Good day my bridal friends. Please meet the QB2 (Queen of Bridal Blogs), Abby Larson- the founder and brain-child behind the incredible, ultimate, every-bride's-dream-to-be-blogged-about wedding site Style Me Pretty.
Abby, in 2007 you founded SMP to procrastinate getting a "real" job. One might say you now have that reality-but in a super-fantastic way. Do tell…
1. I work mostly from home where I can hear my two spunky kids playing in the next room.
2. I meet and work with people that are so creative you can literally feel it.
3. I get to talk about pretty things all day long…and I will never tire of that!
If you weren't in your office right now, where would you be?
In real life, playing with the kids one room over. In my imagination, on a perfect beach building sand castles (with a fruity cocktail in hand).
You and your staff review over 600 submissions from real brides every week. 600!! When you're exhausted, what's your pick-me-up?
I read old issues of Domino magazine, I check out what my favorite bloggers are doing, I go for a walk, I watch The Real Housewives. All the good stuff.
You receive over 16 million page views per month (add emails, phone calls, screen time, writing assignments and big-picture meetings). How do you relax?
My bliss time is from 8pm to 10pm when the kids are quiet and my husband is beside me.
You've been written about in the NYT, WSJ, CBS Sunday Morning and have been a blogger for Glamour. You're a STAR! Do you like the limelight?
You know what? I never think about it! Never! I live the vast majority of my life behind a computer screen. And I still get nervous and weird when I do interviews or have a speaking engagement!
Now that you have access to the best of bridal- would you have done anything different in your own wedding? What about a wedding of one of your own children?
I would have hired a wedding planner to help me so that I enjoyed the journey more. But all things considered, I think I would still dip everything in gold and glitter! And as for Audrey and William…oh boy. They have no idea what's coming. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!
Brides adore your site and long to be accepted as a feature. What are 3 must-haves to get in?
1. Gorgeous photography.
2. A layered, pretty color story.
3. Edited, thoughtfully-crafted details for days.
What about creative vendors (planners, photographers, designers) who submit gorgeous work and may not get a call back? What's your advice?
We respond to everyone that submits though the vast majority hear the dreaded no, if only for space issues. We turn down some really beautiful weddings because we have too many of one style or the photographs aren't quite right for the blog (think clean, edited, simple). Tell a story through your photographs from beginning (getting ready) to end (last dance). Choose detail images thoughtfully. Submit at least 100 images. Things like that.
After 5 years you've seen it all. What are some "never-dos" for the bride?
Trend overload. Stealing every last trend from the blogosphere and forgetting to put your own style stamp on it. We don't want to just see reproductions of weddings past, we want to see that you put your own beautiful spin on it.
Nothing lasts forever, well, except true love (and diamonds!) What are 3 traditions you spot again and again, classics that buck all trends and endure?
1. Ceremony.
2. Champagne Toasts.
3. Black Ties, White Wedding Gowns.
Speaking of the latest and greatest, what are the most thrilling current patterns you're seeing in…
Photography: Film. Thanks to the greats like Jose and Elizabeth (to name only a couple), so many digital photographer are returning to their film roots.
Food: Food is getting far more fun. From miniature versions of the classics to a sense of casual built into the menu, food is being chosen as carefully as the gowns.
Invitations: Paper is now seen as very much a part of the wedding brand. From that first fun save the date to the menus and place cards, people are using paper to elevate their decor and create a cohesive wedding brand.
Colors: We are still seeing a lot of honeysuckle and pinks though emerald green, the pantone color of the year is creeping into 2013 and we love it.
Flowers: Flowers are approachable and effortlessly chic. Oppulence in height is being replaced with luxury in bloom choices and volume. Rows and rows of peonies and dahlias are taking center stage.
A New Yorker in Connecticut, Grace Connell is a designer, illustrator, calligrapher and devoted mother. She loves parties, elegance and winter walks at Compo. She is a huge fan of kindness. For 22 years, she has served stylish brides from New York, Connecticut and beyond designing truly personal custom-printed products for their big day. Winner of New York's 50 Most Influential Women Award and a 10-year featured vendor for Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine, Cartier, NA and Tiffany & Co., Ms. Connell entertains brides by appointment in her Westport, CT studio.
WWW.GRACECONNELLDESIGNS.COM
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Westport, CT 06880
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203-434-5770 M