Reem Acra Trunk Show Featuring the Love From New York Collection
Just a few weeks after Bridal Fashion Week in New York City, we’re still reeling fro our #frontrowwithchic experience. The newest collection from Reem Acra is the first collection we’re hosting for a trunk show for the fresh season of gowns. We are thrilled to have this collection, inspired by New York City (just like us!), in store so soon after we first saw it in the City That Never Sleeps.
Labor Day Sample Sale Sneak Peek at Ines Di Santo Samples
Today marks the official start of our Labor Day Sample Sale so we thought we’d kick it off with a peek at the Ines DI Santo gowns we have marked down for 40% off - for a limited time.
Appointments are limited. Make yours now.
#realchicbride Alyssa in Berta Tells Us Her Love Story
When we saw the beautiful photos of Alyssa Lattizori’s wedding we knew we had to chat with her to hear a bit more about it! Luckily, she was happy to spill all the details about how she planned the wedding (by herself!), her love store and how she picked her perfect dress at Chic Parisien (a Berta!).
Tell us your love story! How did you meet? What was your journey to the proposal?
July 2015, I talked to a psychic who was highly recommended from friends. She told me that at the end of August, I was going to meet my soulmate and he would be THE ONE. She said he'd have dark hair and hazel green eyes, live in the same state but not the same city and would be in the same industry as me but different facets of it. She told me that work would mutually bring us to the same place maybe a convention of sorts, but we wouldn't meet at work - we'd meet at a social event affiliated with work. She told me to make sure I said 'yes' to everything and if I didn't meet him by fall that means I missed my chance.
August 31, 2015 I was at a Real Estate convention and saw this handsome man across the way! My girlfriend Jenna said, 'go say hi!' I was too nervous, and said 'If I'm supposed to meet him, I will." After dinner that night, saying 'yes' to grabbing one last drink at the hotel bar, Will happened to be there. We met, and the rest is history! I couldn't sleep that night and I texted my best friend Katie at 5:30am, "I think I met my soulmate the psychic was telling me about" Go figure, he also lived in Florida, had dark hair and hazel eyes and was in Commercial Real Estate while I'm in Residential. I still have the actual recording, all the other details she got right is pretty wild!
We talked about getting married 3 months after we met. Will proposed about a year later! We knew we were getting a puppy January 2018 but couldn't decide on a name. We both liked Rosie but Will was convinced we couldn't name her until we met her and made sure the name suited her. Dec 22, 2017 - Will came back from a work trip and told me last minute that his parents were coming down to visit that night before we left on a super early flight the next day to visit my family for Christmas. Assuming we both agreed our 10 day trip would be our gift to each other, I was surprised when he handed me a thin flat box, which he said "was just a little something." I opened it to find a new red dog color with a dog tag attached. Thinking how thoughtful it was he agreed to calling her Rosie and got her name engraved on the tag, I flipped it over and to my surprise I saw, "Marry Me" instead! I turned around to find him down on one knee. Of course I said yes! Even better we got to celebrate with his family that night and then mine in Connecticut!
When you started planning your wedding what did you envision? How close did the actual wedding get to that vision?
I envisioned soft blush colors with pops of gold and navy accents. Super sweet, girly and classic. I just kept thinking blush, blush, blush. Thankfully I had some major rock star vendors and day-of coordinators that helped to make my vision a reality! Wouldn't have changed a thing.
What were a few things that were important to you as a couple to include (or not include) in the wedding?
Will is not a dancer, so he was actually the one who decided we take dancing lessons and do a choreographed dance! He claimed that if we were going to dance in front of a bunch of people he wanted to at least look like he knew what he was doing and make it more interesting than swaying back and forth. It was a blast learning ballroom together!
I've always loved starfish and keep them in the front windows of our house. I wanted to incorporate them in a classic way, so we actually handmade all 135 starfish napkin rings! Loved having that little touch.
How did you decide on the location?
I was born and raised in a sleepy little seaside town outside of Mystic, CT. I've lived in Florida for about 8 years and it was so important to me to have the wedding where I grew up! It is SO beautiful in Connecticut (and definitely not as hot as FL!) So I am happy that Will agreed we could have it there.
