Bridezilla in Training

I just read an interesting article on Marie Claire.com about women planning their weddings while they are still single or dating, not engaged.

You can read that article HERE

It’s interesting to me because I have thought about it for a while, how it can be dangerous for a woman to plan her wedding before she is engaged. Why do I think this? Well, for a number of reasons really.

The first one being that when you are actually engaged you know your timeline, budget and what your groom wants (I know you’re thinking, “what the groom will have an opinion?” Yes he very well might!). The danger in this is that if you plan your wedding before you know your budget and timeline you could be sadly disappointed. Once you actually start planning and booking and putting down payments on items and locations, you see what a real budget looks like and it’s probably more that you imagined. Unless you are independently wealthy- then I suppose it really won’t matter.

You also can’t prepare for life. For example if you always planned a summer wedding, what do you do it your boyfriend proposes in September. Are you willing to wait almost a year to have your perfect seasonal wedding? What if important members of your family are traveling or planning to travel. Are you willing to wait for their return or have the wedding with out them?

I am the first to admit that I started planning my wedding when I was not yet engaged, ask any of my girl friends (even my now husband could tell you!). The biggest thing I found was that when it came down to actually choosing a location, dress, etc lots had changed from what I had in my secret computer file of wedding stuff. I no longer wanted that expensive wedding dress or when I tried on my ‘dream dress’ it didn’t fit or feel the way I wanted it to.

However, for me there were some things that did not change. For example I knew that I wanted to wear cowboy boots, and I did, but this changed the style of my dress a little bit. I also knew I wanted a relaxed, fun wedding instead of a high maintenance and fussy day.

I also think that pre planning your wedding can be dangerous because you will have certain expectations of your ‘perfect’ day. Let me tell you that your ‘perfect’ day will have glitches and hiccups. Life is unexpected and you can’t plan for the weather (if you always wanted outdoor pictures and it rains) or if you always wanted a certain flower and they are out of season when you have your wedding and you blow your flower budget.

 

So, what are your thoughts on a pre planning your wedding? Did you do it? How did it turn out? Do you have girl friends that are doing it? I’d love to hear from you ladies!

 

Registry #2

Last week I told you my top 5 suggestions for items to register for. Today I’m going to tell you the top 5 items I wish I had put on my registry. Some of the items I didn’t put on our registry and others I did but we just didn’t get them. I’ll tell you more after I list each item.

1. KitchenAid Stand Mixer

KichenAid Mixer

We did have this mixer on our registry, we just didn’t have it gifted to us and for some reason didn’t buy it after the wedding with our discount at Home Outfitters. I’m not a huge baker (as those of you who know me would have guessed!). But the odd time I do want to bake cookies, it sure is hard to mix everything by hand!

2. Coffee Mugs

I know, how did we not register for coffee mugs? Well again, we did but for some reason we didn’t get them gifted to us and when we went to buy items off our registry after the wedding- they had been discontinued. We did have some mugs so we figured we wouldn’t buy mugs that didn’t match the rest of our dishes. So now we have an assortment of mugs ranging from Starbucks Christmas mugs to random mugs that have moved with us over the years.

3. Wok

 

This is something my husband and I have just recently wished we registered for. We have started to make a lot more Asian inspired meals and a Wok would be great to cook up stir fries.

4. Home Decor

We discussed registering for home decor while making our registry list, but decided not to. We decided not to because we knew we were still going to be living in an apartment so space is always limited and we didn’t know what ‘our’ style would be (and we are still figuring it out!) However, if you do agree on your home style, I would say register for home decor. I would recommend decorative bowls, candle holders, pillows, picture frames and even artwork.

5. luggage

Okay we haven’t really done any serious traveling, but both our families live about an hour/hour and a half away. So it’s nice to have luggage when going to their house for the weekend. And who knows, maybe one day we will be world travelers-so  luggage would be great!

Registry

One of the exciting parts to being engaged and planning your wedding is getting to register for items that will fill your new home. I know this was one thing that got me really excited whenever I thought about it during my engagement.

Although it is exciting, once you are in the store, scanning gun in hand, it can be very overwhelming. So I thought I would share with you the items I have found most grateful for that I received through my registry and items I wish I had registered for. We have been married for about a year and a half and have put most of our registry items to good use, and have felt the holes left by those we didn’t register for. Today I will list my top 5 items I love and use all the time and recommend you register for. Tomorrow I will share with you the top 5 items I wish we had.

Items I Love, and you NEED to register for

1. Nice, classic dinnerware

Great White Square Dinnerware from Pottery Barn

These plates are similar to what we registered for at Home Outfitters. I love them because they are simple, classic but they are still a little different. For dinnerware I would recommend plates and bowls that are a solid colour and that you can use everyday. I know it is tempting to get plates that are patterned and more extravagant, but unless you host regular dinner parties you won’t use them enough. If you do host dinner parties, then by all means register for fancier dinnerware- in addition to your everyday plates.

