Be Our Guest

I seem to have reached the age and season where my Facebook newsfeed is filled with pictures and posts of beautiful summer weddings. I haven't gotten to attend any myself but I know my time will come! In the meantime, I've been practicing for the eventual day, watch. Ahem.

Hi there :) Congratulations and thanks so much for having me!  Your dress is gorgeous and the venue is simply breathtaking.

Dress from Club Monaco
Nude Pumps from Prada pre-loved

Watch from Burberry preloved
Silver Ring from Pandora
Gold Ring from my grandmother
Chloe bag from my mom

beautiful backdrop

What?? One of your bridesmaids is suddenly sick?  And you want me to step in? Oh my goodness, well, anything I can do to help!

including putting some leaves in my hair

All kidding aside, I had the honour of being a bridesmaid for my friends' wedding back in March and it was an absolutely incredible experience to be a part of their special day.
If I could've changed one teensy weensy thing, it'd be the weather! It snowed pretty heavily on the day of the wedding, and the group photo shoot (which was outdoors, in nothing but a bridesmaid dress + heels!) turned into a real test of my Canadian-ness.

These photos were taken in the Distillery District in downtown Toronto. I've been a few times before for Doors Open, Summerlicious, and of course, the annual Christmas Market, but this was the first time that I came just for a photoshoot. The powers that be must've been smiling down on me because the stunning backdrop pictured above was apparently set for an actual wedding! It was empty when I stumbled upon it (save for a handful of tourists that were taking selfies) but when we walked by later, there was a wedding ceremony taking place.

The decorated courtyard aside, the Distillery District is a great place to take a sunny afternoon stroll, browse through a few quaint boutiques, and enjoy a nice cup of coffee.  I haven't been to Europe (yet) but Nick sitting at this cute little outdoor table just gave me all the vibes of some small cafe in Italy.  And since he owns nice clothes now (you're welcome dear) he gets a photoshoot too :P

Shirt from Denim & Flower
Shorts from RW&Co
Boat Shoes from Cole Haan

foreshadowing on the table

Watch from St Lawrence flea market

There are a number of art installations in Distillery District, which is one of the reasons it's a hub for tourists and Instagrammers, but one of the installations is a giant glass panel outside the cafe where Nick bought this coffee. As we were shooting, I heard a thud and Nick yelled, "did you see that!" I didn't but he ran over and picked up something small from the ground.

It was a little bird that had slammed into the glass pane and was too dazed to fly.  Nick brought it  away from the heavy foot-traffic area and we sat on a bench until it felt better and flew away (but not before pooping in Nick's hands -- twice).

There are few things in the world that warms my heart the same way as watching Nick gently cradle this tiny creature in his hands. Ladies, this is how you know he's a keeper :')

seriously are you a Disney princess

On the topic of animals, this other thing that Nick and I have been doing a lot of lately is meeting dogs on the street and taking photos of them. Meet Maddy, with her perpetually derpy tongue.

 And also Bubba, who is still just a baby!!

A little bit on my outfit and tying it back to my last post, my nude pumps (Prada) and watch (Burberry) were both bought pre-loved. While I don't intentionally follow brands, I definitely appreciate the history of quality and style of those classic fashion icons -- but I can't really justify the pricetag. However, I'm in a number of Facebook for-sale groups and found that there are lots of people re-selling their luxury items. A common reason for shoes specifically is that they were bought and worn once for a wedding (haha) and then never again! And second-hand items go for a heckuva lot less than brand new, but you either have to be constantly vigilant or know what you're looking for because the good deals get snatched up pretty quickly!

Hope you enjoyed these photos! Thanks for reading :)