Thailand Getaway

I was lucky enough to go on a beautiful trip to Thailand over the Christmas break with my husband. We flew in to Bangkok and stayed at The Peninsula then went to the Six Senses Hideaway resort in Hua Hin (3 hrs drive south of Bangkok). I thought I would share the details for anyone interested in Thailand for their honeymoon. I can highly recommend the Peninsula, they really think of everything and the service was absolutely amazing. The Six Senses Hideaway resort was gorgeous but a word of warning - you don't go to this resort for the beach - there is no beach! Some of the pictures on their website are a bit misleading as it is just rocks and then the sea. This didn't bother us as all villas have their own private pool surrounded by perfectly kept gardens. Next door at the partner Evason resort there is a large swimming pool that overlooks the sea and more restaurants/bars that you can access if you feel the need to leave your own oasis.


The swimming pool overlooking the Chao Phraya river at the Peninsula in Bangkok


The Peninsula has its own boats that take you across the river to access the Sky Train


Inside the pool villa at the Six Senses Hideaway in Hua Hin, complete with outdoor bath


The pool villa suite


The outdoor lounge


A relaxing breakfast is served by the lotus ponds

Posted by Emma Henderson

Leigh Webber Photography & Stems Opening Party!

Congratulations to Leigh Webber Photography & Stems who opened their newly renovated studio space in downtown Charleston, SC with a festive grand opening celebration this week. The studio was packed with brides-to-be, A-list Charleston wedding professionals and of course, Emily Howard, our Charleston Weddings Unveiled representative! Guests enjoyed delicious eats from Cynthia Groseclose of Canape, including bloody mary shrimp, cherry brandy mac & cheese and arugula, fig, prosciutto & parmesan crostinis. Sugar served up the sweet treats, including bite-sized cupcakes, raspberry and lemon tarts and linzer cookies.

In addition, Anne Bowen of Stems is teaming up with the sassy, stylish ladies of Southern Protocol and the talented Cynthia Groseclose, chef and owner of the boutique catering company, Canape to teach a range of entertaining classes at the chic studio beginning this Spring. To learn more about the upcoming classes click here and if you're in Charleston, be sure to stop by to visit Anne and Leigh's gorgeous new place!

The Little White Dress

If you're in the Grand Strand area of SC, or if you're looking for your dream wedding dress, visit The Little White Dress, which opened this past fall in Myrtle Beach. The beautiful boutique carries a selection of designer bridal gowns and just recently added Fancy from New York City and Paloma Blanca. In addition, The Little White Dress also carries mother of the occasion, bridesmaids and flower girl dresses. Their talented, knowledgeable team make wedding gown shopping easy and fun. If you're in the Myrtle Beach area, be sure to stop by! Visit the Little White Dress website for more information including not-to-be-missed upcoming trunk shows!

images by Stewart Plemmons Photography

4 Months Out Today - Wedding Update

via Floataway Studios

Wedding To Do List

Ceremony and Reception Venue Selection
Table rentals for reception
Picnic Venue Selection
Confirm picnic menu
Rentals for picnic
Hood River Lodging Booked
Book travel to Portland and honeymoon (top priority)

Save the Dates
Wedding Website
Wedding Caterer
Photographer (checking this one off today!!!)
Menu Selection (still needs a few tweaks)
Officiant
Wedding Dress

• Fabric Purchased
• First Fitting (scheduled for 3/11)
• Shoes - need to buy
Groom Ring (being made; in development)
Order wedding band/ring

Grooms Suit (he still needs to find one!)
Bridal Party Attire (ladies and guys picking out their own - get on it!)
Paper Products - Invitations, menus, schedule of events, programs

DIY projects

• Favors - Soy candles need to be made
• Rustic Signs - Groom needs to make
• Wooden Name Place Cards - Groom needs to make
• Paper Flowers - My cousin is working on these
• Ribbons - Cousin Kirie is all over this one
• Fabric Flags for Picnic - My sister is working on it
• Welcome Bags
Book school bus for wedding transportation
Decide on dessert - cake, cobbler, dessert table???

As I'm typing out the list I'm getting stressed the more bullets I add so I'll stop there but could probably add 100 other little details.  I still feel good about where we are at this point but with only 4 months left and a very busy first half of the year for us it's going to be a challenge to get everything done.  I'm lucky I have a lot of creative friends and folks willing to lend a hand to help pull it all together. 

Enjoy your weekend - we'll be busy checking off our list.

