baci loves. . . Vera Wang Spring 2013 Bridal Collection

Miss Vera has done it again - her Spring 2013 Bridal Collection is so breathtakingly beautiful and edgy (Bridal gowns in color?!?  Swoon!!) that I'm literally at a loss for words!  See some of my favorites below just to get a taste of what I mean :o)

| Cardinal strapless ballgown with hand-rolled floral detail skirt and horsehair trim |

| Dahlia strapless ballgown with notched neckline and lifted tulle skirt with crystal embroidered detail |

| Scarlett mermaid gown with tiered, micro–bias bodice and inverted flange skirt with abstract floral shoulder corsage detail |

| Dahlia strapless open back, V-neck ballgown with lifted tulle skirt and tiered flange, hand-cut petal embroidered |

| Scarlett strapless ballgown with tulle panel skirt and embellished flange appliqué and hand-rolled floral, Chantilly lace detail |

Wedding Wednesday | Save Your Wedding Day Feet

An absolute must have on your wedding day and for every wedding planner's day-of kit - BAND-AID Active Friction Block Stick - about $7.00 at your local drugstore and worth every, single penny!!

This little deodorant-looking stick saved not only my feet, but the entire bridal parties' feet AND the bride's feet this past weekend at Katie and Kevin's wedding (photos from the big day coming soon!!).

The Friction Block Stick greases up your feet causing any rubbing parts of your shoes to simply stop rubbing. It is heaven on earth! I recommend putting it on at the beginning of the event before your shoes even get a chance to start rubbing and reapply as you see fit. I carried a stick in my dress pocket (which I think every bridesmaid dress should have, by the way!).

Now if only we had all been smart enough to put cushions in the bottoms of our shoes so the soles of our feet didn't hurt. . . lol!

Reese Wore Pink!!

Reese Witherspoon, who I think is hands-down the cutest thing ever, wed Jim Toth at her Ojai ranch this past Saturday - YAY!!!! While there aren't many details and absolutely no photos have been released (kudos to her people for keeping it so quiet and intimate), we do know a few things :o)

Reese choose to mix things up a bit by wearing a custom-designed PINK Monique Lhuillier gown and Jimmy Choo's "Macy" satin platform sandal.. Celeb Wedding Planner Yifat Oren designed the day, which included lanterns, chandeliers hanging from trees, antique furniture, mason jars full of flowers and moss-covered pots full of lavender. It all sounds so heavenly!!

Based on Monique Lhullier's Fall 2011 Collection (which is gorgeous by the way!) and Carrie Underwood's custom-designed Lhullier Gown for her 2010 wedding (photo below from RSV Parties, Inc.). . . I envision Reese's frock was full of texture, whether it be feathers or lace, and was sparkly enough to blind any cameras that might have been peeking!!

Wedding Wednesday | Wedzu - indie & handmade weddings

I can not truly describe with words how excited I was when my brother-in-law sent me the link to the newly created Wedzu.

Wedzu, a newly launched marketplace for all things handmade - very similar to our love, Etsy, but Wedzu concentrates on the one thing all of us ladies are obsessed with: WEDDINGS! Wedzu has just made it so much easier to search for unique items for your big day by removing everything non-wedding - it's beautiful!! Wedzu Designers, like some of our Etsy favorites Paloma's Nest and Letterpress Light, offers products in the following categories: Accessories, Apparel, Bath + Beauty, Ceremony + Reception, Jewelry, Design + Calligraphy and Honeymoon.

Here are a few items that peaked my interest :o)

Custom Silhouette Cufflinks by Le Papier Studio - The perfect gift for your groom to wear on your big day!

Lilium Necktie by Ulterior Motive - A fun, colorful way to spice up your groom's attire.

Flourish Double Feather Flower, Style 014 by twigs & honey

Layer Cake Wedding Statement Necklace by Flora Bond - I just can't get enough of the beautiful materials in this necklace!

The Emma Custom Flower Girl Party Dress Set by PetalPetal

Garden Delight Set by Fritts Rosenow Bespoke Boutonnieres - I ADORE these!!! You must check out the rest of their amazing creations in their shop.

Bridesmaids' Clutches by CuteandUnique - These are gorgeous enough to send your ladies down the aisle with in place of bouquets -- bonus, they can be part of your bridal party gift to them!

Dirty Laundry Guest Book by Mélangerie Inc. - The kit even comes with a coordinating prompt label that encourages guests to write notes that is shaped to fit on a 50 fluid oz. Tide detergent bottle! Love it!!

State by Celebrity Tote Bag also by Mélangerie Inc. - I may have to order one of these for myself!

New York Pencil Set by Paper Pastries - These would perfect to stuff into the State by CelebrityTote Bag for a fun and unique Welcome Bag!

Bag Tote That No Newlywed Can Do Without by C'est Superbe!

Hopefully you'll soon see baci on Wedzu, too!!! Stay tuned :o)

Wedding Wednesday | Real Wedding Inspiration

Obviously, I love weddings - I've chosen to surround myself with them each and every day. Weddings make me happy, plain and simple. Another thing I love? Abi Q Photography (and Miss Abi Q herself, for that matter). So when I tuned into her blog and found Nic and Erin's Incredible California Wedding, I fell in love with Abi Q just a little bit more :o) The photos, captured with that sexy vintage look, make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

To see more breathtaking photos like these from Nic and Erin's Palm Event Center Wedding, as well as the sweet, sweet things Miss Abi writes about the happy couples be sure to hop on over to the Abi Q Photography blog!

Rue La La Love!

My beloved Rue La La, the invitation-only site with Premium Private-sale Boutiques, is offering $10 to all new members again!! Just click this link, sign-up and fall in love (oh, and save a bundle, too!). Current Boutiques range from Puma and thomaspaul to Viader Wine and Windstar Cruises just to name a few :)

Wedding Wednesday | Jenny Yoo Bridesmaid Collection

I've always been a fan of Jenny Yoo, but yesterday when I went dress shopping with my best friend and bride-to-be, Katie, I tried on several pieces from her Bridesmaid Collection and I fell in love all over again! Jenny Yoo offers some of the most gorgeous colors I've ever seen - Casper Blue is my current favorite and Katie's most likely choice for her big day - and they offer tiered pricing, the more dresses you order the cheaper they get!

Ainsley in Eggplant

Darlene in Pewter

Dylan in Evening Blue

Eva in Navy

Margaux in Eggplant

Marni in Emerald Green

Norah in Jeweled Green

Phoebe in Casper Blue

Reaghan in Eggplant

Riley in Ginger

2010 National Stationery Show {New York City, New York}

A few weekends ago, Ilario and I took a trip to New York City for the 2010 National Stationery Show. It was such an incredible and inspiring experience!! The stationery show is in it's 65th year and exhibits 900 companies featuring more than 10,000 lines. Here are a few of my favorite finds at the conference:

Quirky Cards by Haute Papier - I love greeting cards that make you laugh!

Bright Souls Collection by Wild Pulp - Educational, eco-friendly cards

Beautiful Thank You Notes by Anna Griffin

Quite possibly the cutest things ever - Little Envelopes Collection by Studio T

And hands down the best favor I came across - "Write from My Heart" Eco-friendly Notepad and Pencil by Kate Aspen

Another wonderful aspect of the stationery show is the opportunity to network and meet so many talented designers and vendors. I was lucky enough to meet Agnes from Blossom Accents, a handmade wedding invitation and stationery design shop located right here in Cleveland. All art and photography is done by Agnes herself - her talent is unremarkable, see her beautiful Gerbera Daisy Flirt Invitation below!

I was also lucky to run into the sweet and southern Allison from Allison R. Banks Designs - the two of us just so happened to be interested in the same letterpress vendor (yes, Ladies, affordable custom letterpress is coming to baci soon!!!!) at the conference and once we got to talking there was no shutting us up, we had so much in common! Allison offers couture hand-designed monograms and calligraphy design. Below are just two examples of her outstanding work!

Allison blessed me with the pleasure of meeting Miss Ginny, owner of The Scribbler, a stationery and gift shop offering custom invitations and stationery located in Alabama. She, too, is sweet and southern, just a joy to be around. These women made my time in the city memorable - it's so nice to sit and gab with people who have the same interests as you! I look forward to working with each of them in the future!!

Happy Earth Day!

Image from Ecoki

I want to take a minute to wish everyone a Happy Earth Day - please keep our fragile planet in mind every day of the year!! Check out Designing Woman's previous eco-friendly posts and stop by a few of my favorite environmentally conscious vendors:

Boscia - Preservative-free Skin Care

Branch - Sustainable Design for Living

Seventh Generation - Green Cleaning Products

Rubie Green - Stylish Green Living

RuMe - Reusable Bags

VivaTerra - Eco Living with Style

And quite possibly the coolest "Green" tool is TheFind Green - Every Green Store, Every Green Product.

Wedding Wednesday | Brown Sugar Design Real Wedding

Brown Sugar Design offers gorgeous custom stationery and I've been following their blog forever - they constantly inspire me. Last summer they posted this gorgeous sneak peek of these yellow & gray invitations:

Photo from BSD Blog

So I was super pumped when they posted photos from the entire yellow & gray wedding! All images were captured by Laurel Mconnell Photography. Here's an inspiration board I created from the incredible images:

Other vendors involved in Caitlin and Dan's Big Day:

Event Coordination: Sublime Events

Floral Design: Elements in Bloom

Photobooth: Photobooth Services

baci loves. . . JL Designs

Yesterday I shared JL Designs founder, Carissa Jones' Malibu wedding and I just had to continue sharing some of my other favorite JL Designs creations because I seriously love everything they lay their hands on!

These tablescapes are incredible!!

And now on to the amazing bouquets. . .