"Sue" with floral flap

"Eve" (small, wallet size with shoulder strap)

MY LOVE OF GREAT PHOTOGRAPHERS

Being in the wedding industry not only do I have the opportunity to meet the many photographers we are so lucky to have access to in the Ottawa area but as a wedding coordinator I also have the privilege of working with them and let me tell you, the truly great ones amaze me!

Planning a wedding as you may or may not know is a long process and a lot of hard work but the end result is always worth it and I love the role I play in making it all happen! I get to be the support my couples need throughout the planning process and the one who makes sure all their hard work pays off on their wedding day. And when their wedding day arrives I tell all my couples the same thing – It may have taken many long months to plan this day but now that it's here it’s going to fly by so take the time to savour each and every moment of it… and thank God you have a great photographer! Okay, maybe I don't say the photographer part out loud but I definitely think it.

I remember looking back at my own wedding pictures and thinking just that – thank God we had a great photographer! The details I worked so hard on to make sure our wedding day was a reflection of "us", the chair I had reserved at our ceremony honouring the memory of my dad, the professional pictures I'm so happy to now have with my mom, and the beautiful posed shots of our wedding party, family and friends. All these pictures make me smile. A good photographer will provide you with these wonderful images of your wedding but it's a photographer who is truly able to capture the emotion of your day that makes him great! The loving way my husband looked at me, the laughs (and tears) we shared, the special moments between us. If our photographer had not caught these on film I never would have known they happened.

These pictures were not posed for nor planned, they were just moments throughout our day that our photographer captured because he knew they would later mean something to us. Pictures that, regardless of the time that has passed since our wedding, are still able to bring back all the emotion I felt on that day and make it seem as though no time has passed at all.

Taken by a few of the great photographers in the Ottawa area, here is a small sample of images I absolutely love simply because of the emotion you can't help but feel when you look at them.

Blair Gable

Derrick Rice (wedding coordinated by Weddings Unveiled)

Andrew Geddes

Mike Dickson - And to prove my point, here is a quote from the bride: "I love this photo because when I was thanking my Dad in my speech I was very emotional and didn't have the guts to look at him. However his reaction to what I was saying was important to me and I would have never seen it had this photo never captured it... thanks Mike."

THE MUST LIST

The key to an amazing wedding album? Making sure that your photographer captures all the right moments: your father walking you down the aisle, the big kiss, your favourite nephew moonwalking across the dance floor. InStyle Weddings put together a list of 40 wedding day shots your photographer just can't miss.



1 - The invitation
2 - Bride having her hair and makeup done
3 - The gown and shoes
4 - Bride's bouquet
5 - Bridesmaids or mom buttoning up/zipping up the gown
6 - Bride getting ready in the mirror
7 - Bridemaids reacting to bride in her gown
8 - Groom getting ready/somebody pinning on his boutonniere or tying his tie
9 - Bridal party and family members walking down the aisle
10 - Groom waiting for bride to come down the aisle
11 - Bride and her escort walking down the aisle
12 - Groom's face when he sees bride
13 - Father giving away his daughter
14 - Bride and groom at altar or chuppah
15 - Exchanging vows
16 - Parents and guests watching the ceremony
17 - Special moments during the ceremony (candle lighting, breaking the glass)
18 - The kiss!
19 - Bride and groom coming back up the aisle
20 - Couple leaving the ceremony and being showered with rice, flower petals, bubbles, etc
21 - Portraits (couple alone, with wedding party, with parents and with family)
22 - Multigenerational shots (bride, mom and grandma)
23 - Guests mingling during the cocktail hour
24 - Bride and groom arriving at reception
25 - Bride and groom greeting guests
26 - Reception tables before guests arrive
27 - The band
28 - First dance
29 - Bride dancing with her father
30 - Groom dancing with his mother
31 - Wide shot of guests on dance floor
32 - Kids having fun
33 - Grandparents and other older guests
34 - Friends and family making toasts
35 - The couple reacting to toasts
36 - The cake
37 - Cake cutting
38 - Bouquet toss
39 - Bride and groom leaving reception
40 - The couple having a private moment

Photo Credits: Para TiNovia

VIVA'S BOOK CLUB - BEING IN LOVE NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE

As the editor-in-chief of Grace Ormonde Wedding Style magazine, Grace Ormonde has built an enviable reputation in the wedding industry by creating the platforms for wedding specialists to showcase their products and services while offering prospective brides and grooms a multitude of choices, ideas and alternatives when planning their wedding.

