May 22, 2013

Sabina Motasem and Kelly Spence glamorous Gatsby inspired reception at the Waldorf Hilton

Posted by Elisabetta / Bridal Wear, Events

Buon giorno lovelies! As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I’ve had a rather busy weekend last week. My Sunday was rather jam-packed with bridal fabulousness so I thought today I’d give you a glimpse of what I’ve been up to.

It started with meeting friend and fellow planner Andri of Always Andri Wedding Design at White Gallery, mecca to bridal buyers looking for new and establish UK & international bridal designers. This year I’ve made sure my name is on the list to receive the official pictures, so in the next few days I will hopefully be able to share the latest trends for the next season.

After an afternoon of prettiness, Andri and I headed over to The Waldorf Hilton hotel in Aldwich to be wowed by more gorgeous gowns and bridal accessories, this time by Sabina Motasem and Kelly Spence Bridal Accessory Design.

Sabina Motasem is a label of understated modern dresses blending the sophistication of old and new Hollywood. The collection combines geometry with simple shapes, bringing to life gowns that ooze the glamour and elegance typical of the art deco and art nouveau eras. To coincide with the cinema release of The Great Gatsby, Sabina Motasem gave us a preview of the new Gatsby inspired dresses, all accessorised by Kelly Spence Bridal Accessory Design, whose 2013 collection includes a range of hand-beaded vintage-inspired hair pieces on removable ribbons, and 1920s inspired veils, including Juliet veils, lace caps and bandeau style silk veils.

Sabina Motasem‘s 2013 Gatsby-inspired collection, from left Lily, Ava & Lina

The Waldorf Hilton dates back to 1908 and became famous in the 1920′s for its orchestra and ballroom, so Sabina and Kelly couldn’t have chosen a better venue for their Gatsby-inspired launch! After an hour or so of mingling with fellow bloggers, photographers and wedding industry peeps, and enjoying some seriously divine canapé, we were introduced to some of Kelly and Sabina’s most popular and new collections, complemented by make-up by Ana Ospina, hair by Lovehair, and flower bouquets by Wild About Weddings.

I fell in love with the simple and über-feminine lines of their collection. Both Kelly and Sabina’s work is a perfect modern interpretation of the bygone era. It doesn’t imitate vintage. It translates it into modern shapes that suit contemporary brides with an appreciation for specific vintage periods. Luckily for us, Fiona of Fiona Kelly Photography was there to document the evening, so below are some of my favourite shots of the night.

Thank you so much Fiona for gracing the pages of Linen and Silk with your images, and thank you to Sabina Motasem and Kelly Spence for making us part of such a glamorous evening!

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May 21, 2013

A humanist retro wedding in Devon by Michael Marker Photography

Posted by Elisabetta / Real Weddings, Engagement and Styled Shoots, Uncategorized

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Good morning my lovely readers! Hope you had a fabulous start of the week. I’ve been thinking, like, a LOT, about my friends and life at the moment, so my weekend has been one of those melancholic ones, albeit really really busy… One of these days I’ll write another personal post and maybe share a bit more with you. Actually, at the end of the month I’ll be sharing another instalment of this month’s ‘Life Lessons’, so watch this space, because I will tell you more about my latest personal / business project too.

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Today’s wedding is a quirky and relaxed sea side affair in Devon photographed by Michael Marker Photography. Natalie and Sybs had a humanist ceremony on a Devon beach followed by a boat trip to the reception for Lobster wedding breakfast. I absolutely love the fact that the guests were sent cryptic invites and were unaware of the events that were to unfold on the day! The whole wedding has a sweet retro meets rustic seaside feel, with a VW caravan, 60s style bridesmaids and lots of references to the seaside – aqua touches, subtle use of sea shells and star fishes to decorate their tables and rustic elements, such as crates, simple wooden chairs for the ceremony and hessian table runners.

I love the simplicity of how this marquee has been decorated . So easy to sometimes to think that you need to hire fancy chairs, but actually, simple wooden chairs decorated with delicate flowers all the way to the ‘altar’ is sometimes all you need.

May 17, 2013

Linen and Silk Inspiration – a teal and gold wedding shoot by Fiona Kelly

Posted by Elisabetta / Inspiration, Styling

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Buon giorno lovelies! Hope you’ve all had a fabulous week! I’m still trying to get into gear following my holiday, but with a bit of planning, this week I’ve finally managed to bring myself back on track with the various projects going on at L&S HQ. If you follow me on Instagram, FB or Twitter, you will have noticed that I’ve started talking more about a project I’d been keeping quiet for a while… So next week I will hopefully be able to talk about it even more, so watch this space as a new L&S service is going to be announced :)

Today, however, I want to finally share with you something that turned out to be the highlight of 2012 – the stunning pictures by Fiona Kelly of the shoot I styled and coordinated at the end of last year with the support of an incredibly talented team of suppliers. The inspiration behind this photoshoot came about when I visited Ranger’s House. This opulent Georgian mansion, housing a rare art collection by Sir Wernher, is often used by mature couples or second marriages, so I decided to take on the challenge to show how a younger bride, with an appreciation for traditions and art, could style this venue in a fresh and stylish way, without compromising its integrity.

