Sunday Fun: Bridalplasty?

Has anyone heard about this new show? It starts tonight on the E! channel. I had never heard of it, but my sister/MOH mentioned it this morning and I looked it up.

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I'm not sure how to embed video, but here's a link to an ad for the show.

Oh. Em. Effing. Gee. So, the premise of this show is that a group of twelve brides-to-be all move into a mansion in LA with a 'wish list' of surgical procedures they want done. Each week, they compete in challenges and the winner receives one of the surgeries on her list. At the end of the show, the winner receives a celebrity style wedding, where her groom sees her new look for the very first time, like when she lifts her veil after walking down the aisle. Wow. What do people think about this?

I think it is pretty extreme and shocking, and the fact that it is a reality show is just so wrong. I know many people go to extreme lengths to look their best on their wedding day, and some things are definitely acceptable, but having numerous surgical procedures done for your wedding definitely is pushing the limit. There are contestants on the show who used to be beauty queens, recently. I just don't get it. Obviously this happens in real life as well, but it is definitely not for me. I obviously want to look great on my wedding day, but I think I will stick to eating healthy, exercising, and then having great hair and makeup on the day of. For me, that will be enough.

I don't mean this to be judgy at all. Obviously everyone has their own personal standards they hope to achieve for their wedding day. I guess this is just something that completely surprised me. In my bubble, I didn't realize people went to this extreme for their weddings. Is this something you've heard of or seen in your life? Does anyone know someone who went through this?

One Down, Three to Go!

So BM N (who you might remember from that uneventful yet hilarious trip to Buffalo) texted me this morning - She bought her bridesmaid's dress! She came with me last weekend when I ordered MY dress, and the salon happened to be having this big sale, so she got a gorgeous black bridesmaid dress for only $50. Total score! She didn't buy it last weekend when we were there because we weren't 100% sure, but after leaving the shop she immediately regretted not buying it, so they put it on hold for her and she picked it up today. Yay!

The only thing about the dress is that the style is a bit risque, and needs to be altered. Let me start by saying I love it and it looks absolutely amazing on her, but it is a little low cut. As in, plunging neckline low cut. Looking at the dress straight-on it looks great, but when she turns to the side, there is a lot of side-boob action. Hm... definitely not 'church' appropriate. But the cut of the dress is so great, and after trying on lots and lots of dresses, this was definitely a favourite.

Not the dress, but the neckline is similar (Source)

So she bought it. And we are going to make it work. She's going to start by having the chest altered, since it was a bit big anyways and that might have been what was causing the little peep show to happen. If that doesn't fix the problem, we are going to look into adding a piece of fabric to the 'plunge' - either some lace or a piece of fabric similar to the dresses material. I think it will look great and I can't wait to see her wear it on the big day. Her buying a BM dress makes the whole thing feel a lot more real. Like, not only do I have MY dress, but my girls are getting theirs as well. Very exciting!

So, one down, three more to go. Fingers crossed that my other ladies will find some lovely little black dresses at an after-holiday sale. That would be so perfect!

Let's Get Some Shoes

Haha, please tell me you know where that came from! That video is SO old, but still hilarious.

So, D and I are heading to an office Christmas party in a few weeks, and I already have my dress (I think, unless something better comes along!), so I thought I should find a pair of fun party shoes to go with it. I was looking online today for ideas, and it got me thinking about what to wear for the wedding.

Now, when I ordered my dress, they had to order extra length because I'm pretty tall (5'10"). The dress was only about 2" too short, so with the added length I should be able to get 2 - 3" heels to wear with it. D is 6'4" so added height isn't a huge concern, BUT we will be towering over most of our guests, and heels will definitely make me taller than my dad. Oh, well.

So, wedding shoes. This is my current go-to inspiration pic for wedding shoes:

The Culver by Nina (in Canary)

Since our wedding colours are black, white and yellow, I really wanted to wear yellow shoes for the wedding. Yellow is one of my favourite colours, and the Nina shoes could definitely be worn and re-worn after the wedding, probably more so than a pair that matched my dress.

