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Vera Wang Weddings – 2010 Spring Collection

We just got this great email from Vera Wang. She’s introducing youthful charm and romance through hand-painted tulles and silks in her Spring 2010 collection. The wedding dress featured here, Didi, showcases innovative design techniques from Vera Wang. Below are her insights on the design inspiration behind Didi.

The Inspiration
The Didi embraces color for its fresh interpretation of modernity and romance in wedding fashion. In particular, Didi’s unique design is showcased in citrus, a core color of this collection’s palette. This color – and this wedding dress – can be described as nothing less than vivacious. Didi illustrates an important technique in the use of color: hand-painting. The full skirt is a combination of hand-painted organza and tulle that tumble from the structured, pleated bodice into artful deconstruction. You will see this frothiness throughout the collection, along with a very specific delicate lightness that is created through the layering of fabrics rather than crinolines (stiff petticoats under the skirt). The pleats on the Didi’s bodice are particularly dramatic at the back of the wedding dress. Didi captures artistry, which is another common thread in Vera Wang’s recent collections, along with whimsy and charm. These themes are soft, but not antiquated. The crispness of the design technique and the use of color establish the modernity of these wedding dresses. Keep in mind, Vera Wang wedding dresses shown in color are also available in traditional white and ivory; contact one of our wedding consultants for more detail.

The Bodice
The design of the bodice is the centerpiece around which other components of a wedding dress are created. Like a foundation garment, a bodice is defined by its construction and its fit. The bodice of your wedding dress should be tailored to the length of your torso. Precise fit is crucial for a strapless wedding dress, such as Didi, as the bodice requires stays for support.

Romanticist
A Romanticist is a bride who is willing to embrace fantasy. Her love of beauty translates to enchanting wedding gowns with grand details delicate ruffles, billowing sleeves or layers of tulle, as shown here on Didi. Passionate and adventurous, the Romanticist seeks to be transported by her wedding dress.

Source: Vera Wang

NOTE: There will be a Vera Wang trunk show at Warren Barron Bridal, March 4-6.

A Red Wedding – Drama! Glitz! Glamour! – Amanda Alexander & Matt McMurphy

Red! Red! Red! Who says weddings should be “Pretty and Pink” …certainly not Amanda Alexander. When she and fiancé Matt McMurphy began making plans for their March 3, 2009 wedding, visions of “Blush and Bashful” never entered Amanda’s mind. “Drama! Glitz! Glamour! Passion!” exclaimed the bride-to-be at the couple’s first meeting with DFW Events in-house Designer, Nelson Robinson, who quickly seized upon one word that seem to say it all: RED!

After their initial meeting, Nelson presented Amanda with a detailed sketch that illustrated her ideas. “He captured Amanda’s dream to perfection,” recalls Mindy Rives of DFW Events, who coordinated Amanda and Matt’s wedding. Amanda took one look at Nelson’s rendering and said, “That’s it!”

Nelson joined forces with Junior Villanueva at the Garden Gate and together they made Amanda’s ideas become reality.  The beautifully dramatic locals of Christ the King Catholic Church and The Ritz-Carlton Dallas were the backdrops for their elaborate plans.

For her own gown, Amanda found the perfect “princess dress” in a bejeweled soft white satin Kenneth Pool. It featured a strapless neckline softened by a flutter of pleated organza and mermaid silhouette. The entire gown was opulently embellished with silver and gold bullion, Austrian crystals and caviar beds.  A gown fit for a princess! She gowned her attendants in black satin, ideally suited to showcase eye popping red bouquets.

After the formal ceremony, Amanda and Matt’s guests were treated to a sumptuous five course seated dinner where the couple’s characteristically singular attention was focused on the menu.

Amanda and her design team considered every detail. The Ritz pastry chef, Morgan Wilson, created a magnificent wedding cake that replicated Amanda’s gown and was topped with a glittering marzipan M. Ornate mirrored stands supported the massive bouquets of white lilies and cascading orchids embellished with crystals tear drop votives. Stands of crystal beads extended from the ceiling. Diamantes encrusted the cake knife and server.

