Making it Official

I'm happy to announce, we've booked a marriage commissioner to officiate our wedding ceremony; another item checked off the list. Woohoo!

cartoon found here

Originally, we hoped to have a friend officiate the ceremony. In the US, anyone can legally marry a couple, if they become ordained through an online course offered by the Universal Life Church. Quick. Simple. Painless. However, after some quick research, I discovered that not just anyone can legally pronounce us "husband and wife" in BC.

Unfortunately, Canada does not recognize this simplified method of becoming an ordained minister. The protocol is more stringent, more time consuming, and more uhhhh "particular" up here; back to the drawing board we went.

In the Province of BC there are two categories of people licensed to perform weddings:

1. Religious Representatives - of which there are two types:

• a pastor/priest/minister/rabbi associated with the specific house of worship where the wedding ceremony will be held
• an ordained reverend or minister not associated with any specific house of worship

2. Marriage Commissioner (replacing the justice of the peace) through the Government of BC.

We decided to go with a private marriage commissioner as appointed by the Marriage Act of British Columbia, mainly because there is a set amount they are allowed to charge for their services. For a very reasonable fee of 75.00 (additional 25.00 for rehearsal), plus a mileage fee of .49cents a km, a BC marriage commissioner will perform your wedding ceremony. You can search for marriage commissioners in BC here

After reading through various recommendations on the "west coast" section of the weddingbells forum, we decided to give Bob Buzza a call. He had our date free, and asked for our pertinent information. He mailed us a basic wedding ceremony booklet, but encouraged us to create our own unique ceremony. For no extra fee, he meets with the couple before the wedding day to discuss their wishes, and perform a mock run through of the ceremony; he also encourages questions by email and/or phone.

Bob was a pleasure to speak with over the phone. He was warm and friendly, and made me feel comfortable right away; all good attributes to have in a marriage commissioner. He chuckled when he learned Huxley is our "best dog" and prefers when a couple creates a wedding ceremony unique to their personalities. All in all, he sounds like a great guy. I'll let you know more once we meet with him in person in the spring!

For further information on how to get married in BC, take a peek at the Vital Statistics of BC website.

If you prefer a more hands on marriage commissioner, and are willing to pay a bit more money for the experience, I've heard a multitude of good things about Reverend Brent Sheppard. The Rev falls under the second category of religious representatives. He is not governed by the province of BC, and therefor sets his own fees (350.00 + travel fee for ceremony and rehearsal), however, I've never heard a single complaint about the cost. If we had it in the budget, I would definitely have given him a call! Find out more at his website: Hey Rev

Less than a year...feeling the pressure!

I can't believe it's September already! I always feel so old when I say that, but honestly, the time is just flying by.

When we first became engaged, we had 25 months to plan for the wedding. We chose a long engagement for a number of reasons. My brother was getting married in the summer of 2008 in Ontario, so we wanted to give everyone a bit of a break from all the wedding fever; we needed some time to save money, and I wanted plenty of time to plan. It was almost frustrating being that far out from the wedding, as I felt like there wasn't much we could do so far in advance.

I'd review the 12+ section of various online wedding checklists, and other than finalizing a budget, creating a guestlist, and searching for a venue, there wasn't much else listed! We even managed to finish a few "to dos" from the 9-12 month section.

Now, in what seems like the blink of an eye, we've jumped from 25 months to 10 months, and there are things on our checklist that aren't complete! And from what I understand, it's only going to get worse from here on in.

image source

Although I am feeling a bit of pressure, I am not feeling stressed. Something I know is a direct result of our choice to have a long engagement. Instead of searching for venues and photographers and competing with other brides for our date, we're working on invitation design, and centerpiece ideas.

