Bridesmaid hair accessories

Hairpins dotted through hair is such a pretty look and I enjoy coming up with new ideas and designs. 

Often, these designs come about through conversations with clients. Sometimes I get to see the dress but usually we look at tiny fabric samples and chat about necklines and hemlines and the issues with getting more than one person to agree on a dress style!

These pins were designed for Siobhan (a solo bridesmaid) who wore a dress that was similar in colour to the background of this image - somewhere between grey, mauve and silver! The dress was beautifully structured with lots of clean lines and no embellishment. Siobhan just needed some delicate hair accessories to finish her look. She also chose a silver and amethyst, Rangoli crochet bracelet.

Have a look at some of my recent bridesmaid commissions including this hairpin for Olivia below. Let's get chatting about your ideas - I'd love to hear from you! 

Indian Sapphire - new Rangoli headpieces

So what's happening in the Rangoli studio at the moment?! Apart from looking forward to my Easter hols, I'm designing a range of headpieces that are inspired by the moody shades of blue sapphire.

I'm always pinning pictures of delicate dresses on my wall and they inspire me to create accessories. The image below shows two very different dresses. Words that describe them in my mind are floatiness, fluid lines and delicacy. There is certainly drama in there too.

I can be totally free when I design collections like this. My customer is imaginary and she has given me free reign to design fantastical creations for her!

I love antique sapphire shades combined with silver or rhinestone and often bring them into my bridal designs. I'll keep you posted on these pieces - I'm hoping to do a photo-shoot with them soon.

Enjoy the long weekend and I'll see you when I get back! If you'd like to see some of my recent bespoke commissions, you can look through my blog archives. And if you're thinking of including a hint of blue in your accessories, I'd love to hear your ideas!

Rangoli bride, Ruth.

An email in my in-box that made my day! Ruth - thanks for getting in touch to share some photos of your wedding. Your kind words mean a lot.

Ruth was looking for a headpiece with an antique, pearly feel. No sparkly rhinestones here! I combined some pale gold and silver beading with cream Swarovski pearls. The design was based on a vine form with beaded leaves. I love how soft the piece looks against the delicate lace. You look gorgeous Ruth.

You can see more photos of Rangoli brides on my Facebook page and website.
 
Ruth's photos were taken by Michael Crean.

Gold - my favourite 2012 wedding trend

I'm going to let you in on a big secret... I've been in business for fourteen years and I've been waiting for this moment to come.

"One of the big trends for 2012 is metallics; gold in particular."

Little known facts about me - I have a rose gold wedding ring and a bathroom with gold leaf wallpaper. That's not to say that I don't love silver and platinum, it's just that I'm monogamous in my metal choice!

So are any of you choosing a dress with gold detailing or including some precious metallics into your colour theme? I'm already seeing lots of dresses with touches of gold embroidery or fabrics with a golden hue. The gorgeous gown above is by Badgley Mischka, (full credits below).

My sister Tara is looking into metallic icings for her cakes this year. I'll keep you posted on all developments and tasting sessions :-)

Let 2012 be the year of metallic opulence! Please indulge me by sending me pics of your favourite golden moments x

Image credits: 
Clockwise from top left - Rangoli bride Aisling wears a delicate crochet headpiece to match her Claire Pettibone gown, a glimmering cake to melt my heart, a set of Rangoli pale gold and pearl hairpins and a stunning Badgley Mischka gold and white gown.

Rangoli bride Aisling marries Ian

This year I designed accessories for two amazing sisters; Aisling and Kellie, who were both married within a couple of months of each other. (Keep an eye out for Kellie's feature coming soon). Girls, all I can say is that you were both a pleasure to design for and work with and I'm so glad you both had brilliant days!

I designed a crochet headpiece and bracelet for Aisling to complement her Claire Pettibone 'Willow' gown. I used peach and ivory pearls to pick up on the unusual embroidery detail on the dress. Here's Aisling to tell us about how she planned her magical day.

