Shop till you drop - litterally!

"So how do you choose what you bring in to the store anyway?"

Good question. One I should have been more clear on the answer to before I bought this place! lol

I figured I’d get regular catalogues, have minimum orders to meet annually and pick and choose what I wanted as it came out. It turns out that as a retail store owner I have the twice-a-year privilege of driving to Saskatoon to visit all my suppliers and place my orders for the next season. The next season being the one six months away.

Yes, add ‘psychic’ to the list of necessary skills for owning a bridal shop. Or any shop for that matter because apparently many different types of retail stores do this.

Here’s how it works. About 2 months before BuyMart your reps start calling “I’m booking for BuyMart, are you attending this year?” and you haul out your calendar and start filling in appointment slots on the days you plan to attend.

This is not a trade show, not really. You can wander around and view all the great possibilities but only during certain times. Reps book appointments with their standing accounts and those are not to be interrupted for any reason.  As you likely know, my store is open Tuesday to Saturday and my helper works a regular job during the week. So she’s only available to cover after 5pm or on Saturdays. This means that in order to get to Buy Mart I have to close the store, or pack all my appointments into Monday. This doesn’t leave a lot of time for wandering and makes for a crazy full day.

Here’s how it went for me at the most recent Buy Mart, which happened to occur on my son’s first day of school. Nice eh? If I was a more tuned in human I would have realized that before I booked my appointments. But, we made it all work so it’s all good.

First the school thing.

Decided he wanted to take the bus afterall.

Then Tim Horton’s (‘cause a Tim’s double double if for me as required as fuel for the car to do a road trip). And then we are off.

My first appointment was at noon for Bonny Bridal, prom dresses and bridal wear at a hotel near by.Then I needed to zip down to the trade show floor for the rest of my appointments:

2pm for my Calista and JAI rep (more bridal)

3pm for shoe shopping with Sofft and Marc Fisher

4:30 for jewellery

5pm for Spanner business wear

6pm for Mon Cheri and Sophia Tolli (more prom and bridal)

7pm for funky party dresses and great cocktail dresses

8pm was more shoes with Bos. & Co.

A major shopping day!

I decided to bring in reinforcements in the form of my friend Heather. She not only stays on top of current fashion trends, she LOVES shoes.



She wasn't to impressed with having her picture taken though. lol



When you walk in to BuyMart you have to register and then you go into a big hall full of booths full of clothing of every description.

Shoes, jeans, suits, dresses and accessories for all ages, sizes and sexes. Not every company comes to Saskatoon BuyMart. There are bigger events in Edmonton, Vancouver and Chicago. But it’s a little overwhelming and thrilling the first couple of times you attend.

Things were clicking along pretty well until I hit Spanner. My rep Vanessa was running behind as was my rep for Mon Cheri so I zipped out to try and track down burnt orange ribbon for a fix we were doing on a flower girl dress. That meant a trip across town to Fabricland. It was a success but took close to an hour! Much longer then I had expected.

The shift in appointments threw everything else off in a big way. If you love to shop this event is a blast. I do NOT love to shop and by the time 8pm rolled around I was fried. When I finally got out of there I was one of the very last buyers left and it was after 10pm. And I had to drive home! 

Michelle is great, she stays late and lets me eat fries while we book my purchases!

All and all the day was successful. February’s new stock and samples were chosen, Grad gowns will arrive starting in October and my trunk arrangements were made for the big Grad Gala 2012 November 6. I’ll have close to 80 gowns at that event, including Tony Bowls gowns! I am super excited! 

Your look behind the scenes for today. Cool eh?

Sit back and enjoy the show!

We did a little fashion show this past weekend. Nothing extravagant, five girls with four different outfits each. But the great thing was we did it at the city’s open air market. This made for a fun, casual, and positive atmosphere to help get the word out that we have business wear – our primary goal.

I’m still working on how to reach people through internet and traditional media. Experimenting with what reaches who and how effective the reach is. But one of the things I learned through many years of Tupperware sales is thinking outside the box. Hunting down and taking advantage of the opportunities there are out there for a small business owner with no money to get the word out.

A great way is public venues like the city’s open air market. Vendor’s pay $20 for the season, book their tables on the weeks they want to work them and the city publicises the market like crazy in an effort to build a great event. It’s good for the vendors, it’s good for the city and the trickle down to the brick and mortar store fronts close to the event is slow but sure.

