Bridal Jewelry Blog by Mandy Greenan

Inspired Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:51:00 +0000

Have I told you lately how much I love working with you? I do! I love to see pictures of you, and your gown, and your venue, and I love to hear details about how your 4 year old neice is your flower girl, and that she's wearing sparkle shoes and fairy wings, and I love to hear about your flowers, and invitations, and how you're going to wear your hair.

So, I decided to do an entire collection, 20 new looks, all inspired by you! I'm looking for all budgets and diverse styles. If you'd like to be a part of it, please email me!

Here's some more info:
www.tigerlillyjewelry.com/inspired.html

We'll have 20 brides with 20 looks (single or multiple pieces), and we'll work together to make something custom for you. Then you can name the piece, model it for our website, and forever be a part of our very first season of the Inspired collection, which will make it's debut at NY bridal market in October.

Hoang Appreciation Week

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:48:00 +0000

Hoang Pham, beloved jewelry goddess, is leaving Tigerlilly. This is her very last week with us. If you have purchased Tigerlilly jewelry in the last 3 years or so, there's a good chance Hoang made it.

We are going to miss Hoang terribly. There would be no Tigerlilly today without her. She is so amazingly smart, creative, honest, loyal, artistic, funny... We have had many great adventures together.

Anyway, it's the end of an era and we all want to tell Hoang how much we love her this week! A million thank yous to the lovely and talented Hoang.

Introducing Aaron and Andi

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:49:00 +0000

I am so excited to introduce Aaron Machado and Andi Harriman, the newest additions to Tigerlilly!

Aaron is fabulously handling sales, marketing, and event planning. Andi is glamorously making your gorgeous jewelry and modeling it. I know you will love them as much as I do! Which is quite a lot!

xoxo

Swarovski crystal evening bags

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:53:00 +0000

Say hello to the newest addition to our website, handcrafted Swarovski crystal and freshwater pearl evening bags!

Here's my personal fave:

Each bag is handmade with intricate filigree and Swarovski crystals or freshwater pearls. They are the perfect size for glamorously toting your essentials... and they each come with a custom hook so when you sit down to dine, you can hang your bag on the table beside you! Love it!

xoxo

Bride of the Season Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Fri, 30 May 2008 12:33:00 +0000

We're so excited that summer is here! It's a crazy busy wedding season this year, and to celebrate, we are giving away $1000 of Tigerlilly jewelry to one lucky bride to be! We are having so much fun reading about all of your weddings.

Anyway, there is still time to enter. Just email seasons@tigerlillyjewelry.com and tell us all about you, your wedding, and why you should be our first Bride of the Season. You'll win the $1000 prize, and you'll also get your picture and wedding details on our website all summer long!

So keep those entries coming all weekend. You can nominate another person for bride of the season too!

Hurry! Contest closes on June 1 at midnight, and we'll choose a winner on June 2!

Pearl Colors

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Sun, 11 May 2008 19:04:00 +0000

I love freshwater pearls. They go with every dress color. I am going to start blogging about questions I'm most frequently asked, and this is definitely up near the top of the list.

My dress is (white, ivory, diamond white, champagne, black, green, platinum, gold... fill in the blank). Will freshwater pearls go with it?

Absolutely. The natural freshwater pearl color is a pale creamy ivory color that goes with all shades of white and ivory. True, it is a slightly darker shade than a stark white, but stark white pearls look fake (because they are.) You probably don't want that.

It is absolutely ok, actually, more than acceptable but preferable - to wear the natural shade of freshwater pearl, rather than trying to find a glass pearl that will exactly match the shade of your gown.

Cute bridesmaids compact mirror

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:43:00 +0000

Okay, well, these custom embroidered compact mirrors are just cute so I thought I'd highlight them here:

Available in lots of different fabric choices and any color embroidery. Fun, different, and full of personality, no?

Birdcage Veil Colors

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:36:00 +0000

How fun and glamorous is this? Don't you want to walk around in this all day?

Some of you might not be aware of all of the colors that are available for birdcage veils. It doesn't have to be a funky color like turquoise, either - we offer veils in champagne, peach, light pink... just about any shade you can think of, actually, including metallics! I want someone to order one in metallic gold or silver and then send me a picture!

Weddingbee Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:21:00 +0000

Mrs. Bee over at weddingbee is graciously hosting a contest for us. We'll be giving the winner a $500 gift certificate for anything on our website! To enter, click on over to the post and write a comment - tell me what your favorite designs are! The deadline is tonight at 8:00pm so hurry!

I have had such a blast reading all of the comments so far!

