A #RealChicBride's Cancun Wedding
Do you have a few minutes? Good. Because you'll want to take your time to soak up these beautiful images of #RealChicBride Andrea's wedding in Cancun. Andrea visited us in Coral Gables from Ecuador and was then wed in Cancun, Mexico wearing Marissa Bridal. We love the beachy, fun spirit in these amazing snapshots of her big day.
Are you a #RealChicBride? Share your photos with us! We love sharing photos of our dresses on your special day! Email - info@cpbride.com. Xoxo.
Ballet Is In For Spring
Ocean Drive Magazine featured a Jenny Packham headdress from Chic Parisien in a beautiful photo shoot featuring ballet inspired accessories for spring. If a ballerina-inspired wardrobe is in for Spring, we'll go ahead and say it - we've been ahead of the trend! Come by the boutique for more on pointe accessories.
See the full photo shoot here.
Photography by Jeff Crawford Styling by Faye Power
#RealChicBride Nicole in Naeem Tells Us Her Story
The Photographer: Jonathan Connolly (www.jonathanconnolly.com)
The Venue: The Caribbean Resort in Islamorada
Florist: Floral Fantasy
Caterers: Construction Catering & Caribbean Catering
About Us:
Ian and I live in Brooklyn. Ian is a software engineer and I'm starting as a creative strategist at Facebook on Monday (woohoo!) before that I was an associate creative director at Genuine, a digital ad agency.
How We Met:
We met at Wall, the club at the W, on Super Bowl weekend in 2010. I was there with two of my best single (at the time) friends. A friend in New York needed "filler girls" for some celebrity-filled, brand-sponsored party so we happily obliged (Just setting the scene here! Haha). It was a very unlikely night to meet the man you're gonna marry.
So we're inside the club, and I decide to do a loser lap because - all sorts of famous people everywhere - and I bumped into Ian.
Ian was in town for the Super Bowl and was at Wall because his friend was the manager of the W.
Back then, when I'd meet a random guy at a club I'd speak Portuguese to them (the little I know from living in Brazil) just to mess with them. But...when we ran into each other, and I spoke to him in Portuguese - he responded in Portuguese! He's from Rhode Island and his mom is Portuguese, and had also lived in Brazil. This is why we went to Brazil on our honeymoon!
Anyway, we were making out within 10 minutes and speaking Portuguese to each other. Then his brother came up to us and said "Can I get you guys a drink?" And I said "You speak English?!". We got each other's numbers at the end of the night and he put his name in my phone as "Ian o meu amor possivel". We were so intense! And we've basically spoken on the phone every day since.
After we met I was leaving to New York for school in a couple weeks. We did long distance NYC to RI for a little while, and then I moved to Newport for the summer with him and well the rest is history!
The Dress: My experience with Naeem Khan was also pretty fortuitous. I Googled where to find his designs in Miami and he was having a trunk show at Chic Parisien that day! So, I rushed over with my mom and I fell in love with the dress almost as quickly as I did with my husband. Cheesy, I know! But I know a good thing when I see it!
How amazing is this picture of Ian getting a first look at Nicole? Swoon!
All images by the very talented Jonathan Connolly (www.jonathanconnolly.com).
#RealChicBride Kelsey in Berta
Real Chic Bride Kelsey was a sight for sore eyes in her Berta Bridal gown. We were so thrilled to help Kelsey's dream bridal look become a reality.
Isn't she a vision?
Real Chic Bride Emma in Monique Lhuillier
Real Chic Bride Emma was featured on SmashingTheGlass.com in her stunning Monique Lhuillier "Forever" dress and Maria Elena accessories. We love, love, love the details on this tropical affair held at the Boca Raton Resort & Club - just look at that flamingo/sprinkles cake!
Luckily, you can read all about it on here - where Emma spills all her secrets for creating this elegant and fun wedding style with a beachy touch.
photos by Justin DeMutiis as featured on SmashingTheGlass.com
Around The Boutique: A Chat With Lazaro of Lazaro Bridal
Last week we hosted a Lazaro trunk show that was extra special because Lazaro himself was here at the boutique!
