Five Favs with Elle from Events by Elle
Five Favs with Elle from @eventsby_elle
🍰 get inspired for your wedding weekend wardrobe with the help of chic local wedding planner Elle 🍰 her picks include something for every wedding event for a dream bride — from a bridal shower set by Chosen By Kyha, a rehearsal dinner look by Katherine Tash, ceremony gown by Nicole + Felicia second look by Berta and day-after brunch mini by Monique Lhuillier 🍰
The Cool Bride Edit
Our chic staff picked their favorite wedding dresses for a cool bride, looking to make a statement in her wedding day wardrobe. If your style descriptors look like: chic, cool, modern — these are the picks from our stock of bridal gowns for you. Featuring wedding dresses from our Coral Gables bridal boutique from designers: Berta, Katherine Tash, Chosen by Kyha, Ines Di Santo, and Alex Perry.
Staff Pick: Kendall Loves Ines Di Santo Camelia Paired with Maria Elena Earrings
We’ve been asking our bridal stylists for their favorite picks from our stock room and we’re loving being surprised by their wedding dresses du jour. Today, we’re featuring Kendall, our Assistant Buyer and Stylist’s, favorite wedding dress of the moment, the bery on trend Ines Di Santo Camelia dress. J’adore!
She paired with with a beautiful set of bridal earrings from local Miami designer and Chic Parisien fav, Maria Elena Headpieces.
Staff Pick: Alana's Loves Misha By Mira Zwillinger
We asked our staff to weigh in and pick some of their favorite wedding dresses, bridal accessories and more from our stock at Chic Parisien. It’s a treasure trove in here, there are closets full of gorgeous, dreamy wedding looks, just waiting to find the perfect bride to say “yes” and then walk it down the aisle.
Here’s Alana, our Sales Manager’s, choice for favorite bridal wardrobe pieces available at Chic Parisien right now:
Misha Dress & Topper by Mira Zwillinger
Preorder Now! Berta Legging Boots!
These amazing, super sparkly, unbelievably chic Berta leggings (they’re really boots + leggings!) are available now for preorder at Chic Parisien. The perfect addition to your second look or bachelorette party wardrobe, these hybrid legging boots by the inimitable Berta made a major SPLASH when we announced that we are one of the limited preorder retailers in the world. If you are eyeing these amazing Berta leggings, be sure to email info@cpbride ASAP to place your order. They take five/six months to be handmade, so you’ll want to get your order in now to have them ready for your wedding weekend looks.
Meet Kati Wirtz Bridal Stylist & Client Services At Chic Parisien
Get to know Kati (Bridal Stylist and Client Services).
She has a passion for bridal but isn’t afraid to dabble in a little bit of edge - read on to hear more about her personal style inspirations, the Monique Lhuillier dress she simply will never be able to get over, and more chic details about her life and style.
Name: Kati Wirtz
How have you been working at Chic Parisien? 2 years
How would you describe your personal style? Edgy
Who is your style icon? Kristen Stewart, Megan Fox
Why do you love working in the wedding industry? I love that designers use bridal fashion to showcase their craftsmanship as a designer and provide us with some of the most beautiful, avant-garde masterpieces on the runway.
What's your favorite dessert? Espresso martini ;)
Is there a wedding dress (from any season) that you'll always remember? Monique Lhuillier Bloom. I wasn't even working here yet when I first fell in love with that dress. I love how unique the green print is.
Which of our designers best encapsulates your personal style? I would say Mira Zwillinger. I love how unique her fabrics are, and how she plays with texture and architectural elements.
What is somewhere on your travel bucket list? Greece, Italy (specifically the Amalfi Coast), Ireland... just to name a few!
What's a part of your job that you love? I love unpacking the trunk shows and seeing the dresses fresh from the runway first hand.
What's your favorite movie? Stephen King's It, the new one
What's something about your job that might surprise people? I think it might surprise brides to know that it's easier to style them based on their inspo pictures instead of leaving it up to us. They'll look good in a million different styles! What's most important is their personal style!
Feathers or fringe? Feathers!
Sequins or simple? Simple
Tiara or headband? Can I say comb?
Maria Elena's Latest (All The Sparkle Inspo You'll Ever Need Available at Chic Parisien)
The latest collection from Maria Elena is all sparkle and lots of substance…
Shop their beautiful, chic, locally made bridal headpieces and accessories, including bridal earrings, tiaras and more atC Chic Parisien.
Designer @mariaelenaheadpieces
Australian Division @mariaelenaheadpiecesau
Producer/Stylist @giseledelbusto
Photographer @mhpandco
Make -up / Hair. @Miamibridalbeauty
Model @dani_brookee
Agency @nextmodelsmia
Location: @groveatgrandbay
Marketing Director @barbie816
Ines Di Santo Spring 2021 Debuts At Chic Parisien
Ines Di Santo’s Spring 2021 debuted this week at Chic Parisien and we had to take advantage of the opportunity and play a bit of dress up to share with you all.
This collection was released digitally during the Covid-19 crisis, our Coral Gables bridal boutique is the first in the world to have it here for our brides to try on. We wanted to share this bit of chic bridal joy!
