I also learned that she loves fashion and has great personal style. She had a very definite idea of  exactly what she wanted her wedding gown to look like and how she wanted to feel on her special day. She showed me a picture and said ‘Kim, here is the idea of what I am looking for’. I smiled to myself because the model in the advertisement was not even close to how stunning Mariana was. I thought ‘We can do so much better’ and I could not wait to get started. I had a corseted bodice in the store that was fairly close to her picture – not exactly the same, mine was more elaborate. It had micro beads and silver Swarovski crystal. It was made of a magnificent French corded lace and when she put it on she exclaimed ‘this is stunning, this is it!’ .I sketched that and then created a very fitted skirt that was draped to enhance her very small waist.  We decided to make the gown a two piece so that Mariana could wear the bustier again. The skirt was made of peau du soie and was enhanced with a little lavender ribbon that matched the bridesmaids gowns.

. Marianna was married on  July 2   2011 and the reception was at The Thompson Hotel. The flowers were designed by Lisa DeRose of De Rose Designs  and The photographer was Chand Munro.

Next years bridal trends are Peplums,  textured bodices and lots of tulle and the colour trend is red and Black gowns. The details are stunning – exposed backs and lots of lace (Thank you Kate Middleton).

Designers such as Oscar de la Renta concluded their shows with striking red ball gowns.

Vera Wang ditched the White and ivories this season and opted for a more striking look of Crimson and Scarlett red.

  Valencienne is happy to report that these looks are on our  store floor including a jaw dropping red ballroom gown.  We chose a peplum dress for  our 2011-2012 ad campaign and we are glad to report that we were ahead of our time. Valencienne has already designed two new lace gowns to stay on trend for 2013. One which we named ‘Grace Kelly’ which is simple elegance with a beautiful lace bolero that buttons down the back. The other gown is form fitting and sexy to reveal a beautiful open back. Every year we design our gowns hoping to capture the up and coming trends and use inspiration from the couture shows in Paris. I had to smile reading twitter on Saturday and seeing Peplums are on fire here in New York. Here at Valencienne Peplums have been ‘Haute’  since 2011. While in New York we see designers push the envelope with the most outrageous styles to get the attention of the buyers and make a statement and even set the trends. Having designed gowns for 27 years, I find those statement pieces, although amazing to look at,  are not necessarily for every bride.  Its fantastic that Valencienne  gets the opportunity to incorporate a current trend and make it more wearable for your body shape and your wedding day.

   Her sister Amy said, ‘I told you Kim would understand you’. Ashlee’s Mom sat quietly observing our exchange and then asked if I could make her a gown. She said that she too had her own ideas of her perfect mother of the bride dress and I soon realized that I was in the company of three very strong women with definitive ideas. This was going to be a winning combination and a very special relationship, one that would hopefully go beyond Valencienne.

WIN

It’s a word that means different things to different people and on this day, the 10th of September 2011, it meant many things to Ashlee – she was Marrying the man of her dreams – Jack.

She had trained her  horse ‘’Reconnect’’ throughout the year while she planned her wedding and entered it into the stakes race at Woodbine the very same day of her wedding. With the stars aligned for Colebrook farms her horse came in first to win the Stakes race. What a rush to be getting a bride ready for her wedding, only moments away, while the bride and bridesmaids are tuning in to the TV, hoping to get a glimpse of there prize horse. Her father, ‘Mr B’ was driving around  nervously in his golf cart making sure everything was perfect. He had been preparing the farm for months previously and it was clear that this whole family seeks perfection. I could not wait to see what the stables and training arenas looked like after they had been transformed by the Decor company ‘To suit your fancy’.

PLACE

The grounds of Colebrook farms is set amongst a magnificent country side. They house a few hundred horses, many training facilities, and lots of land for the horses to roam. Its a magical place and no wonder why Ashlee told her dad as a little girl that when she gets married it would be here. What she probably did not mention to Daddy was that the farm would need hundreds of hours of work to make it Country Elegant. Looking at the pictures below I think we can agree Ashlee got her dream wedding.   