Let's talk dress! Give us all the deets!
Funny story about my dress! I've been OBSESSED with Berta gowns but wasn't totally sure what style I would end up wearing. Last minute, I saw that Berta was having a trunk show in Miami, and since my Mom was out of town and all my bridesmaids live out of state, I asked another good friend to just come with me so I could see the dresses and at least narrow down what shape I'd want to wear.
Go figure, about 5 dresses in, I try on THE dress. Bethany and I looked at each other and started to tear up. It was definitely my dress. BUT I was so upset my Mom wasn't with me! Being a pageant girl growing up, dress shopping was always something my Mom and I enjoyed doing together, never mind the fact that this was a once in a lifetime chance to try on wedding dresses!! Barbette at Chic Parisien was so sweet and said if I put a deposit down she would still honor the trunk show discount if I could get my Mom in there the next weekend. Thankfully it work out, and I was able to have her, Will's mom and sister there with me the next weekend, which we all agreed was THE dress, thankfully!
How did your family, friends, etc play into your wedding planning and wedding day?
Since I was so clear on the vision of the wedding, I just dove in and did it all myself! A blessing and a curse. After managing all the vendors on my own, it was just too hard to delegate because I knew exactly what was already taken care of and what still needed to be done. I made sure to run everything by Will and the few times he spoke up and said a solid NO, I made sure to listen.
I utilized our families for tackling my DIY projects and basically was Etsy's number one customer for all custom signage and little details. It's amazing what you can find on the internet!
What's one specific memory you have from your wedding day that you don't think you'll ever forget.
At first I think - how I had dreamed about the moment I went to walk down the aisle for years and years. Literally envisioned ever little detail of it. Nora Jones, Come Away With Me, starts to play, when she starts singing in the song would be the moment I stepped out, everyone would stand.. etc etc. Well... didn't end up happening the way I had envisioned haha! My Brother and I step out after the bridal party walks, ready for my big moment anddddd the music doesn't play. We stood their awkwardly - wondering, do we just go?? Should we wait?? What felt like an eternity passed, and thank goodness the music finally played. BUT two steps in and... I feel my head tug back! Dying, I realized my veil had wrapped around the tent post in the wind. With the help of whoever was standing around, we freed the fabric and off I went. Everyone had a good laugh, including myself and I was on my way to Will finally. Needless to say, things played out differently than what I already dreamed of!
Otherwise, it really was just the coolest feeling having all our closest friends and family together in one place with us. The love, energy and laughs that weekend is something I will absolutely never forget!!
How did you decide on your hair and makeup look?
I have super thick curly hair and I have been a slave to it my whole life! I envisioned my hair down with soft glam waves for the ceremony and so I would't get too hot wanted to pull it back for the reception! Thankfully my friend Shelby who did my hair was willing to stay and change it for me which I'm happy we did! Will came to the bridal suite with me and it was a nice quiet moment to have with him while she did my hair. Our caterer was so awesome and brought up an appetizer sampler since we missed cocktail hour so it was a nice 10 minutes before the madness!
Was there one vendor you used that you wish everyone knew about?
All of our vendors were wonderful! I don't think I could pick just one. If I could give any advice to planning brides, I'd say that communication is EVERYTHING! Even if there is a vendor you feel like you "have to have" but they don't respond in a timely manner or just disappear, trust me its not worth it! Stick with people you can trust and go out of their way to answer questions. When it's down to the wire you want people in your circle that communicate and are on top of everything. Any vendor I had to hound to get a response from I cut out immediately and found someone else, thankfully finding wonderful vendors was a life saver when I was super stressed closer to go time.
Where did you go on your honeymoon and what was the best part?
