This morning the wedding blog of all wedding blogs, Style Me Pretty, featured an inspiration shoot we were thrilled to be a part of.  The shoot had a “modern day fairytale” theme, and it came out as dreamy as ever.  Click here for more photos and the Style Me Pretty Feature!

Props to all the amazing wedding professionals that put this together!  Stay tuned for the video feature of the shoot.

Venue: Imago Ballroom, Floral by Bella Bloom, Rentals by West Coast Event Productions, Photos by Emily G Photography, Printing by Paper Bloom, Hair/Makeup by Face Body Beauty, Menswear by Duchess Clothier, gown by Charlotte’s Bridal, Jewelery by Mandalena, Dessert Buffet by One Divine Party, Video by Black Label Films, Officiation by A Beautiful Ceremony NW

 It’s so refreshing to look outside and see the pastel pink of the cherry blossoms in bloom as well as the vibrant yellow daffodils and purple grape hyacinths popping up after a long grey and rainy winter.  So its no surprise that Pantone, “the authority on color,” has been inspired too with its dynamic selection of color for spring and summer!  I simply adore the range of vivid brights to soft muted tones that are brilliantly paired and are the perfect starting point when choosing the over all colors for your wedding all the way down to the perfect accessories for the wedding party.

Which leads me to our Stella & Dot GIVEAWAY! 

When you take these fabulous colors and combine them with the 2012 bridal trend of statement earrings both big and small…Stella & Dot delivers, and this is where you are in luck! Patricia Carlile, a local Independent Stella & Dot Stylist, is offering all Bridal Bliss blog readers the chance to win the statement earring of their choice!

Check out a small selection of Stella & Dot jewels below that follow the color trend, and then scroll down to find out how to enter.

 There are multiple ways to enter!

1. Leave a comment on this blog post telling us which statement earring you would like to win.  Once you have left your first comment, you may leave as many additional comments on this post as you like.  Be sure to go to Patricia’s Stella & Dot website to see the full collection of earrings!  Remember, you will win your choice of any statement earring so be sure to look at them all!
2. Extra entry if you “LIKE” Patricia’s Facebook Fan Page, Stella & Dot Style by Patricia Carlile  (be sure to leave an additional comment on blog post that you did this)
3. Extra entry if you share your favorite Stella & Dot piece from Patricia’s website on FACEBOOK (again be sure to leave an additional comment that you did this)
4. Extra entry when you pin your favorite Stella & Dot jewels on Pinterest 

The giveaway will remain open for 10 days only.

Everyone is eligible to enter and you can enter multiple ways, as stated above.  If you decide to take advantage of any of the extra entry options please be sure to leave an additional comment for each extra entry so we can keep track!  So for example, if you share your favorite Stella & Dot statement earring on Facebook be sure to leave an additional comment that you have done so on this blog post.  The more times you comment, the more times you will be entered to win.

Big thanks for photos to Style Me Pretty, Southern Afternoon, The Knot (forums), and of course Stella & Dot!

I am so happy to share with you that my mother’s bridal shop, Anna’s Bridal Boutique, has opened a second location!  As of this past week, you can check out some of their exclusive collections in Lake Oswego or in the NE Beaumont District.  Anna’s carries some amazing designer gowns from the likes of Modern Trousseau, Alyne by Rivini and Matthew Christopher which can only be found in the Northwest at one of these two shops.

I might be biased, but Anna’s is the absolute best in town and has the most stunning gowns I have ever laid eyes on.  They strive to give the best customer service and to provide each bride the best shopping experience possible.  Give Anna’s a call to setup an appointment at 503.636.1474.  Also check out their website and like them on Facebook!!

It is still early February but this past weekend, with blue skies and sunshine, it felt like spring. Weddings during these transitional months can be hard. Do you need to prepare for torrential downpour, freezing temperatures or possible sunburns? It can be a little tricky, especially if you are hoping to snap some pictures outside.  Put your mind at ease and prepare for a little bit of everything.  These colorful sweaters from JCrew are a great way to cover up yourself and your bridesmaids.

With so many fun and bright colors to choose from you are able to pick out a color that will match the design of your wedding.  Plus–what a great bridesmaids gift that they WILL be able to use again!

Lauren Bush  (niece of Former President George Bush) and her beau David Lauren (son of Ralph Lauren) were recently married in a unique western styled wedding in Colorado.  With names of this caliber, you would expect a spectacular star-studded event!  They did not disappoint, although the wedding seemed much more “down home” than it did “over the top glam” as might have been expected.

The couple was going for a ”rustic elegance” feel with a bit of whimsy which seemed to tie together beautifully at the event.  My favorite elements were the attire (bridesmaids in cowboy boots and the bride’s Victorian hand embellished tulle gown) and the use of Queen Anne’s Lace & Gardenias in the decor of the 200 year old barn.  All very delicate pieces that still fit in perfectly.  Now if only I could have been there….

photos courtesy of Vogue

For more wedding details and images from this event, visit Vogue or The Daily Mail.

