Picture a day that feels like this...
That's just the type of late spring afternoon Elizabeth & Chris had for their engagement shoot with
Dan & April O'Keefe of
Z Media. We LOVE Dan & April's work; especially their ability to turn the simplest moments into the most beautiful imagery. Elizabeth & Chris chose the Tremont district of Cleveland and Cuyahoga National Valley Park for their shoot, where will you find your simply perfect moments?
Enjoy these completely lovely images and have a happy, safe, and relaxing Memorial Day weekend everyone!
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Spring 2013's
Bridal Market NYC was held April 14-16th at
Pier 92. We've poured over the images from each of the designer's runways and chose our top picks to share with you! Spring 2013's best wedding dress trends await...shall we ladies?
ONE SHOULDER STYLES
Carolina Herrera
We are loving the one shoulder styles and the modern goddess connotation they project. From structured and simple to gauzy and ethereal, one shouldered gowns are everywhere this season.
PEPLUM SKIRTS
Alvina Valenta
Perhaps the most surprising trend to us (but nonetheless lovely) this season is the peplum skirt. Peplums are perfect for creating an hourglass figure and add a graphic statement to any wedding dress.
REMOVABLE OVERLAYS
Reem Acra
Reem Acra (among others) have several gowns this season with removable overlays. Underneath this ball gown is a sassy little mini ready to party at the reception. Two stunning wedding gowns for the price of one? Yes please!
LACE
Christos
We're always a sucker for lace, but this season, something about the way it's presented feels so fresh and even more wonderful than usual. Maybe it's the Duchess Catherine effect, who knows? What we can say is lace is definitely a show-stopper, especially when embellished with a fluffy tulle train like this Christos gown above.
COLOR
Vera Wang
Color still abounds on the bridal runways and in many different persuasions. Probably the biggest purveyor of color this season is the iconic Vera Wang who showcased RED big time. Her dahlia (shown above), scarlet, crimson, and vermillion hues dazzle in frothy textured layers. Take heed all you less than brazen brides out there; the entire collection is also available in white or ivory.
See all of our Spring 2013 wedding dress favorites from Bridal Market NYC on our
Best Spring 2013 Wedding Dresses board on
Pinterest.
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Samantha Schindler and Russell "Rusty" Brown were married on July 30, 2011 at St. Clarence Church. It was a beautiful thing to watch the priest who had married Sam's parents, George and Karen Schindler, and baptized Sam, officiate their wedding ceremony. Sam looked incredible; her wedding dress with sweetheart neckline, beaded bodice, and layered, ruffled skirt was so stunning! The bridesmaid dresses (Jim Hjelm) were one of our favorites to date, a modified mermaid with gorgeous neckline embellishment in the color “Sunset”. We kept the bridesmaids’ bouquets clean and simple using two white Cattleya orchids hand tied for each girl. Samantha’s bouquet was an all white mix of Cattleya orchids, calla lilies, hydrangea, spider mums. Vase to Vase provided all personal flowers for the wedding. We also have to mention Mrs. Brown’s hat - OMG Rusty's mom's hat!!! It was spectacular!
We weren't the only ones over the moon the for the bridesmaids dresses! JLM Weddings (a JLM Couture real weddings site) recently featured Samantha's bridesmaids! For more photos of the girls' dresses visit
JLM Weddings.
The reception was held at Weymouth Country Club in Medina, OH. Sam & Rusty's wedding day was all about bold, bright, fun! Samantha wanted a tropical "hot" feel to their wedding day, which we achieved by incorporating vibrant pinks and oranges into their color palette and design. The first hint guests received of what the wedding day would hold in store for them was the save the date. Sam wanted to keep it light, and being that she is a diehard Browns fan and Rusty is a diehard Bengals fan, and both teams have orange in their team colors, and we were using orange in our color palette, (see where this is going?) we created a save the date with Paper Trails that featured "The Battle of Ohio Unites" with the couple smiling in their jerseys and the wedding date circled on a July calendar. We also custom created Sam & Rusty's invitation suite and accessories with the lovely gals at Paper Trails. Sam wanted the invitation to be formal, but still have a fresh, fun feel; an iridescent white card stock complimented by a phenomenal card stock in a color called "Pout" (a sassy deep honeysuckle) brought the two worlds together perfectly. We all loved the abstract rose motif we used on the invitation's cover so much that it made it's way onto all of Sam & Rusty's paper accoutrements and even made an appearance in their lighting design! Samantha's table numbers showed the couple's playful side by showcasing a photo of Sam & Rusty each at the age corresponding to the table number. To view all of Samantha and Rusty's paper wonderfulness, visit their album on our
Facebook page.
Being that Sam's father George is a restaurateur; it was of the utmost importance that the menu be memorable. Sam & Rusty had one of our most diverse and extensive menus to date! For cocktail hour, not only did they serve the expected stationary and passed hors d'oeuvres, but they also brought in the unexpected Sushi Rock to hand roll custom created "Sam" and "Rusty" rolls for the guests! Servers passed splits of Perrier Jouet with orange straws and guests enjoyed Weymouth Country Club's terrace in lounge spaces we created with rattan furniture. Cocktail hour was just the beginning!
