Some of my fave 2011 Spring Gowns

This trumpet gown couldn't be any cuter! I'm in love with the center portion! The one-shoulder is still very much in style. I happen to like the way the rest of this dress is very topsy-turvy! I really love this corset type of top, and paired with the bottom part of the dress which is exquisite, this dress screams rockstar of royalty!
I love the way the tulle starts high up and puffs in layers vertically! The outer layer of this dress is really modern and sharp! Love the detail!

These sheer off-the-shoulder long sleeves are really different! I love them! I love the draping on the bottom! And something about the asymetrical top is intriguing!

The color and fabric are a very romantic combination!

Really? If you can pull it off, this is one amazing way to walk down the aisle!

The slit up the center is hot!
"Bestill my heart" is what I said when I saw this gown that turns in to a short dress! I love the very faint see through sleeves that sparkle!

I absolutely had to share some of my favorite gowns for spring 2011! Some of my faves for this season are St. Pucchi, Badgley Mischka, Romona Keveza, Priscilla of Boston, Vera Wang, Melissa Sweet, and Monique Lhuillier. I am just in love with a designer who can envision and create a brand new bridal gown! There are soooo many, so to find ones that are different, amazes me!

Polka Dot It

Can you stand the cuteness of this one? If you're a retro girl or just a girl with a great personality and you're looking to do something very sweet with your wedding, this is for you! Polka dots are adorable and very girly! You'll see that the bridal gown is showered with them. Red with teal (or turquoise) is one of my most absolute favorite color combos! There's something so inviting and fun about it! A very cute touch is the red shoes on the bridesmaids who are in white dresses too.

Having a wedding in July? Are you or your hubby-to-be part of the military? Is your career with the government? This color scheme is also a neat way to show off your patriotism without making it very basic and predictable with your typical red, white, and blue.

Different Shades of Beauty

So you're the type of bride who is laid back and wants to make your bridesmaids happy by putting them in styles they like to wear and that are comfortable for them. At the same time, you're looking to create a wow-factor. Maybe you're a fan of mixing up the colors, but don't know the right ones to choose. Since you want your wedding to look designed with exceptional taste even though there will not be uniformity throughout the bridal party, I've designed this board to show you how to do it in a way in which you don't have to have a multi-colored wedding of pastels if you don't want to. To achieve a look where each bridesmaid can stand out in her own color, why not pick a color family and offer out different shades of the dress? Here you'll see I've played with the purple family. This included everything from berry colors to lavendar. You can even highlight the flower girl in the lightest shade. I also recommend if you are doing different styles of dresses to at least keep the same length for each girl. That can be where the uniformity comes in. Since each girl will have a completely different color, be sure to pair up the groomsmen with coordinating ties. Another neat touch would be to have the same purse for each girl, but instead of giving them the purse that matches, give them a different shade. For flowers, consider having the girls carry chartreuse green.

An amazing backdrop of pomanders hang from a wooden arbor in this garden/outdoorsy wedding. Each of these balls of flowers coincide with the colors the bridesmaids are wearing. What really puts a beautiful modern twist on this color pallette is throwing in the greens and light pinks. It offsets the purples and creates a scene very pleasing to the eye.

During cocktail hour you might consider using the lighter purple linens and then taking it in to dark purple linens for the reception. You can play with the purples throughout maybe even starting with the absolute lightest for the ceremony, so you are creating a sequence from light to dark just as the evening will go. Again, when decorating, add touches of green. For that matter, if it is in fact an outdoor garden wedding, adding browns will work well too.

You may also notice I played with a shape in this board. Since these pomanders are round, I also included round trees for escort cards, round lanterns, round labels, etc.

Working with this type of theme is fun because you have such a wide variety of colors to play with that you really can't go wrong if you stay within those 7-10 shades. The invitation is a light purple, the cupcakes are the green, berry, and pink. Everything just blends so well together!

Maid of Merlot

Okay wine lovers...this one's for you! Inspired by the mountainside of Capri, I've taken the colors from flowers, shrubs, rock, and water to create this board. Draping tables in a merlot linen will enhance any tableware you use whether it is white, gold, or silver and will help define flowers. In this case, I recommend bringing as much green in as possible to captivate the greenery that lines the mountain. Putting the bridesmaids in a two-tone blue/green bridesmaid dress shows the spectrum of colors that lie beneath the mountain and make up the body of water. Wine bottles top the tables and serve as both a table number and favor to take home. (A cute idea for the bride-and-groom to be would be to go to a local winery and bottle their own wine). And of course, incorporating wine corks for escort card holders is the perfect little touch. Cheeses and chocolates are the absolute way to go for cocktail hour and dessert. Salute!

French Kiss

When I was younger, I really did not like the color pink. However, now it is one of my favorite colors. I can see how pink means so many things and creates so many moods. Pink is very feminine and dainty which is the perfect color to celebrate a woman, especially on her wedding day. In this case, I went with a very pale pink hue. By contrasting it with black, a very chic, sophisticated, and sensual vibe is created. I wanted to add my favorite flower - anenomes! They are also very dainty and airy and have the contrasting black centers so they coincide perfectly. Adding some crystal touches whether it be in a chandelier or adorning the invitation, makes the look evtra exquisite and makes me think of Paris, hence the name.

Pretty Pretty Peacock

In 2009 we were introduced to the peacock feather trend. Peacock featheres were popping up in bridesmaids' hair and then they were making their way in to centerpieces. I love the idea of a peacock feather, but usually it is worked in with all of the dark blues and purples in which it consists of. I wanted to show how to lighten and brighten this idea by adding teals, golds, champagne, orange, and pinks. It's a great color palette!

Chic Autumn Elegance

For brides getting married in Autumn, you may just "Fall in Love" with this inspiration board! I took the trendy gray and mixed in the oranges and golds of the season. A very sophisticated and somewhat futuristic short bridal dress is very fashion forward! The cake shares the silver belt on the dress as ribbon highlights each layer. Both the bridesmad dress and the invitation mimic that of the bridal dress with their sash and bow. Cala lillies are the perfect pick for flowers as they make nice compact and thin bouquets and provide the exact hue I was going for. Throwing in a manzanita tree draping in crystals puts a little chill in the air setting the stage for an event that is chic, cool, modern, and elegant!