With Alica-Rae gone to Iceland with her husband, this week’s theme centers around the wonder of Icelandic Weddings.

Set in the Icelandic landscape, almost like it’s from another world with jaw-dropping waterfalls, natural ice blue hot springs and volcanic lava, just to name a few, Icelandic engagements are generally long – 2-3 years. The weddings usually take place over a week with up to three presentations of the bride and groom at their own churches as well as the one they will be married at.

Icelandic wedding traditions like bed gifts are quirky and historical. It was customary for the groom to present his bride with a gift on the bridal bed, though today it is also common for the bride to present the groom with a wedding-bed gift. Traditionally the bride would be waiting for her new husband wearing only her bridal headdress, which her new husband would remove. Once the couple were in bed together the priest would bless them one last time and the couple would drink from the bridal cups to seal their marriage.

A few fun ideas to incorporate into your wedding are an Icelandic wedding cake called Kransakaka and the Icelandic wedding drink, Mead. Way back in the Viking era, it was a legal requirement to drink Mead for a full ‘moon’ or 30 days after a marriage.  This brings us our modern day term: The Honeymoon.

The Kransakaka is the traditional Icelandic wedding cake which is flavoured with almond. Inside it is filled with chocolates and various candy treats…divine!

1. Iceland Designer Bridesmaids Dress. 2. Waterfall 3. Traditional Icelandic Wedding Cake 4. Icelandic Wedding Invitations 5. Bed gifts, Icelandic Tradition 6. Icelandic Church 7. Blue Lagoon

The post Thursday Theme | Icelandic Wonder | Icelandic Wedding Traditions appeared first on Heirloom Magazine | Vancouver Wedding Magazine.

These snowy Christmas weddings sparkle and glow and, despite the prominence of the blueness of the cold, can be such warm affairs of the heart.

VENDOR LIST :

Photographer | Robin O’Neill Photography
Venue | Nita Lake Lodge
Bouquet | Handcrafted
Flowers | Eventful Flowers

The post Snowy Christmas Wedding | Whistler | Krista+Christoph appeared first on Heirloom Magazine | Vancouver Wedding Magazine.

As the days get shorter whilst we head towards the shortest day of the year on December 21st, it can set the stage for a romantic intimate orchard wedding. See how SBP Photography, with a little help from some fabulous vendors, transformed green pastures and blossoms into a dream come true for the bride who wants to incorporate nature and elegance into her wedding.

VENDOR LIST :

Photography | SBP Photography -
Hair Stylist | Emily Giles Hair
Floral Designer | Fleurish Design Studio
Invitation Designer | Hip Ink {Custom Invitations}
Dress Store | Saratina Bridal Boutique
Dress Designer | Martina Liana
Linens and Coverings | Simply Beautiful Decor
Equipment Rentals and Styling | Key Event Styling & Vintage Rentals
Makeup Artist | Margaret Paige Make up artistry
Jewelry | Harmony House Jewellers
Veils and headpieces | Blair Nadeau Milinery

The post Romantic Intimate Orchard Wedding | Day and Night Looks | Styled Shoot | Weddings Wednesday appeared first on Heirloom Magazine | Vancouver Wedding Magazine.

This sweet styled engagement shoot caught our eye because we simply adore modern vintage glamour! And the proposal story was simply too adventurous to not share!

In the to-be-bride’s words:

“So in 2011 we went on an overseas adventure, during which time we travelled through China for three months. Eben took me out of the city to a small mountain village called Songpan in the southwest of China. We hired two Tibetan guides who spoke no English, and trekked for two days and one night high into the mountains. The guides cooked pasta for us from flour and water, and we set up camp for the night.

It was a gorgeous starry night. With the full moon, the valley was completely lit up, and the horses grazed in our full view.

Eben said that something came over him, and he couldn’t miss the moment. So he proposed, unplanned, right there and then.

Since then, I’ve been designing wedding gowns, and loving it! The engagement shoot captures my latest design – a short lace gown. Inspired by my great grandmother’s wedding in 1929, when she wore a short dress and cloche. The cloche is also in my collection.”

