A Gown for just one day?

Imagine having a gown inspired by haute couture royalty; Valentino, Christian Lacroix, Oscar de la Renta, Dior? Or bridal royalty the likes of Reem Acra, Badgley Mishka, or Vera Wang? Or Canadian designers Justina McCaffrey, Ines Di Santo, or Ramona Keveza?

Imagine taking the first steps of your family's life in a gown that in every detail reflects who you are, and what you want to be.

Imagine having that same feeling every time you look at your wedding photos.

And. . . Imagine telling the story of having your gown custom designed as you unpack a perfect silk gown, holding it in your hands and gazing into a mirror, your reflection is an image from 30 years earlier!

Then, imagine handing that perfect gown to your daughter.

These images are my wish for each of my brides.

You see I have experienced each of these moments but the last. I have even modeled my gown for my two wide-eyed beautiful daughters. It's a thrill for me to share our wedding photos, let them hold my gown and tell the story of the day their family began.

My passion for designing and creating this first step of family history started as a fascination with historical homes. As a young child I would visit family and friends in their huge Georgian or Victorian homes that were common in my home province of New Brunswick.

I would be fascinated by the crown mounding, and ornate ceiling plaster work that were miles above my head. The fact that the bedrooms didn't have closets, but armoires. The amazing graceful curved staircases decorated with perfectly detailed woodwork - and the best hand railings for sliding down! Rooms that led into another room through tall heavy doors, each one adorned with a gleaming glass doorknob. These things inspired me to imagine what it was like to have lived there when the house was new. Ladies rustling around in their taffeta skirts, having tea and working on needlepoint samplers.

How I loved climbing those stair cases up, up to the attic, not spooky but thrilling. There, keeping secret treasures of family history. We played dress up with clothes from the trunks, had tea with boxes of dishes and occasionally someone got married! Finding old photos of people we knew were family but had never met inspired beautiful daydream and hopes that one day I would be the lady in the picture, being gazed upon with wonder.

I loved the fact that almost every historical home had a room at the top of the stairs - a sewing room, tiny with a narrow window, kept tidy with one chair, a treadle singer sewing machine, a sewing basket and - if they were lucky a beautiful narrow armoir.

I could sew at seven or eight years old, and I discovered this nostalgic notion was never far from my mind as I worked on fabulous Barbie doll outfits. It's through my family history that I had the belief I could provide brides with a step in theirs.

You see my Great Grandmother made dresses for my mother and her four sisters. My grandmother could sew, but I remember her quilting and crocheting most of all. My mother worked from home sewing dresses when I was very young, and she always sewed for my sister, herself and me. Remembering these women, there was never a time when sewing was far from my everyday life and memories. I always believed I could sew whatever I envisioned, because they did.

After many years of school, general dressmaking and creative design projects including fur and leather work, I discovered that bridal design - specifically couture bridal design - allowed me to combine all my interests, abilities and passions. I remember reading once; "couture is like architecture" the techniques are about structure, support, function and perfect details like those beautiful buildings from home.

Creating one-of-a-kind gowns is something "I have to do". Helping brides fulfill their wishes and dreams, allowing them to be the lady in the photograph, "completes the circle", so to say.

Your wedding gown sets the tone for the entire wedding. Taking the first steps of your family's history in a gown that will live forever in your memories and photos is the "once upon a time" of the story you can share with your daughter and grandaughter.

It's not just a Gown for One Day ! It is a gown for your "Happily Ever After".

Fantasy becomes Reality

This is a perfect example of how each client is individual. Inspiration for their gowns came from fantasy.

Racheal's dream was a New Years Eve 2007 wedding. Her theme was inspired by the Cinderella story from the movie "Ever After". What fun for me to help her realize this dream !

The second gown from a scene in the movie"Labrynth". Created as a Graduation gown in 1988.

Each gown is timeless in memories, all that matters is that for one day, the dream came to life !

November 2007

With the Holiday season quickly approching my daughter and I were anxious to make another visit to the Southern Alberta Children's Hospital. Not only were we going to recieve the results of recent tests but we had decided to make a gesture of thanks to the hospital as well.

Grace experienced a terrible broken elbow in May 2007. Within hours of the accident we found ourselves delivered from Strathmore hospital by ambulance to the emergency room of the Children's to awaite surgery. The entire staff guided Grace through this difficult experience with such respect, and caring, I was overwhelmed. She was attened to immediately, by nurses and surgens to ensure the finest care.

Her surgery, care while in the hospital, follow up care and ongoing monitoring will never be forgotten by either of us. As a result of this experience we wanted to make a gesture of thanks to the hospital by donating a collection of Heirloom Christening Dolls I had designed and created some time ago.

This gift was fitting as I was inspired to create the dolls for Grace and her sister Laura. Now these dolls will be purchased for other little girls to cherrish.

Our family is very grateful for the Children's hospital, and care Grace recieved. We are blessed by Grace's continued recovery. The experience has shown us how lucky we were to have Grace come home in a few short days because many of the children we met could not.

Personally, this has been an inspiration to seek out avenues where I can use my skill to help raise funding for the Southern Alberta Children's Hospital.

Wedding Show Feb.2 & 3, 2008

The recent wedding show at the Deerfoot in and Casino was great fun.

We had the opportunity to show several custom gowns from clients of 2007 and to show gowns created for studio promotion.

A visit from Mireille Harris owner of Kontakt West Model and Talent Management was deffinately a highlight, she represents Miss Global Canada / Miss Alberta and Miss Canada Petite. This was a great opportunity for everyone in the show to visit with the title holders and promote!

A special thanks to both gals as they took time to slip into my gowns for an informal photo shoot by Beverly of Orange Glow Photo. The results are truly stunning.