Indie brides, rejoice: Your favorite Jeffrey Campbell platforms can be now worn down the aisle thanks to designer’s new bridal line. Cold Feet by Jeffrey Campbell features the Project Runway alum’s popular styles, such as “Lita” and “Damsel,” in wedding-day colors and feminine patterns. Designed with nontraditional brides in mind—those who, according to Campbell, “choos[e] to get hitched in backyards, urban gardens, on beaches and mountainsides, and on the steps of City Hall”—the line includes sky-high booties, studded brogues, quilted sneakers (with the words “I Do” engraved on them), and flat sandals all in the $89.95 to $179.95 price range. Wear the ultra-versatile styles on your wedding day and happily ever after.
Betsey Johnson can now add bridal designer to her fashion résumé with the launch of
a new line of party-inspired shoes, geared specifically toward the wedding market.
Johnson, who last spring declared bankruptcy and shuttered her eponymous stores, has
been making a slow and steady return to the fashion industry, with a lower-priced
dress line and a collection of activewear. A new reality show featuring Johnson and
her daughter, Lulu, also debuts this month on the Style Network.
The new bridal shoe collection, dubbed Blue by Betsey Johnson, is another step in
the designer’s comeback. The shoes go on sale to the public starting in April. With
designs from scalloped ballerina flats to ankle-strap stilettos and embellished pumps,
each with a signature baby blue sole, the collection ranges from $79 to $199. If something
strikes your footwear fancy, find it next month on Zappos or on Betsey Johnson’s site.
Planning your wedding can be one of the most exciting and stressful things you will ever do. From organizing your guest list to finding the perfect dress to getting in shape to look your best in that dress, it seems like a bride-to-be’s job is never done. To make your planning a little less stressful, we’ve rounded up some of the best apps for brides.
This app has virtually everything a bride needs to plan her big day. It lets you make a to-do list, helps you allocate your budget, and even manages your guest list. The app also features tons of photos from which to draw inspiration for your dress, hairstyle, decor, and more, and you can save and organize your favorite picks. There’s also a countdown to help build the excitement as you get closer to walking down the aisle.
Available for: iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. For Androids, try a similar app called Our Wedding Planner
Price: Free
An exclusive Rochas and Net-a-Porter wedding gown, priced at $9,165. All photographs courtesy of Net-a-Porter.
As if we needed another reason to love Net-a-Porter, the insanely fashionable online shopping site has just launched an exclusive bridal collection in collaboration with eight top designers. The impressive lineup includes Nina Ricci, Jay Ahr, Antonio Berardi, Lover, Rochas, Giambattista Valli (who most recently designed Jessica Biel’s wedding dress), Issa, and Chalayan, with gown silhouettes in everything from a simple shift to a taffeta ballgown or a slinky beaded halter dress. Six of the dresses are available online now; the Giambattista Valli and Jay Ahr gowns come online in the next few weeks.
July 19: Hitched Sample Sale
Join the ladies at Hitched Bridal Couture for a Sample Sale Soiree from 5 to 8 PM. The event will feature couture wedding gowns from designers including Anna Maier, Amsale, Judd Waddell, and Lela Rose marked down 40 to 80 percent. Although no appointment is necessary, interested brides should RSVP to info@hitchedsalon.com. Visit the Hitched website for a peek at the gowns available for purchase.
July 19: Carine’s Bridal Atelier Sample Sale
Head to Carine’s Bridal Atelier in Georgetown for the annual summer sample sale from 5 to 8 PM. The sale will feature couture gowns from designers including Oscar de la Renta, Marchesa, Carolina Herrera, and Monique Lhuillier at 50 to 75 percent off. No appointment is necessary to attend. Find more information on the Carine’s Facebook page, or call 202-965-4696.
July 20 and 21: The Bridal Salon at Saks Jandel Sample Sale
Visit the luxurious Bridal Salon at Saks Jandel in Chevy Chase to take advantage of its summer sample sale, featuring gowns from top designers including Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, Reem Acra, and Peter Langner, originally priced from $690 to $13,890, marked down 30 to 75 percent. The sale runs on Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM. Appointments are recommended; call 301-652-2250.
By Mary Yarrison
Kyosha and her bridesmaids strike a pose. All photographs courtesy of Al Forbes.
In late summer 2006, Kyosha Johnson and Deric Canty were strangers attending freshman orientation at Howard University. They were both new to the area—she’d moved from Arizona and he from South Carolina—and though they met before school started, sparks didn’t fly right away.
However, by sophomore year, they’d joined the same professional fraternity and developed a close friendship, hanging out almost daily. By junior year they’d been on their first date (to Vapiano in Chinatown), and in May 2011, Deric proposed.
A beautiful reception by Main Events Caterers.
Treat yourself to amazing savings this July with these wonderful wedding deals, available exclusively for our readers. Unless otherwise noted, these special offers must be booked during the month of July; mention Washingtonian Bride & Groom at the time of purchase in order to receive the promotion.
Skinsational
Don’t forget about your skin for the big day. Skin Authority’s GO! Tie-The-Knot kit offers adorable wedding-themed packaging and travel-size products that help your skin look and feel beautiful. They’re also great gifts for bridal showers or members of your wedding party. The kit, 15 percent off this month with code WASHINGTONIAN, is normally $58 and includes a cleanser, a resurfacing accelerator, a tri-power peptide hydrator, and SPF-30 moisturizer.
Even with a guest list of 200 and a bridal party of 27, the Saturday wedding of Ashley Biden and Dr. Howard Krein in Delaware was a relatively low-key affair—that is, considering that the bride is the daughter of the Vice President of the United States. Wed at St. Joseph on the Brandywine church in Greenville, Delaware, with a reception at her parents’ home in Wilmington, Ashley, 30, a social worker, and her groom, 45, a surgeon, met in 2010, having been introduced by Ashley’s brother Beau Biden, according to People magazine. Ashley is the youngest of Joe and Jill Biden’s three children, and their only daughter. The newlyweds will live in Philadelphia.
The bride wore a custom ivory silk mermaid gown by Vera Wang. The gown was accented by draped tulle and a skirt with hand-cut organza petals, trimmed with embroidered silk detail. Ashley opted to wear her hair down in loose waves, and donned a chapel-length, double-layered, hand-appliquéd Chantilly lace veil.
Read more about the couple in their New York Times wedding announcement.
In case you're curious, these amazingly cute red bridesmaid dresses are by Ciarla. Photograph by Adam Barnes
Valentine’s Day was this week, and we’re hoping a few of you received a little something sparkly along with your heart-shaped boxes of candy. We also got into the V-Day spirit, meaning not only that we ate everything in sight that contained sugar, but we also got to enjoy this fabulous Virginia Valentine’s Day wedding photographed by Adam Barnes, featured on, count ’em, two wedding blogs—very exciting. A red color scheme can be tough to pull off, but it’s so well done and pretty darn inspiring here.
—Grey Likes Weddings and Southern Weddings
Unveiled 2012 from Suburban Video on Vimeo.
Our Unveiled wedding showcase on January 22 was a huge hit with both brides and vendors. In case you missed it (there’s always next year!), we wanted to share a video, produced by Bill Bowen from Suburban Media Group, with camera and senior editor Ian Sitek,of this inspiring event. Take a look at the Reem Acra fashion show, the booths, and feedback from vendors, attendees, and the Washingtonian team. And if you did attend our event, see if you can spot yourself! Click the jump to view the video.
