Behind the velvet curtains at Mathieu Salem

Our 2012 Collection Showing to be revealed soon…

Think outside the box – consider the following

• Will you go 100% vintage – using vintage trims, lace or even trying to alter a family member’s wedding dress?

• Consider the style of the event, will it be a garden wedding, grand ballroom or in a chapel? and choose a style accordingly.

• Would you like to recreate a vintage style with a modern twist?

• What era do you like best? Art Deco 20’s, Slinky 30’s or old Hollywood glam? I know it’s hard but try and choose.

• Don’t restrict yourself to researching bridal gowns. There are many beautiful evening gown images out there. The best part of having a gown custom made is being able to adapt it to suit your event.

• For inspiration on different vintage styles try looking at fashion history sites like the ones below:

• Fashion Era – Vintage inspiration
• Antiquedress.com

(Below: you can see how a 1800′s Bustle dress can be modernized with the use of fabrics and colour)

Research

Here’s some inspiration for you wannabe Vintage Brides…

 20’s Style: Boyish silhouette / No curves allowed / Dropped waistline / lots of beaded lace / embellishments

Headwear: Headbands / hooded veils / feathers and veiling

30’s Style: French designer – Madeleine Vionnet pioneered the ‘Bias Cut’ dress / Slinky fabrics / slim streamline silhouette

Headwear:  Extra long veils / hooded veils / fitted and molded headwear

40’s Style: Floor length hems / Long sleeves / Puffed shoulders / higher necklines

Headwear:  Hats / large floral headpieces / full & long veils

50’s Style: Lace became more popular / tea length & ballerina length / narrow waists and full skirts / capped or ¾ length sleeves

Headwear: Floral circlets / short & full veils / face veiling

60’s Style: Mini hemlines / Long sleeves / lace & patterned fabrics / Column silhouette / Boat necks

Headwear: Very full veils – elbow length / floral headpieces / bouffant hair / head scarves

70’s Style: Floor length hemlines / full length sleeves / empire line dresses

Headwear: Natural hair / long locks / wide brimmed hats / anything goes

More Inspiration…

Non bridal inspiration can be your best friend.  Check out these beautiful evening gowns that could be adapted to more suitable “bridal colours”.

Other Vintage tips & tricks

• Consider sizing variations when buying vintage gowns (Eg. Current 2012 Size 10 would have been a 1950’s size 14.)
• Also consider the fragility of vintage fabrics – some fabrics may discolour if not cared for properly and some may disintegrate if you try to machine wash or even hand wash them.
• If you are thinking of wearing a family member’s gown but you don’t love the style – consider using parts of it.  The veil, some lace or trim or even the skirt. You could even cut up sections of lace and use it as a feature on a new gown.
• Consider the venue when choosing a vintage themed wedding – there is no point having your reception in a gorgeous Art Deco reception center with a bridal party decked out in 50’s attire.
• To avoid that feeling of “What was I thinking??” Always remember that classic styles will never date.

Remember  “Fashions Fade, but Style is Eternal”  – YSL

STUNNERS…

Alexandra Edenborough – accompanying her nominated husband Gary Oldman. I must know who made this dress??? Anyone?? Stunning…

Michelle Williams – in Louis Vuitton.  She doesn’t have Marilyn’s curves but she sure does have her sass!

Milla Jovovich – in Ellie Saab.  Probably our favourite of the night, very old world Hollywood (even a bit bridal) hmmmm….ideas.

Emma Stone – in Giambattista Valli. Emma looks simply stunning in this classic gown. Here’s proof that redheads really can wear red!

Octavia Spencer – in Tadashi Shoji.  A fine example of dressing for your body shape. This dress hugs all the right places, and I love the subtle bling.

NOW FOR SOME NQR?

JLo – in Zuhair Muhrad.  Originally we were loving this sleek number, JLo’s looking very polished. Until we saw her slight wardrobe malfunction…Opps.

Gwenyth Paltrow – in Tom Ford.  I’m hoping the superman cape is detachable?? The gown underneath looks gorgeous- this look is very Gwenyth.

Angelina Jolie – in Atelier Versace. Although she looks amazing as usual – WHAT’S WITH ALL THE BLACK!! She really needs to move on from her Goth phase. Do we even have to mention THAT LEG!??