A few weeks ago I was on a shopping trip in the States, and I found the Nina shoes at Macy's (in black though, not yellow). I tried them on and pranced around the store for a while, and made a few notes on them. First of all, they weren't super comfortable. They looked great, but they weren't the most comfortable shoe I've ever worn. Also, and I'm not sure if this is typical of Nina shoes, but the material that the soles were made of was this slippery, smooth, molded plastic. I was walking around on carpet and tile, and they had terrible grip. So, I'm not sure if this is something to be concerned about. I definitely don't want to do a faceplant on the big day!

So they are still on the list, but I am still looking. And there are a lot of options out there! Yellow shoes are definitely not in season right now, so I think I will have to wait until the new year to look for some. But, that doesn't stop me from seeing what's out there now. My new love, and I'm pretty sure this is just a holiday trend, is the super sparkly glitter shoes. Something like this:

Oh, Louboutin. If only.

So cute. Even though they're not yellow, I think they would look so fun and festive peeking out from under my dress. The only thing with a metallic shoe is that I think I would have to coordinate it with the rest of my wedding accessories. Bah! This is too much work.

Or, should I just go for a pair of black shoes? I could definitely, definitely wear them again, and it would still make a statement. But do you think black shoes at a wedding (on the bride) are too morose? Hm... I have shoe indecision. And it doesn't help that there are so many gorgeous options out there!

Decisions, decisions... How did you decide on your wedding shoes?

Planning the First Look

I never really knew a 'first look' was an option until I stumbled upon a picture of one online. From that point on, I couldn't think of a more perfect option for our wedding day. I am a pretty emotional person, and I think that not being able to see D before the ceremony would make me super anxious. I'm worried that when I finally see him as I walk down the aisle, I will lose. my. shit. Like, seriously. I can see my self bursting into tears and blubbering my way down the aisle. Hm. I definitely don't want to see those pictures!

I can think of so many pros for having a first look. We will have more time for photos before the ceremony, and will actually be able to join our reception sooner and enjoy our time with guests. We will get more photos of just the two of us and not be as rushed. We get to see each other before the ceremony, which will not only calm me down, but will allow us to spend more time together on our wedding day. And the best thing? Have you seen what first look pictures look like?

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Gorgeous. This whole wedding is actually stunning, and kind of makes me wish I was having an outdoor garden wedding.

I think the pictures alone will make the first look worth it. But, there is a bit of an issue in our way. My mom is adamant that we can't have a first look. She thinks it will ruin our wedding day and it is cheating D out of his big moment, namely, seeing me walk down the aisle for the first time. D has said he doesn't really care either way, and he just wants me to be happy (awww!). So I'm not sure what to do. Obviously, it is our decision, but I don't want to make people upset over it. I'm torn!

I don't really think we'd be losing out on anything if we see each other before the actual ceremony. I really don't. But I don't want to upset anybody, and I definitely don't want to take anything away from D. It's his day too, after all!

So, for those who have had or are planning to have a first look, thoughts? Any regrets? I need someone to make this decision easy for me!

Pretty Little Things

So now that I've picked out my dress (!!), it's time to think about... accessories!

Now, I know I haven't really shared details about my dress, because I want to keep it a surprise, but what I will say is that it is very plain. There are no sparkles, lace, embroidery, nothing. (Well, obviously... if you've been following along you know that was totally what I did not want). But, I definitely need to bling out my dress somehow. One of my favourite things to do to a plain dress is to add a fun, sparkly sash, so that's what I plan to do to my dress, and luckily it is the right style to really benefit from a sash. Although, instead of tying it around and having it hang down the back, I'm think I will probably have it sewn right onto the dress. That way, it will give the illusion of a sash or belt, but I don't have to worry about it twisting or moving during the day.

Something like this:

From Etsy

So a belt is the one thing I definitely want for my wedding day look. But of course, then we have jewelry! Here is some of my jewelry inspiration to go with my wedding day attire:

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So, right now I'm thinking a bold bracelet with either pearls or crystals or a mixture of both, some simple drop earrings with pearls, and some vintage hair pins. I think I will pass on a necklace because I don't want to overdo things and be too blinged out.