A Bit of Ballgown Inspiration...
Here’s a look at some of our favorite ballgowns from the Chic Parisien stock room:
"When people dream of their wedding and imagine themself as a princess, you've likely been picturing a ballgown. In a lot of cases, it's a once in a lifetime silhouette."
-Catherine Fox Milian
A Chat With Our Virtual Stylists Alana Sirota and Kendall Huibregste
Kendall
My fav dresses right now are:
Inbal Dror’s 16-05 - the color & fit is to die for
Reem Acra’s Flock of Angels - love the slit, an edgy twist to an otherwise classic dress
Monique Lhuillier’s Alexandra - beyond romantic and the prettiest lace, ML is the lace queen
Berta’s 17-135 - a fully beaded, glamorous dress that still feels bridal & elegant
Here’s a tip for brides who are struggling with figuring out postponing wedding events and up-in-the-air timelines:
Stay calm and know that your wedding is going to feel as special as it did, even if you had to postpone. And if you had to postpone - know that planning flies by and even the day itself is over in the blink of an eye... so you get to enjoy being a bride for even longer, which is a pretty special 🥰 it only happens once!
My quarantine routine…
During quarantine I’m eating a lot of home-cooked meals, salads and take out. Binging Grey’s Anatomy from the beginning, and still trying to get 8-10k steps in going on long walks with my dog & boyfriend. Listening to a lot of Banks and Kacey Musgraves 🎶
Alana
Current favorite dresses:
My new fav is Berta Privee 20-P105 - it makes any waist tiny!
YolanCris’ Estrella Boho gown for beach destination wedding.
Ines di Santo’s Margot Old Hollywood glamour.
Monique Lhuillier’s Everest. Just so much fun!
Here’s a tip to get brides ahead of the game for their visit to shop with us when this is all over!
Define what silhouette do you see yourself walking down the aisle. Define the fabrics you love. Who will accompany to your appointment that will help you to say yes the dress.
My quarantine routine…
I’ve been talking loooong walks, supermarket runs for my elderly neighbor, lots of cooking, Listening to DJ Nice, Netflix and most important catching up on SLEEP 😴 💤
Get To Know Lazaro Perez, Designer of Lazaro
Our summer intern, Carolina Baigorri, sat down with our friend, the talented designer, Lazaro for a chat about how he got involved in the industry, Diana Ross, and the future of his brand. Caro did an excellent job capturing the spirit of Lazaro, who speaks with passion and excitement about everything he does!
How did you discover your passion for designing wedding dresses?
I always wanted to become a costume designer. I entered a competition for a bridal contest while I was still in school for a young designer to create a bridal collection.
Growing up, my mother was a seamstress and she did a lot of bridal gowns and other things to help make ends meet. I realized after joining the competition that I really loved doing this and it was something I wanted to do in the future. If you think about it, a wedding dress is the most important costume you’ll ever wear. I ended up winning the contest and it opened up many doors.
How have your Cuban roots impacted your designs?
You always see a little bit of a Spanish flare in my dresses. Especially when I was starting my career I always put lace that gave almost a flamenco feel to my designs. As years passed, my aesthetic changed but there will always be a little Spanish influence.
I play off of my heritage and a lot of my customers also come from ethnic backgrounds.
Do you have any tips brides?
I always say “keep an open mind.”
I travel a lot and do various trunk shows and I always see that the biggest mistake a bride makes is not wanting to try something out of their comfort zone. Some brides have an idea of what they want their dress to be but it may not be the one you walk out of the store with.
Do you have a muse or a specific person you think of when designing?
I’m going to be very corny and say my brides are my muse. A lot of my collections are based on what I see that my brides want.
I have this repore with my brides where they tell me what they like and I can probably go back and design a whole collection based on that.
I grew up in the 80’s with the whole disco era and my style icon is Diana Ross. I actually designed a dress for her daughter and I thought I would die when I met her. She is able to change 20 times throughout one show and it is a mind blowing experience. Diana Ross made a movie called “Mahogany” and it was what made me want to be a fashion designer. In the movie she plays a designer and when I met her she said “That’s what I really wanted to do, that was my passion”. Every fashion person should watch Mahogany it was life changing for me.
Describe your creative process. What steps do you take when creating?
I am not one of those designers that actually sits and creates a whole collection. I may come up with an idea and there’s always one sketch which can lead to ten sketches.
I am a very visual person, so I like to work on the mannequin a lot. Every designer starts with a certain way that they want the collection to go to, whether it’s glamorous or very soft. I come up with a concept and we take it from there.
What do you think makes a bride feel beautiful?
I think once a bride puts on that one dress, it hits her.
Every bride to me is beautiful no matter what dress it is, mine or someone else’s. I think that’s something to be said for the bride because they try on a dress and feel like this is the one. It’s a happy occasion, so no matter what they try on, they feel it.
What does the future have in store for Lazaro?
I would love for the brand to evolve. I am starting to creep in there some of the red carpet looks. Eventually, there will be an evening line coming out, which I am excited about.
Every designer should expand for themselves, not just their brand.
You start very red carpet, you know for evening events and eventually expand. Eventually that evening collection can turn into mothers of the bride or something similar. That is where I see it going right now, there are talks of many other things but that is where I see it going.
Feel Like A Queen
Just a friendly reminder that you have feel like a queen (can you tell this shoot was Marie Antoinette inspired?!) by upgrading to a VIP appointment for your shopping or fitting visits!
Add macarons, mini personal rosé bottles, champagne, extra time, a fresh bouquet of flowers or even book out the whole boutique for a totally private shopping experience on a Sunday, the ultimate bridal shopping luxury.
More information here.
Photos by Vanessa Velez Photography and Enuel Viera Wedding Photo, Planning by Soco Alicea, Makeup and Hair by Marz Makeup and Hair, flowers by Rodri Studio
Chic Ambassador: Caro Pozo
Caro Pozo is a local actress (soon to be an international superstar, we just know it), a creative and a future #realchicbride! We’re proud to announce that she’s also our newest Chic Ambassador.
This bright personality and gorgeous girl came to play a bit of dress up with us during last week’s Berta Trunk Show. She was the perfect model for this ultra-chic collection from Berta featuring sexy shapes and silhouettes alongside textured, detailed dresses, always with the very best handcrafted work and fabrics.
Caro, because she’s a doll like that, thought you al might benefit from a bit about her wedding dress shopping experience and tips. Not only does she walk you through her own personal process, but in coming back and hanging out with us a bit more she’s picked up some pretty great ideas about how to make the most of your experience!
Read Caro’s blog post here on her blog Blonde2Brunette. Follow her on Instagram here @blonde2brunette or here @caropozo. And follow along with her creative activities at @thesugarcottage_.
More Dresses, In More Sizes
We've been listening to our bride's feedback and have started ordering sample gowns in more sizes. We now carry a new collection of dresses, from a variety of designers, in more sizes.
Let us take a step back and explain; at Chic Parisien, as is the industry standard at high-end bridal boutiques, you find your dream dress using our in-store samples. Then, we take your measurements and place your order with our chic designers. Our designers create your custom gown, made-to-measure so that it fits you perfectly, but samples, traditionally, come in similar sizes to how the gowns are shown on the designer runway.
While offering sample sizing allows some brides to try on gowns in the boutique, others use the gowns as an example of fabric, look and feel and then place a bespoke order. Now at Chic Parisien, more brides can experience the fit of their gown before placing an order for their custom gown. We know that our beautiful brides come in all shapes and sizes and we want every bride's experience to be as special as possible.
We are thrilled to showcase in this gallery just a small sampling of the dresses we now have available in store in sizes beyond the runway sample size. Make an appointment now to see the rest of this chic collection!
The Chic Veils of Peter Langner
Peter Langner's veils have long been a favorite at Chic Parisien. The exquisite Italian craftsmanship paired with the trained sartorial eye of designer Peter Langner make them a perfect compliment to dresses of any designer. We particularly adore how light they are while still being elegant.
Below is a photo of Peter, all the way from Italy, at the boutique as he walked our stylists through his latest collection and all-time great gowns and veils:
Jennifer Behr, From the Red Carpet To Chic Parisien
Celebrity favorite Jennifer Behr has been seen on the likes of Jessica Biel, Jennifer Lawrence, Elle Fanning, Natalie Portman, Rihanna and so many more. Now, you can be chic like the A-list and don a Jennifer Behr accessory for your wedding - or special occasion!
Chic Parisien is now carrying the very chic Jennifer Behr. Each and every piece is made in Brooklyn, by hand. Jennifer Behr's delicate and stylish pieces are the perfect way to add that final touch to your wedding dress.
Make an accessories appointment now, or feel free to walk in, and shop our new arrivals from Jennifer Behr!
Dress Feature: Monique Lhuillier's Chantal
Monique Lhuillier strikes the perfect balance with the Chantal dress. We love the mix of classic lines, including the beautiful drop waist, airy skirt and the athletic and modern cut-out back, a fresh, bridal take on the racerback dress. With summer right around the corner, it's the perfect time to come in and try on this dress and others from the Fall 2017 collection.
Erin Cole's First Bridal Collection Debuts at Chic Parisien
Erin Cole has been a notable accessories designer in the bridal world for years. Her Swarovski encrusted designs including jewelry, headpieces, veils, coverlets, sashes and more, have long been a staple at Chic Parisien so we were thrilled when Erin gave us the news that she was expanding into wedding dresses.
This past weekend we had Erin Cole's first ever wedding dress line here at the boutique for a very chic trunk show.
Erin's collection has something for everyone, the dresses are trendy, but timeless, lightweight for the girl who prioritizes comfortably breaking it down on the dance floor, and they're sexy dresses with a focus on illusion necklines and soft glamour. You can tell that Erin is a California girl, the dresses are showstoppers, but they still feel easy; they're stunning but it's the girl who wears them who will really stand out, not the dress.
Happy and Chic 2017!
Wishing all of you, brides past, present and future, a happy and chic new year!
