Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Be a real Barbie bride
Barbie is looking great for her age. 2009 will be her 50th birthday, and although her figure has been modified in recent years to reflect the curves of a more modern women, she is still in great shape.
To celebrate the golden event, Vera Wang will be designing a new wedding dress, to be created in miniature for Barbie herself, and also in 'real-life' size.It's not the first time the designer has been inspired to create for Barbie, having previously designed a mermaid-style wedding gown for the babe. Other well known names such as Reem Acra and Carolina Herrera have also reached for their miniature manequins and teamed up with Barbie creators Mattel to create a collectable doll in the past.
And if the life-size dress isn't quite within your budget, consider snapping up one of the limited edition Barbies. Other versions featuring designer wedding dresses can now fetch over $200! Read More......
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Celtic Wedding Dresses
Medieval style weddings have seen a huge rise in popularit over the past two decades, with more and more couples choosing renaissance, celtic or fairytale inspired wedding themes for their ceremony. The main feature of these types of wedding is the style of clothing. By choosing a Celtic wedding dress, brides can abandon the structure of a conventional white wedding gown and opt for a more personal expression of their personality, and beliefs. Celtic wedding gowns offer a variety of natural, romantic styles with dashes of colour, embroidery and symbolism not seen in most mainstream bridal stores. Corsets and bodices flatter any shape while flowing fabrics forgive problem areas that you may feel self-concious of in the modern trends of strapless, sleeveless wedding gowns.
Consider that most Celtic wedding gowns are custom made to your own specifications, heritage and measurements, and you will be sure to walk down the aisle in a one of a kind creation that perfectly suits you. Read More......
Monday, October 27, 2008
Inspiring fashions for prom dresses
In the current ‘credit crunch’ it makes sense to get the most for your money when choosing bridesmaid’s gowns. While conventional bridesmaid dresses at bridal stores may not lend themselves to wear again in the future, prom dresses may be a stylish and affordable option.
Online retailer, Prom Girl, has a huge line of prom dresses from sexy and slinky to elegant and ethereal. They also boast some of the lowest priced gowns available online, and ship to anywhere in the world. With high quality fabrics, well known designer names and low prices, there is temptation galore at their large website.
Their collection of prom dresses 2009 have some dazzling designs for those who dare to be different, with high-fashion cuts and sexy, low backs.
If bold patterns appeal to your sense of fashion, then their high-end line of designer prom dresses has some sure-fits hits.
Many of their white gowns make great choices for weddings dresses for brides who are looking more for fashion than fairytale.
Editors picks:
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Green Wedding Dresses
Ok, so going for a green wedding dress literally may be too much of a break from tradition for most of us, but Green Union has put together a list of companies that can help you find an environmentally friendly wedding dress. Choose to re-use, re-make, or reduce and we can save the planet one wedding dress at a time. We choose our favourites from their list. . .
Re-Use
There are three very good reasons for buying a second hand dress. Firstly, you will probably be helping a good cause, as most second hand wedding dresses are sold through specialty shops that donate profits to charity. Our friends over at Green Union give us St Anns Hospice as an example but you can also check out your local Oxfam or other charity shop nearby. Second, you will be cutting down your carbon footprint as no additional energy or materials will be used to create your dress. Last but definately not least, you will probably make a huge savings on your gown by buying second hand from a charity. If you are feeling inspired by these three notions then why not organize your very own wedding gown auction for charity? You will raise money for a good cause and get to see a wide variety of dresses available in your area.Re-Make
Another plus? Your dress will be completely unique, reflect your own personal style, and be hugely sentimental to you and your family.
Reduce
Do you do enough to reduce your carbon footprint? Your energy consumption? Your waste? Now is your chance to make up for it by choosing a wedding dress that is made of environmentally friendly and sustainable fabrics. Annatarian have built a reputation for creating gowns from sustainable, environmentally friendly fabrics such as organic silk or bamboo. (What, you didn't know that bamboo can make a viscose-like fabric? Well stay tuned to our blog for future posts on more eco-friendly fabrics.) These designs have enough floaty fabric to please any hippy, but are stylish for even the most fashion-conscious bride.
Read More......
