Archive for November 2010

Real Wedding: Helen & Ross

by admin on November 26, 2010, under Wedding Day's

Before everyone takes off for the Thanksgiving holiday, I wanted to leave you with this stunning destination wedding sent to me by one of my favorite photographers, Leo Patrone. An utterly romantic and beautiful wedding…

From the bride: My sister created the floral displays with seasonal flowers from the local flower market. My beautiful bouquet and the wedding party buttonholes were made by the local florist – who spoke as much English as we spoke Italian (not much!), so they were created through sign language, pointing and a bit of guess work! Luckily for us they turned out to be so beautiful – we even had thistles to add a little “Scottish-ness” to the day! (Ross is from Bridge of Allan in Scotland.)

There was not a strict theme as such. We used materials sourced from the beautiful gardens of Moravola, using twine, lavender, rosemary and olive branches  to decorate. We hung chandeliers in the trees and lined the stone walls with hurricane lanterns lined with rosemary and lit church candles in them.

We wanted a natural, relaxed feel to the day and we both wanted to get married under the shrub oak tree on the orchard terrace. The ceremony was our favourite part of the day, both emotional and romantic. We wrote our own vows and kept them secret from each other until that moment – not a dry eye anywhere!

After the ceremony we walked up to the pool area to have Prosecco, gin and tonics (made with Hendricks Gin from Scotland), canapes and the speeches. The local band from Montone led us up to the pool, and handed us a basket to carry made up of local fruits and crops from the fields of Umbria – to symbolise health and fertility for our marriage.



We chose Torre di Moravola for so many reasons: the amazing views across the Umbrian hills, the dramatic architecture, and the history of the tower (built in the 12th century), its location in the middle of nowhere (so we had the place to ourselves), the weather, and the food. It might have rained and rained until 30 minutes before the ceremony, but the food and wine did not disappoint.

The day was truly amazing, surrounded by our closest family and friends with the stunning backdrop of Torre di Moravola and Umbria.

Photography: Leo Patrone

Venue: Torre di Moravola in Umbria, Italy

Bride’s dress: Suzanne Neville

Bride’s and groom’s shoes both: Christian Louboutin


This article was originally posted onSnippet & Ink.


Royal wedding date revealed

by admin on November 26, 2010, under Miscellaneous

It has been announced the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton will take place on April 29th 2011.

The ceremony will be held – as many people expected – at Westminster Abbey in London.

It was also revealed that the special day will be a public holiday in the UK, which means two successive four-day weekends can be enjoyed by many employees across the country.

William and Kate – who met at the University of St Andrews in Scotland – are said to be in control of their own wedding planning and are making all the decisions about the event.

Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, private secretary to the prince, said: "We know that the world will be watching on April 29th and the couple are very, very keen indeed that the spectacle should be a classic example of what Britain does best."

The cost of the ceremony will be covered by the Royal Family as well as Kate's parents, who became millionaires after setting up their own partyware business.

One of the first and most important things to book on your 'to do' list. Browse through thousands of wedding venues on hitched.co.uk today


This article was originally posted onHitched.


Best of the ‘Bee: Finished Invitations!