SHOW

Well weddings are all about the show, the beauty is in the details like the dress, the decor or the flowers. A wedding day is a production in many cases – they can take over a year to plan. Ashlee’s wedding gown had 18 meters of silk peau du soie that was from Italy and it took a number of months to arrive. The embellishment was designed by Valencienne and it was created in Dubai. The silver thread embroidery is actually silver bullion and took four months to create. The crystal work was all Swarovski and was ordered from Austria. Ashlee’s wedding dress actually took ten months from start to finish however ‘Mrs B’s mother of the bride gown only took five months.

It was a beautiful, double faced Aubergine colored peau du soie. The top neckline and cap sleeves where encrusted by hand with Swarovski crystals, seed and bugle beads which took over two weeks.

     Each year I have a chance to design many extraordinary wedding gowns for clientele from Toronto and for people who fly in from different parts of the world. My brides always ask, ‘ how do you continually come up with new ideas?’ and I say ‘I really cannot explain it’. The ideas just keep coming (thank God) …however as I write this blog I realize that my answer is too simplistic of a comment, it is not about THE WEDDING DRESS for me, Its all about the people involved, they inspire me to strive for perfection.

I love to tell stories to my brides – appointments are usually one hour but very often go longer.Its so important to create special relationships – I like to hear my brides talk about their jobs, holidays, home renovations, pets, etc. I like to hear about their taste in fashion, what books their reading and what really makes them ‘tick’ as a person. During that conversation, the dress is born. It is at that moment that the magic happens, that moment that every bride longs for. When they see the dress come to life right before their eyes because a creation has been designed especially for them and their individual personality.

Ashlee is a dramatic person – when she talks she is so animated it just makes you smile. The video  honey and dear made for Valencienne was not rehearsed, that was pure Ashlee doing what Ashlee does best – she engages people with her vivacious personality. She is strong yet she is feminine and has an inner strength that is very powerful and I felt that I  had captured Ashlee’s unique personality in this gown. ‘Mrs B’  told me, the other day that it was the absolute most perfect wedding gown for Ashlee and it could not have been better. That type of complement fills me with such pride because, although I design the gowns, it makes me proud of my incredible staff that take such pride in making our bespoke gowns. I feel so blessed to have these special relationships. So in closing Thank you Ashlee and ‘Mrs B’ for helping me realize what makes me tick and in essence, what keeps me in the race.

      The beautiful wedding photography was shot by Zack of  Mango Studios

       Video by Andrew and Emily of Honey and Dear

       The wedding coordinator was Stephanie Gareri of Do this do that

       The Decor and Flowers was by To suit your fancy

       Wedding location Colebrook farms 

        Wedding dress and Mother of the bride gown  Valencienne Bridal                              

Massive skirts, larger than life crinolines, trains that had no end, big over exaggerated sleeves, ruffles, bustles, frills and more Swarovski crystal then you could ever imagine. I remember one gown having 36 flowers – On one sleeve and let’s not talk about the skirt. It was the 80’s and everything was over the top. I was young and a part of me wanted to be princess for a day like all of my brides of that time. My belief was that my creations reflected that vision, not to mention Princess Diana had just gotten married and her dress had created quite a big wedding dress frenzy. Fast forward to 2011 – it is no wonder that my heart skips a beat when any bride wants a large ballroom style wedding dress. It just makes me happy and a little nostalgic so its no wonder that, when my bride Hailey walked into Valencienne and gravitated towards one of my larger skirted gowns, that I got a little excited. She tried on a few samples but she kept coming back to this one gown. It was beaded heavily on the bodice and had a large silk flower on the side. Hailey looked closely at the beading and noticed that, in fact, the dress had two different types of beading. The bodice beading was sewn onto a fine Chantilly lace and the neckline beading was a beautiful embroidery that had been sewn on top of the first beading. I could picture the wheels turning ….Hailey asked ‘can we remove the lace and beading so the bodice is plain and then can you make the sleeve band see through’ followed by ‘then can you put the embroidery on just the neckline and can we remove the silk flower?’ My first thought was ‘why would you want to do that – the bodice beading is so magnificent’ and I said ‘please keep the size of the skirt because that is what is going to set this gown apart’, and to my delight Hailey said ‘OMG, I would never change the size of this skirt. its just perfect’.  As Hailey’s dream wedding dress came together, each fitting became more and more exciting as this ballroom gown came alive to reflect Hailey’s own personal style. This gown had 12 meters of silk doupion and that was just the skirt. The embellishment was designed by Valencienne however the embroidery was created in Dubai. The whole process took about eight months but well worth the wait I believe.       I asked Hailey if I could get some pictures with the thought of writing a blog which she graciously supplied. A lot of my brides send just a few photographs but Hailey sent many shots. Usually I look through whatever I am sent and then make my selection quite fast but this time it was not so easy as I was immediately struck by Hailey’s wedding, the traditions , and the love that was so evident in these photographs

