Board {Feminine and Dreamy}

I made this board and color palette for my friend, Lauren Holdsworth. She's a sweet gal I met out and about in Austin, Texas. She has an adorable, fun blog - Cactus Collective. Can't wait to see what she has in store for her wedding. Congratulations, Lauren!!

{Earrings, Bouquet, Blooms, Tablescape, Feather Cupcakes, Sparkles + Cupcakes, Candle, Monogram, Cocktails, Ribbon Chandelier}

A color palette, too, courtesy of Bird Dog Wedding!

Metallic Wedding Cakes by SweetThings ByFi

We are delighted to welcome SweetThings ByFi to our blog to talk to us about the latest 2012 metallic wedding cake trends. 

Just like Wedding Trends, wedding cake designs are constantly changing.

Designs are heavily influenced by the fashion catwalk, wedding blogs and wedding magazines. Throughout 2011 there were many high profiled weddings, including the Royal weddings in the UK and Monaco, Supermodel Kate Moss, Pop singer Lily Allen and let’s not forget Chelsea Clinton’s wedding in the US. As a result, this has seen an increase in ornate piping and sugar flowers being incorporated into cake designs.

For many brides, 2012 is marking the end of the vintage trend and the beginning of glamorous decor with jewels and sparkles being incorporated into the cake designs, this is resulting in the rise of the ‘Couture’ style wedding cake.

This style of cake makes a strong statement by incorporating accents of the bride’s wedding dress, headpiece or jewellery. Our friends in the US have taken this one step further by introducing metallic wedding cakes which is taking the wedding world by storm for 2012.

We are seeing the use of shimmering tones of silver and gold’s combined with warm pastel or vibrant jewel colours.

When working with Reviva weddings, Laura and I often spend countless hours discussing the wedding designs we are working on together, and both of us are hugely excited about this trend and cannot wait for this to take off here in Spain!

Of course, it is imperative to ensure that your wedding cake design flows with the style or theme of your wedding not just the current wedding trends. For example, if you are getting married here in Spain and want a Spanish themed wedding, then perhaps you feel that a sparkling jewelled cake would not be suitable for your wedding. Thats ok! Your wedding day is one of the most special days of your life, so it is vital that your cake design is perfect for your personal taste! Try decorative lacework and textured ruffles with accents of Spanish warm colours or flowers, what is important is that your wedding cake designer designs a cake that is classic and timeless for you.

At Sweet Things, our fashion concious brides are becoming more involved in the design process to create their perfect wedding day, this is resulting in some amazing wedding cake designs which we cannot wait to create!

But for now, here are some of our favourite metallic wedding cakes!

Design Sources from Pinterest and Martha Stewart

Weekly Top Five!

{1} Michele + Luke - Green Wedding Shoes

Lots of creative ideas here. Love the brights mixed with pastels accented by pattern. Plus, shot by one of our favorite photographers, Paige Newton!

{Paige Newton Photography}

{2} Claire + Nick - Snippet & Ink

This one has a bit of hippy, fairy vibe. Prairie meets garden wedding. The green with pops of neon orange is pure genius. Dreamy.

{Jonas Peterson}

{3} Bettina + Martin - Style Me Pretty

Ok - purely posting this because it's an AUSTRIAN wedding. How cool is that?! Best setting imaginable. 

{Birgit Hart Fotografie}

{4} Ryan + Vicky - Ruffled

DIY galore in a cute color palette. Simple, clean. 

{Sara Wilde Photography}

{5} Lynzie + Andrew - Style Me Pretty

I love everything about this wedding - the color palette, the couple, THE hat....everything! Looks like a super fun wedding to attend. 

{Elizabeth Kaye}

Happy Friday, everyone!!

Indian Wedding Inspirations in Marbella

As Indian Weddings take Marbella by storm, we thought we would share some of the inspirations we are creating for our weddings. 

The explosion of colours used for Indian weddings are glorious and here we have created a more cohesive look to our weddings by keeping to a heady mix of beautiful colours.

Ivory, gold and red are a hugely popular colour combination, mix this in with a fushsia and yellow and a dash of purple creates a vibrant combination.

We have kept one of our designs to just using a peacock colour theme of purples, turquoises, aquas and golds but throwing in a touch of orange for the reception tables.