Also, I can't decide on which colour metal I should go with, white or yellow gold? My engagement ring is yellow gold, and obviously my band will be yellow gold as well. But I find myself being more drawn to accessories that are either white gold or silver, and I'm pretty sure any sash I choose will be made with silver threading compared to gold - in that case I think yellow gold wouldn't really work - like it would end up looking too Bollywood or something, you know? So, I guess my question is, how horrible is mix and matching silver and gold? If the only thing that is gold are my wedding rings, will it look okay to have everything else in silver? What do you think?

Aaaaaand.... Discuss.

Sunday Fun: Hello Kitty Weddings

Confession Time: I am obsessed with Hello Kitty. I am wearing my Hello Kitty housecoat right now while I sit typing on my computer with a Hello Kitty mouse. I see something Hello Kitty and I. have. to. have. it. no matter how ridiculous or unnecessary it is. What can I say? I'm a 4-year old Asian girl at heart. This obsession definitely was intensified when I lived in Japan for a year. Oh, sweet Hello Kitty heaven!

Me meeting Hello Kitty at a Hello Kitty theme park in Japan. Dreams do come true! (Personal Photo)

So, today I present something that is my actual, no-so-secret, dream wedding. (D, how embarrassed are you right now?) The Hello Kitty wedding! Hm, where to start?

First, of course, is the dress. You definitely can't do understated in a Hello Kitty wedding dress.




Maybe if you're lucky, Hello Kitty will actually show up at your wedding as a guest!



Don't forget your Hello Kitty bouquet!




And of course, you will have to cut your Hello Kitty cake.




And finally, hop into your Hello Kitty getaway car.

All photos from here, here, and here.

Seriously folks, if I could get away with this, I would. Right now I'm thinking maybe I could have a Hello Kitty bridal shower instead, if we can design it so that it doesn't look like a child's birthday party!

What do you think? Hello Kitty wedding, yay or nay?

Finding the Dress: I Said Yes!

Today, in fact! I went in today to make my absolute, final decision, and get measured for my dress. MY dress! I'm so excited!

But let's backtrack a bit... Last time I left off on this (quite extensive) hunt for the perfect wedding dress, I was torn between two styles - the ballgown or a mermaid style. I knew for sure that I wanted something plain and simple, with no embellishments or added details save for a sparkly belt. So, there was one store left that I hadn't been to that I wanted to visit, and I was hoping in the process, I would find my dress. Boy, did I ever!

So, a few weeks ago we woke up bright and early to trek out to this one last shop. It was over an hour from my house, so my mom, sister/MOH, and grandmother hopped in the car and after arriving at the store, I explained what I was looking for. In fact, I brought pictures. At this point, I had trying on dresses for a while and so saturated with images, and I didn't want to get confused. So, I brought pictures of both the Mori Lee and Jim Hjelm Blush dresses, and explained that I only wanted to see dresses that looked like them and nothing else. Controlling, much? Maybe, but I was pretty set on what I wanted and I didn't want to get confused. Unfortunately, they didn't have the exact dresses I wanted, so we looked through the racks to find something similar. After trying on a few dresses without success, a sales consultant walked by who looked strangely familiar. Why did she look so familiar?

Well, a few months ago, at the same bridal show that I won my engagement session at, there was a booth that had sample wedding gowns for sale. I tried on and fell in love with a dress, but unfortunately, it was a bit too small and too short (gotta love being 5'10!). I really loved it, but sadly had to leave it. And somehow I forgot about it. But, fast forward to us at this bridal salon, and it turns out, it was the same on that was in that booth at the show. So, I mentioned this to my consultant, and she knew what dress I was talking about and went to get it. Oh excitement! Unfortunately, the only sample of the dress they had in store was the same sample from the bridal show, and a girl had been in the day before, loved it, and put the sample on hold. Oh no! So disappointing. I mentioned to the consultant that I really loved this dress, and almost bought it at the show, and she said that they would still be able to order me one, but I couldn't try it on because it was on hold. Well, obviously I wasn't going to buy a dress that I couldn't try on.