We did a honeymoon fund as part of our registry! I'm so glad we did because we are blessed with a beautiful home and have everything we couple possibly need already but had never gone on a big vacation just the two of us. We splurged on two stops, one incredible boutique hotel called The Other Side in Eleuthera, and another called The Bahama House on Harbor Island, both in the Bahamas. It was so nice to slow down and just spend quality time together. Both places that we stayed at were super low key and quiet. My favorite night was at TOS, where dinner is served in a "tent" that has open doors by the eater and a set menu and time for dinner. One night, we happened to be the only ones there! We could hear the ocean, dinner was fabulous, we had a bottle of champagne, music played on a record player and we slow danced together barefoot after dinner. I will never forget that moment!
Get To Know Lazaro Perez, Designer of Lazaro
Our summer intern, Carolina Baigorri, sat down with our friend, the talented designer, Lazaro for a chat about how he got involved in the industry, Diana Ross, and the future of his brand. Caro did an excellent job capturing the spirit of Lazaro, who speaks with passion and excitement about everything he does!
How did you discover your passion for designing wedding dresses?
I always wanted to become a costume designer. I entered a competition for a bridal contest while I was still in school for a young designer to create a bridal collection.
Growing up, my mother was a seamstress and she did a lot of bridal gowns and other things to help make ends meet. I realized after joining the competition that I really loved doing this and it was something I wanted to do in the future. If you think about it, a wedding dress is the most important costume you’ll ever wear. I ended up winning the contest and it opened up many doors.
How have your Cuban roots impacted your designs?
You always see a little bit of a Spanish flare in my dresses. Especially when I was starting my career I always put lace that gave almost a flamenco feel to my designs. As years passed, my aesthetic changed but there will always be a little Spanish influence.
I play off of my heritage and a lot of my customers also come from ethnic backgrounds.
Do you have any tips brides?
I always say “keep an open mind.”
I travel a lot and do various trunk shows and I always see that the biggest mistake a bride makes is not wanting to try something out of their comfort zone. Some brides have an idea of what they want their dress to be but it may not be the one you walk out of the store with.
Do you have a muse or a specific person you think of when designing?
I’m going to be very corny and say my brides are my muse. A lot of my collections are based on what I see that my brides want.
I have this repore with my brides where they tell me what they like and I can probably go back and design a whole collection based on that.
I grew up in the 80’s with the whole disco era and my style icon is Diana Ross. I actually designed a dress for her daughter and I thought I would die when I met her. She is able to change 20 times throughout one show and it is a mind blowing experience. Diana Ross made a movie called “Mahogany” and it was what made me want to be a fashion designer. In the movie she plays a designer and when I met her she said “That’s what I really wanted to do, that was my passion”. Every fashion person should watch Mahogany it was life changing for me.
Describe your creative process. What steps do you take when creating?
I am not one of those designers that actually sits and creates a whole collection. I may come up with an idea and there’s always one sketch which can lead to ten sketches.
I am a very visual person, so I like to work on the mannequin a lot. Every designer starts with a certain way that they want the collection to go to, whether it’s glamorous or very soft. I come up with a concept and we take it from there.
What do you think makes a bride feel beautiful?
I think once a bride puts on that one dress, it hits her.
Every bride to me is beautiful no matter what dress it is, mine or someone else’s. I think that’s something to be said for the bride because they try on a dress and feel like this is the one. It’s a happy occasion, so no matter what they try on, they feel it.
What does the future have in store for Lazaro?
I would love for the brand to evolve. I am starting to creep in there some of the red carpet looks. Eventually, there will be an evening line coming out, which I am excited about.
Every designer should expand for themselves, not just their brand.
You start very red carpet, you know for evening events and eventually expand. Eventually that evening collection can turn into mothers of the bride or something similar. That is where I see it going right now, there are talks of many other things but that is where I see it going.
Marcela Mar made the cover!
Chosen by One Day is the newest brand to join the Chic Parisien family, we were totally taken by their boho but couture sensibility and Aussie cool girl aesthetic - something we felt we were missing in our mix of designers. The Chic Parisien team couldn’t have been happier to see Colombian actress Marcela Mar (of El Capo and dozens more soap operas and theater productions) in her dreamy Chosen dress on her wedding day. It’s no wonder that Hola Magazine put her on the cover of her Colombia edition!
Marcela came in with a clear vision for the look and style we had and we were happy to step in and assist he in making that dream come true! Here are some photos of the truly inspiring wedding on the beach in Mexio straight from the edit of Marcela’s very chic Instagram page…
13.2k Likes, 258 Comments - Marcela Mar (@marcelamar07) on Instagram: "Hace alrededor de dos años, me levanté con la sensación de que algo maravilloso estaba por suceder......"
10.5k Likes, 113 Comments - Marcela Mar (@marcelamar07) on Instagram: "El fin de semana más especial de mi vida, gracias a todos los presentes, se sintió fuerte la magia..."
40.6k Likes, 730 Comments - Marcela Mar (@marcelamar07) on Instagram: "El primer día del resto de nuestras vidas ❤️ @thechefisback #marceypedro"
7,024 Likes, 157 Comments - Marcela Mar (@marcelamar07) on Instagram: "Buenos días Marzo/ Marce 🧜🏻♀️ es tu mes! Gracias @andresoyuela por este fotón 💕MarcelAmar💕 #piscis"
Say My Name, Say My Name: New Bridal Party Necklaces at The Beach Bride
You may have heard us taking about The Beach Bride, our newest project, on our Instagram, but if you' haven’t - let us take a second to fill you in and then show off a new arrival that we love!
The Beach Bride is our new online store - also available to shop from inside Chic Parisien’s boutique. You’re likely to be heading to the beach at some point in your wedding journey - whether it’s for your bachelorette party, destination wedding or for your romantic honeymoon. The Beach Bride is a place to find everything you need for your wardrobe, in one curated place. Find your bridesmaid’s gifts, white bikinis, cover-ups, beach hats, and perfectly Instagrammable accessories for this special time in your life at great prices.
Here’s our latest arrival - a collection of necklaces for the bride, bridesmaid, flower girl and maid of honor. Your wedding party needs these sweet accessories! At just $24 they make a perfect piece to throw into a welcome bag or gift set for your favorite gals. Xoxo, Chic Parisien.
An Ines Di Santo Bride To Remember
Get ready for this because it’s an all time unbeatable combination - a super chic bride, Morgan Prevatt Molinari, who is stunningly beautiful, The Breakers Palm Beach, one of Florida’s most iconic venues, and an Ines Di Santo wedding dress that just couldn’t look any more jaw-dropping. Regal, elegant and just the right amount of over-the-top, this wedding is one for the books (or, the blog!).
This gown, the Sylvie, is one of our new all time favorite Ines Di Santo gowns, it’s not hard to see why. The grand ballgown and dreamy train are absolute statement makers.
#realchicbride in Motion at Vizcaya and the Mandarin Oriental
We love when a beautiful wedding video crosses our path! So much of why a bride connects with her dress is because of the way it moves on her body. Getting to watch the dress move and dance on the wedding day is such a treat - it’s a peek into the real day that we don’t get with photography.
This video takes place at Mandarin Oriental on Brickell Key and Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, two of our very favorite places in Miami (you may recognize the Mandarin Oriental from our photos over on The Beach Bride!).
Kudos to the talented AJ Ingoglia Films, you can find him here:
IG: aj_ingoglia_films Facebook: AJ Ingoglia Films.
A Chic Editorial on Style Me Pretty Featuring our Romona Keveza Gown
What a wonderful Monday surprise! We woke up to the news that this stunning editorial featuring our Romona Keveza gown is on the homepage of Style Me Pretty - one of our all time favorite sources for wedding inspiration.
We love the approach to these wild and modern florals paired with the clean lines of the Romona Keveza wedding dress. Pair that with the stunning architecture of The Wharf Miami, a new wedding venue on the Miami River with a slightly industrial feel, and we’re smitten!
Scroll down for the full vendor list - we’re so honored to be included in these editorial shoots featuring such tremendous local talent.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Taralynn Lawton
FLORALS
Simple Florals
WEDDING DRESS
Romona Keveza
STATIONERY
Made Divine
HAIR & MAKEUP
Elizabeth C. Williams Hair & Makeup
VENUE
Penthouse Riverside Wharf
CHAIR RENTALS
Bubble
TALENT AGENCY
Cassidy Roney
BRIDAL SALON
Chic Parisien
SQUARE ENGAGEMENT RING, STACKING GOLD RINGS, STUDDED BRACELET
Dadlani Jewels
EARRINGS
Jenny Bird
SHOES (BOOTIES)
Jimmy Choo
STRAPPY SLINGBACKS AND POINTED PUMPS
Louboutin
LINENS
Nuage Designs
PLANNING & DESIGN
Roxanne Bellamy Events
OVAL ENGAGEMENT RING
Susie Saltzman
TABLETOP RENTALS
The Coveted Co
Introducing Lulu - our EXCLUSIVE gown by Ines Di Santo x Chic Parisien
We have a very exciting announcement: Over the past six months or so we’ve been developing exclusive gowns and accessories in collaboration with some of our chic designers and the very first of our wedding dresses has arrived.
Meet Lulu by Ines Di Santo exclusively for Chic Parisien.
If you’re interested in trying on his stunning form-fitting gown, you can only experience it at Chic Parisien in Coral Gables, Florida. Make your appointment now.
Feel Like A Queen
Just a friendly reminder that you have feel like a queen (can you tell this shoot was Marie Antoinette inspired?!) by upgrading to a VIP appointment for your shopping or fitting visits!
Add macarons, mini personal rosé bottles, champagne, extra time, a fresh bouquet of flowers or even book out the whole boutique for a totally private shopping experience on a Sunday, the ultimate bridal shopping luxury.
More information here.
Photos by Vanessa Velez Photography and Enuel Viera Wedding Photo, Planning by Soco Alicea, Makeup and Hair by Marz Makeup and Hair, flowers by Rodri Studio
Paula Ties The Knot In Romona Keveza
Nobu Hotel is a new Miami wedding venue that is so stunning in it’s modern, tropical elegance, it will leave you jaw-dropped. These photos of #realchicbride Paula in Romona Keveza are so full of love, and joy and CHICNESS - you must look through them all.
Wearing a stunning, simple sheath, signature Romona Keveza, Paula shines against this tropical, romantic background on Miami Beach.
Scroll to the bottom of the post for vendor credits.
Photo Credit Chantal Weddings, Location: Nobu Hotel Miami Beach, Dress: Romona Keveza, Planner: Marylen Exposito . Florist: Ever After Floral Design
Chic Ambassador: Caro Pozo
Caro Pozo is a local actress (soon to be an international superstar, we just know it), a creative and a future #realchicbride! We’re proud to announce that she’s also our newest Chic Ambassador.
This bright personality and gorgeous girl came to play a bit of dress up with us during last week’s Berta Trunk Show. She was the perfect model for this ultra-chic collection from Berta featuring sexy shapes and silhouettes alongside textured, detailed dresses, always with the very best handcrafted work and fabrics.
Caro, because she’s a doll like that, thought you al might benefit from a bit about her wedding dress shopping experience and tips. Not only does she walk you through her own personal process, but in coming back and hanging out with us a bit more she’s picked up some pretty great ideas about how to make the most of your experience!
Read Caro’s blog post here on her blog Blonde2Brunette. Follow her on Instagram here @blonde2brunette or here @caropozo. And follow along with her creative activities at @thesugarcottage_.
A Chic Ines Di Santo Bride At The Biltmore
Miladys Fernandez and Ines Di Santo and The Biltmore make an incredibly chic combination.
You Don't Want To Miss This....
Lyra by Ines Di Santo featuring Kendall Huibregtse at Chic Parisien.
This Ines Di Santo collection was one of our favorites in recent memory. It’s hard for us to admit, with all this gorgeousness, that yes, we sometimes play favorites but this collection was so stunning, so chic, so perfectly designed that yes, we can admit of our preference for it.
The dress that truly kicked off our obsession is featured first in this slideshow, it’s the Lyra dress by Ines Di Santo. We want to share a little secret with you: After we styled this photo featuring our very own Kendall Huibregtse, with the off-the-shoulder sleeves, the team at Ines decided to offer the dress with this style as an option!
