The royal wedding of 2018 – What we know!

Another Royal Wedding!!

OK, Let’s just be real here,when I heard that prince Harry was engaged I was uber excited! Picture it like this: me finding out about the engagement, me then pouring over the internet every chance I get to learn more about the bride to be, looking to see what dress she might wear, dreaming of a gorgeous english traditional chapel wedding, the bells, the gorgeous guests showing up as they step out of their cars and finally what the beautiful bride will wear. I am also imagining the fun ceremony that I know will truly be “prince harry” style and a fabulous, possibly nontraditional and modern feeling reception with more of a party vibe! Fast forward to the day of the wedding, me hunkering down on my cozy sectional with my British husband and my 9 year old daughter who is equally obsessed (5 year old isn’t quite there) glass of wine (not tea) in hand of course…and then being absolutely mesmerized, chills worthy moments as the ceremony begins and watching the unforgettable classic royal wedding. Feeling that sense of history, beauty and people watching before me.

We all know about their engagement that happened on November 27th, but let’s get to the nitty gritty on some of the latest details that we have heard about the wedding. We will be doing regular updates and details on the royal day as new facts become known. Cannot wait share more with you! Let’s get going…

Here’s what we know so far..

Date

Apparently there was a special briefing at Buckingham Palace just after their engagement announcement, officials revealed that the wedding will take place in may of next year. On Dec. 15, Kensington Palace did also confirmed that the wedding will take place on Saturday May 19th!

Where

The ceremony will take place at beautiful Saint Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle. Kensington Palace spokesman Jason Knauf said “Windsor is a very special place for Prince Harry, and he and Ms. Markle have regularly spent time there during the last year,” “They are delighted that the beautiful grounds of Windsor Castle will be where they begin their lives as a married couple.”. As someone who has spent a fair amount of time in Windsor during my years in the UK , have seen and visited the castle up close and walked it’s grounds, it will be a fantastic, beautiful and meaningful location for the couple.

Who will attend

The Royal family of course, this includes Prince William and Princess Kate, and their children, as well as the Queen — will of course, be in attendance. Meghan’s mom Doria Ragland and dad Tom Markle will also be there! Some of Meghan’s celebrity friends from her show show she was on called ‘suits’ will also be in attendance. Also, Prince Harry has a highly-publicized friendship with former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama – Maybe we will see them there!

The engagement ring.

Prince Harry proposed to Meghan Markle with a custom engagement ring he designed for his bride-to-be. The ring’s center stone hails from Botswana, a country with personal significance for the couple, and is flanked by two diamonds from the personal collection of Harry’s mother, the late Princess Diana. “The little diamonds on either side are from my mother’s jewelry collection to make sure that she’s with us on this crazy journey together,” Harry told the BBC’s Mishal Husain today in their first interview with the couple. “I think everything about Harry’s thoughtfulness and the inclusion of [Diana’s stones] and, obviously, not being able to meet his mom —it’s so important to me to know that she’s a part of this with us,” Markle said. “It’s incredibly special to be able to have this, which sort of links where comes from which is important to us. It’s perfect.” (scroll down past post to see photos of the ring below).

What will the bride wear.

Meghan has previously shared some of her fav wedding dress designers including Elie Saab (see my previous post here about Eli Saab) and J. Mendel, but right now it’s still a mystery who she’ll turn to for the big day and her gorgeous creation.

I personally think Meghan will chose an effortlessly chic gown with clean lines, possibly a simple yet modern edgy take on the classic gown.She may go for some lace as whimsical Boho is all the rage and she is pretty on trend. What are your thoughts? Its all still speculation at this point, but super exciting to wonder what she will choose!

In closing

On a personal note and my thoughts of this union. I am really happy prince Harry has finally found the one he calls someone special! I know there is some speculation about the two of them together, but I actually think they are so well suited (no pun intended! ha!) together. I see a fun, very natural couple who actually seem to really truly be in love and it doesn’t feel staged or forced to me. I really can see how deeply in love they are and the way they look at one another. A great match, I think harry has ,as we all know..always had a “wild” streak and to find someone with a little pizzaz, style and spark to that side of him, but yet a true solid partnership. I approve and may they have many happy years together! As an american who married a brit I feel a kinship with her, such a fun dynamic in a American/British relationship.

More updates soon, until then..

Enjoy these photos of the lovely couple!!

Hugs!

Kirstin@froufroulebleu

Categories: Dresses and Accessories, Vintage Inspired Weddings

Channel your inner “Old Hollywood Royal Glam” Bride with Elie Saab’s stunning dresses at his Paris Haute Couture show Spring Summer 2014

True Love

Ok I cannot stand how gorgeous these dresses are by Elie Saab at the Paris Couture Show 2104, I just had to post!! I love them and this show was absolutely amazing!

