Featured Wedding: Laura + Matt's DIY Wedding

After almost seven years of dating, Matt finally got down on one knee in December of 2013 after a horse-drawn carriage ride through Chicago and Laura said yes to her handsome Matt and a beautiful half-carat, conflict-free solitaire diamond ring. In a whirlwind nine months of preparation, Laura and Matt finally tied the knot on September 7, 2014. With a $12,000 budget, many of the details were DIY - from the invites to the bouquet and boutonnieres and more, Matt and Laura were truly able to bring personality, class and a sense of adventure to their Cape Cod, MA wedding.

Matt picked out the colors of coral, teal and mint while Laura ran with the nautical/beach theme, using anchors, seashells and starfish to accent everything. Laura considers their wedding to be slightly offbeat, as there was no seating plan, no formal speeches at the ceremony, no hair or makeup artists, no maid of honor or best man, and no DJ or live band. Instead, they encouraged everyone to mingle and dance, focused the ceremony on their relationship, had friends and family help with hair, makeup and outfits, and created their own play list for the reception and played it via iPod. Their officiant, Jes, is one of Matt's best friends and got married, herself, a month later with Matt as her Best Man. Matt and Laura didn't want to play by the rules - they made their own rules to the relationship long ago. 

Gray's Beach in Yarmouth, MA provided a beautiful late afternoon backdrop of the amazing Cape Cod shoreline and salt marshes. The Dennis Inn delivered amazing food, decor, centerpieces, linens and all the accouterments in a beautiful Cape Cod colonial house. Cupcakes were baked by Bettie's Cakes, Laura's former employer. Bettie's Cakes closed their doors a week before their wedding, making Matt and Laura's wedding cupcakes their final confection. Matt and Laura flew their photographer, Zahra of ZOA Photo, into Cape Cod from Atlanta, GA where she is Atlanta's #1 wedding photographer, working alongside celebrities and models as well as many local couples.

Photographer: Zahra, Owner of ZOA Photo
Reception: Brad and Cathy, Owners of The Dennis Inn
Cupcakes: Bettie's Cakes
Dress: David's Bridal
Alterations: Sherri, Feigenbaum's Cleaner

Bridal Separates

Written with love, by Martha Flemming and Heather Royal

Congratulations on your recent engagement! It is our favorite time to celebrate--engagement parties, bridal showers (all those gifts!), visits with loved ones, endless photo shoots, fetes and your rehearsal dinner. You’re busy flipping through your favorite bridal magazines, bookmarking wedding blogs, and pinning like crazy when you find all the many versions of the perfect venue, perfect cake, perfect centerpieces, etc. You gather your countless images of the perfect gown to match your glamorous Gatsby-style wedding, or rustic barn wedding, or bohemian-chic backyard wedding and begin your journey to the wonderful world of wedding dress shopping…

Then you’re hit with a major curveball. Your expertly curated wedding has been sidelined by the most drop-dead gorgeous gown you didn’t even think you wanted to try on in the first place. It gives you ‘that’ feeling. You cry, your girls cry, you even have the bridal consultant crying. You’re still in love with the original dress you came in to try, in fact that first style also gave you ‘that’ feeling; it matches your grandmother’s veil, it’s the only style you had imagined for your day, and it is exactly what you had pictured each time you dreamt of yourself walking down the aisle towards your partner... until now. Now you’re in love with two very different dresses that look and feel fabulous. Maybe it’s the bodice of the first dress that made you swoon, but both skirts are amazing each in their own way. Maybe you should keep trying, there’s got to be something out there that can combine everything you love about both, right? So the salon staff returns with a gown that does have it all, and she’s a monster! Ruffles, lace, pearls, crystals, tulle, pleats, underlay, overlay, you name it- and when you put the dress on you’re not sure if you’re planning a wedding or a costume party. So how do you wear that soft fitted silhouette with the illusion sleeves, and also wear the sexy strapless ballgown that makes you want to dance the night away if your budget doesn’t have room to buy both?

Bridal separates! That painstaking decision between two (or more) dresses you love, or fear of blowing your budget on both a ceremony and a reception dress is now a distant memory. Wear that strapless top with a capelet or lace coverlet and instantly you go from sexy to demure and then vice versa. Go for the sweet, ethereal and understated bodice for your afternoon vows and switch it out with a bolder beaded bodice for your ballroom reception. Wear the full layered skirt for your ceremony and pop on a short flirty version for partying through the night. Selecting tops and bottoms to play around with will offer you the opportunity to create your personalized wedding style, and instead of the custom route that may come with the risk of not really knowing what you’ll get until the final fitting, you can actually see yourself and know just what the finished look will be before you order! Are we having fun yet?

...Remember all those engagement and wedding events we mentioned?

Want a lovely bridal-but-not-too-bridal look for your engagement shoot? Try a fluted lace skirt with a crisp button-down and nude pumps from your closet for a timeless look you can wear many times over. Slip on a sequin top with metallic sandals and you have a whole new outfit for your bachelorette party. That same lace skirt topped with a cashmere sweater will have an entirely different feel at your rehearsal dinner. And what about a lace top with a simple pencil skirt for that after-office anniversary dinner out? Perfection. Lace pants are having a moment; you can rock a pair of those at your bridal shower, and then pack them to wear again on the honeymoon! Thinking of a Keira Knightly-style city hall elopement? Trade the fun tulle bell skirt for a full A-line when you celebrate with friends and family later. We like the way this is going, don’t you?

At pas de deux bridal we’ve designed our collection with you in mind, with pieces that have lasting value and serve as a wonderful reminder of your wedding each time you put them on. Bridal separates are a beautiful way to create a style you truly love for your happiest memory-making moments. And here comes the bride…

Photos by Diane Gaughan

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Our beautiful wedding apparel is inspired by the romance and grace of the ballet. Each piece is designed to allow the bride to customize her look, creating a style as individual as she is.

Fall Wedding Inspiration

We are officially in fall and that calls for some fall wedding inspiration! Who doesn't love the beautiful way the leaves change colors, cute pumpkin decor, and warm signature cocktails? We know we do! Shades of orange, brown, yellow, and red make for the perfect color scheme. Apples and pumpkins are used for both food and decor...and cocktails! There are so many ways to bring in that fall feeling. So go out and grab a pumpkin spice latte and let the wedding planning begin!

Ella Photography

Brian Labrada Photo

Jen Huang Photography

Jen Lynne Photography

Sarah Crowder Photography

Jen Lynne Photography

Mary Margaret Smith Photography

Whitney Photo & Video

Brooke Shultz Photography

To Wander & Seek