It’s that time again….spring is in the air, actually, right around the corner according to WikiAnswers. Wiki says that spring this year is set to start March 20th. So I’m doing pretty good about getting a head start on bridal gown trends for spring and 2010.

Wow. 2010. That sounds so futuristic, don’t you think? I’m happy to see that a little bit of that future glow can be found in some of the bridal gown trends I found.

Just like last my research last year showed, the experts have a bit of the old back and forth on picking trends, so I’ve listed my favorites here along with lots of juicy links, pictures and videos. Next to the cake, the gown is really the funnest to go shopping for….I took out my bridal gown just the other day and it almost made me cry. Yep. The power of that one piece of fabric is really special, so ladies, make sure you follow your gut when picking out your gown. Get what you’ve always dreamed of.

• So what’s the big trend I see a lot of right now? One-shoulder styles. It seems that First Lady Michelle Obama kicked off this trend when she wore the one-shoulder Jason Wu creation to the President’s inaugural Ball. It’s elegant, regal and classic in all the right ways. And her gown would make an absolutely beautiful wedding gown, wouldn’t it?

• And here’s an example from one of my beautiful brides, Annemarie, who got married at the La Playa Beach and Golf Resort here in Naples, Florida. Her gown, an absolutely breathtaking design from Maggie Sottero’s Destination Collection really stole the show. It’s a one-piece with a corset closure and a single floral embellished shoulder strap made of billowing chiffon. Check out the gown’s url right here!

• A trend after my own heart: black! Whether it’s a bit of black in the gown’s details or yep! A totally all-black gown, black is not just for goths anymore! Want to check out an all black gown? AND it’s one-shouldered too AND it’s shot by the fabulous Jose Villa AND it’s worn with red boots? Check it out here at the Once Wed blog or here at Jose Villa’s blog! And for a few more selections of some totally fabulous black gowns, check out this post, BLACK GOWNS WITH BIG IMPACT I {heart} romona keveza I am Woman… Watch Me Lure over at the Knotty Bride!

• I’m sure that if you are a bride researching for ideas, trends etc. you haven’t missed the fact that vintage is very, very popular right now. Goes to say that 50’s flair in bridal gowns is a very hot trend this year, too. Think high necklines, tulle skirts and tea-length styles on the runways. I love this look, birdcage veil and all and if you can’t find it, have Unique Vintage make it to order for you!

• Another hot trend for 2010? Bows! Big, tiny, huge, droopy or structured anything goes when it comes to bows! The beautiful gown below belongs to one of my brides….Michelle’s gown, from Casablanca Bridal, has a really different half bow with tails and a lovely rhinestone detail. Beautiful!

• Metallic touches! Add a touch of futuristic metallic fabric to your gown and you are set to shimmer all night long! I’d love to pair this up with a black gown. Yum!

• Touches of flowers or anything garden-inspired like vines and leaves! LOVE it! As you can probably tell from our website and blog design is that I’m a nut for garden inspiration….And I’ve seen some really lovely gowns with touches of garden love. Here are a few that I found and love!

From Oscar de la Renta

 

From Watters

• And how fab is this gown from Spanish designer, Jorge Terra? I love it when I find a new designer I can’t stop gushing about. This gown would look SMASHING on the beach here in Naples!

• Coming in to round out the list are couture cover-ups! Gone are the days of the plain Jane wraps….say hello to ultra-sophisticated and ultra-unique from floor-length coats to airy boleros to detailed capelets. What’s not to love? Jorge Terra has some again, unique and really stunning cover-ups! If you are looking for some inspiring ideas, head on over to his website here! If you’d like to see a nifty slide show of his 2010 Bridal Collection during the Madrid Cibeles Novias (bridal fashion shows that feature the latest in bridal trends Made in Spain), visit the CanalBoda (wedding channel in Spanish). And isn’t that turquoise cover up absolutely stunning? Makes me wish I could plan my wedding all over again!

Tags: gowns, cakes and shoes, ramblings..., wedding design by Astrid
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One of the reasons that beach weddings are so popular here in Naples, Florida is of course, the scenery! Not only do we have the very best sunsets this side of the state, but we also the best and most fabulous wedding vendors in the area! Our only mission: to create the best most memorable day for brides and grooms!

I think we photographers have the best job though….we get to capture it all forever!

