But the look has become just a tiny bit ubiquitous as of late, thanks to constant press coverage in magazines and online bridal sites. I still believe the birdcage deserves all the hype it gets, but if you are looking a slightly less omnipresent vintage headpiece, Cherished Bride is right up your alley.

The online bridal salon offers restored and ready-to-wear bridal gowns, veils, headpieces and accessories from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. And, with pieces that range from $45 to $135, you are really getting quite a bargain.

Chic Open Crown 50’s Hat of Straw Ribbon: $55

50s hat

Tre Chic 50’s Designer Audrey Hepburn Hat: $95

50s Audrey Hepburn Hat

30’s Deco Juliet Cap & Crown: $135

30s Art Deco Juliet Cap and Crown

Rare Erte Era Headpiece: $75 — This piece is nearly 100 years old!

Rare Erte Era Headpiece

Images: Cherished Bride

Post from: Splendicity. Check out our new community features!

Vintage bridal headpieces

This sweet silk ruffled slip dress by Ali Ro is marked down from $286 to $68. It would be lovely for a daytime wedding with sandals or black tights and pumps for evening.

This short cocktail dress by Catherine Malandrino has sexy shirred sides and achic burnout design on the bodice. Marked down to $98 from $420.

This is a seriously glam number by Cynthia Steffe. I love the metallic fabric, the gentle gathers at the center of the dress, and the bow bandeau top. Marked down to $78 from $350.

Last, but not least is this awesome M Missoni halter dress. I wrote about it when it first went on sale, but since then, it’s gotten exponentially less expensive. How about $118 for a dress that retails at $695.

All items available on Gilt. You need an invitation to shop on Gilt, and if you click here, you”ll get one.

Photo Credit: Gilt

Post from: Splendicity. Check out our new community features!

Sample Sale Final Sale On Gilt

Some people say that other fashion trends don’t touch the bridal world, but I disagree. Bridal wear chages less rapidly than other types of fashion, but trends are incorporated in small things, like this choice of fabric.

Fashion forecast philosophizing aside, this dress is beautiful. I love the foldover detail of the sweetheart shaped strapless top, and there’s a gorgeous cutout detail on the back that is very modern and very chic. The mermaid shape will suit a lot of brides, and the sweep of the skirt is long enough for dramatic flare, but seems reasonable enough to walk in. Available for $775 from Michele Nassaney.

Photo Credit: Michele Nassaney

Post from: Splendicity. Check out our new community features!

The Marla Dress by Michele Nassaney

Having a destination wedding, which I did, in New Orleans, LA, can be a lot of fun, but if you, the bride, have to fly there, you need to plan carefully. Most brides bring whole carloads of getting ready supplies to their wedding, so if you can’t (or don’t want to), you have to plan for a smaller, simpler bridal suite setup, and a pared down look.

I love these starfish hairpins for just such an occasion. They are beachy, for sure, and sweet and lovely for a simple updo. Imagine them with a minimal silk sheath gown and a windswept chignon. Perfect. Add lipgloss and you’re basically good to go, or to betrothe, as the case may be. Available for $20 from Kalyn Designs.

Photo Credit: Kalyn Designs

Post from: Splendicity. Check out our new community features!

Starfish and Pearl Hairpins by Kalyn Design

The launch of this line is exciting not just for the sharp eye for tailoring and impeccable attention to detail that Montezin brings to his work, but also because he has made spectacular strides in women’s undergirding. The man has reinvented the corset.

No, I’m not entirely sure we should thank him, either, but as long as they stay in bridal wear and costumes, I’m fine with corsets. Especially if they are, as the line promises, “less confining and achieve the perfect hourglass silhouette with unprecedented comfort.”

Well, I’ll believe this whole comfortable corset thing when I wear it, but judging on looks alone, Montezin really has something here. The silhoettes are all, as you might guess, wasp-waisted and extremely flattering, the fabrics are rich and luxe, and the overall aesthetic is refined and glamorous.

All of the gowns have opera-related names. The dress above is called the Juliet (as in Romeo and…), and the dress below is the Puccini. Come to think of it, if Montezin can make corseted gowns that opera stars can stand to sing in, he’s probably got something figured out. He calls it “Le Cinch”, and it’s a built-in corseting device that promises the perfect hourglass.

Le Cinch promises women an instant 2-4 inch reduction in waistline, and will be available in sizes up to 18, and custom made for larger sizes. Available from Gilles Montezin.

Photo Credit: Gilles Montezin

Post from: Splendicity. Check out our new community features!

Gilles Montezin: The Secret of Le Cinch

Imagine the surge of patriotism that your guests will feel when your new groom pulls this number off your thigh. Personally, I can’t get over the little white satin rosette in the center. It just makes it so perfectly over-the-top. Not that the ric-a-rac hurts that cause. In any case, I love it. Available for $15 from A Bridal Affair.

Photo Credit: A Bridal Affair

Post from: Splendicity. Check out our new community features!

Happy Independence Day! All American Garter

I’m really stuck on this lattice lace veil by Veiled Beauty. The length is just exactly right for wearing with a frontal updo, as in the picture. And the curved edges are so delicate and lovely that I kind of want to cry. Don’t mind me, I’m always a sucker for a modern bride with a vintage sensibility. Available for $65 from Veiled Beauty.

Photo Credit: Veiled Beauty

Post from: Splendicity. Check out our new community features!

Lattice Lace Veil by Veiled Beauty

And the dresses are great. By “great”, I don’t mean “great for bridesmaid’s dresses”. They’re just plain great. Chic, sophisticated designs made in high quality fabrics. Infinitely wearable. Like this apricot colored halter frock, which is such a flattering design. Available for $205 from J. Crew.

Photo Credit: J. Crew

Post from: Splendicity. Check out our new community features!

Silk Tafetta Halter Sangle Dress by J. Crew

Well, yes, okay, fine, but imagine creatively what you could use them for. I think they would be perfect on gift bags, which for my wedding were a time eater, because my mother-in-law hand painted every single bag, which was sweet, but this would have saved her a lot of time. Or, if you’d like to give something like a scented candle as a party favor, then this would be the perfect way to personalize it.

Knowing me, I would probably put them on all my wedding notebooks and whatnot, just to differentiate them from my non-wedding stuff, but that could just be me.

Available for $35 per 150 from Mau Promos.

Photo Credit: Mau Promos

Post from: Splendicity. Check out our new community features!

Custom Wedding Stickers by Mau

Photo Credits: A Vintage Wedding

Post from: Splendicity. Check out our new community features!

Titanic Style Vintage Reproduction Gown