There are so many glorious details from floral elephants, embellished gold confetti cones, lots of lots of bling, particuarly this year with the latest rage for metallic wedding cakes and we love the idea of using slightly different textures and fabrics to bring different elements into creating our Indian wedding styles.

A fuchsia, red and yellow Indian Wedding Inspiration

An explosion of Colours

A Peacock Inspiration

Muted Golds, Ivories and Red

Images have been sourced from Karen Wise and Maharani Weddings

We hope you enjoy our inspirations as we publish them and to keep up to date with us, as we move into 2012, join our Facebook page

Photo Session in our Raffle!

I'm having a love affair with NYC and want it photographed! By Sofia Negron. Just have to submit my own love story and photo to Sofia. But not if you get there first!

Recap {The Cream Event}

We had such a blast at The Cream Event, hosted by Bash, Please at Mercury Hall on Sunday! The ladies take this curated show full of the cream (of the crop!) of wedding vendors across the country and decided to bring the event to Austin! My friend and colleague, Lauren of The Creative Parasol, was one such talented vendor selected to participate and she was kind enough to ask me to come help her out! I gladly obliged.

I could go on and on about how great The Cream Event was, but I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

Bash, Please - yarn letters for Smilebooth backdrop

Moon Canyon Design Co.

The Byrd Collective

Loot Vintage Rentals vignette

Bake Sale Austin

Lo Boheme & Untamed Petals

Paige Newton Photography

Toast & Laurel 

The Creative Parasol

The Nouveau Romantics

BHLDN

Over 100 Vendors at the Wedding Party

Click to see the list bigger but we are well over 100 of your favorite wedding peeps! Promise!

Are you prepared to break with tradition for your wedding?

It is your wedding! Or is it? Sometimes it can feel like everyone but you has a say about what is going to happen on your day.

                “You can’t do that! That is not what a wedding is about!”
                “You have to do it this way. We’ve always done that in our family!”
                “Where did you think that idea up from?”
                “Our family always does it this way!”

Parents of many brides and grooms want to put their five cents worth into the planning of your wedding. Family and friends may mean well with their ideas and contributions of “ideal” wedding plans but this can lead to arguments and upset.

Renaissance Wedding

At the beginning of all the planning you had a picture of how you saw the day falling into place. You want your wedding to be different. Perhaps a unique theme, change the vows, sing modern songs or have a complete break from traditional wedding music. You and your partner have been to plenty of other weddings and you don’t want to have just another beautiful but traditional wedding day.

This decision leads you into unchartered water. How will your family and friends react to your  idea? They know you are rule breakers with modern views and all you want is a day that reflects who you are as a couple.

Gothic Wedding Theme

Gothic Wedding Cake

In ancient times the bride was given to the groom’s family! The white dress signified virginity, the cake was a symbol of fertility and the bridesmaids dressed like the bride to confuse evil spirits ! The groom stood on the right of the bride so he could use his right hand to grab his sword to fend off enemies who wanted to steal his bride!

Western Wedding

Then in Victorian times we introduced bouquets of flowers for the bride. The bouquet was made from scented flowers or herbs to held to hide the smell  of an unclean society or to ward off all those evil spirits!

We carry on these traditions, mostly without even knowing why. We aren’t tied to these traditions for any of these old reasons anymore but so it continues!  Our parents did it so their expectations are that you should have a great church wedding, white dress and wonderful sit down dinner!

Western Wedding Cake

These days you can have many different themes that can be amazing fun for you and your guests. Just maybe not considered to be a great idea by your parents! Remember that it is your party and it is your wedding day. This is a day that you will remember for the rest of your life. Share with your grandchildren and demonstrates your personality to them and everyone on the day.

You can have fun being different! Be prepared for some arguments but don’t let it stop you being quirky and different! Go for it and make your day extra special!

Extreme Weddings @ Ayers Rock, Central Australia

The Cream Event!

Hey, y'all! We are so excited for The Cream Event taking place at Mercury Hall today from 6 - 9 PM. Super creative event planners Bash, Please out of Cali are hosting! It is sure to be absolutely amazing and fun.

We'll be there helping our colleague, The Creative Parasol, show off her awesome talent - so come say hi!

Our friends Paige Newton Photography, The Byrd Collective, Bake Sale Austin, Loot Vintage Rentals, Royal Fig Catering, and Lo Boheme will be vendors, too! Can't wait to make more friends. See you there!

