Glitter studio

It's going to be a busy week at Sarah Foy Couture - it's Glitter studio week

This time last year I made my first appearance at One Fab Days wedding event - Glitter studio.

It was the most fun I have ever had at a fair. Meeting the best brides, best suppliers and just having fun all weekend.

What have I in store for Glitter studio this year? New dresses, our new line of accessories and me there to answer all your bridal dress questions.

Pop by and say Hi... bring chocolate if you can.

Ps. Quick flash ticket give away over on my Facebook page for one hour only this evening

Behind the Scenes

On a January evening three weeks ago I sat down on my couch utterly exhausted. My phone beeped -  an email from Aisling at Butterfly photography with just one picture from the day. Breathtaking, it had been a busy day but it was all worth it for that one amazing image.

Butterfly Photography

Today we give you a behind the scenes look at our latest photoshoot.

Inspiration for the day started back in November last year. A meet up with Stacey from Making Faces Gorey got us all excited to collaborate again. How did we collect our ideas? I love Pinterest so that's always a good starting point for me - check out our Pinterest board.

I wanted warmth, tranquility. I choose soft tulle in warm gold, heavy silk crepes in creamy tones and finally luxurious silk velvet in pale pink. From there I draped and played with the fabric till a dress was formed.

The day began early with fires burning at Murphy's Barn to keep Prima model Natalia warm while Catriona from Headrush.ie and Stacey from Making Faces Gorey worked their magic.

Event stylist and florist Sharon from Frog Prince Events was let loose on the Barn. Spending hours transforming the venue into the most beautiful wedding scene. While also whipping up our bouquet and floral crown .....one amazingly talented lady

It's was our photographer Aisling's idea to take a trip to the beautiful Raven Nature Reserve and Curracloe beach. Teamed with the amazing weather and Butterfly photography's talent these images where dreamy perfection.

To finish of our wedding scene. The super talented Jen from Cupcakes and Counting supplied us with her stunning three tier cake. Which got the styling treatment with Sharon at Frog Prince Events. With wedding stationary from Wedding Fusions.

So much fun working with all of these super talented artists. When let loose to imagine and create their magical touch shines through. Check their work out below

Venue - Murphy's Barn

Model - Prima Model Natalia

Hair - Cathriona at Headrush

Make up - Stacey at Making Faces Gorey

Photographer - Aisling and Dan from Butterfly photography

Event Stylist - Frog Prince Events

Cake - Cupcakes and Counting

Stationary - Lula at Wedding Fusions

 

 

 

Creatives at Work

Camelia from Austen Flowers

Picture an empty room with exposed stone work walls, wooden floors and a large cable window. The first time I worked with Camelia was at a photoshoot at the Old Deanary in Ferns, Co. Wexford. She was let loose on this room for an hour and transformed it into wedding bliss. Delicate winter flowers on the table dressing and creeping vines along the walls to bring the surrounding nature into the room - that is talent. So where does Camelia draw her inspiration from and how does she go about finding the right combination for your wedding

Photo by Butterfly Photography

Who is your bride?

Being based in the picturesque Wicklow countryside and with a background in horticulture, my floral style is natural, loose, organic, full of textural foliage and architectural twigs and other foraged finds, so my bride is a nature loving person, adventurous, stylish, travelled, hunts unusual floral designs and is not afraid to be ‘different’.

When do you feel most inspired?

The more quirky and unusual the brief, the more exiting the project becomes. Each wedding is approached as a blank canvas: we start with a mood board of images (not necessary of flowers) and develop a theme. The next step is choosing the perfect seasonal flowers for the designs (I insist on seasonal, both from an environmental and cost view).

I feel very lucky to work in an ever changing environment and the inspiration can come from the most unexpected places: the pattern of a scarf, the icing of a cake, the colours of a comic, and the texture of a feather…

How do you feel meeting a new bride to be?

The flowers are such a new and unknown subject for many of my brides. Our consultations are a flutter of ideas, images, mood boards, fresh flowers – we start from ‘I have a vague idea of what I want’ and finish with ‘I know that you will bring my vision to life’. My relation with most of my brides starts as a client and ends as a friend. The process of designing the wedding flowers involves a long conversation (in a virtual medium most of the time) that, by the time I deliver the bridal flowers, I fell that we have known each other for a lifetime.