So I gave the coordinator a call and said “Can I do a fashion show as part of the afternoon’s entertainment?” and she said “That’s a great idea!” There were about 40 – 50 people there. We handed out 20 discount cards to people who were interested in what we were showing tenough to accept them and a small impact was made.

I had thought it would stop there.

I was THRILLED to discover I had caught the Saturday where the city’s event photographer was in attendance and they posted photos of the show on their face book page. I was even more thrilled to hear that the photographer from a local weekly paper was also there and they will be doing a ‘city events’ piece mentioning the show as well!  Suddenly my little 20 outfit show is reaching thousands of people. Since my primary goal was awareness, that’s a huge huge marketing win for my little store.

So, for those of you unable to be at Market Square last Saturday, here is most of the show, with commentary!   (Not knowing the photographer was there the first couple of girls missed out, but once we were told to wait for pictures they caught all the rest.)

“Hello everyone and welcome! Thanks for taking the time view our fall fashion collection brought to you by Unforgettable - Bridal, Business, Party and Prom. They are so much more then wedding gowns and wanted to give you a taste today of what you can find there to help you update your wardrobe as the weather cools.

Let’s start off with some beautiful tops. These wardrobe must haves can be worn with jeans, dress pants or skirts to create the perfect look. The models have paired tops from Unforgettable with their own jeans and skirts to show how versatile these tops can be.

Not ready to let go of summer, Jackie has a great 3/4 sleeve top with stone detailing by Spanner. Perfect for Saskatchewan’s changeable fall weather.

Catherine is showing off a cute ruffle neck white top. Part of our Spanner collection, when matched with jeans and strappy sandals this is a very versatile look. Unforgettable has several different styles button down tops available.

Melissa is wearing another of our 3/4 sleeve tops from Spanner. The silver bling at the collar makes this a unique shirt.

Colour blocking is big this season and Pam is showing us a beautiful colour blocked sweater from Spanner.

Kylee finished off this grouping with a second colour block sweat from Spanner with button and faux wrap detailing. 

Next up, mix and match separates, Unforgettable has a variety of pants, tops, skirts and sweaters that can be combined for a variety of looks this fall.

Jackie is starting off this grouping by pairing black Spanner dress pants with a polka dot ruffle collar blouse from Ciel & Neige. This 'mixed medium' top is serious comfort dressed up for the office.

By pairing a long cowl neck sweater with a pair of coordinating capri's, both by Spanner, Catherine is able to extend the sandal season just a little longer.

Melissa chose to pair her black Spanner dress pants with a colourful jacket from Spanner's collection. The Bos & Co. black kitten heels match this perfectly.

Pan is wearing a different version of the classic pin stripe pant with a beautifully detailed swing blouse.

Kylee's two piece set is from this spring's Spanner line but it was too unique not to include in this show. Both the jacket and skirt are fully reversible, so it's four outfits in one!

Unforgettable is proud to announce that staring in early October, they will be the exclusive vendor of Jones New York washable wool separates here in Swift Current! Until those arrive, they still have the perfect fall suit to refresh your look.

isn't this balloon sleeve suit by Zoda great? Too unique not to include in this collection Jackie's matched it with copper buckle detail shoes from Sofft.

A new two piece tweed set by Spanner is a professional look for any age. This suit is sold as separates and can be matched up with jeans or a great sweater and boots. Catherine has chosen these copper buckle shoes from Sofft as well. These shoes come in a wider width and are both cute and comfortable.

This three piece set by J. Lauren looks beautiful doesn't it?

You won't likely see Pam in a suit again, which is a shame because this two piece taupe set with the orange pin stripe from Giorgio St. Angelo looks amazing!

A classic black suit is never wrong. This two piece from Ben Marc flatters any figure! She's finished the look with a comfortable strappy black sandal.

Christmas parties, fall weddings and Greek night are a great excuse to add a fun dress to your wardrobe. Unforgettable has a huge selection of cocktail length gowns with many available in any size or colour on three month order.

A Brown chiffon empire waist gown flatters every figure and the colour is great on our model. This gown is one of our many gowns that work well as bridesmaid, cocktail and party dresses.

Blingy and fun, this dress embraces the trend to patterns fabrics this fall. I can see this dress going to a lot of parties!

