Wedding Hair Accessories

We recently stumbled upon a new hot spot for wedding hair accessories, and couldn’t be more excited about it!  E. Kammeyer Hair Accessories are beautifully handmade pieces that can be customized to meet any brides desires. The designs are one of a kind and are all made personally by E. Kammeyer herself in her New York City design studio. Check out a few pieces featured on her newly launched website www.EKammeyer.com

  

What the Concept Wed team loves most about E. Kammeyer Hair Accessories is the personal time and attention the designer dedicates to each bride. Every bride is sure to get a one of a kind piece that shows off who she is and who she wants to be on her wedding day – just contact E. Kammeyer via her website. And of course for those brides who do not have time or patience to wait for something custom there are hair pieces already designed that you can order, which of course are simply amazing.

Lovely Lavender

Our Lovely Lavender post is inspired by the bright color of wild lavender growing in a wide open space of lush green grass. One of our brides fell in love with this inspiration this weekend so we just had to share it. Vibrant lavender accented with a rich green creates a beautiful, romantic wedding palate that is just perfect for a garden wedding.

Looking for more ideas for your lavender colored wedding… look no further, the Concept Wed team has your covered.

Idea #1, play up the vibrant lavender color scheme by having your wedding party wear the color. Lavender lace looks so romantic on your ladies.  If you want an off-beat look have the guys wear lavender gingham. The contrast between the lavender lace and gingham checked shirts will give your wedding photos a quirky texture. For a more traditional look, opt for lavender colored ties, or incorporate the color into the flowers. You can also play up the color, by using it as an accent on your dress. A lavender sash or brooch is simply stunning on a white wedding gown.

Idea #2, make lavender a stand-out part of your aisle style. Use lavender or lavender color flower arrangements to accent the ends of each row down the aisle. Scattering lavender flowers instead of the traditional rose petals is a great way to work your main lavender color into the ceremony decor.  

Idea #3, incorporate lavender (either the color or actual flowers) into your escort card design to set the theme for the reception.

Idea #4, continue to showcase your lavender theme throughout your reception. Place settings and center pieces are the perfect place to incorporate your color. Adding a sprig of lavender on top of each napkin or into pre-reception cocktails are easy ways to maintain the lavender theme. A lavender lemonade stand is a cute update to the very popular candy bar. And for desert…. lavender inspired cupcakes are bright and fun or a traditional wedding cake accented with lavender flowers provides an effortless finishing touch. 

Bridesmaid Dresses – The Ones We Love Right Now

Picking bridesmaid dresses can be a dreaded event for many brides. Finding the fine line between what they want, what their bridesmaids can afford, and what styles, fit, and cuts look good on which bridesmaid, can seem like an impossible task. Here Concept Wed shares the designers we are loving right now and why as well as few helpful tips to make the decision process a little bit easier.

When it comes to bridesmaid dresses you really do get what you pay for. While you do not want to ask your ladies to break the bank, if they spend a little more they might actually get something they can wear again (gasp!). To get the best bang for ‘their’ buck Concept Wed recommends Jenny Yoo. The label provides a wide variety of styles, fabrics, and colors. You get options without sacrificing quality. While the dresses average around $250 to $400 depending on length and style you can pick the fabric and color and let your lovely bridesmaids pick a silhouette that flatters their body type. This strategy, also known as picking ‘sister styles’ allows you to determine the overall look and feel while allowing your girls to feel comfortable in a silhouette they picked.

Check out the Jenny Yoo website to see the complete collection jennyyoo.com

If you are looking for a quirky, mismatched or off-beat non-traditional dress check out the collection of party dresses from bhldn, the wedding/party focused label from Anthropologie. The dresses are a bit pricey, but they are truly unique and completely re-wearable!

Find more bridesmaid dress inspiration at  bhldn.com.