After ten years of documenting extraordinary weddings and their elements, Grace Ormonde presents this collection of her personal favorites in one comprehensive volume.

WEDDING DRESS WEDNESDAY

Like a fabulous work of art, a Rivini bridal gown designed by the one and only Rita Vinieris is worthy of appreciation. We chose "Savia" as this month's Wedding Dress Wednesday feature for just that reason. The strapless floorlength ballgown silhouette with beautifully detailed drop waist is quite simply... a masterpiece!

While working for renowned designers like Lacoste Canada in the mid-80s, Rita was also creating evening gowns for friends and family on the side. When two of her close friends got engaged and were having a hard time finding wedding dresses that were simple yet elegant in style, Rita designed the dresses for them. "As it turned out, I really loved working with the fabrics and silhouettes. After that, it was natural for me to move into the bridal realm".

The popularity of her work soon led to the founding of the Rivini bridal company in 1995. Rita saw a niche in the market for women like herself wanting luxury in clean lines and classic elements. Her design philosophy resonates with today’s bride seeking elegance in simplicity.

This stunning "Savia" gown, along with over 60 others, can be found at Ashton Station Bridal located in the Olde Church Shoppes in Carleton Place. Owners Luigi and Tracy Porcari, who recently opened the doors in March, proudly state they're the only bridal boutique in the world to exclusively carry Canadian designer Rita Vinieris' Rivini collection. Please note, Ashton Station Bridal is a 'by appointment only' boutique.

Just starting your search for the perfect dress? Here's a little advice from designer Rita Vinieris herself -

"I believe a wedding venue sets the stage for the overall feel, and it's important to take this into consideration when choosing the style of your dress. For example, if you'll say your 'I Dos' on a cliff overloooking the sea, I would look for a gown made of a light, sheer fabric - silk charmeuse and chiffon would both look stunning blowing in the breeze. If you're holding your reception in a formal ballroom, you might consider a more structured dress with jeweled embelishments. As for your hair and makeup, don't do anything drastic - you want to look like yourself. Everything should work in harmony so no one element overpowers any other."

VIVA LA WEDDING ON STYLE ME PRETTY!!

Viva la wedding is just so excited to have one of our beautiful couples featured on Style Me Pretty.

Style Me Pretty is a style savvy wedding resource devoted to the modern bride. They cover everything from gorgeous real weddings to up and coming vendors and seasoned pros in the industry. Featuring only the most chic and style centric wedding related content SMP is continually discovering new and brilliantly talented vendors, brides with an eye for all things gorgeous, and the personal loves of editor Abby Larson. SMP readers look far beyond your cookie-cutter wedding ideas and strive to design an affair that is both personal and incredibly charming.

Launched in February of 2007, SMP has become a mainstay in the wedding industry. With nods in nearly every major bridal magazine including Real Simple Weddings, Martha Stewart Weddings, Elegant Weddings and Modern Bride along with features in such publications as Blog Watch in the Wall Street Journal, SMP is quickly becoming one of the most read wedding resources on the web.

Now on to the wedding...

Krystel & Ivan were married at Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello on August 22nd 2009. They were such a wonderful couple to work with and as you'll see on SMP, Krystel was a true DIY bride and all about the details. Krystel & Ivan had some great vendors on board including the talented Melissa Johnston who is responsible for all the images and did a fabulous job capturing their day. Enjoy!

Krystel & Ivan's wedding featured on Style Me Pretty!

Nasset

(Available at "Artisans on Taylor" in Port Townsend, WA)