For anyone hoping for a traffic-stopping wedding, Elie Saab had much to offer in his Spring/Summer haute couture collection A master of red-carpet dressing. Elie dresses all the celebs for all the awards shows and you can see why…

The 19th century Paris Bourse, or historic stock exchange, seemed fittingly grand for Saab’s opulent cocktail dresses and gowns. The bride, a standard feature at haute couture shows, especially dazzled in the majestic setting as she emerged from between the classical columns in an eye-popping silver gown, thickly embroidered in sequins, stones and crystals, and trailed by three bridesmaids to carry her veil. I mean, WOW!

Saab’s procession of light-catching sparklers came embellished in sequins and embroidered in ruby, sapphire and emerald jewel-toned crystals. Trains were abundant and to emphasize the richness, open backs were cut in the shape of oval and pear-shaped gemstones.

Just beautiful…no words! (except those above, hee hee ;-))

Enjoy these beautiful dresses..

XOXO,

Kirstin @ Froufrou Le Bleu

Champagne, Gold and Black – Oh My! Love…

XOXO

Categories: Celebrity Weddings, Real Weddings, Vintage Inspired Weddings

Model Poppy Delevingne marries her longtime partner James Cook in London wedding!

Ok if you know me well, you know I love England and especially a good English wedding!! I married a Brit and sometimes I find myself mentally “re-doing” our wedding..imagining if we had a quintesential English wedding and how lovely that could of been, Oh the pims we would have drank, the smells of the English flowers and the amazing old Manor home we would have rented for the weekend along a little river in the Cotswolds! Ho-Hum, Oh don’t get me wrong, we just loved our wedding in Sausalito, Calif.., but the secret wanna-be Brit in me still longs for that imaginary wedding we never had across the pond. Luckily, we went to so many beautiful English wedding during my time living there and I cherish all the memories, traditions and sweet organic vibe of a good old English wedding! Hmm..Maybe someday we will renew our vows in the UK! Now that’s a great idea! More on that idea in the future! haha… 😉

So, I have clearly been a little out of the radar lately (yes…having kids can sometimes take a toll me on me with no “help”) and now that I am back to posting..I decided that posting this stunning wedding of Poppy Delevingne (London Model and Socialite see more about Poppy here) and James Cook , her lovely tall blonde husband was a great way to start the Summer!

Now on to the Details

Poppy Delevingne married her longtime partner James Cook at St Paul’s Church in Knightsbridge, London. The bride looked stunning in a custom-made Chanel Haute Couture gown (how dreamy is that dress!) — the model is especially close to the brand’s designer, Karl Lagerfeld — while younger sister Cara Delevingne wore an equally gorgeous white Chanel dress. Cara played the role of the doting maid of honor, holding on to Poppy’s gown and helping her enter the church, and Poppy shared a sweet smooch with her brand-new husband after tying the knot. Guests at the nuptials included former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and fashion designer Matthew Williamson, but sadly missing was Poppy’s BFF Sienna Miller, who is currently filming American Sniper with Bradley Cooper in LA. It sounds like Sienna will have another chance to see her friend get hitched, though. There are also some great pics of their 2nd ceremony in Marrakech!

Poppy broke the news of her engagement to James last year by tweeting a photo of a bespoke red jewelery box by Anya Hindmarch with “Will you marry me?” etched on the inside. She shared photos of the gorgeous engagement ring soon after.

Scroll through below to see all of the beautiful photos. Congrats to the happy couple!

XOXO,

Kirstin @ FrouFrou Le Bleu

Photo credits – Pinterest, Tatler and PopSugar

Categories: Helpful Tips, Planning, Vintage Inspired Weddings

21 Day Fix Program by Autumn Calabrese – Lose Weight and Get in Shape for your Wedding day!

21 Day Fix EXTREME gives you everything you need for serious results.

OK..so, who’s ready to get in shape and lose weight for your wedding day?

