Golden Glamour

Springtime Garden Wedding

Iconic wedding gowns a quick look at bridal fashion that made history

The dress that Grace Kelly wore for her April 19 1956 wedding to Prince Rainier was designed by MGM costume designer Helen Rose and was made from 25 yards of silk taffeta, antique rose-point lace and pearls by three dozen seamstresses, who worked on it for six weeks.

The wedding dress that Queen Victoria wore to marry Prince Albert in February 1840 sparked a trend for white wedding dresses that is still in vogue today.

Queen Elizabeth II was just 21 when she wed Prince Phillip in November 1946. The couple had met when she was just 13 years old at the wedding of his cousin, Princess Marina of Greece. Her Majesty famously saved up ration cards to purchase the material needed. The gown was made of ivory duchess satin and decorated with 10,000 imported white pearls, silver thread and tulle embroidery. Her bridal ensemble also included a 15-foot patterned full court train attached at the shoulders, and a silk tulle veil held in place by a tiara lent to the princess by her mother.

The first of Elizabeth Taylor’s seven husbands was Conrad “Nicky” Hilton. They were married in Beverly Hills in May 1950 and Liz wore a dress by Helen Rose – the MGM costumier who designed Grace Kelly’s wedding gown. The dress bore a striking resemblance to the one Taylor wore in Father of the Bride, the costumes of which were also created by Rose.

In May 1959, when Elizabeth Taylor married her fourth husband, singer Eddie Fisher - who left his wife Debbie Reynolds to marry Taylor – she wore a short, hooded, forest green dress with matching shoes and a bouquet made up of orchids and baby's breath. 

Audrey Hepburn married actor Mel Ferrer in September 1954, after starring with him on Broadway in Ondine. She wore a typically full-skirted Fifties ballerina-length style by Pierre Balmain with roses in her hair.

For her November 1961 wedding to Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner wore a halterneck dress with a sheer shawl.

Bianca Jagger decided against a traditional wedding dress for her May 1971 wedding to Mick Jagger, opting instead for a white skirt suit by Savile Row tailor Tommy Nutter - who had previously tailored suits for the Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Yoko Ono. The designer had made a shirt for Bianca to wear under the jacket but it did not fit as she was four-months pregnant - so she wore nothing underneath instead. She kept the Riviera sunshine off with a wide-brimmed hat.

Non Traditional Centerpieces

For a whimsical wedding, gather balloons that go with your color scheme and inflate with helium. Then, use a mesh net (found at a craft supply store) to connect the balloon to a small basket. Make sure your basket is weighed down by putting marbles or vase fillers. If desired, cover the weights with faux flowers to hide them from sight.



For a garden wedding, display large, colorful bird cages on tables for a simple, yet eye-catching, centerpiece. Weave ivy or a few flowers into the cage if you choose, or set a few candles inside to create a more intimate mood. 



For a cold-weather wedding, lanterns are a cozy touch for your tables. Choose vintage-style metal lanterns that play off rich hues in autumn; or, apply this idea to a summer wedding by choosing sleek white ones instead. Place a single pillar candle inside the lantern, and adorn the lantern with appliqués that coordinate with your color scheme or wedding theme.

Cornflower Blue and White

Venetian Dream

There is something very seductive about this Palazzo. The exterior will take your breath away, with its lavish pink façade and view of the Grand Canal between the Rialto Bridge and the Ca’ d’ Oro Museum.

Celebrity Wedding: Jack and Jacqueline Kennedy

One of the most iconic weddings belongs to President and Mrs. Kennedy. Long thought of as American royalty in June 1953, upon her return from Europe where she covered the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth for the Washington Times Herald, Jacqueline Bouvier accepted John Kennedy’s proposal of marriage.The engagement ring consisted of one 2.88 carat diamond mounted next to a 2.84 carat emerald cut emerald with tapered baguettes. In 1962, the ring was reset to include round diamonds totaling .66 carats and marquise diamonds totaling 1.46 carats.

The rehearsal dinner on September 11, 1953, the eve of the wedding, a bridal dinner was held at Newport’s Seaside Clambake Club. Senator Kennedy presented each of his ushers with a Brooks Brothers umbrella engraved with initials and the wedding date.

The bride wore an ivory silk wedding gown that required 50 yards of ivory silk taffeta and took more than two months to make. It featured a portrait neckline and bouffant skirt decorated with interwoven bands of tucking and tiny wax flowers. She also designed the pink faille silk gowns and matching Tudor caps worn by the bridal attendants.The bride wore her grandmother’s heirloom rosepoint lace veil, attached to her hair with a small tiara of lace and traditional orange blossoms. She also wore a single strand of family pearls, a diamond leaf pin, which was a wedding present from Ambassador and Mrs. Joseph P. Kennedy, and a diamond bracelet the groom had presented to her the evening before the wedding.

She carried a bouquet of white and pink spray orchids and gardenias. The ceremony took place at St. Mary’s Church in Newport, Rhode Island.  For the occasion, the church had been decorated with pink gladioli and white chrysanthemums.

After two hours of greeting family and friends in a receiving line, the bridal couple joined the 1,200 invited guests for champagne and dancing to the music of Meyer Davis and his orchestra.

For the first dance, the Kennedy's chose "I Married an Angel."

At the wedding luncheon they served a fruit cup, creamed chicken, and ice cream sculpted to resemble roses was served  and the couple cut a five-tier wedding cake.

Senator and Mrs. Kennedy departed Hammersmith Farm amid a shower of paper-rose petals. They traveled to New York to spend the night at the Waldorf Astoria before continuing on to Acapulco, Mexico for a two-week honeymoon. 

This wedding was classic and timeless and and inspriation for today's brides. Please see my follow up post showing how to get this elegant look today.

Plum and Slate

Fuschia Fantasy

2012 wedding dress trends

The Trend: Unique Necklines
Strapless is still hot, but this season gowns with unique necklines are hot. Think illusion style or sheer, delicate necklines embellished with layer of fabric .

The Trend: Two-Tiered Skirts
This season, designers creatied skirts with two distinct tiers. Think of an exaggerated peplum-this is superflattering, the top tier is a perfect way to camouflage wider hips.

The Trend: Blush
Wearing a wedding gown in a non-white or ivory hue was, until recently, considered a pretty radical move. This season
blush and pink shades appeared on dozens of runways, marking its official debut as a wedding gown hue.

The Trend: Lace Sleeves
Several designers were inspired by Kate Middleton and her stunning gown. Making  lace sleeves—a sleeker, more contemporary version of the voluminous sleeves that engulfed Princess Diana so many years ago - a must have.

Garden of Romance

2012 color of the year

Tangerine Tango is a bit exotic, but in a very friendly, non-threatening way. Add a sultry flair to lips, cheeks and nails with Tangerine Tango. An unexpected eye shadow color, Tangerine Tango is a complementary opposite that flatters blue or green eyes. When paired with brown eyes, it brings out an amber cast. How about pairing the exotic with an intimate brunch wedding setting full of pancakes and golden french toast, on the table a vintage runner, glittering crystal votive, and lush blooms. The honey, peach, and tangerine color palette is warm and sweet, and honey and dipper favors are the perfect favor.