VENDOR LIST :

Photographer | Miss Amy Elizabeth
Venue | Orchid House, Queens Park, Mackay Australia
Gown | BLU Wedding Boutique
Makeup | Extend Your Beauty
Tie | The Lost Boys Club
Flowers | Florrific Flowers

The post Modern Vintage Glamour Engagement Shoot after a Proposal in China | Weddings Wednesday appeared first on Heirloom Magazine | Vancouver Wedding Magazine.

Photo : KGoodPhoto

Home Town: Little old Ladner, B.C.

Birthday/ Sign: December 4th, Sagittarius!

Starbucks or Tim Hortons: Always Starbucks if I had to choose between the two. But if I could choose one place to always get my morning or afternoon cup of tea, that would be David’s Tea… I am a huge tea drinker and love having lots of choices… they have a tea for my every mood! My favourites are Organic Cream of Earl Grey and Organic Superberry!

Favourite Magazine: I love National Geographic… and National Geographic Traveller! My dream has always been to be a journalist or photographer for them one day, travelling the world and telling people’s tales. The stories and photos in the magazine are fantastic; I love reading about different people, places and cultures, I’m a traveller! I also love Vogue, it has documented the history of fashion through the years…did you know that it started in 1916? It has amazing content, and the articles aren’t just about clothes and celebrities, it’s filled with artists and authors and businesswomen too!

Never Leave Home Without: A pen and paper and one of my cameras. I love my Diana F+ Lomography camera right now, it’s so much fun to shoot analogue and be surprised with the results! I’d hate to miss an opportunity to capture or document a moment!

My Personal Motto: “Life is short, live each moment to its fullest.”

Greatest Inspiration: I don’t have a specific person who’s my greatest inspiration… I’m inspired by so many things, especially travelling and seeing new things and places. Sometimes it’s a song or a piece of art. Sometimes it’s a person. I’m inspired by people who start with little or nothing and make themselves into or create something great!

My Weekends Look Like: My perfect weekend is one like my husband and I spent every weekend in London (we recently moved back to Vancouver after meeting and spending two years there). We spent our weekends starting off by waking up early and deciding on one or two of the hundred of vintage, clothing, food or flower markets scattered across the city that we’d visit that day. Then we would pick a cool breakfast spot in that area, head there and let the day unfold filled with taking photos and finding unique things to take home! Over the two years I was there, there was a new market to visit every weekend, but of course we had our favourites that we visited often!

Here, we’re settling back into life in Vancouver… we recently moved to Kitsilano, so we love spending our weekends at Granville Island, finding cool cafes, shops or markets. We love wandering around the shops on Main Street, in Gastown or taking a trip to Fort Langley. A big fav is spending Sundays with friends, cooking a good dinner and playing a board game, like Cranium or Monopoly…our new favourite is Settlers!

My Favourite Thing About Weddings: …is when the bride and groom take it as an opportunity to make their day unique and about themselves as a couple! I think it’s amazing how it’s one day that two people make into a celebration of their love, what they love, include who they love! I adore all the DIY project and details that come along with making the day unique… I became obsessed with all the tiny details of our wedding and I don’t regret that at all… after all the stress and hard work, all the details came together and made the day SO beautiful! I also love how two totally different families get to come together, even if it’s just for that day or week, it’s just SO much fun!

If Money Were No Object, My Dream Wedding in a Nutshell: My dream wedding? I just had it right here in Vancouver actually…! We were surrounded by all the people we love – both of our families, which won’t happen that often because my husband’s family lives in Iceland, where he grew up. Also, we were surrounded by all of our closest friends, which again won’t happen often as many of our best friends live in London, Iceland, Germany, Mexico and Australia. Honestly, when it all comes down to it… having all our family and friends together again would be a dream come true! And if money were no object I’d fly them all somewhere to do it all over again! I’d probably choose to have it in Acapulco, Mexico where we spent every Christmas growing up. In the beautiful old church in the small village below our condo, or on the beach there! Getting married really made me appreciate our friends and family because they are the ones giving us all the support.

