Half-up hairstyle

The half-up hairstyle is so versatile, with lots of possible variations. It combines the elegance of an up-style with the softness of hair that is down. This type of hairstyle seems to be really popular again for 2010 and suits the currently fashionable wide hair-band or vintage beaded alice-bands.

I have designed a gorgeous new collection of sumptuous hair accessories for next season! Why not make an appointment to visit my showroom so you can try a selection of designs?

Read more of my articles about hairstyles to give you lots of tips and advice on choosing the right hairstyle for your wedding!

Dapper grooms

I saw this wedding feature on 100 Layer Cake and just had to share some pictures of the wonderful groom's outfit - how dandy is his whole look? Just love the colour combinations, stripes, (one of my favourite things!), and the pork-pie hat. The bride looks wonderful too but the groom steals the show....did I just say that - Oooops :-)

See the feature on 100 Layer cake
Photos courtesy of James Moes

Claire's wedding

I know I say this a lot - but I am continually grateful and inspired to receive so many photos from my clients' weddings! It cheers me up to receive these images and reminds me why I love my job so much.

Here is a picture from Claire's recent wedding which was also featured in the 'Franc' wedding magazine. The gorgeous hair was again styled by Sandra Crosbie.

The photograph is courtesy of John Daly Photography

Romantic posies

Flowers inspire many a wedding theme - whether it's colour or form, natural or structured, large or small. I came across the creative designs of Martha Andrews online.

I love the striking blue circular posie that combines structure with the feel of a bunch of freshly picked wild flowers! The wrist corsage is delicate yet dramatic with that striking black ribbon. Love them both!

Here's a few words from Martha about the wrist corsage above -

With the corsage, I am always trying to find ways to make them different, usually using unexpected flowers is the best way. I love chocolate cosmos, this corsage was designed mainly on the colour scheme of the wedding. I think colour is one of my biggest inspirations, I love colours and trying new combinations.

Thanks Martha!

Rangoli bride

A big thanks to Orla who sent me this great picture yesterday! Orla's wedding dress was an antique olive/gold green with ivory detail. She wanted to incorporate green, purple and ivory as these colours were in her colour theme.

Sandra Crosbie styled Orla's hair and is a good friend of mine. We worked together along with Orla to design something that would complement all of the elements. Here's a few words from Orla -

Thanks so much for making up the ribbons, they were perfect, exactly what I wanted and got so many comments and compliments on the day :)

I absolutely love the hairstyle that Sandra created and how she wove the beaded ribbons throughout the hair in such a sculptural way. See more of Sandra's hairstyles at www.sandracrosbie.com

Photo courtesy of Still Life Studio

And the winner is...

Congratulations to Karyn Sullivan from Cork who is the lucky winner of the Farrell & Chase Stationery competition. Thanks to everyone who entered.

For anyone who missed the closing date - have a look at Pamela's great selection of cards for all occasions.

Rangoli wedding tips - part 4

In my final article for the Confetti newsletter, I offer advice on creating your bridal 'look' on a modest budget.

Think 'detail' and focus on the special touches that will give you the 'wow' factor. Choose a beaded sash or pearl trim for your dress or sumptuous antique jewellery that will shimmer as you walk!

Let me know if you need advice with the type of accessories that will complement your gown - I'm more than happy to make some suggestions.

Read my other Confetti articles -
Visit the Dirty Fabulous website -

Glamour Gold

It's hard not to want to share everything I see on StyleMePretty! Today, I saw a pair of gorgeous shoes that were featured as part of a real wedding.

I think they are so pretty and were designed by Kate Spade. However, it's partly the way they are photographed that made me love them so much. The photographer is Jasmine Star - what a cool name :-)

And I love how shoes have become a featured element of the wedding album - treated with the respect normally reserved for pieces of fine sculpture!

With a bit of searching, I found the matching bag too...

Kind of purpley, blue grey...

My jaw is on the floor! I've just read that The Dessy Group, (dress designers), are now producing all of their bridesmaids' dresses in Pantone colours.

For those of you in the 'know', Pantone is a company that produce a catalogue of colour references mostly for designers who work in the print medium. The colour sample book allocates a number reference for each shade and allows for colours to be reproduced in print exactly as the designer intended.

Can you image flicking through this rainbow catalogue and selecting the colour you would like your bridesmaids dresses to be?

via Junebug weddings

Rangoli wedding tips - part 3

In my latest article for Confetti.ie newsletter, I would like to tell you about the hottest trends for 2010. And what a year it's going to be for jewellery and hair accessories!

It's all about your accessories for this coming season - now is the time to make a statement and express your individuality and personal style. It's these small but unique details that really complete your look and I hope that you have fun choosing them.

Read more articles about bespoke Rangoli designs or visit the Rangoli website

Farrell & Chase Stationery competition

Today I'm really excited to be launching my very first competition on my blog! One of my lucky readers will win a Christmas Stationery Multi pack from Irish company Farrell and Chase.

There's a whole community of bloggers out there and it's a friendly online world! I was really excited to discover Pamela's blog a while ago and love how she combines lots of inspirational bridal tips and advice alongside her own designs. Pamela has just launched her new Christmas range and has generously offered to sponsor this competition.

Win a prize of a Farrell & Chase Christmas Surprise Multi Pack!