The theme

When I first visited Ranger’s House, I was immediately struck by the amount of gold and the imposing painted tapestry hanging on the walls. One thing that is often hard to do with environments like this is introducing colour in a way that doesn’t clash or create a cluttered feel. After spending some time looking at the images of the venue, I picked on teal and accents of gold to bring out some of the tones and colours of the artifacts within the main hall of Ranger’s House, while graciously introducing more modern touches in the shapes of our props, table styling, and the stationery, all complemented by a neutral white base.

Styling

Our table was styled with linens and chairs by Jones Hire, and crockery and glass-wear by India Jane Blackheath, a home interior shop that has now launched a gift list service. I liked the elegant, yet less traditional shape of the plates, as it made the table, otherwise linear and minimal in its decor, look more dynamic. To add colour and tie in with the theme, we used aqua-coloured wine glasses and asked Reshmi of Anges de Sucre to create some cute teal macarons favors with gold speckles.

Floral designer and stylist Jodie of Boutique Blooms interpreted the theme with some gorgeous white hydrangea and gypsophila, arranged on bold teal and gold vases – the focus of our table set up. For the bridal bouquets, Jodie and I agreed to explore the option of something colourful, yet modern and non-conventional – she created three bouquets with hydrangea, brunia albaflora & silver tree protea (the silver and green bouquet) and king protea and china grass (the single flower bouquet) which beautifully complemented the three bridal looks we had created.

All our stationery, chair pompoms and balloons were supplied by Eagle Eyed Bride, purveyors of stylish stationery and décor. I briefed Katie asking her to think about a bride who is chic, elegant, loves art, but is modern at the same time. What she came up with is the perfect representation of the bride I had in mind. Katie created a stunning stationery suite that incorporates a modern element (chevrons) with a more traditional element (lace), which are gold-foiled for a high shine contemporary look.. The stationery in the Ranger’s House shoot became part of their Modern Metallics Collection. Eagle Eyed Bride also came up with giant gold initials as an alternative to the traditional guest book, and a contemporary table plan with hanging names for each of the guests.

Abi of The Abigail Bloom Cake Co. is the woman behind our stunning cake. Inspired by the room where we were shooting, she created a 5-tiers cake decorated with a hand-painted gold rose and leaves.

May 13, 2013

A downtown LA engagement shoot by Andy Bang Photographers

Posted by Elisabetta / Real Weddings, Engagement and Styled Shoots

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Good morning tesori! So, it’s been a little while since the last post! O_o

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you’ll probably know that I’ve taken a work-related social media break / detox during the month of April. I’ve been away (I’ll tell you more about it in the week) and took time off to refocus and, once again, work on my mental determination to make things happen, something I struggle to do when I’m running around following my usual routine.

So, here I am, with a new new engagement shoot feature. I’ve kind of reduced the amount of eshoots I feature on Linen and Silk, purely because I’m conscious that Linen and Silk should be more about weddings and inspiration… But every now and again, I might come across an eshoot in a location I really love, or one that tells a story… In that case, I might make an exception and share it with you so that you too might be inspired or simply because it’s so beautiful and full of love it would be a crime not to share it :) Drew and Allison’s engagement shoots is one of those. Shot in downtown LA, I love the fun and emotions that transpire from these images by Andy and Sharon of Andy Bang Photographers.

Drew and Allison are two cute peas in a pod. They were dating for years before Drew popped the question at the beach with a surprise bonfire with all their friends, and they are planning to get married in sunny Santa Barbara at the Montecito Country Club this September.

Apr 9, 2013

Career, Life, Wedding Planning – Finding a Balance

Posted by Elisabetta / Planning, Tips and Advice, Uncategorized

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Good morning! Today we have some great advice from a lovely lady called Rachael McAdams, who, inspired by the challenges her own b2b sister is experiencing, got in touch with me some time ago wishing to contribute with a post about balancing career, life and wedding planning. Rachael is a proud NYC mommy who is a foodie enthusiast, writer, and artist. With a background in wedding photography, she has a good grasp of how much work goes into organising such a special day, so it’s a pleasure to let her share some useful tips and advice.

