CRÈME DE LA CRÈME: Vancouver Wedding Show Re-Cap

If there is one event that our bridal community and brides to be have come to look forward to year after year since 2004- it's Creme de la Creme produced by Countdown Events! Pre Cremè days just the very thought of bridal shows conquered up cringe worthy images of yards of tacky tulle, campy fashion productions and rows of vendors in a traditional trades show format just handing off business cards to passing brides. Thanks to Crème who continuously elevates the bridal show expectation, this is not the case anymore! Keep  scrolling for some of my highlights from this years Crème de la Cremè Show on November 19, 2017 at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

We were pleased to debut our new collection featuring sculpted gold leaves, vintage porcelain flowers and delicate vines along side our Classics, like The Vine Comb shown below which will always be a mainstay in the line due to its timeless design.

Also this season, you will see us incorporating more of the leaf motif with White Opal Swarovski Crystal. White Opal crystals are a lustrous, translucent milky  white color that has an inner glow to it. Combining it with Clear crystals, is one of our favorite ways to add a different dimension to the overall sparkle of a piece. 

Everyone was also asking about our Laura Hair Jewelry, seen below! This is just one of the several ones we have available to try on in our shop however the beauty of making our collection locally means that we can also customize these pieces!

Rule #1 of wedding shows. Expect a strict diet of cake, cupcakes, cake pops and anything chocolate or chocolate covered. It burns a lot of calories walking around a show so go ahead and indulge a little (or a lot!) I went for this  Salted Caramel and Chocolate Cupcake topped with Coconut from Cake and Giraffe. However, you cannot go wrong with any of the cake vendors featured at Crème as the have all passed the ultimate taste tests! Lè Gateau Bakeshop is also favorite and made my epic birthday cake last year! 

These mini cakes designed by Joconde Patisserie were truly a work of art on the feature table with florals by Dushan Florals and decor by Art of the Party. The Elsa Button Earring in White Opal as shown is available in our Online Shop!

And if my tiara and sky-high hair by Courtney Brands and makeup by Nadia Albano Style Inc. didn't already make me feel like a Queen, it was definitely this Floral Throne designed by Celsia Florist. Every year they just bring it with something new and exciting! Just WOW! A perfect backdrop for portraits, I can see a lot of 2018 brides putting this on their wishlist!

Another item I can see being on every brides wishlist is a custom floor wrap by InStyle Floor Wraps. Elevate your dance floor and shoe selfie game instantly!

Choosing a wedding gown is probably one of the biggest decisions a bride will make, and Couture Fashion Show by Bisou Bridal featuring Galia Lahav Gowns didn't make it any easier - they are ALL so gorgeous!!! 

The Gatsby inspired makeup and hairstyles styled by Nadia Albano Style Inc. were accented with some of our hair accessories and earrings. The curved Fiori Comb seen below is one of our classics and comes in five sizes!

Who doesn't love Swag? I find it to be one of the highlights of any event! Not only were brides treated to a complimentary Swarovski Stud Earring from us but they also got to go home with all this! Lucky ladies!

If you are planning a wedding or event in 2018, check out the full CRÈME DE LA CRÈME EXHIBITOR LIST for your cheat sheet to the very best vendors in Vancouver and also relive the day by following the hashtag #CREMESHOW! See you next year!

PHOTOGRAPHY Brooklyn D Photography //  FASHION SHOW HAIR & MAKEUP Nadia Albano Style Inc.  // LOCATION Fairmont Hotel Vancouver // RENTALS Bold Event Creative // VYNAL PRINTING Wrap Guys // SIGNAGE PRINTING East Van Graphics // FASHION SHOW MODELS Lexington Models

Fabulous Friends Night Out

If you follow us on Instagram, then you might of caught our story of a recent night out with The Girls at Joey's Restaurant. Everyone kept asking what the occasion was...a birthday? A celebration? What? Nope, just Thursday! 

