FLORAL PATTERNED BRIDESMAID DRESSES

Floral patterns are everywhere this season, from fashion to home decor, you can't escape these beautiful and vintage inspired prints. The bridal world is taking notice and incorporating this popular trend with a variety of gorgeous floral patterened bridesmaid dresses. Allowing your bridesmaids to choose a dress in their favourite cut with an elegant floral pattern is a great way to incorporate even more romance to your wedding day. Here are 6 of my favourite floral patterned bridesmaid dresses to help inspire you and your bridesmaids for your special day.

A maxi dress can be incredibly flattering on many different body types, and I love the halter style necklines on these gorgeous bridesmaid gowns from shopbop.com. The bold red colour, and large floral paisley print of this Cynthia Rowley dress is unforgettable, while the combo of pleats, ruffles and a soft watercolour floral print are absolutely divine on this bridesmaid gown by PARKER. A touch of modern and boho blend perfectly in these two floral bridesmaid gowns.

Are you planning an outdoor garden style wedding? I highly reccommend a tea length floral print gown like these two from ASOS. The strapless sweetheart neckline and flowy fabric of this pink floral print dress will look amazing on your bridesmaids. Want something a little different and ultra chic? Choose a structured, pleated tea length dress like this bold beauty from ASOS. Bonus about the tea length gown? Your favourite ladies will keep cool on a hot Summer day in this classically cut style.

These long, sophisticated floral gowns from Nordstrom are both timeless and classic in style. Choose this soft v-neck dress by Jenny Yoo and watch your bridesmaids wear it again and again! I am in love with the high neckline and elegant print of this Eliza J gown. It is grecian inspired and also reminds me of a vintage fine china print with the beautiful blue and white colour combo.

Every one of these dresses could easily be worn over and over by your bridesmaids after your wedding day. Dress them up or down with a variety of accessories, jackets, cardigans and footwear. The possibilities are endless! Are you looking for more bridal inspiration? Follow us on Pinterest and get daily bridal inspo and more!

Bridal Accessory Alternatives: A Vintage Twist

{Guest blogger Micaela Armstrong}

I’ve always loved art deco style (fashion and design reminiscent of the 1920’s and 30’s). It’s one of my favourite eras, and it’s making a comeback in many ways as people are clamouring to incorporate it into their daily style!

In this post, I’m going to approach how to incorporate art-deco style accessories in lieu of traditional bridal accessories, in the hopes of offering options to the bride in search of a unique twist.

  1.) THE HEADPIECE

{photos via Pinterest}

One of the first questions I asked myself was, "How can I bring flowers into this equation?" Over at Beyond the Brush, they have beautiful examples of floral headpieces that made my head spin with possibilities! So many beautiful arrangements and styles are possible, and a floral headpiece is absolutely in the DIY range (perfect for the frugal, savvy bride!). Make it extravagant or minimal depending on your personal taste.

2.) THE CLUTCH

{Photos via www.vintagestyler.com}

Never underestimate the usefulness of a clutch on your wedding day! Depending on its size, your clutch can hold not only your phone, but a bundle of emergency supplies: a sewing kit, lint roller, tissues, makeup - you name it, you'll probably need it at some point. A clutch is not only useful, it is a beautiful accessory to your look. With regard to my ongoing art-deco inspired theme, I found a few examples of gorgeous embellished clutches that use three of my favourite things: pleats, beads and/or brooches. This accessory doesn't have to be expensive. It just has to look that way. 

3.) THE SHOES

 In looking for art-deco inspired shoes, I didn't have to look any further than John Fluevog (I am a Vancouverite, after all). John Fluevog is an unconventional Canadian designer whose flagship store has been running in Vancouver's Gastown since the 1970's. If you want something different, this is the way to go. The styles I chose to include in this post are the Vanessa and Estella heels. Although these two pairs are vastly different from one another, both of them ultimately borrow art deco style, with a modern/contemporary flourish which I think suits my theme well! 

The above accessories are simply ideas to go off of if you're on the lookout for traditional alternatives. There are so many - ranging from decadent to casual. If you want details your guests are sure to notice, take a pass on traditional accessories and go vintage!

Micaela Armstrong is Executive Assistant at Brooklyn Designs and a full-time student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

GET CRAFTY: DIY Botanical Wall Art

We LOVE to get crafty here at Brooklyn Designs and we're stoked about this new blog series that we're starting off today! There are so many great DIY craft ideas out there and Micaela and I wanted to share our faves that we've been crafting lately.

Today we're going to be making beautiful decorative botanical wall art.

The supplies you'll need for this project are:

- Canvas, or other painting surface

- Paint brush

- Acrylic paint, colour of your choice

- Spray adhesive

- Metallic gold or silver spray paint

- leaves or flowers (real)

The day before you start your project, go outside and choose the botanicals for your art piece. Keep in mind how you would like your end piece to look and choose healthy leaves and flowers as opposed to dry, brittle botanicals. Place all leaves and flowers between 2 sheets of waxed paper (parchment paper works well also) and place a heavy stack of books or object on top of the entire surface of paper. Leave these overnight to set in  place and become flattened for your project.

Step 1: Paint the surface of your canvas with the acrylic paint. You can choose to paint one or two layers, it will be dependent on how much pigment your paint has. Allow to dry completely.

