GO GREEK: Attire for Brides & Maids

Embrace the weather and go Greek at your wedding this summer with these sophisticated and romantic Grecian inspired gowns.  Dress up with gold embroidery or dress down with flowy pastels, either way, you're guests are sure to be wowed! 

celeb style

Marchesa Resort 2012

designer

Pronovias Manuel Mota 2012

etsy

Untamed Designs                                                        Katie Jean Designs

off-the-rack

Von Maur

summer lovin', 

Jen

If The Bow Fits, Flaunt It!

When I was a little girl, my sisters and I always had a bow in our hair.  We were told to wear play clothes to shoot a commercial and the director told us to remove our bows because children didn't play in bows.  Well, Mr. Director, we did!  

How fitting to incorporate a piece of your childhood into your wedding day look or decor?  Besides my obvious nostalgia, bows have become a favorite wedding accessory because of their classic femininity and playfulness.  Try adding a bow or ribbon to details on your big day to highlight your girly-girl side.

BHLDN Tiered Tulip Gown, Dear Golden Vintage Shoes, Bridesmaids Dresses, Headband, Etsy Garter, Chloe Bow Clutch

Jen

Top Dress Trends For Your Bridal Party

InStyle.com recently ran a feature on their top trends for formal dresses.  The list was made up of 13 categories of which we have chosen our favorite examples to share with you.  If you are looking for dress styles that will keep your bridal party (and yourself!) looking classy and current, then take notes...

Kate Beckinsale                                          Eva Mendes                                           Ashley Olsen

The one-shoulder dress is timeless, sophisticated, and looks great on all bust sizes.  The large yet subtle pattern on the printed strapless dress adds a flare that will stand the test of time.  A column gown is sleek, yet best for tall or slender figures.

Vanessa Hudgens                                    Olivia Wilde                                        Anne Hathaway

Rosettes add romance and whimsy, especially when used on soft palette gowns. This ethereal gown in particular is extremely feminine and classy for a bridesmaid or even a bride. Embellished necklines fancy up your bridal party for instant red carpet appeal.

 

Anne Hathaway                                  Taylor Momsen                                       Malin Akerman

Having each of your girls wear a different gown in coordinating primary colors adds a very "Sex-And-The-City" glam to your bridal party. We love this option for a smaller bridal party. More than four girls at the alter in a rainbow of colors will cause too much distraction and theme chaos! 

 

Freida Pinto                                           JoAnna Garcia                                       Carrie Underwood

If you have chosen a mini dress for your bridesmaids, be sure the neckline isn't too revealing to keep their look sophisticated.  If you're going with a floral gown, try a larger, non-repetitive pattern to steer away from the casual "sundress" look.  Metallic bead dresses are a fun reception dress option for you to wear as a reception dress and wow your guests with your wardrobe change!

 

Eva Mendes                                     Olga Kuylenko                                     Cameron Diaz

Retro styles have definitely made a comeback, just be sure your dress selection isn't too costumey. Mermaid dresses are bursting with drama and feminine flair making them perfect for an evening wedding.  Choosing the right color pink for your gals to wear can make or break their entire look.  Too bubblegum, too Pepto, bright... we think that Cameron's selection was right on the money!

Jen 

Top 3 Everlasting Bouquets

With spring around the corner, wedding season will be in full bloom and so will the bouquets. But this season, consider a more quirky, unique bouquet that we like to call "everlasting bouquets," because they last beyond the wedding. Made of nonperishable materials, these are the ultimate keepsakes to remember your special day. Not to mention, they are BEAUTIFUL! Here are my top three favorite kinds of everlasting bouquets.

Shells

These would be perfect for a destination wedding, or perhaps for a bride who just wants to bring an element of the beach to her. Whatever the case, shells are a fantastic touch.

Water Lily Bridal Bouquet, Martha Stewart Shell Bouquet

Feathers

Feathers are an incredibly chic and sassy alternative to flowers. And to keep the bouquet within the everlasting guidelines, try using silk flowers to compliment the feathers rather than fresh flowers.

Feather Bouquets by Emplume, via Modern Wedding

And if you feel that a full feather bouquet is too much for you, use feathers to simply accent your bouquet.

