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

Anne Barge Trunk Show - Toronto

Blue By Enzoani Trunk Show - Toronto

Only a few more days to check out the 2011 Blue By Enzoani Collection!

Oscar de la Renta Trunk Show - Toronto

Coming Soon to Sash & Bustle!

Hope my fellow Canadians had a yummy and relaxing Thanksgiving. That's right, us Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in early October (2nd Monday to be exact, same day as Columbus Day). Why the early Thanksgiving you ask? Well, it coincides with the end of the harvest season (we are a little bit more north) and the holiday is to give thanks for the bountiful crops. Whereas, according to trusty ol' Wikipedia, the American Thanksgiving was established by the Pilgrims to thank God for surviving their first brutal winter. When I asked the BF if we celebrate both when we're in the same household.....he says he's happy to have two occasions to eat turkey! ;)

I've mentioned Sash & Bustle - Toronto's premiere modern bridal loft - many times before. I love how Cynthia Martyn has introduced Toronto to the same 'alternative' gown designers (e.g. Stephanie James) and accessories designers (e.g. Paloma's Nest) that have won over so many American brides. Well, Cynthia has done it again. She recently announced that Sash & Bustle will be carrying Carol Hannah (yes, from Project Runaway!) wedding gowns and hair adornments from Twigs & Honey. So exciting. Carol Hannah is expected to arrive October 30th. An exact arrival time have yet to be announced for Twigs & Honey so make sure you check the Sash & Bustle blog frequently!

Below are my favourites from each collection.

A Beautiful Wedding by KGM Weddings

This lovely outdoor Malibu wedding by LA based wedding planner extraordinaire, Krista Malinin for Amber Events (Krista is also a friend of mine!) was recently featured on Style Me Pretty. How stunning are these photos? Who knew there was a venue in Malibu that had zebras!?!


Krista (she's in the middle in the below pic) described Saddlerock Ranch as "a rustic venue, located in the Santa Monica Mountains of Malibu. Exotic animals (like horses, buffalo, camels, zebras, llamas, sheep, and peacocks) roam the 1,000 acre farm. The vineyard setting, where Melody and Michael exchanged their vows, is secluded and stunning. It created a breathtaking backdrop to an emotional ceremony and fun-loving reception."


To see more from this rustic wedding as photographed by Suthi Picotte, visit Style Me Pretty. To read Krista's post Q & A with the bride and groom, visit Krista's blog.

Congratulations to Krista on planning such a gorgeous wedding and being featured on SMP.

Ritche Fall Bridal Sale - Toronto

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Jenny Packham Bridal Trunk Show - Toronto

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Carolina Herrera Trunk Show - Toronto

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A Bride's Shiny Thank You

Hi ya! How are you? Sorry for the sporadic blogging...blogging seems to have taken a back seat lately. I've been super busy with work and our condo board. And to be honest, having the BF here for the summer has kept me quite busy! Trying to spend quality time with one another after a long day of work while balancing the social calendar with our friends is no easy feat.

Anyways, I wanted to show you the bridesmaid's gift I received from C. a couple weeks ago. Isn't it pretty? I adore it. This bracelet has been my go-to bracelet for the last week - Thank you C.!!

For ideas on bridesmaids' (and maybe groomsmen) gifts, check out Swarovski. Trust me, your bridesmaids will thank you.

What is your favorite bridesmaid's gift? What's your worst?

Pearl Bridal House Sale -GTA

Going wedding dress shopping this weekend? Well, you're in luck! Pearl Bridal House is having a two-day sale this weekend.


WHERE?
76 Lakeshore Rd. East
Mississauga, ON L5G 1E1
905.278.5407
hello@pearlbridalhouse.com
www.pearlbridalhouse.com

C is Married!

I think I've finally recovered from C's wedding on Saturday. It was a long day yet it went by so fast. I'm sure you brides and bridesmaids out there understand what I'm talking about. You wake up so early and can't even imagine lasting past 8pm, and the next thing you know it's 2:30am. Pure adrenaline.

The weather was gorgeous - sunny but not too hot. The day went pretty smoothly. The Catholic ceremony was traditional, however it lasted maybe 30-45 mins . It was the first time that I actually teared up during a wedding ceremony. Though C and A were saying traditional vows, there was something so touching about how they looked at each other. Very genuine. I think I got teary eyed because I briefly caught a glimpse of C, the 14 year teenager I met in high school in computer studies class, and then realized that teen-aged girl was now a gorgeous bride.

