Lace has always been a bridal staple. But we’ve never seen this delicate, intricate material more coveted by brides than it is in this very moment. Let’s step away from gowns for a moment, though, and take a look at how lace is making its mark on…CAKES! You may remember Houston bride Kaleigh’s gorgeous Who Made the Cake cake, inspired by the bride’s lovely lace bolero. Well, we’ve got a few more lace-inspired cakes that are so pretty, it’s hard to believe they’re confections, not couture!
The setting of Austin’s Lakeway Resort & Spa, with its Lake Travis waterfront location and Hill Country views, is spectacularly scenic on its own. But add a bounty of beautiful bright floral to the resort’s glass-walled ballroom, like bride Lauren did for her wedding to Zach, and the result is absolute WOW. Lauren says the deep-orange submerged-flower centerpieces were her favorite floral touch, and we’d have to agree. We’re also loving the subtle contrast of the dark table linens with all that sherbet-hued floral finery—a bold and beautiful choice, don’t you think? Check out these splendid photos by Jennifer Lindberg of Jennifer Lindberg Weddings, and join us in wishing Lauren and Zach a long and loving life as husband and wife!
You came (in droves), you saw, you asked, you chatted, you tweeted, you gasped, you clapped, and some of you won some really snazzy bridal swag.
But what did you LOVE at last Sunday’s I Do! Bridal Soiree at the InterContinental Houston Hotel?
We’d love to hear which vendors clicked for you, which table displays dazzled you most, what show features (the runway presentation? the tablescape gallery? the gift bags?) were your favorites, and what was your most valuable find at last weekend’s show.
E-mail your feedback—just a sentence or two is fine, though if you’ve got five paragraphs, we’ll take that, too! Your input is utterly invaluable to us. It’s what helps us make the I Do! Bridal Soiree the best possible bridal showcase it can be. So do it for us. Do it for your sister brides-to-be. Better yet, do it for your chance to win an exclusive, secret prize, which will be awarded to one bride who e-mails her I Do! comments by next Friday, Feb. 3. Winner announced on Facebook on Monday, Feb. 6!!
If there’s one thing Houston brides know how to do right, it’s mixing refined elegance with real, kick-up-your-heels FUN. Danielle and Robert’s wedding is a perfect example. For understated opulence, you can’t do any better than La Colombe d’Or, with its Grand Ballroom featuring 20-foot ceilings and 300-year-old oak-paneled walls repurposed from a French chateau. To this already lavish setting, high-school sweethearts Danielle and Robert added sinewy, illuminated glass-cylinder arrangements from Plants ’N Petals, and subtle accents of deep pink, purple and regal gold. And they brought in Jonny Black Productions to ensure their celebration of a lifetime wasn’t just another pretty place—but an unforgettable party for all involved. Our favorite touches? The framed portrait of the bride in her ga-ga-gorgeous Vera Wang gown, the purple ties and pocket squares, and, most especially, orchids, orchids everywhere! Big thanks to photographer Rachel Robinson for sharing her pretty, pretty pix with us—and warmest wishes to newlyweds Danielle and Robert.
All right, Houston brides, we’re in the home stretch. Sunday’s I Do! Bridal Soiree at the InterContinental Houston Hotel is almost upon us. Will you be joining us for what promises to be the most magnificent bridal event ever to alight in Texas—or anywhere else for that matter?
Just in case acres of breathtaking tablescapes, astonishingly gorgeous wedding cakes and a drop-dead-amazing bridal couture runway aren’t enough incentive for you, we’ve got a few more goodies to sweeten the deal.
First up: Don’t forget, today is your last day to be entered to win a brand-spanking-new Kindle Fire, Amazon’s gotta-have-it e-reader, which also happens to run just about every Android wedding app on the market—along with most other Droid apps, too. Woo-hoo! Simply purchase your I Do! tickets between midnight Wednesday (Jan. 11) and 11:59 tonight, and you’re automatically entered to win. We’ll notify our winner via email on Saturday, and have her Kindle Fire waiting for her at the show!
Also: Sunday’s division playoffs Texans game WILL BE BROADCAST at I Do! @ InterContinental. Think you have to choose between football and fabulousness? Oh no, honey. Not at this show!
And last but definitely not least: This year’s door prize baskets are the most dazzling we’ve ever done. Spilling over with wedding swag, discounts and other treats, each one is a bride’s dream come true. But you MUST be present to win, so don’t scoot off before the show closes—we wouldn’t want to give your goodies to another gal now, would we?
Come excited, come inspired, and please, come stylishly attired. We can’t wait to see you at the show!
Sure, the I Do! Bridal Soiree is about insanely beautiful tabletop and floral displays, the season’s newest bridal couture creations, and, of course, the latest and loveliest everything you could ever want for your perfect Houston wedding. But heck, let’s face it, it’s also about the GOODIES—as in big, juicy show discounts, yummy samples and take-home swag, and fantastic I Do! door prizes and giveaways.
