A Brooklyn travel guide for wedding sh!t?

Hi there,

I've loved the travel guides you've been posting recently. As a new reader, please forgive me if I missed the Brooklyn wedding version. (I promise I did look through the archives.)  

Where besides Catbird should I go to find interesting/artisan/unusual/finely designed/ohpleasegodnotthis rings, and to browse wedding dresses that don't make me feel like the dress is wearing me? The honest truth is I used to live in Brooklyn, but at that time I was 100% never ever ever going to get married, so now that I'm eating my words I need someone to remind me where all those awesome places I saw out of the corner of my eye but insisted on ignoring can be found!

Thankyouthankyouthankyou

*****

Brooklyn is the jewelry-that-I-love capital of the world. Catbird, Scosha, Macha, and Erie Basin are all worth visiting, and if you don't find SEVERAL rings you love, there is something wrong with you.

Brooklyn is not, however, a good place to shop for a wedding dress. I am sorry to say. (Or maybe not that sorry actually. Go to Soho? Or make an appointment at Stone Fox Bride. While you're in the neighborhood, you should probs make an appointment with Anna Sheffield, too.)


Miranda Kerr by Terry Richardson for Harper's Bazaar

what if you can only decide on the shoes?

We are eloping. In Austin. You may decide that I can't be helped after you read this.

I can't decide on a ring. I can't decide on a dress. I can't decide on my hair or if I'll carry any flowers. I haven't even thought about setting or an officiant. I can only decide on these shoes (in either color). I'm surprised I can decide on that! The thing with all the other stuff is I don't have a precedent. I don't wear white or dresses much (NY. black. and yes I know I don't have to wear white, and I don't have to wear a dress, but I'd like to give it a shot since we are eloping and I think FH [and our families, if they were privy at this stage] would like us to keep a few things traditional) and I never wear rings. I'm a bracelet girl. I would love help with both because I'm at the point where the internet has swallowed my perception and intuition up and everything looks the same. or bad. and just not me. but I'll take whatever seems most fun to y'all.

Budget under $700, and something around $400 or less would be sooo great. My instinct says on the shorter side is the way to go because I don't want it to feel over the top. I'm not into the ball gown elopements. And I'd probably feel more comfortable in less-than-head-to-toe-white. And I wanna see the shoes! I'm 5'3", 32C-24"-34". I like interesting shapes, architectural details, and a modern clean feel, because it's more flattering to my midget body but I'm not opposed to a little lace, and a touch of gothy feel. I do not do bohemian. I do not do bling. Even subtle bling. I wanted to love this LOVER and this Manivet (with a slightly opened up neckline) before we were eloping, when we were having a tiny wedding, and a normal-ish one respectively. Of course the LOVER is not available in the US and it does not go with the shoes. There is this LOVER which is over budget and while I love it on the model, I'm not sold that it's for me.

Rings. I love Anna Sheffield. My favorite one was this. Then when my dear friend got engaged in November, she had her jeweler uncle make her a replica. What can I say. We have similar taste. So that's out. Other things: I like black. I'm not sold on diamonds (ethics, and said hesitation regarding over-blinginess). I like herkimers but I don't want the setting to look too crafty. I want it to look modern and polished and I haven't seen any that cut it. I also like rutilated quartz. I'm not sure that I want two rings, and so am also open to a stone laden band. I've thought about Mociun, Alex and Chloe, Macha, and everything on Catbird. There was this ring which is so out of character for me but it is also my birth stone. I also like Bario Neal but none of them sing to me. I'm open to stacking and I like the idea of mixing metals because I do that in my other jewelry. Oh budget on the ring(s)... under $2k and I do have my mom's setting from her first marriage (with my dad) to mine for stones if i somehow go blingy.

phew. After reading this it's probably easier to just help me with the dress even though the ring should come first. or neither. jeez.

thaaaaaanks.

eloping-naked-in jeffrey-campbell-shoes

*****

I found your dress.

It's from H&M's Conscious Exclusive collection, which will be in stores April 4.

You're welcome, FUSSYPANTS.


p.s. What about a wedding bracelet? Just throwin it out there. Nobody says you have to have a ring.

pin-o-RAMA

Every once in a while when I'm procrastinating, I do a little "market research" on pinterest.

If you type: http://pinterest.com/source/eastsidebride.com (but insert your own url at the end, obvs) you'll get a quick overview of what people are pinning.

There are two images from this here blog that keep coming up over and over: This adorbz pair of budget-ish sandals, and this seeeelammin turquoise ring.

Weird, right? 

I mean, not weird. But I guess I'm always hoping ppl will pin images like this. (They don't.)

Anyhoo.

Thought you should know the Jeffrey Campbell sandals are avail at Nordstrom in red and black.

(And they're on sale over at UO in white.)