It's truly extra-special to work with the designer to pick out your dream dress. It's not everyday that a bride get's to have the expert eye of the visionary behind the gowns give a look over for just the right fit, the perfect complimentary accessories and the right silhouette - but some brides-to-be had this extra-special opportunity at the Lazaro trunk show last weekend.
We took a minute to chat with Lazaro between fittings and meetings about this collection, his thoughts on bridal trends and more:
L: This collection for the Spring 2015 there was a lot of color! We’re starting to bring the color back into bridal. We did a lot of ivory and rose, cashmere and wisteria, which is the blue. You can order the dresses in all cashmere, at ivory or with the wisteria beading.
We also did champagne. We’ve done it before and it’s done very well for us. We added a little bit of sparkle tulle in it – there’s always that layering, the very soft deconstructed skirts really work for me.
CP: What would you call this big beautiful kind of dress.
L: A full ball gown.
CP: Right now, I’m into these big beautiful ball gowns. The fuller the better, right?
L: Exactly, just do it if you can! It has a spectacular train. It’s very dramatic. It looks extremely dramatic, but it’s extremely light – the hanger probably weighs more!
CP: You’re right!
L: Again, the beading; beaded straps, which are really in right now and can be worn off the shoulder or on the shoulder.
CP: Is this collection inspired by a specific era?
L: What I try to do is try to expand it and look at my whole collection and think about what my customers need. I do a lot of these trunk shows and I see “What am I missing?” It’s more about how can I make my collection more extensive and make the brand larger. Who is out there that I’m missing?
This collection was very evening-ish. It’s very slinky, very eveningwear. That’s why I try to get people from the red carpet and people who want that feeling translated into the bridal gown.
I’m doing a lot of laces. Not just plain laces but with gold or silver threading going through and capturing the Swarovski crystals.
CP: Right it doesn’t only shine in one part.
L: It has a glimmer through the whole dress.
Crepe is really big now. We did it in a few colors, a light blue. Crepe is really nice and forms to the body really beautifully. It’s really lush.
Every collection I do a textured skirt.
CP: Fun!
L: We did it in blush for the runway.
CP: I love the blush. Do you feel like people are scared of the color or increasingly open to it?
L: You know, people are more open to color. I’m doing very well with color. People are loving it. I do very well with a color called “Sorbet” it’s a peachy with a little bit of yellow tone, very warm and soft and beautiful.
Chantilly was very big so I brought it back. I do a lot of layering, so there’s lacy underneath the beading and more and more layers or a net with sparkle underneath. This way when she walks it catches the light.
We always do one or two with feathers! You have sparkle you have to have feathers. They have a lot of movement.
CP: Do you feel people are more inclined to a red carpet vibe right now?
L: Definitely. I think the stars have a big influence. They see something on the red carpet and think – I want that in white for my wedding gown.
CP: So many of these can be worn to any special event.
L: Yes, definitely. Some of the collection tends to go towards the vintage glamour.
There’s a little bit for everybody.
Real Chic Bride Laura Makes "The Knot" Best Dressed Brides In 2014
We love January for so many reasons! One, so many couples get engaged over the holidays that January is always buzzing around the store (even more than usual!). Two, the whole month all our favorite websites are posting recaps of the best weddings and wedding trends of last year and predictions for the coming year and we can't get enough of these inspiring lists.
Imagine our delight when we found out a Real Chic Bride Laura was featured in The Knot's "The Best Dressed Brides of 2014"!
Real Chic Bride Sends a Real Chic Thank You!
We hear the nicest things from brides in thank you notes. They come in all shapes and sizes, on beautiful stationary and on handcrafted notes made with love. Unfortunately, we can't share them all on here (although we do post some of them in one of the fitting rooms in the boutique - maybe you've spotted them?) but we just received a lovely little email from a Real Chic Bride who wore Berta Bridal for her wedding in Puerto Rico that we thought we'd take the opportunity to share her kind words right here on the blog.
