For the picture-perfect wedding, all you need is love, the right man and a beautiful dress. Anyone who has followed this column over the last few months will know that much of the focus has been on the creation and development of my wedding gown by David McCaffrey of McCaffrey Haute Couture. Finally, the big day arrived and all was revealed.
Two weeks before the wedding, I was fitted one last time and then my gown was packaged for the flight from Ottawa to Alberta. A lot of consideration went into designing the dress to ensure that it would play a role in the overall feel of the day. The details of the dress incorporated delicate French lace, a feminine silhouette and elegant accents.
It was important that the dress be versatile. For the church ceremony, the dress was paired with a bolero and a veil with minimal jewelry to give it a classic and graceful feel. At the reception, the bolero was swapped out for a jeweled belt and a statement necklace for a bit more pizzazz.
The train was bustled prior to the reception giving the back of the dress a beautiful cascading effect. It was luxurious, timeless and yet worked with modern elements. A jeweled clutch carried the essentials of the day and a pair of Valentino heels added a hint of glamour. However, at all times, no matter the changes from day to night, the dress maintained the reverence of traditionalism. In addition to that, I wanted the dress to fit in the environment, to respect the glory of the awe-inspiring Rockies and the nature of the area. The décor of the reception emulated rustic elegance with mountain greenery arrangements and centrepieces, pine cone nametags and snow owls to top the wedding cake. Somehow, McCaffrey managed to incorporate that feel and the dress fit in beautifully with all of the natural beauty and the ambience of the day.
The bridesmaids wore purple gowns with beige jackets and carried peony and rose bouquets to match the bride.
The reception was held at Silvertip Resort in a mountain wilderness setting. Every detail was magical right down to the ice sculpture created for the day, a replica of the Three Sisters Mountains in Canmore, from which ‘something old’ and ‘something blue’-themed drinks flowed.
It’s hard to believe how much work goes into one day. However, equally amazing was the creative dress-making process, witnessing step-by-step how a concept became a magical wedding gown reality.
SOURCE IT
BRIDE’S GOWN, BOLERO, JEWELED BELT & VEIL: McCaffrey Haute Couture
BRIDE’S SHOES: Valentino
PHOTOGRAPHY: Jason and Deborah Ransom
RECEPTION VENUE: Silvertip Resort Canmore
CEREMONY VENUE: St. Michael’s Anglican Church
DÉCOR & FLORALS: Gunn Interiors
STATIONARY: Someone Letterpress Printing
Send Alex your fashion & style dilemmas to Alexandra@OttawaLife.com
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Alexandra Gunn is the Life & Style reporter for Sun News Network.
