GARDEN INSPIRED

Linen/silk chiffon and Chantilly lace cap-sleeved dress with full crinoline petticoat. Ecru silk headband with ivory silk dupioni handrolled rose has a pink jewel button in the center

Embroidered ivory lace organza fascinator with gathered mini pouf. Edge of hat is bordered in Venise lace trimmed with pearls.

The Chanel Look spanned several eras of changing fashion. Her most notable signatures are close fitting cloche style hats, halters, separates, jerseys and strands of many different pearl necklaces all worn at once. Pictured here is a Chantilly lace halter paired up with a long shantung skirt with a sweep train. The sizel hat is a combo cloche and picture hat so evocative of Chanel's time.  A Shantung Bow with netting lends a great 1940s feeling. 

Boho is back! Theres a mix of imported Chantilly laces on the bodice. The full skirt is gathered silk chiffon lined in crepe backed satin. Bodice has lace cap sleeves and is accented with a gold braid tie belt. Floral head wreath is made up of dried roses and Baby's Breath  . . .

A versatile and modified A-line in luxe dupioni silk . . . Here the skirt is hiked up to show off the meringue on the petticoat--- a Chantilly lace border. The complimentary fascinator is 'vintage with an edge'. Ivory Dupioni with handmade silk organdy florals. Has tulle pouf veil and Venise lace edging with hand-sewn pearls.

Val lace over blouse with blue satin tie belt gives this design a very Audrey look. The skirt is four layers of tulle and a separate slip of crinoline and tulle. Detailed touches include a row of buttons down a V-back
and it is all pulled together with a blue sash.

Above: This tea gown could be right out of a Jane Austen Novel. A white silk dupioni sheath draped with Chantilly lace on the skirt and bodice. Back details include a row of covered buttons and lace tie-back. Price upon request. It can be special ordered in white or ivory through Amy-Jo Tatum Bridal

Below: Perfectly chosen accoutrements to go with the romantic tea gown.  At top right the fascinator is Ivory Chantilly lace and crepe with beaded Venise lace edging. Embellishment is two handrolled silk shantung roses. Below left is the horsehair fascinator/veil hybrid accented with a tulle rose and bow.  Below Right:Something old.  A pair of genuine antique pearl earrings.

All bridal Wear and accessories available through Amy-Jo Tatum Bridal Couture

A SAN FRANCISCO TREAT: DONNA AND MATT TIE THE KNOT

CREDITS  

Photography: Loic Photography

Dress: Amy-Jo Tatum Bridal Couture

Headpiece: Portobello

Shoes: Vivienne Westwood

Flowers: Soulflower Floral Design

Cake: That Takes The Cake

First Look Venue: Top of the Mark, San Francisco

Wedding Venue: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House

Reception Venue: Sauce

Whenever one of my brides actually ties the knot, I'm jazzed! I know weddings can all be so different,  still I'm intrigued with how each couple''s unique personalitiy fuses into a particular theme. With Donna and Matt it all started with the colors purple and red. Donna sat down for her initial consultation totally in love with the embroidered organza 'April' dress.  She wanted to incorporate some of her own touches to make the design her own and truly unique. The result: check out the punch under the full skirt via a red and black polka dot and purple tulle petticoat. Pulling it all together with a red satin sash and 'I heart you' shoes by Vivienne Westwood and Donna made a great tribute to Valentine's week . . .

Says Donna: "Our whole goal for the wedding was having a laid back fun vibe which I think we achieved. We picked the Top of the Mark as our 'First Look' venue because that is where we got engaged. We both fell in love with this location the very first time we saw it, it was beautiful but not stuffy. 'Sauce' was suggested to us by Loic, our photographer, as our reception venue. We told him the vibe we were going for and that we wanted comfort food. It turned out to be the perfect spot.  I loved the red velvet walls and am a cupcake fanatic, so having cupcakes was a no brainer.  We were able to get a lot of different flavors and they're so cute. "

Donna and Matt having their 'First Look' moment at The Top Of The Mark . . .

Donna and her mom, Flora going down the aisle . . .

Vows.

Even the deserts were color coordinated

Donna and her sister Desi.  Aren't these bouquets some of the best you've ever seen?

