Archive for 2012

Shop Your Closet: 5 Looks for Any Party

Published on 16:00:00 By Steampunk

Still celebrating the season? Not sure what to wear for New Year’s Eve? Looking for a way to “oomph” up your wardrobe tonight? Lucky, lucky girl – we have just the post for you!

This holiday season, I was asked to be a guest on CBS’s awesome morning show “Live From the Couch.” As a fashion stylist, I know the holidays can be a stressful time of year for my clients, so in my segment {check it out above!} I walked everyone though five very easy and versatile looks that work for nearly every party on your social calendar.

The best part yet? Most of these items can already be found in your closet {or on the sale rack}! Take a peek at the clip above , get inspired, then scroll below… I’ve broken down each of the looks for easy-peasy purchasing!

1. Tibi Dress {or a light-colored dress from your summer wardrobe}; 2. Elizabeth Cole cuff ; 3. Velvet faux-leather jacket for “going out”; 4. Club Monaco jacket for the office; 5. Earrings from Thomas Laine ; 6. ubiquitous black booties {which you probably own}, similar here .

1. Donna Morgan dress ; 2. Merci New York for Madame Mathilde clutch ; 3. tote from Zara; 4. rentable necklace from RTR ; 5. strappy heels .

1. Ali Ro drop waist dress ; 2. deco-inspired, fan earrings ; 3. gold-piped heels ; 4. CC Skye cocktail ring ; 5. Merci New York for Madame Mathilde clutch ; 6. 20s-inspired bracelet {found in UWS location}.

1. Jumpsuit from Zara; 2. faux fur vest; 3. CC Skye for Club Monaco ring {sold out, see similar }; 4. a coral lip; 5. Merci New York for Madame Mathilde clutch ; 6. studded heels; 7. Dannijo necklace .

1. Donna Morgan sequined racer back dress ; 2/4/6. pyramid bangles from Forever 21; 3. Mohawk earrings from Elizabeth Cole; 5. metallic box clutch ; grey booties.

Want to snag the look from the segment? We paired many of the party-perfect styles with our new Merci New York for Madame Mathilde clutches, which just hit stores this part month. As my little holiday gift to you, we’re offering our lovely readers a special 20 percent discount on any clutch of their choice, so they can ring in 2013 with style. Feel free to preview all the colors and brooch options in our online store and enter “mercinye” at checkout for the sale!

Wishing you a very happy, healthy and stylish new year!

xx,

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Real New York Wedding at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Outdoor

Published on 16:00:00 By Steampunk

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This wonderful autumn wedding comes from Sara Harper-Hudson and Ted Hudson from Ava Weddings and we are in love! With beautiful scenic backdrops at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s The Palm House and a fun-loving theme, this blue and gold wedding shows off the chic and vibrant personalities of Jillian and Ben!

Jillian wore a Le Spose Di Gio silk sheath dress in ivory, paired with blue Badgley Mischka Lacie shoes! {Ah, we just l.o.v.e. a colored wedding show! So fun!} Her veil was given to her as a gift from one of her bridesmaids… It finished Jillian’s look with a fun, flirty and modern touch!

Ben wore a custom made Hickey Freeman three piece suit in navy with gold lining, which looks fantastic! His groomsmen wore Vera Wang tuxedos in gray to offset the navy.

You may be wondering why one of the groomsmen crashed this picture…well, that’s because he’s not a groomsman. He is a bridesman! Jillian had one male in her bridal party… Your bridal party is a group of your closest family and friends, so why not include one of your favorite guys!? He wore the same Vera Wang tuxedo as the groomsmen, while the bridesmaids wore Dessy dresses in midnight blue with different gold shoes.

“We felt that planning a wedding near our home was a physical way of uniting two families (who stem from New Jersey and Massachusetts),” said Jillian. ”Brooklyn is also our first home so it felt right to have our wedding here.” The Palm House served as a perfect location with its elegant design and perfect lighting.

