In Reel Life: Russ & Lauren

Benny just sent a couple of the video clips from Russ & Lauren's wedding. Be sure and take a look at the right. I am loving them! He even managed to capture the real butterfly that was hanging out at the reception in the gardens of flowers that were created, while making friends with all the other butterflies we hung! Thank you once again Benny! It was a gorgeous day and the video clips are always a fun reminder!

Yellow Dress No. 2

One from the archives...my Music Box dress from Fall 2006. Shown here in Venus Magazine. I wore this style to my best friend's September wedding, so it always has a fond spot in my heart. Canary silk georgette with gilt bodice. And here we are, the sunny bridal party.

Love.

That's all I can say about this beautiful wedding between Alistair and Casey (lovely girl and owner of the Parts +Labour boutique in Hood River, OR). Casey's dress is champagne shantung gathered asymmetrically into pickups tied with bias strips of the fabric. Ruched bodice with a blush velvet ribbon sash.

Intimate wedding in Mijas, Private Villa

Here is a lovely, intimate wedding we did in Mijas, again with the popular fresh lime green colours, supplying Sue Danker at Spanish Dream Weddings with lime green sashes, Swarovski green table crystals, green rose petals, aisle runner and white personalised fans with lime green ribbons. The client had already had their main wedding in Ireland and was having this lovely family wedding ceremony and dinner at a private villa in Mijas.

The catering was provided by Cornel Caterers who were charming and very friendly.

Saudi Royal Family Party Al Riyad Palace Marbella August 2008

Our most prestigious event of this year was to design and decorate a family party for the Saudi Royal family at the Al Riyad Palace here in Marbella. We were commissioned by Puente Romano to provide the decorations for this event as they were supplying the catering which was amazing

I had a few sleepless nights and have never rushed around so much to get this party ready in time.

The theme for this party was a peppermint green colour and we used lots of crystal candles, crystals, swarovski table crystals couried in by USP on an overnight delivery!

Cream Moroccan lamps, lanterns, organza table cloths in peppermint and whites and it was certainly the night of candles and lanterns I have never seen so many

The princess was charming when she came down to see us and check over the progress, she changed a few things and instantly the party was a much more pared down low key family event and her taste was perfect and the result was beautiful.

It was an amazing day and such a fabulous venue to work at, the palace is exquisitely decorated, unfortunately it has made my little townhouse here in Marbella look rather drab!

I am hoping I might get some better images, if I do I will post some more as these photos do not really do justice to the setting and the grand scale of the event.

Spanish Andalucian Patio Party Puente Romano

The brief for this party at the Patio Sur in Puente Romano was green, red and white.

To stop it looking Christmassy we again created the lime green with a tropical feel which looked lovely in such a beautiful Andalucian setting. This is such a popular colour this year for weddings and for parties, it is a fresh, vibrant colour that works so well with the bright colours of the Mediterranean

Tropical theme Suite Del Mar Puente Romano

This Tropical theme was designed for this fabulous dinner party held at

the Suite del Mar at Puente Romano.

Here we used the lime greens and oranges again, a popular colour scheme and incorporated baby pineapples, oranges and limes, decorations on the napkins, lime chair sashes, candles and chocolate table linens to pull the whole look together.

Happy birthday to you....

Happy birthday to our sweet little boy who is much too quickly growing up! Finn you are everything to your daddy and me. You are our greatest joy and our favorite entertainment. We love every part of you...the head nodding, toe tapping, guitar playing, song singing, story telling part and even the part that occasionally has to be put in time out and the part of you that occasionally puts us in timeout. You make your mommy a better person and remind me to put on my seatbelt and that "crap" is not a nice word. You teach us everyday more about what it means to really love someone and what it means to be grateful. You thank us for the simplest of things like giving you a bath and feeding your fish. You always hug people when they're sad and are still convinced a kiss can make anything better. You have a way of making everything better in our lives. We love you and are so proud of the sweet big boy you are becoming.

last chance summer dance.

It's been gushing warm rain for the past three days, and while I'm excited to be sewing fall clothing (coats!), I'm not quite ready to give up summer. This is a photo Pete Springer took of my Spring '08 "Eggy Pop" dress. I'm wishing for another hot spell--to give my chiffon dresses one last day in the sun...

Robe Jaune.

I originally wanted to name my blog "Yellow Dress," since I design one every season, relentlessly acquire them for myself, and am generally besotted with them. Instead, I'm going to start documenting my evolving obsession here, starting with this amazing photo by Gwendolyn Kraehenfuss.

What I've Been Dyeing...

Occasionally someone will ask me if Elizabeth Dye is my real name, and I'm always surprised...I guess it kind of suits being a designer, but I don't think it has quite enough flair to be a stage name. But sometimes, like today, when I'm standing over a steaming kettle of dyeing abric, trying to achieve just the right shade of honey gold, my name feels pretty suitable. I've been asked to contribute a project for a DIY fashion crafts book...here is an early how-to shot...

