Wedding Envy- Cocktail Edition

Happy Hump Day NBs! This week's wedding envy is inspired by some great cocktails I had over the weekend- including my very first Pimm's Cup (highly recommended)! Expensive cocktails are pretty easy to come by- and I'm not talking about $20 for a rum and coke kind of expensive, I'm talking hundreds if not thousands of dollars kind of expensive. Most of these cocktails include some sort of gold dusting or even pieces of jewelry floating around with the ice cubes. This particular drink, however, is special- not because it comes garnished with something sparkly, but because it's historic! Available at The Merchant House in Belfast, this Mai Tai will cost you roughly $1400! The reason? It's made with Wray & Nephew 17 year old rum- the original key ingredient that inspired Trader Vic to make the original Mai Tai cocktail at his bar in Oakland, California in 1944. There are only six bottles of this stuff in circulation, and this one at The Merchant House is probably the only one actually being drunk. So if you're REALLY in to Mai Tai's- this is the drink for you! Just make sure the person making the drink really knows what they're doing...

Meow- Kitten heels!

Some of us were just not meant to walk around in six inch heels. Or some of us (including yours truly) don't want to look taller than our s.o. on our wedding day. A heel, however, just seems to make you look leaner and more streamlined. The perfect solution? Kitten heels! Definitely a happy compromise for those looking for a bit of height but who don't want to teeter around for hours on end. In these options you can happily take command of the dance floor without sacrificing an ounce of style.

Top to Bottom: 1. Red Petra Pumps by Sam Edelman ($99); 2. "Lyon" Antique Gold Kitten Heel by Jimmy Choo ($525); 3. Camel Kitten Heel Pump by Shoebox ($150); 4. Champagne Sadie Pump by RSVP ($75)

Wedding Envy- Cleopatra Edition

Happy rainy/snowy hump day NBs! Things are a-changing over here at Newfangled as you might notice. After Madame G and I took a closer look at the stats for our page traffic, it became clear that our site was coming up in google searches for non-wedding related topics. Like, REALLY non-wedding related topics. So, we're sorry if our site accidently interrupted anyone's, ahem, "extracurricular activities." As a result, we're changing the weekly wedding porn entries to "wedding envy." No, the title is not as snazzy, but at least it will stop popping up as the second link when one googles "newfangled porn." (And yes, we're still trying to figure out what that is...).

But as always, onwards and upwards! This week's wedding envy is in honor of Liz Taylor's unexpected passing. It's really strange timing for me especially, since just yesterday I finished Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff. So, we present to you a modern bridal version of Cleopatra, (presumably to be worn with way less eye makeup). The pearls are an especially important detail since, according to Schiff, they were considered the diamonds of Cleopatra's age. These golden South Sea pearls from Mikimoto are just the thing to brighten up Thakoon's lovely draped gown!

Top to Bottom: 1. Thakoon Addition Strapless Draped Gown available at Shopbop ($990); 2. Sienna Necklace from Mikimoto ($330,000); 3. Water Lily Earrings from Mikimoto ($9,500).

Details, details, details!

It's easy to get caught up in planning the bigger parts of your wedding- the venue, the dress, the cake etc.- but it seems to me that the small details are the ones that really make a wedding stand out. Adding little touches here and there can really show how much thought and care (and styling!) go into planning your day. These bits and pieces above are a great (and inexpensive)way to add a little something special to your wedding! Just be sure not to go overboard with the details- one or two are great, but it reminds me of the advice my grandmother always gave me terms of jewelry- before you leave the house, take one thing off. You don't want to look over-styled! And you don't want to drive yourself insane searching for the perfect hand towels for the bathroom....

Top to Bottom: 1. Wild Blueberry Cupcake Cups, set of 50 from CuteCups ($2); 2. Love Bird Place Cards, set of 50 from Timeless Paper ($50); 3. Hand-cut Paper Heart Garland from Paper Polaroid ($18); 4. Yellow Candy Striped Straws, set of 25 from janeecollings ($7.95); 5. Cheers Pennant Drink Stirrers, set of 25 from Paper Anniversary ($8).

To love, honor, and to make sure the trash gets taken out...

A humorous piece of jewelry found on one of my too frequent strolls through the internet...

 

Very amusing! I wonder who thought of this!

Wedding Porn- St. Patrick's Day Edition

Ok, so I'm a day early- but really, it's sort of like St. Patrick's Week over here in NYC! This week's wedding porn is inspired by Ireland, a wonderful option for a destination wedding. If you want to make a big impression on your guests, getting married in a castle is a damn good way to go about doing it! Cabra Castle is located in Co. Cavan, roughly an hour away from Dublin. Dating back several hundred years, the castle and grounds are rich with history. What makes this wedding venue even better is that there are eighty guest rooms in the castle itself- so guests can enjoy the grounds and activities (golfing or skeet shooting anyone?) before and after the wedding ceremony and reception. It's also easier for guests to fall back to their rooms after the wedding reception- the Irish take their weddings pretty seriously and they usually don't end until the wee hours of the morning. Judging from the pictures, the castle definitely has that "wow" factor, without being to fluffy or precious. This isn't your average Disney Princess castle- but it's the perfect venue for the history nerd couple who want to do something different! Check out their website here!

Succulent Succulents

Succulents are becoming increasingly popular for weddings, though they are still quite unique and rare to see. I think they make a wonderful alternatives to traditional flowers, and look!- they come in a stunning array of colors, shapes, and sizes. On top of that, they are incredibly durable and eco-friendly. Depending on where you live, they can be downright inexpensive to boot!

                               Flowers by Flora Grubb

They’re beautiful as bouquets- you can opt for soft greens or bold purples and plums…

     Left: Flowers by Flora Grubb , Right: Flowers by L’Oasis

They can be mixed with other kinds of flowers to create centerpieces for formal chic to rustic chic affairs.

In the past couple of months, I've been seeing more and more NYC florists incorporate succulents into their arrangements (particularly with orchids)- NB's got the finger on the pulse of floral fashion!

  Flowers by L’Oasis

Wedding Porn- Pricey Blooms Edition

Happy Hump Day! Here are some pretty flowers to make the week go by faster! Want to add a wow factor to your bouquet? Try adding one or two of the orchids above. In 2005, the orchid was sold at auction for just over $200,000! It was cultivated by the agricultural research group Shenzhen Nongke and represents a completely new and unique species. I'll admit, it looks a lot like other orchids, I've seen- I definitely prefer the 17th Semper Augustus tulip which, in the hey day of tulip-mania cost around 10,000 guilders per bulb (which could also get you a big house in the fashionable district of Amsterdam). Unfortunately, this variety no longer exists, but of course you can buy similar variegated for a way, way lower price.

Ooh La La!

Garters! Originally intended to hold up stockings, the wedding variety are seen as good luck charms or, when tossed, the male equivalent of catching the bouquet (the removal and tossing of the garter is apparently also symbolic of the "deflowering" of the bride- another reason to be embarrassed when your new spouse starts digging around under your dress in front of a room full of people). If you decide to partake in this tradition, there are lots of unique garters to choose from. These have a handmade quality to them that is extra special- you might even wind up chasing down the garter catcher to ask for it back!

Top to bottom: 1. Hannah Bridal Garter from Lo Boheme ($70); 2. Luna Bridal Garter from Lo Boheme ($90); 3. Blue Bird Garter from Twigs & Honey ($42); 4. Spring Awakening You Are My Sunshine Shabby Chic Garter from Sweetly Fallen ($36); 5. Fairy Tale Garter from Woomi ($26).

Something Blue

Need a little inspiration for your something blue? Check out some eye catching options above!

Top to Bottom: 1. Elopement Pumps from BHLDN, available at www.bhldn.com ($340); 2. Starry Night invitation set from A Printable Press, www.printablepress.com; 3. Featherweight Cashmere Cardigan in Hthr Algae from Jcrew, www.jcrew.com ($158); 4. Polly Wales Empress Ring available at Cat Bird, www.catbirdnyc.com ($1,650); 5. Bottega Veneta Knot Intrecciato Satin Clutch, available Net A Porter, www.net-a-porter.com ($1,220).

Wedding Porn- The Alexander McQueen Edition

Hello NBs! This week's wedding porn entry is dedicated to the late and great fashion designer Alexander McQueen. An exhibition of his work is set to open at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in May and the buzz it's causing has inspired me to troll Net-a-Porter's collection for some wedding friendly pieces. Besides the envy-causing, insomnia-inducing pieces above, there are several truly sexy, little, black dresses that I wouldn't mind having in my closet. Just be warned, if you let your mom wear one of those on your wedding day, you will definitely be upstaged! All the above are available on http://www.net-a-porter.com/.

Top to Bottom: 1. Brass Flower Ring ($225); 2. Crepe Halterneck Dress ($2,195); 3. New Box Knuckle-Duster Leather Clutch ($1,760); 4. Brittania Punk Leather Box Clutch ($1,495); 5. Lace-Covered Satin Pumps ($995)

Non-Floral Centerpieces

I'm a huge flower-lover myself, but between table arrangements, bouquets and boutonnieres, flowers can easily become one of the most expense elements of a wedding. That's why, it's always good to keep your eyes open for non-floral options for table centerpieces. Candles are a great alternative, they can add drama to a table with very little effort and expense. I especially love this candle holder from Anthropologie- it's a quirky and dramatic but elegant take on a standard candelabra. And at $38 per holder, you can certainly save a lot of money! Imagine how great it would look in a garden wedding with mismatched china patterns at each setting!

Springing Sprigs Candelabra from Anthropologie (www.anthropologie.com), $38.