I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to share this spectacular Alice in Wonderland photo shoot with you today. Lisa of Lisa Walsh Photography shared this shoot with me and while it's not a wedding - it's truly inspiring. The dresses are out of this world and I love the idea of incorporating moss and mis-matched dishes into any event. Lisa and Christy love collaborating on shoots that allow them to have full creative license - and this shoot is definitely that. Boy oh boy can this vendor team be creative.

Lisa writes . . ."As much as I love shooting weddings, I *really* love having the time to pose people and go for a more high fashion look. I would love to incorporate that into my weddings more given the time on a wedding day." Christy's husband, Jeff, built the miniature room (don't you love it?) while Christy made the Mad Hatter’s jacket, and together they came up with the styling for the entire shoot.

Lisa's photography is simply top notch and you would never know that this shoot was photographed during a day of constant rain. Now it's time for the the rest of the photos - get ready to be amazed and it's totally ok to "pin" away :)

side note: When I was prepping the photos for this feature yesterday, my 6 year old daughter was looking on and telling me who each model represented from the movie {she's only seen Alice in Wonderland once before but remembered every part of the movie, names and all}. I can now say she's seen the movie twice as she asked to watch it again last night and it was available on netflix. I'm fairly certain it won't be the last time either as she has now said it's one of her favorite movies :)

Vendor Credits:
Photography by Lisa Walsh Photography
Hair by Christy Robinson Hair Studio
Styling by Jeff & Christy Robinson
Dresses from Spybaby
Makeup by Lynne Winters

I LOVE this idea! Bluefly has launched Wedding 2.0 - an online boutique for soon-to-be brides, grooms, bridesmaids, family and friends.

You simply choose your role in the wedding by selecting either "I'm in it" or "I'm invited." You'll then be presented with options to find the exact right thing to wear (up to 40% off).

If you choose to shop by Wedding Type and you're in the wedding, you can choose from:
- The All Dressed in Black Wedding
- The Garden Party Wedding
- The Little Bitty Dress Wedding
- The Sex and the City Wedding

Shopping by Wedding Party, you can choose from:
- Bridesmaids
- Gifts for the Happy Couple
- Groomsmen
- Honeymoon Essentials
- Mother of the Bride
- Shoes, Handbags & Accessories

If you're invited to the wedding, you can browse selections by Wedding Attire or Wedding Type which includes:
- The Black Tie Wedding
- The Civil Ceremony
- The Destination Wedding
- The Semi-Formal Wedding

I think this way of shopping for wedding fashions is ingenious. The Bluefly Wedding 2.0 tagline says it best: "with this click, I thee wear".

JLM Couture Bridal and Bridesmaids consists of Tara Keely, Lazaro, Alvina Valenta, Jim Hjelm and Occasions. I've just received press releases and photos from each of these designers on the release of their Fall 2008 collection and had to share with you some of the dresses from each. Today I will feature the bridal collections from each designer. Check back tomorrow to see the new bridesmaids dresses for Fall 2008.
The Jim Hjelm Bridal and Jim Hjelm Occasions collections are designed by Francesca Pitera. This season, Francesca introduced a beautiful re-embroidered Chantilly lace and a hammered silk charmeuse. Francesca says the Chantilly lace gives the gowns a "romantic and vintage mood". She is also know for her unique detailing and feels that details are important because they "add unique and special touches to the gowns".
Designer Eric Woo's Fall 2008 collection for Tara Keely is a modern interpretation of old Hollywood Glamour. This collection, named "Modern Glamour" incorporates new fabrics, colors, and back details to give the collection an updated and fresh look.
Inspired by the art deco era, Lazaro seamlessly combines streamlined silhouettes with his signature Spanish embroidery in the Fall 2008 collection. Something very unique, is that several of Lazaro's gowns feature a removable lace overlay that reveals a stunning silk charmeuse gown underneath, providing versatility for the after-party.
Designer Victoria McMillan of Alvina Valenta's Fall 2008 collection features her signature romantic details and ultra-feminine silhouettes. Victoria has incorporated a range of unique necklines such as softly scooped, a variation on the traditional halter and a daring off-the-shoulder style.

Here's the photo of the $100,000 bride from the NJ Wedding Salon - everything she is wearing (dress, veil, headpiece, necklace, earrings, etc) add up to $100,000 retail (dress from Kleinfeld's). Wow! It was amazing to see it in person.

Coming tomorrow will be the photo details from the show . . .

Last Monday I received an email introducing me to the Queue 2008 debut of the bridesmaids collection called Bloom. There are 4 dress collections including Flutter, Pixie, Blush and Willow. Even though it's called a bridesmaids collection, I could see some of the styles being worn by the bride, in particular the Chloe and Colette designs. I also love the dresses with a sash - adds a great splash of color and accentuates the waist. My favorite? . . . the Sofia dress (shown above on left, black dress with purple satin sash - I love the detail with the hand-sewn triple layered taffeta flowers that increase in size from waist to hem)

The following is from the introductory email I received that explains about the collection: "The Queue line debunks the myth that bridesmaid dresses are either flamboyant or flavorless, Queue is a line of fashion forward bridesmaid frocks that hold true to one simple design principle - "Wear it, in a wedding or not." Available in a varied selection of fabrics, colors and sizes, Hannah's designs meet the practical needs of a wedding party but otherwise transcend all wedding style stereotypes. As part of her disciplined design approach, Hannah wore each dress conceived for her debut collection to a cocktail party, luncheon, dinner or other social event. Only those dresses deemed "dotted line" worthy - meaning you would want to wear it, in a wedding or not - made the final cut. The result is a well edited collection of cocktail and tea party inspired bridesmaid dresses that not only stand up, but stand out, in other contexts. With a focused design vision that is romantic, chic and whimsical, Queue is luxurious in both look and feel. High-end fabrics such as silk chiffon, taffeta, tulle and silk satin are layered to create texture and substance, while unexpected details such as hand finished taffeta flowers and unfinished chiffon edges evoke a highly-stylized aesthetic that appeals to brides and bridesmaid alike."

Queue is available at Bella Bridesmaid and online at QueueCollection.com.