Shop this dress and the full collection at this week’s trunk show - going on now! And this weekend, we will have Creative Director of Maria Elena Accessories Gisele Del Busto in store to style brides with their perfect accessories!
xoxo,
Chic Parisien
Introducing Our First Chic Ambassador
Launching the Chic Ambassador program, where we invite some of Miami’s chicest influencers into Chic Parisien to snap some photos, learn a bit about bridal and play dress-up at our Coral Gables bridal boutique.
It’s every girl’s dream to play dress up in couture. We thought we’d play a bit of fairy godmother and invite in some of Miami’s stylish influencers to the boutique. Introducing, the Chic Parisien Ambassador program.
First up, Brittany De Paz! You can find her over on the gram at @brittanydepaz where she posts pictures of her personal style, beauty favs, stylish home space, and Miami events and places.
Brittany focused on gowns that express her style and the Chic Parisien team took her through our designers and pulled a selection of different shapes and styles for her to try. Together, we think we might have found the one - when that time comes around, she’ll be ready! #XoxoChicParisien
If you have any questions about dresses featured in this post, please feel free to reach out to info@cpbride.com.
Alyssa Says "I Do" In Mira Zwillinger, As Featured in Smashing The Glass
Alyssa gets married at The 1 Hotel on South Beach wearing a Mira Zwillinger wedding dress - and wait until you see what her bridesmaids wore!
“Chic Parisien was so unbelievably kind and accommodating” - Alyssa, #realchicbride
Read the full article, with the full story of how she found this perfect Mira Zwilinger dress, their wedding inspiration and a whole bunch more stunning photos of this wedding at The 1 Hotel on South Beach on Smashing The Glass.
Photography – Emily Harris
Ketubah – Ruth Mergi
Cake – Ana Paz Cakes
Videography – Megaset Wedding Cinematic Reels
Wedding planner – Carolina Toledo
Venue – The 1 Hotel
Bride’s dress – Mira Zwillinger found and fitted at Chic Parisien
Flowers – Petal Productions
DJ + Band – Rock With U
Photo Booth – Capture Pod
Rentals – Elements and Accents
Linens – Nuage Designs
Are You Dreaming of a White Winter? (Perhaps in Reem Acra?)
We can’t resist the opportunity to collaborate with our talented bridal comminutu and what better time of year than around the holidays, a time so full of love and gratitude, to work with some new talent?
We’ve seen Christian Arevalo’s photos flooding our feeds for the past few years. It was obvious that our brides love this style, so we thought, why not reach out and some up with a fabulous way to highlight our newest gowns by Reem Acra (we threw in a few Monique Lhuillier’s too because Christian said they’re a favorite of his brides - exhibit A ).
With the help of Elvi of Style Me Elvi and Sara of Rose Coloured Floral, headpieces by Maria Elena Accessories (all of which we have in stock at Chic Parisien) and brand new gowns by the always stylish Reem Acra, we had the perfect team to put this romantic shoot together.
Berta Features #REALCHICBRIDE Crystal Smith Wamble
Berta has featured our bride, Crystal Smith Wamble, and her chic wedding at the very unique Oxford Exchange. She is positively glowing and we’re so thrilled to see her featured on the Berta blog that we wanted to share with all of you!
BERTA Retailer: Chic Parisien
Venue: Le Meridien
Photographer: Madison Hope & Co.
Bride: Crystal Wamble
Groom: Will Wamble
New Berta Arrivals From The Miami Collection
The Berta Miami Collection has arrived at Chic Parisien, Berta’s only Florida retailer!
Brides, make your appointment now to try on this very special collection inspired by our home city’s tropical beauty and sexy sense of style. All the classic Berta signatures are present in this collection, as always, plus we have the added touch of a bit of Miami-flair!
Whether you’re looking for a mermaid, a-line or ballgown, this stylish collection has the shape for you with the glamorous details you’ve been envisioning for your wedding dress.