Alicia Keys Vera Wang Wedding Gown

Another Vera Wang wedding gown was worn by Alicia Keys at her wedding. Vera Wang's Grecian-inspired was made of ivory silk and there was a jewel detail on her back shoulder. She completed her Mediterranean look with crystal-encrusted flat sandals and elegant headband.



Source: People.com

Chelsea Clinton's Vera Wang Wedding Gown

Chelsea Clinton wore a Vera Wang wedding gown as she married her boyfriend Marc Mezvinsky. See some of the photos from the wedding.



Photo Source: Instyle.com

Bridal Collection Fall 2010

Getting married is exciting especially when you are about to pick your wedding gown. Although I don't have current plan of getting hitched, I got excited when I saw the latest bridal collection of the famous designers. View the rest of the entries to unveil bridal fashion trends for 2011.

Vera Wang


Oscar de la Renta


Carolina Herrera


Monique Lhuillier


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Sarah Jessica Parker Vogue US May 2010

Before the sequel of Sex and the City hit the silver-screen this May, Sarah Jessica Parker grace the cover of Vogue US. Across the pages of the fashion magazine, you can also see some of her outstanding fashion styles. Check Sarah Jessica Parker's looks for Vogue US May 2010 issue!


Dior Haute Couture blush-and-claret silk strapless dress.
Bulgari necklace.


Dior Haute Couture top hat with netting.
Fred Leighton diamond double-drop earrings.


Lanvin dusty-rose cotton-and-silk strapless dress.
Solange Azagury-Partridge necklace.


Giambattista Valli silk-velvet jacquard bolero with grosgrain-ribbon trim and matching sleeveless dress.
Suzanne Couture Millinery cap with netting.
Fred Leighton earrings.
LaCrasia gloves.


Chanel lipstick-red silk-faille dress with embellishment and bracelet.
Fred Leighton earrings.


Vera Wang butterscotch silk duchesse-satin dress with matching bolero.
Rochas hat.
Fred Leighton bracelets.
Tabitha Simmons pumps.

Source

Inspiration Board: Green & Black Tie

I've been dying to design an inspiration board around this amazing shoot by Jose Villa that was on Once Wed a little while ago.  It completely sold me on a black wedding gown, especially this one by Vera Wang.  So without further adieu, here is my green, black tie, and a little bit vintage board:

Top Row:  photo by Jose Villa, photo from Brides, postcard by Ceci New York, photo by Amy Squires
Middle Row:  Apples from Junebug, parasols photo by Jennifer Roper, centerpiece by Artfool
Bottom Row:  chalkboard via Snippet & Ink, tuxedo from Martha Stewart Weddings, photo by Amy Squires, photo by Jose Villa & gown by Vera Wang

Saying YES to the Dress

A bride's search for THE dress is a daunting but exciting time.  I had many mixed feelings about going wedding dress shopping:  fear of not finding the right one, dread of feeling too fat to look good in them, joy at thinking of yourself on your wedding day, and relief that you are finally getting to shop for a wedding dress for an actual wedding for yourself!  I had poured through bridal magazines tearing out pictures of gowns I loved for 5 months before I went gown shopping.  My mom flew out to LA and we went to a couple of bridal boutiques in an effort to track down the perfect dress.  It was such a memorable experience that we had together, and not just because of a Denzel Washington encounter that we had on our way home!  In the end I found my perfect gown, the one I had loved most from my magazine ripping phase, and the first one I tried on. 

For some brides, it is an easy thing to find a wedding gown.  Others search far and wide and can't make a decision.  Luckily for the newly engaged, there are many gorgeous gowns from the Spring 2010 season to choose from.  Here is a wrap-up of the highlights, plus a few of my all-time favorite from past seasons:

Ballgown:

   Left:  Monique Lhuillier

Right:  Vera Wang

A touch of bling:

  Left:  Ramona Keveza

Right:  Jenny Packham

A-Line:

 Left:  Vera Wang

Right:  Anne Barge 2008

Simple & Elegant:

Left:  Lela Rose

Right:  J.Crew 

Ruffles:

    Left:  Vera Wang

Right:  Badgley Mischka

Floral touches:

    Left:  J.Crew

     Right:  Rivini

Crumb Catcher:

   Left:  Carolina Herrera (2009)

Right:  Amsale

Vintage Inspired Lace:

  Left:  Melissa Sweet (2008)

Right:  Rivini

One Shoulder:

   Left:  Ramona Keveza

Right:  Reverie by Melissa Sweet

Short:

   Both gowns by Amsale

Unique Details:

 Left:  Amsale

Right:  Carolina Herrera (2009)

I am LOVING Vera's 2010 Spring Collection!  The Lela Rose gown would be so elegant worn in an urban wedding and the simple J.Crew gown has a beautiful back and would be great for a gallery venue.  The simple Vera gown is perfect for a summer garden wedding or a beach ceremony.  The Anne Barge gown is more beautiful in person and has amazing details (pockets and pleating on the bodice) that would make it perfect for a preppy, nautical themed wedding.  I love the neckline of the bottom Amsale gown and the polka dots in the bottom Carolina gown are adorable.  Both short dresses would be perfect for a simpler affair, a city hall wedding, or as a second dress for a bride who wants to change for the 'party' portion of her wedding.  Both gauzy ballgowns are perfect for a more formal affair...or for any bride with an inner Cinderella.  And my very favorite is the vintage inspired lace Melissa Sweet gown...because it was mine!

Photo by Jennifer Roper

Where do I begin?

When you are first beginning to plan the design of your wedding, it can be very overwhelming. The day I got engaged, my maid of honor sent me a list of wedding blogs, and I was hooked instantly. Some of those blogs (Style Me Pretty, Snippet & Ink, Once Wed, Southern Weddings, etc.) are ones I still follow today and provided me with tons of wedding design inspiration. A tool that I saw on some of them was a collage of photos, sometimes called an inspiration board, that is used as the basis for the design of your wedding. I believe this is a great place to start your design inspiration.

Basically I just saved photos that I loved or pictures of elements I thought were inspiring. I had folders on my computer for florals, cakes, paper, dresses, hairstyles, wedding party attire, accessories, decor, and personal touches. Anytime I found things I loved I would save the photo in one of those folders. After a couple of months, I looked at these images, deleted ones I no longer loved or that didn't speak to me as much as the others, and then I designed my inspiration board.

Your inspiration board will probably change somewhat along the way, because your design will probably change as you begin to make your inspiration a reality. But the board provides you with something that you can always come back to and helps you keep your design cohesive.

I designed my own inspiration board using Picasa, because it is the only tool I had at the time. Any software that you have should let you make a collage.  Another great new tool is Style Me Pretty's Style Circle, where you can make inspiration boards, blog, chat, save favorites, and lots of other great things.  Head over there and sign up:  http://circle.stylemepretty.com/

Here is an example of an inspiration board I made for a contest on Style Me Pretty's site which would be a great inspiration board for an outdoor spring or summer wedding.  I love the effortlessly chic style:

Credits:

Top Row: Placecards, Lulu Paper from Snippet & Ink
http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2009/07/board-401-lemon-and-sugar.html , Flowers: Katie Stoops of Open Air Photography http://www.thebridescafe.com/?postID=340&the-secret-garden
Lemon aisle: jose villa http://www.oncewed.com/13271/real-weddings-blog/real-weddings/daniel-laura-ii/
Middle Row: Hanging lanterns by Leigh Miller photography at http://www.stylemepretty.com/2008/06/18/real-wedding-by-duet-weddings-iii/ , Vera Wang gown from Look Book, Bouquet by Bellisima Vita Weddings on Snippet & Ink, http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2009/07/board-401-lemon-and-sugar.html ,
Bottom Row, cake by K rose cakes at Snippet & Ink (same link as above), Table setting, Martha Stewart Weddings, http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/photogallery/outdoor-weddings lnc=6b1c139b22b1d110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&rsc=lpg_inspiration&lpgStart=1¤tslide=16¤tChapter=2#ms-global-breadcrumbs, Florals, Katie Stoops from Open Air Photgraphy at http://www.thebridescafe.com/?postID=340&the-secret-garden