"I know what I have written is WAY too much information, however I really couldnt begin anywhere else other than the beginning of our story......

"It was back in 2003 that Ian and I both met (at Witness now known as Oxegen), Ian is a Dub and I myself am from Co Down. We spent 5 months inseparable, (when possible) before he had to take off on a pre-arranged trip around the world. It wasn't long though until my sister, friends and I decided to do exactly that. Ian and I met again in Melbourne that following summer where we lived together for 6 months. Ian's dad passed away very unexpectedly and before we knew it we were back in Ireland living apart. But not for long...."

 Aisling's sister Kellie is seen on the left in the picture above

In September 2008, Ian surprised Aisling with a trip to Florence, where he proposed to her! Almost two years later, the couple headed to the Amalfi Coast in search of the perfect wedding venue.

"We did find one but it just happened to be at the top of a mountain....'Ravello'. This place was really beautiful, however a long, long way to take our guests.  After much deliberating we decided to give our homeland a chance."

Lots of research and weekend travelling, (would you believe over 1000km?), finally led Aisling and Ian to Tankardstown House which immediately won them over.

"As soon as we walked through the front doors of this charming place we were sold! It possessed all the old world charm but with a bright and new feel to it. There was an open fire roaring in the hall way and as we made our way through the house we did not know where to look first; there was so much character. This house set the foundation for the theme and style of the day that I had planned in my head for God knows how long! I pictured the day to be enchanting, romantic, poetic and with all that Tankardstown House had to offer again including the grounds this was most definitely the place."

"The next big thing was the dress...  I spent hours (maybe even days ("~) surfing the net using blogs such as Style me Pretty, Lane Dittoe, Wedding Chicks for inspiration. I googled words such as vintage, illuminating, delicate and then I stumbled upon Claire Pettibone. Her dresses were magical. Every dress was made for a fairytale. When I tried on 'Willow' in Myrtle Ivory, Dublin, I was blown away! I didnt want to take it off and so I knew it had to be the one. The style of the day that I had imagined was finally starting to take shape...a mix of vintage flair with a magical feel of a 'A midsummer nights dream'.

The venue was booked, the dress was ordered, we soon found a sweet little chapel, the bridemaids dresses were being sketched. The groom and groomsmens suits were decided upon. Everything was falling in to place. Make-up I would do myself, the only thing that was left in terms of the bridal party was my jewellery.  As a child I always pictured myself wearing a headpiece on my big day, something that would sit delicately on my forehead.  So it was back to the drawing board... Google to some, (my new best friend). It wasn't long though before I came across the very creative and talented Aisling Nelson, Rangoli."

"After visiting Aisling in her delightful studio I soon knew she would create something really special. Aisling did her own bit of research for me in terms of deciding upon the colours and beads that would suit 'Willow'. The headpiece was so perfect I had to ask for Aisling to make me a bracelet also. The attention to detail that went in to both pieces was exceptional. I will treasure both pieces forever and I love that although our big day has been and gone I can still wear my bracelet, look back and remember what a truly magical and wonderful day we had. Thank-you for your amazing input."

"When planning a wedding though,...it doesnt just stop at the wedding party and venue. As I previously stated I soon became addicted to wedding blogs. There was the invites that I handmade myself (that took me way too long,..more than I care to remember), I bought my paper from Daintree in Camden Street Dublin and the same paper I used for my buntons to decorate my sweet treat table. I used it for the table plan and also the guest book."

Wedding invitations made using Daintree paper

"We used sweets that reminded us of when we were lil ones...cola cubes, fish 'n'chips, saucers, shrimps, banana's, raspberry ruffles (my dad's favourite). Ian loves my home baked raspberry and coconut frou frou cupcakes and I happened to find a place in town that most definitely uses the same ingredients, so I knew I had to have some there also. I always loved polaroid pictures so I left one by the guset book for people to leave a little pic with some well wishes. Ian has always loved cigars moreso on special occassions and so he got a humidor and over time time collected a number of quality cigars for those that would enjoy them on the big day.