But, (and I can't even make this stuff up!) while we were discussing my options, the same girl who had put the dress on hold called the store and said that she didn't want it anymore, leaving me to try it on. Yes! The consultant immediately grabbed the dress, put it on me, and I fell in love with it all over again. I had lost a bit of weight since the last time I tried it one, so it fit perfectly this time, and I just knew this was it. This was MY dress! But I didn't buy it that day.

All signs were pointing to the fact that this was my dress, but I didn't want to jump into things and buy it. I had to make sure. So I came home, and thought about it, and thought about it, and couldn't STOP thinking about it, so today I went back, and put it on again, and didn't want to take it off. This dress was MY dress, so I ordered it! Now I just need to wait for 4 months...

Side note... Was anyone surprised at how easy it is to measure for a wedding dress? She took my bust, waist, and hips, and then ordered the size that averaged my measurements (which happened to be the same as the sample, so I know it will be fine). Is this pretty typical?

So Friends, this is the end of my dress saga, at least until it comes in! I am so happy with my choice and so excited for D to see me in it. In fact, I'm just SO ready to get married... Why do we have to wait until July, again?

I have made the decision not to put a picture of my dress on this blog, because I really want to try and keep it secret from as many people as possible until the big day. But let me just say, it fits in to all the criteria I had, and more. It is absolutely lovely! And I can't wait for all of you to see it... in approximately 7 and a half months!

Did you struggle to find the right wedding dress for you? Did it turn in to a huge ordeal, or did you know right away?

How Engaging!

So, engagement photos were something that I thought were a great idea, but I couldn't really justify the price. As amazing as engagement photos look, we didn't REALLY need anything and the money that would go towards them could be better spent elsewhere. And, when we booked our wedding photographer, we really splurged, so as far as I was concerned, in terms of photography, that was it.

But we were lucky! The first weekend in September, I went to a local wedding show with my mom and future mother-in-law, and I entered a contest to win an engagement session with one of the exhibitors. And I won! I know people always say this, but I've never won a contest before. Very exciting.

So we set up our photoshoot for a weekend that D came home, and we met our photographer in downtown Ottawa. I was a bit nervous about being photographed all afternoon paparazzi style, but it actually was fun and not scary. Our photographer was so nice and encouraging, and even though we had a few passersby stop to watch, it wasn't bad. It was my ANTM moment! And I definitely can't complain about spending the afternoon holding hands and being kissy with D!

Anyways, here are a few teasers! We are planning on printing them into our guest book, so I don't want to give them all away, so they really are just teasers! They turned out SO well, I'm so happy! Despite all the butterflies I might have on the actual wedding day, at least I know the photography part should be a breeze.

All photos courtesy of Tracey Lynne Photography.

Oh Hi, Little Miss Rylee!

Did you have a tough time deciding whether or not to get engagement photos?

Finding the Dress: Narrowing it Down

** D! Dress spoilers! Don't read!**

Okay, so when we last left, I had me my heart's desire, and then had a disastrous shopping experience with our lovely neighbours to the South. The one decision I had made, the lovely Rachael, was still in my mind, but I let many, MANY months pass by and it was time to get back in the dress-shopping game.

In early October, a few of my bridesmaids were in town and we decided to make a day and go dress shopping with my mom and future mother-in-law. I picked three new shops to go visit, and after an early wake-up call and a quick Starbucks run, we were at the first store waiting for it to open (oh, yes, it was that early!). We went inside and after meeting our shopping consultant, she led us into the room where all the dresses were kept and we started pulling styles. Unfortunately, even though they sold Maggie dresses, they did not have the Rachael, and they had just sold the Essense dress sample that I loved, so we didn't really have anything to go on. So, after explaining what I was looking for, and pulling a bunch of dresses, we started trying them all on. There were some definite contenders, and then I tried on the dress that was the 'winner' of the day: Mori Lee's 4524.