I scream for ice cream...

I just saw this fabulous idea over at the bridal bar. Any of you who know me well, know I have a major weakness for ice cream. I wouldn't so much call it a weakness as much as I would call it therapy. Forget the spa....my sanctuary is in the freezer. I heard someone once say "Bad days only need ice cream" . I tend to live by this and strongly believe good days need ice cream too.

So...ecreamery has in all their genius created a way to customize your weddings with not only an ice cream bar...but pints of ice cream chosen by you. You let them know the grade of ice cream and mix ins and they will develop a flavor with a customized label for you and your guests. They then fed ex it to you. It's a little pricey but amazing none the less. And the packaging....isn't it darling? It makes the contents look that much more delicious!

Alice in Wonderland themes

At the moment I am putting together ideas using the Alice in Wonderland theme, not sure why really perhaps it is the heat here in Spain! I think there are so many vintage themes around now with the teapots and china that it would be rather fun to elaborate on this. I love the idea of the open me stationery, the eat me cakes and the drink me cocktails, this would be such a great theme to do and the list is endless. A pastel theme for a wedding above

and then a very different black red and white Alice in Wonderland theme below

Here is a board I found on Style me Pretty pulling in all the elements, the croquet on the lawn, the bridemaids perhaps in Alice dresses with alice hairbands, the roses and of course the playing cards.

It would also be a great theme for a kids party with bright colours, topsy turvey cakes, teapot cookies and lots of tissue paper flowers :)

I have to do this for twinkle when she is slightly bigger!

SO much harder than it looks.

Coco + Kelley is hosting a "wedding inspiration board" contest, in which you design the look of a wedding based on one of 36 photos of interiors (you can see all the choices here). Normally I'm more bridal blog voyeur than participant, but I was intrigued and decided to go for it. Here's the interior I chose:
This room is very much my taste--organic-modern, lots of neutral, natural materials, shades of grey and gold, monochrome prints, the rhythmic repetition of simple shapes. I thought that choosing the room most like my own home would make designing a wedding easy. I also thought that since the room is so non-fluffy, even mannish, making it "wedding-y" would be a cool creative challenge. But after spending a shocking amount of time prowling the web for wedding inspiration, I have to stop myself and return to work. Here is my board:
Credits: Angel Sanchez gown and matchstick cake via Martha Stewart, flowers and place cards via Bride's Cafe, birch ring pillow via Etsy, shoes by Miu Miu, plaid bridesmaid dress by Luisa Beccaria via Style.com, flower plate via {this is glamorous}, outdoor seating photo from Soirée Charleston, stone candle by Cox & Cox, Hazelnut Vodka by Integrity Spirits, layer cake slices via Nordljus.

I tried to respect the color palette, and introduce natural substances--wood, stone, leather--into the wedding without it coming across too clunky or earthy. I love the vertical striping in both the wedding gown and the cake--that was my favorite touch. But I couldn't warm up to introducing palm leaves, like the potted palm in the corner of the room--I've never been a fan of tropicals. I think/hope the bouquet of succulents gives the same verdant, non-floral effect. This was a great project--I really had to "dig in" to my own sense of style. It also made me realize that my style has a feminine side...I love ruffles, glitz, and pink too (I was starved for them after trolling the web for earth tones)! I may need to do another board based on this room...but only after I get a little work done...

Here comes September 20th....

I love Jessica and Matt's engagement photos taken by A Beautiful Light. You can tell these photographers really do know their light and their images really are beautiful! I had a hard time narrowing down my favorites, as I know Jessica and Matt did too....which is always a good thing!


In looking through their images, it looks as if they spent all day with their photographers riding their bikes all over Solana Beach! What a fun day!.... and the perfect opportunity to really capture Jessica and Matt and the sweetness of their relationship.





This may be one of my very favorite images from their shoot. Just the whole composition of it makes me think of them sharing a moment and looking out to the future that lies before them and how wide open and beautiful it is. Does that sound cheezy? Maybe a little. I'm okay with it.

I'm excited for you both...wonderful things lie ahead for you....including a super fabulous wedding. Can't wait! Best wishes to such a great couple!

We're blushing.

We received a really nice note from June bride Sam about her dress shopping experience:

I am writing to thank you so very much for helping me create the most perfect wedding for my husband and I! ... I was dreading shopping for and buying a wedding gown because lace, tulle, and rhinestones are just not my style. And, although I wanted to look great on my wedding day, I did not want to spend thousands on a dress I'd only wear for 8 hours.

