From the category archives:

Beauty

From Sketch to Stunning | Valencienne | Julia’s Pretty & Petite

in Beauty,Toronto Wedding Vendors,Weddings

When you’re shopping for a gown if you’re very petite or plus sized finding a dress that fits can be a challenge. Enter – custom bridal gowns… Kim Ironmonger at Valencienne makes it easy to have the gown you want in proportion to your frame. Just check out this beautiful gown for pretty & petite, Julia!

From Kim at Valencienne:
Julia is a very petite girl and she had gone around town trying on dresses where most of them overwhelmed her tiny frame. Upon coming into Valencienne knowing custom would be the way to go, she wanted something demure and elegant but with the grandeur of a big dress. It was our challenge to give her what she wanted in a gown that wouldn’t overpower her. We had the bodice extremely fitted past her hips and then the bottom was quite wide, while keeping it all delicate with tulle and lace. The fabric choices were very important in the design as we wanted to keep it as light and airy as possible. On her wedding day, Julia’s gown fit her like a glove and was every bit as ethereal as she was.

The Inspiration/Sketch:

The Stunning:

Crystal

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From Sketch to Stunning | Valencienne | Jojo’s Sex In The City Style

by Crystal · 0 comments

in Beauty,Toronto Wedding Vendors,Weddings

This HAS to be my favourite gown of all time… seriously! Oh to do it all over again! You go, Jojo! I’m so delighted you found the dress of your dreams made by the talented Valencienne!

From Kim at Valencienne:
When Jojo came into Valencienne she had one inspirational person in mind, it was Carrie Bradshaw from Sex in the City; she had just come back from New York, after seeing all the latest trends around the city she knew she had to have something with pockets and a big buckled belt. Jojo was such a fun loving girl that we knew the dress had to be something fun and fashionable. Her dress was made of light silk taffeta with a big ballooned skirt that was shorter in the front and longer in the back, hidden in the gathers of the dress was perfectly placed pockets and the gown was finished with a custom taffeta covered leather belt unique to her dress. Those pockets ended up being the perfect picture accessories

The Inspiration/Sketch:

The Stunning:

Are you as gooey eyed and jealous as I am? *swooooooooon*

Crystal

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From Sketch to Stunning | Valencienne | Amy’s Multiple Inspirations

by Crystal · 0 comments

in Beauty,Toronto Wedding Vendors,Weddings

Oh the options in custom bridal gowns are ENDLESS so when bride Amy was inspired by multiple looks (including a bridesmaids dress) she went to Valencienne to have it all turned into this stunning gown.

From Kim at Valencienne:
Amy first found out about us after visiting our web site and learned about the custom bridal here at Valencienne; she had seen another gown that we created for a bridesmaid where the wedding took place in Tuscany, and wanted her own version of it as a bridal gown. Amy had always loved the idea of ruffles and lace, and we melded both together with a vintage tea-dyed border lace then pleated to create structural ruffles around the hem of the gown. She wanted something that could be described as modern couture, with simple clean lines… but with a twist. On her wedding day she was overjoyed with the response from all her family and friends, telling her it was so modern and unique and yet embodied her style perfectly.

The Inspiration/Sketch:

The Stunning:

Don’t you just adore the flirtiness of this gown?

Crystal

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From Sketch to Stunning | Valencienne | Marchella’s Glam Girl Gown

by Crystal · 0 comments

in Beauty,Toronto Wedding Vendors,Weddings

Never one to shy away from GLAM our very own Kim Ironmonger of Valencienne worked closely with bride Marchella to create a very Hollywood inspired look for her big day!

From Kim at Valencienne:
Marchella came to Valencienne with very definite ideas about her wedding gown, she came armed with lots of research and inspiration from magazine pictures and wanted a little bits from many different gowns. So together we came up with a design incorporating a mixture of all the bits and pieces that she loved on each gown, while keeping in mind her old Hollywood vintage theme and her venue the Eglinton Grand Theater – which embraces a very vintage Art-deco vibe. The final result was a huge skirt made out of silk peau du soie, she requested an unusual color of platinum silver, and the back was bustled and detailed with three vintage crystal brooches.

The Inspiration/Sketch:

The Stunning:

Are you a glam girl? Don’t you just adore the details on this gown?

Crystal

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From Sketch to Stunning | Valencienne | Nancy’s Form Meets Function Gown

by Crystal · 1 comment

in Beauty,Toronto Wedding Vendors,Weddings

Sometimes a bride seeks comfort over style… but why not have them both? Kim Ironmonger of Valencienne did just that with this luxury meets lifestyle wedding gown for her bride, Nancy.