by admin on November 18, 2010, under Wedding Stationery

One of my favorite projects was our invites. It took me a while and many discarded design ideas to get to the end result, but I was really happy with them. We got tons of compliments from recipients and I like that they are very us (or at least very me, I don’t think Mr. MB cared one bit). They were also the thing I had the most control over, go figure. Hope you like ’em.

~~~

Best of the 'Bee: Finished Invitations! :  wedding best of weddingbee diy invitations los angeles stationery All Inv Finished Invitations! :  wedding diy invitations stationery All Inv They all went out in the mail Saturday, and it’s such a great weight off my shoulders.

Best of the 'Bee: Finished Invitations! :  wedding best of weddingbee diy invitations los angeles stationery Main In Finished Invitations! :  wedding diy invitations stationery Main In For our names, I used the Ornatique font, for the invite text I used Harrington, and for the address labels, I used Belshaw. All fonts are from Abstract Fonts. The flowers were drawn with gel pens and markers, and the stitching was done on muslin and then both images were scanned in and merged together in Photoshop. The RSVP ornate frame is a brush from BrushKing (I think it was this brush set). And the RSVP card used that background from BittBox that I liked.

Best of the 'Bee: Finished Invitations! :  wedding best of weddingbee diy invitations los angeles stationery Invite Finished Invitations! :  wedding diy invitations stationery Invite Mr. Moonbeam even got in on the action. He helped wrap the trace paper belly bands and attached some address labels.

Best of the 'Bee: Finished Invitations! :  wedding best of weddingbee diy invitations los angeles stationery Mr Mb H Finished Invitations! :  wedding diy invitations stationery Mr Mb H Look at that intensity!


This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.


Investing in Flowers

by admin on November 13, 2010, under Wedding Flowers

Okay hive, honest time? I talk out of my ass—not TMI ass talking—but rather, I have a tendency to make a declarative sentence and then go back on what I’ve said. Whatever, not worried about it. This particular declarative, now defunct statement is about our formerly flowerless wedding reception. That’s right, we are now investing in colored leaves that die. Or more accurately, my future in-laws are generously gifting us flowers.

I had several reasons against flowers, the first being the price tag. I also thought they were expected at a wedding—a reason to not have them. (I have a tendency to go against the norm, it’s the designer in me.) I’ve also heard many a story where wedding day flowers were completely different than what the florist and couple had previously agreed upon. Finally, the vases I purchased for the centerpieces are beautiful in their own right and don’t (read: didn’t) need flowers.

We started ordering candles for the vases and it became apparent that some just wouldn’t be able to accommodate candles.

Rhode Island has established very strict (with good reason) fire codes ever since The Station nightclub fire in 2003. I tried to think of other ways to decorate the vases but in the end thought flowers would be the best solution. I want them to look beautiful, not different for the sake of being different.

So, on Halloween I separated the vases into boxes. 17 into boxes bound for the Biltmore, complete with candles, (I am full of alliteration today—please bear with) and 17 into boxes bound for the florist with inspiration photos, peacock feathers, and swatches. Last Friday, my FMIL and I headed over to the florist for a little consultation. Here’s the deal though—I don’t want to get invested into the flowers. I am purposely not giving a clear vision of the flowers I want because I do not want something like colored leaves that die to interfere with my wedding day happiness. Has anyone else done this? I am literally making a decision to devest (it’s a word—I just made it up—it’s better than Beyonce’s Bootylicious). Devesting is an important step in the SEDIP philosophy. We’ve done it in other areas of the wedding but I just realized what we’re doing. There are certain details of the wedding day, mostly the ones that we cannot control, that I am just not interested in caring about.

In the end, we ordered 6 pew flower decorations, 17 flowered centerpieces, 6 corsages, and 1 bouquet. Wait, what? Miss Zebra! Oh yeah—when I said I made my bridal bouquet out of fake flowers- is that what you’re thinking about? I couldn’t help it. I have an awesome mother-in-law that sometimes convinces me to spend her money. My bouquet will have light pink peonies and deep purple David Austin roses.

Investing in Flowers  :  wedding flowers providence 1 1