Rose Byrne – in Vivienne Westwood. Another Sequin disaster, Rose, we know a great Melbourne designer that would love to dress you…

Meryl Streep – in Lanvin. I think Meryl was sending golden vibes to the universe – Looks like it worked.

Jessica Chastin – in Alexander McQueen. Such a beautiful girl and this buzy pattern is just distracting…

SHOCKERS!!

The verdict on the Shockers for 2012 is – Head to toe sequins are a NO NO!

Jane Seymour – although looking beautiful and vibrant her gown is a little too Vegas and not enough Oscars.

Ellie Kemper – in Armani Prive.  More sequins, is her dress matching her hair or the other way around?

Anna Faris – not quite there… Very “Scary Movie”

Thanks Oscar for another year of entertainment now…

Just for Laughs – Click here

Food for thought

Firstly you will need to think about the person you are marrying, what they mean to you, how they make you feel and the general tone of your vows. Are you aiming for a tear jerker, simple but sweet, or light and funny.  Sit down in a quiet space and answer these simple questions.  Even if you don’t think the answer will end up in your wedding vows, still take the time to write it down. Just to get the creative juices flowing.

• What is the single greatest thing about the person you are going to marry?

• When did you know that you were in love/ know that this person was the one you wanted to marry?

• What does marriage mean to you? Why do you want to be a married person?

• What will change about your relationship once you are married? What will stay the same?

• What is your favorite memory of your partner?

• What are some fun times you have had together?

Consider your audience

Talk to your future spouse and your officiant and make sure everyone is on the same page. Some religions require that you use the traditional wording, while others will allow you to write your own (as long as you include certain phrases.) Most importantly you’ll also want to make sure that your sweetheart is keen to write their own – you may decide to write one particular line or paragraph that you will both say, or just write them individually?

Consult the experts – And we don’t mean Google

Take some time to read through a variety of texts, books, poetry, love stories and famous writings about love. Print out your favorites, and highlight passages that speak to you. Eg.

• “What a grand thing, to be loved! What a grander thing still, to love!” Victor Hugo

• “A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness” John Keats

• “Life is the flower for which love is the honey” Victor Hugo

• “Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination” Voltaire

Creating your masterpiece

Don’t attempt to write your vows the night before the wedding, you will need time to ponder. Review the questions you answered earlier and the highlighted passages you selected. Now it’s decision time – select the very best of all the material you have looked at. Don’t forget be honest and true to yourself and this will shine through.

Vows by Numbers

For you cheaters out there (we known some aren’t as creative as others) try this simple template (just don’t tell your spouse).

(Name of your sweetheart), you are my (best friend, one true love, the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, etc.) Today, I take you to be my (wife, husband, lawfully wedded wife or husband, life partner, etc.) I promise you that I will be (faithful, worthy of your trust, worthy of your love, your loving partner, etc.) I vow to (honor you, cherish you, love you, respect you, laugh with you, cry with you, support you in your goals, etc.), (insert here the length of your vow, for example, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as we both shall live.)  Easy!

 Rehearse & Practice Practice Practice!

Once you have come up with your first draft, try reading what you’ve written out loud to a trusted friend or family member. Preferably this person is someone who knows your relationship well. You never know they may come up with some great suggestions.

Once you’ve worked out a final version, practice reading it on your own several times to make sure you are comfortable with it. If possible try to memorize it but either way make sure that you write down your wedding vows on a note card (give an extra copy to the best man or maid of honor) so that nerves won’t spoil all of your hard work. (eg. See link below)

Check this out – Wedding Vows gone wrong!

And remember HAVE FUN!

Check out these Bling-tastic rings worn by some of the world’s biggest stars, we are not quite sure how they manage to lift their arms – but we’d love to give it a try…

Christina Aguilera can hardly believe it herself.

Eva Longoria (Parker), wearing the perfect accessory while watching her fiance front row at the basketball.

This stunning Canary diamond is a beautiful alternative to your ‘average’ diamond – the most expensive of all coloured diamonds is the Pink variety- nice one Heide Klum.

Brad Pitt co-designed this ring with Silvia Damiani.  He wanted the ring to be tactile and the stones to be set on different levels.  The overall shape is related to the concept of a heart and it is a symbol of eternity.  This sparkler is estimated at around $500,000.

