creating a custom bridal party

Alexandra Berlin is an interior designer and blogger with a lovely point of view, keen design sense, and an eye for fashion. I had the pleasure of working with her over the past year to design and create a custom dress for her bridesmaids to wear for her wedding last month. She asked me to document the process for her blog, Things That Sparkle, and the post is up today as part of her Wedding Wednesday series. 

Our goal was to come up with a style that would compliment the glamorous yet laid-back vibe of her wedding and was formal and elegant without reading black tie. Alex wanted to incorporate some type of unexpected texture or pattern into the dresses, so fabric choice was a priority. Initially, I worked on a custom print for her inspired by a vintage beaded silk but we eventually decided on a luxe crinkle chiffon. To bring in an extra bit of interest and pay homage to our initial beaded inspiration, I created a grosgrain sash with a beaded chevron pattern. The bride chose gold beading to add a pop of color and compliment the gold accents of her invitations and reception decor.

To execute the rest of her vision, Alex teamed up with a handful of other amazing vendors, including two of my personal favorites—Marina Birch of Birch Design Studio for planning and Jessica Murnane of Suitor for the paper goods. The process was truly collaborative and I loved seeing my creations in the context of Alex's creative ideas and impeccable attention to detail. Not only was every aspect of the wedding stunning, it was such a joyful celebration. I couldn't be happier for her, Spencer, and their families.

The Suitor-designed invitation suite stuck with the theme of keeping things simple but special.

I love the gold edge painting and the polka dot envelope liner.

The beautiful place cards and a shot of Collin and me from the photo booth.

four years

{ photos by Steven E. Gross }

Today, I'm celebrating four years of marriage to my favorite person. To mark the occasion, I thought I'd share some photos from our wedding that I haven't posted on the blog before. Tonight, Collin and I will have a nice meal, drink some champagne, look through our wedding photos, and inevitably talk about how much fun our wedding was. I imagine we'll also talk about how much fun we've had with each other since we've been married, how lucky we feel, how unbelievably fast the last four years have flown by, and brainstorm some plans for adventures to come. Do you have any anniversary traditions?

a dress in progress

An organic cotton voile, silk organza, and antique lace wedding gown for Abra.

deconstructed shirt / reconstructed tie

A custom necktie for my friend Erik. He couldn't find a perfect plaid fabric, so he brought me a vintage plaid shirt. I took it apart and remade it into a tie and pocket square for his wedding in Northern Michigan last month.

emily and alec

{ photos by Rachael Strecher }

Emily and Alec are both musicians who I first crossed paths with during my days in Ann Arbor. They just sent over a handful photos from their backyard wedding in Michigan last summer and I absolutely love these happy snapshots from the dance floor. Though I only knew Emily distantly before we started working together, our long-standing history made for a really special, familiar, and enjoyable custom design process. She is incredibly thoughtful and creative and brought lots of great ideas to the table. She was looking to wear something that was comfortable, fun, eco-smart, and re-wearable. We worked together to design a dress that fit that criteria and came up with this two-piece organic cotton ensemble and hair-piece. Amelia, her maid-of-honor, wore the Ezra Dress in Steel Grey Silk Charmeuse.




{ Undertone by Emily Jane Powers }

working on . . . . .

. . . . . making a custom dress with this gorgeous piece of lace.

Things That Sparkle

{ EB bridesmaids dresses featured on Things That Sparkle }

Alexandra Berlin is an on-the-rise interior designer and blogger who runs the site Things That Sparkle. She has a great point of view and her blog is a regular source of inspiration for me for interiors, entertaining, weddings, and as the title suggests, all things glamorous and sparkly. Alex recently got engaged to one of my oldest family friends and I had the pleasure of meeting with her last week to discuss some potential dress options for her bridesmaids. She was nice enough to feature my designs in a post yesterday and I thought I would return the favor by sharing a few of my favorite images from her site.

{ images via Things That Sparkle }