Amour Amour wedding, Part One: My Pallas wedding gown

I got a little thrill when I opened the June Vogue wedding issue to see this ad;It was very familiar!
I wasn't surprised though- I had actually been about to get a different dress made by Pallas when I received a phone call about a gown from the new couture range that she thought I would love!
Cathy who runs the Sydney boutique breathlessly told me that she gasped when she saw the dress and told Joy, owner and designer of Pallas that it was very similar to the gown of my dreams which I had tried to explain to the girls!
Even though the gown had been brought to Sydney for an advertising shoot, Pallas kindly offered to hold back the ad with this gown until after my wedding, with Cathy even hiding the dress when fashion editors called in gowns for shoots prior to my big day.
I cannot thank Pallas enough for the wonderful experience I had, it was everything I imagined having a couture gown made for me would be. After all the calico toiles, silk toile and finally the several fittings the gown was finally ready- the day before the wedding- and I never, ever wanted to take my dress off!
With layers of silk and tulle and made from a beautiful organza Pallas import especially into Australia as one of their signature fabrics, I was just in dress heaven.

Despite all these layers, the dress was so light I could move easily and it passed the 'Pallas test', meaning I could easily hold the gown with just my pinky finger! I dare you to try it at your next fitting!
Oh, and the shoes are from the Gucci 'Hollywood' collection. I didn't want to worry about matching colours to the gown and also personally thought that the look might be a little dated with my fabulous dress so I went with a bronzey-gold colour.
The stiletto heel was 10.5 cm however I was comfortable all day and I will be able to wear to wear them in the years to come.

Photography by sugarLove

A Ploughmans (Sunday) Lunch

I am always inspired after visiting Shannon Fricke's blog however my last visit not only left me craving a Parisian holiday but also craving this delicious lunch.

"Nothing grandiose, just a simple ploughmans spread - prosciutto, bangalow ham, olives of all kinds, fetta stuffed bell peppers, cheeses, salad and a crusty french baguette from the local french patisserie. To finish off we indulged in a lovely apricot flan and a cup of tea."

Sounds yummy doesn't it? So, I have decided to throw an impromptu Sunday lunch with our best friends and their little baby!

Image: Shannon Fricke

A Vogue wedding

is ethereal, romantic and Chanel is practically a prerequisite of course.

I just love when fashion magazines include wedding features and the wedding special in Vogue's June issue doesn't disappoint.
Even non-brides will love this feature- the glassware alone will have you running to Pigott's Store!

Books for the bride to be

These books are some of my favourites for bridal inspiration. After the wedding they become beautiful coffee table books which will bring back memories of planning as well as invaluable resources for style and entertaining in the years to come.
Tip: Weddings can already stretch the budget so check eBay and Amazon 'used' books for new or almost new books.

Martha Stewart's Wedding Cakes
By the guru herself, Martha Stewart and Wendy Kromer

Wendy Kromer has been baking the cakes for Martha Stewart Weddings magazine for 10 years and guides readers through the sometimes overwhelming task of choosing a cake. Everything from flavours, shapes, traditions and location is taken into consideration to help you select the perfect cake. And, if you want to bake the cake yourself recipies and step by step photographs help make this the best cake ever.

Images from Amazon

Simple Stunning Weddings: Designing and Creating Your Perfect Celebration
by Karen Busson. Photographs by Ellen Silverman

Karen shares the trade secrets she picked up as one of Manhattan's top wedding designers, working on over 100 weddings in the last 6 years. A must for the bride who is cost and time conscious, Simple Stunning Weddings demonstrates how to personalise and plan a stylish wedding by breaking tasks down into easy steps. Everything from tips on from where to splurge and where to save, liasing with suppliers to creating stunning arrangements is covered for weddings of each and every theme whether your dream day be by the beach, in a garden, ballroom or art gallery.

Vera Wang on Weddings
By Vera Wang with a foreword from Anna Wintour

Style, luxury and elegance from the proposal to the honeymoon. Whether your gown is $500 or $15,000 this is a must for every bride. Vera's advice transcends budget with advice on dress shapes for every figure and every wedding. Her thoughts on speeches, music and personal anecdotes are accompanied by beautiful photographs which will fuel your imagination. For more see Vera Wang on Weddings.

Grandiflora
written by Saskia Havekes and photographed by Gary Heery.

This luxurious book is largely based around arranging your own flowers however Saskia (Florist extraordinaire) also gives invaluable insights into choosing flowers and selecting vases which is perfect for the bride to be who is planning her own wedding or wants to know her Iceberg roses from her Julia's.
Some of Saskia's beautiful wedding arrangements

Images from Grandiflora

Monday's Muse: Audrey Hepburn

The epitome of classic style, Audrey Hepburn is undoubtedly a fashion icon who still inspires today- even up to fifty-something years later.

Audrey's wedding gowns- both designed by Givenchy- reflected the fashions of the day whether it be a nipped in waist, high-necked dress or a full skirt. Her gamine looks were always complemented and the elegance is in the simplicity.

With husband and fellow actor, Will Ferrer- September 1954

Hepburn marries Italian Doctor, Andrea Dotti, January 1969

Audrey Hepburn never married the man she says she spent the happiest years of her life with- Dutch actor Robert Wolders as she felt they were married, just not formally.*

* Source: Wikipedia
Images: Getty

Ruby Pallas

A pretty perfect day for me would be to have a day to play in the Pallas showroom and try on all the dresses!

Each and every time I would have a fitting for my wedding dress I would find yet another fabulous dress and have a pang of worry that I liked it better than my own! (of course I now think that is impossible- I never wanted to take my dress off!)

One of the beautiful gowns turned out to be from the new (ish) Ruby Pallas collection- made-to-measure gowns that have that high-end, international fashion feel Pallas is renowned for but don't break the budget!
Typically a Pallas couture gown will set you back anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 and can require up to 7 fittings. Ruby Pallas requires only 2 fittings meaning you get the couture experience yet the gowns are fabulously priced from $2,500-$4,000.

Ruby Pallas is a seriously stunning collection; luxurious silks, beaded tulles and Swarovski crystals make the gown everything you have every dreamt of for a fraction of the cost.

Made by Girl... crush

I hate the term 'girl-crush' but seriously, there is just no other word for it! I have just discovered Jennifer of Made by Girl.(A late discovery by all admissions as she is very, very popular and all over the blogosphere!).
Not only is she gorgeous, she is super talented and I am feeling so inspired by her cute and simple designs and her sense of style. I have been wanting to do a frame wall for ages but it wasn't until I saw Jennifer's home I was finally motivated to get started! Her easy-to-follow instructions will certainly help as well.

First off- which of her fabulous designs to choose from? (darn the weak Aussie dollar else I'd definitely be keen for more!)

The LOVE posters are so cute and I love that they have been screen-printed. I think my favourite is the Sea-Foam green but the white is also lovely and fresh.

The Truly, Madly, Deeply in Love poster, another screenprint would make a fun and original wedding gift when paired with a frame that you know the couple will like- or maybe one already on their registry.

This LOVE print is from an original piece of art made by Jennifer. The fabric effect is so pretty. At steal at only A$15 (approx).
Sadly I'm not a tea drinker else I would love this print for the kitchen. I will definitely be keeping it in mind as a cute birthday gift for a tea-drinking, blog-loving friend of mine.

As well as prints and posters Jennifer's online store has gorgeous cards of original designs for every occassion. At around A$4.50 a card (approx, plus postage) it beats Hallmark on price and originality.

If you haven't already visited Jennifer's site and blog, do yourself a favour- you will be hooked!