Ok, so maybe the bride didn't wear vintage...

I thought I should post a follow-up to one of my most popular article from back in September of 2013 when I wrote about whether or not a bride should consider wearing a vintage dress. Back when I was planning my summer 2014 wedding, my goal was to incorporate as much vintage - real and faux - as I possibly could without pushing my husbands modern taste over the edge. I wrote this article because I was on the look out for a vintage dress and figured there had to be other ladies out there in the same boat that I was in - turns out there were! 

In the end however, I was unsuccessful in my search. I just could not find a vintage dress that really made me go 'wow, this is it!'. I decided at that point to shift my search. I started looking for a modern dress that was designed with a vintage feel - it would be soft and romantic, with lace and a full skirt. Every store I went into, that is the description that I gave. If I thought finding a real vintage dress was hard, well, finding a look-a-like is not a walk in the park either. I visited many shops that had beautiful dresses, but - alas - they just didn't have what I was looking for. I don't think I even knew what I was looking for, I just knew that it would find me and it would be my gown. I was beginning to lose hope however...

After months of searching and quite honestly coming very close to not getting a dress in time, I finally found it! A wedding dress that checked all of the boxes. I chose an ivory, off the shoulder, lace Tara Keely gown (it also came in blush, but that just seemed like a stretch to me)

This dress stole the show! It is all I heard about for days and weeks following my wedding. Friends and family still comment on the day and always go back to that dress. I think what made this dress so memorable (besides how great I wore it) was that it was unique. It wasn't anything like other brides we wearing and it really stood out - and that is exactly what I wanted. I didn't want to look like every other bride - I really wanted the dress to be 'me' and to look like it was made just for me. I think I succeeded :) 

In the end, the bride did not wear vintage, but she did live happily ever after...

Photos thanks to Alyssa Alkema

The Vintage Flower Girl

Okay folks, only a few weeks left to go until the big day! Eek! I can't get over how quickly time has passed. We have a fairly large wedding party and are blessed to have in it, our two beautiful nieces who will be playing the rolls of junior bridesmaids (a.k.a flower girls). We chose not to call them flower girls because they are both above the age of 10 and just thought they deserved the mightier title (and also, there would be no flowers strewn about).

With a vintage themed wedding, dressing these little girls seemed like a bit of a challenge. But with some luck and a lot of inspiration, I think they are going to look amazing! Here are some of my most favorite inspiration pics!

1. Flower Headbands

I can remember being a little girl and standing in my aunt's wedding. I wore a beautiful flower wreath in my hair and I looked so pretty. I simply adore this look. When I was choosing my flowers for the wedding,  my florist asked what types of bouquets I wanted for the little girls. I really didn't know. I honestly did not see them wanting to carry them and envisioned them being destroyed or left accidentally on a chair somewhere as they ran off to the party. I opted against a bouquet for them and instead, they will be wearing their flowers in their hair. Nothing says vintage elegance and youthful innocence like these amazing floral wreaths.

  

2. Bohemian Style Dress

As I shopped for my wedding gown, I always peeked at the little girls dresses and although I always oohed and awed at the big, puffy Cinderella type dresses, I knew that I wanted something different. I wanted the girls to carry the vintage vibe as well as find them a dress that they could wear again. I was out shopping and came across a Bohemian style girls dress that I just fell in love with. The dresses are simple and romantic.

  

3.  A Little Girl in Pearls

Well now comes the hard part... well at least for me anyways. I'm horrible when it comes to accessorizing. I just wasn't born with that gene. I tried to think about what type of jewelry would match the girls dresses and would also match the theme of the wedding..... pearls! Pearls are classic and beautiful and will almost make it look as though the girls are playing dress up with their mothers jewelry!

Finding Vintage Items for your Wedding

We are reaching the 5 months mark to our big day! (eek!) Where has the time gone..? Since the moment I started planning my wedding, I knew that I wanted to incorporate as many vintage pieces as I could, while still keeping my 'modern man' happy. For months now, I've been searching far and wide for great vintage details that I could add in to my special day. 

This process has proved to be a little more difficult than I originally thought it would be - especially considering that I own a vintage business myself. After many months, I do have most of my items in place, but I continue to search for more. 

If you're also looking to add in some vintage touches, here are my top 4 places to search!

Stop #1: Estate Sales / Garage Sales

Hauls from a great estate sale!

This is where I started my search. Each weekend, I can usually be found driving around stopping at every yard sale I see or standing in line at 7am for a great estate sale. Now, you may hit a few of these and find nothing, but all it takes is that one great find to make it all worth while. Garage sales and estate sales are a great place to find unique pieces at a fabulous price! Every week, I search through our local newspapers, online ads and specific estate sale companies that I like to see what sales are happening that weekend. Most will provide descriptions and even pictures so you can choose to go to the ones that offer items you're interested in. Don't forget to bring cash and your patience! 