This amazing black chiffon one shoulder gown from Alexia will make an unforgettable impression at any party this holiday season.

For something a little more classic, this sheath dress by Dana Kay will never let you down.

A popular look this season, a fitted cocktail dress with ruching and gathered detailing in a beautiful fall colour. By DaVinci.

”

So there you have it blogland! I hope you enjoyed the show. J

Taste of de"feet".

Ah, the joys of business.

I’ve stuck my foot in my mouth again. And since I did so publicly this time I will apologize that way as well. In an effort to give a fellow business person a pat on the back I unintentionally insulted several other wonderful business people. So this is me saying a very large “I’m sorry.”

 A business needs to succeed on its own merits. Excellent service, fair pricing, a great atmosphere and more are required and I know that is what all the business people I have had the pleasure of dealing with in the past year strive for on a daily basis.

A business owners we put our hearts and souls into jobs and it hurts if anyone, even indirectly or unintentionally, suggests we don’t.

One of the dangers of the grand communication age is that EVERYONE can see your ‘public’ self. You have to think of everything you put out there from every angle. I work hard at this, reading and rereading my blog and facebook and website postings. Trying to stay politically correct, positive and generally avoid insulting anyone. Honestly this is a little difficult for me because I don’t generally get insulted over much. I roll my eyes at someone else’s silliness but I don’t take offence very easily as a rule so it doesn’t occur to me that someone else might be offended. There are always exceptions of course, but as a rule. So I have to think and rethink what I say from the point of view of those who may, quite legitimately, be hurt by something I might say. My Dear Husband is wonderful and keeping me in line and I will often get my coworkers to proof read what I write as well.

I will be certain to take more care in the future.  Thanks for your patience.

Your wedding florist's most Frequently Asked Questions

More tips from our friendly neighbourhood florist, Poppy, of Smart Flowers, Swift Current.

Another great bouquet photo from http://www.smartflowers.ca/

Is it ok to visit several florists to get estimates for my wedding flowers?

Sure, but tell the florists that you are gathering estimates rather than making an appointment for a consultation. Be prepared with a detailed list of your floral needs. The florist will be able to give a rough estimate without a lengthy meeting. If you are gathering ideas and then comparisons, it is best to inform the florist of your intentions. Floral designers are trained and highly skilled floral artists. Their ideas have value. You may be asked to pay a consultation fee if you want to discuss a florist's actual ideas for your wedding. In most cases, the fee will be applied to the flowers once the order is placed.

What should I bring to the flower shop when I have my wedding consultation?

The more information you can provide the better your florist will be prepared to offer creative suggestions. Your florist will want to create a spectacular and memorable event for you. Anything you can bring will be beneficial:

• Pictures that depict what you have in mind are extremely helpful.
• Bring a photo of your dress and a sample of the fabric if you have it
• Swatches of fabric and or photos of the bridesmaids' dresses.

Also think about what "style" of wedding you want. If you are not sure, your florist can offer suggestions based on your wedding plans so far

Will my florist work within my budget?

Yes. Be honest about your budget on the initial consultation so the florist knows what to recommend. By taking your budget into consideration from the very beginning of the planning process, the florist can give you the best advise on how to place the flowers for maximum effect and what types of flowers will be the best value to achieve your desired look.

How far in advance should I contact the florist when ordering wedding flowers?

Many florists can accept only a set number of weddings on a given day, so it is important to contact your florist well in advance to begin planning. A good rule of thumb is to contact your florist at least three-six months in advance.

However, if your wedding is going to be an exceptionally elaborate event, take place during peak wedding season or fall on a holiday, then six months to a year is not too soon to contact your florist. This will allow the florist to begin looking for any props or specialty items you might need. Wedding flowers can be highly specific and colors often have to be very precise, so florists need advance notice to place flower orders.

Are there any hidden costs?

Be sure to ask your wedding florist about any additional costs or about any chance of the flowers going over budget. Remember that flowers are a natural perishable product and your local florist asks for the best from their suppliers and growers, but even then sometimes mistakes can happen or product may come in not as expected.

Ask your florist what they do in these situations and what they can do to ensure there are no surprises on your wedding day.

Wedding flowers. What you need to know!