Valencienne has always had a very strong Jewish following and I have had the pleasure of being invited to many celebrations. I am always so struck by the strong traditions and the amount of joy and heart at these weddings. These pictures are so special that I have included some extras, some very tender moments. For instance a traditional custom called the bedecking – before the wedding the bridegroom a.k.a. Matthew bedecks the bride Hailey, raising her veil and then putting it in place. This is a romantic moment at the bedecking; the groom is danced into the room where the bride sits surrounded by friends and family. Often it is the first time the couple has seen one another in a week or a day, depending on one’s custom. The first Jewish bride to don a veil bedecked herself. Rebecca rode on camel back to meet Isaac for the first time and marry him. On seeing him, she fell off her camel and then "took the veil and covered herself". Was this to hide her nervousness or an act of modesty? or one of empowerment?

The custom of standing under the Chuppah which is a canopy where the couple stands under to symbolizes the home that Matthew and Hailey will build together.  No traditional Jewish wedding would be complete without joining in the exuberant dance called the Horah, Matthew and Hailey are lifted above the shoulders of their guests. Sitting upon chairs, they hold onto the ends of a single handkerchief. A large circle of guests is formed around them, dancing both clockwise or counterclockwise. Weaving and bopping up and down, clapping hands, waving arms, the circle of friends and family often hold hands and alternate between a large loose circle and coming in close to the couple and moving away again quickly. It is such a wonderful experience and there is a lot of laughter and many tears of joy and happiness. It is a magical moment when a bride drops her pictures into Valencienne and  we get to see our finished creation  come to life with such spirit. It feels so amazing to design and hand make a gown for the most important day of a woman’s life and realize that Valencienne was a part of something so incredibly special that it makes us all feel very honored and proud of our achievements and want to continue to strive for perfection. Hailey and Matthew were married on May 22, 2011 at Beth Sholom Synagogue. I would like to thank Hailey and Matthew for reminding me how lucky I am to get to go to work everyday with a smile on my face and  I wanted to share that with all of you.

These Photographs were taken by Alex Albojer of Life Images

Bridal Consultant was Naomi Serkin

Flowers were created by Fa florist

When Lorraine walked into Valencienne wanting  a wedding dress, it was the usual  Saturday afternoon appointment and  I thought, ‘A bride with her Mother, Father and her fiancé – What is her fiancé  doing here?’ You see we have never had them as part of the wedding gown design team. This is really quite unusual. Not surprisingly, so to was the brides request for an short, elegant red couture wedding dress.

Lorraine had found a picture of the shape she had envisioned herself in and then she and her fiancé Charlie went on the hunt for someone to help  execute this very special dress. It wasn’t long before we all became fast friends and they decided that Valencienne was the place. That appointment was such a fun afternoon, we tried on the usual suspects big and puffy for fun, Sleek and sexy wedding gowns for drama but nothing could change her mind. She wanted to wear short and full like a 1950’s tea dress. It had to be lipstick red, Dad struggled a little saying his daughter has her own personal style and that’s why they knew that Lorraine’s dress would have to be custom,  where else would they find a wedding dress like this in Toronto.

They where getting married downtown at a fabulous restaurant called Colborne Lane and were having a very hip, urban wedding. All the guests were to be drinking cocktails while the wedding was to be preformed by a family friend. The wedding was being broadcast on Skype for those unable to attend.

