fashion's night out with vera wang • september 10

listen up, vera wang fans. i've just received some fabulous news for all my metropolitan area readers: on september 10th, vera wang will host fashion's night out — a super-chic bridal event held in both her nyc stores: vera wang on mercer and the vera wang bridal house.

uptown at the vera wang bridal house, located at 991 madison avenue, vera will be joined by industry experts who will be sharing their artistry: decorate a wedding cake with sylvia weinstock; arrange bouquets with michael george; receive nutritional advice from celebrity nutritionist oz garcia; sit back as yves durif consults and styles hair and make-up; relax as exhale spa specialists perform express manicures; listen to wedding tips and advice from vogue’s special events director, sylvana soto-ward; savor the evening with champagne service compliments of the carlyle hotel and music courtesy of elan artists.

raffle prizes include a 2-hour personal flower arranging lesson with michael beorge, a 6 month consultation by oz garcia as well as a glow treatment and mind body package from exhale spa.

make your way downtown where vera wang will celebrate the night with american idol judge kara dioguardi and other special guests at her ready-to-wear boutique located at 158 mercer street in soho. vera will offer advice and tips as she styles guests. for those shoppers who are camera-ready, pose for a photograph with the designer in the “studio booth.” sip the signature drink of the night, “vera vodka,” while grooving to the beats spun by dj’s prince peter and jacob dekat from the box.

giveaways include vera wang lavender label shoes, vera wang fine papers stationery, vera wang rock princess and vera wang sunwear.

parrot tulips • a timeless wedding motif

if you've read my last post, you know i've been poring through couture weddings gowns this week. in doing so, i came across a custom marchesa gown made for celebrity coleen mcloughlin. it's airy, sumptuous, and reminded me instantly of a cascade of tulips.

once again inspired, i put together another collage with gorgeous wild parrot tulips (yes, it's an addiction). from our tulips letterpress invitation, to delicate sugar flowers, to a fabulous multi-hued bouquet, this is one design motif that is classic, fresh and never goes out of style.

design & photos credits

bouquet • flower design; tulip letterpress invitation • paper olive; wedding gown • marchesa, photo via red carpet fashion awards; wedding cake • studio cake

ysa makino couture

each year, i scour the latest bridal couture for my favorite wedding gown of the season, and am often astounded by the work of designers both established and new. for me, it never gets old.

i know monique lhuillier will surprise me yet again with lace work and asymmetrical shapes. i know vera wang will take a classic a-line and reinvent it with modern lines and fabrics. i know san patrick will work their beloved spanish influence into every stitch of a corset or train and still make it new again. i just love them.

that said, my favorite gown is often found among the designer set whose names might not immediately come to mind — like ysa makino, who has made my list more than once.

take, for instance, style 2620 from the latest collection. this glamorous beaded halter gown, with its plunging neckline and sweeping full skirt of romantic silk rosettes... i'm breathless. it is the perfect balance of drama and beauty.

i can see an entire event literally built around this dress. it's that spectacular. and i am most certainly inspired to fashion some new designs of my own from this exceptional gown.

brides, if you are looking for fresh, feminine and glam, consider ysa makino. can you imagine looking back on a photo of yourself in this gown in twenty years time? stunning.

fabulous feathers • a golden glam peacock wedding

i've long been obsessed with peacock feathers. there's something utterly royal about them — the green-golds. the pop of teal & purple. the rich black eye that demands attention.

recently, i've come across a ton of original, super-chic style & design elements created by artists who clearly love this divine plume as much as i do. i had a total blast putting together this golden glam peacock-inspired wedding board. what could be more fabulous?

design & photo credits
first row — wedding cake • konditor meister, photo by allegro photography; necklace • croska via etsy; rose & peacock feather floral design • the velvet garden

second row — couture wedding gown • monique lhuillier; peacock wedding invitation • paper olive; peacock place setting • z gallerie

third row — beaded clutch • judith leiber; hand-painted decanter & glasses • marywibis via etsy

bottom row — peacock bouquet • the knot, photo by adam barnes photography; gold & blue matchstick favors • photo courtesy of gamboa photography; boutonniere • jo gartin via instyle magazine, photo by pornchai mittongtare

paper olive soon to be a weddingchannel.com blog of the week!

to the awesome fans who faithfully voted for us during weddingchannel.com's bridal blog awards last month, i must offer up yet another thank you for the the love and support.

why? well, first off, you just rock. but second, the fabulous team at weddingchannel.com has chosen to feature the winners in each blog category in wc's blog of the week section. i am of course honored...and excited. from tuesday, august 25 to monday, august 31, paper olive will be the featured blog — you can expect a jam-packed week of hip designs, beauty and fun finds.

if any of you out there have some amazing real wedding photos or all-around chic ideas you'd like us to share during this spotlight, give a holler. the week is filling up fast!

celebrity weddings • lisa loeb on the knot live • august 19

lisa loeb — grammy-nominated singer / songwriter, style maven, and newlywed — along with her celebrity event planner amy shey jacobs, will be joining the knot live with an insider look into lisa's beautiful nyc wedding, which took place in january 2009.