{You don't need to paint the sides because you will be spray painting that later on.}

Step 2: Once you've allowed your canvas to dry completely, gather your leaves & flowers and decide on an arrangement for your art work. We chose to do 3 different styles for ours, using different amounts of space on the canvas for a different look each time. The botanicals you choose will also help to decide where they should be placed.

Step 3: Using the spray adhesive, spray the backside of your leaves with the spray. Place the leaves back onto your canvas and press down on all edges of the leaf and stem. This step and the next should be done outside if possible. Otherwise, please make sure to be in a well ventilated space.

Step 4: Using your metallic spray paint, spray the entire surface of your canvas making sure to spray evenly to prevent any running of the paint. Follow the instructions on the can and make sure to spray at a safe distance. Let the canvas dry for approx. 5 minutes and then carefully remove the leaves.

Allow your canvas to dry completely before you hang your new art piece. 

We had a lot of fun with these and the possibilities are endless on what you can create!

I love the look of the painted leaves as well and you can also add them back onto your canvas for a 3D affect and added texture to your final piece.

Make a one for yourself, and gift the others to your BFF.

Make sure to take a pic of your Botanical wall art and tag us on INSTAGRAM with #BrooklynDesigns #bdcrafty

Happy crafting!

Outdoor Weddings: A Feminine Casual Look For Any Budget

{ GUEST BLOGGER } Micaela Armstrong

Outdoor weddings are hugely popular, and being that we're in the thick of wedding season right now, I thought I would throw together a few outdoor wedding-friendly outfits. Being outdoors means being subjected to the weather, so it's important to dress comfortably (while still looking wedding appropriate!) With this in mind, I thought I would do three similarly casual feminine looks with three budgets ranging from $50.00 to $150.00.

The dress I've picked for the low end of my budget is from good old reliable H&M. At $12.99, this casual sleeveless dress is a steal! You can dress it up with a light shawl and a pair of heels, and still come out of it having spent less than a hundred dollars.

For the mid-range budget, I chose a super cute vintage floral dress for $67.00 at the Bay. I love this dress because it's floral and fun, but still subdued enough not to stand out too much at a wedding. Paired with a nude heel, you've got a casual, dainty summery look.

Lastly for the higher end of my budget I found this beautiful peach coloured beaded dress (also from the Bay). I love the contrast in textures with the the beaded bust and chiffon skirt. Accessorizing with a delicate clutch can ramp this outfit up and you'll be wedding-ready in no time.

I'm your typical struggling student. Juggling work, school and life doesn't leave room for a lot of extra expenditures, particularly when it comes to clothes shopping. That being said, it doesn't have to cost a lot to look good!





Micaela Armstrong is Executive Assistant at Brooklyn Designs and a part-time student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

INSIDE THE WEDDING: Favourite 2014 Wedding Trends Part 2

Guest blogger Stephanie Mosher of Glass Slipper Event Planning is sharing her favorite wedding trends for 2014 on our blog today. Read Steph's first post here where she shares her first 5 faves, and read more here for her other top 5!

It’s wedding season and I’m excited about some of the trends for 2014!

Planning your wedding? Well take note of these popular trends, as these are ones that I think will stand the test of time not just one season! Here are 5 of my top 10 favourite wedding trends for 2014.

Let Them Eat Cake

This year the cake has returned and it is better than ever! Couples are having gorgeous cakes created that are works of art. They have ombre, textured or have beautiful patterns! Sometimes they look almost too good to eat…almost!

 GOLEN HEXAGON CAKE

  Rustic meets romance

I love the rustic theme but I really love when you can mix in some soft, lace accents or other femine touches to make rustic a little more romantic. Picture a barn with long family style tables with beautiful lace table cloth and chandeliers. Ahh! I love it!

 RUSTIC ROMANCE

Alternative Wedding Favours

Couples are really trying to stay away from the standard wedding favours like candies and bottle openers.  Many couples are choosing to make a charitable donation on behalf of their guests and others opt for no favours on the tables at all and instead rent a photo booth or have a candy buffet. Some fun alternatives to candy buffets are popcorn station with different seasoning flavours, milk and cookies or a s’more station.

  

POPCORN STATION

Personalize Your Wedding Day

From custom monogram cake toppers, to incorporating old family photos to hand written vows, many couples are adding personal touches into their big day and there are so many unique and different ways to do this!

 FAMILY LOVE

The Element of Surpise

As a wedding planner, we don’t always enjoy “surprises” on the wedding day but I love when a bride & groom surprise their guests and especially when the guests pull a fast one on the bride & groom. At a recent wedding, the moms, aunts and cousins surprised the couple with a flash mob dance during dinner! It was awesome! The couple was so surprised and loved it! Another time the MC surprised the bride with a special hula dance because they used to take hula lessons as kids. You don’t have to search too far on YouTube to see it seems to be a trend this year to incorporate “the element of surprise” somehow.

  

Don’t know where to start with planning or need help bringing your vision to life? We’d love to be a part of your big day! Email us to schedule a complimentary consultation at info@glassslippereventplanning.com

Stephanie Mosher is the Principal Planner of Glass Slipper Event Planning, a full service event planning company here in the Lower Mainland.

Connect with Stephanie on { FACEBOOK }