perfect bound®: a wedding blog for the fashionable bride

Perfect Bound blog is now at PerfectBoundblog.com

Perfect Bound has moved to PerfectBoundblog.com

The new site features five new galleries dedicated exclusively to wedding fashion!
Check out the latest trends in wedding gowns, wedding shoes, wedding accessories and beauty, as well as tons of stylish real weddings.

Click here to visit Perfect Bound at its new home.

shopping palette: silver, gold, peach and bronze

While it's impossible to resist the smattering of red and green that seems to have overcome every square inch of retail space, my holiday color preference has always been towards gold and silver. Ashley's bronze Valentino wedding shoes provided the perfect polish to inspire this holiday shopping palette of silver, gold, peach and bronze. As we await the first snow fall here in New York City, here's some glitter-dusted shopping inspiration to get you in the mood for a most sophisticated holiday.

Clockwise from top: Jens Kaesemann via The City Sage. Gold detail from the Spring/Summer 2010 collection of Luisa Beccaria. Aimee Herring Photography via Under A Paper Moon. Photography by Mastin Studio. Adeline Necklace, $200.00, from Swoon.

real wedding: ashley + blake

I'm going to send you into the weekend with a wedding so gorgeous, you'll wonder why, on Sunday, you're suddenly in possession of a new pair of sparkly Valentino shoes. Don't blame me for your sudden footwear splurge. Blame it on our stylish bride, Ashley, and her flawless sense of fashion. Also to blame, or let's just be honest, praise, is Seattle-based wedding photographer Mastin Studio. When Kirk Mastin sent Ashley and Blake's late summer Hayden Lake wedding over, I was lulled into a light pink fashion coma and could imagine nothing more complimentary to my wardrobe than these light and flirty Lela Rose bridesmaid dresses. Alas, I'm not in the market for a new bridesmaid dress, but if you or your girlfriends are...well take notice.

The bride wore an off-the-shoulder Farah Angsana wedding gown. In addition to bridal, the Indonesian designer also has Couture and Resort collections. Her most recent collection carried the theme “Sexy, Springy and Fresh." I think those are three words every bride could be inspired by as well, don't you? Angsana recently dressed Katherine Heigl for the 2010 CMA Awards. But back to Ashley and Blake...

The couple's color palette was perfect for a late summer lakeside wedding. Each of Ashley's four bridesmaids wore a different pale pink knee-length dress. From the Lela Rose cocktail length one shoulder gauze dress with layered bias ruffle detail to Lela's one shoulder crinkle chiffon dress with hand worked rosettes at neckline and matching matte satin belt, it's impossible to pick a favorite. I love them all!

For more details from Ashley and Blake's wedding, including the couple's multi-tiered rose laced wedding cake, visit Mastin Studio online.

Bride’s Gown: Farah Angsana | Bride's Shoes: Valentino | Groom's Attire: Hugo Boss, Nordstom | Engagement and wedding bands: IV Karats | Bride's Earrings: Nadri | Bride's Bracelet: family heirloom | Bridesmaid Dresses: Vera Wang & Lela Rose | Wedding Venue: Hayden Lake Country Club, Hayden Lake, Hayden ID | Photographer: Mastin Studio | Florist: Evergreen Florist | Event Planner: Cory Jasmin at Hayden Lake Country Club | Music: Big Sound Entertainment | Stationery: Plese Printing | Cake: Sweet Dreams Bakery

real wedding: jane and shane

I love this moody travel-inspired wedding so much that when I spotted it, I immediately got in touch with photographer Anthony Scibelli to find out all the details. As it turns out, Anthony was just as enchanted with the couple, Jane and Shane, as I was. He captured the day perfectly and set the mood for a most romantic fairy tale wedding.

The couple traveled to Hepburn Springs, Australia for their destination wedding. The bride wore Claire Pettibone's Theadora gown. The romantic gown features silver lace tiers layered over pearl silk with jeweled pearl deep v-neckline. Don't you love her pale purple peep toe shoes and the delicate rhinestone headpiece she placed ever so effortlessly in her cascading curls?

Writes Jane, “The theme of our wedding was ‘vintage travel’, a perfect combination of our two loves. The colour palette was very soft and neutral which really set the tone of our vintage wedding.”