How to Tuesday: Personalizing Dresses

With so many dresses to choose from it is hard enough to find the perfect fit let alone one that speaks true to your own identity. We have compiled a how to list to give your wedding dress and bridal party the ability to add a little spunk and personalization to the big day.


The Brides Dress

Adding a little personalization to your white or not so white wedding dress adds a new spark to tradition. 


Personalization options:

Add a pop of colour
Supplies: Grosgrain ribbon, flowers, safety pins
Adding your own personalized detail to your dress gives you the creative liberties to do anything you want. Pick your favourite colour or theme colour of the wedding and add a little spark to your dress. Have a favourite flower? Incorporate it into a headpiece or on a sash. Even a simple ribbon in an unexpecting colour or pattern worn as a sash creates a personal look all your own.


Sneaky details

Supplies: Iron on embroidery patch or applique
Do you have a specific saying or message you want to be close to you during the wedding?
Sewing may ruin the dress and be hard to do but a small applique or iron on patch on the inside of your dress, grooms tux or bottom of your shoe will add a small personalized detail that only you know about.

Supplies: 
- bright and funky garter
If you are keeping to light and elegant colours for the wedding and your accessories, add a sneaky detail of a bright garter under the dress. It will be your little secret until it is revealed.

The Wedding Party

 

Supplies:
- every girl to use their favourite little black dress
- a theme colour
- a few rolls grogain ribbon in the theme colour
- various other accessories in the colour (flowers, headbands, earings, necklaces.)

Tired of having far too many bridesmaids dresses tucked in the back of your closet that you will never wear again? Let the girls in your bridal party have an outfit they can wear over and over again. Every girl has their own little black dress, or could find this classic staple in a flash. By letting the girls pick out their own simple little black dresses they will feel confidant and have a dress to use again and again. Give them a specific outline (ie: knee length) and let them go.

By choosing common elements to tie the dresses it creates a unified theme with personalization from each member of the bridal party. One colour ties the look together and they can create their own completely unique look!

If you don't want black dresses, pick another colour that is more vibrant (such as purple, red for good luck or striking orange) for the girls to choose their own dresses and choose unique accessories for the girls to pick out in silver or gold.

Another option:

- every girls favourite little black dress
- choose one type of ribbon and pumps and have the girls choose their own favourite colour of the bunch and use those accessories to personalize their outfits.

Whether it is personalizing your own dress to represent your unique flare, or giving your bridal party a creative outlet to spruce up their outfits in nontraditional way, getting crafty and creative on the wedding day will make you feel involved from the peep toes all the way to the headpieces!

Meet Our Vendors: Dresses!

Victoire

With two locations in Ottawa (Dalhousie St. and Wellington St.), the ladies of Victoire will be bringing vintage cocktail and wedding dresses to Wed By Hand! These dresses are perfect for the kind of gal that is looking for something a little different. Whether you’re a bride, bridesmaid, guest or important family member, Victoire offers garments that blend “classic good style with a dash of rebellion”. 

At Wed by Hand the girls offer a selection of their unique vintage dresses on site with their own unique flair. These dresses rarely make a trip out of the store but year yet again they are taking a trip to the Glebe Community Center. Victoire Boutique wants to add some new hip flare to the wedding scene. 

 

Photo by Melanie Rebane

With Love Bridal Boutique
Located in Stittsville, With Love is a truly unique wedding dress shop & offers an equally unique shopping experience. Whether you're a bride on a budget, looking to go green, or planning your wedding in a matter of weeks, With Love has a dream gown for you. With Love offers a large selection of once loved and never worn wedding gowns in current styles from some of the best designers in the industry. Purchasing a once loved gown at With Love Bridal Boutique provides you with the same special attention you deserve, and a designer gown at a fraction of the cost.

For brides on a budget, With Love offers gowns from Maggie Sottero, Pronovias and Essence of Australia for up to 70% off. For the eco-friendly bride, buying on consignment is a great way to go green. Given that these gowns are clean and in perfect condition, nobody will be able to tell the difference! Reduce your carbon footprint by purchasing on consignment!

Tips & Tricks Thursday: Accessories

Maybe you naturally gravitate towards accessories or maybe they're just another item on the wedding planning checklist.  Either way, accessories are a great way for you, your partner, and your wedding party to express themselves in their own ways.  Different cultures also have their own accessories and traditions as well. With so many accessories to choose from, here are some tips and tricks to get to know some of the latest trends. 

For ladies, accessories could include pieces for the head/hair, earrings, glasses, necklace, bracelets or bangles, a purse, a garter, and wonderful shoes. For the gents, consider hats, glasses, ties or bow ties, boutonnieres, suspenders, a handkerchief, a tie clip, cufflinks, a cummerbund to make your look unique.

