The 411: Colored Engagement Rings

Most girls have an idea of what their dream engagement ring will look like by their early to mid twenties.  You have seen friends get engaged and checked out what they are rocking on their ring fingers, having picked apart what you like and what you don't.  Are you a classic solitaire kind of girl or are you open to more unique rings?  As we tend to do, let's take a look at celebrities colored engagement rings and maybe that will give you a better idea of what you like. 

The most memorable colored ring for me is that of Jennifer Lopez during her short engagement to Ben Affleck in 2002.  The 6 carat pink diamond was breathtaking, not only because of its size (it was reportedly worth $1.2 million) but it broke the classic engagement ring style yet seemed to fit her perfectly.  The most notable colored ring as of late is that of princess-to-be Kate Middleton.  Her sapphire stunner was the engagement ring of Prince William's mother, Princess Diana, which shows that colored rings have been in style for at least 30 years.  Jodi Sweetin of Full House fame recently got engaged and is rocking a sapphire ring as well.  Jessica Simpson's December engagement brought her a ruby ring complete with two white side diamonds.  Kristen Bell's fiancé certainly wanted her engagement ring to stand out, it is a yellow colored stone surrounded by white diamonds.  And sometimes it is nice to have a truly unique engagement ring paired with a classic wedding band, like Milla Jovovich has on her ring finger.

But colored stones aren't just for engagement rings, Zooey Deschanel has rubies alternating with diamonds on her wedding band.  Obviously celebrities have a much larger bank account with which to purchase these engagement rings.  But if you really like a certain gemstone, maybe your birth stone, don't be afraid to incorporate in the most important piece of jewelry you will ever own.  Enjoy!

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Source: Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters/Landov; A.G. Carrick/Camera Press/Getty

Source: Michael Bezjian/WireImage; Inset: Elisabeth Fried

Source: Courtesy Neil Lane; Inset: Chance Yeh/Sipa

 

Source: Courtesy Neil Lane; Lester Cohen/WireImage

 

Source: Courtesy Neil Lane, inset: Britney Joe/Startraks

 

Source: Startraks; Neil Lane(2)

What Booking Season Means for Brides

Can you believe that a week from today is FEBRUARY?!  Yeah, me either.  January has flown by for Felicity C Weddings and the fact that a lot of engagements happen over the holidays is probably a main component.  January-March is considered the typical "booking season" in the wedding industry, vendors are looking for new clients to set up their wedding season.  That is why there are a lot of bridal shows and a lot of vendors are offering deals.  As for the huge deals this time of year, I have posted a bunch on the Felicity C Weddings Facebook page as I see them.  Today I have a few more specials offers for you to take advantage of.

First up is the Ming Wang Mother of the Bride Makeover contest.  Definitely a great way to make mom feel special and let her know that you both are thinking of her with all the bridal excitement in your life.  Next up is the annual David's Bridal $99 bridal sale where you can find $50 to $300 off bridal dresses including new arrivals and designer collections!  They also offer online exclusives that allow you to save up to $300 by ordering online. 

Subscribing to different bridal blogs will also score you some great deals.  The larger known the blog is, the better deals you will find such as Style Me Pretty's Paperless Post giveaway.  SMP is definitely the mecca for all things bridal blogging and I would recommend any bride-to-be subscribing asap.  The larger bridal blogs will also keep you up to date on national bridal shows so you can find one close to you.  I found out about the Unveiled bridal show in DC this past Sunday from Atrendy Wedding Blog.

In addition to bridal dresses and shows, there are a lot of other vendors that are offering deals across the internet.  Wedloft posted the $350 EmersonMade Shopping Spree Giveaway on Jan 19th and Snippet & Ink posted 10 discounts & giveaways in this one post on Jan 14th!  These are just a few deals and I'm really just scratching the surface here.  Keep an alert eye out for any vendor promotions between now & March and definitely don't be afraid to ask vendors if they have any deals going on.  Good luck!

David's Bridal $139.00

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A New Take On: The Victorian Era

The saying goes that fashion is always recycling itself in new ways.  I love the history of fashion and recently I have really gotten into the history of all things wedding- attire, decor, traditions, and details.  While marriage has been around since the beginning in one form or another, a lot of wedding traditions that we still have today started in the late 19th century.  "White did not become a popular option until 1840, after the marriage of Queen Victoria to Albert of Saxe-Coburg. Victoria had worn a white gown for the event so as to incorporate some lace she owned. The official wedding portrait photograph was widely published, and many other brides opted for a similar dress in honor of the Queen's choice.  Prior to the Victorian era, a bride was married in any color, black being especially popular in Scandinavia" (source).

I thought it would be fun to create an inspiration board paying homage to the Victorian era.   Thanks to Queen Victoria, her namesake era was a time of opulence and great attention to luxurious details.  Not only are there a lot of pictures to use as a reference, but the ravishing Emily Blunt portrayed the infamous royal in "Young Victoria" and every detail in the movie was so gorgeous.  The main influences are lace, rich golds, blues, and reds, lots of florals, and opulent patterns.  While incorporating every Victorian detail would create a costume-party feel for a modern wedding, I like the idea of picking and choosing a few aspects to feature. Not sure where to start?  Here is an article on the modern take on Victorian wedding dresses.  For more ideas, hope you enjoy the Victorian wedding inspiration board!

