Southern Weddings

If you’re just tuning in, be sure to see part one of our Behind the Scenes of Bridal Market 2015 recaps here!

One of the most fun things about Bridal Market is the number of “is this real life” moments, and the Marchesa presentation was definitely one of them. We arrived a few minutes early, so we headed out to the balcony for a glass of champagne and pictures with the incredible skyline in the background! We lucked out with gorgeous weather for almost the entire week, and we loved soaking it in for a few moments outside. Also, I always joke with Emily that since I manage the Southern Weddings Instagram account, I’m on my phone in every “behind the scenes” picture of me–but I think the one below is by far the most glamorous of them all. Thanks, Kat! :)

The Marchesa Fall 2016 collection was packed with stunning gowns–from lace patterns to intricate beading, the detail work was incredible. We especially loved the silhouettes they used, like that lovely peplum! You can see another one of our favorite gowns here.

We had a little break for dinner in between Marchesa and the Claire Pettibone show, but first, Kristin and Kat couldn’t resist recreating one of Kristin’s Bridal Market photos from 2012! How darling is she? We’re so grateful to have had Kat with us again this year.

While Kristin and I polished off this meal at Cookshop, as per Kat’s recommendation, she headed to The Prince George Ballroom to shoot backstage before the Claire Pettibone show. Claire’s show is definitely a highlight every year–the gowns are like works of art, the styling is incredible, and the venue is always magical. This year was no exception, and we loved seeing these moments Kat captured leading up to the action!

How fun are these sweet shots? Love seeing those smiles and high fives after a fabulous show! P.S. That’s Claire Pettibone herself on the bottom right in the floral blouse!

That was only the first of five action-packed days, and you can see the rest on Instagram! Check out our #SWBridalMarket hashtag to see all our favorite gowns from Carolina Herrera, Lela Rose, Badgley Mischka, Ines Di Santo, Amsale, Christos, Kenneth Pool, Rivini, Monique Lhuillier, Hayley Paige, Jim Hjelm, Alvina Valenta, Lazaro, Sareh Nouri, Modern Trousseau, Liancarlo, Heidi Elnora, Kate McDonald Bridal, Romona Keveza, Olia Zavozina, Carol Hannah, and BHLDN. We hope y’all loved following along!

P.S. Huge hugs and thanks to Kat Harris for capturing this exciting day!

Written with love by Lisa

Hi friends! After five fabulous, fun, and very exhausting days at Bridal Market, Kristin and I are home sweet home, and excited to share our adventure! If you’re a longtime reader, you may remember that we usually do a series of Bridal Market recaps to show you our favorite designs from every show. We decided to do things a little differently this year, sharing all of the gorgeousness live via Instagram (we used #SWBridalMarket so it’s super easy to find our posts!) and on Snapchat, and using the blog to show you some behind the scenes peeks at what a crazy day at Market is like, plus some exclusive backstage looks at some of our favorite shows. The talented Kat Harris tagged along with us on our first afternoon of Market, and I’m giddy with excitement to share what she captured along the way!

Thanks to wakeup calls of 4 and 6 AM before our flights from Orlando and Raleigh respectively, there was no way Kristin and I were trusting ourselves to get Market-ready, so as soon as we got off the plane, we beelined to Drybar. We joked that this was possibly one of our best ideas of the trip–it was so nice to take a breather and mentally prepare for the day while someone else took charge of giving us pretty curls and Southern volume!

With our hair in place, we headed through Bryant Park to the New York Public Library to go over our notes and schedule and make sure our game plan for the day was set. As brief as this stop was, it was extra special to me–my mom used to eat lunch on these steps every day when she worked in publishing in Manhattan! I love thinking about her sitting in that same spot when she was around my age.

Ducks in a row and papers in order, we hopped into a taxi to Carolina Herrera‘s showroom (see photos here and here) and then to Lela Rose‘s presentation (here and here!). In the meantime, Kat headed over to the studio where the Anne Barge show was being held to capture some photos backstage. She was the only photographer there, so we’re thrilled that these photos are exclusive to SW and a special peek just for y’all!

The Anne Barge Fall 2016 collection was full of classic silhouettes, sweet touches of lace, and just the right number of unexpected details (hello, high-low skirt!)…plus, the most adorable flower girls! We love the Southern sensibility Anne designs with–all of her gowns are totally wearable for a stylish belle.

After the show, Kristin hailed a taxi like a pro and we were off to Canoe Studios for Marchesa! Isn’t her Camilyn Beth dress the cutest?

Stay tuned for Part 2 this afternoon!

Written with love by Lisa