Category: Fashion

Wedding designers have taken their cue from the sleek and chic First Lady, Michelle Obama. This year, designers got creative with uniquely beautiful interpretations of that now famous one-shoulder adornment. Here are some of our favorites from both seasons:

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview celebrity wedding planner David Tutera at the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena. Even though he’s worked on events with such VIPs as Jennifer Lopez and Vice President Al Gore, I was impressed by his enthusiasm for helping non-famous brides have equally stellar weddings.

There’s another annual tradition right around Valentine’s Day besides flowers and chocolate hearts—exclusive celebrity giveaway parties called “gift suites.” At these high-profile events, fashion entrepreneurs and high-end product purveyors lavish entertainment VIPS with bagfuls of goodies. This is where trends are set, styles take off and specialty items are given two thumbs up.

Salty air and beach breezes call for a soft, relaxed wedding hairstyle that looks casual, yet polished. This romantic up-do is a particularly smart choice; what with ocean mist or humid conditions, who wants to struggle to maintain sleek, straight hair?

Here’s my favorite flower girl ensemble of the moment (and don’t forget to include a coloring book to keep her occupied during the reception!)

There are a lot of wedding plans that can be made well in advance, but some to-do items are better left to the last few months. Case in point: Don’t buy your bridesmaids dresses more than two months before your wedding.

The Dresser, a favorite bridal salon in historic downtown Fullerton, isn’t content with just matching you and your gal pals up with great dresses—they also want to take a little financial stress out of planning your honeymoon.

It seems like peacock feathers have been showing up everywhere in the world of wedding fashion lately, and I have to say, I’m thrilled. Sure, hot pink or bright orange make a bold statement (and those colors definitely had their bridal heyday in recent years!), but I think the juxtaposition of hard metallic blue, green, and black colors and soft, fluttery feathers is such a fitting metaphor for today’s woman. Besides, a feather in your hair or bouquet is a perfect “something blue!”

Mon Amie Bridal Salon in Orange County has found a very pretty way to support our troops—by giving away free a wedding dress to military personnel or their brides! “Our annual Military Bride Gown Giveaway is a chance for us to show our appreciation for service and devotion to our great country,” says Shawna Flatten, co-owner of Mon Amie.

When I heard the actresses who play the two leading ladies of Sterling Cooper are both getting married, I started imagining what their alter egos Peggy and Joan would wear on their respective wedding days.

I paid $220 for my wedding dress. My colleague Jennifer? Got hers for $125. Since we were both footing the bill for our own weddings, there was precious little in the budget for our gowns (I had to make sure there were enough offerings at the pasta bar to satisfy my Italian relatives!). We both looked lovely, by the way, even without spending 2 two months’ rent on our wedding attire. Here are some of our dress-shopping secrets:

In real life, you may run around in Crocs or Adidas, but for the wedding aisle, you want to dress your tootsies to the nines. Wedding accessory boutique Perfect Details (in Santa Cruz and online) has your feet covered…beautifully.