Romantique by Claire Pettibone

Hello Saturday, may you be wonderful and bring loveliness to all our lovely readers today, and especially those who are tying the knot.  Now, lovely readers, if you’ve been reading this blog for any small length of time, you ought know by now that I am a passionate fan of bridal designer Claire Pettibone.  I’m still smiling about my time spent in New York with Claire last month when I went to view the launch of her new couture collection, Gothic Angel – it was the most gorgeous bridal catwalk show I have ever witnessed, and so typically Claire in it’s sense of ethereal beauty, magic and graceful elegance.

Claire Pettibone has built her career making brides’ dreams come true, but if her couture collection is a little bit out of reach – if you’re looking for something a little more understated, budget conscious and maybe a touch more low-key in vibe for your wedding day, then I think Claire’s elegant new ‘Romantique’ collection could be for you.

A little Moroccan villa, a touch of English garden
Timeless with a vintage vibe
Polaroid-soft light and lavender fields
Graceful, poetic, bohemian wedding gowns
Made with love in Los Angeles

Photography Copyright (c) 2014, Laura Gordon

Claire told me about Romantique and why it was important to her that she created this most elegant collection of gowns…

“After countless love-letters from brides who adored my collection but didn’t quite have a couture budget, we felt it was time to launch ‘Romantique’.  It was really important to me and our company to make this collection with quality and integrity, so we chose to keep the production at home here in Los Angeles. ‘Romantique’ has a relaxed elegance so that a bride can really make it her own. I love that our brides don’t fit into a ‘type’, and that my collection seems to attract the coolest, anti-zilla, girls you would totally be friends with.”

The collection includes a mixture of flowing silhouettes, feminine off-the-shoulder sleeves, delicate embroidered lace, and signature stunning backs. Graceful and ethereal, Claire Pettibone ‘Romantique‘ features understated, elegant gowns priced from $1,500 to $2,800, perfect for your own love story.

Claire Pettibone has always paid such loving attention to the back of her wedding dress designs – I think it’s one of those elements of her signature style that really sets her apart…

I love the focus these images places on the groom – something Claire did very intentionally…

“Skipping down the Instagram rabbit hole, I came across this gorgeous bearded man – I’ve actually never really been into beards, but wow, this guy is handsome! Flash-forward to a few months later, we decide to photograph our Romantique collection with a groom, to really tell the whole love story, which after all, is actually the point of a wedding!”

“I reached out to some men’s model agents, and I think I actually gasped when I saw Christopher Millington as one of the gentlemen the agent was sending to our casting! So he shows up, completely charming in a not-trying-to-be-charming way, with a Scottish accent – oh, come ON!  And, there you go – we found our Romantique groom.”

I love how Claire Pettibone employs Instagram to reach out to her brides, her fans and followers.  If you fancy joining in the image sharing fun, you can share images about your groom by tagging him on #romantiquegroom (and if you fancy following the antics of this particular ‘groom’, you can do so over @chrisjohnmillington.

“Of course, we can’t wait to see YOU in your Romantique gowns too!  Tag #romantiquebride and #clairepettibone when sharing your images with us on Instagram”

The Romantique collection gowns you see in this feature today will be available for brides to start purchasing later this month.  You can find your nearest Claire Pettibone stockist via this page.

Love Annabel x

 

Photographer – Laura Gordon
Gowns – Claire Pettibone Romantique
Hair – Jorge Luis
Make-up – Dillon Pena
Men’s Stylist – Beau Barela