What do you like to hear from a bride?

I’ll keep it simple: ‘I trust your artistic flair and I am happy to leave the whole creative process in your hands.’‘ Is there anything you can’t do?’ because the answer would be that, in floral terms, the impossible doesn’t exist (I just love a challenge!)

How did you find your calling? 

I suppose I had a love of nature since I can remember. I use to spend my holidays with my Granny in the countryside and her love of gardening and outdoors was my greatest inspiration. From there followed a 5 year degree in Horticulture and a Masters in Plant Protection. After a short stint in my mother’s ‘Louise Austen Catering’ company in Wicklow and several experiences both with creative freelance floral designers and florist shops in Dublin and Wicklow, I established my creative venture, Austen Flowers, and, as they say, I never looked back.

 

Thank you Camelia for share insight into you passion. Check out Austen Flowers

www.austenflowers.ie
https://www.facebook.com/austenflowers/
https://www.instagram.com/austenflowers/
 

Flowers are such a beautiful tradition for weddings. From a simple bouquet to a grand top table display. Are flowers top of your wedding list wants? Or are you overwhelmed with the choices and combinations out there. Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and see if we can help

Bridal Muse Jessica

Introducing our bridal muse Jessica

 

The colour - Every fitting I had with Jessica I just fell in love with her colour choice over and over again.

A beautiful rich gold silk skirt with warm ivory chiffon, creating the perfect complementary shade to Jessica's complexion. The lace, a beautiful Art Deco design added such a lovely modern feel to the traditional silhouette . But it is the bride that makes a dress and you just have to take a glance at her photos to see how true beauty just shines through.

So how did Jessica's day go, what advice would she give to fellow wedding planners today?

What is your best memory of your wedding day?

The moment I started to walk down the aisle toward my groom was probably the most heartfelt moment of the day. For both reasons that it was such a special moment with my father and that I was approaching my very-soon-to-be husband.

I was arm in arm with my father and he was also holding my hand with his opposite hand. He held on so tight yet lovingly, letting me go at the top of the alter as I kissed my groom on the cheek. My father shook his hand and kissed me, I cried the whole time and had to look back over at my maid of honour and mouth, "is my make up okay?" She assured me it was, haha. Seeing my groom's face as I walked toward him was priceless, and so was the feeling of everyone's eyes on me as I finally fulfilled the moment I had been looking forward to for over a year. I've never felt so beautiful as I did in that dress at that moment.

What is your advice to a bride to be?

For planning advice I would say that the best place to start is with a list of all items you want in your wedding and then pricing those out to create your budget. From there, I'd highly recommend pulling together a wedding website. It's a great way to get all of the details to your guests and manage your guest list and RSVP's. One thing I didn't have time to do was make a list of the types of photos I wanted our photographer to capture and I wish I had done that. Also, be sure to budget money and time for all of the outfits around the wedding, like the day before and day after...I didn't think about that and it left me a bit stressed. Finally, on the day, just relax and try your best to consciously take in every second, it truly is the best day of your life. Some very good advice I got was to whisper to yourself just as you're about to head down the aisle, "remember this, remember this". The day is pure magic.

What was your biggest worry about getting your dress made?

I think the toughest part was that I wasn't able to see or even envisage the final product until it was nearly complete. That left me a bit stressed, but thanks to Sarah, who is a genius and miracle worker, she worked so hard to make my dress just right even with last minute changes.

What part of the process of having your dress made was most fun for you?

I loved researching the dress and chatting to Sarah how I wanted bits and pieces of one type of dress, mixed with details of another type of dress. Being able to create a dress that was 100% unique and at the same time 100% suited and flattering to my figure was exciting. I also loved picking out the fabric and the lace, it made it all very real that I was working with Sarah to create my dream wedding dress. 

Hair by Lorraine Browne
Make- up by Christine Aldridge - instagram.com/conceitedkissbeauty  
Kevin Morris Photography
Cliff at Lyons - Venue (humanist ceremony & reception)

 

I will freely admit that perfect moment had me in tears. What a truly beautiful memorable day. Thank you so much Jessica for share with us. As Jessica says it can be so hard to envisage the final look of your dress on the day . What worries you most about your final look on the day? Comment below we would love to know and maybe we can even help

One on the best things about getting a dress made is that you will be guided step by step so if you have any questions about the process of having a dress personally designed for you please drop me an email.

My Inspiration - V&A

While in London in December for a friends tropical themed birthday party - yes you are reading that correctly. I managed to sneak off for an hour to take a trip to the Victor and Albert Museum. They never fail to have a exhibition that I want and have to see.

I found the Undressed. Brief History of Underwear and was intrigued

Now before I found my calling as a wedding designer I had worked as a lingerie designer for a company based in Dublin, so this was of particularly interest to me.

Beautiful silk and lace detailing . They showed how underwear had evolved through the ages and how modern lives and fashion changed how underwear was designed.

There was for me two stand out pieces that made the exhibition.

The modern day evening wear that was inspired by underwear. As a big fan of Elie Saab, to see his lilac creation up close was fantastic and humbling, the hand work detail amazing. Layers of silk and lace carefully placed to create the most beautiful silhouette . So inspiring to see

Elie Saab

Secondly the video piece - The "Babydoll" slip by Carina Gilson. This video showed the process of making a silk slip. Still even to me a designer that works to create in cloth daily I found this mesmerising. They used a method called cut away that I had seen done before many years ago in lingerie .

So how does this help me to design dresses . Well there is something very inspiring to see how fashion has evolved, moved with the times and needs of its world. It is quiet amazing to think I am part of that. Will my daughter look back at what I am creating today and think how much we have moved, changed, evolved?

What inspires you? What motivates you and excites you? We would love to hear more in our comments below.

Creatives At Work

Hair stylist Lorraine Browne

On a busy Saturday morning for Lorraine I popped up to her private studio in Clontarf to talk all about weddings - one wedding lover to another.

I have been lucky enough to collaborate with Lorraine on inspirational shoots over the years and have seen first hand her magical touch. However, I was looking forward to hearing a little more about what inspires her and how she became wedding obsessed.

How did you find your calling ?

I’ve been looking after Brides for years and years….. too many too mention. Lorraine Browne Hair Stylist all started way back when my parents had a wedding car business. My job was to hoover the car's on a Saturday morning and then to dress in my sailor jacket and spruce up my mullet haircut (it was the 80’s) and to be a little helper on the day…Hold umbrellas, open doors, pop champagne.

Whilst in high school I was a Saturday girl in a large salon group in my home town of Cheshire. Being a junior to a session stylist in the salon I went as an assistant on weddings, shoots and shows, I just loved it. I have been a Salon stylist, Salon Manager, Trainer for Wella - Proctor and Gamble and session stylist for shoots, shows and films. But I have always kept up my bridal work, it is my passion.

I have a great job that feeds my addiction to beautiful gowns, venues, food and the soppy romance I couldn’t be better suited to what I do …..I’m obsessed with Weddings.

Who is your Bride?

I don't have a particular type of bride. I'm very adaptable which is what I like about being a bridal hair stylist. One day I could be working on a vintage up style using techniques that I have been trained in for years and the next I'll be looking after a boho bride where the look is finished by your eye and personal style.

When do you feel most creative?

Inspirational photo shoots are a great way for me to get creative. I enjoy creating the story behind the look and finding great venues and locations. Teaming up with other wedding suppliers, we pool our talents to create something special

But for my brides it's different. I love seeing the whole look together and I think that's the same for the bride. The wedding morning is the only time the hair, make up, gown and accessories are all seen together for the first time and that inspires me.

How do you feel meeting a new bride to be?

Most of my Brides I have already met before they got engaged, they are usually a bridesmaid or a family member/friend of one of my previous brides.

I usually build up all the details I need via emails and Pinterest boards before the trial so when we meet in real life we already know each other very well. I'm a bit of a romantic and really love hearing how couples meet.

Whats the best questions a bride could ask me?

Communication is very important when a bride is choosing her hair stylist. Firstly, it has to be someone they feel comfortable with. That they can say what they like and more important what they don't like. Hair and make up is so personal sometimes you just don't know until you see it, so a trial is essential. I do a 90min/2hour trial, it is important to me that my bride can see a few options. I love when a bride has a family heirloom, veil or brooch that they would like to incorporate into their hairstyle. Those finishing touches are what I'm all about

A bride should also ask if her hair stylist is fully insured. That they are well experienced, so check any reviews and follow their work on social media.

What a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning. The super talented Lorraine while chatting away to me, she managed to wrestle my crazy locks into a beautiful hair style - that is serious multitasking and serious talent. A big thank you to Lorraine for taking time out to share a little insight to her business.

if you have a hair or wedding inspiration questions for me or Lorraine comment below we love to get your feedback

 

Website www.lorrainebrownehair.com

Email lorrainehair@gmail.com

Phone +353 872438814

twitter @lorraine_hair

facebook lorrainebrownehair

instagram browne_lorraine

 

Bridal Muse Julie

When I began last year to plan 2017's blog I really wanted to do something a little different.  I reached out to my 2016 brides to ask them what they took away from their wedding day? What could they advice our readers? And from this evolved Bridal Muse , where a collection of brides tell us how they created their wedding day.

Fast forward to January and I am introducing you to our first Bridal Muse Julie. You need only glance at her stunning wedding pictures to see what a beautiful, amazing day she had, beaming from head to toe. Julie has very kindly shared her memories and knowledge here today. So grab a cuppa and let her day inspire you. 

What is your best memory of your wedding day? 

It is hard to pick a favourite part but the ceremony was incredibly special. The vows, music & poetry coming to life was amazing and each one was very personal to us.

Is there a moment that stands out for you? 

A moment that stands out is walking up the aisle and seeing Tim a little emotional when he saw me in my dress for the first time. You imagine how those moments might feel but when they are happening, in front of all of your nearest and dearest, it is something you can't really put into words. It is probably all of those cliches people talk about - and I'm trying not to be too cliched!

What is your advice to a bride to be? 

My advice is to go with your gut. Everyone's experience is so different - just go with what feels is the right decision for the two of you. Your family & friends might have very different ideas/expectations of what they think is the right venue/dress/band/flowers/guests budget. Whether you go for a full traditional affair or something really intimate, just try to remember it is about the two of you making that commitment to each other.

Our wedding was the day before St. Patrick's day so that really helped shape the day in terms of little touches and decisions we made about colours/invites/entertainment etc. We also had the experience of attending dozens of previous weddings so we had a very clear idea of what what we had in mind for ours. The support we had from our families and friends was unbelievable - I will be forever grateful to some of them for the help they gave in whatever big/small way they were able to.

What was your biggest worry about getting your dress made?

Again, through previous experience (my sister had her dress made with Sarah) I had a good idea about the process involved. That being said though, it is slightly daunting not knowing what it will look like as a finished product! Sarah made me feel at ease from our first meeting and goes through all the questions you might have about getting it made and what you have in mind. It was very much a collaboration of what I had in my head and what she was able to do with her magic needle and thread!

What part of the process of having your dress made was most fun for you?

I did do my research and had tried on a few dresses and looked up a good few designers by the time I contacted Sarah. I just couldn't find what I was looking for; that didn't cost a ridiculous amount of money and that I felt really comfortable in. They were my my main priorities for the dress - I put all of the ideas of the dream dress I had in my head and sent Sarah pictures and worked with her on what colours, fabrics etc. that suited the look I had in mind. Looking through samples can be a bit overwhelming but I was very much guided by her for this part and went with her professional opinion on what she thought would work best for some of those decisions. It was a really fun, creative process that I can genuinely say, was a pleasure from start to finish.

Thank you to the beautiful Julie for taking time to be our Bridal Muse and sharing your day with us.

www.markgriffinphoto.com

www.deborahleonardmakeup.com

Lorraine Edwards Hair 0834491687

 

www.bellinghamestate.ie

www.bellinghamcastle.ie

I would love to hear what you think of our new series and what tips you may want to share. Comment below, I always want to hear more.

  

My job is to bring dresses to life. Julie, like a lot of my brides have a clear idea of what they want for their wedding dress. We just help to fill in the gaps and create something unique for them. You are welcome to email me if you need a dress brought to life. 

Revived

Welcome to our little piece of wedding heaven.

Photography by Tara Aherne

This week we are reviving our blog for 2017 and here is just a taste of what we have planned for you.

I want to introduce you to the best creative suppliers in the wedding industry. For you to get a snap shot of how they work, the passion they have for their work. How invested they are in your wedding? How their love of their business will make them your best asset.

The best insight and advice comes from those that go before you. So I bring you a lovely new series where our brides look back on their day and their plans. The big memory they took away from their day... have a handkerchief handy it is emotional stuff.

I am here to inspire you to be creative with your wedding plans. I want to help our DIY brides out there with new exciting video tutorials. Helping you to create those personal touches. I want to bring you behind the scene of our business. Show you how I design and create your gowns. I want to show you what inspires me, what gets my creative juices flowing.

As the year goes on I want to hear your feed back. What you would like to see and what has inspired you on your wedding planning journey

Join us, pass the word around this week and see the new and exciting path for Sarah Foy Couture.

The Glitter Studio

This weekend we will be joining the lovely ladies of One Fab Day at their fun and exciting wedding show The Glitter Studio

Want to check out our work, explore the new styles for 2016? We are setting up a very special studio at CHQ this coming weekend, where you can have a consultation with me about your dream dress. Talk through style, fabric and the special details that make up your special gown.

Check out my facebook page today as we give away a set of passes to The Glitter Studio

Underwear Changes Everything

No matter your shape or style the right underwear can transform your figure and transform your wedding dress. I can't emphasis enough the important of getting the correct undergarments. This is not a last minute rush to M&S job, you must take some time to try on and find the perfect fit.

Bras

For me smooth no lace, nude bras with an excellent shape are the way to go. There is only one way to pick a bra and that is to try on, try on, try on. Then ask yourself does it feel comfortable, does it give a flattering shape or create lumps I don't need?

You also have to look at you dress. Do you need strapless? Will the back need to be lower? Does the front need to plunge? Ask your designer to help you out, she can give you measurements on how far down the strap needs to go to compliment the dress and what other elements you may need to consider before you purchase.

Knickers

Fancy lace thongs don't always do the job to flatter your shape. It's the smooth nude rule again for knicker purchases. Whither your dress is slinky or ball-gown style you need to be sure the knickers are creating a smooth shape and don't cast a shadow through the dress. Doesn't mean you can't buy a fancy French knicker for later when all the pictures have been taken.

Shape wear

Nearly all my brides the last two years have worn some sort of shape wear. These are all fabulous ladies of all shapes and sizes. My one recommendation for shape wear is please make sure you are comfortable and that you won't get to hot in them. Not to be crude but think about how you can manoeuvre out of said shape-wear for the call of nature!!

Ask the experts

Over the years we have sent hundreds of brides out to find the complimentary underwear for their dresses. Peaches and Cream in the Westbury Mall in Dublin have been a big winner with our brides. Also Brown Thomas and Arnotts for getting measured for a great shaping bra. 

So once you have your dress purchased get underwear shopping, don't leave it till the last minute.

As always have fun

With passion

Sarah  

Brendan Lyon photography 

My Inspiration

 It is around this time of year when our summer brides are just having final touches done to their dresses that I start to think of a new collection. So this week I am taking a little break from the norm and giving an insight to where I find my inspiration and how I start the process of designing new dresses.

Time out from my studio is usually a great opportunity for me to relax and let my mind escape. This week I took a trip to Killarney for some family time and I came back buzzing with excitement. What a beautiful country we have at our finger tips. The colours all around us, lush greens, pink sky's and vibrant floral shades. 

Taking my new found inspiration and my chilled out mind I couldn't help but create 2015's mood board when I landed back in the studio on Thursday (thank you to my hard working assistant Molly for indulging me). This is always just a starting point for me to get a feeling, a mood of how the next year will be. It is from here that I will in the coming weeks start to design the next collection.

I will now gather together fabrics, laces and embellishments that I wish to use in the coming year. I will do samples of beading and fabric manipulation that I would like to incorporate into the collection. With hopefully the final sketches coming together in the coming weeks. Follow my progress on Instagram @sfoydesign.

So if you are just starting out and struggling to get ideas for your wedding. Take a deep breath, a glass of wine and hit Pinterest to create your own mood board. It doesn't have to be wedding related images that you pin, just what you are drawn too. This will help you to get an idea of what you love, hate and adore.

With passion 

Sarah

Ps I have two new boards up on Pinterest to show you for 2015's inspiration so check us out Pinterest @Sarah Foy design

2015 mood board