Can you believe we are only 20 days away from the arrival of V5? To help pass the time, join me for another look into Bridal Market 2012. I have lots of gorgeous gowns to share, plus an impromptu mini SW fashion show!! (PS: Don’t miss out on Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.)

We will start with the always amazing Badgley Mischka.

If I had to pick one word to describe this collection from Badgley Mischka, it would be glamour. The pleated tulle, delicate Chantilly lace and crystal embroidery (which was on almost EVERY gown – oh my stars) was soft and subtle and at the same time oh so glamorous. As a traditional ‘ballgown bride,’ I couldn’t help but wonder about trying on one of these lovely form-fitting beauties.

Our next step was a good ol’ squeal fest as we met and became fast friends with all the lovely LulaKate ladies. It was so fun to see these dresses in person, since they frequently make appearances on the blog in Real Wedding posts. Look for a few of these beauties in V5, too!

Somehow the LulaKate ladies convinced us to pull the frocks that we had been drooling over and have a mini SW fashion show. Marissa snagged a beautiful lace and striped dress with a detachable bow-belt, and I picked a lovely grey and white rugby stripe dress with pockets! After trying them on and prancing around, we decided we needed a place to wear these lovely dresses again.

Isn’t Katherine, the brilliant creator of LulaKate, just adorable? We were so grateful for her and her team and all their Southern hospitality.

Up next was Watters. During this show we were able to preview both the Watters and Wtoo collections, and boy oh boy were there a LOT of lovely dresses.

The camellia lacy overlay on the gown above added a layer of lovely texture to an already beautiful tulle ballgown. And of course, how can you not love the whisper pink beauty below with the hand-beaded detailing? We saw a lot of soft blush colors during Bridal Market this year, and this was definitely one of the prettiest.

The lovely C20 collection had some great LBD options that would be perfect for bridesmaids or maybe for a rehearsal dinner? This crewneck illusion lace dress was so chic, and I died over the hidden pockets in the sleeveless black satin number.

Finally, we stopped by the lovely Donna Morgan booth to take a peek at the fresh new styles and colors in their 2013 bridesmaid collection. We loved seeing the work of our friends Trent Bailey and Jackie of Merci New York on the walls of the Donna Morgan booth. The new campaign is gorgeous, y’all!

The coral dress, with its sassy texture, seemed like it would be the perfect thing to dance the night away in. And of course, we were all big fans of the stylish lace peplum in delicate pink.

We’ve got two more Bridal Market posts coming up, so stay tuned! BIG huge thanks to Kat Harris for photographing all these beauties for us!

P.S. Which is your favorite gown from this post? So hard to choose!

Yeehaw, y’all!

And the gorgeousness continues with Part 3. I couldn’t let Marissa have all the fun of sharing Bridal Market 2013 with y’all, now could I? Catch up on Part 1 and Part 2 before digging in to this next round of beauty, starting with Ines Di Santo.

Ines Di Santo captivated our attention with her beautiful collection, inspired by what Ines considers one of Europe’s most romantic cities, Venice. The beautiful lines and decadent fabrics of these trumpet style gowns were accented by lovely lace and bead-work adornments.

I loved all the layers of organza in this next sweetheart ballgown. This romantic off-the-shoulder beauty garnered gasps from both Marissa and me. And of course, I loved the delicate bow detail.

And we got the great pleasure of snapping a photo after the show with our friend Kristy Rice. A fun surprise? Kristy designed the beautiful Iphone cases seen here.

From the Ines Di Santo show we dashed straight to the coffee shop around the corner because I was begging for a little burst of caffeine. Thankfully, Marissa and Kat agreed. With coffee in hand, we headed to Pier94 for Anne Barge.

I love these preshow sneak peeks that Kat Harris snapped. Y’all, these shows are masterpieces, and the girls come out one after the other. I can only imagine how crazy it is backstage during the actual show.

Yes! This is the lovely Ms. Anne Barge. We managed to snag a picture with her after the show. And I have to say, her dresses reflect her sweet disposition. She couldn’t have been more sweet or gracious when we introduced ourselves.

Aren’t these lovely deep Vs breathtaking, and the birdcage veils so posh? During the show, one of these lovely hair accents fell off, and the model gracefully caught it without missing a beat and continued down the runway! Her feat was definitely worthy of applause and cheers from the audience.

One of my favorite ‘trends’ that we saw during our time in New York were all the amazing gown back details. Doesn’t this floral illusion back just make you swoon? This collection was packed with flowing silk organza, lace, and delicate bows – perfect for a romantic Southern fete.

On to the ballet studio for the ice crystal inspired collection from Rivini! Rita Vinieris is the brilliant mind behind this delicate collection, which was inspired by the softness of snowflakes and the Ice Hotel in Sweden.

Accordingly, this collection was filled with beading and delicate embellishment. This stunning crystallized blouse was unlike anything else we saw on the runway. I love how it seems to shimmer in the light and add a sense of elegance and barely-there warmth. The girls retraced their steps so we got to see each dress up close, twice, which was a real treat.

Stay tuned for more Bridal Market adventures tomorrow as we head to our next stop! BIG huge thanks to Kat Harris for photographing all these beauties for us!

P.S. Which is your favorite gown so far?

And we’re back! I hope you enjoyed Part 1 of our Bridal Market adventure! I’m so excited for this post, as it has one of my favorite shows in it! Can you guess which before scrolling down?

Don’t you love these backstage snaps Kat captured before the Reem Acra show? Y’all know my makeup junkie self would have died over all that makeup! I also love that Kat was able to snag a shot of the run of show photos. So neat!

The Reem Acra show is always one of my favorites because it’s always so couture, and this year was no different. Models weaved in and out of a small two-roomed venue donning innovative headpieces made of pleated tulle and lace.

The Reem Acra collection featured scalloped necklines, and narrow column silhouettes accentuated by bursts of tulle. We also saw embroidered illusion necklines, cascading organza and intricate beading.

Oh dear sweet Amsale! There are not words to describe how much Kristin and I died over this collection! We kept hitting each other (chicly, of course!) as each dress came down the runway. The Amsale collection is a “celebration of American couture”, and boy did we want to celebrate.

The streamlined silhouettes and “less is more” approach to classic style was right up my alley. These gowns featured luxurious fabrics (oh that silk organza!), pleated skirts, and my personal favorite, BIG bows! The Fall 2013 Amsale collection has classic Southern written all over it!

Before the Monique Lhuillier show we were so thrilled to have a few minutes to chat (and snap a pic with) our sweet friend Christy from Junebug Weddings. Isn’t her black and white dress so stylish?

Onto the ever-stunning Monique Lhuillier show! Monique described this collection as a fairytale, “a dream-like state with a very ethereal feeling.” We couldn’t agree more! The collection was full of illusion necklines, lace cap sleeves and of sheer romantic tulle. The collection was feminine and full of sparkly glamour. I also loved how Monique weaved in the subtle blush color without going overboard.

Stay tuned for more Bridal Market adventures as we’re just getting started! BIG huge thanks to Kat Harris for photographing all these beauties for us!

P.S. Which is your favorite gown so far?

Just 22 more days until V5 arrives! Y’all are going to love it!

Happy Monday, dear readers! Y’all are in for a treat to kick off your week! As you may know, last weekend, Kristin and I packed our chicest black flats and our fully charged iPhones and hit the Big Apple to preview some of our favorite designers’ newest collections. We saw way more lace than should be allowed in one weekend, and gushed over each and every piece of it! Join us as we share these beauties from behind the lens of our awesome photographer, Kat Harris!

We kicked off our Saturday morning with our first show, the Romona Keveza Collection! Even the venue (the St Regis Hotel) was glamorous! Inspired by the traveling tale of James Bond, the collection paid homage to the luxurious lifestyle that is Bond’s signature. We saw the classic Romona lace gowns, but we also were delighted to see lots and lots of color, from lime green to Romona red to classic navy. We even saw pink + peplum!

We then rushed to snag a cab and headed to Pier 94 for the Claire Pettibone show! We were greeted with gourmet cookies and fabulous swag bags filled with hand-painted goodness from our friend Kristy Rice.

Yes, I am holding my iPhone and Kristin is holding her iPad. We were all over that Insta/Tweet coverage for y’all! We didn’t want you to miss a thing!

The Claire Pettibone show always feels like I’ve been transported to another land. A glamorous land of flowers and lace! Claire’s show was effortless luxury mixed with sun drenched colors, and embroidered embellishments. One of the most striking parts of the collection was the incredibly intricate backs. Not only were the gowns gorgeous from the front, but the backs were equally, if not more, beautiful!

I’m so glad Kat was able to sneak backstage and snag a few behind-the-scene shots of the amazing hair at Christos! Talk about the Southern bump! These ladies took big Southern hair up a notch, and I couldn’t have loved it more!

Y’all, I have to tell you that the Christos Collection may have contained my and Kristin’s very favorite back of any dress at Market (the fourth one down in this post)! French lace, an embroidered keyhole back with a giant lace flower/bow — oh my stars!

We actually couldn’t help but swoon over this entire collection! It was filled with soft silhouettes with airy tulle layered with French Alencon lace. We also loved the sheer tops with petal appliqués transforming the strapless gown into a modest illusion neckline.

The Kenneth Pool Collection was up next, and it took quite a dramatic spin on classic gowns! We saw lots of glamour with this one! Form-fitting sheaths were met with exuberant volume with the KP fit and flair gowns. Rich satin took the place of demur lace and crystal beading made for a luxurious finish to each dress!

Woah! Imagine, that’s just a portion of all the fabulous gowns we saw on Saturday (I know, woe is me)! All images from our amazing photographer Kat Harris. Thanks so much, Kat!

Check back soon because this is just the beginning of all the gorgeousness you’re going to see this week. Now let’s play the favorite game — tell me your favorite gown from the post, or, if you can’t decide, choose one from each collection!

Ahh! Just twenty five short days until V5! Y’all are going to flip!

Well hello, sweet readers! Kristin and I are back from quite the whirlwind trip to the Big Apple for Bridal Fashion Week, and boy do we have a lot to show you! We hope you enjoyed our Tweet/Insta coverage over the weekend, we sure loved sharing it with y’all!

While our amazing photographer, Kat Harris, works on the gorgeous images of fabulous gowns we thought it would be fun to do a little behind-the-scenes Instagram sneak peak! So grab yourself a cup of coffee and a bagel, and let’s head north to NYC!

Top to bottom and left to right: the fabulous New York skyline from our hotel window, Kristin and I snagging a cup of coffee before heading to our first show, we barely made it to the second show before changing into our flats (y’all, my Tieks were the perfect Market shoes – not a blister in site!), a little BTS of our hotel room during a late night work catch up session, our super sweet fruit gift from Miss Lara (thank you, L! We loved it!), after the shows we pulled on our yoga pants and tennis shoes and walked around the block for a bit of pizza to refuel! De-lish!, up and at ‘em for day two KNW and I donned our chicest black to weather the NYC chill, we stopped between shows for a little street style session with the super talented Kat Harris.

Top to bottom and left to right: Ridiculously gorgeous hand-painted run of show and iPhone cover by SW friend, Kristy Rice had us excited for the Claire Pettibone show, while going through our press packet for Romonoa Keveza we were thrilled to to see a little SW love, delicious snow cones at the Loverly Lounge – they’re even wedding cake flavored!.

One of the great things about Bridal Market is getting to see some of our favorite industry friends! Left to right and top to bottom: the amazing Summer Watkins from Grey Likes, the incredibly talented Kellee from Loverly, and former SW editor herself Miss Whitney Davis (you know what we say: once an SW girl, always an SW girl!).

And of course what you’ve been waiting for! Gorg-eous gowns, and lots of ‘em! We died over this hand beaded (in Birmingham, Alabama!) top from Southern girl Heidi Elnora, this subtle silver hue was the perfect something blue from JLM Couture, oh heavens, y’all – this bow from Heidi Elnora had our Southern hearts skipping a few beats, and this one-shoulder asymmetrical lace fit and flair was so major from Ines Di Santo.

I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into our crazy weekend! Stay tuned because next week we’ll have lovely detail images from our fab photog Kat Harris. She even snuck backstage at a few shows to get some super fun BTS shots for y’all!

All images my iPhone, and with the help of sweet Kat!