StyleSchool

It's that time again! Read on for great wedding photography and a project for crafty brides.

—Jessica Derschowitz

NavyandLavender.com is one of my absolute favorite gift sites. They have the prettiest gift kits, including a men’s grooming set (a pre-wedding day must) and a Girl’s Night Out Kit stocked with bachelorette party essentials.

The site recently added a variety of wedding-day favors to its list of perfectly packaged offerings. Having a summer affair? Check out the flip-flop luggage tags, which are great for weekend getaways or for a destination wedding. Looking to green? Give guests personalized favor cards made from plantable paper so they can start a wildflower garden.

If you really want to go all out with favors or even use them as a centerpiece accent, look no further than the favor cake. It comes beautifully wrapped in paper to match your wedding palette and can feature any favor from the site. Don't see anything you like? Contact N&L directly and they’ll create a custom favors to complete your cake.

Visit navyandlavender.com for more info and to start shopping.

—Rachel Jacoby, Assistant Editor

Brides on a budget take note: Housing Works, the legendary AIDS service organization, is hosting a late night shopping bonanza on June 10th for thrifty brides in the big city. Not only will you be able to shop for brand new designer dresses (think Vera, Monique, the best of the best) at a whopping seventy-five percent off, but shoes, evening wear for your bridesmaids, and vintage wedding gowns will also be available. 

There will also be food, goodie bags (for the first fifty lucky gals), and a raffle for flower arrangements from Tantawan Bloom. Best of all, Housing Works' profits go towards providing lifesaving services for homeless and low-income New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS. Being charitable and getting your dream dress? Now that’s money well spent.

Housing Works’ Bride on a Buck event will be held Wednesday June 10th from 7pm-9pm at their Gramercy location at 157 East 23rd St. If you can’t make the event that night, shop what's left the next day as well. To learn more about the event and Housing Works, please visit housingworks.org.

—Laura Wasson

Project Runway contestant Heidi Elnora is launching something big—a new bridal salon in Atlanta where brides-to-be can shop the designer's stunning gowns!

Elnora discovered her passion for bridal after four years of working in children's wear and her stint on the second season of Project Runway. Honing in on handmade details and feminine silhouettes, the designer opened her first salon in Birmingham in 2006 and showed her first collection at New York bridal week a year later. 

The Birmingham store was a such hit, and Elnora decided to open shop in Atltanta. The store is set to open its doors with an official launch party tomorrow, Thursday May 28.

So if you live near Atlanta, or want to make a special trip, be sure to check out the beautiful salon. BonusL the designer is offering 10 percent off to readers who mention InStyle Weddings.

Visit heidielnora.com to see the gowns and learn more about the designer.

—Jessica Derschowitz

Sure, a fussy mess of stiff tulle is as important a symbol as the white dress, but no one really wants a giant pouf of fabric on top their head. Happily, Claire Pettibone is here to help with her new couture veil collection designed to accent your wedding day look, not compete with it.

Pettibone created the line of veils to complement her ethereal wedding gowns. True to form, the hand-made veils are soft and feminine with beautiful detailing evoking spring flowers and treasured vintage heirlooms. The veils come in several lengths and variations, so it won’t be hard to find the perfect one for your dress. As Pettibone says, “There is something magical about that whisper of tulle, as the bride makes her entrance, her guests have the first look at her gown, her radiant face, and the groom’s reaction to his wife-to-be. To glimpse the bride just slightly hidden by a delicate gossamer veil is an unforgettable moment of beauty.” We couldn’t agree with her more.

For more information about Pettibone’s veils (and of course her bridal line), please visit clairepettibone.com.

—Laura Wasson

It’s that time of the week again—read on to see the best of what was on the web this week, from fun with napkins to spring details.

—Jessica Derschowitz

The Internet has made wedding planning so much easier and convenient than it once was. No longer do you have to flip through the yellow pages to find a reception venue or book your band. And the days of flipping through 10 lb. wedding albums in the stationery store? Over! There are several great sites that now allow you to purchase quality wedding stationery from the comfort of your own home (or office—don't worry, we won't tell your boss!). One of our  favorites, though, is the newly relaunched e-commerce version of HelloLucky! (hellolucky.com).

We've always loved HelloLucky!'s fun, whimsical approach to stationery, so you can imagine our delight when we found out Hellolucky.com now gives brides the ability to buy gorgeous wedding stationery online. The site features all their classic designs, plus some stunning collaborative designs with Joel Dewberry and EIEIO, most of which are available in letterpress or digital printing (great if you're on a budget!).

So, if you've been putting off buying your save-the-dates or invitations because you just don't have the time sit in the store looking through stationery, pour yourself a glass of wine tonight and head to HelloLucky.com.

—Jeanine Edwards, Associate Editor

This week, Kate Holt, owner and lead designer of Flowerwild (flowerwild.com) in Los Angeles is sharing her flower know-how. This west coast florist, who grew up in a family of gardeners, also has a photography background which gives her arrangements stunning, artistic edge.

What is your design philosophy? My design philosophy is simple: let the flowers show off their natural beauty. Let them breath! Don’t try to enforce your will on them too much and the results will be stunning.

What inspires your designs? My materials often inspire my designs. I usually don’t have to go further than that, which is why it is so important to shop personally for your own materials rather than hire a shopper or have flowers shipped to you. Everything we use in our design is hand-picked by me. Once I have built my palette, the arrangements tend to make themselves.

How can brides make sure they get the most for their money when ordering flowers? Truth be told, you get what you pay for. That being said, make sure you have a good rapport with your florist. Ask them to show you an inspiration board and request a samples meeting to ensure everyone is on the same page. I am always fair with brides when bidding a job, but must maintain the integrity of our work. If I think we won’t be able to achieve the look a client is after within a certain budget, I will say so upfront. Find a vendor you trust and be honest about your budget constraints. A good vendor will be able to guide you through this and let you know when budget constraints begin to affect the look.

What is your favorite flower for weddings? I do not have one favorite flower as they all balance one another. Some of my favorite materials aren’t even flowers, they could be greens, vines or berries. Texture is a really an underestimated ingredient in design, so I like to find accents that add this dimension. A few things I like right now for their shapes are clematis vines, honeysuckle vine, flowering pieris, Abraham darby roses, hellebores, frittilaria, dahlias, sweet peas and lilac.

What should every bride know about flowers? She must know what she likes and what she doesn’t like. Nothing more. She should look at the flower portion of her wedding as something for pure enjoyment. If it becomes too stressful, she is probably over thinking it. Have fun!

What do you foresee as the next big trend in wedding flowers? “Green” or organic seems to be the key phrase right now, but trends come and go and flowers will be beautiful forever. If a bride is true to herself and her own sense of style, I hope her children will look back at her photos 20 years from now and just be impressed, rather than put off by the trendiness of the designs. I always say, “Indulge in beauty. That’s something that never goes out of style.”

-Randy Miller, Editorial Assistant

Attention, attention! On May 20, 2009 Kerastase Paris, the renowned luxury hair brand, is holding their Kerastase Paris: Our Treat event. Aficionados of the line can receive complimentary (yes, free!) signature treatments and blow-dry services at participating Consultant Salons.

Kerastase sent out over 140,000 e-vites for the event, which is open to anyone with an invitation. (Go to kerastase-usa.com to get yours.) After you print your invite, all you have to do is make an appointment at one of the salons in your area and select the treatment of your choice.

Kerastase offers tons of services to help get you ready for the big day. Why not indulge in this special offer by getting the Aqua-Oleum treatment—it's great for restoring sheen to dry hair. Or, try the Pixelist treatment which gives colored hair amazing shine. There are even services to treat oily scalps and dandruff, so pick the one that's best for you.

No tricks, just treats. Happy primping!

—Samantha Giordano

Click here for more salon steals in your area!

This week we're featuring Marina and Andy's elegant nuptials, which were held at Verandas in Manhattan Beach, California. Marina is a fashion publicist, so it's no surprise she looked absolutely stunning in her Reem Acra gown and Rene Caovilla heels. We're also obsessed with her simple, but super-chic wedding cake. Congrats, Marina & Andy!!

All photos courtesy of Kristen Ellis of Beaux Arts Photographie.