Alberta Flood Brides, We Want to Help!

The Wishahmon blog has been really quiet this week as we have been looking for opportunities to help out in the community as a result of last week's flood in Calgary and in Alberta. I have always been proud to say I am a Calgarian. This week seeing everyone pitch in to help each other made me even more proud to be part of this wonderful city!

Photo Credit: Fritz Tolentino

Last weekend, I offered some advice to the brides that were going ahead with their wedding. If you are one of those brides, Congrats! I am sure you had a wonderful wedding despite it not being exactly what you had planned or dreamt about!

If you are getting married in the next couple of months and the flood has added to your wedding stress, we would love to help out in whatever way we can. We don't have huge muscles or big trucks, but we can help with wedding related things! Just give us a call at 403-818-3199 or email to weddings@wishahmon.com and let us know what help you need.

~Monica, Proud Calgarian
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon

Has the Alberta Flood Affected Your Wedding?

A little bit of heart to heart first: I have lived in Calgary all my life. I am one of the few people that was born and raised in Calgary. (People are usually surprised when I tell them. Not sure why?) The flooding in Calgary was shocking to me. I remember seeing pictures and videos of floods in China, Japan, and the US. But this time, the flood is in my hometown and I recognize the places. Although, I am sadden a lot of people suffered from this event, I am thankful for all the emergency personnel that assisted with evacuating people from their homes to safety.

Photo Credit: Global News

As I was watching the news and checking twitter for updates, it dawned on me that some brides might be getting married this weekend! If you are one of these brides and is currently stressing over your wedding, don't sweat it. There is no way you could have predicted mother nature would (could?) threaten your wedding day.

Here are some coping tips: If your venue is waterlogged, just reschedule your wedding. It gives you even more time to make your wedding favors just perfect. Plus, more of your guests will be able to attend and be happy for you. (They might be victims of the flood.) If some of your vendors can't show up (cause they are also victims of the flood), remember vendors are just hired to enhance your wedding. Your wedding can go on without some of us. Now, if your marriage commissioner can't make it, just say your vows to each other in front of your guests and sign the papers later. Enjoy your wedding day even if it wasn't what you imagined, make the best of it and get married! Don't sweat the small (wedding) details and focus on marrying your sole mate.

Photo Credit: Wedding Photo Gallery

Calgarians have BIG hearts, including the ones in the wedding industry. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Stay safe and dry everyone!

~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon

How To Tie a Bow Tie

Bow ties have been on trend for a while. PSY totally helped this trend (in my mind). I always said I was fond of the clip on versions but honestly I haven't been able to tie a perfect bow tie. For all the others that too, want to tie the perfect bow tie, check out the infographic below!

~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon

Photo Credit: Design you Trust

127 Year Old Wedding Gown

Bride, Allison Rinaldi takes the phrase "Something old, something new, something borrowed, some blue" to a whole new level. Allison's gown ecru-colored silk-brocade dress was from 1884. She wore the same 127 year old wedding gown that her great-great-grandmother, her grandmother, aunt, and mother also wore when they tied the knot. (Amazing that they all fit the gown too!) Love the pics!

~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon

Allison at her wedding


Allison's grandma, Jean Lawman


Barbara and Paul Shellito, Allison's aunt and uncle. (1975)


Allison's mother, Mimi Balazs and dad, Jack Shellito (1982)


Photo Credits: Ecouterre

DIY Gold Lace Cuff

I think this is a great project if you are attending a wedding or would like to give a personalized handmade gift to your bridesmaids. The gold cuff is such a huge trend right now. You know it is huge when the likes of Oscar de la Renta and Yves Saint Laurent are including it in their collections. If you can't afford the price tag attached, how about doing a DIY version?

Runway DIY is a fab website with tons of really cool projects including this golden lace cuff. All you need is lace, spray paint, glue, dental floss, and some confidence! Check it out!

 ~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon

Photo Credit: Runway DIY

Royal Wedding in Sweden

Last Saturday, June 8, 2013 there was a royal wedding in Sweden. Princess Madeleine, 30, the youngest of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia's three children, married British-born financier Chris O'Neill, 38, in Stockholm's Royal Palace. She wore Valentino wedding gown and the designer,  Valentino Garavani, also attended their wedding!

The couple met after Princess Madeleine fled to the U.S. in 2010 with a broken heart. Apparently, her first engagement broke down due to the groom cheating on her. Well, last Saturday she got her happy ending and fairy tale wedding!

 ~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon
 

Photo Credit: Scanpix Sweden / Reuters

Carisa and Richard: Seating Chart

This is part 15 of the new blog series about Carisa and Richard's wedding planning process up until their wedding on August 31, 2013. In addition to sharing with readers their love story and wedding planning adventures, insights and tips for brides and groom's planning their own wedding will also be shared!

Only two months away from Carisa and Richard's wedding! If you are also getting married around this time, you should be sending out invitations, getting RSVPs, and deciding on where everyone is sitting at your wedding. Most of the Hollywood movies portray this as a daunting task: Aunt Helen cannot sit next to Aunt Selina, but must sit next to Uncle Ken, but Uncle Ken cannot be next to Uncle Bob. (OMG.)

