Take Five with Ruby Woo

Yesterday I had the pleasure of chatting with the lovely Teang Tang, one of the two partners that own Ruby Woo, a whole new face in the bridal gown game. We met at Fashion Central's DeVille, she treated me to a Chai Latte and we got down to business...fun, pretty, silky white business.

Ruby Woo is an extremely exciting concept. As you may assume, I am a big fan of Say Yes to the Dress, and one of the most voiced complaints is "I like the top of this one, and the bottom of this one". Well, in flies Ruby Woo to the rescue! They custom make intricate, ornate and couture gowns, made to the specifications of each and every bride, so it fits your body, budget and personality to a T.

When I say budget, how does $1000 flat sound? I know for a fact, to buy off the rack in Calgary you are usually looking at at least that amount, plus many more hard earned dollars on tailoring. Ridiculous right? These dresses are so gorgeous and they will make anything - bring them a picture of the dresses you like and in a few months, it's all yours!

I decided to do a fun little interview with Teang about her company and the wedding dress business.

B: "Teang, who in the world of wedding designers would you say inspires you most?"
T: "Marchesa, we love Marchesa, hands down our number one favourite designer. Her pieces really accentuate the female form. The cut, is impeccable! For wedding dresses specifically we love Pnina Tornai, her pieces are wild and fun."

B: "What trends are you seeing for 2011/2012 brides?"
T: "We're seeing a lot of ballgowns, one shoulder and shorter dresses on the runway I personally love the shorter wedding dresses...they are fun and playful!

B: "If you could dress any of the celebrity for her wedding, who would it be?"
T: "Kate Middleton - Once pictures of her dress are released to the public, we'll be receiving requests for "princess-inspired" creations. Her dress will be popular in upcoming weddings."

B: "Okay, that rolls into my next question, what are your predictions on Kate's dress, it's the talk of the town what style she'll be wearing".
T: "I think she'll be in something form fitting, elaborate, a super long train...think Marchesa India dress."

B: "What makes a Ruby Woo dress so special?"
T: "It's made to fit every inch of your body, we make you look phenomenal! The inspiration behind our company is that little girl inside of you that imagines her wedding day. That little girl has this vivid image of a dream dress in her head but doesn't quite know how she's going to get her hands on it - Ruby Woo brings that little girls imagination to life".

What a great idea, and a seemingly simple solution. I have high hopes for Teang and her partner Ivy Su. With everyone's busy lives and work schedules, blocking off hours of time for shopping and fittings sometimes isn't practical or possible. Ruby Woo to the rescue!

Stay tuned - Monday, April 18th, we'll be announcing a contest that will earn you a chance to win the wedding dress of your dreams from Ruby Woo!

Photo Credits:
Dresses: Ruby Woo Wedding Couture Inc.
Model: Xia Martens
Photography: Rob McKay
Makeup: Polly Shum
Hair: Lucy Pearson
Shoes: Pumped Shoes

FRD - All that Sparkles - Lisa and Cam

Welcome to Urban Vows' very first "Friday Real Deal" post! I figured, since I only actually conduct under 10 weddings per year for now (you know, since I work full time in oil and gas, work part time doing events at an art gallery, I am trying to finish up my event management certificate, have a child, boyfriend, friends etc. to attend to) I wanted to cover other weddings that are going on in and around the Calgary area. This is a great way to see what other couples are doing, especially for venue and vendor choice.

When I first chatted with Lisa about featuring her and Cam's wedding she was so willing and excited, and I can see why! A beautiful ceremony at St. Mary's Cathedral and a stunning and glamorous wedding hosted at the Calgary Zoo and photographed by the ever so talented Edward Ross (edwardrossphotography.com), no wonder she was ready to share!

Lisa had a few testing moments prior to the wedding, including a horror story with her dress - trust me brides, you may take back anything you have stressed about thus far in your planning after reading this!

Congratulations Lisa and Cam, all the best to you in your new life together!

Lisa and Cam’s Wedding
August 21, 2010

The overall theme/colour/feel for the wedding:
The colours were ivory and black with some bright pink and deep greens. Silver was also incorporated into the colour scheme. I wanted simple and elegant with some sparkle.

My dress was relatively simple with a sparkly brooch on the hip and one on the small of my back. Lea, the florist, added big chunky crystals to my bouquet to match the crystals on my shoes and Stacey, the designer, added sparkle to my birdcage veil to match the dress brooches and crystals to my garter to match the shoes. The groom wore a black suit, with an ivory vest and an ivory tie. He had a single ivory rose pinned to his jacket.

The bridesmaids wore fushia coloured dresses with silver shoes and ivory bouquets. The groomsman wore black suits, black vests and silver ties. They had three ivory spray roses on their jackets.

The linens were ivory and the chair covers were black with ivory sashes. The centre pieces were high cylindrical vases with ivory and green hydrangeas, green leaves and fuchsia roses at the bases with fern-like leaves, ivory roses and fuchsia flowers on stems jutting out of the top.

