My husband and I built our business with a lot of hard work and long hours, but we loved it because it was “our baby”. Well, we reached that age (or at least I did!) where we had to decide if we were going to fit a real baby into our lives. Lucky for us, our little Lorelei came along about 10 months after that, and as any of you parents can understand, we are just beyond in love with her!

Since our daughter arrived, I’ve joined the society of “Women Trying to Balance it All” and not to brag, but I think 5 years in, I’m getting the hang of it! I don’t work quite as many hours as I used to, but I am for the most part, focused and productive. We get home in time to have dinner together as a family, and most weekends are fun-filled. It’s not perfect, but she is happy and knows with a profound certainty that she is loved. Our business is supported by the great team we have built over the years, and as any small business, we’ve had our challenges, but having a child does give you a bit more perspective on those, doesn’t it?!

I am extremely passionate about my designs and love the sense of purpose, fulfillment and creative energy that happens each season. People say that having a child changes you, and it certainly does…it opens your heart and makes you a better person…more patient, more humble, more loving…all good qualities in a bridal designer! Lorelei, even at this young age, has an understanding of what her mommy and daddy do, and has been to quite a few NY bridal markets and Trunk Shows!

I am heading out to Bridal and Formal in Cincinnati this month, and the owners were so sweet to invite the whole family! So, I’m looking forward to meeting you all, offering tips and dress advice and hopefully helping brides-to-be find the perfect Claire Pettibone gown. This will be my first visit to Bridal and Formal. They have been carrying the collection for quite a few years now, so it’s long overdue! Can’t wait to share the collection with you there, and if you see a 5 year old hiding behind the dresses, you’ll know that’s my new assistant!

Dresses arrive Friday, and I personally will be there all day Saturday and most of Sunday.

Be sure to make an appointment July 13-15

Phone: 513.821.6622

www.bridalandformalinc.com

You know I love my outdoor, romantic garden, rustic ranch, dreamy under-the-petals, walking-through-the-meadows weddings…well, here’s a little trip to the dark side! Some of our UK friends decided to style a shoot with none of the usual “bridal” elements…no cake, no antique linens, no chandeliers hanging from an oak tree. I do love those things, but I have to say, these images featuring my Mystere gown are pretty hot, no?!

Nick Tucker: This shoot was very much a full blown collaboration with Hannah Gooch of The Ebury Collection.  We wanted to create a darker, moodier, edgier, more overtly fashion shoot, than maybe your typical bridal stories.  Bright, sunlit shots of model brides tripping along flowery pathways have become very familiar lately and we wanted to do something a little different.  Not least because when I shoot weddings myself the brief is always really to capture the warm, light, radiance of the day (as of course it should be).  So here was a great chance to go ‘off-trend’ and do something unusual, and have fun!

Hannah Gooch: I’ve worked on styled shoots before and wanted to try and create something completely different, with a moodier feel and much more editorial and fashiony. I’ve admired Nick Tuckers photography for some time so thought I’d approach himabout a collaboration and was delighted when he agreed!

The Mystere gown is part of my“Rock n Roll Bride” collection, so she is no stranger to a good party and some smudgy eyeliner. Of course, she also makes for the most romantic of weddings, but you all know that…

Photographer – Nick Tucker

Stylist – Hannah Gooch 

Venue – Fetcham Park

Make-up – Sara Vaughan

Hair – Holly Andersen

UK Stockist - Blackburn Bridal

For a complete list of stockists, please visit our website “salon locator” and for images of Mystere, visit the “continuing collection” page of our lookbook.

“Take a moment to see the sky between the branches…breathe in the softly scented air. The Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom, and a sense of lightness and indescribable beauty takes hold.

Hints of Asian inspiration interpreted as subtle details. Cherry blossoms literally bloom in the fabrics, as the embroideries and embellishments provide the foliage for this paradise. The more we see and discover, we find the lines between cultures have become blurred, and beauty is universal. I enjoyed exploring this enchanted garden and the rich history and symbolism of cultures to discover precious details for this collection. Through my research, I was struck by a sense of innocence and purity, a soft sweetness almost as if Spring herself was the bride-to-be.

As always, my goal is to conceive a timeless expression of beauty that transcends the age in which we live and helps to create a magical day for the bride. In a world sometimes overwhelmed by challenges, a wedding is a celebration of joy and love, a promise of hope for the future… a much needed reminder of all that is precious and wondrous.

May life offer you many such moments.

~ Claire Pettibone, October, 2010″

I wrote these words about a year and a half ago to share the inspiration and thoughts behind my latest collection. The last few days have been quite the whirlwind, and I feel like maybe “taking a moment to see the sky between the branches” is not a bad idea. The branches of media frenzy, interviews, updates and tweets can all be a bit much… don’t get me wrong, I love the branches, I’m extremely GRATEFUL for the branches! But it is the sky that gives us the air to breath, the light to see things with some sense of perspective and allows our spirits to somehow float above it all. I don’t think the instantly famous bride Priscilla Chan really had any idea of how MANY branches she was about to sprout on May 19 th! No matter who she married, she is a woman in love, who I’m sure just wanted to have a moment with close family and friends to witness her pledge of love to the man she chose as her life partner…I am hoping the happy couple can steal a moment to see the sky.

We are back from NY in April, where we debuted the Fall 2012 collection. Many in the industry call it Spring 2013, but the dresses will arrive in stores late summer, so I’m not sure why anyone wants to rush
time even faster than it is already spinning!!! Anyway, right before market, we decide which gowns will be discontinued. We generally keep about 40-50 gowns in production at any given time, and since I design about 30 new dresses every year, that means something’s gotta give!

Sooo, the tough choices have been made, and the great news for you, is we are having a fabulous SAMPLE SALE at our Flagship salon May 18-19th!

There is an assortment of mainly bridal size 10’s and size 4’s to choose from, and you might just score a great deal on a one-of-a-kind that never went into production, or the dress you’ve been dreaming of!
 

Sample gowns are sold as-is, so you will probably need to have a tailor make some adjustments so everything is just-so, but with savings from 25% to 75% off, you’ll still be way ahead! If you are a last minute bride (and by our standards, that means your wedding is less than 4-5 months from now) you may now be realizing it takes months to order a wedding gown. A sample sale is the only way to purchase a Claire Pettibone gown “off the rack” so you summer brides could still be in luck!

If, by chance there is a discontinued gown that you love, but the sample won’t do, there are some cases
where we have limited fabric for a few lucky brides. In that case, the gown will be regular price, but if
you’ve been waiting to order, now is the time!

With many beautiful styles to choose from, come see if “the one” is here for you!

Claire Pettibone Sample Sale

May 18 – 19
10:00am – 6:00pm

310-369-6268
Call to reserve a fitting room, walk-ins will be served first-come as fitting rooms are available.

236 South Robertson Boulevard
Beverly Hills, 90211

Hiedi is just stunning in the gorgeous Midnight gown in platinum. From the bride:

“We were so incredibly excited to get married and couldn’t wait to begin the beautiful day together. I was very happy that we choose to make the ceremony more relaxing by seeing each other before the rest of the guests were around. This also enabled us to hang out with each other and our incredible wedding party most of the day. When else will you ever have all of your closest friends in one place? Why not make the most of it!”

Head to always lovely Green Wedding Shoes for more of this beautiful wedding!

We just love these photos of our lovely bride Jamie rocking the Orange Blossom gown at the Colony Palms in Palm Springs. Beautiful girl, beautiful dress, beautiful setting – what more could you ask for!

From the bride…

“my dress might have been one of the elements that made our wedding so memorable. Made by Claire Pettibone, I purchased it at a trunk show, and Claire herself was there to fit the dress on me. It was so special to have the designer present, who customized the neckline for me and truly made her “Orange Blossom” wedding gown, into “Jamie’s Orange Blossom” wedding gown.

Head over to Style Me Pretty for the FULL wedding!

  
 
  

  

 

I know I may be a bit biased, but I really have the best brides! Smart, interesting, gorgeous women you want to be friends with. It’s a joy to help them select the gown that flatters in the best possible way, and also captures the essence of who they are, and celebrates this amazing love they have found. Thank you to all our wonderful brides-to-be who visited our Flagship Salon Trunk Show this weekend, it was such a pleasure getting to know you all! To make our weekend even more special, some fabulous local vendors joined in the fun!

Peony and Plum created these sweet and lovely glass bud vases wrapped in an assortment of fabrics and laces. A simple way to add lots of charm. As for the bridal bouquet, take your pick of pinks and deep plums, or perhaps ivory and gold, an unexpected combination of formality and rambling cascades keeps it relaxed and lovely as a French garden.

Beautiful and de-licious mini bite-sized treats from Cupcakes Couture MB pack all the punch of the full sized, but allow you to try every flavor! My personal fav has to be 24K Ginger, but the Strawberry Shortcake was probably the crowd pleaser! Everyone agreed, they were ALL worth the calories! And the floral full size cupcakes (works of art), will rival any cake and make a truly breath-taking display.

What a great concept: do good while gettin’ your party on! One Hope Wine offers a fabulous way to entertain your guests with a selection of wonderful California wines with a portion of sales donated to your favorite charity…truly a guilt-free way to celebrate!

After a lovely conversation and a few sniffs and tests, Ka-mil-yin nailed it! I wanted a scent to capture the essence of my Beau Monde collection…imagine strolling through a rambling garden in the French countryside…that feeling of decadent relaxation takes over, the orange blossoms and lavender are wafting on the warm breeze, and we’re having a glass of wine at four o’clock in the afternoon…ahhh, life is good!

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How wonderful does elizabeth look in Akoya! The dress just fits the venue so perfectly.

See more pictures over on Style Me Pretty!

We just received the latest Weddings by The Ritz-Carlton magazine, and I’m thrilled to have my Cherry Blossom gown on the cover and as the featured destination wedding! Many of our brides do choose the destination route, and who can blame them? A fabulous vacation somewhere warm and dreamy to celebrate your union with close friends and family…I can feel those tropical breezes now!!!

What a fun little write up on Brides.com!