ROYAL BRIDES AND THEIR GOWNS: LADY SARAH ARMSTRONG-JONES

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We remember her best as Lady Diana Spencer's eldest bridesmaid clad in tissue taffeta in the 1981 wedding extravaganza that brought both Diana and storybook bridal design into the spotlight. Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, was a teenager back then. Fast forward July 14, 1994, Princess Margaret's only daughter married actor Daniel Chatto. Not your typical royal event, a scant 200 guests graced the invite list to St. Stephen Walbrook, the relatively small 17th century church, a stone's throw from St. Paul's (where Charles and Diana wed). If you can believe it, there were no TV cameras and Sarah didn't show up in the family's gold coach.source
sourceSarah and Daniel met in India when she was working as a wardrobe assistant on the 1983 movie Heat and Dust. Sarah did a six-year program at the Royal Academy of Arts. In 1991, she had a show in Knightsbridge exhibiting her abstract landscapes. By this time she and Chatto whose six-year acting stint started with a role in Heat and Dust, were already a tight couple, often seen going to the theater art gallery openings. Both artists, Chatto gave up acting for art, and went on to do his own show in 1992 at the Cadogan gallery.

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Dubbed the Boho Wedding of the year by the Daily Telegraph, it was a quiet and elegant ceremony. The Armstrong/Chatto wedding was written up as a showcase of fine taste by the London press. In 1994, the Windsors needed all the positive press they could get. In the midst of the Charles/ Diana feuds these royals kept their dignity despite all the family turmoil. Princess Diana arrived at St. Stephen's unescorted and Charles followed accompanying the Queen Mother, then 93. While during the ceremony Charles and Diana shared a pew, they had little to say to one another.



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While there was no family heirloom tiara holding the bride's veil in place, Sarah did sport a circle of honeysuckle and looked timeless in her custom designed Jasper Conran. Conran's simple confection was a white draped georgette with ruched bodice reminiscent of 1940s, especially in the bodice. To date Conran's design for Sarah Armstrong and her maids remain some the the best and most inspiring work in bridal fashion.

In 1982 Vogue called Jasper Conran a ‘British superlative’. At only 26 he won the British Designer of the Year Award. Here's what Mary Quant had to say about Conran, 'He makes clothes women want to wear’.

PHOTOGRAPHY SPOTLIGHT: MATTHEW O'BRIEN

SEPIDEH AND AARON: A WEDDING IN MOSS BEACH

Photographs by Matthew O'Brien and Sol Gutierrez

Dress: Nicole Miller

Venue: Cypress Meadows in Moss Beach, California

Sepideh and Aaron met one evening in a cafe in Berkeley where Sep had gone to study for a midterm. There were only two available tables, all close together. Sep squeezed by Aaron's table and took a seat next to him. She thought the gentleman sitting next to her looked familiar, and she asked him if he had ever dated a friend of hers. When he answered no, Sepideh smiled in embarrassment. Apparently her smile made him feel comfortable enough to start a conversation. In fifteen minutes they covered all sorts of topics, including her hatred of linear algebra. When Aaron was ready to leave, he asked her for her email address and offered Sep his, in case she ever wanted help with linear algebra. It took them several weeks to meet a second time, and when they finally did, they never really talked much about math again.

The Iranian wedding ceremony dates back to ancient, pre-Islamic, Zoroastrian traditions. When Sep and Aaron first started talking about the ceremony, Aaron was willing to do an all-Iranian wedding, but Sep felt that it would be insincere since she's pretty American, and so she just picked two aspects to incorporate.

The two traditions included in the ceremony were the grinding of the sugar and the honey kiss. Sugar grinding is an old tradition whereby a silk scarf or any fancy fabric is held over the couple while a married woman who is considered fortunate grinds two large solid sugar cones over the bride and groom to shower them with sweetness. The scarf symbolizes the fabric of the couples’ new life together and each little sugar grind that is sprinkled over them is supposed to “sweeten” (bring wealth, prosperity, and happiness) their new life together. It is said that each grain represents years of happiness to come. The second component is the honey kiss, which is performed at the end of the ceremony. The couple is presented with honey. Here, the groom dips his finger into the honey and gives some to the bride. She does the same in turn, and this ensures that they have a sweet start to their marriage.

image of the two sugar cones

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER:

Matt O'Brien's photography celebrates humanity. His photography, whether shooting, teaching, or exhibiting, has taken him around the world. When it comes to weddings, his approach is naturalistic and unobtrusive. He lets the events of the day unfold, capturing the beauty and uniqueness of the people, emotions, and actions as they reveal themselves. His easy-going nature allows people to feel comfortable and relaxed, which always makes for better photos, not to mention a more enjoyable experience. Matt is based in Berkeley and shoots weddings throughout northern California, and from time to time travels to far-away places to photograph weddings (Thailand in April!).

ODE TO THE LITTLE WHITE DRESS

If you're anywhere near the San Francisco Bay Area February 27-28, CIARLA bride will be premiering a first trunk show at Bella Bridesmaid in Los Gatos from 10AM-6PM. CIARLA’S collections include the Classic- a bridesmaid dress collection inspired by classic icons of the past and present, the Bella- an ethereal silk collection of gowns and little dresses, and the Alice- a fashion forward collection of cocktail dresses and little white dresses for the bride. Retail price ranges from $250 - $795 and include fabric options such as cotton sateen, silk charmeuse, taffeta, and chiffon. If you can't make the Los Gatos event, not a problem. CIARLAbride will be launched in several Bella Bridesmaid Boutiques this Spring including NYC, San Francisco and Chicago. CIARLA says, “ Bella Bridesmaid is such a great match for our fashion forward line because they offer a variety of designer collections and showcase them in a boutique setting." And of course you can always check out the lovely CIARLA site where you can see everything.

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VINTAGE CHIC

Savvy Scoop, One Wed's wedding blog has brought out The Top Ten wedding trends for 2010. This one above made #5 on the list and is of course my fav--a 1960s style bouffant with a pillbox and birdcage veil. A few other trends definitely worth checking out: The backyard wedding and mix and mingle events. You can find out more here. . . .

CUSTOMIZE

Always dreamed of a one-of-a-kind confection on your wedding day but can't afford couture? Customize then. I'm so in love with Kacey Higley's work over at Twisted Crystals on Etsy, These hand-rolled florals and belt combos are so beautiful in their detail and just the right accessories for customizing a plain and unadorned gown into a design of your own that looks like a work of art . . .

INDOOR/OUTDOOR CHIC

Explore the best of both worlds here. Elegant interiors mixed with scenic and pastoral outdoors make up a wedding with the beauty and functionality of both aspects.

STALKING THE LOOK BOOKS: REEM ACRA

When you think big, grand gowns in elegant fabrics who do you conjure up? Reem Acra, of course. She uses the most opulent and traditional fabrics and embroidery techniques that spell out bride gone formal with all the trimmings. Reem is most noted for intricate bead work of tiny swarovski crystals and seed pearls. She also is apt at the gold needlework and embroidery on those rich fabrics. These pieces are from her Spring/Summer 2010 collection.

Photos courtesy Brides UK