For us, Bridal Week is one of the most exciting times of the year as we get to attend top bridal designers’ fashion shows, meet new vendors and old luminaries at bridal trade shows and hang out with our favorite bridal magazine editors.

Here is an inside look at the highlights of our experience at the Spring Bridal Week 2013 in New York:

Attending Monique Lhuillier’s fashion show was so exciting! As I sat among the editors of Inside Weddings and The Knot, I watched the models flow down the runway in the most beautiful gowns from her Spring 2014 collection. The photo above features Monique taking a well-deserved bow, for her dresses were so elegant, chic and romantic that it’s no wonder they’re a coveted item on every bride’s list.

Check out Monique Lhuillier’s Spring 2014 Collection.

(Sasha Vasilyuk, Vanessa Motley, Ilana Stern)        

Attending Theia’s fashion show to preview Theia’s White Collection for Spring 2014 was another highlight of Bridal Week. This was a much more intimate experience as only about 30 guests – most of them editors we work with on a daily basis - are allowed for previews. I attended the show with Ilana and Vanessa from Weddington Way and was one of the few lucky guests who didn’t have to snap pictures while taking notes while tweeting. Phew, I don’t know how they do it!

Another highlight was meeting Randy Fenoli of Say Yes to the Dress at the New York International Bridal Week trade show. I knew I had perfected my Bridal Week look when I noticed we were matching in the same shade of purple!

After meeting Randy, a couple of brands caught my eye at the trade show:

The photo above features Sarah Oliver, the woman behind these beautiful handbags. This was Sarah’s first bridal market as she just launched her bridal collection, featuring hand-knit purses made with sparkling yarn and beautiful designs perfect for brides and bridesmaids. And they have a unique story behind their creation as they’re made by seniors from one of elderly homes in the San Francisco Bay Area.

(Source: Glamour)

I couldn’t help but notice the vibrant colors and cool designs of the Chromatic gallerie shoes featured at the trade show. These shoes comes in all kinds of colors and styles, so I think they will do very well with bridesmaids.

Although Bridal Week is an endless sea of white, we cannot forget about our best friend: the little black dress. In the photo above, I am wearing Blythe dress in black from Kirribilla’s Fall 2013 collection. This dress got so many compliments during bridal market week that I was considering keeping it in New York 🙂 If you’re looking for the perfect LBD, check out the adorable dresses from Kirribilla!

(Vanessa Motley, Charanna Alexander, Nadia D, Sasha Vasilyuk, Ilana Stern)

The bridal market week is so hectic that it was nice to let loose with my favorite ladies: (left to right) Vanessa Motley, who heads marketing for Weddington Way; Charanna Alexander, editor of Black Bride; Nadia of Nadia D Photography; me; and Ilana Stern, the founder of Weddington Way.

Bridal Week Spring 2013 was one of the most intense and fun weeks in my career. While my schedule was filled to capacity with meetings, events and shows, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Looking forward to Bridal Week Round 2 in October!