Until recently I would have told you that barettes were soooo over. But then I found these oversized Laurent Oliver ones that I'm just nuts about. They really curve around your head in a most comfortable way. I got mine, in the image above, from Neda in Brooklyn. You can also find them at Hair Boutique online. Next on my list is a big orange one, or maybe white, I can't decide.

This has nothing to do with weddings or parties. But yet, it is still cool. It's a fun little applet that makes a graph out of your website, or any website. You tell it where to go, and it will draw the graph. Some of them are really pretty. Try it.

I came across these old images of empresses I collected a while back for an illustration project and thought you might find them inspiring. Don't get excited! I'm not suggesting you dress up as Empress Jospehine for your wedding. I'm just saying that sometimes it's nice to take a few beauty cues from somewhere other than Vogue or InStyle. It keeps things fresh. A string of pearls for the hair, a forgotten neckline, an interesting dress shape, all these things are what inspire designers, so why not us? These dashing darlings, from left to right, top to bottom are: Empress Elizabeth of Austria, Empress Farah of Iran, Empress Carlotta of Mexico, Empress Elisaveta of Russia.
That dress Empress Farah is wearing... to die for, right? Anyone know a good seamstress? I'm thinking silk dupioni in teal...

Loving the puff sleeved coat from Reva Mivasagar, among other things. Her dresses come in varied shapes, which I find very refreshing. Check her out.

I found these gorgeous wedding saris by Indian designer Ritu Beri while surfing yesterday. I love the idea that every culture comes up with its own ideal of beauty for the bride, and every culture comes up with something different! I think these are so sumptuous and rich looking, they make me wish I had an occassion were I could wear a sari...

Those crazy celebs and their fantastic weddings! I really wanted to see Nicole's dress, but unfortunately, the pictures left a little too much to the imagination. Humph.
However, I did notice that the designer of the dress, Nicolas Ghesquiere (for Balenciaga), seems to have based at least the top portion on one of his designs from the Spring 2006 collection. Kudos on the one shouldered laciness! I'm thinking for Nicky he prally made it a little more bridal and a little less see-thru. Rumor has it, they're headed here for the honeymoon. Not that I care. But I do a little.

When I was trying on wedding dresses, the number one thing I'd hear people say, about me or anyone else in a big white dress was: "You look like a princess!". So, I wondered, what does a princess look like these days anyway? I collected a bunch of images of princesses, duchesses, and the like just in case any of you are also curious. If you are a princess and you happen to be missing from this post but would like to be included, send me an email with some wedding photos, I'll make it happen.

*These images are from all over the place, and they don't belong to me.*
May I present, in order from left to right, top to bottom:

1) Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria
2) Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands
3) Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg
4) Queen (then Princess) Sonja of Norway
5) Princess Mathilde of Belgium, Duchess of Brabant
6) Duchess Fleur of Wuerttemberg
7) Princess Alexia of Greece
8) Princess Marilene of Orange-Nassau
9) Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark
10) Clotilde, Princess of Venice and Piedmont
11) Princess Maxima of the Netherlands *Thanks Ida!*

No strapless ball gowns here. Princesses like long sleeves, yes they do.

I'm sitting here in my living room, feeling under the weather, listening to the torrential rain outside, watching QVC, and seriously contemplating buying a peridot cocktail ring. I actually think I might need that 4 carat ring! How the heck are they doing it? I don't know. Luckily my mister is here to stop me in case I actually go for the phone.
Anyway, to snap me out of it, let's talk about Hawaii. If you're looking for a "chillax'in" kind of honeymoon, a real break from the world, I'd go to the island of Molokai. The most traditionally Hawaiian of all the islands, this place is very secluded, sooo peaceful, and so not touristy. When my mister and I were there, we stayed at the Molokai Ranch, one of only two places to stay on the island. We camped out on the beach in "tent-alows" suspended above the sand. Our tent-alow had two rooms, a private bathroom, a queen size bed, and freshly laundered towels every morning. We were served sumptuous dinners each night on the beach, by the light of torches planted in the sand. Every single day we sat by the beach or the infinity pool, ordering mai-tais via pool side telephone. Other than that, we did nothing, and it was the best vacation ever!