So why the pressure? Because that 6-9 month checklist section is fast approaching, and there are a bunch of items on there that need to get done! Fall is upon us, Christmas is right around the corner, and before we know it, we'll be 6 months out from the wedding. When the planning started, the idea of getting married seemed so surreal. We were forever commenting "we have plenty of time" to browse magazines, read wedding blogs, collect photo references, and search out vendors; something we can't really say anymore ;)

Truth be told, I don't mind the pressure so much, as it means we're getting that much closer to the moment when my boyfriend/fiance finally becomes my husband! And that much closer to the HONEYMOON!! Can I get a woot woot!!

If the dress fits....ACCESSORIZE IT!!

Good news! All the finger crossing seems to have worked, because the dress, that I ordered from Frocks for my brother's wedding, actually fit. Huzzah!

Next up - accessories!

Since the dress is black, my plan is to accesorize with a hint of summery colour. I wasn't sure which colour, until I came across these babies on the canadian zappos site:

Lillie by RSVP

Aren't they purrrrdy? I've never ordered shoes off the internet before, so I'm a bit concerned about the fit, but I guess I'll know soon enough. Estimated delivery date: Friday, August 1st. Come to mamma little turquoise shoes!!

I was hoping to find a satin clutch to match; alas, time is limited, as are turquoise clutches. So, next best thing? Buy a black clutch; add turquoise accoutrement (ribbon, broach, clip on earring: something of that nature).

I saw this snappy little number (in black) at payless for 24.95. The silver ring is just begging for fluttering ribbons, and I like that it's a larger purse masquerading as a clutch. Bigger IS better!
I came across this darling black satin hobo bag, while searching Payless.com for a picture of the previous clutch. I don't recall seeing it at my local store, but perhaps I'll check again, just to be sure. I LOVE that it is satin. I love that it has a handle. I love a large turquoise bow attached to one side of the handle.


As far as jewellery is concerned, I'd love to make something like this bracelet with a similar earring set:

beautiful bracelet by fresh collections found here

I'm ashamed to admit that I have no idea if I have beads like this; I haven't looked at my bead stash in a (really long) while! Regardless, I know of a few fantastic bead stores in Toronto, so I *could* pick up the beads to make it. Big ups toronto shopping!

And to complete the ensemble, a little something something to pin into my updo?

These bobby pins made from recycled materials by etsy seller, foundling, are stunning

Gorgeous vintage inspired cameo barrettes by etsy seller Green Thumb Designs

Love the chartreuse beading added to the polymer clay flower on this barrette, by etsy seller, strandedtreasures

Love the mixture of teals and blues in this feather and flower barrette by etsy seller begurple

Doesn't this headscarf by etsy seller mixbaby seem very Audrey Hepburn?

Unfortunately, it's getting a bit late to start ordering items from etsy, however I'm feeling rather inspired after browsing through all the amazing artist's work on etsy. Hopefully, I'll be able to create something of my own!

Daddy's Little Girl

I am looking forward to a myriad of experiences on our wedding day. The ceremony, the pictures, the food, the first dance, the party, the love, the laughter, the joy; I could go on.

I must admit though, there's one particular aspect of the day that I've been looking forward to for a very long time. This little girl can't wait to dance with her daddy! Ultimately, I'll be leaving the choice of song to my dad's discretion, but there are so many beautiful one's out there, I thought I'd share a few.


Loudon Wainright III - Daughter


Heartland - I Loved Her First


Tim McGraw - My Little Girl


Martina McBride - In My Daughter's Eyes


The Beatles - In My Life


Natalie Merchant - Kind and Generous

So many more!!

Green Shoe, Part Two.

I'm happy to report, the conditioning has worked! My friends are on the hunt for green shoes :)

In fact, one was visiting relatives in Raleigh, NC a short time ago, and actually took pictures for me when she came across a few prospects at nine west.






I ruled out the shoe on the left immediately as it's suede and a bit too "john deer" for my liking.

The shoe in the middle is ok, but the style doesn't really mesh with my dress, and it just doesn't grab me, ya know? I want something a bit more, how do zey say.... glamourous?

