Bold, Chic and in Love: Vera or Monique?

Recently I was able to assist a stylist for the cover of the September issue of the Knot Magazine. It was a ten look shoot on couture wedding gowns. Needless to say, I was absolutely dying! All the dresses were far more beautiful then I could possibly describe, not to mention that they were being worn by a perfectly stunning model. I also got to play with some of the most beautiful (and expensive) wedding rings I had ever seen!

Naturally, of all the designers that we had there were two that really stood out to me- Vera Wang & Monique Lhuillier. Two of the most well-known wedding gown designers, who design to perfection but are so different in style and technique. Monique creates beautiful, feminine dresses that are heavily textured. Vera is equally stunning, also beautiful yet often pushes the envelope with her designs.  They have that extra bit of sass oftentimes.

While we can admire both designers, there must be one that makes you squeal a little louder! Are you more a Monique or Vera bride?

Here are some of the looks for each designers spring 2012 line.

All photos courtesy of Vera Wang & Monique Lhuillier

While all designer gowns are lovely and do come with a price tag for a designer label, they can at least provide great inspiration for what you look for!  However, they do have some simpler gowns that start at a more moderate number.  For example, Monique Lhuillier's gowns start as low as $2200.  Also Vera's new White Collection at David's Bridal makes a Vera Wang gown affordable for various price points and budgets too.  

I must admit, I'm definitely a Monique girl myself ;), what are you?

If you ever want a stylists opinion on your dress, feel free to email me at jocelyn@sterlingengagements.com.

xO,
Jocelyn

Bold, Chic and in Love: Bridesmaid Dresses for Spring

Last time we discussed the perfect strapless bridesmaid dresses for this spring. Today we are covering the rest of your options. We have some beautiful shades and styles for your ladies to strut down the aisle in!

Here are some colorful, fun spring options for your maids:

Photos courtesy of Nordstrom, Bloomingdales & Kate Spade

1. Rosette One Shoulder by BCBCMAXAZRIA 
The draping in front of this rose dress is extremely flattering on any body type, as it is slightly hugging the right parts of the body to give off a very feminine shape. Love the embellished strap for spring!

2. Audrey by BCBGMAXAZRIA
This dress is beautifully simple. Similar yet so different from option one. This is for the bride who is more clean cut and traditional. I love this dress for the more type-A bride.

3. Sleeveless Pleated Chiffon Dress by Maggy London
This orange is absolutely stunning. The chiffon layers are very playful.  The right belt can make this dress very flattering. I would opt for a gold metallic belt over brown to make it a bit dressier.

4. Dotted Chandler Romper by Kate Spade
Who doesn't love polka dots? This dress is for the fun couple that is doing everything a little different. This spring we are going to see many brides choosing non-traditional dresses for their bridesmaids. It is becoming very popular to let your bridesmaids personalities show through their dress- polka dots versus plain make a very different statement!

5. Lavender Label Organza Dress by Vera Wang
This is bridesmaid chic. I love the color, simplicity and yet fashion-forward style of this dress. It is a daring choice! 

6. One Shoulder Metal Taffeta Dress by BCBGMAXAZRIA
Another dress very similar to option one, yet extremely different. This form fitting, metallic dress with the rose on the shoulder is for the sexy bride. This is very Sex in the City.

7. One Shoulder Ruched Chiffon Dress by Monique Lhuillier 
This option is appropriate for many different ages, yet the blue makes it much more fun! The cinched waist makes it a very flattering option. 

8. Heritage Matte Jersey Dress by Halston 
Although you aren't typically supposed to wear white to a wedding, this color hue is becoming more and more popular. Adding a beautiful, colorful bouquet of flowers will make your alter absolutely pop! This dress is flattering, simple, and chic. Dress it up with a colorful pump or statement necklace!

9. One Shoulder by Cut25
This yellow is so fun! Spring weddings should be bright and beautiful, which makes this dress absolutely perfect! Another dress that is easy to dress up with the right bouquet or statement necklace. The yellow can demand its own attention though, making it a very simple dress.

I am confident that your bridesmaids will look perfectly styled for a beautiful spring or summer wedding! If you have any questions on how to choose the right dress, feel free to email me at jocelyn@sterlingengagements.com

Over on The Fashion One this week...

Jersey
and
Baby Love

xO,

Jocelyn

DIY with Star: Rose Infused Sugar Cubes/Hearts

I'd like to share with you one of my fun new kitchen purchases: rose water.  I've been drinking a lot of tea lately and have been enjoying a certain rose flavored loose black tea my mother gave me over the holidays.  Unfortunately, I've run out of it and plain black tea lacks the rose flavor I've come to love.  While perusing the Internet recently, I came across a bottle of French food grade rose water.  I purchased it with the intention to add it to my tea.  I've seen recipes for homemade sugar cubes on Pinterest and thought rose flavored sugar cubes would be the perfect addition to my tea.  Alejandra Ramos, author of food blog Always Order Dessert has posted a rose water infused sugar cube recipe which I used as my base.