With a name like Jennifer “love” Hewitt she really pulled through with this feminine sparkler…

How can you top Kate Middleton wearing the ring of “The Princess Diana” – a ring passed down through the family – the ultimate tribute.

Is Katherine Heigl bringing the pear shaped diamond back into fashion?? We are 75% convinced.

Elizabeth Taylor was the lucky owner of the “Krupp Diamond” named after the Krupp family of Germany.  The Krupp Diamond is a 33.19-carat (6.638 g) stone, brought from Sotheby’s on May 16, 1968, for $305,000, by Richard Burton.

On Dec 16, 2011, the diamond was sold at auction by Christie’s for 8.8 million dollars!!

As previously mentioned – Pink diamonds are the pricey alternative to ‘regular’ diamonds. Trust Mariah Carey to get spoilt! Although we must say tastefully done…

It’s not so much of a “Simple Life” for Nicole and Paris… This Ruby is a gorgeous way of bringing some colour to your union.

Paris opted for the good old ROCK!! Or should we say SLAB…?

Less is more for Scar-Jo…

Victoria Beckham – one of the few people in this post that is still with her hubby…Go girl!

Diamonds have no mercy… “They will even show up the wearer if they can”

]]> http://mathieusalem.com/blog/news/blingtastic-engagement-rings/feed/ 0 http://mathieusalem.com/blog/advice/cake-topping-ideas/ http://mathieusalem.com/blog/advice/cake-topping-ideas/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:02:11 +0000 Mathieu Salem http://mathieusalem.com/blog/?p=122 Continue reading →]]> Here are some humerous ideas to top your wedding cakes….

Go Mr & Mrs Smith!

OMG! Too funny, especially considering it’s an advertisement for ‘Slim-Fast’!!

Ahh? Not quite sure that this says a lot of positive things about the bride’s motivation to walk down the aisle!

 Hmmmm… she’s snagged a keeper!

LOL… check out the icing giving way under this athletic groom’s feet!

Cute! Love a little personal style coming through.

A tropical honeymoon isn’t far from this bride & Groom’s collection thoughts. LOL

Not sure what Granny would say about this one …

I think I know this Groom!

And I think I know this Bride! LOL

Just hopping she kissed him before she said “I do”, otherwise she’ll be taking the aquarium as carry-on luggage.

Mmmmm… well girls, what do you think of this one?

This is bound to be at the end of the night… He’s just having too good a time to leave… right?

An old fashioned couple.

GO GIRL!!!

A modern girl!

“Accentuate the positive and hide the negative” should be the theme song for choosing a bridal gown.  Every woman wants to look her absolute best on her big day and a wedding gown will probably be the most photographed and memorable gown a woman will ever wear.  For that reason alone, it should be the one she puts the most thought in to.

Over the years, we have worked with countless brides to create their beautiful gowns and one of the most important things we pass on at the start, is to keep an open mind when trying gowns on. It’s best to try every style of gown on, even ones you never thought you would like. If nothing else, it can work as a process of elimination and help you confirm what does and doesn’t work on you. You may have dreamt of a particular look since you were playing Barbie & Ken wedding, however many of our dream gowns aren’t always the most flattering on our adult body shape.

Here are some simple tips to help you select you gown:

Body Types

• Tall & Slim- Column shape / straight up and down / small hips & bust
• Petite- Petite sizing below size 10 / petite features & height
• Hourglass- Full bust & hips / Curves/ small waist
• Curvy Petite – Petite height /still with curves / fuller hips & bust
• Pear shaped- Small to medium bust / Full hips & legs
• Full & Curvy- Size 16+ Full bust &/or Hips

Dress Types

A-Line

• This style skims the body from waist to floor
• A line dresses are wider at the hemline and fitted over the body
• Generally the most flattering dress shape for all body types
• A line styles can work on all body types but work best for PEAR SHAPED / FULL & CURVY/ HOURGLASS /CURVY PETITE  body types

Ball Gown

• Reminiscent of a fairytale princess bride
• This shape is generally fitted at the waist and full over the hip and at the hemline
• The ball gown is suitable for most formal weddings and its size can suit a large church or cathedral wedding
• The ball gown works well on PEAR SHAPED / CURVY PETITE / PETITE body types and works especially well on TALL girls
• This style also works well on FULL & CURVY girls when the waist is defined.
• This style isn’t recommended for short girls as it can further shorten you, however, by reducing the fullness of the skirt, it can be a winner.

