Photos:  Lanvin for H&M dress, Bisou Online~Choker, Aranwen~Boutonniere, Amie Otto Photography~Cupcakes, Dotty About Cake~Cocktail, Cointreau~Handbag, SueJack~Peep-toe, Vera Wang~Wedding Dress, Vera Wang~Peonies, Fos Decor.

Photos: Green parasol bride, Bella Umbrella~Mr. & Mrs., Cycling4ACure~Ecru lace parasol, Dragonfly Design~Peacock, Clockwork Couture~Scallopped Peacock, Oriental Decor~Red lace, Amazon~Chinese, Pink Frosting~Bumble beed, Great Lookz~White and pink, Great Lookz~Black lace, Ladies Emporium~Pink lace, Amazon~Monogram, Exclusive Elements

Photos: (Box 1 clockwise) “Fanal” gown, La Sposa~Slingback, Christian Louboutin~Earrings, Libby Sweets~(Box 2 clockwise) Vintage Fred Leighton choker, Portero Luxury~Sunglasses, Vince Camuto~Sofa, Hancock & Moore~(Box 3 clockwise) Birdcage veil, Lady K Bridal~Bracelet, Luxe Deluxe~Vintage Bentley, Classic Limo~Chandelier, Garden Lights Plus~(Box 4 clockwise) Lingerie, Electric Wedding~Vintage Champagne glasses, Gilded Age Affaires~Bouquet, Aileen Tran

You know it, we know it, every bride worth her 1930s peacock-feather fascinator knows it: Vintage-inspired weddings are all the rage. And we’re as mad about them as anyone else. Those nostalgic touches and historic throwbacks aren’t just romantic and evocative—they also make a wedding feel as if it’s part of the tradition of weddings, rather than simply a traditional wedding. Know what we mean?

Here’s someone who definitely does: Mai Dang. The owner of Houston’s Honeydew Events is an expert in vintage allure (along with cutting-edge contemporary style weddings…but that’s for another post). We picked Dang’s brain for her advice on incorporating vintage-style details into your big day in a truly personal way. So before you start tossing antique doilies and sepia-toned photos into your wedding all willy-nilly, make sure you check out her top tips:

Take inspiration from family heirlooms. “Honeydew Events makes sure to design according to a particular couple’s inspirational pieces and traditions,” Dang says. “If the bride is inspired by a vintage brooch from her great grandmother, we would decorate with faded jewel tones. If inspiration stems from the grandmother’s dress, we would design around cool tones with larger print laces and flowers that share the same patterns.” And, of course, actual heirlooms can be incorporated in countless ways, “such as on the bouquet stems, in the bride’s hair, or on her shoes.”

Appeal to all senses. “For vintage table design and décor, we recommend accenting warm colors with soft candlelight or lanterns. It’s best to stay away from any colored up-lighting in the room, such as blues, plum, and pinks,” Dang says. For floral, “We suggest using warm vases and less color-dyed hybrids of flowers.” And when it comes to furniture, “Look for rich-colored soft leather sofas or armchairs with high backs for the lounge area. Also include antique coffee tables with a lot of hand-carved design. An old, traditional leather-bound scrapbook or vintage novel with ivory pages would work well as a guestbook.”

Don’t forget the little things. “Keep it rich in texture. We suggest using small pieces of material, such as worn thread spools, that have the names of your guests embroidered on them, as place cards. Even personalized smoking pipes or cigars can add a little something extra. As for wedding favors, consider giving your guests dried flowers in a small picture frame or antique hair accessories.”

Do your research. “The Internet is a world of infinite knowledge,” says Dang, noting that brides can find tons of websites that provide details on the specific furnishings, fads and fashions of just about any historic era. She also recommends visiting museums that feature historic photos, paintings and jewelry, as well as “the good, old-fashioned library.” Well, what a vintage notion!