Stop #2: Vintage Shops or Thrift Stores

I have several amazing vintage shops that I frequent - both online and in store. Look online for shops that might be in your neighborhood. Staff are so knowledgeable and can help you find what you are looking for - even if they don't have it in stock. The great thing about buying from most vintage shops is that you can still barter no matter what the sticker price is. Buying multiple items? See if they'll give you a package price! Some vintage stores will even let you rent the pieces rather than buy them. I also like to hit up my local thrift stores for some great deals! Don't forgot to look online! Etsy has some amazing vintage shops that offer unique finds that might just be perfect for your special day. 


Stop #3: Vintage Rental Companies
These companies have been growing in abundance of the past few years as more and more brides are going 'vintage'. Some offer decor services on top of the vintage rentals and others offer simply an opportunity to rent their pieces. These companies can make your life a lot easier! Simply go through their catalog or visit their in person studio, pick out what you want, pay for it and that's it! You don't have to rummage through garage sales or online ads - they do it all for you! 


Stop #4: Friends & Family

My mothers beautiful milk glass!

One of my first stops was my mother's kitchen cupboards because I knew she had some amazing vintage milk glass bottles. I immediately stole them! Yoink! Ask around with friends and family - especially grandmothers and aunts. They might have some great pieces that could just add a really special touch to your day like an old vintage frame or dish. You can't beat free and it would be nice to feature some family heirlooms.

How to Create a Vintage Style Ceremony

So, we are officially just under 8 months away from the wedding (Yikes!) Since the very beginning of this process, I knew that I wanted to bring in as much vintage style as I could to this wedding without making my modern and sleek fiancee cringe. I've been searching far and wide for ideas and pictures that will help me figure out how to perfectly blend in a vintage feel to a modern, yet romantic wedding style.

Right now, I'm really focused on my ceremony. I think there are a lot of very simple and beautiful vintage details that can be added to a ceremony. Lucky for us, we're getting married outdoors at a beautiful castle so some of these vintage touches are going to be perfect! Here are some of the ideas that I've narrowed down as my top 'must haves' for my upcoming summer wedding. 

Must have #1: A romantic signing table 

I don't know about you, but I've seen my share of not so pretty signing tables & chairs. I often feel like this is something we just don't think about or simply leave up to the hall or ceremony location to put together... I mean, after all, it is just a table that you sit at for a few minutes to sign your official wedding document.. so no big deal right? Wrong!

Take this opportunity to add some vintage flair to your ceremony by adding a beautiful rustic table along with some high back vintage chairs. You will feel like royalty and your guests will be impressed! Remember, this is a great photo opportunity! Wouldn't you rather see yourselves sitting in something like this rather than some old plastic table with plastic chairs (scary.. but yes, I've seen it). This set up looks like it just belongs in the outdoors.. like Mother Nature herself created it! I want it!

Must have #2: A stunning backdrop

This ceremony decor makes the setting feel so romantic and warm. It is very similar to what my location looks like. At the end of the aisle, there is a bit of green space and then there is a huge cliff (seriously!). I really feel as though I need to decorate that space so it feels more closed in and inviting. 

I love the use of a vintage style dresser or table as a backdrop for the ceremony. I realize that it will probably be blocked for most of the ceremony seeing as though we will be standing in front of it, but it really helps to close off the space and gives your guests a beautiful view while they wait for the ceremony to begin. It probably isn't within my budget to use that many flowers, so I would probably go with some flowers and fill the rest of the space with other vintage decor pieces.

Must have #3 - Vintage signage

The thought of spending any part of our wedding budget on printing programs, which in my opinion, are skimmed over and rarely ever kept (mine usually end up at the bottom of my car or scrunched up in my purse) makes me very unhappy. I do think it is nice to have something that people can read which tells them a little about what they can expect from the ceremony, but let's be honest.. a ceremony is a ceremony.. what do you really need to know? 

I love this simple yet beautiful idea! Write all you need on a chalkboard and put it in a lovely vintage frame. Even if you don't use a chalkboard, there are many amazing companies which will print something similar out for you and you can just put that in a frame. Place it at the front where everyone will enter.. and that's it! No paper, no big printing costs and let's face it, less waste! We're saving the planet here folks!

So this may not be a true 'vintage' inspiration, but there is something about this sign that feels very old fashioned to me. This little boys outfit also makes it feel timeless and sweet. We are blessed to have our two little nieces acting as jr. bridesmaids in our wedding and we were struggling with finding something that they could do for the ceremony and I think I may have found it. 

