My Trip To Kleinfeld Bridal

*Ah! I just realized that I didn't post about my recent trip to Kleinfeld on this blog. But I did post about it earlier on my other blog, StuffLindsayBought.blogspot.com*

Recently, I went to New York City and the whole reason why I recently went was to help my sister, who lives there, with her wedding dress fitting.

Last August, she ordered a dress from Kleinfeld (yes, the shop from that TLC show) and was told that it would be in by mid-April. So we figured that me taking a mid-May trip made sense. You know where this going right?

I arrived in NYC on Thursday, May 12, and at that time, there was no dress. My sister made one last desperate call to Kleinfeld the following Friday morning and oh yes, they were just going to call her because the dress was there. But the earliest they could get her in for a fitting was mid-June (which was bumped to early June when my sister explained she was leaving the country for her wedding in mid-July).

So for a while there it looked like I wasn’t going to see the dress. But Saturday morning, after being coached by me on what to say to hopefully secure one of Kleinfeld's “emergency” spots (and I know they have these spots because I’ve seen them referred to on the show), my sister called the store again. Unfortunately she just got the answering machine. So things continued to look bleak.

But then my mother called. She’d talked to someone at Kleinfeld and had managed to get us a viewing (though not a fitting) for that afternoon. Yeah!

Yes, the girl on the show was trying
on a "Pnina", similar to this

So off we went to one of the world’s most famous bridal stores and yes, they were filming Say Yes To The Dress when we were there. But no, we’re not on it. The filming was only taking place in the show room and if you don’t have an appointment, the most you can do is poke your head inside that room, which, just like the lobby, is not as classy or as elegant as I had imagined it would be.

But anyone can head down to the basement, where the fitting rooms are, along with a small collection of overpriced shoes and other accessories. This is a pretty small space and again, it’s not as elegant as it could be (Toronto's White was noticeably nicer).

But while Kleinfeld was a bit of a letdown in interior design, it did have amazing service, once we were inside the store.

The woman manning the fitting area desk was very warm and even though we were just doing a viewing, we were assigned a seamstress who explained what alterations needed to be made and helped us pick up a veil.

Even though we were being “squeezed in”, the experience never felt rushed and while we did have to wait a bit to get our room, it was only about a 10-15 minute wait, which considering the store had over a 100 appointments that day, is pretty good.

If I lived in or around NYC, I would check out Kleinfled because it does have the largest selection of dresses in the world. But I would be reluctant to be a Toronto resident and buy a dress from there, given the store’s deadline issues (plus there’s the hassle of getting your dress over the border).

Also, while you don’t have to get your dress alternated there; alterations are a big part of the store’s sell and the way Kleinfled’s does it is that you pay a hefty, flat fee and then get as many alterations as you need. This is great if you live nearby and have a dress that needs lots of changes but obviously isn’t that practical if you live in another country.

As for visiting Kleinfled’s just for the sake of visiting it, I’d say pass. Sure, if you’re in the area I guess it wouldn’t hurt to pop in and check out the few dresses displayed in the lobby but again, unless you have an appointment, you’re not getting into the showroom (and even then, the bulk of the dresses are in the backroom). And while the accessories section did have some pretty items, none of them, least of all te Jimmy Choos, were cheap.

57 Wedding Invite Designs

One of the hardest aspects of my wedding was finding an appropriate invite design. I literally looked at several hundred different designs over on Esty, as well as various do-it-yourself kits and a few offerings by local invite companies.

Initially I thought the big problem with picking an invite design was going to be our limited budget. But then I started looking at designs and realized that no, our biggest problem was going to finding something that we liked.

Eventually we did find our invites but damn, did it take a lot of digging and while I love what we end up with, I do wish that this blog post had been made in say, January 2010, because it would have saved me a lot of time.

That post highlights 57 different wedding invitation designs that are for the most part anything but traditional. If you’re like me and want something different than your typical coloured-ribbon invite (you know what I mean), you’re going to want to check it out.

While it doesn’t contain pricing info or anything like that, you can click on an image to get to a page what will give you the name of the designer and from there you should be able to track him or her down.

Here are a few of my favourites:

For those of you not feeling Google Maps.

Interesting New Wedding Venue: Neubacher Shor Contemporary (NSC)

*Updated on April 25 with a venue link*

A couple of weeks ago, I got an email inviting me to the launch party of a new venue, something that, as far as I could tell, was simply called “The Venue”. While the picture included in the invite looked intriguing, I couldn’t find anything online about this place and its location, 5 Brock Avenue, confused me because I know that area and I couldn’t imagine where this place would be.

