Houston Wedding Blog

Mother And Daughter Marry At Same Venue, 30 Years Apart

Mother, mothers day, daughter, hotel zaza, susie's cakes, mom
Photo: RaeTay Photography

March 20, 2021, was a wedding day to remember for Audrey and the Pfau family. Audrey and her parents, both wed in the same ballroom, just 30 years apart. Audrey’s beautiful mom Laila was married in Houston’s historic Warwick Hotel– what is now Hotel Zaza to Audrey’s dad, and she was thrilled to see her daughter marry the love of her life Benjamin, there as well— like mother, like daughter.

Benjamin proposed to Audrey on Thanksgiving 2019 in front of the Statue of Liberty in New York City. Recalls the bride, “It was breathtaking and he planned for my entire family to be there. It was the most incredible and memorable Thanksgiving!”

Audrey and Benjamin tied the knot amidst 100 of their dearest ones in a ceremony enveloped in love. The ceremony decor was both elegant and romantic, with lush white florals adding to the charm of their spring wedding. The celebration continued at Hotel Zaza with a spectacular reception that included a belly dance performance, a macaroni and cheese bar, and a stunning 4-tier almond cake with a decadent dulce de leche filling by Susie’s Cakes.

After much laughter, dancing and speeches, it was time for Audrey and Benjamin’s send-off. Audrey, now wearing an outfit that included pieces from her mother’s 1991 wedding gown, stepped into a classic car with Benjamin as they rode into their happily-ever-after.

Congratulations to Audrey and Benjamin, and special congratulations to the mother of the bride–Laila, as we commemorate all the Weddings in Houston mothers who make their children’s weddings so much more meaningful.

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5 Go-To Gifts for MOBs and MOGs

Stuck for great gifts to give your mom and your soon-to-be spouse’s, to show how much you appreciate their wedding help and support? These thoughtful mementos range from classic and timeless, to chic and beautiful, to a little bit…of both!

1. Personalized Compact

Personalized Compact from Oxee via Etsy
Photo: Oxee via Etsy

A practical gift gets a dose of sentimentality when engraved with a personalized message. Click here to read the rest of this post »

Mother’s Day Love: Houston Bride Jansu Shares Her Fave Mom Moment

Jansu-Poi-and-Mom Photo: Elizabeth B. Photography

MOM. She’s there for you every step of the way, whenever you need her—especially during wedding planning! With Mother’s Day right around the corner, we want to show all of the mamas out there how much we appreciate them. We asked our lovely Instagram followers what their fave wedding moment with Mom was, and we just had to share what Houston bride Jansu had to say.

“The night before the wedding, my mom and I had a sleepover—just the two of us. We reminisced about my childhood memories, and when I first met my husband in high school. We’d had a physics study party at his house, and when my mom came to pick me up, he was SO formal! He came outside just to shake her hand through the window,” says Jansu.

Jansu-Poi-and-Mom Photo: Elizabeth B. Photography

“We laughed and cried until 2 in the morning. Even though I got little sleep the night before the big day, it was the perfect way to calm my nerves and spend some special time with my mom. She’s my best friend—hands down,” she adds.

Houston-Bride-with-Mother Photo: Elizabeth B. Photography

We loved Jansu’s fave wedding moment with her mom so much, that we gave her a deluxe pedi package for two courtesy of Citris Nail Spa. Congrats on winning this fabulous giveaway! We hope you and your mom enjoy every moment of Mother’s Day. Xo!

Editor’s Picks: Gifts For Her

After all of those pre-wedding celebrations, bridal shower preps, luncheons and countless hours that your gals help you plan, it’s time to say thanks. Whether your girls love metallic flash tattoos, dainty jewelry or are makeup junkies, we’ve got you covered with 8 gifts they’ll definitely be swooning over. Happy shopping, lovelies!