The “Glitter Girl” used gold glitter to decorate the floor instead of the usual flowers. She was followed by the “Party Animal” who carried a sign saying, “Stand for Jillian”. After the ceremony ended, he sported sunglasses and flipped the sign around so it said, “Follow me to the party!” We love both of these ideas, they’re a modern twist to the normal flower girl and ring bearer roles!

“I picked projects that would give a fun and festive feeling,” said Jillian. ”The location was so beautiful and elegant, I wanted to bring in some light hearted details so it wouldn’t feel stuffy.” The cocktail hour had gold signs around the bar as well as fortune tellers on the tables. Some tables also had vases filled with gold disco ball or lanterns! At dinner, guests were provided with madlibs to fill out for the bride and groom!

The flowers were antique white with navy milk thistles and looked stunning against the white tablescapes. ”The food was amazing,” said Jillian. “After the ceremony our event coordinator brought us to a small bridal suite and provided plates of all the appetizers so that we could eat before greeting our guests. That was a life saver for me and the only food I ate that night.”

Vendor List:

Ceremony/Reception: The Palm House, CharlesSallyCharles Catering

Photography: Sara Harper-Hudson and Ted Hudson of Ava Weddings

Gown: Le Spose Di Gio , Kleinfeld’s

Shoes: Badgley Mischka Lacie

Hair and Makeup: Natalie Cardona

Bridesmaid Dresses: Dessy Collection from the Wedding Library

Formalwear: Hickey Freeman and Vera Wang from Men’s Wearhouse

Invitations: Minted

Flowers: Zuzu Petals

Music: Juilliard Violin Player and Scratch DJs

All photos courtesy of Ava Weddings .

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Happy Holidays!

Blog

Published on 16:00:00 By Steampunk

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Before we sign off for the next week to celebrate the holidays with our families, we want to take a minute to say thank you! Thank you to the readers in Maryland and beyond who visit this blog every single day! Thank you to those of you who comment on our posts, send in questions and advice, like our Facebook posts and just generally make us feel loved and thankful to do what we do!

Thank you to the vendors who send in their beautiful work, the vendors who share tips and advice for local brides and all 100+ vendors listed in our vendor guide. Your talent continually inspires us and we’re in awe that this region is such a powerhouse in the wedding industry. As an extra way to say thank you, we’re running a sale on vendor guide memberships from January 1st to the 15th.

We have some huge plans in store for 2013 and we can’t wait to share all the details with you! We already have some incredible DIY projects, gorgeous weddings and amazing advice ready for the New Year. And we’d love to hear from you! If you have an article you’d like to see on the site, if you’d like to share something that worked really well for your wedding or if you just want to give us a shout and tell us you think we’re awesome, we’d love for you to send an email to info@wordpress.com

We are also incredibly excited to announce that in our effort to support local wedding professionals, we’ve teamed up with Charm City Wed to host the Chesapeake Bridal Awards – Our goal is to honor and promote excellence in the Maryland, DC, and Virginia wedding industry!

Whether you are a bride, industry professional, or lover of all things weddings – We hope you take the time to nominate your favorite wedding professionals beginning January 1st and join us in honoring the entrepreneurs and small businesses that make Chesapeake Weddings truly exceptional!

Happy Holidays!

Much Love,
Krista, Natalie & Sara

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Top 10 Holiday Gifts for Your Guy

Outdoor

Published on 16:00:00 By Steampunk

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As stylists , we simply adore the gift-giving process… However, when it comes to that special guy in your life, the stress of finding something he {truly} loves can lead to a major case of procrastination… So, in honor of all our fellow last-minute fashionistas scouring the streets of NYC for his perfect gift, we thought we’d round up some of our favorite finds, as {literally} seen in Manhattan stores this week.

Here’s to hitting up the BBB {Barneys, Bloomies and Bergdorf, of course} with our little list in hand. It’s our little gift to you this holiday season!

