In honor of the Royal Wedding: Fascinators

I really hope Kate Middleton will wear one of her signature fascinators when she walks down the aisle tomorrow morning - so stylish!  Here are of few of my favorite bridal looks incorporating the fashionable fascinator. Ooh La La!

Fashion Me Fabulous

One Wed

Carrie Bradshaw wore one! Photo: Celebrity Smack Blog

Photo Credit: Sponkit

Photo: Stegdon

Photo Credit: Top News UK

Photo Credit: Vintage Birdcage Veils  

Camilla even wore one at her wedding!

"Something Royal, Something Blue" by Tibi

This morning I was delighted by an email in my inbox: a new ad campaign from Tibi (my favorite!).  Playing off the old saying, "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue," Tibi introduced a guide to wedding attire!  For any of you who may be unfamiliar with Tibi, it is a line that specializes in bold, bright colors, geometric & modernized floral patterns, attention to detail and a very chic masculine meets feminine style.  Tibi is perfect for anything from resort casual (think: beach parties) to black tie affairs (think: galas on the Upper East Side).  I will share with you my favorite Tibi wedding-worthy looks, but you can see the full collection on their website.  Photos in this post are all credited to Tibi.

Something Royal, Something Blue

Tibi GGT Beaded Caftan - Perfect for a destination wedding at an island resort.

Tibi GGT Beaded Caftan detail

Anick Beaded Dress - let all of your bridesmaids be pretty in purple.  I love the beaded detail on the sleeves.

Tibi Cloister Beading Long Dress - again, perfect for a beachy wedding or an outdoor garden wedding.

Tibi Cloister Beading detail - goregous!

Tibi Anick Beaded Long Dress - the pretty beaded neckline is so pretty that your bridesmaids would not even need to wear any jewelry.

Tibi Anick Beaded Long Dress back view.

Tibi Cloister Beading One Soulder Dress - perfect reception or going-away dress!

Tibi Anick Beading Sleeveless Dress - such a pretty color and flattering fit!

A "Sweetheart" Tea Party Bridal Shower

My fabulous Maid of Honor, Catherine, hosted the most lovely bridal shower for me earlier this month.  The shower was held at her family's home - a gorgeous antebellum home set on a sprawling farm in southern Middle Tennessee.  Being in her home really reminds you of the Old South - where the silver is always polished, the fine china is always displayed, the front porches are always big and etiquette and manners are of the utmost importance.  For the shower, Catherine incorporated my favorite color, pink, in a very sweet way.  The shower was a true southern tea party with a "Sweetheart" theme that was romantic, classy and very girlie.

She had the formal dining room table set with fine antique china, crystal tea goblets, white lace placemats and accented with fresh cut roses.

Little chicken salad & pimento cheese finger sandwiches were served, along with cucumber salad, cranberry salad and mini potato chip fries in paper holders.

These adorable petit fours were served for dessert.  The perfect compliment to a tea party luncheon!

Pink Champagne Punch & Petit Fours

The presents were so pretty - all wrapped in silver paper & white bows.

Such a creative idea: She made these brown paper sacks look so darling by using a stamp that said, "To the bride & Groom."  She then had all the guests write marriage advice or quotes about love on slips of white paper, then tucked them into the paper sacks and put them in this pretty heart shaped bowl.  She sent the notes back with me to read with S after our wedding!

As favors, she had little bags of pink candy and water bottles with personalized labels.

Here's a closer look.  May I mention that she designed the labels herself?!  They match the invitations that she designed herself & had printed at a local print shop. 

This tea party bridal shower was so sweet and lovely and brimming with southern charm.  I will always remember it - it was so meaningful to have someone put so much time & detail in making the perfect party for me!  Thank you, Catherine, you are a fabulous hostess!

Tented Weddings

To me, there is something magical and nostalgic about tented weddings.  Maybe it is the memory of building tents in childhood games, or the way the pole tents are vaguely reminiscent of castles.  Maybe it's the imagination wanting to believe that there should be handsome men in suits and glamorous women in sequins & satin walking around under the tent, looking like characters out of The Great Gatsby.

Tented weddings can be taken in any direction - white tents are like blank canvases you can enhance down to the very last detail.  You can make it simple and laid back, beachy or rustic chic, timeless and glamorous.  There are many, many different ways to transform a tent into a personalized venue, tailored to your exact liking.  You can create ambiance through the use of lighting (chandeliers, strings of white lights or Japanese lanterns all work well), hanging flowers, paper pom poms and table decor.  You can also arrange the tables, bar, food tables, dance floor, stage and guestbook/favor tables any way you want to create just the right atmosphere.

You really can't go wrong with a tented wedding, rain or shine.  You can add sides, doors, windows, flooring, lounge furniture, heating, A/C...the options are endless.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Merry Maui Weddings

Classic Party Rentals

Rondel Village

Style Me Pretty

Style Me Pretty

Style Me Pretty

Style Me Pretty

Wedding Bee



Cinderella's Slippers

There is no doubt that Kate Middleton is a modern-day Cinderella: the "girl next door" who won the heart of a Prince.  She will look stunning & gorgeous at the Royal Wedding regardless of who designed her dress, what it looks like or how many stylists work on her hair, because her beauty is absolutely radiant - the kind of beauty that can only be obtained by falling in love.  Beauty aside, there is one very important part to Cinderella's story: the shoe.  Prince Charming was only able to find Cinderella because she had left behind a glass slipper.  This leads me to dream about what Kate's shoes will look like on the day she becomes a Princess...

It is rumored that Kate will be wearing shoes by London-based designer Aruna Seth.  Who knows if this is true or not, but by looking at Aruna Seth's collections of dainty, delicate and whimsical designs, one can imagine a pair of these beauties would be fit for a Princess.  Aruna Seth even has a special bridal collection, complete with a pair perfect for that little something blue.  I'm in love!

Photos credit: Aruna Seth

Marriage Thoughts

Photo Credit: Style Me Pretty

"In a time when nothing is more certain than change, the commitment of two people to one another has become difficult and rare.  Yet, by its scarcity, the beauty and value of this exchange have only been enhanced." 

~Robert Sexton