Modernizing the Tiara

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:15:00 +0000

Today I'm going to show you how to update the traditional tiara. Below are tons of ideas... ok 8.

They can be worn in the traditional princessy sort of way:

(Look! She's an ice princess!)

You can also wear them in a traditional way with more untraditional hair for a modernizing effect:

You can wear them upside down for a totally different look:

You can wear them flat against your head like a headband:

You can wear them on the back of your head around a bun:

You can find them in unusual materials like real leaves and flowers, or chandelier prisms!

You can wear them asymmetrically on your head:

You can add color!

So, you don't have to be royalty or a pageant queen to wear a tiara. The tiara is dead, long live the tiara!

XOXO

Tulle Bracelets

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:23:00 +0000

One of the things I'm most excited about with the Luxe collection are the new Scarlett and Zoe bracelets. The night before our photo shoot, I was whizzing around the studio getting all of the samples ready and trying to figure out what I'd forgotten. I had lists and lists with model photos and hair styles and samples... then I saw our bolt of russian netting sitting next to some brooches. I just LOVE russian netting, so of course I started to play with it. I was absently wrapping it around my wrist when... Wow. That looks really cool! Sort of a modern "like a virgin" (if you're old enough to remember 1980s Madonna...

So how do they work? There's enough tulle netting to go around your wrist about 3 times. More than that and it looks bulky. I put little silver loops on each end, so you can use a hook (included) to clasp it together. Then, you can just attach the brooch to the front of your wrist over the fabric you made. It's so great, because now you can wear it as a brooch too! And you know what else? It totally works in your hair a la the Scarlett headband:

New Collections

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:39:00 +0000

I hope you love our 2 new collections - Luxe and Timeless.

I went all out with Luxe. I actually made the signature piece, the Alvina Headband, last October and had to build a collection around it. There are some really interesting styles that I've never done before, which I'll blog about this week, like the Zoe and Scarlett bracelets. What pulls it all together is absolute opulance. I didn't ask questions with this collection, I just let the pieces be whatever they wanted, even if that took me weeks to create. It's definitely an extention of 2 previous collections, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Organics. I just love the natural elements and taking them to the next level, and the magical vibe that creates.

Timeless has been developing for a while now (ha!) - you've seen the necklaces on our website for a few months. The collection is a little more understated elegance, though a few of the necklaces are quite breathtaking on their own. I think the pieces are some of my more classic looking designs, but there's still drama and romance. I love the subtle sparkle of the Minuets (earrings, bracelet, necklace, comb) and I had so much fun coming up with all of the different hair ornaments.

For the first time ever, there are no new tiaras in the collections! I just wasn't feeling it this season. There are a few headbands that can be worn in a tiara-ish way, and certainly some of the combs have the tiara vibe. Are tiaras over? Heavens no! We love the tiara. More about that later this week too.

XOXO

Dollface Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:02:00 +0000

We never got to do a proper photo shoot for our Dollface Collection. So, even though the designs already made their official debut last October... introducing, once again, Dollface!

XOXO

Alvina Headband

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:17:00 +0000

I just had to post this preview of the Luxe collection! Look for it online Monday!

Fascinators

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:08:00 +0000

We had a photo shoot yesterday for our new Fall/Winter 2008/2009 collections!!

It's always one of my favorite days of the year because my vision actually comes to life. We'll be adding the new pieces to the website this week, including both of the above birdcage veils and fascinators.

So, you might not be familiar with the term fascinator. Fascinators are pretty much anything you wear on your head that is fabulous that's not a hat. They're usually made of feathers and crystals and flowers - that sort of thing. None of the veils have anything attached to them, but you can add a fascinator anywhere to it because they're all on little pins or combs. I find fascinators to be aptly named. I can sit and play with them for hours.

Necklaces in the hair

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:39:00 +0000

I just came across this picture from a Dollface collection photo shoot and it's a great example of how to wear necklaces in your hair. On the left, Jamie is wearing the coin pearl necklace as a headband. All you need to do is use a few bobby pins to pin it in place. I think it looks great as a headband! Sasha is wearing the Luka necklace across her forehead. Again, we just used a few bobby pins on each side and it's very secure.

Best of all, you now have a necklace that you can wear long after you're married.

Custom Bridal Jewelry Design

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:41:00 +0000

I am so happy to be able to do custom work again! I have so much fun creating pieces for brides and coming up with ideas together. I’ve been doing a lot of it lately (above are a few examples) and I thought I would post about how it works.

