Tag Archives: celebrity weddings

Fascinating Celebrity Weddings – The Unique Touches

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In case you missed it last night, the E! channel aired a one hour special entitled “Fascinating Celebrity Weddings”. Aside from fascinating, it was spectacular,  extremely informative, inspirational and at times quite romantic. This was way better than your typical ‘end of year’ re-cap, it looked at really high profile weddings over the past few years and the intimate details you may have missed in the headlines. The event planners were interviewed and discussed the things that each couple wanted to make their day personal and special, the little touches that personalized their wedding for them.

 Petra Ecclestone, daughter of Formula One billionaire Bernie Ecclestone, spent over $5 million on their wedding, including a $130, 000 Vera Wang bridal gown. The reception featured performances by Eric Clapton, the Black Eyed Peas, acrobats and fireworks. But, what made their wedding stand out was their humble approach to their massive combined wealth. The couple refused gifts, asking their guests to donate money to charity. There is no amount of money that can buy that much class.

Dylan Lauren, daughter of style icon Ralph Lauren had a really ‘sweet ‘ wedding.  As the owner of Dylan’s Candy Bar, a chain of boutique candy shops featuring over 7,000 candies from around the world her reception featured waiters dressed in candy-colored vests and white top hats, brimmed in candy dots  serving candy cocktails. The sweet table was the centerpiece of her lavish wedding and reinforced her personal goal to “merge fashion, art and pop candy culture”.

When Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie married actor Josh Duhamel in an ‘enchanted garden’ themed wedding, she searched specifically with a location that had a pond so her husband could enjoy his favorite hobby (fishing). The pond was stocked with fish so Josh and their guests could fish during cocktail hour.

Nicole Richie wanted Elephant at her wedding. Why? They supposedly bring good blessing and fertility. Her “Versailles” themed wedding took place at her father’s estate where he sang for the newlyweds.  Another nice touch was having their names elegantly embroidered on the sleeve of her gown.

In a related elephant story, Russell Brand and Katy Perry rode elephants on the way to take their vows in India probably for the same reason. The elephants turned out to be a pair who had never been seperated so they walked side by side the entire way.

Molly Sims had her heart set on rose petals covering the entire walkway and the wedding planner obliged. It took  over 6,000 roses to cover the 10x 120 ft area. It was a nice touch which she recalls it as being the highlight of the decor.

Some of my other favorite  personal touches:

-Same sex couple Chely Wright and Lauren Blitzer opting for a casual country wedding and serving ‘pigs in a blanket’ at the reception because it is her dad’s favorite. Sweet.

Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo pulled a fireworks permit for their Virgin Island wedding so there would be a no-fly zone for paparazzi helicopters. Smart.

Sheri Shepherd’s only wish for her big day was to have a ‘choreographed’ bridal party dance. The end result was adorable and heartwarming. Stunning.

Whether you spend a million dollars or much less on your wedding, it is of the utmost importance to always put your individual stamp on it. Make it your own unique celebration of love with your future spouse and don’t be afraid to express your own personality. Those unique touches are the things you will remember fro years to come.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

 

Cutler/Cavallari Wedding – It’s On!

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This week we found out that our very own Chicago Bears Quarterback, Jay Cutler, has rekindled his engagement to his former fiance, Kristin Cavallari. Of course the media has bombarded them with questions about the date and location (he lives in Chicago and her primary residence is L.A.). For me, the bigger question is, ‘Will she do another pre-wedding photo shoot?’ Because according to my calculations, this might just be the mother of all “it’s bad luck to see the bride in (any) wedding gown before the big day” stories.

If you are just catching up; Jay Cutler is the QB for the Chicago Bears. Kristin Cavallari is a reality/actress/socialite who recently appeared on “Dancing With The Stars”.  The two became engaged and the wedding date was set for last summer. In June, Ms Cavallari was photographed in several bridal gowns for a Life & Style photo shoot.  4 days later he ended their relationship and just this week it is reported that they reconciled and are once again engaged to be married. Was one of the gowns she wore in the photo shoot one that she had selected for her wedding? Maybe not.  But, this is still a very odd coincidence in my book.

So, how do you break a curse, if there is one? 

When you are handed a second chance at happiness, it’s time to do things differently. If I were Kristin or Jay I would keep my lips sealed tightly shut. Of course I would opt for a quiet Chicago wedding and stay far away from the spotlight. Particularly any photo shoots with bridal gowns or endorsing any wedding related products until after the wedding. I would turn this wedding into a family event and not invite the HD reality TV crews. I would not use this as a way to gain publicity or attention and spend this time focusing on the relationship. The last highly publicized ‘reality darling/professional athlete’ wedding was an EPIC disaster (as if the  Hindenberg landed on the Titanic just as it was about to sink). If they are really committed, they will focus on the relationship and forget about the publicity.

Maybe I’m just being overly skeptical or maybe it comes from being a Cubs fan but, the last thing you want on your wedding day is the slightest hint of a curse. Better safe than sorry….. and whatever you do DON’T invite Steve Bartman.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

 

 

 

 

 

 

Show Me The Sleeve!

