I had such a blast at the Wedluxe Show 2013 and in Part 1 of the blog post I shared photos of inspiration for accessorizing your wedding from a slick see-through DJ table to gorgeous hair fascinators. In this Part 2 of the blog post, I’m sharing two things I love – cake and stationary!

I really liked the styles of designer Sarah from Hip Ink. The stationary was colourful and bold, with both custom and signature collection options for couples. This softer invitation featured above would be so perfect for a destination wedding!

Who doesn’t love the luxury stationary from Palettera? Always taking a step beyond the expected, Deborah’s team designs stationary that is anything but ordinary. Imagine receiving this lucite and gold foil piece of artwork as your escort card?? Talk about making a statement.

On to the baked goods! At the Arcadian Launch party, I had the pleasure of tasting (way too many of) the totally delish pastries and cupcakes from Bobbette and Belle. They don’t disappoint here with their artisan pastries at the show, almost too beautiful to eat. I absolutely LOVE their macarons.

Nadia Cobella‘s hand-painted cakes made me stop in my tracks. I could tell right away that a lot of time and love went into them. Just gorgeous!

I loved that Ida from The Cake Museum was not afraid to go beyond the expected whites and pinks of wedding cakes to create this themed collection. There was even a bleeding cake! It goes to show you cakes can be fully custom made, from theme to execution (let your imagine run wild!).

Connie Cupcake had a fabulous 360 display that showcased really romantic floral-inspired wedding cakes. I love the ruffles and soft details of them!

Last but definitely not the least, Cake Opera does not disappoint with this stunning display of artwork. Decadent yet artistic, these cakes are sure to wow the crowd at any wedding. Macaron on top of a mini cupcake? Hello, awesome.

Stay tuned for my highlights from the upcoming Wedding Co. Show at the Carlu. This show is all about the hip and urban bride, so I cannot wait to share inspiration to you my hip and urban readers!

Rebecca Chan is a Toronto wedding planner and day of wedding coordinator providing sophisticated planning for the modern bride. Whether you need planning assistance or wedding day coordination, Rebecca can help you create your dream wedding day. Contact her today, she'd love to hear from you.

A few blog posts ago you may have read that I was engaged (yay!). It was a super sweet proposal and I couldn’t have asked for anything more! Being the wedding planner that I am, I got what I had hoped for – a “loaner” ring so that I could create my own custom designed engagement ring. Not a lot of ladies get the chance to create the ring of their dreams, so I thought I’d share the process with you here. I had my ring made at the Fair Trade Jewellery Company, an ethical jeweller in Toronto that I had wrote about in a past blog post.

I had something uncommon and very specific in mind… a sapphire engagement ring. I’ll tell you more about the specifics of the design challenge later but first, a bit more about why I chose a sapphire. Though I love the sparkle of diamonds, I had seen so many in my wedding planning industry that I wanted something a little different. Plus I love blues and purples, so I figure getting a coloured stone would be the way to my heart. It also doesn’t hurt that sapphires happen to cost substantially less than diamonds (even though a naturally coloured sapphire is actually more rare than diamonds).

It’s quite difficult to find inspiration for something that doesn’t really exist anywhere else…

Inspiration for the ring

My first consultation was with Ryan Taylor, the co-founder of FTJCo. I had a very specific vision in mind for this ring and I knew his quirky and meticulous personality would be the perfect fit! I brought in a page of images that I had as inspiration (it was actually quite difficult to find inspiration for something that doesn’t really exist anywhere else!). Here were a couple of the images I had found:

Choosing my stone

Since they would design the ring around the stone, they brought in a number of sapphires for me to choose from based on the budget, shape and colour I was looking for. I asked for sapphires that were cushion or oval shaped and in a medium violet hue, something in between blue and purple. It was like Christmas opening up those packages of sapphires one by one. I found one I really gravitated towards in the pile of sapphires and from there the designing was underway.

The design challenge

Not only did I ask for a pretty ring with a uniquely shaped stone, but my one big request was for a wedding band to sit flush with the engagement ring.

This proved to be quite the structural challenge because the stone I selected was a bit larger and longer than most stones, and these usually were designed with a larger base support (looks like a box) and doesn’t allow for a band to sit flush next to it. Many boyfriends buy engagement rings without the thought of what wedding band might match it (so men, take note!). I told him right from the start that one thing that is a must is for the wedding band to sit flush next to it.

It was quite the unique challenge because he needed to elevate it enough to allow for a wedding band but also not for it to be too bulky. It also needed to not tip over so a teeny bit of extra weight had to be accounted for at the base of the ring.

Here was the first AutoCAD drawing Ryan created just to give me a general idea of what it would look like. Looked ok to me, so I said, “go ahead!”

Seeing the wax mold

He then created a wax mould out of the first rendering to again see how the general direction of the ring would look like. Up until then the drawings are fairly abstract so this was helpful. I could see it and touch it, and, most importantly, I could see how it looked like with the stone on it.

Final sizing

Ryan made another rendering (and I’m sure a ton more minor revisions before it got to this point) and another wax mold for final approval. This was also the final sizing of the ring before they finished and polished it off. It was exciting to see the stone on a gold band, it was starting to look real! Once approved, they finished it off and sent it to the bead setter for the small side diamonds to be put in.

My ring!

And then the magical day came… my ring was ready!

Above: Me and my fiance with Ryan Taylor, co-founder of The Fair Trade Jewellery Company.

It was way better than expected and I couldn’t have been happier with the result. Isn’t it pretty?! I LOVE the ring and it was such a unique experience to be a part of the designing process from start to finish. I definitely recommend considering the custom process from FTJCo for your engagement ring. Not only is it an ethical jeweller but you come out with a custom piece that is one-of-a-kind.

