Claire pettibone 2010

This year I was lucky enough to be invited to see some of my favorite bridal designers send their newest collections down the runway. Surrounded by press, buyers and my fellow bloggers, I pinched myself no less than once a minute. With each new collection, my heart raced as I imagined the moment when each of these dresses would make their way into the hands of a real bride.

Claire Pettibone named her 2010 collection Cherry Blossom and designed every little detail with the Japanese flowering cherry in mind. The runway presentation took place at Buddakan, a cavernous downtown space where diners are treated to sophisticated decor and delicious food on a nightly basis.

spoke to the designer directly about her inspiration. "The collection is inspired by the Cherry Blossom Festival—pure, fresh and light, with fanciful details. Clean white with and pale touches of color that evolve into more intense vivid accents like red, gold, sparkle mimic pure joy and happiness!"

Pink and purple tassels embelished some of the gowns like this one below. I love the whimsical addition of color. It adds a bit of playfulness to the collection and is an updated version of the sash trends that dominated the runway last year. Models wore their hair piled high atop their heads in intricate braids.

I love this shot of the model fixing her shoe. Perfection is always less interesting than real life.