Kelly Lane Photography via Exhale! Events and Design

Brooches

And last, but certainly not least, my favorite kind of everlasting bouquet: the brooch bouquet. It is beautiful, can be tailored to suit a bride specifically, can be sentimental, and did I already say beautiful? Finally, I've found a fantastic use for my great-great-grandmother's old brooches!

Alice Hu Photography via Ruffled

Vintage Brooch Bouquet, How to Vintage Brooch Bouquet

And how about this gorgeous creation? Incorporating fabric flowers, feathers AND garnet brooches! It is, in my opinion, the ultimate, exquisite everlasting bouquet.

Handmade Feather Bouquet with Red Garnet

Flowers are classic. There is no doubt about that. But everlasting bouquets are fun! This is your day, so be creative and do what you want to do! The possibilities are endless.

Jaimee

Fresh Picked Fabric Boutonnieres

While I love the look of the Fred-Astaire-classic floral boutonniere, the modern groom seems to be searching for something less traditional and I am all for it!  Coordinating pocket squares is a rich and simple way to dress up the men in your bridal party without pinning on the garden.  If you love the look of a flower on the lapel, then check out my top pick of fabric boutonnieres featured on Martha Stewart Weddings' Best Boutonnieres Gallery:

Martha Stewart Weddings

If you love these looks and you weren't born with the crafting gene, then our creative services can help!  Contact Four Leaf Events to find out how we can stitch, pin, glue, cut, and sew your visions into fruition.


Looking for something more quirky for your groom?  Then skootch on over to April Foster's blog on unique custom boutonnieres.  (We both so happened to have our brains on the same topic today!)

Jen

NYCFW Spotlight on Monique Lhuillier

As New York Fashion Week comes to a close, I have fashion on the mind, and it only seems fitting to spotlight a well-known wedding dress designer.  Back in September, Monique Lhuillier debuted her spring/summer line, and even though it is not intended to be wedding specific, it doesn't mean that it's not versatile enough to be incorporated into the wedding scene.  The line was so girly and sweet that I can't help but imagine the pieces on brides as reception dresses, rehearsal dresses, leaving the reception dresses, and even bridesmaid dresses.  Who wouldn't want an excuse to wear more than one fabulous dress on their special day? And while the notion that these dresses might be a bit over the top to serve as bridesmaid dresses, my imagination goes wild with visions of Sex-and-the-City-esque schemes. 

Imagine changing into one of these gorgeous dresses to dance the night away at your reception!

(((This mint green dress is my favorite... I am in love with it!!!)))  

Or how about putting one of these little numbers on before you are whisked away on your honeymoon?

I can just see the gals from Sex and the City rocking these gowns in each other's bridal parties. 

So we can all dream of these dresses and thank Miss Lhuillier for her unique sense of designing the most feminine and gorgeous dresses.  That is, we can dream of these until Bridal Market 2011 gives us new dreams.

Jaimee

All of the pictures are from the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week website.

In Love With: B H L D N

On this fantastic day of love, we have come to the conclusion of our Valentine's Day series of a week of things we love.  However, love is not the appropriate word for the feelings we have about the brand new wedding line stemming from Anthopologie's roots.  I would have to say we adore BHLDN at Four Leaf Events!  


This much anticipated online store just launched TODAY (Valentine's Day appropriateness all around).  The whimsy, the fashion, the romance, the uniqueness, and the sparkle (need I say more?) of BHLDN has drawn us in.  And while we are still completely perplexed by the line's name, we are already smitten.



We have been thumbing through the online pages of BHLDN's store and complied a small list of our top picks.  This Burnished Organza Gown comes in number one on both of our lists:

Jaimee loves...

Floral Artwork Dress, Raspberry Savory Dress, Pompom Shoe Clips, 

Agave Peep-Toes, Tussled Necklace, Graupel Necklace, 

Crystallized Chiffon Headband, Baguette Headband, Unabashedly Gloves

Jen Loves...

Ribboned Silk Gown, Dotted Voile Veil, Sinuous Silk Bracelet,

Jelly Slingbacks, Adorned Bolero, Indigo Mist Dress,

Deco Beaded Clutch, Pinwheel Tea Dress, Gilded Trillium Kisslock Clutch

Happy Valentine's Day!  Wishing you all a day full of love and lots of shopping on BHLDN =)

Jen