David Austin Rose

Investing in Flowers  :  wedding flowers providence 2 2

Peony

The rest of the flowers I instructed the florist to use “bright pinks, purples, and greens.” That’s it. Devested and it feels so good!

In what areas have you devested in your wedding?


This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.


Save the Dates Are Cray-Cray (And So Am I)

by admin on November 12, 2010, under Wedding Stationery

Recently, there have been some setbacks in the Save the Date process.

I’m trying my best to stay calm about this, but I’m kind of starting to lose my shit. OK, so this is my first big project, and it’s inevitable that things will go wrong. I learn from it and move on, right? Maybe I will—I’m sure I’ll feel much better when I reach the actual point where I can move on, but right now, I’m still looking at days of more work, and those are days I don’t have. I’m trying to step things up at work because I’ve been distracted all summer and fall and I think people are starting to notice, and I’m supposed to be participating in this crazy fitness challenge. What the ham sandwich was I thinking taking on all these things at once?!

Anyway. The setbacks.

First, I accidentally ordered 350 accommodations cards instead of 175. I had them printed two-to-a-page because the 9″x6″ was cheaper than a 4.5″x6″ piece, but I FORGOT I had them printed two-to-a-page, so I ordered twice as many as I needed. So much for saving money. Unfortunately, this was one of the portions that Mr. Panther paid for. He was not thrilled, but at least this didn’t hurt us time-wise—just cash-wise.

Then, this happened:

Save the Dates Are Cray-Cray (And So Am I) :  wedding diy save the dates westport 1 1

(Personal photo)

Out of the 175 copies I ordered of the main card, 25 of them have edges like that. I ordered a lot of extras, and have done a fairly good job cutting them out so far, so this ALMOST might have been a non-issue. Unfortunately, I need 155, and my Cricut ate one, so I’m SIX short. Six. Because of that, I can’t check the “Cut out Save the Date cards” item off my To Do list, which kills me, and I’ll be waiting until my free replacements arrive before I can put the damn Cricut away.

But as it turns out, I wouldn’t have been able to put the damn Cricut away, anyway. On Sunday and Monday nights, I spent hours upon hours cutting out photo borders.

Save the Dates Are Cray-Cray (And So Am I) :  wedding diy save the dates westport 2 2

(Personal photo. Please pardon the shitty photo quality—Mr. Panther brought his fancycam into work, so I’ve been using my iPhone’s shittycam. Unacceptable, I know.)

Aren’t they cute? Yeah, I think so, too. Here’s the problem. I ordered 100 sheets of Stardream cardstock in “Sapphire” from Envelope Mall. I based this choice off a color swatch deck I have from Cards & Pockets. Stardream is a paper brand, and they only make one shade of “sapphire.” Cards & Pockets calls it “sparkling sapphire,” but I figured it had to be the same. Right? Wrong.

This is what color they were supposed to be—remember this?

Save the Dates Are Cray-Cray (And So Am I) :  wedding diy save the dates westport 3 3

(Personal photo)

Yeah … when you look at Envelope Mall’s “sapphire” by itself, it looks like that might be what it is. It’s blue. It’s sparkly. But as I was cutting it, I’d been thinking to myself, “Man, this color looks kind of dull. But it’s probably just the bad lighting over here.”

It wasn’t. The second I moved my pile of 160 completed photo frames into the box where the envelopes are residing, I noticed something. They weren’t the same color. Not at all. While the Envelope Mall “sapphire” looked sparkly bluish by itself, next to the REAL sparkling sapphire, it looks almost gray. It’s hideous. HIDEOUS.

I think it goes without saying that this isn’t going to fly. Yes, I spent $30something and sevenish hours on this paper already. No, I cannot return it. But I didn’t put all this time into picking the PERFECT blue just to send off a Save the Date with a bluish motherfrigging cadet gray bull crap lkasjdflknvaefjlkasdf ugliness. So, I ordered the RIGHT paper from Cards & Pockets (I had ordered from Envelope Mall originally because it was about $2 cheaper), shelled out for two-day shipping, and added a few more days onto this already RIDICULOUS process.

So now, perhaps you see why I am losing my shit a little bit. I can’t blame this on anybody but myself. I’m in a time crunch because I underestimated the amount of work my complicated design would take to assemble, and that’s my fault. Mr. Panther has been helping as much as he can. See?:

Save the Dates Are Cray-Cray (And So Am I) :  wedding diy save the dates westport 4 4

(Personal photo)

