I am loving this ingenious “design your own bling” application on the Kendra Scott Jewelry website.  Dubbed the Color Bar, the super easy-to-use interface lets you browse through some gorgeous earrings and design your own custom creations using any combination of twenty crystal colors plus gold or silver hardware.  How perfect would this be for that just-so color combination for your bridesmaids?  You can save as many creations as you want and even share them with your girls before buying.

Not feeling all that creative?  Fear not, the line also has some gorgeous ready-to-wear options and even a bridal line with some incredible statement necklaces.  A few of my favorite offerings below:

This sparkly crystal bib necklace (lower left) is KILLING me!  And I love that it would look as incredible with your gown as it would with some jeans and cute heels on a post-wedding night out on the town.

The latest issue of Town & Country Weddings magazine features the most incredible collaboration between the reigning queen of all things sweet, Amy Atlas and some totally drool-worthy jewels.

It’s hard to pick a favorite from this line up but if pressed, I think I’d have to say those playful pink jumbo barber pole candy sticks dripping in sapphires and aquamarine gemstones.

Seriously…all this bling + decadent sweet things = heart palpitations.  I love it.

By now you know I’m a huge fan of BelCanto designs.  Mari Palmer, the genius behind all that awesome, vintage bling works tireless to score some majorly pretty, timeless pieces and breath new life into them as one of a kind bridal accessories.  Her Etsy shop has been hugely popular for a while now for good reason.  So I was very excited to get an email from Mari recently announcing BelCanto’s new, stand-alone website.

Recently launched and still being updated with the latest and greatest offerings, the BelCanto e-store will carry some of Mari’s outstanding pieces and lots of items that won’t be available on Etsy.  Worth a visit for sure!  Best of all, she has such a treasure trove of pieces yet to be worked, she can create pretty much anything your little heart desires.  Check the site often as she’ll be updating regularly with new inventory.

One of the best things about writing this blog is getting to meet so many incredible Carolina artists and vendors that I completely admire.  These folks toil away in the shadows to make your wedding dreams come true and every once in a while I like to shine a light on their amazing talents.

Recently I sat down with Mari Palmer of Bel Canto Designs.  Mari has been designing vintage (no, no… like really vintage), one of kind jewelry for a while now.  One look is sure to make every bling-loving bride’s heart flutter.

Besides being obviously incredibly talented, Mari is a warm, fun loving lady who I could probably talk to for 4 hours before ever even looking up.  She got started in jewelry design when she needed to finance her then teenage daughter’s school trip.  The pair got together and started creating earrings.  One craft show later and a side business was born!

Year’s later she found herself admiring beautiful, vintage rhinestone pieces at a flea market and decided to try her hand at bringing some of these beauties back to life in some new and improved designs.  This is up-cycling at its very best.  Not only is her beautiful craft totally eco-friendly, the result is a truly one of a kind piece fit for the monumental life occasion of a wedding.

While we spoke, Mari broke out her inventory of gorgeous pieces that she’s collected over the years and seriously, the sight left me speechless!  Each lovely is just waiting for Mari’s able touch to breath new life into it.  Her favorite part of her Bel Canto designs? Working one-on-one with bride’s via her Etsy store to customize pieces that are perfect for their day. What an absolutely amazing heirloom.

If you’re still on the hunt for the perfect wedding day accessories, you MUST get over to Mari’s Etsy store.  Stunning, one of a kind, heirloom-quality, eco-friendly AND reasonably priced, all from a genuinely nice person.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

Today I’m looking at bold and beautiful jewelry for the modern bride.  Earlier we saw some fantastic necklaces that make glamorous statement pieces.  But perhaps your gown has a high neckline or heavy beading in the bust that would compete with a bold necklace.  In that case, a gorgeous, sparkly bracelet is in order!  Wear it on your right wrist to insure it doesn’t battle that bling on your ring finger for center stage.

{Photo credits:  Top row:  Kate Space “Moon River” via Bloomingdale’s, Kate Spade “Lady Marmalade” via Bloomingdale’s, Second row:  Ben Amun via Ben Amun, Kenneth Jay Lane via Avelle, Third row:  Kenneth Jay Lane via Avelle, Bauble bracelet via Banana Republic}