5 Must-Have Items for Every Spring Bride

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It’s finally spring! The sun is peeking through, tiny birds are chirping, and trees are starting to bud. Today, we’re spotlighting lovely spring weddings and sharing our tips for how to stay warm, look stylish, and absolutely glow on your big day!

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PRETTY VEIL

There’s nothing like a whimsical veil to add glorious beauty to your bridal look. Even if you’re not a head-over-heels romantic bride, this lovely accessory is a must-have when it comes to your ceremony and bridal portraits. This is also a great opportunity to express your personal style.

Choose a soft floral lace for a touch of romance; lace appliqués or more structured Alen­çon lace for a traditional look; rhinestones or beads for fairy-tale sparkle; and a clear cut edge or light rolled edge veil for sheer elegance. Short or long, you can find a design that is totally you.

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STYLISH COVER-UP

Spring weather can be pretty unpredictable. Sure, your groom will give up his suit jacket so you don’t freeze, but do you really want to cover up your gorgeous gown—and leave him shivering?

Plan ahead by choosing a light shawl, bridal jacket or bolero, or a cute wrap. Even if it doesn’t rain, you can use it for your getaway or even honeymoon! More bridal salons are offering these accessories in a range of styles—from 3D flowers on organza to intricately beaded cover ups to silky scarves, so pick one that will keep you looking beautifully bridal.

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Photo Credit: Jessica Cooper Photography for Sweet Caroline Styles

CHANGE OF SHOES

Whether you’re getting married inside or outdoors, you’ll want at least two pairs: one for your walk down the aisle and one for the reception. Typically, it’s best to choose a wide heel for outdoor ceremonies and formal heels for weddings inside. Reception shoes can be anything that you are comfortable dancing in for at least a couple hours—choose something attractive yet cushiony (like a flat) that you can rely on.

If it rains, it’s not a bad idea to bring an extra pair of sneakers—some brides even wear boots! Lots of great photo opps revolve around shoes, so play around and have fun. Florals, bling, and bold colors offer you a range of options.

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Photo Credit: Jessica Cooper Photography for Sweet Caroline Styles

EMERGENCY BEAUTY KIT

Every bride should have an emergency kit for touch-ups. After all, people will be taking photos of you literally the entire day—and probably into the night, depending on how long your reception lasts.

A concealer, powder, blush, mascara, lip gloss, and lip stick are pretty standard. Make sure to include oil blotting pads or wipes, makeup remover, a comb, and spare pins. Between the ceremony and reception is a good time to sneak away to touch up.

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Photo Credit: Jessica Cooper Photography for Sweet Caroline Styles

FLOWER HEADPIECE

Spring is the perfect season to grace your hair with gorgeous flowers! You can incorporate the beauty of nature with any number of headpiece options.

If you’re wearing lace, try a soft fabric flower comb or headband with delicate floral details. To jazz up a simple dress, enhance your ensemble with a sparkly hair vine or vintage-inspired comb. If you’re featuring gold in your look, choose painted gold leaves or metallic flowers. Going boho-chic? Try on a dazzling rhinestone halo. Keep looking until you find that perfect treasure for your big day.

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Are you getting married in the spring? Check out our Instagram feed for seasonal bridal inspiration!

5 Bridal Accessories Prettier Than a Pot of Gold

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Gold is one of the most popular wedding colors this year! This pretty metallic goes with so many colors and types of ceremonies, and it looks beautiful on brides and bridesmaids alike.

In honor of St. Patty’s Day and the legend of the pot of gold hiding at the end of the rainbow, we’re highlighting some of our loveliest headpieces, belts, and jewelry that are available in gold. Feast your eyes on these dazzling accessories that will make your fairy-tale wedding come to life!

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Frosted Flower Halo

Top off your hairstyle with blissfully beautiful, nature-inspired elegance. Painted gold blooms with rhinestone-studded leaves on halo 6608 create an utterly romantic accent. Complement this design with a foldover veil or let it take center stage.

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Enchanting Oak Leaves

Did you know that in ancient Irish legend, the oak tree was a gateway to the world of faeries? Add a bit of magic to your dream wedding with beautiful nature-inspired clip 6629. Available in silver or gold, metallic oak-shaped leaves and rhinestone swirls add a touch of enchanting charm to your look.

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Treasured Pearls

For an absolutely exquisite bridal look, indulge in the classic beauty of pearls. Enhance your ensemble with gold or silver headband 6633, which features glittering floral motifs and pearl accents. Lovely with or without a veil, you can pair this dazzling design with gold or pearl jewelry.