How we met:
Lisa and Cam met at Queen’s University in their second year of Chemical Engineering. Cam first saw Lisa in a chemical engineering lecture when he sat behind Lisa and her friends. Cam was instantly attracted to Lisa and, with the help of a friend, they met...first through msn...and then in class...
Lisa and Cam have been inseparable from that point on.

Proposal:
From Cam’s POV – It was a Saturday night and Lisa was out running some errands when I decided that it was the right night to propose. I started setting up the house; first I made a trail of rose pedals and candles from the front door to the top of the stairs where I placed one rose with a card which read “Past.” The card described how we had first met while at Queen’s University and some of the incredible memories I had from those first few months.

I continued the trail of rose pedals and candles to another rose and card which read “Present.” This card described how we moved from University to ‘Grown up’ life and all the amazing experiences and memories we had including the addition of our dog Tucker.

The trail of rose pedals and candles continued to outside our bedroom door where I placed the last rose and card which read “Future.” The card read, “I have no idea what the future holds but all I know is that I want you in it with me!” Inside the bedroom I made a giant heart shape with the remaining rose pedals.

I put on a suit making sure I had the ring and tried to get the dog into the bedroom with me to wait for Lisa. Unfortunately, this was the time I discovered Tucker was scared of candles and so I had to coax him into the room with a handful of cookies. He was more nervous in the room with the candles lit and nowhere to escape so he did what he always does when he gets nervous – drops himself to the ground with his bum in the air and rolls around. I heard the garage door open and desperately tried to re-create the heart shape while keeping the dog calm and by my side. I could hear Lisa getting close and when she finally opened the door Tucker and I were looking at her with the ring box between his paws.

Wedding Drama:
Stacey Roberts, designer and owner of Rose's Custom Sewing and Alterations in Ontario had sewn my dress to perfection back in May. I was told to get the dress steamed once back in Calgary to remove any wrinkles from the train of the dress that may have formed on the plane ride to Calgary. I took the dress to the Bridal Centre in Calgary and when I went to pick it up on the Thursday night before my wedding it was ruined!

The delicate, rounded shaped rouching in the bodice had been flattened by ironing it on a board - creating knife pleats and lines where there should not be lines. The stitches under the pleats holding up the rouching were now in plain site because they had been flattened and pulled out of the way so it looked like I had a row of buttons down the front of my dress. The rouching on the back of my dress was also flattened to knife pleats and seams were showing and some were seams were even ripped out. The most frustrating part was that the train was more wrinkled then when I brought the dress in (and removing the wrinkles from the train was the reason I brought it in).

I cried all night long and told everyone to start cancelling the wedding because my dress was not wearable. At 6:00am Friday morning, I called Stacey, (the perfectionist designer/sewer) told her what happened and begged to fly her from Ottawa to Calgary. She agreed to come and try to salvage the dress. Of course all the early and direct flights were booked so she did not get here until 9:00pm Friday night before the wedding. She took the whole dress apart, wet it down to remove the knife pleats, re-shaped the rouching and sewed it back together. It was not ready until 8am the morning of my wedding…….and I had not slept since Wednesday night. At least I had a dress!

Stacey stayed with me the entire day to ensure my dress was perfect all day long. It was amazing to have my own stylist at the photo shoot!

Lisa’s favorite part:
Since the wedding almost did not happen due to my dress being ruined, every part of the day was my favourite and I cherished every minute. I had the perfect dress, shoes, veil, garter, designer, florist/decorator, photographer and even perfect weather! Most of all I had the perfect groom to share the day with.

Cam’s favorite part:
Seeing Lisa enter the Church looking so beautiful and happy; it brought tears to my eyes instantly.

Ceremony Location: St. Mary's Cathedral
Reception Location: Tent at the Calgary Zoo

Dress: Rose's Custom Sewing & Alterations
http://www.rosescustomsewing.ca/

Custom veil and garter: Stiltskin's Spindle - Dresses Outside the Book
www.stiltskins.ca/

Shoes: Stuart Weitzman (Diamond Collection)

Rings: Tacori

Flowers/Decorations: Designing on the Edge
www.designingontheedge.com/

Photography: Edward Ross Photography
edwardrossphotography.com

Dress Rehearsal

{photo credit: http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/say-yes-to-the-dress/}

As much as people say cliché things like “it’s not about the wedding, it’s about the marriage” et al, really, if you have chosen to have a wedding, white dress, cake and music, the dress actually is one of the centerpieces of the big day. There are a few big things to keep in mind when wedding dress shopping.

{photo credit: http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/say-yes-to-the-dress/}

I PVR literally every episode of Say Yes to The Dress, whether they are reruns or not, as I just adore the team that works at Kleinfeld’s, they are truly masters in the business. I have learned a lot about dresses, designers, price tags, people and their bargaining ways, alterations and the do’s and don’ts at bridal salons and just some basic etiquette.

{photo credit: http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/say-yes-to-the-dress/}

Tip one – don’t expect your perfect dress to be off the rack. Plan for it to require ordering, this can take 6 months, and it does vary by store, then alterations and fittings once the dress arrives. If you wait until the last minute you will be charged for rush ordering.

