Pastel Bridal Gowns; Elie Saab

We cannot get enough of these pastel bridal gowns. They are an elegant and beautiful choice for brides looking for something a little different and unique. These spring colors are sure to make a lovely statement and add a beautiful flare to any wedding. This collection of gowns came from Elie Saab Spring 2012 Couture. There seem to be more and more pastel wedding dresses coming out each season with every collection and we are so excited to see this trend grow and take root – it’s a perfect way to introduce a little fun color for the nontraditional bride!

Image credit unknown. If anyone knows where these originated from, please let us know!

Unique, Stylish Valentine’s Day Gifts For Your Wife

Ahh, Valentine’s Day – the official day of romance. While lingerie, flowers and candy are the holiday’s gifting mainstays for the important lady in your life, I’m a fan of going with something a little more subtle, yet still romantic. Here are my top picks for unique, stylish presents for your girlfriend or wife on Valentine’s Day:

1. Scoop Back Kimono Style Robe – Pretty Plum Sugar, $68 (see photo above)

What I love about this robe is the sexy shape and beautiful fabrics – it’s less obvious than buying your lady lingerie, but she’ll love it so much that it just might have the same effect.

 

 

2. Byredo Cotton Poplin Candle – Net-A-Porter, $80

 

This candle is so simple, sleep and stylish. It’s the perfect luxurious present that avoids being cheesy, but is still a beautiful romantic gift. I mean, who doesn’t love to be bathed in candlelight?

 

 

 

 

 

3. Faux Fur Mink Throw – Calypso St. Barth, $395  

This ultra-soft and sophisticated faux fur throw is a perfect compliment to almost any home’s decor. It makes a gorgeous throw on the bed, couch, and can make a fabulous makeshift throw in front of a fireplace on Valentine’s Day too… just saying! 😉

 

What are some of your favorite unique, non-traditional yet still stylish ideas for Valentine’s Day presents? Or what is the favorite gift you’ve ever received for Valentine’s Day? Leave us some love below, we want to hear from you!

Happy Valentine’s Day, all!

XOXO Yelena

 

Inspiration is Everywhere

Sometimes people ask me where my favorite place to find inspiration is. My answer? Everywhere. Food, Fashion, Architecture, Travel, Interior Design, Photography, Books…. the list goes on and on. A dress, for instance, can inspire an entire color and texture palette, like the one above. Salmon-pink sequins, the cream paint that is chipping off the wall creating a rustic patina, and the pale gray-blue of the wall peeking through underneath.

It’s a beautiful study in contrast, colors and mix and match textures, and this one photo of a pretty dress can serve as instant inspiration for an entire wedding design. This is what my heart beats faster for. ❤

XOXO Yelena

*note: I cannot find the original source of this image from Pinterest… if you know the original source, please let us know so we can give credit where it is due!

Elie Saab Wedding Gowns…. le sigh.

Elie Saab does it again with his ethereal, out of this world gorgeous gowns.

The back of the Elie Saab dress – like a fairytale. If I could do it all over again and choose any dress irregardless of price, this one just might be it. Although I’d take any number of other amazing Elie Saab gowns just as happily. 😉

What’s your ultimate dream gown, lovelies? Do you dream in lace, beading, or tissue paper taffeta?

XOXO Yelena

Lovely Mint Bridesmaid Dress

This floaty frock makes me want to frolic by the seaside, with chiffon billowing in the breeze. The best part? It’s under $100, making it a bargain bridesmaid dress in the perfect minty hue.

What color are you dressing your bridesmaids in? One color, varying shades, or mix and match? Fill us in!

Dress via ModCloth

Summer Party Idea: Pink & Orange Ice Cream Tablescape

With this San Francisco heat wave, thoughts of summer parties and ice cream sandwiches have been weighing on my mind this week. Check out this girly inspiration for a summer party we found via Pinterest (if you know who the photo credit goes to, please let us know! we couldn’t track it down).

Are you planning any fun summer parties for 2013? We’d love to hear your ideas!

A Beautiful ‘Something Blue – Christian Dior Gown

Daily Inspiration: Christian Dior’s take on *something blue*

Brides: What are you planning on using for your ‘something blue’? We’d love to know – comment below!

Nontraditional Wedding Dress

How amazing does this bride look in her FAB pink Elie Saab dress? I’m a huge advocate of looking outside the (wedding dress) box for their perfect wedding gown.

Wedding Dress Alternative: Carmen Marc Valvo

I’ll admit it – I may have splurged on my own wedding dress (blowing my budget in the process), but I am still a firm believer that a gorgeous, dream wedding dress can be found for under $1,000. The only catch is that, unless you buy your wedding dress second hand, finding a stunning gown in the sub-$1,000 range is best done by shopping regular off-the-rack retail. Case in point? This lovely flowing white gown from ready to wear designer Carmen Marc Valvo.

Carmen Marc Valvo has been turning out beautiful gowns for a number of years, and all of the dresses in the line feature high quality construction – which is more than you can say for a David’s Bridal wedding dress. Plus, one of the best things about buying an off the rack wedding dress alternative is that you can try on THE dress in the store, in your size, guaranteeing you will love how the dress looks on your wedding day. Another huge benefit to buying a wedding gown off the rack is that the alterations will be much, much less than alterations at a bridal boutique. Though I am strongly against the adage that the ‘wedding’ label immediately constitutes a markup in price, I will say that I’ve noticed this is somewhat true when it comes to wedding gown alterations in a bridal salon.

What I love about this Carmen Marc Valvo dress is the dramatic detail on a classic style gown. The oversize flower detail on the one-shoulder dress is something I’ve seen a lot of on the bridal gown runways the past two seasons, and I think it’s a trend that’s going to stay for another few seasons. Also, the dress passes my ‘timeless’ test – at least 80% of the dress is classic, and it would have looked just as appropriate worn thirty years ago as it likely will be thirty years from now. All in all, a sub-$1,000 wedding dress winner.

Carmen Marc Valvo Pleated One-Shoulder Gown with Flowers, $940 from Bloomingdales

Cute Bridal Shower Dresses

Just received a Nordy’s catalogue in the mail this afternoon and spotted a perfect specimen for a summery bridal shower or rehearsal dinner dress. The dress has an ever-flattering sweetheart neckline, defines the natural waist and flares gently into a slight a-line to skim over the hips and thighs – pretty much an all-around figure flattering dress.

What’s even better, it only costs $118 and has some really cute details that are usually reserved for pricier frocks. White Dress by Suzi Chin, $118 at Nordstrom

On the Nordstrom’s website I also stumbled upon this cute white dress by Maggy London that would also be a perfect bridal shower or rehearsal dinner pick. It’s also a budget-friendly option at $138, and is a bit more conservative than the previous.

Both of these dresses would look so adorable with a pastel 3/4 sleeve cardigan (think J. Crew) and a sexy pair of statement heels. Love it!

Enjoy your weekend. 🙂

XO, Yelena – Wedding Planner & Creative Director, The Stylish Soiree