Suzanne Perron Gowns

I wanted to feature the beautiful designs of New Orleans designer Suzanne Perron because I was struck by the incredible couture quality and detail that sets her designs apart. The designer once worked for Vera Wang, and has helped dressed celebrities and southern belles alike.

Congrats Christina & Joe!

I know it's been a long time but I wanted to feature the flowers of my sister in law's wedding two weeks ago. The very talented florist from Convallaria Floral Design were behind these lush flowers. Hopefully I can get a photo of the head table to post soon because it was gorgeous!

Tinted large peonies picked up the colour of the bridesmaid dresses (see my post) without being too matchy.

The florist tinted phalaenopsis orchids to create an unusual blush colour, mixed with hydrangeas. The stems were covered by cream ribbon secured with mother of pearl buttons.

I love this fall boutonniere with two acorns and spiky leaves.

Upcoming Trunk Shows

Hi Everyone
I know it's been a while, but just wanted to let you know about two trunk shows coming up. One is at Justina McCaffrey Bridal, who is known for her full silk ballgowns:

TORONTO BOUTIQUE
Saturday & Sunday October 31st & November 1st
10 AM to 5 PM Both Days
114 Cumberland St. Suite 200, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
T: (416) 928-1334 torontoretail@mccaffreyhautecouture.com

OTTAWA BOUTIQUE
Saturday & Sunday November 14th&15th
10AM to 5PM both days
465 Sussex Dr. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
T: (613) 789-4336 ottawaretail@mccaffreyhautecouture.com

The other is at one of my favourite boutiques, White Toronto, who will be presenting a Rivini Bridal trunk show and personal appearance.

Bridal Shower Ideas

I know it's been a long time since I last posted but i've been busy with our house. I just thought i'd quickly post up two of my favourite ideas from my sister in law's bridal shower the other week! Photos by Jenny Chung
Favours were these cute little apples with handmade tags.

A classic idea of writing encouragement notes to the bride to be is so cute presented on a tray using colourful notecards and envelopes.

Question: Classy Bachelorette Party Ideas?

Stephanie asks:
Q: "I have to throw my friend a bachelorette party but she doesn't want to do anything raunchy. Do you have any ideas for a "classy" a bachelorette party?
A: When I got married, I begged my friends not to throw me a bachelorette that involved a drunken night involving male body parts. Just because it's supposedly tradition to hire a stripper, it doesn't mean you have to force yourself to do something that's just not you. Here are some ideas that are more mellow, but still fun.

Cocktails & Beauty Party
Some spas offer private parties, where you can enjoy cocktails or champagne over manicures, pedicures and music. Just be sure someone has taken care of the special events liquor license if needed.

Wine & Cheese
Plan a nice wine and cheese at someone's home or at a nice restaurant or bar. There are lots of great wine bars out there, that would offer the chance to mingle and have fun. Or take the celebration it to a local winery for a change of scenery.

Trip with the Girlfriends
Plan a fun trip somewhere with just your girlfriends. You could go anywhere from exotic to taking a road trip somewhere local, like the cottage or a spa in the country, or a bakery in another city.

"Last Chance" Scavenger
Have the bride come up with a list of the things she's never done that she'd like to do before she gets married. Some ideas: play a sport at midnight, eat a cuisine she's never tried, go horseback riding, stay up to see the sunset, go on a local tourist bus, etc.

Best Makeup for Weddings & Special Occasions

Ever since my cousin curled my hair with a curling iron when I was a kid, I've always been fascinated with the art of makeup and hair. When I was in high school, I started doing makeup and hair for proms and eventually did stage plays and a few weddings. Though i'm not a professional makeup artist (it really is more of a hobby), I've always been on the quest to find the best products. Here are my picks for the best makeup for weddings and special occasions:

Best Foundation

MAC Studio Sculpt SPF 15

This gel based formula blends effortlessly with your skin for great coverage minus the cakey or dry feeling you get with other foundations.

Best Concealer

NARS Concealer

I really have tried almost every concealer under the sun and I find this formula the best to work with. It's pretty resilient to creases, stays well on pimples & bumps, and works well on most skin tones (some concealers I find too pink).Best Pressed Powder
Stila Illuminating Powder Foundation

To finish off, I like to use a big brush with this foundation to set the makeup (although most people like to use transluscent powder). It has a nice fine texture and small reflecting minerals.

Best Blush for All Skin Tones

NARS "Orgasm" Colour

I've been using this blush for years and it is the most flattering ever. It has gold undertones and a peachy colour that gives you a natural flush. It's also great for every day as an instant pick-me-up. (Shown below in the Bridal Palette)

Best Bronzer

Bobbi Brown Shimmerbrick

Generally, I wouldnt necessarily go "bronze" for your wedding, but it's nice to take a big huge brush, and lightly highlight your face for the slightly sunkissed look. This is a great product for other special occasions and every day too.

Best No-Smudge Eyeliner

Chanel Automatic Eyeliner- Ecriture de Chanel

My cousin, who jets all over Asia for L'Oreal, introduced me to this while she worked for Chanel. For some reason i'm prone to racoon eyes from liner, but this stuff does not budge! It's amazing! The only thing is that you dont get a whole lot for the price tag.

Best Waterproof Mascara

Maybelline Waterproof Great Lash

This is a really tried and true formula, which really is waterproof (very essential for the wedding day!)

Best Eyeshadow for Weddings

Bobbi Brown Eyeshadows

They blend really well, and I think their color palette is the most sophisticated and elegant, which is ideal for weddings.