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Fan-tastic fashion accessory
If you are planning a destination wedding in the sun, and are worried about keeping yourself and your guests cool, Boda Boutique has a great new selection of wedding fans that will do just that without putting a kink in your bridal look. The white fans come in affordable paper, fabric or lace to suit all budgets and bridal styles.
Keep cool on your wedding day with this beautiful Spanish fan. Made of wood and lace, this elegant fan won't look out of place next to your gown.
€29,00
Wooden fan with a modern print of pink flowers on the fabric.
€6,50
These lightweight fans are made of cut-out wood and have pretty sunflowers. They are subtly frangranced with Sandalwood, and each fan comes in it's own organza pouch. Large enough to keep all of your guests cool at a hot wedding in Spain, Cyprus, Italy or Greece.
€3,50
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Maggie Sottero
What I love about Maggie Sottero is that they offer such a wide range of styles, to fit any budget. While other designers focus on the luxury market (that wonderful combo of rich and thin), Maggie gowns offer couture style to brides of all shapes, sizes and means.
The Maggie Sottero collection gowns are undeniably glamorous, with plenty of diamante embellishment, embroidery and ruched fabric. Or, if you are looking for something simpler, the Destinations collection is made up of slinky, streamlined designs ideal for a wedding by the pool, or on the beach. In the Sottero & Midgley collection, the brand has teamed up with designer Kelly Midgley to create a line of dresses that explore exquisite and contemporary fabrics.
The collections also offer more colour choices than most, with dresses available in champagne, ivory, gold, as well as subtle shades such as 'blush' and a silvery 'oyster'.
Maggie Sottero is available at bridal stores throughout the world, and there is a handy store locator on their website.
More Resources:
View all the dresses at MaggieSottero.com
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The White Stuff - Finding Accessories for your Wedding
So you have found your perfect gown, and probably bought a veil in the bridal store too, but I am constantly astonished at how few boutiques stock other accessories such as shoes and bags to complement a wedding gown sale.
Not only is it bad business sense, but it is downright inconvenient for a bride who then has to tour her local shops, or spend hours online searching for a white bag that doesn't resemble a satin gymbag from her school years (á la most feeble online offerings) and the perfect pair of white kitten heels.
Well girls, here at WFF we have done some of the searching for you, and hope that the following can give you at least a place to start:
Wedding Shoes:
For the ultimate in style, check out Hen UK for handmade designer bags to suit any bride. From small and discreet to bold and beautiful.
Why not try artist outlets such as Etsy.com to find a designer who can create you a special, one-off bag to match your dress? Not only will you have an exclusive design, but you will get the warm fuzzies from supporting someone in their trade.
The Accessory Boutique offers a nice range of handbags in the UK, along with a collection of wedding shoes and other accessories. Wedding Mountain in the US has an even larger range of purses and shoes, some of which are dyable so that you can buy matching ones for your bridesmaids.
Shoes
It is a bit easier to find shoes than bags, with plenty of online specialty shops offering shoes for brides. From pumps to kittens to killer, Bellissima Bridal Shoes has one of the largest collections on the web, and we have to thank them for including some thoughtful pedicure goodies on their site too. Oooh, and they also have some nice bags, letting you kill two shipping-costs with one purchase.
Hen UK gets a second nod for their wonderful collection of white shoes for brides. Handmade, all shoes are comfortable and fashionable, something that us girls know from painful experience is not a common combination. They even have an amazing pair of bridal boots for those of you getting married in colder climates.
I have mentioned them before, and I will probably mention them again, but the reason I love Gina shoes so much is simply because they have such a great range of designs for brides. Whether your gown is long or short, voluptous or slinky, traditional white or glittering bronze, there will be a shoe for you.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Pushing the boundaries of fashion - that Thom Browne wedding dress.
Gender confusion is nothing new to the world of fashion. Chanel practically started riots when they started a trend for tailored suits for women in the 50's, men in the 80's sported more eyeliner than women had ever dared to use, and the 90's saw a general androgynous ambiguity on the catwalks. Yet Thom Browne still managed to cause a bit of a stir at Fashion Week, with his Spring/Summer 09 show featuring plenty of skirt/trouser combos, and even a wedding dress.