He’s so proud of all the stickers he made! He’s been working 14-hour days, so he can only do so much, but I’m fully aware that most men would refuse to give up their limited free time for an insane design their nutty fiancé dreamed up. Clearly, the situation could be worse.

I will survive this. For real. Hopefully, in less than a month, I’ll have completely forgotten the feeling of desperation I’m experiencing right now, and I’ll just be happy I sucked it up and did the best I could. But until then… MAN. Talk me off the ledge, people.

Anyone else get a little overwhelmed by your first big project?


This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.


How to work winter wedding dresses

by admin on November 12, 2010, under Wedding Ideas & Advice

Brides getting ready to walk down the aisle this winter have been offered advice on how to ensure they get the perfect wedding dress.

Editor of Perfect Wedding Helen Webster said fake fur can make the perfect glamorous cover-up, while a marabou feather jacket would be in keeping with current high street trends.

Alternatively, she suggested brides try a stole, but suggested it is important to keep the look modern.

"You don't have to go for a traditional pashmina, which can be a bit old-fashioned," she explained.

Ms Webster also had some advice for brides who would rather show off their gown at the wedding venue instead of covering it up to stay warm.

The expert recommended frocks made from heavier fabrics with full sleeves or those with high necks as they are "very on trend but also a little bit warmer".

Women really hoping to make an impact could even try dying their hair darker for their big day, as Toni & Guy international technical creative director Francesco Fontana recently said brunette locks look "lustrous and healthy" during the colder months.

Click through for a top of the range list of beautiful wedding dresses


This article was originally posted onHitched.


Pumpkin Spice Wedding Inspiration Board

by admin on November 10, 2010, under Wedding Ideas & Advice

pumpkin spice latte

Fall doesn’t officially start until the pumpkin spice latte make its delicious debut.  With its warm, sweet yet spicy, luxurious essence, it’s an autumn treat that’s perfect for a wedding inspiration board.  Let the vibrant textures of fall spark your wedding-filled imagination.

apple cider-fall bouquet-pumpkin cake
blood orange-fall venue-bridesmaids-orange rose
fall wedding-caramel apples



This article was originally posted onBridezilla.


Epaulets: From Military to Everybody

by admin on November 4, 2010, under Wedding Wear

Note from Bridezilla: Street-fashion can stir up wedding inspiration. Look out for Nadine, our Stylezilla and wedding blogger whose uncovering the latest trends and revealing them well before they hit the wedding world.

Military-inspired trends call for armor-like details.  Keep the edge with metals that sparkle, but take the boot camp look and transform it to classic Captain-style with a little epaulet embellishment.

Natalie Portman in Babette Epaulette

Disheveled edge courtesy swathes of liquid chains.  High-voltage glittering rocks or sweeps of fringe, the epaulet is no longer a simple shoulder adornment, it’s a statement.  Layered upon bare skin, the jeweled sheathing draws a crowd and then it’s taken back to its traditional outerwear roots tossed over a strong jacket.

Harlots and Scarlets

Babette Epaulet by Seville Michelle Anastos, leading creator in the epaulet revolution, has been seen on fans including Beyonce and Alicia Keys.  The classic epaulet, the thin piece of material with a thick border of blunt-cut fringe, gets an update in the Harlots and Scarlets collection with long, thin, multi-hued delicate strands cascading off heavy metal chains.  The theme may be military, but it doesn’t have to be literal.

Babette Epaulette Harlots and Scarlets

Light as a Feather

The airy touch of feathers steal from the boho and indie scenes and lend any style a touch of playfulness, which is perfect for days when you just don’t know what to do with an epaulet.  With earth tones, the feathers provide a hint of hippie, but when paired with shocks of color and bold patterns, the captivating scent of a fashion innovator lingers nearby.

Babette Epaulette black feather shoulderpiece

Big, Bold and Beautiful

Go above and beyond the military effect with an eye-popping, outfit-making, bobbled-up piece like those from Mayzani.  In addition to pumping up your fashion, they might just buff up your arms.  Taking heftiness into account, these are for the serious epaulet lovers.  However, confidence is everything when it comes to pulling off fashion be it trends, classics or obscurities.  With military-inspired looks, now is the time to flex those fashion muscles!

Mayzani epaulettes



