A Valencienne dress, as seen in Weddingbells.

In the midst of our 25th anniversary, the talented Kim Ironmonger of Toronto’s Valencienne is also celebrating 25 years and we at Weddingbells wanted to congratulate Kim on her fashionable milestone. Kim is renown for her fantastic, custom-made confections, many of which have graced the pages of Weddingbells over the years (the one pictured is from our Fall & Winter 2008 issue and is one of my favourites). Another exciting thing happening for Kim this fall—she’s getting married! Read all about how this designer is planning her wedding (love the dress sketches), which is set for 10/10/10. Happy anniversary Kim and wishing you a wonderful wedding day.

A little triva for you—did you know that the iconic Obsession for Women by Calvin Klein was launched the same year as Weddingbells? Just like us, Obsession is still hot. I have recently rediscovered the scent I wore daily from ’85 to ’88 (I switched when Eternity was launched) and I have to say it’s still one of the sexiest out there. A heady mix of mandarin, bergamot, jasmine, rose, orange blossoms, coriander, amber and oakmoss, Obsession is not for those looking for a sweet, sexy scent. When the fragrance launched, Calvin Klein said: “I didn’t want an old-fashioned recipe, I wanted something direct, sensuous and provocative, which represents the way I feel about women.” You may think this would be too heavy for your wedding day, but I think it is ideal for a sultry summer or elegant winter nighttime celebration. The juice itself should be applied sparingly as a little goes a long way and it is definitely one of those fragrances that is built to last (I applied Obsession Body Lotion the other day at 7 am and it was still very apparent at 10 pm). Got to love ’80s classics!

With 2010 being the 25th anniversary of Weddingbells, we have definitely done some reflecting on the past — and this includes what you and your mister are registering for. In our 2010 reader survey, we found 75% of couples already live together before getting hitched. While I don’t have exact numbers to compare, what I do know is that number in 1985 was significantly lower. Then, marriage and moving in pretty much went hand in hand, now many couples prefer the idea of testing out cohabitation prior to walking down the aisle. Thanks to this trend this also means you’ve got the essentials to get your household running smoothly. Enter: couples looking include more than the basics on their registry. Twenty-five years ago you didn’t find couples registering for “wishes” like spa afternoons or the honeymoon (OK, this is also related to the Internet, but you get the idea). While there has been a definite evolution in terms of what you register for, it still doesn’t make those traditional registry items obsolete, if anything it just means what you can register for is a bigger and more exciting pool than it ever has been.

Photo: Getty Images/Wireimage Nick Harvey

Who says celebrity marriages don’t last? To prove it, I did a little research to see who like us here at Weddingbells is celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2010. There were lots of weddings, from Madonna and Sean Penn to Sylvester Stallone and Brigitte Nielsen…well okay, none of those unions lasted but there is one big one that did—Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon and supermodel Yasmin Parvaneh. The couple married in a small, private, ceremony on December 27, 1985 with both apparently saying they did not like the pretentious production of big celebrity weddings. Maybe the Le Bons were on to something with their quiet union—the secret to a long-lasting celebrity marriage could be keeping the wedding low key. Years later, that’s exactly what kind of wedding Gwyneth and Chris Martin had (December 5, 2003) as well as Karen Elson and Jack White (June 1, 2005). Here’s hoping these two couples will make it to 25 years just like Simon and Yasmin.

A Weddingbells photoshoot circa 1999!

Twenty-five years ago, the “world wide web” was in its infancy, and blogs (like this one!) simply didn’t exist. Today, the amount of inspiration at your fingertips is simply staggering. I will be the first to admit that blogs can be extremely addictive, especially since you never know what you’re going to find. For example, I recently stumbled upon a post about dresses with pockets that features a Weddingbells photoshoot from 1999! As Martha, the author of this blog astutely points out, certain wedding dress trends seem to keep coming around! Pockets are just such a trend, and one I personally happen to love! Another big trend that has recently resurfaced? Sleeves. And not the oversized mutton sleeves of years past. Think delicate, gauzy cap sleeves or lace sleeves to the elbow instead.

Check out our special anniversary site to see some of our favourite fashion shoots from Weddingbells’ 25-year history! Did something you saw in our magazine inspire your wedding-day look? We’d love to hear all about it!

Lela Rose bridesmaid dress.

Looking back at old issues of Weddingbells for our 25th Anniversary, one thing definitely stood out: the bridesmaid dresses. Back in 1985 it wasn’t uncommon to see puffy sleeves, ruffles galore and matchy-matchy dresses for all of the girls. While part of it was obviously the style back then, there wasn’t a huge focus on dressing your girls in gowns they A) loved and B) could actually wear again. That’s one thing we love that has evolved over time. In Rosie’s 1000 Awesome Bridal Things, #987 was “Having all your bridesmaids tell you that they love the dress you chose for them.” Today not only is it OK to dress your girls up in cute dresses, you don’t have to match them 100%. It could just asking them to wear a dress in the same colour family (ie. all shades of blue are acceptable) or even the same colour but different style to suit their body type. Not only is this easier for you as the bride, but we promise your girls will love you for it!

Photo Tom Wargacki/WireImage/Getty Images

A gorgeous and golden couple, John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette were a match made in society heaven. Both impossibly good-looking, smart and successful, the two married in a secret ceremony on September 21, 1996 on Cumberland Island, Georgia. This was unquestionably the wedding of the year—if not the decade—and Carolyn was a beautiful bride, one that ultimately changed the course of bridal fashion. We can thank her for bringing simplicity to bridal gowns. Her sleek, silk-crepe floor length gown by Narcisco Rodriguez was elegance personified, but nothing like any wedding dress the world had seen since Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles in 1981, wearing the biggest, most elaborately detailed confection one could imagine. Quite simply it was fit for a princess. Carolyn’s dress launched a whole new direction in wedding style; looking back through the archives of Weddingbells, this fashion shift is clearly apparent in our issues beginning in 1997. The sexy Carolyn sheath has become a classic, enduring trend, one that continues to be hot on bridal runways today. Nicole recently previewed the Spring 2011 designer collections in New York and reported the style was everywhere.

Photography Ishi. Featured in Weddingbells Spring & Summer 2010.

In this month’s 25th Anniversary online feature we looked at 25 of our favourite websites for beauty inspiration, shopping and advice. When it comes to your wedding day look, your hair and makeup really pull everything together. While the dress is clearly a #1 priority, ignoring the rest of your look can’t throw it all off – just think about celebs on the red carpet who are wearing a gorgeous gown, but have a horrendous hair do. What does everyone notice? Exactly.

Looking back at all of the styles from the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s, there are some beauty essentials that haven’t gone out of style, including red lipstick, a black waterproof mascara, Chanel No. 5 and a soft pink nail polish. If you wore that in 1985 or are planning to for your 2010 wedding, you would completely love your look 25 (or even 50) years down the road! So how do you know if you look will remain timeless? Keep it simple. Don’t experiment. Forgo Trends. And above all be true to you!

Not sure what classic beauty trend you should rock on your wedding day? Take our quiz!