Do you know what jewellery you’re wearing on the big day? If not, let me tell you about an Ottawa jewellery designer I think you’re going to love! Located in Ottawa, designer Sandy Schnierle started Blush Beads about a year ago and recently jumped into creating custom bridal jewellery after she became engaged and couldn’t find any pieces that suited her style. Her bridal work can be found at McCaffrey Haute Couture and Mia Bridal, both in Ottawa, as well as online. You can see her current pieces, as well as submit an order for a custom item. The clusters necklace pictured contains fresh water pearls and is on a sterling silver chain. Sandy also likes to use Swarovski Crystals, glass beads and semi precious stones. Another bonus, her pieces won’t break the bank, which is also great if you’re looking to buy gifts for your girls. The clusters necklace starts at about $65, up to $100-plus, depending on the material that she uses. If you go for a custom piece, you can outline in your order what your budget is too! We also like that she ships internationally, so no worries if you don’t live in Ottawa.

Photography courtesy ABC.

When Kelly Ripa said “I do” to husband Mark Consuelos, it wasn’t in a wedding gown. The two nixed a big celebration and instead eloped to Vegas in 1996 after secreting dating for a year (they met on the set of All My Children). It wasn’t until a few weeks ago Kelly finally got her chance to wear a big white dress on Regis & Kelly courtesy of Project Runway‘s Season 6 winner.

New York native and this season’s winning designer Irina Shabayeva got one last challenge and a chance to dress Kelly Ripa in arguably the biggest fashion moment you can have. Creating the piece in only three days, according to People.com, Irina took Kelly’s bubbly personality and the over-the-top nature of Vegas into consideration when designing the elaborate gown. On the show, Kelly gushed over Irina calling her the most inspired designer.

What I’m wondering is if you could have any designer (dead, alive, price is no object) create a custom wedding gown for you, who would it be? Personally I’m torn between Reem Acra, Monique Lhuillier and Karl Lagerfeld. I’d want something beautiful, yet classic and feminine.

Need somewhere to start? Take a look at our Fall 2010 bridal gown galleries for some ideas!

Photography courtesy Christina Gapic Photography.

At SmartBride Boutique, we’re all about helping you find designer names and fabulous style for your wedding, without paying those designer prices.  This week we are sharing five Save Tips to help you get the look you want (high style!) at the price you want.

1. Loose the Extras

Sometimes you try on the dress of your dreams, only to find out the deco belt around your waist, or the beautiful shoulder sash are extra!  A friend of mine, who is getting married next year, found her dream dress and was ready to purchase, and then discovered the price increased by another $1,200 because of extra trimmings. Be aware and avoid the extra costs.

2. Avoid custom alterations

It’s no question that unless you’re lucky enough to buy off the rack there will be alterations involved.  However, there are regular alterations and then there are custom.  If you want to add/alter a sleeve or change a neckline, you could be looking at significant cost additions. Perhaps you can find another dress that has the elements you want already included.

3. Look for simple silhouettes

Unless you’ve got your heart set on a princess gown, remember that the more fabric used in a dress, the more it will cost. Gowns with layers of tulle and organza will cost significantly more than a simple sheath in the same material.  Remain open to options and you just might surprise yourself!  I thought I wanted a flowing Grecian gown, but ended up in a curve hugging silhouette.

4. Shop Sample Sales, Trunk Shows and Evening Gowns

Sample sales at bridal shops generally happen in summer and winter as retailers look to clear out old inventory at reduced prices.  Remember to factor in the cost of alterations and/or dry cleaning because these dresses have often been tried on numerous times.  Bridal boutiques also hold Trunk Shows for specific designers throughout the year. During these events, savings abound.  If you live in Ontario and love Sophia Tolli, Amanda-Lina’s Sposa Boutique is having a Sophia Tolli Trunk Show from November 5 to 15, 2009.  Last but certainly not least, don’t forget to look at evening gowns!  I ended up going to Holt Renfrew and found a white evening gown (pictured) for less than the cost of any of the wedding dresses I was trying on.

5. Go online!

This one certainly isn’t rocket science for all of you smart brides out there, but after you’ve found some favourites at the boutiques, it might be worthwhile to search online to find the dress at a reduced price.  As a note of caution, if you do find your dress online, it’s best to deal locally if at all possible.  This allows you to meet the seller to inspect and try on your dress before purchase and protects you from fraud.  We’ve put together some handy tips to help keep you protected while shopping online for your wedding.

Happy hunting!  Find more tips and resources to plan a smart and savvy wedding, plus local wedding classifieds, including gowns, bridesmaid dresses, shoes and accessories at SmartBride Boutique.

The Greta Constantine dress. Photography courtesy MTV.

