Fashion Archives - js weddings and events

2016 Wedding Dress Trends

December 29, 2015/in Fashion, trends /by Jessica Swagman

Grand Rapids may not be the biggest city, and it definitely isn’t the most stylish city, but that doesn’t mean we don’t keep up with the latest wedding trends. Below are the top wedding dress trends of 2016.

Flower Appliques: Angel Sanchez, Rivini, Christos

Feathers: Lela Rose, Monique Lhuillier, Kelly Faetanini

Illusion Bodice: Ines Di Santo, Monique Lhuillier, Pronovias

Keyhole + Plunging Necklines: Rivini, J. Mendel, Angel sanchez

Layer Love + Tiers: Alvina Valenta, Antonia Riva, Temperley london

Overskirts + Sheer Skirts: Berta, Cristos, Legends Romona Keveza

Short Sleeves: Oscar de la Renta, Eugenia Couture, Oscar de la Renta

So what’s your favorite wedding dress trend for 2016?

xx js

Autumn Bonfires

November 9, 2014/in Events, Fashion, Living /by Jessica Swagman

It can be said that I take things to the extreme. Like, when throwing my best friend a baby shower. Or, when ordering so many olive branches that it literally looks like a vineyard in my basement. That’s my nature, to take things and make them awesome on a grand scale. So, when shooting a lifestyle campaign that revolves around a bonfire party, what do I do? I take it to a whole new level. I really do think I am incapable of the less is more approach. I love the small details that add to the overall look and feel of an event, and it’s only when I have run out of ideas that I’ll stop (so, basically, never). Luckily, my fondness for the grandiose makes for some pretty cool lifestyle pictures and a lot of fun with some pretty fantastic friends. Mission accomplished.

Launch Party

April 29, 2014/2 Comments/in Fashion /by Jessica Swagman

“In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.” F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Last week Thursday I launched my first fashion collection. This is a dream I have had for many years and it was exciting and scary, thrilling and nerve-racking. With the launch of my collection we decided to have a launch party. It is one thing to plan an event for a client or friend; it’s another when it’s for you. Add to the mix an extreme nervousness I had to the public acceptance and judgment of the collection and you have a whole bag of emotions. Thankfully, I have a team that is amazing and friends and family who have spent countless hours helping me.

The six-piece collection was inspired by my love of French impressionist paintings. This theme was illustrated throughout the collection by the use of soft pastels, hand-painted vintage floral and toile motifs, and flowing fabrics, with a distinct elegance that cohesively brought every piece together. All the pieces in the collection were hand painted and dyed, making them all one of a kind. The long dress took over 20 hours to create, from hand dying the fabric, to hand painting the pattern, to drafting the pattern and then finally constructing the garment.

Gold. Crystal. Champagne. Romantic Blooms. Modern Vintage. These are a few of my favorite things, all of which inspired the launch party. An affair, that, at the end of the night, I was extremely proud of.

“I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby’s house I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited. People were not invited — they went there.” F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Busyness, Business, and Beauty

February 20, 2014/in Events, Fashion, Living, Weddings /by Jessica Swagman

“Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”

I have been busy. That may be an understatement. These past few weeks have been a marathon of business meetings, client appointments, photo shoots, event proposals, floral quotes, fashion designing, and sleepless nights. Apparently I do my best thinking at 4am in the morning. However, it’s in these times of busy and stress that I am reminded (by a little Canadian birdie) to enjoy. Enjoy everything. I am reminded that this adventure for me is only beginning and that half of the beauty is in the journey. I tend to get so caught up in the finished product, the end result, the tear down at the end of a wedding, the finished garments of a spring line, and somehow I seem to miss all the beauty. So, somehow in-between all the craziness that is my life, I am trying to laugh a little more and to enjoy hard life lessons. I am learning to enjoy the stumbling and faltering, and I am trying to find the beauty in everything.

Lovely Lace

January 21, 2014/2 Comments/in Events, Fashion, Weddings /by Jessica Swagman

I met Whitney back in December of 2012. She was looking for someone to design and construct her flower girl dresses and, like many people, asked her Facebook friends for suggestions. A mutual Facebook friend mentioned my name (thanks Jen!) and I was given the lovely pleasure of working with Whitney. When we first met at Field’s Fabrics, she described her wedding, and like most wedding planners, I was in love already. An outdoor ceremony in a wooded amphitheater behind her mom’s house? Yes! A clear tent on the lakeshore with fairy lights twinkling in the night? Yes yes yes! Fortunately, I have some self control and I was able to focus on her flower girl dresses. Lace, sheer sleeves, and ribbon closures make for one amazing dress for a 2 year old, or in this case, two 2 year olds. Whitney was a dream to work with, telling me what she wanted and then giving me the creative freedom to do the rest.

After Whitney and Marc’s wedding on September 7, 2013, I eagerly and impatiently (I was just too excited) waited for pictures. It was so stunning and beautiful, rain and all. The both looked amazing and so happy and I was honored to have my little part in their big day. Whitney and Marc, may you have all the love and happiness in the world.

Below, are some of the amazing pictures by Jill DeVries. Head over to Jill Devries Photography for some more awesome pictures of this wedding.

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