Anyone who has ever planned a wedding, regardless of size, knows it can be fun, stressful, and time consuming all at once. As women struggle to find a realistic work/life balance, wedding planning can definitely add to an already heavily booked day. Thanks to the emergence of a variety of wedding planning tools, brides-to-be can stay organized and make sure their planning efforts are an effective use of time.

First and foremost, it is essential to have some type of wedding planning tool (my sister decided to include ‘me’ in her wedding toolbox!). While many still utilize the traditional planning binder, there are a growing number of online tools and mobile apps to help keep things organized. For example, working with a comprehensive planning checklist is a great place to start. The Knot has a number of online tools, including a wedding checklist that guides brides-to-be with a list of tasks on a weekly basis so everything stays on schedule. It might also bring to light tasks that may not have been a consideration until it’s too late! This list has been a lifesaver – my sister and I would be weeks behind if it wasn’t for this tool! It is also a great idea to use the Internet for items like save the date cards and wedding invitations. Wedding Paper Divas (shipping worldwide) is a site that has a wide variety of save the date cards, invitations, and thank you cards that can be customized to fit any personality, budget, and wedding style. As everyone knows, the great thing about the Internet is the fact that every store is open 24 hours a day, so when a bride has time to sit on the couch at night while watching television, she can browse different options and get ideas without even having to leave home {I’m a big fan of Pinterest to gather ideas and build moodboards. If you haven’t got an account, open one and enjoy browsing! – Betta}.

If an app for iPhone or iPod Touch makes more sense, then iWedding Deluxe is a great low-cost way to track lists, budgets, seating plans and more. This wedding planning app is a great deal at $5.99 and an easy way to track everything needed for wedding planning at the swipe of a screen.

When it comes to start booking locations, visiting florists, and vetting music options, attending a bridal expo / wedding fair is a great way to get a lot done, as you have a variety of different vendors all in one location. Additionally, there are often special pricing options for those who attend shows, ultimately helping everyone stay on budget.

If time is really an issue, it may be worthwhile to consult with a professional wedding planner. They have plenty of contacts at their fingertips. Their business depends greatly on how well their advice can be trusted and how well they work with their brides, so it is safe to say they will be able to guide the bride through the choppiest of waters and provide advice on how to handle different situations that develop. The Society of Wedding Planners is a great place to look for reputable wedding planners in the US, while if you’re based in the UK, head over to the UK Alliance of Wedding Planner.

It is safe to say the wedding industry is growing, with an average buying cycle of 18 to 24 months. That means there are plenty of opportunities for both the bride and the wedding business to team up, create the perfect wedding, and keep the stress level to a minimum.

Enjoy this wedding infographic!

infographic, wedding planning advice

Thank you Rachael!

So, if you’re planning your own wedding, how are you coping with keeping a balance? Are you keeping a balance at all?! If you’re a wedding supplier, do you have any tips for our brides?

If you’d like to follow Rachael on Twitter, you’ll find her under the name: @livealittleNYC

Wedding infographic via Road to Wedded Bliss by Wedding Paper Divas.

Apr 5, 2013

“I’m giving you a rose…”

Posted by Elisabetta / Every Day Life, reflections, Uncategorized

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5 years have gone since this day, the day my father officially handed me to this man. “I’m giving you a rose”, he said, “a rose is the most beautiful flower in the garden. You have to treat her with care. But also remember that a rose has a lot of thorns. And so has my daughter. ” {yep, I had to translate this. And yes, my dad has a twisted sense of humour}.

10.5 years with Floyd. 5 of these married. And to this day I still wonder what made him choose a rose with so many thorns and imperfections…

I’m moody.
I cry all the time because I cannot resolve the problems of the people I love. And I get mad at him because he can’t either (how unfair is that?!).
I nag. Like, all the time.
I get annoyed if he taps his fingers on the table (ummm… hello?! I’ve married a drummer!).
I’m impatient. And I always leave him behind (yes, I do know I’ve married a Jamaican…).
I have the most annoying high-pitch voice and speak stupidly fast when I get angry (thanks, mum. I’ve learnt this from you).
I remember every single little word that comes out of his mouth. And I will use it against him at the most convenient times.
I am ‘Miss Knows It All’.
And I like to have the last word. Always.

So today, on our 5th anniversary, instead of saying “I love you”, I will say “THANK YOU“. Because I say “I love you” every day. But I don’t say “Thank You” enough.

Thank you, Floyd, for being crazy enough to want to share the rest of your life with me. You could have had a beautiful flower with no thorns. Instead you’ve chosen the most difficult-to-handle flower in the garden… You’re crazy, but for this I love you and I’m grateful.

Happy 5th anniversary!

x Betta