What's New @ Nine West

I just received an email update from one of my favorites shoes stores, Nine West. I have so many pair of Nine West shoes, it is so not funny. You have to love 'em. Here are some new goodies that they have recently added. High on fabulousity (like ms. kimora lee simmons would say). Get yours here.

The Soul of Shoes: SoleStuck.com

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE shoes! I really believe that shoes are a major part of your wedding attire. So I never get tired of hearing about fabulous places to get fabulous shoes. Enter SoleStruck.com. They have an array of wonderful shoes from designers (really famous and not so famous but all still fab). Also, they offer free shipping, free returns (prepaid labels included in the box) and an entire year to do a return! Free shipping is enough to get my shopping juices going!!

You can also get your own discount code for up to 15% off simply by donating used shoes laying around in your closet. This program which ends in just a few weeks, supports two very important charities that help put shoes on the neediest. See their Giving Back page: http://www.solestruck.com/donations/.

Check out their wedding section. Here are my favorites (the pink ones are my absolute favorites):

What's Flat @ J. Crew

There are countless places to shop for shoes. But no one has done flats this year like J. Crew. They took flats to another level. I was overwhelmed by the choices. Too many adorable pairs to choose from. Just what a bride needs to help her dance the night away. Here are my favorites:

What's Flat @ Piperlime.com

Another great online shoe store is Piperlime.com. What a fabulous array of options. Sigh. Here are my favs:

In order: Dr. Scholl's; Cynthia Vincent; Nine West; Hollywould; Mia; Nine West; Clarks; Enzo Angiolini; and Martinez Valero.

What's Flat @ Nordstrom's

I love Nordstrom. It is one of my favorite places to shop for shoes. So, of course, I had to include them. Here are the ones that caught my eye, especially the Vince Camuto and Stuart Weitzman shoes:

In order: Steve Madden; Jessica Simpson; Calvin Klein; BCBG; Calvin Klein; Betsey Johnson; REPORT; Vince Camuto; Stuart Weitzman; and BCBG.

What's Flat @ Saks Fifth Avenue

If money isn't an issue for you, here are some designer options from Saks:

In order (1)BCBG; (2)Marc Jacobs; (3)Tory Burch; (4), (5) Pedro Garcia.

What's Flat @ The Gap

Here are some lovely options from The Gap.


src="http://www.gap.com/Asset_Archive/GPWeb/Assets/Product/552/552915/main/gp552915-07p01v01.jpg" border="0" alt="" />

What's Flat @ Newport News

More choices of cute flat shoes with your style and comfort in mind. From Newport News.com.

What's Flat @ Spiegel

Need flats, have Spiegel.com. I especially like the first pair. Here are my favs:

Sorry :-(

Sorry for the lack of posts. I am trying desperately to fight off a bad cold. I have a bunch of new things to post. So please check back. Thanks!

EVENT: NicEvents and Kimera Design

The lovely and talented Nicole over at NicEvents is having a bridal event with designer Kimera. The event will take place in late February. You can check out Nicole's blog or contact her via email for more details.

You can Kimera's designs on her web site. Here is a sample of Kimera's beautiful dresses:

Grooms Get Your Groove On!

Ladies,
Finally there is somewhere for your groom to hang out and get the latest info on what's hot in the world of grooms. The charming Matt over at Groom Groove dropped me a line about his fantastic site. So I went to check it out and I love it. There is a wealth of information from "how to pop the question" to planning that perfect honeymoon getaway. So ladies, please pass it on to your man!

More Table Decor from Red Envelope

Here are some other choices from Red Envelope:

A Unique Touch for your Reception Tables

I love these candle holders. These are very modern and unique. A little on the expensive side though. If you are budget-challenged, then it may work just for your head table. Available in silver or gold from Red Envelope.

More Wedding Style from Dillard's

Dressing your Maids could be as easy as a trip to Dillard's. I did not know that they carried bridesmaids options. Here are my favs:

In order of appearance:

Maggy London, JS Collections, Max & Cleo, Adrianna Papell, JS Collections, and Adrianna Papell.

Wedding Style Via Dillard's

I love shoes. I believe that you love shoes, too. I especially love shoes that are a little different from the norm. So here are some beauties that your girls might be brave enough to strut down the aisle as if they were walking the runways of Milan. Brought to you by Dillard's. The first shoe is my absolute fav.

In order of appearance:

Jessica Simpson, Bally, Michael Kors, Kenneth Cole, Donald J. Pliner, Antonio Melani, Cole Haan, and BCBG.

Get Free Tickets to the Washington Bridal Show

DC, MD, VA BRIDES

Don't forget about the chance to win tickets to next Sunday's Washington Bridal Show at the Bethesda Marriott. I still have four pair of tickets left. If you would like a pair of tickets, send an email to: bridalwishlist @gmail.com with your contact information and wedding date. You must include your contact information so that I will know where to send the tickets. That's it!!! Good Luck.

