Aisle Seat

If you are obsessed with accessories, you will love this week's episode featuring a joyful chat with Canadian designer Blair Nadeau. Host Alison McGill has known Blair since she started her career designing bridal adornments in 2009; Blair changed the game with her fashion-forward vision for bridal accessories that are anything but expected. Blair designs everything but the dress and the ring: vei...

This week on Aisle Seat Alison chats with Toronto jewelry designer Alexandra Mann who creates modern, wearable masterpieces. Alexandra's designs have a modern-vintage flair to them that is unique and statement-making. Engagement rings are one of Alexandra's favourite things to craft and on this show, she shares there's been a shift in what's trending in stone shape—the oval has competition. We als...

This week on the show, we're talking weddings at one of Canada's top luxury hotels in one of my favourite cities. The JW Marriott Parq Vancouver is located between the city's vibrant Yaletown and Gastown neighbourhoods, the service and luxury vibes at this property are everything. Joining host Alison for this episode are two of the all-stars who bring weddings to life at the JW Marriott Parq Vanco...

This week we catch up with stylist Risa Kostis and we have a brilliant chat about modern wedding style, the wild popularity of vintage fashion for brides today, and the story behind her company The Rescue Kit Company and emergency supply fashion kit which is something every bride definitely needs to have for the big day. Risa has always been clothing obsessed and started her style career as a hair...

This week on  Aisle Seat , Alison chats with another friend from across the pond, June Glackin, owner of Junie Poonie. June is a multi-award-winning stylist, stationary designer, event, and wedding planner. Her incredible eye for detail is impeccable and that's what has made her so in demand with clients. Her style is simple, modern, classic, and impactful and she has so many brilliant thoughts on...

  This week on  Aisle Seat , we chat with two amazing women who are bridal industry style insiders based in the UK. Tegan Patmore and Roberta Lambert are the owners of Silk & Maple bridal boutique in Sudbury, Suffolk, England and have a dream business partnership having come together from two different areas of the wedding industry. Tegan began her career as a wedding florist, while Robert has a b...

Prince Edward County is a gem of a destination in Ontario, located at the mid-point between Toronto and Montreal. It's a sweet spot renowned for its bucolic landscapes, rolling vineyards, and incredible food scene. It also happens to be home to many incredible wedding venues which couples travel far and wide to host their celebrations at, and one of the most exclusive and beloved spots is The Roya...

Mariela Soucy has been part of the fashion scene for almost 25 years but only recently began work as a bridal wear designer and she's made a huge impact with her artful creations for her label SOUCY. This week we chat with Mariela from her New York studio where she and her team are busy putting the final touches on her third bridal collection which will launch in early October. Mariela's designs a...

If the idea of having a dreamy 500-acre property just outside of New York City in the Hudson Valley all to yourself for your party, Cedar Lakes Estate in the Hudson Valley is the place. This property has topped travel lists including  Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards  and has a beautiful history. The property was home to a legendary summer camp which began in 1929 and was purchased in 1986 b...

We're back from summer break with a new show! On this episode we chat with two amazing women who head up one of the top bridalwear lines in Canada, Kathryn Bass Bridal. Kathryn and her business partner Kelsey McIntyre are a dream creative team who create fashion magic in the Vancouver studio. Their designs are whimsical, ethereal and made for the modern bride with size inclusivity always at the fo...

Nadia Manjarrez is an incredible bridal wear designer who made a huge impact on wedding style since releasing her first collection just a few years ago. Nadia trained for her career in fashion in her native Mexico before moving to New York in 2011 for a design internship and went on to work luxury eveningwear brands including Badgley Mischka and Marchesa. Nadia moved back to Mexico in 2020 and uno...

On this week's show, Alison meets a new bridal fashion friend, Agnese Petraglia who a designer and the founder of Medusa London. Italian born Agnese creates beautiful things and her career in wedding style started when she moved to London from her native Italy in 2014. She always had a love for crafting and making things and soon discovered fashion was her passion. She launched Medusa London in 20...

Anne Sportun is iconic Toronto-based fine jewelry brand started in 1987 by artist and designer Anne. Renowned for pieces that are statement, modern, and organic in feeling inspired by natural and organic forms, engagement rings have always been a particular passion of the brand and never more so than now with Anne's daughter Haley Woodbury who's a co-owner of the business focusing her custom jewel...

