It’s a trend that’s on the rise, and when we started to think about it, the only way to get a real appreciation for modern boudoir photography was a trip to the front of the camera. When the opportunity came up, our stunning Wedding Show Coordinator and current bride-in-residence, Stephanie Gareri, volunteered to go the front lines, as it were, for a first-hand experience of what it’s like to strip down and oil up for a private boudoir session with photographer Josée, from Élisir. Stephanie also agreed to be interviewed about the process:

The Wedding Co.: Sooo… how did it go?
Stephanie Gareri: It was awesome, loved the experience.

TWC: What did you anticipate most about the shoot?
SG: I was definitely apprehensive about being totally nude in front of a complete stranger. It’s quite rare we bare all and strut in front of the lens. When I look through my baby albums I rarely had clothes on and loved every minute of it. I was really comfortable before puberty and learning about body image!

TWC: How did you prepare?
SG: As per Josee’s instructions, I lathered my body with cream about three times each day for a week, I also found a great DIY-face mask recipe for the night before so my skin would be glowing and detoxified (1 TBSP of honey and a 1 TBSP of oats). I wish I would have gone and had my nails done.

I find it awkward to be the centre of attention so I coaxed myself into being open to Josée and leaving all my inhibitions at the door. Curiosity also played a role, who doesn’t want to know what they look like naked?

My goal was to embrace the feeling of naked freedom I had as a child while injecting some sexiness and losing my inhibitions to achieve some creative and beautiful pieces of art that both my fiancé and I could enjoy.

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Last weekend at The Gladstone, an historic, boutique hotel on Queen West in Toronto, The Puzzle Room {one of the hotel’s thematically decorated rooms}, became the site for a boudoir marathon.

Ellen Ho, a successful wedding and portrait photographer in Vancouver began shooting boudoir photography almost a year ago when she and Ai Nagasawa, a freelance MAC makeup artist began experimenting with models in a modern boudoir environment. Now, Ho’s boudoir marathons – weekend-long photoshoots of men, women and couples – have become highly popular and while October marked her first Toronto marathon, she’s already planning a return visit.

Considering the increasing popularity of boudoir photography, Ho says she’s always surprised when people don’t understand what it’s really about and she loves to challenge the preconceived notions of vanity and shyness that people have about ‘undressed’ photography and she prefers to suggest that one’s lifestyle and personality can be beautifully exposed during a boudoir session. She loves witnessing when her client’s perspective changes and they go from feeling self-conscious to feeling sexy.

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Planning a fabulous wedding night away from home before you jet off to a honeymoon or head back to work? Consider these three things before you book your room: the hotel’s location, services and style. The first is obvious, don’t pick a spot that’s a long way from your wedding site especially when that night isn’t the start of the honeymoon, but a bridge between the two. The other two criteria, however, need a little more attention:

The Drake's Sky Yard: movies & cocktails under the stars

Last week, we toured The Drake, a boutique hotel that takes its tagline: “Hot bed for culture”, seriously but with tongue in cheek. Previous experiences at the hot spot’s lively lounge had promised unexpected delights and a hotel with a mandate to serve every patron a side of uptown and downtown culture with their stay. However, the tour made it very clear that to appreciate the full experience of any specialty hotel, one needs to already somewhat appreciate what it has to offer. This is especially true on a wedding night when you likely aren’t staying long but want a memorable and very positive experience. Luckily, in a city like ours, with so many luxury and boutique hotels to choose from, a little research will get you exactly what you’re looking for.

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Oh, how we love those beautiful moments before the rush and busy of the wedding day when wedding parties gather to dress.

Wedding photographers often get that moment with their individual brides and grooms as they prepare for their big day and the photos are often some of the most beautiful and personal. There’s often a lot of emotion flying around and laughter, tears and nerves are all very much present but something always changes when the dress or the suit jacket go on – those clothes become very symbolic of the purpose of the day and add this invisible layer of protection to their wearer, it’s an incredible and sexy transformation.

Photos courtesy of stillmotion photo + cinema

What’s better than {relatively} locally produced bedding? A Canadian company where the sole object is to provide lovely, locally produced bedding with a super easy to use website AND a whole lotta humour, that’s what. If you care about who you’re getting into bed with when you register, slipping under the duvet with BED is 100% safe, and you’re doing good for the environment, and the economy, too!

Making and retailing their own brand of cozy threads, Bed has been a faithful partner to the masses for 10 years. Their stripe and printed collections for duvet covers are limited {love the Blue Marrakesh} but their solid basics are a visual delight to scroll through, and everything is sold separately. Registry is simple and straightforward, for you and your gift-buyers and because the company has such a small, hands-on feel, they’ll even let your friends know if you are going to take care of the shipping, or if you’ll be picking gifts up to save them the freight costs.

We suspect the company is a fantastic bed partner.

Bed
2151 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6K 1N7
1.877.736.3482 (604.736.3482 in Vancouver)
info@bed-online.com

It’s all in the details, or so we’ve been told and planning your first breakfast as a married couple might seem waaay down on the priority list but when you think about it, it’s pretty important.

Thinking about spending time in bed, I began to wonder about that ultimate first the one that’s potentially the first private meal a married couple would eat together. Whereas my bottomless mimosa, the perfect banana and French toast with plenty of real maple syrup was a struggle to come up with and felt rather unsatisfactory, my colleagues didn’t need a second to nail down their ultimate ‘first’ meal. The conversation was so rapid fire, it felt like a rehearsed moment of a movie, rather than real life….

The scene opens with three women at a table, each with some kind of notebook or calendar and pen at their fingertips.

Stephanie Wright: So, your ultimate breakfast in bed would be …
Catherine Lash: Coffee, a croissant you don’t need butter for, and strawberries {pause} milk and sugar [for the coffee] {pause} oh, make it a chocolate croissant.

{Longer pause}
The coffee cup has to be beautiful and the whole thing needs to be served on one of those
{She gestures with her hands for us to understand the concept of the legged tray}
Stephanie Gareri: {Nodding, already 100% sure of her own answer}
I’m a bacon and eggs kind of girl
CL: Even in bed?
SG: Yup, I’d have Prosecco and a strawberry, eggs cooked through, rye toast, a spinach salad and coffee
CL:Oh, I’d want Prosecco too, with raspberries

{A pause}
CL: But really, I’d love to reenact the Breakfast at Tiffany’s coffee and croissant in front of Tiffany’s.
SG: Oh, me too!

Hungry yet? What’s your best breakfast  – in bed or out?

“Sunday Morning” Photo by Elena Kovyrzina

This week, The Daily News gets sexy, {un}dressed and laid-back … in the bedroom.

Inspired by the super sexy gowns Catherine saw last week, we’ve embraced our own sexy side and we’re spending this week ‘in the bedroom’ – from getting dressed moments before the walk down the aisle, to selecting the perfect spot for your first night together to taking it all off in front of a camera for modern boudoir photo shoot.

Photo courtesy of stillmotion photo + cinema