welcome!

Always a Bridesmaid.

It’s an interesting phenomenon that we’re sure any rotating bridesmaid can attest to – how is it that fashion trends are constantly revolving yet the “bridesmaid dress” repels these trends like oil to water?  We recently went shopping for yet another new dress for an upcoming wedding and lo and behold, we had already tried on every dress in the store – 7 years ago!

Now, don’t get us wrong, we are perfectly fine that there will be no chance of us having to don an ‘80’s inspired frock, a trend that took over the runways this year.  But..oh wait…isn’t that a dress that actually IS from the ‘80’s in the rack? Great.  Shoulder pads, here we come.

Thankfully there are some new options we came across in our desperate quest to find something that had a modern yet classy twist:

• Cynthia Rowley recently launched her first bridesmaid styles that are inspired by her runway collection.  These dresses are truly gorgeous and would ensure enthusiastic claps from the bridal party.
  

http://www.dessy.com/bridesmaid-dresses/

Notte by Marchesa – we have never been able to resist the intricate folds and romantic flair that always grace a Marchesa gown so you can only imagine our glee when we came across their bridesmaid collection.

http://www.marchesa.com/

• No list of bridesmaid dresses would be complete without a shout out to Miss Wedding herself – Vera Wang.  Her bridal collection is, as always, classic and refined.
  

http://www.verawangonweddings.com/shop/Dress_Gallery.aspx?Catalog=Bridesmaid%20Gallery

Now, if only Lady Gaga would get on board the bridal train.  “Timeless” may not be a word used to describe her potential collection but “unique” would probably cover it.  Though we’re not sure how Grandma’s would react to a birdcage mask rather than a hat.

Why Buy Spam When You Can Get “Haggis in a Can”

While touring the land of kilts, haggis, and swoon-worthy Gerard Butler lookalikes, our Event Consultant, Amanda, found time during her travels in Scotland to make us all jealous by filling us in on her take on Edinburgh and the surrounding areas:

“Edinburgh, a historical city with a story. I never would have expected such a concentration of life and culture. I can honestly say that Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful, magical places I have ever been. And I haven’t even begun to highlight how alive this city becomes at night! I must admit – I’m not in much of a rush to get home.
 
After some time in the capital, we began to make our journey upwards to explore all that we have heard about the North. A couple of days in a rental car, travelling around the Scottish Highlands has reinforced what so many people have been telling me about the beauty of the North. The scenery is unlike anything else and the Highland cows are the cuttest things in the world! 
 
One of the most amazing places we visited was a castle on the water that one can rent out for private weddings!  Scotland destination wedding, anyone?   This castle is outside a little town called Inverness in the North of Scotland and has 16 unique bedrooms, all with a view of the loch. 

For those of you who want to do something truly different on your special day, information on this gorgeous castle can be found at:http://www.bunchrew-inverness.co.uk/ 

All in all, an amazing experience that I didn’t want to end.  Although it seems my wish may come true with the volcano in Iceland erupting – all flights are cancelled until further notice.  Oh well!   Guess it looks like I am off to the coast for the day!”

Stay tuned for next weeks blog, straight from the beaches of Hawaii! 

Phew, we must say, doing research on destination weddings is REALLY hard work.   Mai Tai, anyone?

Kodak Moments – the Good and the VERY Bad!

For the past 17 days, we’ve forgotten that the colours in the rainbow go beyond white and red, the space beside Ceili’s is simply a parking lot, and the line-ups for Japadog don’t usually run for blocks on end.  While the rest of our closet might be happy to come out of hibernation, we have to admit, we will be sad to see the departure lounge at YVR full of our international guests finding their way home. 

While visiting the various houses and pavilions, we were inspired by the different cultures and customs that we learnt about and thought we might do some research on some quirky wedding customs that one could incorporate into their own big day.  Although we always appreciate a good Greek plate smashing, we’re not sure a few others would make the Kodak-moment cut in our own wedding album!

In Scotland, the pre-wedding tradition of “Blackening the Bride” goes way beyond our own traditions of dressing the bride in tacky t-shirts and necklaces bought in a dollar store.  The bride is covered in foul substances (such as eggs, various sauces, feathers etc.) and paraded around the pubs in town.  Note to our friends: they will automatically be deleted from our Facebook Friends list should they EVER do this to us!

At Swedish wedding receptions, if the bride goes to the restroom, all of the other women guests must line up to kiss the groom.  And vice versa for the groom.  If you choose to include this particular tradition into your wedding, you may wish to avoid any guests of the “ex” variety.  Just saying…!

And finally, our particular favourite:  In South India, it is customary for the groom’s side of the family to complain about the food that is traditionally provided by the bride’s family, even if it IS prepared by Mr. Rob Feenie himself! 

However, should you decide to purchase frozen Pigs in a Blanket as an hors’ doeuvre, you may get complaints irrespective of the traditions of your two families.  Sorry!  We’re sure Martha Stewart would agree.