Will+Kate=One Amazing Wedding

After all the fuss surrounding the so-called "Wedding of the Century" of the brand new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, I wasn't exactly sure what new perspective I could possibly bring to the table.  But, after watching the ceremony (like, 8 times) I've decided to keep things simple and just discuss the things I loved best.  I had set my alarm for 3am, but slept right through it.  Luckily I left the tv on and woke up abruptly to the sound of horns announcing the bride's procession and panicked when I thought I missed the whole thing.  However, I was  just in time to watch Kate's live decent down the long red aisle in Westminster Abbey and was mesmerized while I groggily watched the elegant, yet surprisingly warm and natural ceremony unfold.  There are so many things I loved and here are some of the highlights.

The Dresses

 Image via Vogue

 

 Image via People

 Image via The British Monarchy's Flickr

Like most of you, I couldn't wait to see what Kate chose to wear on her big day.  I spent a lot of time trying to imagine what route she would take.  A simple sheath?  A Cinderella ball gown?  A style that I'd never even heard of before?  The first thing I saw in my sleepy, panicked state was her flawlessly fitted lace bodice and breathed a sigh of relief because I knew she'd nailed it.  I was even more thrilled when I found out that Sarah Burton, the replacement creative director at the late Alexander McQueen's fashion house, designed Kate's two gowns and her sister, MOH Pippa's, gown as well.  Kate's first dress was a perfect combination of classic royal inspiration (Princess Grace, anyone?) and modern details.  Burton created the pleated skirt to resemble a blooming flower and added padding (a very McQueen touch) to the hips to create a stronger hourglass silhouette.  Her second dress was simple, elegant, and looked comfortable enough to party into the wee hours of the morning.  Pippa looked lovely as well and wore her bias cut sheath flawlessly.  I'm so glad Kate chose the late McQueen's successor to create her looks and I think Ms. Burton did a great job filling such big shoes.

The Trees

Image via Vogue

It's kind of random, but I absolutely loved the trees inside the Abbey.  Even without them, the nearly 1,000 year old church is still incredible, but the trees added an element of warmth to the otherwise cavernous space.

 Kate's Makeup

  Image via People

I've read some criticism, saying Kate had a bit of a heavy hand while applying her wedding day makeup, however, it totally disagree!  Is she wearing more than she normally wears?  Sure, but she's also wearing a couture gown and an antique diamond tiara, things she also doesn't normally wear.

The Hats

All via People

What's an English wedding without fantastic millinary creations?  London's mad hatters were hard at work the last few months creating these incredible headpieces and I love each and every one!

The Beckham's

 Image via Vogue

 

I also felt there was some ill-deserved critisism toward Victoria Beckham's ensemble.  Some felt the her trapeze dress was dowdy and boring, but I though it was a refreshing departure from the sea of buttoned-up suits and jackets.  And Mr. Beckham looked dapper as usual in Ralph Lauren.

The BBC

I don't really have a photo for this one, but I switched back forth between coverage yesterday.  My favorite broadcast was on the BBC channel because they showed their enthusiasm without losing their calm.  Some of the other programs I tuned in to tending to get a little obnoxious ("There she is! She's wearing a veil!!  Her hair is down!!!  She's got a train!!!!)  Chill!

Kate's Ride to the Ceremony

Image via The British Monarchy's Flickr

I don't know if anyone noticed, but while Kate was travelling with her father from the hotel to the Abbey, she was waving a little bit more frantically than what would be considered "royal".  It was obvious she was super excited and a little nervous and that made her even more relateable and likeable.  

The Clergy

Image via People

I know there were a few gentlemen involved in the ceremony (the Dean of Westminster, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Bishop of London) and they all had amazing speaking voices!! They were like the English versions of Morgan Freeman. 

Pippa Middleton

Image via The British Monarchy's Flickr

Between that train and all those tots, she did an outstanding job of keeping everything in the right place.

The Cartwheeling Priest

 

Priceless. 

The Kiss+Frowning Bridesmaid

Image via People

Also priceless.

The Getaway

Image via People

At first I thought Kate was driving and thought that was super awesome but then remembered they drive opposite of us Americans.  Still an Aston Marten Volare is such a cool way to make their escape to Clarence House for a bit before the second round of festivities. 