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In case you didn’t hear, there was a celebrity wedding last weekend. Not just any celebrity but, a  celebrity (?) who has 5 million twitter followers and has the rare  opportunity to change fashion. My hope was to  steer bridal fashion away from the bare shoulders which have completely dominated the first decade of the 21st century, sliding into the second decade still in first place. The Kardashian wedding had more security than a NATO conference and most of it was to ensure that no one took pictures and leaked anything in fear Mom Kardashian (Jenner) could not collect her 10% from the reported $18 million profit so, the only photo currently available  shows nothing but bare shoulders and a diamond (not swarovski) headband and veil. We’ll get back to the headband in a moment.

Maybe I missed something but, the one Vera Wang gown I saw (and the grainy photo of the bridesmaids) looked completely strapless. Wedding gown? Strapless. Bridesmaids? Strapless. Mermaid, ball gown, pencil skirt, satin, tulle or beaded –  it doesn’t really matter since what I was looking for was something with a little more style and coverage. Let me clear this up once and for all: I am not a prude. I don’t have any religious convictions that prohibit me or anyone from exposing their shoulders in church or during a religious ceremony. I don’t particularly care if someone wants to go topless, strapless or completely see-through. My (strong) opinions on this subject are strictly from a design standpoint. Strapless has been done to death and it has quite frankly become boring. Show me something with some style and class and couture detail, show me something other than your boobs! Don’t even get me started on how  few women really look good in strapless, especially larger busted or heavier women. Two words that should never enter your mind at a wedding: Backfat and Sideboob.

Last spring we witnessed Katherine Middleton become the Duchess of Cambridge in a Long sleeved lace gown. Her gown, no matter how beautiful, did not seem to make a bit of difference to designers. Last weekend Kim Kardashian had the opportunity  to  leave an indelible mark on fashion history, to send designers rushing back to the proverbial  drawing board in a  mad dash before next month’s Spring bridal market.  If the small photo I saw is any indication, I doubt if anyone is scrambling.  Maybe one of the other two gowns has some standout quality that I haven’t seen yet and I am completely wrong about the whole thing. I guess we will see when the pictures come out in People magazine.

Back to theheadband:  just like the strapless gown, the tiara seems to have run its course so it was nice to see somthing unique. The headband was unusual because it didn’t exactly frame the face – it was sitting in the middle of it. Unusual? Yes, and no. I’ve seen this before, many times but not for some time. This style was quite popular in the 1980’s and was often accented by a large teardrop shaped stone ( pearl or crystal) in the center. Of course back then it was flanked by dozens of yards of veiling with huge poufs of veiling in varying sizes scattered with sequins, crystals, pearls and everything but the kitchen sink. This was a  version of that and perhaps could inspire brides to revert back to this style. Of course most brides can’t afford $10 million dollars worth of bling. I wouldn’t place any bets on this since sometimes styles  find their place in history and stay there, like the fluorescent, bubble, lame bridesmaid gowns. They made sense in the ’80’s but not so much now and anyone who would dare to bring them back would be banished into bridesmaid hell…. for all eternity. My opinion? The headband was okay but looked costume-y and would have made perfect sense with Grecain style gown or a vintage 1920’s look. With the strapless gown (from  the limited amount I saw) it looked like a wedding scene from the early days of Dynasty. Actually Dynasty seems tame compared to the Kardashian /Jenner production.

So what does all this mean? Actually nothing. Not one thing has changed since Kate or Kim got married and even though a few designers are challenging the  strapless trend (Kudos) it will take the consumers to force the trend to change. I am excited to see what the designers have in store for the upcoming market since I have inside information that there are a few designers offering non-strapless choices. Hopefully instead of cleavage, we can talk  about sleeve-age.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

Whats the Difference?

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Once again I have been slapped in the face with a headline that I can’t seem to wrap my brain around. To better understand my confusion you have to understand that I love weddings.  ALL weddings… okay almost all weddings.

We live in a world where an engagement with a 60 year difference between the two parties  is front page news, everyone clamoring to get the scoop on why the bride backed out just days before the wedding. I would like to go on record as saying that it is probably because he is 60 years older than her. Maybe she didn’t want to marry a man who could be her grandfather, no matter how rich and powerful and exciting he may be. Interestingly enough I seem to be the only one who sees this. No offense, Hef – we get it: you like young blond women but, maybe not all young blond women like rich old men.

In the same world, teen pregnancy is both villified and celebrated on reality TV. Its okay to preach abstinence and not practice it. It’s okay to have a baby with no visible means of support as long as you can get on a reality TV show and make a name for yourself. Forget High School, just write a book, get a reality show and make some money. No one cares if you are educated enough to actually write the book  yourself, just have someone else do the work so you can cash the check and move on.

