Every girl has felt that moment. A time when you have walked into a store or opened a website and you see something that physically takes your breath away. I’m not talking about my wedding dress, in fact I haven’t started looking for that yet. I have found my headpiece.
I’m intrigued by headpieces and you will find me frequently sewing hundreds of sequins onto a headband for the races. So one day on a mad “vintage” hunt I stumbled across the new Johanna Johnson online store. Trawling through the pages I laid eyes on my dream wedding headpiece. Small and delicate, intricately hand-sewn beading reminiscent of a era of understated glamour and modest sensuality. Harlow by Johanna Johnson seemed to embody everything that I want my wedding to be. Vintage, romantic, a little bit different.
When it arrived I slowly opened the glamorous box and tissue paper to reveal my little gem. It was everything that I imagined. So now whilst in the midst of organising my wedding, if I feel a little lost, not knowing what option to choose or whether I am making the right decision, I open the Johanna Johnson box and let it whisper its secrets to inspire me again.
Melanie says: “I’m a kiwi girl who lives in regional Queensland and am planning a wedding in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Come with me as I experience the perils of organising a destination wedding in one of the most beautiful places in the world.”
Ms Gingham says: The first piece of the puzzle has been found! We can already see the mood of this wedding just with one accessory. Thanks to Melanie for writing such a beautiful post and inspiring us all!
Click here to read Melanie’s engagement story.
What a fantastic story! I also have a couple of key pieces – an Art Deco necklace, a magnificent Stephanie Browne haircomb and cuff – that I just swoon about and which help crystallise what I want the rest of our wedding to look like. And after the wedding these talismans will become special treasures from the day – hooray for treasures!
uuum, two phrases that go together – most beautiful place in the world and destination wedding!
I am dying over your hairpiece- i can’t wait to see you wear it! Between that and the blue water of the Cook Islands- this is going to be one amazing wedding!
I wore that headpiece just 2 weeks ago at my wedding!!!!!
I was exactly the same as you. I fell in love with the headpiece and my whole vintage inspired wedding was based around it!
Here is a link to the photos taken by the amazing Anna Rose Photography
http://www.filmandwhimsy.com/?p=580
All the best for the big day!
Bec
Lovely pictures Bec! You look fab! I’m thinking of wearing that headpiece. I was just wondering whether it was heavy to wear. So many of them are! Is it possible to wear it with or without the ribbons?
I tried it on and its not heavy at all.
It has mesh through the piece itself so Im pretty sure you could have it attached without the ribbons.
Thanks, Mel. I have dark brown hair and I think it would look better without the ivory ribbons. I suppose you could remove the ribbons. On the website, it says that you can have it with or without ribbons but it only gives you an option to buy it with the ribbons. I assume then they can be removed?
I don’t have a JJ shop near me – I’m the other side of the world! – and am just being guided by what’s on the net! Any advice is most welcome!
How are you going to wear your hair? Mine is long and wavy.
I have long brown wavy hair as well so am contemplating wearing it just like the woman on the website. We are getting married in Rarotonga so I need to have my hair up to keep it off my back and keep me cool.
It would definitely be easy enough to cut the straps off. I’m keeping mine on though as after the wedding I will use it as a really nice cuff.
I can also see it being fixed to your hair like a brooch kind of thing as well if you get my drift? It is beautiful in real life though.
Hi Ros and Mel,
It isn’t very heavy to wear at all. I pinned mine in as the ribbon kept coming undone, so the ribbon didnt actually hold it in my hair anyway, the bobby pins did!
When you order it you can email them and request it to come without ribbon. They were very helpful when I ordered mine. I had a few questions to ask about getting it posted as there isn’t a JJ shop in Perth, so they packaged it all up really well. And they responded really quickly to emails.
I looked at a few different headpieces in Perth as I hadnt seen this JJ one in real life, only on the net, but I just didnt love any others. I am sooo glad I went with the JJ one! It was perfect and was well worth the money!
Bec
Thanks to both of you for your comments.
I think I will go from it!
From your pictures Bec, the ribbons look quite long but I assume you can tie them up of clip them in to make them shorter. It wouldn’t go with the back of my dress to have them down my back.
I like the idea of wearing it as a cuff – you can wear it again – I will wear it that way for the ceremony (I have a veil) and wear it as a headpiece for the reception.
As a matter of interest – did either you try the JJ garland headpiece? The smaller one of the two, they have with the Milla veil? It looks lovely but I bet it’s really heavy….