Editor's Picks: Gifts For Her

1. Daydream Prints Team Bride Flash Tattoos: Daydream Prints 2. Henri Bendel Classic Diamond Cocktail Ring: Henri Bendel Houston Galleria 3. Bauble Bar Jumbo Disk Pendant: Bauble Bar 4. Greenleaf Cashmere Kiss Votive Candle: Greenleaf Gifts 5. Besame Cosmetics Lipstick in 1946 Red Velvet: Sephora 6. Henri Bendel Luxe Pave Orbital Cuff Bracelet: Henri Bendel Houston Galleria 7. Davie & Chiyo Letra Ring Trio: Davie & Chiyo 8. Sisco + Berluti Fly Me To The Moon Stack: Sisco + Berluti

MOB Special-Occasion Style from T. Carolyn Fashions’ Terrie Tibbetts Martin

Today we feature the second installment in our style-advice series just for mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom, from MOB/MOG-style expert Terrie Tibbetts Martin of Houston’s incomparable T. Carolyn Fashions. Today’s post looks at how to dress and accessorize to best effect for all those pre-wedding special occasions that fill your—and your mom’s—calendar during the months leading up to the big day. Our suggestion? Taking mom out for coffee (or cabernet, if that’s how you gals roll), pulling up this post on your tablet or mobile, and enjoying every little bit of it together. Cheers!

Ladies Pantsuit and Earrings

From Terrie Tibbetts Martin:

“With all of those pre-wedding parties and events coming up you’ll want to look your best. Remember, as a mother, you’re an integral part of the celebrations. By putting thought early on into what you will wear to the engagement party, bridal showers and rehearsal dinner, you won’t find yourself grabbing something out of your closet at the last minute.

When deciding on the outfits you will be wearing, consider the locations of the events and the time of day each event takes place. Evening gowns and cocktail attire reign supreme for engagement parties, but if a more casual venue has been decided upon for either the engagement party or the rehearsal dinner, you might consider a contemporary short dress.

Another superbly stylish choice? The elegant pantsuit—currently a major fashion trend. The beauty of the pantsuit is that it affords great comfort and mobility (qualities highly appreciated by moms) as well as styles that flatter many different body types. These pieces also transition beautifully from day to night with the proper accessories.

What’s great about a short dress or pantsuit, is that it can later be worn to a cocktail party, business dinner, or perhaps on a well-deserved cruise after the nuptials are over and you desperately need to relax and unwind.

On to accessories: One of the biggest mistakes mothers make is in breathing a sigh of relief over finding the right dress for the wedding and outfits for the pre-wedding events—only to completely overlook the accessories.

Which is a shame, since accessories are to a mother’s dress what a frame is to a painting: They complete the picture and draw they eye in.

JEWELRY: Necklaces and earrings add sparkle and illumination around the face as you walk down the aisle or are viewed from across the room. The proper earring can bring out cheekbones and showcase bone structure, actually giving a lift to the face. The perfect necklace can frame the face and even elongate the upper torso. If you are wearing an asymmetrical neckline, great earrings paired with an oversize bracelet will truly make a statement. And, of course, there’s nothing like the sparkle of crystals to bring out and enhance hand-beading and sewn crystals in dresses and gowns.

PURSE: Be sure to include a purse in your ensemble–especially for the wedding. You will definitely want a handkerchief, compact and lipstick, for drying tears and touching up after the ceremony, before additional photos are shot. A chic clutch, especially, will look smart walking down the aisle and has the added bonus of keeping your arm in check as you are escorted.

SHOES: Whether it’s for a pre-wedding party or the wedding itself, be sure to choose comfortable shoes. For those with serious foot problems, it is perfectly acceptable to slip into a second, more comfortable pair at the reception, but, if you are wearing a gown, do check beforehand to make sure your hem will still be the proper length if you change into comfy flats. This will avoid possible tripping and damage to the gown itself. Speaking of damage, if you choose a shoe with rhinestones on it, make sure to check and see if the stones are set in prongs. These prongs will snag and tear the hemline of your gown. If this occurs, the only way to salvage the gown is to convert it into a short dress.

With a bit of planning you can look beautiful and put-together for all of your upcoming festivities. And feeling really good about yourself will make all of your events far more enjoyable and will create a radiance all of your guests will notice—and your photos will capture for all time.”

mother-of-the-bride purses

For more on T. Carolyn Fashions, click here. Ready to visit the salon? No appointments are necessary…just pop in and shop happy!

Photos: Courtesy of T. Carolyn Fashions

MOB Fashion Rules from T. Carolyn Fashions’ Terrie Tibbetts Martin

One HUGE advantage Houston brides and their mothers have over to-be-weds in other major U.S. cities is T. Carolyn Fashions. Stunning gowns, suits and separates for the style-seeking mother-of-the-bride, mother-of-the-groom and other female guests—T. Carolyn’s got it all…and wedding-style-seekers travel to the salon from all over Texas and the United States to get in on it.

