'Three things' 3

The 'Three things' series is about things that inspire me to design. This is a visual diary of images I love... might be a colour, a form or simply something that triggers a happy emotion. Welcome to my world - I hope you enjoy leafing through my visual diary!

One of the things that inspires me most, (and is a favourite part of my job!) is looking at the selection of gorgeous gowns that clients have chosen for their weddings. Here are three dresses that I am currently designing accessories for - they each have distinctive features that inspire me to create...and drool over :-) As you can see - Lace is still popular in 2011 collections.

First up is a Cymbeline gown called Eleanor. It's from the 2011 collection. I love the neckline and the softly draped lace. This dress is so feminine and soft.

For this client, I am designing long delicate drop earrings and a fine pearl and rhinestone bracelet. As the hair will be worn up, the earrings will be the key decorative feature.

The second dress is called Satine by Johanna Johnson. Johanna is renowned for her Old Hollywood glamour styles and this sumptuous latte coloured gown features hand-beaded Parisian lace accents and plunging back.

For this client, I am designing a bespoke pale gold beaded comb. The beading will include topaz Swarovski crystal beading along with taupe and champagne pearls. The bride would like to wear the piece to the back of the head for the earlier part of the day and move it to the side for more of an evening look.

The final dress and commission that I am sharing is a Mon-Cheri dress called Emme. This sleeveless lace slim A-line gown features a hand-beaded lace bateau neckline and plunging V-back bodice with cowl draped chiffon straps. I love the back feature of this dress!

For this commission, I am making a delicate beaded hairwire with a vintage lace inspired side feature. The piece will combine both rhinestone and soft pearl detail, to pick up on the rhinestone belt detail.

Are you jealous of my job yet?! I love how varied these dresses and commissions are. I hope to share the finished designs when they are completed!

You can read more of my 'Three Things' inspiration posts or read about my latest Rangoli bridal commissions.

I'd love to design something for your wedding so please get in touch if you'd like to arrange an appointment to visit the Rangoli Showroom.

Amanda's wedding

Thanks Amanda for getting in touch to tell me what a wonderful day yourself and your new hubby had! Doesn't she look so elegant? I love those soft finger-waves.

Amanda wanted a neat side piece to decorate her hair and to pick up on the beading detail in her gown. The comb I designed featured a mixture of gold and silver beading with pearl and rhinestone accents. I also designed her delicate drop earrings. Here's a few words from the bride herself -

"Finally a couple of pics for you from our fabulous day. I got some amazing compliments on the lovely pieces you made for me. They looked amazing and really made my day that extra bit special. I truly did feel like a princess. Thanks again for the great work (in the short time!) :-)"

The comb below is a silver version of Amanda's headpiece and this design can be customised in a number of ways. Read more about my recent commissions or see my Rangoli Brides Album on my website or Facebook page.


Photograph by Barry Keogh

Rangoli Album

I was looking through my photos of client's weddings and came across this great photo of Sandra and Declan on their wedding day. Sandra was such a delight to work with and together we came up with this fine crochet hair-wrap which was tied with long organza ribbons.

Alternatively this piece can also be worn across the forehead and tied at the back of head, with the ribbons hanging down through the hair. I also made Sandra's earrings and pearl pendant.

A big shout to you both - I hope you're enjoying married life!

Photo by Thomas Mc Grath

Cliodhna and Robert's Wedding

I know you're going to lurrrve this romantic Galway wedding. It's full of pretty details and happy emotions! Congratulations Cliodhna and Robert.

Cliodhna loves flowers, especially roses, which were a strong theme for her wedding. I just love the simplicity of these white hydrangeas which were tied with ribbons to the pew ends. And how about the flower arch at the church door which was decorated with wild roses? So pretty :-)

Here is Cliodhna and her sister Fainche. Cliodhna's dress is called 'Tea Rose' which is another reason why she fell in love with it! The dress is a blush pink colour with a lace overlay. Fainche's bridesmaid dress is from Dirty Fabulous and complements her sister's gown perfectly.

Above is a close-up of the beaded rose comb that I designed to go with the dress. Below you can see the matching double strand pearl bracelet with rhinestone detail as well as details of both girls combs.


And finally, here are the happy couple looking very happy indeed. You just can't beat that 'just married' smile :-)

Here's another pic of Cliodhna and her sister....

and finally...a quiet moment together! As always, I want to thank this couple for allowing me to share these pictures with you. I really enjoyed working with Cliodhna to design special accessories for her wedding. You can read more about the design process in my previous post.

Photography by Angelo Mercone.

Bespoke accessories for bride and bridesmaid

This is the story of a lovely commission I worked on recently. It's interesting and fun to design pieces to complement particular colours and dress styles. For Cliodhna, I had the opportunity to design a bespoke comb for both herself as well as her sister Fainche who was her bridesmaid.