We also got to resurrect on of our original chokers from the 90's as well as Tasseled Necklace we had hiding in our jewelry box. That's the fun thing about jewelry, it's not about wearing it everyday or how often you wear it - it's about being able to call upon pieces when the mood or the occasion calls for it. Bonus points for when it reinvents what you already have in your closet which can be even more satisfying than getting a new dress!

To start we feasted on a family style presentation of appetizers that included Night Market Curry Dip, Hawaiian Tuna Tacos and Osaka Style Pressed Salmon Sushi. Note to self- next time order more of the Pressed Sushi...it was to die for!

And then we feasted some more! You can never go wrong with Steak Frites. Unless you are a vegetarian, then it would not be the right choice. Good thing JOEY Restaurant has some options for both Vegetarians and Celiacs, who were also at the table.

Cheers to these custom, crafted Elderflower Collins Cocktails! They were the perfect color to match our table arrangements from Sunflower Florist. Yes, we brought our own flowers...because that's just how we roll.

You would think that Jasmine had planned her nails and sequined Little Pink Dress to match our drinks as well, but pinky swear that was just a happy coincidence!

It's aways great when Jenny De Jong comes out to play! She is usually hard at work behind the scenes at Countdown Events or working on her collection of custom party supplies at Shop Tineke 

And these two! They are just the cutest! Diana is what we like to call a BRIEND. A briend is what you get when one of your past brides becomes one of your lifelong friends! Get it? Bride + Friend = Briend. 

Diana and Hannah from Little Pink Dress Design. Hannah made Jasmine's sparkly little number, pictures below and Diana's daughter christening outfit- now that's what we call range! 

What do you get when a microblader, a costume designer and a makeup artist walk into a room? Three super stylish women, obviously! Sarah just opened a chic Gastown Micro-pignemtation Loft and Claudia Da Ponte is one of Vancouver's most sought after stylists and costume designers for television.

If you are curious about Micro-Pigmentation and how to "wake up with makeup" as she calls it, check out her studio, KILLENIT STUDIO where she combines her two great loves...tatooing and makeup!

This beauty needs no introduction! In fact, you are probably already following Jasmine on Instagram!

When your best friends are also your GLAM SQUAD! For mobile and in-salon beauty services be sure to check out Hair By Brands and www.jasminehoffman.com

Thank you to Ellen Ho of Hong Photography for all the beautiful photos of the evening! We are huge fans of Ellen! HUGE! She also photographs all of our Look Books , many of our brides and countless editorials featuring our jewellery! We previously blogged our most recent one that was featured in Wedluxe, here.

So there you have it! A fun, fabulous friends night out where we ate, drank and be merry-ed the night away! Julia Child was really onto something when she came up with this Quote lettered by Lele Chan Designs.

PHOTOGRAPHY Hong Photography HAIR Courtney Brands MAKEUP Jasmine Hoffman FLOWERS Sunflower Florist CUSTOM LETTER PRINT Lele Chan Designs JASMINES DRESS Little Pink Dress

Elsa Corsi's Steal Worthy Party Must-Haves!

I'd like to think I've learned a thing or two since this birthday party picture was taken. One being, that even if you loose at hot potato don't cry until you are let back in the game! True Story. And also, there is no better way to spend your special day than surrounded by a bunch of your besties! 

This year was a milestone year, and I've rounded up 7 Steal Worthy Party Must-Haves that made my day extra special!

VENUE, LA PENTOLA

FLOWERS, FLOWERZ

BALLOONS

1. Choose an already beautiful venue for dinner and then add your own special touches. These flowers from FLOWERZ (thanks Chella and Katie!) and a bevy of balloons brought in by Countdown Events truly set the stage for a festive evening at La Pentola located in the Opus Hotel.

SELFIE FRAME, FLOWER FACTORY

2. Add a festive prop, like one of Flower Factory's Signature Selfie Frames for your guests to have little fun with during picture time.

CAKE, LE GATEAU BAKESHOP

3. Big Birthdays NEED a Big Cake! I always get mine from Le Gateau Bakeshop. This one with layers of rich chocolate cake filled with fresh raspberries and mascarpone cream, was truly EPIC!

