Mexican Fries, The Guys Who Do and Style Me Pretty who Did!

Ahead of anything, Im going to introduce you to this wonderful team of creatives which, if one supplier had been changed, Mexican Fries may not have made it to the worlds No.1 blog Style Me Pretty. I have to applaud the founders who brought this together.  Jason Tey from Jason Tey Photography, Event stylist Mae from Wedding Day Flair and Fashion Stylist Olivia from Olive Farm For me, the models Karl and Tanya who had never met, had an instant spark. You really would not believe they weren’t a real couple!

From left to right. Jason, Nafessa, myself, Olivia, Karl, Tanya, Grace, Jude, Novi, Zaymah, Mae and Ann.

Mexican Fries, a love story like no other. A love story of Jason’s brother, Victor and his wife Elizabeth. It really is worth a read here and more so, the images of their incredible journey here. I urge you to look through them, it certainly makes me feel blessed. From Jason. “The shoot was inspired by the love story of my little brother Victor and his wife Elizabeth and was built around the concept of what their wedding could have been had they gotten married today.” Very different from what their day was really like!

As with all shoots, there is a lot of standing, sitting and laughing. Hairdresser, Jude was hilarious!

Photographer Jason Tey trying to capture a ‘moment’ while Jude, Olivia and assistants, Novi and Zaymah ‘add’ to the mood!

While Jason and the team moved to different areas, I was trying to deal with a small emergency at home of a bleeding knee belonging to my 8 year old.

The ice pops supplied by Sally from La Paleta were amazing.

Karl enjoying our favourite coconut flavour!

And again gathering his thoughts for his first ever model experience. (Doesn’t he look like ‘The Rock?’)

While Jason got us, I managed to get Jason. The guy with the infectious smile!

Each and every person had a role, even the assistants Novi and Zaymah. While all stylists were attending to their own individual tasks, ties needed to be perfected.

And splinters needed removing!

The beautiful Ann from Flower Opera provided gorgeous blooms for the shoot.

Hair stylist Jude from Identified Hair and make up artist Grace from Grace Buckley discuss model Tanya’s look.

And Pippa from George and Gina Designs the fabulous stationary. (actually shown here holding hair pins for Jude. Yes, we muck in on everything!)

And some last minute tweaks from me to make sure the gown looked its best.

So, from the beautiful venue at Mellville Nursery

And caught in the act through a peep hole, cake maker extraordinaire Nafessa from Cupcake Cravers (whose cakes are to die for!)

To suppliers who couldn’t make it on the day, yet provided all important elements that made this shoot what it was, we thank you.

How proud we are all for it to be featured on Style Me Pretty. Thank you Jason for the submission. And now for the images.

Credits in no particular order.

Photography – Jason from Jason Tey Photography (www.jasontey.com)

Venue – Melville Rose Nursery, Carmel (www.melvillenurseries.com.au)

Stylist & creative director – Maeline from Wedding Day Flair (www.weddingdayflair.com)

Bridal Accessories & creative director – Olivia from Olive Farm (www.olivefarmdesigns.com)

Wedding gown – Linda from No 9 Bridal Couture (www.no9bridalcouture.com)

Groom Attire – Tim from Poplin & Panache (www.poplinpanache.com.au)

Jewelry – Anita from Mosquita (www.mosquita.com.au)

Shoes – Laura from LOLLIETTE (www.lolliette.etsy.com)

MUA – Grace from Grace Buckley Makeup Artist (www.gracebuckley.com.au)

Hair – Jude from Identified Hair (www.facebook.com/identified.hair)

Flowers – Ann from FLOWER OPERA (www.floweropera.com.au)

Cake – Nafeesa from Cupcake Cravers (www.facebook.com/CupcakeCravers)

Stationary – Pippa from George and Gina Designs (www.georgeandgina.com.au)

Ice Lollies – Ami & Sally from La Paleta (www.facebook.com/ilovepaletas)

Tea – Tessa from The Seventh Duchess (www.theseventhduchess.com)

Furniture & prop hire – Larissa from Her handpicked harvest (www.herhandpickedharvest.com.au)

Models – Tanya Jade (www.facebook.com/TanyaJadesPage) & Karl Tabucanon

and special thanks to Fred!

**********

An Elegant Silhouette in White Chiffon

When presented with an idea of an elegant ball gown where the back is somewhat backless, yet needed a zipper closure, I rose to the challenge.

Year 12 student, Keely looked nothing short of amazing in her ball gown recently.

Using fabrics sourced from local WA suppliers (I’m a huge fan of supporting local trades and businesses) Keely chose a white synthetic chiffon and satin and left the choice of bodice detail to me. Even though a totally modern look, I wanted to retain the brief of Vintage Hollywood Glamour so chose something a little Art Deco for the finishing touch.

The bodice detail worked over the foundation and soft bra cups gave an even look. It is pinned in position onto the dressform and then the diamante detail placed on top.

The straps were shortened to the desired length after a fitting along with the zip placement and further straps to support the back.

The near completed gown in the workroom.

Keely (and my daughter also wearing No.9) at the Botanical Gardens Wanneroo

The back of Keelys gown. Yes, there is a zip at the center back.

And to finish, a hint of diamante to the small of the back.

Keely looked elegant and sophisticated in her ball gown. An absolute pleasure working for you.

A Little Christian Lacroix Inspiration behind a Year 12 Ball Gown

There is nothing worse than spending a fortune on a gown or item of clothing and seeing ‘made in China’ on the label. Sadly, this is a common theme and happens even among the ‘big’ designers. It doesn’t mean you haven’t bought quality, far from it, but with manufacturing costs so hi, its not surprising to see many designers looking offshore to assist with their manufacturing costs. Believe me I know. My Ralph Lauren jeans were, yes, you guessed it, made in China!

This gorgeous navy Christian Lacroix silk chiffon number was the inspiration behind my daughters Year 12 Ball gown.

The beauty of couture is you can have a one of a kind, individually hand-made gown just for you. Even better, everything is made in house so any design changes can be made immediately and of course, this means lead times can be greatly reduced.

We began with a silk bodice and hand draped the chiffon over the top to form the bodice detail. Beneath, is the inner corselette which is the foundation basis for the majority of our gowns.

The lace was hand dyed to compliment the silk chiffon and then each motif was carefully cut from the tulle and positioned through the front and hip line of the gown.

The neckline was hand shaped and motifs hand stitched to the neckline.

Making sure the corselette is in the correct position is vital. Too low and it will not provide the aesthetically pleasing body shape it is designed for along with much discomfort while being worn.You may even find the whole garment ‘slips’ down. You can see here we have positioned the chest and waist correctly into the corselette by leaning forward and allow the breast to ‘fall’ into the desired area. While holding the chest, take the standing position and while still holding, begin to lace the corselette. Once secure, you can let go.

My daughter didn’t want sleeves but also added two thigh length splits into the skirt front. A mini skirt was made and attached beneath the silk chiffon.

A little ‘Angelina Jolie’

Both gowns by No.9 Bridal Couture.

Perth Wedding Upmarket Save The Date. Did You?

What a fabulous event Perth Wedding Upmarket was on Saturday 6th April. Save the date cards went out and by the amount of brides to be among others, the event was a huge success. Thank you organiser, Justine!

It was lovely to see a few familiar faces and meet a few more. A few weeks ago I was asked to take part on a collaborative shoot with some fabulous Perth wedding vendors and to add to the excitement, a small preview was printed in the Wedding Upmarket magazine which was handed out to hundreds of people.

This beautiful handbag sized magazine was a little black book of wedding loveliness,  a brides bible from which she could plan her whole wedding right down to the last tea light.

Not only did we take center page, but No.9 featured on page 4 (below) with ‘Olivia’

Page 10 with ‘Rita’

and page 22 with our opulent and beloved ‘Tuscany’

We arrived at 8am along with our roaming model, Monique and while she was having hair and make up done, we set out our stand.

Monique (below) looked nothing short of stunning in our gold slipper satin, bias cut gown. The lace bridal cap from Olive Farm complimented the gown and the look was discreetly accesorized with a glass goblet provided by Wedding Day Flair

Photographer Jason Tey captured these images beautifully

And along with the three other roaming models (below) worked so hard for us at the event.

I loved the table design (below) Maeline of Wedding Day Flair did for her display. Opulent yet intimate. Images by Jason Tey

And Olivia at Olive Farm Designs (below) wowed potential clients with her floral creations and headpieces.

Of course, e mails are coming in along with more exciting collaboration shoots. I think its going to be a busy year!

With special thanks to Twigged Flowers by Tali who gave me a wonderful bouquet of stocks. My favourite flower.

The next Wedding Upmarket is scheduled for August 24th and entry is free. Will you be saving the date?

Jason Tey Photography

Olive Farm Designs

Wedding Day Flair

Perth Upmarket

Magazine Tickle The Imagination

To view the whole Wedding Upmarket guide by Tickle the imagination, click here

Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!

The excitement of the year 12 ball probably began around six months ago for our year 12 students. The venue has changed over the years however, from the school hall to the Hyatt Regency and the borrowed frock has become a designer gown worth anything up to $1,500 and this year No.9  designed three very special couture gowns specifically for three very special high school students of Duncraig Senior High School.

With the hype of over excessive spending including substituting the parents saloon car to stretch limos and party buses, I feel the ball is a worthy event because in many cases it teaches young ladies important social etiquette skills. The high school ball will probably be the most formal event these teenagers will do before they get married. Why shouldn’t these young ladies feel like a celebrity for a day and experience the glitz and glamour of their own Red Carpet event? Does over indulgence on the school ball lead to unrealistic expectations in later life? I think not. When you have a parent practically hurl herself at you because she is so overcome with emotion in seeing her already beautiful daughter look just breathtaking (as I do my own) makes my job worth while. For a young lady to feel nothing short of glamorous is a gift in itself.

Our couture gowns ranged from deep purple silk Georgette and lace, white chiffon and satin and black taffeta and organza. Here’s a few images of the pre ball gathering at the Botanical gardens Joondalup. We are also delighted these young ladies will be donning their gowns again in a few weeks for our photo shoot.

Deep purple silk Georgette with hand dyed lace. White chiffon and satin with diamante art deco style motif trim.

Almost backless white chiffon gown with diamante motif trim

Black taffeta fishtail gown with organza overskirt to soften the snug look of the fishtail beneath. Hand dyed lace again softened the look to compliment the skin tone.

Our beautiful students below with their fellow students. Those smiles just say it all!

No.9 Bridal Couture 2012 Highlights

Wow, where do I start?

Who’d have thought January this year and winning the Wedding Industry Award 2012 best wedding gown designer Regional and national winner to now being in Australia? Certainly not me, but you never know what life lays before you.

Here are some of my 2012 highlights which include our fabulous brides and working with some truly wonderful people.

We won this

Appeared in this (among others)

Worked with the amazing Jo Bilham, fabulous friend

And gorgeous James Melia

Delightful duo Chris Hanley and wife Claire at Sutton Park. Home of the Prime Minister David Cameron’s Mother in Law. (Lady Sheffield)

And ate Macaroons on Lady Sheffield’s furniture!

Rob Booker, who provided the amazing images for our Sirens collection and website

The lovely Jane Hardman Ferris, HF Couture to you. Designer of exquisite pieces

And Kizzy. Who ‘does’ hair in the most wonderful ways. Proud to have her work on our website.

We’ve made some pretty frocks

And showcased them on our website

We’ve even had little films made of our frocks by Marry me Films which appeared in Hello on line.

But above all of that, had the honor of working for some truly wonderful brides.

Zoe

And her maids

Annie

Annette

Helen and daughter Saskia

Joanne

Kelly

Lucy

Malise

Pip

Rebecca

Emma

Kelly

Rebecca

Louise (bridesmaids)

Mikaler and maids

and Sophie

Victoria’s mantilla veil

To our first Australian bride, Monique

and dressing my daughter for prom.

I cannot begin to express how wonderful it has been to share this year with you all, but on a final note would just like to thank my wonderful family for putting up with an obsessed wedding freak who likes to make pretty frocks.

I wish you the happiest of Christmases and a wonderful new year.

In no particular order

Jo Bilham make up

Rob Booker

just Darling Cakes

Chris Hanley

Kizzy Edkins Charisma hair

Sutton Park-The Wedding Affair

HF Couture

The Day I Married My Best Friend – The Wedding of Mikaler and Steve.

“Because to the depths of me, I long to love one person,
With all my heart, my soul, my mind, my body…”

I do get very excited when I hear  my favourite wedding vendors are involved in a clients wedding of which I am making a gown and this was no exception. As soon as Mikaler told me three of those, photographer Rob, make up artist, Jo and hair wizard, Kizzy were her chosen vendors I squealed.

Mikaler had very clear visions of the gown she wanted. A VERY iconic image of a gown was presented to me and so I set to work to make Mikalers dream come true. On research we discovered the original gown didn’t have much going on at the back and I needed Mikaler’s gown to look amazing from behind as well as the front.

The gown was all about the gorgeous deep collar so I used a beautiful silk which could be molded and sculpted around her shoulders. The back was buttoned to add detail and an internal corselette gave the gown its structure and enhanced Mikaler’s beautiful silloutte.  A small blue crystal heart and silver sixpence was clipped to the corset for something blue and for luck.

The bridesmaids, having completely different shapes, heights and requirements, chose the same coloured silk with  the drape at the waistline echoing throughout each of the gowns. An internal corselette  inside the strapless gown added comfort and full support, while spaghetti straps were added to Mikalers younger bridesmaid.

I’d just like to say thank you so much to the wonderful talents of Rob, Jo and Kizzy and of course Mikaler for allowing us to share a part of her very special day. Also to thank Mikaler for sending over these wonderful images. You simply looked nothing short of stunning. Congratulations to you both.

Photography Rob Booker

Make up Jo Bilham

Hair Kizzy Edkins

Venue Crathorne Hall Yarm

Without my brilliant jewels. Working with HF Couture

Without my brilliant jewels,

I am quite simply lackluster.

Bereft of all value and being,

They add sparkle to life itself.

Their many facets of individuality,

Each one unique and irreplaceable.

Priceless treasures within my heart,

Linked and bonded by infinite love.

The gift of family and sincere friends,

The most precious of all my possessions.

-Eileen T O’Neill

Couturier to stars of stage and TV, I first met Jane Hardman Ferris of HF Couture the summer of 2010 at Harrogate Designer Wedding Fair. I was truly captivated by the genius in her creations, each piece intricately hand worked down to the tiniest seed pearl and so began my love for such sparkly, pretty things. The likes of Miriam Haskell, Stanley Hagler, Dior and Schiaparelli among others have inspired Jane’s creations and I knew instantly she was the only person who’s style would work perfectly for my first collection showcase, The Vintage Shoot. The collaboration received much media interest, being described as the most authentic shoot to be seen and features in Vintage Life, Pure Weddings and British trade magazine Attire Bridal. Many of these can be viewed here

Vintage side tiara HF Couture
image http://www.robbooker.co.uk

Widows net and jeweled headpiece HF Couture
image http://www.robbooker.co.uk

This collaboration has steamed into that of an extremely solid friendship and we have worked intensely close ever since. Below, images from our ‘Sirens’ collection which can be viewed in full on our website here

Headdress HF Couture
Image http://www.robbooker.co.uk

Couture Hat HF Couture
image http://www.robbooker.co.uk

Earlier this year we worked alongside fabulous photographer Chris Hanley with an amazing support team. Chris documented the shoot here and Marry Me Films contributed with these amazing films.

Floral headpiece HF Couture
image http://www.chrishanleyphotography.com

Jane and my working relationship is intensely close and on occasions we have clashed because having the right look for her is just as important as having the right look for me, but it has never tainted the friendship. I regularly pass on clients to Jane for their headpieces and jewellery so the client will get that perfect balance on her big day and am super excited to introduce her to Perth WA. She is the couturier/designer and as she quite rightly has said.

“A headdress should
always be beautiful and compliment
the art of the couturier. It must never
compete with it, or draw the eye
away from the ‘main dish’. A good
headdress is like a great condiment
adding a little ‘pizazz’ to finish the
dish! That’s how I approach designing
all my pieces…..never overwhelming,
never too much, but always in tune
with the style of the gown and the lady
wearing it…”

 ”Jane. Faithful friend, designer of the most beautiful and elaborate headpieces you could ever imagine. Bird, you sure do rock!”

Make up on ‘Sirens’ and Sutton Park shoot Jo Bilham make up artist

http://www.jobilham.co.uk/

Hair on ‘Sirens’ and Sutton Park shoot Kizzy Edkins Charisma Bridal Hair

http://www.charismahairdressing.co.uk/bridal-specialists/

Chris Hanley Photography http://chrishanleyphotography.com/

Rob Booker www.robbooker.co.uk

Marry Me Films -Forever Memories www.marrymefilms.co.uk

Cowboys and angels, leather and lace, Salt of the Earth meets heavenly grace. The wedding of Rod and Monique.

“It’s guts and love and glory,
One mortal’s chance at fame,
His legacy is rodeo,
And cowboy is his name.”- Baxter Black

With it’s wonderful rustic charm, Windy Creek Estate nestles among the Australian bush, a relaxing place to while away any balmy afternoon. Not the easiest place to find among the many ‘No Through’ roads the Swan Valley has to offer, but I could easily become accustomed to the journey.  The company was as good as the wine Windy Creek has to offer as we mingled among guests, waiting for the arrival of our bride Monique.

The ceremony was relaxed and intimate if having 200 well wishers could ever be intimate and while the guests waited for the arrival of the bride on her horse, I watched the groom. He played his part well along with the groomsmen, holding up their table tennis come score cards as the bridesmaids made their way down the track, but you could see in his face, it was his bride he was waiting for.

The vows were sincere, and along with other guests we held our breath as Rod and Monique stood holding hands, palms up so we could see the gift they were giving. ”These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and vibrant with love, that are holding yours on our wedding day and I promise to love you all the days of my life.”  It was then on to Chapel Farm for the reception, the setting providing the perfect canvas for Rodeo meets Princess, even down to the cake. So without further ado, may I introduce you to Mr and Mrs Rod Caddies.  Thank you so much for allowing me to be part of your day and to meet your wonderful friends and family.

x

I very much look forward to seeing the professional images from Perth Photographer Prophoto.

Some of the above images taken by myself or used by kind permission of wedding guest Ellice Neaves.

Breakfast at Tiffanys?

“The beauty of a woman must be seen from her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.” – Audrey Hepburn

 

Not so much breakfast at Tiffany’s, but more like scrummy cake at a wedding for our gorgeous bride, Rebecca. Rebecca was so reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn, her grace, her gentleness when we first me at the studio and I was so glad she didn’t choose the traditional ‘Funny Face’ wedding gown so many vintage brides opt for.

We did have a significant design change just as construction was about to commence, but that is the whole point of the design process. Design ideas are subject to change.

I think you’ll agree, Rebecca looked amazing in her spot organza wedding gown. And the delicious cakes are made by Nadia of Truly Scrumptious.

Professional images supplied by the bride along with this lovely message.

“Sorry it has taken so long to get the weddings pics (of the dress) to you. Thank you again for making me such a beautiful dress, it received many compliments and, had you not emigrated, you would have a waiting list of my soon-to-be-bride friends wanting something similar!”

Rebecca in the studio on collection day

An absolute delight working for you, Rebecca. Thank you. x

Cakes – Truly Scrumptious at Haworth.