Lucianne writes:
My name is Lucianne Rivera and I am a lucky Chic Parisien and Berta Bride. My wedding was on December 27,2014 and even though I don't have my professional photos yet I wanted to share some of the pictures I have of my special day. A weekend like this up coming weekend one year ago I flew to Miami with my mom and my mother in law for a day to try on the dresses I'd followed for over a year on Pinterest. We were on a mission! Alana was there on that day to help me in finding the perfect dress. Can I just say she is wonderful! She really understood what I wanted, she made us feel welcomed and cared for at all times. Gracias Alana por todo! Gracias por hacer de este momento tan especial uno inolvidable para mi y mi familia!
Everything about my experience in your store was perfect! I loved everything about my dress. If you could please extend my message to Berta... On my special day I felt absolutely beautiful, elegant, feminine, and classy. She is an amazingly talented designer and I felt honored to have worn one of her beautiful pieces of art! I just love her work!
Thank you to Lucianne for forwarding us her pictures so quickly and including this adorable one of her pup Toffee looking incredibly chic!
We just wrapped up our Berta Bridal Trunk Show and it was wonderful! We saw more than a few brides find The Dress in the boutique over the past few days. But, time to move on!
This week is the Lazaro Trunk Show and Lazaro himself, the gown's designer extraordinaire, will be at Chic Parisien. What a treat! You can try on Lazaro gowns with the expert eye and opinion of their creator there to help you put together the whole look and pick the perfect gown for you!
Chic Parisien To Host U.S. Debut Of Berta 2015
We are very excited to be amongst the first to have the new 2015 Berta Bridal collection - and it is amazing. All the elements that you already love about the Berta brand shine just as bright as always; it's a sexy, modern take on traditional bridal silhouettes and fabrics. If you aren't afraid to show some skin, but still want to be an elegant bride, you probably have already been following Berta.
The new collection includes stunning spins on illusion necklines, back-baring gowns, and intricate beaded details.
If you don't already have an appointment for the extra-long, Wednesday - Saturday, trunk show, you should make one now. Space is limited even with the additional time.
Maria Elena Headpieces Trunk Show + Gisele Del Bustos Magic
We love a good Maria Elena Headpieces Trunk Show. Why? Because not only does a Maria Elena Headpiece really complete a chic wedding look but the trunk show usually comes with the very talented Gisele Del Busto - such a treat for our brides. Gisele has both an infectious energy and a skilled eye for matching brides to their perfect headpieces. If you're a bride who hasn't decided on your wedding day hair and accessories you should plan on stopping by this Friday and Satuday, January 9th and 10th, to meet Gisele and have her work her magic on you.
images via Maria Elena Headpieces
#RealChicBrides of Instagram
Today, we're taking a look back at the #RealChicBrides that we've featured on our Instagram - because once just wasn't enough for these stunning brides in their ultra chic gowns. If you aren't following us on Instagram (@ChicParisien), you're missing out on daily posts of bridal inspiration, around the boutique shots, new inventory and trunk show announcements.
The Key West wedding of @Beetrizz in Lazaro.
This stunning, artistic photo puts the chic in #RealChicBride!
Yarelys in Monique Lhuillier.
Nothing is more chic than a real smile!
A Chic Parisien wedding in Paris! This Ines Di Santo dress traveled all the way to Paris to outfit Yainee on her wedding day.
And last, but certainly not least - this Berta gown on a Real Chic Bride is the perfect way to remind you that this weekend is the Berta Trunk Show. Make your appointment now to come by on Friday and Saturday and find "The Dress."
Bring It Back
Sure, the first impression is usually the front of the wedding dress, but isn't the back just as important? If your wedding includes a ceremony and an aisle, it's likely that your guests will be looking at the back of your dress for most of the ceremony. When you're looking in the mirror, you're probably focused on the front - but your guests (and your photos!) are looking from all angles - so don't forget to think about the back!
Over the past few years, dresses have plunged dramatically in the back; it's a way to give a traditional dress an element of surprise or feel sexy by tastefully showing some skin. Designers have been experimenting with taking dresses of all shapes and styles for a dip in the back. You can find everything with a low or exposed back - short, long, traditional, bold, classic, modern, sleeveless, sparkly or simple.
