Twobirds Bridesmaid have launched a gorgeous new dress to their collection called the Hi-Lo. This is a strapless dress made from the same fabric as the classic collection and it comes with a built in bra. The dress is available in all colours from the existing collection and comes in two lengths. It comes with a sash which can be worn under the bust line to cinch in the waist or your bridesmaid can wear it without the sash for a softer look. As with the classic wrap dress this dress is also very versatile in that your bridesmaids could wear this dress again with a cute blazer or dress it down with boots!

The new Hi-Lo Gowns will be available to view with us from the end of April – Book your appointment with us now to view the new Hi-Lo Collection. Email: hello@thebridallounge.ie for more information.

Image Credits: Twobirds Bridesmaid

I love stripes! Black and White are my favourite.  They remind me of Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, of Mary Quant and the swinging 60’s, of nautical life, of glass jars full of candy bulls eyes and of a beautiful skirt that I bought simply because I loved it’s stripes even though it has always been many sizes too small for me.

Stripes are cool, stripes are sharp, stripes are bold and best of all stripes are back on the catwalk thanks to Marc Jacobs, Oscar de le Renta and Tommy Hilfiger.

So given my penchant for the stripe, I love the idea of a black and white stripy wedding!

But before we start…a word of warning. The downside of stripes of course is that they can cause dizziness when overdone and assuming that you wouldn’t want to cause your guests any discomfort the key to keeping it classy is the old adage ‘less is more’.

For a truly stunning stripy spectacle you should only accessorize with stripes rather than decorate… Ribbon is your friend because it can quite literally tie your theme together.  Wrap your bouquets, cake or napkins in some gorgeous stripy ribbon or a stripy sash around your waist.

Your wedding stationary too can continue the theme with stripy invite sleeves, envelopes and menus or how about black and white stripe napkin menu rings.

Black and white table runners create a really amazing visual impact especially when decorated with colourful blooms.  Or if you are choosing plain white table linens a striped napkin at each place setting can have a similar effect.

And not forgetting the groom and his men, perhaps some stripy bow ties or handkerchiefs.  x

With the weather getting colder and sheets of white blanketing the country most mornings we can’t help but get excited for all the lovely couples putting the finishing touches to their Winter Weddings. Christmas Trees, twinkling lights, candles and spiced mulled wine are the perfect compliment for any Winter Wedding and today we are recycling a beautiful wedding from last year by Erin Hearts Court which we love! We especially love the brides style including her stunning coat! Enjoy Ax

Image Credits: Erin Hearts Court

Beautiful dresses usually don’t come with a thermal lining and a shivering bride is not a good look so today we are focusing on keeping Winter Brides warm and cosy during these cold and frosty months.

While the white or ivory fur stole or shrug continue to be the most popular choice for winter brides to keep the cold at bay, there are endless options out there to wrap up with.

The fur (faux of course!) coat instantly adds glamour and sophistication as well as being super snuggly.  White or cream are the obvious choice here also but more and more brides are choosingcolours such as black, brown or blush to add beautiful contrast and texture to their overall look.

For something a little more edgy choose a sequinned jacket in gold or silver or go all ladylike with a tweedbox jacket in white, cream or gold.

If fur is not your thing, why not consider an elegant cardigan in luxurious cashmere to keep you toasty.  For that added wow factor go for a bright pop of colour.  I love love love the red cardigan chosen by the winter bride below.

Whichever you chose, the result will be a super stylish, warm and toasty bride.

Mittens are optional!  X

Image Credits: 1. SMP 2. Bridal Musings 3. SMP 4. Plum Pretty Sugar 5. SMP 6. SMP 7. Tumblr 8. Green Wedding Shoes 9. SMP 10. Tumblr

Interflora has joined together with one of the most iconic names in the fashion industry to launch the first collection of designer wedding flowers in Ireland. The flower experts have teamed up with Vera Wang, one of America’s most distinguished wedding dress designers.

The Vera Wang Wedding Collection by Interflora presents an aspirational range of flowers for brides who adore the romanticism of Wang’s iconic bridal couture and is the perfect way to add a designer finishing touch to your wedding gown or groom’s attire.  Within the collection Vera Wang has designed three distinct looks- Traditional, Romantic and Modern- each embodying the elegance that epitomises Vera Wang’s signature style.

A spokesperson for Interflora said: “This new partnership between Interflora and Vera Wang offers a perfect meeting of two iconic brands. We are tremendously excited about the launch. Interflora florists can offer the level of expertise required to deliver the range to the high standard expected by Vera Wang and we believe that the Collection will be extremely popular with brides looking to put floral couture at the heart of their special day.”

The collection is available through a select number of specially accredited Interflora florists in Ireland. To find your nearest Vera Wang Wedding florist or view the inspiration gallery visit the Interflora flowers Ireland website.

Now that the dust has settled on New York fashion week, we have been taking stock of what’s hot for Spring Summer 2013.

Lace once again graced every runway but if you fancy something a little more daring then it really is a case of bringing sexy back with the stunning collection of backless gowns that were showcased; from barely-there lacy details and sheer panels to head-turning backless collections, these dresses are all about getting the wow factor as you walk up the aisle!

