WEDDING DRESS WEDNESDAY

Like a fabulous work of art, a Rivini bridal gown designed by the one and only Rita Vinieris is worthy of appreciation. We chose "Savia" as this month's Wedding Dress Wednesday feature for just that reason. The strapless floorlength ballgown silhouette with beautifully detailed drop waist is quite simply... a masterpiece!

While working for renowned designers like Lacoste Canada in the mid-80s, Rita was also creating evening gowns for friends and family on the side. When two of her close friends got engaged and were having a hard time finding wedding dresses that were simple yet elegant in style, Rita designed the dresses for them. "As it turned out, I really loved working with the fabrics and silhouettes. After that, it was natural for me to move into the bridal realm".

The popularity of her work soon led to the founding of the Rivini bridal company in 1995. Rita saw a niche in the market for women like herself wanting luxury in clean lines and classic elements. Her design philosophy resonates with today’s bride seeking elegance in simplicity.

This stunning "Savia" gown, along with over 60 others, can be found at Ashton Station Bridal located in the Olde Church Shoppes in Carleton Place. Owners Luigi and Tracy Porcari, who recently opened the doors in March, proudly state they're the only bridal boutique in the world to exclusively carry Canadian designer Rita Vinieris' Rivini collection. Please note, Ashton Station Bridal is a 'by appointment only' boutique.

Just starting your search for the perfect dress? Here's a little advice from designer Rita Vinieris herself -

"I believe a wedding venue sets the stage for the overall feel, and it's important to take this into consideration when choosing the style of your dress. For example, if you'll say your 'I Dos' on a cliff overloooking the sea, I would look for a gown made of a light, sheer fabric - silk charmeuse and chiffon would both look stunning blowing in the breeze. If you're holding your reception in a formal ballroom, you might consider a more structured dress with jeweled embelishments. As for your hair and makeup, don't do anything drastic - you want to look like yourself. Everything should work in harmony so no one element overpowers any other."

Western Academy of Photography Wedding Shoot

I'm currently teaching a wedding photography course at my alma mater, the Western Academy of Photography. WAP offers a one-year full-time diploma program that provides students with a foundation in all genres of photography. Every year we host an all-day shoot where students have a chance to photograph models (courtesy of the Coultish Agency) dressed in wedding attire. It's usually outdoors but we've been having unseasonably cold and rainy weather here so I was grateful that we were able to get into the fabulous Inn at Laurel Point and St. Ann's academy. Ryan MacDonald, an extremely talented photographer (who also graduated in my year) helped out and gave the students awesome posing and lighting ideas. Here are a few photos from the day.


Just wanted to send out a double thank you to Ryan, the models (John, Sky, Chantel, Charlene, Stephanie & Rachel), plus the Laurel Point and St. Ann's Academy for all of your help with the shoot.

VIVA LA WEDDING ON STYLE ME PRETTY!!

Viva la wedding is just so excited to have one of our beautiful couples featured on Style Me Pretty.

Style Me Pretty is a style savvy wedding resource devoted to the modern bride. They cover everything from gorgeous real weddings to up and coming vendors and seasoned pros in the industry. Featuring only the most chic and style centric wedding related content SMP is continually discovering new and brilliantly talented vendors, brides with an eye for all things gorgeous, and the personal loves of editor Abby Larson. SMP readers look far beyond your cookie-cutter wedding ideas and strive to design an affair that is both personal and incredibly charming.

Launched in February of 2007, SMP has become a mainstay in the wedding industry. With nods in nearly every major bridal magazine including Real Simple Weddings, Martha Stewart Weddings, Elegant Weddings and Modern Bride along with features in such publications as Blog Watch in the Wall Street Journal, SMP is quickly becoming one of the most read wedding resources on the web.

Now on to the wedding...

Krystel & Ivan were married at Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello on August 22nd 2009. They were such a wonderful couple to work with and as you'll see on SMP, Krystel was a true DIY bride and all about the details. Krystel & Ivan had some great vendors on board including the talented Melissa Johnston who is responsible for all the images and did a fabulous job capturing their day. Enjoy!

Krystel & Ivan's wedding featured on Style Me Pretty!

Louise & Chris' wedding at The House, Barbados

Louise & Chris both have the world travel bug - they are originally from Britain but have lived all over the world and currently reside in Dubai. They are two of the nicest people you could ever meet so it was appropriate that their wedding was magic and charmed. It had been raining hard in the days leading up to their ceremony... great news for the farmers of Barbados since there had been a severe drought for the last four months, but maybe not so great for a wedding! Luckily, there wasn't a hint of the wet stuff as Louise & Chris said their vows, followed by a sunset catamaran cruise and dinner at the charming Fish Pot restaurant. Chris' mother is originally from the Barbados and it was special to have their wedding in their mother's homeland, surrounded by their closest family and friends. These two athletes (Chris was on the Olympic bobsleigh team and Louise is a runner) were so easy to work with and they were willing to even hike up cliffs and into caves for a few photos! Louise & Chris, congratulations! I had such a wonderful time getting to know you. Enjoy the photos. :)

Slideshow
Click the play button and turn on your volume to view the slideshow... or scroll down to see the stills.

HOME OF PRETTY

ban.do was created by Jen and Jamie - two stylists from LA who are inspired by color, wild about cupcakes (hence their motto "dress like a cupcake should feel") and enjoy laughing until soda comes out their noses. With a bio like that, how can you not love these two?!

Their pieces have been featured on many a celebrity head (Taylor Swift is a big fan!) and in countless magazines (Glamour, The Oprah Magazine, People, US, In Touch, InStyle Weddings, and Martha Stewart Weddings to name just a few).

Recently launched, Black Label is their couture collection. With a nod to hollywood glamour and a wink at many current trends, these pieces are all either one of a kind or limited edition.

The ban.do line is where it all began. While not one of a kind, these vintage inspired pieces are spectacular.

Heart by ban.do is an amazingly affordable line in which you'll find every piece priced at $50 or less.

And of course there's the line Viva is all over - ban.do for the bride. Choosing which head pieces to feature on our blog from this collection was a painful process. They're all so fabulous! But alas, we finally narrowed it down to a few favourites. Be sure to check out the link above to view the rest. You won't be dissapointed!

PS. Yes ladies, they ship to Canada! We would never be so cruel as to tempt you with these beautiful images otherwise.

As Jen & Jamie would say - They are guaranteed to make you feel special and pretty and they're still cheaper than plastic surgery. Feel pretty. Wear ban.do

Molly & Jake's wedding - to Saba with love

Ever since I saw a photo of the island of Saba (a crazy beautiful volcano jutting out of the Caribbean sea) I've wanted to visit. That's why I was thrilled when Molly contacted me to photograph her wedding on this off-the-beaten-path destination in the tropics. Molly's parents own a home there and she has spent many years visiting this quaint, natural wonder known as a hiker's and diver's paradise. Jake & Molly were such a beautiful couple (inside and out) and their vintage-inspired wedding, including accessories from Molly's parents' wedding, was absolutely perfect. They were married close to sunset and since the light was getting low for portraits we raced up to a viewpoint overlooking the highest point in the Netherlands to take some evening portraits while the fog rolled in around us. We had a blast together and I loved that these two could really put the moves on the dance floor! Molly & Jake - congratulations and enjoy the photos!

Slideshow
This is my first blog slideshow (thanks for helping me pick the right software Jenna!). You're welcome to turn your volume up and click play, or you can scroll down to see the photos one at a time.





And last, but not least, a photo of the star trails from my balcony. :)