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Creative Spotlight

Polish Wedding Sweets

Creative Spotlight, Wedding Details, Wedding Ideas, Wedding PicturesWedding Creativo Photography

Chicago has a rich multicultural melting pot, and one great culture to find wonderful wedding inspiration is from the Polish.  If you are Polish, or if you've ever been to a Polish wedding, probably one of the big things you remember (or look forward to) is the very looooong table of decadent desserts at the reception.  You don't have to be Polish to appreciate the abundant sweet table, which typically is a very important part of Polish wedding receptions.  Some favorite traditional Polish desserts include:

-- pączki, which are kind of like doughnuts (but better! ... in fact, if you can't get your hands on the latest craze ... "cronuts" .... these old-school Polish pastries are pretty darn close in taste and texture)

-- fruit gelatin covered sernik (Polish for cheesecake)

-- delightful fruit jelly filled kolaczki cookies

With such a large Polish population, Chicago is fortunate to have dozens of wonderful Polish bakeries throughout the city and suburbs, so it is not hard at all to include these popular traditional treats at your wedding. These delicious sweets pictured below were made by Central Continental Bakery in Mt. Prospect, IL.

Photos: Wedding Creativo Photography

Indie Wed Chicago 2013 Highlights

Creative Spotlight, Creativo News, Inspiration, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Ideas, Wedding Pictures, Wedding PlanningWedding Creativo Photography

We had a wonderful time at Indie Wed on Saturday, and were inspired hearing all of the creative plans couples are making for their 2013 and 2014 weddings.  Indie Wed is THE event for couples looking for unique wedding ideas and professionals, and we were honored to participate. Thanks to everyone who came by our booth to say hello, and also a big thanks to our associates Amanda and Kevin for doing such a wonderful job.  We are so fortunate to have such wonderful people, couples and professionals, to make our world go round.

Here are some of our favorite highlights from Indie Wed.  There are also lots more pictures on our facebook page.

Wedding Creativo associates and ambassadors of awesome, Kevin and Amanda

Indie Wed welcome sign

Dame Couture vintage inspired wedding dresses

The "Belles and Gents" lounge on the third floor, presented by Sine Qua Non Events

The chocolate cigar gal rounds the lounge, furnished by Aged Vintage Rentals

Those cigars were a delectable sweet and salty treat by Truffle Truffle

I think we have a crush on food truck wonder Puffs of Doom

Tablescapes unique decor rentals are always a delight

Brides and bridesmaids, can we please see some Mohop shoes on your feet? Folks in Chicago make these kicks!

The Caterist, a new catering company based in Evanston, was in the booth next to ours. They saw us drooling, had mercy on us, and gave us some treats. They were quite tasty and we were impressed!

We liked this band called We, Unity Candle. They were fun, but as serious audiophiles we were mostly impressed with their abilities to manage quality live sound while rocking the house. We see a lot of bands that mistake loud distorted volume for rocking, and these guys did NOT do that, bravo!

Tweedle Press drew a crowd with their chimerical designs and environmentally sustainable paper goods

Endearing accessories and fabric flowers headpieces on display by Clark & Diversey

A great pairing of professionals, the always sophisticated Sarah Drake Design with Pistil & Vine Floral Design

MarEva's custom designed jewelry and brooch bouquets caught our eye. We were easily lured in by so many beautiful shiny sparkly things.

Engagement Ring Trends 2013

Creative Spotlight, Engagements, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Ideas, Wedding PlanningWedding Creativo Photography

10 Great Chicago Wedding Blogs 2012

Creative Spotlight, Inspiration, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Ideas, Wedding PlanningWedding Creativo Photography

With thousands of wedding blogs around the world there is literally limitless inspiration and information for wedding planning.  For the Chicago area, we are fortunate to have so many creative and knowledgeable wedding professionals who also have fantastic blogs.  We find the advice and tips found on event professionals blogs to be more realistic, filled with a lot more original ideas, and frankly, far more diverse than what we see on the nationally-known wedding blogs. 

