Photo Credits: (Left to right, top to bottom) www.blondetulip.com, www.perezblog.net www.autumnburke.com www.photosbycarla.blogspot.com , www.docuvitae.com, www.angela-blog.com, Twin Lens www.stylmepretty.com

She Wears: Chunky Necklaces

When it comes to necklaces on bridesmaids, we think the bigger and brighter the better. Have your bridesmaids wear chunky necklaces that add style and color. The necklaces will be a great way to thank your bridesmaids for being there for you on your wedding day. The necklaces can be kept as a momentum or be worn at other special occasions long after your wedding. Many jewelery stores will let you engrave initials or a short message on the back of the necklace.

Having big necklaces is another way to embrace your wedding theme. We suggest lockets for vintage weddings, shells for beach weddings, bright colors for summer outdoor weddings and pearls for elegant indoor weddings.

Chunky or big necklaces worn on the bride are also gorgeous. A colorful neckline adds personal flare and really contrasts with a white or ivory wedding dress. A big necklace can also be your something blue or borrowed.

To find some chunky necklaces for yourself or your bridesmaids go to:
www.etsy.com to find homemade gems
www.shopstyle.com to browse different designer brands
www.funkychunkyjewlry.com to check out a local designer in Calgary AB.

Photos found at www.stylemepretty.com

This Saturday Firefly Occasions decided to come up with a little inspiration for anyone out there planning an upcoming wedding. We chose to do an inspiration board centered around a “touch of pink.” Whether you choose to wear pink shoes, decorate with pink flowers or even have pink backdrop lighting, we think it’s a very romantic yet stylish color theme! WARNING: Pink is one of those colors that is easily over done. –Note we said “touch” of pink. Our favorite shades are salmon and hot pink!

Inspiration boards are an elegant way to jumble all of your wedding ideas together to see how they look as a whole. It’s also a trendy way to showcase your wedding ideas to your friends and family and even inspire other brides! Are you interested in making an inspiration board too? Go to www.bridalcanvas.com.

We challenge you to inspire us! Send us your best inspiration board at info@fireflyoccasions.com and we will credit you with a feature on our blog! For more examples of inspiration boards go to www.stylemepretty.com or scroll down and check out Kendra’s blog on “A Wedding Planners Wedding!”

Happy Saturday! – Firefly Occasions

Cupcakes, Candy Bar, Wedding Cake, Sundae Bar, there are sooooo many options! Probably my current favourite is the Sundae Bar we posted earlier this week on the blog:). However, I can’t have it all and my unhealthy obsession with Crave Cupcakes has taken over. The majority of my guests are travelling from Ontario and though they have their own cupcake shoppes there, I know many are looking forward to tasting these little mouth-fulls of joy that I won’t stop talking about . We’ve decided to go with a sweet table of mini cupcakes, macaroons and a 6” cake. This week I came across so many cute options for cake toppers and I’m really excited for the topper we’ve selected. I didn’t want a traditional Husband and Wife cake topper and I wasn’t sure what I did want. Luckily, Etsy.com never fails and I found an abundance of great ideas! I really liked the “Love” topper and custom colours were an option which is wonderful. However, I really fell in love with this sugar rose. I can’t believe the talent some people have. Can you believe this is made from sugar!? I’m curious to see how it’s shipped? Hopefully it’s not in little pieces when it arrives. They do say though that they won’t ship to Canada….minor detail haha that’s not stopping me.
Now that we’re within our six month mark to the wedding we can finally arrange a meeting for our cupcakes and cake… one of the only aspects my fiance has any interest in.

We’ve all seen the movie 27 Dresses and heard of horror stories about awful bridesmaid dresses. I think that most Brides are actually quite concerned about finding bridesmaid dresses that are stylish and flattering. Most brides want their bridesmaids to look good.

I thought that I was being super easy going when it comes to bridesmaid dresses. I have stylish bridesmaids and I trust their judgements. I wasn’t concerned about them being in the same dress or even the same colour. I just sent them a bunch of approved colours and told them to find a dress, any dress, they liked.  Well, that went out the window.

It turns out that this causes more concern then it needs to. My bridesmaids are also super easy to deal with so we’ve ended up with a bunch of conversations with me saying “Just find a dress you like” followed with them saying “Oh we’ll wear whatever you want.” Seriously, someone just needs to be a little selfish here; this has gone on for six months haha.  So the lesson for me was that its way easier for everyone if I just pick the dresses. Besides, they don’t seem to mind!

