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While summer may be over, we couldn’t help but share Melanie and Jesse’s engagement shoot. Photographed by our friends Whitney and Dustin at Oh Darling Photography , Melanie and Jesse did a great job of hamming it up for the camera despite the amount of onlookers… and the results were fantastic!
Photos courtesy Oh Darling Photography
If you have been reading our tweets and perusing our Facebook page, you’ve probably been wondering why we haven’t uttered a peep about Bridal Market on the blog. Yes, it wrapped last week. Yes, we loooved the shows. Yes, the events were awe-inspiring. And yes, we cannot wait to share all the pretty details… But we kind of want to take a different approach. Not bombard you with all the sweetness at once {because believe me, we’ve got a lot}. We’re doing this in tiny touches. Pretty pieces. One designer and event at a time. Because guess what? These gorgeous gowns aren’t hitting the stores tomorrow, they’re coming down the pipeline in the months to come.
But maybe mom had a point. Bridal market is our big bag of Halloween bounty. It’s a jack-o-lantern filled with sweet, fashionable treats and gorgeous goodness. Boy, do we want to dive right in. But we’re not going to gorge you. We’re feeding one juicy, little morsel at a time and letting these puppies last you til December.
It certainly lets the fun linger a little longer…
Here’s hoping you enjoy our {intentionally intermittent} bridal market posts!
xx,
Jacqueline
Being of Welsh decent, Anne Bowen titled her collection “Of the Gods,” and named her gowns after Welsh Goddesses like Tamara {Goddess of Rivers}, Serona {Goddess of Healing} and Don {Goddess of the Heavens}. It was truly breathtaking to watch these ethereal creations saunter down the runway. Anne provided a bit of goddess-goodness for every bride.
Equally ethereal, but worlds apart stylistically, the gown on the right is wonderfully romantic, but the swirling layers add a modernized texture that keeps it from becoming too sweet.
The gown at right began a Twitter conversation on it’s own when we polled our readers about Anne’s “bridal hood.” There’s a pneumatic beauty to it’s shape, and we love it for a certain destination bride… but would you wear it on your wedding day?
So lovelies… which goddess-like gowns suit your fancy? Would you opt for a “veiled” dress, bridal hood, or bold one-shoulder neckline on your wedding day?
Top image by Clark + Walker Studio , bottom images courtesy Anne Bowen .
Being a bride to be in Brooklyn is a blessing, all the ingredients for the perfect city-chic wedding are right within reach. Our friend and talented photographer Melissa Murphy of Missy Photography kindly sent the photos from Meghan and Ross’ Dumbo wedding our way and oh how we love this neighborhood! This city inspired wedding was made by and for NYC lovers… take a peek. 
Reception: Galapagos Art Space
Flowers: Opalia Flowers
Catering: Naturally Delicious
Makeup: NYC Faces
Hair: Amber Morrow Artistry
Dress: The White Gown
From the Bride: Ross is from California and I’m from Chicago, but we live in New York. We wanted New York to play a huge part in our wedding since it plays a huge part in our lives, and I think we accomplished that through the design of the invitation and the city-centric ceremony and reception.
We chose Dumbo because we fell in love with the view from Brooklyn Bridge Park, and we chose the Galapagos Art Space because it was so different from any other venue we saw {it’s definitely not your typical banquet hall}. It’s also just steps away from where we got engaged!
We wanted our family and friends to be able to experience and enjoy the city we’ve come to love and see what our life is like in NYC.
Photos courtesy Missy Photography . Story by Amélie Mauduit.
We took a little hiatus of late on our Meet the Sponsors series, but we’re back with a vengeance and excited to share a new round of our favorite designers, artists and talents who are responsible for making Merci happen. And gosh, it’s so easy to introduce them and sing their praises. We’re lucky to be linked to a very talented bunch, like the lovely Brooke Galardi of BeeGee Bags .
We tried our very best to hand select a few our our BeeGee favorites {hello, candy colored carnation print!}, but the list was long and flowing… Here’s just a bit of what we love for you and your girls…
No matter your style, BeeGee has a bag for you. Be sure to swing by their site and chat with Brooke about what she has in the pipeline. We’re sure you’ll find something fabulous.