Luxurious red was integrated into almost every glamorous feature. An embroidered canopy hung over the expansive head tabled swathed in red linens where the bride and groom were seated on a tufted red brocade love seat. Guests danced away the evening on the red Lucite dance floor flanked by curved red silk sofas festooned with throw pillows. The band, Bullet Proof Brass, played in front of a red backdrop screen decorated with a distinctive AM monogrammed designed especially for the occasion. The monogram was repeated on the wall behind the cakes as well as the napkins and menu cards. The entire ballroom glowed red with a dramatic wash of lights.

By the time the couple made their late night getaway in a stunning vintage white Rolls Royce, every guest’s eyes glittered with the sparkle of Amanda and Matt’s perfect evening.

Source: Nina Nichols Austin Weddings

Photography by Karlish Photography

Tips for a chic wedding

• Use images of yourself and your groom on your save-the-date notice. Whether printed or emails, a personalized save-the-date won’t be forgotten.
• Instead of a place card at each place setting, have a menu printed that’s personalized with the guest’s name on top.
• Instead of traditional table numbers, personalize each table by naming it something that’s relevant to you, e.g., your favorite cities in the world, names of streets you lived on, schools you attended, favorite authors, or favorite wines.
• For a summer wedding at an outdoor ceremony, provide the ladies with fans that are personalized with the name and date of the bride and groom.
• Let the celebration begin—and there’s no better way to make it special than by offering a series of signature cocktails named after each of the bridesmaids and groomsmen.
• When it comes time to hit the dance floor, have a gobo made with the bride and groom’s initials projected onto the dance floor.
• Have a slideshow made with images of wedding. Set up a screen or computer monitor for the show to be seen at the day-after brunch.
• Make a CD with the music played at your wedding: from ceremony to reception and party. Give the CD to your valet parkers and have them place one in each car, or place a pile of CDs on a table where guests depart for them to help themselves and take one home.
• Instead of a traditional sign in book, have your guests write a message on a ribbon that is then tied to the ceremony area. The ribbon can be collected after the ceremony and saved as a memento for years to come

Wedding Receptions – New Trends – The Smilebooth

Smilebooth makes the party!

Smilebooth is soooo not the old school photo booth. This modern upgrade to the classic memory-maker is all about the entertainment!!  Smilebooth lets your guests be in (out of ?) control and take unlimited studio quality images. Be warned, it might take over your event with outrageous laughter coming from the corner but that’s not a bad thing, right?  Your digital photos can be printed or downloaded to your phone/facebook.

Have a blast while capturing the vibe of your event.  According to wedding parties who have used it, it’s addicting, amazing and amusing. And from the pictures here, you can see that they have the proof.

Source: Smilebooth.com

A Green Wedding – Kathryn Rolewick & Kurtis Peterson

Kathryn and Kurtis really wanted to make it their day and together planned a wedding that would touch on who they are and the things most important to them as a couple.

Kathryn tells the story of her wedding …

The ceremony site was an easy decision… it was outside in the Hedge Garden at the Morton Arboretum, which is where we had our first date, and where Kurtis proposed. The Reception was at Hotel Arista, which initially caught our interest with its clean and natural, yet modern, style (similar to ours). We were more than sold once we tried their food, and when they were named the only LEED certified Hotel in Illinois, it couldn’t have been a more perfect fit.

Being the detail oriented people that we are, almost every aspect of the day was personal in some way, and being the outdoorsy people that we are, the garden feel that started at the Arboretum naturally spread into the entire day.

My favorite color is yellow and Kurtis’ is orange, so we wanted to stay in that range. Once we found the perfect color in the bridesmaid dresses, everything grew from there. I call it marigold.  We like to match, so we really didn’t stray from that color… from the bowties down to the soup.

The monogram took on a life of it’s own. We both love symmetry, so the reversing the second “K” for symmetry was an idea I had had for months, the bracket effect with our final design simply won out over the hundreds of options we designed. The save-the-dates and invitations stemmed from the monogram, and I designed the cake to match the invitations.