The wedding gown outfit worn by a male model that was the finalé to Thom Browne's Spring/Summer tennis themed show, has been one of the most talked about designs of Fashion Week so far. Although there may not be a waiting list to purchase the outfit, my guess would be that enough designers will have taken note of the design for us to see tailored white blazers with black trim filtering into high street stores in time for Spring 09.
In a world where a general malais of 'been-there-bought-the-Tshirt' threatens to dampen creative thinking, (if it has all been done before, why bother?) fashion designers are one breed of artists who continue to inspire us anew.
While Thom Browne's sensationalist collections aren't designed with the average high-street consumer in mind, they challenge us to look past the limits of conventional or current clothing rules to find our own sense of style. And that is what couture fashion is all about.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Rosa Clara
Rosa Clara is one of the biggest names in European wedding fashion, despite only starting the company in 1995. The brand has over 50 boutique's in Rosa's home country of Spain, with others scattered throughout the rest of Europe, South America and Mexico.
A new venture in New York is set to propel the fashion house into the high-end wedding market in the US.
Founder, Rosa Clara, was inspired to create gowns that changed the world of bridal fashion, and offered women a wider range of styles. Since then, she has revolutionized the wedding dress design industry, raising the bar for designers to come up with elegant yet interesting dresses, combining cutting edge fashion with a nod to the traditional roots that are essential to a wedding.
She has designed dresses for some of the most famous female celebrities in Spain, including Paulina Rubia, and Shaila Durcal.
The 09 collection from the fashion house boasts work by some of the famous designers in the world, such as Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld and one of my personal favourites, Jesus del Pozo. These designers have continued the company's trend of creating couture dresses for women who lust after something to express their own unique style, without being too flamboyant.
More Resources:
Rosa Clara, official website. (English and Spanish)
View Rosa Clara catwalk images at Wedding Style Magazine
Friday, September 12, 2008
Got that sinking feeling? Avoid it with heel protectors.
We all know that beautiful high heels come with their drawbacks, one of which is that horrible sensation when you step onto a lawn, a beach, or someone's luxury linoleum flooring and feel your heels slowly sinking into the soft surface. The result- dirty, damaged shoes and holes stabbed into the lawn.
That's why I love the heel protectors sold by companies such as Solemates.com and PrettyPinkToes.co.uk These easy-to-use little gadgets slip onto your heels to stop you from sinking into soft surfaces. Keep your heels out of cracks, cobblestones and gaps in grates and don't worry about breaking or damaging a heel again.
They are also great for preventing damage to wooden floors and lino. Even better, they can easily be decorated with diamante, pearls, crystals and beads to personalise them.
Ideal for garden or beach weddings, or locations with expensive or old flooring. Many venues not even allow stilleto and other high heeled shoes for fear of damage to their flooring - with these little gizmos you can safely wear any shoes you please!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Trash the Dress
It is often said that women never look more beautiful than when they are in their wedding dress. For most of us, it will be the most expensive dress we ever own and perfectly tailored to our shape. Our wedding day will one of the few times we have our make-up professionally applied, and a stylist will take several hours to coiffe our locks to perfection. All this considered, it seems a shame that we only have one day of photo ops.
While pre-wedding bridal portraits can capture the look, poses are usually basic and traditional, constricted by fear of damaging the dress before the big day.
This is where a Trash the Dress photo shoot comes in.
The idea behind Trash the Dress is to create high-fashion, stunning images, with the bride in the role of top model. Without the worry of damage, stains or tears, the photographer has a no-holds-barred freedom to work with the bride on creative poses in any environment.
Want an urban shoot? Perhaps a beach location? In your favourite spot in the woods? How about that field of wildflowers? Or perhaps you can show off your passion for horses, motorbikes or any other hobby that would create visually interesting images?
Photographers involved in the Trash the Dress idea are highly talented and creative, and enjoy finding ways to create meaningful and beautiful images by thinking 'outside the box'.
So if you don't plan on wearing your wedding dress again (and we hope you don't) and want to get the most out of it before it is stored away forever, give one of the Trash the Dress photographers a call, and throw caution, and your veil, to the wind!
