A Princess' Diary - Kate and William - Royal Wedding

Ever since the royal engagement was announced, the world has been waiting impatiently to see Kate Middleton's wedding dress. Today the royal bride finally walked down the aisle at Westminster Abbey wearing a stunning lace wedding gown, designed by no other than Sarah Burton of the Alexander McQueen fashion house.

Dress
Kate Middleton herself worked closely with the designer to make sure she'll get the perfect gown for the royal wedding. The ivory satin bridal gown featured a lace applique bodice with a restrained, high lace collar, long lace sleeves and an 8 foot long train. The gown's bodice was narrowed down the waist and padded at the hips inspired by Victorian corsetry.

Veil
Kate's silk tulle veil was embroidered with rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock lace flowers. The intricate lace was hand-crafted at London's Royal School of Needlework based at Hampton Court Palace.

Shoes
Kate Middleton's shoes were also designed by the McQueen fashion house, made of ivory satin with hand-embroidered lace details to complement her wedding gown perfectly.

Tiara
The diamond tiara topped Kate Middleton's wedding hairstyle, which she wore in her trademark loose waves pulled back into a half updo. The tiara was lent her by the Queen, which was given to her by Cartier in 1938 for her 18th birthday when she was still a princess.

Earrings
The royal bride accessorized with pear-shaped diamond earrings designed by fine jeweler Robinson Pelham and were inspired by the Middleton's new coat of arms, which was given to the family earlier this month.

Bouquet
Kate Middleton’s wedding bouquet was made up of myrtle, lily of the valley, sweet William and hyacinth, designed by Shane Connolly. The flowers from her bridal bouquet all have a special meaning: the myrtle is the emblem of love and marriage, the lily of the valley is the return of happiness, sweet William stands for gallantry, while the hyacinth symbolizes constancy of love.

Designer feedback
Top fashion designers all over the world expressed their excitement about Kate Middleton's wedding gown. Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld said: "She is very elegant. The dress is classic and goes very well in the Westminster decor. It almost reminds me of (Queen) Elizabeth’s wedding, the royal weddings in the Fifties. The proportion of the train is good. The lace is very pretty. I like the veil a lot."
French couturier Christian Lacroix cited the likeness of the royal wedding gown to 1956 Grace Kelly and 1947 Queen Elizabeth dresses, while Donatella Versace simply said: "Kate's dress was beautiful. She looked very regal." 

... and they lived happily ever after!

The Wedding Fair

Last weekend, at the Opera House in Timisoara, my friend Ina and I attended the Wedding Fair. Ina and her longtime sweetheart will get married this year so they are looking for ideas to organize the perfect wedding. Last October it was Claudia, this September will be Ina. These girls just won't let me get over weddings :). I'm just kiddin'. I'm so happy for them, and helping them out keeps me so connected to my wedding, that feels like yesterday, after almost one and a half years.

So, we took the opportunity to pay a visit to my beloved friends from Marguerite. They had the most wonderful  stand and I'm not just saying because they are my friends. They had the most romantic, bohemian, satin-white wedding dresses and the most wonderful flower ornament of roses, lilies and orchids in the entire fair! I would just loooove to take it home! And some dresses... and some cakes... :)

 

 

 

 

The Pretty Kitty Wedding

Last Sunday, friends and family celebrated Sorina and Catalin's Wedding. They were beautiful and happy and I am so glad that my old friend Sorina (aka Matzette) finely decided to tight the knot.

Carnevale di Venezia

The day they got married, Claudia and Petre surprised us with these gorgeous venetian masks, that were made specially for Liviu and I, for the photo session in the park. We could not wait for the ones taken by the photographer and we photo shoot each other in the back yard. Aren't they wonderful? I just love them! So venetian like, so misterious, so theatrical.

I am looking forward to see the ones from the wedding!

When Carnival first began it was celebrated from December 26 and reached its climax the day before Ash Wednesday, also known as "Mardi Gras". During the period of Carnival it seems that every excess was permitted and the fact that everyone wore masks seemed to abolish all social division. All the campi were thronged with people intent on partying and carousing, singing, dancing and playing games. 

The most common costume (the baùtta) was composed of a black silk hood, a lace cape, a voluminous cloak (the tabarro), and a three-cornered hat and a white mask that completely covered the wearer's face. This allowed revelers to go around the city incognito. It was useful to go to casini, places where you could play games of chance.

Since 1980 the celebration of Carnival in Venice has gained popularity. People come from the world over to attend private and public masked balls and masked revelers of all ages invade the campi where music and dancing continues nearly day and night. Theatrical performances and an array of ancient games are organized for the amusement of Venetians and visitors alike.