Lily Riley

Lily Riley lives in Boston with her husband, Jack, and their French bulldog, Harry. She and Jack were recently married in a gorgeous winter wedding filled with classic details celebrating their love for their home city of Boston.

Lily is a business development manager for technology company outside of Boston. She also enjoys running, cooking and spending time with her family. She discovered her love for all things weddings while planning her wedding to Jack, and is very excited to share her ideas with you through this blog. Thank you for reading!

Haute Honeymoons

Posted by Lily Riley on December 9, 2010

The weather in New England has gone from warm to cool to cold. The leaves have turned colors and have vacated the trees. This, of course, has all of us thinking of escaping the freezing weather for warmer climates. Last winter I was lucky to spend a wonderful honeymoon in St. Kitts and Nevis – the best part being the transition from 0 to 80 degrees when we began our trip! As this winter season too quickly approaches, my mind turns to all the wonderful locations brides can choose as they draw up their own honeymoon itineraries.

So with that in mind, I scoured many a travel site and found a few exciting destinations today’s brides will surely love. Take a look!

Croatia

There’s a lot of talk of today’s brides wanting a less costly alternative to the beautiful destinations offered by European cities and towns. Croatia offers the beautiful views and island hopping of Greece, but at a far lower cost.

Photo Credit: The Knot

St. Lucia

Always in top lists for best beach honeymoons, St. Lucia has wonderful warm weather and a variety of beach-side resorts to fit every taste and budget.

Photo Credit: The Knot

Belize

For the adventure buff in all of us, Belize offers a wide range of outdoor activities in a lush tropical setting. And for such an exciting destination, it’s easy to get to and reasonably priced when you arrive.

Photo Credit: The Knot

Napa and Sonoma Valleys

California’s wine country is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the finer things this beautiful area has to offer – scenic views, delicious food and wine, and beautiful leisurely drives along the coast.

Photo Credit: The Knot

Thailand

For something truly exotic, hop a flight to Thailand. The beaches are stunning, the cuisine is savory, and the cities are filled with temples and palaces ready to be explored.

Photo Credit: The Knot

Filed under: Our Brides & Grooms, Planning & Resources

December 9, 2010 by Lily Riley

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Viva Pronovias!

Posted by Lily Riley on December 6, 2010

My husband and I just returned from a week in Spain – Madrid, to be exact – where he was traveling for business and I was happily tagging along. We both loved the city – it has a wonderful energy and chic feel to it. We ate delicious food and drank more than our fair share of sangria. The people were very friendly and accommodating with my terrible Spanish (lucky for me my husband is fluent), and when it was time to come home, we were sad to do so.

We were lucky to have time to sight-see together, and while en route to Puerta del Sol, we happened upon the Pronovias flagship store, the pride of Spain’s bridal industry. You can immediately sense the glamour and drama found in their gowns. It is truly a remarkable place. So I thought I’d dedicate this post to some of their most stunning designs.

For 2011, Pronovias created seven collections, each with its own personality, to reflect the kind of bride who would wear each dress.

Fashion contains “very thin and light wedding gowns, both in fluid, sheer style and mermaid cut.” Tirso, from the Fashion collection …

Photo Credit: CurvaceousCoutureonline.com

City has “beautiful and sensually tight designs.”

Photo Credit: EliteBridalConcierge.com

Glamour contains a “wide range of bridal gowns” with bold features and contrasts. Alfa, from the Glamour collection …

Photo Credit: EndenBridal.com

Pronovias Ball Gowns have “bare shoulders, tight corsets, and formidable skirts.” Felisa, from the Ball Gowns collection …

Photo Credit: TheWeddingShop.co.uk

Dream “recreates a world of dreams and pure fantasy.” Frandula, from the Dream collection …

Photo Credit: WeddingInspirasi.com

Style’s gowns are covered in lustrous lace. Festin, from the Style collection …

Photo Credit: BestBridalPrices.com

And last but not least (this is actually my favorite collection!), Costura contains the most “creative, imperial, classical and romantic silhouettes.”

Photo Credit: MyDress4Less.com

Filed under: Fashion, Our Brides & Grooms

December 6, 2010 by Lily Riley

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For the Love of China

Posted by Lily Riley on December 3, 2010

Most brides love the thrill of assembling their wedding registry. Ok, many grooms love it too. And with good reason! It’s lots of fun running around your favorite stores wielding a scanning gun and identifying those items that will make your home even more beautiful. These days, there are few limits on what couples can register for. Some of my favorite items from recent friends’ weddings include a wine tower, totes for the honeymoon beach and Rock Band for the Wii.