Are you shopping for a dress, considering a low back? Or are you a bride who opted for a sexy back? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook at facebook.com/ChicParisien.
Photos taken at Chic Parisien.
Real Chic Bride Eliana Featured on Style Me Pretty - And Boy Is This Wedding Pretty!
When something is beautiful, you know it right away. It hits you hard and you fall fast - that's how we felt about Eliana's beautiful Italian inspired wedding. She found her Lazaro dress with us and topped it off with a Monique Lhuillier tulle skirt also from our boutique. We have lots to say about this Fisher Island wedding, but we'll let the bride tell you about it herself. Here's what Eliana told Style Me Pretty:
My vision for my wedding was an intimate affair that was reminiscent of my family’s lake house on Lago Maggiore, Italy. We chose the Vanderbilt Mansion on Fisher Island to exude the charm and romance of Italy. With Miami Beach as our backdrop we embraced the city that raised us and where we met. We incorporated lace, candelabras and lots of candles to set the tone. Our focus of the evening was family as we embraced Jared’s family history during the ceremony and my family history with opera singer during the reception. We had personal touches by using hydrangeas that are in the garden at my home in Italy, serving oysters which are Jared’s favorite food during cocktail hour, Affogato for dessert which is a traditional italian treat, and our favors were maple cookies from where we lived in Toronto. The toasts were long, the dance floor was sweaty and the champagne was endless. We would not have had it any other way!
Photography: Shea Christine Photography
Real Chic Bride Agueda Lopez Graces The Cover Of People En Español (and married Luis Fonsi!)
Dressed in a beautiful Inbal Dror dress and looking happily in love - not to mention crazy beautiful - Spanish model Agueda Lopez married singer Luis Fonsi. The stunning bride opted to accessorize the mermaid dress with a modern ponytail, chandelier earrings and a smokey eye look. But we'll stop all the talking and get to the photos that stole the cover of People en Español and a multi-page spread:
Meet The Chic Team: Alana
Hi Alana! Before we get to talking about dresses, weddings and all that good stuff, tell me a bit about yourself like where you're from, how long you've been at Chic Parisien and what you do at the store....
I'm from San Juan Puerto Rico. Been at Chic Parisien since 2007. I am bridal gown sales consultant.
Did you always imagine yourself working in the wedding industry?
Never in my wildest dream.
What's the very first thing you tell a customer when she comes in to shop for a dress?
After welcoming them to the store my first question is usually, have you shopped before and if so if they think they have might found "The Dress."
Not to play favorites, but what kind of dress is your personal favorite?
My preference is simple, ethereal, bohemian.
How have dresses changed from when you started working at Chic Parisien until now?
Dresses now are much more sexier!
Is there a trend in the bridal industry that you can't get enough of?
Open backs, illusion necklines
Do you have a go-to piece of advice for a bride who's nervous about dress shopping?
Once you have found "The Dress" you will take a weight off your shoulders and then you can concentrate on the other details you need for your wedding.
All brides are different, how do you help a bride find her personal style in her wedding gown?
I ask if they have a vision of how would they like to look on their wedding day.
What kind of research do you think is best for a bride to do before coming to visit you? Or do you think it's best to come in very open to being surprised?
I ask for them to search our website and the websites of our designers since they have pictures of their entire collection and make a note of the ones she would like to try on.
Do you have a favorite memory in the store that you can share with us?
I had a bride once, after trying on a few dresses found one she loved, but could not decide cause she was in love with a dress she had seen in a magazine. She went to the car for that picture and when I looked at it it was the dress she had just tried on with me, and then she said yes to the dress.
Lastly, what song are you listening to on repeat nowadays?
Three Things to Avoid On Your Wedding Day
A few weeks ago we chatted with Catherine about "Three Do's For Brides On Their Wedding Day," who better to give some tips and tricks she's picked up after years of talking to brides? Today, she's telling us three things she things bride's shouldn't do on their wedding day. We won't call them "don'ts" because every girl has her own way, but we will say that if you follow this advice you'll make your day just that extra bit less stressful - don't say we didn't warn you!