Head

Gents, whether it's vintage or brand new, your head can be dressed up with a stylish hat.

For the bride, traditional veils continue to be popular. If you want to save some money or want to create something unique, making a veil can be a great DIY project. In Tuesday’s post we talked about making your own facinator and here are some other culturally-inspired headpieces.If you're not interested in a veil but want something on your head or in your hair, consider a tiara, hair vine, or a barrette? Bridal hats are a cool alternative headpiece that can have many different looks.

Looking for that “something borrowed”?  Why not canvass your family and friends for a fun something to wear on your head or in your hair at the wedding?  Remember to try it on with your dress, suit, or tux to figure out if it works.  If you wear glasses (or even if you don't), vintage glasses can add some flair to your outfit.

Feet

Looking for that “something old”?  Grab a favourite pair of shoes or shop for a used pair, then spice them up to give them a new look for the wedding. Ladies, whether you plan on wearing sandals, flats, or 3” heels, there are various ways to add some personal pizazz to your shoes.

• If you've found the perfect pair of shoes but it's not quite the right colour or you want to add some glittery goodness, check this or this out.  The second link also walks you through giving a vintage-style shoe a (new) vintage look.
• Accessorize your shoes with ribbon or flower shoe clips or fabric.
• Monogram the soles of your shoes with your or your partner's initials; a small touch that is especially great if you might be photographed sitting down.
• Check out Figgie Shoes for a very personalized painted pair of shoes.

Everything In Between
Cufflinks can be custom designed by a local jeweller such as Magpie in Ottawa or made like this or this using cardstock, epoxy resin, and or this using some wire and rivets.  You can find cufflink backings or blank cufflinks through Etsy (search DIY cufflinks).

A handkerchief is a fashion accessory that can also be quite practical. The hanky is a classic reusable tissue! Make your own from fabric around the house or buy one at your local department or vintage store.

Looking for that “something blue”?  Add a blue accessory to your ensemble. How about choosing flowers or a garter with some blue in it.  If you're doing a garter toss at the wedding but you'd like to keep a garter as a keepsake, remember to have an extra one on hand.

How to Tuesday: Accessorize!

This week we're focusing on making your own accessories for your big day. Whether you decide to make one of these great accessories for yourself or with the whole bridal party it is a fun way to get crafty and show your own personality! We've got ideas for both the bride and groom, and these ideas could be expanded to include your whole wedding party.

DIY Style for the Gentlemen:
One fabulous idea for adding a special touch to your groom and his groomsmen is by creating custom ties that match the colors and theme of your day. Threadbanger has a fabulous how-to for creating bow ties out of old scarves here!

If you're looking for a way to adorn the little guys that'll be participating in your special day, these no sew bow ties are also incredibly cute for ring bearers in your party.
DIY Bow Ties from Bowties and Bliss

A simple and easy way to encourage the men in the party to get crafty is with their own monogramed ties. If there is one colour all the men are wearing in the party, grab some fabric paint and stamps and have them create their own unique designs adorned on the tie. Paper Sparrow has a great tutorial on how to hand stamping different types of fabric.

For The Ladies:
There are literally so many possibilities when it comes to DIY-ing accessories for your big day. From jewelry to fascinators, shoe clips to handbags, the sky is truly the limit.

Over the past few years, fascinators (little fancy adornments for your head, often featuring feathers, beads or rhinestones) have become a massive fashion trend. Now, thanks to the Royal Wedding, they are more popular than ever. Lots of great designers are coming out with new concepts and ideas but if you are looking for a simple and do it yourself project, there are some great tips on fascinators.

If you'd like to take a cue from the Royal Wedding, check out l. A play on the Royal Wedding Fascinators -
P.S. I Made This's DIY Royal Wedding Fascinator tutorial, via Fashionista Alternately, Wedding Bee has a great wedding fascinator that can be worn simply or with a veil for the bride to be here.

Another idea for the ladies is to have them all work together a few weeks for the wedding to create their accessories together. Whether it is a necklace or hand painted bracelets, working together on one theme with different varieties is a great way to get everyone working together.

What you may need:
- Jems and stones.
- Sterling silver chains
- Clips or clasps
- Beads
- Feathers

No matter what you decide to DIY, when shopping for accessory supplies, be sure to check your local craft stores (such as Michael's), or pop on over to Etsy (the internet's DIY shopping mecca), which is a treasure trove of supplies!

Happy DIY accessory making!

Meet Our Vendors: Accessories!

When it comes to your special day, adding special accessories to you, your groom's or your bridesmaids' outfits is one of the ways you can truly personalize your wedding. Handmade accessories provide brides with the opportunity to customize their day in a way that reflects their personality while supporting small, local businesses. At Wed By Hand in 2012, we'll have a variety of vendors on hand to help you accessorize yourself, and we're excited to introduce you to each of them!

