Growing up, Viviane always loved her parents’ wedding photo, especially the statement headpiece her mum wore on the day. Her parents married in 1981 in their hometown of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Almost 40 years later in Southern California, USA, bride Viviane wore her own version of the headpiece she has admired for years and honoured her love and gratitude for her mum.
When this bespoke headpiece enquiry arrived in Tania’s inbox, she was also honoured to be a part of such a special tribute. Viviane’s mum posted the original headpiece to our studio and Tania worked to recreate it, replicating the shape and style of the original piece, but also modernising the design with her signature floral, crystal and pearl details.
Bringing the past into the present
When Viviane and her partner Brian began planning their wedding, she expressed her interest in wearing her mum’s headpiece. Viviane and her mum looked into restoring the original headpiece, however over the years it had yellowed and lost some of the decorative stones. They were told that restoration was risky and possibly impossible.
“My mum discovered Tania Maras who said she could recreate the headpiece. We weren’t sure how it was going to turn out, but we were excited to try out this approach after looking at Tania’s other designs. They were all so pretty and delicate. My mum shipped the original headpiece from California to Australia (for reference), and Tania started on her project!” says Viviane.
Tania recreated the shape using a wire base and layered the design with a variety of clay flowers and pearl and crystal elements. Tania works closely with brides when creating bespoke pieces, sending them mock-ups and ideas, to help achieve their vision and complement their style.
“Everyday we feel honoured to work with so many incredibly kind women who put their trust in us on their wedding day,” says Tania. “Anyone who has organised or is organising a wedding will know that a wedding day is one of the most significant, emotional, daunting and exhilarating days of your life.”
The finished headpiece was even better than Viviane imagined. Both mother and daughter have the same dazzling smiles, bright eyes and dark hair. The striking headpiece design looked just as beautiful on Viviane as it did on her mum.
“The piece was absolutely amazing! I adored it. The headpiece obviously drew inspiration from my mum’s piece, but it was unique in its own way too. It was my favourite part of my bridal look and I wore it all night long. Truly a stunning work of art. I couldn’t have dreamed of anything better,” says Viviane.
The finished headpiece was even better than Viviane imagined. Both mother and daughter have the same dazzling smiles, bright eyes and dark hair. The striking headpiece design looked just as beautiful on Viviane as it did on her mum.
“The piece was absolutely amazing! I adored it. The headpiece obviously drew inspiration from my mum’s piece, but it was unique in its own way too. It was my favourite part of my bridal look and I wore it all night long. Truly a stunning work of art. I couldn’t have dreamed of anything better,” says Viviane.
After trying on about 20 dresses, Viviane chose a Martina Liana dress, featuring a lace bodice and long train. She completed her look with her mum’s original lace veil, natural make-up a and a hairstyle of soft curls.
Special moments
Viviane and Brian held their ceremony and reception at Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Beach, California. From start to finish, they filled the day with special moments and surprises.
“Our outdoor ceremony featured both a Jewish Rabbi and a Catholic Deacon. Brian is Catholic and I am Jewish. We wanted our wedding ceremony to represent both of our belief systems and traditions in an honest and sincere way,” says Viviane.
“One of the fun things we did for the reception was our personalised cake-topper. Brian and I met through beach volleyball, and it is still one of our favourite things to do together. I had our cake-topper created especially for us, featuring a bride and groom holding volleyballs.”
“Our wedding had family and friends travelling from all over the country and the world (Brazil, Argentina, Kuwait, Germany) – so it was incredibly special to have all our loved ones in one place to celebrate with us. We wanted to throw a great party so we hired an amazing 10-piece band for the reception. I found them online and booked them without ever researching any other bands. We danced all night and had the time of our lives!”
The headpiece tribute was meaningful to Viviane for many reasons.
“The most simple meaning was that I grew up admiring that photograph of my mum wearing the headpiece on her wedding day. As far as I am concerned, she has always been the most beautiful bride ever. On a deeper level, the tribute was an acknowledgement to the tremendous example of marriage that my parents have demonstrated over the course of 39 years. And, of course, it was a tribute to our relationship, my admiration of her, and an expression of gratitude for all her love, wisdom, sacrifice, and support.”
Best advice for engaged couples
The headpiece tribute was meaningful to Viviane for many reasons.
“The most simple meaning was that I grew up admiring that photograph of my mum wearing the headpiece on her wedding day. As far as I am concerned, she has always been the most beautiful bride ever. On a deeper level, the tribute was an acknowledgement to the tremendous example of marriage that my parents have demonstrated over the course of 39 years. And, of course, it was a tribute to our relationship, my admiration of her, and an expression of gratitude for all her love, wisdom, sacrifice, and support.”
“Enjoy your engagement and try not to get too stressed. Brian and I would sometimes joke that as long as we ended the night married, then the wedding was a success. If you have someone in your life who is willing to help with the planning, let them. Don’t feel like you have to do everything yourself. Relish the day – have fun, laugh, dance, and most of all – enjoy each other.”
SPECIAL THANKS TO…
- Cake topper – Mudcards
- Dress – Martina Liana Bridal Designs
- Headpiece – Bespoke Tania Maras design
- Photographer – Next Exit Photography
- Venue – Pelican Hill
