The Australian Bridal Industry Academy (ABIA) was founded in 1997 to protect the bridal customer and promote the bridal supplier. They aim to make the selection process of wedding suppliers a little simpler and safer by compiling bridal feedback about suppliers, to help the to-be-weds choices a little easier.
ABIA uses a mathematical calculation, from the feedback the brides and grooms have given, to determine the Winner & Finalists of each wedding category in each state (The Annual State Bridal Industry Awards) and nationally (The Designer of Dreams Awards).
The 2nd WA Annual Bridal Industry Awards, 2012 winners were published online earlier today, many big suppliers of Western Australia were mentioned. Though one I really want to mention is Flowers in Love, which is local business here in Geraldton. Flowers in Love offers a range of services including fresh or silk flower design; unique event hire items; and handmade bridal Swarovski crystal and pearl jewellery.
This year's WA Annual Bridal Industry Awards have recognised Chantelle's fabulous work and have awarded Flowers In Love with the Wedding Hire award, with Finalist positions in Decorator, Flower Design and Jewellery Fashion. Congratulations Flowers In Love!
There are plenty of other really great suppliers that have also been given awards in this years WA ABIA awards, check out the list and make sure to put in the word on your suppliers after your wedding!
Ruffled recently posted a DIY Ring Mirror Backdrop, which was used as a feature in a Modern Mediterranean Shoot by Yellow Bird Events. I think it would be a great feature for many occasions, and have good reuse around the home.
The Knot and Hearts On Fire present a chance to win one of three Hearts On Fire wedding bands worth AU$3250 each! Plus, refer a friend to WIN a Transcend Single Halo Diamond Ring worth AU$8250!
This competition by The Knot commenced on 22/10/12 at 10.00AM EST and closes on 16/12/12 at 10.00AM EST. The requirement is as follows:
To go into all three draws simply tell us in 50 words or less what phrase (up to 25 characters including spaces) you would have engraved on your ring and why?
If you WIN, this 25 character phrase will be engraved on your band.
Many vendors, magazines and service providers for weddings hold competitions regularly. Competitions are a good way to put your name down and get lucky, and sometimes it brings out your creativity when you have to write something to appeal to the judges.
One of our friend's have gotten their photographer for their wedding through a competition, and I've won a Seattle Sunset Glassbaby from The Things We Would Blog, by simply filling out a survey and commenting on a blog entry. Most don't take much to enter, and you get a benefit if you do get chosen as the winner.
With that, here are some of the current competitions that are running. If you know of any that aren't mentioned here for October-November and are open to Australian residents, post them below.
Win this 18ct white gold featuring a pink princess cut sapphire ring through Modern Wedding Magazine!
To be in the running to win this amazing pink sapphire ring from Arman's Fine Jewellery you'll need to buy the PINK edition of the Modern Wedding magazine (Volume 56) and then tell them in 25 words or less how you will be incorporating a touch of pink into your wedding day.
The competition form is in the magazine and is available in newsagents and supermarkets, or online at Modern Wedding Magazines Website. The competition is only available to Australian residents.
Pin to win Promovizion's custom glasses for your wedding events!
For the readers of Off-Beat Bride, Promovizion is running a Pinterest competition. Information about the competition can be found on the Off-Beat Bride blog entry.
The winner will be randomly chosen on Nov. 2, 2012. In addition to the big prize, pairs of Promovizion glasses will be given away once a week at random until the promotion ends!
When choosing a centrepiece you can do many things, expanding the theme, expressing yourselves as a couple, or even just adding some more lighting. Whatever you and your partner choose, ensure that you enjoy looking at it, as it is one of the main decorations of the evening.
There is no switch that a person can flick to change who they love, there is no "cure", no "wrong gender"; love is love, love knows no bounds. Knowing this, there are still many laws in place around the world that prohibit people from legally marrying the person they love.
In 2004 Australia became one of these countries, the Howard government brought across the Marriage Amendment Act 2004. In this Act the following words, among others, were inserted: "marriage" means the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.
This meant for many people, that not only is there was no legal way to get married under the law, that also their own government doesn't accept their right to love and legally join to whom they are naturally attracted. For some this is a controversial subject, though for many others, this is something that must be addressed to give everyone "a fair go" and to recognise that marriage is about love, not discrimination.
