Hayley Paige Sparkles At Chic Parisien
We're incredibly lucky to have the privilege of hosting so many designers in-store to help brides during their trunk shows. In 2016 we've already had Lazaro, Carlos Ramirez (Liancarlo), Ines di Santo and now Miss Hayley Paige herself here at Chic Parisien!
Last weekend with Hayley Paige was really special - when you see the photos, you'll see why. We hosted a sparkle-filled soiree to welcome her to Miami and Chic Parisien for the first time on Thursday night in collaboration with A Joy Wallace productions, who put together the most lovely dessert spread.
If you've seen Hayley's Instagram, you get the impression that she's as bright, beautiful and fun as the gowns that she designs - and she is! Hayley, accompanied by her stylist bestie Jim Verraros and her new hubby, brought a fun, sparkly energy to the store. We had some champagne and the very talented nail artists at Vanity Projects were in store painting nails with custom designs inspired by dresses from Hayley's latest collection! To top it off we had a candy bar with all pink treats, giant confetti-filled balloons from Wynwood Letterpress and fashion illustrator Lesli Brown there drawing custom portraits of our guests!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Ray Santana for taking these beautiful photos of the night!
Berta Does It Again
We are so thrilled that Stephanie, this crazy chic #realchicbride, sent in these photos of her wedding day by Black & Hue. The very talented photo team really captured the beauty of Stephanie, her family and her Berta Bridal stunning dress.
Everything about this wedding is so swoony and unique. We are obsessed with her bouquet, his wardrobe and that heart-stopping picture of Stephanie shedding a tear as her dad and now-husband embrace after he walked her down the aisle. The light is perfect. The couple looks so in love. And that dress! Oh Berta, you've done it again!
Stephanie took some time to chat with us about what made this day special, how she fell in love (with her now-husband and her dress!):
How did you two meet?
We found each other by pure serendipity.
January 18, 2008, the day we met. Both of us attended the annual Belen Jesuit (the school Kiko went to) vs Columbus basketball game. This was a game that was talked about all year. Kiko was there because all of the seniors from Belen go dressed up as characters. His character of choice: the leprechaun from Lucky Charms. Our mutual friend would always mention him in our conversations, but I never met him until that night. After the game, my friend and I were talking about our plans after the game (where we were going to eat, which after party we were going to, etc.) and all of a sudden I notice a guy decked out in a green outfit (I vividly remember he was wearing a huge bow tie) approaching us. All of a sudden he turned to me mid conversation and said, "Hi, I'm Kiko". Our lives changed from that day forward.
When and how did you get engaged?
New Year's Eve, the last day of 2014, is when our lives would change forever. That year, we celebrated New Year's with Kiko's family in Gatlinburg, TN. We've been to Gatlinburg many times (it was our first vacation together), but this time would be the most memorable trip there.
Everyone knows I take an eternity to get ready, but that day in particular I took even longer. My luggage looked like it exploded. As I was curling my hair, Kiko came into the room and said, "Babe, make sure to look nice today because we're going to take a lot of pictures". At that moment, I KNEW Kiko had something up his sleeve. At that moment we were already dating for over five years, so it's hard to hide things from each other.
Kiko was acting normal that day. He didn't look nervous at all, so I started to think I was probably crazy for thinking he was going to propose. After shopping at the outlet mall and eating dinner in Pigeon Forge, we decided to go to Gatlinburg (which was about 10-15 minutes away) to wait until the ball drops. We decided to walk around until we found an open spot to watch the ball drop at 12. We found a CVS Pharmacy that was not as packed and close to the ball. Then, as we're patiently waiting to start the New Year, I noticed Kiko looking at me differently. I didn't really think much of it. Then, while we were counting down to 3,2,1, Kiko got down on one knee. At that very moment, everything went silent. I didn't even feel like thousands of people were around us; I only felt like it was just him and I at that moment. I even forgot exactly what he said, but tears of happiness streamed down my cheeks. I hugged and kissed him while he was still on one knee. He then stood up and asked, "Babe, is that a yes?" I, without hesitation said OF COURSE!! I wish I could relive the engagement over again.
How did you decide to come shop at Chic Parisien?
From the moment I got engaged, I knew exactly which designers I liked and the style of dress I wanted for our wedding. I made sure to do my research and saw that Chic Parisien carried several of my favorite designers (Berta being one of them). After reading all of the good reviews Chic had, I went ahead and called to make an appointment. I attended a Berta trunk show they had and that's when I found my dream dress: A long sleeve, open-back, one-of-a-kind Berta dress. The service was superb from the first phone call to book my appointment, to the moment I went to see the dresses, to the day I picked my dress up.