Ok, first of all, make sure you follow my new bridal weight loss and fitness page here called fit and fab bride – click RIGHT HERE for my Facebook page accountability group for brides just like you! here is my personal coaching page as well, I am not a coach with beach body, but just offer a free page for you to feel inspired and motivated. – https://www.facebook.com/coachkirstinlawrence

So I decided to do this post because I really want to tell you all about this great new program called the 21 day fix by beachbody! I just started it myself and so far I am amazed with the results, so far I have lost 5 pounds in 10 days. Yes I am serious! What’s crazy is…the amount of food I am eating, I mean..I am never hungry and I was shocked when I got on the scale and saw I was 5 pounds down already, um..score!! My favorite weight loss system I have ever done! I am loving the container system and the half hour amazing workouts are fabulous, super quick and easy to follow. The results are amazing and I will post a couple results of real girls who have lost weight and got in amazing shape using this program at the end of the post! I recently decided to become a beachbody coach after seeing friends have amazing results with the program. One friend lost 11.5 pounds in the 21 days and another friend lost 10 pounds. Yayy! I mean, how cool is that? Another passion of mine is Shakeology by beach body and the reason I decided to become a coach with the company. So, I lost my baby weight (my daughter is 1 and 1/2 now) of about 55 pounds in about 15 months drinking their yummy chocolate shakes, see below for my shakeology weight loss, I replaced one meal a day of their chocolate shakes and then watched what I ate and did cardio and yoga 3/4 times a week! I still drink them today and this is what brought me to the company and now I am also excited about the 21 day fix. I am drinking my Shakeology on the program and most days I will replace a meal with a shake, or have a shake as my snack. Yum! Anyhow, on to the 21 day fix and why you have to do it with me and join my challenge group for your wedding (insert huge smiley face here!!)!!! See below for Challenge groups I am always hosting for free and again I am not a beachbody coach, but I do still offer a great private (as in none of your friends can see posts on Facebook timeline) free support page! Make sure to follow me on Facebook for challenge groups updates! Here is my Facebook page! “like” me here now for motivation, updates and new products! CLICK RIGHT HERE for my Facebook page and make sure to like me! Again, here is my personal fitness and health coaching page, blog also coming soon! 🙂 https://www.facebook.com/coachkirstinlawrence. If you purchase the program, please email me at froufroulebleu@gmail.com and I will friend you and add you to my private support group of women for help and motivation, this is a separate page I offer and not my normal Facebook “like” page. Would love to be a part of it and join our fun group!

Ok, so What is this 21 Day Fix thing?

21 Day Fix is a nutrition and fitness program that makes losing weight so simple, anyone can do it. Easy-to-follow portion control and 30-minute workouts take the guesswork out of losing weight to help you see results fast—up to 15 pounds in just 21 days! Whether you want to lose a few pounds before your next vacation or jump-start a bigger weight-loss goal, 21 Day Fix is the program for you. It’s simple, it’s fast, and it works. If you’re ready to get serious, 21 Day Fix can help you lose the weight. A wedding day is the perfect start to this program because you are more motivated than ever to look fabulous for your upcoming special day! Not to mention your honeymoon…if you plan to be going somewhere bikini friendly! eek!

Ok, so why is the 21 Day Fix so effective?

Because it’s so simple! You don’t have to count calories, points, or log your food into diet software. With 21 Day Fix, everything is laid out for you. All you have to do is use the specially designed portion-control containers (they are so darn cute!!), pick your choice of food from a very long list of the different categories of approved foods (carbs, veggies, etc.) and then do one 30-minute workout per day. that’s it! Commit to it for 21 days, and you’re going to love your results. I am in my first week and will for sure be posting my results as well..keep watching this page or check out my website here! I will be starting a fitness blog as well so I will make an announcement when this is launched and be sure to give you that info once I have it for you!

What makes the 21 Day Fix unique?

It’s the only fitness and nutrition program that combines portion-control containers and world-class workouts. By placing equal emphasis on fitness and healthy portion control, 21 Day Fix can help anyone lose weight—and keep it off—in a way that’s simple and sustainable. Whether you want to lose 10 pounds or 100 pounds, you can do it with this program. The amount of food is crazy, one day I was in “food coma” after a salad I kid you not! I then decided I was still full from lunch and so I ended up having one the yummy huge shakes I told you about called Shakeology for dinner with fruit and some almonds on the side It is like a creamy shake and feels like desert (only much healthier!) and very filling!

How does the 21 Day Fix work?

With the 21 Day Fix container system, you’ll learn how to create healthy portions simply and intuitively. It shows you how
to eat whatever you want, in the right amounts, so you can reach your goals fast. No guesswork, and no calorie counting! I love how it is teaching me how to eat . I am a mom of two and I run all over the place constantly and have completely lost touch with how to actually sit down for breakfast or lunch. I am either eating in a rush, having a meal replacement bar in the car…or when I do get to prepare myself something…I am eating standing up in my kitchen while I take care of my kid’s needs! Ugh. It gets crazy! So, this is really a great learning experience for me and I feel like I have the assistance of a real dietician who is helping me, plus I have the benefit of weight loss, win-win situation. Oh and the exercise program is fabulous and Autumn Calabrese is so easy to follow and she really makes it easy for you to get through it. I have never been an “at-home” dvd exercise person at all, I have always preferred the gym or outdoor activities like power-walks etc. Now that I have these DVDs I will be doing them for years! I love how there is a different dvd and exercise for each day (cardio, upper arms, lower, abs, Pilates (did that yesterday, ouch!) and even yoga! Lots of Variety with the 21 day fix I am telling you!

