The White House

What a time I had last week. I was lucky enough to stay at The White House in Daylesford, Victoria. Owned and decorated by one of my style heroes, Lyn Gardener from Empire Vintage fame, this gorgeous little house is nestled amongst some of the most beautiful countryside I have seen. It was cold and raining for most of the time we were there, the perfect excuse to spend long spells in front of the open fire, grazing on delicious local produce and catching up on favourite magazines.

This house is such an inspiration to me as a designer and stylist. Every corner has an interesting display or collection to admire. It was a direct reflection of Lyn herself - warm, inviting, generous and relaxed - everything a home should be.









We were so fortunate to have Lyn feature in our Gift Registry story this issue. She shared her tips and tricks on how to make a house feel like a home. Her insights give anyone about to embark on the fabulous task of registering for gifts a heads up on making choices that will last a lifetime.





Thank you Lyn for the most fabulous time.

Posted by Jane Cameron

ABC Meeting with Mike Colón and David Jay

The Association of Bridal Consultants is hosting a local networking meeting on Wednesday, June 9th from 11:30am-3:00pm at the beautiful Watercolor Resort in Santa Rosa Beach, FL. Don't miss this amazing event featuring David Jay and Mike Colón as guest speakers. Attendees will also receive a copy of the gorgeous Spring 2010 issue of Weddings Unveiled. For more details and to register for the event, click here.

Married!

Still out in beautiful Hood River but now as a Mrs!  The wedding was better than I could have even imagined.  And no need to worry about the weather - it was beautiful and we got our mountain - she was out in all her glory by the reception.  Now off to sunny Mexico but here are a couple of pictures until we get the actual wedding photos back from our awesome photographers Gabriel Boone. 



  Photo via a friends camera/Facebook





There she is!

Real {Destination} Wedding ~ Brittney and Jordan

Today's destination wedding is from all the way across the country in San Diego, CA, where Brittney and Jordan's sophisticated affair at The Grand Del Mar was photographed by Anika London. The event was designed in a palette of black, white and varied shades of violet, ranging from pale lavender to dark magenta. Brittney wore a lovely strapless gown by Vera Wang with layers of sheer netting and a silver metallic and black grosgrain belt. She wore metallic sequined ballet flats by Jimmy Choo and carried a bouquet of white gardenia and peonies. Her bridesmaids wore black strapless cocktail dresses and carried vibrant bouquets of mixed purple blooms with leafy green collars and bold taffeta wrapping, while Jordan and his groomsmen wore classic black tuxedos with black bowties and boutonnieres made from a single gardenia.

White petals and clear glass columns set with white pillar candles lined the ceremony aisle, giving the church a soft candlelight glow. We love the pretty ceremony programs printed on white paper with a black damask motif and tied together with black satin ribbon. The tables were dressed in crisp white linens and gold chargers for the reception at The Grand Del Mar. Gold chivari chairs and groupings of flickering votives added a warm accent to the low centerpiece arrangements made in a variety of purple blooms. Don't miss the candy bar, featuring apothecary jars filled with delicious treats and the couple's exquisite four-tier wedding cake with ornate floral piping. To see more of Brittney and Jordan's ultra-luxe California wedding, visit the Anika London blog.

Credits:
Photography: Anika London. Venue: The Grand Del Mar. Wedding Coordinator: Julie Scrivener of The Best Wedding For You. DJ: Mick Scrivener of Elite British DJ. Ceremony Music: Caprice Strings. Cocktail Hour Music: Miles Moynier.

The Right Stripes

I made a fleeting visit to Melbourne last week and happened to drive past one of my favourite shops, Specklefarm, located in Albert Park. I popped in to say hello and to have a look at their divine range of ribbons and stationery. The selection is overwhelming which makes it very difficult to choose a favourite.

If you're quick, you've still got time to enter our Think Pink competition with one of the prizes being a roll of stunning Black & White Pencil Stripe grosgrain ribbon from Specklefarm. But do be quick, entries close on the 8th of June so you won't want to miss out. (Open to Australian residents only.)







