Homespun love: Bethany & Ethan

 

I have been waiting with bated breath for MONTHS to share Bethany and Ethan's breathtaking wedding with everyone, and the time has finally come!  It's like a holiday treat for the eyes.  Bethany was one of my very first brides, and first contacted me via Etsy looking for her own special version of the J. Crew Sascha bridal gown.  Once I saw the gown, with its dramatic multi-petal peony floral accent at the waist, I was totally hooked - I knew I had to make this dress!  As you can see, it turned out even better than I could have ever hoped, and Bethany looks stunning in it.  

When I first saw these photos, I was totally blown away - the whole event looks like it was staged for a shoot by Martha Stewart Weddings!  

Bethany and Ethan had an intimate wedding celebration at Bethany’s childhood home in Escondido. Their wedding was filled with warm, personal touches and tons of thoughtful details...I just love the vintage inspiration combined with the lush floral arrangements and the DIY touches.  I could look at these pics all day. 

Bethany's mother hand sewed all the gorgeous quilts that were a main part of the homespun decor. Handmade vintage ribbons and banners were strewn about the house, encouraging guests to “celebrate” and “eat drink and be married!” All the flowers and vintage decor display was designed by the talented Annette Gomez, and the gorgeous photographs are by Stephanie Williams Photography.  (To see more of these gorgeous pics, visit Stephanie's blog - I promise, this wedding was so beautiful in every detail that you'll be inspired and happy for the rest of the day!)

 

Guests wrote well wishes to the couple on a vintage typewriter during the cocktail hour, and a personal chef created the most delicious menu. The evening ended with family and friends dining in candle light under an old oak tree, and eating slices of lemon bars and organic banana cake!

Congratulations, lovebirds - thanks so much for sharing your special day with us.  And an extra special thank you to Stephanie Williams Photography for the amazing photos - keep up the good work!

Silk seersucker simplicity

I'm so excited to be able to share a few photos of one of my favorite bridal gowns of the past wedding season - Joana's gorgeous silk seersucker Lydia gown!  Joana contacted me via Etsy nearly a year ago, knowing that she wanted a version of the Lydia gown but unsure of which fabric would be the best choice for her.  She loved the look of seersucker, but wanted something just a bit fancier.  Luckily, I had just seen (and fallen in love with) this GORGEOUS silk seersucker on one of my favorite fabric suppliers' websites.  After seeing the fabric for herself, Joana was as much in love with it as I was.  The texture and sheen of the silk fabric is just breathtaking!

 

As you can see, the dress came out beautifully - just perfect for an intimate family ceremony.  What more could you ask for?  Congrats and best wishes, lovebirds! :-)

DIY fabulous

It's been the summer of the Lydia dress!  Anna found my seersucker sweetheart version of the J. Crew Lucinda dress (named the Lydia dress after the bride who first requested it, Lydia) on Etsy, and immediately knew that it would be just right for the creative, intimate DIY-fabulous wedding she had planned.

Anna actually moved to Pittsburgh in the middle of her wedding planning process, so I got to do her fittings in person--hooray!  And I got a preview of all of her fantastic wedding craft projects, which were so brilliant.

Look at how gorgeous she is!  And I love the color palette--all warm sherbet orange and blush pink--totally unique and just beautiful.  Anna hand-embroidered the sash she is wearing, and made little shoe clips and hair combs to match!  Super duper crafty!

How absolutely lovely: intimate, personal, unique, and full of thoughtful detail.  Congratulations, you two! :-)

Carolina dreaming

One of my very first Etsy wedding dress commissions was from a lovely, creative bride named Lydia.  She happened to be living with her husband-to-be in one of my favorite places in the world: the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  It was Lydia's brilliant idea to make a version of the J. Crew Lucinda bridal gown in white cotton seersucker, and it turned out so beautifully! 

I had the pleasure of meeting Lydia and her fiance as they traveled through Pennsylvania, so I got to do her fitting in person--she was so sweet and warm and joyful.  Just a pleasure to work with!  After I sent the finished dress off to Lydia, my little business took off and things got busy and I wondered every once in a while how the wedding had gone...and then, lo and behold, many months later I found these fabulous pictures in my email inbox!

Doesn't everyone look like they are just blissfully happy?  I can see joy and contentment and fun and love radiating out of every face, not just the bride and groom.  That's the best kind of wedding!

Congratulations, lovebirds!  Thank you so much for sharing your special day with me. :-)

Blue belle, part two: Laura's Lilla dress

Well!  What a busy spring and summer it has been!  I've been away from the blog for quite a while, sewing my little fingers off...and keeping busy with other things as well.  (More on that later...)  For my first feature of this post-bridal season, I'm bringing it back to the custom creation of lovely Laura--the Lilla dress.  In February, I featured the Lilla dress and the process behind its design.

Laura was such a sweet bride and had a clear, unique vision for her wedding--as you can see from the gorgeous photos! (Photos by Laura's aunt of Five Foot Three Photography.)  I love the pale blue and cherry red color palette, those crepe-paper poms, the vintage/retro touches like Laura's fascinator and shrug--and that hot car! 

Though the weather was rainy, these two lovebirds clearly had the sweetest of days.  Congratulations, you two!  Thanks so much for letting me be a part of your special day. :-)

Blue belle

You know the saying: "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue--and a penny in my shoe!"  My brilliant customer Laura came up with a gorgeous concept for her wedding gown that incorporates the "something blue" in a unique and absolutely lovely way: she found a white cotton eyelet fabric with the most delicate hint of sky blue in the embroidery.  The result?  One of my new favorite dress designs!

Laura's original dress design concept was inspired by a dress she found on a site that I absolutely love, Thread.  The Thread design aesthetic--simple, feminine dresses in high quality fabrics at reasonable prices--hits very close to my heart!  And I have to say I love their use of seersucker--but I digress. :-)  Laura fell in love with a strapless full-length gown with a tiered ruffled skirt, but wanted the dress made in a more mermaid-style silhouette with graduated length ruffles--and of course in her size and with her sweet blue and white eyelet fabric!  I was up for the challenge.

 

Laura's finished gown came out even better than I could have expected!  We lowered the starting point of the ruffles and made the skirt a bit more fitted in order to gain the fit-and-flare shape that a mermaid gown must have.  The gown has a built-in bustier--comfortable and secure, and so much more convenient than wearing a separate strapless bra!  I ended up doing an interlining in the skirt and organza underlining in the ruffles to achieve the mermaid shape at the bottom of the skirt.  Sooooo pretty!  Laura tells me that she's having a little blue shrug sweater made to match the dress, which will be just the perfect accent to this sweet dress.  I can't wait to see the whole ensemble all put together!  Congratulations and best wishes, Laura!