Source: Bridal Guide

 

Here are some of the common dilemmas:
Bridal Table: Traditionally, the bridal table is reserved for the bride and groom and is a large rectangular table in the center of the room. The groom sits to the right of the bride and the best man is seated on her left. The date of the best of man is seated to his right. The maid of honor is seated to the right of the groom with her date on the left side. Modern option: the bride and groom sit in the middle of the head table with the bridesmaids and groomsmen on either sides.

Family Tables: Traditionally, the parents of the bride and the parents of the groom are seated across from each other at a large table. The additional seats at this table are taken by the officiant, grandparents and close family members. A modern option is for the parents of the bride and parents of the groom to host their own individual table.

Divorced Parent Tables: Each parent should host their own tables. Just make sure they are far enough apart to ensure a good time for them (and you!)
 
Singles: Being seated at a singles table SUCKS. Don't do this to your single friends if you want to remain friends with them after the wedding. Seat them with other people they know at a wedding, even if the table is full of couples. Your single friends are there to attend your wedding, not go on awkward blind dates.

Children: Children’s tables are encouraged and will serve as a great break for the parents. Ensure the placement of least one child over the age of 12 to help the children. Giving the children activities at their seat is a great way to keep them entertained.

With Carisa and Richard's wedding, they were worried about their guests not mingling with each other. A great solution is not to have the bride's guests on one side of the room and the groom's guests on the other side. Have the guests sit at a table with people they know but inter-mix all the tables in the room. They are bound to bump into and chat up with someone they didn't already know. Makes for a great night for everyone!

~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon

If you missed the first couple of blog posts on Carisa and Richard's wedding planning adventures, you can catch up on how they got engaged, set the date, found a venue, found a marriage commissioner, found a photographer, sent out invitations, took care of out of town guests, found a DJ, found a wedding gown, found a wedding cake, designed their décor,  chose their flowers and booked hair and makeup artists, and drafting a wedding timeline. 

Source:  Tinywater Photography

DIY Rhinestone Sash/Belt

A wedding sash, colored or with rhinestones, really adds a lot of sparkle to a wedding gown. These are unfortunately quite expensive to purchase at a bridal shop. For all the brides that come to Wishahmon - Glorious Gowns, I suggest they make it themselves. They usually just stare at me as I tell them the how easy it is and where to purchase the materials. (There are lots of  rhinestone appliques on Ebay. I've even attached the link to make it easier!)

I found an easy DIY tutorial from Shine Trim on how to make your own rhinestone sash or belt. You can use this for your wedding gown, bridesmaid gown, or little black dress. Makes any dress a little bit more stunning!!

If you attempt this project, please send me a picture of the final product! I would love to see it!

 ~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon

Photo Credit: Shine Trim Blog

Keeping Your Energy Up For Photos!

Your wedding photos are a record of your wedding. (Of course, in addition to the memories you have in your head.) You want your pictures to turn out well but honestly it can get exhausting by the end of the day having been smiling for 9 hours straight. One of our previous blog posts provided a tip on how to look great always. Here are some additional tips on how to keep your energy up for your wedding photos.

Choose the right photographer for you: Ask your photographer about their style, how they approach their work, and what your wedding day will look like. You want to have an overall idea of what the flow of the day will be like and when you can take care of yourself and each other. (breathing, bathroom, eating breaks, etc.)

Make sure you schedule some privacy time: What you do during this time is up to you. You want your photographer to capture most of your wedding day and events but not necessarily all the events of the day. You don't want to feel like you always have to be "on camera" and ready to smile. It is ok to have some moments where you just want to be yourself and to take some time not to smile. (Jaw and face exercises?)

Keep family portraits to a minimum: Everyone at your wedding will want a picture with you. Just make sure that everyone gets at least one with you. This doesn't mean you need to have pictures with your immediate family, extended family, first cousins, second cousins, first cousins once removed, etc. This will also be draining for your family members if somehow they qualify to be in all of these pictures! Have a group picture or be ok that you have the rest of the day to make sure you get a picture with everyone.

Sneak out with your honey for pictures during dinner: Unless there are speeches or something going on, your guests are pretty much preoccupied during this time and won't really notice the bride and groom are not at their seats. This is a great time to take pictures because you are now married, likely had something to eat, relaxed, and on your own with no audience members.

Have loads of fun: Getting your pictures taken shouldn’t feel like a chore and your wedding definitely shouldn’t feel like a photo shoot for Vogue. For those who hate having your photos taken, just relax and remember this is your day. If that fails, a little bit of liquid courage is also ok. Cheers!

 ~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon



Photo Credit: Kris Holland

DIY Project: Rope Words

After finding the DIY project to make twine art, I thought I should take a look at the other DIY projects Green Wedding Shoes has to offer. With signs becoming increasingly popular and practical, this rope words tutorial is perfect if you are having a country themed wedding! It is also so easy to do too!!

~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon



Always thought you just needed white school glue to make string "stiff" but it turns out you also need to add corn starch! Secret ingredient!













Photo Credit:  Wednesday