Why Join Heirloom: I love everything vintage, and I love weddings! I just got married this summer and had spent a year handcrafting all the little DIY details. Scouring antique and vintage markets all over London and Paris and Vancouver for all the details I needed … from little medicine bottles to vintage frames, chalkboards, books and suitcases. All that to make it all tie in perfectly to our  whimsical 1920′s theme. My real passion is journalism and I love photography… so combining my love for all things vintage, weddings, and journalism… it was a no brainer that Heirloom would be a perfect fit!

The post Vancouver Vintage Wedding Magazine | Intern Alicia-Rae | Tuesday Tea Time appeared first on Heirloom Magazine | Vancouver Wedding Magazine.

After last week’s post, we couldn’t take our mind off the world’s longest marriage, so decided to whip up the top 40 secrets to a happy marriage.

Brought to you by none other than those who have been married for over 30 years, in particular order:

1. Marry someone that you enjoy talking to, and listening to.
2. Choose the one you love, then love the one you choose.
3. Remember that marriage is sometimes a bed of roses, and sometimes, you can run into thorns.
4. Never assume.
5. Love is like childhood; you need to learn to share.
6. Be fair, whether it’s splitting the housework or spending your money.
7. Marriage is not 50/50; it’s two people giving 100/100 all the time.
8. Love isn’t always a feeling; it’s also a decision.
9. It’s ok to argue, but never use curse words to express your anger.
10. Before starting an argument, consider if it’s really worth it.
11. There is more than one way to do anything.
12. Compliment more than you criticise.
13. Never EVER mention the D word.
14. Never go to bed angry.
15. Do you want to be right, or do you want to be married?
16. Fight naked
17. Learn to agree to disagree.
18. Never use the words “Always” and “Never” in a fight.
19. People do fight. It’s human nature. It’s what you do about it that matters.
20. Respect each other’s privacy.
21. Never air your dirty laundry as a couple in public.
22. Keep the in-laws out of your marriage.
23. Be each other’s champion; no matter what, take your partner’s side first.
24. Be quick to say “I’m sorry”.
25. Play nice, play often, love much.
26. Hug and kiss every day.
27. Hold hands.
28. Never keep secrets from each other.
29. Communication is the key.
30. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself.
31. Always respect each other.
32. Surprise each other now and again.
33. It’s the little things that matter the most.
34. Always make time for the two of you.
35. Have date nights regularly.
36. For three times you vent to your friends about your partner, tell three positive stories.
37. The best gift you can give your children is to love their mom or dad.
38. Never pass up on an opportunity to say “I love you”.
39. Never compare your marriage to others; you are both on your own path.
40. Hang in there; it’s definitely worth it!

The post Secrets to a Happy Marriage | Marriage Tips from Those Who Have Been Married the Longest | Marriage Manners Monday appeared first on Heirloom Magazine | Vancouver Wedding Magazine.

On this fabulous Friday morning, we’d like to introduce you to one of Heirloom’s favoured vendors, Vancouver make up artist and hair stylist, the lovely Jayna Marie Damasco, specialising in wedding, fashion and special effects!

One night Jayna Marie had a vision. ”I was walking down a long white hallway. I was wearing a suit jacket, pencil skirt and pointy heels. The sound of my steps echoed as I walked with a briefcase hanging from one hand. The hallway seemed to go on forever. This was not the life I wanted. I knew I was creative, I knew I loved people and I knew I loved makeup.”

Driven by the support of her family and friends, she dropped out of university, sold her house and moved from Kelowna to Vancouver where she then enrolled in Blanche Macdonald. Since then, she has worked her way up to being the award-winning, passionate artist she is today. She believes that being successful is based 50% on talent and 50% on personality.

Her hope is for each bride’s wedding day to be as stress-free as possible. By insisting on getting to know her clients before their big day, she makes the hair and make-up part of any bride’s checklist enjoyable. Her motto is, “You don’t have to be a celebrity to be treated like one.” She has worked with celebs like Lady Gaga and Nikki Yanofsky and on many photo shoots – so she knows how to pamper.

