Updates Updates! 3 months away!

With less then 3 months to go its crunch time!

My to do list is growing and I'm only slightly beginning to freak out lol.
My invites I designed are finally in from India and I couldn't be happier to see a part of my vision come together :) Good news is they don't "smell" like India like my friends invites did thank god, the bad news is there are about 500-600 to put together! Yikes this may take a while.

I'm almost done working on my DIY bling wedding shoes that have taken me months to complete. Here's a sneak peek ;)

I still have 1 bridesmaids bouquet to finish as well as my own. These are going to take a LONG while because I have hand sewn every single fabric flower that will be on them. These are the flowers ill be using.

I may take on 1 more DIY project time permitting of course.

My dress has arrived early and I'm still in love with it so that's always good. Still waiting on the BM dresses we ordered on Netbride.com to come in, but they told us middle of Sept so it should be soon.

My first bridal shower is in 2 weeks and Im excited to say I found my dress on a recent trip to San Diego thanks to BCBG! Its white... not a color I normally do but I figure I'm a bride so why not!

Also in 2 weeks is both of our engagement shoots YIKES. This scares me to no end, I'm a makeup artist and usually stay behind the scenes so it will be interesting to be in front of the lense.  Our first shoot will be by the water and I'm guessing more of the lovey dovey stuff but with a twist! The second will be sort of a vintage style with 70's vintage cars and carefully styled hair and makeup. Let's see if we can pull this off and look good doing it lol.

Off to go assemble invites... wish me luck!

Finally Our House Warming!

Less than 4 months till I marry my best buddy!

We had our first or two house warmings this past weekend and although we still dont have a dining set we do have my hutch, amazing colorful paintings m my condo and our DIY monogram letters.

Put together it looks a little something like this.

Even though these letters are for the wedding I cant wait to find a great place for them in our house. For now they rest on the hutch :)

My DIY Guest Book Table Monogram Letters!

Just one of my DIY's Ive made for the wedding :)

12" high glitter initials!

These babies will be on our guest book table as our guests enter. I love them, the pic does not do it justice they are so glittery and will look amazing when the light hits them.

Bridal Fitness....6 months to go!

No one wants to look back at their wedding photos and think they look horrible right? I'm no exception. Since meeting FI 2 yrs ago I have gained "happy" or as I like to call it "I'm way too damn comfortable" weight that's not only made me feel frumpy but self conscience too.

I have been putting this off long enough and its now or never with 6 months to go! I have been drinking more water, trying to add in more fruits and veggies but its not enough so I will now be training with a personal trainer to get wedding ready.

 
And so my new fitness routine begins next week and I couldn't be more excited to get back to the old me. Ive also been taking Biotin, Kelp & Cod Liver Oil supplements to help with my skin, hair, nails and all that good stuff... wish me luck trust me I need all the luck I can get!

Off to down 2 more bottles of water...

For those asking....

The first meeting went well...really well actually! FI bbq'd fish and stakes and I made my famous guacamole dip....we ate....we chatted.....and we only discussed the wedding for about 10 mins. Kinda weird but it was nice to see there were other things to chat about.


PHEW...big sigh of relief.

Parents Finally Meeting Parents and Update

This weekend will be the first time FI's parents meet my parents. We decided on having both sets over  for a nice dinner at our place Saturday night and although I'm sure it will go great I will admit I'm a bit nervous. Ive just learned to expect the unexpected since so many things have happened and the last thing I need is any added stress.

We hired and fired our contractor because he made our living room ceiling leak (long story) and have been living with a gutted master bathroom since we moved in 2 months ago. Due to the dust and future renos we haven't been able to sleep or use our master bedroom so for now the guest bedroom is our temp sleeping quarters.

I'm SO ready for this washroom to be done and have had one contractor come in to quote us on finishing the job and another is coming by today. Wish us luck we need our bedroom and house back!!

