Dolce & Gabbana Wedding dresses at Milan Fashion Week

A wedding dresses or wedding outfit is clothing worn by a bride during a wedding ceremony. Color, style and ceremonial gravity of the gown can depend on the culture, religion, seasons, fashion and bride’s style. Milan Fashion Week designers presented their views for wedding dresses. Catwalk models wore a dramatic Dolce & Gabbana gown covered in flowers. Short and long dresses were coated with white flowers.

Source: www.millionlooks.com

the 2010 Runways: Best Classic Ballgowns Wedding Dresses

Designers are always riffing on the classic ballgown silhouette—and this season was no exception. There was certainly something for everyone: Beaded bodices teamed up with voluminous skirts in every imaginable fabric. Light and airy confections floated down the runway, while out-there couture creations followed like majestic elephants in a circus caravan. Here are our favorites of the bunch.

Silk satin pleated A-line gown with corset seamed bodice and illusion neckline yoke adorned with crystal "necklace" applique, by Priscilla of Boston

Strapless silk organza ballgown with jeweled cummerbund and layered skirt, by Platinum for Priscilla of Boston

Strapless tulle gown with crystal embroidery, by Reem Acra

Ivory silk shantung ballgown with a ballerina sweetheart bodice, ruched cummerbund accented with vintage freshwater pearl brooch, full gathered skirt with silk flowers at back, and a chapel train, by Lazaro

Ivory eyelash fringe tulle gown with embroidered floral appliqué bodice, by Douglas Hannant.

Source: www.brides.com

Vintage Love at the Train Station

I've been inspired lately by beautiful train stations and it seems I'm not the only one. I have two gorgeous engagement sessions to share today. The first couple (Kristel + Jason) were photographed by Callaway Gable Photography at Union Station here in LA. It was sent to me by their wedding planner Alex of Sterling Engagements. Alex took the couple to Western Costume for their 40's outfits. Western Costume is the primary company that provides all costuming for television and film so they were able to pull real clothing from the 1940’s genre. How fun!! Brian + Allie of Callaway Gable also brought some vintage suitcases to complete the look.











So stunning guys! And what a gorgeous couple! You can see even more from the session on Callaway Gable's blog.

The next feature was sent to me by photographer Stephanie Fay. This session took place in Phoenix with cuties Tarah + Josh. Stephanie loves anything old and vintage - kind of like me :), and she had the perfect vintage dress she bought from Timeless Vixen for Tarah to wear. The hat was purchased from urban outfitters and so were Joshua's suspenders.













See more from this session on Steph's Blog here. Happy Friday everyone!

Green Wedding Shoes in some of my favorite magazines

This year has started off pretty amazing. I've been lucky enough to be featured in not one, but three magazines this month! So totally flattered. So, which magazines can you find Green Wedding Shoes in? First, a small mention, but still it's a mention, in Martha Stewart Weddings! The winter issue is the 15th anniversary issue and they talk about some great ideas from the past 15 years including the popular DIY photobooth, which I featured here on Green Wedding Shoes.



Second, the most awesome little write up from Get Married magazine! This is from the Spring 2010 issue and has some really great stuff in it. I was featured on a page for “Best Loved Blogs” along with some of my other faves, Our Blog of Love, Ruffled, and Hostess with the Mostess to name a few. Congrats to all mentioned!



And last, but no way least, The Bride & Bloom. I love this magazine and was totally flattered when they interviewed me about green weddings and what trends I was seeing out there now. I also talked about my own green wedding! The whole issue is their Eco Issue. It is gorgeous and has lots of great tips for an eco friendly wedding. And - they even put in some photos from my own wedding which was photographed by the talented Anna Page. Thanks again Anna for capturing our amazing day - and for those of you that asked, I will do a post on our wedding in the next few weeks with lots more photos and details. :)



I love blogs, but there is something fun about a magazine also. These three all have lots of great inspirations also. Thanks again to all of you for including me in your latest issues!