1. Beats by Dr. Dre $280; 2. Baume et Mercier Capeland watch , $4,300. 3. Kiehl’s facial fuel mens toner , $18; 4. Tom Ford sunnies , $545; 5. Paul Smith Chelsea boot with dyed sole , $309; 6. T. Anthony classic duffel , $395; 7. TOD’S Charly bracelet , $225; 8. Skull scarf , $218; 9. Rope cufflinks , $595; 10. Sundek mid-length board short s, $60 {also seen in Century 21 at Lincoln Center, $40}. Shown in featured image: Moncler puffer vest , $550; Vilebrequin tri-color swim trunks , $220.

By Jacqueline Weppner with reporting by Kyra Fierro.

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Personalized Gold Wedding Rings and Jewelry

accessories

Published on 16:00:00 By Steampunk

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If you haven’t already noticed, I’m a bit partial to gold these days… Sparkling shoes, stunning tablescapes, glittering accessories {even gold-flecked eye make-up} has made its way to my heart… Bring me a bride who wants to be styled to perfection , and chances are, we’re adding a bit of gold to her big day.

The story of gold completely transfixes me. Open any fashion magazine, and you will see models swathed in gold gowns. Click your remote, and gold jewelry will be just as predominant on classic movies as it is on our favorite TV shows.
Gold is both timeless and modern, pure yet rare… and somehow worth more and more each day. {Call me sentimental, or does this description also describe pure love}? All these reasons make me adore the idea of gold wedding bands …

1. Double wide flat band & Forever leaf ring from L Frank ; 2. Men’s band and engraved paisley band from Me & Ro ; 3. Quad link and tri-link rings from Hoorsenbuhs ; 4. R ose gold bands with white & cognac diamonds from Heather B. Moore ; 5. Corusco wedding rings from McTeigue & McClelland’s .

Of course, the idea of gold wedding bands is nothing new, in fact, gold has been celebrated as the authentic symbol of love since as early as 200 AD! The oldest gold jewelry dates from 6,000 years ago and looks the same today as when it was first given. Now if that’s not testament to its strength, fortitude {and pure preciousness}, I’m not sure what is.

I absolutely adore the idea of personalizing your bespoke gold wedding ring even more by engraving your band with a special message. Designer Aurora Lopez Meija has built a beautiful brand on stunning gold jewelry with heartfelt words and messages. A few of my favorite rings and bracelets from Aurora’s collection are below.

1. Eternity handcuff bracelet with diamonds and gold medium handcuff bracelet with gems ; 2. Gold word bands, with and without diamonds ; 3. Heavy organic word band ; 4. Crafts eternity band with and without diamonds 5. Thin slice eternity band with brown diamonds and special edition tube rings

With a beautiful bespoke gold wedding band , what’s old is new, what’s traditional is modern, and what’s heartfelt can be honored for generations to come. My own personal love for gold wedding bands came from my grandmother… One Christmas, my mom asked her if she could borrow my late grandfather’s gold wedding ring. My grandmother was puzzled by my mom’s request {It had sat carefully in her jewelry box for several years}, but of course, gave her the ring. I remember looking at the ring, engraved with their wedding date and some sweet words. I too was confused, until Christmas Day…

Rose gold charms by Jennifer Fisher Jewelry .

That Christmas, my Grandma was brought to tears… My mother had brought the gold ring to her jeweler, and had it shaped into a heart. She had it strung on a beautiful gold chain, and my grandmother wore his wedding ring around her neck {and read the inscription} every day thereafter. How special, right?

I love how this “gold love story” is probably one of many floating around families wordwide… How special would it be to have your own gold bespoke wedding band made for your wedding day? Check out this video on how one designer describes her creative process while designing gold wedding bands…

Want to learn more about how to get beautiful custom gold rings for your wedding day? Be sure to visit the World Gold Council’s Facebook page for more information {and check out the fashionable facts on gold, below}!

- Did you know that a gold ring purchased 25 years ago is worth at least ten times as much today?
- It is so scarce that all the gold ever mined could fit into two Olympic-size swimming pools.
- All the gold that has ever been mined still exists.

Stylishly,

The World Gold Council has sponsored this post on Merci New York.

