Happy Valentines Day!

Red Hot Red Wedding Dresses

Red is the color of passion, sensuality, warmth, lust, heat,desire,  fire and blood. It symbolizes life.It symbolizes power.    In China, red signifies prosperity and joy and is worn in wedding dresses.  It also is a color favored by many males. Since it's Valentines Day, its time to look at red wedding dresses.

Red wedding dresses are not common in many eastern hemisphere weddings, but they are stunning. I attended a wedding where the bride wore red . Words can't describe it, it was so beautiful.  The bride looked so regal, it was hard taking your eyes off of her. I loved it!   So here goes:

Alexander McQueen red feather dress.

Allure Couture

Elie Saab

Elie Saab 

Elie Saab 

Maria Karin Couture 

   Maria Karin Couture

Maggie Sottero

Happy Valentines Day! 

Wedding 2011: Trending Red Carpet Hairstyles For Your Wedding!

Need inspiration for your wedding hairstyle? Look to the celebrities on the red carpet for ideas to adapt for your wedding day. Why? The celebrities have the top hairstylists and makeup artists. The hair styles are always on trend, sometimes romantic, sometimes traditional, sometimes ahead of its time!

Its a no brainer, get inspired!

Weddings 2011: Trending Bridesmaid Dresses, Prints!

Trending in bridesmaid dresses for 2011 are prints.  .  Even though they are bridesmaid dresses, they don't look like it!   Prints are feminine, out of the box and can be worn again and again.  These dresses can be worn as a guest to another wedding, a cruise, church, a super cute summer dress, anywhere!  Shorten the long dress and voila!

These dresses are perfect for a garden wedding, a beach wedding, an outdoor wedding, a wedding in the tropics....any wedding in the summer.  

You can pull a color out of the print for your accent color, or put your maid of honor in a print and do the same dress in a solid color, because all prints come in solids. 

Consider the possibilities!

   From After Six, this dress is matte satin in a nantucket print has side pockets!  Accessorize with tutti frutti, firecracker or shamrock.  Loving this dress, the possibilities are intriguing.   I can just picture this dress with a bouquet of hot pink flowers.

Chiffon pink multi print baby doll dress from Pretty Maids at the  House of Wu. 

How cute is this back?

Here is the same dress with solid colors!

Alfred Angelo has a printed charmeuse bubble dress in an espresso cream.   Imagine this dress with bright orange bouquets! 

Also from Pretty Maids, this shirred bodice dress is made of printed chiffon.  Accent with blues, greens and yellow for a dress that says summer. 

Weddings 2011: Trending Wedding Shoes, Jen and Kim for Coloriffics

If you are a shoe fashionista, as I am, then you will have to check out Jen and Kim Shoes for Coloriffics.  Jen and Kim 's collection wants to dazzle with a bit of young Hollywood to their special occasion customers.   

Jen and Kim are two childhood friends with a passion for shoes and have paired with Coloriffics to create alternative wedding shoes.  I'm all about alternative,  regular wedding shoes are too...ugghhh......stiff, ugly and hurt like hell.  If they are comfy, they look like your grandma's shoes.  Finally, an alternative!! 

Jen & Kim use  leather linings and suede insoles for comfort.  Regular wedding shoes do not.  That smacks of comfort to me.   Their shoes also have non slip soles and heel grips so one does not have to worry about falling and having the video shown to the world on YouTube. 

I am in love with these shoes called Luna in rose. Love the two tone on this shoe and the pleating is uber sexy.  They have a 3/4" platform so you can wear a high heel without all the discomfort.  Plus, I get to be 3/4 of an inch taller and I will take it! I can totally see wearing this shoe again and again, not just a one shot shoe.

 Luna in blue.

 Luna in Ivory

I'm also in love with this shoe, Sweetie. OK, Sweetie is the name of the shoe!   I don't know which color I like best, so I'd have to have BOTH of them!  I love the sexy skinny wedge heel and the padded insoles.  I can also see these shoes playing a big part of my shoe wardrobe.

Glamour-ama shoes for the bride! Check out the bling on this silk shantung platform.  This shoe is called PASSION!! 

Allure is the name of this peep toed baby.  This reminds me of the shoes worn in the 1940's by Hollywood temptresses.  I think the sweet and sexy look of the mary jane strap is hot!

