This week in NYC, BHLDN unveiled their fall 2012 bridal collection to editors and fashion bloggers. We can’t wait to see the entire collection! Demure silhouettes, delicate lace and soft pastels beckoned a return to the ladylike fashion of days past. We approve!

Photos via BHLDN

The Pacific Weddings staff loves a good giveaway and today we are announcing the lucky winners of a honeymoon at the magnificent Capella Ixtapa Resort & Spa in Mexico! Congratulations to Kathy and Kenji of Honolulu, Hawaii!

The two of you will be treated to 5 days of luxury accommodations in one of 59 suites at Capella Resort, each facing the ocean as the resort cascades down towards the Pacific. Terraces open up to the beauty of the Pacific where powder-white sand is caressed by the crashing waves. It’s a private world of splendor paired with unparalleled luxury, where crowds are left miles away. Send us a postcard, guys! xo ~robyn

Alicia and Johnson are high school sweethearts. When they decided to wed at Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa in the heart of Waikiki Beach, they called upon photographer Joanna Tano to capture all of the lovely details of their celebration.





“Alicia and I had talked about marriage (how could we not after being together for so long?),” says the groom. “So she had a slight suspicion that I would propose to her soon. An upcoming Easter weekend trip to Carmel was too obvious of a perfect set-up. Instead, I asked her to marry me while still in bed before we left for the weekend,” he shares. “We always love waking up next to each other, but life rarely leaves us enough time to really enjoy these moments.  And…it’s one of the very rare times I can ever catch Alicia off guard!”




The bride wore a Melissa Sweet “Dora” dress in an ivory silk organza with Swiss dots and ethereal lines. A blush pink silk sash added just a hint of color. Alicia donned a Fiber & Stone ivory silk organza flower hairpin with freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals in her up-do. The groom was handsome in a J.Crew Ludlow Suit in black Italian wool.



Vendors
Photography by Joanna Tano
Wedding Ceremony: Central Union Church
Wedding Reception: Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach, Oahu
Florist: Spinning W.E.B. Florist
Hair & Makeup: Maleana Cosmetics
Cinematography: Studio Red

Wow! We had so many stunning photos to review this time, and now the fun begins when you get to select your favorite. Cast your vote BELOW by midnight on May 28, 2012. Simply select your favorite photo and click the VOTE button. Photos are listed from top to bottom.

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Now it’s up to you to vote and select one very talented winner from among our finalists. The image with the most votes will appear FULL PAGE as the inside back cover of the upcoming Summer/Fall 2012 issue of Pacific Weddings! Good luck to all of these talented shooters.  xo ~robyn

We will only count one vote per IP address in a 24 hour period. Don’t forget—we love your comments—but make your vote count by clicking VOTE above by midnight on May 28, 2012. Many thanks!

We’ve long admired Heath Ceramics for their simple beauty and integrity of craft and material. The iconic tableware is considered among the most enduring examples of mid-century design. They’ve recently collaborated with Alabama Chanin, a bridal line renowned for hand-stitched workmanship using the finest organic cotton grown in the US, to create a new and permanent dinnerware line, the Alabama Chanin Collection. The two are joined through texture, pattern and honesty in materials.



“The coming together of Heath and Alabama Chanin means that brides-to-be who appreciate the aesthetic of each company can plan a wedding celebrating both – a custom, organic bridal gown from the Alabama Chanin Americana Couture bridal collection for the big day, and the option to register for the dinnerware collection and table linens, along with other classic Heath dinnerware choices, to cherish for a lifetime.”

Isn’t the collection just lovely? Explore Heath’s new online registry here.





Photographs of Alabama Chanin Bridal imagery, courtesy Alabama Chanin.
Alabama Chanin dinnerware imagery, courtesy Angie Mosier.

When Alison first noticed Scott in London during her internship at a magazine, she knew he was “the one”.  She says, “I’d never believed that love at first sight existed until I met him. He says he felt the same!” The pair spent hours talking at her desk that day. “But alas, he was leaving the next day for Cape Town, South Africa, which happens to be my hometown!” Rachel says. “For two years, we wrote long emails to each other, our only memory of each other being that first brief meeting. Finally, I moved back to South Africa to be with him, and the rest, as they say, is history. I feel so blessed to be with my soulmate.”





From the Bride: We’re currently living in San Francisco working as journalists. Although Scott is originally from Seattle, we both knew we wanted to get married in Cape Town. Not only is it breathtakingly beautiful, we had quite a limited budget, and we knew that was one of the few places where we could afford to have our dream wedding.

