I have recently fallen heavily for Claire Pettibone‘s designs. Her Spring 2014 Decoupage collection is so delicate and romantic that it seems to capture the essence of femininity. Decoupage is about layering incredible details to make a complete picture, and those who love Claire’s designs know that she pours her soul into the details of her dresses.
I used to think that Claire’s designs, while absolutely stunning, were too whimsical to look good on a “real bride”. I couldn’t imagine the material hanging as beautifully and look so delicate on a woman who might not have a slight and slender build. I was wrong. Every real woman that I have seen wearing a Claire Pettibone dress, no matter what shape or height, looks like she walked out of a painting from the Renaissance era. I think that if the goddess Venus had worn clothing in Botecelli’s “The Birth of Venus”, she would have worn a gown by Claire. I truly wish I could see these gowns in Ottawa…
The cat is out of the bag – Jenny Packham released her spring/summer 2014 bridal collection to a number of exclusive websites on April 23, 2013, and the media frenzy ensued immediately.
Jenny Packham’s 2014 Bridal Collection is inspired by the Belle Époque era of the early 20th Century.
A statement of romantically soft, feminine design, the collection encapsulates the spirit of Edwardian style and the Art Nouveau movement which defined it. The Belle Epoque or ‘beautiful era’ transformed fashion, abandoning restrictive corsetry and creating the flowing silhouette ever since associated with the Age of Elegance.
Intricate, light beading, delicate embellishment and clean, understated silhouettes play homage to an Edwardian inspiration, whilst romantically volumous ballerina skirts, graceful tulle sleeves and elegantly exposed backs bring to mind a very modern bride, evoking scenes of a chic European destination wedding.
Available in ivory, champagne and magnolia, luxurious silk mikado, sumptuous draped chiffons and exquisite French lace are adorned with delicate silk flowers and twinkling crystals in a spectrum of antique metallic silvers and champagnes.
With the new Great Gatsby movie finally in theatres, I thought it was time to post another inspiration board, this one created by Flights of Fancy, the blog for Betsy White Stationary Boutique. Enjoy!
I love this wedding! We featured Lindsay and Steven’s styled engagement session last week and wanted to share their equally beautiful wedding. I think that Lindsay and Steven really created an event with heart. They look like they are truly in love and have family that will support them as they grown their own. They say love is in the details, and did they ever put some tender love and care into cultivating a wedding with personality. And holy cow, are the outdoor shots gorgeous or what?! Beautiful work everyone, and congratulations Lindsay & Steven! From Anne-Marie Bouchard:
Sei la mia vita amore mio baciami!
When English words aren’t enough, say it in Italian! Right? Granted, my google search may not be accurate but I think I get the point across. Lindsay and Steven are love, loving and lovely, down-to-earth and fun and their wedding day was gorgeous – boiling hot! – and gorgeous. I don’t think they would’ve had it any other way. I met these two, two years ago! That’s how long they have been seeking out milk vases, dreaming of colour palettes and designing invitations. I’ve heard about wedding details here and there and imagined what it would all look like when it came together. I was blown away. It’s pretty fun to see a whole table of pies, cookies and biscotti baked by family members. Family is key for these two and they weren’t shy to talk about one day starting one of their own.
Needless to say, I’m very sad to see this day come to an end. Congratulations Lindsay and Steve. You two are amazing and I wish you all the love and happiness the whole wide world has to share.
It was a Tuesday and I had come home from work completely unsuspecting. As I opened the front door the set of stairs leading up to our main floor were lined with candles and on the first step was a handmade card that read “Babe, I love you more and more every day and I can’t imagine my world without you. So, I guess what I’m saying is…” I then continued up the stairs and once I reached the top there he was, down on one knee, surrounded by candles, with his adorable smile asking “will you marry me”?
Lindsay and Steven are the winners of a styled engagement session Anne-Marie Bouchard of AMBphoto gave away with photographic stylist Catalina Bloch. I’ll be posting their gorgeous Glebe Community Centre wedding shortly – stay tuned!
The Twigs & Honey 2013 new collection has been released! I think that Myra Callan’s designs are so organic and whimsical and I desperately wanted to share the new collection with you, but it appears that the only place to source the images of the entire collection shots from the always impressive Elizabeth Messina is on the grand reveal featured on Wedding Chicks yesterday. The images are stunning and the designs are so completely unique… you’ll be hooked. For those who haven’t discovered Twigs & Honey yet:
Twigs & Honey®, LLC by Myra Callan is a line dedicated toward creating unique & innovative accessories that are designed to complement & accentuate the wearer’s features. The pieces utilize both modern & old millinery techniques for assembly from hand dyeing & sewing to pressing of petals & curling of feathers. The designs are not created to follow trends but rather to create pieces that are original, beautiful & wearable. New styles are being added regularly but all are heavily influenced by vintage fashion, patterns & textures in the natural world & fine materials. Perfect for special occasions & weddings, Twigs & Honey designs are created to work wonderfully for your event while remaining timeless in form & function for years to come.
