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Growing up, Viviane always loved her parents’ wedding photo, especially the statement headpiece her mum wore on the day. Her parents married in 1981 in their hometown of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Almost 40 years later in Southern California, USA, bride Viviane wore her own version of the headpiece she has admired for years and honoured her love and gratitude for her mum.
When this bespoke headpiece enquiry arrived in Tania’s inbox, she was also honoured to be a part of such a special tribute. Viviane’s mum posted the original headpiece to our studio and Tania worked to recreate it, replicating the shape and style of the original piece, but also modernising the design with her signature floral, crystal and pearl details.
When Viviane and her partner Brian began planning their wedding, she expressed her interest in wearing her mum’s headpiece. Viviane and her mum looked into restoring the original headpiece, however over the years it had yellowed and lost some of the decorative stones. They were told that restoration was risky and possibly impossible.
“My mum discovered Tania Maras who said she could recreate the headpiece. We weren’t sure how it was going to turn out, but we were excited to try out this approach after looking at Tania’s other designs. They were all so pretty and delicate. My mum shipped the original headpiece from California to Australia (for reference), and Tania started on her project!” says Viviane.
Tania recreated the shape using a wire base and layered the design with a variety of clay flowers and pearl and crystal elements. Tania works closely with brides when creating bespoke pieces, sending them mock-ups and ideas, to help achieve their vision and complement their style.
“Everyday we feel honoured to work with so many incredibly kind women who put their trust in us on their wedding day,” says Tania. “Anyone who has organised or is organising a wedding will know that a wedding day is one of the most significant, emotional, daunting and exhilarating days of your life.”
The finished headpiece was even better than Viviane imagined. Both mother and daughter have the same dazzling smiles, bright eyes and dark hair. The striking headpiece design looked just as beautiful on Viviane as it did on her mum.
“The piece was absolutely amazing! I adored it. The headpiece obviously drew inspiration from my mum’s piece, but it was unique in its own way too. It was my favourite part of my bridal look and I wore it all night long. Truly a stunning work of art. I couldn’t have dreamed of anything better,” says Viviane.
The finished headpiece was even better than Viviane imagined. Both mother and daughter have the same dazzling smiles, bright eyes and dark hair. The striking headpiece design looked just as beautiful on Viviane as it did on her mum.
“The piece was absolutely amazing! I adored it. The headpiece obviously drew inspiration from my mum’s piece, but it was unique in its own way too. It was my favourite part of my bridal look and I wore it all night long. Truly a stunning work of art. I couldn’t have dreamed of anything better,” says Viviane.
After trying on about 20 dresses, Viviane chose a Martina Liana dress, featuring a lace bodice and long train. She completed her look with her mum’s original lace veil, natural make-up a and a hairstyle of soft curls.
Viviane and Brian held their ceremony and reception at Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Beach, California. From start to finish, they filled the day with special moments and surprises.
“Our outdoor ceremony featured both a Jewish Rabbi and a Catholic Deacon. Brian is Catholic and I am Jewish. We wanted our wedding ceremony to represent both of our belief systems and traditions in an honest and sincere way,” says Viviane.
“One of the fun things we did for the reception was our personalised cake-topper. Brian and I met through beach volleyball, and it is still one of our favourite things to do together. I had our cake-topper created especially for us, featuring a bride and groom holding volleyballs.”
“Our wedding had family and friends travelling from all over the country and the world (Brazil, Argentina, Kuwait, Germany) – so it was incredibly special to have all our loved ones in one place to celebrate with us. We wanted to throw a great party so we hired an amazing 10-piece band for the reception. I found them online and booked them without ever researching any other bands. We danced all night and had the time of our lives!”
The headpiece tribute was meaningful to Viviane for many reasons.
“The most simple meaning was that I grew up admiring that photograph of my mum wearing the headpiece on her wedding day. As far as I am concerned, she has always been the most beautiful bride ever. On a deeper level, the tribute was an acknowledgement to the tremendous example of marriage that my parents have demonstrated over the course of 39 years. And, of course, it was a tribute to our relationship, my admiration of her, and an expression of gratitude for all her love, wisdom, sacrifice, and support.”
The headpiece tribute was meaningful to Viviane for many reasons.