I asked Poppy Parsons of Smart Flowers, http://www.smartflowers.ca/ , to write up a blog post on wedding flowers. Wow, she has sent me not one, but three posts worth of bridal related flower things you will want to know! I also asked her for a bio to put with her blog posts. Here's what she said:

My training began in 1993 while working at Smart Flowers. Having worked under Jim; a highly respected floral designer and photographer, I learned that quality always comes first. Smart Flowers was and is still known as the best flower shop in Swift Current, their commitment to quality is never surpassed. After marrying in 1994 I moved on to the financial industry, but I always knew that I wanted to own a flower shop.  So when the opportunity arose in the spring of 2007 I jumped at the chance to fulfill that dream. 

Over the last 4 ½ years myself and my staff have worked hard to keep the excellent reputation of Smart Flowers in the Swift Current area. The wedding portion of the business has grown significantly and we have become known for our unique approach to design in weddings, sympathy and everyday floral arrangements.  Both myself and my full time employee and sister Shayla have attending numerous courses, seminars and shows to expand our training and natural abilities. Some certificates that I have achieved are basic & advanced wedding hands on, corsage advanced hands on & sympathy tributes; all offered by certified AIFD, CAFD and CAFA designers. I have also attended seminars and symposiums discussing colour, and elements and principles of proper floral design. When given the opportunity to expand our skills; through workshops, training magazines and seminars we take it!

So, once the engagement ring is on your finger and you are ready to get serious about choosing your florist (which according to Today's Bride Magazine should be ordered about 4 months before your big day) this is what Poppy tells us you need to do:

Contact your florist once you've selected the date, time and place for your wedding and reception. If you aren't familiar with the florists in your area, ask for recommendations from other brides, reception halls or churches. It will be helpful if you know the colours and style of the gowns you and your bridesmaids will be wearing. Bring pictures of your gown and the bridesmaids dresses, along with swatches of fabric if you have them available. Once you have that; set up an appointment with the lead designer who will be in charge of filling the order for your wedding flowers.

Look through bridal books and floral guides. Look at your florist’s Facebook page or website at their own wedding designs. Sketch ideas, cut out pictures or take photographs of flowers you like and share them with your florist. Seeing your ideas and personal style will help your florist translate your concepts and special requests into workable floral designs and arrangements that are just right for you. During your initial consultation with your florist, discuss specific design ideas that fit both your personal style and budget.

I took this photo off Poppy's web site. LOVE the colours!

The following are suggested questions to ask when consulting with a wedding florist:

·         What flowers will be in season at the time of my wedding?

·         What flowers are available that will be used to fill my order based upon my budget and colour preferences?

·         Do you have pictures of bouquets and arrangements from other weddings you've done? Can you provide referrals?

·         Will you help me work within my provided budget?

·         Will there be sufficient staff to design the arrangements for my wedding and have them delivered on time?

·         How will the flowers be handled, delivered and set-up, taking into consideration the weather constraints for my wedding?

·         Do you offer rental items (vases, urns, etc.) or do we need to rent them from another company?

·         Are there any extra fees (delivery, set-up, sales tax, etc.)?

The following are suggested items that should be discussed once you have chosen your wedding florist:

·         Name and contact information (mailing address, telephone, cell phone, e-mail address, etc.) for you and the florist.

·         Date, times and locations of your wedding ceremony and reception.

·         An itemized list of all the flower arrangements, number of arrangements, colours and flower preferences.

·         Flower alternatives, should a specific bloom be unavailable for your wedding. Include any unacceptable substitutions.

·         A list of items (vases, trellises, etc.) that the florist will supply. Include the rental, delivery and set-up prices for each, if applicable.

·         Arrival times for set-up at the ceremony/reception sites. Include instructions on who will meet the florist at the sites along with contact numbers.

·         Where and when the bouquets and boutonnieres should be delivered.

·         Deposit amount and due date.

·         Balance amount and due date.

·         Cancellation/refund policy

Tune in later this week and I’ll share with you the answers to some frequently asked wedding flower questions. AND if you have any questions you’d like a professional florist to answer, post them! I’ll pass them along for Poppy and see if we can get some answers for you.

Oh the beautiful dresses!

The kids are back to school and for me that means two things.

I now get to spend my Monday’s off with coffee and a romance novel (thanks to my amazing husband’s wonderful anniversary gift!) and it is time for ordering grad gown samples and planning the big Grad Gala.

