Would You Light My Candle?

It's no secret that candle light is universally flattering, not to mention so romantic.

If you have a large guest list, candles are a chic-onomic way to have fabulous mood lighting without the expensive bill. And candlelight provides that intimate vibe that you can sometimes loose with so may of your family and friends coming to celebrate your big day.

To give your cande light table tops a designer-esque feel use the same shape candle holder throughout the reception in varying heights or keep it uniform and mix them into the centerpieces.

Images courtesy of Christian Oth Studio, Michelle Rago,and Jeannie Savage from Triple Cord Photography.

This Time It's Personal

After all the wedding festivities are over, it's time to get down to business of writing all your thank you cards.

But what can seem like a daunting task of individually writing dozens upon dozens of cards has been made into a luxurious, beautiful piece of art with Bernard Maisner's handpainted personalized stationary. Each piece is engraved in gold and then hand painted to create an unique piece of art.

Or if you prefer, plan ahead of time and give each guest a personalized card engraved by Mr. Maisner himself. Such beauty serves double duty as both a place card and a personalized favor.

I hope I get invited to that wedding!

Images courtesy of Bernard Maisner.

Fab Frocks Friday: No You Won't Get a Lemon

With oversize ruffles and dramatic bows, this Christian Lacroix dress is the stuff of pure fashion fantasy.

A lemon tweed print organza asymmetric puff dress sure makes for a sassy but sweet look. I'm thinking glamourous garden party?

Images courtesy of Net-a-Porter.

Chairman of the Board

Jennifer Mcgarigle, designer of Floral Art, never ceases to amaze me with her fashion forward designs and innovative sensibility.

Her Floret Collection features your favorite flowers - dahlia, daisy, orchid, peony, rosebud and succulent - in a modern yet vintage style chair. Materials include white lacquer wood finish, Lucite legs and silk velvet upholstery. Floral images float within each clear Lucite chair back creating a delicate blend between nature and engineering; the look is fresh and distinctive.

Now these pretties are a bit too expensive to use at your reception, but don't you agree that even just one will look positively delightful in your living room? Anyone care to register for these?

And don't forget to check out Jennifer's custom floral arrangements and events. Whether your look is classical, architectural, modern or vintage, her elegant arrangements will satisfy even the most discerning of tastes.

Images courtesy of Floral Art.

Have You Heard? The Bird is the Word

The birdcage veil is making a big comeback on the wedding scene!

For the bride that wants to look effortlessly chic, a birdcage veil provides an instant statement whether you wear it straight back or pinned to the side. Now I'm not one to rain on any girl's parade, but do keep in mind that the birdcage veil is a very stylized look and may not work for every bride. So if you're planning to get married at the Plaza in a Carolina Herrera ballgown the birdcage veil - as lovely as it is - probably won't fit the occasion.

Check out some gorgeous birdcage veils at Castle Bride Couture and also don't forget to look at Kristen's Formal Feathers Collection as well for some equally amazing feathered confections.

Images courtesy of OK Magazine and Veil Tales.

Love Birds

Leave it to our feathered friends to tell a delightful story about love.

I like to think that the two images tell a story of two star crossed love birds from warring (fine jewelry) houses. In the first ad campaign it's Romeo of the house of Harry Winston professing his very large, undying love to Juliet of the Van Cleef & Arpels. Neither families approved but still, R & J's love persevered and they hatched a few baby beauties themselves.

Okay so I rewrote the ending - but this is The Cinderella Project after all!

Images courtesy of Harry Winston and Van Cleef & Arpels.

Happy Trails

Why leave the calligraphy to the invitations? Scattering flowers along the aisle is always a beautiful and fragrant detail to your wedding, but for a punch of wow, blaze your own trail with a dramatic flourish like these designs by The Enchanted Florist:

And tempting as it is to romp along the aisle, I think I will leave that for the bride to handle!

Images courtesy of The EnchantedFlorist.

Fab Frocks Friday: Spring has Sprung!

Welcome back Spring - it feels as if you have been gone ever so long! With the arrival of Spring, we're all ready to gear up for the upcoming wedding season - meaning lots of people getting married! But before we get caught up in all the whirl and twirl, let us take a collective deep breath, both real and metaphorically.

And what better way to relax than taking laying about a beautiful spring garden in the shape of Derercuny's Spring 2009 runway? Not only do these fab frocks look so wedding appropriate, but they also set the standard for the new bridesmaid's dress rule of no two things are exactly alike.

Looking at this picture - I feel calmer already and I hope you do too!

Images courtesy of Style.

Up Close and Personal

I'm ready for my close up! Looking picture perfect for your wedding doesn't have to seem like a daunting uphill battle, but rather a routine that will take you not only through your wedding day but also your life. So get ready for some flawless skin and read just a few of the beauty basics from the editors at The Knot.

It's a make better, not a make over: your wedding day shouldn't be the time to experiment or present a dramatically new look to everyone important in your life. Play up your best features and keep the drama in the soap operas and not your face. Also, beauty isn't a one time deal, its a process that takes dedication, commitment and time, so make sure you start 5-6 months prior to the wedding. Click here to read more about your Countdown to Gorgeous.

A work of Art: I highly recommend not only going through a few test trials of your wedding look with a make up professional, but also having him or her be at your wedding. As The Knot says, "a good makeup artist can mean the difference between a nice wedding face and a drop-dead beautiful one."

