Simply Elegant...and a PARTY!

I've said it to both colleagues and clients and it couldn't be closer to the truth.  I have the absolute BEST clients.  This fall is no exception.  I can't wait to share with you all of their special details.  Here is a sneak peak at my Sept. 25th wedding for Erin and Jon.  I worked with Jon's lovely mother Joan who really had the vision for the "tie optional" wedding they hosted in their backyard.  Enjoy!

http://www.michaelsegalweddings.com/slideshows/erinjondc/

Sara

Mad Flowers {Dublin, Ireland}

 As you may remember, I dashed off to Ireland a few weeks back to check out potential wedding venues and vendors. I was so lucky to meet the talented lads at Mad Flowers. Their work is gorgeous and they are also a whole lot of fun!

Michael, Phillip and Maurice run the show together and they pull from both years in a family flower business and training in the law.  Maurice has won Irish florist of the year numerous times and has designed for the Chelsea and Hampton court flower shows in England. Plus, he often appears on television demonstrating his floral skills.  Michael and Phillip work directly with clients and are great at listening to what brides really want!

I love the mix of the classic English garden arrangements and the sleek, modern look.  I'm a sucker for lush flowers outside an old country church but also love these fabulous fuchsia flower balls!  They can do anything!

Mad Flowers is the go-to florist for the Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt, which is a huge endorsement because everything the Ritz does is spectacular. The boys put on quite a floral display for us when the Ritz hosted a private wedding show so we got to see their work firsthand (not to mention the stunning arrangements waiting for us in our hotel rooms designed by Mad Flowers).

If you're planning a wedding anywhere remotely near Dublin, look no further for flowers.  The team at Mad Flowers is amazing!  I know that I'll be using them when I take weddings to Ireland (hopefully soon).  Thanks to the lads at Mad Flowers for sharing their work with us and letting us share with you!
Laura

A Nantucket Engagement Shoot!

 It's my pleasure to share with you some really cool engagement pics that one of my 2011 couples (Janelle and Matt) passed along yesterday.  I'm a sucker for pictures that are less traditional and a bit more edgy.  I can’t lie, these are great!

The bride and groom met the photographer, Linda Crayton, at the Ride To Thrive Charity Polo event just about a year ago and fell in love with the images that they saw from the event so they decided to hire her to do both their engagement shoot and their June 2011 DC wedding.   They did their entire engagement shoot at the Groom’s quaint summer hometown of Siasconset in Nantucket.  

The couple initially met in Georgetown in July of 2008 but their first date wasn't until 2009 at Proof in DC.  Now, they'll be getting married in June of 2011 at St. Peter Catholic Church with a reception to follow at the Dumbarton House.  

Like all amazing engagements photos, these make me even more excited about the wedding day. Congratulations Janelle and Matt!  Thanks to Linda Crayton for letting us show off her work. Let the countdown begin…

Christine

Twiggy Inspiration Board

It's been such a fun week at Bridal Bubbly, getting inspired by some of our favorite style icons. We thought we'd wrap things up with a kicky tribute to the It Girl of mod fashion-- Twiggy! Just the name conjures up images of minidresses, boyish haircuts, and of course, those fabulous lashes. Take us into the weekend, Twiggy!

Photo credits: flowers (Nicole Pfeiffer Photography), dress (Brides.com), cake (Utterly Engaged), shag carpet and shoes and flowers (Amanda Rae Photography), shift dress (Brides.com), headband (Bando), Twiggy, bouquet (Nicole Pfeiffer Photography)

Josephine Baker Inspiration Board

Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Jackie Kennedy are all known for a certain simple chicness and restrained elegance in their style. There is nothing restrained about icon Josephine Baker, and we love her for it. This is a woman who had a pet cheetah named Chiquita, and often performed wearing only a skirt made of artificial bananas and a Tiffany's store worth of diamonds. She was glamorous, she was sultry, and she was absolutely dazzling-- even when she wasn't dripping with jewelry. Josephine's take on fashion was infused with a sexy playfulness that reflected both her time on the stage and her love of France. Ooh la la!

Photo credits: animal print lounge chairs (Taylor Jackson Photography), pink bridesmaid dress (Jason Wu), Josephine Baker, bride with feather boa (Brides.com), fur coat (Brides.com), necklaces (Brides.com), tablescape (Joseph Allen Photography), hat (Brides.com), purse and sparkly dress (Brides.com), Josephine Baker, bride with feathers (Brides.com), cake (Utterly Engaged), shoes (Brides.com), art deco reception (Brides.com)

Audrey Hepburn Inspiration Board

Audrey Hepburn is such a style icon that when it came time to do a board inspired by her, we couldn't pick just one iconic look. So this board includes a little bit of everything: the ballet flats from Sabrina, the Vespa from Roman Holiday, the Holly Golightly hair (and fancy cigarette holder!), and the gamine tea-length gown from Funny Face. She was one of the few stars whose personal style lived up to her movie wardrobe-- as evidenced by the divine elfin-like chiffon dress she wore at her real-life wedding to Mel Ferrer. Which Audrey look is your favorite?

