Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope you’re having a great start to spring so far – although here in Southern Ontario, it doesn’t feel too springlike today… I knew I shouldn’t have put my snow boots away!!
Over at my house, we’re in full wedding planning mode. With just three months to go until the big day, our calendars are filling up with vendor meetings, dress fittings, menu tastings, ring shopping, venue walk-throughs, hair and makeup trials… and any “spare time” we have at home is spent on guest lists and budgets and wedding websites and day-of-timelines. Coordinating so many different vendors, schedules, deadlines and details has proven to be a real art form. Add to that two demanding full-time jobs, one “side hustle”, two already-packed calendars and the neverending chores of maintaining a household, and let’s just say, now I know why so many people hire wedding planners! (Did I mention I’m also planning two bachelorette weekends, a baby shower and an international honeymoon? #nosleepclub) But even though it feels impossibly exhausting some days, I know it’ll all get done somehow… and that perhaps I’ll even look back after it’s all over and miss the excitement and chaos of it all!
Chaos aside: one of the very best things about planning a wedding in Southern Ontario is the sheer amount of wonderful local vendors we have to choose from. From stunning venues to award-winning caterers, creative florists to talented photographers, our province is absolutely brimming with wedding talent – and there are options for every wedding size, style and budget! I was recently reminded of this when I attended a bridal fashion show at Cambridge Wedding Week. The picturesque city of Cambridge is one of Ontario’s premier wedding hotspots, and this annual week-long festival was established to shine the spotlight on the city’s most fabulous venues and vendors – from florists to musicians, makeup artists to cake decorators, and everyone in between.
This year, the Cambridge Wedding Week schedule was filled with tons of fun events, from cake tastings to floral symposiums to live music nights. I had the pleasure of attending Details, CWW’s annual fashion show, and I had a wonderful time! I went with my BFF Victoria – we’re both getting married this year and are each other’s maids-of-honour, so this event was especially timely. Not only was it a fun girls’ night out, but we also got so much wedding planning inspo!
The event was held at Roseville Estate, one of Cambridge’s most prestigious wedding venues. Roseville is a 19th century estate home, situated on a 56-acre property with manicured gardens, picturesque ponds and pools, and a dreamy “enchanted forest” that’s a popular spot for outdoor ceremonies. The fashion show took place inside the Rose Hall, a sprawling reception space that has 20-foot ceilings and seats 200 guests. With cream-coloured walls, polished concrete floors, drippy crystal chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling windows, it’s a timeless and elegant space for any reception.
Upon arrival, we were greeted with a welcome glass of prosecco and delicious passed canapes prepared by Roseville’s in-house catering team. I especially loved the halloumi pita bites!
While we waited for the show to begin, Victoria and I snapped some photos at the Santouso and Picture Us booths. They provide premier wedding photo booth services across the GTA and Southern Ontario.
After mixing and mingling, we took our seats and waited for the show to begin. Iona Press designed these gorgeous programs. I’m a sucker for great stationery!
Vona Bride, a bridal boutique in Kitchener, opened the show. Vona specializes in one-of-a-kind luxury gowns from European designers. Each style is hand-selected by the owner Jenya, who’s been in the fashion industry since 2009. She worked for iconic luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Swarovski before deciding to open her own bridal boutique – and she’s clearly found her calling!
Next up were designs from Bridal Boutique of Cambridge. This is one of the seven shops (yes, you read that right!) I visited when I was looking for my own bridal gown, and I highly recommend them. Not only are their sales associates super kind, helpful and down-to-earth, but their styles are stunning! They’ve been in business for over 18 years and offer bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, veils and accessories, and they provide in-house alterations.
In between all the gorgeous bridal fashions, we got to see some stylish groom looks too! Groomswear never gets quite the same fanfare as bridal gowns, but it’s just as important. Owned by a husband-and-wife team, Gadsby Clothing Co. has stores in Cambridge, Stratford and Dundas. They offer custom suiting and personal styling services. And we can’t forget about the flower girl and ring bearer fashions. These adorable models, in outfits from Encore Threads and Treasures, stole the show – along with everyone’s hearts!
The show closed with a collection from Kiki McDonald Bridal, another Cambridge-based bridal boutique that was one of the stops on my own dress hunt. Kiki specializes in ethically-made, off-the-rack styles that make the dress-shopping process so much easier – instead of waiting months on end for your gown to arrive, you can take it home that same day! Her dresses are new, never altered and never worn, and available in a broad range of sizes from 2-22. I can’t recommend Kiki’s boutique enough: not only are her dresses gorgeous and unique, but she’s the loveliest person!
Now, this last “dress” wasn’t part of the show… but isn’t it fun!? Nua’s Decor provided the fabulous balloon installations for the evening. Perhaps balloon wedding gowns will be the next bridal trend… just stay away from sharp objects!
Victoria and I had so much fun at Cambridge Wedding Week, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store next year! We’ll both be married by then, but I still plan on going back… after all, whether you’re in the wedding dress market or not, who doesn’t love a fabulous fashion show!? Check out my Instagram reel here to see the show in action, and be sure to subscribe to the blog to stay up-to-date on the best local events.
Which of the wedding dresses above is your favourite? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Our tickets to Cambridge Wedding Week were generously gifted by the event organizers. As always, all opinions and thoughts are entirely my own.
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