Cliodhna's dress was a beautiful colour - so hard to describe...somewhere between antique blush pink but with a hint of grey blue. I love colours that can be described with lots of adjectives :-)

Anyway, this dress is beautiful as you can see and has an overlay of antique style lace. Cliodna described her personal style as well as her favourite style icon, Grace Kelly. We looked at pictures of her half-up hairstyle. We then tried on a variety of combs and soon found one that had the perfect shape but simply had too much sparkle on it. I came up with a design that incorporated a beaded vintage rose made from dusky pink seed beads. The overall appearance was soft and romantic with pearls as the key feature... Here is Cliodna to share some of her thoughts and inspirations with you!

"I really wanted a dress that had a vintage look with antique lace. This dress was the very first one I tried on with Aoife in Ophelia Bridal in Drogheda. I instantly loved both the lace and the colour of the dress, which Aoife described as ‘Tea Rose’. The fact that the dress was Tea Rose, that I’m a huge fan of roses of any type and that Aoife said not one other bride had bought the dress in this colour – I was sold immediately! I liked the idea of wearing a dress that was a little bit different in colour, plus Aoife also made me a beautiful bolero in matching lace.

What to wear in my hair was the next challenge, as I knew I definitely didn’t want to wear a veil. Then a friend recommended Rangoli as Aisling had made pieces for both her and her bridesmaids.

The first meeting with Aisling was great. Visiting her studio is like going into a sweet shop – I so enjoyed trying on different types of combs and hair pieces. Once we decided on a particular comb, my biggest issue was with ‘bling’ - I didn’t want a comb with any sparkle at all! I just wanted something that was vintage, simple and feminine that would complement my dress. Aisling was brilliant, she studied the lace on my dress and came up with lots of different ideas on what I could have on the comb. I really enjoyed being part of this process and having some input into the design. I think the finished comb is beautiful and complements the dress perfectly. It was also very comfortable to wear – which really is an important factor for any bride!


Aisling also made a bespoke pearl bracelet and earrings for me. They are beautiful and worked really well with the comb and dress, but I love the fact that they are personal to me and that I can wear them again and again.

Aisling also made a stunning yet subtle little comb for my sister’s hair that matches her vintage 1950’s prom dress (from Dirty Fabulous) perfectly.

I would (and have already) recommended Rangoli to any bride or bridesmaids. It was a truly lovely experience in the lead up to the wedding with no fuss or hassle at all and beautiful, special finished products. Thanks Aisling".

Cliodna's sister Fainche was her only bridesmaid which made choosing her dress much more fun. And what better place to shop for a vintage dress in Dublin than 'Dirty Fabulous'. Caroline and Kathy, (who are also friends of mine), and have the most dreamy array of original 1930's to 1950's dresses and separates.

I designed this comb for Fainche, picking out olive crystal, sparkling rhinestone and creamy pearls to complement the fabric of the dress. I love the round vintage shape!

Look out for my second post on Cliodhna's wedding where I will share some of her gorgeous wedding photos with you.

Rangoli in the media!

I'm almost ready to launch my gorgeous new website and have been working with Karen, the designer, to create an elegant template to showcase my designs....

The new site will have an area devoted to media and I've had great fun leafing through all my magazine features and picking out my favourites. These two pics are from a Wedding Journal Magazine feature from a few years ago and I love them. The top picture shows a pair of Swarovski crystal drop earrings and the second image, a silver crochet drop pendant with rhinestone centre piece.

Hope you like them too!

Claire and Eddie's wedding

Ok, here we go...feast your eyes on this romantic, stylish and fun wedding.
Claire and Eddie - you look amazing. You also look incredibly relaxed and your photos capture such beautiful emotions.

This wedding was photographed by Christina Brosnan and when Claire showed me her pictures, I had difficulty narrowing down the ones I wanted to feature! Christina's style is really informal with lots of natural lighting and pretty feminine details.

When I first met Claire, I could tell that she wanted help and advice in creating the overall style of her wedding. She was well able to choose different elements that she liked but was a bit overwhelmed when it came to putting the whole look together. I found her attitude very refreshing. She was completely open to asking for advice from different experts and this resulted in her enjoying the planning of their wedding much more. Claire also attended a styling workshop with Julie Cobbe from StyleFish.

Claire found her dress in Eden Manor and was full of praise for both the owners of the shops as well as the great selection of dresses. This dress is a sculptural, yet so soft and floaty. Although there is no beading detail on the dress, I advised Claire against wearing anything around her neck. Instead she chose an elegant headpiece with simple drop earrings and a very delicate bracelet.