Romance White Short Beach Wedding Dresses by Demetrios

Short, A-line lace dress with pleated hem.

Short, sweetheart neckline with spaghetti straps. Beaded bodice and skirt.

Short, pleated organza dress. Strapless bodice with natural waistline. Lace jacket included.

Strapless, dropped waist short dress. Bodice edged with ruffled tiers cascading down skirt.

A-line, strapless gown with beaded empire bodice. Includes split sleeve jacket.

Source: www.brides.com

Real Wedding: Kelli + Sam's Vintage Garden Wedding

I love when readers send over their weddings and today I'm excited to share reader Kelli's vintage garden wedding. Kelli is also a super talented illustrator (you can check out her work here). Kelli + Sam had a backyard wedding in El Cajon, CA (San Diego area). Kelli was sweet enough to include some details about her day also. The theme of the wedding was Vintage Garden Romance - I wanted it all to be very soft and fairy-tale like....almost like it was from another time. All photography by Erica Schneider (unless noted).


{invitations photographed by Sarah Shreves}

Ok, how adorable are her save the dates (top photo)! I love love the illustration of her and Sam - so cute! For the invites (bottom photo): I always go into projects thinking I can do them “real quick”. I kid myself every time. This was one of those projects! ”Oh yeah, our wedding invite. No problem…just give me a few hours and i’ll whip it up.” Not exactly. But it was well worth the time invested to get it just right.

I wanted to create an invite that matched the style of our wedding….a little vintage / soft / romantic / garden…ish! Something classic and pretty that I wouldn’t look back on in a few years and wonder what on earth I was thinking? I love to layer textures and fabrics into many of my designs and I decided to do that here with our invitation as well. I hand drew the branch/feather frame and chose a font i thought suited it. I scanned in some lace and layered it on top of old vintage paper. After playing around with colors for a bit, I decided on this pale peach…which I want to be a dominant color of the florals! And then I went with a slate shimmer envelope. I can’t get enough of custom die cut invitations, so I had to tack on that little added touch as well! yummm…peach and grey make me smile!!





Kelli's dress is by Pronovias - San Patrick, and her shoes were Jeffrey Campbell 'pearl' flats. Her sister did her hair and good friend Janelle, who works for Laura Mercier, did her makeup. Sam's suit is from H&M. Florals were by Brenda Davis Landini.



How cute are those bridesmaids dresses! I'm a little embarrassed to say it, but it was from Charlotte Russe! Although I altered it myself, removing the ric rac that was on it and adding my own trim below the bust. I used the same tattered tool on the top of my own dress to tie it all in.

I am lucky to have a cousin who is the “queen of crafts”. Ask her how to do anything creative, and she will most likely know. Well I went to her with the idea of creating custom accessories for my bridesmaids. I didn’t want them all to wear the exact same thing, but I did want it all to coordinate in one way or another. And because their dresses are very simple….I wanted to make more of a statement in jewelry. I was inspired by the work of Marquis & Camus, a collection of jewelry that offers a truly unique look into the future of remixed couture. I am SO IN LOVE with all of it! In a dream world, i would have bought each of my bridesmaids a Marquis & Camus original…..but I decided to get crafty instead.

My cousin and I went out and bought a handful of odds and ends: charms, pearls, chains, elastic, feathers and flowers…….as well as a few “base necklaces” from forever 21. She hand made silk roses and coffee stained tattered tool to add as needed. After much thought on what to create with all this “goodness”, we decided on 3 necklaces, 2 bracelets, and two flower hairpieces. A little something different for each girl.







For our wedding programs, I created it to be some what of a “mini book”. Thanking our parents and guests….and writing a little something special about each person in our wedding party. I am made a little bookmark (a picture of a painting I did) to put inside the program for everyone to take home. (which by the way, she is selling prints of that illustration in her etsy store - I think that would make such a cute bridal shower gift!)

















Catering by RANCH Events.
Favorite Memory of the Day: Our first dance! I felt like I was in a dream.





