Photographer: Daniel Lalande http://www.danphoto.ca

Nicole donated her dress to us a couple of weeks ago and we’re sure it’ll be headed right back out the door again. It’s perfectly suited to her gorgeous outdoor nuptials:  strapless yet low-maintenance (a bodice that stays put!), beaded overlay, A-line with a sweep train, this dress has it all!

Donating the dress has been a nice trip down memory lane.  I hadn’t looked at the dress or these pictures in awhile and it was great taking a look back.  It was a perfect, perfect day.  I really hope someone else loves this dress as much as I did.

Nicole, we’re sure to find your dress a new home with someone who will love it, too! Our very best wishes to you and Mike for a lifetime of happiness together

Photographer: Daniel Lalande
Website: http://www.danphoto.ca/

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How are the winners determined?

The WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards ™ recognizes the top local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the organization, the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ are awarded solely based on the reviews from over 1.2 million newlyweds. Awards are determined by a combination of four factors: Overall rating (quality), total number of reviews (quantity), review performance from 2011 (recency), and consistency of reviews from year to year (consistency). This year’s recipients represent the top 5% of WeddingWire’s vendor community, across all service categories and all regions throughout the US and Canada.

We are chuffed about the glowing reviews that brides have taken the time to write about us in Wedding Wire. We also appreciate the endorsements from our fellow wedding vendors. We know you have many options for wedding dresses, and we are pleased that you have chosen us. Thank you!

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http://www.darrylschipper.com/

It was a hot and humid day in July when Suzanne said “I Do” to her love, Wayne, in the presence of their family and friends.

We are so very pleased to have contributed to such a happy occasion. Suzanne bought her dress from us and sent an email recalling the fond memories of dress-hunting with her mom and sisters.

I think you have such a great thing going and I was determined to buy my dress from you — I’m thankful it worked out so nicely!

It certainly did! You look gorgeous, Suzanne, and we wish you and Wayne a long life together!

http://www.darrylschipper.com/

http://www.darrylschipper.com/

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National Bridal Show

Once again, The Brides’ Project will have a booth at the Spring Show and we invite everyone to stop by on your way to the cake samples. Say hello and ask questions while you’re checking out vendors and the fashion shows. Brides-to-be are free! All info can be found on their website:

http://spring.nationalbridalshow.com/

See you there!

January 27 – 29, 2012

Location:
Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place

Show Times:
Friday: 5pm – 9pm
Saturday: 10am – 8pm
Sunday: 10am – 6pm

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http://www.kellytheshutterbug.ca/

Julie bought her dress at The Bride’s Project and sent us a fabulous letter after her wedding last autumn:

Hi Helen (and Pom)!

I just wanted to pass along some photos from my wedding. Steve and I were married on October 14, 2011 at the Old Mill in Toronto and my dress couldn’t have been more perfect! Pom did an amazing job on the alterations and I made sure to tell everyone who would listen where I got it – and believe me everyone asked about it

I can’t tell you both how much it means to me that I was able to have the Brides Project part of my wedding. I actually just lost a good friend of mine to pancreatic cancer this past Saturday – it was his third battle in just over 10 years. Although he was too ill to make it to my wedding, I got the chance to share my photos and videos with him before he passed away. He was so thrilled to hear about the Brides Project and the fact that I was able to get my wedding dress there. I showed him a picture of the gown in February after I got it while we were on the way to a chemo treatment, and it really brightened his day to learn about the project. He wanted me to make sure I passed along to you how amazing you both are, and to thank you for volunteering your time for such an amazing cause.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such amazing women – I wish you both nothing but the best!

Julie

These letters make us verklempt, but in a happy way! Thanks for making our work so worthwhile!

Photographer: Kelly Holinshead
Dress alteration: Pom Penner
Venue: The Old Mill

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Tadashi Shoji, donated by a bride

2011 was a banner year for The Brides’ Project in terms of reaching — and exceeding — our goals, and 2012 is going to be even BIGGER!

In 2011 our goal was $60,000, and we (read: YOU) blew that number out of the water and raised over $80,000! This is phenomenal! We have some thanking to do…

First of all we’d like to thank our biggest dress donors, the salons who donate their stock to us. Most of our dresses are brand-new, and brides get fantastic deals here. Our latest salon donor is Sharon at Blushing Brides out of Peterborough, who donated the dress below as well as others.

from Blushing Brides, Peterborough

from Blushing Brides, Peterborough

We’d also like to thank brides who have donated their dresses to us, purchased their dresses from us, and especially those who have done both! We understand there are many choices out there for wedding dresses, and letting go of a wedding dress is not always easy. We promise to take care of your dress, and volunteers at TBP go a long way to find your dress a home in the spirit of which it was donated. Because Toronto is such a fantastically cosmopolitan city, our inventory comes to us from all over the world, which makes shopping here out of the ordinary — not merely because we are a socially-conscious full-service bridal salon.

The proceeds of our dress sales are donated on a quarterly basis and we are very public in our donations, whether it’s the Canadian Cancer Society, Camp Quality, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Prostate Cancer Canada, Terry Fox Foundation, or other related organizations. We want to be clear why we’re a volunteer-run organization: to raise money for cancer charities. This is a win for brides, too, since that means there is no commission-related pressure to buy. We are not fashionistas, we are friendly volunteers, and we are here to match a bride with her dress (and her dress budget!).

Make an appointment to browse our dress selection which is constantly changing, or visit our booth at the upcoming National Bridal Show, January 27-29 at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto. We look forward to seeing you in the shop, and being a small part of your Big Day!

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We don’t have photos of all the gowns, but here are some taken speedily with a phone so you can see a sample of what we’ve received:

B2

B2
Size 12, ivory
Grecian style, asymmetrical neckline with flower pin at left shoulder

Jasmine

Jasmine
Size 12, ivory
Strapless, straight neckline with brooch beading below left shoulder; ruffled throughout from top to bottom

Ronald Joyce

Ronald Joyce
Size 12, ivory
A-line, sweetheart neckline with straps & beaded detail

Make an appointment while the arrivals are fresh, these styles don’t last long in the shop!

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Hello Lovely Brides and Friends of The Brides’ Project!

Just a heads up about our upcoming holiday hours of operation if you are planning to make an appointment soon:

Wednesday, December 21: 4-9pm
Saturday, December 24: CLOSED
Sunday, December 25: CLOSED
Wednesday, December 28: 4-9
Saturday, December 31: 10am-6pm
Sunday, January 1: CLOSED
Wednesday, January 4: 4-9pm

We understand that the holidays may be the *best* time for some of you to shop with us, especially for those coming from out-of-town, so we will be open additional hours BY APPOINTMENT ONLY during the holiday season.

Holiday hours will *not* be captured in the appointment form, so please bear this in mind when you are filling out the form. If you would like to request an appointment time outwith our holiday hours, please put the request in the “Additional Information” field and we will do our best to accommodate you.

In the meantime (we don’t like to put people on hold, but it gets kinda busy ’round here), we have some seasonal entertainment courtesy of our resident kitties to put you in the holiday mood!

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Dear Young Engaged Couples:

If you’re engaged to be married in the next 6 months (in 2012) and are under 21 then we have an amazing opportunity for you to be on a new wedding TV show!

We’re looking for engaged teenagers and young adults of all ethnic backgrounds and from all walks of life (with at least one person 19 and under).

Every budget level is acceptable:
- Do It Yourself wedding
- Theme wedding
- Backyard small wedding
- Large extended family wedding
- Traditional or Wildly Unique
- Glamorous or Country Style
- Home catered or Wedding hall

If you have a big bright personality with a family to match, we’d love to hear from you! Email us at youngnmarried@gmail.com.

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Photographer: Elizabeth In Love

The Brides’ Project isn’t just about wedding dresses, it’s about stories and connections between brides and families and the community at large. We want to share this wonderful story behind these beautiful photos, it’s the best explanation for why we love our little corner of the wedding industry:

I found my dress at The Brides’ Project 15 minutes before you closed. I had tried on a bunch of dresses and was about to give up when one of your volunteers said “why not just try it” about a dress that I had been eyeing but should have been 3 sizes too small. For whatever reason it ended up fitting and I knew it was the one. My bridesmaids, my mom and I had SO much fun shopping since they could be in the room with me. It was the most fun we had in a full day of shopping. One of your volunteers also pulled a veil for me and it was perfect on the first try. They definitely have an eye for what works. I am so happy to be returning my dress so that someone else can love it on their special day.

I’m very happy to have found my dress at The Brides’ Project since I knew the profits were going to many cancer charities. Having had purchased from The Brides Project became even more meaningful to me about 3 months before my wedding when I was diagnosed with a bone tumour. There were a couple weeks that we weren’t absolutely sure what kind it was. Thankfully after surgery it was determined to be benign, and for 2.5 months post major surgery I was non-weight bearing. I started walking 2 weeks before my wedding and with hard work, an amazing medical team and a lot of support, I was able to walk down the aisle and dance the night away without crutches.

Thank you for everything!!! I have recommended The Brides Project to everyone I know.

Marion

For many more photos of the dress, visit Marion’s photographer’s website, Elizabeth in Love.

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The five winners are (in no particular order):

Peter: http://mobro.co/PFriesen
Matt (you may recognize his mo’ — it was the face of our campaign!): http://www.movember.com/m/769484
Paul: http://ca.movember.com/mospace/1392448
Al: http://ca.movember.com/mospace/376236/
Jan: http://mobro.co/redgeckoto

Mad props go to Jan, who created a special promotional video for his Movember campaign. Check it out, it’s a DOOZY!

Thanks to everyone who participated, we’ll see you next Movember!

Movember – Special Announcement from Jan Keck | Red Gecko Productions on Vimeo.

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MUSTache, by Justin Weber

Justin Webster! His mo’ is magnificent! Behold…

So, a reason for taking part in Movember? Well, the fact that it’s for a great cause is obviously everyone’s number one reasoning. Being a guy with a gastrointestinal disease, I understand why guys might feel a little shy going to see the doc. But the fact of the matter is, your health is really all you’ve got. Without it, not much else matters.

Movember’s also a good excuse to have fun and really look as ridiculous as I can. It draws attention and in turn causes awareness. And lets be honest, would you let your boyfriend look like this any other month? My girlfriend wouldn’t and I don’t blame her. Fortunately the two words ‘for charity’ make everything ok.

Justin’s Movember page: http://www.movember.com/m/509855

Congratulations, Justin! Thank you for participating, and watch out for the razor burn!

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Movember Canada

… WHOAAAA… hold your horses, folks, we have a technical problem with sponsoring and will resolve the issue as soon as we can so we can award Winner #5 and the random 5 ‘staches.

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We interrupt the Movember moustaches to post some gorgeous photos from Colleen, who writes:

I wanted to share my wonderful celebration photos with you! Katrina (the dressmaker) was wonderful, and I felt very special in this gorgeous dress!

I will donate it for another bride to enjoy and to contribute to the wonderful cause the brides project supports.

It was truly a pleasure meeting you & your volunteers!

Cheers,
Colleen

Thank you for your generosity, Colleen, and our heartfelt congratulations to the both of you!

Photographer: Carolyn Pongracz, In Bloom Photography
Birdcage veil & fascinator: “Love Headmistress” from I Heart Accessories
Dress: Katrina Davis

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Movember class

And this is what Al had to say,

Three years on in Movember and it’s great to see so many more Mo-Bros and Mo-Sis’ getting on board.  My father has been healthy and cancer free ever since the discovery and treatment of his prostate cancer. It’s essential for conversations to start happening with the men in your lives.   Even with regular physicals prostate cancer can sneak up on you.  Get checked, don’t wait.

As an educator it’s great to be able to encourage the future citizens and leaders of our society about such great endeavours as cancer research and the need for continued support, both financial and simple awareness.  It’s great to hear students tell me that their dad is also growing a Mo this month – they’re the ones who don’t usually smirk or outright laugh at my new facial style.  My class was very eager to don their own Faux-Mos for this pic.

Start conversations, ask your doctor, don’t be shy.  It’s vital that prostate cancer doesn’t go unnoticed.

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This picture was too cute for words, and we feel pretty confident that when the little fella can grow his very own ‘mo’, he’ll make his Dad proud!  Meanwhile, he still gets smooches, and what can we say Mike… the suffering will be worth it with our $1000 donation to your fundraising efforts.

This is what Mike had to say about his participation in Movember:

This is my third year participating in Movember and I hope to participate in many more.  I’m doing this for my father, a prostate cancer survivor; for my grand father, who succumbed to his cancer; and my son (pictured) who will eventually be affected by the genes we’ve passed down to him.  I’ve attached a photo of my mo’ from last season with my son supporting me wearing his falsie.  I’m looking forward to my first kiss in a month.  Thanks for supporting the cause and thanks to those willing to endure the wisker burns.

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Here’s his killer ‘mo’….

And this is what he had to say:

Somebody once said to me “You couldn’t grow a moustache to save your life.”  “That may be true.” I said.  “But, there is nothing stopping me from trying to grow a moustache to save somebody Else’s life.  So, I did.  That was last November, and this year I’m at it again.  Last year I did the standard, cop styled ‘stache.  But, this year I am going for what I call the full-on Morgan Spurlock handlebar. (Morgan Spurlock:- See documentary film maker most famous for “Super size me.”)

When I started the ‘stache people would say to me “Hey growing a moustache, eh?”  And I would reply “Actually, it grows all by itself.  I’m just not doing anything to prevent it from growing or getting any worse.”  I would off-handedly add “I’ve been shaving all around the ‘stache but not really dealing with it directly.”  I think that’s the whole point of Movember.
Nobody would say, “Hey, I notice you have something odd happening below your belt line.”  Anymore than you would retort “Actually, whatever is going on is happening all on it’s own.  I’m just not doing anything to prevent it from happening or from getting any worse.”

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Movember cookie moustache

As the webmaster for The Brides’ Project, I encourage everyone to support men’s health. This website may be for women, but we also want to acknowledge the guys, too. Ladies, there are lots of ways we can support men’s health, from encouraging them to get regular checkups (men are notorious for not going to the doctor) to exercising together to promoting good nutrition. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

(Cookies are not exactly the healthiest food, but you can’t go wrong with a cookie moustache to support Movember! Just don’t have too many of them…)

As you can see by the proliferation of facial hair here, we are in the middle of sponsoring Movember and we’d love to help you gents bump up your fundraising total by $1,000. Just read the instructions (there aren’t many!) and your moustache may turn into a cash ‘stache, the poshest whiskers north of the Mississippi.

Get your entries in!

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Congratulations Robert! We have made a $1000 donation to your fundraising efforts and put you in the Platinum Club!

Here’s a picture of Robert’s mo from 2010, and this is his second year taking part:

Robert had this to say about his participation:

I found out about your incredible organization through my fiancee, who used you to get her wedding dress. I am honoured to hear that you will be supporting Movember, because it’s an undeniably positive contribution to the subject of mens’ health.

I took part in Movember last year to support my brother-in-law’s team, and that was the first time I seriously thought about prostate cancer and the polite conspiracy of silence surrounding it. As the month went on and I noticed more and more hair on other mens’ upper lips (admittedly much more hair than I could muster), the more I admired the Movember project because it gave men a symbol they could wear that says “we don’t talk about our health enough, and we want that to stop.” I’m not a researcher in a public health project like my sister in South Africa, I don’t tend to the dying in a hospice like my sister in Sault Ste Marie, nor can I say that anyone in my family has died of cancer. In fact, prostate cancer never really was a subject I thought about (much less donated to) before I was invited to participate last year. But that has changed, and I  (as well as many other men) only have Movember to thank for that. That’s why I support them.

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Moustache Matt

It’s that time of the year again — time to turn a page in your calendar from October to MOVEMBER!

We’re doubling our Movember donation from $5,000 (in the end it was $5,100) last year to a whopping 10Gs this year. Yes, you heard right: we’re planning our $10,000 donation to Movember 2011… and looking forward to listening to our male counterparts telling us why they participate!

We’ll be offering $1,000 each week for the most compelling story (x5), and then 5 x $1,000 donations randomly assigned based on the order of the email receipt to movember@thebridesproject.com

Let the men in your life know that we support them too!!!

Please ask them to submit:

1. a pic of their ‘mo’ (a more fully formed pic from previous years is acceptable!)
2. their reasons for taking part and supporting the cause
3. a link to their personal fundraising page at Movember Canada

Email those 3 things as a single entry to: movember@thebridesproject.com but only ONE (1) entry per person, please. We can spot a double-mo from miles away, so don’t try it!

Remember… submissions will be lowest in the first week, so to increase their odds of winning, SUBMIT SOON!!! And spread the word to friends, family and colleagues that their guy’s fundraising page will be the envy of moustaches everywhere with a $1,000 boost from The Brides’ Project. Good luck, everyone!

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