From Kim at Valencienne:
Nancy came to Valencienne as a blank slate not having tried on any sort of bridal gowns, and only had one expectation; something that would be very comfortable to wear, with loose and light fabrics, which would be something very flowy that could catch the evening breezes as she was getting married on the beach. We decided to make it backless with the bodice blouson so it was very cool to wear, it had a slit up the side front which showed off the beautiful foot jewelry she wore while walking barefoot on the beach, the fabric was very light and silky charmeuse, with the back draped with crystal straps that was enhanced with a crystal brooch. Although Nancy did not have a clear vision of her dress, when she walked down the beach with her dress floating like the water lapping upon the beach, she knew it was the gown that embodied exactly what she was looking for.

The Inspiration/Sketch:

The Stunning:

So what does it for you – form or function in a wedding gown?

Crystal

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From Sketch to Stunning | Valencienne | Katherine’s Disney Fairytale

by Crystal · 0 comments

in Beauty,Toronto Wedding Vendors,Weddings

One word: DISNEY! Yes this very cute couple was full out engaged at Disney and the bride is a very spectacular Disney princess! LOVE IT!

From Kim at Valencienne:

Katherine and her fiancé got engaged at Walt Disney World, in the castle in the magic kingdom. There was no doubt that she wanted to be major Princess bride, the bigger the better. She wanted a mixture of Ivory and soft blush pink, she envisioned silk satin and organza, with embroidery, beadwork, flowers, ribbons… what fun we had putting together all those elements. The wedding was held in Epcot Center at Disney; the gown as Katherine had described it was perfection, it had everything she had asked for. The design was exactly the Princess Dress for Katherine and suited the venue to a tee. It was our pleasure to be part of this real life princess-for-a-day wedding.

The Inspiration/Sketch:

The Stunning:

What do you think of Valencienne’s very own Disney princess?

Crystal

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Toronto Vendor Spotlight | Beautiful Veils, Fascinators & Hats | Blair Nadeau Millinery

by Crystal · 0 comments

in Beauty,Toronto Wedding Vendors

Ever since the Royal Wedding the trend towards hats, fascinators and beautiful veils has been gaining steam. Toronto has some of the very finest millners in the world right here in our own backyard and Blair Nadeau Millinery is a gorgeous example.

We recently caught up with Blair to find out more about her incredible accoutrements….

1) What do you do?

Blair Nadeau Millinery is a designer millinery that specialized in couture cocktail hats, english style fascinators, birdcage veils and hand sculpted flowers. Every piece is handmade by milliner Blair Nadeau in her quaint loft studio. Although every season we design a beautiful collection, each piece from the collection is easily customizeable to suit the brides colours, style and theme of her wedding. We can also design something completely custom for the bride that is one of a kind! In addition to designing for the bride we can also create beautiful pieces for her bridal party, the mother of both the bride and groom and adorable pieces for the flower girl! Blair Nadeau Millinery uses only the finest materials sourced from around the world. As far as Asia and Europe and as close as right here in Toronto.

2) Where are you located?
We are located in Toronto Ontario, and work out of our loft studio. Private consultations are available by appointment only (Evenings and weekends only at this time)

3) Average pricepoints?
Bridesmaids pieces are average $25-$75, Bridal average $75-200

4) Hottest trends you’re seeing right now?
Thanks in part to the royal wedding, we are seeing the increasing interest from brides wearing fascinators to their wedding! Feather fascinators are also extremely popular as well as the birdcage veil. the vintage trend is still definitely a very popular wedding theme and our pieces fit perfectly into that theme.

5) Your favourite piece and why.
My favourite piece is a new piece from our upcoming F/W11 collection. Its a beautiful birdcage veil double layered with tulle and finished with a gorgeous piece of hand appliqued lace. I love it because it’s slightly traditional but has a bit of a lady gaga twist to it! You’ll just have to wait until August to see the veil…but it’s worth the wait! There are actually quite a few pieces from the F/W11 collection that are on my favourites list…they are a bit bold and audacious! definitely pieces that brides can have some fun with!

6) Who’s your perfect client?
Honestly, every bride that walks into our studio is the perfect bride. Each bride wants something completely different and completely unique to herself. It’s such a pleasure designing for every bride as each piece is a challenge and each design is completely different from the last!

7) Why should a bride choose you?
At Blair Nadeau Millinery every single piece is hand made and hand designed by Blair Nadeau. Each piece is completely crafted out of love and are very unique. As we have a fashion design background, we like to incorporate a lot of current trends from the fashion industry into our designs which make them just a bit more edgy then what you may find in a bridal salon. We are very passionate about our designs and about the brides that puchase them. This is why we don’t offer online shopping via our website. We believe in getting to know every single bride, whether it’s in person or via email if they are on the other side of the country/world. We want to design EXACTLY the piece that the bride envisions for her wedding and we love to get to know her. Its a real honor to be a part of a bride’s very special day in our own way.

