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Luisa & Ryan
They say love finds you when you least expect it. Similar to my whole dress experience, Ryan and I came to be unexpectedly. We met at a club for my cousin's birthday party and she introduced us to each other. 2 years later, Ryan added me on Facebook. I did not add him back right away, but 2 weeks after accepting his friend request, he started a conversation. We haven't stopped talking since. At the time, I lived in BC for school. We did long distance for a bit until I moved back to Alberta. Every anniversary, we try to travel back to BC.
On April 3, 2016, Ryan asked me to be his girlfriend at the Victoria government house. We custom built our home in 2020 and moved in a week before Christmas. At this point, everyone assumed we were married, even my dad would ask how's your husband? I lost my father on November 3, 2022. Ryan stood by me. For our seventh anniversary, we booked a trip back to BC, but this time I wanted to visit the Butchart Gardens in Victoria for my own healing. It was a place where my dad took the family when I was younger. On April 3, 2023, Ryan proposed to me at the Butchart Gardens in Victoria. It was a dream come true.
We decided to have a small church ceremony on our 8th year anniversary at the church I grew up in and where my dad’s funeral was held. For the wedding, I was inspired by whimsical and romantic vibes. Our photographer delivered.
Novelle was my first and only bridal shop I went to. I was recommended by my cousin, so I decided to start my wedding dress journey at Novelle.
Emily was my consultant and she told me to pick 5-6 dresses prior to my appointment. I actually picked 5 dresses to try on for sure and 5 maybe dresses. When my first visit arrived, I was not expecting to find the one since I am petite, but with some leap of faith, I found the one! It was the fifth dress I tried on and it was the fifth dress I picked as my for sure try on. I have sketched out my wedding dress since I was 18 and this one was the closest to it. I wanted a mermaid dress with a dramatic train, pretty lace and sparkles. Emily reminded me of sketching out the dress, walking down the aisle and that’s when I got teary. I guess when you know it’s the one, you just know. I tried on a sixth dress for fun, but I asked Emily if I could wear that dress again. I was also stuck between Emily’s pick. Her pick is just to my liking as well, but I don’t think I was able to cry again with another dress. When you know it’s the one, you just know. I felt like the dress even said “pick me, I’m the one!” The dress felt differently than the other ones I tried. I think I wore that dress 3 times that day, but I did not say yes to the dress then. I debated whether to visit another bridal shop, but I could not stop thinking about that dress.
A month later, I booked a second appointment to try it on with my wedding shoes and accessories. I said yes then! At this appointment, we customized a few things and chose the color. I always imagined a white dress, but I did love the way the antique ivory looked on my skin tone. I debated changing my jewelry too, but Emily was very reassuring. She was very good at making sure we checked off everything before ordering. She answered all my questions to the best of her ability and she continued to keep me up to date. She has excellent communication skills and is a great listener. I love that we were able to bond and share stories with each other. Emily suggested detaching the hem lace at the bottom and honestly that was the best decision. My seamstress felt very lucky to altar this dress and was thankful for the customizations to make it easier on her. I really did enjoy being involved in this whole process.
I found all of the Novelle staff were very understanding, especially when booking appointments. When my dress arrived, it was my dad’s one year death anniversary. I was occupied, sad and happy, so I didn’t pick up my dress then. They allowed me to pick it up at a later time when Emily was in. Thank you ladies for being very considerate. For my final appointment, I brought in my veil. It wasn’t necessary to bring all these accessories but it felt nice to have a preview of my wedding day look. When my dress arrived, Emily was very excited to see me in my dress and I love that! She’s really good at making you feel amazing. She was on point with the sizing and recommendations! Well done, Emily!
It was a bittersweet feeling picking up my dress, but I’ve kept in touch with Emily during the alterations and after the wedding day because she’s definitely a gem and this bridal shop was an amazing experience. I highly recommend it to all future brides! Thank you to Novelle for creating a wonderful bridal dress journey for me. It was emotional, coincidental but meant to be and I loved every part of it! I can not wait to wear my dress again for our celebration with everyone next year!
Vendors:
Photographer: Yuki from @amaireco
Dress: Fiona by @maggiesotterodesigns
Alterations: @halyna_frost_bridal_designer
Earrings/necklace: @davidsbridal, Hair accessory: @novellebridal, Bracelet: @inscripture, Veil: @etsy, Shoes: @katespade, Clutch: @toryburch Rings: @centurygoldsmith & @tungsten_titans
Hairstylist: Kait from @blackpinproject
Makeup Artist: Ashley from @makeuphoangartistry
Bouquet: Bride's DIY. Thanks to @amazon for the flowers and tie is what my dad wore on my 18th birthday. It is my something borrowed, something blue, something old, and something new.