The Vegan Bride: First Shots

I just recieved an email from Lia:

Hi Cassandra,

Attached are some pics from the wedding. I was really excited to show them to you and therefore could not wait until I received the professional ones from the photographer. These are quite nice also, and I hope you enjoy! I will forward you some nicer ones as soon as I get them. Everyone LOVED the dress. Needless to say... so did I. I felt extremely confident and beautiful, and that's exactly what it is all about!! THANK YOU!
-Lia

I thought these were very nice too!

The Vegan Bride: Last Fitting and Pick up

We've come a long way since I first wrote about this Lia, The Vegan Bride (see all the posts) in January 2009. We have had our last fitting a Lia is probably lying on any one of the Beaches in Barbados or running around town enjoying her family giving she and Kalani much love. Which ever it is this cool, calm and collected bride is just about 4 days away from the big day (July 11, 2009).

The dress is a silk satin faced organza and has a full tie dyed skirt. When she came for the fitting for the hem I admitted I was worried about the original colors that she selected for the skirt. The yellows seemed too harsh and I thought didn't blend with the softness of the top.


She approved the softer yellow dye and then she came with her shoe (J Crew gold). Lia wanted just a very simple not a lot of fuss and she wanted to be able to wear it with her party jumpsuit (white and is really very nice) that she will wear later after the reception.

The dress is gorgeous and this is all you are getting.
You and I will wait together for the formal photos and I can't wait to see it unfold.

Here is a peek at the bag and although it is from the fabric of the dress, it is the under side.

Stay tuned for the wedding photo's

The Vegan Bride: Location Location

The Crane Resort Barbados

Lia has gone back to her mother land, Barbados, to get married. That's where she was born and raised. With that home town advantage her mom and wedding planner from The Crane has taken care of organizing everything, while Lia and Kalani were here in NY working. There is much to do before the big day. Which is July 11, 2009. We are getting close.

The Crane offers a wide range of services and for this couple the menu was a particular concern. The Crane was able to offer them a Vegan menu for them and some of their guest and also a buffet of delicious delights, which will include meat. They wanted every guest to enjoy to themselves without forcing their lifestyle on them.

Just check out the accommodations, dining, and more.

The Crane Weddings and Honeymoon

The Vegan Bride:Ziggy Walcott

Ziggy Walcott

Music is an important feature to this couple's wedding. The natural sounds of the ocean and warm breezes with sunshine are going to be accompanied perfectly by Ziggy Walcott. The tenor steel pannist described by critic "He plays tenor pan with unrivaled versatility".
This is going to be a beautiful walk down the aisle.

To hear and see more of David "Ziggy" Walcott, check these sites:
CD Baby/David Ziggy Walcott Jambustin' Notes
My Space/David Ziggy Walcott Listen
Candor Music Ltd/David Ziggy Walcott Bio

The Vegan Bride: The Vegan Groom

All of my posts have been about Lia (as it should be, she is the bride DUH), however she has a simply fabulous vegan groom, Kalani (a twist on a West African name). Both have the same dietary goals which made dating alot easier. Lia didn't have to subject herself to salads in hamburger joints.

After spying each other at a Reggae concert they created their own music and now we are close to this couple creating a duet where both families sing their praises.

I wanted to share with you what Kalani was wearing on the big day. Since Lia's dress is not traditional and has a little funk incorporated in it, his suit needs to fit in. He has chosen a suit from John Varvatos Star USA Three Piece Suit. He won't be wearing the vest and Nordstrom is fitting it to Kalani, so it will be a bit more nipped in at the waist. It is a beautiful match for this island wedding.

John Varvatos Star USA

Available at Nordstrom

The Vegan Bride: Paris

Imagine that in the middle of planning a wedding this lovely bride takes off to Paris for some rest and relaxation. I want her life! Lia is having the time of her life and you can read about her trip to Paris in her blog, Infinite Paris.

The Vegan Bride: 2nd Fitting

This was the full muslin fitting which went well. As you can see, the dress is forming very nicely. There are a few adjustments and the dress will be perfect. Lia had so much fun in the muslin, she began to spin around like a dancer. Can't wait for the fabric fitting which will soon come.

It was a great fitting and I love that she is enjoying every moment of her planning.

The Vegan Bride: The First Fitting

Our first fitting went well. I use a muslin fabric to make any corrections. It's great because I can mark on it and pin it and I don't worry about damaging the dress fabric. For the first fitting I wanted to get the bodice right, I only fit the bodice this time. The bodice of the dress is like a bra top attached to a waist band, which is made very tight.

See what the dress will look kind of, similar, not exactly, but a little, look like here.

