Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Themed Tuesdays: Gatsby-Inspired Weddings

You've undoubtedly seen the many previews and posters for the new Great Gatsby movie. (If, by some chance, you live under a rock and don't know what I'm talking about you can see a preview here.) So you had to know that the inevitable "Gatsby-inspired Wedding" post was coming. 

This wedding theme is very close to me, since I've been planning to style my wedding around the Jazz Age. If I could be born in any other decade, it would be the 20's. The "Roaring 20's" epitomized glamour and decadence, so when styling your Gatsby-inspired wedding, make sure to incorporate these key elements from the decade:

  • Bold, geometric shapes
  • Gold or silver accents
  • Peacock feathers
  • Pearls
  • Lace
Hopefully this helps you get a better idea of how to style your Gatsby-inspired wedding!

 Cake
When designing your cake, try to include a hint of gold or silver, but keep it at just a hint, otherwise it could look
a little too gaudy. I would avoid any floral or overly feminine accents.

Bouquet
The bridal bouquet or floral centerpieces would be a good place to incorporate peacock feathers. I also love how the bride in the second photo added a diamond brooch for some extra opulence.

Headpiece
Instead of a traditional veil go for a statement-making headpiece. Make sure it has diamonds, rhinestones, pearls, feathers, the works.

Invitations
Try to use geometric trim and a vintage font when designing your invitations. The more ornate, the better.

 Centerpieces
I would incorporate candles, crystals, and ostrich feathers

 Details








Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Alternative Bridesmaid Bouquets

Many brides today are becoming more and more creative with their weddings, trying to get as far away from the conventional as possible. Flowers are no exception; a new trend that I've been seeing is alternative bridesmaid bouquets. 

There can be different reasons to have your bridesmaids carry something other than a $75 bouquet down the aisle:
  • You want to do something different
  • Your budget doesn't allow for it
  • Traditional bouquets don't go with the overall theme and feel of your wedding
Whatever your reason is, I've found some cute alternatives to bridesmaid bouquets for you to check out

Balloons give a wedding a more playful, fun feel.

Parasols are good for outdoor weddings.

A basket with simple flowers is good for a barn yard, garden, or vintage wedding.

Carrying lanterns down the aisle would be great to set the mood for an evening wedding.

Instead of a bouquet, bridesmaids can carry a single statement flower.

Pinwheels provide a cute, whimsical feel for a wedding.

Wheat bouquets are perfect if you have a more earthy, rustic theme.

Getting married around Valentine's Day? Why not have your bridesmaids carry paper hearts?

This crystal snowflake is beautiful for a winter wedding.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Spring Colors

As I've mentioned in previous posts, Design Seeds is an amazing website to find great color palettes for anything from weddings to interior design. I've found some great palettes for brides who are looking for inspiration for their spring wedding.

This would be great for an outdoor garden wedding.
A good purple variation, without being overwhelming

The dark blue ties this pastel palette together. Use it as an accent color
in your wedding.
This is a good neutral palette without looking too "Fall."
I love the complementary gray with this teal combination
This is good for the couple who doesn't want to use the
typical pastel pink or blue color scheme
I love this palette. If I were a spring bride, I would use these colors.
I would have my bridesmaids wear dresses in each color.
A great red variation

Hump Day Fun

Some inspirational quotes to get you through Hump Day. Be back soon with more wedding yumminess.






Thursday, March 14, 2013

You Can Never Have Too Many Purses

Just like shoes, I can never have enough purses. Totes, clutches, cross-body, I love them all. Unfortunately, my eyes can be bigger than my bank account, and I sometimes have to try to find a more budget-friendly alternative. Here are a few beautiful wedding purses for you to take a look at. I've also included an alternate version for the more cost conscious bride. 

Kate Spade Wedding Belles "Elliana" Clutch $398
White Aisle Boutique Feather Clutch $140
(Buy this bag from their store on Etsy here)

Swarovski Crystal Flower Clutch $1650
Natasha Couture Crystal Floral Cage Clutch $280


Prada Pleated Satin Clutch $700
Nina Pleated Satin Clutch $60


BE & E Hexagon Clutch $398
Tasha Hexagon Clutch $48


Judith Leiber Crystal Air Stream Clutch $1695
Diane Von Furstenberg Tonda Crystal Clutch $395





For me, I've got my eye on this beauty:
Christian Louboutin Pigalle Clutch $995. Ouch
Unfortunately there's no alternate version that comes close to the beauty that is a Louboutin masterpiece. Looks like I'll just have to save up for this baby.

For more wedding bags, check out my Facebook Page.





Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Wedding Nails

Sorry I've been so M.I.A. lately! Future hubby and I are in the process of buying and remodeling a condo right now, and it's literally one of the most exhausting, time consuming processes.  Anyway, here's a quick little post to show you that wedding planning is still #1 on my list of things to do. 

Nail art is insanely popular these days. More and more brides are shying away from the traditional french manicure for their wedding, and opting for more fashionable nail choices. Here is some great wedding nail inspiration.

I love this idea!

A neutral pink is always a safe choice for the more traditional bride

I like this for an accent nail. It's a little too much for me for every nail

A new twist on a french manicure

For the more daring bride, a black french manicure is a
 good way to incorporate color without being too distracting

If you like a little bling, this look is perfect


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

I FOUND THE DRESS!

Finally! No more appointments, no more trips to dress shops, no more looking at the same wedding dresses over and over again! Ladies, I have found THE dress :) I'm not going to post a picture of it, in case my husband-of-the-future is spying on this blog, but I will say that my dress is not what I expected to get. I ended up getting my gown from Unveiled Philadelphia, my favorite store out of all the places I went. 

A couple weeks ago, I decided to go back to Bridals by Danielle and Unveiled Philadelphia to take one last look at the two dresses I was choosing between. I realized that I needed to get my dress ordered now if I wanted to get it on time. This time I only went with my mom and mother in law. Our first stop was Bridals by Danielle, and I must say, my experience this time was completely different from my first visit. 

On my way to the store I ran into bumper to bumper traffic, so I called to let them know I was going to be 5 minutes late at the most. (I'm a stickler for punctuality so I always try to arrive anywhere 15 minutes early) The woman on the phone assured me that this was ok and that they would still honor my appointment. Unfortunately this is not what happened once I arrived. When I walked into the store, the woman at the desk barely acknowledged my presence. It was only after I walked up to the desk to let her know I was there that she said "Oh hi, just wait up front, Anna (the saleswoman who had helped me before) will be with you in 5 minutes." No problem, I was late, the least I could do was be patient. 

5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes went by and my mom, mother in law, and I were still waiting to be helped. During this time we were not given a single explanation. Not one word or apology as to why we were still waiting. It was late in the afternoon and the store was completely empty. Finally my mother in law said to the woman at the front (who I later learned is actually the owner of the store) that our appointment was at 4:30, it was now 4:50, and we had another appointment at 5:30. By this point, I was ready to get the hell out of the store and take my business elsewhere. The woman said "Well you were late for your appointment so I gave Anna another bride." That's funny, I called ahead of time to let her know that I would be maybe 5 minutes late, and I was also assured that my appointment would be honored. 

After some snarky comments from myself and my mom, Anna finally came out to apologize and had the dress that I wanted to try on brought to a dressing room for me. I was in such a foul mood that I tried it on for my mom, and said "Ok I'm done let's go to the next store. I don't want a store with customer service like this getting any of my business." It's a shame because before that visit, I had pretty much decided to buy the dress, but after my horrible visit, there was no way I wanted to come back.

Our next stop was at Unveiled Philadelphia. I loved this store the first time I went. It's a completely different experience from any other store: 

1. They book their appointments in 2 hour increments to avoid an overlap with another bride. Even if you don't use the full 2 hours, it's nice to know that all of their attention will be with you. 

2. They have a huge runway in the middle of the store that you can walk down to get a real idea of the weight and movement of a dress. (Plus, you get to feel like a supermodel for an hour) 

3. They don't stock the typical dress designers that you can find everywhere else. You feel like the dress you get won't be one that you can see on every other bride.

When we got to the store, they were finishing up an appointment with another bride, which I didn't mind since we were a little early. We ended up waiting about 15 minutes, but unlike at Bridals by Danielle, Frannie's husband Michael talked to me, let me browse through the dresses, and kept me engaged the whole time. By the time the other bride was finished, we were in a better mood. 

I tried on the dress that I tried on the first time, plus some new dresses that they had just received from the same designer. When I tried on one particular dress, my face just lit up. This was it. It was one of the new ones that they got in, and it was perfect. The designer is Val Stefani. I had never heard of her before visiting Unveiled, but her dresses are beautiful. I'm happy I didn't go with a big name designer. Yes, it would be cool to say I work Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, or Jenny Packham, but I'm so happy that I found a dress that just felt right. It's not about the name, but how the dress makes you feel, and I feel beautiful in it. I can't wait to wear it!

Here are some examples of Val Stefani's work.