Admire: White – Not Just for Weddings!

While Breaking Bad was the hit of the night last night, there was sure a lot of good fashion on the red carpet that we couldn’t keep our eyes off of!  Of course we LOVE bursts of color in the summertime, but we are going to have a little recap of how white can be worn for any occasion, not just your wedding!

These are some of our top fav ladies dressed in white … *sigh*, beautiful dresses make us swoon!

Kristen Wiig in Vera Wang

Anna Chlumsky in Zac Posen

Lauren Parsekian in Lorena Sarbo, with husband Aaron Paul

Laverne Cox in Marc Bauwer

Lucy Liu in Zac Posen

Taylor Schilling in Zuhair Murad

Padma Lakshmi in Ralph Rucci

Michelle Monaghan in Giambattista Valli Couture

Sofia Vergara in Roberto Cavalli

Photo Credit and thanks go to Daily News and Vogue.

Admire: Hollywood Summer Weddings!

We all know summer is the most popular time for weddings, and Hollywood weddings are no exception! It has been a summer filled beautiful weddings (and some drool-worthy dresses!) for celebrity couples all over the world, so here are a few of our favorites:

Most Luxurious: Jessica Simpson & Eric Johnson

This long time couple finally said “I do” at San Ysidro Ranch outside of Santa Barbara, California. With both of their young children and a bevy of celebrities, this twosome celebrated under thousands of lights, candles and flowers. And in a custom Carolina Herrera dress no less! The bride was inspired by her favorite film, the 1998 film version of “Great Expectations” (what a wild choice!), but alas, photos are limited. We highly recommend you go pick up that issue of People Magazine because the actual photos are gorgeous!

Photo Courtesy of People.com

Most Out-There Dress Choice: It’s a tie! Piper Perabo AND Olivia Palermo

Both of these stylish ladies rocked very unique wedding day styles. Actress Piper Perabo stunned in a metallic silver, leopard print Michael Kors gown with a yellow veil (what a combo!) during her New Orleans nuptials to director Stephen Kay. Surprisingly, with the mishmash of textures and colors, it all seems to go together! On the other hand, while style maven Olivia Palermo looked very traditional in flowy white, she revealed that this Carolina Herrera confection was actually all about comfort–she’s wearing shorts! Hard to notice those while she’s standing next to one divinely handsome groom–Johannes Huebel!

Best Take on a Traditional Dress: Cheryl Hines

While she was marrying political royalty, Cheryl Hines went for a whimsical take on traditional! For marrying Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Hines donned a cocktail length Romona Keveza dress with strappy metallic sandals.

Photo courtesy of People.com

Best Reunion at a Wedding (and coolest cake): Dave Coulier

Weddings are always a reunion of some type–family, friends, classmates, the list goes on! But Dave Coulier can brag he had a mini Full House reunion at his Montana ranch wedding to Melissa Bring. Doesn’t John Stamos make quite the dreamy guest? To top it off, look at this unique wedding cake made by the maid-of-honor’s mom!

Best Surprise Wedding: Naya Rivera and Ryan Dorsey

Having only recently ended an engagement 3 months prior, actress Naya Rivera shocked Hollywood by announcing she had married long time friend, actor Ryan Dorsey, in an intimate beach side affair in Cabo san Lucas. But she did manage to find the time to get her hands on a stunning, lacy Monique Lhuillier gown!

Best Tennessee Wedding: Kimberly Perry & JP Arencibia

Hollywood even makes it way out to Tennessee, folks! Singer Kimberly Perry married baseball player JP Arencibia in Greeneville, the bride’s hometown. Celebrities such as Carrie Underwood and Blake Shelton trekked over from Nashville for the fete.

Maybe the Cheesiest, but Most Hilarious Wedding Photo Ever: Jeff Goldblum & Emilie Livingston

Yes, every wedding does have its share of cheesy and staged photos. But to capitalize on his “Jurassic Park” fame, actor Jeff Goldblum raised the stakes with this awesome pic:

And that’s a wrap! Thanks Hollywood for another beautiful summer of weddings!

 

Time Flies When You’re Having Fun!

Not sure if you noticed, but a little bit of time has flown by without a post from us!  So sorry to keep you hanging, but we’ve been working away between weddings and showers and soaring around the West Coast.  We have loads of pictures to come, so thanks for hanging with us as some of our fave photographers work hard to beautify their craft and get us pictures to die for!