On Monday, 17 September 2012 the Marriage Amendment Bill (No 2) 2012 was brought into Senate. If passed the Bill will implement marriage equality and remove legal discrimination against GLBTI people and their relationships.
The first Labor speaker on the Bill was Senator Louise Pratt of the Western Australian office. Louise brought across a beautiful and heart wrenching speech, that touches everyone's hearts on the situation.
"All we ask, is that you stop pretending... that our relationships are not as real as yours, our love as true, our children as cherished, our families as precious. Because they are."
- Senator Louise Pratt
This subject touches home to me quite a lot. I feel very strongly about equal rights for everyone, and equal rights marriage being in the Senate at the moment is a very important thing for me.
For everyone who is affected by this law and many others like it, we are standing with you and we will won't stop fighting until your rights are recognised.
As of today Caerimonia Amoris has a new look. This fresh approach is to coincide with the beginning of the official booking and browsing stage of our planning process. The new look is inspired by our (finalised) colour theme of purple and blue and by the winter/spring transition of an August wedding.
Added to the blog is:
More options to subscribe to posts, either via RSS or email.
Facebook "Like" button.
The ability to search posts with the search bar.
Quick access to Pinterest.
Quick access to information about Midwest Vendors.
If you have any requests of what type of features/links you would like quick access to, post below.
As well as the new look, I will be looking into a larger range of articles, that not only reflect our planning process but also help other people in their planning choices too.
If you are looking for a certain type of subject or article to be researched and written up on, relating to weddings, post the request below and I'll see what I can do.
After writing the previous post Photography Considerations, I continued reading up on wedding photography and found some interesting blog articles. All upcoming couples getting married should take a look through these to get a better understanding of the industry they are hiring, photography requires passion, creativity and patience.
Wedding Photographers Deserve Our Respect.
A good read for brides to get a better idea of wedding photography. It make's you realise that even though you have a list, list the non-common or special "must-have" moments and try to keep the list short. The photographers are professionals and have done this many times before. Give the photographer freedom to shoot what they see as unique moments, as photography is an expression of art after all.
Zack gives a great example of the work required doing weddings in his blog entry; "I figure the only harder job in photography is war photography because you have to do your job with bullets whizzing past your head".
As Darren Rowse states in his blog entry 21 Tips for Amateur Wedding Photographers; "Weddings are about celebrating – they should be fun." Organising and setting up posed shots all day doesn't encompass the atmosphere of the event, nor does a moment that did not go exactly as planned mean it's ruined.
Take the day as it goes and trust the professional. If the budget allows hire a photography team of two to capture the event, this will lead to a bigger range of shots to tell the story of the day.
My personal favourite are photojournalism style shoots (in colour) with a minimal amount of planned shots. If you have any tips or links to add to this, we'd love to read them in the comments below.
Every wedding has a "must-have" photograph list, whether it's as simple as the 54 Must-Have Wedding Photos For Photographers list, family tradition shots or ones that hold that "extra" meaning to you as a couple.
During the wedding process make sure you and your fiancé look through photographer profiles and sites like Pinterest together to gather shots that will hold special meaning to both of you in many years to come.
In this time it would also be a good idea to discuss the idea of a "first look". It is a new tradition where the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony.
It may be too untraditional for some couples, though the "first look" has many benefits, if only to photograph the special moment between you and your fiancé when you see each other for the first time that day.
Seeing each other before the ceremony leads to a smoother schedule for the day, this opportunity can be used to take some bride and groom shots while the make-up is fresh and the atmosphere is calmer than between the ceremony and reception.
Now you have the photograph types you need for the day set out, time to look for a photographer. When looking for photographers search for those within your region, useful if you want to get them to shoot the engagement shoot as well, and then start narrowing down the list by what style you like.
Once you have a list of photographers, discuss as a couple what you would like to be able to do with the photos once they are taken. This step is essential for the photographer to know so they can work out whether you as a client need to keep copyright on the photographs, or if it is signed over to the photographer, what licencing rights are going to be needed to be organised. More information on copyright can be found on the Australian Copyright Council website.
When meeting your photographer, take a mental note whether you will feel comfortable with them and discuss it as a couple after the initial meeting. The job of the photographer (and videographer) requires them to fit in and to inspire natural shots by both the couple and guests feeling comfortable with their presence. If you as a couple don't feel comfortable with them, be polite when confronting the situation and be mindful of what is the best approach for both you and them.