How did you know that was the dress for you?
I never truly believed I would know which dress would be the "perfect dress" because I didn't think it was true. I thought it would be like every other shopping experience. I took my mom, mother in law, bridesmaid, and family friend to my appointment. I died when I saw all of the Berta dresses hanging. Each of them are spectacular. I started grabbing all the ones I loved. Once they put all of the dresses in the room, I started picking the first dress to try on. I knew I which dress I wanted to try on first (the dress I ultimately chose). Angie, my bridesmaid, told me I was shaking when I put on that dress. I honestly can tell you that I fell in love with it. It was exactly what I was looking for, but I still wanted to try the other Berta dresses I picked. None of the other dresses gave me that wow factor I was looking for. They looked nice, and everyone in the room liked them, but no one was shocked like they were when I put that first dress on. Then after trying all of them on, I decided to try on the first dress again. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I knew at that moment that the dress I was wearing was "the one". I felt an indescribable emotion, one I didn't feel with the other dresses. At that moment, Alana asked, "Are we saying yes to the dress?" and that's when I yelled, "I'm saying yes to the dress!"
Tell me a bit about your wedding day!
Our wedding was at Bella Collina in Montverde, FL on December 27, 2015. The day was beautiful; not a cloud in the sky, 0% chance of raining; everything I was praying for. I was pretty overwhelmed the days leading to the big day because I planned and designed my own wedding. I wasn't nervous, but was worried about how my vision was going to look the day of.The bridesmaids and I started getting ready early because we were staying in Orlando (about 30-45 minutes away from the venue). The time seemed like it was slow in the morning, but once my makeup/hair artist started on me the time flew by. Before I know it, I'm at the venue waiting to walk down the aisle.
Kiko and I decided to do a first touch instead of a first look. It was a nice alternative, and was nice to hold his hand and talk to him before walking down the aisle. I headed back to the locker room to change quickly into my wedding dress to do a dad dress reveal. My dad had no idea which dress I chose because I wanted to surprise him the day of the wedding. My bridesmaids all lined up in front of me as my dad patiently waited to see me. That moment when my dad saw me for the first time in my dress was so magical. Definitely something I would recommend to other brides to do!
The time came to walk down the aisle. I was so excited! I was looking forward to this moment for almost a year and I was finally able to show Kiko my dress (hardest secret to keep away from him). I walked down to the acoustic version of Latch by Sam Smith. My eyes were locked onto his the whole walk down the aisle with a huge smile on my face. After the ceremony, we took some pictures with our family and bridal party and then headed to take pictures of just us two. After cocktail hour, we headed back and were welcomed as Mr. and Mrs. Cruz as we walked through all of our guests holding sparklers. We then danced our first dance while they lit the dance floor. After dinner, we started dancing all night hoping the night would never end.
Our wedding was in no way traditional. We wanted to have a unique wedding from the beginning to the end. When it was time to do a bouquet toss, everyone was expecting a bouquet toss. Instead, I decided to surprise my mom with my bouquet and dance Mama's Song by Carrie Underwood with her. She was so helpful during the planning stage that I wanted to acknowledge her.
We couldn't believe the night ended so fast! Before exiting, we started saying bye to our guests. It would be the last time that we would see them in a long time because we moved to Texas after our honeymoon. After we said our goodbyes, we exited while snow was falling all over us (I love the snow so much that my DJ had a snow machine and made it happen). It was the perfect ending to our amazing wedding day. Our wedding was exactly what we dreamed it would be.
Ines Di Santo and Maria Elena Appearance Weekend
It was such a treat to have the very talented Ines di Santo and Maria Elena in store last week. We kicked off the week with a cocktail party with A Joy Wallace in their honor where the champagne flowed, A Joy Wallace served up tiny, edible art pieces that were almost too pretty too eat (but it turned out they tasted even better!) and we mixed, mingled, caught-up, laughed and even helped a few brides find their Ines dresses during the party! Can you think of a better way to spend a rainy Thursday evening? We certainly can't!
We had two beautiful models in store trying on a rotation of Ines Di Santo dresses with Maria Elena Accessories because it just doesn't do justice to have those gorgeous dresses on the hangers all night.
Ines, the talented designer behind so many memorable #realchicbride looks, visited us with her daughter Veronica all the way from Toronto to show us the latest collection. We all agreed that the dresses were timeless, chic and each beautiful and artful in their own way, but it was the lace pantsuit that had us really dreaming of a funky, cool bride that would pull it off. We know you're out there - come visit Chic Parisien!