- Avoid making a drastic change to your appearance right before the wedding. If you're going to try a new look for your wedding, go for it way in advance. You don't want to chop off your signature long locks a week before the wedding and then go into a panic because you don't look like you.
- Try to avoid salty foods the day before. Salty foods can be comforting if you're nerves are running a bit wild, we know the power of a bag of chips, but avoid salty food because you'll retain water and be a bit bloated.
- Make all your accessory decisions in advance. Avoid leaving yourself accessory options to decide on the last minute. Have your details picked out in advance so that you can sit back and enjoy the day without worrying over your earring choice in your precious few hours.
Join us this weekend for the Romona Keveza Trunk Show at Chic Parisien.
An Exclusive Look At The Next Trends In Bridal: Chic Parisien Goes To Bridal Market In NYC
The Chic Parisien team visited New York for market last week, the bridal equivalent to Fashion Week, where all the new trends are strutted down the runway. We made big decisions about what will make for the perfect bridal looks for our future Chic Parisien brides, visited with friends, designers and collaborators and, mostly, swooned over all the beautiful bridal looks we got to see up close. Catherine kept her well trained eyes out for trends that were emerging as they hopped from show to show and showroom to showroom and here are the four big trends you should know:
Crop Tops Are Cropping Up
Hayley Paige and Yolan Cris showed looks with a little bit of surprise skin.
Hayley Paige
Color Me Mine, New and Unexpected Bridal Gown Hues
A slew of fun, infectious new colors came down the runway - especially at Monique Lhuillier.
Lazaro
Monique Lhuillier
The Cold Shoulder, Off-The-Shoulder Dresses Are All In
We saw loads of off-the-shoulder dresses like this Lazaro number:
Inbal Dror
Power Suit, A New Meaning To The Term "Bridal Gown"
According to Naeem Khan, pants are having a moment.
Naeem Khan
A Chic Parisien Monique Lhuillier Dress Makes it All The Way To A Dubai Wedding: Real Chic Bride Mariana Silva Abubakar Weds in A Stunning International Affair
When a wedding story starts with a proposal in Thailand and ends with a happily ever after - we're instantly hooked. When said wedding includes a Monique Lhuillier dress with beautiful bright blue embroidery and a seamless blend of cultural tradition and breaking in down on the dance floor - it's going to make our top weddings ever list.
Mariana Silva and Abba Atiku Abubakar, the son of the former vice president of Nigeria, wed in a Dubai affair that was equal parts modern elegance and traditional. Scroll down for more images via Udim EE Photography.
New Berta Bridal Style At Chic Parisien, A First Look
On Friday, we played a bit of dress-up with a lovely Brazilian beauty named Bianca, who happily donned the latest styles by Berta Bridal and some of our other ultra-chic designers.We thought it would be fun to share some of the beautiful, glamorous gowns from our Berta trunk show with those of you who couldn't come see them in person. As our brides-to-be found their future dresses tucked away in private in our dressing rooms, we used the rest of the store as our backdrop and snapped some pictures of Bianca showing off these Berta beauties.
Come back soon, we'll be sharing more images of our photo shoot next week and on our Facebook page (Facebook.com/ChicParisien) and on Instagram (@chicparisien). Xoxo.
Real Chic Brides of Instagram
If you aren't following us on Instagram you're missing out on daily inspiration and a community of Real Chic Brides bringing their dresses to life on their wedding days. Here's a little snippet of what's going on at @chicparisien.
This Real Chic Bride lounges in her Lazaro in a quiet moment before her wedding.
Another Lazaro bride! Real Chic Bride Kristen and her husband take off in a vintage car towards their happily ever after.
A Real Chic Bride in Inbal Dror gets a twirl on the dance floor.
A close up look at a detail on a Real Chic Bride's Romona Keveza gown.
A sweet moment between a Real Chic Bride in Monique Lhuillier and her groom.