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Twinkling Rhinestone Leaves

Glam up your ensemble with a glorious cluster of rhinestone-encrusted leaves. Inspired by nature, this lovely comb 6619 is available in gold or silver and features sparkling round rhinestone accents. You’ll look charming walking down the aisle or rocking the reception with this special design.

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Sparkling, Delicate Florals

Transform your bridal style with dainty floral headpiece 6605. Rhinestone accents and tiny flowers catch the light with glorious sparkle, as if covered in dew drops. Available in silver or gold, this lovely headband is perfect for a spring or summer wedding.

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Want additional options in gold? Check out our headpiece collections from 2015 for more gorgeous designs. We’ll have more gold pieces on our upcoming Fall 2016 line, as well, so be sure to check back with us!

Green Wedding Inspiration

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Going green for your wedding? There’s nothing like this fresh, nature-inspired hue to invigorate your whole look. Check out our lovely Pinterest boards for some styling ideas and ways to add a tasteful splash of color into your big day!

Beautiful Bridesmaids

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Photo Credit: BHLDN

The easiest way to tie in your chosen color is with your bridesmaids’ attire. Beautiful pairings include blush or lavender with sage green (spring-summer), burgundy or gold with emerald green (fall-winter), and navy or white with mint green (summer).

Fabulous Floral Accessories

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Spring pastels, fabulous floral prints, and gorgeous flower accessories go great with green. You can deck yourself or your maids with laurel wreaths, botanical headpieces, or floral combs for a pretty touch of romance. After all, weddings are all about love!

Fairy-Tale Flowers

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If you’re getting married in a garden or woodland setting, use your natural surroundings and play off the vibrant colors around you. For a summer wedding, lavender flowers add lovely fragrance to your décor, while bold burgundy peonies look great in the summer or fall. Peach roses tie in beautifully with an autumn backdrop, while romantic red roses add a festive element to winter celebrations.

Eco-Friendly Greens

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Photo Credit: Jessica Cooper Photography for Sweet Caroline Styles

As always, the eco-friendly bouquet with succulents enhances your wedding theme with fresh greenery. You can offer potted plants as wedding favors or use them as centerpieces and save on cut flowers. Leafy garlands and aisle runners bring the outdoors inside and make your wedding feel naturally fresh.

Lucky In Love

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Get lucky! Check back for our Irish Wedding Traditions post later this month for some seriously steal-worthy ideas that will look totally gorgeous. Hint: handfasting, four leaf clovers, and Claddagh symbols definitely up the romance factor of your wedding.

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Are you going green for your wedding? Tell us how!

Style a Glamorous Bridal Look in 3 Easy Steps

Want to look amazing on your wedding day? It’s not as hard as you’d think! Feel extra-glamorous and create your own princess-inspired look with just three items.

Dazzling Headpiece

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If you’re going for a classic or formal bridal look, a veil is a must-have. But did you know that your headpiece is what really ties in your theme?

Whether you want a vintage vibe or romantic style, your hair accessory makes or breaks the look. Choose a shimmering halo for boho-chic sparkle; a lace and rhinestone headband for classic elegance (style 6649 shown); or an Art Deco design for jazz age glamour.

Sparkly Bracelet

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Beauty is in the details. You might think no one will notice if you’re wearing a bracelet or not, but you’ll love the close-up photos of your bouquet and ring if you are!

Choose a glamorous cuff or clasp bracelet (style BC134 shown) for a touch of shimmering elegance that will dress up your whole look. Belts are also a great way to personalize your gown.

Fabulous Earrings

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Perhaps the most important element of a glamorous bridal ensemble, dramatic earrings are practically required (style EA213 shown). If you’re wearing your hair up in an elegant bun, you’ll get incredible sparkle in those photos. If you’re going hair down, a bit of bling can still shine through.

You can add some shoulder jewelry or a necklace if you’re sporting a strapless gown, but don’t overdo it. Try on everything together and strike the perfect balance.

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Styling a glamorous look for your wedding? Check out our My Bridal Style Glamorous page for some ideas. Follow us on Instagram for up-to-the-minute inspiration!

7 Headpieces for the City Hall Bride

Getting married in a hurry? That’s wonderful! Check out these easy-wear headpieces and add fun wedding-day charm to your look.

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Which one is best for you?

Vintage Gal

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Go back in time with style 6607. This cute little rhinestone bow jazzes up your hairstyle with the perfect dash of vintage sparkle.

Last-Minute Luxury

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Graceful clip 6646 combines classic pearls and twinkling rhinestones in a gorgeous floral design. Wear it on the side or in the back for a traditional bridal look.