4. A cheeky cake topper! I got two from Shop Tineke since I wasn't sure about including it in the photos since it would thwart my it's time to start lying about my age plans, but in the end I decided age ain't nothing but a number! 

CAKE TOPPER, SHOP TINEKE

CAKE TOPPER, SHOP TINEKE

5. Such a bonus that La Pentola also had this amazing feature wall that we could take pictures in front of! It's Love Baby! Created by local graphic design artist Oliver Fletcher, the typography is the same style as the restaurants new branding, which celebrates a casual, cheeky and playful side of the restaurant. Art installations will be updated seasonally, showcasing Vancouver artists and giving guests a thought-provoking piece to enjoy.

IT'S LOVE BABY! DRESS, MASKA MODE

6. Every Birthday Girl Needs a #GlamSquad! Mine was Jasmine Hoffman (makeup) and Courtney Brands (hairstyling). And since it was my birthday, we added some Veronica Gomes hair extensions. 

GLAM SQUAD GOALS, JASMINE HOFFMAN AND COURTNEY BRANDS

7. Friends who take the lead! Every year I plan an amazing party...in my own mind! This year these gorgeous ladies made it happen in real life! Thank you Chella Levesque and Katie Schaeffers!

CHELLA LEVESQUE AND KATIE SCHAEFFERS

7. A professional photographer! Please, spare your friends the bad angles and bad lighting! Having a professional capture the moments and your friends looking amazing is one of the best investments you can make for your party. I was so happy to have Samineh from Belluxe Photography attend for the early portion of the evening for photos!

SAMINEH FROM BELLUXE PHOTOGRAPHY

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate!

And to the Hornby Street Crew- Vivian from W Lash, Kam from Vancouver MediSpa, Denise from Salon Origins and Maryam Collahi were Girl Bossing but came after photos just in time for the shenanigans! Be sure to click through everyones links and check out some of the city's finest female entrepreneurs!

I think it's safe to say a good a time was had by all and I can't wait to celebrate more milestones with this group of lovelies!

SOHA LAVIN, COUNTOWN EVENTS

HILARY CHAN-KENT, INF INFLUENCER AGENCY

HANNAH AND MIRTHA FROM LITTLE PINK DRESS DESIGN

JENNY DE JONG, SHOP TINEKE AND COUNTDOWN EVENTS

Featured: Best Friends For Frosting

When your best friends are a makeup artist, a hair stylist, a couturier and a photographer you know that a styled photo shoot featuring your favorite things is inevitable! Throw in a pink convertible Mini Cooper, some balloons and a beach sunset...and, well, you end up with the ultimate girly style session!

Many thanks to Best Friends For Frosting for featuring the results on their blog this week! BFFF is a lifestyle website and inspiration guide for stylish and creative living, dedicated to sharing cutting edge, chic ideas to inspire you to become your best self and to celebrate the every day in style! We are totally down with all that, so it was an honor that they loved our shoot as much as we did!

Read the full feature online HERE and keep scrolling down for some of my unpublished personal favorites!

As seen in best FRIENDS for frosting

Makeup Artist Jasmine Hoffman has a special talent for always picking the perfect lashes! These ones are by SLMissGlam in Dangerously Glam...they feel so luxurious on, if only I really was born with it!

The outfit was designed by Kim Ironmonger of Valencienne Bridal in Toronto. Valencienne is our Toronto retail partner and you can find us there three times a year for our designer attended Trunk Shows. Kim is a magnificent designer and her attention to detail and craftsmanship is enough to make your head spin! A little fun fact about her is that she even designed a wedding dress for Whoppi Goldberg!

Make Up : Jasmine Hoffman – www.jasminehoffman.com
Hair : Courtney Brands
Jewels : Jeweliette Jewellery – www.jeweliette.com
Dress : Valencienne – www.valencienne.com
Lashes : SLmissGlam – www.slmissglam.com

Nails by Yasushi - www.kaenvancouver.com
Pink Mini Cooper : Mini Yaletown www.miniyaletown.com
Photography : Nomo Akisawa - www.simplysweetphotographybynomoakisawa.com/