Douglas Hannant, although not technically a wedding gown kind of guy, makes some lovely white evening gowns that could pass for wedding wear any day of the week. I'd give him a look, even if it was just for inspiration. I'm most enamored with the second one from the left, it seems so goddessy and I just can't resist.

While I was thinking last night about creating your own "art" for a wedding space, I thought that there might be an even easier way to create large scale canvases of visual intrigue. Why not buy those pre-made stretcher frames (again, the bigger the better) and stretch some really awesome fabric around them? Take these patterns by Amy Butler for example, they are very large scale, and the yardage is pretty cheap. You could create 5 or 6 large canvases with the same pattern, and poof! Instant color theme, instant style. Hang them up all around a white tent, a white room, heck, you could put 'em in the loo!
I found these patterns at equilter.com, (my secret guilty pleasure for patterns). Secret's out.

These are different! I like different. I love the way Ayesha Mayadas sets stones, it's so unpretentious.

I've never been one to shy away from an art project, (see paper poppy pomanders). In the name of style and creativity, I have taken on way more than I can chew many many times. This sets me up for my next suggestion, which you can promptly ignore if you are not also a crafty, blood, sweat, and tears kind of person.
I've been noticing lately that the cool thing to do is decorate your apartment with wall stencils or decals... florals, patterns, anything goes. I thought to myself, that it would also be very cool to decorate your event space with such stencils. Now, I know what you're thinking. "Jacque" over at the Hotel de Grande Marquis is not going to be too pleased with you painting all up on his walls. I know, I know, I have an even better idea. Instead of painting on the walls, you get some blank canvases (the bigger the better), and stencil on those! That way, you can control the background color and the stencil color, AND you can take them home with you and decorate your house after the honeymoon.
It's a bit of work, but, it seems like it would make such a huge impact.
I found some really nice stencils at The Stencil Library. bottom row
Also, don't miss Motif by Henny Donovan. top row

I don't know if you've discovered This American Life, but it's a wonderfully funny, insightful, and sometimes very poignant radio program about pretty much anything. I love the host, Ira Glass, I think he's a hoot. You can usually find it broadcast on your local public radio station at some point during the weekend. You can also go to their website, and listen to any of the episodes for free via streaming audio.
My point here is that there is a wonderful episode called The Sanctity of Marriage that I heard a while back, and Act 1 really spoke to me. It's a real eye opener for those of you entering into marriage (or, heck, anyone who's in a relationship for that matter). You should check that out. Don't worry, it's not sad or depressing or anything, it's just really interesting.

I love these hair plumes from Bonbon Oiseau. They're chic, creative alternatives to tiaras and veils. Wear them under, beside, or with your veil, or completely on their own. Bonbon also sells lovely corsages that will last and last. Thanks for the tip Joy!

This post is especially for friends of the bride, or bridesmaids. I thought these cocktail aprons from The Peppermint Network would make cute (if somewhat tongue-in-cheek) bridal shower gifts for the soon-to-be June Cleaver in your life. Accompany them with a humorous oven mitt, a set of tea towels, or a pair of martini glasses, and she'll be saying "Yes, Dear." in no time.

Holy delicate femininity! I love this designer! Luisa Beccaria specializes in dresses, and although they aren't technically wedding gowns, I would wear any of these to my nuptuals, heck yeah! She also does couture bridal, if that's more your speed. Check out her website, it's easy to navigate, and a great source of inspiration for both wedding gowns and bridesmaid's dresses (try not to drool on the keyboard). Her line is carried at several shops in the US, the website gives a comprehensive list.

I guess it's Shoe Day here at SOSN.
Apparently, Rene Caovilla makes the most gorgeous shoes ever. Huh. Who knew? I know, I know they aren't white satin, and to that I say: "Fiddlesticks!" Wearing these shoes would be like wearing diamond necklaces on your feet. When you've got diamonds, you forget all about satin. For those of you looking for something really $pecial, this is it. Just the idea of the strappy ones (2nd from the right) peeking out from under a Grecian, empire waisted gown, or *gasp* at an Indian wedding, under an elaborate pink and gold sari! So gorgeous. These babies are available at Grossman's Shoes in Greenwich, and on-and-off at Saks Fifth Avenue.