BeeGee Bags is a sponsor of Merci New York.
Give me a vintage car, a fabulously feminine frock and some classic Louboutins, and I’m one happy girl. But pair that with an amazingly fun {and let’s be honest, beautiful} couple, a {marbled?!} Boston terrier, cobblestone streets and the handiwork of the uber-cool Brian Dorsey , and well… I’m in L.O.V.E.
I’m thrilled that Tamra and Michael’s wedding planner extraordinaire, the lovely Tammy Golson , thought to share their engagement session with me. She certainly had me pegged – and I have a feeling she’d know you’ll love it too. Take a peek, lovelies….
The second Tamra saw her Boston terrier scamper into the room, she knew something was up. Tamra had to leave Bella at her parents’ home when she got her NYC job three years ago. So seeing her scurry down the hall was excitement enough… But then Michael popped the question. And everything came into place.
Tamra and Michael’s engagement photos share the story of a fun New York City couple in love. Having fun. Enjoying their engagement, their city, each other… And of course, enjoying Bella.
I love how Brian Dorsey captured Tamra and Michael’s playful love for each other… Here’s wishing them all the love in the world as they celebrate their newly wedded life together!
All photos courtesy Brian Dorsey Studios .
It’s been awhile lovelies. But we’re back – and with gorgeous eye candy, wonderful interviews, and sure-to-be-special features, to boot… To prove it, we’re kicking the week off with this amazing city-chic wedding at the Cooper Square Hotel . Submitted by the tres-talented Jen Huang Photography , Connie and Andrew’s wedding was a feast for the fashionable New York bride. We’re psyched to share it with you!
For a full list of vendors for this city-chic wedding, be sure to check back soon for part two {oh yes, there’s more}… We’ll be featuring Connie and Andrew’s intimate reception at one of my favorite restaurants, Sala One Nine . We love restaurant receptions {great food + instant vibe + intimate settings = swoon}. The couple’s soft, romantic and beautiful celebration is not to be missed…
All photos courtesy of Jen Huang Photography .
We were excited to share Connie and Andrew’s city chic wedding ceremony on top of the Cooper Square Hotel in our last post, so needless to say, we knew their fabulous reception at local hotspot Sala One Nine would be equally amazing… 
Just as we suspected, Connie and Andrew did all these things and more at Sala. We could go on and on. We’re officially obsessed with their photos, compliments of Jen Huang Photography …
Reception: Sala One Nine
Photography: Jen Huang Photography
Dress: Henry Roth
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Invitations: Crane Letterpress via Kate’s Paperie
Cake and Cookie Bar: One Girl Cookies
Calligrapher for cookie and dessert bar: Jenna of Love Jenna Calligraphy
Calligrapher for invites and place cards: Bryn of Paperfinger
Florals: Shields Warendorff Flowers
Catering: Sala One Nine
Band: Ceremony – Dolce Vita Strings , Reception – Jason and Elysa Hochman {husband and wife guitar duo}
Favors: Bespoke Chocolates
Groom’s Suit: Custom suit by Michael Andrews Bespoke
Bridesmaids Dresses & Shoes: Mismatching grey dresses chosen by the bridesmaids
From the bride: We really wanted to give our family and friends a taste of why we love New York so much. We had the city as our backdrop for our ceremony. The Cooper Square Hotel rooftop overlooked the East Village, which is where Andrew and I met, where we have lived, and where we have spent most of our time together in New York.
Our vision for the ceremony was an intimate New York experience with clean, modern architectural details… We juxtaposed this with our vision for the reception: a warm and lively dinner party at our favorite restaurant, Sala One Nine . It’s a place we have so many fond memories of already and are excited to share with those closest to us.
Photos courtesy Jen Huang Photography .
We’ve been so wrapped up in all things bridal market these past couple of days that we just have to stop – breathe {phew!} – and remind you to swing by Lovely Bridal Shop tonight for the sure-to-be fabulous Runway for One Day Watters trunk show taking place from 2-10 pm!
I had the pure pleasure of previewing the amazing collection on the runway this past Sunday… and am so excited to share my interview with Vatana Watters, as well as all the fabulous Watters trends. Hope you enjoy!