The important part of working out how to record your wedding day is to have fun, imagine yourself and your fiancé in similar shoots to what you choose, and be mindful of not putting too many expectations on the person who captures your day.
In many wedding magazines, blogs and comments that I have read around the place, there are people talking about how to make other people happy in their wedding. Short and simple, the only people that need to be happy, is the couple that is getting married.
You only have one wedding day, you and your fiancé are the ones who should be kept happy. Sure add in some songs to the playlist that will keep everyone enjoying the night, though don't change your day, theme or anything else for that matter just because someone else wants it like that. No matter who it is, remind this person in a polite manner that this is your day, they have had theirs, or theirs is to come, though this is to celebrate the joining of you and your fiancé, not you and them.
This said if you have people chipping into the payment of your wedding, make sure to give them something they can have a say on, that you can come to a mutual agreement on.
Guest lists also fall under the same category, every event is held with a budget and keeping this budget in mind is essential. A great tip on creating guest lists is first to list the people who you and your fiancé cannot imagine celebrating without, from there invite the people who have been there through thick and thin. Once that number is counted, add more people from there if the budget allows.
With this method no people are left out that are close to you as a couple and the budget more likely to be kept to, with room for adding people to the list afterwards.
The last thing you want is to turn into a Bridezilla (or Groomzilla) because people are pushing you to do things their way!
On the weekend just past, Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th of May, the Midwest Royal Flying Doctors (RFD) Bridal Expo was held at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Geraldton. I was only available to go on the Saturday, having missed the fashion show due to the rain and lack of cash in the wallet for entry, one of my bridesmaids and I looked around at what stalls were there.
There were many stalls, and many vendors showing their work off in such a way that I don't think I will forget them easily. There were some stalls we didn't get to see due to lack of time and that we didn't realise they were positioned outside of the hall until closing time.
A list of vendors for the Geraldton and Midwest area that were advertised at the Midwest RFD Bridal Expo include the following, I have also added in vendors I have found during the last few months:
DJ
Sound Trax Mobile Music FB
Midwest Entertainments FB
If you have any vendors that operate and cater to the Midwest region, please post them in the comments for future brides and planners. I have many more vendors but they are based online and mostly design/make dresses. For a more in depth list of venues contact your celebrant, they have lists of ideas available.
Looking more into inspiration with something to give us some ideas, I started thinking about a theme we could base the wedding around. I looked at all the ones listed on the wedding sites I have found and none of them really caught my eye. While Ricky and I were discussing certain aspects of the wedding that we have wanted from the beginning, I realised that we should go along with a video game style theme.
I thought this is a great opportunity for Ricky and I to express who we are and create our own integration of the theme.
Some of the sites I found to encourage inspiration along the path include: The Drunken Moogle - The Drunken Moogle has many cocktails based on games, series and awesome movies. If we were to have alcohol at the wedding we could use some cocktails from here. HyperComboFinish - A blog with how a couple used the video game theme in their wedding.
Cake inspiration - Video Game Cakes, More Video Game Cakes, Geeky cakes
There are more out there, though I haven't found them yet or they aren't covering the areas we are after. Keep in mind this theme doesn't mean the whole feeling of the wedding is going to change, it is just that we will have a part of our hobbies involved with what is one of the biggest days of our lives.
I was trying to get some inspiration of what setting the wedding should be in, so I starting playing around with making an inspiration board. With an hour or two of playing around with it I realised I had the invitation for Pinterest in my inbox.
I under estimated the site due to the hype that was being made about it. It is good to keep images of what you want for the event and be able to link back to the original vendor to buy it later. The best thing about PInterest is that it can be used for more than one event and interest.
Using this virtual inspiration board I have been able to build a better picture of how the colours can blend together and how the shapes work together. Ricky and I have gone through some changes so far, though the colour scheme (Blue, Green, Silver) has stayed the same.
For the flowers we are going to use the following bouquet's as inspiration for ours. At the current time we have decided on fake flowers, the type depending on availability and cost.
Bouquet of blue orchids and green Spider Mums.
Cream roses add a beautiful contrast to the cool greens and blues.
Source: Bouquet Wedding Flower.
Bouquet - white tulips, light and dark blue hydrangea,
white mini callas, white stock, blue delphinium and blue triteleia.
Source: Bouquet Wedding Flower.