Choosing my dress was easier than expected - one bridal shop (Eden Manor in Enniscorthy) and 25 dresses later. But a dress doesn't create the look alone. A veil was never for me, so wearing something in my hair seemed logical. I also presumed I needed earrings, a necklace and bracelet. However, I didn't feel confident about what would look best - especially since I didn't have my dress to try on with anything. After looking for some advice, I found Julie Cobb and StyleFish. Not alone did Julie recommend Aisling and Rangoli, but I completed her 7 week style course and graduated a more stylish wife-to-be!!!

During my appointment with Aisling in her fabulous studio, she looked at images of my dress which i had brought, styled my hair as i planned on wearing it and chatted about the type of bride I was and the kind of day we were planning - I genuinely felt she was trying to get to know me. After trying a number of pieces in my hair and their matching accessories, I was totally confident making my decision. Although I confess i would never have chosen not to wear a necklace if Aisling hadn't pointed out that it was too much.

On our wedding day, I absolutely felt the most stylish i ever have and received more compliments than i could have hoped for. I would like to say a big hugable THANK YOU to Aisling for her creativity and encouragement and for giving my look the wow factor.

Claire

Claire and Eddie - Thanks for sharing your day with us. Claire - thanks for the hug too! You can read more about the wedding on Christina's blog -

What a lovely Friday post :-) Hope you all have a lovely holiday weekend for those living in Ireland!

Credits:
Photogrpahy by Christina Brosnan
Make-up by Aoife Callaghan
Styling course at StyleFish

Lovely Thursday

Today has been full of lovely surprises and nice things! My email inbox contained lots of smile-inducing things this morning :-)

Claire is a recent client and it's so lovely to have a sneak peek of her wedding to Eddie. Her photographer was Christina Brosnon who I have heard great things about. Christina posted this picture on her blog and I can't wait to see more images.

Don't they both look so lovvvvely? Read more about the wedding on Christina's blog and keep an eye out for the next installment of images!

Pride and Predudice...picnic!

I know how popular the dramatised version of Pride and Prejudice is for many women, myself included! We love the romantic storyline, dashing suitors and the gorgeous dresses and accessories. It's pure escapism to be transported to this different era!

If you love all things Jane Austin, you may be interested in an unusual outdoor theatre event which will be happening at Belvedere House, Gardens and Park in Mullingar on Sunday 25th July. Thanks to one of my clients, Cliona, for telling me about it. My advice is to gather your favourite frock and picnic rug and book yourself a ticket!

Pride & Prejudice Matinee Production 4pm Sunday 25th July
Chapter House Productions presentation of Pride & Prejudice on the Belvedere House Lawn. Gates open at 3pm bring your own picnic and low back seating, show starts 4 pm. To order tickets and find out more details, phone Belvedere House Gardens & Park, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath 044-9349060. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Adapted by Laura Turne.
Take a step back in time with Chapterhouse Theatre Company as we meet Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters. Whilst their interfering mother engineers various courtships, sisters Elizabeth and Jane must pursue their own quest for true love. Amongst misunderstandings, mistakes and miscommunications, the two girls must fight for the men they love until Elizabeth can finally surpass her prejudices to see past the proud exterior of the enigmatic Mr Darcy. After all, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife…
Picnic with family and friends in the magical surroundings of Belvedere’s beautiful gardens and enjoy a wonderful afternoon of theatre.

Read more about this event at Belvedere House, Gardens & Park.

Erin and Shane's wedding

Congratulations to Erin and her husband Shane on their recent marriage! I am so thrilled to share more gorgeous wedding photographs with you. I met Erin at a wedding fair in the Summerhill House Hotel last year and she then arranged to visit my showroom to discuss jewellery and hair accessories for her wedding.

Erin loved the style of my hairwires and they complemented the elegant side hairstyle she had chosen. These bespoke pieces can be customised in lots of ways and Erin chose the longer length so she could weave it into her hair. I also designed her Swarovski crystal and pearl drop earrings. Below are a few words from Erin -

I came across Rangoli at a Wedding Fair in the Summerhill House Hotel. My mother in law convinced me to try on a few pieces & immediately I knew that I wanted one. Aisling & I settled on a floral themed piece with long wires to wind through my hair.

Having long, dark hair, the pearls & diamanté contrasted really well. I absolutely loved wearing the wire & the compliments are still coming months later.

The final design combined elements of my Rangoli Brooch comb with a long beaded hairwire. Erin got the best of both worlds with a decorative side piece continuing into the finer beaded hairwire. I love the image below where you can see the other side of her hairstyle.

Thanks as always for sharing this wonderful montage from your wedding day. I know you will inspire lots of people!

Read more about my recent commissions -

Erin's wedding photos are courtesy of David Rodgers.

Alison's wedding day

I'm really grateful to all of you who get in touch after your weddings to thank me and share some of your photos.