Since finding the dress Ive dabbled with the idea of ordering a replica from china as I had someone I know do this and she was happy with her $200 purchase. It's been a struggle to justify spending $1500 on a wedding dress ill wear once but in the end I think it may just be easier to deal with a vendor here and get the real deal as opposed to a knock off. Either way the store told me i have about a week to make that decision so I better get on it.

Ive also been toying with the idea of having a jewelry or brooch bouquet. Its an idea I had seen online about a year ago but go reintroduced to when a beautiful bride I know Emily designer her own for her wedding this past march. I have started to collect jewels but still have to decide if I'm going to move ahead with this idea or not.

Ive somehow talked myself into getting a videographer even though I didn't care much for it before and so we will be meeting with a company this Sunday to see what they can provide. All I'm really interested in is a non cheesy 10 min recap anyway so we will see how much that will cost me.

Someone kindly pointed out the other day that I only have about 6 months left... YIKES! Why did I think I had all the time in the world? Am I falling behind on planning? I feel lost....

What is it with these MIA vendors?

I know I still have 7 months to go before the big day but why are some of my vendors so MIA. My emails have gone unanswered, deadlines past and I'm left wondering and worrying.

Being in the industry myself this really blows my mind. While I don't (so far) regret any of the vendors Ive chosen, I do wonder if their lack of communication has hindered their business at all. I don't want to come across pushy or anything but I need answers people UGH....

Rant over I'm going to go back to waiting by my inbox now...*sigh*

Am I Saying Yes To The Dress?!

This past weekend I went to try on dresses (because apparently I'm running out of time, hogwash if you ask me!). This is a task I have been dreading because being a curvy girl I was certain no dress would make it past my thighs. After expressing my concern to a few wonderful friends I was assured that Beckers Bridal would have a great selection of larger sample sizes to try on - and by larger i mean anything over a size 8!

They were right! I was led into the back room where there must have been 100's of beautiful gowns to try on. Since I had no idea what I wanted or what would look good I allowed the sales consultant (Liat) to pull some selections for me. She allowed me my privacy getting into the dress and then helped me tie, clip and pin things in place so that I could have a better idea of how the gown would fit.

After trying on 2 I "liked" 1 but it wasn't love....dress #3 however....LOVE!

Totally not a style I would have thought would look the best on me but I felt beautiful, elegant, classy and best of all comfortable! The dress is all silk and light which after wearing this baby for 12-14hrs I'm sure ill appreciate.

I went over to another store after just to take a look and found another I really liked but it wasn't as 'me' as the first so after "keeping it real" with myself as I walked to the car, it was decided I have found THE dress!!!!

I almost feel weird or guilty that is was that easy but I'm totally satisfied and have no need to keep looking because Ill only end up confusing myself. The next step is take the 2 moms to see it... here's hoping they love it as much as I do :)

One thing I promise I WONT be ordering for my wedding...

Ordering a 5ft replica cake of myself!!!

Really?!

To read all about this brides cake of herself click here....

Vendor Spotlight: Decor - The Perfect Setting Inc

Decor was one of those areas that I knew would be ultra important to me as I have a "vision" lol, this was also an area that was a no brainer for me when it came to who to choose. I had been a fan of Naphisha's (theperfectsetting.ca) work since I first saw it at my BFF's wedding. She did both her mendhi night and her reception day and I was blown away with her attention to detail and ability to pull together my friends ideas.

Since then she had also done another friends wedding and again I was blown away, so obviously Naphisha was the first vendor I contacted after we booked our hall. From our first "meeting" at the Suhaag wedding show where her booth was calling us over with its glitz and glamour as soon as we entered. It was meant to be and after we chatted quickly and I confirmed she had my dates available (thank god!) I emailed her and we set up an appointment to discuss our ideas.

We arrived at her office and just from her small display of decor (I later found out she has 3 warehouses full of decor!) I was again assured I was making the right decision. Her husband greeted us as she was just around the corner on her way (we were early), he sat with us and asked us questions about our venue and # of guests when Naphisha popped in with a smile. Her husband then left us to chat but insisted he grab us coffee from Timmies (so sweet), we chatted about everything from our colors to our vision to our backgrounds and in the end we signed our contract and secured the date feeling 100% sure she had capture our ideas perfectly!

