Meeting Esme ~ Part two

It's been a few days since my last post about meeting up with Esme - the winner of a bespoke Rangoli bridal headpiece. I'm including images of her gorgeous Vera Wang dress above to remind you. Read my previous post about the visit to the showroom.
Once we got chatting, Esme was immediately able to define her own personal style as being elegant yet under-stated. We had looked at images of Grecian inspired headpieces to see what scale of piece she would like.

Then it was time for me to put Esme's hair up in a half-up hairstyle so she could visualise what the designs would look like on the day. It really does help to be able to see the accessories in a vaguely similar hairstyle to the one you plan to wear on the day.

The key words that kept coming up in our conversations were softness and simplicity. I started by trying on a narrow crochet ribbon which we laid across the hair behind the sleek front section and before the slightly back combed part of the hair. This piece is woven from fine gold crochet and incorporates a variety of pearls and crystal. Esme had never considered a piece like this but liked how simple yet elegant it was. She knew that she didn't want anything that resembled a tiara - A statement I hear often from clients! This style of hair decoration is very Grecian and can be made to meet at the back of the head or as a double length that can hang down through the hair. We tried this on with and without a veil and it looked great both ways.

I then showed Esme a variety of different crochet ribbon styles with different patterns and widths. She was always drawn back to the narrowest version though. We discussed and tried on some beaded hairwires which had detailed embellishment to one side. We also tried on lots of feature side pieces but Esme preferred the continuous even look of a narrow ribbon. It's so important to know your own personal style and I love how Esme wants to really look like herself on the day.

We compared this soft fluid look with a structured double hair-band. We both agreed that the double-band was too defined looking for her gown. Decorative side-pieces were ruled out too in favour of the more balanced look of the narrow band. The only other jewellery she is planning to wear is a pair of diamond studs and possible a discreet gold bracelet.

So over the course of our first meeting, Esme has found a form that she really likes and feels will complement her hairstyle and gown. I am going to make up some sample lengths using a variety of crochet stitches and bead combinations. I'm looking forward to designing these variations with her in mind.

Watch this space for my next post where I will show you some of the sample designs I have made - or sign up to my Rangoli Facebook page for regular updates -

Read more about my recent commissions -

Cheers
Aisling

She wore flowers in her hair...

Carolina Herrera is a Venezuelan fashion designer. The floral accessories that the model is wearing reminded me of the artist Frida Kahlo.

Frida Kahlo was known for her distinctive fashion style as well as her love of vibrant colours. There is a current trend to introduce colourful shoes into the bridal look - how about a splash of colour into you hair accessories?

The image above is the cover to a book called I will Never Forget You. The book describes Frida's art and life. It documents her passionate affair with photographer Nickolas Muray and is illustrated with photographs and some of their ardent love letters.

Cupcake Me

Happy birthday to my sister Tara - I hope she will be celebrating with some of her own cupcakes today!

Tara runs her own cupcake business called Cupcake Me and her gorgeous creations are featured in the Spring issue of Irish Brides Magazine.

You can also follow Tara's blog -

Truly, tasty, yummy, scrummy :-)

Meeting Esme

Esme Is the winner of my first competition to win a bespoke Rangoli headpiece. She came to visit my studio last Friday and we spent some time chatting and I found out more about the gorgeous Grecian-inspired wedding she is planning in Ibiza!

I not only got to see 'the' dress but Esme was kind enough to try it on in my showroom. I have to say that it is absolutely gorgeous on her. The small images I posted previously cannot do it justice. The colour is a really rich, warm, creamy gold and suits Esme's sallow skin and dark hair.

I was immediately struck by the simplicity and beautifully understated look that she wants to create. There is absolutely no embellishment on the dress - not one single bead! I find this really refreshing and the result is a stunningly elegant gown. The fabric is overlaid with soft ruched layers of tulle and has a narrow satin ribbon underneath the bust-line. This Vera Wang dress is in fact a bridesmaid gown - take note girls; most of the bridesmaids dresses are also available in bridal colours and are more reasonably priced!