We could do not a post on bridesmaid dresses and not mention J.CREW and their fabulous line of wedding/party dresses. What we love most about J.CREW is that it is one stop shopping for your bridesmaids. You can put together your entire wedding party look and have your ladies purchase everything, including matching or even mismatched accessories at the same time. Another check in the pro column - pricing is reasonable and since J.CREW is a national clothing brand, the dresses do not have the typical ’bridesmaid dress’ stigma. So, assuming your ladies like the dress you pick, they are more likely to wear it again.

J.CREW also offers great styling inspiration online and in their catalog (if you don’t get a copy in your mail box, be sure to sign up today!). Our favorite look right now… a bold color dress accented with a belt in a contrasting hue (just like the pink dress paired with the orange belt shown below).

For more J.CREW dresses click here: http://www.jcrew.com/wedding/Wedding_Bridesmaid.jsp 

Last, but certainly not least Concept Wed loves the bridesmaid dress collection from Saja- especially if you are looking for something with an ethereal feel. Saja dresses are simply beautiful. The light weight fabric, yummy colors with names like buttercup and blackberry, and timeless silhouettes make Saja dresses irresistible. You and your ladies will love the look but better yet, your ladies will also love the figure flattering fits and the totally reasonable prices.  

For more information on Saja dresses visit www.sajawedding.com or make an appointment at the New York flagship store (located in the heart of NoLita) by calling 212-226-7570.  

When it comes to bridesmaid dresses there are endless options out there, so it is totally natural to feel overwhelmed. To keep yourself sane first focus on determining the look you want to achieve. Concept Wed recommends doing this before seeking the opinions and input of others because once you open the door it is hard to close without stiring up a little drama.  Once you have a framework for what you want you can then enlist the help of your bridal party. This will keep their suggestions more focused, more inline with your wedding, and less about what styles and colors they personally like.

Destination Weddings

No matter where you choose to have your wedding, the Concept Wed team has an endless supply of inspiration and tips. Destination wedding here we come!

Beach Weddings are always breathtakingly beautiful so use the location (or type of beach) to set the mood.  A tropical paradise location calls for all the colors of a beautiful floral lei, fruity drinks with little umbrellas, and even a Hawaiian shirt or two. While the beach of your favorite family vacation spot in Cape Cod requires a more nautical decor.

For a tropical beach wedding, use the bright local flowers of the island. Keep your decor simple and let the location do all the work with the naturally beautiful views.

For an East Coast beach wedding, play up the nautical or rustic details. Lighthouses, sun chairs, and shells make cute little accents.

And of course a Concept Wed favorite – the rustic beech wood inspired wedding. A look that can be done in the islands or on the cape.

While they are a striking contrast to the sandy beaches above, the mountains can make a beautiful destination wedding spot. With a mountain wedding the let the seasons dictate the design and feel of your wedding.  In spring, summer and even fall play up the natural colors of the fields, leaves, and wild flowers. If you are having a mountain wedding in the winter, let the crisp air, cozy fire places, and fluffy white snow play host to your wedding theme.   

Mountain Wedding Details: always play off the season. Use the natural colors specific to the season of your wedding for your flowers and decor. For a winter wedding - pinecones, aspen bark, and pine trees make perfect arrangements and accents.  

Mountain Wedding Invitation ideas that fit any season.

Our next destination is a romantic winery or rustic vineyard. Play up the rustic chic look, which is one of the top weeding trends of 2012,

 

or make it elegant and grand. Either way when the wine starts flowing your reception is sure to be a great time.

Stay tuned for more destination wedding inspiration… Who knows where this journey will take us.

Let’s Hear It For The Boys

Most of the grooms-to-be we encounter are less than thrilled about the wedding planning process. While a wedding day is all about the bride, making a little effort or a small sacrifice can quickly change the mindset of your groom from ‘planning dread’ to ‘all about being wed.’ Here are some easy ways to make your groom more enthusiastic about planning your big day and even an idea or two about how to surprise him on your actual wedding day. Afterall, he is getting married too.

1. Incorporate some of HIS favorite things into your wedding reception. The easiest way to do this is via food. Turn his love of pizza and wings into a fun cocktail hour snack bar. If your groom is passionate about his beer, why not set up a beer tasting area during the cocktail hour? Our first inspiration board is dedicated to incorporating HIS favorite things into your reception.

Another easy way to pay tribute to something your groom loves is to surprise him with a grooms cake. Check out some of Concept Wed’s favorite grooms cakes below.  

2. Use the non-traditional boutonnier. Let’s be honest, how many guys are excited by the idea of wearing a blooming flower on the lapel of their jacket? We can’t think of many.  Instead of a floral pin, let him and his groomsmen wear non-traditional boutonnieres. Concept Wed loves the simple heart pin shown below. And how cute is the bundle of golf tees! Work the your wedding theme into the boutonnieres and even our girliest of brides won’t miss the traditional flower.

Many unique (non-floral) boutonnieres can be made by hand. But if you are not the DIY kind of bride, check out http://www.etsy.com/. There are many vendors who will create custom boutonnieres for all the guys in your wedding.

3. Have a cigar bar at your reception. Not only does it invite a manly tradition into a female focused event it can serve as a reception gift for your guests. Even if your groom is not an avid cigar smoker he will appreciate the tradition in it and will be happy when he sees all of the men (and some women) at the wedding reception enjoying themselves at the cigar bar.

4. Pamper your groom. Think of all the pampering you will be doing in preparation for your big day. Just because your groom-to-be is a guy doesn’t mean he does not need or want, for that matter, a little pampering himself. So take a little time plan some special pampering for him (because we know he won’t do it himself).

Get him a traditional shaving kit to be used on the wedding day or even better yet, give him a complete kit of everything he needs to prepare himself on the wedding day. Another cute idea is the minimergency kit (shown above). This kit can be purchased from http://www.msandmrs.com/ . Give it to him the night before the weeding. He will find it funny and will love that you thought of him.  

5. Recognize His Family and/or Friends. The day of the wedding is typically focused on the bride and her side of the family. Surprise him (and his family), by paying a small tribute to them. One of the Concept Wed teams favorite ideas is to present your groom and his complete wedding party with custom cufflinks to be worn on the day of the wedding. Each set of cufflinks could be unique to the specific individual or each set could state their role in the wedding (Groom, Father of the Groom, Groomsmen, etc). Another cute idea, have engraved mugs or glasses for each of his family members waiting for them at their reception palce setting.

It is important that your groom feel part of the wedding during the planning and on the actual day. If he does, planning your wedding will be that much easier. Oh, and one more thing, if his dog is his best friend, find a way to include rover in the event… even if it is just for a few pictures.

Glorious Gold

Gold is nothing but glorious! Especially when it comes to weddings. Of course gold often gets a bad rap as being over the top, flashy, and sometimes even gaudy (gasp!). Many brides purposefully stay away from gold because of these negative perceptions. While it is true that gold at weddings can sometimes become almost pretentious, when used correctly and in conjunction with complementary shades, gold can be the perfect base color or accent color for your wedding. Here the Concept Wed team shares inspiration on how to use gold in your wedding without it becoming too much.

First off, gold can be the perfect accent to a formal winter wedding. Pair with winter white, chocolate-brown and a little black to create a beautifully warm, yet extremely elegant reception.

Try gold as a color for your summer wedding. Gold can offer an elegant touch to a more casual outside wedding.

Mix it up! Still worried about gold at your wedding? Mix in silver and even hints of copper for a fashion forward mixed metal effect. The result will be a bold, daring, and unforgettable decor. 

Not the bold, edgy type? Gold can also be super sweet, charming, and romantic. Especially when paired with off-white and shades of pink. 

And we could not provide gold inspiration boards, without including the traditional, gloriously glamorous look. Upscale and elegant, with an almost regal feel. 

1920′s Wedding Inspiration

Looking to create a carefree reception where guests and kickback and have a good time? Take cues from the 1920′s era, when society secretly revolved around being the life of the party. Here the Concept Wed team provides inspiration boards for your 1920′s inspired wedding – think, big band music, feathers, a birdcage or two, and the loud roar of the roaring twenties.