Empire Line

• Empire line dresses are fitted under the bust line and fall in graceful lines straight to the floor
• This dress shape can emphasize a smaller bust
• It can also hide fuller hips
• This style emphasizes under the bust which is most women’s narrowest point
• This style is great for FULL & CURVY / PEAR SHAPED / PETITE & CURVY PETITE girls.
• This style hides the waist and can also create the illusion of extra height for PETITE or SHORT girls

Mermaid

• Reminiscent of a mermaid – this silhouette is fitted to the knee and flares to a full hemline
• This dress works well in strapless and the addition of capped sleeves can balance out the full hemline
• This style is designed to show off an HOURGLASS figure it also works well on PETITE / CURVY PETITE and TALL &SLIM girls

Embellishments

• If you can’t go past your ‘dream’ gown, then the clever use of surface embellishments can assist with hiding a multitude of sins  as well as highlighting attention to other areas of your body
• Lace, crystals, sequins and dimentes can add fullness to a small bust or de-emphasize a larger hip and help distract the eye and/or blend in problem areas
• Accessories can also work with you to emphasize/hide certain areas eg. A gorgeous necklace can draw attention to a nice décolletage or a tulle wrap or lace jacket can cover tuck shop lady arms

The final choice

• Always keep an open mind
• The dress you’ve always dreamed of may not be the most flattering for you figure
• Consider the style of your wedding and reception style – a ball gown may not be the correct choice for doing the salsa at your beach side wedding reception
• Consider 2 dresses, one for the church and one at the reception (Victoria Beckham did it).
• A detachable train can also take you from a cathedral mass and a quick unbuttoning can have you busting a move on the dance floor! A detachable lower skirt on a multi-layered dress can also be an option
• Lastly, remember this is YOUR day, so don’t be influenced by a gaggle of voices pushing (ever-so-lovingly) their opinions. Take one trusted friend or relative and don’t be pushed into a quick sale by a shop-assistant. Follow your heart!

Celine Dion has never been known for her dress sense (remember that backwards tuxedo). You may be thinking this wedding looks like it was in the 80’s – unfortunately that’s no excuse – because it was 1994 that Celine married Rene Angelil.   Despite the number of egg whites used in this meringue – she really did prove that “my love will go on”, still happily married to her hubby to this day.

Our next favourite is from the Sex and the City 2 film. Technically Steadman isn’t a bride but he did wear white.  The wedding itself was Infamous because talk about O.T.T!! This was one hell of an extravaganza, and as usual Carrie looked amazing. We also loved this union because we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than having LIZA MINELLI perform at your wedding!!!  So jealous!!!

How can we talk about infamous brides without mentioning Pamela Anderson’s shocking wedding bikini – she really is a traditionalist, going for white that is. Though the lack of fabric is daunting, everyone has their own style, so go for it girl!  There is a silver lining here and it reminds us to say to all brides – be comfortable in your outfit and if it’s ‘you’ you’ll have a great day.

Ok so we might be a little obsessed with Liza, but who can blame us!  Liza has always been ground breaking and now she’s even trying to bring ‘in’ marrying your very own gay man.  It could be very useful getting dressed in the mornings…  Not to mention VIP guest list, including some of our favorites Elizabeth and Michael.

Britney Spears may be known for her longevity in the music industry, unfortunately her marriages haven’t lasted as well.  How can we forget her hit song “Oops I accidentally married my friend in Vegas” and No#1 best seller  “Oops I did it again”…featuring Kevin Federline.  At least her second marriage lasted longer than her first (2 hours) maybe it’s third time lucky for Britney??

Speaking of multiple weddings, the bride of all brides – Elizabeth Taylor (previously know as Hilton/Wilding/Todd/Fisher/Burton/Warner/Fortensky) tops the list with 8 walks down the aisle. Maybe Liz just wanted an excuse to visit bridal boutiques or to buy more jewellery (she is a avid jewellery collector, she collected husbands to). Who can blame her she did always make a gorgeous bride! (Also check out Liz in our “Legendary Brides” blog).

