The Bride's Lookbook: How to Tie A Sari, Life Magazine Circa 1945 Comes to the New Millenium

Outside the light is warming the leaves to golden tones of red and gold. In the spirit of the season (and gorgeous Canadian autumns!) I thought I would share this with you today, sent to me by the good people at CTC West. Here's what they told me about their concept:

"Back in August, we blogged about an incredible photoshoot that LIFE Magazine did in India in 1945.  We were completely taken by the images and immediately set ourselves on a mission to recreate the shoot, but this time in a quintessentially Canadian context.  This year's fall colours spoke, and we listened.  Special thanks to our team for pulling this shoot together!"

Original Creative Concept: LIFE Magazine 1945
Photography: Christine Lim
Make-Up & Hair: Amplified Soul Makeup + Hair Couture
Producer: Gurjeet Kaur Bassi
Model: Pardeep Bassi
Assistant: Gagan Bassi
Outfit: CTC West

Tricks of the Trade

Psoriasis is a skin condition characterized by patches of very dry, very itchy skin and lesions on the elbows, knees, scalp, hands, feet, and also a times the face and neck.  It tends to act up during the colder months, and periods of stress.  There are numerous

Sunday Afternoon Pretty: By Moonlight

e-session by QA Photography

Worth Noting: Bridalicious is Back and It's Bigger Than Ever!

Bridalicious is back this coming Sunday, on November 6th. A collaboration by Amplified Soul Makeup + Hair Couture, CTC West, Arora Wedding and Event Planning, and G + H Photography, this one day show is every bride's dream come true.  I have talked before about how much I LOVE this event for the lack of sales pitches and the complete dedication to making sure you leave feeling better-informed, better-prepared, and better-equipped to deal with the task of planning your wedding.  All while you are treated to a taste of the service of some of the GTA's best wedding venues.  This year's show will be held at the Delta Meadowvale Resort and Conference Centre.

With an extended list of vendors and presentations this year, including Film Style Weddings and Nspire Sound, this year's Chanel-themed do promises to be classier than ever. I'll be there this year, along with other Toronto-area bloggers to present my idea of a Chanel themed wedding and to meet with you in person (yay!) to talk about your ideas and inspirations for your own wedding days.  To learn more about the event, click here. This event is by invitation only, to get your RSVP, go to imbridalicious.com.

Some pictures from last year's event.  Images via G + H Photography.

Vendor Love: Avaa UK

Avaa UK is one of those cute e-boutiques that carries a carefully chosen selection of quality brand name accessories. I love their bridal bindis and versatile jewellery that I think works just as well with Asian suits and western wear.  Check out a previous post I did on one of my favourite pieces from their selection, unfortunately, it's no longer available, but they have tonnes of new stock and a sale going.  Here are my current faves:

Worth Noting: The Latest from My Blog Feeds

Blogs change constantly, and bloggers come and go, so I tend to always be finding new and fun blogs to read, here's what's hot in my reader right now:

Kapray Shapray
It's not necessarily wedding-themed, but I REALLY like this blog, and I think it still has lots to offer to brides-to-be and wedding party members and guests.  It's a fun mix of so many different posts, from Bollywood to hijab fashion to makeup reviews.  My fave posts are her copycat outfit posts.  She basically shows how she found a high street version of a runway style, but with Asian designs, complete with an in-depth shopping review.  It's update pretty regularly and I am pretty inspired by it, so I'm sure you will be too.

The Penny Wise Dulhan
This blog is written by a Toronto newlywed, and in my opinion, covers a desperately needed niche in the South Asian Wedding blog circuit.  Planning your wedding on a budget. Cause I sometimes feel frustrated with the over-the-top wedding features and I know that truthfully, a lot of brides are working on a BUDGET, and need something to actually relate to, in addition to all the eye candy.  Love: the shoe sale alerts and the PWD Path, a loosely compiled to-do list, complete with links to relevant posts.