Posted by Jane Cameron

Mac & Murphy "Be Our First" Giveaway

Charleston paper company, Mac & Murphy have entered the world of happily ever after with their exclusive save-the-dates, shower invitations, thank you notes and wedding invitations. They're the perfect one-stop-shop for all your wedding paper needs with classically chic, modern designs. To celebrate their new venture into the weddings, they want one lucky couple to be their very first wedding client. Mac & Murphy has partnered with 3.14 PIES, Charlotte Elizabeth Photographer and Lella Foster Designs to put together an amazing goodie bag, including a $400 dollar credit towards a custom invitation package of your choice from select wedding albums at Mac & Murphy, a free portrait session with Charlotte Elizabeth Photographer, 50% off your order of designer pies from 3.14 PIES and a custom set of earrings designed by Lella Foster Designs. To win this amazing prize, submit your one page love story to Mac & Murphy by 5:00pm EST today! Here are the details:


• Each love story entry must be one page or less and include your wedding date, contact information and a recent picture of you and your fiance.
• Winner must redeem or book appointment by September 1, 2010.
• Submission must be received via email write@macandmurphy.com by 5:00pm EST, Friday, May 28th.
• Winner will be announced on the Mac & Murphy blog at 12:00pm EST, Monday, June 7th.

Start working on your entry now, because you don't want to miss out on this amazing giveaway from Mac & Murphy!

Real Wedding ~ Crystal and Rae

Crystal and Rae's gorgeous Atlanta, GA nuptials were photographed by our good friends Cristen and Scott of W. Scott Chester photography. Crystal wore a chic strapless column gown with beaded and crystal embellishments at the waist and long, dramatic train for the church ceremony. She carried a cascading bouquet of white orchids and wore glittering crystal-embellished heels. Her bridesmaids wore cocktail dresses and carried bold red clutched, while the groomsmen and his groomsmen wore classic black tuxedos with ascots. Crystal changed into a form fitting trumpet silhouette gown for the reception with a tiered skirt and floral detailing. She added a feathered fascinator to her hair and a long, sleek clutch. Dreamy Gelato provided fun treats for the party and a smilebooth made for endless entertainment and priceless images. At the end of the evening, Crystal surprised Rae with a second line brass band flown in from New Orleans to help celebrate in New Orleans style. To see more of Crystal and Rae's Georgia wedding, visit W. Scott Chester's newly redesigned blog!

Credits:
Photography: W. Scott Chester. Wedding Gown: Justin Alexander Couture. Shoes: Bourne. Reception Gown: Allure. Invitations: The Bee Paperie. Programs: Wanted Freelance Design. Wedding Coordinator: Wedding Soirée. Videography: Three Ring Weddings. Band: The Stooges from New Orleans. Dessert: Dreamy Gelato.

New Heritage

If, like me, you've been pouring over the stills and snippets from Sex and the City 2 you'll have noticed both Sarah Jessica Parker and her alter-ego Carrie Bradshaw sporting many pieces from the label Halston Heritage. Announced in January, SJP has taken the reigns as designer/creative director. Halston Heritage is the secondary label to Halston, currently designed by Marios Schwab. If, like me (again!), you've fallen in love with some of the pieces, don't fret! It's easier (and cheaper) than you think to dress like the famed Miss CB. Many of the HH pieces are available online at Net-A-Porter, my favourite online designer hub. It's a fact that these pieces are on the top of many a girls wish list, which means they're hard to get your hands on, but online shopping makes it that much easier regardles of where in the world you are. So hop onto the Halston Heritage online shop at Net-A-Porter and get the Carrie look!




Tiered pleated silk-chiffon dress £379 and stretch-jersey V-neck dress £191


SJP wore a simply gorgeous nude Halston Herritage dress to the 2010 Met Ball

Posted by Emilie Harrison

Bird and Banner

We're swooning over Bird and Banner's ridiculously pretty wedding papers. Graphic Designers, Erin and Nicole realize every couple has a unique story and each piece is designed with the couple in mind. They created the design of your wedding stationery by folding in elements that could inlcude ideas from the first time you met to your engagement story. Unique materials are combined with beautiful typography to share each couple's unique personality with their guests and setting the tone for the big day. We've included a few of our favorite custom designs from Bird and Banner, but visit their website to see all their work and contact them to start working on your story.