 

2. Pillows

This is separate from bedding. I  know you must be thinking ‘who registers for pillows?” We did! It is something I will never regret doing. The only thing I regret is not getting more!

SEARS-O-PEDIC ®/MD Luxury Pillow

So what is so special about a pillow that you need to register for one? Well, everything! A pillow is so important to your sleep so you should get one that is just for you and your sleeping habits. For example, I usually sleep on my side so I find that I always needed a fluffier pillow, and my husband always found fluffy pillows to hard on his neck because he sleeps on his back. So the pillows we got are made for the type of sleepers we are. Trust me, I can tell if I am using my husband’s pillow or mine. We love our pillows so much that when we stay over-night at a family member’s house we bring our own pillows.

 

3. Bedding

Now I’ll talk about bedding. You want sheets and a duvet that you LOVE! Having the right bedding makes a world of a difference. I don’t have a picture of what we registered for but I just love a big cozy duvet!

 

4. Wine Glasses (and other kitchen items)

I absolutely love the wine glasses we registered for. It’s so nice to have quality glasses that I may not have bought  myself. Same goes for other kitchen items like a salad spinner or utensils. These are items you might not think are important, but we use them on a daily basis.

 

5. Tupperware

Okay so we didn’t register for Tupperware, but we had a Tupperware shower thrown for us. This is one of those things that falls into the “I like it but probably wouldn’t have bought it myself because it’s expensive” categories. But we use it everyday for lunches and storing food in our fridge.

Vent ’N Serve™ Mug

 

So what do you think of my top 5? Do you agree or have anything to add to my list? Let me know I’d love to hear what you use all the time from your registry items or what you’re most excited about to register for!

Oh hey there 2012

Wow 2012, it always surprises me when the new year comes (and excites me!). Well, I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year. I had a great time with my families and friends and can’t wait to get a start on this new year.

One of the gifts I received this Christmas was a sewing machine (I can hear you laughing now). There have been some projects I have wanted to complete, but I needed a sewing machine to do it. As much as I’m sure my mom would have wanted to help me (or do it herself because she knows how pathetic I would be) she instead bought me the sewing machine so I could learn.

I am excited to tackle this challenge in the new year. I will be sure to update you on my projects ( good or bad).

Do you guys have any goals for the new year or projects you will tackle? Let me know!

Winter

To those of you who know me, know that I love winter. This is often considered odd because of where I live. Winter is cold…when I say cold I mean -35 C, not only is it cold, there is usually lots of snow, fast winds and lots of ice on the roads.

So why do I like winter? Well, honestly I think if I can beat it enjoy it! I have lived all my life with winters like these and I have come to realize unless I move to white sandy beaches, this is what winter will be like. I also like our winters because there is still so much to do, snowboarding, skating, walking in a winter wonderland (I’m serious, I love walking in the snow), making snowmen/angels with my nieces and nephews, playing in the snow with my dog and curling up with a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate.

For those of you who know me also know that I love Christmas, and obviously winter to me means Christmas time. I am that girl who puts up her tree right after Halloween and start my shopping lists just as early. I love getting together with my family and my in-laws ( you should see our Christmas schedule..it is jammed packed with family visits!), I love what Christmas is all about- Jesus. I love reading the Christmas story at my Oma and Opa’s on Christmas, and I love singing Christmas carols at my husband’s gatherings.

What does this have to do with weddings?!?! I know I was rambling a bit up there, but I am getting antsy for Christmas and for  more snow (we have hardly any right now). What brought me to write this post was seeing a friend on Facebook post a teaser of a engagement shoot she did recently outside, in the snow. I love winter shoots, they have this element of romance that you just don’t get in the summer. It must be the snow, mittens, and blankets.

Right now I don’t have any winter engagement shoots to share with you, but I do have winter photography you need to see. Carla Dyck Photography does the  most amazing fine art photography. She can take the most simple object that anyone would pass over and make it look stunning. Recently on her BLOG she has posted some great winter photos.  Also check out her Facebook page for more photos.

Here are two of my favourite photos. Can you say a perfect winter on the prairies?

Photo by Carla Dyck

Photo by Carla Dyck

Heather & Haddon E-Shoot

I have been dying to show you this engagement session for a long time now, and finally I am!

Why do I love this session? Well a) this couple is gorgeous b) the location is great and c) I love Victoria Anne Photography’s work.

Here are a few words from the photographer before we get to the photos:

“As a wedding photographer sometimes when you meet a couple everything just clicks, and that’s exactly what happened when I met Heather & Haddon.

