Two New Collections from Kristi Bonnici

Portobello Bride Member Kristi Bonnici has recently released two new collections of stunning bridal accessories.

The first is a bridal collection is entitled "Moments of Trespass" and was inspired by thoughts of love, both good and bad, and depicts the endless recollecting for the lucky and the eternal lamenting of the broken-hearted.

The collection features a variety of pieces for many different types of brides such as combs, garlands, leather flowers, headbands, birdcage veils, veils and mantilla veils. Each piece made in the Kristi Bonnici Sydney studio, by hand with much love and consideration.

The second collection is called "Sugar and Spice" as was created to meet the demand for accessories for Bridesmaids, Mothers of the Bride and to wear to a day at the races. This collection is available in Blush and Black and some designs are also available in metallic tones.

Kristi's designs are just so gorgeous and beautifully handmade. You are sure to find just the right piece for your sense of style!

To view the full range visit the Kristi Bonnici website here.

[all images © Kristi Bonnici]

Getting to Know... Kristi Bonnici Bridal Accessories

Portobello Bride Member: Veils and Headpieces, Shoes and Accessories
Kristi Bonnici Bridal Accessories | Redfern NSW | Website | Facebook |

What’s your favourite part of your job?
I would have to say the day we shoot the collection every each season. It is such a crazy and fabulous day, often starting very early with so much great energy buzzing around and anticipation about the final product.

I am a designer that absolutely loves to collaborate with others, so working with other talented creatives, from photographers, makeup artists, hair stylists and models to realise my vision for the season is just such a lovely treat after months of working away, often on your own.

What are you reading at the moment?
The latest offering by Isabel Allende, “Island Beneath the Sea”
She has been my favourite author of fiction since I was 18 and inspired a trip to South America when I was 19. I have read all her books.

What are you lusting after at the moment?
Some beautiful  Italian ceramics for our home and some gorgeous new pieces for Winter from Aussie designers, Scanlan & Theodore, Camilla & Marc and Gorman… alas there are too many to mention them all!

Top three songs on your play list?
“Hanging on Too Long” by Duffy, 
“Izzo” by Jay Z and
“Baby Carni Bird” by Camille.

What is your favourite moment during a wedding?
It would have to be when the bride has just arrived and is readying herself to walk down the aisle to her man. I love the interchange between her and her father and her bridesmaids, such intimate, precious moments that can never be repeated.

Who inspires you?
For me it’s not so much “who” but “what”.
I find inspiration from so many things, books, art, ceramics, illustration, photography, light, texture or travel.  But the one element that never ceases to inspire me is nature.

Favourite Cocktail?
Much to the dismay of many of my dearest friends, I am not so much a cocktail drinker, I prefer a good old “vodka, dry and lime”. More “Old man” than “young lady” but I guess you can’t argue with your taste buds!

What does it take to impress you?
Consideration and thoughtfulness… whether it be in life or in design.

 What is the best piece of advice you were ever given?
“It is as it is”... who would have thought five, 2 letter words could say so much!

Favourite way to spend a Sunday? 
Getting to spend the day with my beautiful, workaholic husband and our two kooky cats, usually just pottering around, doing whatever we feel like at the moment. For me that usually involves lots of cups of tea, cake or chocolate and a nice long walk either by the sea or in the park.

Black Tie or Casual?
Definitely casual, but I do like to dress up when the moment calls for it!

Your suggestion for a new name for ‘Hens party’
Gosh, sorry, I really tried, but I have nothing.. Hen’s it will have to stay…

Your favourite hostess gift to give?
I really like to give gifts that people can enjoy every day in their home, that they probably wouldn’t buy for themselves like scented candles or flowers.

What’s the best gift you have ever received?
I have been lucky enough to receive so many thoughtful, beautiful gifts over the years, but I would have to say it would be a toss up between my two beautiful cats and my engagement ring.  What the ring represented and the marriage it turned into and then our “furry” kids all bring lots of love into my life and created our funny little family.

Three words that describe you best.
Chatty, Earthy and a “stickler” for detail.

Thanks so much for sharing with us today Kristi!
Kristi Bonnici Bridal Accessories is a member of the Portobello Bride Boutique Wedding Guide.

Lady Day and It's Beautiful Here Collaboration Photoshoot

We are excited to share a photo shoot with you today which was a collaboration between two wonderful wedding suppliers who are associated with Portobello Bride. The photography is by It's Beautiful Here, a Boutique Wedding Guide Member and the hair and make up is by Lady Day, who exhibited at the Boutique Wedding Market in Melbourne in March.