I love the idea of having a little one walk this sign down the aisle just before you come out. The burlap is very simple and gives it a very rustic feel - perfect for the outdoors. I'm lucky there are two ends to this stick so the girls won't have to fight over who gets to carry it down the aisle! They can just hold either end and hopefully walk (without fighting) down the aisle! 

For more vintage style wedding ideas, be sure to check out my Pinterest board!

Should the Bride Wear Vintage?

Well it has been almost two months since I last posted (eek!) I got engaged and well, it has been a whirlwind of activities and of course, my blog fell to the side. I'm sorry!

I'm knee deep in wedding planning! We've got the venues booked, photographer chosen, wedding party selected and we even found our reverend. Next... finding me a wedding dress! Oh dear. 

I think the question I have received the most since being engaged is "Are you going to wear vintage?" Because I run my own vintage shop, most would assume that my wedding would have a lot of vintage inspired pieces... and it will... just not sure that I want it to be my dress. 

There are a lot of pros to wearing vintage! 

1 - Make a statement: Wearing vintage can really let you get creative and will definitely help you to make a statement on your wedding day. The fabrics are unique and the styles are iconic. 

2 - Show your personal style: Because vintage dresses cover so many decades of amazing styles and trends, you can easily find a dress that matches your personal style and the theme of your wedding. Maybe you're a fan of the 1920's flapper style cap veil or love the retro feel of the 70s. I personally love the post-war inspired lace!

3- Save on your budget: Vintage dresses can also be very affordable so it might be just the thing you need to help with that tight wedding budget. You might just find your perfect dress in your mothers closet! If not, shop at a thrift store; check your local paper for estate sales or garage sales; or shop online! There are many Etsy shops that offer beautiful vintage dresses at a great price!


In the end, your wedding dress needs to not only be a representation of who you are, but you need to feel beautiful and comfortable in it. If you're thinking of going vintage, get out there and find some local shops where you can try some on. You really cannot find a better made dress and the styles... well, they speak for themselves. As for me, well, I can't tell you what I'm going to do and even when I do pick my dress, I still can't tell you what I decided. For now, I'll leave you with some of my favorite vintage dresses that I will most definitely be looking for during my shopping trips!

I love everything about this outfit - the birdcage, the tea length dress and those shoes!

I would feel like Grace Kelly in this dress. Timeless and so beautiful!

There is something so sexy, yet classic about this look. Simply jaw dropping...

Love this tea length classic. Adore the lace and the bow.

UPDATE: Want to see what the bride ended up wearing? Check out this updated post!

Saying "I Do" in Vintage Style

I'm so excited to announce that on June 6th, my boyfriend proposed! And... I said YES!
Yes, I'm finally ENGAGED! I say finally because.... well, I'm not in my 20s anymore and we've been together for three wonderful years, it is just about time for me.

Soooo much champagne!

He took me out to a great restaurant in the Distillery District in downtown Toronto. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! Through my tears, I managed to say yes and have been blissfully happy (and on the verge of tears) ever since.

The best part (of course) is the amazing engagement ring he gave me. It is always about the ring!

My vintage Juliet 1930's Art Deco engagement ring

When we first started talking about getting engaged last year, he asked me what kind of ring I wanted. Well, of course, I said I wanted a vintage ring. It was such a simple and easy decision for me to make. I knew that I didn't want a giant, mass produced, what every other girl has, type of ring. I wanted something unique and that when you looked at it, you would say 'oh, that's totally Kim'.

My boyfriend very quickly realized that finding a vintage ring wasn't all that easy. We started browsing online and found a lot of great shops... but they were in New York, not Toronto. Buying a ring online just didn't seem like a good idea and taking a trip to New York just wasn't in the cards. So... we kept searching and were so lucky to have discovered Antiques on King right here in downtown Toronto. We went in and were amazed to see that they had hundreds of stunning vintage engagement rings for us to choose from - it was quite overwhelming for me! We sat down, and my boyfriend (who has amazing taste) quickly found one that caught his eye and asked if we could try it on. That was the ring... the very first one he picked out. We tried on many others, but always found ourselves coming back to that same ring. It was just perfect and fit me like a glove. It was meant to be.

So, now begins the planning. My fiancee is very modern, while I'm more on the vintage side. We plan to create a wedding that beautifully combines both of those elements. Here are some of my inspiration pictures that I've pinned on Pinterest.

Find these and more vintage wedding inspiration photos on my Pinterest account

I'm so excited about this next year! Not only do I get to marry the man of my dreams, but I get to plan the party of a lifetime.