Fashion Fever: Radiant Orchid Bridesmaids

Fashion Fever by Demi Bourous
There are so many questions  and options when it comes to bridesmaid dresses; style, length, and most importantly color. Fortunately, Pantone’s Color of 2014 makes at least one of those decisions a little bit easier! Radiant Orchid is a fun and fresh pink color that’s sure to please and easy to incorporate into any season.  If you recall,  2012’s was Tangerine Tango,  and 2013 was Emerald Green both of which are beautiful but often difficult for certain skin tones to pull off.  This years color is much more universally flattering so if you’re looking at bridesmaid dresses then this should be your go to color! Remember, we’re brides that love our friends and want them to be just as comfortable and beautiful as we are on our wedding day; after all, pictures (and good friends) last a lifetime.  Allowing them to help pick out their dress style is a great “bonding” experience and will make them feel special and confident on the wedding day.  **Special Tip: It’s best to do this one on one so you aren’t overwhelmed with competing opinions…a la SYTTD Bridesmaids

You can find a beautiful selections of bridesmaid dresses at many bridal stores and boutiques. Our favorites stores include Bridal Reflections (NYC), Bella Bridesmaid (locations across US) and Henkaa for those amazing wrap dresses. Be sure to check out the Alvina Valenta, Allure Bridals, Bill Levkoff, and Eden Bridals collections for the perfect dress.  Radiant Orchid is a great color to carry throughout the wedding too, as it’s a natural occurring color in flowers (hello orchids!) and easy to incorporate into decor and stationary.  Stumped on how to pair it?  Here are our favorite color combos:

radiant orchid with lavender, navy, plu, & smoke grey

Radiant Orchid & Navy

Radiant Orchid & Plum

Radiant Orchid & Smoke Grey

Radiant Orchid & Lavender

Trendy Wednesday: A Touch of Lace

Trendy Wednesday: Jenna Paniccia

One of my favorite wedding day trends is adding a touch of lace. Lace is not only a timeless look but adds the appeal of warmth and delicacy to a room big or small. This is a trend that we’ve seen in clothing, home goods (your grandmothers doilies are ringing a bell) and it is becoming more and more popular adorning designer dresses and even wedding cakes!

When thinking about where to incorporate this amazing trend, look for places that need a touch of elegance. For instance…

1. If your dress has a lace design, think about giving the lace to your baker. They can incorporate the same lace style into your cake. This is a sure show-stopper and never seems to get old.
2. I also love the idea of a lace invitation, or touches of lace in accessories. This is a great way to give your special day a 1950’s vintage inspired feel.
3. A venue space needs to feel inviting. The best way to make the room appealing to the eye is to use circular and rectangular shaped tables. This will give the space variety without making it look very cookie-cutter. On the rectangular tables you can add a lace runner. Having solid linens on the round tables and lace linens on the rectangular tables will give the venue such a warm feel.
4. If you are planning on having an outdoor wedding lace is wonderful for a beautiful garden inspired venue. Lace around the vases of your centerpieces and lace fabric napkins will give an enchanted night sophistication.
5. Lace wrapped around the stems of a bouquet can be the perfect touch to a very simple design. This is a great way to not go overboard with an oversized bouquet. Keep it simple and delicate.

Photo Credit: bellethemagazine.com, weddingpartyapp.com, amyaustinphotography.com, invitationsbyjalon.com, myinspiredwedding.com, greenweddingshoes.com, unitedwithlove.com

What to Wear: Semi-Formal/Country Club Wedding

Fashion Fever by Lauren Ricciardelli

Continuing our series on “What to Wear” this week we’re discussing Semi-Formal weddings.  A semi-formal wedding will usually take place more towards evening (aka after 5 or 6pm).  Think of this as a “Country Club” wedding.  That doesn’t mean that semi formal weddings take place ONLY at country clubs – your invitation should give some sort of indication of attire. If not, feel free to ask the bride or bridesmaid if their dresses are short or long.  Semi-formal is a little more clear cut than the casual wedding – Ladies, your LBD is perfect for this occasion.  Short cocktail dresses are ideal since long dresses lean  towards the formal/black tie side.  If you do want to wear something long, make sure it’s simple – nix the sequins and embellishments for this one.  Mix it up with an effortlessly chic high-low hemline.  Solid colors, lace or color blocking are great options since patterns tend to make your look more casual.

Guys, khakis are out for this one.  Stick with dress pants, button down and jacket.  Tie is optional again, if you’re rocking the open collar – however stick to darker colored suits such as charcoal, navy or black.  Whites and tans are more casual and better suited for that beach or farm wedding from last week.

Here Comes The Bride and Baby!

by Zilia Munguia

If you are blessed with having a baby and planning your wedding at the same time it can be hard to find a dress with your ever-changing body, or so at least I hear.  A pregnant bride should be able to find an amazing dress that looks and fits perfect!  At Maternity Bride they pride themselves on their philosophy that maternity dresses must be:

• Comfortable
• Fit and accommodate your inevitable growth
• As gorgeous as any other gown you’d choose if you weren’t pregnant
• Available quickly
• Priced moderately
  

With these things in mind they have created a beautiful collection of dresses for brides who are at all stages in their pregnancy.  Many of their dresses use green fabrics like organic cotton, cruelty free vegan silks, and chemical free dyed fabrics.  They also provide a free sample on loan program where you can try any of their wedding dresses in the comfort of your own home.  The majority of their customized dresses can be delivered within 6 to 8 weeks or sooner!

Brides and mothers–to-be no need to settle on a plain white dress because you can’t find anything you love, because Maternity Bride is here to fulfill all your wedding dress dreams!