{style inspiration: pure romance}

. . . and after the breathtaking glimpses of veils made of layers of ivory silk tulle trimmed with hand-embroidered flowers, talk of tiaras and insanely chic fascinators and hats, very nearly considering traipsing around town while running errands -- the bookstore, the bakery and flower markets -- wearing a french bandeau birdcage veil with reckless abandon . . .







{images: photography by elizabeth messina for twigs & honey on etsy via greedy girl via a cup of jo}

{the royal wedding: with this kiss}

. . . must confess, still a little caught up in the romance of it all, the stolen glances and secret smiles, the horse-drawn carriages and chantilly lace, the balcony kisses and moments so breathtakingly lovely, can barely stand it . . .




prince william & catherine, the duke & duchess of cambridge




detail of the exquisite wedding gown, put together by hand by sarah burton of alexander mcqueen, it is a perfect intermingling of tradition and modernity, with a bodice of ivory satin made of hand-cut english lace and french chantilly lace, over ivory and white satin gazar {a sheer, lightweight silk organza with a glaze-like sheen and moderate stiffness}; individual flowers were hand cut from lace and hand-engineered onto the ivory silk tulle to create the design, which features rose, thistle, daffodil, and shamrocks, the national flowers of england, ireland, scotland, and wales; 58 gazar & organza covered buttons ran up the back




the eight-tiered royal wedding cake was decorated with 900 delicate sugar-paste flowers, including 17 different blooms and foliage for their meaning and symbolism, known as the language of flowers


the veil was made of layers of ivory silk tulle and trimmed with hand-embroidered flowers, sewn on by the royal school of needlework at hampton court palace



the bridal bouquet included myrtle, lily-of-the-valley, hyacinth and sweet william blooms; in keeping with royal tradition, stems from a myrtle planted by queen victoria in 1845 were also added; according to tradition, the bouquet of a royal bride will be left on the tomb of the unknown solider in westminster abbey; the late queen mother began the ritual by leaving her wedding bouquet at the grave in 1923 in memory of her brother, fergus, who was killed in the first world war






. . . and of course, with all of this week's talk of tiaras . . . kate's 'something borrowed' was the cartier halo tiara, made in 1936 and purchased by king george VI for his wife queen elizabeth {the queen mother} three weeks before he succeeded his brother as king; the tiara was presented to princess elizabeth, now the queen, by her mother on the occasion of her 18th birthday; the new princess catherine matched the tiara with earrings by robinson pelham, a gift from her parents inspired by the new middleton coat of arms

{p.s.} for the royal wedding reception, catherine changed into a second alexander mcqueen gown, and her sister pippa changed out of the stunning mcqueen into temperley london


{credits: one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight | nine | ten | eleven}

{wedding inspiration: lovely, lovely lace}

. . . and suddenly, a longstanding love affair with lace that has been {unknowingly} not fully realised until now . . .

......................................................................................................

{image: elizabeth fillmore bridal via one lovely day, more of this collection at a glamorous little side project}

{oscar party inspiration: buttercream}

. . . gold buttercream frosting . . . can you imagine? sheer brilliance.

{image: photography by heather waraksa for style me pretty via pinterest}

{how to: a pretty peony bouquet}

. . . with floral patterns and magnolia wreaths in thoughts this week, and last evening's trip to the flower markets for six luxurious bouquets of roses, could not resist this lovely tutorial for a pretty peony bouquet wrapped in ribbons for a cloudy winter's day . . .




{you will need:} 5 yards of ribbon, flower clippers, string & peonies (10 stems, 5 in two colors)



{steps:}
1. condition flowers: re-cut stems, and place in a bucket of cold water overnight; keep away from food, fruit & drafts
2. remove most of the leaves, keeping only the ones that are towards the top of the stem, near the flower
3. take a few peonies and place in your hand (ex. left hand if you are right-handed)
4. as you add groups of flowers (about 3 stems each), turn the bouquet to the left
5. you will start to see the stems spiral



6. tie securely with string
7. wrap the ribbons over the string and stems to complete the bouquet




{p.s.} previous how-tos:
* a classic english hand-tied bouquet
* a driftwood table lamp
* a side chignon
* a guide to champagne

{images: photography/instructions by chelsea of frolic! via delightfully engaged}