In an earlier post, I mentioned Bridal Fashion Week and the wedding gown trends we saw emerging on the runway.  Take a peek at my segment from earlier today on Good Day Oregon showcasing some more hot trends for 2012.  Big thanks to Anna’s Bridal Boutique for supplying all the gowns for the segment!  It may take a minute to load onto this page–if you run into any issues click here.

Kim Weisoff, the lovely host (and one of my favorite brides), was ahead of the game and wore a gorgeous chocolate brown dress for her September ceremony that hugged her curves perfectly.  She later changed into a white dress but I absolutely LOVE the uniqueness of her color choice.  Way to be on-trend Kim!  More photos from this wedding coming soon in the next issue of Oregon Bride Magazine!

photo by Alicia Dickerson

“Fiesole” gown by Reverie 

Ladies–if you are on the hunt for your wedding gown make sure to head over to Anna’s Bridal Boutique this week! They have cleared their floors and re-filled them will hundreds (seriously, hundreds) of wedding dresses that have been marked down up to 60% off!

“Mila” gown by Melissa Sweet

The shop has extended their hours through Friday and the dresses are sold on a first come-first serve basis.  We’re talking DESIGNER gowns that are in tip top shape–many of which have barely been tried one from lines like Melissa Sweet, Priscilla of Boston, Reverie, Platinum Collection, Vineyard Collection, Matthew Christopher, Pronovias and more.  Many have been discontinued, but there are also several on sale that have not.

“Eze” gown by Reverie

Anna’s Bridal is trying to clear out these gowns to make room for their new lines that they just picked up–Hayley Paige, Modern Trousseau, You Collection and Alyne by Rivini.  All GORGEOUS collections.

“Fern” gown by Melissa Sweet

Definitely call ahead for an appointment (503.636.1474) and try to get in sooner rather than later–before all the dresses sell out.  Tell them Bridal Bliss sent you and the girls at Anna’s Bridal will take excellent care of you.  Happy Shopping!!

Every year I have the most amazing opportunity to fly to NYC for Bridal Fashion Week with my mom Anna, owner of Anna’s Bridal Boutique.   We are busy pretty much the entire trip going from designer to designer, runway show to runway show and party to party!  This year, there were some fun trends that were apparent through several of the designer’s new lines.   I will be filming a segment about all this to air on KPTV Channel 12 so I won’t give away everything quite yet.

A huge trend we saw over and over was a remake of Kate Middleton’s wedding gown.  Designers everywhere were showing their own version of the dress and it was fun to see sleeves again! Our favorite version was by Paloma Blanca…what do you think?

Spring 2012 will bring a return to color!  Many designers threw in splashes of color with shades of blush, light mochas, even some blacks and reds.  This sweet dress by Hayley Paige might possibly be most darling cocktail/reception dress EVER!  It may also come with pink tips or all black!

One last trend I thought I’d share with you is the return of full lace fitted gowns.  This look has been growing in popularity the past few years but it seems to have exploded this season.  Every single designer showed a take on this amazing fabric and sillhouette and it was so hard to choose which to order!  You will be seeing several at Anna’s Bridal but here was one of my favorites at Jim Hjelm (check out the Say Yes to the Dress gals in the background!).

A few other gowns we LOVED

A sassy number by W Too

How amazing are these ruffles?  This gown, Mira, is by one of Anna’s Bridal’s newest lines, Modern Trousseau.

Matthew Christopher’s FAB collection.

Stay tuned for another post about the fabulous parties we attended at Bridal Fashion Week!

I came across blog posts today by Crave Design & Style Unveiled of Barbie & Ken’s “wedding” and just had to share.  Someone apparently has too much time on their hands, but the pictures are kind of cute!

For more photos, visit Crave’s blog or Style Unveiled’s blog.

photography by BdG Photography

If you have ever been a bridesmaid in a wedding before, you know that there is quite a bit that goes into it, beyond looking pretty at the altar.  There is helping the bride choose a dress that everyone loves, helping to plan the bachelorette party or showers, paying for hair, makeup, shoes, gifts and so on.  Being in the bridal party is certainly an honor, but that doesn’t mean it is cheap!

Take a peek at my segment that aired on KPTV earlier this week.  Kim Maus and I chat about how to keep costs down as a bridesmaid, and how to be a thoughtful bride.  She went through all this herself recently, as we are planning her own wedding for this coming September!

While we’re on the topic…if you haven’t seen the comedy Bridesmaids yet, this is one you do not want to miss! It’s a bit raunchy but laugh out loud funny!!