We got engaged on a beach in Big Sur, so the ocean holds special meaning for us. We knew we wanted something rustic and relaxed— a barefoot on the beach wedding! We ended up choosing an open-air seafood restaurant along South Africa’s west coast. The venue was so unique and beautiful on its own, we didn’t have to worry too much about decor and design details, which suited us both. We wanted the focus to be on our love and for our family and friends to just have a big party! My sister, who’s an artist, took control of the decor, for which I’ll be forever grateful! She was getting married the week after me so it was especially kind of her to do so! The venue provided most things, such as fairy lights, lanterns and candles.






We decided to keep the flowers very simple and local. We mostly used proteas, South Africa’s national flower. We mixed the proteas on the tables with fynbos, a vegetation indigenous to South Africa. For the ceremony, we got married on the beach. Again, we wanted to keep it very simple. My mom placed red and orange proteas in the sand along the aisle, and we used two big branches entwined with flowers as our arch. Guests sat on long wooden benches. The reception was held a few feet way from the ceremony, up on a dune overlooking the ocean. Chinese lanterns and candles were placed all around the perimeter. Inside, we had fires burning in the fireplaces and lanterns and fairy lights twinkling all around. It was magical! We could see the ocean from where we were sitting. We both love the outdoors, so it was very important to us to have nature play such a big role in our day.

I wore a Vera Wang dress. I loved it because I felt the skirt mimicked the waves of the ocean. We were all barefoot. My bridesmaids were my two sisters. They wore long flowing dusty pink dresses with African bead necklaces.

Photography by A Love Made Visible
Venue: A seafood restaurant on the beach, Cape Town, South Africa
Dress: Vera Wang

This is one of those weddings that reaffirms our love for grand celebrations and opulent romance! Katherine and Bernard’s wedding at a Chateau de Challain in the Loire Valley was recently featured in Town & Country magazine. Photographer  Shawn Connell captured the elegant event in all its European glory— reminiscent of the days of Marie Antoinette, don’t you think?








Photographs via Christian Oth Studio

Let the voting begin! We had such an amazing response to our Mexico Honeymoon Giveaway, and now for the fun part. We’ve narrowed it down to six lucky (and super-sweet) couples, and it’s up to you to decide who will win a fabulous honeymoon at the luxurious Capella Ixtapa Resort & Spa in Mexico! So, spread the word and tell all your friends to vote for their favorite love story. We will only count one vote per day per IP address, but you can return every day between now and midnight on May 13, 2012 to cast your vote here. Congrats to our finalists: Alicia & Errin, Christa & Dan, Meghan & Jeremy, Kathy & Kenji, Becca & Nickolas, and Ashlea & Stephen!

Cast your vote here! We love comments, but make sure to click this link so your vote counts.
Here is what the winning couple has to look forward to

Escape to the breathtaking Capella Ixtapa Resort and Spa in Mexico. One lucky couple will enjoy 5 days of luxury accommodations. Capella Ixtapa Resort and Spa. The 59 suites at Capella Resort each face the ocean as the resort cascades down towards the Pacific. Terraces open up to the beauty of the Pacific where powder-white sand is caressed by the crashing waves. It’s a private world of splendor paired with unparalleled luxury, where crowds are left miles away. Enter to win this Mexico retreat and get away from it all.

Prize includes:

• Five (5) days luxury accommodations
• Romantic dinner for two (2) including alcohol at hotel restaurant

Official rules and legal stuff can be seen here.

With the change in season {hello, spring!} comes a change in color. Pastels are everywhere and we’re especially feeling the hints of mint in fashion, interiors and wedding décor. We already know that macaroons make for the sweetest addition to any dessert table, but with Ladurée Paris, it’s all about the pretty packaging.




Images 1 + 2, 3-5; Visit Laudrée Paris here.

We’ve been obsessing over this book by Matthew of Matthew Robbins Design since its release earlier this year. The book is called Matthew Robbins’ Inspired Weddings, and it really is packed full of inspiration. Matthew shares his design secrets on how you can design an event with your favorite objects and family treasures.  Antique tins, seashells, beads and candy inform the color palettes and details of his settings. Photographed by two of the industry’s most talented creatives, Thuss & Farrell, this book is essential if you love setting a fabulous table. Here is a peek of some of the gorgeous pages from the book — you can buy it at Amazon. Or head over to our Facebook page and leave a comment for a chance to WIN a copy of your own!