In case dear readers, you hadn't noticed from my portfolio, I LOVE weddings! Okay, so I really love wedding dresses in particular, but I just think weddings are so much fun and give so much to celebrate. Not only do they highlight the love between a couple, but really bring families together. From across the country and in support of the bride of the groom, people travel near and far join in the festivities.
This past weekend, one of my cousins had his wedding and it was wonderful to celebrate with so much family. We traveled to beautiful upstate New York for his Barn Wedding and the location was just so picturesque. And, I simply couldn't pass up the chance to add few new dresses and I was determined to make sure each of my family members had a piece to wear to mark the special occasion.
The beautiful Cobblestone Wedding Barn, the venue
My sister's dress was the first one I tackled and custom made for her. It started while I was in London and made a trip to the famous Liberty store to go fabric shopping. After lots of browsing, I found the perfect floral print for her with all of her favorite colors (and then some) in it and the flowers fit perfectly with the barn theme. My sister is well on her way to becoming one amazing veterinarian, but she doesn't have a lot of chances to get dressed up, so I really wanted her dress to keep her smiling the whole day. I did several pages of sketches for Ali and based on her top picks, I created the flippy skirt with trendy off the shoulder flounces for plenty of whimsy and movement. Ali looked so pretty and added her finishing touch: her signature cow charm necklace!
While I don't often get the chance to dabble in menswear, I saw the perfect opportunity to make something for my Dad. Also on my shopping trip at Liberty, I found an awesome floral print with the perfect balance of menswear and whimsical detail that was screaming it wanted to be a tie. And my Dad was excited about the idea! I asked him all about his tie preferences and came up with the perfect shape, width and details to make it exactly what he wanted. I had a great time making it and learning how to make a tie (they are so much fun!), so it was exciting to see it pull his outfit together!
Next on the list was making something for mom. She had found a really amazing dress (from our favorite store for such a steal!) and she was really searching for some fun accessories. Since the location was more organic, so we each thought staying away from big glittering jewelry (often our go to look), I decided to make her something that married the two (no pun intended!) From my Le Jardin collection, I had some of my custom designed printed fabric left, that happened to perfectly match the color of her dress. I created a sort of cuff bracelet for her, with a knot and beaded details for just the right hint of sparkle.
Of course, with my family dressed to the nines, I couldn't go to the wedding without something either! My dress was inspired by an amazing pair of shoes I found, a little bit of an old Hollywood musical, a little bit 1920s, and a tiny (tiny) bit of my favorite princess. It worked out perfectly that my favorite color, navy blue, matched my shoes, so I chose a summer shade of navy. Wanting to create an easy feeling, I created a wrap dress instead of putting in a zipper and made a tired circle skirt for plenty of movement. The hem ended up being one of my favorite details, the finish gave sort of wavy affect and the handkerchief hem added another fun element.
It was a wonderful wedding and the venue was beautiful. It was so nice being to celebrate with my cousin and his wife and with the rest of my family. We always have the best time, no matter the occasion!
Happy Wedding season and thanks for reading!