Lorraine wore black pearl earrings, her hair was swept up simply and she topped it off with killer heels. She looked like she just stepped off the front cover of Vogue magazine. Her Photographer, Dmitri Markine is very well known for his breathtakingly beautiful photography.

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words… 

Lorraine’s wedding dress was Silk taffeta, it had deep box pleats on the front and back of the gown  with hidden pockets and  a  scoop neckline. The embellishment was very understated, the neckline was torn rows of matching fabric as was the hem. It appeared that the neck and hem were perfectly uneven – it was very couture. There was also a belt that had a simple matching fabric flower. Lorraine requested that we make a second belt with a fabric buckle – something a little less formal which sweetly became known as the belt she would throw on when going grocery shopping.   It was pure pleasure working with this family, I got to know them all so well. We also had the honor of making Mrs T a mother of the bride creation. Valencienne created a vintage evening skirt for Lorraine that she took on her whirlwind honeymoon in France. For me, as a designer its always exciting to create for brides that think outside the box and this was one of those times. This dress was thoroughly inspiring and it was exciting to create and so I say ’Thank you Lady in Red’ – Valencienne will not forget you and how you filled our bridal store with your joie de vivre.   

It was at Queen’s University during Romaana’s frosh week that Romaana and Ali met. Romaana was the fresh faced frosh and Ali was the dashing 4th year senior. Neither of them were looking for a relationship but when they met, it was love at first sight and they were inseparable.
After completing her final law school exams at the University of London in the U.K., Ali surprised Romaana with a weekend getaway to Paris. Knowing Romaana’s eagerness to get engaged, since they had been together since 2003, Ali found numerous ways to tease Romaana into thinking that he was about to propose, such as getting down to tie his shoelace at lunch and taking her on a romantic stroll through the Gardens of Versailles. Finally, napping through their dinner reservation (where the actual proposal was supposed to occur) Ali took Romaana to the Eiffel Tower, and bullied her into climbing the stairs up the tower exclaiming, "didn’t you have a trainer all summer?". The moment happened when they finally reached the viewing platform after climbing 674 stairs. With onlookers clapping, Romaana accepted Ali’s proposal at the top of the most romantic city in the world.

Finally, on July 31, 2011 Romaana and Ali were married. The reception was held at Bellvue manor and the bride and groom chose to incorporate a touch of vintage glam to hype up the festivities using the beautiful shades of blush pink, gold, champagne and ivory.
WedLuxe: How did you personalize your wedding day?

Romaana: As guests walked in, they were immediately drawn to the centre table in the foyer where wehad collected pictures of our parents and grandparents on their wedding days. Guests were encouraged to guess who each couple was. Console tables around the cocktail area were adorned with framed pictures of us as children with our siblings.
WedLuxe: What was your biggest splurge during the planning process?

Romaana: With the wedding gown, I wore a custom headpiece by Valencienne Bridal made to match the crystal detailing on my wedding gown. It was a last minute decision and totally completed the look. I felt like a fairytale princess.
WedLuxe: What is the most important info you think readers should know about your wedding day?

Romaana: The most important thing to remember is that the day is about the two of you. We had to remember to take a moment to stop, breathe and soak it all in.

In the morning and through to the ceremony, the bridesmaids wore blush pink sarees with a small silver lining and hints of silver detail that compliment ethe bride’s bouquet and wedding colours. The maid of honour’s saree was made to compliment the bridesmaids with additional silver beading on the blouse.
The Bride’s beautiful gown was from Valencienne Bridal and made of 18 meters of heavy silk shantung. It had a strapless fitted corseted bodice and the top of the garment was encrusted with large diamond cut Swarovski crystals. The skirt had a drop waist with inverted box pleats which created a magnificent ballgown. The back of the gown had a train that was 5 feet long that was bustled up with 3 vintage broaches.

The reception was the real show-stopper! The backdrop was created with the same vintage glam theme in mind, with beautiful fabrics. The backdrop was accessorized with crystals, broaches and pearls with two vintage gold frames filled with hydrangea petals. A third vintage gold frame had a crystal chandelier hanging from it.
The head table was draped with beautiful vintage pink rosette linen from Susan Murray Linen. Gold Chiavari chairs were placed at each table.  
Vanilla-scented candle favors were presented to guests to symbolize a pure and everlasting love. The scripture on the candles was of a French love poem from the Romantic Era.

