Me, You and Everyone We Know...

...are over at the BHLDN website right now, so it's running ve r y s lo w l y. At one point I think it actually went down completely, so if you didn't get a chance to see it, I grabbed some images.
I knew I would love it! My favorite surprise is that some of the gowns are very reasonably priced... my least favorite surprise is that some of them are not. Most run somewhere between $1000 and $2000, (not an unreasonable amount in my opinion). Then there are a couple in the $600 range, and a couple in the $5000 range.
I found lots of the accessories, cover-ups, shoes, bags, etc. to be things that can be found elsewhere... not in exact replica, but similar. The images I chose are of things I felt were fresh (at least to my eyes).
I was slightly underwhelmed by the bridesmaids dresses. I was expecting a little less J. Crew, a little more... something else. I also think that if the bride is wearing a $1600 dress, the bridesmaid isn't - so the prices seemed off kilter to me in relation to the wedding gowns.
I really loved lots of their hair accessories and the shoe selection was right up my alley. Aesthetically, I loved all of their lingerie. It was a nice combination of sexy and feminine without being vampy. Most of it was very boudoir though, not a lot of shaping or supporting going on.
I loved the jewelry. Lots of the BHLDN stuff seemed to be very similar to things you'd find at the Anthro site, but I like that we are getting away from so much glitz and bling and into more eclectic stuff for weddings.
All in all, I could see saving up my money for some of the more unique pieces. What is everyone else's take? I'm so curious to know what you all think.

birdcage brights

I tend to shy away from the conventional, so it comes as no surprise that these brightly colored birdcages sing to me. I love the classic shapes and the color adds just the creative touch I crave. From Wedding Aisle.

hats: not just for snowstorms.

Anyone out there planning an outdoor fall wedding? Wouldn't that white hat, (maybe with a small blusher) be perfect? I just loved the other hat too much not to post it, both from Yellowfield. Contemplating wearing more hats...

gorgeous

These gorgeous photos landed in my inbox this morning, and I couldn't resist sharing them. Jennifer Behr has always been one of my favorite accessories designers, and it looks like her 2010 Bridal Collection is one of her best efforts yet. They make me wish that my hair were not falling out at record breaking speeds because of a giant post-baby hormone adjustment. If I attached any of these to my head, I'm pretty sure they would just slide off onto the floor. My ponytail is more like a My Little Ponytail. I understand now why women go out and get the obligatory short "mom cut" after they have kids. They don't have enough hair to pull off anything else! Sigh.

oh my deer

Even though I've seen a thousand headband designs, these seem so fresh and different! From Oh My Deer.
Via Oh Joy!

brenda's birdcages

Brenda makes the cutest veils! Birdcage + Feather/Flower Combo = Beautiful Vintage Style Without Looking Costume-y.

feathery fun

Check out the amazing fascinators and hair accessories over at Lo Boheme on Etsy. I love the feathery look!

modern romance

We all need a little Modern Romance, no? Check out their amazing wraps, veils, and wedding accessories if you're looking to add a little somethin' to your ensemble. Love!

dori & viv

Introducing Dori & Viv, a brand new Etsy shop focused on heirloom quality, vintage inspired millinery. They use a really beautiful range of unique and inventive materials, and their first 11 customers will be getting a gift! Yay!

beautiful blushers

Don't miss the beautiful vintage inspired blusher veils and headpieces over at Castle Bride Couture. Designer Kirsten Fox's stylish interpretations on the short veil are some of the nicest I've ever seen, and would make an amazing statement piece with any dress.

head = dressed.

I love the new stuff up on Headdress Couture. Aside from awesome new hair accessories for your wedding day, they also have some killer new veils. I love that they're all little edgy, but just edgy enough to be interesting, not like "over the deep end" edgy. The photos are amazing! Check them out.

time for tea

Saw this today on Wedding Bee and couldn't resist re-posting it. I wish I had known about Stephanie James Couture when I was planning my wedding. I looked everywhere for tea length dresses, EVERYWHERE! Stephanie excels at tea length. Ah... hindsight. Anyway, if any of you are looking for tea length, vintage inspired gowns--look no further. FYI- She also makes adorable blushers.

kelly spence

I was thrilled to hear from Kelly of Kelly Spence Tiaras about her beautiful collection of customizable hair accessories. Options range from delicate sprays, (like the hairpins above) to intricate pearl and crystal combs. Each piece is made to order so custom requests are welcomed. Kelly Spence is located in the UK, but she'll happily ship across the pond.

PS. Kelly also has really lovely veils.

leah c

"Ooooooo". That's the most intelligent thing I can think to say. I'm totally star struck by these; the millinery, the photos, the beautiful lady with the pretty hair... (those were drooling ellipses). I've posted about Leah C before, but she has an entirely new (to me) section of bridal headpieces and blushers, all of which are just as stunning and photographed just as beautifully as these.

bride's head revisited

Bride's Head Revisited. Get it? What an adorable name for a bridal milliner. I get it even though I've never read the book... or seen the movie. Is it a book or a movie or both? Or a mini series? Was it sort of like The Thornbirds? Because I didn't see/read that either. Anyway, even though I didn't previously participate in any media by the same name, I still enjoy their veils... especially the french ones.

sara gabriel veils

When women fall in love with men named William, do they play that song at their wedding? You know the one.
"Bill, I love you so, I always will..." The one from My Girl? The one Veda Sultenfuss sang to her unrequited love? I hope those girls play that song. Because none of the rest of us has a song.
But I digress. I'm supposed to be posting about these veils I found. We all know that great websites for veils are pretty hard to find, so I'm posting a link to Sara Gabriel. She has some lovely tulle* AND a fun little tool* to help you decide on your veil length.

*Um, hello. How many bloggers do you know that can use a homophone with that kind of ease? Hmmmm? That's right. A HOMOPHONE.

the princess brides

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.

designer veils

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!