I was however, drawn to the shoe on the right. An expeditious search of the nine west website, told me her name is "luxious" and she's on sale right now for 49.99. Not too shabby.

The only problem is, the green colour on their website looks nothing like the green colour in the picture my friend took.

I really want the green to be closer to chartreuse in colour. So a bit more yellowy then the green in the shoe pic above. And although they're cute, they aren't "quite" right.

But it's nice to know there ARE options out there!!

iPlay wedding

If you're a bride planning a wedding, you've probably heard all about iPod weddings by now.

Let me throw a quick explanation out there, for those that have no idea what I'm blathering on about. In this day and age of music technology, many couples are choosing to forgo the hired DJ in favour of creating their own personal play lists using iTunes. The music is then played through speakers hooked up to an iPod, or in our case, a laptop.

Obviously, as with any sort of technology, there is the possibility of things going horribly wrong. Mrs Tulip of weddingbee fame can contest to this. However, we are a fairly tech savvy couple, and have numerous friends that are as well. I feel confident that we will be able to pull it off without a problem.

*touches wood*

Best of all, it's super budget friendly, and we have complete control over the songs that are played during the reception. No macarena dance for us thankyouverymuch!

pic found here

In the meantime, we need to get crackin on our "must play" list! If you have any suggestions, please throw them out there. I'll leave you with a few possibilities to start things off.

You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon


Cecilia - Simon and Garfunkle


You Sexy Thing - Hot Chocolate


The way you make me feel - MJ

Some of the youtubes aren't the actual video's, but you get the picture ;)

*dances around livingroom*

in one year...

...I'll be married! Wow, it seems hard to believe that in one year, our friends and family will come together to help us celebrate our marriage.

Wooohooooo!

*happy dance*

Love you babe!

A New Frock!

Ok, so this post is not related to MY wedding, however, it is wedding related. I need a new dress for my brother's wedding. On the surface, this does not seem like a difficult task. I love to shop; I love to shop for clothes; I love to have a good reason to shop for clothes!

The wedding in question, is not for another month. Plenty of time to find a simple, tea length, semi formal dress right?

Wrong. Oh so woefully wrong.

The fashion gods are mocking me my friends. This season, everything is either too short (hello underwear), too clingy (hello belly button), too patterned (hello cringing photographer), or too casual (hello jersey with pockets).

Oh I know what you're thinking.....

"Tcha! It can't be THAT difficult. She obviously hasn't looked hard enough"

Why don't I run you through the list of he stores I've visited so far, hmm?

• RW & Co
• le Chateau
• Suzy Sheir
• Smart Set
• Jacob
• Plum
• BCBG
• Reitmans
• Sears
• The Bay
• Narcissist
• Barefoot Contessa
• Spank
• Fairweathers
• Bryans
• Tenth and Proper
• Plenty
• Zara
• H&M
• Frocks

From that entire list of stores, I found ONE dress that fits my prerequisites. This lovely little number is exactly what I'm looking for! She's called "Meg" and she's the creation of Lynn Lugo

Isn't she perfect? So Audrey Hepburn. So simple. So elegant. So what's the problem?

They had a size 8 and a size 14. I felt a bit like Goldilocks (minus the 3 bears). This one is tooooo big. This one is tooooo small. Where's the one that's just right?

Apparently, it's at the Lynn Lugo warehouse! Well actually, thanks to the amazing staff at frocks, its en route to their store. So why am I still in a tizzy? The dress is a size 10. And although the size 8 zipped up when I tried it on, it was ridiculously tight around the midriff. So much so, that I'm afraid the 10 may still be uncomfortably tight. However, the staff and owners of frocks think otherwise. In fact, they're so convinced it will fit, they didn't require that I pay for the dress up front (as is their normal policy since they are first and foremost a sample store, and must pay to bring the dress in to their store). Isn't that sweet of them?

