Fourteenth: The Headpiece.com Hall of Fame
To say that 2020 was a difficult year for the bridal industry is an understatement. To be awarded The Knot Best of Weddings 2021 and be inducted into The Knot The Hall of Fame during a pandemic is quite an accomplishment.
Receiving The Hall of Fame award prompted me to think of what designs would be in the Headpiece.com Hall of Fame. There have been so many unique and creative designs over the years, but several rose to the top of the list without hesitation.
Best Bridal Headpiece
Photography by GR Productions
Brittany Tinney’s headpiece is couture, colorful, and every component created piece by piece and stone by stone. Brittany wanted a statement headpiece contoured to her hairstyle while accenting her Galia Lahav gown's soft blue hues.
“I immediately spotted Swarovski Air Blue Opal stones in the photos Brittany showed me of her gown. We confirmed the stone color with the Galia Lahav and found it to be a perfect match.”
Design, knowledge, and expertise are what I offer each bride. No wedding day style is ever the same, and recognition of this draws clients to Headpiece.com.
Best French Lace Bridal Veil
Photography by Jeff Tisman
“Working on a specialty lace veil design makes me fall in love with my work. My lace patterns are made from the finest lacemaker in the world. Laura wanted a veil that was extravagant and breathtaking but not overbearing.”
I requested samples of several lace patterns from France that would give Laura the understated drama she was looking for. We needed to find the right lace texture and weight so as not to overpower the lace detail in Laura’s gown.
We found the perfect Leavers lace. Proper application of lace is tedious, beginning with a hand-cut narrow patterning at the top of the veil to a gradual widening at the bottom. Our lace veils are pinned, basted, and stitched. This couture technique is rarely to be found in prominent bridal salons today.
Best Vintage Crown Restoration
Restoring this 1960’s crown after a NYC millinery expert attempted to restore it unsuccessfully was an incredible challenge for me. I had to remove all of the glue and craft paint she applied in her attempt to restore it, to get back to the original vintage condition of the piece. From there, I began a painstaking process to revive this gem to a breathtaking crown fit for royalty. The catch—-I had only a few weeks to perform a miracle before Alyssa walked down the aisle.
This was the condition of the crown when I received it. It was a mess with glue and paint. The store owner threw out all of the original Swarovski AB crystals. I think it broke my heart more than the bride.
I had to deconstruct the crown and strip it of all paint and glue, and recreate it from scratch. I sewed the ivory pearls by hand to preserve the headpiece for years to come. Glue will always be the devil in my designer book!
Photography by North Island Photography
Best Vintage Wedding Veil Restoration
I work with so many brides who are missing their moms while planning their wedding. Headpiece.com is renowned for its expertise in the area of vintage restoration and re-design. Kate Fosdick brought me her mother’s cap-style pouffy wedding veil to restore.
The lace on Kate’s mom’s wedding veil had turned golden. On a scale of 1-10, it was a 9 for color oxidation. I suggested that before she invests in redesigning the veil, we test it to see if we can restore the color.
The lace on the right was the color of the veil when Kate brought it to Headpiece.com. The sample on the left is after the color restoration test.
Kate’s beautifully restored and redesigned veil awaited pick up. The new design reduced bulk and pouf while creating a sheer, current veil style.
Photography by SRS Photography
Best Vintage Bridal Headpiece Re-design
“So many of my brides dream of wearing their mom’s headpiece or veil. They often come to me with little hope but leave with the confidence that something beautiful will be made just for them.”
Elizabeth brought me her mom’s 1985 floral headpiece with a swirly wired pouf and two-tier voluminous veil. I knew we had something to work with. The answer always lies in how it was constructed and what it looks like once I deconstruct it. Brides who have seen this transformation post on our Instagram can’t believe it is the same veil.
Photography by Katie Osgood
I took flowers from her mom’s headpiece and reworked them combining them with our couture elements of vintage stampings, freshwater pearl, and Swarovski crystal.
“The results are night and day, turning a 1985 vintage veil into a classic and stylish 2020 bridal accessory combination! And yes...that is her mom’s two-tier short veil made into a sleek, long, flowing Bregine style veil.”
Best Dramatic Bridal Style
Photography by Philip Siciliano
With a name like Dianna, you know this bride will have an amazing fashion sense and seek a style of her own. Her headpiece and veil were absolutely striking, and she is one bride I will remember for a lifetime.
“Dianna’s headpiece was crystal from ear to ear. We popped chunky pearls through it with added pearl pins to give it a commanding texture.”
“It might not be evident in this photo, but Dianna’s veil had over 1200 pearls, Swarovski rhinestones, and white opals scattered to the end of her 142” long veil. It took over 15 hours to bead her veil. We tippy-toed around it until the day she picked up. It was like gold!”
Dianna chose an extended blusher and walked down the aisle with her bouquet under her veil at the Park Chateau.
Best Magazine Cover
Photography by The Pinckards
Marissa McKay, the owner of Something Bleu Bridal in Saratoga Springs, NY, had a vision of a mountaintop shoot in the Adirondacks. The creative team hiked five hours up a mountain to shoot overlooking the Ausable Chasm. Our sleeved European net veil and velvet crystal leaf headpiece made it to the top, and right onto the cover of Saratoga Bride Magazine.
Best Magazine Editorial
Photography by Tracey Buyce
“The Audrey Hepburn story visualized and created by Denise Eliopulos for Saratoga Bride Magazine in 2018 was award-winning. She asked me to design several pieces inspired by Audrey Hepburn movies.”
Headpiece design inspired by the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Headpiece design inspired by the movie Funny Face (upper right)
Headpiece by Headpiece.com (lower left)
Headpiece design inspired by Eliza Doolittle at The Embassy Ball in My Fair Lady.
Best bride of All Time
Photography by Allison Kuhn
My quandary was, should I begin this blog with this bride or end it with her. In my writings, I do feel there is there is something to “saving the best for last.”
“I get so emotional with every design that leaves my hands. But there has been no greater joy or satisfaction than designing for my own daughter’s wedding. I experienced life both as the mother of the bride and the fashion designer. My daughter, Brielle, asked for little. She wanted to keep things simple. I wanted to give her the world.”
My Best Fan
Photo by Allison Kuhn
My brides often ask me how I do it all. They recognize the personal service I offer them and the tedious nature of what I create for them. I often tell them I design seven days a week until midnight. When I travel anywhere, I bring design work with me. I couldn’t do any of this without my biggest fan. My husband, Jeff, supports me in all ways while I follow my dreams. When my brides wear a design on their wedding day, I want them to know there is so much more behind that design. Thank you, Jeff! Welcome to the Hall of Fame. <3 —Marie
See you next month on the Fourteenth