Pulling off a vintage themed wedding

Vintage isn't necessarily ancient or decadent. Over time I have come to realize that vintage style is going nowhere as fashion keeps getting recycled. Sadly many brides rock in-season trends that go away with time. Imagine having to explain to your kids that at the time you got married it was cool to rock a backless wedding dress, i'm almost certain that they will look at it as tacky. Some of the most stylish women were from the 50s- Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, anyone?

Imagine incorporating their style into your wedding. The result- sheer, timeless elegance. Below, are some vintage ideas you can rock at your wedding




1. The pillbox hat - Made popular by Jackie Kennedy, this modest style is definitely back. The pillbox was popular in the 60s and right now there are many modern ways to rock the pillbox. Add a blusher veil to give it a bridal effect or have your bridesmaids rock little pillbox hats for a retro classic look.

Victoria beckham rocks a pillbox hat to Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding

2. Brooches- a brooch is the best accessory to add to a dress. As simple as it seems, it has this transforming power and can dress up a simple gown. It can be pinned at the waist, sleeve,chest to create a vintage feel. Show off a small waist by cinching your waistline with a simple brooch. Have your bridesmaids wear brooches. Use a brooch bouquet in place of a flower bouquet.

Beautiful brooch bouquet courtesy greenweddingshoes.com

Tips for a flawless face on your wedding day

An old friend former Nkem Okolotu now Mrs Etokhana

Every bride wants to look her best on her wedding day. While makeup may do a few tricks, there is nothing better than having a beautiful canvas (your face) for a make up artist to work with. If you have beautiful skin, you only need a few strokes of make up to have you looking perfect. Follow these tips for a flawless look for your wedding

Cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise
I call them the three most important tips. Never go to bed without washing your face. Exfoliating and moisturising will make your skin soft and supple so begin this process months before your wedding. Flawless skin takes some time to achieve.

Eat right, take vitamins and supplements
It has been proven severally that fruits and vegetables are good for your skin. Drink lots of water. Take vitamins and supplements. I personally recommend Seven seas Cod liver oil, it works wonders on the skin. Eat lots of fish. Fish is high in Omega 3 which is good for the skin

Visit a Spa
It is advisable to start doing any procedure 4 - 6 months to your wedding. Procedures like glycolic peel or microdermabrasion takes a few days to heal. If you haven't been doing facials it is better to start early enough in case any form of irritation arises. No procedure should be done two weeks to the wedding.

Exercise and Sleep
Exercise and sleep keeps you looking refreshed and rejuvenated. You don't need to conceal dark circles under your eyes at your wedding. Exercise removes toxins from the body which  in turn makes for beautiful radiant skin

Choose the right foundation
Use a foundation that works well for your face. Depending on the amount of imperfections on your face you can choose sheer, medium or heavy coverage foundation. Make sure the foundation matches your skin tone else it will reflect on your wedding photography.

Have a trial session with your make up artist  
If you are using a pro makeup artist book a trial session with him or her. At this session you should try out different make up looks and choose the best look for your wedding. You can also try out foundation and concealers to know the shade to use at your wedding. Many makeup artists like to guess the shade of powder or foundation of a bride and they are not always right.

At Cakes By Mizvuitton we don't want our brides looking like Marilyn Mason or Bubu the clown on their wedding day. Follow this simple tips for a beautiful, radiant and flawless wedding look.

Photo Credit: www.ogheneworoakara.com

Makeup: Tare Fela Durotoye of House of Tara

To veil or not to

Bolarin Biobaku at her traditional marriage

I remember when my family friend was getting married she had decided she didn't want to wear a veil but wanted her hair flowing with a gigantic tiara atop her head. When her mother heard this she almost had a fit. How can you not veil?, a bride must be veiled on her wedding day, Why do you want to be different? My family friend being a tomboy lashed out "Mum, I'm not everybody"

Which brings me to the question- Why do brides wear a veil?

In the old Roman Empire, it was said that the veil was meant to scare away evil spirits who might kidnap the bride before the wedding.

It was also used for arranged marriages so that the groom will not back out based on the physical features of the bride. In this type of marriage the bride is betrothed to the groom and this may have been kept secret by their parents, it is at the wedding that he would formally unveil his bride.

TV Personality Star Jones rocks a record 27 inch long veil
Hers was longer than Princess Diana's by 2 inches

In reference to biblical times, the veil was used to trick Jacob into marrying plain Leah instead of her sister Rachel.

At other times the veil came to symbolize chastity, purity and modesty. When the veil was lifted it signified that the groom was taking possession of his wife and he has a right to enter conjugal relations with her. This supports the saying "a bride was given to her husband in marriage while a man took a wife".

Today the veil has become more of an accessory. It is no longer tied to such superstitious beliefs as in times past.

It has become a beautiful fashion statement - the longer the veil, the more formal the wedding as there are varieties to choose from.

The decision to veil  is entirely yours. Whether veiled or not just be sure your rocking that aisle.

Say "yes" to the dress

Molly Sims looks perfect in her wedding dress

I am a curvaceous UK size 14 -16. I worry about how my arms would look in my wedding dress, I have a cute pouch (It really is cute) and I have wide hips, I obsess so much about how my wedding dress will fit. Getting a dress for someone like me may pose a herculean task after all we are not all Molly Sims. The average naija girl is quite 'thick' n 'healthy'. Don't hate on us our men love us dat way.

Sometimes I wish I was a man cos all they have to do is get a suit with a nice fit, a tie, crisp shirt, belt, well polished shoes and they are good to go. No frills, no lace.

And since us 'girls' come in different shapes and sizes, we all have our body hangups.. so while we may admire Kim K's dress (allow your mind skip the 1 minute wedding, damn i'm in pain!) and dream about rocking that type of dress, our body shape or genes may tell us different.



I have tried to class the different body shapes my friends have (you guys know yourselves, lol) and use it as a yardstick to choosing a wedding dress for any body shape




You got a boyish, straight up and down shape

You should rock a dress with an empire waistline. Gowns with empire waists are usually very feminine and soft. The empire waist comes below the bust which will create a hint of a small waist while the lower part of the gown will gently flare outward to create an illusion of curves. If you have great arms and shoulders you may show it off with a strapless dress. Empire waists are also a great choice for pregnant brides.

Empire waistlines are great on boyish shapes 
and also work well for pregnant brides 

                                           

You got large boobs, a heavy top half and narrow hips

The problem is that you dont want to come off looking like Johnny Bravo on your wedding day. You still wanna show off feminine curves even if it is almost non-existent. It is wise to rock a fairytale style or ball gown wedding dress. This will help balance out your upper body by adding volume to your lower body for the perfect hourglass silhouette. For large boobs, you can soften the look by wearing a slightly plunging neckline.

     Ball gowns are great for disguising narrow hips 

                               

You are curvy with big boobs, fluffy middle and wide hips

You can create the perfect figure by accentuating your strongest points. You should invest in a structured dress like Princess dresses or a-line dresses.It should have a fitted bodice and should nip your waist while skimming over your hips thus accentuating your best assets

Isi Omiyi rocks an a-line dress with sleeves. The dress nips her in the waist, 
gently skimming over her hips while disguising her ample bosom to create a perfect silhouette 

                     

Oooooh! I just had a shoegasm!

Shoegasm

Lately my eyes have been assaulted by a myriad of wonderfully sparkly shoes but no matter how beautiful a shoe looks the key is comfort.

In order to choose a shoe to rock on your wedding day some factors must be considered

Comfort

Style

Durability

Fit

It also has be classic and timeless. You don't want to wear shoes that Nicki Minaj or Lady Gaga would wear and then 20 years later your kids will look at your wedding pictures and ask "Mum, what were you thinking?" Shoes like pumps, open toe or ballet flats never go out of style.

Just recently I was at a wedding and had a complete, in fact a multiple shoegasm. The bride was rocking this sky high Christian loubotin pumps. Now I don't know how she did it cos she was in those shoes all through the darn ceremony but damn those shoes looked pretty uncomfortable. Couldn’t get a close up view but when I got home I googled it. See below

Christian Loubotin "Daffodile" bridal shoe

This shoe is covered with swarovski crystals and costs a whooping 6,395 us dollars gasp!   that is some people's entire wedding budget  ok! scratch that, it's some people's wedding budget plus, house rent and school fees for their first two kids #tongue out#

Some other bridal leg candy that have caught my eye in recent times are-

Annulia by Ivanka Trump, for those that put comfort before anything else. It's really stylish too

Annulia by Ivanka Trump

For those that love to show off some beautiful feet complete with beautifully manicured toe nails  you can rock strappy sandals

Badgley Mischka "Forrester' White wedding shoes

And to all 2012 brides it is actually okay to have a shoe fetish *wink*

so whatever your choice is make sure you are rocking some major leg candy on your big day.