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!

QUESTION

CiaraDaykin: Would you have a crazy hairdo for your wedding or keep it conservative? Answers w/hashtag #fireflywed to be posted on blog

TWITTER RESPONSES

shannacremers @CiaraDaykin: Conservative for sure. When I look back in 40 years the last thing I want to say is “What was I thinking!” #fireflywed

JerricaG #fireflywed: I would definitely go conservative, I don’t want to look back in 20 years and say, “What the heck was I thinking?”

Robynbeazley @CiaraDaykin If I did it over again – wild! #fireflywed

FACEBOOK RESPONSES

Sheila Barbagianis-Comer: Originally I wanted my hair to be a lot more rocker faux-hawk-ish, but it just didn’t work with my traditional dress. We had to take it down a notch to the more tamed version, but it still looked pretty awesome!

Robyn Beazley: If I did it over again – wild.

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.

The shirt above can be found at Indochino as part of their new “Blueprint Collection” and the pocket squares, as always can be found at Pocket SquareZ.

1. The Planning
   Eco-Inspiration. Tired of ripping out pages in magazines and bookmarking a zillion different wedding websites as you look for wedding inspiration? Check out www.TheBridalBoard.com , an online tool that says no to scrapbooks while helping you keep track of wedding tips, trends and inspirations.
2. The Venue
   Minimize Venue Changes. Energy experts say carbon dioxide emissions from guest travel are the single biggest environmental impact of a wedding. Reduce these emissions by planning your event at one venue to reduce the driving for guests, and check out www.terrapass.com/wedding to calculate your wedding’s carbon footprint.
3. The Dress
   Recycle a Wedding Dress. Purchasing a previously owned wedding dress reduces the energy and fabric needed to produce a new gown and gives brides-to-be and past brides an opportunity to save about 50% on their dress while staying true to green ideals. www.SmartBrideBoutique.com encourages brides to meet in order to try on and purchase their gown or other wedding items, eliminating the need for shipping.
4. The Invites
   Reduce Paper Use. Consider an electronic save the date and set up a wedding website that lists all the details of your big day, from accommodation and registry to the story of how you met! Plus you can even manage your RSVPs, removing the need for reply cards.
5. The Flowers
   Think Green Flower Power. Look for seasonal flowers that are fair trade, locally and/or organically grown and free of chemical preservatives. Potted plants can be nice centerpieces as they’re inexpensive and last far beyond the day of your wedding.
6. The Food
   Go local and seasonal. Use caterers that source local and organic foods wherever possible. This minimizes the distance food has to travel from farm to table, lowering emissions and supporting your community. Organic wines are great too!
7. The Cake
   Organic & Oh so good! Going green with your dessert can still taste great! Get your wedding cake made with organic, fair trade, or even vegan ingredients.
8. The Décor
   Soy Good. Try to find a venue that already fits with your theme. This reduces the amount of items (and dollars) used to create your atmosphere. Then, add a few soy candles to the mix. They burn longer, are toxin free and biodegradable, provide natural mood lighting at a minimal expense. Voila!
9. The Favours
   Offer green party favours. Replace traditional wedding favours with tree seedlings, flower seeds or bulbs. Send guests home with green treats such as fair trade chocolate, coffee or soaps. Better yet? Consider getting rid of physical favours entirely and set aside money to cover the carbon footprint of your wedding, or make a donation to a green charity on behalf of guests.
10. The Rings
    Use recycled bling. Infuse your rings with love by getting family and friends to recycle their unwanted gold to make wedding rings for you and your hubby. Check out sites like www.greenkarat.com.

Bonus Tip: The Honeymoon
Go eco! Eco-tourism is a blossoming industry. Why not spend your honeymoon at a romantic eco-friendly resort, hotel or spa? This way you get to show your love for your new spouse and the planet.

About SmartBride Boutique:
SmartBrideBoutique.com is a premium wedding classifieds website, helping today’s savvy brides create the wedding day of their dreams on a realistic budget without sacrificing designer names, fabulous style or the environment. Past and present brides connect online to buy, sell and save on everything wedding. Smart Brides can have their cake and eat it too!

This weeks inspiration came from Raj Tents. This company makes the most amazing tents, linings and walls. What a way to completely transform your ballroom or create smaller lounge areas. This wedding is full of bright colours and intricate detailing. Definitely a wedding to remember!

Photos courtesy of:

http://www.inspirationwed.com – cake and cupcakes
http://www.kembacelebrations.com/community/blog/cultural-traditions/wedding-inspiration-indian-block-prints.php – save the date card
http://www.onewed.com/blog/savvy-scoop/2009/06/23/its-jaime-thing-spellbound-weddings-inspired-indian-culture – drinks
http://www.americanbridal.com/personalized-coffee-favors-dsws871.html – favors
http://www.rajtents.com – tents and furniture
http://www.wildflowerlinens.com – table linens and place setting

This weeks inspiration came from a lovely gown by Vera Wang. This bridal gown is a strapless, full A-line gown with a pleated bodice, emphasis on the natural waist and a softly tucked hand painted skirt. It can be discribed as vivacious as well as uniqeuly flattering and could only be the work of Vera Wang. Available in Citrus Watercolor, Ivory or White. The opening price points range from $3,100 – $4,500.

