Portugeuse inspiration

Hi everyone - I'm back from sunny Portugal, feeling relaxed and recharged. I thought I'd share a couple of photos of the things that stole my heart. First up are the amazing decorative tiles that cover many of the buildings in Lisbon. They are called Azulejo and were introduced by the Moors in the 15th Century. Pattern inspires so many of my designs and these Arabic beauties are truly amazing. Soon these patterns will be weaving their way into delicate hairwires and combs!

And sometimes a girl can get inspiration from beautiful pastries. (We made a point of sampling up to three a day and washing them down with strong espressos!) Pastéis de nata are the most traditional Portuguese pastry - a delicious crispy layered pastry cup filled with baked custard.

Left to right - an almond paste sweet, a wibbly wobbly coconut delight, pastéis de nata and an iced cupcake.

I even managed to peek in some wedding boutique windows, which were filled with show-stopping gowns like these. Ruffles, tulle and pillow-box layering made these gowns good enough to eat. (Are you noticing a trend here?!)

I'm happy to be back at my design desk and discussing interesting commissions with clients. This morning I had an enquiry about an embellished belt to go with a Jenny Packham, teal green dress. More on that in a future post.

I'd love to hear from you if you'd like to chat about accessories or Portuguese pastries! Have a look at my website or get in touch to arrange a visit to my showroom.

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

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!

Rhinestone Bow commission

Alice is getting married and is wearing this gorgeous dress - I love it. She also loves bows so once she spotted my Rhinestone Bow comb she knew it would be perfect!

Alice has allowed me to share some of her bridal inspiration pics which she gathered online. She is carrying bow elements into her wedding theme, with vintage dickie-bows, delicate hair-ribbons for the bridesmaids and cakes with perfectly-formed sugar bows!

Wishing you all the best for your April wedding Alice...

You might like to read about my other recent commissions or visit my website for more inspiration. And don't forget to leave me a comment - I love to hear your feedback!

Alice's dress is from U Dreamy Bridal
Her images were sourced on We Heart It

The Alternative Wedding Event

I spent a relaxing afternoon at the Guinness Store House on Sunday. This intimate fair had the feel of an auction house, with people ambling around and discovering lots of hidden treasures. I loved the Hayworth stand of vintage gowns as well as Oxfam Bridal with a selection of stunning once-worn gowns. Cake-a-Licious made the love heart cake!

It was also an opportunity to meet lots of bridal bloggers - We know each other quite well 'virtually' so it was great to put a face to each person. Let me introduce you to them...

Lisa from Bride & Joy - a 'real' bride to be who writes a really informative and fun blog about planning a wedding...and counting down to her own November wedding!

Caoimhe from Tinkerbelle Bride - recently married but thankfully still blogging.

Marie from Finer Details - designer of gorgeous stationery for all occasions.

Blaithin, a multi-talented blogger, event planner and author!

Annie from Aislinn Events - an American wedding and event planner living in Kerry.

Naoise, Sue and Mags from One Fab Day - inspirational wedding blog offering lots of advice on sourcing unique elements for your wedding.

And finally photographer Lisa O'Dwyer who took the lovely images in the montage above.

Great to meet you all! Readers - check out all of these great Irish blogs for tons of inspiration.

Top image by Hazel Coonagh
Montage images by Lisa O'Dwyer

Rangoli Brides Album

The Rangoli Brides Album on my website is my favourite part of my website. Seeing these images makes me realise how lucky I am to have a job that is so rewarding and fun! And I know that this section of the site is really popular with my readers and clients too. It's great to be able to see what my designs look like on different people. It's also a great inspiration source for dresses, hairstyles, make-up and flowers :-)

Have a look at the album to see Sonya, Cliodhna and Tara's weddings as well as the others in the set. You might also like to read about some of my recent commissions on the blog.

A big huge 'Thank You' to all for sharing your photos as well as your generous testimonials.

Christian Dior Couture 2011

I simply had to post this image from Christian Dior's 2011 Couture collection...I tried just tweeting about it but it wasn't enough. I'm not so wild about the headpiece but I could definitely find somewhere to wear this dress.

'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.

A very special cup of tea!

I'm delighted to share this special wedding with you. Fiona and Colm were married a week ago. Fiona rang me a couple of days before the wedding as she was still looking for something special for her hair. I didn't get to meet her in person but she had seen my Silver Lace comb on my website and thought it would be perfect for her bespoke vintage style dress.

This wedding is so stylish, yet completely laid back. Fiona and Colm invited their guests to the Shelbourne Hotel for afternoon tea after their ceremony, instead of the more traditional evening meal. This truly personal celebration was photographed by Christina Brosnan, who captured the emotions beautifully. Fiona and Colm - I wish you every happiness together and many more pots of tea :-)

You can read more about the wedding on Cristina's blog - as well as seeing some of the other engagements and weddings that Christina has photographed.


Read about more of my recent commissions or keep up to date with Rangoli on Facebook and Twitter.

Credits:
Photography by Christina Brosnan
Make-up by Aoife Callaghan
Hair styled by Susan Peggs

Christian Lacroix designs for Rosa Clara

Well here is a dress that I love for 2011 and I'm not normally drawn to full princess skirts! It combines some of the key style trends for the coming season...lots of tulle layering, flower forms and a cute bow. Quite a glass slipper dress for 2011!

I love the idea of two designers working together and Christian Lacroix brings some of his haute couture magic to this gown. The neckline is another beautiful detail and one that rarely features in bridal gowns. Below is a gown from the 2011 Rosa Clara collection. I love the pleated layered tulle combined with soft lace.

Next up, I'll be sharing a gorgeous bridesmaid commission with you - a delicate beaded hairband in a soft mauve and grey palette!

Another sneak peak!

Girls, I can't wait to share another beautiful wedding with you! This image gives you a flavour of how stylish and romantic the wedding is. I will be posting a selection of photos from Sonya's wedding album next week.

Photograph by Bernard Carolan at Mark Griffin Photo.

Lorraine and Conor's Italian wedding

Lorraine came to me to discuss commissioning a bespoke headpiece for her wedding. She described her own style and her plans for a relaxed wedding celebration in Arezzo, Italy. I love hearing everyone's ideas about venues and personal touches!

Lorraine brought in the picture above of a headpiece that she had seen in a magazine. She loved its shape as well as the fact that it had delicate white feathers in it. This image was the starting point for Lorraine's bespoke Rangoli headpiece. We worked together to come up with a design that she loved. The piece was made from fine silver crochet and incorporated rhinestones and pearls. I then wove fine white feathers into it. I think you'll agree that she looked stunning on her wedding day. Here are a few words from Lorraine -

" Thanks you for the beautiful head-piece you made for me for my wedding on 25 June in Montebenichi, Arezzo, Italy. I just wanted to let you know that on the day it was perfect and everyone loved that I chose not to wear a veil and go with something that was so simple but yet at the same time elegant...it really was perfect in keeping in with the simple aspect of my wedding".

Lorraine and Conor's wedding was photographed by Lelia Scarfiotti and I was not surprised to read that she is a 'Style Me Pretty' Little Black Book supplier. Have a look at her website and if you'd like to see more of Lorraine and Conor's wedding album, visit this link and click 'Gallery' and then 'I do', followed by the heading 'Put a ring on it'.

Thanks Lorraine and Conor - your Italian wedding is spellbinding. I can almost smell the Italian countryside :-)

Phototography by Lelia Scarfiotti

Lace inspired hairband

Lena is getting married in October and has chosen this gorgeous Magnolia dress by Pronovias. She wanted a delicate headpiece that would complement the beautiful lace fabric.

Lena is wearing her hair in a simple elegant up-do and this fine hair band really completes her look. This piece is also available as a circular comb and is inspired by the scalloped edging of lace. She will also be wearing a dainty pair of matching Rangoli pearl and rhinestone earrings.

It's distinctive, dainty and very pretty - perfect for this stylish Rangoli bride :-)

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