Real Wedding ~ Rachel and Evan

Rachel and Evan's Richardson, TX wedding at Safari Texas Ranch was based on Rachel's love of sharks and Evan's love of mustaches. Yes, that's right... sharks and mustaches! We couldn't wait to share this wedding, which is definitely one of the most interesting, fun and creative ones we've seen, photographed by Caroline Fontenot. We love Rachel's stylish combination of knee-length dress, bolero jacket, retro-chic birdcage veil and brilliant violet pumps. The bridesmaids wore vibrant chartreuse dresses by J.Crew, which formed the base of their event palette of slate gray and chartreuse with accents of rich purple. The boys looked fantastic in gray suits, mustache patterned socks from Sock It To Me and handcrafted boutonnieres purchased on Etsy. Fun reception details included Mexican hot chocolate, a cigar bar and a Wahoo's fish taco truck. Friends and family danced the night away and created amazing images in the couple's prop-filled smile booth complete with mustaches, big red lips and a cardboard cut-out of the bride! To see more of Rachel and Evan's wedding, visit the Caroline Fontenot Photographer blog!

Credits:
Photography: Caroline Fontenot Photographer. Gown: David's Bridal. Florist: Striking Stems. Engagement Ring: Spot of Sparkle. Shoes: Cole Haan with Nike Air. Jewelry: J.Crew. Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew. Groom and Groomsmen Attire: Calvin Klein from MW Tux. Socks: Sock It To Me. Cakes: La Guadalapina. Boutonniere: Etsy seller AAlicia Wedding. Food: Wahoo's Fish Taco Truck.

Always Advice: What's your dress size?

While I was at Circa Vintage last week Marion and I got to talking about the difference in dress sizes now and in vintage clothing; vintage clothing is usually much smaller then modern sizes as the modern body shape has changed and is generally bigger, so you wouldn't necessarily buy your standard dress size when shopping for vintage clothing



When you go shopping for your wedding dress it’s not as simple as just knowing your dress size; there are standard sizes but the measurements used for this will vary from designer to designer and from shop to shop. The reason is that there is no universal standard size that all fashion houses copy. The general sizes are used as guidelines; each company will tailor its own basic block (Block is the term given to the basic pattern from which other patterns are adapted and graded into other sizes) for use with its designs. They will also modify their sizes to fit in with the market they are targeting. So for example a shop that caters for a younger clientele will be smaller than one which caters for an older clientele.


The cut and style of the garment will also affect the size and how it fits. A Bias cut dress will stretch and therefore have a lot more give in it then a fitted corseted style.


Standard dress sizes don’t take into consideration body types either they are generally based on an hourglass ratio. So if you’re busty with a small waist, the waist may end up being too big. It can help knowing your measurements as well your dress size as this is often a better indication of how a dress will fit. Catalogues give good guides on how to take your measurements. If you are a ‘non-standard’ ratio consider getting your dress made to measure as it may end up being more cost effective then having a lot of alterations made to a standard dress size.





Also worth bearing in mind as you try dresses on is that many bridal wear shops stock European (within Europe size charts vary too) and American brands which have different sizing charts. So for example a UK size 12 will be a US 10, France 40, Germany 38, Italy 44 etc.


Good bridal shops will know what the fit is like on their different labels and will be able to size you accordingly, so do trust the assistant. This is particularly important if you are shopping and/or having to order in dresses for your bridesmaids; don’t just take their word for it, try getting them measured.


So when dress shopping try on a variety of styles and don’t get hung up on the label. Your ‘dress’ size is only a guide to know which dresses to try on first, chances are most dresses will need altering. Don’t be tempted to buy a dress too small because you always wear size 10 say, it’s far easier to take a dress in then to let it out; and if anyone is impolite enough to ask tell them the American size, it will be one size smaller.

Image courtesy of Marianne Taylor

A Special Event

In our current issue we ran a story about destination wedding planning, featuring Alison Hotchkiss from Alison Events. Her new book, Destination Wedding Planner - The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Wedding from Afar is a fabulous resource for anyone considering holding their wedding away from home.

Destination Wedding Planner $39.95 available at all good bookstores nationally.




Our story from Issue 13.

So, it was with much anticipation I opened the lovely envelope on my desk this week from Alison. Inside the kraft envelope was this wonderful card wishing me the best for the new year.



Stitched onto cardboard is a canvas, screenprinted illustration by Jenny Pennywood depicting a log cabin, deers and a bear. Certainly not something I get to see everyday on my way to work, that's for sure. A touching sentiment about staying warm and cozy is printed on the back - now this is something I have no trouble doing in the middle of our summer! I love the tactile quality of the canvas and stitching - it makes this card really unique.

It may sound odd but my favourite part of the whole card is that the stamps coordinate beautifully with the address label and the kraft envelope.



