Reagan and I were so in love with Leigh Webber’s photographs that we had a drawing rendered by the fabulous Inslee Hayes as a keepsake wedding gift to Anne Marie! We just can’t get enough puppy love at KND…even on a daily basis, Penny, Reagan’s sweet little golden retriever, keeps us company (you have heard Penny’s story haven’t you?! )

The island puts quite the spell on you!…and coupled with the beauty, service, amenities and delicious culinary delights found at the W, it is the perfect island wedding destination! I fell in love with the island back in November & my husband and I bought a house on the island in March! Through an amazing set of very fortunate circumstances, I was invited to a wonderful event for a handful of wedding planners to visit and learn about the property. I can’t wait to share more….For now, the view at sunset…

Thank you to Shira Savada of Martha Stewart Weddings for connecting me with Rebecca Moberly of the W Resort! I just can’t wait to share all I have seen and learned with new brides and grooms!

MORE TO COME! In the meantime! Check this amazing place out…and if you aren’t thinking wedding here, think HONEYMOON! http://www.wvieques.com/

May 2012.  Download PDF here.

Bride’s Magazine has undergone a COMPLETE MAKEOVER and we are proud to be included in the debut of the redesigned issue! Please enjoy the wedding of LAIRD & ROSS!

THANK YOU to the wonderfully organized and enthusiastic team at BRIDE’S! Such a pleasure to correspond with on the piece!

As all of you know, I live for bridal fashion, fashion shows, fashion weeks and new and different fashion designers. I recently conceptualized and styled Maddison Row and Bella Bridesmaid’s fashion show at Charleston Fashion Week’s Spring Bridal Show. This year, I teamed up once again with Allison Long of Bella Bridesmaid for a golden goddess, sunset color themed show. I love to go for the wow factor in anything I do so I challenge myself to find what is new and different yet practical that I can showcase in Charleston that has not been done before. Charlotte Hess, the winner of the CFW’s Emerging Competition in 2011 and I teamed up to create this one of a kind knitted bridal coat for our finale piece of the show. Last year, I worked with my good friend and talented designer Carol Hannah Whitfield to bring you the black dress that rocked the runway. SO what went into making this one of a kind gown? Months of planning and lots of time hand knitting and crafting this fabulous item went into this showstopper.

Back in August I contacted Charlotte about the possibility of collaborating on a finale look for the Spring Bridal Show. She was more than accomodating and was very excited to be stepping in to the bridal scene and when I explained our theme she went right to work on sketching. I received quite a few sketches in November and was so excited! Charlotte sent several over with knit swatches and different techniques she could do for the coat. We decided ivory would be the best color ( since it is bridal) and it would look in tune with our overall theme and golden headpieces we were working on. From there, we had 2 separate conference calls ( she lives in Rhode Island) about the general idea of what the coat should be like. I also wanted Charlotte to be as creative as she wanted to, so we had no idea what it would look like exactly until it arrived.

initial sketches of the coat

We had one more conference call touch base in the beginning of March to see how the coat was coming along and to talk about when it would be here and who would be wearing it. Charlotte was also in the process of showing her collection at CFW’s Finale Night as well so in addition to creating our coat she was also making over a 20 piece collection! She is one busy lady! Before we knew it, CFW was here. Charlotte flew in late Wednesday night and we scheduled  a first fitting on Thursday afternoon. It would be the first time I saw the coat, ever. I was so excited I could barely contain myself. We chose Nikki, one of our models, to wear the coat. She was tall, skinny, had amazing long brown hair and was perfect for the overall look we were going for ( and she won the Rock the Runway model competition as well…icing on the cake) We first put Nikki in a silk jersey knit sheath gown with her custom gold leaf headpiece, gold coined necklace and then the coat. It was perfect. The length was great, the fit dead on and the overall look came together just as I had hoped back in August when I first called Charlotte. After a couple excited  “yeah’s “Charlotte pinned a couple “tweeks” here and there and then we anxiously waited until Saturday.

CFW Bridal Show morning we were ready to roll. We had a driver pick Charlotte up at the last minute right before the shows started to help put Nikki in the coat. Since Charlotte was still putting the finishing touches on her collection for CFW that night, this was so AWESOME of her to take time out of her busy day to come to the tents and be there to see her creation rock the runway. Nikki was the last model to get dressed then it was time for the lineup and before we knew it the show started. We all were dancing backstage and having a great time, Charlotte was just as excited as we were about the overall look and feel of the show. It was so great that she was just as excited as we were!

