Tag: dresses

Supplier Spotlight: The Demetriou Girls Collection

by gaby

When I was a little girl (just a few years ago, haha) I DREAMED of being a flowergirl in somebody’s wedding. Sadly, I’m an only child and an only grandchild so it never happened, but I still have such a soft spot for dreamy little dresses for the mini members of a bridal party and I think they deserve to look every bit the princess that they feel being part of your day. So I couldn’t help but fall head over heels when I came across the Demetriou Collection on Etsy. Hand made in Cyprus and shipped worldwide, these luxurious little creations are frothy ballerina fantasies, walking that perfect line between innocent sweetness and elegant chic. The range includes accessories like shoes for babies (oh, the shoes!), head pieces and capes, as well as the dresses themselves. Let’s have a little look, shall we?Read More

Rosa Clara 2013

by gaby

Time for some more dress inspiration, my lovelies! When Natasha of Olivelli Cape Town told me the new Rosa Clara collection was in-store, I popped right over (virtually, obvs) to check out what this beautiful Spanish label had for us and oh my word, I am in LOVE. It’s like a cross between all the dress fashions I am obsessing about at the moment. A lot of Holly Golightly-esque 1950s/early 1960s styling, plenty of sheer and lace, a touch of ballet and feathery skirts, sweet pastels and some slinky chic numbers. With over 75 dresses in the collection, there really is something for every kind of bride, but I thought I would round up my Top 10. Okay, slightly more than 10. But whatever, they’re BEAUTIFUL.Read More

Fit for a Queen

by gaby

So… you’ve met the man of your dreams, you’ve dated, you’ve met each other’s parents, you’ve realised you want to spend a lifetime together, and the moment you’ve been waiting for since you were a little girl has finally arrived. Not THAT big moment (we’ll assume he’s already popped the question) – the moment you get to go into a wedding boutique and play dress up. The first time you really get to feel like a bride, when your mom will well up and your best friends will sigh, and you’ll all drink champagne and say yes to the dress. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from visiting both high end boutiques and (sometimes slightly dodgy) budget ones with friends, not all dress fitting experiences are made equal. And nothing makes you feel less bridal than getting stuffed into a shabby sample by a grumpy assistant in a tiny changing room with peeling wallpaper and a curtain hanging precariously off the rail.

Fortunately, that doesn’t have to happen to you. If you read the blog regularly, you’ll know that a brand new branch of Olivelli has now opened in Cape Town, and as well as drop dead beautiful dresses, Olivelli is all about personalised service. Owner Natasha Colson, who was inspired to open her own branch after a blissful experience as a bride at the flagship Gauteng Olivelli store, is passionate about making all her brides and their guests feel like royalty when they come in for their fittings. More than just another wedding chore, it’s an experience.Read More

Let Them Eat Wedding Cake #5: The Flower Girls

by gaby

I would like the type of wedding that my younger cousins enjoy. A celebration of our family and friends – where its littlest members know that they are adding something truly invaluable to our day. A family wedding. Beauty without pretence. A day with an air of excitement, a newness, a belief in magic.

Being from a large family I was lucky enough to be a flower girl three times growing up, and I was a flower girl in some of my first and fondest wedding memories. I remember getting dressed with the bride and her bridesmaids, with all the excitement in that room – the hair, the makeup, the flowers. I remember posing for photographs in a field, being made to feel special, being thanked by name in a speech. I recall my feet swinging – not yet being able to touch the lovely grassy floor underfoot, and I remember catching the bouquet. It was simply wonderful – being privy to all the excitement, and being a part of something so special.

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Mira Zwillinger Reflections Collection

by gaby

To celebrate the publication of our Sparkle & Blush images in My Wedding Day, I thought it was high time I shared with you the jaw-dropping dresses we were lucky enough to include in this shoot. I am seriously so in love with them, possibly even more so now than when I first saw them. They’re the kind of dresses that will have your guests gasping as the church doors open, that will bring a tear to your husband’s (father’s, mother’s, bridesmaid’s) eye, that you’ll still be sneaking into the spare bedroom cupboard years after the wedding just to steal another look at. They’re works of fashion art, simple as that. The designer behind all this gorgeousness is Mira Zwillinger, who established her studio in Israel in 1991. Her couture designs are now available in New York and London (where Browns Bride were kind enough to lend them to us), and will soon be in Australia too. Her 2012 collection, Reflections, is a collaboration with her daughter Lihi (after whom one of my favourite dresses is named) and is inspired by glass sculpture – designs which appear to share the light, reflective qualities, but are made from the softest fabrics, sourced from Paris and Milan. Get ready to do some actual swooning.

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