The Ethereal Bride: {Inspiration and Style for Your Trip Down the Aisle}: July 2010

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Précis: {Week of 7.25-7.31.2010}

Clockwise from top left:

Marshal proposes to Julie in Charleston, SC

Peacocks inspire us

Alyssa Miller shows us la vita bella

Vera Wang's bad romance

Color palettes for every season

Hope you all have a great weekend, congrats to all this weekend's newlyweds, and see you back here tomorrow for EB's weekly Ethereal Beauty post!

Friday, July 30, 2010

Color Inspiration: Seasonal Palette Edition

Last week I had a newly engaged bride-to-be ask about autumn color palettes, so I decided to do a seasonal color palette post. I put together three different combos for each season. Keep in mind, these are just for inspiration. You can use any of these colors at whatever time of year you want, regardless of what your maid of honor or mom or bridal consultant says! Happy planning !

Autumn

Chocolate & Lilac

Private Label Occasion "CD284" and Sophia Tolli "BY21040"

All images via Martha Stewart Weddings

Inspiration Board: Peacocks!

They're so gorgeous! And even the little white one is cute!

click to enlarge

There's a reason why peacocks have inspired people for centuries- they are incredibly gorgeous birds! They sport such amazing rich colors and textures. Use this lovely birdie as a jumping off point by incorporating rich blues, turquoises, greens, bronzes, and dark aubergines. Peacock feathers make great accents in floral arrangements, headpieces, and as a cake motif. Top it off with rich maids dresses and a wedding gown that will turn heads!

Top left gown: Mikaella "1508"
Top left maids dress: Alvina Valenta "AV9021"
Blue shoes: The Knot
Top right ring bearer pillow: Project Wedding
Top right maids dress: Watters "7726"

Middle left boutonnieres: Ekaminsk on Etsy

Green shoes: The Knot

Middle ring bearer pillow: The Knot

Middle invitation: Paper Olive

Middle right cake: Brides

Middle right centerpiece: The Knot

Bottom left maids: both Vinyard "1508" and "1507"

Hairpiece: Neva Plume on Etsy

Bottom middle cake: Cake Coquette

Bottom right bouquet: Barb Cameron Photography

Bottom right gown: Lazaro "LZ3050"

{Peacock images via Google Images}

{Trend board images via the listed websites}

Thoughts on this inspiration board?? Put them in comments section below!!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Fall 2010 Bridal Gown Trend Report

Last spring I did a post featuring the upcoming fall bridal collections that had just debuted. Now, I've gone through the photos again, actually made some sense of them, and a few clear trends really popped out at me! Take a look...

Click each spread to enlarge

Designer links at bottom of the page

Edwardian Silhouette

It's essentially a high waisted fishtail skirt paired with a fitted corset top whose waistline hits right below the bustline. This style looks fab on brides who are on the taller side

Clockwise from top left: Vera Wang, Reem Acra, Ines di Santo, Judd Waddell, Monique Lhuillier, Anne Barge, Monique Lhuillier, Reem Acra

Julie & Marshal: The Most Adorable Photo Shoot/Proposal EVER!

So I received an email from Chi Pritchard of Chi Photography this week submitting a photo session and was so thrilled when I saw that, not only were the photos lovely, the story behind them was so freaking cute!

Ok, so here's the story: Marshal is in the military and is being transferred to Florida from Charleston, South Carolina. His girlfriend, Julie, quit her nursing job in order to go with him. Since they were leaving the Charleston area, they wanted to have a professional photo session in order to remember their time there. Marshal then called Chi and told her he wanted to surprise Julie and propose to her during the photo shoot! I know, it's adorable. They began the shoot at Waterfront Park with their cute dog, Ries, in tow, and worked their way towards the Battery with a quick stop at their apartment for a clothing change (and so Marshal could pick up the ring). They then walked down to White Point Gardens, where he got down on one knee, proposed, and (as you can see in the photos) she said YES! Congrats Marshal and Julie and best of luck!!

Ethereal Beauty: {No. 4}

Doesn't this shoot make you want to take your honeymoon in Italy? She looks so happy!

model Alyssa Miller photographed by David Burton for Elle Italia's July 2010 issue

{Images via Fashion Gone Rogue}

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Précis: {Week of 7.18-7.24.2010}

Clockwise, starting with top left:

Elena Melnik's quirky elegance

Mat & Shari's autumn romance

Carnations show the world what they're made of

Anthony & Stephanie give us the many sides of Melbourne

Crazy about Enzoani

Hope you all have a lovely weekend and we'll see back here tomorrow for the fourth edition of Ethereal Beauty!

