by Elizabeth

It's time for part 2 of our Shiny Orb summer update.  We launched our site back in December with just a few thousand dresses aggregated from a couple of online stores.  Today, we have ~20k dresses from across 17 online stores including Macy's, Zappos, and Modcloth.com.  In the past few weeks, we've added wedding dresses and everyday dresses to our repertoire.  We've grown quite a bit, and this is just the beginning.  

You'll need to stay tuned to see our next big launch in a few months.  But, here's a hint: we're changing the look and feel as well as the user experience of our site.  And, that's just the beginning.  Very exciting times this summer.  We'll be sure to catch some rays in front of our computer screens.  

As always, we'd love to hear from you.  Drop me a line at elizabeth@shinyorb.com.

By Liz

I often recommend patterned dresses for bridesmaids inspiration, and this week is no exception! The power of patterns is their versatility.

Striped dresses might sound really overwhelming but in the right colors and settings, it can be that extra pop for your wedding theme. The dresses in this collection are more appropriate to summer months but a similar idea could work for a Fall-Winter occasion when done in muted colors and heavier fabrics.

(left to right, top to bottom)

• Lemon and Lime Dress - This is a more casual take on the seaside theme: a cotton sheath dress in a stormy teal with pale lemon stripes. Try pairing this one with ballet flats and wide brim straw hats. (ModCloth)
• Pink and Navy Wrap Dresses from RR by Reuben Reuel - Don't let your bridesmaids forget their sunglasses when they put on this hot pink and bright blue wrap dress by Reuben Reuel. Yacht wedding, anyone? (eDressMe)
• Stripe One Shoulder Dress - The washed out blue-green stripes on this Thread Social dress are the perfect, gorgeous color for a seaside wedding. It's also in a slightly retro silhouette with one-shouldered, two-tiered skirt. Unique and adorable. (ShopBop)
• Color Block Short Dress - The wide stripes on this full, pleated skirt are more like color blocks. In stark white, black, and deep red, this dress would work for a wedding with strong Bauhaus or modernist theme. (PromGirl)
• Ditto Sleeveless Dress from Trina Turk - A hot tomato red sheath dress by Trina Turk looks modern Mod with silver studs forming just a few bands. (eDressMe)
• Starlet of Style Dress - Stripes are going crazy on this dress! But in a real good way: the peppermint-pink and cream stripes come together in a neat chevron on the skirt and cross to form a sassy neckline. Something about this says to me "Coney Island-themed wedding". (ModCloth)

Find more keep it striped: dresses and create your own Shiny Orb dressing room!

by Elizabeth

Read the title of this post out loud 10 times.  :)  It's time for a 2-part Shiny Orb update to remind us where we've come from and discuss where we're going.  This week, I want to touch upon social shopping and community on Shiny Orb.

Though it's been less than 2 months since publicly launching the Shiny Orb Dressing Rooms, we've received a fair bit of attention from prominent tech journals for this concept, including the MIT Entrepreneurship Review and Social Commerce Today.  Just last week, I wrote a guest article on GigaOm explaining that I see e-commerce transforming into a more social experience.  The next wave of shopping sites will be hybrids between stores and communities.  

On Shiny Orb, the Dressing Room feature is just the first step to socializing the wedding apparel shopping experience and building a community.  Last week, we added Love It buttons and Facebook Connect features.  In the next few months, Jennifer and I will be refining and adding social features on Shiny Orb to build community and make shopping social and fun.  We strongly believe that wedding apparel shopping is inherently a social experience.  It's necessary to move that online, and we would love to hear your experience with our Shiny Orb Dressing Room (for a $20 Amazon gift card) and thoughts on this topic.  Drop me a line at elizabeth@shinyorb.com.

By Liz

Selecting a color palette is one of the first wedding planning decisions a bride has to make. Your palette ties together all your event elements--from wedding invitations, to table decorations, and even your cake. For weddings that take place late in the year, work with nature's shorter days and cooling light by selecting gentler colors.

