Love Notes: The Pacific Weddings Blog

Claire Pettibone's 2010 Cherry Blossom Collection

Get ready to channel your inner geisha girl with Claire Pettibone's delicate bridal collection for 2010—the airy fabrics and feather-light details are perfect for a destination wedding. Here is Claire's release:
Taking the exalted Japanese flower, Cherry Blossom, as her muse, designer Claire Pettibone recently unveiled her 2010 couture bridal collection on the runway at Buddakan NYC. In a soft and effervescent palette of snow white, metallic silver and gold with accents of pale pink and Empire Red, “Cherry Blossom 2010” is a luminous vision of purity and exotic innocence.

I love the ultra-feminine details and flirty accents. This collection is inventive and refreshingly unique! And I think the China girl bangs have inspired me to cut my hair.  xo —robyn

The New Pacific Weddings Movie Room

Grab your popcorn and spend a little time in our all new Movie Room at the Pacific Weddings website! Still in the beginning stages, the Movie Room will soon become the hub for all things wedding: the most romantic honeymoon spots, fabulous destination wedding sites, live film of couples tying the knot, and a fun look behind-the-scenes of Pacific Weddings' photo shoots. We also introduce Our Crowd, a special group of individuals on The List of Preferred Wedding Vendors. These are the people we trust to help you create the wedding of your dreams in Hawaii, California and the Pacific. If you would like to submit a video for consideration in the Movie Room, email us a link to your clip along with the location of the wedding to mywedding@pacificweddings.com. See you at the movies!  xo ~robyn

(photo by Visionari)

The Perfect Wedding Dress

When it comes to selecting a wedding dress a girl has to dream big, so what better place to seek inspiration than the fashion runways? And with all the buzz preceding this month's bridal market in NYC, I am unusually preoccupied with the latest looks. Here are a few stunning gowns from the catwalk that will take your groom's breath away. I particularly love the short dresses and fabulous details of Elie Saab's designs. Do you have a favorite?  xo~Robyn

(images via style.com)

Goregous Wedding Gowns: For Your Library

I adore books, particularly books with stunning photography, and Alexandra Black's The Party Dress (Rizzoli New York, 2007) summons me back time and again with its pages of alluring gowns. The image above is one of my absolute favorites—an amazing mix of textures and fine details—I love the bold necklace, fabulous cashmere shawl, the antique clutch and petalled chiffon dress.

Clockwise from upper left: one-shouldered dress with turban by Bill Blass, 1965; dress by Carlo Pignatelli, photograph by Mauro Balletti; Dress by Collette Dinnigan; courtesy of Lisa Gowing, photograph by Ian Barry. There are so many more evocative photos in this book, it is one treasure you should definitely consider for your personal library.  xo~robyn

(Cover image courtesy of Cecil Beaton Studio Archive, Southeby's)

Vintage Wedding Style: Moss & Bell Jars

I've had a longstanding love affair with bell jars, and I recently discovered it was the French that developed the glass cloche to protect plants from cold weather frost. I like the idea that these miniature gardens are a natural still life framed only by the glass that envelopes them. Blended with moss and European accents, a bell jar wedding arrangement is both interesting and unique. For this style sheet I looked to two of my faves, Roost and Anthropology, for inspiration. (Photos: above, La Mome bridal caplet is available at Tocatta's Etsy shop; upper right image via Apartment Therapy; bell jars above and images below by Roost.)

For our table setting below at Pua Le‘a Estate, a historic sugar mill tucked away in the lush green hills of Haiku, Maui, we used moss in lieu of linens to cover the table adding bouquets of white orchids and calla lilies as centerpieces. Below, another amazing Anthro store display; moss balls and Euro accessories from Save-on Crafts. I think it would be fun to create a unique tableau for each of your wedding reception tables with these interesting pieces, and your guests will appreciate the nature-inspired still life scenes.