Congratulations Jane and David! What a beautiful family you both have…

~ The Details ~

Location: Naples, Florida
Venue: La Playa, Betsy Tucker
Wedding Coordinator: Stephanie Shaffer – Weddings Made Simple
Stylist: Roni Fields
Florist: Mark Fessenden with Gene’s 5the Avenue Florist
Cake: Ella’s Cakes
Gown: Vera Wang
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
Entertainment: Kevin Smith – Florida Talent Consultants
Chocolatier: Norman Love’s Chocolates

Tags: Florida Weddings, Naples Florida weddings, gowns, cakes and shoes by Astrid
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Last Sunday we participated in the Weddings Florida Bridal and Fashion show and what a hit! Not only did I see some fab gowns but we got some great exposure and made a lot of connections with other top wedding vendors in the area. What a great day!

Angela had video up and running during the fashion show and here it is! You can see us in the back…we had a primo spot and really enjoyed the show front and center. There were some truly beautiful gowns. One of my favorites came with a bolero jacket, perfect for the ceremony and formals and then off with it and off with the bottom of the gown (right above the knee) for a completely strapless and hot reception look (0:22). Truly versatile!

I also fell completely in love with a dark, smoky and truly sensuous bridesmaid gown in a rich, deep and delicious chocolate brown. The bottom of the gown looked almost alive with tiers of ruffles cascading to the hem (2:13). Mmm!

And of course there were some fabulous veils on the models including a bird cage (0:22) veil. Want to skip the veil? Go for a sweet little accessory (1:00). But my fav? The fabulous, bouncy, full-of-life, head-turning runway inspired veil (0.34). Again, delicious and tasty! I’m predicting that this is the next direction in veils for brides that want to step out of that box and into something totally unique. It’s really a blend of different textures, patterns, line and shape to create a very unique couture veil. The model wore what looked like a dotted netting and look at the body in the veil right around the back of her head.

~ The Details of the Fashion Show ~

Producer: Weddings Florida Magazine
Host Venue: West Bay Beach and Golf Club, Estero, Florida
Loretta Bridal
Alfred Angelo
Sir Daniel’s Salon
Salon Alfredo and Spa and Boutique
Vincent Salon and Spa
Making Faces by Andrea
Dillard’s – Lancome and Christian Dior

Tags: bridal shows, gowns, cakes and shoes by Astrid
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The bridal gown! What woman doesn’t love a beautiful gown that not only looks great on her but makes her feel like a princess? And to boot, in an incredibly delicate color and a fantastic style that dazzles everyone! I loved so much how I felt in my gown. And I have no problems confessing that I have worn my own gown at home, just so I can walk around and feel like that princess!

This year’s trends for fantabulous wedding gowns leaves little to be desired! But after my research, I did see a bit of back and forth between the experts out there as to what the hottest trends were for this year! And here are my favorite, along with a list of links to help you decide for yourself…

• Ball-gowns will be the envy for this year! Anything from flowing A-line gowns to very over-the-top designs for this silhouette are hot right now.
• Crumb-catcher bodices! Basically, this is a double layer of fabric at the neckline, one fitted, one a bit looser. Here’s a great description of necklines to help you get savvy! And here’s a wonderful gallery of crumb-catcher gowns to give you an eye-full.
• One-shouldered styles! Love it and a perfect way to feel like a diva!
• Looking for a second gown to get down in or perhaps you want something casual for that beach-side or tent wedding? Minis and short gowns will be very popular this year!
• A splash of color somewhere on your gown (like in the form of a sash around the waist)
• Two-toned gowns!
• Pockets!
• Detailing! It’s always in the details isn’t, it!

Check out these resources for more information on hot wedding gown trends for 2009:

• Editor’s Pick: Top Wedding Dress Trends from Spring 2009 Fashion Shows – From Brides.com
• Wedding dress trends for Fall 2009 – From MillionLooks.com
• Wedding Dress Trend: From White Lace Wedding
• Wedding Trends 2009: Bridal Gowns – From Completely Weddings
• Spring 2009 Wedding Gowns: Styles and Trends – From Haute Bride
• 2009’s Boldest, Most Beautiful Wedding Gown Trends – From eZine Articles
• The top five trends in wedding gowns for 2009 – From Something BLue: Wedblog for Brids
• 2009 Wedding Gown Trends – From Weddingish.com
• Planning Tip of The Week: Dress Trends Spring 2009 – From Mywedding.com

And two videos from two fab designers I have always loved…

Vera Wang – Spring 2009 Bridal Show Part 1 of 2

Junko Yoshioka Fall 2009 Part 2

And of course, here’s my gallery of gowns from last year! And I am very happy to say that once again, my brides were already showing their stylish good sense by implementing some of the trends mentioned above. Next to shoes, gowns are my other favorite yummy that I love to document!