But what do so many registries have in common? The presence of china! Gorgeous place settings and glassware for special meals make wonderful wedding gifts, and a wedding is a perfect opportunity to start putting your collection together. Make no mistake – this isn’t your gradma’s china; these days there are china patterns to suit every style and budget. Just take a look at these!

Kate Spade’s Belle Boulevard pattern provides a new twist on a classic style.

Photo Credit: BedBathandBeyond.com

Marchesa for Lenox offers a bold floral in unexpected colors, and the result is a work of art.

Photo Credit: Bloomingdales.com

Waterford’s Chrysanthemum pattern has a clean floral pattern.

Photo Credit: BedBathandBeyond.com

Haviland’s Laque de Chine design makes a bold statement, and comes in a selection of bright colors.

Photo Credit: Bloomingdales.com

For the modern bride, Villeroy and Boch’s New Wave pattern is perfectly edgy.

Photo Credit: BedBathandBeyond.com

Filed under: Favors & Gifts, Our Brides & Grooms, Planning & Resources

December 3, 2010 by Lily Riley

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It’s About Time

Posted by Lily Riley on November 25, 2010

You’d probably be hard pressed to find a bride who didn’t swear by resources like this one – the Wedding Window Blog – to plan her wedding. Weddings require a lot of planning and work, and most couples are happy to have whatever help they can get. Yes, it’s a wonderful and important day, but there are a lot of details to iron out before it arrives! And for gay couples who are only allowed to marry in a few states, and who may also be facing family complications, finding good advice for planning their big day can be even more important.

So where are two brides or two grooms to go when putting their big day together? And what are some of the special concerns they face as that day approaches? Well, I may not be an expert, but as a proud Massachusetts resident, here are some useful ideas and sites to help you get started.

Planning – Planning a gay wedding presents special considerations, so you may want to have a planner help with those items that are more complex or sensitive. 14 Stories by Bernadette Smith is a nationally recognized planning group that specializes in gay weddings. Check them out at www.14stories.com.

Photo Credit: 14Stories.com

The Logistics – If you live in a state that supports gay marriage, great! But if you’re planning to travel to cement your union, make sure you’ve complied with all the requirements for that state. About.com has a great guide to getting married in Massachusetts, including everything from license requirements to travel tips. Find it here.

The Ceremony – Gay ceremonies can take many different forms, so look to these sites for inspiration and ideas. The Knot offers some some ideas here. And how about these ideas for interesting places to host your wedding?

Photo Credit: Gay.Weddings.com

The Honeymoon – Certain honeymoon locations are more welcoming for gay couples, so check in with a travel agent who can offer ideas on places you can relax after the big day is over. Here are some ideas on where to go in the US and abroad.

Photo Credit: Gay.Weddings.com

Filed under: Customization, Our Brides & Grooms, Planning & Resources

November 25, 2010 by Lily Riley

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Inspiration from Lincoln Center

Posted by Lily Riley on November 19, 2010

If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent way too many hours dissecting each and every blog post, article and photo coming out of New York Fashion Week. Between the highly anticipated move to Lincoln Center and the Fashion’s Night Out festivities taking place in the middle of it all, there has been a lot to cover! Of course, the fashions coming down the runway undergo a quite a transformation before they make it to stores and trickle down to more affordable brands. But that’s not stopping anyone from finding awe and inspiration in every detail.

But who says the inspiration needs to stop at our daytime and evening wardrobes? With all the flowing lines, pale hues and sleek silhouettes found in the spring collections, there’s a lot for brides to love. Here are some of my favorite styles, each of which would lend itself well to bridal fashion too.

Calvin Klein stayed true to his style of clean, architectural pieces. The classic chic of this dress would be perfect for a daytime wedding.

Photo Credit: Style.com

Marchesa is known for creating amazing gowns fit for a queen (or an Oscar winner, depending on the time of year). The spring collection is no exception, so I had to include two looks. The light-as-air ruffles and one-shoulder detail would make for an incredible entrance by any bride.

Photo Credit: Style.com

Photo Credit: Style.com

Few designers can strike the perfect balance between femininity and sex appeal the way Carolina Herrera can. Her spring collection was no different, as this gown makes clear.

Photo Credit: Style.com

I have yet to find an Oscar de la Renta gown that doesn’t make me gasp. Granted, black is not a bridal color, but can you picture the old Hollywood glamour of this gown in white? Everything about it – the cut, the draping and the detail would be – to quote Rachel Zoe, perfection.