Jenny Packham is celebrating the company’s 25th anniversary this year, and did she ever do a magnificent job designing the 2013 collections. I find that the above dresses featured in her campaign are heavily influenced with this years “Great Gatsby” theme trend. A number of her dresses have lowered waist-lines reminiscent of the slim Roaring 1920′s flapper gowns, and they have the bead-work to compliment it. I am loving the use of all the capped sleeves and complimentary draping to the lower waist. Jenny is known to admire 20′s era fashions: “It was a wonderfully liberating time for women,” she said. “There’s a “strong contemporary relevance.”
Here’s what I love about this 20′s trend: it’s about women feeling comfortable and free to wear and do what they want. It’s about feeling sexy but not offending your grandparents. It’s about having a good time. That’s what a wedding should be: a party.
Reema Acra, another high-end wedding gown designer, had a really great quote from a recent article in The New York Times:
There’s a combination of what’s going on in the movies et cetera, but I feel like today’s girl also wants to be free,” said Ms. Acra, whose spring collection is her first to be inspired by the Jazz Age. “She wants the glamour, but she wants the flowy dress — so she can move — the sexiness and the embellishment,” she said. “All these elements, in my mind, are saying ’20s.
Everything about this beautiful backyard wedding is simply elegant. From the delicate neutral and refined chambray ensembles worn by the groom and his men to the dreamy breezeway entrance to the backyard reception. You are going to adore the sweet and lovely polished bouquets and the dainty diy table centerpieces.
You are especially going to swoon over the dreamy photographs captured by Nashville,Tennessee film photographer Ryan Bernal. Are you already swooning over the bridesmaid dresses above? Most of all this entire stylish affair was put together for 200 guests for less than $6,000. Read on to hear tid bits from the bride and of course see more from Ryan in the full wedding gallery.
How fabulous is Andrew and Hannah’s entrance sign? You could easily recreate this personalized rustic sign buy stenciling on burlap and framing it. We guesstimate the entire project, including the easel would run you about $45 depending on the price of your frame.
Andrew and Hannah were able to save a huge amount on having their wedding at their family’s home. We are certainly aware that all of you do not have huge backyard, but we recommend sharing with family and friends that you are interested in having a backyard wedding. Sometimes just spreading the word will do the trick. One of Hannah’s main tips is to ask for whatever you might need and if that happens to be a backyard, it doesn’t hurt to ask.
From the Bride:
If i can give any advice – its to not be afraid to ask for help. A lot of help! I had so many people involved down to the smalllest details and it relieved so much of the pressure from myself and it also involved everyone! I had people in Indianna collecting vintage plates from thrift stores for me while one of my friends in Georgia addressed the invitations…I utilized everyone!
We also love the mason jars that had a piece of raffia wrapped around it with a cute blank label to ensure ownership of the cup for the evening. The table decor was mismatched bottles and vases with loose flowers placed on a burlap table runner. Click here for a great tip, from another bride on how to acquire free bottles for your floral arrangements.
Simple is key…the simplicity of everything made it all the more lovely. I wanted people to feel as if they were at a backyard picnic, but with the feel and elegence of a wedding…and I think I was able to do just that.
Another great way to save money is having a taco bar, as opposed to a traditional fancy wedding menu. To jazz up the taco bar you could add gourmet items like duck confit and pickled red cabbage like Andrew and Hannah did. Having a limited bar will also reduce your budget. You could simply offer one type of wine or beer or a signature wedding cocktail.
Our Free Thumbprint Wedding Guest Books measures 11″ X 14″ and can be personalized with your names and wedding date. You can use smear-resistant dye ink.It is currently on sale at Joanne’s Fabric for $9.59.
Another money saver was the cupcake tower made by friends. Using the same book paper roses from the entrance sign along with burlap for a cohesive yet stylish look.
Venue: Family home |Veil or Hair Accessories: The flowers in the bride’s hair were made from scraps of her wedding dress to match the gown | Jewelry: Vintage jewelry from my grandmothers | Coordinator: Friends and Family – A special thanks to Brooke Jones | Cake: Home-made cupcakes – Rachel Brewer | Makeup: Bridesmaid – Brittany Roth | Cinematography: Bethany Ufema
A beautiful bouquet for a beautiful Saturday.
The cat is out of the bag – Jenny Packham released her spring/summer 2014 bridal collection to a number of exclusive websites on April 23, 2013, and the media frenzy ensued immediately.
