Bold + chunky rings.

These chunky cabochon rings by Blu Bijoux are fab. Especially loving the turquoise, white and coral versions. At only $20, wouldn't these be a fun (and different!) gift for your bridesmaids?

A vintage-inspired lovely.

Remember this little J.Crew number? Well, as I was flipping through the newest issue of Bride's, I happened to notice a lovely bride wearing a gown of the same design. It's sophisticated and chic, and at under $700, quite a steal.

For the moms.

One of the most challenging things about wedding planning was helping my mom find the perfect dress. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of sophisticated options out there that are age appropriate. She ended up finding one online, fortunately, but if we had known about Sarah Danielle's collection, the process might have been much easier. Anyone else have a great source for mothers' dresses? Please share! And, have a great weekend!

A future bride.

This dress sort of confuses me. I love it and hate it all at the same time. I'm wondering if this is one of those fashion moments when I just don't quite get it, but it's ahead of its time. Intriguing, to say the least. What do you think?

Find us on Facebook.

Just wanted to drop a quick note to say that Maida Vale is now on Facebook. Drop on by and become a fan: Maida Vale on Facebook. =)

The Flying Cupcake.

When I was home recently, one of my lovely girlfriends introduced me to The Flying Cupcake. I love that small towns like Indianapolis even have their own gourmet cupcake shops now, and The Flying Cupcake is divine to boot. The "red velvet elvis" is filled with chocolate chunks and unbelievably tasty. Brides in Indy, take note! =)

Chunky heels.

I really loved the chunky mod heels that yesterday's London bride was wearing. After a quick peek around, I found a pretty close match by Benjamin Adams at MyGlassSlipper.com. I wouldn't normally gravitate towards shoes like these, but paired up with a tea length dress, they are sassy, vintage and fun.

Ready to hop on a plane.

I'm sure I've mentioned this before. I suffer from raging Anglophilia. Since London is my home away from home, these photos make me want to hop a plane immediately. I'm ready to grab my hubby and a cute dress, and call up the talented photographer responsible for these shots. I just love the way the rain didn't stop these two... in fact, it seems to add a little something extra to these wonderful shots.

Credits: Segerius Bruce Photography via Rock 'n Roll Bride

Swingy, flirty & fun.

This flirty silk shantung dress from the 2009 Reverie collection by Melissa Sweet is swoon worthy. Follow the link to see a short clip showing the way it moves. Adorable! See you Monday...

Sunny and warm.

When I was away visiting family and friends in the Midwest this past week, the weather turned sunny and beautiful. In general, it was the opposite of Seattle this time of year. Bright and warm, perfect for lounging on my parents' deck with a book or taking my niece to the park. It was honestly hard to leave behind!

I love the way Atlanta photographer Alea Moore captured the warmth of the sun with a tiny bit of colorful lens flare in the above shot. This happy couples seem to just radiate love. Divine.

Found on Project Wedding

Etsy jewelry find: Tryst.

If I were your bridesmaid and these baubles were gifted to me, I would happily do whatever was needed of me on your big day. =) Found on Etsy, made by tryst.

Posh shower invitations.

I'm heading to Chicago this weekend to visit a girlfriend whose sister is getting married this summer. To celebrate, my friend is throwing a tea party turned bridal shower. How fun! Fortunately for me, she asked that I design an invitation for the event. Drawing inspiration from the tea party's location, I used my gocco printer to add an elegant design in gold ink to the edges. The envelopes were also made to match. Now, in addition to catching up and devouring the city's great food and boutiques, I get to look forward to delivering one of my creations in person! Be back later next week...

A vintage number.

Helloooo beautiful! I adore vintage-inspired weddings, so this week, I am loving J.Crew's Penelope dress. The pleating and scalloped flower detail are too delightful for words. Paired with a simple cardigan, it would also be a great option for weddings in colder months. It's available in lavender and steel gray, too. Thanks to bubbly bride for the heads up!

Credit: Penelope dress via bubbly bride

Tropical Aqua + Citron.

Remember this awesome cake from yesterday's post? How could it not inspire a new color palette? J.Crew is also on my brain this week, and they have several dresses currently available in both tropical aqua and citron yellow-green. Put together, they make for a punchy (and highly photogenic!) color combination.

Credits (clockwise from top):
Me & Matilda, ForYourParty.com via The Knot, J.Crew, Sharon Nagassar Designs, Lovin Sullivan Cakes via InStyle Weddings

Cake power.

In addition to being a designer, I am also a foodie. This is, perhaps, why these cakes by Kate Sullivan excite me to a ridiculous degree. The bright colors and interesting patterns are in no way run-of-the-mill. I admire her sources of inspiration, as well: fine china, furniture, dresses and so on. Be sure to check out the full gallery at InStyle Weddings. They're too good to miss!

Etsy find: Elaine Haydon.

I'm waking up much too slowly today after springing forward this weekend. But, I'm also a little bit excited that we're this much closer to spring's arrival. To ease into things, I thought I'd share some finds from Etsy seller Elaine Haydon. Her romantic jewelry would add just the right amount of sparkle to your wedding day attire. The chunky Veronique bracelet (shown above) is a particular favorite of mine. As if the selection and quality weren't enough, Elaine is also offering free shipping for a limited time. Enjoy!

Sweet favors found on Etsy.

Most of us know Etsy is a great place to find jewelry or one-of-a-kind prints. Did you know that there are many culinary artists also selling goods there? Etsy seller Cake Box Cookies creates cheerful, yummy looking treats that would make for a perfect little takeaway for a wedding or bridal shower. And, if you don't want something as literal as a wedding cake, there are seasonal designs such as snowflakes sparkling with sanding sugar. I personally can't wait for an occasion to order these darling ice cream cones!

An Etsy find for the fellas.

This is what Etsy is all about! Seller Cyberoptix TieLab creates custom ties that give you the chance to add yet another personal detail to your wedding. In addition to the numerous patterns they offer, the TieLab has a wide range of colors to choose from in microfiber or silk. So, basically, they make it pretty darn easy to pull your wedding's theme through to the men in your life. In their own words, these are "ties that don't suck". =)

Teacups turned table numbers.

I love the possibilities that these numerical mugs from Anthropologie bring to mind. Although they are only available in a handful of digits, why not create your own and use them as table numbers? For a shabby chic-inspired wedding, pair them up with pretty teapots and small floral arrangements for a lovely alternative to the standard centerpiece.

To make your own table number teacups, try scouring thrift stores or Etsy for a mixed collection of pretty little cups. Purchase some large number rub-ons from a local craft store or online shop such as Scrapbook.com (see this link for a good option). Alphabet packets typically include numbers, as well. Rub on your numbers according to package directions and you're done! I suspect they might not function as actual cups afterwards, but could certainly be used as random elements in your decor.

Another burst of sunshine.

Who couldn't use a little burst of sunshine in their day? I especially love the dreamy, vintage quality of the bottom two photos. All pics found on Project Wedding.

Credits (clockwise from top left):
Gene Higa, Allen King, Sweet Traders, Lorraine Daley

The Inspired Bride.

Sending a special thank you to The Inspired Bride for including Cosmopolitan in her oh-so-yummy red, aqua, and white post. Looking at all of those images together makes me downright happy. =)

Looking for some sunshine.

It's been pretty dreary here in Seattle the past few days. Overall, I can't complain. Other than our snowstorm in December, plus a random smattering last Thursday, we've had a pretty easy winter. But, I suffer from spring fever this time of year, so seeing these dresses from Priscilla of Boston injects a little bit of much needed sunshine into my day.