Crystal

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From Sketch to Stunning | Valencienne Bridal

by Crystal · 0 comments

in Beauty,Real Weddings,Toronto Wedding Vendors,Weddings

In a new feature over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing Kim Ironmonger of Valencienne Bridal’s AMAZING couture gown designs. After speaking in depth with Kim I love how she works so closely with her brides to build a vision, creates an inspiration board, draws a sketch and then turns all of that into a major WOW Factor gown! The process is as interesting as the final designs!

So first up let’s start with bride, Ashley Jamison!

From Kim:
Ashley came to Valencienne with a very specific idea for her gown; she wanted to show off her curves and have it modern with lots of bling. Our inspiration board reflected the original idea, but then there was a change of mind on the brides part, she wanted to incorporate her mom’s wishes to have a more traditional gown however still keeping it sexy. We continued on the original route with the form fitting silhouette and redesigned the fabrication from shimmery Swarovski crystals to delicate French guipure lace entirely beaded with pearls.

The Inspiration/Sketch:

The Stunning:

Have you ever considered having your wedding gown custom designed? What would be your dream gown?

Crystal

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From Sketch to Stunning | Valencienne | Maria’s Bling

by Crystal · 0 comments

in Beauty,Toronto Wedding Vendors,Weddings

If you’re in search of a bling bridal gown for your big day look no further than this super sweet and elegant gown designed by Kim Ironmonger of Valencienne. It’s got more bling than most bride’s can handle!

From Kim at Valencienne:
Maria’s mantra was bling, bling and more bling. She came into Valencienne with extravagant Valentino crystal D’orsay shoes explaining that Swarovski crystal was going to be an integral part of the wedding, as it is in all her accessories. Her flowers were accentuated with crystals and a crystallized monogram; bling was in the décor and on her invitations; so needless to say the dress had to enhance all of the sparkle with an air of extreme elegance and beauty without it being gaudy. We started with silk peau du soie enhanced with French corded Alencion lace and then beaded it with micro seed beads, crystals Jewels, fresh water pearls, and on top of that more Swarovski crystal in all sizes and shapes …Thousands upon thousands, it truly was breathtaking.

The Inspiration/Sketch:

The Stunning:

Is your fantasy ‘more bling the better’?

Crystal

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A Wedding Gown Fit For a Princess | Royal Dress Inspiration | Valencienne Couture Bridal

by Crystal · 0 comments

in Beauty,Real Weddings,Style Shoots,Weddings

When we talk about being inspired by the Royal Wedding of Kate Middleton to Prince William nobody gets it better than Toronto’s own Queen of Bridal, Kim Ironmonger of Valencienne! She recently, like us all, has been inspired by this commoner-turned princess Kate Middleton, who is fashionable, fresh and no doubt a soon to be favourite of the Royal family. Kim who’s gowns have been worn all over the world by stylish brides seeking couture glamour couldn’t help but create her very own wedding gown for Kate…

From Kim of Valencienne:

The happy couple – Kate Middleton and Prince William are surely looking forward to their magical day.

The Kate Middleton inspired wedding gown by Valencienne, “Where did the concept for this gown come from?” Simple it’s the same as designing for our very own Toronto brides. We look at the client, how they dress, what’s their personal style and take into consideration there body shape and appearance. Then we take into consideration where the wedding event will take place, what time of day is the event and just how formal or not the wedding is. We also ask if there are special considerations about the day that our brides would like to integrate into their dream wedding gown. Designing a bridal gown has to take all these things into account.

Kate Middleton is long and lean; her style is classic, elegant, demure and regal. The gown has to be couture in every sense of the word but must also keep with tradition and be quite conservative. Her wedding is extremely formal as she will marry her Prince in Westminster Abbey.

She will then be hosted by the Queen for a Luncheon for 600 people which will be formal however it is midday so I felt she should maintain wearing the Jacket but the over skirt be removed for more comfort while eating.

The evening event, which will be hosted by Prince Charles, will also be formal however this is at night so Kate will remove the long skirt and wear the shorter skirt for evening. She will also remove the Jacket to expose the magnificent encrusted bustier and put the extravagant bow on the side. Quite a bit later there is a late evening soiree planned for only 100 people it’s the final event for the younger guests, it’s party time …The short skirt becomes even shorter. Kate will turn the skirt to reveal her great legs and she then has a great cocktail party gown for dancing.

Girls – that is how custom design can benefit you. Your gown can be made to suit every aspect of your personality and compliment your wedding day beautifully. The idea of custom making a wedding gown is really a special experience and makes your gown so much more personal and unique.

To see a fabulous video clip of the dress featured on eTalk here (http://watch.ctv.ca/etalk/this-week/etalk—tuesday-april-5-2011/#clip445188) and you can look for the dress about three quarters of the way through the clip!

Cheers,
Kim Ironmonger of Valencienne

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