Alison McGill | Weddingbells.ca

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The 12 Biggest Wedding Trends for 2012

Posted January 13th, 2012 | 2:52 pm | By Alison McGill | 1 Comment

January is our favourite time of year—it’s wedding season! Or rather wedding planning season. At Weddingbells, it’s one of our busiest months. Our Spring & Summer 2012 issue landed on newsstands last month and we’re currently in the final stages of production on a new special edition, Weddingbells Weddings, which goes on sale February 20. We can’t wait for you to see this gorgeous, glossy new book we’re putting together for you…you will love it, guaranteed! As we’ve always got our fingers on the pulse of what’s hip and haute, we thought we’d take a break from magazine production to bring you this, our official hit list of trends for 2012. Move over cake pops, strapless gowns and demure Kate Middleton wedding day manis…all so 2011.

fashion

Peter Mackay & Nazanin Afshin-Jam Wedding Photo–We LOVE Her Dress!

Posted January 11th, 2012 | 3:51 pm | By Alison McGill | No Comments

As you know, Defense Minister Peter Mackay and Nazanin Afshin-Jam tied the knot last week in Mexico. Mackay recently released this photo on his Facebook page and hello…can we say we are completely smitten with Nazanin’s dress and pitch-perfect bridal style?!!! No word on who the former Miss World’s dress designer was but we adore the satin column gown with trumpet skirt and it’s sweetheart neckline. The floor-length tulle veil is also a standout as is her breezy updo and simple drop earrings. We’re thinking Nazanin’s wedding day look it going to be one to beat in 2012 and she set the bar high very early in the year. Buzz has it we’ll be seeing more of the wedding in Hello! We can’t wait.

beauty

5 Fabulous Bridal Nail Trends for Spring

Posted January 11th, 2012 | 3:00 pm | By Alison McGill | No Comments

We know you (like us!) love manis and the most fashionable nails. The experts at CND are always amazing us with the trendy tips they create each season at New York Fashion Week, and this spring was no exception. Here are five of our favourite looks from the shows that we think would look amazing on your day, and suit a variety of bridal styles.

fashion

Want An Appointment With Say Yes To the Dress’ Randy Fenoli? How To Book One (And Win a Copy of His New Book!)

Posted January 9th, 2012 | 2:33 pm | By Alison McGill | 7 Comments

If you’re a fan of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress, then you know Randy Fenoli, the stylish and exuberant fashion director of New York’s Kleinfeld Bridal. Randy certainly knows bridal dresses, and what looks good on each and every body type. I met Randy at Engage!11 last November in Grand Cayman and I can tell you he is positively charming in person. Some good news for us Canadians, specifically you brides-to-be in the Vancouver-area: you can book an appointment with Randy at Isabelle’s Bridal January 23 when he’ll be making a special in-store appearance!

Randy has a fantastic new book out, It’s All About the Dress, a gorgeous, glossy coffee table book. In the book, he shares his secrets for finding ‘the one.’ We’d love for one of you to enjoy a copy of the book—we have one signed copy to give away! Tell us your wedding dress shopping challenge and we’ll pick the post we think Randy’s book can best help with. *Please note, this contest is open to Canadians only and closes on January 16. Good luck!

***UPDATE: Our contest is now closed. Congratulations to Tanya…your book is on the way!

fashion

8 Black Velvet Shoes And Clutches We Heart

Posted January 6th, 2012 | 3:00 pm | By Alison McGill | No Comments

Blame our obsession with Downton Abbey (season two starts this Sunday on PBS…weeee!) if you like, but currently we are so, so, SO in smitten with black velvet everything. To us, the fabric equals instant luxury and adds an air of richness to any and every outfit. For winter weddings, we think black velvet accessories, particularly fabulous shoes and bags, are the height of chicness and the good news is this season (and now it’s sale season!) there are tons of great pieces to choose from out there. Here are eight of our favourites.

beauty

10 Beauty Musts for Amazing Wedding Day Skin

Posted January 4th, 2012 | 12:03 pm | By Alison McGill | No Comments

We’re obsessed with our skin, and you should be too. With your wedding day approaching the secret ingredient to a flawless wedding day look is gorgeous skin. Getting it is easy…if you have the right products in your beauty kit. Here’s 10 of our favourites that will get you glowing in no time.

fun

Did You Get Engaged this Holiday?

Posted January 3rd, 2012 | 12:09 pm | By Alison McGill | No Comments

It’s a new year, and usually that means we hear about TONS of new engagements that happened over the holiday season. If we’re talking to you, congratulations and welcome to Weddingbells! We’re happy you’re here and thrilled that we’ll be able to help you every step of the way with your wedding planning. Now, first question: do you have our new Spring & Summer issue? If not, get thee to a newsstand, that’s essential. Next up, you may be planning to attend some wedding shows, and there are tons happening in the next few weeks across Canada. Read our tips for doing the shows right here. Just for fun, we thought we’d roundup the celebrity engagements that happened over the past few weeks so you know who’s wedding planning right alongside you.

beauty

12 Pretty Wedding Day Nail Polishes

Posted December 28th, 2011 | 12:00 pm | By Alison McGill | No Comments

Photography courtesy Carlo Mendoza.

The right lacquer perfectly polishes your aisle style, but what colour to choose? We pick the best lights, brights and metallics for your wedding day.