Who is Autumn Calabrese and why did she create the 21-day fix?

A rising star in fitness circle, Autumn Calabrese is a celebrity trainer and National Bikini Competitor. Her 14-years in dance studies sets her base to lay her foundation for her approach to exercise and wellness. Certified from NASM and AFPA, Autumn is the founder of Mighty Mommies Fitness. Through Mighty Mommies Fitness, she taught women to take care of their body and feel strong and sexy during pregnancy while raising their family. She started working on portion controlled systems to control accurate serving size while eating in 2012. Autumn’s knowledge and motivational training have earned her a reputable name in Los Angeles. Some of the famous celebrities trained under Autumn’s supervision are:
• Brooke Burke
• Rachel Zoe, and
• Tom Bergeron
Autumn- Versatile in her skills, writes for MomzInTheMix.com. Her workouts are also featured in
• C Magazine
• LA Parent
• The Palisadian Post
• Daily Candy

A few real live 21 day fix results pics! (mine included, scroll down.. 🙂

Beachody Works!

I started my journey at 180 after the birth of my seconds daughter, here is me “before” in October 2012 about a month after I gave birth to my 2nd child and right underneath is my “after” pic…of me now in May 2014!…I still drink Shakeology and am totally addicted to it now! I honestly crave those shakes! It’s amazing dense nutrition full of vitamins and super foods plus they taste amazing! My total weightless since Oct 2012 is 60 pounds!

As promised my actual before and after the 21 day fix results. I am finally updating! I did the program for 27 days and had a couple set backs! Hey, I am human! Point is…I stuck with it and I love my results!

My before pics for the 21 day fix – 127 pounds (I am 5 ft 3)

Drum roll… tada..My after pics for the 21 day fix! My results – a loss of just under 7 pounds. 120 and 1/2 pounds was my weight after completing the 21 day fix/

And…how could I forget, my Selfie 🙂

Honeymoon Bikini Dreaming?? A little motivation for you to start this program!!

Want to Join my 21-day fix Challenge Group?

It’s super exciting to see the girls on my 21 day challenge group doing so well and getting amazing results! One of my girls lost 11.5lbs in just our first week weigh in. Since summer weddings are fast approaching, I’ve decided to open up the challenge once again for July and Aug. Give me 21 days…. Working out 30 minutes a day following and exact meal plan with portion control container so you know exactly how much of each food group to eat (super easy!! I am doing it and I can tell you it is easy and fun!). Nothing complicated here… Super simple and easy a child can do it, all you need to do is commit and show up in our supportive Facebook page on occasion to get results. This is an online challenge so anyone in the US or Canada can join. It’s a fun filled group of devoted and motivational individuals!! Along with me sharing my own struggles (and lord knows I have many! ha!) as I do this program with you!! If this is something you’re interested in doing send me an email to froufroulebleu@gmail.com. Lots of fun girls in the group who are serious about getting in shape and losing weight, brides and non-brides too! Open to anyone!

Hope this inspired you! I decided to do a different kind of post today and I know everyone loves a little health and fitness inspiration so hopefully I have given it to you and inspired you to try the 21 day fix with me! Email me at froufroulebleu@gmail.com if you are interested in coming on this journey with me! Remember to like me too on Facebook here !

Are you ready to lose weight and get in the best shape of your life?

Ok ladies, who wants to join me and be a part of my next challenge group for brides!! I am setting up an accountability group and starting one soon! Email me at froufroulebleu@gmail.com and let’s do this together! Looking forward to hearing from you! Make sure to like me on Facebook too! 🙂

xoxo,

Kirstin @ Froufrou Le Bleu

Categories: Helpful Tips, Planning, Vintage Inspired Weddings, Wedding Cakes

Spotlight on Craftsy.com – online classes on baking, sewing, jewelry, clothing design & photography classes and more!

Have you heard of Craftsy?!

The company I am spotlighting today has developed a sort of online creative university.

It’s a website designed with creativity in mind- a place in this world where creative people can go and make new things, learn techniques from experts and polish up or advance in crafty skills.