The ordering is now officially done. I spent several hours last night with a wonderful representative for ADK (Eddy K wedding gowns) and Blush Prom. Wow! This season’s gowns are going to be stunners.

We will carry samples in store for:

Bonny Quinceancera

Mystique

Bella Prom

Blush Prom

AND

Tony Bowls

I am so seriously excited about the range of gowns we’ll have available. Everything from sleek and sexy to puffy, glittering princess; simple solids in an array of jewel tones to wild animal prints and bright splashes of rainbows will be seen on graduates all over the country. Our in store samples will start arriving in October.

Unfortunately, because these styles are ‘out’ yet, I can’t publish a bunch of photos beyond the links above. BUT I CAN give you a sneak peek of a gown I am totally thrilled to have in the store. This gown was originally part of the Mystique line from Bonny and was ‘pulled’ while I was talking with the Mystique rep. I asked and she sold me her sample gown! My understanding is it is one of only two of these gowns in the country and they will NOT be making any more. How excited am I??

Ready???

Not the greatest photo but seriously a cool gown!

So this beauty is on display in the store right now. I've promised my youngest daughter she can wear it at the Grad Gala fashion show, but I doubt it will still be in the store.

9 years and counting . . .

Happy Anniversary to us!

Yes, yesterday was the 9^th anniversary of my marriage to the most wonderful man in the world. Seriously, who else would put up with my business adventures?

Our 9^th was supposed to be leather. My husband hit a home run with a red leather case containing a Kobo e-reader! I am an avid reader and totally thrilled with the gift.

it's an Kobo touch!

I spent weeks looking for a leather golf bag. And I could have gotten one, but he’s a ‘weekend’ golfer and the leather bags available were pro bags. Total overkill for what he needed. I was able to get him a great bag with the dividers he really wanted (a slot for every club) and totally surprised him. Which was really the goal.

his is grey and red.

I’vebeen focused, for the past week or so, on preparing for BuyMart in Saskatoon. It was an adventure that I am busy writing a blog post about. I’m headed back to Saskatoon today to meet with another supplier and hope to be home by midnight.

Stay tuned!

Long distance weddings - the good, the bad and the scary!

I headed off camping with my family this week, so I asked fellow blogger Ember if she would be willing to put one together for me. Ember also happens to be my wonderful baby sister and she and her husband had their wedding in our yard a couple of summers ago. 8 hours from their home in Edmonton. Between her florist cancelling 9 weeks before the wedding, a guest room block that somehow never got set in the hotels computer and the hotel her wedding night suite was supposed to be in not being open for her wedding date it was an . . . adventure to say the least. The wedding itself was amazing and beautiful and went off perfectly.  Here is what she learned in the process:

Ember on her wedding day.

                For all you brides out there who are living somewhere other than where you plan on getting married, I have some advice. No worries, it won’t be one of the seven million interesting but completely useless tidbits people feel like giving.  I promise. I’m merely imparting some hard won lessons, and you lucky people get to benefit. Really.

                If you are considering having your wedding long distance, my first advice to you is don’t.

Just don’t. If there is any other option for you that will still provide you the wedding you’re dreaming of, take it. If you are a control freak, are easily stressed out (and most brides are, the stress and tears are one of those rights of passage you get to sit around bragging about when some other hapless friend or relative announces their intention to tie the knot), or have a very hard time delegating the details of the most important day of your life so far to someone else, drop the idea, find a nice park or church where you live,  and go with it. If you think that you are able to be laid back, if you can understand that no wedding goes exactly according to plan and that goes double for one being planned several hours away, if you trust the person on the ground doing your running and cake tasting and planning implicitly, then go for it. You can have a very magical wedding that way!

                Step one for the bride trying to plan a wedding elsewhere is Get Some Help. Let me repeat that… GET HELP. This kind of wedding is one that will make a wedding planner worth every penny of their fee. They know the area, they know if that charming little spot you loved growing up has been booked two years ahead of time, and they know what vendors to go with and which to avoid.  If you don’t want a wedding planner, then find someone who lives there who is willing to do an insane amount of running around for you that is willing to act as your feet on the ground. My sister was mine- the lovely lady who helped you with your dress? I put her through A LOT.  She managed to pull off exactly what I wanted and needed. You need to make sure the person you choose is dedicated to helping you do the same- after all, you want YOUR wedding, not what your mother, sister, or cousin Sally wants for your wedding. Without help, planning your wedding will go from exciting, stressful and fun to stressful. I mean it.