First, you have to contact me! Don’t be shy – we get bored making the same things all the time, so I really do like to hear your ideas. Tell me things like when and where your wedding is and the general vibe, what your dress looks like and what you love about it, how you’re wearing your hair, and what you’re looking for. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, tell me that too. Also include any pictures you might have to help me get a feel for what you’re going for – dress pics, (you in the dress is even better!) hairstyles, etc.

So, once I get your email, I’ll respond with some ideas and probably ask lots of questions. We’ll go back and forth trading ideas and pictures until we’re on the same page and we have a clear idea of what the piece will look like. I’ll send you an invoice for payment, you place the order, and I get started making it!

Let’s see… frequently asked questions… Cost – the pieces will be in the same range as our current collections. Timeframe – I can work with you if you need a piece asap, but usually it takes at least 2-3 weeks. We’re coming up on the busiest time of year, so try to allow plenty of time!

Once I’m done, I send you a picture. At this point, we make any adjustments. We can change anything and we will until you love it! Then we send it off, you get married looking more gorgeous than ever, and we all live happily ever after.

London Calling

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 02:48:00 +0000

So, no, I didn't fall off the map this past week... I fell across it to London. What an amazing city. I can't wait to tell you all about the bridal trends going on over there. And to all of our fabulous UK brides -- Cheers!

More to come this week, including how to take a horrific looking bridesmaid dress and turn it into a totally wearable, dare I say... even couture looking? - skirt.

Plus, what I've learned about "fascinators" while in the UK. Love them. And you will too, once you know what they are.

And, oh yes, I found some AMAZING vintage pieces to use in upcoming vintage bride headpieces. I'm so in love with London.

Vintage Glam Bridal Hairstyles

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 19:14:00 +0000

If you're looking for a little hairstyle and makeup inspiration, why not take a look at the screen sirens of the past? These styles are timeless and would totally work on today's bride. Add a little hair ornament or clip and you're done. Above from left: Gene Tierney, Greta Garbo, Ava Gardner and Rita Hayworth, Greta Garbo again, and Clara Bow. So hot!

And of course, we can't forget about Audrey and Grace. I have the center Audrey Hepburn photo hanging above my desk.

Vintage Bride

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:57:00 +0000

Marissa Conrad blogs about weddings for Washingtonian Magazine. Here's an article she wrote about our Vintage Bride collection!

Fashion Friday: Go Vintage!

Thanks Marissa!

Something old is new again

Vow Bride Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:12:00 +0000

Vow Bride magazine spotlights Tigerlilly in their current issue! I had a chat with editor in chief Kim Wadsworth about brides, design, and innovation. For the full interview, click here. Thanks Kim!

PS - That is model Rozlyn Papa on the cover. You might recognize her from Tigerlilly ads - that's also her in the covertible images at the bottom of the page. We love Rozlyn!

Custom Bridesmaids Jewelry

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:06:00 +0000

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm so excited! Today we updated our bridal party earrings section with tons of custom color options. Now, you don't have to try to imagine what your custom earrings will look like anymore - just roll over the 21 different color options and see the earrings change color before your eyes! Of course, we can still make the earrings in any color combination, not just the ones shown. So cool. Anyway, we plan on doing the same thing with the bracelets and necklace pages in the coming days, so stay tuned!

Securing combs and hairpins

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:27:00 +0000

It's a very common question. If you are wearing your hair down, how do you secure a comb? Well, there is a very simple trick.

Hairpins and combs need hair that is secured in place to grip onto. So, with 2-3 bobby pins that match your hair color, grab the section of hair where you want the comb or pin to go. Secure the hair against your head. Make it tight. Bobby pins are a wedding hair stylist's best friend - I swear to you, I think my stylist used over a hundred pins on my wedding day! Anyway, then you just slide the comb or pin into place. This works with nearly all hair types and lengths.

By the way, this is also a great way to secure a tiara, headband, or a brooch you want to wear in your hair.

Luxe Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 23:52:00 +0000

It's busy busy around here as we are preparing to debut our new collection, LUXE. Sometimes more is more...

Coming soon!

The Versatile Hair Vine

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Greenan) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 21:43:00 +0000

A hair vine is a flexible hair accessory that can be worn pretty much any way you can imagine – like a tiara, headband, bun wrap, coiled up on the side of an updo – because they are made on such flexible wire, they can be bent and manipulated in any way you’d like. What’s even better about our hair vines is that they also come with removable clasps and extender chains, so they can be worn as necklaces or bracelets too! We’ve had brides wear them as necklaces to the rehearsal dinner and in their hair the next day – we LOVE jewelry that can do double duty like that!

We don’t have NEARLY enough hair vines in our collections yet, so brides, if you want a custom hair vine – email me! I’d love to make some more!