Project Wedding Blog

It was a packed house inside the Badgley Mischka showroom, as everyone waited to see what was in store for their 2010 line. As usual, the veteran designers did not disappoint! Presenting a few sultry snapshots of their passionate work:

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The Kirstie Kelly for Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings Come True show was truly a dream come true for many of us. The show Sunday night was magical, whimsical and exciting. The dresses were inspiring — and there were not only princess gowns but a gorgeous stream of fitted, elegant, dazzling creations. The most precious part of the show — the little flower girls! Here’s your special preview:

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The talented CK Hwang from 39 East Photography sent me one of the most gorgeous weddings I have seen in a long time. The couple, Brinda and Brian, hosted a multi-day cultural wedding in the heart of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma…

The happy couple was kind enough to share some details from their big day…

What were the main challenges in planning your wedding?

Main challenge was planning from a distance.  I had to make 2 trips to Oklahoma by myself and then a final trip with Brian. Each trip we would have to meet with as many vendors as we could and make as many decisions as possible in a short amount of time.  The rest we just had to leave up to my mom and “aunties” (my mom’s friends) and trust they would pick something we’d like.  There was a small army of women who made our wedding happen.  They had weekly meetings and at the time of the wedding, each auntie was assigned a task to make sure things ran smoothly.

What were some touches you made to your wedding to personalize it?

Since the wedding was so large, Brian and I really wanted to include some personal touches that our friends would recognize as “us”.  We both love ice cream so we had ice cream cups at the mendhi (they were from Braums which is a local ice cream chain). We made our wedding favors which were CD’s.  We each picked a few songs that meant something to us as individuals, a few that we loved as a couple, and a couple of Indian songs to celebrate the wedding.  Also, anyone who knows me knows I love chocolate so there were hershey kisses on every table at the reception.  Finally, Brian’s groom’s cake (a surprise from me to him) was a recreation of his custom hot rod — a 1928 Model A Ford that he assembled from pieces.  Sitting next to the car were gum paste figures of our dogs, Lady and Sadie. The altar where we were married (called a palki) was carved by a very close friend of our family (one of my “uncles”).  He made it especially for our wedding.  It was also his car we drove off in after the wedding ceremony. The car is a 1931 Model A Ford and very similar to Brian’s hot rod.

Who were your favorite vendors from the wedding?

Favorite vendor was our cake makers — the wedding cake was made by a woman named Mishelle Handy who also made my brother and sister-in-law’s wedding cake (http://www.cakeplease.com).  As I mentioned above, I love chocolate but her yellow cake with vanilla custard is the best cake I have ever eaten hands down (and I’ve eaten a lot of cake).  All of my friends were shocked when they found out I wasn’t going to have a chocolate wedding cake but once they tasted her cake they realized why!  The groom’s cake was made by a woman named Janet Rosebeary and I just happened to find her website when I was looking for someone to make a sculptural cake (http://www.rosebearydesigns.com).  I sent her a bunch of pictures of Brian’s car and she recreated it beautifully. Our other favorite was photographer as we wanted one that had shot Indian weddings before (www.39eastphotography.com <http://www.39eastphotography.com> ).

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The incredible Ines Di Santo couture show was all about precious gemstones and each piece being three dimensional as the perfect compliment. Every dress was insired by a different gem - from the diamond gown to the garnet dress and the brilliant amethyst. A look we absolutely loved from this event - the head pieces and glam updos!

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The Monique Lhuillier show Sunday generated gorgeous gowns and a HUGE amount of buzz and applause from the audience … you will see why right now!

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Romona Keveza is celebrating the 10th anniversary of her Couture Collection. She started the show today with a retrospective of her bridal showstoppers, dating back to 1999. What struck me was how truly timeless her creations are — any of them could be worn today. Her new collection had me speechless, as stunning piece after stunning piece came down the runway. Here are a few highlights:

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We visited Amy Michelson Saturday morning, where she revealed her 2010 line which is all about what she calls a “sexy, beachy” vibe. Some of the dresses are ultra-glamorous, while others have stunning, floaty tails to die for! Another amazing thing she is doing — cool colors underneath the organza like peach blush. Here is one I absolutely loved, called the “Love Me Tender.” It features French embroidered lace, feathers and adorable organza roses.

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Just back from the Alfred Angelo show, where the spring line is fresh, colorful and inspired by “Jazz on a Summer’s Day,” the documentary from the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. Gone are the days of dismal bridesmaid dresses! The eco-friendly bridesmaid dress collection, Purely Alfred Angelo, lit up the runway with hues like island pink, capri blue, orange sunset and even plaid! The breathtaking bridal gowns mixed high drama with a light, airy vibe. Here are a few of my favorites - fresh off the runway.

Images courtesy: Patrick Ryan

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We just met with the fabulous team behind Moonlight Bridal in New York, where Stephanie Chin and her sister, Valerie, unveiled some of their brand new bridal looks for Spring 2010. Here’s a sneak peek at my absolute favorite gown — and two precious bridesmaid dresses – which put an entirely new stylish spin on that area of bridal wear. Their dresses are stunning, wearable and the best thing — affordable!

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The Project Wedding team will be all over New York City this weekend, previewing wedding dresses for 2010 from designers like Romona Keveza, Reem Acra, Badgley Mischka, Carmela Sutera, Priscilla of Boston, Ines Di Santo, Kirstie Kelly, Monique Lhuillier and Nicole Miller — just to name a precious few! Check back here Friday through Monday for any stylish updates, photos and news from all of the shows!

Image courtesy: Reem Acra

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