2010-02-16 07:00:00 by SMARTBRIDE

Bride-to-Be: Choosing A Wedding Date

TAGS: WEDDING PLANNING, WEDDING DATE, WEDDING EXPERTS, BRIDE TO BE

As a kid, my countdown to Christmas always relied on an advent calendar. I guess you can call me a chocoholic, but I can’t think of a better way to start the day!

On December 23, 2008 my advent calendar had a little more than chocolate inside. Before heading out of town to spend the holidays with family, my now fiancé proposed to me by replacing a chocolate in the advent calendar with a ring. Needless to say, I was ecstatic!

After saying yes (obviously) the only other question I had was...What happened to that chocolate?

Wedding Calendar
Photo courtesy of Christina Gapic Photography


2010-02-17 07:00:00 by SMARTBRIDE

Wedding Advice: My bridal party is all different shapes & sizes. How can I find a look that flatters them all?

TAGS: WEDDING PLANNING, WEDDING EXPERTS, BRIDAL PARTY, BRIDAL PARTY FASHION

I remember when I started in the Industry and all bridesmaids were offered the same homogenous look by the bride. Pretty maids all in a row dressed alike, with hair and makeup the same. Everyone looked like carbon copies in the same really bad dress.


Different Bridesmaids
Photo courtesy of Christina Gapic Photography


2010-02-24 07:00:00 by SMARTBRIDE

Wedding Advice: How can we save during the recession without looking cheap?

TAGS: WEDDING PLANNING, WEDDING EXPERTS, BRIDAL PARTY, BRIDAL PARTY FASHION

While the recession hit everyone hard, and where it hurts, it's important to remember that people still continue to get married. Even during the Great Depression marriages happened. The wedding market, while not completely unscathed, wasn't hit as hard by the most recent recession as other industries.


What this means to brides and grooms is that from a cost-savings perspective, using the recession as a negotiating factor with vendors won't always work. Instead, focus on the services and products you want and match your needs to your budgets.


Different Bridesmaids
Photo courtesy of Distinct Occasions


Here's an example:

2010-03-03 08:00:00 by SMARTBRIDE

Wedding Advice: Combining different cultural traditions for your wedding

TAGS: WEDDING PLANNING, WEDDING EXPERTS, MULTICULTURAL WEDDINGS, WEDDING CEREMONY, WEDDING RITUAL

Are you a couple with two very different backgrounds wondering how to combine your cultural wedding traditions? If so, read on!


Today more than ever, love is colour-blind and culture-blind and multicultural weddings are on the rise!


Often when couples from different cultural or religious backgrounds decide to tie the knot there can be subtle and dramatic differences of opinion when it comes to planning the marriage ceremony.


My first piece of advice for those of you who are engaged to someone from a different cultural background is to EMBRACE IT!


Different Bridesmaids
Photo courtesy of mimmo+naz


2010-03-09 07:00:00 by SMARTBRIDE

Bride-To-Be: Finding Budget Conscious Flowers Without Compromising Quality

TAGS: WEDDING PLANNING, WEDDING DATE, WEDDING EXPERTS, BRIDE TO BE

When deciding on flowers for my wedding, I started with a simple online search. I knew that I wanted calla lilies as the focal point for the arrangements, so I searched for photos of bouquets to use as a source of inspiration.


The colours for my wedding are white and sage green, so I planned to have a calla bouquet with green accents and simple, single callas for my bridesmaids.


I also took photos of floral arrangements at weddings that I had recently attended. I lucked out and happened to be a guest at a wedding that had calla lily bouquets with a green colour scheme! At this wedding I borrowed the bride’s and bridesmaids’ bouquets, shameless I know, but I was able to get some great shots!


Wedding Calendar