Yes, I know garters are thrown across the dance floor by the groom to a bachelor guest, but shouldn’t they still be pretty? Long gone are the days when the only option is the version of bad lace and an equally ugly light blue ribbon with a plastic heart in the middle. You know the ones I’m referring to, I know you do!
Today, there are pretty garter options and Florrie Mitton makes some beauties.
Cate and the rest of the staff over at Little White Dress Shop in Denver are abuzz about all things related to 2012 gowns. They recently returned from seeing it all live on the runway and shared the trends they saw in a recent newsletter. I thought it would be fun to pass them along and gather your thoughts. Here goes…
Top 2012 Bridal Fashion Trends
What do you think? Do you have a favorite trend?
I’ll admit, I’m bad, really bad at doing anything more than a pony tail in my hair. I’d like to be good, to be able to “see” it and do something more creative, but it’s just not my thing. That being said, I can braid my hair and, have always likes braids. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I really like these wedding hair dos that take advantage of the classic braid.
This weekend I’m celebrating with my future sister in-law and the rest of her bridesmaids. We’re going to sip drinks poolside, hit some fun brunch, lunch and dinner spots, drink a bit of bubbly and, shop for dresses.
In days past, the latter part of those plans may have induced traumatic memories of big pink puffy sleeves and royal blue (to match the stain glass in the church) madness, but today’s maids’ dresses are cute, comfortable and come in a range of colors, fabrics and styles. The rules of yesteryear have gone out the window!
Unfortunately, not all the dresses themselves have gone with them. Not for long. Dress designer, Dessy introduced their NewlyMaid program earlier this week. The general premise is that you send in your unloved bridesmaid dress and receive a credit to purchase one of their little black dresses.
Who couldn’t use a little black dress? Maybe you could even wear it for your next walk down the aisle!
We were all wedding crashers at the royal wedding last Friday. Apparently, almost 23 million Americans tuned in to watch the wedding and that’s just Americans, not the rest of the world. No matter how hard they could have tried, Prince William and Catherine’s wedding wasn’t small or intimate.
I obviously enjoyed watching the wedding–it was a breath of fresh, joyful air amongst what seem to be such overwhelming and, at times, depressing headlines. But, I couldn’t help but think about what they would have done had they not had to abide by so many traditions.
William whispered a couple different things to her while they stood at the alter. The first was deciphered to be something like, ”You look lovely …(unclear)… You look beautiful.” The second was actually to both her and her father. Lip reader, Tina Lannin was quoted in an article from the Associated Press that he said, “We’re supposed to have just a small family affair.”
There’s been speculation that the dress that Kate’s sister, Pippa wore, was much like what she would have chosen for herself if she’d been able to have an outdoord wedding. There’s also been talk about how they transformed the room into a late night dance party, despite initially hearing no to their plans.
Would they have gotten married in a park? Or her hometown church? Or in the gardens of one of his family’s many homes? Would she have worn a more casual dress and he a simple suit? What would they have served for dinner and what would they have danced to?
I was impressed that even in the midst of a wedding under more pressure to follow protocol than any I’ve seen or been a part of, they found slight and subtle ways to make the day theirs. The trees lining the aisle, the fun vintage car ride, her tiara as a little something borrowed from the Queen, her earrings shaped in her family’s crest and so many other touches that they didn’t (or didn’t have to) share.
Of all the trends that the royal wedding will set, I hope that the “trend” of making weddings personal and reflective of the couple, their heritages, their beliefs, their passions and hobbies and their lives is one that’s here to stay. Because even if you have been dreaming about the day when you’d be a princess and get married to your prince, I’d bet that vision looks something different than Will and Kate’s day.
Happy planning!
Rachel
It likely won’t suprise you to hear that I was glued to the royal wedding last Friday morning. I actually went to a party early in the morning with some local wedding vendor friends. We drank English Breakfast tea, at shortbread and, wore tiaras. Mine was pink and yes, I’ve worn it since, but only around the house!
There were so many things I loved about the wedding–it was quintessentially romantic, simply beautiful and such an uplifting break. But one thing kept me gasping, the hats.
As you’ve likely read, my British grandmother died recently. In preparing for her memorial service, I sat with my family and looked through photos documenting her life. She was a fashionable lady and like so many British women, she wore hats. They weren’t in the bright colors or made of the feathers we saw the other day, but they were certainly several steps up from the baseball cap that I can be caught wearing to the grocery store!
In an effort to get some guts and maybe even wear a hat of my own for a wedding I’m a bridesmaid in this summer, I dove into the depths of London’s millinery shops and found some more favorites. What do you think? Do you love them too? Would you wear one to a wedding as a guest, bridemaid or maid/matron or honor? Brides, any chance you’ll opt for a fascinator or hat instead of a veil?
I was fortunate to coordinate a beautiful, outdoor wedding last Sunday. If you’re a Colorado-based bride, you may remember that it rained off and on all weekend and even when it wasn’t raining it was cloudy and threatening.
Being sure to “walk my talk” I had developed a rainplan for the couple in the event of inclement weather (see this post for my thoughts on the necessity of a rainplan for your Colorado wedding). A week prior you wouldn’t have guessed we’d need it, but all morning we considered how late we could go on pushing the time when we moved things indoors. Luckily the rain came briefly and passed quickly, but the ground was still wet.
Despite the fact that the bride had communicated to her guests and bridal party that the ground could be muddy and not conducive to high heels, some women opted to wear their favorites and walk gingerly so as not to sink into the earth.
If you’re dead set on an outdoor wedding and wearing those oh-so-cute high heels, consider picking up a pair of Sole Mates. These little clear or black plastic pieces fit on the bottom of your heels to make walking in the grass safe and graceful.
If you haven’t found your veil, flower or hair piece yet, be sure to join me at the Sara Gabriel Trunk Show at Anna Be in Denver this weekend. All trunk show purchases receive a 10% discount, but be sure to make an appointment with the staff at Anna Be; you can call them at 720.855.1111.
veil from Sara Gabriel
Tossing the garter is a long-standing wedding reception tradition. It’s a playful, sometimes dramatic and always an interesting part of the evening. It, like most aspects of a wedding, is a tradition with a story behind it.
It was once believed that keeping any part of the bride’s wedding attire would bring the holder good luck. In this case, that luck results in the catcher being the next to marry. Much like the bouquet toss, all single men are in effect vying for the honors and, in turn, stumbling to the ground!
One of Talia Events’ favorite garter companies is Garter Girl. Simple and classy, their work ranges from Eco-friendly and Something Blue to Couture and Custom.
