Not just a novelty anymore, retro inspired styles are not just chic but very much in demand within the world of fashion.  We all know that Gatsby  inspired elements are having their moment right now, but the 1950′s/1960′s Man Men infused styles are very much here to stay for quite some time.  These throw back threads speak to a certain polish, a refinement & essence of a well put together woman.  All the better for bride’s willing to look back at the dresses that came before them for their perfect bridal style!  Vintage boutiques are a treasure trove of fashion history and believe it or not, there are ones specific to bridal: gowns, gloves, veils, purses, you name it!  Why not stroll down the aisle in a piece of history thats likely to be one heck of a deal too!  Angela Bartunek of aster & olive photography teamed up with the amazing folks of Miranda’s Vintage Bridal to put together a sweet little shoot highlighting a few lovely retro fashions, including the most covet worthy pair of kitten gloves you’ll ever see!  Please please ladies, bring the kitten gloves back!  {Dying to see some modern brides rockin the gloves!} Regardless of your fashion tastes, dipping into the vintage closet can unearth some mega finds that set the stage for greatness!

Vendor Love

Dress Boutique: Miranda’s Vintage Bridal | Dress: Bianchi {Vintage} *No longer creates | Photographer: aster & olive photography

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

 

Sometimes restraint is the most powerful weapon in our arsenal.  Wanting nothing more then to keep things as natural as possible, today’s phenomenal Montreal team crafted a wonderfully fresh yet rustic world at the newly opened Les Chalets du Grand Duc.  Every chalet should have its princess, our chalet has a princess made of stylish beauty where sweet tattoos are embraced.  Not one for the classic definition of a princess, our gal has wonderfully tousled hair in a modern fishtail braid, perfectly kept in a crown of pearls.  Layers playfully float around in the form of tulle, fondant & china, while thick rough cut wood chargers take center stage.  With a few choice decor elements as well as bright colorful blooms, this chalet becomes a sophisticated style land for the rustic gal who craves more from fashion & design in her life!

What Storyboard Likes…

Total Fresh Bride Package- Fresh, Bright, Youthful, Princess With A Side of Style.  These are all words that run through my mind as I take in the gorgeous bridal beauty & styling.  The team did a tremendous job staying true with their goal on inception, keeping our sweet bride, fresh & natural.  They didn’t want to cover her up with heavy makeup, rather simply work to enhance her natural beauty, including her artful tattoos as well.  Her tattoos become as much a part of her stylish princess look as does the wonderfully done tousled textured fishtail braid.  Her hair is modern and wonderfully bridal with a slight bohemian edge to it, again, fresh.  What makes our princess however are her lovely headpieces in ribbon, pearl, buttons & more.  Finding the right headpiece for the right bridal style can change an entire look, creating ethereal bridal beauty!  Every little element to our bride reflects a natural yet sweetly enhanced look, from gorgeously tousled locks to delicately done makeup, even the sweet little bow ring in place of a wedding ring, each element crafts this stylish princess!

Layer It On- When layers are done right, they can be simply divine and this session has layers in spades!  Starting with the most obvious and certainly most amazing, the fondant ruffle layer cake is as heavenly as you can get!  Perfect ivory waving layers, each unique with its own attitude.  The overall effect of such amazing layers is almost ethereal and wonderfully complimented by the full bloomed sugar peonies!  Following in suit with the layer technique are the plate settings which mimic that of our cake, layering a thick rough cut wood charger, 3 pieces of china, all finished off with an elegant tea cup.  Excellent china layering if I have ever seen it, and look at that color harmony to boot!  Lastly our gal’s gown, gorgeously layered in rows of tulle and lace.  Softly tiered, this wedding dress plays on the frilly side yet walks the line of sophistication all the same.  Layering is always in trend and one that you can never go wrong with, esp when its done with a delicate hand!

Sweet Little Details-There truly are some lovely little details when it comes to the styling of this session.  The clock is almost majestic with the perfect touch of old, the use of a utterly lovely thick hardback novel with eloquently torn pages, & the choice of the petite floral china  is superb.  I adore the vintage reclaimed wood flower box that serves as our tables centerpiece and whats more, the raised aspect to it.  Kick things up a notch by elevating them!  My favorite of all the little details however, is a simple yet magical one for me, the old iron stags head, I could not love this thing more!!!  The stags head is AH-mazing and would love to have one for myself!! What a wonderful collection of decor elements, all tied together with a unifying touch, echoing their rustic surroundings!

 

Vendor Love

Venue: Les Chalets du Grand Duc | Dress Boutique: Boutique Natalia Exclusif | Veils & Headpieces: Letters to Jane | Jewelry: Bijoux Mohawki | Makeup Artist: Susan Morales | Cake Designer: Gât-o | Floral Designer: Les Petites Excuses | Event Designer: La Mariée Bohème | Photographer: Sonia Bourdon 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