Ciao!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Enzoani: A Love Affair

Every year around this time bridal couturier Enzoani debuts it's upcoming collection in downtown Los Angeles. This year was no exception, and I have a few pics to prove it!

Enzoani and I actually go way back... way back to my former life as a bridal consultant at a salon near my house. Enzoani was the crown jewel in the boutique's list of bridal designers, shining as the lone line that really raised the bar as far as fabric, construction, silhouette, color, and overall unique-ness were concerned (I guess in my opinion, anyways). We were one of the first stores to carry them, when they first made their debut in 2005, and I was instantly in love. I suppose my favorite thing about the line was that they gowns were so incredibly flattering! They flatter those with curves and give curves to those with none. The inner construction is amazing and makes wearing a big, heavy dress actually feel pretty damn comfortable. Also, since my departure from that particular endeavor, Enzoani has come out with a diffusion line (ie less expensive, still just as gorgeous) called Blue by Enzoani, a bridesmaids line called Love by Enzoani, and an upcoming collaboration with Dutch line Modeca! Ok enough of me professing my love for clothing (again) and let's just get to photos...

Some photos of the Enzoani preview show

And since I'm going on and on about how great they are, I'm going to show you a few highlights from previous collections, while I'm at it...

Stephanie & Anthony: Sophisticated Australian City Wedding

Remember EB's lovely "real weddings" bride, Kirralee, from a few weeks back? Well, in addition to being a newly-wed, she is also an extremely talented wedding photographer! Lucky for us, she was nice enough to submit a wedding that she recently photographed, along with her interview of the bride, to feature on EB.

A Case for What May Possibly Be the Best Flower Ever

My sister, Lindsay-the-floral-designer has taught me many floral-related things over the years, and so I've decided to take some of her sage wisdom and do a post on the many reasons why carnations (yes carnations!) make fabulous wedding flowers. Like many of you, I used to have negative "bad prom corsage" connotations associated with carnations, however, my smart sis taught me that carnations may actually be the perfect wedding flower. And here's why...

They're inexpensive. Peonies typically run about $6/ stem, roses run about $3/stem, and carnations are about $1/stem. That's adds up to be a huge difference.
They're non-toxic. Meaning if your 3 year old flowergirl accidentally stops for a snack while dropping flowers down the aisle, it's perfectly fine!
They come in a ton of natural colors. As in over 30.
They have texture. They have a great ruffle-y texture similar to peonies, lisianthus, or roses.
They smell nice. Because it's important to smell good on your wedding day.
They are always in season. You don't have to worry about them being next to impossible to get and ridiculously expensive if your getting married in say, January.
They take up a lot of space because they're a decent size. Which means not only are they cheap, but you also use less of them.
They last forever. Ok, not forever but definitely through the ceremony, the reception, and beyond!
They can easily be mixed with other flowers. Which means you can still have peonies or calla lilies or hydrangeas but you will save money without sacrificing the design look.
They have universal appeal. They pretty much work for whatever type of wedding your having- elegant or casual, indoor or outdoor because of their versatility.

Take a look below at some gorgeous carnation arrangements and see that I'm not lying!

Eat Drink Pretty

Mat & Shari: Autumn Riverside Wedding

Ethereal Beauty: {No. 3}

I am obsessed with her grapefruit tinged locks and barely there makeup (and the cute little goat she's holding)!

Précis: {Week of 7.11-7.17.2010}

Clockwise, starting with top left:

Chanel Iman goes mod, via Fashion Gone Rogue

EB travels to Cuba, among other lovely locales, via National Geographic

Some fabulous Etsy finds

Bold brides, bold shoes!

Miss Hepburn inspires fashionable women everywhere. Seriously.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! See you back here tomorrow for the third installment of Ethereal Beauty!

-Alessandra

Etsy Finds: July Edition

About a month ago I did a post featuring some great items I came across on Etsy.com. I featured sellers with a variety of products that fit what EB readers are looking for. I decided to only feature sellers with a 100% approval rating because I would feel funny recommending a product that I haven't tried and hasn't always proven to be successful. Since that post went over so well, and since I love Etsy and all its crafty wonderfulness, I've decided to make it a monthly feature! So, here is Etsy: Round Two...

ClutchThat!

ClutchThat!'s high quality, hand made clutches feature rich silk fabrics and beautiful (typically peacock) designs. They also offer personalization services for free on three or more bags. So great for maids' gifts!