Practice makes Perfect: a few test runs of your wedding day look are essential to starving off any unforeseen disasters. As you and your makeup artist are discussing different options, make sure that the look you desire is one that will not only have you looking gorgeous on your big day, but also stand the test of time (meaning no brilliant blue 80s eyeshadow!).

Image courtesy of J.Crew.

Wedding Idols

For some of the most beautiful and inspiring luxury wedding wedding ideas, I turn to the great David Tutera who has transformed the way we see weddings.

Hailed as an artistic visionary, its no wonder that his uniquely creative talents and unmatched level of inspiration, imagination, and innovation have made him a pioneer in the wedding industry. Not only that, I love his dedication to taking his passion for designing spectacular events and transforming it into a lifestyle, which is what The Cinderella Project is all about - taking the beauty of your own personalized and stylized wedding and incorporating those ideals into your life.

Here is just one wedding David and his team have imagined - simply stunning! And don't forget to check out some amazing photos from the brilliant minds of the people who took these photos at Allegro Photography.

Images courtesy Allegro Photography.

Bless Me Lucky Charms!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Going green and getting into the spirit of St. Paddy's day can be a little difficult if you aren't in elementary school. So rather than taking the obvious choice of green apparel, may I suggest this oh so lucky Marc by Marc Jacobs Charm Necklace?

If you can spot the green, kudos to you! And ladies this can also double for a fashion forward and useful bridesmaid present at steal of a price ($148!) that won't pinch your wallet.

Veiled Feats

Beautiful dresses I've donned aplenty, but the bridal veil I haven't worn any. It's amazing how a veil can transform the entire emotional impact of the wedding gown process. There is always an air of excitement in the room as the bride tries on stunning gown after stunning gown, but the moment the veil is placed on her head, the moment becomes so much more real and emotional as if they realize "this is really happening."

So who better than Sara Gabriel to take your veil from now to wow! Carried in only the finest boutiques across the country and around the world, Sara Gabriel Veiling & Headpieces offers a fully customizable like of couture bridal veils and accessories. Every veil is individually cut by a professional milliner, and beautifully packaged in a preservation-quality garment bag. And don't forget to check out their collection of headpieces and hair jewelry is meticulously crafted from freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals, hand-sculpted flowers, and glittering rhinestones.

Images courtesy of Sara Gabriel.

Fab Frocks Friday: Let's Get Philosphical

There is no other wise muse's philosophy I subscribe to that that of Alberta Ferretti. After all, how can you debate against a romantic, feminine, flirty, and sophisticated school of thought?

This pretty blue number from Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti is sure to set your heart a flutter. And at a steal of a price for unparalleled Italian craftsmanship, who can resist?

Image via Net-a-Porter.

Ciao Bella!

The beauty of a letterpress invitation - the subtle play of texture and color working together to set the perfect for your wedding.

And only Bella Figura knows how to do unparalleled understated beauty luxe. Don't you love the decadence of the mango and sea mist color combination in their Plume design? or the Guild's marriage of old world nostalgia and modern typeset? How about the sweetly romantic Vignette with its soft taupe and shell?

Whatever your color scheme and wedding theme, Bella Figura is sure to have something to please even the most discriminating tastes.

Images via Bella Figura.

Engaging Moments

If you're in the market to have a glamorous engagement photo session, why not spend a Dog Day Afternoon with your honey in a highly stylized editorial photo shoot like the one seen here from The Magazine from the Wall Street Journal:

And for all you animal lovers out there, have a few of your favorite French poodles in balloon form strike their best pose as your celebrate your love.

How darling!

Images courtesy of "Party Flavors" by Koto Bolofo for The Magazine from the Wall Street Journal.

Run(a)way Bride: Heaven on Earth

Heaven must be missing some angels because these dresses in ruffled white organza looks so angelic and as as soft as a cloud in Erin Fetherson's Spring 2009 collection. Daydreamers and romantics alike are sure to be pleased with these dresses not to mention the fairytale inspired makeup (think dewy faces, subtle glitter, long wear eyeliner and lengthening mascara) that will enhance your natural beauty and be perfect for your wedding make-up look.

Images via New York Magazine.

Sweethearts

Searching for the perfect favor can sometimes be a most daunting task. Do you opt for something personalized, edible, a novelty item that maybe your guests will never use?

These darling heart shaped sugar cubes from Sur la Table are sure to have your guests looking for their own bite sized treasure. Don't you just love the little notch at the side to delicately hang your own sweet heart on the side?

And ladies, they are on sale for $9.99 a box. Each box contains sixty four sugar hearts in white, amber and ebony.

Isn't love just the sweetest thing!

Image via Sur la Table.

Fab Frocks Friday: I Love Rock n' Roll

For every rock n' roll gal, playing it safe and following the beaten path has never been on your list, so I'm going to Elle Magazine to showcase a fabulous ensemble for this fashion forward bride. From the venerable house of Balmain comes a to-die-for outfit sassed up with some studded sky high heels courtesy of Giuseppe Zanotti. Don't forget to throw on your leather bomber and Ray-Bans to rock the look.

Rock n' roll has never looked this good!

Images courtesy of Elle Magazine and Style.