The first (and only) day I went shopping, I visited several wedding boutiques that 1) looked at me like I was nuts for just starting to look for a dress only (gasp!) 8 months before my wedding date, and 2) pulled out only dresses priced well over what I said I wanted to pay. The last place I stopped at was the English Dept. I knew as soon as I walked in the door that this was where I was going to find my dress! Not only is your shop beautiful, but your clothes are incredible! The simple elegance of each the special-occasion dresses you chose to sell was such a welcome relief from the torrents of corsets, taffeta and ruffles I had been around all day. With the non-pushy, non-intrusive and very knowledgeable assistance of Erin (and, of course, my mom) I tried on many dresses - and loved most of them! I left that day with two dresses to decide between: the Thread "Tori" and the Jenny Yoo "Kayla". I mulled it over for several weeks before coming back, trying them both on and deciding on the Thread dress...I cannot remember the name of the woman who measured me that day, but she did an amazing job. My dress needed absolutely no alterations! It fit perfectly.

I absolutely fell in love with the English Dept. and can't wait to return for other special occasions and everyday wear! Thank you all so much for your service, style and for understanding that some brides just need something understated and simple.

Sometimes in the mad flurry of bridal season, there isn't much time to reflect. Thanks, Sam, for reminding all of us here at The English Dept. that this work is really fun and rewarding. Brides like you make it so. Photo: TJ Cameron.

Kelly's Wedding

Some great Flickr pictures of Nat and Kelly's wedding at Holocene last weekend. Guest Lisa Hough also wore one of my dresses--the Palace Shift from Spring '08.

Coming up roses.

My little romper (from last fall's collection) peeking from behind the "BEST" hedge on August's Portland Monthly cover. Love those shears.

Fashion Design Camp Fashion Show

I participated in Portland's Fashion Design Camp finale fashion show on Friday, and what a blast it was. I've never seen little girls with such style and attitude (where was fashion camp when I was 9?). There was plenty of backstage chaos, but the whole beautiful mess was ably managed by the lovely Adazoe (who also modeled). Cheers to the camp's class of 2008. May their glitter never wash off. Left to right: me with Tacee, new Seaplane owner and camp founder, campers backstage awaiting their moment in the spotlight, Adazoe flashing her pearlies. Photos courtesy Willamette Week.

In Reel Life: Alison & Eric

I still can't get enough of my cute lovebirds! Just in case you can't either, take a look at them in REEL life. Benny just added some video footage for me today. ...all to the right of this here post! I still get so happy to see the look on Alison's face as she walked into the tent. Sheer delight!

and if you are really looking for something to make you smile...the much anticipated footage is also here of the group dance! You may just have to get up in front of your computer and join in. It is that much fun!! This group has got moves. Do it. Watch it. You know you want to. Just click "more" below the video clip.

aisle love you forever

A little love for the aisle! How fun are these customized runners? They can add just the right touch and can be as simple as a monogram or as elaborate as an intricate design. This one found on Etsy by giant wombat would be perfect for a black and white wedding with a splash of color.
I also am loving the designs of L Seabol on Etsy. ..and the price is really reasonable. For an extra $45 you can add a monogram to your runner and an additional $60 will give you a hand painted border. I love how these can be made in to a table runner later or a banner to hang in your home. It is one of those things that you can repurpose later and I am all for repurposing!! It's always easier to justify when you can reuse things again. hmmm...I'll have to do a post on that soon.
I know these aren't runners...but had to include these banners as well by L Seabol. Another great touch to tie in a motif or your runner
If you are looking for a basic runner...try original runners. They have over a dozen colors available to choose from with a non-slip backing. This is a good thing for all of you who have had nightmares of you walking down the aisle and tripping. Nope...no worries here! They also have some gorgeously designed runners as well...but a little more high end. Definitely worth the look though.

When the family gets together...

Here's how I spent my week off from Wedding planning. Some R & R at the Rockin R' Ranch in Antimony, Utah. Oh what, you've never heard of it? Not surprised....it's a little to the left of the middle of nowhere! There was no cell phone service for miles, the gas station was the mall and when our family showed up we doubled the population. But...we got some well needed time with Troy's side of the family and my little Finn had the time of his life with his cousins and riding a horse named Tom. To all you Bolyards and Lymans, it was so fun getting to see you and hugs to you until we see you again!

Ivory and Peach in Torremolinos

I personally do not understand why you would want to come to Spain and have your wedding reception inside! I would guess, from what I have heard, it is that it is cheaper here than in the UK or Ireland to hold a wedding reception.

However at this wedding we used our crushed ivory chair covers with peach organza sashes to transform a hotel room in Torremolinos,
it looked beautiful and we provided co-ordinating fans with peach ribbons.

Birthday Party Robertos, Puente Romano

I loved creating this party, it was for Russians who were having a birthday party at Roberto's at Puente Romano, it is based on a fruit theme so decided to use the limes and oranges, it looked amazing and someone said to me it looked like a table set for a King! It was great to have a long table for a change to decorate you can do so much more with centrepieces for more drama