Sara Gabriel is an expert designer of custom veils, headpieces and jewelry for brides.  Her designs are bridecentric, with careful consideration given to a bride’s hairstyle, the cut of her gown and the tone of her ceremony.  As a Parson’s alum, I was always fascinated with fashion illustration, and I love how she illustrates each style of veil with her own sketches.  If only I had known, I would’ve snatched up her “Carmen” veil, which she characterizes as a “Tulip veil with a cut edge.”  She has some of her designs at the Couture Closet in LaGrange, for those of you interested.

In a perfect world, wedding dresses would be free, so that every woman could relish in the dress of her choice.  No two dresses would be the same, since every dress would be tailored to fit each individual bride and fashion would be created from what makes us feel most confident, all opinions aside.

In a perfect world, Jenny Lee would have created my bridal gown.  She didn’t show her bridal collection, nationally, until 2003, and I married in 2002, so even if I had won the lottery, I wouldn’t have heard of her.L

Anyway, Sher (from Sher’s Bridal) says that Fit and Flare gowns are all the rage in Louisville, so I’m including a link to jennyleebridal.com, so that you can check out Styles # 716 & 718, which may inspire your sensibilities when searching for that PERFECT wedding gown.

I am so impressed with Mark Brower, chief appointed designer for The Vineyard Collection,  a more contemporary brand of The Priscilla of Boston group.   I have particular affection for the “Molly” style, which is a off-the-shoulder, A-line silhouette with a pleated neckline, with a built in combination of soft and sexy.  Constructed in Silk-Cotton Faille, this romantic number seems a perfect choice for the pending summer months.

 The “Piper” style, which is a fit and flare gown is another favorite, with a draped bodice outfitted in silk taffeta.  I imagine that the draped bodice may have the inherent ability to cinch any tummy excess, much like the girdle.   However, it is always wise to experiment with fabric and style when searching for that perfect gownJ

The Vineyard Collection can be found at The Couture Closet in LaGrange.

Pearls have long been considered the hallmark of traditional elegance in the jewelry department.  Wedding publications are now splashing their images all over the pages of their magazines and pearls are, once again, experiencing popularity.  The love of pearls wax and wane, much like the love for a pair of old Levis.   There’s simply nothing better than an heirloom strand of pearls.

Given their vast history, the once rare and exclusive natural pearl has emerged in cultured form, as a gem to be enjoyed by the masses.  Fred Ward, in his article, The History of Pearls explains that Kikichi Mikimoto, single-handedly launched the cultured pearl industry by enticing oysters to produce round pearls on demand.   It turns out that pearls are created by introducing round nuclei cut from U.S. mussel shells into the oysters flesh.  The tissue forms a pearl sack, which secretes a nacre coating over the nuclei that ultimately forms a round pearl (PBS.org).  

 I wore Carolee pearls at my wedding, because I love her style and price point.  I chose to spend the bulk of my wedding expenditure on food and entertainment, so it was nice to keep some in my pocket, when it came to my jewelry.  

Here’s a sampling  of Carolee’s style.  Shown here are the AB Crystal and White Simulated Pearl necklace and the matching AB Crystal and White Simulated Pearl Drop Pierced Earrings.