I’ve used this one dress to create two completely different weddings. The first wedding has a beautiful simplicity to it. It feels clean but not boring. I call this wedding Citrus Breeze. The second wedding will take you into a whimsical, enchanted forest and is appropriately titled Fairy Dust.

Photos courtesy of:

Citrus Breeze
http://blushevents.blogspot.com/2008/04/happy-earth-day.html (Butterfly place setting, green and white flowers)
http://www.mnweddingminister.com/weddingblog/blog.html (Table setting with Limes in tall vases, place cards)
http://www.thepartydress.net/?p=2704 (Wedding Cake)
http://paperolive.blogspot.com/2009/08/hip-lemonade-coolers-summer-wedding.html (Citrus Drinks)
http://www.stylemepretty.com/2009/06/16/lemon-yellow-wedding-by-sillapere/ (Ceremony Set-up)
http://weddings.theknot.com/Real-Weddings/33016/detailview.aspx?type=3&id=33016 (Bouquet)
http://www.declanphotography.com/gallery.php?gallery=1&tstart=3 (Flower Girl)

Fairy Dust
http://www.kissthegroom.com/?p=1827 (Fountain, path, forest set-up)
http://manolobrides.com/2009/10/26/kristen-and-todds-fairytale-affair/ (A fairy wedding Fairy flower girls )
http://www.yourweddingday.com/ywd/event-design/Fanciful-Garden.html (Table linens, table setting, cupcakes)
http://www.momentaldesigns.com (Stationary)

By Annette Hoegner, LA Division Manager, Firefly Occasions Inc.

Another trend becoming more popular with our eco-friendly brides is to use biodegradable plates, cups and utensils. It can be a great way to implement some great products like Verterra Dinnerware. I recently saw this product at a business fair and was really impressed. VerTerra, a new eco-friendly servingware line, features dishes, plates, bowls, and cups made entirely from fallen leaves and water—no plastics or chemicals. The pieces have a wood-grain look and are oven, refrigerator, and microwave friendly. They are sturdy enough to be hand washed and reused, but will naturally compost in under six weeks. If you would like to learn more about it you can visit http://www.verterra.com/.

Another type of product that can be used for your “green wedding” are utensils made of corn startch and sugar cane fiber. They are suitable for foods up to 200 degrees F. Unlike petroleum based plastics, these are made from annually renewable resources and depending on composting conditions can take up to 24 months to biodegrade in a composting system. A great source for these products is  www.worldcentric.org.

If these options are not as elegant as you would like for your wedding don’t despair. You can opt for reusable china, stemware, and silverware from local rental places. You can always feel good about using products that won’t end up in our local landfills.

For this week’s inspiration board, I decided to use Taylor Swift’s music video for Love Story as my starting point. Here is a wedding with purity, romance and old elegance. This one is the fairy tale wedding of all little girls dreams. Think lots of ivory, lace, castles and horses.
 

Photos courtesy of:

Horse: http://npclub.wordpress.com/
Car photo’s: http://masterpieceweddings.blogspot.com/2009/03/victorian-amazing.html
Victorian Stationary: http://www.stylemepretty.com/2009/03/12/wedding-invitations-by-wiley-valentine-ii-2/
Table Setting: http://www.yourweddingday.com/ywd/user2/Hollywood-Glamour.html
Castle: http://www.ehow.com/how_5026466_attend-tennessee-renaissance-festival.html
Taylor Swift: http://strawberrytartmusic.wordpress.com/2009/01/06/album-fearless-taylor-swift/
Ceremony set-up: Firefly Occasions Inc.

By Annette Hoegner, LA Division Manager, Firefly Occasions Inc.

Today’s eco-conscious brides are looking at alternatives to the traditional and expensive gowns that outlive their purpose in one day. They are buying dresses that can be worn again or that have already been worn once. You can find great dresses by high end designers at a consignment store in your area or at some awesome websites like www.encorebridal.com or www.preownedweddingdresses.com. Of course there is always ebay and Craig’s list for a really great deal.

Or if you prefer, there are some really great fabrics that can be used when having a gown or suit made like hemp, bamboo, tencel and peace silk ( which allow the silkworms a full life cycle). For couture in organic wool, soy silk and other eco-fabrics, try designers like Linda Loudermilk of www.lindaloudermilk.com or Wai-Chang at www.inhabitat.com .

Another awesome way to give back is to buy your dress from a charity such as the Making Memories Beast Cancer Foundation, which grants the last wishes of breast cancer patients. The foundation sells both new and used gowns (some are high end designers). Awareness of the environment has come a long way in a short time. How ever you decide to make a difference in your wedding should be applauded. Saving the environment is something that needs to become more of a priority for all.