Catrina Nonn liked the way Charles Rehm made her laugh – even when his jokes were not funny.

She expected cocktails and he came ready for dinner on a blind date in June 2010 in Lafayette Square. They had so much fun they forgot to order food.

Catrina’s trip to Costa Rica a few weeks later underlined her eagerness to share the new experience with her recent friend. They were engaged in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Their summer wedding, with ceremony in the Jewel Box at Forest Park and reception nearby in the Zodiac Room of the Chase Park Plaza, focused on St. Louis landmarks. The decor of the reception room inspired a theme of “written in the stars” and “man in the moon” photo booth pictures.

Images: www.sheindressau.com

CHARLES

What do you love about your new wife?

I love how caring she is, she pays attention to the details and always puts other people first.

What “snapshot” from the day stands out in your mind?

I was waiting at the altar with our pastor when the string quartet started playing the processional song. All of the brides were in the back room of the Jewel Box and I could tell they did not realize the procession was supposed to begin. I had to flag down one of the groomsmen to go knock on the door and let them know we were starting. But the moment Catrina walked out, she was beautiful and well worth the wait.

Was there a signature look that carried the theme?

Champagne and navy were the colors of our theme which worked in a few different ways. First, they are very elegant colors. They also are the colors of the stars in the night sky, which worked with our theme, “It was written in the stars.” And lastly, our cake topper was small champagne glasses with colored sugar beads pouring down the side of the cake that looked like champagne.

CATRINA

How did Charles propose?

We were in California because one of his friends was getting married. We checked into the Beverly Hills Wilshire. I assumed we were going to dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, but Charlie got off the elevator on the wrong floor. He had a key to a door that opened up to the hotel’s terrace that overlooks Rodeo Drive. There were red and white rose petals that led out to a small glass table with a bottle of champagne. We walked out onto the terrace and, right in front of Tiffany’s high above Rodeo Drive, he got down on one knee.

Your wedding in a single word?

Magical.

Did you wear something old?

I wore my Aunt Debbie’s veil that she wore in her wedding in 1982. We had our pictures taken with the album from Charlie’s parents’ wedding.

What did you love about your dress?

I loved the lace overlay which, I feel, gave the otherwise strapless dress a touch of elegance.

Did you give guests a special memento?

We wanted to give them something useful but also something that was special to us. We had bottles of Twisted Belly BBQ spices from a family business personalized with our names, wedding date and one of the engagement pictures.

What was a reception highlight?

All of the speeches. I was nervous for my dad. He had never given a speech before our reception. It was perfect! The speech from my maid of honor, my twin sister, was sentimental yet funny.

What song was your first dance?

We danced to three songs that we blended. The first was “Forever” by The Beach Boys, followed by “Propuesta Indecente” by Romeo Santa, a bachata dance song from the Dominican Republic. I really wanted to dance to a song in Spanish because I’m a high-school Spanish teacher and dance coach. The last song was my husband’s pick, “Timeless,” by the Airborne Toxic Event.

See more at cheap wedding dresses

While many critics believe that no industry is more fickle than the fashion one, which can be referenced to the local fashion market that is still to really take off, those that dare to dream continue to defy the odds and create sheer masterpieces that leave little to imagination.

One such designer is Aobakwe Molosiwa of Gilded Sands. People who have come across his designs will surely know that often he does not conform to the norms and culture society dictates; he speaks his own mind through his designs.

He introduced his ‘see through’ collection much to the applause of the crowd and him being the last showcase of the night, it was evident that the organisers decided to save the best for last.

Images: sexy wedding dress

His collection of see through jumpsuits made from pure lace, high waist boy-cut shorts, and lingerie completely switched the mood to a top notch.

Had he not been the last on the runaway, he could have carried the mood of the audience to the next designer. Among all the designers, one could read that he had something different in mind for the night and he surely delivered. Botho Chalebgwa of Botocy Creations proved that African print still has its own magic.

While her latest line is modern, she still played around with prints to give her designs a touch of African spirit. She is a top designer in her own right. Theo Khumalo of Ragged, Lesley Mmokele of Les Wear also gave the audience a taste of what to expect this summer.

The Ragged collection stuck with its theme providing a collection of torn, tainted t-shirts and jeans, funky pants matched with jackets. The line was purely for those with the desire for a hip-hop look. Mmokele’s Les Wear made sure that those men and women dying to make statement with custom made suits are not left behind. The collection had a touch of corporate look and casual, making it the ultimate all round collection. Lebang Setso of Lebang Setso Creations gave the audience something to smile about. Her collection put emphasis on pure leather bags. The models presented them while draped in garments.

For a moment, I asked myself if the audience remembered that decades ago tribes used to wear draped garments rather than well cut out and stitched modern designs. Setso managed to present the concept in a more fashionable manner, with custom made bags giving the line a funky look.

All the designers who showcased their lines were fantastic in their own right, but some still need a lot of exposure, as they are new in the industry and trying to stamp their mark.

Abigail Sehunelo of Funky Resy, Peculiar Creations by Lorato Barwabatsile, O-Lep by Oteng Lepere, Obonetse Diberela of Obonetse Originals, Fetish Designs by Mummy Molapo and Gofa Sithole of Ten Talents were all magnificent in their own way, especially that most of them are top of the cream.

All eleven designers that participated in the show made an impression on the audience interpreting the essence and notion that fashion was not a matter of making clothes, but making a statement.

See more at bridesmaid dresses melbourne

While it is so important to have the best of bridal gowns and dresses on that D-Day, it is important then to choose the best source of such dresses while there are numerous sources of bridal collections of dresses and gowns available in the market. While many of them claim to be providing the best of bridal gowns and dresses for wedding, the fact says something else. When it comes to fine bridal dresses and collection of gowns, no one can match up to the collections at Fleur D’sign.

Wedding is an auspicious occasion to adorn oneself with the best of clothing and more so for the bride to be present with bridal finery. It is important on the part of the bride to be in the best of gowns or bridal collections including jewelry. While everything matters in such situations, it is the gown that matters the most because it is something that is easily visible to all and that adds on to the beauty of the bride being adorned with beautiful jewelry as well. When it comes to bridesmaid dresses brisbane and bridal dresses, there are various types and kinds of products that can be availed in store and availed easily.

There are various factors that need to be kept in mind before availing such products and they are the quality of the product, the design, and the price. While these three factors are absolutely imperative and should be kept in mind, there are some other factors as well that can be taken into account. While availing bridal gowns and dresses, it is important to see the design first and check whether it suits the particular occasion. Now, the design itself is not the sole parameter to buy something. Along with the design, it is also important to check the price of the product as well along with the quality. Now, the products available in the store at Fleur D’sign satisfy all the three factors. The company sees to it that all these parameters are kept track of and its customers get the best possible collection with the right balance between the price, quality, and design. The company offers affordable bridal dresses in Singapore. There are huge collections of vintage wedding dresses to be availed. There also are various other services to be availed like wedding decoration styling, wedding floral boutique, concept styling and design consultation, bridal styling, photography, etc. The company also offers gowns for rent in Singapore and other services. The boutique gowns present in the store of the company come in different styles and cater to all kinds of requirements. So, no matter whatever the requirements, the store has everything in it to make it one stop shopping solution for bridal gowns and bridal dresses and other services pertaining to it.