This week on the show Alison chats with real bride Becca Webster—a five-time World Cheerleading Champion and star of the Netflix show  Cheer Squad— who just married her longtime love, Dee Guertin. The brides' big day had the most stunning details—a dreamy wedding venue, a romantic-modern aesthetic, and incredible fashion for the brides and their squads. Becca has a huge social following and has be...

This week we have an inspiring chat with luxury wedding planner Raj Grewal founder and principal of LUX Affairs in Vancouver. Raj has an amazing energy and her passion for the wedding industry; she's an innovator and a visionary who makes major magic happen for couples to ensure their celebration is unforgettable. Raj's background is actually in finance, and she started planning weddings as a side...

On this week's episode, we have an amazing chat about wedding fashion with the dynamic duo behind the London-based bridal brand Katya Katya. Childhood friends Katya and Marina are at the heart of the brand and their style vibe is old world romance meets modern glamour. You may recognize the label name as it was recently in the headlines—actor Christina Hendricks wore a stunning Katya Katya dress f...

You no doubt know about lab diamonds. You probably know a little on the subject, but on this week's episode—just in time for summer engagement season—you'll learn a lot about them thanks to our guest Virginie Roy, CEO and founder of Montreal-based Proud Diamond. Virginie credits her lifelong love and passion for jewelry to her grandpa who who worked in the diaamond and gold industry. Lab diamonds...

A career in PR and events was the beginning of Cameron Forbes life in party planning. Cameron is founder and principle of Forbes Functions based in New York, and on this show Alison and Cameron chat all about she is planning the perfect parties for Gen Z clients. Calling herself the "Fairy Godmother of Parties," Cameron tells me no event is too large or too small for her and her team to handle, an...

Juliana Miranda is a Toronto based lifestyle expert and owner Mia Rose & Frank. She creates the most gorgeous personalized embroidered pieces including exquisite table linens, as well beautiful porcelain tableware pieces. Juliana is a former retail executive who worked for luxury brands including Tiffany & Co. and Holt Renfrew—trust when we say she's a tastemaker and knows the DNA of a great party...

Size inclusivity for brides is a huge conversation in the world of wedding style. The needle is moving, but we have so much farther to go. This was recognized by  Laura Pantin and  Monika Kakucska-Godin, two bridal fashion industry veterans who worked with together for a bridal designer for many years before breaking out on their own to open their Toronto-based bridal boutique More 2 Love Bridal w...

On this week's episode we visit one of the world's most incredible resort properties, Nemacolin, a luxury getaway in the mountains of southwestern Pennsylvania that also happens to be one of the most epic spots for a destination wedding. Nemacolin sits on over 2,000 acres of property and truly offers something for everyone; arriving and Nemacolin feels like a fantasy, and events here are truly bes...

Our chat for this episode is dedicated to groom style and what's trending for men this wedding season. My guest is Canadian designer, stylist and fashion creative Cynthia Florek who's an expert in all things style, but particularly men's style. Cynthia is currently the creative director at Tip Top where she collaborates on seasonal creative direction for the men's fashion line. On this show, Cynth...

On this week's episode, we're on the move again talking planning a destination wedding on one of the buzziest islands of the moment. As we've chatted about previously, St. Kitts is an  island paradise which is a haven for wellness seekers, solo tourists, adventure lovers, and especially romantic travellers. There is so much goodness and beauty on this island to discover—there's a reason St. Kitts...

Just in time for 2024 wedding season, Pinterest has just released its annual wedding report, and the trends the social platform has tipped as the biggest ones for the year ahead are anything but traditional. Everything from seriously retro inspired parties to dark romance celebrations are on the list. On this show we chat with Pinterest's Global Trends and Insights Lead Sydney Stanback about every...

This week, Alison chats with a like-minded wedding media authority on the show. Emily Williams is the Luxury Brands & Destinations Editor for London-based  Weddings & Honeymoons Media . Emily is a wedding expert with a particular eye on destination weddings and honeymoons, and on this show she shares her insider intel on trending romantic travel spots as well as her hit list of haute wedding detai...