As a starting point, I showed Esme a selection of Grecian style headpiece images that I had sourced online. I wanted to get ideas from her as to the type of forms or styles that she liked. Although she was completely open to trying on lots of different styles, she said that she wanted something that would lie flat on her head. She commented that she has a small face and would like a headpiece that is very understated and neat.

In my next post about Esme, I will tell you more about the headpieces we tried and what styles that she liked best. Read my previous article about Esme or sign up to my Rangoli Facebook page for regular updates. I am sure that Esme would love to hear your ideas or feedback so feel free to leave a comment!

See and read more about my recent commissions -

Image credits: Clockwise from top left - Grecian hairstyle with ribbons, January Jones, Blake Lively, Antique leaf-inspired headpiece, Nicole Richie headpiece, Jennifer Behr headpiece.

Tinkerbelle's Bridal Blog

Today there was a lovely surprise waiting for me in my inbox. Rangoli has been featured on another Irish blog called Tinkerbelle's Bridal Blog.

I had come across this blog recently and love how quirky and inspirational it is. There are lots of amazing American and Australian bridal blogs, (which I follow daily) - but it's nice to read about things that relate to the scale or type of event that would suit an Irish couple. Those sweeping outdoor vistas are so romantic but we all know how unreliable our weather can be! Caoimhe combines a great turn of phrase with a healthy dose of Irish sarcasm!

Caoimhe is planning her own wedding which makes this blog all the more interesting. Watch out for her guest-blogger article here in the coming weeks. I have asked her to share some of her favourite insights with my readers.... I can't wait to see what she comes up with!

Visit Tinkerbelle's blog or become a follower ~

Happy Friday to Teresa!

Today is the day that I announce the winner of my second competition and I am really happy to have told Teresa that she has won my 'Past clients' competition.

I designed jewellery and hair accessories for Teresa's wedding almost three years ago and can't wait to meet up with her again to design a bespoke headpiece for her stunning outfit. There was definitely a bit of dress envy going on here on my part!

I fell in love with Teresa's Spanish designer dress and think that her shoes are also to die for!

Here are a few words from Teresa herself -

I have a beautiful dress by a Spanish label called WHO based in Barcelona that I would love you to design a bespoke head piece for. The dress is knee length, fuchsia pink, it’s fun and flirty and at the same time it’s classy, elegant and sophisticated. It was a complete impulse purchase, but when I tried it on it was so perfect that I just had to buy it and at the same time I was planning the various events that I have on over the coming months that I can wear it to! I bought it in a beautiful boutique in Blackrock called Liuzzi and it is definitely one of my investment pieces.

I also have a gorgeous pair of Luciano Padovan peep toe shoes that I bought last summer in a fabulous shoe shop in Ballina called Gerry Maguires. Again, the shoes are an investment piece and they complement the dress beautifully.

I love this outfit because it came together effortlessly. I would describe my style as elegant and sophisticated and I would love a bespoke Rangoli headpiece to wear with this outfit.

I will be meeting with Teresa in a few weeks time and you can follow the consultation and design process on my blog. Sign up to my Facebook page for regular updates too!

Let me introduce you

It's time for you to meet and get to know Esme - who has won a bespoke Rangoli headpiece for her wedding day!

I have thoroughly enjoyed looking at all of your entries and seeing the special elements that you have chosen. I know that I have a really cool job - how many people get to look at pictures of gorgeous dresses every day? But in all honesty, the bit that I enjoy most is meeting and getting to know my individual clients. I hope that I can share some of the fun and creative elements of my job with you so you can see what it is like to have a piece designed for a special occasion.

So let's meet Esme! Esme wowed me with her romantic storyboard for her Ibiza wedding. Herself and her fiancée have been going on holiday to Ibiza for many years on holiday and love the relaxed, and mystical ambience the island offers. So it was the ideal choice for their wedding venue!

I asked Esme if she could sum up the style of celebration they wanted to have.
The style of the wedding is Grecian inspired and we are hoping for a relaxed wedding with a Mediterranean vibe.

