Ok girls, we are thrilled to be hosting our first ever Coren Moore ‘Maids Trunk Show here at the boutique.  This is the perfect opportunity to score a 100% silk gown made in the oh-so fabulous NYC for 15% off PLUS a free sash. You’re welcome.

We always hear about fancy schmancy celeb weddings on twitter, facebook, blogs and even on CNN. Everything from the tv primetime Kardashian affair (then the split), or Beyonce’s secret nuptials. 2million dollar engagement rings and $100,000 wedding gowns. I imagine the guest list to include the likes of Donald Trump, PDiddy and even Justin Beiber. I do wonder…with the paparazzi and the helicopters flying overhead…does anyone have FUN at these over priced, elaborate affairs?

I dont know about Will and Kate, but it looks like the guests at this recent wedding had a blast and a good laugh.

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF9XBYHrwtk

This spring we had the pleasure of meeting several wedding professionals right here in our little neighborhood through the ByWard Market Wedding Association which consists of a select group of like minded and very talented businesses who specialize in…well you guessed it…weddings!

It was here I met the very funny and talented Andrew Van Beek; a stellar photography professional who shares my enjoyment of Bridgehead beverages.

Somehow I managed to convince Andrew to do a series of stylized shoots featuring his above-mentioned stellar photography, our Luxe gowns and various other talented pros in our industry.

Here’s a glimpse of our first shoot at the Ottawa Convention Centre (huge thanks to Lianna!) featuring our gorgeous model Nisara wearing a knock out Pattis Bridal gown.

Another special thanks to Delilah Haggar of Esthetics & Makeup By Delilah, Kathy of Cut + Blo and More Flowers for their amazing contributions.

Enjoy!

It’s our favorite time of year at Luxe Bridal for our ‘Maids! Coren Moore is having her annual Fall Promotion starting TODAY until October 31! All of her ‘Maids dresses are a whopping 15% off and any orders of 8 or more (of the same style) are 18% off! This year Coren Moore has opted to sweeten the pot and every dress comes with a *FREE!* 3′ sash. Dont miss out on this awesome promotion – brides..your girls will thank you for it!

My husband Ryan sent me an amazing video today about a man and woman from Essex, ON who got married two weeks ago. Ok, so what, you may ask. That’s not entirely news worthy one might say. But then I would argue that the amazing-ness stems from the idea that the bride had no idea she was walking into her own wedding! Geez, the woman wasn’t even engaged yet! And then I would add that the best part is; she planned the whole darn thing and didn’t even realize it. I love this video! Operation White Cake is a GO!

This whole scenario got me thinking that if I was to help surprise my best friend’s fiance with their wedding what would I choose for her?! Talk about wedding bliss! What dress would she choose if she was shopping? What about colour?! Naturally, I figured she may want to have more than one option and why not?! So here are the dresses I would chose from Luxe Bridal on her big day. (In no particular order )

1. Amy Kuschel’s tulle tea length dress, Paige
2. Robert Bullock’s sexy & sophisticated lace number, Firra (which looks amazing with a belt!)
3. Kitty Chen’s fabulous fit and flare Charlotte

Recently, Luxe Bridal had the good sense to host the launch party for Halftone Media; an album design company created for busy professional photographers. Halftone Media was founded by one of Ottawa’s sweethearts; none other than Liz Bradley of elizabeth&jane photography. (Her website is adorably captivating. We love her and her work!)The event was catered to Ottawa’s amazing pool of photography talent, whereby Maddy and I had the pleasure of putting many faces to the fellow tweeters we have been chatting with over the past 12 months.  Among those was Amy Symes of Amy Symes Photography who (spoiler alert!) happened to bring her camera (whoa!) and took some wonderful candid shots of our boutique (please see below!)

The event was produced by Amy Karlin of Splendid Events who just happens to be one of our favorite planners in the city (Amy not only enjoys organizing the lives of busy professionals and planning splendid weddings but the occasional mohito as well). We have had the pleasure of working with Amy on several occasions and we are so pumped to have her planning our 1st anniversary bash this September…(more info coming soon!)

For us, spring is our favorite time of year at the boutique. The new gown styles are rolling in and we can barely stand the anticipation. Let’s just say, we love the UPS guy.

One of my personal favorites is en route from Amy Kuschel’s workshop in San Francisco and Eureka!; it’s freaking fabulous.

Eureka! is soft and classic ballgown with a 50′s vibe which looks sweet yet chic against a back drop of the vibrant colours found in classic comic books and on the periodic table.