I arranged an overhead projector to be set up in the drawing room of the house and after the dinner we all moved in to watch a slide show of photo's including all the guests with Ian and myself at some stage in our lives creating happy memories.This was just another little feature. Helena (a very special lady that I cared for, for 4 years) said an amazing poem 'Young Lord Lochinvar' by Sir Waltar Scott. This poem is very beautiful and romantic."

"The fabulous photographer who really captured the essence of the day was the one and only Peter Gordan of ExploreLight. Peter who is also a close friend spent some time with us prior to the day in deciding upon what exactly we wanted from our photo's and he really did all that and more!"

 

 Flowers by Sweet Pea Designs

"The flowers were decided upon after two hours with the florist at her kitchen table. Catherine Handley of 'Sweet Pea Designs' spent this time with me trying to grasp an idea of what I had pictured. I wanted the flowers to be delicate and to have a somewhat rustic feel. Catherine did all so tastefully. The chapel was amazing with candles everywhere. 

I also wanted heather featuring somewhere. This was something that reminded me of my childhood. I grew up at the foot of the Mourne Mountains and heather grew everywhere. Catherine went one step ahead and actually sourced the specific heather found in the mountains of Co Down. You can see it a little in the bouquets and the boys buttonholes. The flowergirls were like little fairies with their floral crowns. Catherine also used her glasswear that her father collects for her (ie old ketchup bottles, Chanel perfume bottles) to decorate the main dining room including the fireplace."

"There really was a lot of attention to detail and as I write this it dawns on me how much time and effort really goes in to creating something so special. Would I do it again..absolutely..in a heartbeat!!!"

What a pretty wedding and gorgeous couple - don't you agree? Aisling and Ian, thanks for sharing some of your amazing photos and for taking the time to tell us about all the planning that went into personalising your day. I really appreciate your kind words too.

Rangoli bride features are my favourite part of the blog - check out some more wedding reports or have a look at my Rangoli Brides album or Facebook page for lots more inspiration.

Supplier details
Photographer: Peter Gordan of ExploreLight
Venue: Tankardstown House
Dress: Myrtle Ivory Dublin
Flowers: Catherine Handley of Sweet Pea Designs
Paper for stationery: Daintree
Headpiece and jewellery: Rangoli

Autumn amber shades

I'm designing a headpiece for this striking Vera Wang Evelyn dress. I love the lines of this contemporary gown. I'm incorporating gorgeous shades of amber, golden topaz and white opal crystal. Perfect for this time of the year!

I found this inspiration  board over on The Finer Things stationery blog and love the rich palette. Silver or white gold are still the most popular colours for accessories but gold is definitely a trend for 2012 weddings.

I'll be able to show you the finished piece in October when I get back back from holidays.

Below you can see the finished design. With this commission, the client was fairly open about the style of headpiece that she would like. Her only guidelines were that she wanted the piece to be in gold tones and not too vintage in style.

I asked her to send me pictures of combs that had elements that she liked. So, some incorporated the warm gold tones she liked, while others had floral or linear elements that appealed. This can be a great way to pinpoint the type of design you would like even if it seems a bit vague. It really helped me to narrow down the eventual design, shape and form. This piece will be worn at the back of the head. The dress design is very bold so simple gold rhinestone drop earrings will be the only other accessory.

I wish that more of you would choose these gorgeous golden shades. It seems that silver or white gold is still the most popular. I'd love to hear your thoughts on gold versus silver...

Something blue

I love getting the opportunity to design for brides from different countries and cultures. I really need one of those spinning globes for my studio!

I'm heading off to Uzbekistan in the next few weeks for a travel adventure so I was so excited when Tahkmina told me that she was from Tajikistan; another amazing country on the Old Silk Route.


Tahkmina is a bride to be from Tajikistan, getting married in Turkey and wearing a traditional Chinese blue silk gown.

