Preview our dress gallery of exclusive Monique Lhuillier gowns for a destination wedding. Monique Lhuillier’s name has become synonymous with chic brides everywhere looking for a high-style gown minus the clichés. The California-based designer’s feminine and timeless collections are marked by exquisite workmanship using the finest imported silks, satins and chiffons with signature lace overlays and hand-beaded embroideries. While Monique has been a favorite amongst fashion stylists and luxe brides-to-be for close to a decade, her styles impart a one-of-a-kind look on each fashionista who wears them. Despite her popularity, exclusivity still reigns. Each Monique bride imparts the garmet and makes it her own. Monique has rewarded an impressive celebrity roster, which includes singer Pink and Lost’s Emilie de Ravin on their wedding days and red-carpet appearances by Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry and Sharon Stone.

The leading bridal couturier unleashed her sweet and demure collection in 1996 with her husband and cofounder, Tom Bugbee. When it came time for the French-born designer to hit the boutiques in search of her own wedding gown, she found little that inspired and thus Monique Lhuillier & Company was born. Lhuillier’s evening wear collection was met with rave reviews in 1999 and needless to say, her recent ready-to-wear endeavor has been a success as well. The industry has changed exponentially in the past few years, along with the advent of Lhuillier, desingers like Reem Acra, Lela Rose and Angel Sanchez have marked a once fairy princess world of tulle and corsets with modern sophistication. And while most fashion insiders would formally scoff at the term ‘bridal’, attributing only the best in design to Vera Wang herself, this onset of glamourous and daring designers has proven those nay sayers wrong. Lhuillier can be attributed with such inspired design choices as adding a touch of color to a wedding day ensemble and accentuating the shape of the woman with plunging necklines and draping lace.

For our urban fashion shoot in Honolulu, we selected some of Monique’s latest bridal offerings where romance and fantasy ruled the day.

Photos by VIsionari