Manu and Sayed were planning a wedding on the beach in Puerto, Vallarta, Mexico. For this Manu was looking for a casual but chic couture wedding dress, a wedding dress that she could wear barefoot or in stilettos.

She traveled to Vermont to work side by side with Tara Lynn to design the perfect wedding dress.

Manu brought her wedding inspiration journal. They talked about silhouettes, tried on wedding dress styles and then Tara Lynn started draping fabric over Manu. She loved the idea of a seashell train and favored the Persephone style bodice with the lace up back. She described a dress that would be bold and simple, very unique and honest, no fuss yet intricate.

Tara Lynn sketched Manu’s dream wedding dress.

She was looking for a unique wedding dress inspired by nature, with a hint of Brazil.
It was very important to Manu to have a wedding dress made of eco-friendly fabrics that would reflect her style and her values.

Tara Lynn brought out a collection of trims looking for a combination of raw and polished. She suggested a mix of pearls, hemp twine, silk double chiffon, seashells, wooden beads and hand cut flowers. Manu contributed tiny silver starfish charms. Fine hemp twine braided with delicate satin ribbon and beaded with seashells danced around a fluttering trumpet of silk chiffon wisps, hiding a wrap skirt with a deep slit, the asymmetrical edges were beaded with pearls and sea shells.

Click on the images in this gallery to zoom in and see the fine details and little surprises.