Just a little glimpse at the good stuff a handful of our talented vendors have in store for you: Wedding design and planning firm A Day to Remember will be showcasing bridal- and engagement-shoot styling, for brides who crave that ineffably elegant “magazine” look for their pre-wedding photos. “Gone are the days of traditional shoots, now, it’s about styling them and having fun!” notes A Day to Remember’s Claudia G. de Velasco, who will also be offering special rates for brides who book at Sunday’s show. From LZ Floral Design expect to see contemporary orchid trees, alluring aisle lanterns and fresh new looks in centerpiece and bouquet design—and expect to score your choice of 10% off your selected floral package, a complimentary floral monogram or a complimentary bridal portrait bouquet. Hot Houston lighting firm Bright Star Productions will be demonstrating plenty of illuminating new effects, including gorgeous high-resolution gobo projections, and the latest in LED technology, and is offering the chance to win a custom monogram gobo. Jackglass Studios, meanwhile, plans to attract stylish brides (and grooms!) with new crystal Champagne flutes, sleek liquor decanters, etched stainless-steel flasks, engraved cufflinks and more, and is contributing a beautiful pair of crystal toasting flutes to one of Weddings in Houston’s incredible door-prize baskets, each worth upwards of $1,000. Yowza!
As we said, this is just a teeny, tiny glimpse of what’s in store to see, experience, book and SCORE at I Do! @ InterContinental. For the full picture, be there on Sunday—you WON’T walk away empty-handed.
There’s nothing that gets a bride’s heart pounding like designer bridal gowns in all their sumptuous, silken, Swarovski-sparkling glory. Well, we suggest you do a little cardio prep before Sunday’s I Do! Bridal Soiree, because our 2012 bridal fashion show promises to be our most incredible runway production yet. Renowned runway producer Lenny Matuszewski promises a totally “fresh and new” look to this year’s show—our first ever in our gorgeous new digs at the InterContinental Houston Hotel (whose ballroom Matuszewski calls “one of the most glamorous rooms for a fashion show in the city”).
We know how much you love surprises—especially designer surprises—so we’ll leave the unveiling of this year’s wedding dresses ’til show day. But we will tell you that you’ll see some of the hottest emerging trends in designer bridal style, including, notes Matuszewski, “intricate ‘origami’ pleats and folds,” “fun and daring minis,” “soft, layered ruffles” and “voluminous layers upon layers of tulle, chiffon and net, that create a ‘lighter than a feather’ feeling.”
Are you feeling it? ’Cause—thump, thump, thump, thump—we sure are. See you on Sunday!
Ever wonder what it’s like behind the scenes of Houston’s most luxurious bridal showcase? Dakine Films—the fabulous new video venture from famed Houston wedding photographer Joe Cogliandro and filmmaker Mark Calver—takes us on tour of the buildup, setup and exhilarating experience of 2011’s I Do! @ ZaZa show in this yummy video clip. Watch it and feel your heart go pitter-pat. Then get in on the gorgeous, next Sunday, Jan. 15, when the I Do! Bridal Soiree comes to the InterContinental Houston Hotel for what promises to be the biggest, boldest, most beautiful I Do! event yet. We can’t wait to meet you there!
You love Etsy. We love Etsy. So what’s not to love about a new HWB Etsy feature? Periodically, we’ll be putting together some of our favorite finds from everyone’s favorite “everything handmade” site. This week, our picks feature vintage-contemporary delights, including jewelry, accessories, perfume…and the sweetest lil’ silver cake forks EVER. Dig in and enjoy! And if you see something you really love, drop a comment—and tell a friend. There’s plenty for everyone. 1. Olive Yew Jewels ~ 2. Bag Noir ~ 3. Saras Boutique ~ 4. Trinkets 818
5. The Lonely Heart ~ 6. SIGNS2LOVE ~ 7. Olive Yew Jewels ~ 8. Simple Traditions
If you’re considering a theme for your wedding, but are concerned about making it tasteful and timeless (rather than tacky or over-the-top), take a cue from Tiffany and Rodney, who turned their life’s passion into a superbly sophisticated and deeply personal wedding theme. As Tiffany explains, “We are big travelers and thought it would be so unique to have the tables named as places we have been to together, or that we planned to visit on our honeymoon”—for which they chose Kenya and Zanzibar, in yet another example of their adventurousness and joie de vivre. Their Hotel ZaZa reception, executed with the design expertise of Darryl & Co., is the perfect example of how to do a theme right. The magnificence, of course, was all the details, from the elegant table signage, to the whimsically exquisite place-card holders to the understated black-white-and-gold color scheme. Instead of lavish centerpieces, Tiffany and Rodney chose to go with delicate flowering branches, allowing the small, stunning decor details to shine—aided by pretty little votive lanterns. Perfection. Just like these photos from Studio Capture. Check the credits for more on the fine Houston talents who contributed to this wedding. Congratulations, Tiffany and Rodney, and thank you for sharing your special day with us!