Head-Over-Heels In Love

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Style a cluster of gold or silver flowers into a romantic hairstyle with comb 6636. Shimmering crystals add special radiance to an elegant wedding day look.

Destination: Dazzling

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Going away to say “I do?” You’ll love wired opal crystal hair pins 1717. Tuck them into your updo for a last-minute bit of pretty that will look good everywhere you go.

Tastefully Trendy

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Create a fabulous look just for your special day. Style 6617 blings up your hair with rhinestones and opal crystals. Wear it with a bun or half-up hairstyle, your choice.

Boho Babe

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Adorn your beachy waves with style 6647. Soft flowers on a flexible hair vine offer a boho bridal look that is all you.

Glamorous Gal

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Infuse your hair with a brilliant bit of sparkle! Style 6620 will make you feel like a princess, even if it’s just for a few hours.

Tell us, which one is your favorite?

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Seize the moment—why not wear a veil? Check out our classic veils page for some fun, flirty styles you can throw on for your vows and toss away with the garter!

Create Your Signature Wedding Style

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At every party, there’s room for showmanship. The biggest thing that separates modern weddings from ceremonies even a couple generations ago are the personalized details! Weddings can be fun—and creative—with a splash of YOU mixed in.

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Jessica Cooper Photography spices things up with a styled shoot featuring signature cocktails, homemade favors, calligraphy signs, and seasonal snacks that have our mouths watering. Incorporate DIY details and special touches that feel right to you!

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This bride and groom enjoyed their favorite drinks and set tables with lots of local greenery for a fresh, rustic feeling. The couple’s classic dress code and vintage-inspired rings have us falling in love with this totally down-to-earth, charming wedding.

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Add a dreamy element of personal style with a unique headpiece like 6482. Incorporate golden details with a nature-inspired leafy comb such as 6619 or a pretty floral halo like 6608. This is your day to shine!

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Check out our My Bridal Style pages to discover a wedding look that is perfect for you. Follow us on Instagram for more up-to-the-minute style updates!

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Gorgeous in Gold: Spotlight on Style 6482

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Dreaming of a golden wedding? If you’re celebrating with warm colors and elegant details when you say “I do,” look no further than style 6482. Jessica Cooper Photography and Sweet Caroline Styles bring us this rustic styled shoot that shows just how much fun a wedding can be!

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Let yourself shine and enjoy your day to the fullest. Worn with loose curls, 6482 adds irresistible sparkle to a romantic hairstyle. Luxurious gold leaves and glamorous rhinestone accents beautifully complement any wedding theme—whether you’re getting married indoors in a dance hall or outside in a meadow.

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You can wear this design with a pretty lace gown, an ethereal fairy-tale dress, or a vintage-inspired outfit—the choice is yours! Gold hair bling looks lovely with a traditional gown, but is also stunning with non-white dresses in trendy hues such as blush, light blue, or champagne.

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Every wedding is unique. Create a bridal wardrobe that is perfect for you!

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It’s His Wedding, Too!

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Photo Credit: Amanda Lauran Photography

Want to get your husband-to-be involved in the wedding planning process? Show him a photo of a groom wearing a pink cummerbund and tie. That’ll get his attention quick.

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Photo Credit: Amanda Lauran Photography

Then consider these five tips for coordinating a wedding together:

Most guys are willing or even eager to choose their own attire. Check out our Style My Groom board on Pinterest for ideas that range from classic to retro, preppy to jazz age! If he doesn’t step up, you can absolutely feel free to pull out the pink for him and his groomsmen.

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Coordinate your wedding style together. For example, if you have your heart set on a ball gown, a casual look for him might feel out of place. Similarly, if he likes the traditional look of a tux, you might reconsider going barefoot on the beach.

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Unless he wants to dance to your favorite tunes all night, he should help compile a song list! Many guys enjoy picking the DJ, choosing a signature groom’s drink, designing the wedding cake, or scheduling the getaway car.

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Play to each other’s strengths. The tech-savvy partner might be interested in trying a GoPro, scheduling a videographer, handling social media, or creating your wedding website. The artistic partner might enjoy designing your invitations, picking wedding colors, or making DIY decorations.

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Talk about which tasks you’re excited to do and which ones you’re dreading. Help each other out! These days, there are no set masculine or feminine roles in wedding planning.

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Photo Credit: Amanda Lauran Photography

For help choosing your season and/or theme, be sure to browse our other Pinterest boards for inspiration. Above all, have fun! This special day belongs to both of you.

Styled Shoot Credits:

Photography: Amanda Lauran 

Makeup: Michele Wilderman Styling

Producer: Arielle Fera Events

Florals: Chicory Florals

Accessories: Bel Aire Bridal

Gown: BHLDN

Custom Suits: Commonwealth Proper

Furniture: Fox & Finch Vintage Rentals

A Pairing of Opposites: Rose Quartz & Serenity

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Are you ready for the New Year?

Designers, photographers, and bloggers celebrate the Pantone Color of 2016 with trendy products and inspirational stylings.

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This year’s tones are Rose Quartz and Serenity—for the first time, juxtaposing two beautiful shades! According to Pantone, these colors “psychologically fulfill our yearnings for reassurance and security… reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace.”

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Rose Quartz is a beautiful blush pink that has long been a bridal favorite. The namesake of this lovely shade is a crystal commonly known as the “love stone” or “heart stone.” It symbolizes unconditional love and is supposed to increase compassion, open your heart to relationships, ease stress, strengthen connections, and boost self-esteem.

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Feminine and graceful, blush pink is often featured in dramatic wedding gowns and beautiful floral headpieces. This shade is especially popular in the spring (though it looks great in any season) and pairs best with warm gold jewelry for a romantic ensemble.

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Serenity is a soft blue that inspires security and confidence. Tranquil and spiritual, blue is generally a color of trust, honesty, and loyalty. In the world of weddings, “something blue” symbolizes everlasting fidelity. Light blue is a popular shade for winter celebrations and brings balance to spring pastels.

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Pair an ethereal blue tulle skirt with a lace top for a cute reception outfit, or choose a smaller color accent like a garter or sash for your something blue. Trendy opal headpieces, silver beaded belts, and soft veils beautifully complement this peaceful hue.

Check out our Pantone—Serenity & Rose Quartz Pinterest board for more gorgeous color inspiration!

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Photography: KT Merry

Stylist: Joy Proctor / Kelly Oshiro

Gowns: Samuelle Couture / Alexandra Grecco

Hair / Makeup: Team Hair & Makeup

Location: Sunstone Winery

Accessories: Bel Aire Bridal

Checklist—What You Need in Your Bridal Trousseau

Back in the day, women saved belongings for their weddings in a bridal trousseau, often stored in a trunk or box for safekeeping. A bride’s preparation took a long time because only the most precious items would be included for her wedding day and new home.

Do you have everything you’ll need?

Check out this fabulous shoot by Jon Cu Photo for Trousseau & Co for some fresh, modern-day ideas of how to pack for your big day!

Style: Classic

Glittering bridal accessories, hand-made invitations, and monogrammed heirlooms create a theme of genuine elegance.

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Credits:
Crème trousseau case (Trousseau & Co)
Cotton paper and gold foil invitations (Written Word Calligraphy)
Rhinestone earrings, bracelet & ring (Anna Bellagio)
Beaded and rhinestone-embellished bridal belt (BT006 by Bel Aire Bridal)
Ivory garter (heirloom)
Perfume (Chanel)
Sparkling heels (Enzo Angiolini)

Style: Romantic

Feminine bridal accessories, floral invitations, and lace details bring out a purely romantic style.

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Credits:
Blush trousseau case (Trousseau & Co)
Floral invitations (Tara Jones Calligraphy)
Sparkling rhinestone and pearl earrings (Anna Bellagio)
Floral headband with satin ties (6588 by Bel Aire Bridal)
Lace handkerchief, antique mirror and brush (heirlooms)
Perfume (Panhaligons Artemisa)
Blush lace-up heels (Badgley Mischka)

Style: Vintage

Vintage-inspired bridal accessories, black-and-white invitations, and classic details enhance a look of timeless beauty.

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Credits:
Crème trousseau case (Trousseau & Co)
Black and white Invitations (Minted)
Sparkling chandelier earrings (EA213 by Bel Aire Bridal)
Vintage rhinestone headpiece (6515 by Bel Aire Bridal)
Pink lipstick (Dolce & Gabanna)
Perfume (Chanel)
Black boot heels (Louise et Cie)

Your bridal trousseau should generally include the following items:

Accessories (veil, headpiece, hair pins, garter, gloves, wedding shoes, and flats for dancing)
Gown/attire (wedding dress, reception gown, shawl, shapewear, slip, and lingerie)
Heirloom items (handkerchief, watch, and something blue)
Jewelry (bracelet, necklace, earrings, and naturally your engagement ring and wedding band)
Makeup (foundation, blush, lipstick, mascara, brushes, eyeshadow, eyeliner, and concealer)
Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, perfume, hair brush, lotion, nail polish, feminine products, and personal medications)

Check out our Classic, Romantic, and Vintage headpiece and veil collections for more accessory options as you build your bridal trousseau. Follow us on Instagram for daily style updates and inspiration!