UK shoe haven Office makes some fantastic vintage inspired styles that you might have a hard time finding in the States. You can order these online. Yay! I love love love the pumps with the bows, both the d'orsay and the closed toe are adorable. The d'orsay might be a bit easier to wear, it's a touch lower. Although, I could withstand a bit of pain to wear the other ones too!

You may be asking yourself, "Why? Why would Mackenzie post these stupifyingly horrible hairdo's?" Why? Because I got a really good chuckle out of them this afternoon, and I really needed one of those today. I thought you could use a good laugh too.
Just think, even if the caterers are being jerks, and your mother is picking fights, and the florist doesn't know what "no carnations" means, you still won't have to walk down the aisle with any of these hairdos. Doesn't that just make you happy?

Hey everyone! We're in the newspaper! The Belleville News Democrat in Belleville, IL ran a short article about Something Old, Something New in this morning's edition! Thanks Wendy Zang of Knight Ridder! Check it out here.

Whilst checking out Becky Kelso, I also came across a few other designers I just couldn't resist.
Top Row: Cathy Waterman. The pure delicateness of these makes me smile.
Bottom Row: Temple St. Clair makes beautifully creative fine jewelry.
I found all these styles at Ylang 23, a wonderful designer jewelry boutique.

How much did I LOVE this morning's post on Oh Joy! about Becky Kelso? I just had to repost it. She makes such unique, timeless jewelry. Great find Joy!

For all you do-it-yourselfers, check out the Tinsel Trading Company. They have vintage milliner's flowers, ribbon, old buttons, vintage paper scraps, sequins, antique fringe, and pretty much anything else you might need to construct something killer for favors or decor. What could you make? I don't know. What couldn't you make? I don't know that either.

One day, when I am rich, I will go here. I will sit (apres snorkeling) on the glass deck of my private ocean bungalow with my decadent tropical drink overlooking the calm waters of the deep blue Indian Ocean. I will summon my personal butler to fetch me crispy french fries with extra ketchup. I will turn to my husband, and I will say "I need nothing else from life." He will nod, and we will take naps.

There's something so nice about a really tactile bouquet. Something soft and delicate, like the inside of a kitten's ear. I like the Icelandic Poppies for that reason, they feel like peaches. The greenery bouquet is nice too, although after thinking on it, I've decided that it would be awesome to have a bouquet made entirely out of sage leaves and ribbon. It would be sooo soft and silvery green, and it would smell so comforting. Someone try it out and send me photos! The above pics are from a wonderful book I have called Bridal Bouquets by Jane Durbridge. The cotton ball bouquet is from Brides Magazine, the special reception issue. (Joy also likes this bouquet)

My sister says that I've been neglecting shoes... so here goes.
Top row: Vera Wang Jeweled Sandals, Malia by Nina, Lillie by rsvp.
Middle row: Davina by J. Renee, Flo by Nina, Jubilee by Caparros.
Bottom row: Megan by J. Renee, Pom Pom sandals by Vera Wang, Julep by J. Renee.
The Vera Wang Pom Pom Sandals in the bottom row look so beautiful on. The "Megan" and the "Julep", also in the bottom row, have just a hint of color and would be very subtle under a long dress. Think of either of these styles as jewelry for your feet! I'm also totally in love with the Jubilee, in the middle row, I'm picturing them with something tea length.

Me and Ro's beautiful take on nuptual jewelry. Sometimes I think the dangly ring thing is tacky. This time, I don't. I love that all these pieces have slightly exotic feel without being too far afield.

Marabou? No thanks. Leather? Not today. More ruffles than a bag of square dancers? Hmmmmm, NO. How about flattering, pretty, and comfortable? Yes please, I'll take 2!
Find flirty undies for your honeymoon or whenevs at Figleaves.com.
(left to right) Sophie Top by Julianne, Kasia Chemise by Julianne, and Oh la la by Huit.
You can also try Claire Pettibone's collection of lounge wear, called CPJ's, they have a really fun website.

Hi all. I just wanted to let everyone know that I've posted a new section called Sketchbook... over there, in the menu on the right. See it? I thought you might like to see what I do, when I'm not making pretty wedding invitations or blogging, or making giant paper poppy pomanders, (which by the way, are going very well since I've figured out a quicker way to make the flowers).
*Just a warning, my drawings have little or nothing to do with weddings, they're just some of my doodlings.*

Well! That was NOT cute. I just wrastled with blogger all morning. I was trying to post savor the favor! once... one time, but somehow managed to post it 9 times. I just now managed to erase all the extraneous postings. Damn it Blogspot! Why? I hate it when we fight.