The 6-tier light pink wedding cake was created by Cake Opera Co. It rose 2 1/2 feet tall off of a jeweled and mirrored table. Accented with gold architectural details, gold splashes, and brush work, the cake was punctuated with a large dusty rose bloom with a sparkling crystal center. As a finishing touch, golden and jeweled brooches were added to complement the design of the cake along with a golden finial tied with a cascading pink ribbon.
"Jessica and Alexandria from Cake Opera were the most lovely vendors to work with. They are outgoing and truly show passion for what they do. Their excitement about all their art shines through and their personalities were a huge factor in our final cake decision!" recalls Romaana.

Photographed by: Dave and Charlotte, Lifestyle Photography
Wedding Gown and Bridesmaid Gowns: Valencienne and BCBG
Reception Venue: Bellvue Manor, Toronto
Reception Same-Day Coordination: Raana Chaudhry of Sapna Weddings
Linen Rental: Susan Murray
Cake Company: Cake Opera Co.
Florals: Tamara Mutter-Slagter, Kevin Slagter of Fuscia Designs
Hair Stylist/Salon (for Bride): Salon Diva
Makeup Artist/Company (for Bride): Kavita Suri
Stationery Company: Palettera Custom Correspondences

(Reposted from WedLuxe  click here)

What about Hilary Swank in that knockout midnight blue Guy Laroche gown she won for Million dollar baby in 2005 Training hard for that movie gave her the curves and  a perfectly toned back which revealed  a spectacular bare back how striking

Halle Berry put Elie Saab on the Red Carpet which pretty well launched him into stardom. Her gown which she wore in 2002 was so fantastic very few women could pull it off with its peek -a- boo embroidered bodice and full draped skirt defiantly was a show stopper Halle took home the Oscar for Monsters Ball.

As a bridal designer I try to draw inspiration from  some of these incredible gowns. I remember in 1990 a bride came in to Valencienne with a picture of Grace Kelly receiving her Oscar for Country Girl in 1955. She was in love with this Peau du soie  evening gown designed by the famous costume designer Edith Head. My bride just had to have something similar however updated for her vintage wedding so here is our rendition of her movie star wedding gown she choose to have her gown made of mocha coloured Peau du soie.

Gwyneth Paltrow won the little gold statue in 1999 for "Shakespeare in Love’’ and she certainly looked the part in that pink shot silk taffeta ballroom gown designed by All American Ralph Lauren. As I think about that dress in white it says Spring time Wedding gown to me.

Angelina Jolie looked elegant draped in a plunging white satin gown with matching wrap from Marc Bouwer in  2004. That same year a lovely bride walked into Valencienne and used a picture of Angelina at the Academy Awards as the inspiration for her fashion forward wedding gown. Although my clients body shape was totally different from Angelina’s  she wanted the gown to be a little more bridal and less evening looking.  I think we achieved her wishes and her dream dress was realized for her hip, downtown restaurant reception.

Leading ladies sweep across the red carpet towards the Kodak Theater on there way to  The Academy Awards where fashion battles are won and sometimes lost but always remembered. Who could ever forget Cher in her crazy Bob Mackie gown.

In 2001 Bjork’s wore this swan dress and people are still talking about it. This is what she said about her creation: "What surprises me is that they thought I was trying to fit in but got it wrong … What they don’t mention is that I had brought six golden ostrich eggs with me and I was dropping them carefully on the red carpet. But other people’s bodyguards kept picking them up and saying in their thick American accents, ‘Scuse me, mam, you dropped this.’" Enough said….

There is no question that we all sit year after year in anticipation of seeing the best and the worst dressed stars. We then watch for the recreation of the gowns being knocked off within 24 hrs. of the award ceremonies and we buy magazines to see who was voted best dressed. As we look more closely at the gowns we become obsessed,  styles and trends from these events manages to make its way into Wedding gowns,  evening gowns, day wear, office wear and even men’s wear.