"Get into the Christmas spirit writing letterpress Christmas cards! With a choice of different designs you'll have the perfect card for everyone. Top a gift or a table with our Christmas tags, the perfect festive finishing touch. Write your Christmas wish list on our “Dear Santa” hanging cards and hang them on your Christmas tree ready for Santa to see when he comes down the chimney! It wouldn't be Christmas without a suprise so with every Christmas Surprise order we will include a complimentary letterpress Christmas Surprise! Merry Christmas!"

12 Christmas cards + 12 Christmas tags + 2 hanging " Dear Santa" Wish Lists + A complimentary letterpress Christmas surprise!

Here is your simple question -
What are the names of the two Christmas Multi Packs listed on the Farrell & Chase online stationery shop?

Email me your answer to aisling [at] rangoli [dot] ie - please include your address and a contact number. The closing date for this competition is Monday 30th November, giving you plenty of time to post your cards before Christmas.


Good luck to all!

Rangoli bride

I just love this image that Vanessa sent in to me. I designed the 'Spray' hairpin and pendant to match the ornate lace in her gown. What a gorgeous hairstyle too.

This image will shortly be added to the Rangoli Brides section of my website. I know that this is a really popular part of my site as people like to see what 'real' brides look like and I've been told that these images are also inspiring for hairstyle ideas!

Again, thanks to everyone who shares their wedding pics with me and allows me to publish them on my website.

Philip Treacy shoes for Valentino

It's no surprise that Philip Treacy has decided to expand his creative talents by designing shoes for Valentino. Dramatic hats and shoes go hand in hand and these whimsical beauties are to die for!


I came across this news on the blogs of one of my readers in Argentina! So thanks for introducing yourself Lelis - Have a look at her inspiring blog even if you can't understand the text...

And here's a few words from Philip himself -

"I am usually working on the head and then to move to the foot is a whole other dimension," he explained. "You can't have the same fragility, because models walk like racehorses and kick them together. And then something very delicate is in tatters—but actually, it looks quite good in tatters!"

Anyone find any gorgeous shoes for their wish-lists?
Read my other articles about shoes including a special Rangoli shoe commission!

Friday treats

Rosewater, Cardamom and Cinnamon Ice Cream
Weekends make me think of relaxing with friends and eating nice food and this recipe looks so pretty and combines some of my favourite flavours - I'm a big fan of middle-eastern cooking.

Read the full recipe at www.nordljus.co.uk - Could also be nice to wash it down with a Cardomom Rose Cocktail..!

Rangoli wedding tips - part 2

In my second article for the Confetti.ie newsletter I want to share useful advice on choosing jewellery and hair accessories for your wedding.

I have been designing for brides for over twelve years. As a result I have an eye for the shapes and styles that work well together to create a harmonious look. I hope my suggestions will help you choose the perfect accessories for your wedding.


Read the other Confetti articles or more about recent Rangoli commissions.

Jenny Packham Acacia II

X-Factor is the place where the fashion of the presenters is almost as important as the singing talent! Everyone seems to be talking about how Cheryl Cole wore a Jenny Packham hairband a couple of weeks ago. And how glamorous she looked! It just confirms how many bridal hair accessories can be worn again for other occasions.


I have been designing Rangoli headpieces of a similar form for the last couple of years and enjoy creating many variations. Although I am renowned for my bridal collections, I design for all sorts of occasions and love working with colour.


The design above is called 'The Secret Garden' and features a palette of some of my favourite colours. I wore this piece to one of my recent exhibition openings! Read about my other commissions -

Rangoli inspires Confetti.ie readers

I was delighted when Confetti magazine invited me to share some of my tips and advice with their online readers.

Over the month of November, I will be sharing some of the things that continue to inspire me to design jewellery and hair accessories for you! I will be covering bridal trends for 2010 as well as advice for budget-conscious brides.

Watch this space and as always, please let me know if there is anything that you would like me to discuss.

Above is a copy of the first feature. Read more of my Confetti-related articles.

The image in the article is courtesy of Gia Canali.

New Rangoli hairband

This Rangoli headpiece is a new design and combines a classic pearl hairband with a striking brooch style piece to one side. In my coming posts, I will be describing hair accessory trends for 2010 and introducing some more Rangoli designs from my latest collection.

Obviously it is the dress trends that inspire the accessory fashions so it's exciting for me to keep up to date with what the leading bridal designers are showcasing on the catwalks. I have been invited by Confetti magazine to share these tips in their email newsletter over the coming four weeks. All shall be revealed here too though in case you are not subscribed to the newsletter!

New rangoli hair accessories

My collections are continually evolving and I love creating new designs. Inspiration comes from many sources but it's amazing how much information I can gather from talking to each person about the style of the wedding that they envisage.

Vintage themes are still prevalent in many dress collections this season and I have designed a range of hair accessories from tiny individual pins to brooch-style combs. My customers enjoy having a creative input into the design of their hair accessories or jewellery and I love collaborating with the people who are wearing my designs!

Bella Umbrella

The sun is shining and thoughts of umbrellas are far from our minds...for a while anyway! But wouldn't it be lovely to have some pretty umbrellas to shade our delicate Irish skin for sunny wedding days?!

Jodell Egbert is a collector of vintage umbrellas and set up her business Bellaumbrella.com in 2001. For her own wedding, she sourced 75 vintage umbrellas for her guests in case there were showers on her wedding day. Each guest was offered a beautiful umbrella from the 1920's to 1940's. The umbrellas were a unique and fun element at her wedding celebration.

Her venture is now the largest source of vintage and vintage styled umbrellas in the world. Her personal collection of 100 vintage umbrellas is now available for rent to brides all over the world. See more of Jodell's umbrella's at www.bellaumbrella.com