This article was originally posted onBridezilla.


Silent Era Inspiration

by admin on November 3, 2010, under Wedding Ideas & Advice

The refined appeal of the silent era has never fully left the masses.  The panache of the jazz age is still valued as the bee’s knees of the fashion world with major houses, including Chanel and John Galliano, continually referencing our influential past.  As the darker days of winter approach, now is the perfect time to sample the splendor of silent era style either in your upcoming wedding or your everyday fashion.

Sshhhh…. behold the beauty of the silent era.

Gloria Swanson’s Turban

Gloria Swanson, famous for her piercing eyes, was a legend of the burgeoning cinema world and the embodiment of fashion on a grandiose scale during the 1920s.   Though she didn’t invent the turban, she certainly brought a degree of popularity to the somewhat difficult to pull-off head wear.  The turban trend comes in waves and will likely make its return yet again.

Gloria Swanson and Rachel Zoe in turbans

The Clara Bow Lip

Before silent films, and the heavy make-up that came with them, it was a definite no-no to apply cosmetics in public.  However, the widely dispersed images of fully made-up starlets changed everything and soon retouching lipstick was the thing to be seen doing.  During the silent era there were no lips more sought after than that of the original Hollywood “It” girl Clara Bow.  Painting her lips in her signature cupid bow shape, Bow ushered in the sex-charged 1920s.

Too much for a wedding? Perhaps. But inspirational nonetheless.

Clara Bow and Lady Gaga with cupid bow lips

Brows of Greta Garbo

Though her highly rounded eyebrows were considered the archetype of the 1930s, she actually had them throughout the silent era while her star was quickly rising.  This is particularly noteworthy in an era that was populated by a flood of actresses wearing pencil thin brows that tended to move straight across the eye then taper down.  Garbo nailed the pencil thin brow, but her incomparably high arch brought with it a new strength that clearly inspired the following generation of women coming up in the 1930s and beyond.

Greta Garbo and Angelina Jolie

Pola Negri’s Vamp Appeal

There were many vamps during the jazz age, but Polish actress Pola Negri was at the top of the fame and money game.  Having tabloid relationships with Charlie Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino fueled her fame, but her vamp persona and sex-appeal kept her mystique alive.  With porcelain complexion, jet black hair and bright green eyes, Negri became the model upon which future Goths fashioned their style.

Pola Negri and Evan Rachel Wood

Over-sized Elegance from the Clowns

Modern men may not always have the same impact on fashion as women, but they do change the course of style in their own way.  Over-the-top theatrics dominate today’s runway shows and many classic-swayed collections are not unlike the exaggerated styles of the top clowns of comedy, notably Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.  With their feet firmly planted in the three-piece suit preferences of their time, Keaton and Chaplin took fashion liberties by donning baggy pants (a trend in recent decades) and taking complete ownership of distinct hats, a pork pie for Keaton and a bowler for Chaplin; both of which became stylish again in recent years.

Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, John Galliano menswear spring/summer 2011



This article was originally posted onBridezilla.


Roses ‘are classic wedding flowers’

by admin on November 3, 2010, under Wedding Flowers

Brides hoping to have a traditional ceremony when they tie the knot may want to consider roses as their wedding flowers.

This is because, according to Times of the Internet, they are a "classic" bloom that brings an elegant touch to the occasion.

The news provider claims these are a popular choice as they work well with a variety of other plants.

While some brides may like to use roses in their bouquets to complement their wedding dress, the publication notes that a "table setting with even one single rose will add beauty to your wedding reception".

What is more, they come in a wide variety of colours, such as white, yellow, red and pink, so they are bound to match any theme.

Alternatively, the website suggests lilies, orchids and wildflowers as other options brides may want to consider.

Last month, an item posted on Lon's Article Directory advised it is important to research wedding florists thoroughly and book them four or five months in advance.

Whatever colour scheme or style of wedding you choose, be sure to find a matching flower in the hitched.co.uk wedding flowers section


This article was originally posted onHitched.