Maria Elena was in store with the inimitable Gisele Del Busto. They accessorized brides all night long and then all weekend long! Maria Elena was kind enough to give away quite a few of her signed books to brides who can take it home as a reminder of the day they said yes to the dress and the accessories! The Maria Elena showstoppers were the crowns - because no one can resist the urge to play princess for a night (and why should you?!). They range in size from queen sized to more delicate tiaras.
We also had the very talented Ray Santana join us. Not only is he one of Miami's most sought-after photographers, he's an old friend of Ines and he even shot Veronica's wedding! All the images in this post are by Ray, we're so grateful he came to lend an expert eye and document the night for us!
This was such a special weekend, we're sad to see it end. But, the chicness isn't over, it's just beginning as we continue our 2016 Trunk Shows with Berta next weekend and Monique Lhuillier right after. If you're a bride looking for your perfect wedding dress, January is the month to shop, so make you appointments now!
Stay chic!
xoxo
Looking Back at Lazaro's Chic Parisien Appearance
January has been busy, busy, busy around the boutique. Between holiday engagements, Valentine's Day right around the corner and wedding season about to kick off, we have an event scheduled for every weekend of the month - and then some!
We couldn't have been happier to kick off 2016 with the very talented, uber chic Lazaro. We invited our very beautiful friend Adrienne to come and try on the new Lazaro collection. With the help of Lazaro himself, we picked these few dresses to showcase as our favorites, but really who can pick just a few when they're all so chic! You'll have to come in and decide which is your favorite.
A Busy Week Ahead with Ines Di Santo and Maria Elena In Store
There's a lot in store this week! We'll have Ines di Santo and Maria Elena of Maria Elena Accessories visiting the boutique for a week of special events and trunk shows. Everyone is invited to celebrate with us as we welcome them into Chic Parisien for a few days that are sure to be chic, chic, chic!
#RealChicBride Nicole in Anna Maier
Nicole embodies a classic bride look at her wedding in Turnberry Isle! Isn't she so chic? We love the tropical touch that the venue adds to this first look.
Photos are by Domino Arts Photography.
A Jenny Packham Bride
This Argentine beauty, Valentina, in Jenny Packham really brought her own sense of personal style to this already unique and chic dress!
Tis The Season! Wedding Season!
While the rest of the country waits for the sunny summer months for outdoor weddings, we have an opposite schedule down here in Miami. Wedding season kicked off in November and our inboxes will be full of photos of our #realchicbrides as their weddings take place throughout the Miami winter. Here's a look at a few of these stunning, chic brides:
Gloria in Berta.
Don't forget to send us your wedding pictures - it's never too late!
Love In Lazaro
Lazaro, a Real Chic Bride, and Vizcaya make for the most dramatic, stunning wedding combination around! The drama in this photoshoot is absolutely unreal!
Looking In Love In Berta
We see loads of photos of people looking in love around here, but this one just OOZES that je ne sais quoi that makes wedding pictures something really special and full of love. Maybe it has to do with the bride's stunning Berta gown?
Real Chic Bride in Monique Lhuillier
Meet #RealChicBride Stephanie, her stunning Monique Lhuillier dress and her #squad.
Front Row At Inbal Dror
Now that we're back from Bridal Market (aka #nybfw) we can finally share all these amazing photos that we snapped real time! Catherine and Keidy were in New York for the week soaking up all the chicness fresh off the runway. At Inbal Dror's Fall/Winter 2016 show, we saw a whole lot of classic Inbal; sexy, show-stopping numbers for a bride looking to make a statement. The slits were high. The neckline was low. And the silhouettes showed of a sexy shape. We swooned. We snapped pictures of as many looks as we could, but who could blame us for getting a bit distracted as these looks walked down the runway?
This collection played with fabric in new and interesting ways, swaths of silver flowed into nudes and nary a full white dress was seen. Notice the cloud-like, gossamer quality and the voluminous but ultra-light bolero in photo four.
Imagine how hard it was to pick what to buy for Chic Parisien! Don't fret, we know our brides and we're confident in our choices. Can't wait to announce when this collection will be here for a trunk show. Stay posted on our Instagram (@chicparisien)!
Looking Back
Just a couple snapshots of what's been going on #aroundtheboutique lately. If you're following us on Instagram you're seeing it all happen live - if you're a bride who's been shopping with us lately you might have been here while we took one of these pictures. Don't forget to send us your photos of shopping at the boutique and, of course, of your big day!
xx
Stay chic!
#RealChicBrides of Instagram (+ THANK YOU)
Just a quick recap of some #RealChicBride moments recently shared on our Instagram. We wanted to say thank you, thank you to all our brides and followers who helped us get to 24K today! TWENTY FOUR THOUSAND!