Wedding Library Raffle Prize with Merci NY

Every year the Wedding Party has intense raffle prizes, but this one is a scene stealer. A lucky Wedding Party bride and her guest will indulge in a luxurious day of high-fashion fun with Jackeline Weppner of Merci NY and Claudia Hanlin (that's me)! There'll be tea at the Pierre, a private driver to travel in style, up to four super-VIP salon visits, gifts and much, much more.

All you have to do is visit the Merci NY and Wedding Library booth at the Wedding Party or email style@mercinewyork.com with your wedding date, brief description of your wedding style, and why you would like to win our prize! Easy, no? Buy your ticket at the link on the right, and you'll be on your way to chic bridal style.

Color Board {Silver + Bright Pink}

Winterfest, here we come! Just love bright pops of fuchsia against glittery silver. Dreamy.

{Dress, Candles, Bride, Boutonnieres, Washi Tape, Glitter}

Romantic Blossom Cupcake Class by Sweet Things by Fi

We are delighted to introduce our first cupcake decorating class hosted by Sweet Things by Fi at our wedding studio on the 8th February. 

If anyone does not know Fi's work or indeed has not eaten one of her cakes they are truly missing something and life is not worth living until you do! 

Fi is one of our favourite wedding cake designers, whose creations continue to amaze our clients and us, plus she buys me creme eggs so I am heavily blackmailed!

Fi's first cupcake decorating class will be held at our shop, based in Elviria, on the 8th February from 3pm until 5pm.

The theme of our first cupcake decorating course is Romantic Blossom Cupcakes.

Fi will bring the freshly baked cupcakes and each student will be provided with 6 cupcakes each, 3 chocolate and 3 vanilla along with all the decorating materials to create beautiful cupcakes ready for you to take home. 

You will learn the art of creating sugar craft roses, pearl and bows as in our photo above and get to take them home.

Fi's cupcake course is 60 euros per head and this includes tea, coffee and cakes to test along with a lot of fun plus 6 fabulous cupcakes unless we have eaten them first! 

This cupcake decorating course is limited to 6 people with a minimum of 4 people so first come first served but there will be more classses to follow.

If you would like to book this class please contact Fi on 697228088 or email her on mail@sweetthingsbyfi.com

To view Fi's website and see her amazing creations visit

http://www.sweetthingsbyfi.com/

Perfect Bridal Gowns from Down Under

In our recent online Look Book, The Brides Gown, we had pleasure in featuring the latest couture from Karen Willis Holmes, based here in Sydney.
It is great to have such talent on our doorstep! To see her passion and focus on creating the perfect gown for each bride. Just gorgeous!
As one of Australia's leading couture and ready to wear bridal gown designers, Karen creates inspired wedding dresses with a contemporary classic style.
The video below shows you the work and love involved in each gown, to demonstrate how special each gown is to her.
This is Karen’s story told in her own words.



Enjoy! If you want to see more of her talents then you can purchase The Bride's Gown Look Book from our website!

Click here to see The Brides Gown

Featured {Style Me Pretty Texas}

Hurray! Lori and Nathan's wedding was featured on Style Me Pretty Texas today! We collaborated with amazing bride and bestie, Lori, on the inspiration and design for this gorgeously colorful garden party. Katherine O'Brien did an amazing job snapping the photos! Check out the post here. Full post on this wedding coming soon!

Swan Lake Ballet Wedding Inspiration in Marbella

Apologies for my recent lack of blogging but after the Christmas holidays we have been inundated with wedding enquiries which is hugely exciting but has meant I have spent my evenings on my email and my head in my diary instead of concentrating on my blog and oh how I have missed it!

But having finally managed to get back to some organised normality (and hired two interns) we are sharing more wonderful inspirations and what better way to start than to celebrate the culture of Marbella who recently hosted a Swan Lake production from the Moscow Ballet in the Teatro de Ciudad.

 We thought it would be lovely to produce a mood board based on this inspiration for a wedding using obviously feathers :)

This year I have noticed various new trends emerging which we will blog about over the next few weeks and have some fabulous guest bloggers as well sharing their insights with us too so do check back to hear other professionals take on the latest wedding trends.

One is still the very vintage style (sorry Jeremy!) but it is becoming more elegant, we have seen metallic wedding cakes emerging, more glitter, jewels and glam reappearing and just slightly more decadent, crochet I think is finally out!