I found these adorable favors at White Aisle, a great stop for gifts, favors, jewelry, purses and any number of other things bridal.
I think the chopstick idea is so cute. My Mr. and I used them at our wedding. We tied them with a ribbon and a tag with our initials. The tag said, "We work better as a pair" Get it? Because chopsticks AND married people do work better as a pair! It was cute. Everyone said so.

*I just noticed that I say "cute" allllll the time. I'm trying to cut back. Call me on it.*

I wasn't totally thrilled with my internet veil shopping experience. I found that unless you want something exceedingly simple, it's hard to order online. It seems that your best bet is to call or visit actual shops. Here are the best of the bunch.

Top Row Leah C. makes couture millinery here in NYC. She has some wonderfully unique styles on her website, or she'll make you a custom veil to exactly match your dress. Her website is awesome, but you've got to visit her or call to place an order.

Middle Row Erica Koesler makes a huge variety of veils, some very plain some not, all quite pretty. I found her website to be a tad difficult to use, but hey, she designs veils not websites, so check her out. You must "locate a store nearest you" to purchase her products.

Bottom Row J Couture in Park Slope makes a nice variety of veils, and has a wonderful website. I can say from personal experience that J Couture will custom make whatever you desire, weather it be a hairpeice, a custom veil, or a pill box hat. She's easy to work with and her store front is as cute as a button. But again, you've got to call or go to her store to place your order.

At the very least, visit these sites to get ideas on how to cover your bridal bean in style!

We're going to pretend this post is all about Karen Gordon of Karenscape Photography. Honestly, as far as wedding photographers are concerned, my Mr. and I are convinced it doesn't get any better than Karen. She took about a million photos, almost all of which were fantastic, she was silent, stealthy, and professional. And to boot, we LIKED her. As in, she was a really nice person to have around on our wedding day. We're going to pretend that there's no vanity at work here, but I think you and I both know that my motives for posting these pictures are also a little bit about showing off. Just a little bit. But its mostly about Karen. Seriously. Well, maybe like 60/40.

I notice a lot of brides lately really don't like the idea of having anything 'fake' at their weddings. I take that to mean two things in the context of jewelry: They don't want to stop at the Macy's counter and pick up the same rhinestone silver plated crap they bought for the junior prom, or they don't want to buy something that looks like it was made in Paris at the turn of century, but was actually produced in Paramus 8 days ago.
There are soo many wonderful boutique independent jewelers out there doing gorgeous things, real things, things you'll keep forever. So skip Macy's ladies! For starters, try Kelly Meeker Designs instead. She has some lovely bridal necklaces among other gorgeous things. Check her out.

We are all very concerned. We are worried. We don't know what to do. Christmas, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Birthday, Wedding Day, Flag Day and Wednes Day are all coming fast and we have no idea what to get for whoever we must get IT for! Help!

Here to help us is Carolyn. She writes a wonderful blog about gift giving called Whirled Events, where she focuses on where to go and what to get. All together... Thank You Carolyn! She wrote me a lovely email not too long ago to share a cool site she found called the Wedding Ring Workshop, a place where brides and grooms can make each other's wedding bands. How nice of her, right? I think so. I thought all of the brides out there looking for bridesmaids gifts would appreciate her help as well. Check her out!
image above from Martha Weddings. Thank you Martha.

Think of Love Made Visible as a booster shot of style! I just came across this blog thru Oh Joy! and I'm adding it to my daily inspirational reads. The author, Priya has a wonderful sense of design, and seems to find and post lovely, random, humorous, brilliant, and rare things on a regular basis. Check it out, I think you'll like it.

Grace for Weddings is a great website for some of your wedding incidentals. Hair pieces, ring pillows, garters, etc. I love the dainty, organic feel to the hairpins. All of the products have a timelessness about them. I can picture them being put aside and saved for another generation of brides.

Robert Palmer and his curvy babes had it all wrong. Addicted to Rings, Robert, RINGS. Not Love.
Anne Maa is feeding the addiction. Check her out.
The whole site wiffs of wonderful bridesmaids gifts.