Since then Ive met up with Naphisha once more to see her sketches of our big day and all I have to say is I left feeling inspired and more excited than Ive been almost this entire whole planning process. I absolutely love Naphisha, she is so sweet, warm and has a creative mind that leads me to believe she CAN do anything!

Marrying the man of my dreams will no doubt be the most exciting thing about my wedding day but I have to say The Perfect Setting's decor is a close second!

Here are some photo's of their work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information visit their site at theperfectsetting.ca let them know Farah sent ya ;)

Vendor Spotlight: VENUE - Platinum Convention Center

After searching for a venue that me and my FI both liked, could agree on, that could not only accommodated 350ppl but that served both Indian and non Indian food too we finally found one we loved!

We found that Platinum Convention Center (hall A & B) was the perfect blend between modern and glam with its sparkling grand crystal chandeliers and stylishly neutral color scheme. It is centrally located (for us) in Woodbridge Ontario, has ample parking, standard gold Chiavari chairs (BIG bonus for us) and a grand foyer with 3 chic fire places.

When we went one day to check it out we were greeted by the sales manager Manny, he acknowledged us with a smile and mentioned he would be right with us as he was showing "repeat" customers around. When we finally sat down with him we realized his bubbly personality was so refreshing from some of the other halls we had visited that barely took the time to sit down with us. We chatted with him (without an appointment mind you) for about an hour about all of our options and came to a compromise on the price.

We left feeling good about the place but I insisted that we still go see the rest of the halls on our list that day. We did, none compared! We brought my parents to see it that week and booked!

Our experience with Manny and Platinum Convention Center has been nothing but wonderful. He has been accommodating and has answered my long list of questions and assured me that my day will go off without a hitch which is exactly what I want to hear at this point!

My overall experience with my venue (so far) is pretty good but I will update you as the months go on.

Here are some pictures of Platinum Convention Center.

   

Get ready Toronto David's Bridal comes to town in 3 days!

For most of us gals who live close to the border a trip to David's Bridal to Buffalo is a full day event. The 2 hour drive, 1hr border wait & duty that is involved with picking up your special dress almost seems not worth it so a lot of us abandon the idea before it even begins.

Well fear not because the popular US chain opens its doors in Toronto with 2 locations Scarborough & Mississauga this Thursday March 3rd!  Just in time for yours truly to go try on dresses for the first time!

There are some specials for their opening weekend and while $50-$200 off may seem like a small amount keep in mind this is on top of the sale prices!

I haven't decided yet if I want to fight whats sure to be a massive crown this weekend especially since its our moving weekend BUT I will most certainly be making a stop at Davids Bridal on my journey to find the perfect dress!

How Important Is A Videographer Anyway?

At last weeks meeting with our wedding planner she asked us what our budget was for a videographer. We both kinda stopped and looked at each other before I responded with hesitation "we don't really have one...we don't know if we want one yet".

We ended up putting in our "this can always be nixed" section of the budget but when I think about it I'm not so sure how sold I really am on having one. Ive always been the type who cant sit still during family videos where there is 8 minutes straight of watching people dance, so WHY would I want to make my own?

I LOVE the cinematic style that some videographers provide and the idea of a same day edit is really cool BUT when the local rates for this style start at $5000 I begin to wonder if that 10 minute same day edit is really worth $5000+.

So for now.... its in the budget really for the sake of being in there but I have to say I'm not sold....

Next up Invites!

Since getting engaged at the very end of January we have booked our venue, photographers, wedding planner & decor company! Not bad for only 2 weeks of planning huh :)

Since we wanted to get married this year and knew a lot of vendors would be booked up very soon we jumped on it and got a lot done fast so we can breathe a sigh of relief now and prep for our big move.