Before any of her clients make a commitment, Jayna Marie includes a 1.5 to 2 hour consultation with each bridal package. During the consultation she takes the time to discuss the look each bride is going for, looks through photos so their vision is pin pointed and then practices the wedding day make-up and hairstyle decided on until the vision comes to life. As Jayna Marie puts it, “You wouldn’t invite a complete stranger to your wedding, so why would you want a make-up artist you’ve never met before?”

She also comes right to where the bride is getting ready on her wedding day. “This way, you can let me do the driving while you sit back and sip mimosas.”

Before going solo, she worked for Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown, Lancôme and Benefit, most of which she uses in her mobile make up kit. “Make up is far too much fun to restrict myself to only one brand! I work with a kit worth over $9,000 of Bobbi Brown, Christian Dior, Bare Essentials, MAC, Make Up For Ever and Benefit Cosmetics.”

Rest assured, you will be perfectly beautiful on your big day when in the capable hands of Jayna Marie! Check out her website for more info at: jaynamarie.com

  Alicia-Rae xo

The post Vancouver Make Up Artist and Hair Stylist | Jayna Marie | Friday’s Find appeared first on Heirloom Magazine | Vancouver Wedding Magazine.

We thought that this Mad Hatter Theme Styled Shoot would be so perfect to showcase on this Halloween day! “Lost in Wonderland” epitomises Vintage meets Whimsical. Whitewood Studios was inspired by the many Mad Hatter themed shoots that have been done in the past, and for their version, came up with a dainty tea party feel!

Words from the Photographer:

“The runner was made of old book pages that flowed over the ends of the table, creating an almost magical feel seemingly stuck in mid-air. Books and clocks float above the table to give yet another sense of this tea party happening in the midst of falling down the rabbit hole. The china and delicate details on the centre of the table were placed with a sense of accidental poise. The fabric banner in the background was from a personal collection, and the other pieces were inspired by Alice in Wonderland as a whole – the door with the oversized keys, the cookies saying “eat me”, and the windows exemplifying the looking glass.

The bride’s dress is a redesign from a vintage gown found at a thrift shop in Southern California. The dress was hemmed short and put together with tulle skirt underneath to give it volume. The groom wore simply and casual grey.
Headbands were chosen for the bridesmaids, and the groomsmen wore hats.”

VENDOR LIST :

Photographer | Whitewood Studios
Stylist | Stephanie Walker from Love It Again
Decor | Love It Again Vintage Decor Rentals
Bridal Gown | Private Collection
Bridesmaids Dresses | Love It Again Clothing
Makeup | Jenny McKinney

Groom and Groomsmen Attire | Love It Again
Stationary | Love It Again

The post Mad Hatter Theme Styled Shoot | Lost in Wonderland | Weddings Wednesday appeared first on Heirloom Magazine | Vancouver Wedding Magazine.

Nothing excites us more than friends in the industry who branch out in new endeavours; today’s find is exactly that!

Meet the newest Vancouver bow tie fashioner, Tiny Mr , by the owners of the life of the party, Vancouver Photobooth. They offer fashionable accessories for young gentlemen, specialising in bowties, suspenders, and hats for boys sized newborn to 10 years.

Inspired by vintage mens wear, Tiny Mr believe that boys can steal the show when dressed like little gentlemen. Personally, we couldn’t agree more. Who doesn’t love a munchkin in a tie?! 

Their website’s in the making but in the meantime, you can always order from their Etsy site. Be sure to check out their new Spring 2013 collection!

Prepare to be charmed…

The post Vancouver Bow Ties | Tiny Mr appeared first on Heirloom Magazine | Vancouver Wedding Magazine.

As most of you know, Heirloom is currently on the hunt for the next wedding nut to add to our team. That’s right, a Winter Intern whose face and voice you will surely become acquainted with. Well, meet Alicia-Rae. She’s an adorable newly-wed who happens to be a Queen Bee, DIY, vintage junkie. [See her DIY Vintage wedding here] She’s taken some time out of her busy schedule to share with us her idea of the Ultimate Wedding Crafting Tool –  Scotch Duct Tape. Welcome her today, friends and be sure to leave her some love! So without further ado, I’ll pass you off to Alicia-Rae!

I’ve just discovered Scotch’s newest product – colourful and patterned duct tape! This is a necessity for any DIY-bride to incorporate into their wedding designs – it’s fun, inexpensive, bright and colourful. And not to mention, it saves a ton of time and stress. Of course this discovery happened after spending my entire summer hand crafting my entire wedding. If only I had known about this wonderful product, so many of my DIY projects could have been made so much simpler.

There are hundreds of ways to include Scotch Duct Tape in your wedding day, but here are my top five simple, yet super fun and creative projects with Scotch duct tape for all you crafty brides:

1) Add some personality and string some bunting across your invites:

Source: mermag.blogspot.ca

This is my number one favourite craft with duct tape. Choose a patterned tape that matches your wedding’s colour scheme and match it up with some good quality paper for your invites. Have your text printed onto the paper, or if you have tidy enough handwriting – do it yourself! Cut the tape into equal sized triangles, and stick them onto your paper. Next, simply take a sewing machine sew a quick stitch across the tape bunting and voila, you have a very crafty looking invite! If sewing isn’t your forte, draw a dashed line with a thin point black gel pen instead.

If you want to skip any cutting, sewing or drawing just place a strip of patterned duct tape down the side or across the top of your invitation to add a bit of personality and colour after you’ve printed or handwritten them. You could also use the tape to line your envelopes and match them with the tape used on your invites. Simplicity can be beautiful!

Click here for a step-by-step tutorial by MerMag.blogspot.ca

2) Handmade duct tape flowers:

Source: howjoyful.com

With just duct tape, paper, buttons, paper clips, hot glue and an easy pattern to follow; these wonderful creations are easily made into unique bouquets, headpieces, floral embellishments for bridesmaid’s belts, floral arrangements and all sorts of wedding décor. Choose buttons and tape in colours and patterns to fit your theme and pallet. Choose pastel colours for a soft vintage feel, or bright, bold colours for a more modern look.

Click here for a step-by-step tutorial by HowJoyful.com

3) Fun bow ties for the groom:

Source: scotchducttape.com

Although most of the attention will be on the bride, why not set the men apart and give them a bit of the limelight? Create custom made duct tape bow ties for your groom and groomsmen! You can never go wrong with dapper gentlemen in bowties, it’s a timeless look.

For a classy look, choose a chic solid colour (white, grey or black) that pairs well with your bridesmaids dresses and accessories. Or, if your groom is up for rocking a stylish statement, choose a bold patterned or vintage paisley print.

Click here for a step-by-step tutorial by Scotch Duct Tape – simply change the bobby pin for an alligator clip or safety pin so it can be easily attached to their shirts.

4) Embellish your escort cards:

Source: thehaystackneedleonline.com

What a simple way to make already lovely manila tags, even more lovely! All you need to do is take a small strip of the duct tape in a pattern or colour that suits your wedding and place it on diagonally across the center, or even across the bottom, adding so much personality to your cards. Go crazy and use a Martha Stewart ‘Doily lace edge punch’ or this Martha Stewart ‘Birds on a wire edge punch‘ on the tape to give it some more detail.

Click here for a step-by-step tutorial by thehaystackneedleonline.com

5) Jazz up your signature cocktails and appetizers with pennant flags:

Source: 100 Layer Cake

Use Scotch duct tape to liven up the food and drinks served on your big day! This is the simplest craft of all five. All you have to do to add some fun to your appys or signature cocktails is cut a piece of tape that’s twice as long as you want your flag to be, place the top of a straw, toothpick or skewer in the center, and fold the tape over it, then onto itself. Snip the ends into tails to make them into flags.

Click here for a step-by-step tutorial by Martha Stewart

Check out all the colours, patterns and get more project ideas at scotchducttape.com

xo Alicia-Rae | Heirloom Intern Applicant

The post Top Five Simple DIY Projects With Scotch Duct Tape – The Ultimate Wedding Crafting Tool appeared first on Heirloom Magazine | Vancouver Wedding Magazine.