Then I saw this article over on BlogTO, a review of some place called the Neubacher Shor Contemporary (NSC). It was the full name for what I was calling “The Venue”.

As the article explains, this space is both an art gallery and an event space, with the event side of things being called NSC The Venue.

The picture to the left should explain why I couldn’t figure out where this place was located. From the outside, it doesn’t look like much. But the inside, which offers 3,000 square feet of loft-style space, would make for an ideal, contemporary wedding space. (In case you can't the copy on that top image, this place fits 150 sitting; 250 standing.)

Annoyingly, I can’t find a website for this venue but based on the invite I got, I’m thinking that the catering company Eatertainment is providing the food so if you’re interested in this space, maybe they can put you in touch with the right people.

Thanks to Jasmine for the venue link!

A Fun Wedding Blog

Sometimes it’s fun just to look at pretty pictures.

If you agree with that statement, you’ll want to check out The Lela New York Wedding Blog. It’s packed with beautiful image, after beautiful image of wedding-related stuff (for example, check out this post about short wedding dresses) and offers categories for easy browsing.

As the name suggests, this is a blog out of New York so many of the products it showcases aren’t available here but this blog can still be a great source of inspiration (for example, check out these fun mini-cakes). Plus, with the Canadian dollar flying high, it might be worth it to try and track down some of the items it highlights, like these too cute cake toppers.

My Honeymoon

While looking this blog on Friday, I noticed that I never posted anything about my honeymoon! And that’s just wrong because my husband Shawn and I had a great honeymoon. We took it in February and spent two nights, in Los Angeles, five nights on the French Polynesian island of Moorea and five nights on its sister island of Bora Bora.

I wrote up several blog entries on the Bora Bora and Moorea portions over on my other blog, Stuff Lindsay Bought.  So check them out and let me know if you have any questions: wedtoblog[removespace]@gmail.com.

Below are a few of the almost 2,000 pictures we took (yeah, we went a little picture crazy).

Love Online Coupons?

I know that I've talked about Groupon before on this blog but I don’t think I’ve mentioned One Spout, a site that basically collects all those Groupon-like online coupons into one place.

This site offers a bunch of different sorting options, including by distance and category, though you can’t sort by newest first, which is kind of odd.

That one flaw aside, this can be a great site for a bride-to-be.  It lets you declutter your inbox while still letting you catch a great deal, like over 50% everything from flowers to photos to wedding cakes. There’s even deals on wedding show tickets.

One deal that caught my eye was this one from TakeItAndGo.com that, for $89, gets you an at-home spa party for you and three friends. The really nice thing about this deal is that you can buy an unlimited amount so in theory, you could buy three of these coupons and have a twelve person bachelorette where everyone gets a mini- massage, pedicure and manicure (if you’re interested, the deal’s still on for four more hours).

One Spout isn’t just a Toronto thing; it has sites for most major North America cities as well as areas like “Halton region” and “Niagara region”, so this a great site for brides all across the continent.

Some Wedding Reading For You

Last week, the Toronto Star updated its online wedding section with a ton of new articles. Topics covered include ways to keep costs down (including a look at City Hall weddings), wine advice and invite ideas. And yes, there are multiple pieces about dresses (looks like my decision to wear a big dress makes me fashion-forward in the world of wedding gowns).

The Star’s wedding section is actually quite extensive, with dozens of articles that go all the way back to August 2008. It’s worth it to flip through some of the back stories since some of them, like one bride’s personal story on where to spend and where to save, are a great read.

LouLou magazine also recently launched an online wedding section, to go alongside this month’s wedding-focused issue. Since LouLou is a shopping magazine, there is a real focus on “stuff” so if you’re on a budget and/or have problems with shopping you might want to skip this one.

But LouLou really does highlight some great items like these reasonably priced shoes and these pricier ones.

And some of the articles, like the ones on nail trends and fragrances, are actually sort of useful.

More Thoughts On My Wedding Photos...

The other day I was flipping through my professional wedding photos, trying to see how our escort card table had been laid out. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a single pro shot of this table. At best, were some pictures, taken by a friend, of how it looked later in the night, once it had been switched over to our midnight snack table.

This made me realize that I didn’t have pictures of a lot of the “little” and even not-so-little things. For example, I didn’t have a decent picture of my centrepieces or any of the guest tables. And while we didn’t have a lot of flowers as décor, if you look at our photos, it’s almost as if the bouquets and corsages were the only flowers we had.