Any advice for those planning now?
You don't need to have a ton of money to create a beautiful and unique wedding. Think creatively and start early! Some of my favorite pieces of my wedding were those that didn't hardly cost a thing. And if you are a creative soul (or have crafty friends!) add in as many little home-made details that you can to make it truly reflect YOU.

One of the coolest things for me now is to have so much great documentation of my wedding day. To have so many great pictures and video footage that I will keep with me forever...and pass on to my kids. That is one thing i'd tell all "bride to be's"....to not skip out on filming parts of the day or hiring a good photographer! The day goes by too quickly and I am able to re-live those memories through photos!

Below is the video that Tom at Aqua Vivus and Matthew Forrey put together for Sam and I on our wedding day. He pieced together and edited the footage all in under two hours (during cocktail hour of the wedding) and we were able to share it with guests at the end of the night on a huge projector screen! It had the whole crowd in tears! Every time I watch it, it brings me back to that very moment, and I re-live the joy of that day all over again.



Thanks so much Kelli for sharing your beautiful and creative wedding, and congrats to you and Sam!

Real Wedding: Alison + Gareth's Rainy Camp Wedding

I'm so excited to share this lovely wedding today. It was photographed by the talented husband and wife team of Heather + Jon of One Love Photo. Not only are the photos stunning, this wedding was held a summer camp! I so love this idea. This wedding is also for any bride who thinks if it rains on her wedding day it is the worst thing - I think these photos (and probably this wedding also) will convince you that you WANT rain. There is just something almost magical about some of these photos!

Alison is a children's book buyer and also blogs for the Publishers Weekly blog ShelfTalker. Gareth is an illustrator and graphic novelist. Alison was so sweet to provide lots of details about her day, so I will let her share her wedding with you guys. Thanks Alison!



We rented a children’s camp called Camp Wing in Duxbury, Massachusetts, and, yes, our guests really did get the full camp experience! Many of them slept overnight on bunk beds in the camp's cabins or in the Duxbury Stockade, a really cool replica of a Revolutionary era fort. I kept saying that our friends’ kids were going to LOVE the Stockade, but I think it was our 30-something friends who were the most excited about it!

Our original plan had been to have canoe races, archery, and other such activities on Saturday morning before the wedding ceremony, but when we woke up on our wedding day to find it pouring rain, we had to postpone that fun until Sunday (a beautiful, sunny day!). Instead, guests spent the morning making lanyards and other camp-type crafts, playing board games, and just getting to know one another. Frankly, this worked out to be a much better plan than our original. By the time the ceremony and reception started, all of our guests had bonded. There was no need to break the ice!





I bought my Tahari dress off the rack at Lord and Taylor, before I was really even actively looking for one. Originally I held onto it as my “back-up dress,” thinking I’d return it if or when I found something I liked better. But as those 3 months of the “return window” ticked by I found myself liking it more and more, and making little effort to find other dresses. In the end, this dress just felt right. It suited my personality, it suited our venue, it suited the groom, and it more than suited our budget!

My J. Crew headband was a gift from my Matron of Honor. I had planned to wear another but when she showed up with this one as a “In case you didn’t find anything else!” offering, the consensus was that it went best with my dress. So, I made a costume change at the eleventh hour.







Favorite Memory of the Day: There are so many, but if I have to choose just one, it would be walking up the aisle with my parents, toward Gareth, and seeing the smiling faces of our shared friends and family beaming at us from all directions. That experience was enough to fulfill many years worth of wishes for me. I don’t know when I’ve felt more connected to a whole community of people than I felt during our rainy day ceremony in that room. Here were all these people we dearly love and who love us in return, coming together just to celebrate the love Gareth and I have found for one another. I felt overwhelmed by the generosity of that gesture, and filled, beyond capacity, with joy. I think much of those emotions come through in Heather’s and Jon’s photos!





My best friend was my Matron of Honor, her husband acted as our officiant, and the older of her two sons acted as our Ring Bearer. It was wonderful to have so many members of their family playing such key roles on our wedding day!







