, and feathers. Apparently, it took about an hour or so to make!

Andre DIY'ed the cigarette box.

The menu cards, which complemented their invitations, were created and printed by the couple.

While the clapboard escort boards were purchased, Chrissy painstakingly wrote each guest's name and table number on them.

Chrissy and Andre also DIY'ed the table cards.

Chrissy used left over lace from her dress sleeves to creative three lace wrapped vases.

The instant digital photo booth was all DIY with the help of their photographer. Chrissy and Andre were lucky to use one of the venue's walls as a backdrop. Total cost including the equipment, the props and printed photos for their guests? CDN $125!

Each DIY favor bag contained a program, a 'soundtrack' CD and a clapboard key chain. The couple designed, printed and assembled all of it!

Last but not least, I wanted to show you Chrissy and Andre's retro-housewife shower invite, which was also DIY by them!

A big thank you to Chrissy for letting me feature her wedding. To read more about Chrissy and Andre's wedding, check out Chrissy's blog, and for more photos, check out the couple's Flickr stream. The talented Chrissy recently decided to go back to school to become a wedding/event planner, so all you Toronto area brides and grooms, host and hostesses out there - take note! Best of luck to you Chrissy!

Chrissy and Andre's Vendors (in no particular order):

Venue and Catering - The Eglinton Grand
Decorators for the reception (table linens, chair covers, crystal votives, rose centrepieces, and lampshade centrepieces) - FOS Decor Center
Bride's bouquet & tossing bouquet, all bouts & corsages, 2 calla lily with feather arrangements (at altar), hydrangea & feather arrangement (signing table) - Pape Flower Market
Photographer & Videographer - Karl Andreson & his team (647 309 3686)
Paparazzi & cigarette girl - independent
Swing Dancers - refrred by Bees Knees Dance
Printing - Northeren Artists
Clapboard place cards - shindigz.com
Clapboard keychains - windycitynovelties.com
Bridesmaids lace fans - Asian Ideas
Tux rentals - Moores Formals
Groom's and Groomsmen's accessories - Malabars Costumes
Bridesmaids' dresses - daddyos.com & stopstaring.com
Bride's dress - bestbridalprices.com
Bride's fascinator & veil - Sussmans bridal on Queen St. West
Girls' facsinators - custom made from torturecouture.com
Hair - Hair by Miranda
Makeup - Sarah An

Chrissy and Andre's Old Hollywood Wedding: Part II

Hope you enjoyed the photo candy from Part I of Chrissy and Andre's wedding yesterday. Now for Part Deux!

Let's start with some photos from Chrissy and Andre's ceremony:

How smashing does Chrissy's BM look? The lace fan really makes the outfit.

The adorable flower girl, and ring bearer being escorted by another BM down the aisle, which is scattered with flower petals and lit with candles.

Chrissy with her father.

I love how soft the lighting is.

Signing the marriage license.

The first married kiss at the 'altar.'

After the ceremony, the newlyweds and their guests attend the 1940's film premiere-style reception at The Eglinton Grand.

Chrissy and Andre creatively arranged for 'paparazzi' to wait for them and their guests on the 'red carpet' at the venue. The 'papies' played the part by wearing trench coats, fedoras, and 'press passes.' Chrissy and Andre borrowed vintage cameras which the paparazzi used to 'take pictures' of the guests as they arrived. Guests were also 'interviewed' with the use of a 1940's mic. Talk about being detail-oriented!

During the cocktail hour, the cigarette girl handed out candy cigarettes & cigars.

The guest tables were named after actors from the 30's 40's & 50's.......
and decorated with lamp shade centrepieces filled with orchids, surrounded by crystal votive candle holders.

Mini clapboard escort cards led guests to the damask lined tables. Each place setting had an art deco menu card.

The wedding cake made by Chrissy's sister!

The head table.

Let the party begin!

Chrissy and Andre hired professional swing dancers to liven up the party!

Instead of renting a photo booth, Chrissy had her photographer set up an instant digital photo booth. Guests had their photos taken before dinner. Props such as hats, boas, cigarette holders, cigars, jewelry were given to the guests to wear/use in the photos. During dinner, the photos were printed. At the end of the night, guests could pick up their printed photos favours on their way out.

The happy groom and bride at the end of the night. (Well not quite, Chrissy and Andre also hosted an after party as well!)

Coming up tomorrow, Chrissy and Andre's DIY projects! I've purposely not mention which items Chrissy and Andre did themselves to see if you tell which items were DIY. Think you know which ones? Find out tomorrow! I'll also have a list of vendors Chrissy and Andre worked with.

Chrissy and Andre's Old Hollywood Wedding: Part I

When I first saw Chrissy and Andre's 40's style wedding on Chrissy's blog, I was floored! What first caught my eye was how stunning the entire wedding party looked. Then it was sensory overload.....the girls' fascinators, the cigarette girls, the pin curls, the feathers in the decor...so much to take in!! Chrissy and Andre married this past May in Toronto. Chrissy was kind enough to let me share photo candy from their big day with you. If this wedding looks familiar, it's because Chrissy and Andrew were featured on one of my favourite blogs, Vintage Glam Weddings, earlier this month. Not only did Chrissy and Andre pull off their old Hollywood style wedding without a wedding planner/DOC, they DIYed many aspects of it!

Let's start from the beginning, shall we? I asked Chrissy how she came about choosing a retro theme to her wedding. Here's her response:

I've always loved the 40's, so i was just going to have my BM's dress up in 40's outfits....then we found our venue [The Eglinton Grand], and it was 1940's all the way! Since the venue was a theater and my husband is in the film biz, we decided our theme should be 1940's film.

How cool is this vintage movie poster with Chrissy and Andre in it?!!! I'll let Chrissy explain the inspiration behind it.

We were trying to come up with a 1940's movie title that would be appropriate for our wedding (for the marquee [at the venue]) and I came across His Girl Friday (starring Cary Grant) and thought how perfect it was since our wedding was on a Friday. So we tried to replicate it when we did our 1940's engagement shoot...it's pretty close to the original poster!

Chrissy wore Maggie Sottero's Sandrina gown and completed her retro look with a feathery fascinator and birdcage veil. I love her dramatic red lipstick and chandelier earrings.

The delicate lace cap sleeves add such a romantic feel to Chrissy's gown.

The bridesmaids donned black vintage cocktail dresses and red fascinators.

Funny tidbit: One bridesmaid's dress ripped as she was putting it on! She had to lie on the floor while being sewn into it. Crazy.

Chrissy looked absolutely beautiful, especially in these two below shots. Very vintage glam.

The first look.

This was Chrissy's favourite moment of the day...... it was a very intimate moment...Andre even teared up.

Chrissy's bouquet was made from white hydrangeas and white feathers.

Andre's orchid boutonniere.

Instead of bouquets, Chrissy's bridesmaids held black lace fans. As you can see each BM styled her hair apropos to the 40's, some wore pin curls, some wore victory rolls.
Even the flower girl and the ring bearer dressed the part!
In addition to their black suits, the Groom and his groomsmen donned fedoras
and black & white shoes. Smashing looking group of men non?

I love this group shot. Everyone looks so happy and sassy!

Hard to tell if this was taken this year or 60 years ago, non?

Come by tomorrow for more pictures from this retro wedding! Happy Monday.