When it came to photos, I had made up a list of shots I wanted taken but these were almost all formal “people” shots (you know, me and my grandmother, me, my grandmother, sister and mother, that type of thing). While I did have some other shots down (like the outside of the building), I didn’t list out everything.

Part of this was because I assumed our photographer would just take shots of certain things like centrepieces. The other part is because I didn’t realize I wanted certain shots until after the wedding. For example, we had a signature drink, which was explained in a picture frame. I would have loved to have had a shot of the drink by the frame, but I didn’t think of that until it was too late.

Several months ago, when I was putting together our Photobooks, I realized all the great, creative, people-oriented photos that we could have taken (be sure to flip through these example books before your wedding day for ideas). Now, as I’m trying to remember the various details that made up our wedding, I’m realizing all the other photos that I wish we had.

So my advice to you, future brides, is to write down every possible shot that you want taken and then give that list to your photographer. Odds are, this is going to be a long list so you’re probably going to want to break it up, by location as well as by priority (I do realize that not even the best photographer in the world is going to capture everything).

I’d also explain to the photographer that you’re being thorough, not crazy, and that you’re just trying to ensure that you end up with photos you love.

Because once your wedding day’s over, it’s over and trust me, it sucks to be sitting, wishing that you had a picture of A or B (and yes, I’m still disappointed that I never got my wedding day “wow” shot).

White Toronto

*This entry has also been published on my other blog, Stuff Lindsay Bought*

From WeddingBells.ca

As I detailed in Saturday’s entry, my sister has selected the Simple Silhouettes line for me and her four other bridesmaids to wear. While a great-looking line, it’s not a very popular one, at least not in Canada, and as a result, only one place in Toronto carried: White in Yorkville.

Now, if you’ve ever been a bride in Toronto, you’re probably familiar with White. For the rest of you, I’ll explain that  it's considered to be one of the city’s better, and pricier, bridal stores.

I was a Toronto bride but since I preferred not to look at things I couldn't afford,  I never went to White (well, that and I bought with my dress with my mom in Alberta). But I was always curious about it and because of that, I was happy to have an excuse to check it out.

Located in an old Victorian on Hazelton Avenue, it should be made clear that White is no Kleinfields. It’s a small place with a suitably small selection. But the dresses they do have well, they are certainly stunning. Maybe a little too stunning.

Let me explain…

While I’m sure White stocks at least a couple sleek, simple gowns, most of the ones I saw are elaborate creations full of lace, beading and sparkle. While some were more “traditional” looking, many had a definite high-fashion look to them and the detailing on both types was truly amazing.

While these dresses aren’t necessary big in size (though they do have those), they are big on impact and honestly, I don’t think most women could carry them off. Besides requiring the right body type (long and lean but not skinny), they also require the right attitude. For many women, a wedding day is about being a princess but these dresses, even the ones with tulle, say “supermodel” more than “princess”.

Then there's the issue of cost. With dresses by such designers as Badgley Mischka, Monique Lhuillier and Oscar de la Renta, yuo can safely assume that this is not the place for the bride-on-a-budget. While I did see I think at least two that are three thousand-something, most of the price tags I looked at were above the $5000 mark with many dresses costing over ten grand. And no, that cost doesn’t include alterations (oddly, White doesn’t do alternations).

From Distinctoccasions.ca

The selection of bridesmaids however, is both more varied and more practical. Again, the selection isn’t huge and neither is the overall “bridesmaid loft”, which is located at the top of the house. I’m pointing this out because while I was getting my dress, a bridal party with 12 (yes, 12) maids showed up and things got pretty cramped pretty quick.

Also, the lighting’s not the best in there so if you can, get colour samples that you can take out and look at in better light.

The service however, is excellent. I had my own clerk who was friendly and helpful, offering useful and honest advice and opinions. I was measured for my dress by a different woman who was quick, professional and also offered her honest opinion on exactly what size I should get. And I have to give my admiration for the woman who was dealing with mega-bridal party. Despite their noise and uh, stupidity (multiple members weren’t wearing underwear), she was calm and organized.

I was less impressed with the fact that I paid more for my bridesmaid’s dress than my sister's other maids, who are buying theirs from a shop in Calgary, but I guess that Yorkville rent’s gotta get paid somehow.

Appointments are a must-have at White and because the selection is on the small side, I would check with them and make sure that they carry the designer/specific dresses that you’re looking for. And seriously, if you don’t have the budget for a pricy dress, don’t even walk in there.