                I highly recommend that if you are going to have lots of out of town guests make sure they have somewhere to stay. If they aren’t familiar with the area, it’s also a good idea to include some information about the area and it’s attractions in your invitation. Now- by making sure your guests have somewhere to stay, I do not mean you have to pay. I mean block some hotel rooms off so that your guests don’t arrive at three AM the night before your wedding and discover their room has been sold out from under them.  This happened to one of my bridesmaids, and it was not. Pretty.

                If you are not allowing children at your reception, try to arrange for childcare for out of town guests.  This does not mean you have to pay the baby sitter- just have one (or two, depending on the number of kids) on standby so parents can have fun too.

SO, to sum this long winded epic of a post up:

-Avoid a long-distance wedding if you can

-If you MUST have a long distance wedding, be ready to delegate. Get a long distance plan on your cell phone. You will need it. Expect to spend long periods of time going back and forth with your person on the ground about details.

-MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A PERSON ON THE GROUND!!! Also, make sure this person knows what you want in detail. Then trust them to carry it out.

-Your marriage certificate is purchased from the province you are marrying in, not the one you are living in.  If you are getting married in a smaller area, get it sooner rather than later. They can run out.

-Expect things to go wrong. Almost anything can be fixed. Don’t freak out about it until you and your alter-ego have tried every avenue to fix it.

-Arrange for hotel availability. If you get married on a popular weekend like I did, you will find that good hotel rooms are a hot commodity.  Try to include suggestions for things to do for guests who come a day or two early. Try to also arrange for your babysitters to be based out of a hotel room in the same hotel.

-If you are serving booze at your reception (and let’s face it, you will probably need a drink or two by this point!) make sure there is a way for your guests to get back to their hotel rooms. You do not want to start your married life by fighting a lawsuit because one of your inebriated guests got behind the wheel of a car.

Getting  married long distance is exciting and stressful, but with proper planning and the right attitude you can pull off an amazing wedding!

A leather anniversary? Oh the possiblities!

August 31^st my husband and I will be celebrating our 9^th anniversary. And I sit here wondering, what on earth do I get him? What do I ask for?

As with many couples with young families, money is limited, so that trip around the world I want? Yeah, that will have to wait a few years yet. We booth need new windshield wipers, we could buy them for each other but that seems just depressingly practical. So what do you do?

You may not know this but, just like there are a crazy number of traditions to do with getting married, there are specific gifts for the annual celebration of that marriage. Both traditional and modern.

Traditional:

Year	Theme
1	Paper	A card is a cop out here. Anything from concert tickets to a love poem works well for this important milestone. The trick with anniversary one is to make certain the gift means something. A neat option are the notebooks made by www.newleafhandmade.com. Perhaps a love letter written on the first page could start an annual tradition? The first year can be the toughest in a marriage and making it through needs to be celebrated.
2	Cotton	Hmmmm . . . clothes? Bedding? New towels?
3	Leather	I gave my husband a leather jacket as a wedding gift and it would work great for an anniversary gift idea. As would a new watch or wallet or a set of car seat covers. Of course there are a mind boggling array of other leather gift ideas if your relationship goes that way. Me, I’ve got a thing for the boots :D
4	Fruit/Flowers	This is a great gift to be able to send to work. Show you care and let your spouse ‘show off’ that you care.
5	Wood	Get your mind out of the gutter. Not that romance isn't a great anniversary gift. But how about golf clubs? Friends of mine planted a tree, which I thought was a really cool way to celebrate this one.
6	Candy or Iron	Golf clubs count here also. Chocolate is always a winner.
7	Wool or Copper	A sweater is great here, as well as scarves, hats, coats, suits and more. Copper could be jewellery or cookwear. There is some beautiful copper art out there.
8	Bronze	www.findgift.com suggests art work for this one. They have a really cool bronze door knocker as well. Or maybe an engraved family tree.
9	Pottery	I’m big into coffee mugs. A hand crafted mug would be on my wish list for this one. A fruit bowl or other kitchen stuff works great here. For the men it would be harder. Maybe this is why the modern version is leather!
10	Tin/Aluminum	A dozen beer is the first thing that pops into my head on this one! But how about a photo frame or garden ornament? www.findgift.com has some cool monogrammed golf club links – little buttons you put in the top of your clubs. www.tingifts.com has a huge selection of jewellery and things as well.
11	Steel	Watches, cutlery, beer steins, a new toaster. I found a surprising number of gift suggestions when I typed this one in.
12	Silk	The possibilities here are endless. Shirts, ties, suits, dresses, lingerie, fashion scarves. Be careful on quality.
13	Lace	Another that is easy to buy for women but a challenge for men. Unless of course you buy something lacy for her to wear and him to enjoy!
14	Ivory	Real ivory is difficult to come by as most critters that supply it are on the endangered species list. According to www.well-chosen-gift.com there are a couple of alternatives. "Mandarin" ivory, a polyresin commonly known as alabastrite, or "Vegetable" ivory, actually the tagua palm nut of South America. They also suggest the colour ivory would work well for this anniversary and I think that’s an excellent idea.
15	Crystal	Ah, wine glasses, tumblers, liquor decanters, paper weights . . . the list for crystal is as easy to fill as the one for silk.
20	China	After 20 years choosing china together should be easy. It’s likely way past time to replace the everyday kitchenware. And by the time you hit the 20th often your children will be the ones buying your anniversary gifts.
25	Silver	Once you hit these big ones jewellery is the obvious answer. Earrings, neck pieces or watches for her. Watches, cufflinks, pens or tie clips for him.
30	Pearl
35	Coral
40	Ruby
45	Sapphire
50	Gold
55	Emerald
60	Diamond