The Vegan Bride: The Dress

My first meeting with Lia, to talk about "the dress" was delightful. She is fun, creative, and has a great fashion sense. For her Barbados nuptials, she need something light airy and fabulous. Lia loves the silk organza's which, have a bit of just the right combination of fluff and flow. When she contacted me she even submitted some a beautiful sketch (seen above). Her dress will definitely have color and some tie dying. We have settled on a beautiful dress that fits her style and because I don't know if her fiance will be checking in online, all I can say is her dress will look kind of, similar, not exactly, but a little, like the sketch above.
After Lia left her appointment I did a little research on Vegan fabrics. Although hemp and cottons are popular among the Vegan community she was OK Fine and dandy with her fabric choices.
Lia's first fitting appointment coming up.

The Other Vegan Bride

Michael and Nacala
The Other Vegan Couple

As you all know I am following Lia Brooms, The Vegan Bride, through her planning process. However before Lia, there was Nacala The Other Vegan Bride. Beautiful and creative this bride was a cool calm breath of fresh air for all her fittings.
We decided on a one shoulder silk shantung gown. Embellished at a high waist with a gold lace, beads and cowrie shells.

Two Photos Below by Cassandra Bromfield

A matching shawl that she wore draped around her head for the ceremony. The headpiece was designed by Beauloni Style. One of the symbols that was important to the couple was an Ankh. That was created on the front of the gown in Swarovski Crystals.

Nacala wasn't the stiletto shoe type and would have gone down the path barefoot. She found these at Aerosoles (these may no longer be available, the wedding was late spring 2008). They were perfect for her Afrocentric style. I joked with her that they seemed to replicate the Adinkra symbol, Besa Saka, sack of cola nuts, symbol of affluence, power, abundance, togetherness, and unity. She thought that was perfect.

This Photo By Cassandra Bromfield

The color was a light color of creme which matched perfectly with Michael's garment from Wilsdom Designs. They also made other family members attire.

The Wedding was early morning (about 8am) in Central Park on the northern side. Away from where they usually host weddings. Michael and Nacala wanted to begin the day with a sacred ceremony. It was fitting and symbolic. Atiba Wilson and Songhai Djeli were the drummers along with 3 dancers from the ministers recommendation, she is also a dance instructor.

I also asked Nacala:

Can you name some of the symbols and what they represented to you? Sankofa because we wanted to do a ceremony with traditional African (west) elements. If we were not stolen from Africa we would know exactly what to do for a wedding based on our tribe. It's important for us to celebrate where we come from and our roots. What a perfect way to start our union. Also we chose the Egyptian ankh because of its meaning for eternal life and the union of man woman and child. We want our love to be eternal, believe in eternal life, and definitely want children. Well said.

The reception was held at a favorite Brooklyn restaurant, The Red Bamboo, which is of course, is Vegan. So, what does a Vegan Couple cut, a Vegan Cake of course. Which has typical cake ingredients but there are dairy substitutions which are soy milk, soy margarine, and egg replacer. I am promised that the cake was delicious.

Red Bamboo Brooklyn
Vegetarian * Caribbean * Soul
718.643.4352

718.643.4806

redbamboobrooklyn@redbamboobrooklyn.com

After Glow:
So how is everything after the wedding. Nacala moved to California to join Micheal almost immediately following the BIG day. In an email she gave me her thoughts:

"It was just as we wanted it to be. I love the dress and I loved wearing it. Thank you so much, it was perfect.".
How are things going now months after the BIG day, was there anything you wish you did or anything you could have done without? "Things are good, never enough time together w/him being in chiropractic school. Wish we had gone on a honeymoon and had more time after before our cross country move and starting work/school immediately."

All the best to Michael and Nacala.
The Photos above (except where indicated by Cassandra Bromfield) are by Ed Marshall Photography

The Vegan Bride

The bride above is my The Vegan Bride, Lia. She found me through an interenet search and began with an email I received in August 08:
I have been reviewing your website and am extremely interested in a Cassandra Bromfield gown for my special day. We are currently planning our wedding for July 2009 in Barbados. I am looking for something fresh, sunny and funky with an Afrocentric twist. Rumor has it that Cassandra Bromfield is the place to go:)
Now I am really flattered and excited. The idea that I will be designing for a lovely spunky little Pre-K school teacher (my mother was a school teacher and I have a special fondness for educators) was exciting and Lia is a creative thinker. Her g0wn would not be the "normal" kind of dress, it's "funky with an Afrocentric twist". In fact she attached a picture of her self (above) along with her sketches of her dress that as she says is "skillessly" created by herself, I think she did an excellent job.

Lia and I finally met after playing phone tag, she was quite patient. As she describes herself and her plans for the wedding, Lia points out she and her fiance', Makalani, are both Vegetarian and not the namby pamby kind, they are vegan. How is she going to eat cake? What is the menu like? How is this Caribbean beauty going to pick a wedding based on her strict dietary choices? I thought all these questions and more could be asked by so many more couples, so I will follow her on her journey bringing you all the great finds.
Keep checking in with The Vegan Bride for updates, links, and ideas for a Vegan Wedding. It is even better to subscribe to this blog and you won't miss a post.