With an amazing color palette, flowing chiffon, gorgeous charmeuse and the most lovable lace you ever did see, it is no wonder that everyone is smitten over Joanna August’s new line, “Ceremony.”

So, contact Lacey at Bella Bridesmaid to make your appointment for their upcoming trunk show, from November 17th – 20th. Happy shopping!

From the beautiful bride…

Although we grew up just miles away from each other in the DC area, Will and I didn’t meet until our sophmore year at Duke and we started dating at the end of our junior year.  Five years later, Will proposed the week before I left for 3 months working in Uganda.  I was so excited to get started wedding planning and a friend suggested that I read District Weddings, which I checked from Uganda every time I had internet access.  By the time I got home I still had a year left before our chosen date and my mom and I had already booked a planner, a venue, a photographer and a band.

We picked the Ritz-Carlton because we needed a big space and they are known for great food, which was the most important thing to me.  We worked out a very personalized menu that included a heavy cocktail hour with a bunch of passed hors d’oeuvres, a great cheese table and a latin station featuring tacos, ceviches, margaritas, and guacamole made right there.  The photographers couldn’t even get a picture of the latin station because there were so many people crowded around it.  In addition to our red velvet wedding cake, the pastry chef put together a dessert bar with sweet and savory desserts like strawberry-basil truffles and snickers macaroons.  At midnight we had dance floor passed milk shakes in mini metal cups and french fries and sweet potato fries.

Some of my favorite decor was in the flowers.  The aisle had rose petals in a lattice design that got all blended as we walked down the aisle.  The escort cards were on a table paved with white and yellow carnations.  I also loved how the roses in the dining room looked like beautiful candlelit mounds of color.

I am especially proud of the cake topper which I made myself from polymer clay to look like me and Will.  I got my dress at the Junko Yoshioka studio, where they combined a few dresses for me to make my dream dress, and I was so happy with it.  The company who printed our letterpress wedding invitations is only online.  I loved unique style of the calligrapher that they used for the invitation text so much that we had her calligraphy the escort cards, menus and programs too.

The fabulous vendor team:

Photographer: Bryan Blanken, Freed Photography

Planner: Ayran Kantor

Stationery:Bella Figura

Calligraphy: Debi Zeinert, The Blooming Quill

Venue: The Ritz-Carlton Washington DC

Band: Free Spirit

Floral: Amaryllis

Lighting: Frost Lighting

Ceremony Music: Ensemble Elan

Hair: Mindy from Andre Chreky

Makeup: Mimi Tran

Dress: Junko Yoshioka

Bridesmaid dresses: Amsale from Bella Bridesmaid

Video: Matheson Communications

Officiant: Cantor Maurice Singer

Also, don’t forget about all of the fun happenings around town for the bride this weekend!

From Lyndsay…

Aubergine is a beautiful choice for fall.  The warmth of deep purple is the perfect compliment to the colorful autumn season.  Your bridesmaids will love wearing this exquisite and lively color.

Top Row: Becker Photography

Middle Row Left: Anna Elyse with Deep V in Eggplant – $$ (available at Hitched Salon)

Middle Row Right: Vera Wang Style 24M03 – $$$ (available at Bella Bridesmaid)

Bottom Row: Jeff Greenough Photography

Lemon is a fantastic choice for a summer wedding!  Yellow can be combined with so many colors (navy, pink, white, cinnamon, etc.) to create a beautiful wedding color palette.  Your bridesmaids will love wearing this bright and cheerful color!

Top Row:  Jeff Greenough Photography

Middle Row Left: Jenny Yoo Becca Dress in Honey Yellow – $$ (available at Promise…for the Savvy Bride)

Middle Row Right: Vineyard Collection Style 1408 in Canary – $ (available at Bella Bridesmaid)

Bottom Row: Laura Novak Photo

Next up… Gorgeous styles for autumn!

When I started thinking about the ways to discuss bridesmaid fashion, my best friend suggested that I feature dresses by season.  What a perfect idea!  And, after much coaxing (and maybe a few drinks), I recruited her to help me.

Okay, I’ve been so eager to introduce you to Lyndsay.  It was all I could do to wait until today.  Lyndsay has been my best friend since I was six.  Although she is an accountant by day, she is truly a bridal fashion expert at heart.  She has an incredible sense of style, an amazing eye for detail, and a way of making fashion so accessible.  I was thrilled when she agreed to share her advice on seasonal bridesmaid styles…

Enjoy!

From Lyndsay…

No matter if you’re planning a black tie affair at The Ritz-Carlton or an outdoor wedding at Oatlands Plantation, you can find the perfect dress for your bridesmaids!  The bridesmaid dress selection has really improved over the past few years, so the days of heinous bridesmaid dresses are over.  The industry is now focused on designing stylish and modern dresses that your bridesmaids can (really) wear again!  Whether you envision long or short, strapless or halter, taffeta or silk, trust me, you will find a dress that you and your bridesmaids love.

The D.C. area has several wonderful salons that make the bridesmaid dress experience a pleasure for both you and your bridesmaids:

*Hitched Salon carries five fabulous bridesmaids lines — Lela Rose, Anna Elyse, Amsale, Simple Silhouettes, and Thread.

*Promise…for the Savvy Bride carries two amazing bridesmaids lines — Coren Moore and Jenny Yoo.

*Priscilla of Boston carries bridesmaids dresses from Priscilla of Boston, Melissa Sweet, and Vineyard Collection.

*In Baltimore, Bella Bridesmaid has a wonderful selection of bridesmaid dresses.  Bella Bridesmaid is a bridesmaid-focused salon, so their primary goal is to help you find fabulous bridesmaid dresses!  They carry the following lines: Simple Silhouettes, Jenny Yoo, Charsa, Melissa Sweet, Priscilla of Boston, Vineyard Collection, Vera Wang, Coren Moore, Kathlin Argiro, LulaKate Bridal, TwoBirds, and Anna Elyse.

Photo: Jeff Greenough

Much, much more to come from Lyndsay!