The quest for the perfect engagement ring – An exclusive interview with Maison Birks

When it comes to picking an engagement ring, so many emotions and thoughts come to mind. Will I love it 5 years from now? (or if you are a guy reading this: will she say yes when she sees the ring?) Should I go for more carats or clarity? What cut is the most beautiful?

There is such a large selection of cuts, settings and colours of engagement rings out there that making a clear decision can be a real challenge. I had the opportunity to meet with Canada’s premier jeweller, Maison Birks, and asked them all the questions you would want answered when searching for the perfect ring!

Birks Square Phillips platinum emerald-cut / Birks Pure Desire Yellow diamond pavé

Top 10 Romantic movies for Valentine's Day

With your big day on the horizon, you and your fiancé may be looking for simple ideas to celebrate this Valentine's Day together. But low-key doesn't necessarily mean unromantic! 

As a big fan of Hollywood love stories and a hopeless romantic myself: I put together a list of my Top 10 (I promise you'll cry) romantic movies. Paired with a couple ideas to set the mood, this February 14th, enjoy a movie marathon night snuggled up on your couch with your honey. Happy Valentine's Day!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO SET THE MOOD:

1. Popcorn (Make it yummier with this caramel popcorn recipe) 
2. A bottle of wine or bubbly
3. A big blanket
4. A few scented candles
5. A kleenex box

TOP 10 MOST ROMANTIC MOVIES:

Descriptions and ratings by IMDb

#1: 

The Note Book (2004) 

A poor and passionate young man falls in love with a rich young woman and gives her a sense of freedom. They soon are separated by their social differences. 8.0/10

Wedding Color Palettes 2014: Radiant Orchid

One of the first things you should check off your wedding-planning list is picking your wedding colors and style. Although it may be hard to make a decision, you should make your final choice no later than 6-8 months prior to your wedding. Remember that many details on your wedding day will include your colors and therefore, you will not be able to move forward without making this important decision.

But I get it! You may love 3 different colors that don't go well together or maybe your favourite color doesn't mix well with your venue. To add on to that, you may spend hours on Pinterest pinning all sorts of things with different color schemes... At the end of the day, you may find yourself overwhelmed with so many options.

Enters Pantone, to save the day! Every year, they launch a color that sets the trends for the new year.
If you like pinks and purples, you will be happy to know that the Pantone Color of 2014 is Radiant Orchid, a beautiful encounter between fuchsia and purple. It is definitely a color suited for a wedding, whether in the spring, summer or fall. Check out my 4 different color combos, pin them and tell me which one you like best below!

Photos: Pinterest   

2014 Essentials for Brides

Happy 2014 beautiful brides!

I wanted to start the year by sharing with you some of my favourite items to help you embrace your time as a bride-to-be. Getting-hitched is not an easy process and it can be quite stressful at times, but in the preparation to this day, you get to pamper yourself and pick pretty girly things to beautify your world so that you look and feel absolutely gorgeous on your wedding day! 

Holiday nails for brides

The Holiday season is here, and if you're newly engaged, this means showing-off your beautiful rock at every Holiday party on your calendar. Pretty manicures will be a must to complement and show-off that ring. Here are a few festive Essie nail polish combinations I tried and loved. 

Enjoy and happy holidays! xox

Elegant Wedding Show

Favourite findings at the Elegant Wedding show

Glamorous, luxurious and grandiose: 3 words to describe the beautiful creations presented at the Elegant Wedding show which took place last Sunday at the Windsor Hotel. Accompanied by my newly engaged friend, we entered the grand ballroom and were immediately greeted with pink cocktails. Glass in hand, we visited every vendor, asked hundreds of questions and of course, we feast our eyes with all the gorgeous wedding ideas displayed on site.

25 questions to ask your wedding venue

Hi brides-to-be! Today, I want to give you a list of things you should ask your venue before signing your contract. After all this is where you will spend the most mula! So here's the list of questions you should have in your back pocket everytime you do a site visit.