Want more Watters? Swing by Lovely today and say “hi”! I’ll be here along with the editors of The Knot , swooning over the absolutely gorgeous collection with Lanie, Cassandra and the {lovely} Lovely team! {Just click and print this invite for instant access to today’s event}!
xx,
Jacqueline
Happy weekend! Bridal Fashion week is in full-swing and we have a slew of style-savvy goodness to share with you {like more from the soon-to-happen Claire Pettingbone show – grab a looksie below}. We’ll be tweeting from the runway and snagging a behind the scenes peek of some very special collections! But first, here’s a peek at what’s up and coming in New York City and beyond!
- GIVE the bride-to-be a gift she’ll be sure to treasure. The legendary Grace Ormonde has released the most stylish wedding book we have ever seen… Aptly titled “Being In Love Never Goes Out of Style,” Grace’s book is a true work of art {as was her glamorous launch party at The Plaza Hotel last night}! Check back to Merci next week for more on Grace Ormonde, and a book that truly epitomizes bridal grace and style.
- GO to the Runway for One Day event at Lovely Bridal Shop ! We’ve said this before, but we’ll say it again! It’s going to be haute. Co-hosted by The Knot , Lovely and Watters , it’s the best way for brides to celebrate bridal fashion week… I’ll be behind the scenes at the Watter show tomorrow, and will share Watters runway trends on Monday. Then on Tuesday, you can go to Lovely, try on straight-from-the-runway styles and meet the editors of The Knot. Bananas, we say {and brilliant}! For more information, click here or visit Lovely for more.
- SHOP the Sassi Holford Trunk Show at Gabriella Bridal Salon . Sassi will be traveling in from London for this fabulous one-day-only event on Thursday, October 14th. Make an appointment from 12-7 to get Sassi’s expert advice on her fabulous new 2011 collection. To schedule an appointment, call Gabriella Bridal Salon at 212.206.1915.
- SAVE oodles of dough by visiting Lord & Taylor’s new bridal shop at their Fifth Avenue flagship {at 38th Street}. The department store is stocking an edited assortment of well-priced gowns by designers such as Nicole Miller and Theia, as well as goodies for your groom and bridal party. Wow, the things you can learn while watching “Taxi TV” during rush hour… Now, off to market!
Video courtesy of Claire Pettingbone.
Here at Merci we love to know what’s happening on the other side of the Atlantic. After introducing you to some French classics, it is now time to go visit our lovely British neighbors. In London, they take lingerie très seriously! And they are right; From your wedding day to your honeymoon and beyond, lingerie is an essential part of your wedding clothing that is often underestimated. 
Tallulah was established after I worked for years as a womenswear buyer in London. One of the problems that I noticed when I dressed women was ill fitting underwear. It was shocking that some women spent so much money on their clothes but seemed to neglect what was underneath. We will actually be celebrating our seven year anniversary in November which is incredibly exciting.
I didn’t want to open an online boutique as first because I didn’t think it would offer the intimate experience I want my customers to have. However we get so many brides coming into the store from all over the world as well as friends and family members looking to purchase hen night gifts that it was the right thing to do. So we developed a few handmade items that customers didn’t have to come in to be fitted for. It was just the most logical step to do in terms of expanding the Tallulah brand. We also pride ourselves on excellent customer service and we want to be able to serve our customers that can’t make it to the store.
When researching bridal lingerie in NYC, I was unable to come across anything that was beautifully handmade as well as being reasonably priced with a good fit. I’ve also noticed that in the UK we seem more used to having a fitting as part of the lingerie shopping experience. Whenever I am in NYC, I visit many lingerie boutiques and get fitted, alas it never comes up to our standard at Tallulah.
Well the chance of having your husband’s name in hand embroidery on silk knickers is one. I wouldn’t say that there is a huge difference. Traditionally bridal lingerie will be in Ivory tones. Some people just treat themselves to lovely lingerie for a special occasion such as their wedding, but there are also lots of people that treat themselves on a regular basis, I find once you get a taste for well fitted fine lingerie, it becomes an obsession, a very healthy obsession!
We kick start with our bridal appointments with the boring but very practical pieces of wedding day lingerie such as seamless knickers or strapless bras. We have so many brides visiting us with a lace corset in mind to wear under their very expensive wedding dress but 9 times out of 10 it turns out that they can only wear smooth seamless lingerie. After this the fun part begins with helping the bride to choose the wedding night lingerie and then finally for the honeymoon.
Very, very important! It’s the most exciting part of the wedding, isn’t it? I love silk, lace and pearls and what girl doesn’t? After all the guests have gone, it’s just you and your new husband That’s when the fun begins. On the more practical side you need lingerie that’s going to fit properly under your dress. The correct lingerie can alter your whole figure and give you extra confidence. I think it’s also essential to have a silk robe if you’re going to have a photographer snapping away while you’re getting ready, this will also come in handy when you are changing out of your practical lingerie into your wedding night fun outfit. One simply slips into the bathroom, gets changed and comes out in her silk robe, what’s underneath her husband will think has been there all day….Men have no idea!
We get a lot of brides that come in with their friends to help them choose their wedding lingerie. This is one of the reasons why we’ve recently launched our wedding lingerie list service. Soon to be brides can come in and choose what items they may desire and we can send their wish list to friends and family. This is a way of making things easier for people looking to buy presents for someone but not wanting to get the wrong thing.
We’re thrilled to welcome back Karine Bailly, Merci New York’s resident floral expert at Ovando . Ovando is among our all-time favorite floral designers here in NYC, we adore their creative eye and inventive style. Today, Ovando has popped by Merci to help brides decode their floral style…
“No problem!” you may be thinking. You’ve known since age seven that you’d one day promenade down the aisle in a pair of Chanel slingbacks! But perhaps you’ve not yet given quite as much thought to the floral design: a bouquet of plush hydrangea and garden roses, or a minimalist, yet elegant bouquet of brunia, artichoke and callas? The choices are infinite, so getting to know you style will help you to better convey your vision to your floral designer.
Once you’ve got down the basics, you can work with your floral designer to get a better understanding of your options. When it comes to bouquets, Ovando is partial to the contemporary look of pavé and nosegay arrangements, which are more geometric than a traditional cascading bouquet. Incorporating lily grass loops or other fashioned greens adds dimension as well as a more modern touch to the bouquet. Either way, the bride’s bouquet should stand apart from that of her bridesmaids…it is her day after all!
Centerpieces are an obvious must. Ovando adores the lavish look of tall seasonal branches, like curly willow or viburnum berry branches for fall, accented with seasonal flowers such as the beloved vanda or James Storie orchid. 
Otherwise, decorated tablescapes are a gorgeous alternative to the illustrious and more traditional centerpiece, particularly for long rectangular tables. Designing with low-standing elements such as driftwood, tea lights, fruit, moss and seasonal flowers allows you to thread your floral décor from end to end of the table. Using a mix of different vases is another great way to bring a simple tablescape to life. But, of course, there’s a whole gamut of options in between!
Aisle style is yet another way to weave color and spellbinding décor into your wedding. We love the look of flower petal lined aisles as this beautifully highlights the bride’s walkway. And alas, when she’s hand in hand with her soon-to-be husband, an arch, flower canopy or chuppah is a perfect way to powerfully frame the bride and groom. We adore the simple splendor of seasonal branches, willows or vine mixed with various floral accents.
Of course, we know that all of these gorgeous options can sometimes be overwhelming. But whether you are a fledgling in the world of floral design or a zealous connoisseur, the most important part is to have fun bringing your vision to life…you can leave the thorny work to us!
Photo credits, from top: Top image via Style Me Pretty , Left: Jonas Peterson Photography via Once Wed ; Right: Bradley Patrick of Sugar Love Weddings via Once Wed ; Left: Eric Yerke ; Right: Darin Fong ; Chelsea Nicole via Style Me Pretty ; Sarah Maren Photography ; Left and right: Jennifer Dery Productions ; tablescape images: Mimmo+Naz ; Caroline Ghetes ;
Left: Matthew Hanlon via Ovando ; Right: Vera Photographics via Style Me Pretty .