COUTURE REPORT: REEM ACRA SPRING 2011

The Spring 2011 Reem Acra collection is all about combining as much fabric and variety of techniques to one dress while retaining the simplicity . . . Go all out with fanned pleating, fabric florals, ruffles and touches of bling for which Reem Acra cut her teeth on in this industry.  Pictured here are but a few of the stunners you can see in this fascinating collection

Images courtesy Getty Images

PHOTOGRAPHY SPOTLIGHT: REBECCA WILKOWSKI

Sarah and Anthony’s Wedding

January 31st, 2010

Berkeley, California

CREDITS

Photography: Rebecca Wilkowski Certified Green Photography

Gown: Saja

Shoes - Christian Louboutin

Florist - Darling Flower Shop Berkeley, CA

Catering: Oliveto Oakland, CA – certified organic food

Venue - East Bay Botanical Gardens and the Claremont Resort Hotel and Spa

Anthony and Sarah met in school, at the Art Institute of California in Santa Monica. They had the same circle of friends, but somehow managed not to meet each other for three months. Then, late one night at the tail end of a party, Sarah showed up and Anthony was smitten. A week into dating, Anthony asked her to marry him to which she promptly said "no." After 3 ½ years of asking, Sarah finally said yes!
January 31st is Sarah's grandparents' wedding anniversary. They thought it'd be a nice tribute to have the same wedding day since they are still married after more than fifty years. They wanted to keep things relatively low key, so they only invited a selected group of close friends.

Vintage rings which belonged to groom's grandmother

Sarah and Anthony wanted to get married outside, and the botanical gardens with it's natural beauty and setting seemed like the perfect place.

The florist came highly recommended and could do the succulent bouquet that Sarah wanted. The wattle in the bouquet is an Australian plant and yellow is her favorite color.

Says Sarah about the talent of photographer Rebecca Wilkowski: "Rebecca is awesome and sooooo talented!!! We just loved her great composition and lighting skills. She captured the moments that were the most important and memorable. Within a couple hours of meeting everyone, Rebecca was able to capture all of their little nuances, expressions and mannerisms that make each of them so special. . . ."

BLUE CHIC

The peacock feather in the upper right has a certain eerie significance for me because I hail from Marin County , California.  No thanks to a pop culture documentary made in the 1980s, these plumes and Marin  are still synonymous in some circles for symbolizing decadence and self indulgence.  Despite this, the combos of color are magnificent and weave in beautifully with the true blue themed wedding.   

PANTS CHIC

Brides continue to break tradition on all fashion fronts.  Because some women just can’t get into wearing a dress even on their wedding day, pantsuits are becoming a stylish alternative. Pant legs can vary from slim cigarette widths to wide culotte cuts.  If you're wearing a jacket with your suit, jacket styles are key to characterizing your look. Do you want the more open and romantic look of a 3/4 length coat or do you feel more comfortable in a man-tailored jacket?

Accessorizing your pantsuit with a bridal touch is one of the ways you can customize it for a wedding. Everyday buttons on a jacket for instance can be replaced with fabric covered or jeweled ones. Your jacket can also have couture techniques such as hand-bound buttonholes. Shorter veils like cages or poufs of netting go great with pantsuits. If you’re not the veil type, consider a hat or headpiece that compliments. Hats and suits go together, especially a hat with some kind of veiling over the eyes. It takes the place of a blusher and offers a certain sophistication to being veiled rather than that symbolic ‘being given away’ business.

Images courtesy isposa.it

VERA DOES DAVID'S

Yup, you heard right, by early Spring 2011, Vera Wang will debut at David's Bridal with a collection of gowns under $1,500. Also in the works are bridal accessories, bridesmaid dresses and even shoes to be brought out in the future. It will be interesting to see if the level of fabrics and workmanship can come near that of which you find in her other collections and flagship store.  What are your thoughts and impressions on this?

TIED WITH A BOW . . .

Mauvey pinks and grays--how gorgeous.  Another fabulous set of inspirations from Naomi Goodman of Enchanted Dream Weddings and Affairs .  If blue is associated with calm and peace, these tones go there as well . . . in a different way.

NEW FEATURE: REAL BRIDES AND WEDDINGS

Check it out!  We have a  new feature on the side bar.  That's where you'll find a tribute to a few of the brides I've dressed alongside their grooms and a link to some great wedding day photos.  After making the debut on the Bride Chic Blog, each Real Brides and Weddings feature will make the move to a permanent page and link, making it easier for you to keep checking back if there was something you liked.  Above is Donna and Matt's off-the-charts-week-before-Valentine's-Day-Wedding.  This photo montage was created for D and M's wedding album by their very talented SF Bay Area photographer, Loic.