In the meantime, it feels amazing to be back at home and away from the road for a few days!  I was so excited to come home last night to flowers all over my house from my husband and my favorite assistant Ike.  My office feels bright and cozy today and I’m ready to get settled in for the day!

Have a good week and check in with you soon!
xoxo,
CLD

Admire: Paris, Florence & Kimye

Ok, we know it too: everyone knows Kim K and Kanye got married a few weeks ago. Are you tired of hearing about it? Probably. But at CLD, we still can’t really get over it because it looked pretty darn awesome. Actually, it looked amazing.

Their wedding journey starts in one of CLD’s all time favorite cities: PARIS. Kim tried to keep some traditions by wearing white throughout her time there, especially for her bachelorette party and rehearsal dinner.  Kim stunned in a Balmain mini dress for her romp around the city with her gal pals. The next morning the Kardashian clan traveled to the private estate of Valentino for a morning brunch. Kim again looked amazing in a custom Valentino creation, giving off the illusion that she was covered in butterflies.

Kim’s sexy Balmain bachelorette dress. Photo courtesy of People.com

Kimye flanked by Valentino at their rehearsal brunch. Photo courtesy of Eonline.com

We definitely have to talk about the rehearsal dinner, because while details are sparse, we do know that it was held at Versailles. Yup, you heard that right: Versailles. While we at CLD would typically not recommend inviting 600 guests to such an event, that’s what Kimye did. All of those guests were treated to a private performance by Lana del Rey and a 7 minute fireworks show. OK, if this is just the rehearsal dinner, how amazing must the wedding have been?

Kimye at their rehearsal dinner. Photo courtesy of People.com

The wedding crew then packed up their things and were flown the next morning, via private jet of course, to Florence for the wedding festivities. (Side note, seems a little risky to expose your skin to high altitudes and dryness of flying on your wedding day… unless you have a team of stylists to make you look perfect, we don’t suggest flying on the day of!).

The festivities took place at the Forte di Belevedere, a private castle in Florence. Again, details are very sparse, but it’s hard to ignore this jaw-dropping flower backdrop for the ceremony!

Look at those flowers! No bouquet necessary. Picture courtesy of Eonline.com

Kim and company also did a great job of keeping her wedding dress well under wraps until the big day. Turns out the bride wore a custom Givenchy Haute Couture gown (that reportedly cost upwards of $500,000), and it actually was quite conservative compared to the rest of her wedding week wardrobe! The dress was long sleeved, high necked and covered in lace, but was nonetheless gorgeous. The dress also featured a flowing train and matching, floor length silk veil.

Look at that train! Photo courtesy of Instagram.com

Walking back down the aisle. Photo courtesy of Eonline.com

We don’t know what really happened during the party that followed, but we can tell you that one of wedding’s biggest trends was alive and well at this one: the Photobooth.

Great use of the Photo Booth. Image courtesy of Instagram.com

Love those matching jackets! Hopefully, some day we’ll have a better idea of what all went down at the reception and get some amazing inspiration for our Pinterest boards. Until then, we hope these pictures will satisfy our curiosity and envy!

 

Admire: Las Vegas!

Viva Las Vegas!

While Christina is blissfully celebrating the oh-so-awesome news of the nearing addition to our CLD family, the other half of CLD was out touring Las Vegas! And as a wedding planners, of course the first thing we think about in Vegas is weddings!

We know that in recent years Vegas may not be the first place you think about when it comes to weddings thanks to The Hangover, Britney Spears’ 51-hour-whirlwind-wedding, and much, much more. But if you take a closer look, Vegas has so much to offer not just in terms of an expansive variety of venues, but so much inspiration too.

The possibilities here are seemingly endless. While most think that Vegas weddings either take place very quickly in a little chapel or in a huge ballroom at a casino, there is so much more! Poolside settings are available at almost every major resort, each with their own unique touches. How cool would it be to get married overlooking the iconic fountains at the Bellagio? You totally can. Do you want an Italian-inspired (or even Parisian) wedding without having to fly across the world? You can get married in the Italian halls of the Venetian (complete with a romantic gondola ride!), or under the slightly-smaller-version of the Eiffel Tower at Paris. Wynn and Encore offer everything from tranquil garden settings, modern and edgy ballrooms, or a complete Zen vibe by utilizing their spa!