Craftsy is a website chock full of instructional videos (really good ones!) from anything from vintage cake design, to Vintage style veils and headpieces, to retro bombshell dress designing, to knitting or vintage inspired designs, all sorts of sewing and even photography. You get the idea and I could go on.. on and on, the classes are endless.. and that’s just a small preview! In the next few months they will be adding even more courses to their catalogs!

Here is an example of just a few of their classes below..a little snippet..

You can take classes on your own schedule, and at your own pace, but still be able to interact with your classmates and instructors. So cool!

Craftsy produces four to six new classes a month. Courses generally cost between $20–$50.Around half of the courses are filmed in the company’s Denver studios, with the remainder being filmed in the instructor’s studio or shop. Videos also include a 30-second repeat feature to enable students to rewind to sections they have missed.

Courses are delivered by experienced craft teachers and video courses are typically 10 lessons long, amounting to five hours of video tuition. Courses paid for never expire, so can be rewatched and searched to find a particular section. Students who are having difficulty with a particular method or technique can also post a question and photo to get help from the instructor or other people taking the class, with the question appearing as a pop-up bubble below that section of the video.
In addition to video lessons, Craftsy has a range of downloadable step-by-step craft workshops, combining photographs and instructions. Workshops typically cover one project, whereas videos cover several projects or techniques.

Check out all these fabulous sewing and design classes, um…wow!

Wanna start your own cake business and looking for ideas?

Ever wondered about becoming a wedding photographer or learning more skills?

Who’s ready to sign up for some classes? Hurry 50% off sale ends soon!

DIY your wedding

I also love their array of wedding related instructional video classes below. So much fun and perfect way to DIY your wedding. I designed my own veils and floral headpieces for my bridesmaids and it was so much fun! Oh and wait until you check out their cake design classes!, they are very popular and the teachers are amazing! It’s all very fresh, modern, professional and edgy as well. This is a great way to learn and super fun! I also love that you can keep your classes to refer back to and watch again..

Here is a little below about their wedding related classes...there are of course a ton more here..

I personally am in love with Craftsy! I am now officially addicted to learning new ideas and picking up new talents constantly. What a fabulous site! I am so happy to share it with you..

Enjoy!!

Hugs!

Kirstin@FroufrouleBleu

Categories: Vintage Inspired Weddings

Gorgeous Vintage Inspired wedding at the Swedenborgian Church in San Francisco!

A perfectly vintage day..

I have the pleasure to post the most beautiful wedding photographed by Heather Elizbeth at such a gorgeous location, yayy…so excited! Stunning Bay Area couple Lauren and Alex had the pleasure to share their vintage inspired nuptials at the most adorable amazing little old fashioned church called the Swedenborgian Church in SF! I grew up in the City and remember visiting that church to check out it’s history & architeture with friends. Such a timeless, romantic and cozy venue..

The Swedenborgian church is a historic Arts & Crafts chapel with a luscious garden and is located in picturesque Pacific Heights neighborhood in San Francisco, an unforgettable location for a memorable wedding! The landmark is famous for it’s century-old tradition of celebrating beautiful ceremonies and had been treasured by man over the years. Lovely location if you;re looking for a church setting. Really unique and must be seen to understand.

The bride wore an amazing ‘vintage inspired’ classic old hollywood style dress ,which was custom handmade for her in SF. Love the beautiful lace, the satin silhouette, plunging back and who could forget her perfectly 40’s retro hair which so completes her vintage look! Her groom looks equally dapper!

I really enjoyed checking out these pics! A huge thank you to Heather Elizabeth Photography for allowing me to post her stunning shots of this memorable day for Lauren and Alex!

Enjoy these lovely photos and hope it can bring you some inspiration!

xoxo,

Kirstin@froufroulebleu.com

Photo Credits – Heather Elizabeth Photography

Categories: Dresses and Accessories, Vintage Inspired Weddings

Trending – The Convertible Bridesmaid Dresses from Twobirds and Dessy!

Introducing …The Convertible Bridesmaid Dress

There are so many options when it comes to your bridesmaids for your big day! Some of my favorite bridesmaid dresses are the effortlessly chic covertible dresses. What I love about them is that …they are interchangeable! Let’s face it, each bridesmaid has a different body, style and their own comfort level as to what they might want to wear, let’s give them some options! The convertible dress design can be wrapped in so many different styles to flatter everyone! These dresses are the perfect choice if you want your girls to look put together and chic, but still be able to show of their personal style. Some might prefer a more conservative look and more reserved and some might prefer fashion queen hipster – Your bridesmaids will be thrilled to personalize their dress on the day of the wedding. You can interchange the straps in all kinds of ways! There are also short or long versions. Really cute!

I have included two options below from Twobirds and Dessy.

Loving all the gorgeous colors..something for every color scheme!