We can't believe that every time we press send so many of you follow along with what's going on #aroundtheboutique, our inspiration photos, dresses from our designers and all the rest of the daily chic inspiration we post on Instagram.
If you're a #RealChicBride who hasn't been featured, it's never too late to send us your photos!
XOXO we love you all!
-Chic Parisien
Real Chic Blushing Bride in Bliss By Monique Lhuillier
This beautiful #RealChicBride sent us her wedding day pictures and we wanted to instantly share them with all of you! Katharina is wearing Bliss by Monique Lhuillier.
Be sure you scroll all the way to the bottom for a glimpse of a totally swoon-worthy sweets table!
Photos by Andres Llopart
A Real Chic Mother Daughter Story
It takes a really chic bride to take her mother's dress from 34 years ago and make it look this good! Or maybe it takes a really chic dress? In this case, both are true. Real Chic Bride Johnette came back to Chic Parisien to shop for her wedding dress 34 years after her mother originally bought her gown with us. Not only did she find the perfect chic Lazaro dress for her own wedding, but she wore her mother's dress for her engagement photos - with no alterations! She even took some lace off the jacket sleeves to make the headpiece! How ultra-chic is it to buy a dress that suits your style but take your mom's dress and turn it into a family heirloom by making it a part of your wedding?
We hope Johnette's creative take on her mother's dress inspires other brides to revisit their mother's gowns!
Check back here soon for pictures of the actual wedding!
Such Style: A Styled Shoot with Berta, Manolo Doreste and More!
Sometimes it's fun to see our dresses styled in a whole new, totally chic and over the top way - this photoshoot proves it!
Credits Below:
Location: The Breakers, Palm Beach
Photographer: Manolo Doreste
Cinematography: Alan Button
Models: Evolution Model Management
Stylist: Erika Glocher
Hair & Make Up: Deborah Conception
Chic Parisien - Berta (Dress on Piano) https://www.facebook.com/ChicParisien | https://instagram.com/chicparisien
Berta Bridal (Dress on Piano) https://www.facebook.com/BertaBridal | https://instagram.com/bertabridal
J. Del Olmo (Dress in Suite) https://www.facebook.com/jdelolmobridal | https://instagram.com/jdelolmobridal
Badgley Mischka (Dress in Suite) https://www.facebook.com/BadgleyMischka | https://instagram.com/badgleymischka
Accessories: Maria Elena Headpieces
Flowers and Decor: The Breakers
Linens: Wildflower Linens
Chair Accessories: M The Collection
Berta's Chic In-Store Appearance!
Last week we were honored to host the chic, inimitable Berta of Berta Bridal. You probably recognize the name, she's the mastermind behind the gowns that have rethought what a wedding dress should look like. They're sexy, they're elegant and they're made entirely by hand with exquisite attention paid to even the finest of details. Berta herself oversees the process of each and every dress from her studio in Israel.
For her first US appearance (ever!) Berta chose to come visit Chic Parisien and spend some time in the store meeting past Chic Berta Brides and fitting future #RealChicBrides. What a treat it was for brides-to-be who came and had their dresses fitted by the designer herself.
In honor of her visit we threw, what else but a chic fete in her honor!? There was champagne, there were models showing off the latest designs and some of our long-term Berta favorites and there were, of course, brides!
Here's a look at the party, but don't forget to check back because we'll soon be posting an exclusive interview with Berta!
Photos By: Manolo Doreste.
Event Sponsors: Distinctive Details , Stephen Starr Events , Divine Delicacies , Elements & Accents.
Lazaro Trunk Show Featuring Personal Appearance
We love when Lazaro comes to visit! Yes, we love when the chic new collections come in (And boy are they chic! Wait till you see the photos below!), but we are so lucky to have Lazaro himself coming with the dresses for this trunk show. Starting tomorrow, brides will have the unique opportunity to work one-on-one with the designer himself. Lazaro will be #aroundtheboutique to provide his expert eye to brides trying on his designs.
What could be a more special way to shop for a gown than in the most qualified of hands?
Here's a look at some of the stand-out gowns in a truly stand-out collection:
Wynwood Love: #RealChicBride in Naeem Khan
Here's a long overdue post, but trust on this one, it's better late than never - the Wynwood Love wedding of Danielle and Frankie. Danielle was a radiant bride in Naeem Khan with a backdrop of a Wynwood venue transformed for this modern and sophisticated wedding.
You can check out the whole amazing wedding gallery by Kane and Social here.
