Gown Friday

i am simply awe struck by Vera Wang's newest bridal collection.  absolutely stunning and beyond all expectations for her this year.  the dress above is by far my favorite--it resides in it's own class as i have yet to see anything like it anywhere else--gorgeous!  and don't forget Vera is coming out with her new line available exclusively at David's Bridal next spring.  yeah, that's right, David's Bridal. pretty sweet.

{images: brides.com}

Macaron Parlour in the House

Following in the great tradition of sweet tooths the world over, we love a good cookie, worship rich chocolate and adore the perfect macaron. Well the Macaron Parlour will be joining us on Thursday's Lela Rose party to bring Lela's favorite sweet to the table. But not just any sweet -- Macaron Parlour's goal is to expand the macaron palate to wild savory and frozen fillings. Favorites are s'mores, nutella, thai chili and tiramisu. You can take our word for it or come by the Wedding Library to try for yourself. Thursday, November 4, 6-8pm. RSVP ido@theweddinglibrary.com

These beautiful cookies are doubly marvelous because they come is such a lovely array of colors.

Perfect for a bridal shower cookie display, don't you think?

MOROCCO BEHIND THE SCENES

As promised here is a little sneak peek "behind the scenes" clip featuring some of our fun adventures covering Suzy & Ian's wedding in Morocco last month. A gorgeous Signature reel will appear on our White Designs website soon too...make sure you visit...an utterly gorgeous location Tigmi in Marrakech and an even more gorgeous couple x
Morocco Behind the Scenes for you.. on Vimeo: ""

Hmmm...

i don't know about you but this seems to be a little much for me even with Halloween around the corner...oh dear!


{image: New York Wedding Magazine)

like a warm blanket...

My grandma passed away today. We watched her slip from this life into the next within such a short time. I remember getting the call just 6 weeks ago while I was at a wedding that something was wrong. Now she is gone and there seems to be an empty space.

The last few weeks have been filled with visits to her hospital room in between weddings and the normal jugglings of life and little ones. I have yearned to have her teach me all she could, share stories I have heard before just one more time, to tell her I love her more over and over, knowing that she may not hear me the next time.

I got a call late last night to come quickly. My brother Micah picked me up and we drove to San Clemente as fast as we could and stepped into a house that flooded us with memories, one that has been filled with years of Thanksgivings and crowded Christmas' with the family, of Easter egg hunts in the yard and Pac Man in the garage, hidden toys and cabbage patch dolls in the closets, family dinners and cousins running the stairs....and laughter...so so much laughter and love. This night there was a little less laughter in the house but no shortage of love. ..and still family, always family. Grandma has given us that. She has loved us dearly and greatly and always believed in us. She has taught us to take care of one another and gathered us together often. Where Grandpa has been the duct tape, Grandma has been the glue. She has never wanted more than for each of us to be happy and to share life together with all it brings. She understands what it means to be sealed to each other. This family is one of the greatest gifts she has given me.

Her life again gathered us together last night as we sat near her bedside and I took her hand that had been held, and kissed her cheek that had been kissed many times before that week by everyone that loves her, and that I love too. Grandpa sat in a chair in a room near the bed and I snuggled up next to him. I have always loved cuddling up next to him from the time I was a little girl and he has always had the best hugs to give back. I was worried about him tonight. I can't imagine what it must be like to watch your wife, who has been your companion and by your side for all of what you can remember lie in a bed with tubes and wires preparing to leave this life. But....she was beautiful still. Her fingernails and toenails perfectly manicured from her last visit before she went into the hospital just weeks earlier when they discovered the cancer. She wore a purple nightie that my Aunt Susie had picked up just this last Saturday for her with a cake, as my grandma and grandpa celebrated their 63rd anniversary. 63 years! Last Saturday, just days ago she was able to talk. By Sunday she was not able to get up or speak much. When I told her I loved her, she was able to whisper " I love you more". This night however, she lay quiet and unable to speak but gasping for air. ...and still, she was beautiful with her soft gray hair falling around her face and the soft lines on her face that represented years of concern and love for each of us.

It was good to be with each other. We read from Grandma's journals and family history that she had kept of each of us as music played quietly in the background. We learned that she saved every letter and card that any of us had sent her....every baby announcement, every wedding announcement. She kept up with each of her 5 children, her 20 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. She never forgot a birthday, she wrote us while on missions, hand-crocheted hats and scarves for us at Christmas and she prayed for us, always prayed for us. Tonight we continued to pray for her. Grandpa kissed her and told her that it was her time to go. She seemed to want to hold on a little longer. She never was one to want to leave a party or her family.

I returned home late and slept wrapped in the blanket that she had made for me at graduation, that had offered years of comfort through home-sickness and being away from home for the first time, through heartache and heartbreaks, through a mission, through my own marriage and births of my babies and the occasional flu. It has been there through all of it just like my Grandma. It is soft and somewhat worn but it will always be what I have to hold on to...with the many memories of a woman who has changed my life and taught me to love a little deeper and that life is truly about what we leave behind and what we teach our children and how we love them.

I will miss you Grandma.

Spooky Inspirations!

I love this time of year, not only because it is my birthday, but when I lived in the UK, it was a magical time of year for me and the girls.