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Country Wedding Ideas by Perfect Capture Photography

Wedding

Published on 16:00:00 By Steampunk

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Southern Style Shoot at Museum of Appalachia

Today’s post features a styled wedding shoot at the Museum of Appalachia ! This shoot was photographed by Knoxville photographers Jimmy & Kim of Perfect Capture Photography . Perfect Capture did such a marvelous job with this creative styled shoot that it’s hard to believe it was their first one! Real-life couple Tasha and Jason even stepped in to model for this elegant gold and lavender themed set-up. To see more of the details from this gorgeous shoot, browse through the rest of the photos featured below!

Jason’s tux can be found at Savvi Formalwear

Tasha’s wedding dress was from White Lace & Promises

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Vintage Theater Wedding in Michigan

bouquets

Published on 16:00:00 By Steampunk

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Hey guys! I'm baaaack! I can't say that I'm super enthused to be back from our vacation down in paradise, but here I am! Dale and I had an amazing time in Belize, and I fully intend to share some photos and details from our trip with you on Friday. I hope you all enjoyed the engagement sessions and weddings that I shared last week while I was gone; if you haven't checked them out, I encourage you to do so, because they are really beautiful! Admittedly, the publication schedule is going to be a bit wonky for the rest of the month with all of the traveling I've been doing. Even now, we're only back home for a week before we head back to Michigan to spend Christmas with my husband's family.

Speaking of Michigan! I have a Michigan wedding to share with you all today, beautifully photographed by Color Splash Studio . I have to admit that half the reason I wanted to feature this wedding is because of the bride, Erin. She has this absolutely gorgeous vintage look that I just love! Rocking a perfectly lovely teacup wedding dress by Justin Alexander and a white bouquet with sparkling vintage brooches, Erin looked absolutely stunning on her wedding day.

Erin and Jeremy chose to get married at a somewhat unique wedding venue, a theater stage! Held at the Frauenthal Center for Performing Arts in Muskegon, Michigan, the couple welcomed over 100 guests to their vintage style wedding this past September. Erin and Jeremy's wedding sounds like it was a long time coming, too! Having dated since 2003 when they first met as summer camp counselors, the couple spent four years dating long distance (her in Washington, DC, and him in Michigan), and then Jeremy tried proposing to Erin THREE times before he actually asked! Yes, believe it! "He tried proposing several times in 2010. The first time was at a restaurant, but the couple next to us ended up getting engaged before he could ask. The second time was on the 4th of July, he was going to propose during the fireworks; however, we ended up picking up two lost dogs that we had to return to their concerned owners. Then it was on our seven year anniversary, but it ended up not being the right time. It wasn't until he heard the story of how my grandfather proposed to my grandmother that he realized that the proposal did not have to be perfect. When [he proposed], my grandmother ended up dropping the ring box down the basement stairs before realizing what was in the box!" described Erin.

So how did Jeremy finally do it? "My father passed away in January of 2010 and as a couple and family, we had many memories of going golfing with my dad (an avid golfer who would golf, rain or snow). So my husband planned a day for us to go out to the golf course, and it was there he asked me to marry him. It was at the last golf course that my dad, my husband and I had golfed at. It was very sweet."

Vintage Theater Wedding in Michigan - Vendors & Credits

Photographer: Color Splash Studio
Venue: Frauenthal Center for Performing Arts
Floral Designer: Shelly's Designs
Caterer: Above & Beyond
Wedding Stationery: Event123
Hair Stylist: Moxie Beauty & Hair Parlor
Bridal Attire: Justin Alexander and shoes by Steve Madden
Groomsmen Attire: J.Crew
Bridesmaid Attire: BCBG

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East Tennessee Wedding by Bledsoe Photography

Wedding

Published on 16:00:00 By Steampunk

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If you haven’t heard of Bledsoe Photography , then you are truly missing out on a talented Knoxville photographer with such a unique background.

Shanell, a Knoxville native, has done a lot of traveling and even spent a month in Africa!

After spending a few years touring with recording artists for her job, Shanell decided she wanted to learn more about photography. After taking a photography class at Nashville state, she quickly fell in love with the field, and a year and a half later, Bledsoe Photography opened.

Shanell still loves to travel and welcomes any weddings both in the East Tennessee area and beyond.