This week, I was inspired by these floral arrangements by New York floral and event design firm, poppies and posies. They combined pale white and pink poppies with darker flowers for a striking but sweet, wintery look. The birch wrapping around the table centerpieces is a perfect touch of natural countryside.

For a color palette of simple white colors with black accents, there is literally a world of bridesmaids dresses to match! I've picked out a few below but make sure to check out my Dressing Room for more.

(left to right, top to bottom)

• Moschino Bow Collar Dress - A sassy dress by Moschino with a statement-making "fish mouth" collar and bow (Zappos)
• Strapless Gown by Bari Jay - Amazingly draped long white gown has a sweetheart strapless neckline and charmeuse trim under the bust (PromGirl)
• Flirty Dancing Dress - Darling with an oversized bow, flared skirt, and relazed, slightly crumpled looking fabric (ModCloth)
• Short Belted Bridesmaid Dresses by Alexia Designs - Tea-length, strapless dress in powdery baby blue features a belted waist with diamante detail (eDressMe)
• Full Length Chiffon Bridesmaid Dresses from After Six by Dessy Group - Full length chiffon dress in a classic shape is a no-brainer for an elegant bridal party (eDressMe)
• Long Dress with Mesh - Covered up does not mean unsexy with this a loose and breezy floor length silk gown by a fave designer, ADAM. The delicate, barely-there floral print lends the dress additional texture (Shopbop)

Find more pale and elegant dresses and create your own Shiny Orb dressing room!

By Elizabeth

     

Click here to download:

must-haves-on-your-online-wedding-registry-ykGwbvpiyslposJgjueJ.zip (149 KB)

So, we asked our friends at Koutali, an online store for all your kitchen and dining needs, to recommend a few items.  I'll bet our brides who are wracking their brains to think of registry items don't have these!

Stylish Swedish Herb Pots by Sagaform ($19.95 - $49.95)
I love this one.  The most economical way to cook with herbs is to grow them in one's own kitchen.  Having the convenience of fresh herbs combined with the contemporary design of this herb pot will brighten any kitchen and any dish.  I'll bet none of you thought to register for this one :)

Bamboo Serving Collection ($12.99-$34.99)
A tricky concern for many couples is to ensure an online wedding registry has a variety of items across the price spectrum so that all guests can participate.  I thought this collection was inexpensive, yet elegant, impressive, and utilitarian at the same time.  You cannot have enough serving bowls, and these have a natural look at great prices. 

Cuisinart Convection Toaster Oven/Broiler ($325)
This convection toaster is multi-faceted.  I love how it can be a microwave and a toaster, making it easy to warm up  leftovers and toast bread.  It can even bake desserts.  Most importantly, it can do all of these things while saving counter space.

Joslyn from Koutali has a number of other recommendations for wedding registry gifts on their blog.  Koutali also offers wedding registry services, so you can easily sign up for all of these items. 

Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb, a shopping site for wedding apparel, receives no form of compensation from this vendor.

By Liz

A really wonderful trend in weddings today is the creative combination of cultural traditions. Many couples are acknowledging and honoring their different heritages by having ceremonies that are a nod to their family's past and also the multicultural present. Last year, I attended a good friend's wedding in Senegal where the bride and groom chose to have a series of events from Senegalese, Pakistani, and Indian cultures with the result being a gorgeously colored and completely unique celebration. There are so many beautiful, rich, and textured aspects to multicultural weddings in both a visual and spiritual sense. As a guest to a multicultural wedding, follow the theme by picking up a dress inspired by outfits from abroad.