I designed this delicate beaded spray for the back of her hair as the dress fabric is quite elaborate. The piece is embellished with aquamarine, pearl and crystal. Wishing her all the very best for her wedding!

Check out my other recent bespoke commissions on the blog or get in touch to arrange an appointment to visit my showroom.

Rangoli bridesmaids brooches

Todays post is about favourite colour palettes and bridesmaids dress brooches! Yurishan asked me to design brooches for her three bridesmaids. Their dreamy dresses combine dusty pink and toffee colours - one of my favourite colour combos as anyone who has seen my Rangoli stationery and branding will know!

 Rangoli stationery

It took me no time to pick out a combination of golden topaz and dusty pink crystals, creamy pearls, rhinestone and bronze seed beads. I love how the silver-lined scalloped edging sets them off perfectly.

The girl's dresses are being made at the moment so I hope to share some photos at a later stage. (I have lots of interesting commissions on the go at the moment and want to share them with you as I make them! I'll then link the wedding features back to the relevant posts.)

I think brooches are a unique way to accessorise your bridesmaids dresses - I'd love to hear what creative ideas you have in mind for your lovely ladies!

Check out my other bespoke commissions or see some Rangoli brides on my Facebook page.

Rangoli lace headpiece

Sometimes it's hard to say goodbye! This bespoke headpiece was collected yesterday and is going to a lovely happy owner...(You may have read my previous post about this inspiring commission.)

I loved working on this piece with *Lena. She had very specific ideas about the look and feel of the piece as well as the shape. Her gorgeous lace dress will be worn with a long sleeved bolero. Pearl was to be the main component of the design. I had to create a flat design which replicated the delicacy of lace. Lena had an image of a rhinestone comb that she liked the shape of. We were able to use this as a starting point and template.

For this design, I printed the image of the comb that Lena had brought so we could look at this shape on her head. This probably sounds mad but it gave us both an excellent idea of how the form would look! Above, you can see how I have pinned on some small beaded shapes on top of the paper.

Once we were both happy with the scale and shape of the piece, I began working on detailed sketches of the intricate form. I then created many individual beaded elements which were finely woven together as the piece was being constructed.

Once I begin constructing the design, I work directly in three dimensions and I leave the sketches aside. This design took many hours to make but was a fascinating new direction for me in terms of assembling a piece from a number of smaller forms.

I'm really looking forward to sharing this wedding with you in a couple of months. Lena is so happy with the piece, especially as she had such a clear idea in her head of how she wanted the piece to look like.

You can read about some of my other commissions on the blog. All feedback is really welcome so leave me a comment or chat with me on my facebook page!

* For anonymity reasons, Lena is not her real name!

Siobhan and Eoin's wedding

I'm so excited to share this wedding with you! When I first met Siobhan, she told me about a special piece of jewellery that had belonged to her Nana. (You can read my earlier post about this). In fact this pearl necklace was an engagement gift from her grandfather and was worn on her wedding day. The necklace had got damaged over the years; the three strands were reduced to two and Siobhan loved the idea of somehow converting it into a bracelet and wearing it on her wedding day.

"...Being able to wear my Nanny's pearls feels like they'll be there in spirit and they'll never be forgotten, and means so, so much to me. I am so grateful to Aisling for making this a reality, when you strip away all the pomp and fluff from a wedding it's the people, present on the day and those we'll never forget, that really count."

Above you can see a picture of Siobhan's grandparents on their honeymoon along with some sketches and photos of the beautiful peach pearls in their treasured box. We decided to use the largest of the pearls and to make a feature of the striking rhinestone clasp as the centre piece. I also included a row of cream pearls, spaced with tiny rhinestone elements as a contrasting element to the design. It's been amazing for me to be involved in this project and to see these pearls being worn again on such a special occasion.

To complement Siobhan's delicate lace gown, she chose to wear a 'Diamond' design hairwire. I used soft gold beading in this piece along with some cream and peach pearls. I love how the pearl hairwire sits in her soft hairstyle. And to complete the look, I made a simple double pearl drop with tiny rhinestone setting. There is a single one of Nana's pearls in there too! Here's a few words from Siobhan -

"We have such wonderful memories from our wedding day, start to finish. Everything ran so smoothly, even down to the weather! The beautiful singing by the amazingly talented Naoise Stuart-Kelly, gorgeous flowers and our wonderful priest helped create a relaxed and special atmosphere in the church that continued throughout the day. Niall our photographer did and excellent job of capturing the atmosphere and the little touches we had wanted to include in our special day. Little touches, such as and in particular, the fabulous jewellery made for me by Aisling, re-modelled from my grandmother's own wedding pearls. It meant so much to me and my family that they were able to be restored.

Aisling did such a wonderful job. She was really creative with ideas on how we could redesign and update them. I'm delighted to say I've been wearing them regularly ever since after years of leaving them lying neglected in their box. Our reception in Ballyseede Castle surpassed our expectations, the setting was beautiful yet intimate, the food was delicious and the staff could not have been any more helpful or professional. It's easy to say we had our perfect day.

Thank you so much Aisling for all your help. It really was a pleasure to work with you, you took such care and interest in my project and created something really special and beautiful for me."

 

Doesn't Siobhan look gorgeous?! I'm sure you'll agree that they make a very stylish couple.

Siobhan - it was an absolute pleasure to be asked to design your accessories; in particular, your bracelet. I think your Nana would be so proud and delighted to know that you are continuing to get lots of wear out of it, while keeping her memory alive.

Thanks to both of yourself and Eoin for sharing these images and telling us the story of your wedding.

Credits
Photography - Niall McGann
Church singing and music - Naoise Stuart-Kelly at EncoreOccasions

Flowers -  Eleanor's Florist  

Reception - Ballyseede Castle

Rangoli headpiece - Lace love

I'm working on a bespoke commission and thought I'd share my work in progress. It's no secret that I love lace and find it inspires many of my designs. I love it on many levels, for it sheerness, transparency and romantic qualities...its timeless nature and ability to work with vintage and contemporary dresses. Most of all, I love the linear floral motifs that twist and flow, following the contours of the female form.

The person that I am designing this piece for is having her dress made by London designer Fiona Clare. Let's call her *Lena! The dress features Chantilly lace as seen above. Lena just loves pearls which are the perfect choice for this style of gown.

Once I had met Lena and heard about her ideas, I began by making sketches of the lace design. There's so many interesting forms in there if you look closely!

For this commission, I'm working to a specific brief for a glamorous side piece which will replicate the lace design. The finished piece will be striking and very feminine. I also like that I've been asked to exclude rhinestone elements - it will be interesting to focus purely on pearl as the main component. I can't give too much more away at the moment but I hope to be able to share some wedding photos with you at a later date!


I'm currently working on lots of individual beaded motifs which will be woven together to form an intricate pearl lace form. I'm having fun creating vintage roses and delicate twisted vines, all lavishly embellished with ivory pearls of different sizes.

Welcome to my world - Hope you enjoyed reading about this latest commission! Please get in touch if you'd like to discuss some ideas for jewellery or hair accessories.

Have a look at my other posts featuring lace or check out my other recent bridal commissions

*Lena is the secret identity that I have given this client but her real name is even more beautiful!

Bespoke Rangoli Hairwire

I just love sharing some of my client's weddings with you. It's really rewarding to receive photos along with kind words of appreciation - I am continually reminded of why I love my job so much! So thanks to each and every one of you who have shared your weddings with me.

Rachel came to me with an idea for a beaded hairwire. She wanted it to incorporate a variety of different sized pearls along with a little bit of sparkle. The classic hairstyle that she chose is so elegant and I think the hairwire complements it perfectly!

