Its no  secret how big of a crush I have on bridal headpieces.  Whether its a ‘simple’ fascinator or an eloquently selected bridal headscarf, I am in loooooove, big time!  Today’s gorgeous woodsy romantic session features The Yellow Peony, a gal who makes some really unique bridal hair pieces, as well as custom pieces for brides, and believe me when I say, they are amazing!!  Always inspiring and ever creative, Hayley wanted to bring together some terrific local vendors for an ethereal woodsy bohemian vibed shoot, highlight of course some of The Yellow Peonies spectacular bridal accessories!  The result is pure bridal fashion eye candy with bold vibrant colors, terrific accessories, & gorgeous blooms!  My absolutely favorite in this collection is the very first, the enchanting Vintage-Style Ivory Lace Bridal Cap!  How stunning is this gem?!  Swoon, sigh, swoon and repeat!  There is so much inspiration here from decor to fashion, you’re going to love everything!  After the gallery, be sure to check out each unique piece!

Loving The Yellow Peony as much as we are?  Want to know a bit more about these gorgeous styles & where to purchase?  We thought so!

 

 

Vintage-Style Ivory Lace Bridal Cap

 

 

 

 

 

Long Tulle Cathedral Veil

 

 

 

 

 

Floral Circlet head wreath in Nude & Blush

 

 

 

 

 

 

Floral Statement Head Wreath in Red & Lime

 

 

 

 

Ivory & Tulle Flower Clip with Crystal Beading

 

 

 

 

 

Floral Statement Crown in Blue & Purple

 

 

 

 

 

Crystal Dew drop Tulle Birdcage Veil

 

 

 

 

 

Whimsical Bridal Halo

 

 

 

 

 

Vintage Style Ivory Flower Headband with Crystal Beading

 

 

 

 

 

Greta Headpiece – Organza Flower & Rhinestone Wedding Headband

 

 

 

 

 

French Style Cathedral Veil

 

 

 

 

 

White Swiss dot Tulle Bridal Cap

 

 

 

 

 

Rhinestone Leaf Wedding headband on Silver Satin Ribbon

 

 

 

 

 

Ivory Peony Hair Clip of Silk Taffeta

 

 

Vendor Love

Dress Store: Altar Bridal | Bridal Hair Pieces: The Yellow Peony | Hair: Bella Hair Company at EnVogue Salon | Make-up: Kristen George Makeup Artistry | Floral Design: Good Earth Floral Design Studio | Cake Designer: Iced Art | Baked Goods: Cakes a Go-Go | Photographer: Pond Photography

 

Bridal style is always a hot topic as it is the fashion world’s best friend dressed in white!  Ok maybe not always white, especially these days, but you get my point!  Seriously though, the most brilliant way now a days to deliver anything but a cookie cutter wedding is by starting with expressing yourself through what you wear before anything else.  Your complete wedding day look can set the tone for your fete and is the physical manifest of the buzzwords that you use to craft your day.  Ethereal, sophisticated, vintage, boho, whimsical, along with every other wedding description, can be represented in not only your gown, but in your accessories & styling.

Headpieces as a whole are a huge trend in weddings right now, everything from over the top fascinators to boho inspired floral crowns.  When I ventured over to Limn & Lovely’s Valentine’s Day styled shoot, I found a gorgeous representation in bridal form of a mix of sophisticated style with whimsical boho feel which I thought was perfect for WIWW!  The look that we are spotlighting  has a solid foundation in classic bridal turned up a big notch with modern lines, a dash of sparkle, & a soft feminine feel!

 *Photograph by Alea Lovely 

There are 4 big elements at play in this complete look: The Dress, The Bouquet {you better believe this is part of your look!}, lace headpiece along with Hair & Makeup.

The Dress…

We’ll start with the base of the look, the gown, from Anna Maier Ulla-Maija, which has a lochrosen and silver thread embroidered bodice with a full tulle skirt.  By design, this gown has a very classic clean crisp  silhouette.  The modern touch is the well fitted embroidered bodice which projects youth & light bringing a fresh feel to the face.  The full tulle skirt is also modernized, opting for construction that is far less dense then most tulle skirts, again, giving a more fresh take on a ball gown style.  The dress is the perfect choice for a bride that wants to have a bit of fun in their styling.  The sparkle on the bodice is just the right pop while leaving the door open for wonderful accessories!  Be careful when choosing your dresses ladies, if you know you’re going to want bold & gorgeous accessories, make sure your dress isn’t competing for the attention.