Once the move is over next on my list are the invites..... do we get them done in India or local? Lets weight the pros and cons shall we?

Invites done in India:
Pros:
Very cost efficient
Parents are going to India so I don't have to pay for shipping
Pretty enough to possibly impress the FI's side
We have family friends there who can if needed so and approve the sample
More money is left over for programs, menus and table #'s

Cons:
Not so original
Completely Indian so non of FI's non-Indian side is represented
Communication barrier
Time restraints

Invites made locally:
Pros:
Able to create a "fusion" style invite
Unique
Able to see the proofs in person

Cons:
Not of cost officiant
I would want to find someone who created one of a kind invites and that may be hard

This is our next big decision and challenge and Im looking forward to it!

The Date Is SET!!

Today FI and I signed the papers for our venue today so the date is set!

I can now say our wedding date is....

11/12/11! 

Next task Save The Dates! I'm thinking fun, I'm thinking magnets or postcards, I'm thinking DIY! Ive been waiting a LONG time to do some DIY wedding projects and I cant wait to get started.

I'm always looking for inspiration, what are some of your fav DIY sites??

Narrowed down our venue search woohoo!

So after a LONG day of searching, talking & negotiating we have finally narrowed down our selection to 1 venue. While I haven't looked at every single venue in town we have been to over 15 different ones and have a pretty good idea of what we are looking for.

We still have to talk to our parents and make sure they are on board tonight but I think we will be signing this week with them. The hall is updated with a recent 3 million dollar reno and is every brides fantasy with its massive sparkling chandeliers and standard gold Chiavari chairs BONUS we don't have to use or pay for chair covers woohoo!

We would get 2 halls combined with can technically seat 500ppl and use of all 3 attached lobby spaces which is massive but great for cocktail hour after our ceremony or ceremonies (havent decided yet)!

Once the hall contract is signed I can breath easy and start to confirm all my other vendors. I have already hired my wedding planner and have met with photography company that I'm hoping to work with and we meet with our decorator this Wednesday! Things are slowing coming together and the stress is beginning to ease THANK GOD lol.

ps- We move in a week and half... think we should start packing?? geez thank god we live in a condo.

Wow who said planning a wedding was fun??

Although I have been dreaming of this for years and been actively collecting ideas for months now I'm seriously overwhelmed!

We are planning 2 events on 2 different days, 2 different ceremonies that I'm hoping to combine into 1, 2 different venues and approx 350 people!

We have decided that we will need a wedding planner for sure and so have been on the hunt meeting with a few over the last 2 weeks and have narrowed it down so we hope it works out because I need help!

Saturday is a FULL day of venue hunting... my fiance is thrilled lol no seriously hes being really good about it all and right now hes my rock. I seriously cant wait to just be married!

Oh and we move into our new house in 2 weeks OMG.. I should seriously start packing lol.

Anyways I'm really hoping the "fun" will start once I book a venue... or at least that's what everyone keeps telling me.

Its officially official!!

I'm going to be a Mrs!!
He has gone from my man friend to my fiance after he popped the Q this past weekend :)

I was completely caught off guard and slightly shocked however it was such a sweet, meaningful & emotional proposal that even though it wasn't as grand as I had imagined it was simply perfect!

I'm overjoyed and slightly overwhelmed but AhhhHhhhHHhHhhh I'm Engaged!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*Breathe*

We made a HUGE purchase.. you know what this means right?

So MF and I have been uber busy since the new year. We sold my condo and bought our house!!! After searching and searching we finally found the perfect house for us and we get the keys March 3rd.

We signed the papers and he turned to me and said "well you know what this means right?" I smiled and said "I sure do.... you're stuck with me" hehe. We couldn't be happier and its really brought us a lot closer as a couple.

We are planning a master bath reno when we get possession so I've been searching the net for inspiration here is some of what I've come up with.

My main focus and want is a beautiful big glass shower so that is probably where I will place the most importance.

We met with a contractor and have some amazing ideas in mind for the space. So exciting ;)