Sixties Inspired Bridal Session

Our next bride Bobbye is a true fan of the swinging sixties. From the backcomb, to the exaggerated cat-eyes with a luscious lashes and everything in between. So, naturally her bridal session would have a 60′s bombshell vibe. Drawing inspiration from those iconic beauties of the 1960s – think Marilyn Monroe and Bridgitte Bardot.

To add a little something something to the shoot, they draped Bobbye in pastel tulle. Such a fun addtion to the session … don’t you think? To keep the theme rolling she also brought along some cute shift dresses to show off her fun and unique style.

Along with her dresses a Bobbye also brought her grandmother’s heirloom jewelry. A Bobbye and her grandmother were especially close, and sadly she recently passed away. To keep her memory alive in a special way she wore them for the Bridals and for her wedding. Love that little extra special touch.

Set the Wedding Dress Trends -- Let Kate, Not Kim

One of the most exciting things about Kate Middleton’s wedding dress, aside from the fact that it was Alexander McQueen, was that it had sleeves. I hate strapless dresses.

Don’t get me wrong, some people look beautiful in strapless dresses. And some strapless dresses are beautiful. But most people do not have the shoulders to pull them off (me being one of them) and should resort to dresses with straps. For some reason, strapless cocktail and wedding dresses seem to be ridiculously popular, even for those without great shoulders.

Why? I don’t know. It seems that wedding dress = strapless dress, particularly here in Vancouver. My friend Jason Matlo, who designs a lot of wedding and cocktail dresses, tries to add sleeves, but he always sells the strapless versions better than any other shape, although many can not pull it off. It is depressing.

(Another reason I hate strapless dresses is because Vancouver fashion students seem to have an obsession with designing them. If a student shows me a strapless dress design, it had better be super friggin’ amazing, if not, I’ll throw a spazz and make them go back to the drawing board. Seriously.)

Kim Kardashian’s wedding dress was a hideous strapless meringue, and she is a prime example of a woman who should not wear strapless. I am not saying she looked fantastic in her two non-strapless wedding dresses (she had three dresses, all which were very unimpressive and unimaginative) but the strapless one was totally unflattering. It draws attention to her chest, but not in a flattering-I’ve-got-big-gorgeous-boobs way, in a one-boob-alone-is-bigger-than-my-head way. Seriously, look at her chest, and then look at her head. Scary shrunken head business going on.

I’d like to draw attention to another one of my fashion loathes: the up do. Like most hair styles, the up do has its purpose, and can look good. Sometimes. But if you are already going to have a scenario where you boobs are going to look way bigger than your head, don’t make your head look smaller by tying all of your hair back.

Kim looks better (note I said better, and not good) in her other two dresses, which have straps that can not only help to hold up her giant chest, but also lengthen her body instead of making her look like a giant set of boobs. She also has her hair down, which is far more flattering.

Anyway, all three of her dresses are pretty boring, predictable, and totally not special. Which comes as no surprise to me. Kim, you suck. So does Vera Wang, for designing them. And while we are on the subject of wedding dresses, can I get a HUGE round of applause for Sofia Coppola who got married in a pretty little lilac Azzedine Alaïa dress with her regular day-to-day hair and makeup. She looks perfect. We certainly can’t say the same for giant-boob-tacky-dress Kardashian.

How to Get Gorgeous Wedding Day Skin

On your wedding day, smooth, glowing skin is an absolute must. But that vibrant, flawless, finish found on your face should not stop at the neck—especially if you're in on the top bridal trends and planning to wear a backless, strapless, or short wedding dress. Implementing a full body beauty routine in preparation for your big day can help you appear healthier, more youthful, and even more toned! (And what bride wouldn't want that?) Here, five pre-wedding beauty musts for head-to-toe beautiful skin.

1. Spot treat. Take notice of body blemishes, scars, or extremely dry or rough areas of skin that may take a little more time to amend. The earlier you can address these specific skin problems, the more time you'll have to correct them for your wedding day. If body acne is an issue, consider a sulfur-based spot treatment intended to smooth pimples fast. For graying, rough patches on the elbows, knees, or heels, try a mineral polish containing Dead Sea salts and nourishing essential oils to reinstate evenness to skin. Once you've addressed your more specific skin concerns, you'll have the perfect base for achieving that extra special bridal glow.