Photo credits: First row: Breakfast at Tiffany's guestbook (Style Me Pretty), place setting (Martha Stewart Weddings), cigarette holder (Orange & Blossom), tea length gown (Brides.com), Tiffany's inspired favors (Martha Stewart Weddings)

Second row: invitation suite (Martha Stewart Weddings), Vespa (Straight Through the Heart of It), little navy dress (Simple Silhouettes), hairdo (Style Me Pretty)

Third row: Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face, cake (Martha Stewart Weddings), Audrey Hepburn's bridal gown, copy of gown (Johanna Hehir)

Fourth row: Gloves (Orange & Blossom, ballet flats (The Knot), dress details (Style Me Pretty)

Jackie Kennedy Inspiration Board

If I've done my job right then you won't even need the picture in the bottom right corner to identify today's style icon. Pillbox hat, gloves, a triple strand of pearls and cake with bows and buttons... could it be anyone but Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis? Jackie's wardrobe during the Camelot years exuded regal sophistication: geometric designs in sumptuous fabrics that perfectly matched her striking natural beauty. The two wedding dresses in the bottom row are both from J. Crew, an especially appropriate choice considering the brand favors simple A-line silhouettes and is a favorite of our current First Lady!

Photo credits: cake (Maisie Fantaisie), pillbox hat (Couture Bridal), gloves (Rebekah Westover), pearls (Brides.com), neckline (Karen Wise Photography), earrings (J. Crew),  Hammersmith Farm (Captainvic.com), pink dress (Oscar de la Renta), bridal gowns (J. Crew), Jackie Kennedy (Life Magazine)

Wedding Workbook Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the subscription to My Wedding Workbook is Evelyn Israel.  Congratulations Evelyn! Email us and we will hook you up.  Happy planning!

NYT Wedding Announcement Face-off

It's always fun when our couples' weddings are in the Washington Post Style section or the New York Times Wedding Announcements.  What's even more fun is when our weddings win the weekly Gawker New York Times Wedding Announcement Face-off.  Who knew there was such an official scoring system?

We planned Elizabeth and Adam's wedding and it took place this past Saturday at Meridian House and was absolutely lovely. Photos of the wedding and all the fun details to come but, first, the face-off against Bianna and Peter!

This week's faceoff:
Bianna Golodryga and Peter R. Orszag


The bride is a weekend anchor of Good Morning America: +1
The groom is "the former director of the Office of Management and Budget in Washington" and "a distinguished visiting fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations" and "a contributing columnist to the New York Times": +3
The groom graduated summa cum laude from Princeton and received a PhD from the London School of Economics, which he attended as a Marshall scholar: +6
The bridegroom's first marriage ended in divorce: -1
The bride's father is a math professor at Yale: +1
TOTAL: 10

Elizabeth Sherburne Van Heuvelen and Adam Matthew Shoemaker
The bride's name is Elizabeth Sherburne Van Heuvelen and she ain't changin' it: +1
"The couple met at Williams College, from which they graduated, the bridegroom magna cum laude": +3
The bride received a master's degree in international economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins: +1
The groom received "a law degree from Harvard and a master's degree in medieval Icelandic studies from the University of Iceland": +5
The bride's mother "was appointed by President Obama as a member of the Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States, a group focusing on improving the way the government works": +1
"She had just returned from Beijing studying Chinese, and I had just returned from Oxford": +1
"They soon learned they had carrels next to each other in the library": +1
TOTAL: 13

Thanks Gawker! Lots of high-fives in the office today!

Grace Kelly Inspiration Board

From top left: bride (Angela Anderson Photography), Grace Kelly in bridal gown,

flowers/cake (Style Me Pretty), Monaco castle (Photosigougo.com), Grace Kelly's hats (Vanity Fair), car (Salvatore Ferragamo), ice blue bridesmaid 

dresengagement ring (Adorn-London.com), tiaras (Martha Stewart Weddings), Grace Kelly blue dress, hankerchief and pearls (Style Me Pretty) 

This week we are all about being inspired by classic style icons. Some were also famous brides, some weren't. But all of them had an influential style that we love and think is great inspiration for today's brides.

You can never go wrong with the classic elegance of Grace Kelly. She was the epitome of Hollywood glamour and romantic sophistication. When I think of a wedding inspired by Grace, I think of formal gowns, palatial estates and sweeping views. Glitz without being gaudy. Sexy but still demure. Who is your favorite style icon? Is there anyone (old or new) whose style is influencing your wedding?  We'd love to hear about it, and we're open to suggestions for the next icon inspiration board.
Enjoy!
Laura and Alison