The Official Photos

 Image via The British Monarchy's Flickr

  The official photos were released today and this one was definitely my fave.  It keeps with tradition and yet there is a little hint of joyful chaos, which hopefully the couple will continue to share with us for a looooooong time to come.  

 

Courtney & Miguel: La Dolce Vita Engagement Shoot

I'm not going to lie, I did a little dance when I discovered this engagement shoot by Connecticut/New York-based photographer Natasha Montero in my inbox.  One the things I love most about this job is getting to witness the incredible creativity demonstrated by couples, photographers, and everyone else involved.  This one is no exception, featuring the couple in a Fellini-inspired shoot based on his 1960 film, La Dolce Vita. I love everything about these photos- from the inspiration (you all know how much I love the 1960's!) to the genuine sensuality between the couple, and I'm so thrilled to be able to share it with all of you.  Here is what Natasha had to say:

Courtney and Miguel are planning a 2011 wedding in Connecticut, plus a honeymoon trip to Italy, so we shot an e-session shoot focused around the 1960's Italian film "La Dolce Vita" and it’s most famous scenes. With that being said, their plans may be put on hold for a bit as Miguel is currently stationed with the Army in Afghanistan. With the help of their wedding planner, we thought it would be fun to temporarily bring “Fellini’s Italy” to them for their engagement session while Miguel was home on leave for two weeks. We styled the shoot as mod, retro, and vintage as possible as an ode to the film. Plus, Courtney looks strikingly similar to Anita Ekberg, the films iconic star, which was an awesome coincidence!

We tried to capture the essence of Italy, and the vintage feel of the 60's, even though we happened to be shooting in classical New England. We had Italian pastries, espressos, Italian newspapers, and we even borrowed an old Alpha Romeo convertible! Nothing screams “love” more to us than cannoli, black ray-bans, skinny ties and Italian sports cars!

Kellie & Dave: Autumn Apple Orchard Engagement Shoot

Kellie and Dave were recently engaged in July at his family's cabin in Wisconsin after dating for 3 1/2 years.  Their photographer, Ashley, attended Augustana College with Dave and they knew she would be a perfect fit for their engagement shoot and wedding.  Since they are planning on a October 2011 wedding, they chose to do the shoot at Jonamac Apple Orchard in Malta, Illinois in order to stay consistent with their autumn theme.  The orchard provided a variety of backdrops including a pumpkin patch, cornfield, and, of course, an apple orchard.  Since it had rained the night before, the location was really muddy and by the end the couple was covered in it!  Can't wait to feature their wedding next fall and see what gorgeous, creative photos Ashley and the couple create!

Carley & Jordan Part II: Vintage Glamour and Croquet

Remember that supercute engagement photo shoot I featured back in September that featured the couple in the Minneapolis Public Library shot by Brooke Ringdahl of  ta'rooke photography?  Well here is their equally adorable wedding!  Enjoy!!

Tom & Beth: A Joyful Australian Wedding

Once again, EB's Australian photographer friend Kirralee Ashworth has submitted another gorgeous wedding!  This one features adorable couple, Tom and Beth, who were married just a few months ago.  

According to Kirralee, "Beth and Tom were married under a marquee at the back of the Anthelstane House. As Beth walked down the aisle with her dad, she gave the tulips from her bouquet to her closest friends and to her mother and mother in law. By the time she reached her husband to be she didn't have a bouquet anymore. It was very beautiful and had all of her friends in tears. The ceremony was taken by Remi Messenger and it had lots of beautiful, personal touches.  The flowers and decorations were put together by Beth and her family and friends. Creative photos and family photos were taken before the ceremony. Straight after the ceremony, Tom and Beth joined their guess for a cocktail party inside the Anthelstane house. Instead of having the usual wedding cake, Tom and Beth had a big cheese platter."  Uh yum!!! Tom and Beth were married on July 31, 2010.  Tom's "best woman" was Janet and Beth's "man of honour" was John. 

They walked down the aisle to Peter Gabriel's "The Book of Love".

Carley & Jordan Part I: Minneapolis Engagement Shoot

Brooke Ringdahl of  ta'rooke photography, based in Minneapolis/St. Paul, submitted this engagement shoot to The Ethereal Bride and I'm so excited because it's adorable!  According to Brooke, the couple met when they were kids and they are high school sweethearts.  They love to read together and that was the main inspiration for the shoot, which took place inside of the Minneapolis Public Library.  Brooke was so "excited to be heading to the library that day to utilize books for backdrops and scour the shelves for Romeo and Juliet to incorporate into their shoot."  The second portion of the shoot took place outside in a nearby park, creating a countryside feel, where Carley wore a vintage dress and her mom's shoes.  Take a look...