I remember watching Keira Knightley in 2006 as she wore a Vera Wang burgundy gown. It was a draped bodice with one shoulder and a trumpet skirt . I sketched a dress that night on a cocktail napkin, my design was significantly simpler however it became one of my favourites. To this day brides come in with that picture and ask for that gown.

One of my all time favourite gowns was worn by Penelope Cruz. She walked down the red carpet wearing a Pink confection designed by Atelier Versace and my heart skipped a beat – a little melodramatic – yes but look what I do for a living. Not only was it incredibly beautiful but to craft something so magnificent is a feat unto itself. This is why these couture gowns cost thousands and thousands of dollars they are walking pieces of art, not every ones taste but incredible, all the same. Her gown was a corseted, draped and sculpted bodice and the skirt was covered with millions of floating feathers. Just a delight to watch float down the Aisle …oops sorry the red carpet.

So Oscar night is almost here and as I look back and remember all of fabulous fashion,  style and iconic dresses that seem to make there way back to present time in some form or another. I always try to look towards the future but find I am very nostalgic and cannot help looking back.

A bride this week asked me ‘What was the most incredible wedding gown you have ever designed’ and I told her that ‘I have not created it yet’. Every gown I am currently working on has to be better that the last one.

As a finale to this blog here are some of Valenciennes gowns that hold a special place in my heart.

If love could be spoken in color, it would undeniably be a combination of blush pink and iconic red. Together they represent a scale of romantic feelings — from tender to passionate, bashful to audacious. It’s no wonder Valentines often come in these hues.

Although pink represents unconditional love and compassion, when we talk to our brides about their colour choices for their wedding gowns, very few would pick the colour pink. On the other hand, universally every woman could wear pink as it is nurturing to the skin. As seen below, our fair skinned willowy bride is a knock out in her pink dress.

Our lovely bride Emily featured here with her husband David is sharing a tender  moment. Emily choose to re-create a dress that she remembers playing ‘dress up’ in as a child. It was a dress her Grandmother wore to special parties and Emily remembered it fondly. Being a very nostalgic and loving vintage dress, Emily asked me to sketch and design that very special dress and I was truly honored to be a part of all that history. I managed to find some vintage French lace in Ivory and because Emily had an exact memory of the colour of that dress, I proceeded to dye the lace to match her Grandmothers dress and to line the dress in a beautiful silk pink charmeus. It was simply delightful and if I do say so myself, Emily certainly did her Grandmother proud.

The colour red represents desire and passion which causes the heart to race. In other words, the two work in beautiful harmony. Some brides would never consider a red wedding gown or of even incorporating red into their bridal gown. Here are two of Valenciennes’ examples of past gowns that are dramatic and different yet beautiful. Our Canadian icon, Erica Ehm choose to wear a touch of red by incorporating red embroidery, red flowers and a red shawl. She looked so wonderful – it was delicate with a twist of drama, a wedding gown designed just for her and to reflect her personality perfectly.

Although this gown (above) was made for a fashion cares event to celebrate their 20th anniversary, it certainly could be made as a Valentines day bridal gown – Very grand. Ten thousand Swarovski crystal where sewn onto this gown and its no wonder that it was chosen for the finale of the show. It travelled around the world to places such as Paris ,London and New York to showcase the Mac cosmetics fashion show.

When you introduce a theme such as Valentine’s Day, which is a day traditionally for lovers to express their love for each other, it can be with the presentation of flowers, the offering of confectionary and the sending of lovely greeting cards known as Valentine’s. All of these are associated with the most romantic day of the year.

It surprises us here at Valencienne Bridal that we don’t have many more weddings celebrated on the exact day. It is such a perfect theme for a romantic wedding.

Be Passionate about your Valentines day themed wedding and remember to be  romantic. Do things such as Signature Cocktail drinks, a cake that reflects the pink and red colour hues and maybe Bridesmaids that could also carry the color palette throughout your theme.

In closing your wedding day is a LOVE fest. Smile with anticipation, daydream of  marrying your soul mate and this could be you on your most magical day!