Shaadi Fever
I have mentioned before my almost schizophrenic relationship with tumblr.  The amount of visual inspiration is mind-boggling and I can literally spend hours surfing people's sites, but at the same time, the lack of crediting of professionals that allows the community to function is maddening, and in my opinion, makes it hard for brides to trackback to vendors they may wish to work with.  Nonetheless, I keep a few gems in my feed.  Lately, I added Shaadi Fever, written by two friends (cousins, sisters?), Daania and Ameenah, and I like their daily themes and funny, opinionated posts.  Because let's face it, an opinion is hard to find in the wedding blog world.  The only thing I take issue with is they sometimes criticize a real bride's look, and I personally believe that's hurtful. 

To check out these and other blogs click on the Roll Call link in the menu bar above. Alternatively, if you are a South Asian Bride with a talent for writing and have your own blog to chronicle it, lemme know so I can add you to my blog roll!!

The Accessorized Bride: Glittler Pumps

This isn't intentionally Tuesday Shoesday post, since I can't make that kind of commitment to finding new and gorgeous shoes every week.  Not that there's any shortage...and that might be exactly the problem...how would one chose? And when would it end?  I might end up with a wedding shoe blog...In any case it works, and I wasn't sure if this should be an Accessorized Bride post, or a Trendspotting post, since it is a bit of both really.  Glitter heels have been turning up everywhere, and they are available on any budget really, from designer to high-street to DIY.

Glitter Court Shoe via Zara, Glitter Pumps by Miu Miu via Net-a-Porter,Sequined

Leather Pumps by Givenchy via Net-a-Porter, Sequinned Court Shoe via Zara.

p.s. more glitter love here, and here.

Love-ly Locks: Alice + Olivia and Naeem Khan at New York Fashion Week S2102

How did I miss these pretty updos?  I like them slightly of centre for a Spanish look, but for a reception where the bride wants to walk in with her dupatta and take it off for dancing this might just be the trick because of it's holding the power.  Those knots and twists aren't just pretty, but they'll hold up under a medium weight dupatta.

via Hair Romance

 Alice +Olivia Backstage, via StyleCaster, with a how-to posted at Hair Romance

Naeem Khan at New York Fashion Week S2012 via Hair Romance

Real Bride: Beautiful Toronto Bengali Wedding by Qurrat Ansari Photography

This might sound weird, but do you ever come across a photograph that makes you think, that's what I see, and what I want to show everyone? That's how I felt when I stumbled on Photographer Qurrat Ansari's work. Qurrat Ansari is young and local Toronto talent.  I came across her work via her tumblr blog and I loved the pretty colours and the perspective of her shots, which left me wanting to see MORE!

I knew I had to feature her on my blog, so I got in touch with her, and she kindly submitted this wedding for me to share with you all.  It's a series of images from a bengali wedding she photographed this summer in Toronto.  Totally digging the bride's glittery shadow and all the pinks, reds and golds in these shots.  You can catch more of Qurrat's work or get in touch with her via her flickr account.

 

The Bride's Lookbook: Madhuri Dixit for the Emeralds for Elephants Trust Photoshoot

Madhuri Dixit is the celebrity ambassador for Emeralds for Elephants, a charitable trust devoted to the conservation of the Indian Elephant.  Together with Gemfields, a dealer in ethical, conflict-free emeralds from Zambia, and some of India's top jewellery designers including Khanna Jewelers, Vummidi Bangra Jewelers, and Meena Jewelers, they came up with several pieces of jewelery to be auctioned off for the cause. Here are some pictures from the promotional campaign.

Real Bride: Tooba Siddiqui Weds in a Nomi Ansari Original Design

Pakistani model and actress, Tooba Siddiqui (click here to see her in a photoshoot by Fayyaz Ahmad in blue and apple green, and here in hot pink and yellow) wed recently, in a custom design by Nomi Ansari, according to the Guppans on Paklinks forum, the outfit was originally created in different colours, but Ansari created it for Tooba in this totally current shade of palest pink.  This colour is really trending right now, and I love it for brides who are looking for brides who are looking for something demure like white or cream, but still within a colour range and very feminine and romantic.  I don't know who the groom is, since I'm not very up-to-date on dramas, but if someone can share, I'll update the post to match the info!

All images via Pakistani Dramas on Facebook