You can’t forget about dressing up for the events surrounding your wedding. There are showers, dinners and parties, where you will be the centre of attention. With holiday season coming up (and your budget on a diet), getting multi-use out of your outfits is probably a priority. If you can’t bare to re-use your LBD for every upcoming shindig, we have found a way you can get designer duds and feel good about doing it.

If you’ve been watching MTV at all (Hills or The City fans anyone?) then  you’ve probably heard about fashionable host Jessi Cruickshank and The Hills girls—Lauren, Whitney, Lo and Audrina (hmm..what about Heidi?) donating designer dresses straight out of their closets to raise money for Free the Children, a charity Jessi is extremely passionate about. The goal: raise enough money to build a school in Kenya.

There are 19 dresses being auctioned off on eBay starting November 10 until the 17. All of the items are dresses worn by the girls, at red carpet events, premieres and finales. Some are one-of-a-kind vintage, there’s also designers like Dolce and Gabanna, Matthew Williamson, Greta Constantine, and (of course) Lauren Conrad up for grabs. I don’t know about you, but I like the idea of shopping for a cause! To see all of the dresses and find out how you can bid, visit mtv.ca/mydress.

A Vera Wang from the Spring 2010 bridal runways.

For many brides, (myself included), Vera Wang is the holy grail of wedding dresses.  However, if you’re like me, you can only dream of wearing a real Vera Wang.  Although I definitely wanted to look amazing on my wedding day, I wasn’t willing to break the bank on a dress I was only going to wear once.  If the desire to wear a Vera Wang is an overriding factor but you can’t let go of your practical self, I can offer a few ways to have your cake and eat it too!  Below are three beautiful and stylish authentic Vera Wang dresses we’ve found for a fraction of the price:
This Size 10, one-piece, strapless, A-line gown with zipper closure is brand new and just $700. It’s perfect for someone who wants simple sophistication in her dress.
The next Vera is a gorgeous crisscross halter style silk sheath dress for $1,450. It was purchased at the Vera Wang store in Toronto as a floor sample, but has never been worn for a wedding. With a delicate flower pattern at the bottom of the dress and beautiful low cut back, this dress would be great for a destination wedding.
Our last low cost Vera is a Size 6 English net wedding gown with pin tuck vertical details for $2,500 (originally purchased for $6,000). Although it is used, the dress is in great condition and was professionally preserved immediately after this smart bride’s wedding.  The strapless silhouette and slim lines make this, like all Vera Wang’s, a timeless classic.

Photography courtesy Vera Wang.

To see the other two dresses and find more local wedding classifieds, including dress, shoes and accessories, visit SmartBride Boutique.

I’m always on the hunt for new books to read, and I’m especially fond of glossy coffee-table books about fashion—I can’t help it, they’re so inspiring! Well, I’ve just added another one to my wish list: Unbridaled: The Marriage of Tradition and Avant Garde (assouline.com). Touted as a “mood board for the bride of today” this gorgeous book features some of the hottest fashion designers in the world, such as Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano and Philip Lim (one of my personal faves!), each of whom was asked to create a unique bridal ensemble using Swarovski crystal elements. I can’t wait to get this tome home and see what happens when some of the greatest minds in fashion take on wedding gowns. So, here’s a question for you: are you looking for a dress with lots of bling (crystals, pearls, etc.) or are you keeping things sleek and simple?

Last but not least, I really want to give a shout out to all of you who have been commenting on my entries. Thanks for your amazing feedback last week, and for sharing your personal stories. I’m pleased that so many of you are willing to break with tradition and rock some brightly coloured shoes on your big day. Kudos to you! I’ll be sure to write about shoes again soon—they’re obviously a hot topic.

That’s how long the iconic brand Badgley Mischka has been glamorizing Hollywood. To celebrate this momentous occasion the pair has collaborated with five A-list celebrities—Lauren Hutton, Brooke Shields, Angelica Huston, Eva Longoria and Carrie Underwood and legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz.

The ladies, plus the two designers, will appear in a new campaign (pictured) that will debut in next month’s issue of magazines like Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar. Decked out in head-to-toe Badgley Mischka gowns and accessories, all the women have nothing but praise for the brand. While, yes, celebrities do get free gowns to wear on the red carpet, it’s not like they have to be loyal! And over and over again we see stars like Jennifer Garner, Sarah Jessica Parker and Jennifer Lopez choosing Badgley Mischka. “The great thing about Badgley Mischka’s clothes is that they have always been more about style than fashion—in the end, making them utterly timeless,” shared Hutton. “Their clothes bring out the personality of the wearer, as opposed to a fantasy persona, which makes them very special.” Thankfully for you brides out there, this duo designs bridal gowns, too (which you can check out in our gown galleries) as well as bridesmaid dresses. Are you considering Badgley Mischka for your big day?

Check out our Badgley Mischka trunk show video.