2. Slough off lackluster skin. By now, we all know how crucial exfoliation is to keeping our faces looking smooth, bright, and healthy—the same is true of your body! Implementing a full body exfoliating treatment will keep dead, dulling, and dry skin away and reveal a more youthful and glowing appearance. Furthermore, if you do happen to be someone who struggles with occasional or frequent body acne, this extra step can help decongest pore clogging debris and bacteria. Try exfoliating two to three times a week in the shower, and of course, the day of your wedding! Not only will you notice the long-term benefits of smoother, more even-toned skin, but you will also enjoy the immediate effects of improved circulation, which gives the instant appearance of health and vibrancy.

3. Don't neglect other important players. While much of the attention will be on your perfectly polished face, there are a few supporting players worthy of some extra love before the big day. For starters, your hands (particularly the left, ring-wearing one) will draw plenty of stares. Consider investing in a specialized hand treatment formulated to tighten, brighten, and hydrate the delicate skin on your hands. Another important body part to consider: your neck and décolletage, especially if you've opted for a low-cut or strapless wedding dress design. Look for something lightweight and infused with antioxidants designed to lighten dark spots or unevenness caused by sun exposure.

4. Befriend lesser known ingredients like Papain and Omega-3. It won't matter if you've lost your summer tan; if you're using a moisturizing oil or lotion containing the right ingredients you'll glow all year round. Sheen-inducing moisturizers containing Papain, a fancy word for Papaya enzymes, which work to gently dissolve dead and dull skin and promote healthy cell turnover. In addition, Omega-3—that super good-for-you-stuff found in flaxseed and salmon—isn't only beneficial when eaten. It also works wonders when applied topically, soothing irritation and inflammation, as well as increasing luminosity. Body products containing either or both of these ingredients are a great day-of solution for freshly shaved legs or for simply giving you an allover goddess-like sheen.

5. Protect. Nobody likes a sunburned bride—not to mention one with visible tan lines. Ensure that your body care isn't wasted by smoothing on a broad spectrum SPF 30 every day. Want to do more than just protect? Reverse existing damage by using a multipurpose sunscreen that offers lightweight broad spectrum protection and also features regenerative apple stem cells or wrinkle-smoothing synthetic snake venom to soften wrinkles and lift dark spots. There are tons of dual action sunscreens to fit your distinct needs. Just be sure to test them first to keep clear of greasy, white streak-inducing, or overly perfumed sunscreens. Not everyone wants to smell like a coconut on their wedding day.

2012 Victoria’s Secret Bride Collection

For most brides the wedding day is all about the dress. But what about what lies beneath? Victoria’s Secret’s will get your intimates sorted for your big day with their über sexy range of bridal lingerie. Stunning Candice Swanepoel models the latest line up of lacy, white smalls.

Victoria’s Secret offers the newest bridal collection for 2012.

The fashion label Victoria’s Secret is also believed to brides. If we love wearing his intimate outfits every day and in those instances that matter most, why not show off too special lingerie that the U.S. brand has included in its special collection Victoria’s Secret Bride?

VS has decided to dedicate to future brides a wide range of bras, briefs, but also other garments and accessories that can not miss the look of every woman who goes to the altar to swear eternal love to her prince charming!

The collection consists of beautiful white outfits, to pair with our wedding dresses white. Delicious briefs offering a veil in the back, while those embellished with irresistible glamor and feminine details like delicate ribbons. Not just white, but, for the brand, which has also declined in other lingerie pastel shades that become irresistible. Among the bras, there’s also the classic band, but also other style solutions to meet every need of look! In addition to the intimate outfits, the collection also offers nightwear clothing and camis to make the most intriguing and sensual wedding night.

21 Wedding Shoes - White, Ivory, Gold & Blush Wedding Shoes

It appears the forums have gone wedding shoe mad in the last two weeks, and even in WOL HQ, our soon-to-be bride Sophie is in the midst of some sort of wedding shoe crisis! Must be in the air... Anyway with all the chit chat about heel heights, style over comfort and DIY wedding shoe projects, we decided to put together a simple post of some of the dainty darlings we've seen and liked over the past few days. From high street to couture, self assembled to specialist, here are the shoes we think will make you smile.

London based Emmy shoes (main image, bottom left) is a collection of wonderfully designed, delicate wedding shoes that reflect up-to-date trends in both weddings and fashion. The collection offers a variety of shape, heel height, material and detail to allow the bride to create a unique, personalised product, with every pair being individually custom made. Emmy is a favourite of the Middleton sisters, which may be reflected in their price range - but if you have got the budget, we could think of worse ways to spend your money!

On the high street, we're looking at Next and Dune for bridal style. The thing we like to remind brides is, as with everything, you get what you pay for. If you're going for shoes at the cheaper end of the spectrum make sure to really wear them in. Really. Some high street stores tend to favour style over substance which one often only remember when one is digging through one's handbag for something that resembles a plaster.

