Cynthia Martyn Events Style Blog

Bridal Beauty: 5 Steps to Look Your Best

Reprinted from our ChickAdvisor.com bridal series.

The Big Day.  You have far too much on your plate, but still need to look fresh and gorgeous for the aisle walk to the reception and the wedding night!  Get your bridal beauty routine together by taking a few easy steps to ensure healthy and glowing skin.  Here are my best tips to ensure you are in top wedding form:

The Facial
A facial will give you that new bride "glow".  Fresh & dewy is what it is all about, but remember that facials can bring dirt and debris to the skin's surface, so make sure you have yours at least a week before the wedding, or better yet, start a monthly facial routine starting 3 months prior to the big day!

Tried-and-True Beauty Routine
Don't start a drastic new beauty routine right before the wedding.  If your fair skin has never seen the sun, don't start now with a dark tan the day before your wedding.  You want to look natural and beautiful, not like you have been baking on the beach.  Give yourself a healthy glow by using a little bronzer instead, and if you must tan, wear sunscreen!  You don't want to look like a lobster in that stunning gown.

A Healthy Diet
Nothing is more drying than alcohol, so for a week or two before the wedding, try to limit your consumption.  Drink lots of water to hydrate, and eat your veggies!

Bridal Beauty Kit
A few days before the wedding, pack a few essentials to carry in your clutch:  waterproof mascara, a face primer (it will keep foundation in place), translucent powder, and oil blotting paper are all essential to get rid of shine.  A lip gloss, a neutral lipstick and lipstick brush will keep your lips primed, and don't forget hair pins, a small brush, and some hair spray to tame your windswept tresses.

Muster Up Some Bridal Zen
For many brides, planning a wedding can be extremely stressful and that can wreak havoc on your hair, skin, and nails.  Try to slow down, breathe, and relax.  Reducing your stress level will drastically improve your appearance, so delegate tasks to friends and family, and take time for you!  You'll be glad you did when you see those gorgeous photos after the honeymoon.

Tracy & Daniel's Summer Garden Wedding at Graydon Hall Manor

It is always a pleasure to plan a wedding for clients who have booked Toronto's Graydon Hall Manor for their wedding.  Tracy & Dan's June wedding was no exception.  Spectacular weather, glorious gardens, and a lovely bride & groom made for a perfect day.  The couple's colour palette of navy, sage green and ivory was so fresh, and little touches of pine cones here and there were an homage to the couple's family cottage north of the city.  I just love the images of the flower girls below, they were so precious!

Thanks to Laura Jane Petelko for always gorgeous images, and Stemz for beautiful florals.  Michael Coombs from Prodigy Entertainment kept guests on the dance floor and partying until early morning!

Jenn & Mike's Orange Crush Wedding (Pro Shots!)

Super-talented photographer Jodi Renee was so kind to send me these fun images of Jenn & Mike's wedding at the Toronto Hunt Club in May.    I love doing modern tent weddings - we brought in an 18 foot illuminated orange plexiglass bar which was a beautiful focal point in the otherwise white tent....

Love Is Sweet: Michelle & Matt's Waterside Wedding

Michelle & Matt tied the knot on a stormy Saturday in May.  As if on cue, 15 minutes before their ceremony was to begin at Toronto's Palais Royale the skies started to clear, and the sun came out just as they were saying their vows!  Spring is such a marvelous time to get married in Toronto - so many gorgeous flowers start to make their way into the market - cherry blossoms are one of my favourites, and we were lucky enough to have lovely branches for the ceremony backdrop and on the head table. And, what about those peonies - so pretty!  Thanks to Stemz for the beautiful florals and Laura Jane Petelko for her amazing photographs.  See detailed shots of Michelle & Matt's decadent sweet bar below this post as well!

 

Candy is Dandy, But Liquor is Quicker...

Thanks so much to Laura Jane Petelko for her beautiful photos of Matt & Michelle's Sweet Bar, which was so much fun to design! More pics of the wedding coming soon.

Choosing the perfect song for your first dance.

I am honoured to announce that I am partnering with ChickAdvisor.com on a brand new wedding series that will run on their fantastic website over the next year.  Each month a new article will appear with tips and ideas for creating the wedding of your dreams.

The first article just went live this week - hopefully we will be able to help some Summer 2009 brides with choosing the perfect song for their first dance.    Click HERE to read the first installment!

Luxe Details from T & M's Winter Wedding

Just thought I would showcase a few of the amazing professional shots I received not too long ago from the esteemed Toronto photography team at Ikonica. These images are from T & M's beautiful late Winter wedding in Toronto.