Photos (clockwise, left to right): Wedding Dresses Info (vintage gown)~Daisy Pink Cupcake (vintage brooch bouquet)~Honeydew Events (vintage Rolls-Royce, Mai Dang)

Photos (clockwise, left to right): Iced (cake)~She Hearts Art (invitation)~From the Waist Up (tie)~Girl Dress Line (flower girl dress)~Urban Decay (eye shadow)~The Wedding Bouquets (rose bouquet)~JennyRose25 (tea cup candle)~Pour La Victoire (“Estee” sandal)~Amsale (“Nicca” gown)

If you happened to pop over to Bering’s on Friday or Saturday, June 18-19, you no doubt caught a glimpse of the future of fine china and crystal. For two gleaming, glittering, gorgeous days, Houston’s emporium of elegance hosted Lord Wedgwood, of the famed British china dynasty, accompanied by Waterford Wedgwood international spokesperson and arbiter of entertaining excellence Jorge Perez. Big thanks to Bering’s for pairing with Rolls-Royce to bring this terrific twosome to Houston!

For those of you who weren’t able to attend, we snagged an exclusive chat with Perez and Lord Wedgwood, who dished on serving platters, teapots and such, and told us why today’s tabletop registry is all about breaking free of the “china prison” (Perez’s cute term for grandma’s hands-off china hutch). Here’s what we learned:

Lord Wedgwood: Registering for your wedding is not just saying something looks pretty. Yes, it looks pretty, but you should also be able to say, “Wow, we can use it for this and this and this.” Wedgwood has been at this game for 250-plus years, and the reason we’re still in business is based on the legacy of a number of things. One of them is quality. And quality absolutely illustrates that this is something that can be used multiple ways for time immemorial.

Jorge Perez: There is nothing like a Houston bride. These are world-class brides. They’ve had great parenting, and this region of the country is one that still entertains with style. It’s in their blood. We also know that with brides today, they have so much going on in their lives. Registering is a point in time when a bride stops and takes time to think about the future. We may not be the sexy part of wedding planning, like the cake or the venue. But we are about life after the wedding. We’re here to inspire a bride to think about why she might need a teacup. It’s not just for tea. A tea cup can be used for tapas, spicy sauces, holding flowers or serving soup in. We’re here to give brides permission to use these things in many different ways, so you can use that china that your parents or grandparents left in the hutch too long. Get it out of that “china prison!”

Lord Wedgwood: Entertaining is all about creating atmosphere and ambiance. In so many instances, that is so critical to the whole experience. Even the food can be relatively mediocre, as long as you’ve created the right ambiance with lighting, flowers and the right kind of accessories. It just requires a little bit of thought. And if you have put that thought into your registry, then you’re able to draw from the things that are there.

Jorge Perez: And that ambiance we’re talking about really begins at curbside. That’s where your guests should start feeling this incredible evening coming on. And that table, make sure it’s real for you. Don’t set your table for a photo shoot, set it for the purpose of evening. And remember, there are no rules. We just want you to enjoy yourself. Do, though, try to keep the centerpieces low, and the candles and flowers fragrance-free. Also, one of the things we love to advise at Waterford Wedgwood is always do something unexpected. Guests might not remember the meal, but they will remember the experience. So turn that Waterford glass upside down and use it for a votive. Pour the soup out of a coffeepot into a cup and saucer. Your guests will remember that forever. It’s really all about doing simple things in a fabulous way.

Jorge Perez will return to the Houston Wedding Blog to offer his top registry tips in just a few weeks. Trust us, you won’t want to make your list till you check this post…twice. We’ll announce it on Facebook and Twitter when we post, so stay tuned!

For a full gallery of event photos, visit Bering’s bridal blog

All Photos: Monkey Tree Photography

Thursday, June 30, the Houston chapter of Wish Upon a Wedding had its official launch. I am one of the board members of this fabulous organization, and so proud to be involved.