Just walking the strip and checking out all of the amazing sights has made this wedding planner giddy! Fun, romance, glamour, and love–Vegas has it all 🙂

Image courtesy of Vegas.com

Gondolas at the Venetian

Modern at Planet Hollywood

Bellagio Fountains

Tranquil spa setting at the Wynn!

Garden ceremonies at the Wynn.

Vintage Priscilla Presley. Where else would the King have gotten married?

Loving Las Vegas!

Admire: 2014 Bling Tally

We are one quarter of the year down, so we thought it was time to look at the gorgeous engagement rings thus far, of 2014.  I mean, what woman doesn’t love to ogle diamonds?  You’re either crazy, or just a way more humble person than us 🙂

Trends that we’ve noticed?  The round and the unique.  We’re not talking your traditional 5-pronged, brilliant-cut, simple ring.  We are talking brilliant with distinction; a new way of exhibiting the simple.  And on the contrary, some of these second-time brides are going bigger, funkier and bolder.  Enjoy!

Emma Roberts – keeping in beautiful and simple to match her young age.

Lauren Conrad – we expected something different to match her style, but still a classic beauty!

Amber Heard – anything but boring and round. We would kill to know Johnny Depp’s story behind this purchase.

Mary Kate Olsen – a ring fit for a princess. The regal elegance will last a lifetime

Mila Kunis – We love a big stone on a delicate band, and it suits Mila’s hand perfectly.

Olivia Wilde – this mama-to-be is keeping her ring gorgeous and simple her second time around.

Ashlee Simpson – From emerald, bejeweled ring first time around, this time her fiance selected something less girly and more unique to fit their personalities and lifestyle.

Scarlett Johansson – keeping on trend for second marriages, Scarlett went for a unique, ornate ring that is clearly one of a kind.

Kim Kardashian – No one makes a statement quite like this one, her ring is nothing to be overlooked her third time around.

Admire: Hollywood Heads South!

As the East Coast continues to get hit with snow (even though spring did start this week!), celebs have made the smart decision to head south for their later winter-early spring nuptials. Here are a few of our favorite recent warmer-weather weddings!

Savannah Guthrie & Michael Feldman

While many Americans wake up to see Savannah Guthrie on their TV screens every morning she managed to pull a fast one on everyone, surprising the country with her super-secret wedding on March 15. Guthrie and Feldman fled the New York freeze and married in Tuscon, Arizona–close to Guthrie’s hometown (yes, hometown weddings still exist!).

Guthrie stunned in a lace Monique Lhuillier gown and carried local wildflowers. A mariachi band serenaded the couple as they walked back down the aisle. While the guest count was only around 80 people, plenty of stars made the trip to Arizona (and managed to keep quiet about the whole thing!): co-anchor Matt Lauer, Al Roker, Hoda Kotb, and rocker Jon Bon Jovi. But Guthrie surprised her guests one more time, by revealing that the happy couple were also expecting!  Following the wedding, guests were also treated to a very special and intimate wedding favor: handwritten notes from the couple.

Stacy Keibler & Jared Pobre

In another surprise wedding, TV host Stacy Keibler wed tech entrepreneur Jared Pobre in sunny Mexico on March 5th. The happy couple surprised their whole family by announcing during a joint-family vacation in Punta Mita that they had already planned for their nuptials to occur the next evening! Keibler and Pobre wed on the beach next to luxury villa Palmasola right at sunset with the bride donning a custom made Monique Lhuillier gown.

Congrats to both happy couples and we hope all of our readers are staying warm wherever they are!

 

Admire: Oscar Fashion = Wedding Inspiration!

Admire: Oscar Inspiration

Hollywood’s annual biggest night of glamour is not just helpful for helping you pick out what movies to see—it can be a major source of inspiration for weddings!

As this year’s red carpet seemed to feature an unusually high number of white gowns, we at CLD thought we’d take this opportunity to highlight a few of our favorites! We definitely have a few brides that are about to start dress shopping…

Kristen Bell

Photo courtesy of Usweekly.com

Kristen Bell has said that her Oscar night look was inspired by her movie, “Frozen,” but we have a sneaking suspicion that because the actress opted for an impromptu courthouse ceremony this year, she decided to get her bridal fix at the Oscars. Her ice-white Robert Cavalli gown was strapless and featured a structured bodice with a corset back. The bodice also had flower details with a ruffled lower half, leading to a small train from the mermaid style.

Naomi Watts & Calista Flockhart

Photo courtesy of eonline.com

Photo courtesy of eonline.com 

Both of these stunning ladies brought the cap sleeve back! This detail is great for a bride that perhaps wants a little bit more coverage.  Flockhart’s dress, by Andrew Gn, also features gorgeous lace detailing and appliques, whereas Watt’s Calvin Klein confection is perfect for a the flashier bride with all those sequins! And as you can see, just because you are covered up doesn’t mean that your dress cannot be form-fittingly beautiful and a little bit sexy!

Lupita N’yongo

Photo courtesy of people.com

While this dress isn’t white, it’s beautiful shape and draping are too perfect to ignore. N’yongo has been ruling the red carpet these last few months and her Prada creation was the perfect compliment to such a winning evening! The plunging neckline may be a bit for some brides, but the full skirt is a feast for the eyes!

Christina’s Favorite: Cate Blanchett

Photo courtesy of us weekly.com

The Oscar winner’s gold dress sure was appropriate for her win that evening! But the beautiful floral appliques adorning this fresh-from-the-runway Armani bring a refreshing feminine grace. We are now predicting some serious florals to make an appearance down wedding aisles!

Emma’s Favorite: Sandra Bullock

The sweetheart neckline has always been a bridal gown classic, but  the gathered side and draping of Sandra Bullock’s Alexander McQueen is seriously sexy! Transforming this dress with a cream or champagne satin instead of the navy, and you have one beautiful wedding dress!

We hope these selections assist you on your way to the dress store!!

 

Admire: Paris

Bonjour belle lecteurs!

After a whirlwind week in Paris, I came back admiring and in love with the french lifestyle.  From the chewy macaroons to the ornate, art deco style, how could you not be inspired by beauty that is completely contradictory to our homeland, the US?  It is travel that inspires us to keep coming up with new things, and this trip was no different.

The architecture, the history, the cuisine and the fashion; that Paris is a hot spot for calling trends is no mystery.  Here are some of our favorites from the quick whisk away to Paris!

(fashion: elie saab spring 2014 during paris haute couture fashion week)

Admire: Holiday Hollywood Weddings!

While summer is usually the most popular season for weddings, this past December and New Years’ is proving to be just as busy for Hollywood! Here are some highlights of a few beautiful weddings that closed out 2013 and ushered in 2014!

Kaley Cuoco & Ryan Sweeting

Hollywood’s most talked about NYE wedding was easily the union of Kaley Cuoco and Ryan Sweeting. Hosted at Hummingsbird Nest Ranch in Santa Sosana, California (a venue we are dying to work at!), Cuoco walked down the aisle in a custom Vera Wang pink gown fit for a princess! The theme of the evening was “Fire & Ice,” featuring crystal chandeliers, white roses and hydrangeas, and white tree branches covered in christmas lights. The prize-piece of the event? A fabulous, upside down chandelier cake. Kudos to Kaley for planning such a stunning event in only 3 months time!

Photo Courtesy Kaley Cuoco via Instagram

Photo Courtesy Kaley Cuoco via Instagram

Justin Bartha & Lia Smith

The Hangover actor and his longtime love tied the knot in Oahu, Hawaii on January 4, 2014.  The couple were married close to the water at sunset and were joined by Hollywood friends Reese Witherspoon, Jesse Eisenberg and Ken Jeong. The reception followed at Kualoa Ranch. Wedding photos have been sparse, but we love this shot of the couple shortly after the wedding as they show off the awesome studded flats sported by the bride!

Photo Courtesty of USMagazine.com

Vanessa Carlton & John McCauley 

Of course being surrounded by family and close (celebrity) friends is a must for any Hollywood wedding, but how about having your wedding officiated by a celeb friend? Singer Vanessa Carlton and musician John McCauley did just that, having the incomparable Stevie Nicks officiate! The couple kept things low key, with the bride wearing a simple, long sleeved gown, holding a small bouquet, and donning a purple flower headpiece.

Photo Courtesy of Vanessa Carlton via People.com

We’ll keep you updated on the great celeb weddings throughout 2014!