10 of our favorite Chicago wedding blogs and posts in 2012           (listed randomly)

1. Wedding Creativo Blog (okay yes, we are biased, ha ha) - of course as photographers, we feature lots of pretty pictures, but also practical tips and insights based on our real weddings from two decades of experience. One of our most popular posts: Make Your Own New Wedding Traditions

2. Entertaining Company Blog - this is a great catering and event design company, and owner Wendy Pashman is an amazing writer to boot. This blog shares a wide variety of ideas and inspiration for weddings and parties of all sorts. Recommended reading: How to Cocktail Like a Marchesa

3. Alice Padrul Journal - Couture wedding dress designer Alice Padrul shows her stunningly beautiful gowns in action featuring videos and photos of real brides on their wedding day, and occasionally she gives us a peek behind the curtain into her dress making workshop in Chicago.  Recommended reading: The Making of a Gown

4. Sarah Drake Design Blog - Sarah Drake is a professional creative designer on several fronts, and has expanded her creative work beyond weddings and paperies, but she is a greatly admired wedding invitation designer in Chicago.  We enjoy reading about what inspires her work, and also regular features of her behind the scenes working on the delicate details of her designs. Recommended reading: September = Wedding Production

5. Fleur Chicago Blog - Kellie Marie, owner of Fleur, is hands down one of the most talented florists in Chicago, and her blog regularly inspires with photos of her beautiful work, boutique floral shop, and her personal notes and insights.  Recommended reading: Don't Sweat It

6. Sine Qua Non Special Events Blog - event planner Beth Bernstein leads the team at SQN with lots of practical planning advice, and her blog also shows her talents as a taste maker with posts that are always on top of the latest trends.  Recommended reading: Beauty and the Brooch (Bouquet)

7. Stitely Entertainment Blog - Jeff Stitely and crew are tops among wedding musicians in Chicago, and their blog often has some surprising and clever sources of inspiration for wedding music.  Recommended reading: Perpetuum Mobile - Music Inspired by Food Poisoning

8. Anita Weds Blog - Anita Vaughan is a kind and thoughtful person, which is why she is a much loved wedding officiant in Chicago.  As a certified Life-Cycle Celebrant she shares a lot of diverse weddings on her blog, and we always enjoy reading how she works with couples to help them add personal touches and special meaning into their ceremonies.  Recommended reading:  Adding a Little Spice to a Ceremony

9. Everything But The Dress - This blog belongs to the ladies of The Left Bank, where brides find dazzling wedding jewelry in Chicago.  It is always fun to see their latest arrivals and trunk shows, and we also enjoy seeing their real brides' bling, as well general wedding style tips and trends.  Recommended reading: Magnificent Cuffs Inspired by the 2012 Oscar Awards

10. The Haberdash Blog - For fashion and lifestyle tips for the guys, this blog by the Chicago men's clothing boutique Haberdash is an excellent resource.  This is not specifically for grooms, but these curators of fashion for well-dressed men can also inspire great ideas for grooms looking to express their own style beyond the standard black tux. Recommended reading: Classic Essentials The Overcoat

New Rustic Frames Collection added in Creativo Couture

Creative Spotlight, Creativo NewsWedding Creativo Photography

Just in time for the holidays, we have added a new collection of Rustic Frames!

See all of our current framing options here. Did you know we have an entire separate website dedicated to all of our products and custom services such as photo cards, albums, canvas and framed prints? Yes, see sample photos and descriptions at Creativo Couture.  Were you not a wedding or portrait client of ours (meaning, we were not your photographer) or do you have a personal or vintage family photo you want to work with? No problem, we offer custom services to anyone, just send us an email to find out more about what we can do for you.

Premium Custom Wedding Albums Set : Flourish Embossed Black Leather

Creative Spotlight, Creativo News, Wedding DetailsWedding Creativo Photography

Michelle and Steve's wedding combined modern and classic elegance, and the wedding album set we designed for them represented their style.  They selected a beautiful embossed leather cover for all three of their albums premium flush mount albums.  At Wedding Creativo Photography, we offer couples AND their parents premium quality album options.  The album may have all matching covers, such as this set, or different unique covers may be selected for parents albums as well.  See more of our custom designed professional wedding albums at weddingcreativo.com in our Albums portfolio gallery.

Are your wedding photos still hiding on your computer or DVDs? If you are interested in our professional wedding albums services, please email us for more information.  It is okay if we did not photograph your wedding.  We also accept "outside" orders if you own high-resolution files, and your photographer granted you reproduction rights or copyright release with your files, which is fairly common, especially if your photographer did not offer any album or printing services. Email Sarah at Wedding Creativo with any questions, we are happy to help.

Custom Thank You cards with bicycle theme

Creative Spotlight, Creativo NewsWedding Creativo Photography

Newlyweds Michelle and Mathew asked us to create custom photo "Thank You" cards to send to their guests after the wedding.  We were excited to incorporate their spring blush and purple colors and bicycle wedding theme. As a full-service photography studio, we offer custom designed cards and save-the-dates, which can also be included in a package or ordered separately from wedding photography. 

We were thrilled to also be a recipient in their wedding thank-yous too!

© Wedding Creativo Photography

Creative Spotlight : Spiaggia Chef Tony Mantuano

Creative Spotlight, Wedding Details, Wedding PicturesWedding Creativo Photography

Tony Mantuano is an internationally acclaimed executive chef/partner of several restaurants, including Terzo Piano at The Modern Wing of the Art Institute, and Spiaggia, which has the distinction of being Chicago's only four-star Italian restaurant.  

The Kenosha, Wisconsin native was awarded the 2005 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Midwest, and was one of the champions on the Bravo television series, "Top Chef Masters."  Mantuano specializes in Italian cuisine, and was even presented with the keys to the city of San Martino, Italy in recognition for serving authentic Italian cuisine in America. Spiaggia is also a favorite restaurant of President Barak Obama, who celebrated his election win there in 2008.

Spiaggia also has private events, and one of our recent newlyweds Rebecca and Christopher celebrated their wedding reception with a wonderful dinner by Chef Mantuano and Spaggia's impeccable staff. 

© Wedding Creativo Photography

2012 Wedding Dress Trends

Creative Spotlight, Inspiration, Wedding FashionWedding Creativo Photography

Browsing through recent runway shows, we noticed a few trends emerging in dress designs for 2012 brides:

1. Corset bodice wedding gowns

Designer Monique Lhuiller has at least a dozen corset style dresses in her spring and fall 2012 collections.  Other designers including Romona Keveza, Lazaro and Claire Pettibone also have corset gowns in their collections.

Monique Lhuiller gown from moniquelhuillier.com

2. Cap-shoulder wedding gowns

One of our absolute favorite gowns we've seen lately (check it out here) has beautiful cap sleeves and is by Chicago designer Alice Padrul.  She has a few similar styles in her beautiful collection.  We've also seen the cap-sleeves and other similar covered shoulder designs in collections by Nicole Miller and Marchesa.

Marchesa cap-shoulder marchesa.com

3. Early Hollywood glamour wedding dresses

Several of the latest vintage style gowns seem to be inspired by classic 1920s and 1930s Hollywood glamour, with shimmering silver and gold fabrics and details.  Designers that primarily incorporate these looks into their collections include Johanna Johnson, Jenny Packham, Ines DiSanto and Atelier Aimée.

Atelier Aimée gown, Juliet and Romeo Collection, www.aimee.it

4. Antique shabby vintage wedding dresses

We noticed several country music stars wearing shabby chic vintage style dresses this year at the Grammy awards, and likewise have also spotted similar trends in wedding dresses.  We regularly see these types of vintage styles on BHLDN.com and Freepeople.com, but designer Clair Pettibone has had fantastic vintage gowns go down the runway for 2012 and prior seasons that absolutely take our breath away.

 Clair Pettibone vintage gown, clairepettibone.com

5. Plunging V necklines and backs wedding gowns

Designers Badgely Mishchka seemed to showcase all of these trends in their most recent runway shows, but most prominently their designs featured dropped V necklines and backs, which we also noticed in a some other collections including Anne Bowen, Caroline Castigliano, and Jim Hjelm.

Great Chicago Hotel Rooms for Brides

Creative Spotlight, Inspiration, Wedding Ideas, Wedding PlanningWedding Creativo Photography

When it comes to envisioning the wedding morning, and all of the elaborate preparations that will go on, we imagine most brides would like their special day to start in a beautiful and relaxing environment.  For many that may be their own home, but for others there may be a search involved when it comes to finding the optimal location to get ready.

Trump Hotel

From a photography perspective, we're experts on what makes locations more appealing than others, and we think the best hotel rooms have all or most of the following features:

1. BIG windows.  Rooms with grand floor to ceiling windows are optimal, but rooms with many big windows are good too.

2. Good natural light.  This inherently comes with big window room, but a room with any windows is better than no windows.  Natural light is best for checking your makeup for color and tone accuracy, and most desirable for those fresh face close-up portraits. For the best natural light request a room with north or south facing windows, or optimally a corner suite with windows along two walls.

Dana Hotel

3. White, cream or very lightly warm colored walls.  In general light or pastel tones of beige and ambers are best for skin tones.  Dark walls in brown, blue or purple are okay, but make rooms very dark.  Above all, avoid green painted walls.  We love the color light green as much as the next person, especially for wedding colors.  However, green walls, especially darker hues, make everyone look sick. 

4. Suites or a larger room.  If you can swing it, or can get a great deal, try to get the largest room or suite you can afford, especially if you plan on having your bridal party get ready in the same room.  No one enjoys getting ready in cramped quarters.  Having a comfortable space definitely helps reduce stress.

Sax Hotel

5. Creature comforts.  Often hotels are very good at making brides feel like queens for a day by including pampering perks.  But even if they do, it is a good idea to bring extra treats if you are planning to have a roomful of ladies getting ready.  Champaign, white grape juice, water, fruit, as well as some sweet and salty snacks, or whatever you fancy, is good to have around in order to keep your blood sugar stable and stress levels down.

Sofitel Water Tower

With these criteria in mind, here are some hotels in or near downtown Chicago that offer brides and grooms ultimate spaces for getting ready, and of course also for your wedding night stay.  They all have rooms that meet our optimal conditions for lighting and decor for great "getting ready" spaces, and are listed in random order:

Dana Hotel

InterContinental Chicago

Trump Hotel

Wit Hotel

Drake Hotel

Waldorf Astoria Chicago (formally Elysian Chicago)

Park Hyatt Chicago

Wyndham Blake Chicago

Raffaello Hotel

Hotel Palomar

The Peninsula Chicago

Hotel Sax

The Ritz-Carlton

Sofitel Chicago Water Tower

Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza

Four Seasons Hotel Chicago

Public Chicago

JW Marriott Chicago

Blackstone Hotel

The James Hotel

Engagement Rings Fall 2011

Creative Spotlight, Engagements, Inspiration, Wedding Ideas, Wedding PlanningWedding Creativo Photography

'Tis the season for engagements, so we thought we would help out by taking a look at some unique rings we've seen recently.  Regarding the actual proposal, we really have only one note of advice:  don't do it in a super public way (e.g. not center court of NBA basketball game, or any other way where 1000 people are looking at your potential spouse to say "yes.")  If you're both ready, there is no bad way to propose, but it should really be a meaningful deeply personal experience, not a public fiasco, err....show.   We realize there is this notion where some might think declaring your intentions to the world is a grand gesture, but if you really think about it, your sweetheart only cares that YOU want to get married, and what onlookers think is not important.

Classic Cars for Wedding Transportation

Creative Spotlight, Wedding Details, Wedding Ideas, Wedding Pictures, Wedding PlanningWedding Creativo Photography

We always encourage couples to express themselves with creative details for their wedding, and sometimes this can even include their mode of transportation.  We're a big fan of classic cars, and in Chicago we're fortunate to have a few cool companies that offer couples unique vintage vehicles to get around on their wedding day.   Several companies that have classic cars in their fleet are on our recommended page, under transportation.

© Wedding Creativo Photography

 

Bridal Beauty Roundup: Hair and Makeup Trends 2011

Creative Spotlight, Inspiration, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Ideas, Wedding Pictures, Wedding PlanningWedding Creativo Photography

As photographers, we always have a close eye on the work of hair and makeup professionals, and we would like to spotlight the lovely looks of some of our recent brides, made possible with the help of their talented stylists.

© Wedding Creativo Photography

Bride Nadia: hair and makeup by Heather Rae from Art + Science Salon

 

Bride Marissa: makeup by Elisa Vekkos, hair by Montage Salon

 

Bride Vicky: hair by Samara Toby, makeup by Krystyn from Bridal Beauty Chicago

 

Bride Megan: hair and makeup by Holly Kasprisin / Chicago Bridal Hair and Makeup

 

Bride Kallie: hair by Lauren Brashears from ONE Salon & Spa, makeup by Valerie Ward from Mario Tricoci Salon

 

Bride Kate: hair and makeup by Beauty on Call

Album Design Coordinates: Python and Silver

Creative Spotlight, Inspiration, Wedding IdeasWedding Creativo Photography

So, perhaps you would like your wedding album cover to match the kick-butt snakeskin and rhinestones heels you wore on your wedding day?  Not a problem for Wedding Creativo.  For these design coordinates, we are featuring snakeskin, python and silver.  And not a moment too soon, as this season's fashions seem to be flowing with snake-inspired styles.  For this coordinated pair of custom designed albums, our main inspiration was bride Steffanie's shoes and jewelry.  The large flush mount album cover is leather treated to look like silvery snake skin and the cute clutch book is shiny silver leather.

Chicago Creative Spotlight: Alice Padrul Bridal Couture

Creative Spotlight, Inspiration, Wedding FashionWedding Creativo Photography

We have long admired the wedding dresses of Alice Padrul Bridal Couture.  Alice has been designing high fashion for decades, and exclusively creating couture wedding gowns since 2004.  Giorgio and I started to see her beautiful gowns in wedding magazines several years ago, and were excited to find out that Alice's boutique studio is located nearby us in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood.  One of our brides recently wore a beautiful gown designed by Alice, and then we had the fortunate opportunity to visit Alice and her husband Gene at their boutique studio.  We loved seeing all of her fabulous dresses and accessories, which are all made at her studio with Alice overseeing every last detail.  We were also thrilled to learn that Alice imports her organza silk from Italy, and that she loves Giorgio's native country just as much as we do.

© Giorgio Ventola / Wedding Creativo

Awesomeness Giveaway: Bridesmaid Invitation Cards

Creative Spotlight, Inspiration, Wedding Ideas, Wedding PlanningWedding Creativo Photography

We recently spotted these cute "Will you be my Bridesmaid?" cards and they got us thinking.  The first thing we thought was that these cards are adorable. They are from a creative husband and wife, Anna and Nathan, along with their team of talented folks who make hand-pained illustrations and whimsical designs for stationery at Rifle Paper Co.  The peachy-pink ranunculus flowers illustrated on these cards should be a sure-fire way to get any friend or relative excited about being included in your bridal party.

Then, we though about the process each couple goes though when choosing their bridal party, and that sometimes the decision may be complicated.

We would love to hear what you think about when selecting your bridal party members. We are also excited about giving away a pack (8-count) of these beautiful cards, courtesy of Rifle Paper Co., to two lucky (and random) winners. 

To enter in our Awesomeness Giveaway drawing for this week, please fill out this form by midnight, Thursday August 4th.  We'll announce the winners on Friday.

UPDATE: THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR THIS GIVEAWAY, THE ENTRY FORM IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS!

Creative Spotlight: Zuzu's Petals

Creative Spotlight, Inspiration, Wedding Ideas, Wedding PlanningWedding Creativo Photography

Every time a bell rings a bride is happy with her bouquet and flowers by event florists Natalie Willett and Dan Mitchell at Zuzu's Petals.  We have enjoyed their work for quite a while and wanted to spotlight the lovely job they recently did for a wedding we photographed in June for bride and groom Megan and Luke.  We love peonies, so we especially enjoyed the Zuzu's Petals floral work for this wedding. We'll have a full feature about this beautiful day coming soon.

© Wedding Creativo Photography

Creative Spotlight: Great Wedding Cakes Summer 2011

Creative Spotlight, Inspiration, Wedding Ideas, Wedding Pictures, Wedding PlanningWedding Creativo Photography

We are always in awe of the elaborate and unique details of wedding cakes.  Today we would like to highlight some great cakes and the creative folks behind these edible works of art.  These selections also show some general trends we've noticed in wedding cakes, other sweets, and cake toppers (or lack thereof) in the last year. 

By far, the biggest trend we've seen with wedding cakes in the past year has been elegant "clean" designs, usually with fresh cut floral embellishments, such as this cake above by Oak Mill Bakery.  The Polish are internationally known for their amazing sweet treats, and owner Bogna Iwanowska-Solak definitely brought that wonderful baking heritage with her to Chicago when she opened her family's first bakery here in 1986.  Today they operate six stores in Chicago, Niles, Harwood Heights and Arlington Heights.

Amy Beck is known for her elegant custom cake designs, often using floral elements, whether they are created with sugar or real flowers.  She used cascading violet and yellow orchids for this fantastic wedding cake.  Earlier this year we were excited to see that Amy opened up a new store on Racine street, just a few blocks from our studio.  Welcome to the neighborhood Amy!

Bride Krys added a single pink peony to top her wedding cake to go along with her peony-theme wedding.  Central Continental Bakery, a north-west suburban bakery that has been making wonderful wedding cakes since 1922, detailed the design with words such as "family," "friendship," and "love" to express the things in life that the bride and groom most cherish.

Mary Winslow's small bakeshop, Take the Cake, specializes in intricately detailed custom designs and cake flavors, always with a look of timeless elegance. This white petal wedding cake perfectly complimented the petal details on the bride's wedding dress, as well as her all-white reception decor.  We can only imagine the patience and focus it took to make those delicate frosting rose petals.

Couples that hold their weddings at venues renowned for their cuisine may also find the cake included in their package.  As part of Chicago's fantastic foodie group of Levy Restaurants, Fulton's on the River offers their compelling Reid Murdoch Wedding Package, which includes a custom designed wedding cake.  This one above incorporated the couple's pink and green wedding colors and their last name inital for the silver and diamond cake topper.

Maggie Roeder Cakes is a boutique that places equal importance on the taste of the cake as the design.  For this reception, the bride and groom built an experience for their guests around gourmet cuisine and a cake made with top quality ingredients.  Overall, their reception decor was minimalist, which was well complimented with the clean monogram design topping this cake.

For their vintage-style barn wedding, this bride and groom went with several small "old-fashioned" cakes.  This was for a destination wedding in northern Michigan, with cakes made by Robin Smith from that area.

Wedding cupcakes have become very popular in recent years, but for this "ice-cream" theme reception the couple added a unique twist.  Along with their ice-cream sundae bar, they also had cupcakes made by Luscious Layers Bakery, which were designed with typical sundae toppings, such as sprinkles and cherries.

Cake wasn't going to satisfy the sweet tooth for this bride and groom, so instead they got a double-decker banana cream pie, as well as several assorted "home-style pies" from Hoosier Mama Pie Company.  The bride Elaine (who earned her Master of Fine Arts degree while planning her wedding!!!) made the bride and groom toppers using clothes-pins and her awesome crafting talents.

We haven't been seeing as many traditional cake toppers lately.  While we totally appreciate couples wanting to do something different, we're kind of starting to miss seeing cake toppers.  Perhaps folks could consider bringing them back, but in new and unique ways.  We went on Etsy.com to create this collection of various items, with most of them not intended for use on cakes, but perhaps they will inspire couples to think outside of the box for little works of art or personality pieces to top their cakes and sweets.

Wedding Fashion Inspiration: Vintage 1940s Wedding Styles

Creative Spotlight, Inspiration, Wedding Fashion, Wedding IdeasWedding Creativo Photography

Today marks the one year anniversary of Lisa and Ben! Congratulations you two! This stylish couple incorporated a great sense of vintage 1940s fashions in their wedding.

Wedding Creativo Photography

Interestingly, the designs worn in the 1940s were primarily influenced by conservation rationing of materials and resources by the government during WWII. Fashions designers in America, as well as the major European style capitals in Paris and Italy, were affected by the limited materials they were allotted during the war.  Also, the fragile economy during the 1940s affected the purchasing power of pocketbooks. In many ways, brides today might feel similar challenges in light of our current economic climate.

Women of the 1940s had to embrace the mindset of "make do and mend."  Where the 1920s and 1930s fashions featured silk stockings and a wide variety of more luxurious fabrics, the sacrifices of WWII ushered in a time of more simple designs with often clever solutions for fashion dilemmas. Stockings came to be in short supply so women drew lines on the back of their legs to give the illusion of wearing stockings.  Less material was available to make dresses and skirts, so consequently hemlines became shorter. 

Hollywood 1940s fashion icons and Veronica Lake and Lauren Bacall.

Designers in the 1940s might have edited their fashions a bit more than they would have liked. It wasn't until 1947 that Christian Dior "outraged" critics by using "excessive" fabric for his dresses when materials were still being rationed.  Dior put Paris back on the map with his "shocking" styles, but even before this designers certainly did not let the difficult limitations of the 1940s keep them from creating many wonderful classic looks that still greatly influence current trends.

If the recent 2012 spring wedding fashions shows are any indication, the short wedding dress trend is only gaining in popularity right now.  One of our favorite vintage-inspired collections this spring is by designer Matthew Christopher. His dresses are currently found in the Chicago area at Wolsfelt's Bridal in Aurora and Volle's Bridal in Lake Zurich.

Here are more fashions inspired by 1940s styles:

 
Nina Ricci Pleated Tiered Dress
Oscar de la Renta Metallic-Embroidered Cocktail Dress
Milly Cap Sleeve Haley Dress

 

And let's not forget about the guys who also have the war rations of the 1940s to thank for making it okay to wear a suit without a vest.  Generally, men's suits were more loose fitting in the 40s (with the extreme being the zoot suit), which makes this look a bit more hard to find among today's more tightly tailored suits.  However, we thought these styles would work great for vintage-minded grooms who want to look like Humphrey Bogart walking down the aisle.

Ralph Lauren Drake Checked Wool Suit
Gucci Grey Pinstriped 3-Button Suit
Prada Black Wool 2-Button Suit

 

Finally, for the guests, a couple of ensembles with 1940s flair.

 

And, for the first dance, consider these wonderful classics from the 1940s:

1. "Only Forever" (1940) - Bing Crosby

2. "Skylark" (1941) - Helen Forrest and Harry James Orchestra

3. "Night and Day" (1942) - Frank Sinatra

 

4. "I Love You For Sentimental Reasons" (1946) - Nat King Cole

5. "La Vie en Rose" (1946) - Edith Piaf