Thick, clunky heels are making a bit of a comeback for winter this year (bottom right, Next), and while we love them for high fashion, they may not go so well with a wedding gown, unless you're going for the 'statement heel' in which case the brighter and chunkier the better!

Rainbow Club and Paradox London are both names synonymous with weddings. They are designer companies that make a concerted effort to make their footwear as comfortable as possible while still in-keeping with general wedding style. Shoes are usually simple satins, with heels averaging about three inches, however they can go as low as ballerina style.

In fact, over the last few weeks we have featured a few brides in our real wedding section who chose the designer's footwear as their weapon of choice on their big day. Rachel Simpson is of the opinion that "not everyone wants skyscraper heels and bling", and so her shoes are understated and elegant, originating in vintage ideas. "[They are] beautifully made shoes," Rachel says, "from factories small enough to be as close as I can to making them myself; and prices which may not be pile ‘em high cheap, but offer real value for money for a product manufactured I could get."

For flats we love these white PVC Ted Baker pumps with bow. They are almost croc-like comfortable, and perfect for a night on the dancefloor.

Shoes of Prey is an extremely bride-friendly fashion website as it does everything you wish you could do to create the perfect look for your big day. They have a 3D designer for you to choose the shape, colour and height of your shoes as you would like them to look and feel. They custom make them to your specifications and say that they will ship anywhere in the world in around four weeks, plus shipping.

Steal Their Style - How to Hold Emerald Green Inspired Wedding

Emerald green, white and black work beautifully together to create a chic take on an ‘Irish’ theme. Guinness is a brand synonymous with Ireland and would be a perfect way to bring the theme into your food and drink – who could say no to an individual steak and Guinness pie on a winter’s eve?

Our favourite way to bring some colour into your wedding wear is to start with that glistening rock on your left hand – and to make that rock an emerald one. We love a colourful engagement ring, especially an emerald engagement ring! Alternatively, you could go all Angelina Jolie and wear a pair of statement emerald earrings?!

A way to cut the budget for this theme is to use baby’s breath for floral decoration, in your centrepieces or as your bridesmaid’s bouquets. To add some character, think about having some DIY bunting similar to Brent and Christina’s green clover ‘Lucky in Love’banner.

Choose a Right Wedding Dress for Her

Every woman dreams about a wedding. It is one of those days when the whole world seems to go round the bride. And on this big day the bride must feel herself a real queen. So, the questions arise: How to choose a wedding dress if they are all so fabulous?

What criteria should one use when selecting a wedding gown so that it flatters the figure and conceals the imperfections the bride may have? This is what we are going to speak about now.

Choosing the fabric and the color

Color is of utmost importance when we opt for a wedding dress. Those times when snowy white hue was the only possible choice for the bride have already passed.

Of course white will always be in fashion, besides, young brides look so much innocent wearing white. But there are other options as well now. For instance, all beige tones look great including ivory, champagne color, white coffee, condensed milk, tender peach, etc.

Besides, a wedding dress can be of tender gold, bright red, sky blue colors.

So, brunettes look nice wearing snowy white, whitish pink and silver hues. Blondes look gorgeous wearing golden-grey, apricot and blue-grey wedding gowns.

Dark-blonde brides are recommended to try milky, pinkish, greenish and violet-pink color palette.

As for red-haired women, they will look perfect wearing a cream-colored wedding dress.

Opt for the color that will not merge with your complexion or make you look fatter. And one more thing, your wedding dress should match the bridegroom’s suit.

Choosing the right fabric

Heavy materials, such as natural silk and velvet are no longer appropriate for making wedding gowns as the bride feels limited in physical movements. That is why my advice for you is to choose lighter fabrics, including chiffon, taffeta, artificial silk, satin and organza. They look fantastic and are comfortable to wear.

Top 7 Short Wedding Hairstyles

There are gazillions of photos of brides and of weddings on the internet. Literally gazillions. You can browse pictures of table settings, buttonholes, garters, dresses and cufflinks all day, but for some reason when it comes to finding pictures of brides with short hair, an unfruitful Google search usually ensues.

A lot of brides, even those with long hair, opt for extensions to create length and volume for their chosen bridal style, or to accommodate their veil or any other hair accessory they plan to wear. Professional extensions look lovely for updos and of course if you want to wear them, go for it. However, you shouldn’t feel that you have to!

Today we're sharing with you seven brides and bridesmaids who rocked their short hair styles on the big day and looked amazing!