In another part of that same world, a headline appears announcing the marriage of a 16 year old child to a 51 year old man. Have you heard? The guy who played the creepy warden in ‘The Green Mile’ and some other show I never saw, tied the knot this week in Vegas to a 16 year old girl. I watched and loved this movie and by the end of it  I wound up hating this character and thinking to myself , “Wow – he must be a great actor to be able to carry off this part.” Turns out he really is creepy, no acting involved… just memorizing lines.

This is obviously the headline of which I speak. The fact they got married is less creepy than the fact that he has been dating a girl probably since she was 15. There is a name for guys like that – whats the word I am thinking of? It’s on the tip of my tongue…. Maybe I’m wrong but, what parent allows their young teenage child to date a late middle-aged man? It  is not the 35 year age difference that bothers me as much as the fact that she is 16 years old! If he was 61 and she was 26, I could care less. To get a little perspective; understand that my husband is nine years younger than me. We married when I was 39 and he was 30. At our current ages it seems like nothing but when he was 13 and I was 24, I wouldn’t have given him a second look. If I did, I would expect someone to call 911.   In most states it isn’t even  legal for a 15 or 16 year old to have an intimate sexual relationship with  a person over the age of 18…. but, with their parent’s consent they can get married. How is this possible? I am still confused, and still grossed out.

Oddly enough in that same world, The United States of America, only a handful of our beloved 50 states recognize marriage between two parties of the same sex , no matter their age. Two legal adults in a consensual relationship cannot share property or any  of the other rights afforded married couples because they are of the same sex. So while our legislators are busy defining marriage as between a man and a woman (even minors):  the economy is dumping it’s toxic waste on our standard of living, climate change  heats up and our jobs are shipped overseas. AND instead of issuing an arrest warrant for someone who apparently broke the law in ALL 50 states, we are forced to look at photos of creepy guy and child bride smiling and declaring that love is ageless. Love may be ageless but, in this case it can also be downright creepy.

Dear Media of all forms,

Please don’t show another picture of this couple together, one is enough.

Thank You

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

Celebrity Wedding Roundup

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Didn’t it seem like last year there were hardly any celebrity weddings? With the exception of the spectacular union of Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinky which had all the right elements including two Vera Wang gowns, secret service and Hollywood guest list.

This year getting married seems to be the new black in Hollywood, even Hugh Hefner is jumping on the bandwagon (again) after bachelor-ing it up on reality TV for several seasons. Probably most notable and most recent (and most interesting)  is the engagement of Kim Kardashian to her basketball playing fiance, Kris Humphries.  

I love celebrity weddings for a million reasons and I am often disappointed by them. I love seeing what they come up with given their seemingly limitless budgets and star-studded guestlists. I loved Celine Dion’s over-the-top wedding, except her hideous head gear. Seriously, what was that? I loved Mariah Carey’s fairy princess look at her first wedding even though in retrospect  it seems gaudy. And trust me, I was sore when I picked up a people magazine with a photo of Julia Roberts with Lyle Lovett in basically a nightgown with bare feet. I still don’t get it but, I eventually forgave her. 🙂

So as I await details of the  second trip down the aisle for Kim Kardashian, the Reality A-lister, I would expect to see a lot of pomp …. under the circumstances.  And, of course the speculation begins as to what (who) she will wear.

What will Kim wear? With a 20 carat, 2 million dollar engagement ring, the stakes are high. Vera Wang is very possible since her sister wore a Vera Wang for her wedding not so long ago and Vera Wang has the kind of name recognition that the Kardashian Klan adores. Of course there are dozens of suitable high end designers;  Amsale, Ines Di Santo, Rivini, Monique Lhullier… the list goes on. However, looking at pictures of Kim K and her flair for wearing body-hugging styles, my guess is Pnina Tornai or Stephen Yearick.  Furthermore, since Kleinfelds of  “Say Yes to The Dress” fame is the exclusive distributor for the Pnina Tornai collection, I think a reality  mega-merger is in store. Perhaps a  one hour special “Kim Takes Klenifeld’s”! I am quite often wrong when I speculate so don’t hold me to that. One thing is for sure, don’t look for her to be following the understated look worn recently by Catherine Middleton. In Hollywood less is never more and not enough is worse than nothing at all. Fortunately,  the Kardashian’s never disappoint when it comes to glitz and glamour. 

Here are my picks for the Kardashian bridal party:

Bridal Gown  – Tight fitting corset bodice with a tremendous, detailed skirt! I personally love this one-shoulder gown with the draped bodice. It is unique and fabulously couture!

Bridal Party – Something slim and flowing, something feminine and chic. For instance the pleated metallic halter  gown by Carmen Marc Valvo or a pastel gown executed flawlessly by the  Enzoani Love Collection. For something more vibrant, there is always a Redux Charles Chang-Lima silk gown in bright red.  These would look great on any of them or the Mother of the Bride.

Stay tuned as details of the big day unfold! Until then, you can see all of the latest designer gowns at each and every Bridal Expo. Or take a minute now to watch our couture runway show which (unlike some celebrity weddings) never disappoints. https://www.bridalshowexpo.com/fos_video_bride.html?PHPSESSID=c7dbb4fca519180d63d86a3f15f36209

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago