Marilyn said (sang) it best: “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend”

Specializing in beautiful custom sets for you and those nearest and dearest to you, Harpers Love is sure to be a best friend of yours, too.  I am totally in love with the custom earring sets– where you can select the cut, color and style of your set and truly make it your own.  These make the perfect gift for the bride that she could wear for her wedding day and pass down as an heirloom.  There are also gorgeous pendants that can be personalized for a truly unique piece that you know she will love.

Harpers Love is offering Cocktails & Details lovers a 15% discount with the code TRYIT15.  This gives you a sweet discount for your order and a gorgeous one of a kind piece for that special someone.

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The latest collection inspired by designer Rani Totman’s  roots in Thailand,  regenerates true romance. A focus on texture and lace gives this collection an angelic and romantic feel. The collection consists of elegant form fitting gowns that have become extremely popular with the St. Pucchi bride along with tiered skirts, fit and flare as well as a few traditional ball gowns, some with exaggerated trains. Along with the staple strapless choices in the collection, Rani has designed a versatile selection of cap, strap and long sleeve gowns.

The collection also offers short, flirty gowns to complement the line– perfect for the rehearsal dinner or impromptu dress change for late night celebrating during the reception.

As I was thumbing through the Summer lookbook for Laundry, I fell in love with the summer dresses! I thought they would be perfect for the St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island wedding rehearsal dinner parties here in our area.  Our weather is inviting all year round, so they are totally reflective of the occasion– chic with the right touch of formal, while still adding a bit of personality.

For more great looks, visit the Laundry site to get inspired!

Gay of Cottage Flowers and I have been friends for the longest time.  We’ve drank mimosas while designing, we’ve created some of the most beautiful weddings together, and we are truly good friends. When she got engaged, the screaming went on for approximately five minutes– straight.  Needless to say, the details of the wedding reflected Gay’s bubbly, feminine and classic personality. Bringing in peonies and lush hydrangeas, paired with some antique lanterns and chandeliers made for beautiful tablescapes.  To fill the St. Simons Casino Atrium’s ceiling, we hung round lanterns overhead.  Both popular fixtures in Saint Simons Island, over 320 people showed up for their wedding!

What made this wedding so much fun and meaningful were the personal touches.  Gay and Richard had their parents’ wedding rings remade— Richard had Gay’s late father’s wedding band remade into a beautiful ring for Gay, and he wore his father’s ring.  Additionally, wrapped around Gay’s bouquet was a large swatch of beaded lace from Richard’s sister’s wedding dress, which as a boy, Richard had helped stitch and bead. Gay had a matron of honor AND best man–her co-designer Ruby and Ruby’s husband, Richard.  The groom on the other hand, had eleven groomsmen– all of which dressed as the Blues Brothers.  You’ll be tickled to know that Richard came down the aisle to “Soul Man”, flanked by his guys.

Another great pleasure was to work with so many of my favorite vendors, who really pulled together to give one of our own a beautiful wedding.  This is one of my favorite pictures from the night of Brian from Tasteful Temptations who did the catering and Gay catching up at the end of the evening:

Wedding Venue: Saint Simons Casino
Wedding Coordination:  Cocktails & Details
Wedding Florals & Décor:  Cottage Flowers
Photography:  Jennifer Leigh Photography
Catering:  Tasteful Temptations
Wedding Cake:  Mary Ann Daniels
Band: Fish Fry

The trendsetting company introduced 75 new dazzling invitation designs that are sure to be all the rage for the wedding season.  Their forecast:  Metallic pastels, die-cut shapes and custom calligraphy accents are essential for 2013 weddings.

So what’s new?

–  Die-cuts arrive. Die-cuts are an exciting new embellishment for 2013 –these sophisticated shapes instantly up the elegance factor on any invitation by adding soft curves or bold lines. Bella Figura can also create a distinctive, custom die-cut shape for any occasion for a truly one-of-a-kind piece.

–  New foil colors (including pastels!) Metallics were extremely popular in 2012, and with classic, glamorous weddings making a strong comeback, foil is a style that’s definitely here to stay. 7 new foil colors have been added to Bella Figura’s offerings, including sophisticated neutrals (like pearl, a soft white foil, and tawny, a beautiful taupe foil) as well as lovely pastels (mint! lilac! pink!). For couples looking to make
a statement, foil stamping looks breathtaking when paired with letterpress. And for those who aren’t ready to commit to a lot of shine, adding a foil edge to an invitation is a great way to embellish without going overboard.

–  10 custom calligraphy styles, including Callaway (a rich, formal hand by Sarah Hanna), as well as 6 whimsical styles from Bella Figura’s newest calligrapher, Elizabeth Hardin, are new for 2013. Bella Figura offers over 30 hand calligraphy styles from 7 of the nation’s top calligraphers.

–  Incorporate local touches with new maps and cityscapes. Turn a cityscape or vintage map of a wedding location (or any location!) into a custom envelope liner. Bella Figura’s designers can also create custom maps that coordinate with an invitation design.

–  Create colorful envelope liners with your favorite hues. Introduce more colors to an invitation suite with Bella Figura’s new patterned envelope liners. Choose a combination of colors from Bella Figura’s 60+ inks, then choose from over 40 patterns to create a vibrant envelope liner. Patterned envelope liners from Bella Figura are 100% post-consumer waste recycled and FSC-certified. The line also carries a variety of FSC-certified metallic envelope liners and eco colored envelopes.

See more of these gorgeous designs and concepts at the Bella Figura site and be sure to follow them on Twitter at @BellaFigura 

Luvocracy carries the best, most unique wedding products from every online shop imaginable – all on one convenient, beautiful, and well-curated site.

Below are our Top 10 Thank You Note recommendations, with at least one sure to appeal to every type of bride imaginable!

For The Modernist:  Morse Code

For The Traditionalist: White on White Roses

For The Vintage Bride: Old School

For The Minimalist: Small Card. Big Thank You.

For The Hipster: Stache & A Kiss

For The Destination Bride:  Par Avion

For The Preppy Bride:  Anchors Away

For The Busy Bride: Thank You Checklist

For The Outdoorsy Bride:  Carving Your Thanks

For The Bride Who Can’t Wait To Show Off Her Wedding Photos

“I was inspired by my recent Holiday to the Riviera Maya and a walk I had taken with my family on the beach.

We found so many wonderful seashells of the most incredible shades of coral, sand and mother of pearl.
These beautiful souvenirs have graced the corner of my deck, reminding me everyday of the sunlight on my face and the warmth I felt being surrounded by the ones I love.
It is that feeling I wish to share with brides wearing my collection.”

Here are the sketches of Rita’s inspiration. I cannot wait to see them in person!

Art of Imagination, Chicago’s leading source for creative yet functional weddings and event design, is hosting a Bridal Gown Giveaway!

To reward all you creative, imaginative brides, Art of Imagination has partnered with the Jenny Yoo Collection, the Left Bank Jewelry and Crowne Plaza Hotel in this Bridal Gown Giveaway!

All you have to do is tell us: How are you bringing creativity and imagination to your wedding day?

To be considered, you must enter yourself on the website, share your story and include an image of you & your fiancé. The top five most creative entries showcasing their ideas will be selected by the Creative Team at Art of Imagination and posted to their website. To find the winner, it will be up to the finalists to gather votes from friends and family.

On Thursday, April 4th, Art of Imagination will be throwing a fabulous Announcement Party at their creative offices, where the five finalists will bring their fiancés and up to four guests to enjoy bites and champagne. The winner will be announced and one lucky bride will win the luxurious, couture Jenny Yoo gown valued at $3,000! All contestants will be winners that night with additional prizes furnished by the sponsors!

Here are just a few of the gorgeous wedding dresses from Jenny Yoo:

Good luck to all who enter!

Photos by Scarlett Loves Stephen

Our area has some of the most beautiful wedding ceremony  and wedding reception venues for your event.  Everything from outdoor gardens to ballrooms, cottages to seaside tents, there is something here for every one and we can make it beautiful.

Beachview Club

Photos by Brooke Roberts

Cherokee Cottage

Crane Cottage

Photo by Scarlett Loves Stephen

Jekyll Island Convention Center

Latitude 31

Photo by Brooke Roberts

Villa Marianna

Villa Ospo

Why not share your  BIG news a little more physically this year, instead of announcing it on Facebook or sending a mass text message. Try sharing your news with a cool new app!

Ink is a card app that marries digital with snail mail. You can customize and mail unique Save the Dates or Announcements straight from your phone. You can add your own photos, special notes, and other personal touches with just a few clicks, and then a few days later a totally custom card arrives in the recipient’s mailbox! Best of all, you can skip a trip to the post office and let Ink Cards take care of all postage, printing, and shipping.

Ink Cards is all about making your wedding planning even easier. All of your sent cards are saved, just in case you’re in line at the grocery store and realize that you forgot to notify Aunt Marjorie about your wedding- just open the app, pull up the card on your phone and send away. Once addresses are entered they are saved, so sending Thank You notes from a beach during your honeymoon is an absolute breeze.

It’s the perfect new way to share the big announcement or even send your save- the- dates for the bigger day! Here is a great video showing you how it works:

Ink was so kind to offer Cocktails & Details readers 20 free credits. Get started on yours today!