Toronto Bride on a Budget

The Bachelorette / September 28, 2016 by Vanessa Larkey

This past weekend I was reminded of two things:

1) A glass of water with every drink is a must when you’re +30

2) I have really fun friends and family.

My sister threw me a bachelorette party last weekend and it was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. Sure, I may be biased. I mean, who doesn’t have a great time at a party thrown in your honour?

I won’t bore you with details about just how awesome it was – I’ll just go over the highlights for any bridesmaids currently planning an epic party for their special friend.

The Night Before

My Mom really wanted in on the bachelorette festivities, but obviously wasn’t into hitting the club at 11 p.m. -- especially on Dateline night. The solution? A visit to the 10 Spot for some mani/pedis with my Mom, future Mother-in-Law and bridal party.

The Pre-Party

My sister wanted to host a pre-party but didn’t want her guests to have to shell out a bunch of cash for dinner and drinks at a restaurant. The solution? She and my bridal party rented a hotel room! Not only do you feel like you’re in high school again (but without the acne problem), but, it also serves as a comfortable crash pad at the end of the night. Plus, your guests can BYOB before heading out to the bar.

Looking to be even thriftier? Book the hotel using points!

The Bride’s Costume

If you know me, you know that I hate drawing attention to myself. That includes the standard bride-to-be bachelorette getup. You know what I’m talking about. The veil. The tiara. The sash. The t-shirt.

My sister knew that, so when my friend Gabrielle offered to make the costume, Kayla heartedly accepted. She knew I wouldn’t be able to say no to wearing something out that a friend had made, and she was right.

At the end of the day I had fun wearing the costume. I think it was because Gabby did such a kickass job putting it together. Annnnnd if you want her to make something for you, let me know and I will connect the two of you!

The Party

It’s been about six years since I last visited El Conveto Rico. The College Street bar has a reputation as a bachelorette haven, but they've really upped the ante since I last visited.

There’s now a $15 cover and ahem, let’s just say they’re cashing in on the Magic Mike craze. At first the amount of pink boas and tiaras can be disorienting, but then you remember, everyone is there to party their asses off and have an amazing night. The amount of women ready to party also cuts down on the amount of creepos that are admitted into the club, which also makes the night more fun. Plus, the drag show at midnight is bound to make anyone smile. Who doesn’t like watching drag performances??

Another great thing about Rico’s was that my entire party was admitted to the bar and people came at all different times of the night. It was great to know that everyone was able to get in without an hassle.

*No photos to protect the drunk and disorderly

The Day After

After spending the morning rehydrating, my sisters and I went to brunch at Figo to dish on the night before and soak up some of that extra booze sloshing around in our stomachs. Afterwards, I realized the three of us have never gone out for brunch together. It was pretty special, and something I hope we continue to do in the future.

Thanks for planning such an amazing night!

Shopping With And For Other People (Bridesmaids) / September 18, 2016 by Vanessa Larkey

Shopping. Browsing. Malls.

Three words that make my eyes glaze over -- especially browsing. Why look at a bunch of stuff you can't afford/don't need? Clearly I'm in the minority on this given the fact Canadian household debt reached a record high of $1.68 for ever dollar of disposable income.

Staggering Canadian debt aside, there are three people that still need outfits for our big day -- my bridesmaids. I've been putting this task off because of my lack of enthusiasm for shopping, and that one of my bridesmaids was pregnant until very recently (she now has a beautiful baby girl!)

With the arrival of Quinn (the newborn) and the rapidly approaching wedding date, 2/3 of team bridesmaids headed to the Eaton Centre in search of cranberry coloured dresses.

The Bay? Nothing. J Crew? Nada. Club Monaco? Nope. H & M? Zilch. We headed to the new Nordstrom at the Eaton Centre where we saw some beautiful gowns at horrifying prices. Not to mention the selection of cranberry dresses was minimal. In fact, that was our issue with each store. Lots of purples, not a lot of cranberry. A couple sales representatives told us it's still a bit early for cranberry coloured clothing -- it's more of an October/November colour.

When we did find a cranberry dress, the consensus on whether everyone liked it varied big time. With each store we went into my patience waned. It probably didn't help that the mall became increasingly busier throughout the morning.

After a quick regroup at the Urban Eatery, we decided that it's best that my bridesmaids go shopping by themselves and pick out a cranberry coloured dress that they're comfortable wearing. Initially I was into the idea of everyone wearing the same dress, but, after watching my bridesmaids try on the same dress and how different it looked on them, I decided against it. I want everyone to feel comfortable.

Plus, it really doesn't matter if everyone is wearing the same dress. Once we've all cleaned up, everyone is going to look and feel good and that's what matters the most.