If you’re not familiar with it, Wish Upon a Wedding is the nation’s very first nonprofit charitable organization set up to produce weddings, at destinations across the United States, for couples facing a life-threatening illness. Its unique mission makes Wish Upon a Wedding the world’s first nonprofit wedding-wish-granting organization. It’s also quickly becoming the wedding industry’s charity of choice.

Attended by more than 150 Houston wedding industry professionals and brides, the launch reception, generously underwritten by the Westin Galleria and overseen by catering director Adam Rineer took place in the hotel’s Monarch Ballroom, with its beautiful views of the city. The talented Rob Smith and staff of Events in Bloom decorated the space stunningly with stylish lounge furniture. Guests enjoyed the impressive buffet and desserts prepared by the Westin chefs, along with sinfully delicious miniature wedding-cake truffles from Cakes by Gina. Both,  I personally and everyone on the board of Wish Upon A Wedding are so grateful to the wonderful Houston wedding professionals who donated their time and services to make the evening a success.

Houston chapter president Heather Hamilton-Sims of Simply Jubilee Events shared the vision and objective of Wish Upon a Wedding, and the accompanying video clips left not a dry eye in the room.

By the end of the evening attendees could not wait to volunteer their services and time as wish grantors for this most worthy cause, which provides weddings for couples in need regardless of sexual orientation. Houston brides, here is an opportunity to share your good fortune with someone a lot less fortunate who wants nothing more than to be married….just like you. As President Hamilton-Sims put it, most of us are planning weddings and events one, or maybe two or three years from now, but for these couples facing a life-threatening illness that time line does not exist.

So how can you help?

Watch this short video clip to see just what Wish Upon a Wedding has done and visit Wish Upon a Wedding. To donate your services, please sign on as a Wish Grantor. Blog about it. Talk about it. Become a Facebook fan and follow Wish Upon a Wedding on Twitter. In lieu of favors at your wedding, please consider making a donation to Wish Upon a Wedding and spread the joy. 
But most of all, just GIVE.

WUW:: Rehanna + Christian from bliss productions on Vimeo.

Photo: Serendipity Photography

There’s a new name in Houston wedding rentals…that just happens to be a very familiar name in fabrics. You may know High Fashion Fabrics as Houston’s largest fabric store—the place to go if you’re in the market for a few yards of cool Calaveras skull-patterned cotton or a handful of sparkling crystal buttons.

Photo: Serendipity Photography

Well, now High Fashion is also the place to go if you’re looking for a totally unique table linen or, say, a few hundred sleek acrylic dining chairs. You see, about a year ago, a friend of High Fashion manager Dolley Levan’s was getting married and couldn’t seem to find the perfect cloths for her wedding tables. Levan and team came to her rescue, and shortly thereafter decided to start offering linen rental to customers. The service has been “very well received,” Levan tells the Houston Wedding Blog—so much so that High Fashion is now offering chic lounge furniture and unique table seating, along with the kind of fashion-forward table linen you just won’t find anywhere else in town.

Photo: Serendipity Photography

Photo: Serendipity Photography

Like Confetti a textured taffeta style that looks like it might have just walked off a Paris runway, and gives the impression of shimmering coins or rippled water. So chic! Or how about Eden Floral—a fabulous sheer overlay with appliquéd flowers and leaves, which “acts as floral itself,” Levan says. She recommends pairing it with contemporary centerpieces featuring branches and crystals, rather than an abundance of cut blooms. Then there’s the super-hip Ivory & Black Paris Flocked Damask Shantung. As linen names go, it’s a bit of a mouthful. As linen styles go, it’s utterly gorgeous.

Photo: Serendipity Photography

Of course, this being Houston and all, High Fashion feeds the needs of traditional Southern brides, too. They’ve got regal ivory damask, luxurious bisque peau-de-soie satin and solid taffetas in a rainbow of shades, plus many other elegant styles.

Photo: Serendipity Photography

It’s official: Whether you’re looking for aluminum chairs and LED-lit coffee tables, or custom-made table linen, High Fashion’s got you, and your tables, covered.

Photo: Serendipity Photography