Simple Silhouette Bridesmaid Dresses

*This entry has also been published on my other blog, Stuff Lindsay Bought*

Last weekend, I went shopping for a bridesmaids dress for my sister’s wedding. Based on 

Violet

that  experience,  I  have written up two reviews; one on of the line of dresses I tried on and another on where I went shopping. Let’s start with the dresses.



 My sister has  five “maids” (if you hate that term, stop reading now because I am going to use it) and of course we don’t all look the same. So she’s decided that we can each pick our own dresses, with some conditions in place.


And I’m quite happy that my sister did lay down some dress parameters. The whole pick-whatever-you-want approach to bridesmaids’ dresses seems great on paper but in real life can result in some really random and weird combinations. Plus it can be stressful for both the maids and the bride since no one really knows what to get or expect.

My sister told me and the other maids that we’d be wearing pink, tea-length dresses from the 2009-2010 Simple Silhouette lines (aka the "Simple Collection") and I have to have to say, she made a great call.

 Now, I should warn you that Simple Silhouette’s 2011 bridesmaids line is sort of ugly. I’m not sure what happened between the 2010 and the 2011 lines but whatever it was, it should be undone because the older dress designs are genuinely attractive garments that most women would be happy to wear.

 

Senna



For the most part, these designs have clean, simple lines and similar skirts so they there is a cohesive look to them. At the same time, the top portions come in a wide enough variety of styles that most maids will be able to find a dress that feels and looks good.

Another nice thing about Simple Silhouettes is its extensive fabric options and the fact that all of its dresses, at least from the pre-2011 collections, are available in any of those fabrics.



I tried on over half-a-dozen dresses and they were all comfortable and flattering. Overall, this was one of the more positive shopping experiences I’ve ever because everything looked at least “good” (and unless I’m buying t-shirts, clothing shopping is usually a very frustrating thing for me).





Buttercup

I  think most maids would be happy to wear a Simple Silhouette dress except for one key detail: the price.

These are well-designed, well-constructed dresses and those facts are reflected in their cost. As a result, these dresses mostly run between just under $300 and just under $400 and if you’re getting a satin or silk dress, it’s going to be on the higher end (though you can get a bit of a discount if you’re buying three or more dresses in the same colour/fabric).



To help balance that high cost out, keep in mind that because the look of these dresses is so great, they really could be worn again (as long as the fabric choice isn’t too crazy).

Don’t believe me? Then check out Simple Silhouette’s Beyond the Wedding Day photo shoot.



Oh, in case you’re interested, the dress I picked is called the Violet and it's the first dress included in this entry. 

Big Sample Sale at White

On Saturday, I was at White bridal salon in Yorkville, getting a bridesmaid dress for my sister’s wedding. I’ll definitely write up an entry about that experience but for now, I just want to let everyone know that White is having quite the sample sale this Friday and Saturday.

Check the ad below for more details and if you want to check out the sale, be sure to book an appointment! This is not the kind of event where you can just show up (in fact, I think Saturdays are appointment-only).

Getting Married In Toronto Might Be Getting Pricier

It might soon cost a bit more to get married in Toronto. City council has proposed raising the cost of a city marriage license up to $140, from $130. Not a big jump but still, something to take note of it.

Also something to note: You don’t need a Toronto marriage license to get married in Toronto. A marriage license from any city/town/whatever in Ontario will do and yes, marriage license costs do vary by municipality . Of course, before you plan a road trip, crunch the numbers and make sure it’s worth your while to go out of your way to get a cheaper license.

Also possibly going up is the price to get married in one of Toronto’s four civic centres (this includes City Hall), from $75 to $100, and the cost of photo permits for city parks. Pricing here varies by the park but page 46 of this lengthy document gives you an idea of how the numbers are changing.

A Wedding Show Worth Checking Out (if you have the budget)

Long time, no blog (but then I have been busy writing over here).

I decided to make my first post over here in quite some time because there’s a great event happening this weekend over at The Carlu: The Wedding Co.’s annual wedding show.

I have to admit that I never attended this particular show when I was a bride though I really wanted to. It’s smaller and more selective than most of the other shows out there and the vendors are generally quite high in quality and talent. Unfortunately that means they are also higher in price. So I decided not to tease myself with services and ideas that I couldn’t afford and skipped this show.

 

However, if you have the budget, or are great at DIY stuff, this show is worth its $20. Need proof? Just check out the Highlights section over here.