(left to right, top to bottom)

• Free People Bollywood Princess Dress - Free People is known for drawing on ethnic influences, and this one is a modern and urban take on the energetic colors and sparkle of Indian Bollywood. (Zappos)
• Lavender Labyrinth Dress - A super cute flouncy dress in lavender and canary yellow print that resembles a labyrinth. The Mayans would approve of it's complexity, I think! (ModCloth)
• Bollywood Party Dress - Another dress with Bollywood footnotes--this floor length, empire-waist gown with deep-V neckline is seriously sexy. (Couture Candy)
• Vivienne Westwood Temperance Dress - This glamarous draping of this dress by Vivienne Westwood is a sure showstopper, and the vibrant print channels the 1920s influence of Oriental art on American design. (Zappos)
• Tribe Has Spoken Dress - The grey and navy print on this dress looks like it was inspired by African or Indonesian wood carvings and turns a traditional Western silhouette into a memorable dress. (ModCloth)
• Run, Florist, Run Dress - A Mexican-inspired bright blue dress with floral embroidery across the bodice and tiered skirt is fun and flirty. (ModCloth)

Find more international dresses for party guests and create your own Shiny Orb dressing room!

By Shanna, edited by Jennifer

Winter weddings in the Bay Area are challenging because winter here is not white fluffy snow but soggy wet rain.  Our hidden gems that are both elegant and dry would include the following:

• Testarossa Winery in Los Gatos: Testarossa has a cozy location for a smaller event, and is very unique in its design.  The long entryway corridor is a beautiful location to stage an indoor ceremony.  With its curved stonework walls reminiscent of a fairytale castle, you won't see anything like it anywhere else in the bay.
• Thomas Fogarty Winery: With sweeping views of the entire Bay Area and a covered ceremony/reception area, Thomas Fogarty Winery is ideal for winter weddings.  The rain coming through the Bay Area in the winter often leaves the air clear, allowing guests breathtaking vistas from San Francisco to Mt. Hamilton.  And on non-rainy winter days, the low clouds coming over from the ocean give the location and ethereal feel.
• Silver Creek in San Jose: Silver Creek boasts beautiful views of the green hillsides, which in California in the winter time are especially vibrant, as well as perfectly manicured lawns and breathtaking landscaping.  The ballroom allows views of the outdoors from all angles for a indoor event that can still connect to the beauties of the outdoors.  The interior of the facility is grandiose and elegant, including a sweeping double staircase.
• Coyote Creek Country Club in San Jose: Coyote Creek is perfect for the more casual reception or even the rehearsal dinner.  Although their ceremony sites are outdoors, the Country Club would be perfect for the winter bride who prefers a church ceremony and a reception with views.
• We and Our Neighborhood Clubhouse in San Jose: The Clubhouse is an intimate, casual, craftsman style venue -- and a San Jose historical landmark --  perfect indoor venue for a bride on a budget that wants the freedom to pick her own caterers and make the venue her own.

Photo credit: Image of Thomas Fogarty Winery by naotakem

Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb, a shopping site for wedding apparel, receives no form of compensation from this vendor.

By Liz

It's 95 degrees outside in New York right now but it's never too early to start thinking about Fall fashion. Greys are a timeless part of the autumnal color palette and once again, showed up across Fall 2010 runways, from Marc Jacobs' heathered wool dresses to full-skirted tea length dresses at Prada. It's really not the drab color that you think it might be -- from frosty silvers to matte gunmetal, greys can lend a sophisticated elegance to your wedding color scheme. Grey bridesmaids dresses are also a wonderful backdrop for a pop of color: accent these dresses with fiery oranges and hot pink in your bouquets and accessories.

(left to right, top to bottom)

• A-line One Shoulder Floor-length Sleeveless Chiffon Quick Delivery Dress (OFGH0306) - The power of grey--this one-shouldered chiffon dress shows how a lovely, delicate color like dove grey can handle a lot of design action: amber embellishments around the bust, grecian gathering across the bodice, and peach lining along dramatic floor-length ruffle. (LightInTheBox)
• Montage by Mon Cheri Dress 210979 - For the mother of the bride, a dramatic shiny gunmetal with a gathered trumpet skirt and ruched-and-rhinestoned bodice. (TJ Formal)
• Moonlight Val Stefani Bridesmaid Dress VS9039 - This Moonlight Val Stefani bridesmaids dress has a similar shape to that of the Venus, but comes in a strapless sweetheart neckline and diagonally shirring across the bust. (TJFormal)
• Mori Lee Bridesmaid Dress 428 - Romantic details like a rosette accent and flowing sash make this Mori Lee dress a cute and elegeant choice. Shown here in a warm platinum grey chiffon with contrasting ivory top.(TJ Formal)
• Venus Bridesmaid Dress 943617 - This cool pewter gown has that universally flattering A-line skirt with natural waistline, and the waist sash can be fashioned in the color of your choosing.(TJ Formal)
• Elie Tahari Cally Dress - A dark grey sheath dress made more shapely and interesting with darts at the waist and ruffle detailing at the neck and along its princess seams. This one definitely calls for brightly colored heels.(Zappos)
• Forever Yours Bridesmaid Dress 79118 - Forever Yours Collections allows brides and their friends to customize these shiny charcoal taffeta dresses into the length and style you desire. (TJ Formal)