A weathered container from World Buyer's new collection is a fabulous table accent. Finally, a perfectly adorable Antrhopologie frock dubbed the Beach Grass Dress is perfect for a casual destination wedding—you decide whether it is for the bridesmaids or for the bride herself. xo ~robyn

A Passion for Pink Weddings

I adore pink so much that we once dedicated an entire issue of Pacific Weddings to all things pink. Of course it was called The Pink Issue and it remains one of my personal favorites over the past decade. You can still order this edition if you are looking for gorgeous ideas for a pink wedding! Here is more inspiration if you are considering this alluring color for your wedding day.

Cupcakes by Sugar Bloom Cupcakes; Photo of pink dress © Party Dress, Text by Alexandra Black, Rizzoli New York, 2007

  

J. Crew's pink bridesmaid dress; The Pink Issue of Pacific Weddings; pink macaroons; and finally, a pink sea urchin or these pink Miu Miu Mary Janes could be the jumping off point for a stunning wedding theme! xo- robyn

 

A Wedding Gown by Valentino

The spring 2009 couture runway provided ample inspiration for brides seeking a one-of-a-kind wedding gown, and the Valentino collection took my breath away. If money were no object, the Valentino label would most certainly be a serious consideration for an exquisite and timeless couture bridal gown. Which of these designs whispers your name!?

For more of my favorites and to see the entire collection,

Stunning Destination Wedding Gowns

Destination wedding gowns have become an important part of designer collections in the last few years, and we love to share our favorite bridal styles which most recently includes the fabulous Kelima K. Brides are attracted to her small NYC boutique with ethereal dresses detailed in soft feather trims, silk butterflies and exquisite French lace. We featured one of Kelima's gowns in the latest issue of Pacific Weddings®, and here are a few more breathtaking styles for your review. I would have a difficult time selecting just one, wouldn't you? Forced to choose, I would go with the romantic v-neck pictured below. Don't you adore the delicate lace and beautiful layering of this dress?! xo ~robyn

 

 

(photos courtesy of Kelima K)

Lanvin Wedding Gowns: Collection Blanche 2009

Last year Lanvin introduced their first bridal line, Collection Blanche, and the looks for 2009 are just as chic. I admit, I have a complete crush on Alber Elbaz, the brilliant designer at the helm of the famous fashion house, Lanvin. It could be his humble demeanor or adorable glasses, or perhaps it is the fact that he prefers natural wrinkles ("smile lines") over botox. Whatever the case, I am delightfully researching his life and designs and have fallen madly in love with his collections.

If you want to get to know the soft spoken designer a little better, take a look at this NYT video. Be forewarned, there is something undeniably charming about a guy (with an accent!) who so obviously loves making women happy. In his words, “I don’t have to give you a Tylenol to feel good. I’ll give you, maybe, a red dress, and you’ll feel marvelous.”  In this case, let's make it white.  xo ~robyn

Flawless Wedding Makeup

I can relate to European women when it comes to makeup: I don’t like to wear tons, but I do like the look of a fresh, pretty face. Flawless wedding makeup requires some planning, particularly in sultry coastal climates. Here is my latest list of MAC products I wouldn't want to live without.

I'm loving MAC’s Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation--it leaves your skin smooth and dewy without much shine. (Everyone in our office wears it now!) Take the time to test makeup items well in advance of your wedding date--you don’t want any unexpected reactions! And I always travel with a few different shades of foundation in case I catch a little sun. (By the way, have your heard MAC is discontinuing their Face and Body Foundation? I want to buy an entire case, but what about the shelf life?)

 

A light brush of Mineralize Skinfinish Natural is another must--it won’t give you a “cakey” made-up look like most finishing powders. For lips, before you apply liner and lipstick or gloss use MAC Prep + Prime--your color will go on smoothly and lasts much longer. Right now I am into Angel lipstick (pictured above on our model), a soft shade of pink that looks great on everyone. I am still madly in love with Blacktrack Fluidline (pictured above in Macroviolet, I wear mainly Blacktrack). Pencil liners melt and smudge in the tropical heat, but this little jar of magic won’t budge. If black is too strong for you, try Dip Down in a warm brown shade. The key to liquid liners is the proper brush--don’t worry the MAC reps will direct you. If you have a favorite makeup product, let us know!

(photo of model by Visionari for Pacific Weddings®)