Want to see some of her work? Check out the lovely wedding below.

– Kelsey Houser, creative writer for The Bride Link

Whitney and Brandon got married in July at Chateau Selah , and throughout the heat and all the things to do, Whitney says her family never stopped supporting her and working to make her wedding beautifully unforgettable!

Photographer: Bledsoe Photography

Caterer: Southeast Culinary & Hospitality College

Florists: Misty’s Florist & Greenhouse

Cake: Hannah Meade with The Cake Gallery

Bride/Bridesmaids Dresses: Wedding Wonderland

Hairstylist: Rene Huffaker with Styles Etc.

Band: Miss Tess

DJ: Marques Puckett

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Last Minute Gift Ideas: Beyond the Monogram

Holidays

Published on 16:00:00 By Steampunk

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While the clock is ticking on Christmas shopping, there are still ways to get uber-cute, personalized gifts for everyone on your list {and no, we’re not talking bath towels}. Below, our editors share seven monogrammed gifts that – if you act fast – can still make their way under your tree…

1. Ginette Medium Lace Monogram Necklace , $950. Max and Chloe Three Monogram Bracelet Set , $74. Can you go wrong with jewelry? We don’t think so! This beautiful and classic looking necklace is great for a new bride, with new initials…{wink, wink!} And let’s be honest, we never turn down jewelry, so why not pair the necklace with this fab bracelet set from Max and Chloe?

2. Thirstystone Monogram Coaster Set , $30. Everyone has that one friend who loves to throw a great dinner, party or get together! For that event planner in your life, monogrammed coasters are beautiful and will definitely get used over and over again – because no one likes a ring on their new table! This is a great gift for any guy too – they can add it to their bar and enjoy a guys night in sipping whiskey and smoking cigars!

3. Grey Monogram Chevron iPhone Case , $46. Gray Monogram Chevron iPad Case $45. Seriously, we can’t live without our iPhone or iPad – they go everywhere with us, so we need to make sure they are just as stylish as us!

4. Louis Vuitton Monogram Canvas Agenda MM , $570. Well, we didn’t say it had to have our initials, right? We’ll take it!

5. The Monogram Studio Monogrammed Yoga Mat , $45. Every busy New Yorker needs some down time, and when we’re not jet setting to the Carribean, we’re hitting the gym for a great yoga class to relieve some stress. And with “New Year’s Resolutions” just around the corner, why not use this {oh-so-cute} yoga mat to motivate you to get up and out!

6. Jonathan Adler Pillow , $165. Pillows are great for everyone with a new house, apartment, {or dorm room!} and can be great for decor or for comfort! Who doesn’t love a personalized pillow to cozy up with on movie night?

7. Dabney Lee Personalized Square Lucite Tray , $120. We can’t let the boys have all the fun with their coasters, right? This tray is adorable and great for all year round – eggnog anyone?

Featured image: Linen Satin Stitch Cocktail Napkins from Mark and Graham , $32. These colorful napkins add a pop of cheer to your cocktail {or pig in a blanket}. Cheers!

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Layers of Lovely | Inspiration Recap

Blog

Published on 16:00:00 By Steampunk

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Ever since our Layers of Lovely Styled Shoot a few months ago – We’ve been counting the days until the big event! Two weeks ago, we met with a few local brides to discuss their dreams for the big day and stood in awe at all of the amazing vignettes created by the different vendors!

Of course we put together a nautical vignette – filled with a few familiar goodies, like the Shell Boutonniere , and some new details as well! We hope you love this little behind the scenes peek into the event! If you’re getting married in the Baltimore Area, we highly recommend looking into the amazing vendors who put this event together!

All Photographs by: Annapolis Wedding Photographer – Natalie Franke

We had such an amazing time at the Layers of Lovely Event and we are keeping our fingers crossed for similar events in the future! With an amazing group of brides and a talented team of vendors, we felt like the entire day was a success! We want to thank Mia of Garnish Boutqiue for hosting this beautiful day in her studio and Katie of Petal and Print + Elle of elleDesigns for inviting us to be a part of such a special day!

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