I really hope they're right. Like really really really HOPE they're right. I am afraid to admit how much I hope they're right. I'm worried, I'm setting myself up for a huge disappointment.

*crosses fingers*

Did I mention it's in black shantung silk? Every girl needs a simple black party dress.

[mantra] please fit, please fit, please fit, please fit, please fit, please fit, please fit, please fit [/mantra]

Green shoes? Really?!?

The title of this blog post tends to be the response I hear most often when mentioning my predilection for wearing a nice bright pair of chartreuse coloured shoes on my wedding day.

Even my mom said "well, you've always liked doing things your own way"! But to be perfectly honest, the idea is not a new one, and it's not even all that unique anymore. Wearing colourful shoes on your wedding day is becoming quite the trend!

Check out these photos:

Oh fuschia, when DON'T you look good?

Orange would be beautiful at a fall wedding...

If red was one of my colours, I would definitely incorporate it into my shoes - so sexy!! pic found here

Love the turquoise peep toe with cute bow combo!

I covet these chartreuse Christian Louboutin beauties. pic by cheri pearl photography

But these next lovelies, well....they shall be filed under "my true heart's desire" Such gorgeous shoes. The PERFECT shade of green. Seriously, I think I might swoon. Too bad my bank account feels the same way after sneaking a peek at the price tag. Oh Christian Louboutin, why do you tease me so?

pic by marie labbancz photography

My budget cringes at the mere mention of Monsieur Louboutin. Thus my search for a more palatable alternative begins. And you know what? Finding the perfect pair of chartreuse peep toe shoes is not as easy as it sounds. Crazy I know! If you happen to come across a pair, please do let me know :)

'do inspiration

Now that I have my dress, I've started ruminating on other aspects of the big day; namely, shoes and hair dos! More on shoes to come; let's chat about hair today!

My first inclination was all up, curls in the back, hair sprayed to heck. Something elegant, and coiffed. But as I started searching through coiffed updo pictures, I realized that I don't really like that look for me. I wear my hair in a slicked-back pony tail so often these days, that it wouldn't be all that special really.

A gorgeous 'do, just not for me!

The finger wave along the side is fantastic, but a bit too coiffed for the look I want.

With this in mind, I started to contemplate a looser, more romantic updo. A definite possibility, however I'm hesitant to ask for a "loose" updo, lest it become a fallen out down-do before the night is through! Love the soft curls, and the half up do feel, even though all the hair is pulled up.

During my search for a romantic and loose updo, I came across romantic and curly HALF up dos. Surprisingly, I liked them. Even more surprisingly, I liked them A LOT. Just the soft romantic look I'm going for.




And last, but certainly not least, the full down do. I adore the vintage, 40's glamour feel of the do below! I'm just not sure that my hair could ever look that smooooooth. I guess that's to be expected when you live on the we(s)t coast, and you have somewhat curly hair to begin with.

I haven't booked a hair trial yet, but I will be getting my hair done for my brother's wedding in August. Maybe I'll try one of the hairstyles above, just to see how it pans out. Now which one to choose?

Fuchsia POP!

I'm still deliberating over the colour palette for the wedding. Well actually, it's just one colour I'm deliberating over. The chocolate brown, moss green, chartreuse, and champagne colours are all a definite go.

But what to use for POP?

Fuchsia looks pretty poppin' next the the other four colours doesn't it?

Hmm, I wonder if I can sneak it in without making things too pink and girly. Not that I mind pink and girly, but the fiance might have something to say about it. Personally, I've always thought fuchsia is kind of a sexy colour. Especially when it's used sparingly ;)

And the winner is....

ME!

I entered a contest at weddingbee to win the ultimate portable wedding planner by Mindy Weiss, and I won!!! Bee contacted me this evening to ask for my address so she can ship it to me. Ahhhh so exciting!

How gorgeous is this?

"Twenty-five sections help you to organize and plan your wedding day: Contacts, Location, Wedding Schedule, Registry, Budget, Attendants, Guest List, Invitations, Wedding Dress, Tuxedo, Rehearsal, Ceremony, Showers, Favors, Menu, Wedding Cake, Flowers, Music, Photography & Videography, Hair & Makeup, Floor Plan, Rentals, Transportation, Honeymoon. Plastic clear sleeves allow you to hold loose items like fabric swatches, business cards, or magazine clips. A large notepad allows you to jot down your notes or questions with vendors. Each divider contains hints, tips and checklists to help you organize efficiently"

Watch out organization - here I come!

*sits and waits patiently for the mailman*

I'll get you my pretty....and I'll bring you home too!

I never expected to find her so soon, or to fall so head over heels in love with her. I was dubious of other women's stories. How is it that you just know? Did you really cry when you found her?

I am a believer now.

As I watched her from across the crowded room, I knew. I tried to restrain my excitement, for fear of disappointment, but it was too late. She must be mine. She WILL be mine. She is mine.

And that is the story of how my wedding dress came to me.

That's right; after visiting 6 different wedding boutiques, and climbing in and out of, what felt like, a billion dresses, I finally found THE ONE. I never thought it would happen to me. There were tears in my eyes!

I am delirious. I am exhilarated. I am euphoric. I am a woman with a wedding dress.

I would post pictures, but my fiancé puts in an occasional appearance around here, and I haven't figured out how to hide part of the post yet, so if you're dying to see what it looks like, just leave me a message and I'll send you a pic....or ten :)

And I've left the best news for last; the dress was a sample dress! So not only did I bring it home right after I bought it, but I received an AMAZING deal on it!

I think my face might split in two from all this grinning.

I'd like to give a big shout out to all the lovely ladies in my life that helped me shop for this beauty. Mom, Jane, Liz, Sarah, Payal, and Michelle - you guys are the best!!

As an aside note, did you know that the word pulchritudinous describes something that is characterized by great physical beauty and appeal? I just found that out today.

My dress is pulchritudinous.

More from Pelaez Photography...

Rico and Gracci have so many beautiful images on their blog, here are a few more just because!!












WOW!!!! How amazing are their photos. Needless to say we are super excited to have them shoot our big day, and our engagement photos too!

Behind the lens...

We don't have many pictures of the two of us together; lots of one or the other, but very few of both. I guess that's what happens when you make photography a hobby. Expensive cameras, with expensive lenses are very difficult to hand over to a random stranger so they can take a quick pic of you and your significant other!

You know what else is difficult when you dig photography as much as we do? Finding a wedding photographer whose work you LOVE for a price you can AFFORD. But after much searching, I'm happy to report that we did just that :)

In fact, I'm way more than HAPPY, I'm elated, overjoyed, and ecstatic about our photographers!! Ok, ok, I'll stop babbling and start introducing...

Pelaez Photography

Rico and Gracci are a husband and wife team whose pictures really do speak for themselves!





to be continued....

Hi(atus)

Why hello there. It's been a while hasn't it? In my defense, there wasn't a whole lot of wedding stuffs going on for a while, and I was getting ready to head to Toronto to visit my best gals. Now I have all sorts of fun things to report, and with the wedding just over a year away...well there'll be lots more to talk about!

So without further ado, we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming :)

More than 2 colours?

These days, instead of just one or two main colours for wedding decor, brides are choosing a whole wedding palette, which, I'll admit, I'm pretty stoked about. I like the idea of having a couple colours that are the main focus, but I also like having different shades of those two colours, plus a few complementary colours, and one colour that adds POP!

It's not easy coming up with a colour palette. But photoshop and a fiance that works wonders in photoshop definitely make the job easier! So far, this is what I've come up with.



I'm going to keep working on it, as I'm not quite sold on it. Will post more as I make 'em. In the meantime, let me know what you think!