Icon Bride: Priscilla Presley

Priscilla Beaulieu shattered the hearts of thousands of girls when she married Elvis Presley. Priscilla married Elvis in Las Vegas on May 1, 1967. The marriage took place at the Aladdin Hotel in the Milton Prell's suite. The ceremony was short, attended only by close family and friends, lasted 8 minutes. The ceremony was followed by a breakfast reception with 100 guests.

Priscilla wore a floor length tunic style gown that she designed herself. It was made out of silk chiffon with a beaded yoke which was trimmed in seed pearls. The whole ensemble was topped off with a veil and a rhinestone tiara.

According to reports, Priscilla and Elvis' first dance was to, Love Me Tender. The couple honeymooned in Palm Springs. Priscilla was 21 and Elvis 32 when they got married.

The marriage only last for 6 years, but this bride's iconic look will always live in history.

The following is what my Priscilla Presley bride would look like today, simple with a little rebellious streak.

Gown: La Spose di Gio; Tiara Comb: Sparkly Crystal; Shoes: RSVP; Wedding Location: Las Vegas.

I hope this gets you All Shook Up.

-Percy

Photos from above mentioned sites. Shoes from Zappos.

Icon Bride: Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn, the ultimate gamine, stayed true to her iconic look at her wedding to Mel Ferrer on September 25, 1954 in Burgenstock, Switzerland, by donning a ravishing tea length gown that is undeniably...Audrey.

The gown designed by Pierre Balmain was a beautiful silk organza tea length number that was cinched at the waste. The top of the dress looked like a button down shirt with a collar and voluptuous sleeves. She topped off the ensemble with fresh flowers in her pixie cut hair.

In modernizing this iconic bride, this is how I see the Audrey Hepburn bride of today.

Gown: Oscar de la Renta; Floral Hair Piece: Leah C. Headpieces; Blue Tux Cece Bridal Shoes: The Shop @ Percy Sales Events; Woven Box Handbag: Perfect Details.

I hope this brings out your inner gamine.

-Percy

Photos from above mentioned Web sites. Hepburn/Ferrer Wedding photo from Daylife

Fantastic Fridays: Gown Sketches

If you were wondering, Friday's are generally for guest bloggers, but I haven't been able to secure any guest bloggers lately, so I am going to flip flop between Guest Blogger Fridays and Fantastic Fridays. Fantastic Fridays will showcase something truly fantastic. It can be celebrity wedding news, political items I feel passionate about, or something I came across that I think is truly FANTASTIC!

Today happens to be a Fantastic Friday and I am featuring something really cool I came across reading one of my magazines this month...Bridal Gown Sketches. Sure Princess Diana and other celebrity brides have had their gowns sketched by the designer or artist as a keepsake piece, but now you can too. So what that you bought your gown at David's Bridal or on the Internet at some online wedding gown store. Now you can get the same couture treatment that celebrity brides get when designing their gowns.

One fantastic sketch artist that I discovered through the magazine is Jennifer Angilello who owns All About the Dress. Her stylized rendition of the bride and gown are fantastic. Jennifer's portraits run about $425, according to InStyle Weddings Magazine, and from the looks of her portfolio it's well worth it. If you are looking for a less pricey version you may want to visit Dreamlines where sketches run at the $100 rate and is shipped from France.

Another option is to get the artist in the family to do a rendition of your gown, maybe as their wedding gift to you. This option will definitely have more meaning...as it is someone you know. But what ever route you get, I definitely think getting an artist rendering of your gown, with you in it or not, is definitely a FANTASTIC thing to do as a memento to your wedding day.

Here's sketching you...kid!

-Percy

Sketches from All About the Dress

Trend Thursdays: Learn Something from Past Brides and Grooms

Yesterday on both my Facebook and Twitter status, I asked my friends and followers this one question: " I am wondering - for you married folks, what do you remember most of your wedding? For those getting married - what are you looking forward to the most?

I asked this questions so that I can post it on my blog. I think it is a great way for future brides and grooms to see what experiences, details, that the past brides and grooms remembered most. I will try to add more to this list as people respond, but I would love to have my readers add their own in the comments also!

Here's some of the highlighted responses so far:

"I remember the ceremony and having fun with our friends and family the most at our wedding. We don't even remember what flavor cake we had. Of course great wedding photography helps you remember your day!" -Lilia, San Francisco

"Dancing our last dance at the reception as people surrounded us with sparklers under a perfect Santa Barbara Sky." - Sarah, Camarillo, CA

"Having a great time with friends and family." - Future Bride, Jessica, San Marino, CA

"All the wonderful guests! Never have I had so many people I love dearly in one place at one time!" - Carla, Santa Barbara, CA

"My favorite memory was after my brother did his toast, he invited everyone (170 people) to join us in our first dance (rather than dancing alone). We were in tears seeing the whole place slow dancing to Etta James' At Last followed by everyone dancing to Holiday by Madonna. I wish I had a video of it." - Ross, Ojai, CA

"Instead of a guest sign-in book, we gave every guest a card and asked them to write something to us. We read the cards a year later on our one year anniversary - it was amazing! Some had written about our wedding, some about relationships, some had advice - all were heartfelt and it reading them was like being transported right back to the wedding." - Kristin, Santa Barbara, CA

"I remember at one point looking around the reception room and seeing all of our favorite people - friends and family - all in one place...celebrating us! I also remember our video/photo montage set to music that we played during the reception. we got a lot of laughs out of that since they included photos of many of the same people who were in the... Read More reception. I also remember the Friday night before the wedding meeting up at a local bar with our guests who were in from out of town as well as the Sunday brunch we hosted the day after the wedding. We made a whole weekend out of our wedding! It was a mini-destination wedding...we married in Carmel, CA. " - Clarissa, San Diego, CA

"Everyone we love being with us. And watching to see how my Mexican family and his English family will understand each others accents!" - Future Bride Elizabeth, Anaheim, CA

"I remember almost all of my wedding. I made it a point to step back several times & take it all in! I mostly remember the last dance, after the room cleared and everyone was outside waiting for us to leave." - Gloria, Torrance, CA

"The earthquake, I kid you not." - Lisa, Dallas, TX

"When we had our first dance to the Style Council's "You're the Best Thing!" -Jill, Seattle, WA

"I remember the the moment I walked into the church to a piano playing "From This Moment" and saw how full the church was just for us. Also when my husband saw me for the first time. That was definitely a memorable moment." - Rhonda, Union City, CA

"I remember when we lit our unity candle right before our vows and turned around and started to past our flames to everyone in the church, everyone had their own candle. Then the church lights were dimmed and we said our vows in candlelight. It was the most romantic and intimate moment ever, even with tons of guests there." -Percy, Ojai, CA

I hope you will look at what these past brides and grooms remembers the most and what future couples are hoping for. Remember the day goes by fast, so take a moment to enjoy your day and just to take it all in.

-Percy

Photo by Gloria Plunkett Photography