Enjoy,
Astrid

Tags: gowns, cakes and shoes by Astrid
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It’s that time of year again when I sit down and comb through all the weddings we shot the previous year, looking for the best images to submit for competitions and magazines. Last night I was putting together a nice collection of cake shots for submission to The Knot magazine, and decided to put that gallery up on the blog, too.

I did some research as well and found some of the trends that are a buzz right now for cakes for 2009. There seems to be a varied consensus as to what trends are hot for this year. I am going to list the links I found further down below, which should help any brides out there who are still making cake decisions. The ones that stood out the most to me where:

• Mixing shapes like hexagonal and square cakes
• Parisian chic cakes using black, white or monochrome colors, and taking lace designs right off your gown or the runway
• Cupcakes! Yeah, but not round this year! Any other shape is in now. Think square, or diamond or hexagonal!
• Acid and bright colors such as green, hot pink and tangerine
• 3D cakes! Jessica Claire had an awesome Rubik’s cube cake made for Chenin Boutwell’s baby shower!
• Dummy cakes! Have a beautiful small top tier made and then use dummy sheets for guests. Save that money and spend it on GREAT photography or a down payment on a house!

Check out these resources for more information on hot wedding cake trends for 2009:

• Unique Wedding Cake Trends for Spring 2009
• Top Wedding Cake Trends for Summer 2009
• Wedding Cake Trends 2009 from Lifestyle Lounge
• Wedding Cake Trends for Spring ‘09 – Bridal Fashion Collections Provide Inspiration
• Unique Cake Trends for 2009 – From Cakella
• 2009 WEDDING CAKE TRENDS – Calligraphy; not just for invitations at Wedding Cafe Online
• Video: Watch Brides magazine editor in chief Millie Martini Bratten give tips on how to choose the perfect wedding cake.

Here’s a fab video featuring the hottest trends in wedding cakes with new thinking on shape, size, decoration, and flavor. Carley Roney of The Knot magazine shares the latest with Harry Smith of the Early Show.

And last but not least, here’s my gallery of cakes from last year! Of course, some of my brides were already showing their cake savyness by implementing some of the trends mentioned above.

My favorites include the simply amazing beach-inspired coral cake (first picture) created by the Naples Grande. It’s a stunner in the image below, and absolutely unbelievable in person!

My other favorite is the Celtic-inspired cake with the intricate knot designs over different shades of purple fondant. And yes, it SO tasted as good as it looked!

And check out the picture of mom crying out as the topper almost falls over when the bride and groom try to cut it! (Note to brides: this is the beauty of having two photographers at your wedding)!

Next to trying on gowns, I think cake tasting is one of the best must-do activities a bride has to endure while planning that perfect day!

Enjoy,
Astrid

Tags: gowns, cakes and shoes by Astrid
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On Monday I posted a few images in a “Dedicated to the Shoe Queens” thread over at the Digital Wedding Forum. The thread had been resurrected and showcased some truly fantastic details of bridal shoes.

The photographs covered the gamut from Prada to Converse and even some totally killer white engraved Doc Marten boots (of which I still have several pairs of in my closet!). Of course, most of the gal photographers on the thread were totally all about Christian Louboutin shoes…and without a doubt of course!

One of the reasons I love to photograph weddings is because you get to see so many wonderful fashion styles from cakes, to shoes to dresses to jewelery. And some of my very, very favorite detail shots are shoe shots. So this was a great excuse for me to go through some of my weddings and pull out my favorites! Aside from just loving shoes, I can happily admit to having a shoe-photographing fetish (with cakes coming in second and rings in the not-so-distant third place)!

Some of my more memorable shoe subjects include a pair of Louboutin’s that I had the pleasure of photographing that belong to a beautiful English bride. Her wedding was an amazingly fantastic special day held at the South Seas Island Resort in Captiva. Side note: If you are looking for a venue on the beach that not only boasts exquisite views AND fabulous service, look no further! South Seas is one of my very favorite venues around Southwest Florida!

I also photographed a wedding in Tampa that included a fantastic pair of gold Dolce and Gabbana slip ons that were to die for! Simply sublime!

On my must-shoot list: Jimmy Choo, Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent, and Manolo Blahnik! I’m not asking for much am I?

Oh, and check out the very last pair of shoes in the gallery…those are Ali’s favorite dress up shoes. BOTH my girls are shoe-rus in training. Helena’s favorites are her rasberry Disney Crocs!

~ Enjoy and happy Wednesday…Astrid ~

Tags: gowns, cakes and shoes by Astrid
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