Wedding 2011: Trending Big Bold Blingy Jewelry!

From Bridal Bling Jewelry on Etsy, this necklace is a drop dead gorgeous in person.  I borrowed it for a fashion show and it stole the show!  I've never seen a necklace get such attention, it is spectacular.  Stunning with a strapless gown! 

OMG, this is such amazing!  LOVE IT! Also by Bridal Bling Jewelry, the Verismo bracelet is made of Swarovski cosmic crystals. Wear it after the wedding with a little black dress!

 This vintage rhinestone and chain bracelet makes a bold statement because it is so unusual. 

By Dabchick vintagegems on Etsy.

This vintage upcycled necklace is bold and beautiful by Camelot Jewels on Etsy.  Perfect for those brides who can't decide between crystals and pearls! 

 For our out of the box brides, I can absolutely picture this with a very plain strapless dress with just the necklace for impact.  Its made from 100% recycled materials and is one of a kind from Camelot Jewels.

Weddings 2011: Trending Wedding Dresses, Ruffles!

Trending in wedding dresses for 2011 are ruffles. Ruffles haven't been in fashion since the 80's and 90's, and today's ruffles are different in many ways.

Today's wedding dresses are figure flattering, sculptured and have more defined beading and details and less foo foo. Compare today's dresses to the 80's and 90's confections at the end of the post.

Sottero Midgley, sculptured bodice, dropped waist, soft ruffles. Sophisticated, elegant, feminine!

 

Divine design, this dress is so regal and amazing!  By Eve of Milady

The details on this one are just jaw dropping.  Eve Muscio is the designer, I love her designs and her dresses keep getting better and better. 

 

Essence by Bonny Bridals, #8008,  Loving this dress!  Its sexy and sweet at the same time and styled for today's bride.   This dress reminds me of old Hollywood glamor. HOT!

Lots and lots of ruffles by Precious Formals.  From their couture collection, Posh Brides.  This dress was previewed in London where it got rave reviews.  It definitely reminds me of a English countryside wedding.

Now lets go back in time to the 80's and 90's where San Martin bridals ruled supreme with their organza filament ruffles and big butt bows.    See the difference? 

 

Shut Up About The Royal Wedding Already!

I don't think I'm going to survive the royal wedding.  I made a vow I was going to boycott the news or the royal wedding, but I can't seem to avoid it.  Its everywhere!

This morning I turned on the TV and the newscaster chirpily said " There are less than 80 days to Kate and William's wedding".  And this is news and it affects me how?  Then she proceeded to say you can download an I-phone app that counts down the days to the wedding.  OMG, if you need to download this app, you need to get a life.

Flipping channels I came across a dress designer who claims that Kate will wear two wedding dresses.  Of course, the first dress will ABSOLUTELY have long sleeves because the aisle in Westminster Abbey is so long that long sleeves are required.  REALLY?  I never got the memo. 

Another channel talks about Kate dieting before the wedding.  Really?  If she loses any more weight, all we will be able to see is the big smile and the feathers sticking out of her hat.  The newscaster said " Of course, all future brides want to lose weight for their wedding."   Yeah,  IF they need to lose weight, she's bone thin already.

Another channel is interviewing two blokes who will be joining the crowd outside the Abbey  the day of the wedding.  They are trying to decide whether to wear top hats.  Really?  I couldn't hog tie my husband to stand in any crowd, much less wear a top hat.

Flipping again,  there is discussion if Kate will wear a tiara.  Kate, if your future grandmother in law is willing to loan you some royal jewels, go for it.   Return it at your leisure.

Flip!  The royal wedding will NOT have a budget.  I know thousands of brides who are pinching pennies for the most basic wedding who would like to slap the crap out of that newscaster, just because. 

Geeze, then there's the news that China is churning out Kate and William trinkets to sell so everyone can have a royal souvenir.  I'll pass.

As an American, I don't get the monarchy.  I don't get what they do...if they do anything besides smile before the camera.   Do they have jobs?  Do they get paid?

 Avoiding the royal wedding is like trying to avoid news of Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan.   Go back to rehab already.  With all the turmoil in Egypt, I find this all hard to digest as news. How is the royal wedding any more important than YOUR wedding?  I give the whole thing a big WHO CARES and a big REALLY?