Take the Plunge with Jenny Packham

British designer Jenny Packham is back for '08 with plunging necklines everywhere. If you want to be daring and alluring, here is the collection for you. She does have other styles but the deep neckline makes up most of the collection. These dresses are gorgeous, risque, and sexy. Here are my favs:

ATTENTION DC, MD, VA BRIDES - CONTEST

DC, MD, VA BRIDES

Here is your chance to win tickets to next Sunday's Washington Bridal Show at the Bethesda Marriott. If you would like a pair of tickets, send an email to:
bridalwishlist @gmail.com with your contact information and wedding date. The first five (5) brides will win the tickets. You must include your contact information so that I will know where to send the tickets. That's it!!! Good Luck.

Something New from Paris: Reinaldo Alvarez

Wow! What a way to start of 2008. French designer Reinaldo Alvarez has something to wow about in his wedding dress collection. He is surely thinking outside of the box and thank goodness. I am so tired of seeing the same old thing. His dresses are definitely different from what is out there. Here are my favorites:

2007 Wedding Dress Designer of the Year

Drum roll, please.....



My pick for the 2007 Wedding Designer of the Year is:



Hannibal Laguna


Venezuelan designer Hannibal Laguna made me gasp for air when I saw his dresses. You have to go to his web site to see the complete line of dresses. Absolutely amazing. Here are my favorites:

The Best Wedding Jewelry

The final day is here. We will be back to regular posts next week. For the DC/MD/VA brides, I will also be offering a contest to win a pair of tickets to the January 20th Washington Bridal Show at the Bethesda Marriott.

I had a few jewelry designers that stood out for me in 2007. Here are my favorite must see places for beautiful and unique wedding jewelry:




My Personal Favorite Jewelry Designer (she designed all of the jewelry for my wedding and she is a great person/great to work with): Meg Lammers for MEG Wedding Jewelry. Meg was so great to work with and she took my vision and ran with it. I had jewelry made espeically for my bridemaids/maid of honor and they just loved it. I will posted about her spring line when it becomes available. Here are some of my favorites:









The Best and Most Creative Jewelry Designs: Jaime Pickering for Bella Bijou.

Jaime's jewelry will not only add a special touch to your dress, but it will surely give your girls something to talk about. Her handmade designs are elegant and unique. Here are my favorites from her collection:







The Best Traditional Wedding Jewelry with a Modern Twist: Courtney Husak for Husak Design.
I love Courtney's designs. Her designs are traditional in style but with a fabulous modern twist. Perfect for the strapless dress. Here are my favorites:

Necklaces






earrings





The Best Vintage Jewelry with a Modern Twist and Top Indie Jewelry Designer: Karen Sugarman.
She has so perfectly married vintage and modern in a jaw-dropping way. She also used some amazing colored gems that give it the perfect unique one-of-a-kind feel. Here are my favorites:








The Best Vintage Wedding Jewelry: Age Before Beauty.
These are some amazing vintage pieces that are to die for. Here are my favorites:






The Best Vintage Wedding Earrings with a Modern Twist: Paris by Debra Moreland (visit Perfect Details).
If you are looking for earrings with the vintage look, Paris by Debra Moreland is your answer. Here are my favorites:

The Best Event Designs of 2007

More recap from 2007. Here are my favorite event designs and designer of 2007.




The Best Idea from an Event Planner was Glenn Griffith, Inc.
The ice luminary took the cake in 2007! I have not seen a more amazing idea.


The Best Event Design Company: Heffernan Morgan
Are these amazing images or what? Don't you want them to do your wedding? They were it for me in 2007. Here are my favorites pics from their portfolio.






Best Floral Event Designer: Florarama.
There floral arrangements are something quite special. I was impressed with the how rich the hues of the flowers were. I also love the creativity and thinking outside the box. Here are some of my favorite pics from their portfolio:












The Best Linens: Wildflower Linens

The Best Bridesmaids Dresses, Flower Girl Dresses, and Fabulous Shoes

Here are my 2007 picks for bridesmaids dresses, flower girls and shoes.



Best Modern Bridesmaids Dresses: Lynn Lugo
Hands down, Lynn Lugo is the undisputed winner. These dresses are fresh and modern. Your bridesmaids will love you because they will totally be able to wear these dresses again and again. Isn't that really what it is all about. Here are my favs:






Best New Bridesmaids Dress Discovery: Coren Moore
Enter Coren Moore to the wedding fashion industry. What splash Coren Moore made. Here's another designer who understands that bridesmaids want to buy something that they can wear again. Here are my favs:







Most Elegant Bridesmaids Dresses: Melissa Sweet
I love Melissa Sweet's Bridesmaids line. Usually, I am a Vera Wang kinda girl when it comes to bridesmaids dresses. But this line by Melissa Sweet slightly edges Vera Wang's collection. But Wang's collection for 2008 is fabulous so I am sure that she will be back on top by the end of 2008. Here are my favs:










The Best Bridesmaid Dress Alternative: Kina Fernandez and Akira Isogawa
Spanish designer, Kina Fernandez and Japanese designer (by way of Australia), Akira Isogawa were the hands down winners for me with Julie Haus running a close third. Here are my favs from both:

Kina Fernandez






Akira Isogawa
Here is a different take on the Bridesmaid Dress (sans the red shoes). These modern styles are from Japanese designer (resides in Australia), Akira Isogawa. View the entire collection at: Akira Designs







Best Modern Flower Girl Dresses and Tiaras: Smitherman and Barnwell
These were a wonderful find for me. I have been waiting for someone to come up with flower girl dresses that were stylish and modern. Well here you have it. Here are my favs:

Flower Girl Dresses








Flower Girl Tiaras




The Best Wedding Shoes at a Reasonable Price: Shelley George
If you do not have $500 to drop on a pair of new fabulous wedding shoes, then here is the practical choice for elegant wedding shoes. Here are my favs:







The Best Wedding Shoes - Regardless of Price: Christian Louboutin and Stuart Weitzman
For me, it's a tie. I love both Louboutin and Weitzman. Both will break the bank but you will undeniably look like a million bucks. You can find both at stores like Saks, Barney's, Bergdorf Goodman, and Neiman Marcus. Here is one from each:

Christian Louboutin


Stuart Weitzman

New Wedding Blog: White Aisle

One of my favorites places for all things wedding is White Aisle. They have the most fabulous wedding jewelry, invitations, and now they have gorgeous silk accessories. Well, finally they have a blog. Check their new blog at: http://www.whiteaisle.blogspot.com/.

The Best of 2007 post will be coming this afternoon. Stay tuned.

The Best Wedding Dresses of 2007

Finally. Here are my picks for the best of the best in wedding dresses for 2007. Tomorrow's installment will be the best of the best in bridesmaids dresses, shoes, and flower girl dresses.



Best Dress Designer: Rosa Clara
Her dresses were different to me from many of the other designers. Her dresses were stunning and showed a great deal of creativity. You would make a dramatic entrance in one of these dresses. [Rosa Clara update: She will now be selling her beautiful dresses here in the US. YEAH! See her ad in the Winter 2008 edition of InStyle Weddings]. Here are a few from her Spring 2008 collection:










Best Choice for a Non-Traditional Wedding Dress: Abed Mahfouz
If you wanted something beautiful but did not want a traditional wedding dress, then Lebonese designer Abed Mahfouz was the answer. His dresses were drop dead gorgeous with the most amazing detail, cut, fabric, and styling. Here are some of his amazing designs:










Best Designer of Retro-Inspired Wedding Dresses: Stephanie James
No one was able to pull off retro and modern better than Stephanie James. She got it right. Her dresses seemed like each was straight out of the fifties but with a lovely modern twist. Her imagery on her web site was wonderful. Here are a few from her 2007 collection:








Best Short Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier
This was hands down the best short wedding dress of the season:





Best Place to Find Vintage Dresses: Vintage Wedding Dress Company. This company finds beautiful one-off dresses from eras as diverse as Victorian/20's/30's through to early 70's. Their selections are amazing. Here are some of my favorites:

Contest - Win a Free Wedding Photography Package: Karenscape Photographers

I received a lovely email from Karen at Karenscape Photographers about a great contest that she is running. It's a free wedding photography package worth $9700!!! That is an amazing deal. Not to mention the fact that her work is amazing. Contest details are below. GOOD LUCK!


***************************************************************************************************
CONTEST DETAILS: Win a Free Wedding Photography Package
***************************************************************************************************
Karenscape Photographers is giving away a FREE complete wedding photography package every four months in 2008. Karen will personally shoot all three contest winner's weddings, a value of $9700 per wedding, for FREE.

But this is not a random raffle.

We are searching for the most romantic, serendipitous, poignant, funny, and inspiring stories of how you found the one. Tell us the amazing tale of how you crossed paths with your fiancé in this big crazy world, and you'll have a chance to win a free wedding. Make us cry. Make us laugh. Make us hope.

To win you must create a 3-minute-or-less video relaying your story. Upload your video to YouTube.com and send us an email. Be as creative as you'd like!

For full contest entry details, please visit www.karenscape.com and click on the "Win a Free Wedding" link. We're looking forward to hearing your story!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year. Welcome to 2008. I am trying to get it together for the new year but I am moving at a slower pace than I had planned. So next week, I will take a look at 2007 and my favorites of the year.

ATTENTION ALL DC/MD/VA BRIDES
I will have five (5) pair of tickets to the Washington Bridal Show at the Bethesda Marriott up for grabs next week. So you definitely want to check back next week for that giveaway. The show will be on January 20th from 11 am to 5 pm.