We just added the Liz Fields bridesmaid and bridal line to our roster of talent at Luxe and we chose one of her floor length strapless chiffon numbers which pairs nicely with an utterly amah-zing (I am obsessed with Happy Endings) red heart shaped swarovski crystal clutch.

I am also a sucker for a man in converse and I got a huge kick out of these kicks with ‘groom’ embroidered on a light blue pair. Love!

The past few weeks at Luxe Bridal have been wild and crazy to say the least! Our clients are pouring in to pick up their gowns and alterations are in full swing. We love spring!

Our new collections for fall 2011 are starting to arrive and we are so excited to show off these amazing pieces. As always, you won’t find any of these dresses anywhere else in the city and in this case anywhere east of Calgary.

We are pleased to introduce you to Fillmore, one of Amy Kuschel’s latest creations. This silk taffeta gown is constructed by hand in San Francisco and exudes a stunning breath of sophistication. In the spirit of spring, we paired it with a lovely robin’s egg blue and vibrant chartreuse. Naturally we added a pair of crystal drop earrings created and designed by Ottawa’s very own Isobel Walker of Bel Bridal. We added a sparkling swarovski crystal clutch and a lovely pearl and silver brooch which is available by special order at Luxe.

It was only one short year ago that Maddy and I picked up the keys for 206 & 208 Dalhousie Street. In some ways the year has gone by wildly fast but when we look back at all we have accomplished in such a short span of time it seems impossible to have gotten this far already!

From leasehold renovations, delays at customs, City of Ottawa permits (ugh), earthquakes (thank goodness those huge mirrors in our sitting room didn’t fall over!) all leading to our desired result: Celebratory laughter and tears of joy from our brides (and more often than not, tears from me; as I am the crier in the Luxe family).

When we opened our doors officially in July 2010, we knew there were some amazing things happening on the bridal scene right here in Ottawa. No longer do Ottawa brides have to trudge her way to Montreal, Toronto or New York to find her dream dress with her ‘maids in tow. The top designers and bridal lines are all available right here on her doorstep.

As of late, we have had the pleasure of working with several of Ottawa’s best bridal boutiques and we know first hand that the service and selection brides seek is alive and well in our little city. As much as we would love to dress and style every bride that walks through our door we do realize that each bride has a unique vision of her wedding day and with that comes a desire to feel the most beautiful and confident she can in her dress. We love to recommend clients to our favorite local boutiques for wonderful service and excellent selection to narrow down her search for the dress. Why not keep Ottawa brides IN Ottawa? It’s a no-brainer to us.

Late last year, we met Antonella, the lovely owner of Mia Bridal Co. and the dynamic duo behind With Love Bridal Boutique, Dana and Becky and quickly realized we are all equally wedding obsessed entrepreneurs with similar stories and long term objectives. Not long after, we sat down over cocktails and shared some, “No, way. ME TOO!” moments and decided we just had to work together for the sake of Ottawa bridal fashion. Our first initiative was the Aisle Style Sample Sale hosted by the chic and elegant venue Weddings Instyle and we were joined by the awesome Christina of McCaffrey Haute Couture to make this collaboration the first of its kind in Ottawa.

As we approach the craziness of wedding season, I am happy to say I can pick up the phone and call Dana on a rainy Wednesday to send a last minute bride her way to sneak a peek at their collection of consignment gowns and know the bride will get premier service. I am thrilled for Antonella to reveal her dream boutique on Preston Street as she celebrates over 3 years in business (can’t wait to see the new digs!) and showcase her gorgeous collections. Let’s face it, it is savvy small businesses like these that create a cutting edge market for Ottawa brides while working to put Ottawa on the bridal fashion map once and for all. Maddy and I are proud to be a part of this growing community and so happy to know we don’t have to do it alone.

Ok girls. Listen up.

Luxe Bridal Boutique has teamed up with an amazing roster of wedding professionals to bring to you Ottawa’s premiere, sexy, risque, everything under one roof bachelorette party. So grab your girls, even the guys and meet us at Mansion Nightclub on Saturday March 26, 2011 for the bachelorette party to end all bachelorette parties. We are so not kidding.

We will entertain you with stellar pole dancing performances and live demos from 3Sixty Pole Parties, Limo tours of the Market courtesy of Robinson Limosine, deliciously sweet nibbles from our good friends at Auntie Loo’s Treats . And that’s just for starters. 

All proceeds from this sexy soiree will benefit The AIDS Committee of Ottawa. So please join us at Rouge: The Ultimate Bachelorette Party and let us help you create an unforgettable night among a passionate group of wedding professionals all while raising money for a very important cause.