Biker Motorcycle Wedding Theme

 Image by First Place Photography

Biker wedding theme is the hardest theme to pin down.  I promised you an inspiration board, but after spending hours and hours researching the theme, there is little solid advice on the internet.  The posts I've found are old, the products discontinued and its all over the map.  What I have learned is that each biker themed wedding is different.  Each rider is different, some are hard core, some are recreational cyclists.  Some biker weddings are traditional, some are off the radar.  One common thread is love and bikes.  

I decided to interview my friend who rides by the name of Fury.  She has been to numerous biker weddings and she rides her own Harley.  

Weddingzilla (WZ)  What's the one common thing you have to have at a biker wedding.

 Fury:  Beer!!

WZ: Tell me about a biker wedding.

Fury:  There isn't one biker wedding, there are biker weddings.  Some are traditional, church, dress and all that.  The bike is a theme.  They  pose for pictures on the bike and later ride off on the bike, sometimes leading the guest riders.

There are the outdoor biker weddings with everyone riding in on bikes with Harley t-shirts and leathers, kegs of beer, music and partying.  Went to one that was a pig roast and it lasted all weekend.  Some of the guys brought guitars and played.  Good times. 

Some weddings take place at the Sturgis run  or Daytona Beach's bike week.  They get married and party and celebrate in the streets or bars.  Sometimes they "wedding dress" and other times they don't.

WZ:  What do they wear?

Fury:  Anything goes! 

WZ:  I'm still confused!!  Thanks Fury!

I have learned that a lot of biker brides choose a Harley Davidson themed wedding.  They use black, orange and white as the theme colors or match the theme colors to their bike.  Harley themed items are easier to find on the internet, but some brides say just go to the Harley dealership and find items you can use for the wedding. 

For all the info you need on a Sturgis wedding, check out Sturgis Rally Weddings.

Do you want to get married on your bike in Daytona Beach during bike week 2011 ?  Bruce Rosmeyers Destination Daytona will have a huge wedding and vow renewal ceremony at 11AM on 3-11-11.   The Harley shop is trying to set a record for the most couples who get married on a motorcycle.  Check it out.

  

Invitations for biker wedding themes:

Wedding Invitations by Dawn 

Invitation Consultants 

Motorcycle Getaway Cake Topper

A romantic getaway on two wheels! This whimsically styled topper has great details like a miniature "Just Married" license plate, and real paper pom pom tied to the rear fender. Each piece is made of hand painted porcelain bisque and measures 5" tall with a 5.75" base. The paint colors are available only as shown, we are not able to provide custom colors.

Buy Now

Biker Motorcycle Weddings

A friend of mine sent me some pics of motorcycle themed weddings. She asked me to help her with ideas on planning her own biker wedding theme. I've been to a biker weddings, twice in fact. The first one was delightfully tacky, the second elegant.

The first biker wedding was in a beautiful chapel in Florida near the gulf. A high school buddy was getting married and our old group decided it was time for a road trip. So we piled into two cars and headed on a 24 hour road trip full of craziness.

We met the bride the day of the wedding at the beach. The groom was partying with his old high school buddies. They both rode in on their motorcycles. The groom had their dog on his bike, the dog was (swear to God) the best man. The bride was a sweet tiny little thing, how she managed the bike on her own in a wedding dress was beyond me. Her bike was decorated in flowers and wait for it....sea weed. The bride walked down the aisle in her wedding dress, the groom wore jeans and a leather vest

The brides' mother wore a white bikini top, white hip hugger slacks, a see through white lace open blouse and white flip flops decorated with flowers. Her dad wore his biker colors. Her small son wore a tux! Silly me wore a dress.

The reception, what can I say? His family is uber conservative, his grandparents were old order Amish... hers...wild and crazy. It was unforgettable and loads of fun.

The second biker wedding was at a country club. The groom and all the groomsmen rode in on their Harley motorcycles dressed in tuxes. The bride arrived in a limo. The wedding was traditional. The reception had a huge Harley Davidson ice sculpture and a Harley groom's cake. Drinks flowed to the tune of a 20 grand bar bill. The groomsmen got tanked and turfed the golf course. The brides parents had to pay and are still pissed off. The marriage didn't last. :(

I'm working on a motorcycle themed wedding board. In the meantime, here are the pics she sent me, enjoy!

Love this pic!