Friday, June 28, 2013

HOLLY AND EDDIE'S CITY HALL WEDDING

Near and dear to my heart always are the weddings that feature one of my very own brides--that is--a bride I've worked with and designed a dress for.  Holly came to me last summer wanting something she could wear for her late October wedding as well as reception eight months later cruising the San Francisco Bay on a yacht. I adore this Chantilly lace and 4-ply crepe dress we designed together.  It's easy and comfy to wear not to mention classy.  Here's what Holly herself had to say about Eddie and the wedding they planned: "We'd been together nearly seventeen years and after living together for nearly fifteen we decided to finally make it official. We wanted our wedding to be at the beautiful Marin Civic Center designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.  We planned everything in just six weeks. We decided on just inviting family to the ceremony and dinner afterwards followed by a bash for friends and family in the Spring.  
It rained the entire week of our wedding date but that morning the sun came out just for us. We met everyone at the civic center and luckily we were able to have the ceremony in the beautiful garden there.  The ceremony was even more beautiful than I could imagine.  The county official was wonderful and that made our vows even more touching.  I was surprised how happy we both were finally going through this tradition and to share it with our families, now officially joined. 

















Special thanks to all of Holly and Eddie's family and friends who donated this medley of photos . . . .

Thursday, June 27, 2013

SHOOT CHIC

Just wanted to give everyone the heads up on our up and coming editorial, High Tea, a medley of images evoking an era when women took tea most days in an English country garden.  I know there are more than a few of you brides out there looking for a kind of Downton Abbey/Gatsby-inspired look for your wedding day. With the help of Jim Vetter, one of my favorite shooters, we made it all happen yesterday at the scenic Marin Art and Garden Center in Marin County, California. Between set ups, I shot a few behind the scenes pics you see here.   Special thanks to the staff and volunteers of MAGC who let us shoot around this magnificent landscape on such a sunny and perfect day . . . . .

 Hair and makeup by Rachel Gardea

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

THE STORY BOOK BRIDE


Could you be the ultimate storybook bride? If you love lace, layers of tulle and bouquets of white roses in silver vases consider yourself a romantic.
Your Dress: A storybook ball gown with lace or tulle. Ruffles and frills and layers of crinoline petticoats.
Favorite designers: Amelia Casablanca, Elizabeth Emanuel for the Art of Being, Lazaro, Claire Pettibone, Elizabeth Fillmore, Max Chaoul.
Venue: How about Notre Dame or a castle in Scotland?
Veiled:Cathedral length tulle
Unveiled: wreath of roses

Header Photo: Gown by Vivienne Westwood
Photos 2 and 3 by Jose Villa/Dress by Carol Hannah
Photo 4: Dress by Vivienne Westwood 

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

BOHO, BREAD AND CHOCOLATE


I'm a real Boho fan and admit, a real sucker for styled shoots like this one.   Hands on and involved in every detail as you'll see, this shoot is beautifully captured by Shalmai of Sj2 Photography.  She wanted to create a fun styled shoot inspiring local brides to step out of their shell and try something different than the norm. Sweet ems created the beautiful cake and delicious macaroons. The vintage bottles added a bit of simple beauty to the sparkly table cover. Says Shalmai of the shoot,  " It was a pleasure to work with a past wedding couple of mine to create these beautiful images. They were so amazing to work with. The bride, Rachel, brought her beautiful lace wedding dress. I created the delicate flower crown to add a little extra to her look. I found the tulips at a local grocery store and I love the simplicity of just draping it over her arm instead of creating a bouquet. I found the sequins fabric cover at a fabric store and created a table cover for our shoot. I feel like the gold sequins made the cake and the colors of the flowers pop. And of course the brick background added the perfect backdrop. These are perfect ideas for indoor weddings receptions and ceremony."







CREDITS
Venue: Bred and Chocolate
Photographer:  Sj2 | Photography//Cake Designer:Sweet Em's Cake Shoppe
Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Monday, June 24, 2013

THE GLORY OF STEAM PUNK

Take any Jules Verne novel add a bit of Victoriana along with some fantasy and you usually get a good dose of Steampunk.  The look is a blend of Victorian fashion mixed in with wild west plus that modern twist incorporating bits and pieces of  metal parts in the shape of machinery, timepieces with Roman numerals tucked into derbies and keys worn as necklaces are just a few of my favorites.  These I collected from some of the most inventive designers and jewelry makers around who do some great versions of steampunk ...
 Header photo: Steampunk Shoot via Rock and Roll Bride, Bantry House. Chemistry Photography, Lace Collar and Cuffs by Bonzie//Above: Dresses and head wear by The Peppermint Pretty


 Above: Dress by Recapture//Sepia photo by Modeliza/Dress by Princesse du cap