THANK HEAVEN FOR LITTLE GIRLS

Here they are, little girls looking their most angelic, all dressed up in wreaths and carrying baskets of fresh-picked flowers. If you're considering adding one, two or even more little girls to process down the aisle, really dress them up so your wedding will be all the more special. If you're wearing a ball gown and like the storybook theme, go all out. Put your girls in tulle dresses with floral wreaths on their heads. Present them the gift of ballet slippers to wear. They'll cherish these long after the wedding.
If it's a more casual wedding and/or money is tight, here are some options: Find her a special little cotton or linen nightgown she can use afterwards. She'll look Kate Greenaway chic in it, especially if she goes barefoot. Remember, barefoot is okay on kids, particularly at an outdoor or beach wedding. The trick to getting away with this informality is making sure the rest of your little one's appearance looks festive enough— ribbons or wreaths on the head; possibly straw baskets of flowers.
If you're having your little girls dresses made here are some things you need to know about fabrics, particularly fabrics flattering on children. If you use silks, use medium-weight ones like dupioni or shantung. These will work for winter weddings too, provided you pick a style with long sleeves, jackets, etc. Heavier satins and brocades are out—too weighty for a child to carry off and be comfortable in all day. Instead try lightweight velvets in deep jewel tones for those Christmas/Winter weddings. For spring/ summer dresses, lightweight fabrics like organza, chiffon, and tulle can overlay medium weight silks like those mentioned above. Linen is great for casual and beach weddings.
Most of all, find fabrics and props that encourage them to be kids and have fun. Children after all represent renewal and fertility. What more could you ask on your wedding day?

ONCE UPON A TIME: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY GRACE AND RAINER

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April 19, 1956, the world was treated to a storybook romance come true when actress Grace Kelly married Prince Rainer of Monaco. Thinking back to roles she played before she became a princess, we remember Grace Kelly as the ultimate 'Deb'. Had she not pursued acting with such determination, in all probability she would have become just that : A Mainline Philadelphia Debutante. As a result, on film she reflected that cool, refined blond to perfection.

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Princess Grace's gown to this day is one of the most classic and remains the touchstone in bridal fashion. Impeccably made, the taffeta and Val lace confection was a wedding gift from MGM Studios. Imagine this: 25 yards of silk taffeta, 100 yards of silk net, and vintage Belgian rose point lace. Her headpiece was classic : a bandeau cap covered in tiny seed pearls under an intricate lace mantilla.
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Designed by Helen Rose who worked on Kelly's costumes for High Society and The Swan, the gown was designed and run up in less than four months if you can believe that. Hollywood by then was ace at whipping up a masterpiece if a movie or event demanded. Over thirty seamstresses labored on the gown in the MGM workrooms round the clock. From a designer's standpoint, I'd have to say the Kelly gown is the most perfect dress ever made, despite it's speedy construction time. Made up of four different components, it's actually a combination of separates all put together to look like a traditional ballgown. Studying the construction diagrams with the fitted, long-sleeved bodice and full bell skirt, this gown though cutting edge back in 1956, will always be timeless.

Kelly's gown was donated to the Philadelphia Museum of Art shortly after her wedding in 1956. Today it's still there.



Vogue Patterns

If you love Grace's gown and want to incorporate components in your own gown, start by studying the original creation and Vogue pattern above that closely emulates this design. Luckily today's bride can be more daring. Though Grace was the epitome of a refined lady in her day, she worked in a glitzy industry. Marrying a prince, she wanted to reassure the Monegasques she wasn't just another movie star blond in sequins. Setting the tone for her reign, she chose the most classic of all designs. Contemporary brides might want to experiment with a different neckline or modified skirt. Here's another idea. Grace's bodice was actually a blouse. You could experiment with a shrug or jacket over a strapless gown.

WHAT'S NEW IN THE GOWN GALLERY?

Welcome Spring in with the 'Sophia' Gown. Best worn against the back drop of greenery and blooming flowers, 'Sophia' is an A-line cut, wrapped in ivory gathered tulle from bodice to hem. Handmade pink organza rosettes secured with pink quartz beads are dappled all over the dress and matching shawl.

'Sophia' was conceived and designed with the outdoor and/or more informal wedding in mind. Accessorized here with a trio of pink roses as head piece, 'Sophia' would look just as stunning paired up with short or long veil. A picture hat wrapped in tulle is another option for this gown that would set it into high fashion/romantic dressing . . .

To order or ask questions about 'Sophia' you can either call or email me. I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Amy-Jo Tatum Bridal couture

415.258.8204

contact@amyjotatum.com

Model: Natalie Angela

PINK THINK

A little imagination goes a long way. Such is the pairing of custom design on the stunning Natalie Angela who saw this cloud of soft pink organza in her mind and went on the hunt for a pattern and fabric. The 1957 Butterick pattern below was her inspiration point. I love these vintage patterns and buy them often just to check out the dart and seam lines of the day (yes, they were slightly different back then).

The 'Pink Photos' as I call them were taken by San Francisco photographer, John Carmen whose work captures a scope of real and true detail.

Yes, the styles in the pattern below remind me of something worn by January Jones on Mad Men, my favorite show.