You're on your own with the vintage turquoise. KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED. 

Or: Here are a few lovely modern options....

(Four Square Turquoise Ring from Mociun)

(Aili Tulum Ring from Catbird)

(Rad Turquoise Ring from Scosha)

______________________________

*All credit goes to Bri for the tip.

rings rings rings

I dunno if you noticed, but Scosha recently joined the ol' sponsor roll with their custom wedding bands.

Will someone please order some up so we can see how they turn out?

I'm especially digging the two lil prototypes pictured that have 12 black diamonds and 12 white, for "day to night."

Dear ESB: What do I get my [BLANK]?

I've been getting a lot of requests for gifts lately. 

Gifts (under $200) for the 8 friends flying to Ireland for a destination wedding. Gifts (under $100) for the rad future in-laws. Gifts under $40 for the bridesmaids and the artsy parents and the "well.... um... lame" in-laws-to-be.

I don't do lame. But you can't go wrong with a porcelain skull or a handmade salt bowl, amirite?

Porcelain Beaver Skull by Beetle & Flor at Smith + Butler ($175, pictured at top) or Skunk Skull ($80, pictured above) at Magpie & Rye

Alder Fruit Bowl ($175) + Arbutus Salt Bowl ($45) from Herriott Grace 

Note: This shop sells out FAST, so if you're serious about buying one of their pieces, join the mailing list.

Signature Bracelet from Scosha ($25)

Catbird Candle ($32)

I finally invested in Tarot Deck after Leigh tipped me off that it smells like records. So best. It makes the bedroom smell good even when it's not burning.

Deborah Lippman Boom Pow Nail Polish with 24K gold dust ($20)

Image via Accidental Chic

HOLD THE PHONE

My Dear Lady X,

If your bf won't go for the catbird heart ring (silly bf), maybe he'll go for this Scosha heart ring with a teensy 1mm diamond. At $129 it's even almost in your budget.

xoxo,
Me
______________________________

In other news, Scosha now does custom wedding + engagement rings. WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED? I was so busy lusting after the bracelets (which, I finally bought one at the Scosha store in W'msburg on Saturday!) that I paid no attention to the rings.

Catbird Presents a selection of Baubles for Famous Lovers (part 2)

Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin
With her thicket of chestnut hair and famous wicker baskets, Birkin took the the original jolie laid wolf by the ears. One night, the wolf Gainsbourg howled ferociously. Jane responded by flinging herself into the Seine. She was fished out by two policemen, and the most famous couple in France walked home, arm in arm, madly in love.
Digby & Iona Take The Wolf By The Ears Ring

Truman Capote & Jack Dunphy
Two writers, one as bright as the Northern Star, the other a bit more modest in scope, set out for Sicily, in a house once occupied by D.H. Lawrence. Thirty-six years later, as Capote lay dying, Jack was still by Truman's side, sort of. Not by Truman's side, were Paley, Radziwill, et al. - his estranged swans, the former intimates he had harpooned in his final, unfinished work, Answered Prayers.
Scosha Thou Shall Not Talk Shit Necklace

Marlene Dietrich & Edith Piaf
Dietrich hung her emerald-encrusted gold cross round the slender, stooped neck of La môme to ward away evil. Though Evil knocked on Edith's door regardless, the Little Sparrow and The Blonde Venus were the most devoted of friends for the rest of Piaf's short life. Dietrich was fiercely protective of her drug-addled, one-time lover; a journalist, knocking on Piaf's dressing room door was answered with Dietrich's inimitable voice, "Can I help you? I am Mademoiselle Piaf's maid!" He lobbed back, "How nice. Please say hello to Miss Piaf's chauffeur, Maurice Chevalier."
Digby & Iona Bird in Cage Necklace
Bittersweets Heart & Dagger Necklace
Yayoi Melting Love Ring

George Harrison & Pattie Boyd
He wrote "Something" for her, but something wasn't everything, and she left him for a Yardbird.  Before things went amiss, their love looked like beauty incarnate.
Elisa Solomon Ancienne Ring & Guitar Pick Necklace



You can find Baubles for Famous Lovers (part one) here. Thank you to Leigh and Rony!

p.s. This is not a sponsored post. It's just a love fest catbird and I have going. Can you blame us?

Scosha, forgive me for badmouthing you

This wee heart necklace is rad. And, surprisingly, a lot more affordable than the bracelet(s).*

I think a guy could propose with a necklace, don't you? If he was smart and he knew you were fussy and he was pretty sure it was a good idea to let you pick out your own ring.... Let's be honest. Who doesn't want to pick out her own ring??

*Which I still want, don't get me wrong. Let me know if you need my address or whatever.

Scosha: the priciest friendship bracelets EVER

But c'mon. Tell me you don't want a whole wristful of these.*

*Also available in black.