Guests were seated for dinner at a mix of estate and round tables with tabletop arrangements from Vase to Vase. Weymouth has a very tall vaulted ceiling and on the estate tables we highlighted that feature with towering tropical leaved "trees" as the focal point of the design. For dinner, guests were served a plate of citrus honey glazed chicken with mango cilantro salsa, coconut basmati and wild rice, and petite carrots and haricot verts. After dinner, guests were treated to an exceptional dessert buffet featuring four different flavors of wedding cake (almond, red velvet, carrot, and chocolate), and assorted pastries (including two different types of cake pops {lemon or lime}, 3 different kinds of brownies {dark chocolate, peanut butter, or dried cherry with ganache}, caramel nut bars, lemon squares, and chocolate dipped coconut macaroons) all from Flour Girl. The cake's top and bottom tiers were modeled after the bride's dress and the middle tier after her incredible hand made garter! If that wasn't enough to calm the guests' craving for sweets, there was also a chef making Bananas Foster to order!
The dance floor was packed all night thanks to the DJs of TKO Entertainment, and for those taking a break from the dance floor, Shutterbooth was onsite with a photobooth. Our favorite moment of the night? The surprise fireworks display! Only Sam and her vendors knew; all of the guests including both sets of parents, and her groom were surprised! It was an incredibly magical and touching moment made even more special by the "fireworks mix" Ted from TKO created to accompany the show. It was all so perfect.
The party went until 2 AM, and with one of Sam & Rusty's favorite meals of the day being breakfast, it was only natural that we should serve a breakfast buffet at Midnight. Guests loved the french toast sticks, silver dollar pancakes, mini McMuffins, and classic cereals! It was a sweet ending to a sweet, sweet day.
Want an experience like Sam & Rusty's? Here's the rundown on our experience essentials partners:
Ceremony:
St. Clarence ChurchReception:
Weymouth Country ClubWedding Planning & Design:
Shi Shi Events Wedding Planning & DesignPhotographer:
Z MediaFloral:
Vase to VaseLinens:
La Tavola LinenDJ:
TKO EntertainmentCake and Pastries:
Flour Girl Event Lighting:
Shi Shi Events Lights, Sound, & SwagPhotobooth:
Shutterbooth Fireworks:
Mad Bomber Fireworks ProductionsSushi:
Sushi RockGuest Transportation:
Lakefront LinesBridal Party Transportation:
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We can't believe 2011 is nearly over! It's so cliche, but every wedding season seems to go faster and faster; one day it's May and in a blink we find ourselves in November. 2011 was an incredible year for Shi Shi and we're looking forward to a fantastic 2012! Thank you to everyone who continuously contributes to making our success possible - much love to all of you! With the start of the New Year just hours away, we thought we'd give you a trend-watching, eye candy filled post to help you with the start of your planning process - finding your dress!
After our brides find their venue and select their wedding date, it's all about the dress! You'll need up to 6 months for the dress to arrive, so we suggest starting to dress shop at least 9 months in advance to leave room for alterations once the dress arrives. {If you procrastinated on your dress shopping, or are planning on a tight timeline, no worries, just know you might have to pay a bit extra for rush charges in order to get the dress on time.}
2012 is shaping up to be spectacular bridal fashion wise! SO many delicious gowns hit the Spring 2012 runways, we thought an awesome way to kick off the New Year would be to share three of our favorite bridal dress trends with you! So without further adieu...and in no particular order...here are the Shi Shi girls' favorites for Spring 2012.
Illusion NecklinesAn illusion neckline is typically constructed of lace, tulle, or net and extends from the bodice of the dress to the collar. Many will be adorned with beading or appliques to enhance the dress' design and define the collarbone area, while others are left plain to give just the softest sheen to the skin. Illusion necklines are wonderful options for the bride who likes the strapless gown look, but doesn't want to fuss with pulling her dress up all night. Here are your Shi Shi girls picks for favorite illusion neckline gowns from the Spring 2012 runways:
Alvina Valenta
Marchesa
Reem Acra
SleevesWe are SUPER excited about the return of sleeves! They're just so beautiful and universally flattering that even if you hadn't envisioned your dress as having sleeves, we think it's definitely worth a shot trying them on in the dressing room! We don't care if they're short, long, cap, off the shoulder, flutter, or on a removable bolero - we love, love, love them! {You may find the sleeves and illusion neckline trends overlap one another on many of the dresses you'll see. The Marchesa and Reem Acra dresses above are good examples of that.} Here are your Shi Shi girls' picks for sleeved gowns from the Spring 2012 runways:
Elie by Elie Saab for Pronovias
Jenny Packham
Reem Acra
Blush Pink In the past we haven't been strong proponents of color on a wedding dress {with the exception of small black accents, like a sash}, but this season is changing our mind. Color abounded from the Spring 2012 runways and we honed in on a delightful shade of blush pink that on the right skin tone is nothing short of perfect. From dramatic blush cascades of fabric, to dresses with such a trace hint of the shade you have to do a double take to be sure it's not white, to just a pop of pink on a sash or applique, we think you'll be seeing a lot of this stunning shade in 2012! Here are your Shi Shi girls' picks for dresses featuring blush pink from the Spring 2012 runways:
Vera Wang
Monique Lhuillier
Rivini
Rivini
Will you be trying any of these trends for your wedding dress? Let us know with comments to our
Facebook or
Twitter pages, or by pinning your favorites for us to peek at on
Pinterest! Want to search for your perfect gown? Visit the
NY Mag Fashion Shows page and scroll down to Bridal Shows 2012 where you can view each fashion house's complete collection for Spring 2012. Happy shopping & Happy New Year everyone!
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Well it's Christmas Eve, our favorite day of the year! So much excitement and anticipation and visiting with family and friends - love, love, love! It's such a very cozy day. And what better to share with you than one of our all time favorite literary passages from "The Velveteen Rabbit" by Margery Williams
"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?""Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.""Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit."Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt.""Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?""It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.""I suppose you are real?" said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive. But the Skin Horse only smiled."The Boy's Uncle made me Real," he said. "That was a great many years ago; but once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always."
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