Here's what Scout of It's Beautiful Here had to say about the experience:

We kinda got our 80's on, our model eerily channeling icons she had never heard of, from Isabella Rossellini to Kate Bush!

It was a lot of fun and interesting to see the results of a shoot using available light and a homely location. bridal portraits will never be the same!

It was such a great realisation that whilst we shoot weddings in a documentary style, and we love that, its also truly possible to achieve really beautiful portraiture as well. All in the home, all with available light.

We chose the location for this shoot to be in my bedroom as the ceilings are high and the light is amazing. We ended up shooting in almost every room of the apartment and also in the lift and on the rooftop. I loved that our model was able to transform from look to look and that we were overwhelmed with ideas and options as the day progressed. The whole team were so pleased with the unexpected results of our spontaneous experiments. There are so many great, modern ways to shoot bridal and draw inspiration from sources outside the box. - Dana from Lady Day

Goddess!

Ethereal and gorgeous!

80s glam!

Dresses: Vintage and borrowed or owned by Lady Day / It's Beautiful Here.
Hair Accessories: Elysian Creations
Makeup: Dana Leviston at Lady Day
Hair: Poppy Liu at Lady Day
Photography: Scout and Cat from It's Beautiful Here

Getting to Know... Emici Bridal

Portobello Bride Member: Bridal Accessories
Emici Bridal | Washington State, USA | Website | Store | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

What’s your favourite part of your job?
I would have to say client photos. The first time I got some I actually cried a little. It’s one thing to design an accessory in your studio. It’s quite another to see it in the bigger picture that it was intended for with your actual clients.

What are you reading at the moment?
Voltaire: In His Letters. I picked up an old copy while looking for antique books. They are personal letters written by Voltaire to various people and about various things. Fantastic insight into such an amazing mind and time.

What are you lusting after at the moment?
To be truthful I don’t lust after much... except perhaps a vintage brooch or textile. That can turn my head. Admiring something is a whole other story though. I can and do admire many things but still do not want to take them home.

Top three songs on your play list?
This is such a hard question! I am a music nut. Just so that I can say I gave a solid effort for this here are three from among the many that I really love:
Cat Power – Metal Heart The Jukebox version. I know there are a lot of purists that love the older version of hers but how she sings the first line in this version kills me every time. It cuts me to the core. Her voice is amazing and she is so delightfully unpredictable.
Swell Season – Low Rising Simply pulls you in and won’t let go.
Band of Horses – Our Swords The bass in this anchors it in a way that I could listen to forever.

What is your favourite moment during a wedding?
It is impossible to deny the power of the moment when the couple first see each other just before they are married. I get misty just thinking about it.

Who inspires you?
I am inspired by so many people and things. When I go out I will mentally deconstruct things that I see to relate to what I do. Last time I was out I took a cell phone photo of a city drain cover because the pattern was so beautiful.

Favourite Cocktail?
Don’t have one, is that strange?

What does it take to impress you?
Passion, kindness and a sense of humour combine for an impressive combination of character I think. Those people impress me.

What is the best piece of advice you were ever given?
Never be afraid to fail, it’s a stepping stone to success. I fail all the time and it’s great!

Favourite way to spend a Sunday?
I love to wander with my family. I think some of the best days are ones that are not planned but you just go. That way you can find things you would have never seen.

Black Tie or Casual?
Black tie is fun but I have to go with casual.

Your suggestion for a new name for ‘Hens party’
Tumble party. Jack and Jill went up the hill... and Jill came tumbling after. I would like to say because she fell in love.

Your favourite hostess gift to give?
Decadent desserts! Sweets AND a party? What could be better?

What’s the best gift you have ever received?
It has to be my kids. I love being a mom and spending time with them.

Three words that describe you best.
Rapt, resourceful and driven.


Thanks so much for sharing with us today Marie!
Emici Bridal is a member of the Portobello Bride Boutique Wedding Guide. While Marie is located in the USA she does ship her gorgeous items to Australia.

Kate Spade Wedding Belles (and Whistles) Collection

The team at Portobello LOVE Kate Spade, the fun use of colour, the sense of humour in the designs and just the happy feeling one gets from the brand's outlook, so we were super excited to find out that Kate Spade has just launched a new collection called Wedding Belles (and Whistles). The range is broken up into three sections; for the Bride, for the Bridesmaids and for the Honeymoon and here are some of our favourites:

Of course the Bride-to-be could also create a fabulous look to wear to her Bridal Shower or Rehearsal Dinner from the range also!

To see the full range visit the Kate Spade Wedding Belles (and Whistles) page here. What's your favourite?

Anthropologie Launches BHLDN Bridal Range

Oh my, oh my, oh my! Get ready for something truly exciting!

One of the world's favourite brands Anthropologie has just [as in while we were sleeping] launched a new and totally amazing Wedding line called BHLDN!!

BHLDN (pronounced ‘beholden’, which means ‘to keep’ in Dutch) offers a full range of wedding fashion, jewellery, shoes, headpieces, stationery and more.

Looking through the range the word 'exquisite' keeps coming to mind. The fabrics and colours, variety of styles and obvious quality of the product is overwhelming - in the best possible way of course!

Perhaps the best part of it all is that the BHLDN range is available for shipping to Australia! That's right! See something you love? Well, you can have it sent straight to your door!

There are so many amazing items, you really must take a look at them for yourself on the BHLDN website.

Subscribe & Win a Kristi Bonnici Headpiece

We are so excited to announce our newest member of Portobello Bride, Kristi Bonnici Bridal Accessories. To celebrate we are offering one lucky subscriber the chance to have her very own headpiece from the current "My Beating Heart' range as shown above.

Simply by subscribing to the Portobello Bride Newsletter list you will be placed in the draw to win one of these stunning headpieces by Kristi Bonnici Bridal Accessories.

Our Newsletter is a great way to stay up-to-date with all that is happening at Portobello Bride, and we promise we won't clutter your inbox!


Terms and conditions
• Entry is open to anyone who subscribes to Portobello Bride until 5pm on March 31 2011.
• This is a game of chance. The winner will be drawn on March 31 2011 at 5.00pm. Winners will be notified by email.
• The promoter's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
• The first valid entry drawn will win a beautiful handcrafted headpiece of their choice from the above collection from Kristi Bonnici (www.kristibonnici.com.au). Valued up to $495
• Prize must be claimed and used within six months of the competition draw. 

• The prize cannot be redeemed for cash or credit towards other Kristi Bonnici Bridal Accessories products.

•  entrants must allow 4 weeks to receive the goods.

• The winner may choose from one of  the following featured  headpieces within the “My Beating Heart” Collection:

“Stars in my eyes Hydrangea& crystal garland”, “Stars in my eyes Hydrangea& crystal haircomb”, the “ Look of love camellia haircomb”, the “Dotty with Love”beaded lace headpiece” and the “Love Blooms lace headpiece”.

Participation in this competition is deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.

A Note from Kim...The Treasure Trove

I'm feeling a little sentimental about todays post. One of my very first features on our blog was about the sweet and sexy sleepwear by Cilla & Pepe, and here we are nearly a year later sharing Cilla & Pepe's latest collection; The Treasure Trove. 


Just like last years collection The Treasure Trove is filled with pretty, playful pieces perfect for the night before your wedding, the night of, and every one there after. 

Tiny Dancer

Little House on the Prairie

Movie Star

Sexy Sally's Slips

Vintage Coutesane

Pin Up Girl

 Cilla & Pepe 2010 collection, The Treasure Trove is available now. Visit their site for stockists.

Melissa Harris Jewellery Designs

Some exciting news from the world of beautiful bespoke jewellery. Australia's Melissa Harris who is celebrating 20 successful years in the business will be focusing more on wedding jewellery. The collection will include stunning, unique wedders for the bride and groom as well as accessories for the wedding party. Customised cufflinks for the groomsmen, earrings for the bridesmaids and something special for the mother of the bride and groom can all be handcrafted by Melissa Harris.

Black Spinal Ring

Melissa predicts that bespoke designs with a vintage feeling will be popular this season, as far as wedding trends go. A coloured gemstone as the central stone surrounded by diamonds. Sapphires in blue, pinks and yellows are perfect for these designs. 

Macleay Regis Ring

Botanical based designs influence another collection by Melissa Harris.   

“Many modern women prefer a ring that can function as engagement and wedding band in one, with a little sparkle for brides that don’t want to wear an engagement ring on a daily basis”

Leaves symbolise renewal, growth and hope – a lovely sentiment for a Valentines Day, Engagement or Wedding day gift.

I am so in love with the Ruby Versailles earrings which are inspired by the rich interior details at the palace Versailles.

I Love Paris Diamond Drop Earrings.

Bracelets such as Melissa's pearl with diamond charm bracelet works well stacked for either the bride or her attendants. 

And not forgetting the boys, Melissa Harris handcrafted cufflinks are the perfect gift for the groomsmen.