Best Lipgloss

Bobbi Brown

This is really the BEST for staying power. I really love how it's a thick formula without being dry on your lips or too shiny. Perfect for the big day!

Best Lipstick

Laura Mercier

I really hate the feeling of dry lipstick, so when I use this on people they really love it because it leaves your lips feeling so soft. Plus the colours are very bridal appropriate.

Oooh la la Cadeau

I just stumbled upon this amazing site that sends these gorgeous wrapped gifts, called Oooh la la Cadeau. I LOVE how they are so personalized and luxurious looking. This would make a great gift idea, for friends and family that have helped out at your wedding, but anyone would be lucky to receive one of these.
Cutest baby giraffe gift.Baby gift "year of firsts"

For the gourmet in your life.

I think this is my favourite one- I love the colours!

How cute is this? It's for a Bridge lover.

Everyone Needs a Little Help!

Planning an event, no matter how big or small, is always a tough challenge. Take weddings, for example. Suddenly the bride and groom are expected to host hundreds of guests, create a cohesive look and feeling of a party, outfit themselves and their attendants, and perform hundreds of small tasks off the "endless to-do list".

I feel for you, and having been there myself, I would love to help out. I'm getting tons of questions all the time about favors, theme colors, centerpieces etc., so I decided to start an "Event Advice & Help" section. Feel free to email me any time with any questions at all! I will try my best to answer them. I'll start off with one shortly.

Flowers for Deep Pink Dresses?

This post is dedicated to my sister in law, who's getting married this November. She's been looking for a colour palette that will fit together with her bridesmaid dress colour of deep pink. Her invitations are deep mauve. Because the wedding is in the midst of fall/winter, I suggest going tone on tone with slight accents of deep brown. Here are some options below: My pick, would be the Mauve/Purple tone on tone bouquet wrapped with a thick satin brown ribbon. Photos (top to bottom- Martha Stewart, Modern Day, Le Bouquetier)

Vera Wang New Bridesmaid Collection

Vera Wang's new bridesmaid collection is more reasonably priced (starting at $220) while maintaining her signature simple lines. My only thoughts about this collection; not a lot of them would be flattering for every figure, nor are the colour palettes flattering for every skin tone (they are either very light, or very dark colours). Have a look at the whole collection here.

New Blog!

Instead of posting about our new home renovation project here, I decided to start another blog, called Designing Our Home. Hope you enjoy it!

Spring 2010 Carolina Herrera

Here are some of my favourites from the Spring 2010 Carolina Herrera Collection, each of which were inspired by different famous artists.
Marie Antoinette number inspired by Francois Boucher.

Dress with individually sewn petals inspired by Henri Matisse`s paper cut out phase.

Jacques Louis David inspired English Net dress.

French lace halter inspired by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec
Black rose fils coupé on ivory inspired by pioneer Impressionist Edourd Manet.

Monique Lhuillier Spring 2010

Kate's Paperie Favourites

If you're in the New York City area and looking for invitations, stop by Kate's Paperie for Bridal Brunch, a workshop on custom printed invitations. The fee is $10 but you get a $10 gift card and a discount if you order custom printed invitations.
If custom made invites aren't in the budget, consider getting pre-printed invites. I've picked a few of my favourites from Kate's Paperie below.
By Peculiar Press

I love this whimsical design for casual get togethersLove this card for a housewarming party!

So cute for a graduation party!

Oscar de la Renta Trunk Show

If you've never been lucky enough to wear an Oscar de la Renta dress, take the opportunity to go to White Toronto for the trunk show May 22-23rd. Any fashion fan will appreciate the incredibly amazing construction, which is as beautiful inside as it is out.

Jenny Lee Bridal Trunk Show

White Toronto is having a Jenny Lee Trunk Show May 15-19th. Call 416-849-9196 for an appointment!

Bridesmaid Dresses "Off The Rack" Looks

I've put together a few more "off the rack" looks for dresses!
I love yellow bridesmaid dresses. Go modern with a pure white bouquet (by Saipua) or more traditional with a pure cream bouquet. This sweet dress is on sale at Banana Republic for $109.99!

This classic ballerina pink dress is accented with a tone on tone bouquet. Start by matching the shade of your dress to the flower, and add some deeper tones. Silk chiffon dress from JCrew for $180.

I love the idea of this simple tailored navy shift (totally wearable after the wedding!), with a strand of pearls and a bouquet of garden roses like this one (from Martha Stewart Weddings). Dress by JCrew, $225.

This look is so 50's yet so fresh! This silk chiffon twist neckline dress ($170) from JCrew would be great in a spring or summer wedding with a bouquet of melon coloured ranunculous, tulips, and roses.

Bridesmaid Dresses Under $250

Getting bridesmaid dresses custom made can be stressful and aren't exactly budget friendly. However, I believe some of the best dresses come from off the rack. Most stores will allow you to put certain sizes on hold so your bridesmaids can come and try them on individually.
Here are some examples under $250.
This Banana Republic silk taupe dress would be great on a petite frame, softened by a lush bouquet of pink flowers. $250. Bouquet from Instyle Weddings

BR Monogram criss-cross silk dress is available at Banana Republic, $250, and would look great with a bouquet of cream flowers tied with black ribbon at a sleek affair. Bouquet from Martha Stewart Weddings.

This low-key but fun dress from Banana Republic reminds me of a garden wedding. I've paired it with a fresh garden bouquet in neutral colours from Nicolette Camille.