Tip two – NEVER buy a dress that is way too small in hopes of losing weight. Unless you know a tried and true way to shed those pounds this is too risky and taking a dress in is less expensive and less destructive to the design of the dress than letting a dress out if you do not lose the weight. I was appalled recently at a bridal store here in town telling one of my brides to get the smaller size as she’ll lose the weight. No one knows this for sure and I thought of it as a very unprofessional suggestion. Also, pay no attention the numbered size on the dress – if you look and feel spectacular in the dress then that is the one – don’t fuss over whether it is a larger or smaller size than what you normally wear.

Tip three – I usually tell a bride to know the vision, theme and hopefully the venue to make sure the dress fits this overall theme. A ball-gown dress doesn’t really suit a wedding in a rustic barn.

Tip four - Have some kind of idea what you would like to look at. Neckline, hemline, colour, fabric, intricate or traditional, give something for the consultant to go on or you will be trying on the dresses all day, and they are a LOT of work to get in and out of.

Tip five - Never go into a bridal salon after the gym, after a night on the town, or when you are recovering for the flu. Try and look decent for this big occasion, maybe do your hair nice, put on some make-up and bring a pair of shoes similar to the one’s you are thinking of for your big day. It’s hard to visualize what you will really look like in that dress if you could be mistaken for Courtney Love.

Isn't Randy just the cutest thing!? I think it's a keeper!

{photo credit: http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/say-yes-to-the-dress/}

"The One"

And no, I am not talking about your future husband or wife - I am talking the dress. The dress for me is something which I have mixed feelings about - which probably will come as a shock to all my friends, as they know my weakness for BCBG dresses, but the inflation of price tag, name brands and overall pretentious feelings I get from the whole dress buying process is one I can't really explain.

Let me clarify, that I think the dress is one of the most gorgeous focal points of the day, and makes for some magical photographic memories, but I don't think this translates into the need to take out a loan, line of credit or re-mortgaging your home to get one!

This is one detail I have no clue about for my own big day. One thing I know, is that I will not buy a dress based on the label nor whether it costs me 6 or 7 pay cheques. What I think clouds some brides judgement when it comes to dress shopping are the visuals in their heads. They see one of their friends, or a bride in a magazine wearing a sweetheart, dropped waist ballroom style dress, and it becomes this vision that they must acquire for their big day. I am a firm believer that if a dress doesn't look good on you, it does not matter anymore, you cannot buy it. Every bride wants to look stunning on their big day, so why choose a dress based on what it looks like on someone else?

Recently, I helped Alison pick out her beautiful dress, and I must say, I had a fleeting moment where I thought to myself "hmm - now THAT is something I would wear on my wedding day", but what do I know? It looks gorgeous on Ali, but could look entirely different on me.




Regarding the silhouette, I have no ideas as to what I would want or look good on me, so come the day, I will probably try on every style out there. One thing I DO know is that I want an element of couture, even if it's not "true" couture (which would mean I would be spending a few dozen pay cheques". I require a few non-classic touches to my dress, feathers or flowers, something unique. I also believe that the dress must match the occassion - flowy, casual for the beach, lace for a classic and elegant wedding and a mermaid silouette with a cage veil for a more retro-chic look. The dress and the venue are usually two elements that need to be decided on to build the foundation of the wedding and then everything else is built on that.

When it comes to name brands on wedding dresses, in New York, or Paris, big fashion capitals this may matter - but I have yet to this day not met a bride who made a huge deal about what designer made her dress, how much it cost and how exclusive she is. This is not to say you cannot tell cheap fabric from silk, but a silk dress found in a local shop and a silk dress purchased from Christian Dior may not stand that far apart from each other - and really, does it matter? As long as it looks amazing and you 100% believe it is "the one", then no one cares if it costs you $500 or $5000.



With the bombarding of wedding shows coming out this year, I must say, the PVR is getting a great workout - one of the ones I love is Say Yes to the Dress. The show is based in New York at a premiere bridal shop by the name of Kleinfeld. By watching numerous episodes, I realize how exclusive a shop it really is - when someone says $2500 for a dress is a tight budget it makes me wonder "well what is average?", but this is what I am saying. We live in Calgary, where $2500 would be on the higher end of the price range for dresses. On one show, a bride came in with a very specific dress in mind - and it came with a price tag of over $25,000. My jaw literally hit the floor - the parents bargained with the sales associate to buy the floor model and the family acted like they had won the lottery when the "scored" the dress for a cool 12 K. Wow.

My role as a wedding planner constantly fluctuates - some day's I can wear the hat of the best friend - being supportive and encouraging, other times I may need to pull out my mom instincts and try to present the practical side of things. At the end of the day - if I have a glowing, radiant and truly joyful bride, I feel like my job is done. I also feel as though I have the best job in the world.

As much I am am very indecisive on what dress I would ever choose, this gorgeous dropped waist number with massive fabric rosette's really caught my eye (http://circle.stylemepretty.com/), maybe I do know what I am looking for!