The Bouquet…

With something like a full tulle skirt, your going to want a floral arrangement that has a bit of size to it, otherwise it might simply get lost in the sauce if you will.  This arrangement is a terrific size, its the Goldilocks of bouquets if you will, not too big and not too small, juuuuusssst right!  The beauty of this particular arrangement however is the over all tone range of the colors which beautifully mimic to some degree the tone of the bodice in the dress while being different enough that it stands out.  There is a soft gorgeous romantic feel to the flowers all while being super feminine.  The injection of the eucalyptus as a finishing element gives the arrangement a touch of whimsy & lends itself to a boho chic feel, which….. wonderfully jives with the headpiece & hair!

Lace Headpiece, Hair & Makeup…

The idea here is simple enough yet wonderfully executed & there in lays the success.  The headpiece is a simple elegant piece of lace, tightly wrapped around her ever so gently tumbling barrel curled locks.  The lace headpiece serves to bring a touch of drama & style to our gals face all the while giving the hair a formal shape by keeping the crown of her locks close while allowing the rest to sway freely.  It gives the overall look a sense of refinement & freedom all in the same breath.  I really appreciate that the hair has just the right touch of body, texture, even a slight tussled look to it.  They didn’t over fuss, didn’t over fix, allowing a true boho chic feel to emerge.  Wonderfully supporting the hair & lace is the eloquently done makeup.  You might not think much of whats going on with it, but that’s truly the point and a testament to how well it is done.  Here again just the right amount is given to make our bride to keep true to her youth, look fresh, bright, and very much in love I’d say!

I love this look of a nod to the classics with wonderful injection of boho chic, high on the chic, don’t you!?  I am very much a fan of the headpiece movement and can’t wait to see what truly wonderfully styling comes out way.  Are you a fan of the floral crowns or are you more a lace girl yourself?  If there is ever anything that you would love to see design explained, please send it in…. you never know, it just might be our next Why It Works Wednesday!

Be sure to head over to Limn & Lovely to view the full post, it really is a treat and there are a few other looks that they worked with on the day as well!

Vendor Love

Photography: Alea Lovely / Venue: Longview Mansion / Flowers: Amy Cason of Victorian Gardens / Cakes and sweets: Classic Cakes / Dresses: Gown with high, beaded neckline >Amsale, short wedding dress > Ivy & Aster, strapless gown with embroidered bodice > Anna Maier~Ulla-Maija / Dress retailer: Altar Bridal / Makeup artist: Jolie Artistry

There is a particular board that I keep on Pinterest that is quite possibly my favorite board of all, Bridal Inspirationsensation.  The focus of the board is an eclectic collection of bridal looks, styles & accessories that are much more fashion forward then your typical fare. I utterly adore this board for so many reasons, the most important of which to me being its total departure from the conventional ‘cookie cutter’ styled bride.  Fashion is indeed a genius all its own, clothing, the art form it becomes.  For the right bride, one who is more adventurous, stylish, and most importantly, comfortable in her own skin, there is a mind blowing world of looks that defy classic ways of tradition, turn up the whimsy, bring forth the elegance, highlight everything magical about design.  Today’s styled bridal session certainly is not for your cookie cutter bride.  Wonderfully over sized floral fascinators, strips of lace running through braided hair, black corset gowns with sophisticated lace veils, fashion embodied.  There is an air of good & bad here, romantic vs mysteriously regal if you will.  Bridal fashion can be a dream world just like any other, if you let it….

So which look is your favorite?  Do you lean more toward the softer feminine & romantic style or are you as in love as I am with the bold black lace look?  The mystery in the black lace veil is simply beyond with such an intense sense of sophistication don’t you think?  What are some of your more fashion forward bridal looks, I’d love to hear!