Row One: source, source, source

Row Two: source, source, source

Row Three: source, source, source

What Brides Can Learn From Award Shows

The 68th Annual Golden Globes ceremony was last night in Beverly Hills, CA and as someone who has been watching since I was a little girl, last night did not disappoint.  The Golden Globes is the love child of the Emmys and Oscars, celebrating the best actors in both television and cinema, so the star power in the Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunday evening was quite electric.  Like most award show revelers, I know that the red carpet is a huge part of the appeal and I love to play critic to all the fashion since celebrities set the gold standard.  They have infinitely more experience with grand events than us mere mortals so there is a lot that brides can learn from the red carpet, both good & bad.  I'm about to give you my two cents for the top 5 red carpet rules that can be applied to weddings.

#1. Wear what fits you, always.  The biggest celebrity fashion mistakes are not due to fabric or accessory choice, they are always due to selection of attire.  Knowing your body measurements and shape is the best tool for normal clothes and for your wedding day.  Basically, your wedding day is NOT the day to pretend you don't have the hips/arms/legs/chest/etc that you really do have.  Per always, Eva Longoria makes the most of what she has and wears her beautiful gown with confidence.

 

Credit: Lionel Hahn/ABACA

#2. Stand up straight and smile, smile, smile.  I think we can all agree that Sandra Bullock is gorgeous but without a smile she does not shine the way she normally does.  And neither will you if you aren't smiling on your big day.  I know it seems a daunting task to smile for a full day but these pictures will last forever and you want your grandkids to see you enjoying your wedding day!

 

Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage

#3. Pick either statement earrings OR a necklace to focus on, don't clutter your yourself.  If you have a high neckline, wear the statement earrings and if you have a lot of decolletage showing (in a tastful way), showcase a great necklace.  The only way to do both is making sure there is a delicate balance, say diamond solitare earrings with the matching necklace or even a pearl set.  If you are not sure, ask your bridesmaids- they will tell you the truth.  Catherine Zeta Jones is always flawless and chose to showcase speactaular earrings with her amazing dress at the Globes.   

Credit: Jeff Vespa/WireImage

Ole For Hispanic Influences!

Hello.  My name is Felicity and I am an official wedding blog junkie.  The first step is admitting that you have a problem.  So I've heard.  I honestly get such a rush when I go through my Google reader scanning hundreds of exciting and creative wedding ideas daily.  Every now and again something catches my eye and I have to share it on Every Last Stylish Detail. 

TodayI actually have 2 posts I'm happy to share.  The first amazing post is a wedding inspiration shoot with a Mexican/ Frida Kahlo/ Hispanic theme.  One of my very first posts was celebrating my Colombian heritage with a look into Colombia's wedding traditions.  I love seeing wedding inspiration shoots because they are so practical- trying out attire and decor details for the big day in a shoot that makes it all feel so real.  Even if a full-on Mexican theme is not your style, you can still find a few small details from this inspiration shoot that may work for you.  I was super excited when I  found a real wedding with a Mexican theme done so beautifully that I had to share it as well.  Both posts are from Style Me Pretty (please check out each link for the full galleries).  So without further ado, please enjoy my latest favorite posts:

Palm Springs Wedding Inspiration Shoot:

 

 

The Long & Short Of It

Tradition schma-dition.  Knee length wedding dresses are all the rage in the bridal industry right now.  Lots of designers are featuring shorter, non-traditional dresses to cater to a wider client base.  This is really a fashion choice that each bride needs to make for herself.  Are you not a long dress type of girl?  Are you having an informal, outdoor wedding?  Do you want a second dress to be fun & flirty?  This trend might be for you.   

 Photo credit: blisseventgroup.net

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Although many designers are jumping on this trend, one of my favorite new designers are Ivy & Aster.  Highlights of this new collaboration include short gowns range from $600–$900, tea-length and long gowns range from $1200–$3000 and all bridesmaid dresses are less than $300! 

Celebrity Weddings: The Iconic One

Even if this wedding is before your time (like me), the images of the late Princess Diana's wedding to Prince Charles are now iconic.  Although many royals have wed over the years, the wedding of Lady Diana Frances Spencer to Charles, Prince of Wales, is known as the "wedding of the century".  The wedding took place on July 29, 1981, at St. Paul's Cathedral In London, England.  Many people may not know the engagement details: "Diana was 20 years old, Charles 32 years old. Diana and Charles had been seeing each other for about six months when he proposed on February 3, 1981 at a dinner for two at Buckingham Palace."(Source)

Just looking at the pictures it is clear that no expense was sparred for each detail small to large.  From her dress with a 25 foot train to the magnificent headpiece that she wore, everything was extravagant.  I was interested to find out some little known details while researching this wedding and I hope you find them as interesting as I did.  There are no pictures from the reception due to the intense privacy of the event but I did find a bunch of ceremony and official portraits.  Enjoy!

• David and Elizabeth Emanuel, the designers of the wedding dress helped Diana to get dressed on her wedding day.  It cost £9,000 (Source)
• Unfortunately the dress designers had not made allowances for the lack of space in the glass coach that should bring Diana and her father to St. Paul's Cathedral. When the bride alighted from the coach the dress was crumpled and full of creases, not that any of the thousands of spectators minded (Source)
• When saying her vows, Diana changed the order of Charles' forenames, calling him Phillip Charles Arthur George which led Prince Charles to the joke: "Diana, you have actually married my father" (Source)
• After Charles finished the vows he forgot to kiss Diana (Source)
• Numbers: 3,500 people in the congregation at St. Paul's Cathedral, 750 million people watched the ceremony worldwide, yet a billion is the official number when the radio audience is added in. Two million spectators lined the route of Diana's procession from Clarence House, with 4,000 police and 2,200 military officers to manage the crowds (Source)
• After the ceremony, the couple went to Buckingham palace for a small dinner for 120 (Source)
• Diana was the first British citizen to marry an heir to the British throne in 300 years (Source)

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