…and who said wedding planning was not fun? I’ve had a love-hate relationship with my hair my entire life: it’s frizzy and unruly, and though a straightening iron may mask my secret Cyndi Lauper-esque identity, it sadly also contributes to fragile, breakable ends—making the dream of long, romantic waves for the wedding seemingly unattainable. Thanks to all your suggestions (thank you!), I’ve decided on a down-do. I feel far more comfortable with my hair down, plus it’ll cover my tattoos! But the clock is ticking—I have a matter of months in which to get my hair strong enough to keep growing past my shoulders, and stop breaking off in pieces all over the bathroom sink.
I’ve read up on my options, and after being told extensions may cost between $500 and $1,000 (!), decided the only way to do this is to try everything. Read the rest of this entry »
Recently, I went to my first dress fitting. I’d been looking forward to it ever since I bought the dress—I’d got it on sale last fall, and had been advised to come early to be fitted before the summer rush. I knew I was going to have trouble finding anything in a Size 2, and having bought it off the rack in a Size 10, there were probably going to have to be some major alterations! So, with my maid of honour in tow, we headed over to get it sized down, in the hopes of no longer looking like I’d be attending a toga party on my wedding day. 
One of the biggest decisions you’ll make when it comes to planning your wedding (aside from your choice of groom, of course!) is who to choose to be your attendants—and how best to do it. In today’s day and age, sisters, siblings, and second-cousins-once-removed may all be on the shortlist, in addition to your own dear friends. Narrowing it down to a reasonably sized group can be challenging, so I thought I’d offer my thoughts in hopes of possibly helping other brides-to-be. 
One of the first questions that every bride is asked is, “What’s your date?,” but when you’re planning a December wedding in Winnipeg, the immediate response to your date isn’t the usual nodding and smiling—it’s a concerned look followed by “…but why?” For David and I it was simple: he worked in sports all summer and fall, so a December wedding was the first month we’d actually be able to do it in without risking a playoff game preventing him from attending!
Hello beautiful brides-to-be! First order of business: I want to extend an enormous thank you to everyone who voted for me in the semi-finals; knowing I had people across the country diligently voting for me every day is a truly humbling experience, and I’m delighted to be able to share my planning experiences (and adventures!) with every one of you. My best friend got married last year, and told me the most important thing was to relax and to enjoy the wedding planning process. It’s easy to get swept up in trying to ensure perfection, but what’s the reason you’re getting married in the first place is much more important. I hope to bring a sense of fun, love, and excitement to my writing, and look forward to sharing stories and (hopefully) inspiration for our upcoming winter wedding. 
We are getting married on December 4, 2010 in Winnipeg—probably the coldest part of Canada, at one of the coldest times of the year! We’re hopefully going to use the season to our advantage and have a white, blue and silver winter wonderland type theme. 