Rachel's family surprised her on the morning of her wedding with a gift of this Rangoli pearl and rhinestone necklace along with a matching bracelet, (which can be seen on my website).

I also designed a beaded headpiece for Rachel's Mum Rose, seen below, along with a delicate 9ct gold beaded pendant. Rachel's two sisters wore a bespoke comb and hairpins to match their gorgeous black and gold Monsoon dresses. Here are a few words from Rachel -

I just wanted to say a big thank you to Aisling in Rangoli Jewellery. I had heard of her work through WeddingsOnline. I purchased my hair vine and bridesmaids head pieces from Rangoli. Aisling is so easy to work with. It was a pleasure to visit her studio where she showed my sister and I various pieces she had made and allowed us to try them on. I showed her a picture of a hair vine that I liked and she made me exactly what I wanted.

On the morning of our wedding to my surprise I received a beautiful gift from my sister and mother of a pearl necklace and matching bracelet which Aisling made and complimented my dress beautifully. I will definitely be recommending Rangoli to as many people as possible as Aisling made the process very easy. I hope to buy some more products from her in the future.

Thanks so much Rachel - I really appreciate your kind words and wish you both all the best!

You can read more about my recent bespoke commissions or get in touch if you'd like to talk about a having jewellery or accessories designed for your wedding or special occasion. I also have a Rangoli Brides portfolio on my Facebook page which is great for inspiration!

Rachel's wedding was photographed by Paddy Burke.

Rangoli treasure box of ideas

Rangoli designs are inspired by all sorts of things. I love ornamentation and decorative floral patterns in particular. In between my commission work, I set aside time to experiment and create new forms and sometimes the smallest discovery can be the most rewarding!

I have a few 'treasure boxes' where I keep these mini-experiments. I open these boxes whenever I am working on a new design. I can pick out a small beaded element and know that it will work perfectly in combination with other elements of this new design!

The commission above was a variation on one of my existing designs. The client wanted a more solid or structured design, so I added in some beaded leaf motifs and worked with a combination of pale gold and silver to complement some antique gold beading on the bodice of the dress. The delicate beaded flowers below were another bespoke design. In both cases, the clients really enjoyed being part of the design process and choosing the elements that were incorporated into their unique designs.

I get brilliant ideas from my clients and love hearing about unusual ideas for accessory designs! Do get in touch if you'd like to arrange a visit to my showroom. You can also read about my other recent bespoke commissions or have a look at the Rangoli Brides album on my website.

'Something Blue' sapphire crystal hairpins

Today someone collected these pretty pale sapphire crystal hairpins. I love including some colour in my designs and especially like this shade of pale grey/blue Swarovski faceted crystal. I've put together a colour board with hints of blue - hope you like it!

Photo credits for montage
Top left - Mariam Sitchinava Photography
Middle: Julianne Swartz
Bottom: Joni Niemela
Right: Via Pinterest

Susan and John's wedding

Susan and John were married in February 2011. Their wedding was in Ratheniska, followed by a reception at Killashee House Hotel, Co. Kildare.

Susan wanted a delicate hair accessory to complement her gorgeous lace gown. She really liked my Rangoli Hairwire styles and together we chose a beaded flower design which picked up on her lace detailing. Susan chose not to wear a veil and wanted something simple yet elegant to dress her hairstyle.

"Aisling, I got lots of compliments about the hair wire on the day and I loved it - it worked out perfectly in the end with the way the hair was done and I even think those that were against me not having a veil were happy enough in the end also!!!!

Thanks again for all your patience with me.

Susan"

Susan was lucky to have Mary Brown as her photographer. I think you'll agree that she captured lots of beautiful and relaxed emotions. Visit Mary's website or see more photos of the wedding on her Facebook page.

Congratulations Susan and John - You look amazing! Thanks so much for allowing me to share your photos on the blog.

Have a look at some of my other bespoke commissions on the blog, or get in touch if you'd like to arrange to visit my showroom.