Vendor Love

Corset: Fredrick’s of Hollywood | Pink Gown: H&M | Floral Fascinator & Black Veil: Meo Baaklini | Hair & Make-up: Meo Baaklini | Photographer: Meo Baaklini

Putting together a wedding celebration that honors both halves of the couple’s interest can be a challenge at times.  A large portion of the male population love to golf, love hanging out at the country club, love just about everything related to it.  When it comes time to have their wedding, hosting their event at a country club seems like the natural next step.  The problem is, some ladies are simply  not into country club weddings as there is a bit of a cookie cutter stigma associated with them.  What I love about today’s styled shoot is that it inspires some out of the box creative ways to take a country club wedding & truly elevate it to that luxury modern wedding that you were dreaming of.  The best part, the groom is happy to be in his element & the bride is in a glittery 7th heaven!

What Storyboard Likes…

Tee Time- When having a country club wedding, I say embrace it!  Dont run away from the golf environment or try to ignore it, that simply wont work out for you.  The bridal portrait session, in front of the crystal alter, allows our bride to have fun & embrace the golf mentality, playfully posing with the tools of the trade.  Lighten up & really have fun with it!  Let’s be honest, for bride’s with golf loving grooms, these photos will be something the grooms are sure to covet forever, seeing their girls all dolled up joyfully connecting with their favorite past time!  Whats more, small elements of the game were used, in perfectly restrained amounts, to represent the love of golf.  Golf balls & Tees were used in both the base of the long low centerpiece as well as the shrub spheres on the candle stick bases.  This is a great way to incorporate the environment around you without screaming PGA tour at your guests.

Fashion By The 3′s- The bridal fashion is covet worthy on so many levels.  3 gorgeous looks were shown, appealing to a variety of brides from classic & reserved, fashion forward debutante to modern boho bride.   No matter what your choice of style is, we love that the crew showed us 3 great looks that can flawlessly.  I feel that part of the reason gals fall into the cookie cutter trap is that they feel they have to dress in a certain way and that simply isnt the case.  My favorite look has the boho flair, wearing the lace corseted gown with thin ribbon headpiece.  See my bohemian brides, you can still make your man happy with that country club wedding yet be true to who you are!

Mirror, Mirror- Its a simple piece with big results!  I love love love the mirrors used in place of chargers.  Mirrors reflect everything, even simple things like light, which open and brighten spaces, even spaces that you might not think require it.  Mirrors transport us into a looking glass world, injecting an element of whimsy to any fete!  Its a simple touch, but one I hope to see more of!

 

Vendor Love

Event Designer: Aisha Thomas Events
Invitations: Royale Amethyst Invitations
Dress Designer: Pixton Bridal
Rentals: AFR Furniture and Event Rentals
Venue: Ballantyne Country Club
Photographer: Jim Merrill Photography

Just this past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting the wonderful gals of Styles on B while getting my hair done up for my bro-in-law’s wedding.  I must say, I didnt make the best first impression!  I am usually a very punctual person, this  time sadly, I was far from it.  The hubs decided to be a sweetie & drive me down to Alphabet city, sadly, the Big Apple had other plans.  It was a nightmare getting down there and I am embarrassed to say I arrived over a half hour late!  I am so ashamed I am outing myself, its only right!  I emailed with them along the way at least, so at least I wasn’t a total crap patron!  The gals at Styles on B were super gracious about my lateness and happily whisked me into the chair.   As luck would have it, I was given a spot with Laureen, ‘The Braid Master’ which was perfect as all get out, as I was on the hunt for a fishtail do!

Laureen set to work, giving me what I love to call a structured mess on top, with my AH-mazing fishtail to the side!  Pumping in some texture, my hair was left with a looser feel on top, framing my eye {trust me, she is an awesome pinner, so I knew that baby was in tight!} with my ombre hair peeking through in the side swung tail.  Laureen’s styling skills were perfection and that braid was simply beyond!  I am still in awe of the awesome wrap job at the bottom… notice how my own hair was used to make the rubber band disappear!  This do is perfection for bridesmaids, even a more bohemian or hipster bride could totally rock this!

My Styles on B fishtail braid was a big hit receiving many an applaud from the wedding guests.  Toward the end of the night the braid even spurred on a braiding demonstration from a certain groomsmen claiming he could whip up his own fishtail braids thanks to his sister!  {Ps- Drinky drinks made this a non-event.  Rematch pending!}  Thanks Laureen, Stacy & Aubrey!!!

*Photos by Style on B & Storyboard Wedding Instagram {@StorybrdWedding}