The many hats of an Entrepreneur.

A small business owner is responsible for, well, everything! She is the marketing department, accounting department, payroll, customer service, sale, human resources, IT, product prep, ordering, shipping/receiving, merchandising, housekeeping . . . The buck officially stops here. It is long hours for little or no pay as you build your business into your dream. Every business has its unique challenges and solutions and if you can’t learn to roll then self-employment likely isn’t for you.

One of the big ‘owner challenges’ I face twice a year is Market. Where we go to order everything we’ll be selling later in the year. For my daywear stuff it’s like a giant trade show. Suppliers call you a few months in advance and book appointments, and you schedule time for browsing as well to find that perfect something you might be missing. Bridal and grad are a little different.  Most of my bridal vendors take conference rooms at hotels at a particular city (Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary etc) for a set group of days. We drive in a spend a few days visiting each suppliers sales representative, viewing the upcoming line and making our choices for which gowns we’ll bring in for the next season.

What many people may not know is that in order to sell a bridal or grad line, we have a contract with each of our suppliers. That contract states that we will order a certain number of samples each season. That we won’t sell our gowns online (I can let you know I have the gowns, even colour and size, but I can’t have a ‘web store’ saying you can order any size or colour of any style), and that we’ll price our gowns according to a set pricing window. Every contract is unique but the types of terms are very similar. When we keep our side of the agreements, our suppliers agree to tell people we sell their lines, and allow us to order any of the gowns from those lines, even if we don’t have a sample of that particular gown in store. (This is very different from day wear where you pre-order a size group of an outfit, and if you don’t have it in store, you cannot sell it.)

So, usually twice a year, we meet with our sales reps and chose our samples for our ‘placing order’. This week we are headed to Edmonton to order for fall delivery.

In order to make the best possible choices for my store, and have the best possible selection for my brides, I make lists. Lots and lots of lists. As soon as my spring samples arrive and all the gowns from the bridal show are unpacked, I start. By the time I head to Market, I will have spreadsheets that tell me the size, colour, fabric, body style and designer of every gown in the store. I will know which designers have sold and which ones haven’t. How many were ‘special order’ sales and how many were discount clearance sales. And how does all this information compare to what I had in the store 6 months earlier.

To an outsider, it seems like a lot of unnecessary work. But I strongly believe this preparation is what makes me able to create a store that is different from other bridal salons. Because by doing this, I know, that baring gowns being sold off the rack, when a bride comes in she will be able to try pretty much every fabric, in every body style. I may not have a size 20, lace top princess gown with a strap in pink. But I will have each of those elements for her to see and try between size 16 – 24 (for example). A bride or grad in our store will get a very good idea of what her dream gown will look like on. Even if we don’t have her exact dream gown in the store. Making sure every bride, not matter what her size and budget, has a great selection of gowns to try is why we order sizes 6 – 30. And why we work with 5 different bridal lines. 

Have a great week! 

A Photographer's tips for Grads. (guest post)

I asked award winning Swift Current, SK photographer Bobbi-Jo Knakoske (you can check out her web site here: http://artisticexpressionsphotography.ca/home.html ) for some tips I could share with you for Grad photo sessions. She had some great advice! 

Please note, the photos in this post are the property of Artistic Expressions Photography and cannot be reproduced without the express written permission of the owner. ALSO, all these grads got their gowns at Unforgettable! How cool is that?

Graduation is a fun and exciting time! You have the perfect dress and stunning pair of shoes, your hair is booked, maybe nails and make up too. Make sure to book a professional photographer that will capture the memory of this important occasion.

I book a consultation with the grad before the session for a few reasons:

- I like to know the colour of their dress. This will help in choosing the studio backdrops.We also decide on an outdoor location based on the the Grad’s preference whether it be a tree’d area with the creek or more urban then we’d shoot downtown.

- It's good get a glimpse of their personality and what hobbies they may have. This way the session will be personal and unique to the Grad.  I've had Grads include their cars, band instruments, sports equipment and even their pets!

I try to book in the photo session on any day other than grad day. This works out  best because I can spend more time with the Grad going to a few locations.  It gives us a bit more time and we're not rushed with back to back sessions.

It’s best to book your Grad session ahead of time and to coordinate it with your trial hair run. Make sure to tell your hairdresser that you’re getting your grad pictures taken that day because they will pin everything a bit tighter and make it look more polished if they know you are getting pictures. Try to stay away from hair sparkles because when it's photographed it looks like little white spots rather than sparkles. Also, stay away from getting the 2 little pieces of hair on the side of your face because it gets blown in the wind or it can cause funny shadows on your face.

The most important thing to remember about having your grad portrait taken is to have fun and enjoy the moment!

Counting dresses one by one, e i e i oh . . . .

Ah the new year's eve. That time when people get together with friends, celebrate the end of one year and the start of the next, count their inventory.. .

What? You don't spend New Year's Eve and New Year's Day counting inventory???

One of the more "fun" [if your definition of fun includes complicated computer programs, mile long spreadsheets and hours of squinting at tiny little 'style codes' for hours on end] challenges of retail is keeping track of your inventory. I don't know about other stores, but in my store I have about 3000 SKU's (items unique enough they have their own item code) that we keep track of. Many of those are one of's. i.e. wedding gowns, bridesmaid and grad gown samples, that sort of thing. It takes me two days to prep the counting lists, 6 people a day and a half to count it all and another 2 or 3 days for me to go through everything that doesn't jive and figure out why. It is not my first choice of how I would spend my New Year's, that's for sure.

But weirdly, once it's all done, I love it! I love all the information I have at my disposal once the end of each year counts and accounting are done. What sold? What didn't? Did anything major change since last year? Then the fun one, why? For me, looking over the numbers and finding the patterns and figuring out the why's are one of the best things about being an entrepreneur. ('cause trust me on this, the pay cheque and hours sure aren't! :-) )

Being able to look at my numbers, to understand them and what they mean and why they are, it gives me a great sense of control. Not necessarily peace, because being a small business means those numbers are not always happy numbers. But when it comes to your business financials, what you don't know CAN hurt you. Having this information makes it much easier to make major, and minor, financial decisions.

My 'entrepreneurial tip of the day': Know your numbers. You don't need to be a 'bean counter', but if you are a small business owner, whomever counts your beans needs to be your best friend. Because they know stuff.

Important stuff.

Like if you might actually get to take a vacation this year!

Bridal trends, straps and backs.

Bridal trends . . .

Although fashion trends tend to be ‘here today gone tomorrow’ the bridal world moves a little slower. One trend in bridal that I have noticed growing over the past few years are gowns with amazing strap and back detailing. A few examples for you:

New for 2015 from Maggie Sottero is ‘Jade’. Sleek and sexy with beautiful details and a 1920’s feel, “Jade” also has an amazingly cool back.

This spring Stella York will be joining my gown line up and their 6018 in chiffon features a keyhole back, bling belt and shoulder coverage.

Not new to their line up, but long a stunningly unique gown, Davinci’s 50233 has combined a satin mermaid gown, with an empire lined bodice and ballgown train.

And from Bonny, 516 is sure to be a hit this spring with its gold detailing, full tulle skirt and deep back.

These days, a bride who wants the comfort and security of a strap, does NOT need to compromise on sexy. 

Onward to 2015!

Four years. Actually four years and two months as of last Wednesday. It’s hard to believe Unforgettable You has been helping women feel beautiful for that long already. It’s been an adventure that I am excited to continue in 2015!

Since it’s been a while since my last blog post, let me re-introduce myself. My name is Jessica, I have been blessed with four children and an amazing husband who generously supported my opportunity to own Unforgettable You.

Unforgettable is a boutique for women to find their ‘unforgettable’ style. We have bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, grad gowns, party dresses, cocktail dresses and great pants, tops and sweaters to wear to work. We also have the jewellery, shoes and accessories to complete you look. You can check out our web site at www.unforgettableyou.ca I wear a lot of hats as a business owner, but helping women find their ‘unforgettable’ is my favorite part of the job.

Nothing makes my day more then having a girl or woman on my stage in happy tears because she feels beautiful. I feel very strongly that every woman is beautiful. I don’t care what shape, colour or age you are. So I make sure to have dresses in my store for every shape, colour and age. It means we have a LOT of dresses in the store! lol and pants, and tops and sweaters and bling (the very best part) so very very much bling. :-D

We opened our doors in downtown Swift Current in October of 2010, and business has been growing steadily as more and more people become aware of our amazing service and selection. We host the Unforgettable Grad Fashion Gala each October, present a beautiful show of the latest in bridal fashion at the Lasting Impressions Bridal show every February and are honoured to be a part of the very first Swift Current Royal Ball, to be held March of 2015.  

