Who loves surprises? Here’s a story I agreed to share because it involves an unique & unexpected wedding. A fun invitation, jaw-droppingly gorgeous images & a rocking video to follow!

Lorien Gabel (pingg’s CEO and Toronto native) and Jessica Lichtenstein made their wedding day an unforgettable event that they will remember forever and their guests will no doubt talk about for years to come.

A couple weeks ago, Lorien and Jessica hopped a plane to Vegas to secretly get married in the desert. In on the secret were the couple’s parents (who were not present at the wedding) and a small film crew, The Sibs. Together they spent the weekend filming an amazingly sexy/romantic Oliver Stone meets David Lynch movie about their alter egos, which concluded with the surprise ending– Lorien and Jessica exchanging vows.

Three weeks later, 200 of the couples’ closest friends and family traveled to NYC to celebrate Jessica and Lorien’s combined 30th and 40th birthdays. Guests gaped in awe at the mysterious movie, curious about where it was leading until half way through the film, as the surprise element was slowly unraveling, the guests all erupted with excitement—finally realizing with shock and amazement that, what they were witnessing was in fact a real wedding ceremony.

Lorien and Jessica’s wedding is inspiring, fun and uniquely them. They are hoping that in sharing their story, video and invitation with others, they can inspire people to find their own unique style.

And inspire, they did. Check out the invitation below:

Here’s the video that surprised the guests!

30- 40 birthday party…and a surprise wedding from Lorien Gabel on Vimeo.

{images courtesy pingg}

I will  forever be enamored by the concept of wedding gowns. Any of you have this obsession? Admitedly, “Say Yes to the Dress” is one of your favorite shows and sadly, I can tell who designed the gown just by looking at it! So really, it’s no surprise I’m a subscriber to Vera Wang’s updates, and I thought I’d share the Dinah gown (spring 2010) from her “Behind the Dress” Issue in case you haven’t seen it! In it you’ll go into the mind of the very talented Vera who also gives some tips on how to choose the dress.

Says Vera:

With this wedding dress, I sought to create fullness and lightness in the skirt by tucking the fabric into soft layers. The result is a rich, cascading effect. I chose to offset the volume in the skirt with a fitted bodice. Lace is quintessentially romantic. With Dinah, I have used it only on the bodice to add but not overpower.

In wedding fashion, I love to use ribbons, buttons, bows and blossoms to add whimsy and eccentricity. These design elements introduce fantasy and establish an optimistic tone. For Dinah, I chose a bowed sash tied at the natural waist of the wedding dress. The sash is in grosgrain, one of my signature fabrics (I named my first Vera Wang china pattern Grosgrain in tribute).

While I have embraced color in my collections, I chose to design Dinah in white and ivory to underscore the innocence that I believe this wedding dress conveys.

Keep in mind, a strapless neckline strikes the delicate balance between propriety and flirtation. Strapless is not for every bride, however. When choosing a neckline for your wedding dress, consider weight, height, bone structure and age. Select a neckline that is most flattering to you; don’t feel held to what is perceived to be sexy or in fashion.

Bows add femininity and grace to any wedding dress. The size and placement of bows serve different purposes in wedding fashion. On Dinah, the large bowed sash is a more dramatic statement. On other wedding dresses, I use small bows to cover up hooks on a bustle. The bow detail on a wedding dress can be carried through other aspects of the wedding, from the wedding invitation and bridesmaids’ dresses to the fastening on the backs of the chairs at the reception.

The A-line shape is always elongating. I appreciate this silhouette for its versatility: In a fuller form, like here with Dinah, the A-line can be extravagant without sacrificing slimness. In a more fitted form, it can be sleek and sensual. On a wedding dress, the A-line can be dressy, or informal. Regardless of form and function, the A-line is always a classic and refined choice.