The Bride's dress, also known as the wedding dress has got to be the most difficult clothing to decide on. Considering I change my mind on style quite a lot, it makes it harder for me to find something I like. An example of this is when Ricky and I were looking at engagement rings; originally I didn't like the princess cut, then one day that is all I wanted. When making choices a person has to take into account that their taste of style will change over time, you want something that you won't regret buying or wearing down the track.
When I started looking, the first site I found with many resources was The Knot. The Knot has many planning ideas and tips, as well as a gallery called Dresses & Fashion. This gallery has all different types of wedding dress shapes, from A-line to Princess. A business I found that also helped me when choosing the dress designs was Australian Designer Bridal and Formal.
Going through many different styles I have decided that the A-line and Ball Gown are more what I see myself wearing. While searching, I discovered my hatred for lace on dresses, it makes me think that the person is wearing a curtain, and the train, all I see it as is a way for your dress to be ruined by the ground. Though not all is bad, as I discovered my love for ruffles.
Australian Made Wedding Gown (Source: Unknown)
Above: I love the way the dress bunches up to the clip at the hip and the detail the breast has. The embroidery with the criss-cross material makes it seem elegant. The only modification I would have is to make sure it is lace up and remove the train.
Below: I love the colour contrast, though if I used this style I am thinking of getting the colour of the material up the top as white. The lace would be removed and the butterfly embroidery is currently undecided on. I love the ruffles they have incorporated in with the gown and the way it melds together. The detail over the gown and the flowers also adds to the appeal.
These were, unfortunately, the best photos of the dress I could find. One of the photos had a watermark on which someone has tried to remove it and did so badly, there are no original copies of it that I could find.
Lilac and White Dress (Source: Unknown)
Lilac and White Dress Back (Source: Unknown)
With these styles in mind as my current choices, I am still yet to try on any dresses. With the wedding planned for 2014, I want to try on the dresses early/mid next year and order it then. I will keep this updated with the decision I choose on the dress.
When first looking for styles of dresses I had no idea what to look for. I have never had envisioned any "fantasies" about weddings when I was younger, having never been to one and would rather learn about the world around me than create and design, I had no direction of what style I wanted. Not knowing the style of the wedding or colours and wanting to jump right in and look at styles, lets say it didn't make it easy. While searching for ideas I came across The Dessy Group, this site became an area of inspiration for me.
The styles to choose from with the range of colours helped me develop more direction and get some ideas. While consulting with Ricky and Jessica (sister and bridesmaid), we agreed upon Shamrock (shade of green) for the dresses.
When choosing the style, I went searching for a few that had the rough idea of what I thought would work and came across quite a few, including the design above. Having more than one bridesmaid, I wanted the individual to show who they are, while still staying in theme. I gathered some of the designs I have found and showed them what I was after, leaving the option open for the ladies to suggest some designs of their own once they have seen what I was after. To my amazement both of the ladies chose the below design, which we will need to add some accessories to, as we plan to have the wedding during late Winter. I don't remember where I got this design from, though it can be found at Zhahau Tiansong Trade Co. Ltd.
At the current time the colour scheme is Green, Blue and Silver. Though this is subject to change depending on what ideas we find during the next 6 months.
Ricky and I started dating in August 2006, meeting through the TAFE course we were both doing. Not too long afterwards we lived under the same roof and in January 2011 we got our first rental together.
The ring was made at Leon Bakers Jewellers from a design I found in a brochure. We bought it on the 16th of May 2011 intending to put it away until Ricky was ready to ask the question. When I finished work at the end of July, any plans Ricky had for a proposal at home became troublesome, as I now spent my day activities at home.
On the evening of August the 5th I asked Ricky what he was going to do if I hadn’t finished work earlier than the contract had said it would, he then replied “I would have laid a trail of candles from the front door to the bedroom, then something romantic from there.” I then commented in my excitement and anticipation I would most likely knock at least one of those candles over, causing a mess or setting the place on fire. Ricky stated how that is a likely situation as I am a clutz, resulting in him getting hit.
We went into the bedroom and got out the ring, sitting on the bed we opened the box to have a look at it. Ricky picked it up and went to put it on my finger, I stated as he did so “There are meant to be some words to go along with it,” in which he replied “There you go.” Laughing I stated that those aren't the words, Ricky became nervous, which I thought was cute, he then asked the big four words, “Will you marry me?” To which I said “Yes!”.