The rustic, burlap, eco wedding is going to continue to be a big hit this year and we are very excited to be producing some fabulous designs with these design elements.

Another big fashion I have noticed this year is very bright colours creeping into weddings off the catwalks.  A dizzying range of colours from the popular cobalt blues of last year's weddings to the almost fluorescent yellows, greens and fuchsias, lots of florals and a more spectacular use of colours steering away from the paler corals, silvers and husky blues that we have seen over the past few years.

Finally roll over Bollywood, we have some amazing creations coming out our studio for our Indian weddings this year!

There is so much more to share with you all as our business is changing quite considerably over the next few months but I will be back!

Sneak Peek {1960s Mod Styled Shoot}

Wanted to share a little sneak peek from a shoot styled by yours truly! The inspiration was all-out, early-1960s mod. Retro, colorful, and fun! Enjoy this preview of images by Paige Newton Photography:

Our amazing team of vendors:
Styling {Bird Dog Wedding}
Photography {Paige Newton}
Videography {Ava Baird}
Flowers {The Byrd Collective}
Desserts {Bake Sale Austin}
Paper Goods {The Creative Parasol}
Fashion Styling {Trophy Boutique}
Headpieces {Lo Boheme}
Makeup {Nisa Nicole}
Hair {Erica Rae}
Rentals {American Party Rental}
Models {Liz and Colin}


Special thanks to:
- Frock On, Prototype, and Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds for our super mod dresses
- Lauren, Linda and Mark, and Kate for providing us with some lovely vintage pieces


Stay tuned for a full post!

The Tradition of a Trousseau

The tradition of a trousseau is age-old, when a woman began sewing clothes at an early age in anticipation of her marriage. 
The word ‘trousseau’ comes from the French word ‘trousse’ meaning ‘little bundle’. 

While the concept of a trousseau is no longer practical, the idea of shopping for your wedding night and honeymoon is still enduring and relevant. The implication is timeless! New clothes for a new life!

Depending on where your honeymoon is, you might be packing bikinis for the beach or evening dresses for a European escape. Combine fabrics – cashmere, cotton, silk and lace – to create versatility.

Neutral-toned
Pashmina Shawl

For any trousseau and any destination, a few pieces are essential; a lightweight cotton robe, a cashmere twin set, a little black dress with high-heels and a neutral-toned pashmina shawl and black leggings for comfort ease and practicality.


A trousseau encompasses the going away outfit, honeymoon attire and those special pieces of lingerie you may have purchased for your wedding. 


Although it’s unseen by most, your lingerie is actually a very significant part of your trousseau, and should be carefully chosen.

Lingere Shower Invitation
www.polkadotdesign.com

You may like to hold a “Lingerie Party” or “Lingerie Shower” with your friends in the lead up to your wedding. Many Lingerie companies will come to you with a full range and create an evening of entertainment for you and your friends. This can be a fun way to browse lingerie and ensure correct sizing. In most cases the Lingerie company will give the host free goods in return for holding the party!

Have your lingerie fitted
by an expert

Working with experienced Lingerie fitters (plus your friend’s input) can ensure that you find the right lingerie for you. Lingerie can flatter your figure or give you a cleavage that suits your wedding gown, smooth your stomach, back or hips.



It is important to take into account if the lingerie can be seen through your wedding gown as some fabrics can be clingy so something plain but made of silky fabric is a good choice. You should take colour into consideration as well. Neutral colours like apricot or flesh coloured lingerie are less obtrusive under a white wedding gown.

Choose the right bra for your gown!

Depending on the bodice of your wedding gown your choice of bra will be important as you do not want to be adjusting straps all day. Strapped or strapless it is a good idea to wear the bra for a day prior to your wedding to make sure you are comfortable. Taking it to all your fittings can also ensure you have the right lingerie for the day. Most Lingerie fitters are experienced with advising you on the right style for your dress.
 

Another part of your trousseau is the Going Away Outfit. Choose an outfit that looks glamorous and can be worn again, plus matches jewellery and accessories that you may already have. You won’t be able to wear your wedding dress again but your Going Away Outfit can be a reminder of the special day for months or years to come. 

Pre Fall 2012 Collection
www.oscardelarenta.com

Purchasing your Going Away Outfit is a great opportunity to buy something from a designer range such as Oscar De La Renta. Check out all the great outfits from him in his Pre Fall 2012 Collection below: