Weddingbee

I bought one for Mr. C’s family reunion this summer, and most recently my MOH and I dropped by to check out dresses for bridesmaid options. Most of the dresses are made of silk chiffon, which I’ve decided is my favorite dress fabric of all time because when cut the the right way, it is so flattering. I love how the silk billows and flows. It’s the perfect lightweight fabric for a summer wedding, especially for July in New York, when it tends to get humid and very hot! Not only would they make great bridesmaid dresses, some of the longer styles would be well suited for mothers of the bride/groom or alternative wedding dresses.

Here are some of the styles MOH so graciously modeled for me:

And here are some of my favorites off their site (which are quite beautiful in person too!):
The prices, which range from $200-400, are pretty average for evening dresses, but high for bridesmaid options. Though we’re still figuring out our bridesmaid dress situation, I’m definitely bringing my mom in to scope out some dress options for her. I’ll keep you posted on what we find!

In the meantime, if you’re in New York, stop by and browse. Saja carries silk blouses, sweaters, wraps, and jewelry as well. If you’re not in New York, I believe Saja is carried in a few stores across the country, just call or email to ask– they’re always very responsive.

Saja Store
250 Elizabeth Street
New York, NY 10012

Tel: 212-226-7570
Fax: 212-226-7572
sajanyc@sajainc.com

What are some of your favorite small designers or boutiques?
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But recently, after going to the Jenny Yoo showroom and not finding a nice neutral champagne color, I found this pinkish-red instead that threw me off the color scheme wagon.

Martine Dress from Jenny Yoo on MOHThe Sorbet fabric swatches. Top: with flash, Bottom: no flash

At first I was very firm about not changing anything, but then I realized, I don’t even really have a color scheme in place! I just know that I’m wearing an ivory dress with a gold sash and gold shoes… so essentially the only color I’ve committed to so far is GOLD! I also wanted to incorporate some red or shades of red into the wedding to highlight Chinese culture since I’m not plastering the double-happiness symbol everywhere. So a pink/red would definitely facilitate this.

And the final part that made me sleepless was the dilemma of the groomsmen. If the bridesmaids, wear pink/red, then the groomsmen will have to wear pink/red ties… I knew that was not going to fly with Mr. C. Then the moment of truth: this is not prom, not everything has to match, how about some complementary colors Miss Former Art History Student! Instead of fretting, I started to get excited. I could have all the bridesmaids carry light yellow (for the gold) flowers and the guys can wear formal tuxes with a gold or black ties and have light pink boutonnières. Then, I can have bright pink flowers (which I’ve always wanted!) and Mr. C can wear a light yellow boutonnière. And the rest of the scheme (invitations, decor, cake, favors) could all work in the same alternates.

I created this board to help hone it down and get a general feel, and I LOVED it. I loved the punch that the bright pink added without making it seem like a bad 80s movie and the gold complemented the pink very well.

In my frenzy to create this, I forgot to note a lot of the sources, so here’s what I have thus far… please let me know if you can cite any of the ones I’m missing!

{Top (left to right): MS Weddings, MS Weddings, Red and white lanterns, MS Weddings, Nancy Liu Chin bouquet, Second Row: MS Weddings, Coren Moore bridesmaid dress, Amsale wedding gown, MS tea and cookie favors, Erlikh Vogue print, Third Row: Scattered Ribbons, Gucci sandals, MS Weddings stationery, MS DIY bird place cards, Nancy Liu Chin centerpiece, Scarf from Indigo Handloom}

And the rest of blogland was also pushing me in that direction, because just that day, I signed into my Google reader and found at least two posts about using hot pink at a wedding!

Here’s the one from Style Me Pretty:

Image from Style Me Pretty

Pink and Purple from Perfect Bound:

Image from Perfect Bound

So what do you think of Sorbet & Gold? After this, I will select the bridesmaids dresses and the color scheme saga will finally be over.

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• Some super cute and useful kitchen accessories from Beehive Kitchenware. I wanna buy everything! Check out the bird-related items that I’m seriously coveting. It’s all too adorable. A lot of the items on the site would make for great, creative, yet functional wedding gifts.

Wedding idea: Great gifts for your bridal shower host/hostess.

• This ridiculously overpriced but oh so pretty book. I love Charley Harper illustrations and this is a showcase of the best! Remember those Golden Books? Yeah… I still buy them for the pictures. Always a kid at heart…

Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life from AMMO Books, $200*
*I know the price is high, but hey, this is a “wish” list, right?

• Kinder Bars are what I crave the most when I’m having a sugar rush. I discovered them as a child when my relatives in Paris would mail them by the boatload for Christmas. Why are they not more readily available in the U.S.! No fair. I am in love with Kinder Bars. This must be the most satiating thing on a bad day.

Nothing tops the joy Kinder Bars bring me, except maybe the penultimate Kinder Surprise!

Oh yes, it’s a hollow chocolate egg with the most awesome “surprise” toy on the inside!

Wedding idea: I have never met a child who didn’t like Kinder Bars. They’re made for kids (hence “kinder”). These would be great for the younger guests. I plan on making gift bags for the kids attending the wedding and I’m definitely going to include some sort of Kinder goodness.

But in all seriousness, the best gift this holiday season is finally getting to live in the same city and apartment as Mr. Canary. The biggest Kinder Bar in the world couldn’t make that any sweeter.

What’s on your holiday wish list?

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From there, Sally asked about the event– where it was taking place, the kind of dresses I would be wearing… and then got to working her magic. I’ll let her handiwork speak for itself. It was exactly what I wanted: natural yet glamorous.

What I normally look like without makeup
After Sally’s trial.

And for comparison, here is an application I had done at the local MAC counter to learn how to use products for my engagement shoot.

I thought the overall coloring was too severe, but I liked the shades of brown on my lids, so I may ask Sally to change the eye color to more earthy and brown tones for the tea ceremony and morning activities of the wedding day. Then, make it darker and smokier for the evening reception.

Sally was really easy-going and fun to chat with. She uses a variety of different products, sort of a best of the best, and because of her, I discovered NARS blush in Orgasm. Love it and now proudly own it! She also uses airbrush for foundation and mixes a custom color to suit your skin tone. It was so light I didn’t feel like I was wearing foundation at all!

My biggest roadblock with makeup was not anything to do with makeup specifically, but the size of my party (in addition to me, I’d need makeup for six bridesmaids, two moms, and Mr. Canary’s sister, thus totaling 10 people who would need makeup!) The other caveat was that I’d prefer the makeup artist shadow me for the day since I will have so many dress and location changes, I don’t want my makeup smearing and then stressing out my bridesmaids about fixing it. A lot of the artists I spoke with charged exorbitant amounts for day rates or weren’t too keen on the idea, i.e. “You just need to touch up your lipstick and your bridesmaid can help you do that.” Great.

But Sally was the total opposite. She has a very reasonable day rate (her prices are listed on the Web site) and offers a ton of options for all bridal party sizes. Plus, she wasn’t adverse to trailing me on the day of the wedding, which was a huge positive. And she offered some great suggestions on how to spice up my makeup and adjust it to different lighting for the day.

Sally is super responsive (we’ve been corresponding through email) and very friendly. She also has a background in editorial makeup for the fashion industry and used to work with the famed Kevin Aucoin. With her experience and warm demeanor, there was no reason not to hire her! If you’re still on the search for a makeup artist in the NYC area, don’t forget to look up Sally!

Sally Duvall
Site: www.sallyduvall.com
Email: sally@sallyduvall.com
Phone: 917.670.4271

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ed note: please see our vendor policy.
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Other items that I love are the organizer bins and mesh bags. I have about 5 mesh bags that I use for everything– to store makeup, computer cords, travel accessories… so many possibilities. Perfect for a bridal emergency kit or just to keep your makeup for the day.

Nylon Mesh Case from momastore.org $4.50-5.50

Muji also carries a variety of simple stationery, which would be great to dress up in DIY projects and as gifts. One of my faves is this simple sketchbook…

Sketchbook from momastore.org $5-8

But I hear that the new store will have so much more to offer, from furniture to housewares (glassware and utensils). Muji is also promoting eco-friendly consumerism by giving away a free “My Bag” to the first 500 customers who shop today. “My Bag” is a reusable bag that replaces plastic or paper counterparts. In the future, Muji hopes to promote this further by offering special discount nights for customers shopping with “My Bag” and an incentive stamp program.

The store opens at noon today at 455 Broadway, New York, NY 10013 between Grand and Howard Streets. For more details and directions, check here. I’ll definitely be stopping by tonight after work! Any other Muji fans out there?

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One of my favorite bands of all time. I love these cute french girls!

all images from thesmallstakes.com

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The scarves would also make a great alternatives to a bolero for a bride looking for a creative cover-up or even gifts for bridesmaids. Also, the site features apparel ranging from tops to dresses– these would make for very creative and different bridesmaid dress options.

Indigo Handloom will even help you fundraise for a cause by throwing a Good Karma Party. You can do it online or at any place you choose. They also just opened shop in Dumbo, Brooklyn, so you can even have one there! Everyone who attends the party receives a discount off the products and the the proceeds from the discount are donated to a charity of your choice. Another perk? The host of the party gets a larger discount.

{all images from www.indigohandloom.com]

Aaah… I love feel good shopping. « Hide it