We made the corkboards (to display the place cards) ourselves, mostly from corks we had saved for years, to show our love for wine and it tied into our “green” efforts.  The table numbers were painted on rocks, our signature drink was made from organic vodka, and in lieu of favors, we made a donation to our local forest preserve district.

We opted for a sand ceremony which was only appropriate for two beach lovers in the Midwest, and it allowed our family and friends to have a role in the day, representing they roles they have in our lives.

My dress was the second one I tried on, and the only one that made my mother, Aunt, and MOH cry.  Our flowers were calla lilies – white and “marigold” only.  I wore my grandmother’s bracelet that was a gift from my grandfather and the necklace my mother wore the day she married my father was wrapped in my bouquet. My favorite photo of the day was taken right at the spot Kurtis proposed in the Spruce plot at the Arboretum. We didn’t plan our August 1, 2009 wedding with a theme, but I think our earthy, yet classic style showed through in the end.

Ceremony: Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL
Reception: Hotel Arista, Lisle, IL
Photographer: Artisan Events, Inc.
Videography: Artisan Events, Inc.
Cake: Cocoa Bean
Florals: Expressions
Band: Al Sofia
Bride’s Attire: Rivini
Groom’s Attire: Perry Ellis
Invitations: Thia & Company

Carolina Herrera Bridal Sample Sale This Weekend

Some things we just don’t want our readers to miss. We know this is Dallas only, so please indulge us.

Vintage Wedding Gowns – Not for the faint hearted

Brides of the past. Captured in time through fading photographs, or perhaps vividly preserved on the artist’s canvas with mysterious faces and unique shapes and their gowns … absolutely exquisite.

Now that you are ready to walk down the aisle, you may be wondering if you can do so in a dress drawn from the pages of time. The lure of a vintage wedding gown can be strong. For a price that is often a fraction of the cost of a new gown, you can wrap yourself in a one-of-a-kind look that’s as stylish now as it was generations ago.

• Fabric deteriorates over time so you need to choose wisely or you could find yourself leaving bits of your dress behind as you march down the aisle. It is highly unlikely that a gown pre-dating the nineteenth century will be wearable.
• Unless you’re a veteran vintage shopper with an eye for spotting fabric damage, your best bet is to ask around until you find a reputable vintage shop. If you aren’t sure where to begin, try contacting a nearby theater company or historical society for recommendations. Once you’ve found a good shop, be very clear with the sales staff about your intentions for a particular dress. A wonderfully preserved Edwardian gown may be perfect for a quiet, intimate wedding, but not for a wild bash with a swing band.
• Don’t expect the perfect fit. There are two different schools of thought when it comes to resizing a vintage gown. Many vintage clothing mavens insist that the only way to go is down. Vintage gowns often do not include additional material at the seams and new trims and fabrics will likely not match the original cloth in shading or quality. Others however, maintain that letting out a vintage gown successfully is possible, although extremely difficult — often requiring creative embellishments to cover gussets and new stitching. So if you happen upon a fabulous dress that is just too small, you may be far better off continuing your search than struggling with difficult restyling.
• Perfect but unwearable? Create a reproduction gown. Find out if the gown you’ve fallen in love with could be used as a pattern for a seamstress to make you a new one.  Their are even fabrics that have that vintage feel.

Finding your vintage gown can be a daunting journey, yet it could equally become an exciting treasure hunt.

It will require a little legwork, but with the rise in popularity of vintage clothing, you can be certain that the resources you need are within reach.

Old is new again. If you have a specific image in mind for your gown, or want an updated look on a classic style, you might want to opt for a reproduction gown rather than an authentic vintage gown. If you love the hourglass look of the 1890s but prefer a slightly less constricting neckline, it will be far less heartbreaking to rip apart and restyle a reproduction than an authentic piece of history.

Whether you greet your big day in a fabulous forties Dior design or a reproduction of a turn of the century lawn gown, a vintage wedding gown can transform your walk down the aisle into a magical moment plucked from an antique photograph. Who could imagine a grander entrance?

Photographs courtesy of Table4

Wedding Reception Furniture – Comfort and Style

One of our partners sent us information on Prop Rock Concepts & Productions as a very attractive option when looking for wedding reception furniture.