Now in our 5^th year of business we are excited to see what 2015 will bring. Read along to join us in our journey. 

Numbers numbers everywhere!

One of the fun, terrifying, interesting things about owning a business is the crystal ball we all need and just don’t have. January is not only the beginning of our busy season for bridal and grad it is the time I need to finish up my accounting for the year before and do all my assessments of last year and forecasts for next year. There are sales goals to figure out, budgets to work on and the marketing plan to get written and rolling.

In other words I spend lots of time looking at rows of numbers. I’m lucky I guess, because I like looking at rows of numbers. What am I looking for? Patterns mostly. How is this number different from that number? Why? What got better? Why? What got worse? Why?

I'm guessing you noticed, the most important question here is ‘why?’. All the numbers in the world can’t tell you anything if you don’t take the time to figure out WHY they are what they are. WHY did they change? Why didn’t they? Why did they change the way they did? What else was going on when those changes did (or didn’t ) happen. Is it possible to recreate or eliminate that changing factor?  

This is where your business plan comes in. Accountants are great for this because they are trained and have years of experience looking for patterns. Your business mentor’s may be able to see something you aren’t. Your peers in the industry may be able to help you figure out the whys. I love looking for the whys. Why? Because it gives me the illusion of control.

Yes, I know it’s an illusion but it’s something right?

So one pattern I noticed last year is we get a lot of grad sales in the later part of the week day. Why? Because the grad shopping traffic tends to come in between 2 and 5. Why? Well, in grad gowns it's the customer's last class of the day. Maybe easier to cut? Maybe a lot of final period spares out there? Maybe it’s the best time for Mom to duck out of work and meet daughter for an hour before the rest of the day gets in the way? There are a lot of potential contributors, but I do know that that is when they come in, and when they come in, sales go up. Why is this important? Because I am a one man show and customer service is the key to my business.

I have also noticed that Grads travel in packs. Which leaves little ol’ me alone with potentially multiple groups of shoppers.

I can see by my review of my numbers that my store is growing. We are seeing more grads and brides and that thrills me to death. But it also scares me.  If I want to be able to offer amazing customer service to each and every client, the clients are coming in ‘all at once’ and in groups, and sales are increasing there is only one solution. I’m going to need help.

So this year I have decided to hire someone. I have some casual people who help me out, but most of them have commitments during the day already. This person will start casual but if we click, she could eventually become my right hand here at the store. The ‘click’ is huge. Every business owner has strengths and weakness’. This person will need to be strong in area’s I am weak, our personalities will need to mesh (I’m not joking when I say I don’t play well with others. I KNOW I am hard to work with. I try, but I am a perfectionist in how I want my business run. That’s fair right?), she’ll need to be able to connect with the customers and she’ll need to love the job.

Here’s the ad:

Help Wanted, part-time casual position could lead to permanent full time for the right person. A positive attitude, patience, a love of people, exceptional customer service skills and the ability to think on your feet and work without supervision are a must. Being comfortable on a computer, as well as a love of fashion and coffee are assets. Candidate must be willing to learn and able to multi task. The candidate must be available to work from 2 – 5pm weekdays with occasional evening and weekend work as needed. If you are interested please apply in person with a résumé and references to Jessica at Unforgettable You. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

So now I guess we see what happens. 

No, the zombies didn't get me. Yet.

Just in case anyone was worried.

January marks the start of a new bridal season and a new year. Time to dust off the ol’ blog and see if I can be more consistent with my posts.

2012 saw a few changes at the store and a lot of growth. My personal emotional roller coaster combined with the general challenge of running a retail store made for some interesting days but things are looking up and the store is on more solid ground then ever.

Our biggest challenge was creating awareness of the fact we sell day/business wear. There aren’t a ton of options for women looking for something to wear to the office here in town. That leg of our business plan was intended to fill that need and help balance the seasonal nature of formal wear. I am thrilled to say we are getting there! Slowly but surely people are realizing we have Jones New York suits, Jana tops and sweaters, Conrad C separates. Slowly, but it is happening.

A great article in Fine Lifestyles Magazine really helped that along this past September.

If you are wondering, the redhead is me :D

What’s coming up for 2013?

Well, bridal and grad season has started!! I LOVE this time of year. So busy, so many happy girls and women that I get to help make feel beautiful! Our spring bridal gowns are almost all here and they are be-u-t-full !!!  Seriously.  I decided to bump my gown retail ‘ceiling’ a bit and bring in a really stunning piece from Eddy K.  

Eddky K MD115

This gown features a sweet heart neckline and drop waist bodice all but dripping with bead work and a full organza skirt of pull ups with floral detailing. One of the nifty things DH and I got to do last July was attend the Eddy K launch show in Montreal, QC and this gown was on a model there. I fell in love.

We are thrilled to be able to do the fashion show for the 4^th Annual Lasting Impressions Wedding Show here in Swift Current , February 3   

And we have been invited to do the fashion show for the Medicine Hat Welcome Wagon Bridal show March 3!  Doing an out of town show will be a challenge and we are excited about taking it on.

Wedding shows like this are a great way for brides to talk to vendors and see what is new in bridal fashion. And doing a show is just one step short of insanity. I promise to post a couple of nice long blogs with photos for you on that!

As far as the new bridal fashions go? Well, anything goes! Lace is in, bling is in, straps and sleeves are coming back (thank you Princess Kate!) and you can wear anything from a sleek evening gown to a ‘cake top’ princess gown in any colour your little heart desires. I have bridal gowns in deep red, oyster, pale pink, an iridescent pink with a nifty green tint to it, bisque and black & white. But statement making brides in the past here at the store have also purchased gowns in deep purple and a striking platinum. (Hint, if you don’t see what you are looking for in bridal, check out the grad gowns!) Your wedding should be a reflection of who you and your groom are. Your gown should make you feel totally beautiful in a way that is totally you!

Don’t forget ladies – a wedding gown takes approximately six months to bring in. We do sell off the rack, but if you need or want to order a different size or colour, make sure you give yourself time.

The grad gowns are also pouring in, but that is for the next post.

Talk to you soon!

Six months? Seriously?

Wow, six months. I had not realized it had been six months since my last post. I am so sorry those of you kind enough to read my ramblings that they have been so long absent.  It’s been a busy, emotional roller coaster for the past while. Let me fill you in.

-          October was spent preparing for our Grad Gala. We had 20 models, 92 dresses and over 100 attendees at our grad show this past November 6. Vendor booths included a florist, photographer, jewellery, tanning saloon and more. A full write up will follow very soon.

-          November was follow up from the Grad show and prepping for Christmas. We had hoped for more of a sales rush, but word is still getting out there that we are more then bridal gowns.

-          December saw the tragic and sudden loss of our 18 year old daughter Kortni.

I cannot begin to express here the pain of losing a child. It goes against every law of nature and tears your world apart in ways it is impossible to imagine unless it has happened to you. As this is a business blog I will not be spending time on this. I do want to say that the support of our family and community was wonderful and deeply appreciated. Emotionally we’ll be picking up the pieces for a long while to come.

-          January was a bit of a blur. I know I was here in body, we had our best sales month ever with brides and grads seeing deadlines looming and getting their orders in. Emotionally I was still a bit of a zombie and I thank my assistant Jackie for helping keep the store operating. We also started receiving our spring Bridal and bridesmaid fashions in January.

-          February we did the fashion show for the third annual Impressions Bridal show. 110 gowns, 25 models and over 220 people attended. It was a success in every sense. My husband and I travelled to Saskatoon for BuyMart and made some wonderful choices for fall delivery that I am pretty excited about.  I also found out in February that we had been named as one of the Runners Up for “The Best Place to Shop for Women’s Clothing in Saskatchewan” according to Prairies North Magazine. http://www.prairiesnorth.com/articles/best-of-saskatchewan-2011 I am thrilled with having been nominated! It is exciting to know that the work we are putting into making every shopping experience here the best it possibly can be has been noticed and appreciated.

And here we are in March. Spring seems to be coming to Saskatchewan and every day I have people in hoping to find our spring fashions in store.  The good news is that it should be arriving anytime! I am hoping to receive my first shipments by the end of this week.

You can be reassured that you will be seeing a lot more blog posts here in the future.

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.