Find more grey bridesmaid dresses and create your own Shiny Orb dressing room!

By Elizabeth

       

Click here to download:

flipping-through-wedding-photography-portfolios-is-a-snap-BwkxEpreFIIIbjdwrpdk.zip (1289 KB)

How did you come up with the idea for SnapKnot? 

I’m recently married and a casualty of the challenging wedding planning process (well, not really a casualty, but you know what I mean :) ). In particular my wife Eunice and I learned that finding a photographer was very difficult, stressful, and time-consuming. We were fortunate to end up with Jim Kennedy, a very talented and well-known photographer in Orange County. We consider ourselves lucky.

(Reid's co-founder) Mike was looking for his next career move and I was looking to get involved in something new as well, so after a series of brainstorming sessions we came up with the idea for SnapKnot, inspired in large part by my negative experience. We thought there was a better way for couples to find wedding photographers.

When did you launch SnapKnot?

SnapKnot was officially launched in the middle of February 2010, however we started building our social media network around the 1st of this year.  We will have 1,000 wedding photographers listed on SnapKnot within the next few weeks, and our overall traffic has been steadily growing since launch.

There are a some fantastic portfolios on SnapKnot.  Reid shared some of his favorites with us (see above).

Photo credits: Douglas Levy, Scott McNamara, Kristen Weaver, Studio-EMP

Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb, a search site for bridesmaids dresses, receives no form of compensation from this vendor.

By Liz

Flowers and greenery at a wedding create a lush and verdant setting, so why not bring this feeling to your bridal party? Floral bridesmaids dresses make for a unique and romantic wedding party. Just use caution around overly bright prints and floral patterns with large flowers, as these have the potential to be gaudy.

(left to right, top to bottom)

• Shoreline Spa Dress - The bold, floral print on this navy dress invokes the feeling of a tropical island, suitable as the backdrop to your beach wedding. Short and with princess seams at the waist, this dress proves that the right silhouette says "Hawaiian" without saying "muu-muu".
• D&G Junior West - Floral Dress (Toddler/Little Kids/Big Kids) - How about flowers for the flower girl? A nice match to the Hugo Boss dress above, this is a beautifully detailed silk dress with a tiered skirt and adorable flounces at the shoulder.
• Flowers in the Fountain Dress - This short and sweet number is absolutely dreamy with its blue floral print and flouncy skirt. Very garden-wedding appropriate.
• Alyce Designs Strapless Floral Dresses - A strapless, floor length chiffon gown covered in violets is perfect for a wedding full of southern belles.
• Mori Lee Bridesmaid Dress 840 - This satin Mori Lee dress comes in a romantic watercolor-like floral print with a contrasting sash.
• BOSS Hugo Boss Anjana - If elegant-boho is more your style, florals can work for your wedding when done in a delicate, vintage-y tiny print on feather weight silk. The pintucks and loose shape are also a great modern take on a retro print.
• Jones New York Dress, Sleeveless Banded Waist Floral - This cocktail length, sheath dress has a bolder, almost autumnal floral pattern. The styling would fit right in at a wedding set at a country club or vineyard setting. For an even more traditional, vintage look, pair it with wide-brimmed straw hats and gloves!

Find more floral bridesmaid dresses and create your own Shiny Orb dressing room!