“The most simple meaning was that I grew up admiring that photograph of my mum wearing the headpiece on her wedding day. As far as I am concerned, she has always been the most beautiful bride ever. On a deeper level, the tribute was an acknowledgement to the tremendous example of marriage that my parents have demonstrated over the course of 39 years. And, of course, it was a tribute to our relationship, my admiration of her, and an expression of gratitude for all her love, wisdom, sacrifice, and support.”
“Enjoy your engagement and try not to get too stressed. Brian and I would sometimes joke that as long as we ended the night married, then the wedding was a success. If you have someone in your life who is willing to help with the planning, let them. Don’t feel like you have to do everything yourself. Relish the day – have fun, laugh, dance, and most of all – enjoy each other.”
Lace is innately feminine, romantic and effortlessly elegant. Whether your wedding gown features delicate Chantilly lace, intricate Alencon, or bold Guipure lace, the textures and details inherent in lace fabric can sometimes make you feel that simpler accessories are better, but this isn’t necessarily true. The key is to balance the intricate details of the lace with complementary accessories that add just the right amount of sparkle, texture and style. If you’re wondering how to accessorise a lace wedding dress in a way that’s cohesive and beautiful, we’re here to share our styling tips to help you pull together your bridal look.
Lace fabric is often made up of repeated curves or lines which form to create a distinctive pattern. Don’t let these intricate details overwhelm you. Instead, look to see if you can find any clear patterns or shapes that you like such as scalloped details, eyelash edging or floral or leaf motifs. When choosing accessories for your lace wedding dress, you can mimic or accentuate these details by bringing them into your hair piece or veil.
If your dress features floral patterns with distinct 5 petal flower shapes, choose a hairpiece with flowers which features a similar shaped flower. This can also be applied to leaf patterns or geometric shapes.
How to accessorise a lace wedding dress is easy with the addition of classic pearls. Timeless bridal styling often brings together a lace wedding gown with a pearl necklace. While a pearl necklace may not be your style, incorporate pearls into your look with a modern pearl wedding veil, pearl bridal headpiece or pearl drop earrings.
Pearls scattered across a wedding veil will add a touch of whimsy with contemporary appeal.
When done correctly, adding floral details to a lace wedding gown can look next-level chic.
The beauty of florals lies in its natural ability to instantly add dimension to a flat lace pattern in a way that feels like a natural extension of the fabric. You can incorporate floral details through statement earrings, flower details hand-beaded onto a veil or fresh flowers pinned into your hair.
Matching lace with lace doesn’t need to be an exact science but it’s important that the colours are complementary and the aesthetics match.
If your dress features a heavy lace, contrast this with a similar pattern in a smaller or lighter format. Where your lace pattern is heavily floral or leaf based, bring these motifs into your veil with embellished motifs.
The simplicity and clean lines of a raw edge veil will let your lace wedding gown take centre stage. If your veil features no details or embellishments, the silhouette of your veil will be important to ensure it enhances the dress. Depending on the cut of your veil, it can either elongate your silhouette or draw attention to distinctive lines such as the natural waistline or where the train starts to flare out.
Add infinite elegance and shimmer to your bridal look with sparkly crystal details. Similar to pearls, crystals pair perfectly with lace details. Whether the crystals are applied to your wedding veil, featured in your headpiece or drop earrings, crystals will add a luxurious finish to your dress.
For more bridal inspiration and tips, explore the Style Journal on our blog, and follow us on Instagram and Pinterest. We’re here to help you feel like the most beautiful version of yourself on your wedding day, and create the wedding of your dreams.
We love to work with our brides to help bring together their bridal looks. No need for an appointment, we work with brides worldwide via email to design and create wedding headpieces and veils to suit your wedding dress and bridal hairstyle. Feel free to email us with photo of your wedding dress and hairstyle, including links to styles from our collection so we can get a feel for your style. We can then get back to you with ideas and recommendations.
Bespoke and ready-to-wear bridal accessories and veils. Designed and handcrafted in Canberra, Australia. Our online store is open 24/7 with worldwide delivery available including express options. The Fyshwick showroom is by appointment only. Virtual appointments are available for interstate and international brides.