Last but not least we have our tragic Infamous Bride, Katie Price (also known as Jordan). After meeting Aussie Peter Andre on reality tv show “I’m a celebrity get me out of here”, she decided to forget the exit door and ran down the aisle instead!  Peter was hardly singing “Mysterious Girl” when they met, as her outfits left nothing to the imagination and neither did her ambition to imitate the world’s largest toilet roll holder.  We’re thinking Jordan’s next big venture could be as a wedding stylist on “My big fat gypsy wedding”.  Stay tuned…

The answer is quite often all of the above and ours have come from all stations of life including screen sirens, royalty and politics. Here are some of our favorite ‘Legendary Brides’ from over the years.

How can we not start with the stunning Jackie Onassis, known then as Jacqueline Bouvier. It was the combination of Jackie’s intelligence, classic good looks and sense of style that made her a hit throughout America and the world. It was rumored that Jackie had always dreamt of a ‘designer’ wedding dress made by one of the top New York or Parisian couturier, however due to going over budget, she ended up having her dress designed by an African-American designer Ann Lowe. And thank god for that!

Although the dress wasn’t lavish it was very beautifully worked – it’s taffeta skirt was embellished with large circles of interwoven bands of tucking and had tiny wax orange blossoms for decoration. She also wore a diamond bracelet that JFK had given her the night before as a wedding present. (We should be so lucky…)

Our next favourite is Audrey in the film “Funny Face” – a movie star and a style icon and we love this dress because of it’s unique length. The Ballerina length gown (also known as tea length) is a great alternative to your traditional wedding dress shape. This dress’ simple bodice and the gorgeous full skirt doesn’t distract from her beauty and works perfectly in this dance sequence with Fred Astaire.

Next on our list is the bride of all brides (because she’s done it so many times) Elizabeth Taylor.  This image is from the original “Father of the Bride” film released in 1950. Although this was a Hollywood wedding and not one of her many real ones, she still makes a stunning Bride. The use of lace is adds a airy lightness, to the subtle sheen of the Duchess Satin. “Those were the days” and you can’t beat the exquisite fit of great tailoring.

The ultimate fairytale bride, Princess Diana is our first royal on the list (but wait, there are more to come). The day that billions watched as Lady Diana Spencer stepped from her glass coach, the world had a collective gasp at the sheer volume of fabric that just kept following her up the steps of St Pauls Cathedral. The train stretched a whooping 25ft (7.62 meters) – how on earth did they expect that all to squish into a tiny carriage? Well it did, it’s no wonder it came out a little crushed, but that made the fairytale all the more real for us commoners!

Priscilla Presley (Wagner) is rock n’ roll royalty and probably the most envied bride of all time. Priscilla and this wedding were legendary because she was marrying one of the most famous men of all time, Elvis.  Her style was unmistakably 60’s chic and designed by herself. How can you miss the thick liquid eyeliner, fake lashes, bouffant hair and larger than life veil. Elvis and Priscilla waited 8 years to tie the knot, but finally did it in style in Vegas at ‘The Aladdin Hotel’.   Viva Las Vegas!!

Our modern Legendary bride is our ‘ultimate single girl’ Carrie Bradshaw (S.J.P).  The much hyped ‘Sex & the City ’ film, quickly became a favorite of brides everywhere, as Carrie gets to model a fabulous selection of designer bridal gowns.  The final dress that Carrie ‘almost’ got to be a bride in, was designed by Vivienne Westwood and after featuring in the film, stock of the gown completely sold out! The angular bust section compliments her strong face and is perfect for her characters ‘edgy’ fashion sense.  Again the sheer volume of fabric in the skirt works fabulously, without overwhelming her bigger than big personality in this heartbreaking wedding scene.

Our final legendary bride is our favourite of all time (Sorry Kate).  Grace Kelly left the church as her Serene Highness, Princess Grace of Monaco, when she married her Prince in 1956.  Grace’s wedding dress, designed by MGM’s Academy Award winning Helen Rose, is to this day a gown that brides and designers around the world, still look to for inspiration.  The took three dozen seamstresses, six weeks to complete, using almost 23 metres of silk taffeta, another 23 metres of silk Gros de Longre (fabric no longer available) and more than 325 metres of antique Valenciennes lace! OMG!!  To complete her timeless look, Grace wore a ‘Juliet’ headpiece which elegantly framed her gorgeous face.  STUNNING!!!!

Video of Zuhair Murad Show Fall/Winter 11-12 at Paris Fashion Week. Zuhair Murad, Beirut-based Lebanese fashion designer.