from her pink amsale gown to all of the personal, quirky details (like the bride and groom muppets made especially for guest photos), lisa and amy will share the scoop on this celeb wedding that was planned in less than three weeks.

hosted by editors anja winikka and heather levine, the knot live will also be jam-packed with inspirational ideas and stylish finds for brides, grooms, and all wedding lovers.

tune in 12 pm | est this wednesday, august 19, to the knot live. congratulations, lisa!

photo credit: justine ungaro studios

fun & feminine • pink marabou bachelorette party invitations

i recently had a call from a client looking for something super girly and unique for an upcoming bachelorette party. i immediately pointed her to our marabou invitation — with its swirls of pink, charming glass hearts and over-the-top marabou feather-lined box, it seemed a match made in heaven. now my studio is being beseiged by little tufts of feathers.

i had a blast putting this design together and it seems to always elicit delight. i offer it up here because sometimes its just great to share something fun...especially when this much pink is involved. :o)

real weddings • lindsey and dave • catalina island diy wedding

this past weekend, i had the pleasure of attending a friend's super-chic wedding on catalina island. not only did i have a fabulous time at this gorgeous, uber-relaxing beach locale, i was blown away by the bride and groom's extraordinary vision for their special day.

loaded with personal touches and chic diy creations, this wedding was one of the most inspiring examples of a couple who truly put their heart, soul, and personality into their design.

the wedding featured a sleek black & white color palette accented with blue and lime green. from the bridal party's attire — crisp white shirts with a funky black design for the guys, and flirty black & white floral dresses for the girls — to the spanish-inspired lace gown and black accessories on the bride, i was in heaven watching it all come down the aisle.

handmade place cards in mini-sandboxes directed guests to their tables, while a fabulous memory board with a photo essay of the couple brought smiles to the crowd.

friends and family helped lindsey and dave assemble the leaf-wrapped floral arrangements, which were set atop black & white table runners also handmade by the bride.

possibly my favorite idea from the entire wedding was the custom-made cupcake display, which featured a delicious assortment of mini-cupcakes in place of a traditional wedding cake.

the couple enlisted the help of vanilla bake shop for the chocolate and passion fruit cupcakes, as well as the construction of the coordinating cake stand, made from fabric lindsey used for the table runners. it survived the boat ride from los angeles beautifully!

for those of you daunted by the idea of tackling major elements of design on your own, consider how these personal touches added warmth and an air of storytelling that were not only creative, but dramatically unique. i loved them all.

congratulations dave and lindsey — job well done!

hip lemonade coolers • a summer wedding must

summer means weddings. and as anyone who has sat through a long ceremony in the cruel sun can tell you, a summer wedding can be a little steamy. to keep your guests cool in a refreshingly playful way, consider passing up the traditional water table in favor of ice cold lemonade.

there's just something crisp and welcoming and spectacular about a sea of icy glasses filled with the stuff. from low country lemon to sparkling cherry to a blend with tea or even flowers, there are a hundred ways to serve it, all of them chic and delicious. what's your favorite?

recipes and credits
first row — floral lemonade • khm, photo by leesa o'reilly; pineapple cooler with lavender and lemon verbena • country living, photo by janis nicolay; grapefruit lemonade • gokul & aimee's wedding, photo by leigh webber photography

second row — low country lemonade with mum swizzle sticks • in style weddings; sparkling mint lemonade • zehr's market

bottom row — fizzy sour cherry lemonade • gourmet; mint & lemon herbal tea • brides.com, photo by miki duisterhof

bountiful citrus centerpieces & fruitful design ideas

one of the freshest, easiest, most unique ways to add color to your wedding is to use fruit — it's bountiful, vibrant, inviting, and what's more? it's affordable.

think about it. a full vase of orchids can run you hundreds, but a bag of oranges is what, a few dollars? i adore the organic, rustic effect of adding fruit to wedding decor, and the fact that florists can often do magic with it without relying solely on expensive florals is just a huge bonus.

bouquets of apples and roses are shabby chic yet always elegant, and the eclectic tablescape above left, with its crisp green granny smiths, Brussels sprouts, hydrangeas and kale is so earthy and lovely it's hard to believe how simple it must have been to arrange.

the cake, above right, is absolutely charming with its citrus accents and colors, and would go beautifully with equally simple centerpieces consisting of nothing but fresh fruit and a gorgeous glass vase, like the one shown here.

above, spiny fruits, bowls of kumquats, suspended vases of citrus and exotic flowers set against bright linens beckon guests to a tropical feast. it's simple chic at its best.

for my own wedding, i had wanted dramatic columns of color at the head of the aisle, but had run out of ideas in terms of flower choices. i had already done massive displays of orchids, parrot tulips, and peonies...so what to do?

my florist — the ever fabulous shelby nolan of green leaf designs — came up with towers of fresh oranges with accents of rosemary for my tuscan-themed wedding, and i was sold. fruit is just delicious, no matter how you look at it, isn't it?

design & photo credits
apple centerpiece • ehow; citrus wedding cake • photo courtesy of getmarried.com, cake by maisiefantasie; greens tablescape and citrus centerpiece • the knot; tropical fruit tablescape • photo and linens courtesy of bbj linen; orange colums • photo by benjamin james