Did this have an impact on the style of dress you chose?
Definitely I wanted a dress that wouldn’t be too heavy in the sun but would be figure hugging and warm toned, so I wouldn’t blend in with the white church and villa we have booked for our reception.

Did you try on lots of dresses before picking this one?
No – it was love at first sight. I did try a few other dresses on but kept coming back to this one.
(The gown is a Vera Wang “Strapless bobinette over lame with empire line”. I will get to see the actual dress this week and will be able to share some more detailed pictures with you).

Esme is thinking of a hairstyle like the one Lauren Conrad is seen wearing in the image above.

And how about these glamorous Dune shoes?! They are called “Jezzy” and will add a lovely bit of sparkle to the look.


And finally, the images above and below are floral inspiration, including the beautiful petal confetti.

Esme has chosen Anoushka G “Lucinda” maxi dresses in coral colour for her bridesmaids.

Thanks to Esme for sharing some of her images with my readers. (The cake inspiration has to remain secret but her guests will get to see that on the day!)

I am meeting with Esme this week - together we will start discussing ideas about designing a beautiful headpiece for her to wear. I will be documenting the process here so sign up to my Facebook page for regular updates!

And the winner is...Esme!

I'm so excited to be announcing the winner of my first headpiece competition! The entries I received were full of gorgeous elements but the winner inspired me with images that created a story of their wedding.

So congratulations to Esme from Dublin who is the winner of this competition! I will be sharing some of her inspiration images next week. Esme is having a July wedding in Ibiza and I can't wait to meet up with her and start discussing ideas for her bespoke headpiece.

Thank you to everyone who entered this competition - I'm sorry that there can only be one winner. The images above are just some of the inspiration pics that I received from all of you. Soon I will be sharing the exciting process of having a Rangoli piece designed. You will get to hear about Esme's wedding ideas and personal style...

Please feel free to comment and participate in this design project. You can also follow developments via my Facebook page.

Read more articles about recent commissions -

Paper love

My graphic designer eye is always drawn to beautiful simple shapes and patterns. I stumbled across these gorgeous lacey envelopes on Daydream Lily. In fact you can follow the tutorial and make your own thanks to the designer Design Mein. I'm imagining a whole array of colourful cards that you could put in these envelopes and seal with a wax stamp or customised label.

Another paper-based company that I found on Etsy specialise in name-tags for glasses. At Timeless Paper you’ll find unique paper gifts that will put a smile on your face. The simplest ideas are often the ones that are most memorable and I would love to find my name printed on a paper butterfly or dragonfly!

Half-up hairstyles, long hair and up-do's

Hair really is a woman's crowning glory and there are gorgeous styles to choose from for your wedding day! I have been creating an album of styles that I love and ones that I would love to create accessories for.

I love how these styles are elegant and soft. Whether half or fully up, they create that 'wow' look!

Have a look at the slide-show for inspiration and let me know which ones you like best. Read my other articles about hairstyles.




Created with flickr slideshow.
Photo credits - images were found on weddingmagazine.co.uk and weddinghairstylegallery.com

Simply Veils

I am frequently asked if I can recommend somewhere to buy veils. I'm excited to be recommending an Irish veil company that carry a great range of designer veils at very reasonable prices. I met with one of the designers today and saw the extensive range of veils available.

With over ten years experience in the bridal industry Simply Veils recently launched an on-line business. Customers can choose from a selection of styles and finishes and have their veil delivered to them.

The site is really easy to navigate and categorises the veils into the different lengths such as elbow, fingertip, chapel and cathedral. Next you can decide whether you want a single or double tier. Finally, there are four finishes which include cut, ribbon, roll or lace trim.

It is also possible to have a custom veil designed. Here you can fill out a form outlining the type of colour, layers, dimensions, edging and accents that you would like. The designer will get back to you with a quote within 24 hours.

I will soon have some sample veils in my showroom along with some colour and accent swatches. The veils can then be ordered directly from www.simplyveils.ie