Such a warm, inviting feeling in the cozy restaurant, with soft pinks, peaches, ivories and pale greens, all with a French flair.  I adored the bride's dress - ruffles and lace and so pretty, just like the Croquembouche wedding cake encased in a spiral of sugar.  Enjoy!

J & M: Cool Blue and Citrus Orange at the Toronto Hunt Club - Part 4

The Candy Buffet:

My favourite lollipops!

J & M: Cool Blue and Citrus Orange at the Toronto Hunt Club - Part 3

Head Table


We printed custom paper bands for each vase to match the menus and table #'s:


Ceremony Standard:

J & M: Cool Blue and Citrus Orange at the Toronto Hunt Club - Part 2

The Dining Room & Guest Tables

 

J & M: Cool Blue and Citrus Orange at the Toronto Hunt Club - Part 1

Here are a few shots of  J+M's beautiful, fresh wedding at the Toronto Hunt Club this past Saturday.  I absolutely loved working with this modern, clean palatte - a backdrop of crisp white, with shades of orange and blue.  So fun!

Seating Card and Photo Display Trees

Lounge Seating in the Dancing & Bar Tent
Carnation & Mitsumata Bar Arrangements

Eco Spotlight: Bash Eco Events

Stumbled across Bash Eco Events this evening, and loved Paige Anderson's site and imagery.  Beautiful work!  Wonderful to see an event company dedicate itself to eco friendly suppliers, and donating directly to eco causes.

I Cry At Weddings

Michelle + John Highlights from StillMotion on Vimeo.

I really do....even though I am "working" on a wedding day, I become emotionally invested in my clients from the minute I start working with them - and after the ceremony, and after the wedding dinner, it's typically the bride and groom's speech that gets me every time. Last year I worked with a lovely couple - Michelle & John.  On the wedding day, Still Motion presented their "Love Story" video during their reception, which completely reduced me to tears - it was so moving.  There was not a dry eye in the house.  I just happened to be on Still Motion's blog today, and realized that they had posted Michelle & John's wedding day highlight video, which completely had me teary-eyed again.  Michelle & John's heartfelt and touching speech was the backdrop for the beautiful imagery of the day. The ceremony was at University of Toronto's Knox College Chapel, with a reception to follow at The Faculty Club.  Enjoy!

T+M: A French Inspired Wedding at Auberge Du Pommier

Bastian+Skoog Part II

More stunning flowers from my fave floral designer Bastian+Skoog.

Blue & Red by Bastian+Skoog

Minneapolis floral design duo Bastian+Skoog are simply amazing.  Not only is their website  drop-dead gorgeous, their floral design speaks for itself.  Just look at this lovely wedding using red & tiffany blue.  Love this combo!

On Top of the World

Just found these amazing photos. from a wedding I planned for Scott & Andrea back in the Fall of 2007 on top of the Craigleith Ski Hill overlooking Georgian Bay.  Such a beautiful day!  Enjoy the pictures courtesy of Isis Photography.  I loved the bride's rubber boots!

 



 

Handmade Escort Cards

When I picked up a copy of the newest Martha Stewart Weddings magazine this month, I was immediately drawn to a beautiful wedding for Jennifer Hoverson of PurlSoho.com a fantastic fabric resource in NYC.  One of her {many, many, many} beautiful wedding details were these lovely escort cards made from fabric carried in the shop.

I loved it so much I had to Google to find out more details about these beautiful tags!  Sure enough, the designer behind these cards is Brooke Reynolds of Inchmark. Brooke is a former Senior Art Director for both Martha Stewart Living and Martha Stewart Kids, so the stylish nature of this wedding project will come as no surprise!  Brooke has actually posted a template for the tags in her blog post HERE.  The beauty of these is that they can be used as escort cards, or holiday gift tags, or anything else you can think of.  I love using fabric for events - and this is a great new way to incorporate a splash of colour.

image via http://blackeiffel.blogspot.com

Stamping Around

Love these rubber stamps from The Paperwink. These would be adorable for your invitations and reply envelopes.  $18.00 each, makes these an affordable indulgence and a bit of style for your mail.  I would even use these on my hydro, water, gas bills etc.  Whose says bill payments can't be beautiful too?

Cynthia Loves..... Macarons!

I was so excited to see these beautiful french delicacies from Bobbette & Belle, a new macaron company based in Toronto!  I was never able to find a great local source for these sweet treats until now, and the colours and packaging are to die for!  Bobbette & Belle was launched by Toronto-based custom cake designer Allyson Meredith and pastry chef Sarah Bell, and this dyanamic duo has put together a great product, and a beautiful website.   The petite treats are priced at $2.00 each (excluding packaging) make a wonderful addition to your wedding sweet table, or better yet, take advantage of the extra sweet packaging options and design a lovely guest favour that is sure to wow your guests!