Magneties
While most of the wedding hype gets focused on the bride, we simply cannot forget about all the tie-wearing folk! Combining a love for drawing with screen-printing, Magneties offers a spin on a traditional wedding accessory. Each design created by artist Annabel Dubuc, finishes with an “elegant yet hip necktie”. Custom orders for entire wedding parties are available, where clients choose from a variety of designs, inks, and tie colours. The images used can be drawings or photos (that are then photoshopped), combined with water based inks (good for the environment, hello!) and quality soft microfiber, resulting in a truly unique accessory for members of your wedding party as well as special friends and family members.

chelsy anne jewelry
A self-taught mother of two, chelsy anne offers simple, eco-modern, silver jewelry made with semi-precious stones and fresh water pearls. Her delightfully intricate pieces offer a wide range of accessories, from hairpieces to earrings, and a bridal specific jewelry line. Her number one tip for the bride is not to “let the dress compete with the jewelry. If you have tons of detail at the top of the dress do statement earrings over a statement necklace.” Having finally found her niche as a jewelry artist, seeing her pieces you can tell that she is influenced by love – and what would be more appropriate as an adornment for a bride?

Flights of Fancy - Photo By foodiePrints
A bridal bouquet that can be dismantled and transformed into hair pieces or wardrobe enhancers!? What? Oh that’s just a creative option possible from Flights of Fancy – creations and custom hair accessories from Kate Arnold. Using everything from reclaimed vintage buttons, jewelry, sparkles, feathers, and more. With an emphasis on the affordable, Flights of Fancy hopes that a custom piece can be found to suit any individual in your wedding party; mothers of the groom, a boutonniere for the dashing gents, bridesmaids, and beyond. The one-of-a-kind pieces range in all sizes as well, from “tiny flights for glower girls to large statement pieces for very bold brides!” Consultations are recommended so that flights can be created with the bride’s vision of her special day in mind. And with any luck, the gorgeous custom pieces can be worn again!

Higashi Design
Pulling inspiration from bridal gowns, a bride’s personality, the shape or colour of a crystal, or even a tight deadline, Higashi Design produces individually tailored and personalized jewelry and headpieces. Melonie got her start making wedding jewelry after a friend asked for a handmade tiara. She made the crossover from the world of high tech to full-time jewelry making and has “been riding a great wedding referral wave” ever since. Using semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystal and freshwater pearls set in either sterling silver or 14K gold-filled; Higashi Design offers pieces blending the simplicity and harmony of her Japanese heritage and some intricately detailed designs. Taking into account each bride’s personal taste and budget, she even provides complimentary gift-wrapping – one less thing to worry about!

Bel Bridal
Bel Bridal offers variety of handmade bridal accessories that range from vintage glamour to modern chic and a combination of the two. Owner Isobel's selection of accessories are designed to change any outfit into something special. Each of Bel Bridal's designs are created by hand with loving care and all are unique and special.

urbanite jewelry
Owner and designer Krista Leben designs jewelry that’s fresh and modern. urbanite jewelry's simple, modern and sophisticated designs are perfect for the bride who wants something unique for her and her bridesmaids. Urbanite’s pieces are designed with the philosophy that simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication in mind, and Krista’s styles appeal to a wide range of women—from brides to junior bridesmaids to the mother of the bride.

Welcome to Accessories Week!

It's no secret that us gals love our accessories. If you've got a girlfriend, fiancee or bestie on your holiday shopping list, you're likely to find her coveting one or more lovely little accessories. From purses to shoes, from jewelry to scarves, accessories are an easy way to change the look of an outfit with just a couple of quick changes. A simple little black dress can go from drab to fab with the addition of some bubbly baubles, and the addition of the perfect clutch can make your evening out seem that much more fabulous.

When it comes adding special details to your wedding day, accessories are the perfect option for incorporating an added touch of elegance, funkiness or fun. Whether it's dressing your groom up with a custom tie or adding a pop of colour with customized wedding shoes, accessories are a great way truly let your personality show through. What many people don't often realize is that accessories also offer the perfect opportunity to work with local, handmade companies -and- keep costs down. Veils, jewelry or ties can cost you a fraction of the what a mass-produced equivalent will run you, and it also gives you the opportunity to create something custom and unique with a local vendor. We often hear from brides who attended previous Wed By Hands that really enjoyed the process of customizing their accessories with our awesome vendors rather than just picking it up from a big box store.

This week we'll be showcasing unique ways that you can incorporate handmade accessories into your wedding day. From fancy fascinators to gorgeous jewels and seriously sick screenprinted ties for dudes, Wed By Hand's got you covered in the accessories department!