And so the search begins. My bridesmaids and I each live in a different province, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.  So I needed to make sure that I picked dresses that could be ordered from or picked up in their locations. I still wanted to offer different styles and I wanted them to have the final choice. We are all our own worst critics and they will feel more comfortable if they’ve picked what they like best.

So here they are….. the three choices. I went with floor length, Grecian style, pale pink chiffon dresses. Luckily I’ve seen them both in strapless shirts before so a strapless style wasn’t a concern.  I’ve heard back from my maid of honour already with her selection.  The dresses will be ordered before the end of the month and then one more thing can be crossed off of my list!

Photos from www.blumenthalphotography.com.au

To get Emily’s natural beauty look, accessorize with a hand made hair flower for your locks. We discovered a great example on www.etsy.com.

She and He heart the Flip Video Camcorder that was introduced to Canada last year. Basically it’s a device as big as your camera that can record anything from funny moments at work to special moments at weddings! We’ve been recording testimonals from brides and grooms as well as daily activities that happen here at Firefly Occasions Inc. Stay tuned for some video updates to be posted on Thursday.

For his and hers, choose from a variety of different colors.

So how do you find the dress of your dreams?  Well, like most things in life, preparation is the key.

Start shopping early.  In order to ensure enough time to have your dress delivered and tailored, you should aim to have it purchased at least 6 months before your big day.  With that in mind, make sure to give yourself plenty of time to shop around and make your decision. 

Before you start shopping, however, you need to have an idea of what you’re looking for.  Educate yourself a little bit.  The internet is a great resouce to use because it allows you to quickly browse through tons of different styles of dresses.  Also, brush up on your bridal gown vocab, so when you go to the bridal salon and they ask you what you are looking for, you can tell them!  Envision your perfect dress, but remember- you want your dress to fit your own personal style AND your wedding venue.

You should also have in your mind an idea of how much you want to spend on your dress.  This will help you decide where you want to shop.  Most wedding dresses range between $300 and $4000.  The average one costs around $800.

Happy shopping!!

The Jacket- The wedding jacket can be made out of satin, lace, faux fur or anything that would best compliment the wedding dress.  It can really accentuate the look you are trying to achieve with your dress.

The Bolero- A bolero is a short jacket that basically covers the shoulder area.  Like a jacket, it can help give your dress that touch of style that will make your look uniquely you. 

The Shawl- Some people may think that a shawl will not keep you warm.  But in fact, a shawl can keep you very warm!  And, it can also add an element of grace and style to your wedding gown. 

The Faux Fur-Trimmed Cape- These capes are not only very glamorous- fake fur is a lot less expensive than real fur.  And, for those with a soft heart, it’s more ethical!

The Pashmina- Pashminas originated in Europe.  They can be worn many ways- as a shawl, a scarf, a sarong or a tube top!  Most brides who choose to wear one on their wedding day, however, simply drape it over their shoulders.

The Silk Tulle Veil Wrap- If you are not wearing a veil, you could choose to wrap yourself in tulle to keep warm.  You would probably only want to wear a silk tulle veil wrap, however, if you are wearing a tulle gown, as it can easily drown out a more delicate satin gown.

 A great place to find bridal jackets, boleros, shawls and capes is http://www.wed-shopping.com. 

To find pashminas or silk tulle veil wraps you might have to do a little more digging.  Sunrise Pashmina has a nice selection of pashminas.  Etsy has all kinds of bridal cover-ups, including silk tulle veil wraps.  Many of the designers on Etsy will also custom-make bridal cover-ups on request.

If you belong to one of those families, you may be wondering how you are going to wear your great-great-grandmother’s very antique necklace without ruining your modern-day style!

Well, the answer lies in the accessories.  You can mix your old family heirloom with a new element- swarovski crystals, for example- to incorporate an antique piece while keeping your look chic and fresh!  With their semi-antique appeal and their contemporary, elegant style, swarovski crystals are an awesome liasion between antique and modern.

A great place to shop for your swarovski jewelry is at Jeweliette Accessories out of Vancouver.  “Inspired by fashion, yet true to timeless elegance,” they have been pioneering the fashion jewelry industry for 20 years.  They have tons of swarovski jewelry for you to choose from, but if you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for in their collection, one of their talented desigers will work with you to make custom pieces exactly the way you want them!