Celebrations

I'm taking a little moment today to celebrate a little change to my labour of love. I do hope you enjoy the new logo as much as I do.

A big, big, big, thank you to Melissa St. Giles for making it all possible!

Fab Frocks Friday: Heaven Can Wait

It's almost the end of breezy blue skies, warm nights, and summer love. So summer, stay just a few more days . . . I'm not ready to ride off into the sunset just yet.

Happy Weekend!

Image via Emma Tempest.

We're Going to a Wild, Wild Party

Take a walk on the wild side with a few wildflowers at your wedding.

The key to making your look like a page out of Martha Stewart Weddings? For the most visual impact, use just one wild bloom for the entire occasion or several of your favorites florals but with each type of flower in its own container. But if you must mix your buds, keep like colors together for a wash of tonal shades.

Images via Pacific Weddings and Martha Stewart Weddings.

You Take My Breath Away

In an industry celebrating love, it is only fitting that in flower speak gypsophila means purity of heart.

Once relegated to filler flower status, gypsophila, more commonly known as baby's breath, is making a comeback in today's chic-onomic weddings. If you're looking to create a delicate, dream-like setting for your wedding, look to gysophila arranged in large clusters to mimic those heavenly clouds.

Not only is gypsophila a DIY bride's dream come true, but just think of the many buds you can use to convey that sweet innocence that sometimes seems lost in today's modern times.

Image via Polly Wreford.

Spoiler Alert: Bella of the Ball

Forget midnight - right now, it's all about Twilight! As any fan of the series knows, Bella and Edward's had to overcome many a supernatural hurdle in order to reach their happily ever after.

With all that drama, the last thing on the poor girl's mind should be the all too human stress of finding the perfect dress to wear to her wedding. Leave it to InStyle to enlist the help of today's brightest stars in fashion to design a magical dress fit for the occassion. These designs may not be the dress for the final cut of the movie, but it never hurts to dream a little - and go ahead! use these sketches for your own fairy tale look.

Check out all the designer sketches here.

Images via InStyle.

Looking Back

What will you remember when you look back on your wedding? When it comes to your bridal look, first impressions do make a dramatic impact, but let's not forget that f0r the most part your guests will have a view of your gorgeous back during the ceremony.

Create a lasting memory of your wedding day with this modern pretty from Rosa Clara that is sure to capture as much attention from the back as it will from the front . . .

I think it will have both you and your guests oohing and ahhing after all is said and done!

Images via Rosa Clara.

Fab Frocks Friday: Fierce!

Are you a bride on the go and need a white dress for your wedding? The sky's the limit on looking amazing like these dresses from the BCBG Resort 2010 Collection? Now these won't be out until later this year, but that doesn't mean you can't start planning for that New Years Eve elopement down in the tropics!

Note to brides - BCBG will supply the dress, shoes and aviators, but you've got to supply the fierce attitude.

Dare I say it? Make it work!


Images via Style.

A Piece of Cake

The stress of wedding planning got you down? Fret not dear bride, for all you need is something sweet to turn that frown upside down!

Here are some inspiring desserts that will have you thinking wedding planning is a piece of cake. As an added bonus, have a Marie Antoinette inspired tasting day with your favorite gal pals - the more the merrier!

Images via Elle Magazine and New York Magazine.

Golden Girl

This gal looks as pretty as a summer's breeze! For any brides out there planning on tying the knot beach side, what is your style of choice - casual chic or dress to impress?

One thing to note, a beach wedding requires a little finesse when it comes to finding the perfect hairstyle. Work in harmony with nature and use that beach breeze to give your hair some natural texture for flowing locks of love like the first picture. Or look no further than our couture inclined gal pal for a soft swept updo that shows off a little more bronzed skin in her sequined mini.

Maybe because it's the end of summer, but I'm becoming convinced that a beach wedding is the perfect marriage between fashion and subtly undone. With tousled locks, a little white (or gold) dress, and your Prince Charming, what more could you want? How about sealed with a (sun) kiss!

