LILACS AND LAVENDAR

Lavendar reminds me of my grandmother who wore this signature fragrance all her life. Lilacs remind me of upstate New York where this tree flower grows best and most beautifully . . .If you're leaning to purple and lavendar shades on your wedding day, these images will no doubt inspire you on . . .

SOMETHING BLUE

Good Saturday my friends! Before we get into the spirit of enjoying all the blue here, now is a good time to address all the pink and gray issues you've been having with Bride Chic, The Zine. It seems some of you are confused about the mag's layout. Okay, getting to The Zine via this site's side bar should take you to a page with the above magazine cover. Once there you'll find a link that says, VIEW THE MAGAZINE. Follow that and you end up here:


Below this header will be the magazine's content starting with a Letter From the Editor/Table of Contents section complete with a photo of Yours Truly (looking alot like Plushenko's mother or sister) yapping about how delighted I am to be launching this new resource for brides, yada, yada,yada. From there you just click on the Read More links and enjoy all the good stuff .

And now, for that little bit of blue I promised you . . .

Blue. How inspiring is this? For me it's the vintage dress and Blue Willow China that does it. All these blues have just the right stuff to make for a gorgeous mix on your wedding day . . .

MORE FROM THE GOWN GALLERY

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If you've been following Bride Chic lately you'll notice I have two versions of my 'Georgette' dress: the above version with an ivory Georgette skirt and self belt and now this white gemmie in cotton tulle with a light blue satin tie belt. The overblouse for both is made from a piece of imported vintage Val lace. Want to add a train or lengthen the bodice? Let's talk. You can place a custom order for it through Amy-Jo Tatum Bridal. email:amyjotatum@gmail.com or we can convo by phone 415.258.8204

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UPCYCLED VINTAGE FROM AMOUR SANS ANGUISH

If you're one of those brides looking for something a little different on your wedding day, check out Amour sans Anguish on Etsy. Their pieces are made solely out of recycled and found materials. How about these tattered looks? If you want to go cutting edge- vintage while practicing green friendly alternatives at the same time, this store and these designers are definitely for you.

COMING SOON TO ETSY

Veil, fascinator or hat? I'd call this a hybrid of all three. Horsehair is one of those magnificent materials that invokes the creative process. While this head piece pairs beautifully with the vintage gown here, it would rock, pop and add a whole new dimension to a more contemporary sheath or A-line.

The inspiration for this originally came from visiting the third floor of Britex in San Francisco where all the bridal notions are kept. Seems all I need is a peek at a few materials and I'm good for another season of magic. . .
Special order through Amy-Jo Tatum Bridal
amyjotatum@gmail.com or call 415.258.8204

WHAT'S NEW IN THE GOWN GALLERY?

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As you'll recall I did a shoot with some very talented and inventive folks a couple weeks back. This is the first of many great images that are part of 'The White Silk and Lace Series'. I call this gown and ensemble, 'Gaucho' perfect for the bride looking for a different way to express herself. We replaced the veil here with the classic gaucho hat and some opera length black gloves. Chantilly lace gauntlets and matching jabot accent the arms. When we did add a lace mantilla to this gown as a headpiece the result was stunning. Stay tuned...

Photos: S1 Studios

Makeup:Nida Nafees

HairStylist: Dana Faulkner

Model: Corinne Doherty

ROYAL BRIDES AND THEIR GOWNS: LADY SARAH ARMSTRONG-JONES

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We remember her best as Lady Diana Spencer's eldest bridesmaid clad in tissue taffeta in the 1981 wedding extravaganza that brought both Diana and storybook bridal design into the spotlight. Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, was a teenager back then. Fast forward July 14, 1994, Princess Margaret's only daughter married actor Daniel Chatto. Not your typical royal event, a scant 200 guests graced the invite list to St. Stephen Walbrook, the relatively small 17th century church, a stone's throw from St. Paul's (where Charles and Diana wed). If you can believe it, there were no TV cameras and Sarah didn't show up in the family's gold coach.source
sourceSarah and Daniel met in India when she was working as a wardrobe assistant on the 1983 movie Heat and Dust. Sarah did a six-year program at the Royal Academy of Arts. In 1991, she had a show in Knightsbridge exhibiting her abstract landscapes. By this time she and Chatto whose six-year acting stint started with a role in Heat and Dust, were already a tight couple, often seen going to the theater art gallery openings. Both artists, Chatto gave up acting for art, and went on to do his own show in 1992 at the Cadogan gallery.

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Dubbed the Boho Wedding of the year by the Daily Telegraph, it was a quiet and elegant ceremony. The Armstrong/Chatto wedding was written up as a showcase of fine taste by the London press. In 1994, the Windsors needed all the positive press they could get. In the midst of the Charles/ Diana feuds these royals kept their dignity despite all the family turmoil. Princess Diana arrived at St. Stephen's unescorted and Charles followed accompanying the Queen Mother, then 93. While during the ceremony Charles and Diana shared a pew, they had little to say to one another.



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While there was no family heirloom tiara holding the bride's veil in place, Sarah did sport a circle of honeysuckle and looked timeless in her custom designed Jasper Conran. Conran's simple confection was a white draped georgette with ruched bodice reminiscent of 1940s, especially in the bodice. To date Conran's design for Sarah Armstrong and her maids remain some the the best and most inspiring work in bridal fashion.

In 1982 Vogue called Jasper Conran a ‘British superlative’. At only 26 he won the British Designer of the Year Award. Here's what Mary Quant had to say about Conran, 'He makes clothes women want to wear’.