Kirsten & Dave: Massachusetts Lake House Engagement

Scarlet+Citrine: A Winning Combination

At the beginning of June I did a post featuring some fun color combination, one of which was scarlet and citrine.  Jill, a close family friend actually renewed her vows with her husband, Mike, of 25 years a few weeks later and used this gorgeous summery palette for her ceremony!  My sister-the-floral-designer did all of the floral arrangements for her, using white daisies, yellow roses, and red hypericum berries.  Jill submitted her photos to show EB readers how pretty this color combo can be! Enjoy!

The altar featuring not only the lovely floral arrangements, but also the couples original unity candle, napkins, and matchbook from their wedding day!

The bridal bouquet

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!!

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.

Mat & Shari: Autumn Riverside Wedding

Kirralee & David: Australian Beach Wedding

So, you want to look like a "princess"? Well, here you go...

There's a reason royal weddings fascinate more than just bridal bloggers like myself.  They are, on the surface anyways, like fairy tales come to life.  An event where not only the bride wears a tiara, but so do many female guests (and they look perfectly normal in doing so).  A type of wedding where the bride doesn't tell her couturier "I want to look like a princess", because, well, she is one.  This is a wedding that even the pampered girls on WE tv's "Platinum Weddings" can't quite match.  From Queen Victoria's white wedding to Grace Kelly's wedding to Prince Rainier III of Monaco, they serve a major source of inspiration to brides all over the world and throughout history . 

Most recently, Victoria, the Crown Princess of Sweden and heiress apparent married Daniel Westling, her former personal trainer.  They were married on June 19, 2010 in Stockholm.  1200 guests attended the ceremony, including monarchs and statesman from all over Europe making it the largest royal wedding since Princess Diana's televised nuptuals in 1980.  Below are a bunch of photos from the grand affair, so take a look!

The happy couple, along with their parents

Neil & Natalie Part II: Simple Elegance and Hockey Sticks

Neil and Natalie's autumn wedding was simply classic.  A chic black and white color palette with a dramatic pop of red from the bouquets.  From the beginning she knew that she wanted her wedding to be unique, something that you don't see all the time. She chose to have her theme be "black and white, simple and elegant".  They also decided to incorporate Neil's love of hockey (Go Hawks!) into their photographs because he, along with three out of the four groomsmen, play hockey together on an area men's league team.  When it came to fashion, her girlfriends made her try on a bunch of gowns, but she instantly knew her gorgeous Maggie Sottero style was the one.  Her Bill Levkoff bridesmaid dresses were very flattering and elegant.  She figured, "if they're going to spend money on this dress, it should be cute and wearable for other events. I also chose not to shower my wedding with flowers. I know most girls want tons of flowers and color.  But I like to stand out and be different, and that's what I did by only having flowers for the bouquets and boutonnieres".  One of Natalie's favorite parts of her wedding was the photographer.  "I looked at different area photographer's work online.  When I came across Joshua's portfolio it made me cry! And I thought to myself, if his online work makes me cry then imagine what he can do for my wedding?!  I had to have him at any price.  Best decision I could have made- pictures last a life time, so never go cheap!"  Neil and Natalie were married on lovely but rainy Friday, September 25th, 2009 and currently reside in Chicago's western suburbs with their beloved dogs, Milo and Diesel. 

Vendor Info

Ceremony Location: The Gaslight Chapel in North Aurora, Illinois

Reception Location:  The Lincoln Inn in Batavia, Illinois

Wedding Gown:  Maggie Sottero style "Capri Royale", purchased at The Crystal Bride in Geneva, Illinois

Maids' Dresses: Bill Levkoff, purchased at The Crystal Bride in Geneva, Illinois

Bride's and Maids' Hair: Dana Holakovsky at Splendor Salon and Spa in Chicago, Illinois

Bride's Makeup:  Mystique Salon and Spa

Floral Designer: Lindsay Rice

Photographer: Joshua Albanese Photography, located in Chicago, Illinois

            

-Alessandra