Mother of the bride - Short dresses - cream, black, brown

Today, we’re turning things over to your mom, Houston bride, and turning HWB over to T. Carolyn co-owner Terrie Tibbetts Martin, for the inside scoop for MOBs and MOGs on WHEN to shop (hint: it’s WAY earlier than you think), HOW to choose, and HOW to look gorgeous for the (second) most important celebration of your life. Brides, do NOT let your mom shop without first checking out Martin’s must-read post!

Terrie Martin - T. Carolyn Fashions

“Mothers often feel a great deal of pressure to look their best at their child’s wedding—and rightfully so! After her own wedding gown, this dress is the most important dress a mother will ever buy. And next to her own wedding, it’s the event where she’ll be photographed most. The importance of a mother’s dress cannot be overstated.

Here, to help mothers look magnificent on the big day, are my top FIVE insider tips for how and when to shop for that all-important dress.

1. Start shopping early. Mothers typically put themselves last, making sure everyone else is taken care of first. Most women don’t realize how long it can take to order a dress if a specific size or color is needed. When shopping in the fall (when the following spring season styles first arrive) or early spring (when the following fall season styles arrive), you should allow up to four and a half months for delivery.  The rest of the year allow up to three and a half months for your dress to ship.

2. Don’t become visually addicted to the Internet. Surfing the Web can be a good way to get ideas and have pictures to show consultants; but do remember that more often than not dresses look very different in person than in a picture.

Also, don’t become fixated by styles you’ve only seen in pictures on the Internet.  If you can’t find a dress with retailers who carry the line, there’s probably a reason.

The real advantage to using the Internet is in finding out which stores carry specific designers and how much inventory they stock. Use that information to locate and target those retailers that carry a large inventory of dresses so you can try on many different styles and several different colors to find out what best suits you.

3. Don’t judge a book by its cover…and never judge a dress on its hanger. Many dresses look entirely different on the body. This is especially true of soft fabrics such as chiffon, crepe, net and jersey. These fabrics can appear shapeless and matronly on the hanger, which is quite deceiving considering how shapely and fashion-forward they look on the body.

4. Don’t be tempted to buy a dress that is too small, thinking you’re going to lose weight. The vast majority of special-occasion dresses can be made smaller, but very few of them can be let out. Don’t put yourself under additional pressure by emotionally blackmailing yourself into a smaller size.

5. Don’t be too quick to say, ‘That’s not me.’ This is the perfect opportunity to experiment and perhaps even reinvent yourself. New beginnings just might call for a new you. There are so many exciting fabrics, silhouettes, treatments and colors out there—it’s like being a kid in a candy store! There has never been a better selection of wedding attire for mothers, and as a mother, you deserve to look and feel beautiful too.

One of my favorite sayings is ‘Knowledge is power.’ Hopefully these tips will empower you to seek out options, experiment, have fun, and, in the end, find the dress that’s absolutely perfect for you!”

For more on T. Carolyn Fashions, click here. Ready to visit the salon? No appointments are necessary…just pop in and shop happy!

Photos: Courtesy of T. Carolyn Fashions

Houston MOBs and MOGs Wanted for New Reality TV Show

Casting call! Houston brides, is your mom or your fiancé’s mom searching for her perfect wedding outfit? Might she appreciate the advice of a MOB/MOG fashion specialist? Think she’d like to share her experience on camera for a TV audience?

Toronto-based RTR Media Inc. and L.A.-based Citizen Skull Productions are casting for “Mother of the Bride,” a new lifestyle TV series that follows the adventures of women who are shopping at T. Carolyn Fashions , Houston’s nationally renowned special-occasion boutique, for the perfect dress or outfit to wear on their child’s wedding day. Think “Say Yes to the Dress,” but for moms instead of brides. And in Houston instead of New York. Awesome.

Sound like something your mom would like? Tell her to apply. Now. HERE

Houston MOBs and MOGs Wanted for New Reality TV Show ~ Houston Wedding Blog

Photos by Richard Tibbetts Courtesy T. Carolyn Fashions