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This dress was totally gorgeous and very similar to the Rachael, but at a fraction of the price. It was the one that gave me the most of the 'feeling,' made my mom cry, and we kept comparing everything else to it all day, calling it 'Number One.' The only thing I wanted to change about it was the belt, adding a different sparkly belt instead. Love. So after the first appointment, this was for all intents and purposes, the ONE.

Our next stop was a fairly new bridal salon just outside of Ottawa, that had fairly limited styles, but was the only salon in Ottawa to carry Jim Hjelm Blush. They also had consignment dresses, so I thought it was definitely worth a look, because you never know what you will find. The store was closed just for us (that is, they only take one appointment at a time, which was nice), so we all walked around looking for dresses. As I said, their selection was fairly limited, so we ended up pulling only a few styles. This is where a huge wrench was thrown in my wedding dress plans... I found a dress that I loved, but that was SO absolutely and completely different from what I thought I wanted, and now I was confused. The dress... Jim Hjelm Blush 1050.

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Gorgeous. This is more of the style I thought I wanted when I first started looking at wedding dresses, and after months of not really looking and this I was set on a ballgown, it's like I totally forgot this style even existed! I had never tried on a dress with this shape, and I. Loved. It. Loved it. I think there is just something so elegant and stylish about a fitted dress, so after trying this on and loving it, I was confused. Everyone who was shopping with me (BMs and Moms) said they still liked the first one (Mori Lee) on me, and that it was more 'my style,' but I just didn't know anymore. What to do, what to do?

So we left the second shop and ventured to the third and last stop of the day. This store carried dresses that were all of a certain style, and not really what I was looking for. Lots of all-over bling, ruching, pick-ups, etc. Now that I was more settled on either an empire-waisted ballgown or a mermaid style, I didn't want to try anything else different on. I didn't want to get more confused. So, needless to say, there wasn't anything noteworthy in this shop, and I went home still debating which dress I liked more (the Mori Lee or the Jim Hjelm Blush). Big choice!

I promise there is an end in sight! I have only made one more trip, and my decision is now made. Yay! The (exciting, I'm sure) finale is coming up. Yay, wedding dress!

And for anyone from Ottawa reading, these are the three shops we went to. I have nothing but good things to say about any of them. They were nothing but friendly and helpful during my time shopping there.

Sinder's Bridal Salon

With Love Bridal Boutique

All That Glitters Bridal

Cake Toppers

I'm so sad... Without my hard drive I don't have any of my original inspiration pics to post! Although I luckily backed everything up, I did it in Toronto when I was visiting D and it's all up there on our external hard drive. So boo... I will have to do this from memory.

So, cake toppers! Once we decided on doing an actual wedding cake (as opposed to cupcakes or something else), it was time to start looking for fun things to put on top of said cake. One of the biggest trends in cake toppers right now are birds, namely the Ann Wood birds.

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Oh so cute! The Ann Wood birds are definitely a unique (well in my circle at least, maybe not the online wedding community) and fun way to top a wedding cake. Unfortunately, if the price wasn't enough to deter me, it was Ds strong aversion to topper and his reminder that we both actually hate birds. Bubble burst. So I moved on to more ideas.

The next one I stumbled upon has also made quite the circuit of all-things wedding online. The Lollipop Workshop cake topper is super cute and can be custom made to look like the bride and groom. They are really popular and for a while the shop was actually closed because of the high demand, but since our wedding is/was so far away, that wasn't a huge concern.

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What's that I see? A cake topper with a puppers on it? I die... I think that was actually the biggest selling point for this one. I love the idea of somehow incorporating our pup Rylee in our big day since she won't be able to actually be there. So this one is a definite option. The only downside is, again, the price. At just over $100, it is a bit steep, but I think we could keep it as a memento for years to come and the customized option is really appealing. So I guess we have a decision to make...

The most recent discovery that I found was again on Etsy. I was perusing cake toppers one day and kept noticing vintage cake toppers coming up.

