I’m a bit of a sucker for Lily of the Valley. It was Christian Dior’s favorite flower, you know, and I’m fond of classics. Of late, though, Lily of the Valley doesn’t get used as often as its distant cousin the cala lily. Not for me. I’ve frankly never cared much for calas. Part of it may be the association in my mind with funerals. When I was a girl, calas were for mourning, not celebration.

But sweet, simple, pretty lily of the valley always struck me as a most cheerful flower. They are far better suited in general to a less formal setting, at least by themselves, but when combined with other flowers that stand more on their own dignity, they can be quite charming as a filler:
as you can see here.

But what about lily of the valley on its own? Take a look below the cut and see.
(more…)

So. Last week I hit you with this deathless image:
and you guys came back swinging.

(Note: Margo, I believe you are correct in identifying the bride’s gown as vintage Gunne Sax. In fact, if I recall correctly, two thirds of the girls at my senior prom wore this dress. Mine was also Gunne Sax, but it was steel blue and did not feature a Queen Anne neckline, so there. Good eye, Margo!)

Anyway.

While there were several excellent entries this week, I have made my decision. The winner is our own fabulous gemdiva for this deliciously snarky pulled-from-the-headlines bit of silliness:

When the Louisiana judge refused to marry them citing concerns for their children, the couple returned to the groom’s more advanced home planet for their wedding ceremony.

Congratulations, gemdiva! And thanks to everyone who played.

As always, we wish you and yours a wonderful new year! We expect that 2010 will be a wonderful time for all things wedding, but until all that’s in store reveals itself, here is some lovely silver wedding inspiration to see you into a whole near year. What’s this? Traveling in a roughly clockwise direction, there is a beautiful (though sadly unidentified) silver wedding dress, a Victorian-inspired bolero from Bonzie, a very pretty silver belt from Little White Dresser, delicate lily earrings from Elle Jewelry, wintery wedding invitations from Social Notes, flirty bridesmaids’ dresses from J.Crew, flashy silver lamé pumps from Christian Louboutin, and last but not least, a unique cloth bouquet from Milk Pod Studio. Enjoy!