The right stamp can really make the presentation of an envelope. Definitely something to consider when mailing out wedding invitations - a ghastly stamp will ruin all the hard work you've put into choosing the perfect envelope and typeface or calligraphy. Australia Post always have a variety of stamp designs available at different price points so ask to see what they have in store, then buy up in bulk. And if you can't find anything that is just right, ask about a 'postage paid' rubber stamp which most major branches are happy to do if you bring in bulk envelopes for mailing. A simple single coloured impression is often better than a multi-coloured paper stamp that clashes with everything else to ruin the overall effect.

Australia Post also offer their personalised stamp option. A word of caution here - choose your images wisely or your stamp may end up looking like something from a Barbara Cartland novel and perhaps not the stylish, sophisticated addition you had hoped. To my mind the designs they offer a too corny but you may be able to wing it if you couple them with a fantastic photo of your own.

Vintage stamps are one of my trusty standbys - if you look you'll see I often use them in stationery shoots. I have a fabulous stamp album full of samples from many eras. Some of the designs are so exquisite they add another dimension to the overall design of the envelope. Of course you can't mail them but you can photocopy them and use them as a design element, perhaps on an inner-envelope.


A stationery shot from our Lush Blush story in Issue 6.

The other alternative is to make your own. Use an illustration you've drawn, a photo you've taken or a favourite piece of copyright-free clipart and print out as many as you need. Again, you can't use them for mailing but you may be able to use them as decorative elements on your stationery items. I found a wonderful article on Something I Made about making your own stamps if you're interested in giving this a go for yourself.



I guess the message is consider every little detail when preparing your wedding stationery. It's worth the effort as the result will be wonderful.

Posted by Jane Cameron

Atelier Isabey

We're in love with the elegant, handcrafted designs by New York stationery company Atelier Isabey. Atelier Isabey specializes in creating couture invitations and social stationery with a design team that is passionate about beautiful design, elegant typography, classic printing techniques, luxurious handmade papers and designs that truly reflect the personality of their clients. We've included images of a selection of our favorite custom designs, but visit the Atelier Isabey website to see more!

Wedding Festivals ~ Anderson

Stop by the Wedding Festivals show this weekend in Anderson, SC at the Anderson Civic Center on Saturday, January 30th from 10am-3pm! See inspiring wedding trends and save thousands in show discounts and specials. Don't miss the couture display, where you'll find the latest in bridal fashion or the mock wedding and reception display for a host of wonderful decor ideas. You'll have the chance to win great prizes and attending brides will also receive a copy of the new Winter 2010 issue of Weddings Unveiled! Visit the Wedding Festivals website for more details.

Real Wedding ~ Neely and Jack

It was a bright, sunny day for Neely and Jack's Charlotte, NC wedding photographed by our talented friend Sharon Clark of Smitten Photography. In fact Neely wore aviator sunglasses during her outdoor portraits, which she totally rocked with her unique gown featuring a ruffled collar that she helped design. In one-of-a-kind style, Neely chose an inspired palette, with the bridesmaids in brilliant chartreuse dresses by J.Crew and florals created by Flowerchild florist. We love Neely's beautiful textured bouquet and the tall organic arrangements in silver vases. Their lively reception kicked off at the Charlotte City Club for a fantastic evening of dancing and celebration where the signature aviators re-appeared. For more images and details from Neely and Jack's Charlotte wedding visit the Smitten Photography blog.

Credits:
Photography: Smitten Photography. Gown: NY Bride. Designer: Cymbeline. Florist: Flowerchild. Caterer: Charlotte City Club. Cupcakes: Dewey's Bakery. Cake: Edible Art. Band: Reality Show Band. Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew.

Wedding Dress Love

By now you probably know I'm having my dress made by a friend - I'm really excited but also anxious since it will be tough to know what it will look like until close to the wedding when she is done with the dress.  But I do love the thought of having my dress designed and made just for me.  She wanted me to send her all the dress images today that I've really liked so she could hang them up for inspiration while she's working on mine.  I already had a folder of images but figured I'd do one more search before I sent them over and found this dress...












I'm really in love with this dress - while my lace is totally different than this super cool crochet look I think the style and shape could still be the same.  It has the easy breezy, boho chic, simplistic style I'm looking for in a dress.  I'm probably killing my friend since I'm always showing her new and different looks but hey...if there can be a little bit of loveliness from each dress I like rolled into one - it's all good.

E Session ~ Allison and Steven

We always love a creative, fun engagement session and Allison and Steven's images, sent to us by Caroline Fontenot definitely fit the bill! The couple spent the afternoon in Johnson City, TN, starting out on a country farm, then hanging around downtown. Do you love the patterned red chairs as much as we do? They're from Steven's grandmother! To see more of Allison and Steven's engagement session, visit the Caroline Fontenot blog!