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Heirloom Bridal Accessories for a Coastal Wedding

Heirloom Bridal Accessories for a Coastal Wedding

Creating the perfect wedding requires meticulous planning and attention to detail and for Sydney’s magical day along the California coast, every element came together seamlessly. The picturesque locations set the stage, but it was the careful curation of details that made her day truly unforgettable.

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Dainty Bridal Jewelry for A Timeless Wedding

Dainty Bridal Jewelry for A Timeless Wedding

It’s always a joy to design bridal jewelry and it’s my hope it becomes a treasured part of the bride’s jewelry collection. Reliving the special moments of a wedding day each time it gets worn is the goal! A recent bride, Gina expressed just this.

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Elevate Your Style with Pink Gemstone Jewelry

Elevate Your Style with Pink Gemstone Jewelry

It’s time to think pink and embrace the elegance and femininity of pink gemstone jewelry. Adding pink gemstones like rose quartz, rhodonite, and rhodochrosite to your jewelry collection adds soft color and meaning.

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The Reviews are in! Real Bridal Jewelry Reviews from 2021

The Reviews are in! Real Bridal Jewelry Reviews from 2021

At the end of each year, I use the lull between Christmas and New Years to round up photos and reviews from my bridal customers. Their kind words and photos from their wedding days lift my spirits and provide inspiration for future designs. We all love reviews; don’t we?!

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Retailers We Love: Pieces Home Decor

Retailers We Love: Pieces Home Decor

Connecting with Jennifer Holdworth and was a silver lining in this unpredictable year. After recently opening, she contacted me this summer to have a look at my jewelry collection. It was a pleasant surprise to hear about the opening of her shop and I was glad to take the drive up the Connecticut shore to Old Saybrook to check out her shop. Upon entering Pieces I immediately noticed it is a well curated space.

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Add Meaning with Delicate Jewelry Details

Add Meaning with Delicate Jewelry Details

If you’re buying handcrafted jewelry it’s because you love the details an artisan infuses into each piece. All those elegant touches that can’t be found in manufactured accessories are the result of each piece being crafted by hand. Those details are at the heart of why I love to design jewelry and what customers say keeps them coming back.

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Gold Wedding Accessories for a Fine Art Bride

Gold Wedding Accessories for a Fine Art Bride

The saying ‘timing is everything’ could be the driving force behind this gorgeous bridal shoot. This inspiration was supposed to be photographed in a garden venue, but then the pandemic changed plans. While this shoot was on pause, I took advantage of the time and began designing in gold.

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Whimsical Garden Inspired Hair Accessories

Whimsical Garden Inspired Hair Accessories

Spent my time during the pandemic doing some Marie Kondo style cleaning my house and no area was safe, not even the studio. During my studio cleaning and rearranging I discovered, or should I say rediscovered, some amazing beads and components. As the cleaning projects wined down, I allowed myself to step outside my usual design simplicity, try new techniques and what developed was a collection of whimsical hair accessories.

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Delicate Bridal Accessories for a Garden Wedding

Delicate Bridal Accessories for a Garden Wedding

Delighted to share this wedding photo shoot full of garden inspired details. Set at the Stonepine Estates in Carmel, California this wedding inspiration is for the detail loving brides. From the invitations and wax seals to the hand beaded gowns and shoes, the craftsmanship and quality is gorgeous.

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Handmade Jewelry Lover’s Holiday Gift Guide

Handmade Jewelry Lover’s Holiday Gift Guide

The holidays are the perfect time to treat the ones you love to a meaningful gift that has some shimmer! This handmade jewelry holiday gift guide includes our artisan pearl cluster earrings and popular gemstone bobby pins. Perfect handcrafted jewelry gifts for her.

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Styling a Romantic Fairy Tale Wedding

Styling a Romantic Fairy Tale Wedding

This wedding inspiration is perfect for the classy lady that dreamed of having a fairy tale wedding day. Built in 1906, the Thomas House and Garden in small town, Ridgeway, South Carolina is the ideal setting for an intimate, storybook wedding.

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Romantic Boho Bridesmaid Inspiration

Romantic Boho Bridesmaid Inspiration

The contrast of textured, historic architecture and soft, ethereal styling details makes this wedding inspiration simply divine. Set at the Mission at San Juan Capistrano, this photo shoot by Styled Shoots Across America, provided so many gorgeous images, I decided to bring the romantic boho bridesmaid inspiration here.

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Handmade Bridal Accessories for a French Inspired Wedding

Handmade Bridal Accessories for a French Inspired Wedding

What a joy to be a part of this elegant Connecticut wedding photo shoot! The Fitch House, a historical bed and breakfast, was the perfect setting for a French-inspired wedding. With its historical details it was a great choice for a French brunch time wedding.

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Timeless Pearl Bridal Jewelry for a Vintage Styled Wedding

Timeless Pearl Bridal Jewelry for a Vintage Styled Wedding

When I heard that Jessica Drew Photography was putting together a vintage wedding photo shoot, I knew immediately my jewelry would be a great fit for the theme. While I’m no southern belle, timeless pearl jewelry is my thing! It fits like a hand in a glove with a vintage styled wedding.

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Retailers We Love: Bella Bridesmaids of Westport

Retailers We Love: Bella Bridesmaids of Westport

I’m so excited to introduce Maggie of Bella Bridesmaids of Westport. I met Maggie while I was setting up the photo shoot for my hair accessories lookbook. She was a breeze to work with, lending me a dreamy, pink gown from Theia. Pairing her bridesmaid gown selection with my jewelry seemed like a no-brainer and so began our new partnership.

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Studio News: New York Bridal Market

Studio News: New York Bridal Market

In a sun-filled gallery in Chelsea, the Entwined Collection, my first hair accessories designs debuted at New York Bridal Market. The bridal market is part of New York Bridal Fashion week, marked with runway shows of the latest in bridal fashion.

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Ten Fascinating Facts About Pearls

Ten Fascinating Facts About Pearls

Pearls have been a special part of my jewelry design journey; they’re definitely my favorite material. With the varieties of shapes and colors available, they have inspired so much of my design. Each pearl unique, they bring something special to every piece of jewelry.

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Romantic Connecticut Wedding Inspiration

Romantic Connecticut Wedding Inspiration

Romantic Connecticut Wedding Inspiration On an early spring day a group of Connecticut wedding vendors worked their magic to create some romantic wedding inspiration. Nestled in northern Connecticut, Merlot on the Water, provided the perfect location. Complete with...

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Welcome to My Blog!

Welcome to My Blog!

Welcome to the Carrie Whelan Designs blog! I’ve created this space to share the latest news from the studio. You can expect to see jewelry fresh from design table, photos from weddings I’ve designed for and plenty of inspiration if you’re just looking for something pretty.

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