Images courtesy of Vogue Russia August 2009 by Mark Segal featuring Sasha Pivovarova.

Dim All the Lights Down Low

The right lighting can make or break your event. This reception highlights the point that a little light goes a long way . . .

After all, what better way to create that lovely, romantic atmosphere than dimming all the lights down low?

Images courtesy of Schnack Studios via Details Details.

We Flite, We Float, We Fly

We're counting down the final days of summer with a little citrus squeeze please! Here's a little wedding inspiration from the brilliant gal at Flite Designs that blends the dreamy colors of a warm summer sunset into lantern form.

Get ready to fall in love with Flite Designs' wonderful array of custom services, tailor made to create those special details for your event or occasion. Precious details emerge from different styles, themes and ideas. We ensure that your story is revealed through these details. as we bring unique and beautiful details to fruition (no pun intended!).

So take a walk down the Flite Path - I'm sure glad I did!

Image courtesy of Flite Designs.

Fab Frocks Friday: Where There's A Will, There's A Way

Matthew Williamson makes standing out look so effortless with these perfect day glow and evening choices for your bridal shower or your second dress after the ceremony. Or better yet, what if your bridal party showed up looking like a high fashion editorial?

Images courtesy of Style.

A Moment of Reflection

What can I say? I love love - its one of the reasons why I got into the wedding industry. So when I hear some sad news from a fellow kindred spirit, I can't help but feel a little saddened myself.

In the rush of planning a wedding and all the details that come along with it, it can be easy for us to get caught up in all the excitement (myself included). But let's not forget the reason of having a wedding in the first place - a wedding is one day, but a marriage is for a lifetime. If your fiance asked you to go down to City Hall the next day to get married, would you?

I hope so, because sometimes love is all you really need.

Images courtesy of Pronovias.

Works of Art

A picture is worth a thousand words so I'll let these masterpieces do all the talking . . .

Images courtesy of Brides.

Love Doctor, I Need 4Cs Stat!

Attend any wedding and talk of engagement rings is bound to come up. So how can you ensure getting best ring possible?

Let's take a trip (sigh, only a virtual trip!) to Harry Winston for a much needed lesson on the 4Cs of diamonds. After all, when it comes to finding the perfect symbol of your love, who doesn't want to find a winsome piece?

Cut: the beauty of a diamond depends on how well it has been cut more than anything else. When a diamond is cut to exacting proportions - neither too deep nor too shallow - light will reflect inside the stone from one mirror-like facet to another and reappear through the top of the stone, making it seem to radiate from within.

Color: Diamonds are transparent, most display barely perceptible hints of color. The less color in a diamond, the more rare it is.

Clarity: Virtually all diamonds contain identifying characteristics, most of them too small to be seen with the unaided eye. In general, the greater the number and size of inclusions within a diamond, the lower its clarity grade. Harry Winston diamonds are selected from teh top clarity grades; any inclusions only become visible under 10X power magnification.

Carat: A diamond's size is measured in carat weight. Larger diamonds are valued because they are valued because they are found less frequently in nature. But diamonds of equal carat weight may vary greatly in brilliance depending on tehir proportion and cut. Therefore, caret weight alone is a poor guide for value. It is the complex combination of cut, color, clarity and carat weight that determines a diamond's quality and beauty.


Images courtesy of Leviev.

Vices

Here's one vice I'd be willing to have! The Viceroy Hotels in Miami, Palm Springs, and Santa Monica are just the thing for your next getaway. With their dramatic interiors from designer extraordinare and tastemaker Kelly Wreastler, these hotels are a world away from your typical desert or beach retreat.

Get jet setters status with sunny skies and glamourous vibes that rule the day at the Miami stop. How about a bachelorette party at the cheerful, sunny rooms of Palm Springs? If you need the the Pacific breeze along with your spa day, the luxurious greens of the Santa Monica hotel are sure to please.

A word of caution - don't be surprised if you girls get a little green with envy that they didn't think of this before. But why get jealous when you can get a room?

Images courtesy of The Viceroy Miami, The Viceroy Palm Springs and The Viceroy Santa Monica.