Short and slick bobs were the perfect cuts to add dramatic headpieces. Tara's floral and pillbox hat headband complimented an understated and glamourous Valentino dress. Louise's Gatsby-esque feather and gold cap with diamond embellished birdcage veil showed off her daringly coloured hair and lips in all their bright glory!

Floral pins and plaits create a beautiful, light boho look for short hair. The plait, loosely tied looks feminine and neat while the small roses add a little romance to the look.

Cute and feminine waves were the perfect accompaniment to a soft square neck and capped sleeves wedding dress. Her headpiece added just the right amount of modernity to finish off a romantic, Pride and Prejudice style look.

Slick, dark, graduated bob complemented her almost gothic-style make-up perfectly. An ornate and delicate lace headband added a beautiful contrast, creating a perfect bridal look.

Entire look is breathtaking. Her short bob of golden ringlets are topped off magnificently with a pretty vintage-style lace and diamonte bridal cap with pearl drop earrings to finish off the entire look.

Accessories for Short Hair Brides

The key to making a short hair style look bridal is to add the perfect accessory. Hair accessories are enjoying a huge boost in popularity for weddings at the moment, and as a result you can get almost anything ready made from uber-talented jewellery designers.

Birdcage veils are the perfect veil for those with short hair as they frame the face perfectly without adding too much weight. You could wear them without detail or add a vintage-style cap or a rhinestone slide to make it a more of a statement piece.  

Shorter haired brides can go for really alternative headwear too, to add drama to their overall look. Pieces such as pillbox hats and bridal caps/Juliet caps create a beautiful vintage look, while floral hair pins, vines and headbands create a boho look. Embellished hair slides or headbands worn to the side give a modern and elegant feel to the overall style.

Would You Want to Wear Black Wedding Dress?

For a few centuries in a row girls have worn white wedding dresses on their big days. And while designs of dresses changed throughout the period the color stayed the same. It’s probably only ivory that is more or less close in popularity to white when it comes to bridal gowns. However, there is a designer, one of the best in the industry, who believes a wedding dress can be black… It’s Vera Wang.

Vera Wang has experimented with colors before. She’s tried green, blue and even purple. But for Spring 2013 season she went to the extreme – she sent 9 of her models down the runway in black pieces.

Of course Vera Wang’s black wedding dresses were as chic and fabulous as dresses of other colors but they still were black, which was odd and crazy in the sense that black color is a symbol of mourn in many cultures.

The designer explains her decision:

 “I found black to be fresh and tongue in cheek. With all the big weddings that happened this year, it was fun to step out of the box. I did take it to a witchy kind of place. For me, it helped build a sense of mystery that I was hungry for. And it added this sensuality and sexuality, and a little bit of severity, too.”

Maybe the idea is interesting but I wouldn’t want to wear black on my wedding. Would you?

Great Gatsby Bridal Ideas

Erin Brooks, the creator behind Serephine, loves the 1920s for many reasons. It was a time when women tossed their corsets, hiked up their hemlines, chopped off their long locks, and wore noticeable makeup and fabulous headpieces. Their style was gorgeous and daring. It is timeless, revisited often in fashion.

The ’20s women also won the right to vote, supported themselves, and were a force to be reckoned with. What’s not to love? For that very reason she has added the gorgeous new “Gatsby Collection” to her wedding accessory collection, which was captured so beautifully by Kali Lu Photo.

Something extra special about this shoot, aside from being photographed at the historic Stimson-Green Mansion in Seattle, WA, is that it was entirely shot with film! Kali Leenstra of Kali Lu Photo used a Contax 645 medium format film camera with an 80mm Planer Zeiss lens. She has this to say about why she uses film:

“Why Film? The first reason I fell in love with film is because of the way it makes you shoot. When I shot digital I felt like a lot of my creative edge was lost. I would look at a scene and know what I wanted but instead of taking the time to get the shot I wanted I would just over click the shutter button and hope that something would turn out, or if not I could fix it in photo shop. Film has forced me to slow down and set up my shot. I know it has to work so I take the time to find the art and beauty in what I see. The next main reason I would say that I love film it the way it reacts to light. Film takes the light and wraps in around into an almost 3D feel. I love the way film makes the light look like you can reach out and grab it.”

These photos were captured at the Stimson-Green Mansion that has been in Seattle for over a hundred years. Festivities and celebrations have shaped the character of this prestigious mansion in the heart of Seattle. Enchantment around every corner of the house lures your guests from room to room as they discover wondrous magic in each work of art. This Seattle wedding venue is the perfect place for your vintage style, roaring 20s wedding.