Heather and Haddon had so much enthusiasm and creative ideas for their engagement photos which was awesome to work with! When they told me they were interested in shooting a vintage theme at the Aviation Museum because Haddon is a pilot, I was instantly excited! The shoot was a lot of fun and I can’t wait for their Wedding at the cabin next summer!”

 

This couple put in some serious thought and planning into this shoot. I can not wait to see what their wedding looks like.

For more photos from this shoot please visit Victoria Anne Photography’s blog HERE

Hairstyles for your wedding

I have been browsing the internet a lot recently in search of fun hairdos for the holidays. As I was doing this I came across a lot of styles I think would be perfect for a bride. So take a look below and find inspiration for your wedding hair (or your upcoming holiday party!).

 

Hayden Panettiere

I love this messy bun that Hayden Panettiere has. It is so elegant and beautiful. This would work well with pretty much any hair texture or length. I really like styles that are simple but add some elegance (it is your wedding day after all!). I think it is really important for a bride to keep true to herself when thinking of her hairstyles. If you have a more low-maintenance approach when it comes to your hair, keep your wedding style that way too (same goes for your makeup). You still want to look like yourself on your wedding day.

An Olson twin (I can never keep them straight!)

Beyonce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love both of these curly styles. They are simple yet very pretty. Beyonce has the most insane curls and I think those curls would look great on your wedding day. Maybe I’m biased because of my own curly hair.

 

Now to decide on my own hair style for my first party of the holiday season tonight..hmmm what to choose.

Bridesmaid Dresses for Winter

Wow it has been a long time since my last blog. I wish I could tell you that I was super busy with some other exciting project, but that would be a lie.

Lately I have been inspired by bridesmaids. It might have something to do with being a bridesmaid myself this past summer or it could be that I am not as into looking at wedding dresses since my own wedding (not that I don’t still enjoy it!).

So here are some bridesmaid dresses I’ve had my eye on lately. I really like the idea of having a longer dress for winter weddings. That is because in our lovely prairie region it can be ghastly cold in the winter time.

This dress reminds me of Pippa Middleton’s dress from the Royal Wedding. Who wouldn’t want to wear that dress? Or have her figure!

Lela Rose Bridesmaids found on dessy.com

 

I love the simplicity of this next dress, it could be a little done up for a New Year’s wedding with a crystal belt. What do you think?

Also found on dessy.com

 

This last one is my favourite long winter dress. The colour is amazing, and I love the detail on the bust.

Dress from J. Crew

 

Tell me what your favourite style of wedding dress is for the winter, or your favourite colour palate.

 

 

Great Florals

For me, picking out flowers for my wedding day seemed daunting. I know I like flowers, but that’s about as far as my knowledge goes. As some of you know my wedding was in Winkler, Manitoba so I tired to use as many vendors from Winkler as possible. Catering, linens, Church, reception hall, and even florist.

However the florist I chose to use at first was uncooperative with me and wouldn’t work with me on the weekends or after 5pm (which was impossible for me to work around because I lived an hour and a half away from Winkler). My only choice was to use a florist in Winnipeg (where I lived an hour and a half away) and get a family member to pick them up the day of the wedding and drive them out to us before the ceremony (huge added hassle!).

You might ask me why I didn’t use a different florist in Winkler, well there wasn’t one so I had no options.

However, there is a new florist shop, Bloom Petals and Gift, that opened in Winkler and it looks fantastic. A few of my girl friends have used Bloom and have loved the experience. My mom has also used them for small things like table centerpieces at Christmas and my sister’s graduation corsage.

I personally haven’t needed a florist’s services since my own wedding, but based on the experiences of my family and friends I would recommended them if you are having a wedding in the Pembina Valley area (Winkler, Morden, Altona, Carmen, Plum Coulee etc).

Here are some photos from Bloom’s Facebook page. Enjoy!

 

Photo by Personal Expressions photography

Photo by russdueckphotography

Photo by Unknown photographer

Photo by Jack and Ruby Photography

 

If I were to do my wedding flowers over again, I would do mine like this last one. It’s so earthy and I love the feathers in it and whatever that little wooden twig like nest is.

David’s Bridal: Coming to Winnipeg

This could not make me a more happy lady! David’s Bridal is scheduled to come to Winnipeg. I first heard this on weddingsinwinnipeg.ca and was in shock! For those of you ladies who don’t know how wonderful DB is, you are in for a treat. I drove down to Fargo (the closest DB to Winnipeg) for my wedding and would do it again in a heart beat.  They have a huge selection of dresses, in every size so you can try on your size not a sample size, and they are in a wonderful price range.

Here are some DB dresses:

White by Vera Wang $700

David's Bridal Collection $699Online Exclusive $139Galina ball gown $599