Above is a shot of C's Pronovias dress before she put it on. It's probably the same view C has when she woke up Saturday morning.

Congrats C & A!

Look What I Made....

As you may know, my friend C. is getting married this Saturday! Her birthday was a few weeks ago and I gifted her this bridal fascinator that I had made.


The flower, pearl sprigs and feathers were purchased from Sussman's Bridal Supplies in Toronto (Queen & Bathurst).

Special thanks to the BF who help me design it ("The feathers should stick out like this") and let me use his head as a 'live' mannequin head.


If C. ends up wearing it for the reception, I'll post pics!

What do you think? Should I quit my day job? ;)

Vera Wang Trunk Show - Toronto

WHEN?
Thursday, September 23rd to Saturday, September 25th

WHERE?

Vera Wang Bridal Salon at Hugo Nicholson
38 Avenue Rd
Toronto, Ontario M5R2G2
416-927-9094
www.hugonicholson.com

To see the latest Vera Wang Bridal collection, visit www.verawang.com.

Reem Acra Trunk Show - Toronto

WHEN?
Friday, September 17 & Saturday, September 18th by appointment

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 the latest Reem Acra Bridal collection, visit www.reemacra.com

Ines di Santo Trunk Show - Toronto

WHEN?
Friday, September 10th to Saturday, September 11th

WHERE?
Veronica Di Santo Atelier - www.veronicadisanto.com
4040 Steeles Ave West
Suites 14 & 15
Woodbridge
905.264.5518
email: info@veronicadisanto.com.
*FYI -Veronica is Ines' daughter.

To see more from the Ines Di Santo collection, visit www.inesdisanto.com.

Congratulations Bi-Coastal Bride!

Today is Tamar's, aka Bi-Coastal Bride, wedding day. (Remember her awesome Scratch n' Save-the-Dates?) Hope you have a wonderful day with your friends and family. A big thanks to A Hot Pink Petticoat for introducing us to you!

7 Dresses (Not Quite 27)

What do you think? This is my 7th bridesmaid dress. (For those of you counting, yes, this is my 8th bridesmaid stint but I did not attend one of the weddings as I had my sister's wedding on the same day, so no corresponding dress.) The dress is a Sophia Tolli dress #11030 in aqua with a pale gold sash (looks like a darker cream with a slight gold tint in person). As you can see, I need to shorten it for my 5"1 body. It's a tad loose on me but since it has a corset back, I'm going to do without getting it taken in on the sides. The dress also comes with a matching shawl, and straps. I'll likely use the straps since I can't stand strapless dresses - I'm always constantly pulling dresses up!

For those in the GTA, we purchased our dresses at Izabella Bridal Boutique. I had a pleasant experience there. The staff are young, friendly and helpful. They measured me twice and let me look at the size chart to determine what size I should order (I've been to some places that didn't let me see the size chart and then insisted that I order the way too large size). Also, since C., the bride, had 6 bridesmaids, Izabella's gave us a discount so the dresses ended up being CDN $200 each. Not bad for a designer bridesmaid dress. I hoping to shorten the dress myself so $200 might be the final cost for me. (Professional bridesmaids - I highly recommend you learn how to sew - comes in handy!)

And for those of you wondering - no, I will not be wearing this one again. ;) It's very pretty but obviously very bridesmaid-y.

Carlsberg's Big Wedding Bash Contest

Just got engaged? Don't want to plan a wedding? Don't have funds for a wedding? Well, if you live in Ontario, you will want to enter this contest. Carlsberg is giving away a $100,000 wedding to one lucky couple. The deadline is August 20, 2010. Before you enter, make sure you read the rules & regs as there are some stipulations. For example, if you win, you must get married on October 1, 2010 at Toronto's Capitol Theater.

Good luck! And if you enter, let me know so I can vote for your story!

The Break that turned into a Sabbatical....

Remember me? The Professional Bridesmaid? Well, looks like I've turned into a lazy professional bridesmaid. Forgive me. Hope you're all enjoying the summer. The BF has been here for a month and I LOVE it! Especially since he cleans and bbqs! I hope to be back soon. I've become inspired again since my good friend Christine recently got engaged. It's so exciting. Anyways, for those of you in the Toronto area, check out this bridesmaid promotion: