Fourteenth: The Best of 2019
I wanted to end the year by sharing some of my best work at Headpiece.com. The year 2019 unleashed something new inside of me. One may think that when you get to this level of design and have done it for over 20 years, designing for brides becomes routine, but that is not so!
I like to think that every design concept I come up with is the best. Actually, it is! I pour my heart and soul into each new bride. My creations are a part of me. I never fret when I need to work until midnight in my home design studio. I am in love with what I do, and that drives my passion. Everything that touches my hands is my absolute best! So how could I choose the best in 2019? There is something extra that stands out in each bridal design story.
best headpiece of 2019
Kristen White came to us with only a little over two months to go before her September 9th wedding. She struggled to find the best headpiece and veil to go with her couture Martina Liana wedding gown and overskirt. Her busy schedule as a New York City Attorney had her worried that she wouldn’t be able to find the right accessories to highlight her statement gown.
This post on our @headpiececom Instagram filled her with a renewed hope and inspiration that she would find something unique and stunning for her wedding day. Coincidentally, she was drawn to this design made specifically for my daughter, and it will forever be my favorite bridal accessory design.
Nothing matched up in our schedules, so I agreed to meet Kristen outside of our regular business hours. As an attorney, she uses her time wisely. Kristen didn’t have time to mess around when deciding on her accessories. She fell in love with Brielle’s piece, and that was that! We decided to customize her stones to give her an opalescent glow to work with the fabrics and embellishments of her gown.
Wedding Photography by Tom Wall Photography
Kristen’s wedding venue was the beautiful Sagamore Resort in Lake George, NY. Martina Liana’s ball gown overskirt from The Wedding Atelier on Madison Ave in NYC was love at first sight!
When deciding on the best designs of the year, I consider every aspect of the final design. While this headpiece look is among my favorite works, the hairstyle created by Gwen, owner of Blush 518 in Saratoga Springs, brought this accessory style to the top of the list for 2019.
When it came to her veil, Kristen felt she needed a short veil. I often ask my brides to consider different options while choosing their veil. Kristen didn’t want a cathedral veil, so I suggested one of our newest cuts; the Bregine veil. With her ball gown skirt for her ceremony, she needed something with a bit more length.
best vintage headpiece
This vintage design project is The Best of 2019 and quite possibly the best of my career. Why does this rank so high? It was the most challenging request I have encountered in all my 20 years at Headpiece.com. In the end, I wanted to create a happy ending, and to show that old fashioned couture millinery skill is still alive in this world.
The manager of the well respected and renowned cleaners contacted me to see if I could help to recreate this vintage crown. I told her if anyone could tackle this design, it is me. We have received inquiries from all over the world for projects such as these.
My guess was that the beading on this beautiful vintage frame was seed pearl and rhinestone.
I used the size of the iris in her grandmother’s eye to determine the size and scale of the headpiece frame and begin pattern design.
Bead size was also a part of the equation. The first step was to draw the frame shape and build it from there.
The final paper pattern draft was complete and ready to be cut to create the frame.
The beading on this couture vintage replication was a tedious process. The headpiece took 20 hours to complete.
Dominique plans to keep the headpiece stored with her grandmother’s wedding dress so that her sister, cousin, and perhaps daughter, may have the opportunity to wear it on their wedding day in the future. As for me, this design will always be among the best!
Best Bridal Veil
There were a few firsts this year. My first FaceTime Bride proved that we could design for any bride—-anywhere! Rachael’s mother found Headpiece.com through an extensive internet search to design a new headpiece using the crystals in her Grandmother’s headpiece. The headpiece we created for Rachael will be featured on an upcoming blog. Rachael’s veil, however, made the Best of 2019!
While my initial contact with Rachael was for a vintage headpiece re-design, our relationship grew, and she took the next step to see if I could help her with a veil choice via FaceTime. Rachael bought two dresses and was undecided on which one she would wear down the aisle. After video chatting, texts, emails, and phone calls, she made her decision. We both loved the same gown. Once she committed to the dress, we did another FaceTime consultation for bridal veils.
Rachael’s veil arrived in time for her final fitting. It was perfect, soft, and sheer!
Wedding Photography by Grapefruit Photo
The best is yet to be
In 2020, we will collaborate with top talented hairstylists, makeup artists, and photographers as we launch our newest brand. Keep your eye out for “Headpiece After Dark”…@headpieceafterdark on Instagram. Until then, we will let you leave the rest to your imagination. I wish you all the best of holidays and a bright, colorful, and creative New Year!
<3 —-Marie
Next month on the Fourteenth:
The Hijab Bride