I am really excited I got to share this amazing coat and experience with you all! You know how much I love to “step out of the box.” Charlotte is already working on her first custom bridal knit piece for a client so I would expect to see more looks like this in the future. Next up on the blog, bridal market! I can’t believe it is here again, so be on the lookout for my fashion adventures in the Big Apple. Until then!

~Lindsey

Lindsey@kristinnewmandesigns.com

For more of Charlotte’s work please visit her website:

www.isobelandcleo.com

Photos: Corbin Gurkin

www.corbingurkin.com

Please read the reviews on THE WEDDING ROW and ENJOY! Beautiful work ladies, as always!

http://theweddingrow.com/pretty-little-details-gathering-floral-event-design/

http://theweddingrow.com/charleston-fashion-week-spring-bridal-show/

Hello all! It has been awhile since Behind the Seams has had something new on it and I apologize. First quarter wedding season is in full effect so while my blog has been collecting cobwebs I have been helping countless brides find their dream dress, so I have found inspiration once again to bring to you today.

I have found out/ learned that the second hardest if not the hardest thing to decide on or find after you have picked your gown is wedding shoes. I usually tell my brides to start looking right after they find their gown because they can get a bit tricky to find the right pair. I have recently done a TON of research scoping out some of my favorite “go-to” websites such as: Nordstrom.com, zappos, Kate Spade and My Glass Slipper. I have found a couple shoes I am in LOVE with. I thought I would share some of my favorites while searching for shoes for some of the brides I have been working with…I mean what girl does not love looking for shoes??!?

Flats: I do have girls that need to wear flats. Many brides wear it for comfort but others do it so they will not be towering over guests or even the groom. Flats are tricky, you want them to have some sort of “bridal” feel to them without being just a ready to wear shoe. Here is my favorite flat courtesy of Miss Kate Spade herself. This is the flash flat in gold that has a satin bow. I love it paired with an ivory color gown. Also in the flat category are sandals. For a beach or garden wedding a sandal is a quick way to bring comfort and femininity to your feet.

This Dolce Vita “Felice” Sandal is light leather sandal with light pink chiffon flower detail on the strap. This would pair perfectly with a long chiffon gown or even a bridesmaid dress.

Wedge: Wedges are a great way to give brides height yet allow for stability and even weight placement on your feet. I personally recommend wedges for brides who are getting married outside. A wedge has an extended base so the heel of the shoe will not sink in grass if the ceremony is outside. These Nina peep toe wedges are great for a bride who wants to stay in the ivory/cream color scheme for her shoes and for who is getting married outside.

This BP “Sonja” wedge is also a great options for brides who want some height but want more of a kitten heel. This is a 2 inch heel, a wedge and a peep toe. This would also be a great option for bridesmaids.

Peep-Toe Pumps: I love a great pump! for the fun and flirty bride the peep-toe pump is the way to go. This Kate Spade Charm pump is a sling back 3 inch heel with navy glitter with a bow on the top. This is a great shoe for the bride who wants her something blue. Also, this style has many options so if the all over glitter is too much you can opt to have it only on the heel.

This Badgley Mischka Randall pump is a great option for brides who want the pump, the peep toe and the height but don’t want to feel the need to change their shoe or want to throw them away from hurting so bad by the end of the night. This shoe has a platform, as you can see that really works. They are such a comfy shoe you could wear it for rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception and send off/after party!

The BIG Pump: As I’m sure you all can tell I love anything that is “out of the box.” I am obsessed with brides who want to take risks and some of my brides truly do! These are actually shoes that some of my brides and I have found. I like to put these two shoes in the go big or go home category because they are a whopping 4 to 4 and 1/2 inch heels. This black lace Valentino pump is stunning, I have seen it in person and about died it was so fab! To incorporate the black lace, the bride is wearing a black sash with her tulle gown.

This Brian Atwood purple and yellow python shoe is so fabulous for a shorty for the reception. For the daring bride who has a little edge to her, this would be such a fun shoe to wear so everyone could see it! A little out of the box yes, but how fab would pictures be in this??

So there are some of my top pics this season. From ivory to dark indigo, wedding shoes come in every style and color. My advice to all brides is go with something you love, that is comfortable for you but still shows your personality. I have so much luck on the websites I listed earlier, so brides once you get your dress start your shoe shopping!
Until then

~Lindsey

lindsey@kristinnewmandesigns.com

BIG THANKS to Katy & Jeff and the MSW crew for being so fun to work with!