**See Rebecca Chan’s mention in Macleans about her engagement ring here.

By the way I am taking 2013 bookings for weddings – planning, coordinating, proposals, you name it. Please email me to set up a time to talk about it. Would love to hear from you – weddings[at] rebeccachan.ca

Rebecca Chan is a Toronto wedding planner and day of wedding coordinator providing sophisticated planning for the modern bride. Whether you need planning assistance or wedding day coordination, Rebecca can help you create your dream wedding day. Contact her today, she'd love to hear from you.

Is it me or is everyone getting engaged left, right and center? With so much talk about weddings, honeymoons and everything in between, I couldn’t help but take a gander at what new goodies I could find on Etsy. I definitely found some awesome stuff. Everything is customizable, as per the usual Etsy finds, which make them even more fun. Enjoy!

A set of Mr. and Mrs. coffee or ice cream spoons. This would make such a charming gift!
From Etsy seller BeachHouseLiving.

Speaking of Mr and Mrs, these would be really cute for whimsical wedding photography.
From Etsy seller pertyfultings.

Another really cute and practical gift for the happy couple that can be customized with names and wedding colours.
From Etsy seller buttonzandbloomz.

Your guests won’t get lost with this cute and practical sign.
From Etsy seller yourethatgirldesigns.

Rebecca Chan is a Toronto wedding planner and day of wedding coordinator providing sophisticated planning for the modern bride. Whether you need planning assistance or wedding day coordination, Rebecca can help you create your dream wedding day. Contact her today, she'd love to hear from you.

Most of us have heard of conflict-free diamonds, made popular by the movie Blood Diamond, and increasingly couples are asking about the origins of their diamonds. Big chain stores offer conflict-free diamonds at a premium, if at all, leaving customers with little option for an ethically sound purchase without breaking the bank. Recently, I stumbled across a jeweller called the Fair Trade Jewellery Company with an answer to this problem, offering both fairtrade and fairminded gold and platinum, as well as the option of fully customizing your ring. Prices are comparable to what you will find in big chain stores and you come out with a ring that you really want.

I stumbled across their storefront on a lunch hour, enticed by their diamonds and bling, and came out with a greater appreciation for what they stand for and impressed by what they offer. I sat down with co-founder and chief designer, Ryan Taylor, about what they do and here is what I found out.

Fairtrade, fairmining and conflict-free assurance (and insurance!)
Fair Trade Jewellery Company is North America’s original certified fairtrade fine jeweller. FTJCo partners with FLO-Cert and Fairtrade Canada (fairtrade.ca and fairgold.org), committing to traditional methods of mining with a low impact on environment. They also ensure that the miners are paid fairly for their work. All the metals come with a certification number that can trace it back to the specific community it came from. For their documentary on Fairtrade Fairmined Eco gold please visit ftjco.com/Fairtrade. Once your metals are picked out, selecting a diamond also comes with peace of mind. All the diamonds purchased at their store are mined in Canada, governed by world class standards to ensure they are mined fairly and legally. All of these diamonds purchased from FTJCo include jewellery insurance (how sweet right?). In fact, the first year’s premium is on them and include everything from theft to damage.

Customize your rings for a personal touch
Not only can you get a piece of jewellery that is socially and environmentally sound, FTJCo also customizes rings to a couple’s liking. This is a great way for a couple to create ‘matching’ wedding bands with a secret engraving or stone put into the rings. If you have an intricate engagement ring design, ask them to create something that will match it. Or perhaps you have a diamond ring that has been passed down in your family and you want it made into a fabulous modern ring for your girlfriend? This can be done here too, with no extra cost for using your own diamond (not many jewellers will let you do this!).

Fully custom build your ring
FTJCo prides themselves on custom building rings. A couple can come in and create get their rings from scratch. That means the designer will work with you to sketch out a design, create a custom mold for your ring and fire it up. Create something truly unique or come up with the design of your dreams that you haven’t found anywhere else. Like a tailor, they will work within your budget and create something you are comfortable with.

Loaner rings – a great way to propose
Ok so I love many things about this store already, but this one is the kicker. Say you’re a (smart) guy and want to give your hope-to-be fiance the pleasure of a custom-built ring, but you are unsure where to start and don’t want to risk all the work of creating something she may not like. Purchase a loaner ring for just $200 to propose with, then come in together and let her create the design she really loves. The $200 gets put into your ring balance (minus the cleaning fee) and you can let the store know what your budget is ahead of time so you don’t have to awkwardly talk about finances during the meeting with the two of you there. And how fun it is to anticipate the creation of your designer ring, it’s like two proposals in one. Some people may think this is tacky, but I think it’s so smart. Especially if we’re talking about a girl who knows what she wants and a guy who recognizes that. It really is a win-win situation.

The experience
My guess is that the experience of purchasing a ring here will be very different than at a Tiffany’s or at a Birks store. The designer of your ring will be much more invested in your customer satisfaction than a sales person who has moved on to their next commission. Not only will a couple come out with a ring that is unique in it’s commitment to positive change, but unique in its design too. And again, very comparable prices, especially for a ring that can be customized to your liking with fairtrade and fairmining practices.

I think I’m sold. What a great alternative for couples and individuals looking to make a purchase that reflects their values and commitments. Especially for what is such a big purchase for some people, you want to know that you made the right choice. Time for you to drop into the store and see what they’re about!

Couples and individuals wishing to make an appointment can do so here: http://ftjco.com/visit

Photos courtesy of FTJCo.

Rebecca Chan is a Toronto wedding planner and day of wedding coordinator providing sophisticated planning for the modern bride. Whether you need planning assistance or wedding day coordination, Rebecca can help you create your dream wedding day. Contact her today, she'd love to hear from you.