Venue: Graydon Hall Manor

Photography: 5ive15ifteen Photography

Julie started by selecting some gowns and began trying them on. I was assisting her but I also had a keen eye on Pupo even though Mrs ‘D’ was holding the dog. I have never had a dog in the change room. At first it was hard to concentrate on anything but the dog until Julie asked  me. ‘’Kim do you know who Coco Rocha is and have you seen her wedding video’’ ……..Well I was floored, I had the video on a loop playing  in my  store. At the time, Coco’s’ wedding video was not well known  however it is a stunning piece of film. The Wedding of Coco Rocha & James Conran – YouTube. Julie said “I love that dress, its so glamorous with its huge tulle trumpet skirt – So  light and airy. Can you make something similar?  I want simple, no beads, no crystals just lots of tulle and organza”. We were becoming fast friends I thought OMG this girl has an eye and fantastic taste. Mom wanted more but Julie stayed the course with simple elegance. I explained that the detail work on Coco’s dress was called Embroidery cut work although beautiful it is a dying art. The detail is sewn with a satin stitch into a pattern then with tiny scissors, you cut away the fabric to leave behind little holes that become part of the pattern.

  Valencienne would then design the pattern for the embroidery and then send her skirt  to England to be embroidered. When it comes back we would start the arduous task of cutting out around the hundreds of flowers on the skirt hem would be cut on an uneven edge. As we cut the excess fabric away we are left with the pattern revealing layers and layers of Tulle underlay – Truly a custom made bridal gown.

Julie, Mrs. ’D’, Pupo and her sister all became fast friends of Valencienne. Julie’s personality is charming – she was a no-nonsense client with only one request – SIMPLE. There was no stressed out bride here. When I suggest that we add a jeweled headpiece I found myself starting to laugh as I knew the answer before I even put it on her head. Julie started to laugh and said ‘Let’s keep it simple’ and politely declined. I  looked forward to every visit.

Julies  colour scheme was Pink and Gold Elegance so we made a very light pink sash for her wedding gown that tied in a bow at the back. She followed that theme all through out her wedding decor. Although I did not get to know Julie very well, I loved hearing about all the nostalgic touches at her wedding, the little rosary that held her bouquet together, the Tuxedo that was made for Pupo, the covers for their menu. It  was a picture of King Edward – Julies’ Mom and Dad had eaten at the King Edward hotel many years ago and had kept the menu. Julie asked if the hotel could recreate this special memento and they did.

The big day arrived on September 24th, 2011. Her house was a buzz of activities, her lovely family had asked me to come for breakfast that morning but I had to work regretfully. While I was at work I could not concentrate as I really wanted to be part of Julies  magical morning. I worked so closely with the brides over such a long period of time that it’s so nice to see it come all together.

Julie approached her front door and the Renaissance photo company caught this amazing picture of Julia leaving her beautiful home for St. Paschal Baylon Church…

…To be greeted outside with her beautiful bridesmaids,”Pretty in Pink’’

WE’RE MARRIED!!!

Off to the Reception at the King Edward Hotel. The floral arrangements were designed by Suzanne of Wildflowers and company. the Table linen and draperies were designed by Have a Seat. The cake was made and designed by Cake Opera Co.

The entrance into the reception was magnificent, the pink and gold theme was abundant.

Love was in the air! Congratulations to Luca and Julia – we wish you all the best for a long and happy life together.

Well the WedLuxe wedding show has come and gone and it was a beautiful event.

It was quite a day here in Toronto and let me tell you this show was packed to the brim with exceptional vendors and was a delight. A feast for the eyes – Valencienne bridal was there and we captured some magical moments with some very special friends…

Meet the best of the best in our Wedding industry…

Rose Arbour Entrance	Konstantin Cakes and Susan Murray Luxury Linen
A view of the ballroom	Simple details
Anthony Manieri and myself	Mo Govindji and Fiance Nancy
Eventdecorator.com	Deb from Palettera
Cake Opera company	Melissa Andre Events

Last but not least – Valenciennes showcase dress

Valencienne in the Wedluxe gallery of wedding gowns

The magical Wedluxe booth displaying all their beautiful magazines.