Resources:
Read more about Trash the Dress by award winning Segerius-Bruce Photography
Trash the Dress Website (UK)
Trash the Dress Website (US)
Monday, September 8, 2008
Bridal Jewellery of the Year Award
Bridal Jewellery of the Year award at the UK Jewellery Awards 2008 was won by Fameo.
The company presented two bridal collections, Tsarina and Imperial. Designer and company director Louise Davies, said that she believed the appeal of the collections were their sense of romance, and "timeless vibrance".
The Tsarina collection features soft pink pearls encapsulated in a network of fine gold with sparkling diamonds. The collection is bound to turn heads, noticeable because of it unique look as well as it's beauty.
As with all exceptional jewellery designs, this collection comes with a luxury pricetag, with prices starting at 385 GBP for a pair of earrings, and reaching 3330 GBP for their necklace.
The more contemporary Imperial collection features baguette cut pink morganite stones and princess cut diamonds in asymetrical patterns. Perhaps the name of one of their pendants 'Shattered Chandelier' best describes the overall look of the collection, with the feminine pink colour of the morganite and traditional classicism of diamonds is offset by the quirky, modern layout of the stones. Prices start at 1255 GBP for their stunning ring, up to 6480 GBP for their 'Shimmering Dance' necklace.
See the collections at www.fameo.co.uk Read More......
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Pets at Weddings
Dogs have always been considered mans best friend, but some people take this a step further, and have them as the 'Best Man' at their wedding.
Ok, I admit, I am a bit animal-daft myself. I have a little Westie, and he is my pride and joy. I even have to sheepishly admit to having a few items of clothing in his wardrobe for bad weather. (Well, he might get cold.) However, even if he were well trained enough to trot down the aisle carrying a basket of rose petals in his mouth, or with a ring pillow delicately balanced on his head, I doubt I would offer him a role in a wedding. (Sorry, Sam!)
However, if you are keen on including your pet pooch in your nuptials, there are companies to help you to find just the right accessories to dress up Fido for the occassion.
If you draw the line at a tasteful bowtie, then Darling Pet Boutique in the US has a nice selection of neckwear for dogs of all sizes, while Max and Margot offer a similar selection to the UK. 
If you really want to go for the kitsch factor, you can even buy your pets tuxedos and wedding gowns from the previously mentioned suppliers, or from Pet Haven. (US)
And finally, if you want your pets to be able to celebrate their love in their very own wedding celebrations, check out the services offered by companies such as Fine Feathers in the UK, who will arrange and conduct the ceremony, as well as provide flowers and a wedding cake made of dog food!
Additional Resources: Great article about the best way to include your pet in your wedding. Read More......
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Designer Dresses for Less
Hugh Parker has contributed a great article on how to get some popular designer weddings dresses as worn by the stars in celebrity weddings for less.
Read the article here.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Knee-knocking wedding gowns.
As you scan the gown from the top, you feel a thrill of excitment, and a tingle of awe at the tailored bodice, embroidered trim, satin waistband, flaring tulle and then SUDDENLY...
...the dress is sucked in and trussed up around knee level in a jarring manner that I hope doesn't become the signature look for Autumn 2008. I would hate to see brides throughout 2009 forced into hobbling down the aisle, geisha-esque, in this restricting style. As if trying not to trip up in your shoes wasn't bad enough! These dresses are an exageration of the Trumpet or Mermaid style wedding gown, which is a close fitting, silhouette dress than flares out slightly towards the bottom of the skirt. Trumpet dresses are destined to be hot favourites for 2009 weddings. 
These new variations, however, take the design to the extreme, and give the impression that a perfectly good gowns has been forced into the style, as an afterthought, rather than designed that way from the start. Still, with so many fabulous creations on the runways this year, I think I will forgive them a few eccentricities!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
The Knot Top 50 Dresses for Autumn 2008
One of the best resources for a bride, The Knot as offered it's top 50 dresses of designers' latest collections. Here are my top 10 favourites from their list. :)
The Knot is an American site, and I find it interesting that none of these dresses show the same Greco-Roman influences that have been so prevalent in the European designer collections.