Located in Dallas and Houston, Prop Rock works with its clients to develop a customized layout plan, deliver and setup the furniture and coordinate any other details as needed or directed by the client. If you’re a wedding coordinator, event planner or the bride, you can contact Prop Rock at the information below to get more information.

Phone: 1-877-ROCK-212
Email: info@proprock.com

Our New Featured Wedding Post

Maegan and Brian wanted something different than the normal church wedding and reception. Since they go on a big scale European vacation every 3 years and 2009 was the next big trip, they decided to combine the wedding and honeymoon into their trip to England and Scotland.

Read more about our latest featured wedding.

A Fairy Tale Wedding in Scotland

The story for this wedding is wonderfully romantic and storybook …but very long. I’m told young girls don’t like to “read all that stuff” and would prefer big pictures. So, my apologies to the bride and groom, I really shortened this one, but I encourage everyone to take the time and read the full story here.

Maegan Bardes & Brian Ernsthausen
September 1^st, 2009
Ceremony and Wedding Reception Dinner:
Dalhousie Castle, Bonnyrigg, Edinburgh, Scotland EH19 3JB

Maegan and Brian wanted something different than the normal church wedding and reception. Since they go on a big scale European vacation every 3 years and 2009 was the next big trip, they decided to combine the wedding and honeymoon into their trip to England and Scotland.

The destination wedding was Dalhousie Castle, a castle steeped in Scottish history. Maegan recommends that there are two things to consider if you’re doing a destination wedding: hire a wedding planner and if you have to have wedding VISAS then go through a VISA company. They did it themselves the first time and were denied which added a lot of stress.

Originally, Maegan was going to go the traditional wedding gown, but her mother found a plaid wedding gown that was perfect for her. She found the plaid after extensive searching though a company called Lochcarron of Scotland. She then found a local seamstress to make the dress who had nothing to go by except a picture from the Internet. You can see the results in the pictures.

The wedding party of 15 stayed at the castle. The rooms within the castle are very old and just what you would expect out of a unique venue like this. The castle is run very much like a B&B, so you can wander around pretty much wherever you like. The themed bedrooms are very upscale, just what you would expect from a Von Essen property. Brian and Maegan had the Mary Queen of Scots honeymoon suite which is one of two historic rooms in the castle.

You can organize private falconry displays for your guests during your stay for an additional fee. They also offer “owl delivery” for your wedding rings for an additional fee. Maegan jumped on this, because it was so magical. Their owl’s name was Teddy. So when it is time for the rings during the ceremony, the owl flies down to the Best Man’s glove with the ring bag and “delivers” the rings in the chapel. This is a very cool addition and is only offered to those having religious ceremonies.

Their wedding day would not have been complete without the Star of the castle which was Pipe Sergeant, Andrew Sharp. Maegan sent him 5 songs to play since they didn’t plan on having any other music at my ceremony. He piped in all of the guests and then he came up stairs and met the wedding party in the honeymoon suite. Andrew piped Maegan, her mom, her sister, and dad all the way down the stairs to the entrance of the chapel. Then it was Maegan and her Dad’s turn. Andrew learned a special song for her bridal processional that she had found on the internet.

The entire wedding was a fairytale come true for Brian and Maegan. The castle, the people and their honeymoon was amazing and it was a trip of a lifetime.

• Photography – Gary Donihoo and Kym Skiles F8 Studio www.f8studio.com
• Flowers – Bryan’s Farm Florist http://www.bryansfarmflorist.co.uk/
• Makeup – Jo Bechard Makeup www.jobechardmakeup.co.uk
• Music – Andrew Sharp, Pipe Sergeant (Bag Piper)
• Minister – Reverend William Brown
• Falconry – Falconry Scotland http://www.falconryscotland.co.uk/
• Dalhousie Castle – www.dalhousiecastle.co.uk
• Fit Tailor – Mai – Plano, TX – Park/Preston
• Lochcarron of Scotland – www.lochcarron.com
• Melville Golf Centre – http://www.melvillegolf.co.uk/