Wedding Inspiration: A Fiesta At Carnivale!

Dear readers, it can be tough to choose a venue. Once you have your venue locked in, the style of your wedding  is also limited. We booked a historic mansion for our wedding because we wanted a wedding that is formal and elegant with a bit of vintage flair. I'm really happy about our decision but I can easily imagine us getting married other places too.

One such place is Carnivale in the West Loop.  I l-o-v-e the bright colors and creative lighting. And their private dining menu seriously makes my mouth water! Ropa vieja with crispy plantains? Yes please!

The Samba Room, one of several rooms you can rent for your reception or rehearsal dinner. Photo via carnivalechicago.com

Of course we would have to have a salsa band. Because the venue is so colorful and lively, I would wear sassy little number to match:

Jules by Monique Lhuillier, via brides.com

As you already know, I'm a serious shoe addict. And a short dress calls for a show-stopping pair of shoes. I'd wear heels in Valentino red:

At $695, these Valentino babies are a little out of my price range. But a girl can dream, right?
Photo via http://store.valentino.com.

My lovely bridesmaids would wear short dresses in a variety of brilliant colors that coordinate with the venue. I'm imagining bright blue, red, pink, green, yellow...

Priscilla of Boston, style no. PB401. If ever there was a "wear again"
bridesmaids dress, this is definitely it.

Our champagne toast would be a mojito toast and we would have pictures of sangria on each table for dinner. For dessert, I'd have either classic flan or Caribbean fruit cake soaked in rum.

As for my groom, he would wear a black, slim-fitting one-button suit. I like this one by Armani:

He'd wear a skinny tie and would skip the boutonniere in favor of a square-folded pocket handkerchief.
I say "he," but let's be real--he usually just wears what I want him to wear. Photo via emporioarmani.com.
  

Since I'm half Aruban, our favors would be cigars made from Aruban tobacco for the gentlemen and cocadas (coconut candies) to the ladies.

Yum! Cocadas, cocadas with cloves and brown sugar, and cocadas with condensed milk. Photo via maria-brazil.org.

Sounds like a pretty great party to me! If you could have a wedding re-do, what kind of venue would you choose? Would you go for a totally different style of wedding?

In Which I Buy A Fabulous Dress And Subsequently Have A Panic Attack

A few days ago, I told you a little about my Adventures in Wedding Dress Shopping. I was hunting for the perfect dress, and I was adamant that I would find one that fits my criteria: it had to be relatively "danceable" dress; white, NOT ivory; a slim-fitting silhouette; not lace but not too modern; and most importantly, a unique and glamorous style that made me feel great.

So how'd I do? Why, it's so nice of you to ask!

Dearest Fiancé, GO AWAY NOW! I mean it!!
Or you'll lose all back rub privileges for AT LEAST a year! 

Wedding Dress Shopping: Not For The Faint of Heart!

Before I went dress shopping, I was sure I had it all figured out. I had looked at hundreds (maybe even thousands) of wedding dresses online. I researched designers, necklines, silhouettes, and fabrics. I thought, this is gonna be easy peasy.

Yours truly in Adorae by Sottero Midgley. It's a beautiful dress and I considered buying it,
but I decided it kinda looked like a gazillion other dresses I tried on.

Here's a little secret: Wedding dress shopping can be oh-so-much fun, but it can also be completely confusing. I know my own taste and I had a definitive idea of the style I was looking for, but it's hard to be decisive when you're trying dress after stunning (really, really STUNNING) dress.

Can't find the designer of this dress, but I suspect it's an Allure number.

Style 8764 by Allure Bridal. The detail on this dress is fantastic! Also, my posture is awful.
Note to self: Work on standing up straight for wedding photos.

My dress, as I had imagined it, would embody glamor in it's simplest form. It would not be over-done or gaudy. It would not overwhelm me with embellishments, embroidery, or layers of fabric.

I certainly didn't want lace or lace-like appliqués (like the above two photos), but I tried on a few lace Allure dresses and I nearly changed my mind. A lace dress does have a certain sweetness that you don't find in other styles. I had also thought I wanted white, or at least diamond white, but not ivory. And lace dresses almost always look better in ivory. (The slightly deeper color gives the fabric more dimensions and the dress a more vintage, classic feel.)

No idea who designed this dress, but it is elegant, isn't it? The simplicity and chic
vintage design reminds me of Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly. And, it has pockets! 

The ball gowns I tried on made me feel like princess, which is a pretty awesome feeling! Yet, I definitely prefer a mermaid or sheath silhouette to a ball gown. I like big, tulle skirts as much as the next girl, but I'm only 5'3" (on a good day!). And short girl + big dress = stumpy looking bride.

Style 8806 by Allure Bridal. The fabric is a lovely, delicate organza, and the style is
both fun and graceful.

I didn't want a dress that was very modern, like the gorgeous Allure gown above. The textured swirls and ruching are what make this dress beautiful, but both are also the trademarks of a modern gown. (For a master class on texture, please see: any dress by Vera Wang.)

A few other requirements for my dress: it has be "dance-able," namely not too heavy or cumbersome; it must not drown my petite figure in pick-ups or heavy layers; and it must make me feel like the prettiest, most glamorous woman in the room.

So I started out my hunt for a dress with seven or eight criteria. And now that I've bought a dress, how close did I come to my imaginary "dream" dress?

You'll have to wait to for my next post to find out! (Sorry to be a tease, but I've got lots more to say about dress shopping, including how I had a major, major freak-out the day after I bought my dress.)

What about you, dear readers? What kind of dress did you shop for? Did you find your "dream" dress or did you fall in love with an entirely different style?

Dress Envy: Over-the-Top Glamor By Zuhair Murad

Ladies, I have some really, really pretty dresses to show you today. Seriously, you're gonna swoon...

Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad had dressed some of the biggest names on the red carpet (Beyonce, J-Lo, Miley Cyrus), so it's no surprise that his 2010 bridal collection is a masterpiece. He isn't a big name in bridal fashion, but he certainly should be!

Go ahead--feast your eyes.

Lilas

Marguerite

Orchidia

Cattleya

Fleur de Lys

Aren't they all gorgeous?! I love the feminine textures and the incredible detailing. The Lilas gown is my favorite, but the Marguerite, which looks oh-so-Grace-Kelly elegant, is a close second. 

Unfortunately, I can't find any information about Zuhair Murad's 2011 bridal line. But I'm still keeping my fingers crossed! He simply must keep designing for brides; his dresses are just too gorgeous to stop!

Would you wear any of these dresses? Which one is your favorite? Are they too much or do you love over-the-top glamor as much as I do?

*All photos by Zuhair Murad, via Fashionbride's Weblog