Dresses chosen are by:
1. Carolina Herrera - I love the detail and unusual patterns in this dress.
2. Monique Lhuillier - I love the rich lace texture
3. Amsale - a simple strapless number with romantic flower motif
4. Anne Barge - an oh-so-sophisticated black and white number
5. Platinum for Priscilla of Boston - this sparkling dress takes assymetry to the max
6. Kirstie Kelly for Disney's Fairytale Weddings - Disney's wedding franchise has become a bit of a guilty pleasure for me recently. More on Disney weddings later!
7. Jim Hjelm - slight ruching, contrasting fabrics, and flower detail add interest to this beautiful dress from one of my favourite designers.
8. Christos - A classic ballgown
9. Vineyard Collection - if floaty is your thing, you will love this beaded halterneck gown.
10. Ines de Santo - another ballgown style dress with ribbon detail and flowers on the bodice.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
New look for Boda Boutique
Boda Boutique online shop supplies wedding favours
and accessories to brides getting married anywhere in Europe. They have just changed their online shop, and although it is not completely re-launched yet, you can get a sneek peak at their new look at the link below.http://bodaboutique.webasyst.net/shop/
They have a nice range of bridal garters, from traditional to contemporary.
If you make a purchase, enter the code: TWG010808 at checkout for a special Wedding Fashion Files discount!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
LinkConnector
Sample post to show that I own this website.
Type rest of the post here
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Love it, Hate it
I was browsing the Nordstrom bridalwear section of their site today, and felt compelled to share my findings. What a mixed bag of styles! I say that in the best possible way, as I adore seeing greater variety in wedding dress shops, and love it when a brides steps away from the cookie-cutter while ballgown to choose something that reflects her own sense of style. That said, I did find a few that made me blow my fashion police whistle.
Loving...
The textile flowers give this dress an Agatha Ruiz feel without her over-the-top colours.
This simple sheath dress has a lace overlay and a subtle train, giving you an authentic but understated wedding gown look.
Hating...
This dress is just too fussy, with gathered folds of fabric, lace peeking out of the bust area as if a bra is trying to escape and a tacky sheen to the fabric.
Going to your wedding as Cleopatra? Really??.
Girls, I implore you, please don't get married in a nightgown!
Visit Nordstrom.com to see all wedding gowns, bridesmaids dresses, mother-of-the-bride fashions, and accessories.
Read More......
Friday, July 11, 2008
Fashion notes from a Sevilla wedding.
The Wedding Guide Real Life Bride Sarah got married at the end of April and has some beautiful images. I love the vibrant combination of red on white, and I think her daring really paid off to create a beautiful look that really shows her sense of fun. An authentic mantón (Spanish) shawl adds a real Sevilla feel to the overall look.
Her satin and lace dress was by Liv Harris, available from Bride Power and she got creative and added her own touch with an ivory satin ribbon fastened with a decorative brooch, and the swapped in a red satin sash for the evening.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Prezzy Box Voucher
Our good friends over at Prezzybox have been kind enough to offer all Wedding Fashion Files readers a special discount coupon. Enter WEDDING08 into the code at checkout to get 5 pounds off any order of 20 pounds or more.
I love this silver plated Love Heart.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Van Cleef & Arples
Creators of some of the most beautiful precious-stone jewellery, Van Cleef & Arpels have just added a range of engagement rings to their bridal collection. The collection offers brides unusual and sometimes whimsical designs, but never loses the focus on the stones.
View the catalogue
View the Van Cleef & Arpels Site
Thursday, July 3, 2008
A touch of gold
Warm up your wedding look with subtle hints of gold. From beige to bling, gold can add a subtle glow or a fabulous dazzle to a plain, all white gown.
Here are some top tips to follow when going for gold:
- Dresses in champagne coloured silk are particularly glamourous, and don't have to be confined to a wedding dress.
A beige coloured ribbon or sash can add interest to your wedding dress without clashing with any other colour scheme.- Choose gold accessories such as jewellery and shoes to ramp up the Hollywood factor of your wedding look.
- Gold tones look beautiful in candle light so if you are having an evening or celebration, gold will work well in your colour scheme.
- Avoid cheap brassy or yellow golds, as these can look tacky. This is one time you don't want to scrimp on the pennies for your accessories.
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