I opened my post yesterday and received a lovely card from Alison along with this photo. I remember Alison's dress as being so romantic and Grace Kelly-like! She chose my Rangoli Brooch comb along with Swarovski Pearl drop earrings. Doesn't she look so elegant and relaxed? Her photographer was Cameron Boardman.

Here's a few words from Alison -

Our wedding reception was held in Finnstown House on a gorgeous sunny day in April. The hair comb that Aisling made for me was perfect – I wanted a flat piece that I could wear at the side rather than hide it under my veil. It was very elegant but a little different too and I loved it. The earrings were a perfect match and I felt so special wearing pieces that were made just for me.

Thanks for sharing Alison - I really appreciate your kind words!

Read more about my recent commissions -

A wedding in Malta

And a big thanks to Paula who got in touch recently to share some gorgeous pics from her wedding. Paula and Will were married in Malta over a year ago.

Malta seems to be a beautiful venue for a wedding, providing an intimate and sunny setting for a destination wedding. Paula said it was a sizzling 36 degrees for their day! I just love their pastel colour theme..reminds me of sweet peas.

Paula wore Rangoli crochet pendant earrings and a matching bracelet. Will commissioned me to make a surprise gift of the bracelet which he presented to her on the morning of the wedding! What a thoughtful idea. Here are a few words from Paula herself -

I love antique jewellery but wanted to mix it with a modern look for my wedding day. I had antique lace put around the neckline of my dress and therefore wanted jewellery to complement this. I had an idea of what I wanted in my head but couldn't find what I was looking for! But when I met Aisling, it was as if she could read my mind!!

I loved the earrings and (surprise) bracelet and felt very special on the day knowing that they were made specially for me!! My bridesmaids (sisters), were delighted with their pieces and were taken aback that I had gone to the effort of getting jewellery commissioned for them! It was lovely for me to be able to give them such a special gift. My sister is getting married in July and she is wearing the earrings and bracelet on her big day and is also getting a fabulous headpiece from Aisling!

They are pieces that hold very special memories and I will always treasure them! Aisling was amazing to work with and I would recommend her to any bride-to-be!

Above you can see the classic pearl and rhinestone pendants, bracelets and earrings that I designed for Paula's sisters.

Thanks Paula for your kind words and to both of you for sharing your pictures - I wish you every happiness together.

Read more about this earring style -

Rangoli bride

What a nice start to 2010! Julianne got in touch to share this wonderful photo from her recent wedding. I love how she has worn her Rangoli Spray hairpin over her chignon. I also designed her drop Swarovski crystal and rhinestone earrings.

The business will re-open on 8th January so I'm just popping by to say a quick hello and wish all of you a very happy 2010!

Thanks again Julianne - I wish you both all the best.

Photo courtesy of Ania Witowska

Jen's wedding photo

Thanks to Jennifer for sharing this great image from her recent wedding!

Jen looks radiant on her wedding day. I love her natural up-style and her Rangoli hairwire and matching pearl and rhinestone drop earrings really complete the look. What a pretty bouquet too.

The wedding was photographed by Kieran Galvin from Galvin Photography.

Rangoli hairwire

Here's a great wedding photo from another glamourous Rangoli bride! Thanks again to everyone who sends me in photos from their wedding day.

Ruth got married recently and I think you'll agree that she looks stunning :-) I designed her Swarovski beaded hairwire and matching pearl and rhinestone drop earrings. Read more posts about Rangoli commissions.

Thanks also to the photographer Declan Burke from KBPhotography

Pearl spiral spray

This is a new Rangoli hair accessory. The delicate sculptural spray looks wonderful in Cathy's curly hair and can be positioned in lots of different hairstyles. The vintage drop earrings were a commission for a recent bride and have now become part of my collection. You can read more about this earring commission here.

Visit my website to see more hair accessories from the Rangoli range ~

Bespoke Rangoli earrings

I recently had the opportunity to design a pair of earrings to go with an absolutely beautiful wedding dress. As you can imagine - I have a brilliant job, where I get to see pictures of gorgeous dresses every day. Amongst all these beautiful gowns, there is always one or two that really stand out and this dress appealed to me.

The designer Catherine Deane is Irish and the dress was purchased in Kalu in Naas. The fabric of the main part of the dress and sleeves are the softest silk organaza - transparent and so ethereal. The bodice had circular flower motifs which were like mini pom poms and the border trim was of embellished with tiny silver seed beads.

The dress is always the starting point in designing bridal accessories. Equally important is our own personal style. My client normally wears bold dramatic accessories so we looked at the elements in the dress and I felt it was important to feature a circular motif to match the decorative detail. I also suggested that cream pearls would complement the fabric colour. I introduced a little bit of Rhinestone for sparkle but kept the earring shape soft but defined. We were both really happy with the finished design!