Modern:

Year	Theme	Gift ideas
1	Clocks	Big or small, desk or wall, there are a ton of clocks out there. Check out www.giftclocks.com for an amazing variety of ideas.
2	China	Every couple needs a decent set of everyday china. If you didn’t receive this for a wedding gift, this is a great time to choose one.
3	Crystal/Glass	Same with glass wear.
4	Appliances	Pretty self explanatory. These don’t have to mean a new fridge and stove. Toasters, blenders and mixers count too. Men, a tip here, check with her BEFORE buying one. Some women get really insulted by this.
5	Silverware	You see, if you use the modern list by your tenth anniversary your house hold is totally set!
6	Wood	There are some very cool wooden gifts out there beyond what we talked about in traditional. www.woodgifts.ca is the outlet for Smiling Frog wood studio and they have BEAUTIFUL suggestions from jewellery boxes to magic wands.
7	Desk Set	There are so many versions of desk sets out there, you can be sure to find something any spouse with a desk would enjoy.
8	Linens/Lace	For her – table clothes, throw pillows, curtains. For him – shirts and suits. Linen textured paper could easily work for this one also.
9	Leather	To add to the list above: leather footstool, a belt, luggage, a duffle bag or a purse. On www.findgift.com they had the coolest antique 1587 map of the world on leather. Of course the boots would be a hit in my house. Or maybe a leather beer holster? Check out http://www.beeroutlaw.com/info-classic.html
10	Diamond jewellery	Pretty self explanatory I think. 10 years is a big deal in a modern marriage. For men think rings, watches and tie clips.
11	Fashion Jewellery	We’ve got a great selection of fashion jewellery in store but some women may be wondering what to get for their man for this one. Well, guess what girls. Guys wear bracelets too! Type ‘fashion jewellery for men’ into your web browser and an amazing selection of sites will pop up. www.askmen.com had a great article on jewellery men can wear and how to wear it.
12	Pearls	A classic pearl necklace for her. A pearl handled revolver for him. ;-) just kidding. But you can get some beautiful pearl inset pens or pocket knives.
13	Textiles or fur	Anything fabric or fur? Yep.
14	Gold Jewellery	Again, these guys pretty much explain themselves.
15	Watch
20	Platinum
25	Silver
30	Diamond
35	Jade
40	Ruby
45	Sapphire
50	Gold
55	Emerald
60	Diamond

I wonder how my dear husband would feel about a leather beer holster?



courtesy of 'beer outlaw. com'



I'm kidding Luv.

Hopefully these ideas have gotten you started on your search to find something thoughtful and special to buy the love of your life. The big rule here is it should remind both of you what an amazing gift you gave each other when you exchanged your vows.

Marriage is so much more then a piece of paper. An anniversary is so much more then an excuse for a present. If nothing else, make certain to take some time for each other to commemorate that special day you pledged your lives to each other.