Witches and ghosts, nights getting darker, the clocks changing, kicking through leaves on wonderful autumnal walks and the beginning of the lead up to Christmas. 

October is all about celebrating the harvest, thanksgiving for the Americans and the winter setting in.  A truly lovely time to reflect on the year, get ready for the festive season and start to think about decorating the house.

I have done some deep cleaning of my house this past week and goodness did it need it after our busy wedding season, but now we are planning on a pumpkin carving day tomorrow with my daughters and enjoying a trick and treat filled weekend with lots of spooky dinners and activities!!

I love these photos above of inspirations for decorating the house, it is so easy to buy horrible tacky plastic things, but to use leaves, pumpkins (by the way available here from Supersol!) and little details such as black candles, coloured table linens, lots of oranges and blacks makes a stylish Halloween theme in any house. 

OK I confess I have pumpkin fairy lights over my mirror in the dining area plus my wonderful Whittards of Chelsea ceramic pumpkin and ghost candle holders as well, but we will be beautifully decorated for our spooky weekend by tomorrrow evening!!

If anyone is planning a spooky themed night we do have black table linens, black chair covers and lots of orange sashes!  A fair amount is going out this weekend for spooky dinner parties but if you are looking for something different contact us!

Happy haunting to you all and hope you have a lovely weekend!

Images courtesy of Country Living, a wonderful website for inspirations :)

Loving...

rustic doesn't have to mean dingy, it can be understated elegance at it's finest.

{image: la belle vie}

Engaging: Lindsay & Thatcher

We know we are a year ahead, but we could not wait to post these gorgeous engagement pictures shot by the oh so talented Jill Thomas!

Another valid reason for posting these this far out-- we adore Lindsay to death! She is another one of our super crafty and creative brides. She has even taken on the task of sewing all of her own napkins for the reception. Of course we trust Lindsay's taste; Thatcher is an absolute sweetheart!

We love the story of how these two met! Lindsay was with her family river rafting, where she met Thatcher, the river guide. Not only did he keep her family safe, but he stole her heart!

Lindsay is so beautiful, just simply gorgeous inside & out. And if you couldn't tell by the pictures, the couple is quite outdoorsy!

Sorry to keep you waiting a year, but you will want to make sure and mark your calendars to check back and see Lindsay + Thatcher's wedding! Also being shot by Jill Thomas, expect to see vibrant colors, rustic elements, and flowers galore at the San Diego Botanic Garden. Congrats you two, we can't wait!

Magical Beauty

i spotted this magical wedding on Eat Drink Chic last week--isn't it just beautiful?  Jonathan Ong was the talent behind these stunning images and Georgeous styled the amazingly lush decor for the wedding.

Meet Lela Rose on November 4

We'll be showing Lela's fab new line from November 2-6 (Tuesday-Saturday), but come to the Wedding Library for a private appearance by Lela Rose on Thursday, November 4 from 6-8pm. Get dress tips straight from the designer, have a cocktail and generally have a stylish time. Look forward to seeing you there!

Orders placed during the trunk show are eligible for a special gift and discount!
RSVP required to: kristen@theweddinglibrary.com

Gown Friday!

it would seem many designers are finding their inspiration from nature, specifically gardens, and Rivini's fall 2011 collection is no exception.  Monet's famous garden in Giverny gave designer Rita Vinieris the vision for her stunning line of bridal gowns.  there were both literal and abstract interpretations of flowers, including an entire skirt fashioned into over-sized blossom made of voile organza and stunning asymmetrical pleats replicating the intricate designs of a rose itself.  this has to be one of my favorite collections from Rivini!

{images:  brides.com}

REAL WEDDING - STEFANIE & MARC

With all the excitement of our destination wedding month in September we ran out of time to post full stories on all the gorgeous weddings that have appeared over the past few months. Here is our wedding with Stefanie & Marc in the Southern Highlands as featured in Wedding Style Guide.

The first time we met Stef was full of special surprises. Her wedding dress came from Baccini & Hill who formerly occupied our very own building in Woollahra before we moved in throughout May 2009. A sign that hiring SugarLove was meant to be and a love for our natural, elegant style was perfect to compliment her summer garden cocktail party.
The simplicity of natural green florals was designed by Rococo Flowers.

Stef & Marc arrived for their ceremony on a gorgeous black vespa.

The wedding took place at a private residence in Bowral. The natural settings were perfect for our photo shoot. We loved the wildflowers, wooden swing and nature walks.

Simple personal decorations throughout the garden included glass balls, white roses & ribbon hanging from the rustic wooden.

Tables were dressed simply in crisp white linens, black lanterns and brown paper/twine wrapped around baby blue flowers and set out around the white pebbled entry drive.

The historic property, chic black vespa and guest sharing a drink.

Stef wore a second dress throughout the wedding which is featured in our photo shoot below by Lisa Ho. The grooms suit was by Giorgio Armani.

Some of our favourite pics from Stef & Marc's photo shoot. All images captured by the big guy (aka SugarLove Principal Photographer) Bradley.

A perfect summer January evening under the glow of rustic lanterns.

Our warmest congratulations to Stef & Marc. Thank you for choosing SugarLove to cover your day. We wish you a lifetime of chic and fun filled moments together, Leigh x