Bella and Florence veils are some of the designer's favorites. All photographs courtesy of Bride's Head Revisited.
With so much focus surrounding the search for the perfect wedding dress, finding a veil to match may seem like a daunting task. Thanks to Bride’s Head Revisited, a couture-quality veil company, walking down the aisle just got a whole lot easier.
Known for their custom services, Bride’s Head Revisited works with brides to create an individualized headpiece, from length and volume to the trim, detail, and color. And it gets better—the custom bridal veil couturiers, whose wares were previously only available at Hitched, have relocated from New York this winter to open up a studio in Capitol Hill. “We love working directly with brides to create completely custom designs in our Washington, DC, design studio,” says Emily Martin, the designer behind the brand.
We caught up with Martin to learn more about her new studio and get a few tips on choosing the perfect veil.
Caitlin and Robert at their November 3, 2012, wedding in Washington, DC. All photographs courtesy of Leo Druker.
Caitlin Grace Gorham and William Robert Wheeler’s first date began with a little fairy-tale symbolism. They met while Robert was in his first semester at Harvard Business School and Caitlin was finishing her senior year at Brown University. Three months after being introduced by a mutual friend at a Brown party, they went on their first date, during which Robert took Caitlin around Harvard’s campus. The tour included a trip to the baseball field where Robert played as an undergraduate. “I was in totally inappropriate shoes. He had to pick me up and carry me across the baseball diamond, since I was sinking like quicksand,” says Caitlin, a model and manager of digital business development at Condé Nast.
After an almost two-year courtship, Robert, now a senior management associate at Bridgewater Associates, proposed during a vacation at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, on a little clearing by the water. “The moment was perfect. After I said yes, a boat came by honking and cheering. It was amazing,” recalls Caitlin.
More newlyweds live happily ever after in DC than in many other cities, according to a list compiled by Rent.com. Taking a wide array of factors in consideration, such as the number of married couples, families with children under the age of six, mean annual income, cost of living, and rental availability in each city, Rent.com determined which cities are predisposed to marital bliss—and the District made the cut.
“[DC offers] everything from cultural excursions (like the Smithsonian) to political events to walking through slices of history at every street corner. With a high mean annual income, newlyweds are more likely to be able to enjoy all that the city offers,” the company explained in a press release announcing the results.
Photograph courtesy of Shutterstock.
Skip the typical night of drinking and dancing and spend your bachelorette party or bridal shower getting pampered with your girls. Whether your maid of honor is planning a sweet surprise or you’re taking the reins, a number of local salons and spas offer all-inclusive, hangover-free bridal packages. Click through the slideshow for five of our favorite beauty services.
Image via Shutterstock.
Skip the 5 o’clock shadow and the itchy-scratchy kisses and keep your face hair-free on your wedding day. Trust us, you’ll look better in the pictures without the scruff—and keep your mother-in-law happy, too.
Caution: a quick scrub and a shave minutes before hopping into the limo to the church will not cut it. Instead, incorporate these five products into your daily facial regimen a few weeks before the big day so your skin gets used to the process. We wouldn’t send you to the altar looking anything less than your very best (clean-shaven) self.
Julie and Jason at their April 27,2013, wedding in Leesburg, Virginia. All photographs courtesy of Katelyn James Photography.
In 2010, Table for Two food blogger Julie Chiou hosted a Super Bowl party for several friends—and friends of friends. One of those in attendance was Jason Wampler, a cute IT professional who exchanged a brief “hello” and a few words of introduction with his host. While it may have seemed like polite party chit-chat, both felt a spark, and a week later when Julie friended Jason on Facebook, he returned the social media compliment and began following her on Twitter.
Soon after, Julie received a text: “Hey, this is Jason. I got your number from Facebook. Don’t freak out! What are you doing tonight?” Intrigued, Julie told Jason to meet her in Arlington, and the rest, as they say, is history.
All photographs courtesy of The Bar Method.
After only one Bar Method class in Chicago in 2009, Kate Arnold was hooked. “I immediately fell in love with it. I was amazed at the changes I saw in my body, my posture, my alignment, and my endurance,” she says. Based on fat-burning interval training and principles of dance conditioning, the body-sculpting workout incorporates barre, floor, and light weight exercises combined with muscle isolation techniques.
In 2010 Arnold and her husband returned to the District, and she was surprised to find there were no Bar Method studios in the area. The career attorney decided on a big life change—she left her law job and opened the first Washington-area outpost of Bar Method. “I couldn’t imagine my life without a [Bar Method] studio. I contacted Bar Method headquarters and began to inquire about opening one,” she says.
Three years later, the Bar Method has expanded to Chinatown and Bethesda and has earned some loyal followers—so loyal that the instructors know most of their fitness enthusiasts by name. But the DC franchise doesn’t stop there. It will now offer brides-to-be and bridesmaids a get-in-shape wedding package. We caught up with Arnold, who told us about the new wedding workout and her tips on looking your best in time for the big day.
All photographs courtesy of Starworks Group.
Brides-to-be, take note: You can now incorporate Oscar de la Renta’s bridal collection into your big day. Our favorite stationery e-tailer, Paperless Post, has teamed up with the master couturier for a stylish wedding collaboration. Inspired by Oscar de la Renta’s ready-to-wear and bridal collections, and the designer’s home in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, the 50-piece collection features both electronic and paper save-the-date cards, thank-you notes, and wedding invitations, priced from $0.25 to $3.50 each.
Dudley Payne and Paige Johnson at their beachside wedding ceremony in the Bahamas. Photograph courtesy of Shelia Johnson.
How does Washington royalty tie the knot? If you’re Paige Johnson, the 27-year-old daughter of BET cofounders Sheila and Bob Johnson, you do it with four days of partying at the One&Only Ocean Club on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.
Reached by phone yesterday in New York City, the bride’s mother said she was “just trying to recover” from the long weekend’s extravagant celebration. The part-owner of the Washington Capitals, Wizards, and Mystics said her daughter chose the tropical destination for her nuptials because she’s “a James Bond freak” and parts of Casino Royale were shot at the Ocean Club.
Maybe it’s because of Baz Luhrmann’s much-anticipated remake of The Great Gatsby, which hits the big screen later this week, or because of reruns of PBS’s Downton Abbey, but Jazz Age fashions have gained big bridal momentum this season. Don’t believe us? Just look at the spring 2014 bridal market fashion shows, where decadent glam appeared all over the runways, with dresses showcasing fringe, feathers, drop waists, and heavy beading. Whether you want to subtly engage the trend or go full flapper fabulous, here are five dresses perfect for your roaring celebration.
1. Anna Sui Aiguille gown, $1,200 at BHLDN.
2. Sequin fringe dress, $295 at Ann Taylor.
3. Clara Bridal Gown, $1,100 at Nicole Miller.
4. Aidan Mattox embellished tulle dress, $330 at Nordstrom.
5. Va Et Vien Swirling Platinum Gown, $1,000 on sale from $1,800 at BHLDN.