Guests found their table assignments on heart-shaped cards strung from clotheslines on the front porch. For centerpieces I grew wheat grass in inexpensive metal trays that my best friend and I spray painted to match our periwinkle tablecloths. To bring a little more height, color, and whimsy to the tables, I added butterflies cut from colorful paper and punched from dictionary pages. They "floated" over the grass on floral wires around the pillar candles. I added these same butterflies to our mothers’ corsages, which worked beautifully.

I wanted to do something creative for place cards but was stymied until a $2 purchase at a library book sale saved the day. Using a single volume edition of The Columbia Encyclopedia published in 1943, I made personalized place mats that added a bit of elegance to the tables and provided guests with some entertaining reading material. Each guest’s page included a different wing-related word (e.g. a type of bird or butterfly), and these pages were a huge hit! So many people told us they took turns reading sections of their place mats aloud to the rest of the table. I loved hearing that!



My aunt Marilyn and cousin Ashley purchased the papel picado for us in Oaxaca, Mexico, where Ashley is currently living, and the camp strung all of our lovely little globe lights for us. The combination of all those hanging elements truly transformed the dining room!

It what turned out to be the best arrangement ever, Gareth and I made a pact with my illustrator pal Anna Alter and her (now) husband Bruno that each couple would agree to act as the other’s “day of coordinators.” This meant that on Anna and Bruno’s July wedding day we helped set and decorate all of the tables, coordinate the timing of dessert, etc. and we were the ones people went to with any questions that came up. On our wedding day, Anna and Bruno did the same for us. It was wonderful to have someone else be in charge and not have to worry at all about having things come together! And it was equally fun to feel so useful on someone else’s big day. (Fun detail - Anna + Bruno's wedding was featured on Snippet & Ink!)



Early on in the planning process Gareth and I reflected on the fact that, if there was one defining “dessert” of our relationship, it was most definitely ice cream. Wouldn’t it be fun, we thought, to have an ice cream truck deliver dessert to us at our reception? Nona’s Homemade made that dream come true. Tom Donohue drove the truck right up to the dining room entrance, music playing, then scooped huge servings of delicious ice cream to every one of our guests. I don’t think anyone missed having cake!











By the time we were in the position of planning our own wedding, we had attended a LOT of others and talked with still more couples about what things they had and hadn't enjoyed about their weddings. The number one complaint we heard was that people felt they just didn't have enough time to actually visit with their guests during the whirlwind experience of their wedding day. We didn't want to come away feeling that way, so our goal was to try and find a way to make it affordable for our guests to spend more time with us than just one day. Renting a summer camp turned out to be one way of doing that, and it allowed us to have the fun of paddling canoes and slinging arrows (literally) with our friends, which is fun you just can’t have at your average wedding!

Any advice for those planning now?
It is easy, when you're planning a wedding, to feel you are being asked to spend gobs of money on things that feel disproportionately expensive or that ultimately don't jive with your values. We decided early on in the planning process that we would try, whenever possible, to work with vendors we liked and with businesses we wanted to support. Renting a summer camp, hiring an organic farm to do our flowers and a family-run business to provide us with ice cream – all of these things took the sting off writing out so many checks.

One more thing: One of the best pieces of wedding advice we got was to bring a full-length mirror with you to your venue, if you're not 200% sure there's one in the room where you’ll be getting ready. I am so glad we heeded this advice!

When you get stressed out with the overwhelming number of things on your planning list, just sit back and think about the guests who’ll be coming to your wedding and how great it’s going to be to spend time with them. Ask yourself, too, what you and your guests will actually remember from your wedding day. Odds are it’s not the thing you’ve been losing sleep over, which means you can stop fretting about that particular thing and move along to something else – hopefully something much less stressful!

Wasn't this just a beautiful wedding?! I still can't get over the photos. One Love Photo did such a great job capturing their day. Alison is sharing more details of her day on her blog here and be sure to see even more photos on One Love Photo's Blog. Congrats again to Alison + Gareth!