First order of business, Happy Memorial Day!!  Hopefully your stopping in on your way to an amazing BBQ or perhaps you’ve munched just a tad too much for the day & need some down time, either way, you’re going to be super pleased that you did because baby’O'baby do we have a treat for you!!  My favorite Philadelphia crew {Remember the gorgeous softer side of steampunk shoot? Click Here for a refresher} dropped a gem into my inbox just recently & I have been quietly coveting it in the corner in the meantime!  Their inspiration this time…. Disney’s #1 villaness, Maleficent, specifically Angelina Jolie’s upcoming reprisal of her!  I adore this shoot for a billion of reasons most of which is the simple fact that they pulled inspiration from such an unlikely source.  You know how I love my creativity with an extra side of special!  The team provided me with quite a lengthy run down of all the magic that happened, so do be sure to read through how they crafted this phenomenal shoot.  Before I send you packing, I’ll laundry list my favorite bits! {You know… in the interest of getting you back out to that BBQ!}  Gorgeous model {honestly, she could not be MORE perfect for this shoot, oh and PS-SHE did the makeup!!}, love love love the silver to purple ombre dress…. I think I need it in my life, I cant get enough of the Petits Gâteaux {I wish it made better sense for small cakes at weddings, as I do love them so!}, wonderfully earthy dark yet bold styling in the floral & design department and I am dyyyyyyying over those completely trippy & incredibly cool tulips!!  Honestly I could seriously go on about the session as  whole, but I’ll let your eyes do the walking!  Much  love on this holiday day~ Xo! Jess

A note from the incredibly talented team:

Ever wonder what Maleficent would be as a bride? Well, wonder no more! In anticipation of Angelina Jolie’s “Maleficent“, BG Productions and Papertini teamed up with amazing group of creative and talented vendors and friends to bring Maleficent into her wedding fantasy!

The colors scheme we chose for our Maleficent are Green, Gold with a touch of Dark Purple and Red. Golden Silhouette did a great job interpreting the colors scheme and theme into the stationery suite. Gorgeous shimmery emerald pocket envelope for the invitation and vintage gold spinning wheel pattern hand-stamped on each paper product. The invitation, program book, and menu cards are accented with gold threads to complete their interpretation of the spinning wheel. Now that the invitations are out, we’re ready for the big day!

Our Maleficent represents a fearless and confident bride. She is elegant, sexy, bold and gorgeous with a touch of edge. Tiffany from Dina Alon Hair and Make Up Studio styled her hair by combining Victorian rolls and gorgeous curls (what a great interpretation of Maleficent’s horns!). Alexis, our model, not only she is drop dead gorgeous, but she is also an amazing make up artist and fashionista! Alexis chose to do a dramatic, intense deep purple eye make up and paired it with a sexy hot red lipstick. To complete the look, her nails were done in a two-toned, dark purple/black and dark red with glitter and she put on her sexy black shoes. Voila! We have a perfect, glamorous, and gorgeous Maleficent!

We chose three different black dresses for her because, why just stick with one if you can have three? Her ceremony dress was an elegant ball gown layered with lace and tulle that was beautifully hand-tailored by Jennifer Kohler Designs. Papertini complimented the look with a modern textural cascading bouquet consisting of mini callas, scabiosa pods, galax rosettes and tulip anthuriums.

For reception, she switched to this fun and sexy sparkly long dress from Page Six…it’s haute. She sure knows how to command the room with this dress! We made sure no details were overlooked for her reception at the amazing Woodlands Historic Mansion! Papertini styled the wall with gold paper doilies and textured round mats. They accented the fire mantle with antique lanterns and dark purple candles and filled the fireplace with a wild, textural floral arrangement with black pussy willows (these are natural!) as the center of the attention. For Maleficent’s sweetheart table, we used gold chargers with matching gold wares (how cool are those!) and goblets accented with dark purple dinner plates. We topped off the plate with emerald green napkins and Golden Silhouette’s elegant menu and place cards to complete the look.

For her cake display, Papertini created a dramatic set by enhancing a potted branch with agonis leaves and decorated the antique trunk with matching antique stands for the cake and candles. The gold cake, made by the one and only Ciao Bella Cakes, was subtly decorated and accented with a black feather as an homage to Maleficent’ crow. The cake was accompanied by two matching mini cakes (which, by the way, is a great idea for couple’s cakes or as alternative to cupcakes).

The hanging place cards were displayed on a gold spinning wheel (spray painted bicycle rim!). To add more pizzaz to the table, Papertini created interest points on the table using various vintage green vessels and an all green floral arrangement. As the guests walked in, they were treated with a glass of Kir Royale, our Maleficent’s signature drink. The drinks were displayed in a beautiful and ornate set of champagne glasses courtesy of Cathie and Al. After dinner, our Maleficent was ready to have some fun and switched to her dancing dress! We chose this fun and flirty short dress from Page Six…it’s haute and she rocked it! Thanks to Create the Moment for all the coordination so our Maleficent could truly enjoy her soiree!

A HUGE thanks goes to the one and only Cathie from BG Productions was there for our Maleficent capturing all her moments and preserving this glorious day forever. A special thanks goes to Al, from BG Productions, for filming our behind-the-scene, Rachel Odle for all her help and Primitive Dwellings for the amazing upholstery work done for the bench prop (with uber cute pillows to boot!)

Vendor Love

Venue: The Woodlands Historic Mansion, Cemetery, and Landscape | Dress Store: Bebe, Page Six..its’ haute | Dress Designer: Jennifer Kohler Designs | Hair Stylist: Dina Alon Salon | Cake Designer: Ciao Bella Cakes | Paper Props: Golden Silhouette | Event Planner: Create The Moment | Event Designer: Papertini, LLC | Furniture: Primitive Dwellings | Cinema and Video: BG Prodcutions | Photographer: BG Productions