Gown Friday!

{porchlight interiors, priscilla of boston}

for this gown friday i used some of my favorite rooms for inspiration. the main reason this is appropriate is each of these fabulously colorful and chic rooms has a specific mood and feel to it. what kind of atmosphere will your decor convey to your guests? what is the overall feeling you hope to achieve when planning your wedding: chic or comfortable? elegant or vintage glamor? traditional cozy or modern minimalism? grand opulence or kitschy garden party? most anything you want can be achieved. but first you must define what you want by choosing your wedding site and wedding dress. and with those two major decisions set in stone, then the rest will flow effortlessly with smaller, easier design selections that you will make during the rest of your planning process. it's all about having a visual guide--it will help keep you focused!! i know i've mentioned this before, but it's good for a nice review :) see you on monday!!

{plush palette, romona keveza}

{this is glamorous, elie by elie saab}

{weekend host, nicole miller}

{cote de texas, monique lhuillier}

{dress design decor, romona keveza}

TIS' THE SEASON... TO GET ENGAGED!!

While many lucky girls found themselves spending the Christmas season (also known in the wedding industry as engagement season), eyes glued to the new rock on their finger and celebrating their newly acclaimed title of bride-to-be, engagement season is not over yet.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day have both always been popular times for marriage proposals. Family and friends are usually gathered together providing the perfect opportunity to share the moment with them. New Years Eve of course is also a favourite. You're already in the celebratory mood and really, can you think of a better way to start off the New Year? But there's still one day left. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and completes the list of most popular days to get engaged!

Guys, are you ready to propose to that special little lady in your life but missed the boat over the holidays and are now hoping to redeem yourself on the 14th? Here are three reasons why Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to pop the question.

♥ Unlike Christmas and New Year’s, Valentine’s Day is an intimate holiday allowing couples the privacy to enjoy the moment alone together.
♥ It’s the most romantic day of the year.
♥ Most restaurants, hotels, spas, etc plan something special for Valentine’s Day so it’s guaranteed to be a great day/night.

Viva la wedding would like to send out an early Congratulations! to all the couples who will be celebrating their engagement this Valentine's Day.

Sassy Site Award

{aquilano rimondi, seasons of life events, donna karen}

i am honored to announce that Weddings Fresh has been awarded the Sassy Site Award from Get Married! wow! what a treat to be a part of a fabulous resource for brides--yay! and thank you, all of you readers who follow Weddings Fresh. it has been such a joy for me to blog about weddings and fashion and just plain ol' girl stuff :) and for some more of just that, here is a fabulously chic color board: grey and blue. swanky and sophisticated, elegant and fresh. perfect.

silhouette papercuts

aren't these little silhouette cutouts adorable?? a sweet little gift for valentines day, don't you think? they'd even be fun for centerpieces and table numbers. check them out here for more!

BHG inspiration!

good morning! i cannot believe it's already the end of the month! wedding planning is in full force for 2010 and the spring and summer months will soon be humming with nervous brides-to-be making final touches on their wedding day celebration. so when i received an email yesterday about some inspiring additions to Better Homes and Garden's wedding site, i wanted to pass it along to you busy ladies. these are just a few examples of fresh flower arrangements that are available on BHG's website--aren't those peonies just gorgeous?! but there's plenty more to check out: cakes, flowers, color palettes, real weddings, it's all there!

Gown Friday!

{style me pretty, reem acra}

oh i am so glad it is friday! it's been a long week...some fashion always cheers me up!
these fresh flowers and stunning gowns should do the trick! i have been particularly taken by reem acra's fall 2010 bridal collection this year. she has created an amazing sense of grace and beauty into her gowns that is just timeless. but i also wanted to include a little modern glamor with a couple badgley mischka spring 2010 rtw dresses--ooh, love that fuchsia!

{concrete & honey, reem acra}

{unknown, reem acra}

{snippet & ink, badgley mischka}

{porchlight interiors, badgley mischka}

{concrete & honey, christos bridal}

show-stopper

did you see this wedding over at 100 layer cake?? go. now.

Pingg & Martha Stewart Weddings!

good morning! please forgive me for being so absent this week. our house if full of feverish little bodies and green running noses. my two little boys are very needy and mama needs to take some time and love on them :)

but real quickly, today, i thought i would share with you this exciting new addition to the online invitation resource, Pingg. ever used them? when i threw my husband his surprise 30th birthday party the other week i decided to go with them in order to organize, email, update and plan secretly all online without him ever knowing! i was extremely impressed by their easy to use features including, card design (using their graphics or your own), guest list creation and monitoring, free event website that is available for you and all your guests, thank you cards, and even an option to have your invites created online but sent through the mail! plus, the entire website is wonderfully clean and clutter free--i can't stand online invitation companies that bombard you with horrific branding and miles of advertising.

okay! so, i bring this all up because Pingg is announcing their collaboration with Martha Stewart Weddings! fabulous! talk about taking the stress and frustration out of handling your all your wedding event lists needs. it keeps track of all of it! plus, you get the timeless feel of Martha Stewart Weddings on your personalized wedding invitations.

Here is what Brittany from Pingg.com had to add:
With two-dozen designs to choose from, the Martha Stewart Weddings collection is sure to have the perfect design for any invitation or announcement a bride may need. Ideal for save-the dates, engagement announcements, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners and more, the exclusive Martha Stewart Weddings Collection for pingg will fit any couple's unique style and budget (they're FREE!).

Check Pingg out and their Martha Stewart Wedding collection here!

Color Inspiration: graceful grey

{vera wang, coco+kelley, style me pretty, green wedding shoes, endless inspiration}

yes, yes, yellow and black are no new combination in the wedding world, but i propose we, classic brides, blend in grey to soften the stark contrast between the jet black and sunshine yellow. these grey subtleties smooth out the jagged edges of this modern color paring. elegance, not dullness; beauty in a crisp fusion of modern inspiration. not too sharp--just simply lovely.

Color Inspiration: color splash

{cupcakes and cashmere, ms. muse, martha stewart weddings, j crew, frolic!}

i thought we could add a little sophistication to the "brights" color trend. a little less catwalk and a lot more refined grace. warm lemon, stunning jade, hints of slate, indigo and crystal, all with an emphasis on rosy pink and sweet raspberry bring together a glow of modern femininity.

Color Inspiration: chic cobalt

{andrew gn, paul joseph hopper, loewe, zinke design}

ooh i love the cobalt blue trend this year--high drama do be sure, but you can bring in different shades of blue, such as navy, turquoise, powder blue and cyan for a more elegant color palette. love that dress from Andrew Gn--girls, do it, where color on you wedding day!

THE KLEINFELD EXPERIENCE CONTEST!!

One lucky bride-to-be will get a chance to take part in this once in a lifetime experience!

Your love story could win you:

· a $5000 gift certificate to Kleinfeld
· a private store opening in Manhattan, New York
· personal styling services provided by Randy Fenoli and a Kleinfeld Bridal Consultant
· free airfare and five-star accommodations

Entering the contest is easy!

Submit your engagement or romance story to TheRingBearer.ca before February 14 2010. The Top 10 love stories will be posted online on February 19 2010. You, along with the rest of Canada, will have one month to vote for your favourite! The winner of The Kleinfeld Experience will be announced on March 20 2010 after the nationwide vote has been tallied!

MOVIE DAY

Whether you're hiding out from the cold at the art gallery or embracing it skating on the canal, there are a ton of fun things to do and great ways to spend a January afternoon in Ottawa. But sometimes it's nice to just stay home, snuggle up on the couch with a warm blanket and a hot cup of tea, and have a movie day. A wedding movie day of course! Here are a few we love. What's your favourite wedding movie?

VÉRONIQUE & ANDREW GET MARRIED!!

Véronique & Andrew were married at the Crowne Plaza on Saturday January 30 2010. Their entire winter wedding took place on the Penthouse level. The ceremony was held in the Panorama Room, cocktail hour in the Foyer, and then dinner was served in the Pinnacle Room. The view from each area of the Penthouse was just breathtaking. It truly was a magical night! Viva la wedding wishes Véronique & Andrew all the best in their new life together!

Here are a few images captured by Blair Gable. Visit his wedding blog to see more of his amazing work.

Venue: Crowne Plaza
Linen: Groovy Linen
Flowers: Mood Moss
DJ: Quality Entertainment
Cake: TJ's Cake Design
Hair: Anne Marie Rooney
Makeup: Sarah Walsh
Photographer: Blair Gable

EMBRACE THE COLD

Some couples choose to get married in the winter months, seeing it as an excuse to plan a destination wedding down south and get out of the cold. Other couples choose not only to embrace the cold weather our winter months are famous for, but head even further north to celebrate. If you're planning a winter wedding and fall into the 2nd category, Viva has the perfect place for you!

Since 2001 the Hôtel de Glace has wowed over half a million visitors. Open from the begining of January to the end of March, every year the hotel is redesigned and rebuilt in its entirety (which takes approximately five weeks). From the moment you enter the hotel, you'll be blown away by the amazing decor made entirely of ice and snow. Chandeliers (made of ice of course!) hang from 18 foot ceilings, artwork emerges from the walls of snow, and all the furniture is made of sheer ice.

There are 36 rooms and theme suites for guests to spend the night - yes, your bed is a block of ice but a wood boxspring and matress lie on top. There's an interior courtyard, an Ice Cafe, hot tubs, saunas, functional fireplaces, an ice slide (9 feet high and 53 feet long) and a reception room known as the Ice Bar - the perfect place to enjoy a little live entertainment and a cocktail or two.

And for those of you planning your wedding, there's the Chapel (pictured below) - a unique and simply beautiful place where couples exchange their vows each year. There are three wedding packages to choose from - The Romantic from $2199, the Exotic from $3899, and the Magical from $6199. Arrival in a horse drawn carriage, fireworks and open bar are all optional add-ons to help personalize your day.

The Hôtel de Glace is at Station touristique Duchesnay on the shores of Lac St-Joseph, just 30 minutes from Québec City.