Ao dai (pronounced ow yai) is a Vietnamese dress worn during special occasions. Traditional Vietnamese womens’ formal-wear is both classic and fashion forward. The dress pattern stays consistently the same–a high collar, long sleeves, floor-length, high slits, and flowy pants. It is the norm for Vietnamese women to custom order special fabrics and designs when they work with an ao dai designer. The silhouette is meant to celebrate the feminine body, as it ties into Vietnamese nationalism.
These dresses can be worn at parties, national events celebrating Vietnam, and at weddings. At weddings, brides wear red wedding ao dai dresses to ensure luck in their marriage. Westernized Vietnamese brides choose to wear a white gown during the ceremony, while donning the ao dai for the reception.
{Vietnamese Ao Dai couture designer Calvin Hyp}
{Custom Vietnamese wedding dresses from Ao Dai Styles}
0 
A stylish shoe and handbag can make or break an outfit, which is why you’d be in good hands with the Jimmy Choo Spring 2012 Collection! We think any stylish fashionista will go crazy over the bold colors and prints in this 2012 collection of clutches, stilettos, and chic handbags. 
These are just SOME of what the talented designers at Jimmy Choo had to offer. There’s something for everyone–brides, career gals, and the everyday trendsetter. The beading and glitter details on the flats and special occasion heels are delicate and intricate. You’ll really love the tribal/boho chic trend with the basket weave clutch and fringe bag (paired with red skinny jeans/pants, and a flowy blouse.. so chic!) Let’s not forget about THE stiletto in the bottom right corner! It’s the perfect shoe for the brave risk-taker who wants to turn heads.
All photos borrowed from Vogue.com
0 
Have you been keeping up with your wedding workout plans or New Year’s resolutions to be fit? Whether you have a wedding to look good at or just want to be healthy, a high intensity interval training workout might be a great addition to your exercise routine. You’ll get faster results, burn more fat, and spend less time in the gym! Basically a win-win situation.
You can incorporate high intensity interval training into your workout by doing ten 1-minute sprints, followed by a minute of rest, three times a week to start seeing results. By sprinting for one minute, then resting for one minute, and repeating this ten times, you’re increasing your heart rate and burning more than you would if you were to run at a steady pace. This workout works for any cardio activity: biking, jogging, treadmill, etc.
Don’t forget to stretch before and after a workout! When you stretch, you increase circulation and blood flow bringing more oxygen to the brain, thus leading to a cheerier outlook. Need more incentives to stretch? How about better posture and less aches after a workout? The key to feeling your best on your wedding day is to make sure you’re at your healthiest.
*Picture borrowed from UtahBrideandGroom.com
0 Inspired by last week’s “Little Black Dress” inspiration for a Valentine’s Day date, we creating a new feature for the blog called “The LWD: Little White Dress” where we’ll showcase gorgeous bridal wear with daring accessories! This week’s LWD is an Alfred Angelo creation that pairs taffeta and pleated organza with metallic embroidery, and intricate rhinestone beading. We were drawn to this style for its drop waist and delicate skirt–perfect for a bride who wants to make a dramatic statement at her wedding.
What’s a gorgeous dress without eyecatching accessories? Two words: VERA. WANG. This Vera Wang Crystal Bib necklace is the perfect statement piece to sit atop your collar bone. The metal accents go perfectly with the metallic rhinestone detailing along the bodice of the dress. Heels are by Miu Miu and are an amazing pop of glam when you need to hike your wedding dress up. Make sure your photographer captures this one of a kind shoe!We told you this was going to be a high fashion inspiration board–those heels are not for the faint of heart. To balance the fierce accessories, we opted for a white ranunculus bouquet for its softness and elegance.
{Dress, Necklace, Heels, Bouquet}
0 Did you see the 2012 Grammy’s this last Sunday or at least have it dvr’d? One word: ADELE. She stole the show with her voice!
Back to the point of this blog! We noticed some wedding inspired fashion on the red carpet that night and wanted to share it with you guys. Color is key to this season’s bridal fashion trends–from light blue to blush pink, anything goes if you’re a modern, fashionably forward type of bride. Can you imagine getting married in Taylor Swift’s dress by Zuhair Murad or walking down the aisle in Katy Perry’s Elie Saab gown (maybe in another color if blue is too much for you)? Corinne Bailey Rae’s Grammy dress by Christian Siriano works for the romantic/gothic/ fashion forward bride as is, but would be great for traditional brides if the dress came in white or ivory. Miranda Lambert’s dress is actually by Atelier Povani, a couture bridal house!
{Taylor Swift in Zuhair Murad}
{Carrie Underwood in Gomez-Gracia}
{Paris Hilton in Basil Soda}
{Miranda Lambert in Pavoni}
{Kelly Osbourne in Tony Ward}
{Katy Perry in Elie Saab}
{Kate Beckinsale in Zuhair Murad}
{Corinne Bailey Rae in Christian Siriano}
All photos courtesy of Huffington Post.
Nahid Farhoud founder and owner of Wedding Elegance by Nahid is internationally recognized for combining passion for design and décor with her extensive knowledge of different cultures, to create wedding events that are unique, festive and memorable.
Rasm E Mehndi is one event in the many celebrations of Pakistani weddings. The literal meaning is “Henna Party” or “Henna Ritual.” This event is traditionally thrown by the bride’s family (as it is mainly a women’s only event), but trends have recently changed allowing the groom’s family to do Read more →
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
PINTEREST
INSTAGRAM