Wedding Trend: Downton Abbey Inspiration

Over the Christmas holiday, a few of us got pretty obsessed with Downton Abbey. Naturally, we had to find out what all the buzz was about. And, did we ever! Good British drama paired with 1920′s fashion, and we were hooked! So, when the new season started, we were glued to the screen awaiting the much anticipated Mary and Matthew Crawley wedding. You can guess what took our breath away, yes? Lady Mary’s gorgeous 1920’s bridal ensemble. It did not disappoint! Allow us to relive it a tad…

Mary’s drop-waist wedding dress is so deco delicious and the laurel leaf tiara, stunning! Costume designer, Caroline McCall, created a lacy long-sleeved gown festooned with dainty Swarovski crystals and crowned her with a vintage floor-length veil and diamond tiara from U.K. jeweler, Bentley & Skinner, which rang in just shy of $200,000.

Since we know most of you were watching with us and possibly starting to consider wearing a vintage frock for your big day, we decided to scour the Web so you too could have a romantic look ala Mary’s ultra-feminine look, but with a modern twist. Check out some of our finds; click here for our Downton Abbey Inspired Ensembles.

Thanks to 100 Layer Cake for their beautiful photographs, posts, and wedding and event inspiration. 100 Layer Cake is a unique, comprehensive wedding and event planning resource for and by thoughtful, crafty modern women. Their vendors, projects, weddings, resources, sponsors, and marketplace are hand-picked and thoroughly researched with the hope that every single one is a truly unique addition to both your wedding and your planning process. Visit the 100 Layer Cake website today.

 Sheffield School began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.

Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.

Wedding Videos: The Worst of TV's My Fair Wedding Unveiled

I love to watch real-life drama on reality television; you know that show producers are encouraging all adults to behave badly and act out to make their shows interesting and watchable. I fall for it every time. And that's why I'm a fan of My Fair Wedding Unveiled, a wedding planning reality show following the daily activities of planner David Tutera (the show's tagline: David, Divas, and Disasters). He's seldom at a loss for words, but when he is, you know he's witnessing a human train wreck, like the 10 worst bridal gowns in our first video clip.

And here's a wrap-up reel of the "craziest of the crazy" brides and grooms David's had to work with on the show, followed by his statements of how much he really loves being a wedding planner - despite the divas and disasters!

 Sheffield School began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.

Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.

5 Favorite Real-Life Wedding Dresses

Front and back views of dress by bcbg

Bridal fashions always look one way on professional models when the seasonal collections first debut, but sometimes they fall flat when worn by real brides. I picked five wonderful wedding gowns that passed the real-life "looks great" test.

Front and back views of dress by Mara Hoffman

Which one is your favorite? (Click on each photo to see more scenes from the bride's wedding day.)

Dress by Justin Alexander

Dress by Vera Wang

Dress by The Sample Rack
 

Thanks to 100 Layer Cake for their beautiful photographs, posts, and wedding and event inspiration. 100 Layer Cake is a unique, comprehensive wedding and event planning resource for and by thoughtful, crafty modern women. Their vendors, projects, weddings, resources, sponsors, and marketplace are hand-picked and thoroughly researched with the hope that every single one is a truly unique addition to both your wedding and your planning process. Visit the 100 Layer Cake website today.

If you're interested in learning more about wedding planning, we encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.

Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.

Ivy & Aster Bridal

Oh my...I am in love.  Seriously in love (and it's not my husband or my children this time).  It is with the Bridal House, Ivy & Aster, and their Spring 2012 collection.  It is so dreamy...if I could go back and get married again, I would run to a salon that has their dresses and only try them on.  They are all gorgeous (in this wedding planner's humble opinion).  Next Wednesday, I will be featuring other designers Spring 2012 collection on our Designer Monthly board, but for now, enjoy Ivy & Aster.

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For more information on Wedding and Event Planning, please visit our website at the Sheffield School.

Katie is the Wedding and Event Planning Student Advisor and owner of Sara Kate Events.