Photos courtesy of Always Order Dessert

Here is the recipe:

Homemade Flavored Sugar Cubes

Ingredients
1.5 cups granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons flavoring such as rosewater, orange blossom water, or fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons plain water 
1-2 drops food coloring of your choice (I used 3 drops red to get this bright pink color, 2 drops yellow for the yellow, and 2-3 drops each red and blue for the purple)

Method
Pour the sugar into a large bowl. In a separate small cup, combine the rosewater, water, and food coloring. Pour the rosewater mixture into the sugar and mix thoroughly until evenly combined. The texture should feel and look like wet sand with a bit of fluff to it. If the mixture is too wet, add granulated sugar by the tablespoon until the texture is right (this might be the case if you live in a very humid climate). If it's too dry, add a bit more water. 
Pour the sugar onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and use your hands to pack into a flat, compact rectangle. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the block across in rows and then again in perpendicular rows, creating approximately 1/2 inch cubes. Leave the cubes to dry for about 30 minutes, before separating gently and letting dry an additional 20 minutes. 

To make molded cubes: pack the wet sugar mixture tightly into a small (about 1" to 1.5") cookie cutter on a piece of parchment paper. Gently lift the cutter off and let the sugar dry for 30 minutes before moving onto a drying rack and letting dry on the reverse side. Repeat for each cube until completely dry (about an hour).
When completely dry (you should be able to squeeze a cube gently without it breaking apart, you can serve in a regular sugar bowl, or store in an air-tight container.

My DIY Tutorial

I made the cubes as well as molded hearts and both turned out great and were so fun to make!  Below is my tutorial for the molded hear shaped ones (my method differed slightly from the above).

I started with the ingredients listed above (I mixed red and blue food coloring to get the purple color below).  Once mixed together, it was the consistency of wet sand:

Rather than packing the sugar into the cutter, I pressed it down on a sheet of parchment paper and used the cutter to cut out heart shapes - like you would sugar cookies:

I let them dry for about 30 minutes, then flipped them and let them dry over night.

These little babies were delicious in my tea and added just the right amount of rose flavor.  If you try this recipe with rose water, make sure to start with just a bit as a little goes a long way and the flavor can quickly become overpowering.  Alejandra Ramos, of food Always Order Dessert suggests adding a few to a glass of Champagne or white wine which I think sounds lovely!  I recently made delicious vanilla cupcakes with vanilla butter cream (recipe to come) and topped them with these sugar hearts.  They were a big hit!

Think of the color and flavor combinations you could try!  These cubes or hearts would be so cute at a wedding, shower or just for you for your afternoon tea.  I think I may have to try making these with orange blossom water or lavender syrup next!

Enjoy,

Star

Bold, Chic, and in Love: The Perfect Strapless Bridesmaid Dress

Every bridesmaid has an opinion about their dress. Whether they voice it to the bride or just each other, they have something to say! The color and the cut are the main things to perfect in order to have happy friends that look beautiful for your photos.

Spring colors like blush, eggplant and charcoal are getting all the attention! With these strapless dresses, your bridesmaids will adore their dresses so much they may want to wear them over and over again!

Photos courtesy of Nordstroms

1. JS Collections Strapless Chiffon Dress

This dress is great black option that is still very appropriate for spring. The floral detail and sweetheart cut is absolutely stunning and feminine. The black color gives it a bit more edge. 

2. Jenny Yoo Collection Convertible Strapless Chiffon Gown

This dress is simple and chic. Great option for a beach wedding. The light gray is subtle but would really pop with a bright floral arrangement or statement necklace!

3. Adrianna Papell Tiered Iridescent Chiffon Dress

The ruffles in this dress are very forgiving, which is never a bad quality. Not only is this dress flattering but it is very flirty and fun! 

4. Amsale Rosette Trim Strapless Chiffon Gown

This dress is absolutely gorgeous. It has a very flattering cut. No jewelry required, the two roses steal the show.

5. Donna Morgan Strapless Silk Chiffon Dress

This is a very sweet, innocent color and cut. Another flattering option! You can give your girls the freedom to dress this one up by adding a statement necklace that represents their style, as the dress is so simple.

6. ML Monique Lhuillier Strapless Chiffon Gown

Oh Monique, you are an absolute genius. The color, the length, the ruffle detail. Could not be more perfect. No bridesmaid would complain when getting paired with this dress!

7. ML Monique Lhuillier Strapless Ruched Cationic Chiffon Dress

This dress is extremely sexy! The eggplant color really pops. The ruching makes the dress classy, even if it is very form fitting.

With the detail and flattering cut of these strapless dresses, your friends will be ecstatic to walk down the aisle before you! Have any questions about how to choose the right dresses? Email me at jocelyn@sterlingengagements.com

xO,

Jocelyn