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There is something that I love so much about these cake toppers! I just think they are so pretty and interesting, and they would really be a conversation piece and a nice memento of the wedding. Like the Lollipop Workshop cake topper, it would be something to save after the wedding as a keepsake. I really like the idea of turning it into a Christmas ornament to celebrate our first married Christmas. Haha, nerd! The good thing about this type of cake topper is that there are TONS of them, and they are relatively inexpensive (there are some on Etsy starting around $10-15. Not bad). The only downside? Ideally, I'd want the couple to look somewhat like us, and since D is a redhead, it might be a bit more difficult to track down. And I'm not sure if I trust myself and my crafting abilities to paint the hair the right shade. So again, a decision needs to be made, but we're not in a huge rush.

How did you make a decision about your wedding cake topper? Do you think it's ridiculous to spend upwards or $100 for one?

Sunday Fun: Camo Weddings

Continuing on with interesting wedding themes, this week I thought I'd look at Camo Weddings. Now, I'm Canadian, and don't really know anyone who hunts or even owns a gun, but I guess in some places hunting is such an ingrained part of life that people choose to incorporate it into their weddings. Hm. Definitely not my choice by far, but it obviously works for lots of people!

Feast your eyes on these beauties... and don't think that the camo is going to be limited just to decor!

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Even my beloved Lia isn't safe!

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Okay, there are literally SO many pictures out there! I tried to give a general overview of everything... dresses and attire, cakes, other decor. Hm, it's definitely an interesting concept for a wedding. Oh, and I just realized that there is a show out there called 'My Big Fat Redneck Wedding." Really? Has anyone actually seen this?

So again, sorry I've been gone for a while. My laptop is officially dead... it's the hard drive. Luckily I just backed up all my files the day before this happened. So fingers crossed that I can get it back up and running soon!

I'm Here!

Sorry for the MIA-ness, this week has been super crazy. Started a new job (a good thing, it is in my field and more related to what I want to be doing), had a big assignment due, and then came up to visit D for the weekend, and spent a lot of time catching up with him and friends. Oh, and my computer crashed. Le sad.

I am heading home today, and hopefully will be back ontrack this week! Stay tuned for a Sunday Fun post coming up later today. I am also working on a post about our much anticipated engagement photos, wedding dress shopping, and more!

So stick around! I will be back in business soon! x

And a random picture of a kitty eating cake... haha.

The Cake Debate

From the beginning, I wasn't sold on the idea of a wedding cake. Although they are (for the most part) beautiful, I just couldn't wrap my head around the cost. Hundreds and hundreds of dollars for a cake that would look good but likely just taste okay wasn't really worth it in my books.

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There are so many cake options out there and since I wasn't too fussed about having the traditional, elaborate cake, I was open to other options. I am a huge fan of cupcakes, and love the idea of having tiers of cute, delicious looking cupcakes instead of a wedding cake.

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Oh so adorable, don't you think?

But to my big surprise, D is a lot more traditional when it comes to wedding cakes. He hated the idea of wedding cupcakes, and instead wanted a more traditional tiered wedding cake. Obviously, since it was something he felt strongly about and it didn't matter as much to me, the traditional cake won out. We haven't decided on a final design, but here is some of the 'cakespiration' I have saved over the months.

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As you can see, there are a few things in common with these cakes. They are all white with few details, maybe a little flower, and I love the look of uneven tiers. So cute. I like a more simple, understated approach to the wedding cake, and since our guest list will probably come in at around 125 people, we don't need a super huge cake. And trust me, if we can cheap out on this as much as possible, that is a definite win!

So since we aren't going super fancy with the cake, my mom has actually offered to bake it for us. One of her aunts (who lives out of town) used to bake wedding cakes for a living, so my mom is hoping she can pick up some tips and tricks on how to make a decent cake for our big day. The bonus too is that she can likely borrow the supplies and our only cost will be the ingredients.

I'm not sure yet how feasible this will be yet, logistically speaking, because I don't want to add having to bake the wedding cake onto our sure-to-be long list of things to do in the days leading up to the wedding. Definitely some research still needs to be done, but for now, this is where we are at with the cake. As long as it tastes yummy, I'll be a happy girl!

Did you have a tough decision picking out your wedding cake or was it fairly simple?


**Unfortch, I don't have the sources for any of these pictures, so if it is yours please let me know and I will link it. Don't hate please!!