SO many great tips from perhaps the most well-known wedding gown designer in the world. I too am a sucker for bows or floral pieces to add a statement and feminity to a simple gown. Here’s a look at my favorite pieces from the newest Fall 2010 Vera Wang Collection for you to enjoy! Notice the trend? Oh black and white how I love thee!

{images: Dinah gown: Vera Wang; Fall 2010: brides.com}

Got an email from the casting director of a new web series looking for brides with a funny engagement story. I wish I could apply but I’m not in the NYC area. Hopefully some of you are! Just make sure you let them know you heard it here!

Do you (or someone you know!) have a UNIQUE/ROMANTIC or FUNNY tale of how you got engaged? Did your future fiancé send you on a romantic scavenger hunt, surprise you with a room full of balloons, or jump out of a plane?! If you have an outrageous, funny, or utterly romantic wedding proposal and would like to share your tale we would LOVE to hear it!

If you live in NYC or the surrounding area and are interested in sharing that special proposal moment please email a brief summary and your contact info ((names, location, years married/engaged, and a photo)) to engagementstorycasting@gmail.com

We are casting IMMEDIATELY!

OTTAWA

Annual Wedding Gown Sample Sale
McCaffrey Haute Couture - Ottawa Boutique
Sat/Sun, Nov 14 & 15
10AM to 5PM both days
465 Sussex Dr. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
(613) 789-4336 ottawaretail@mccaffreyhautecouture.com

It’s been a BUSY week - the weekend is near!

My personal wedding to-do list for the weekend:
* crunch the numbers and choose a florist
* pick up some more lovely succulents - my newest obsession
* head to the gym for the first time in 4 years (I’m serious!!)

Have a great weekend and happy planning.

{image: notcouture}

Oh boy…I am left speechless. Truly.

Real weddings are my favorite part of this blog and it’s so thrilling when I get wind of a wedding that literally takes my breath away. I’ve had Rachel J Photography on the Edmonton directory for a few months now, and I am so happy that she’s sharing some of her work with us for the first time. Chantelle and Sean’s wedding has just the right mix of modern & elegance, which makes it so easy to love. From the picturesque settings/warm images to the refined details, this wedding is exactly what we all needed!

Here’s what Rachel (the photographer) had to say about the day:

The gorgeous rings are from Tiffany & Co and Birks. The wedding ceremony took place outside at the Devonian Botanical Gardens on a very warm, sunny day. After the ceremony we drove back into the city for the portraits session. We started at the University of Alberta for some fun shots and ended up at an old abandoned building out in Nisku a couple minutes from the reception venue (Royal Executive Inn). The wedding was planned by the bride but the day was coordinated by Renee Chan from getwed Event Designs. All the stationery, seating plan, thank you cards, dance floor graphics etc. were designed by Jenelle from PinkPolka Design. The truffles were made by Truffle Sensations. I can vouch that these were amazingly delicious! It was an incredible day filled with laughter, tears and a lot of love. It truly was an amazing day!

I just called Jason to tell him I spent the last hour working on a “pretty pretty pretty wedding”. It was so worth it.
Thanks Rachel for sharing this wedding with us!

{images courtesy Rachel J Photography}

{images courtesy Ambient Studios}

A cute touch was when the groom’s brother played Blue Skies to serenade the newlyweds as they walked back up the aisle together. Cute!

The reception was held at the Rosewater Supper Club. I love that the yellow sun motif on the programs matched the individual escort cards.

Thanks Larissa & Trevor for sharing this eye-candy with us! Check out their blog for more images of this wedding and other ones for more inspiration.

{images courtesy Ambient Studios}

{image: ambient studios}

The decore really spiced up the rustic venue and from what Elizabeth says, it was a beautiful event with great food and lots of dancing!

Congrats to stylish couple Lexie & Mark and thanks again to Elizabeth for stopping by to share this wedding with us.

{images courtesy ENV Photography}

Because there were so many great images of this lovely couple, it will be a two part series.

I can’t tell you how much I love the color combination of this bouquet. So beautiful.

More to come…

{images courtesy ENV Photography}