Continuing on from the 2012 fashion trend, Peplum was also big news on the catwalks for Spring Summer 2013 Bridal collections featuring in Amsale, Lusia Becaria and the queen of bridal, Monique Lhuillier’s, line up.   Our favourite of the peplums was by Carolina Herrera – simple, stunning and timeless.

My absolute favourite trend for 2013 has to be the long sleeve gown – beautiful and so so graceful!  Chances are your mother wore a long sleeve wedding gown but this trend has taken a back seat for quite a while now. For 2013 it’s back with a bang thanks to Kate Middleton, with long sleeve gowns featuring in all bridal collections – Monique Lhuillier and Reem Arca worked the long sleeve trend beautifully in keeping with the focus on lace and delicate sheer panelling to create a collection of gowns which can only be described as AMAZING!

If you are more Kate Moss than K. Mid there is an equally beautiful collection of the long sleeve variety with a boho twist on offer from Temperly London, Pronovias and Claire Pettibone.

Choosing one favourite has proved impossible so I chose my many favourites instead!

Image Credits: 1-3: Style Me Pretty, 4. Colin Cowie Weddings, 5-6: Style Me Pretty, 7-8: Style Me Pretty, 9: Lost in Lanvin Blogspot, 10: OMG I’m getting married, 11. Style Me Pretty, 12. Little White Dress

Today we are all about saluting the fine men amongst us who have begun the hairy journey of sprouting upper lip facial hair for 30 days to raise vital awareness and funds for men’s health worldwide.

So while our Mo Bro’s have been spending their time growing, grooming and admiring their Handlebars, Dali’s and Pencil moustaches, we have spent ours gathering together our favourite wedding Mopic’s.

Happy Movember!

Image Credits: 1. SMP 2. Brosnan Photographic 3. Brosnan Photographic 4. Love and Lavender 5. SMP 6. SMP 7. Tumblr 8. Green Wedding Shoes 9. SMP

The inspiration for today’s blog came from a very unlikely source….. the humble fork! I recently stumbled across a beautiful gold fork and got to thinking all things ‘gold’.  My gold crush intensified when I spotted Penelope Cruz in that fabulous sparkly L’Wren Scott gown she wore to the Bond premiere and I literally had to hold myself back from rushing out and spending my every last penny on golden treats!!

Gold evokes thoughts of luxury, glamour and opulence; think the Hall or Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles or the magnificent Palaces of St. Petersburg.  So why not add a little bit of this glamour and sparkle to your wedding day?  Even the simplest tablescape could be enhanced by replacing regular silverware with beautiful warm gold cutlery.   Add some gold frosted tea light holders, gold trimmed glassware and candles and you are well on your way to creating a stunning sophisticated setting.  Keep a clean contemporary feel by adding white linens and white flowers; team with black, red or burgundy for a dark and elegant theme or create a fresh yet grown up feel with pops of teal, orange or pink.

Of course if you want the ultimate sparkle, just add more gold!

Image Credits: 1. SMP 2. The Sweetest Occasion 3. The Sweetest Occasion 4. Katie Carole 5. Trend 911 6. SMP

Each year I greet, with the great joy, the arrival of Autumn; not that I don’t love summer but summer in Ireland isn’t always as summer should be whereas Autumn is beautifully reliable –  bright crisp sunshine days fading into cool cosy evenings.  And the colours, ah the colours!  The pavement scattered with warm berry red, rusty gold and mossy green leaves is like a beautiful carpet courtesy of Mother Nature.  Everywhere I look there is inspiration for the Autumn Bride (and Groom); pumpkin vases in their natural orange state or sprayed to match your colour scheme, rosy red apple place settings, pretty fallen leaves as table confetti or as a beautiful backdrop for your sparkly wedding ring shot, toffee apple treats, hot apple cider to greet your guests and if you are daring enough why not go for some harvest pies in lieu of traditional wedding cake!  Whether you like glam and glitz or homespun and cute, Autumn has it all to offer.

So pack away the summer pastels and let nature’s palette inspire you.   X

Image Credits: 1. Style Me Pretty 2. Martha Stewart 3. SMP 4. SMP 5. Shorely Chic 6. SMP 7. Somewhere Splendid 8. Budget Wise Home 9. SMP 10. SMP 11. Dream Happy THings 12. SMP 13. Squidoo 14. Green Wedding Shoes 15. Wedding Gawker

You may have noticed that we’ve been very quiet on the blogging front recently, mainly due to a hectic wedding season which has kept us busy in so many ways. Good news is that we have a new addition to the team who will be on hand to share all of her gorgeous wedding ideas with you. The lovely Abina (gorgeous bride below) recently got married and created the most beautiful Barn Wedding, which was filled with an abundance of D.I.Y ideas at Loughcrew House so she has no shortage of ideas which will no doubt inspire brides planning their own weddings. Abina & Paddy’s full wedding can be seen over on Brosnan Photographic’s gorgeous blog.

We are very excited to have Abina on board so make sure you stayed tuned for lots of lovely blogs which will be coming your way very soon!!