Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2016 i Town & Country

1986 MAR - A - GOGO Thirty years ago Town & Country sent photographer Norman Parkinson to Mar-a-Lago, Marjorie Merriweather Post’s old Palm Beach estate, where he was greeted by its new hostess, Ivana Trump, in all her sequined glory. Her then husband, the Donald, had paid $5 million for the 128-room house in 1985 and eventually turned it into a private club and event space. He spent another $7 million just on gold leaf. Ted Cruz, Chris Christie, Ben Carson, and Hillary Clinton have all visited at one time or another. Bernie Sanders will never know what he’s missing.…

Swan’s WAY AGNELLIS OF ALL AGES STILL VISIT THIS GRAND COUNTRY ESTATE OUTSIDE TURIN. THE HOME Villar Perosa was the Duke of Savoy’s hunting lodge until the Agnelli family took hold of it in 1863. The gardens were designed by Russell Page. The decor is the work of various designers, all under the unerring eye of Capote swan Marella Agnelli. The poolhouse is by architect Gae Aulenti. There is also a children’s wing. THE INHABITANTS Multiple generations of Agnellis. The money to start Fiat is said to have come via silkworms from mulberry trees planted on the property. MODERN LEGACY Jetsetting Lapo and the discreet documentary filmmaker Ginevra have assumed the style icon roles. Foreign NATIONAL DORIS DUKE’S “MUGHAL BEDROOM” IS NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. BUT HOW DID THESE…

George Morris is an equestrian icon, a beautiful rider, and a master teacher. I don’t know of anyone who has trained so many world class show jumpers: Katie Prudent, Melanie Smith, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, Beezie Madden, Georgina Bloomberg, Athina Onassis. He was a lifelong friend of my parents’; he started teaching me when I was six. Although I no longer ride, George and I remain close. I was thrilled to hear that he was writing a book about his life, Unrelenting (Trafalgar Square, $35), which is a history of the sport with wonderful tales told in between. CG: I’ve known you since I was a child, and you’re one of the biggest inspirations in my life. What inspires you? GM: Well, I was always a horse junkie. I don’t know why. Our…

True art is born from a combination of vision, passion, and talent, and is experienced on a deeply personal level, influenced by the viewer’s own perspectives, ideas, realities and receptiveness to the artist’s work. Masterpieces of both classical and modern art have fascinated, enriched, and inspired generations. Today, the craftsmanship, tradition, and creativity that it takes to weave a fine hand knotted rug have elevated these pieces from mere floor coverings to pure works of art. Feizy’s luxe, hand-crafted rugs are just as complexly beautiful, compelling, and thought-provoking as a masterful piece of art. Skilled artisans from exotic locales like India, Nepal, and Pakistan create each captivating Feizy rug using only the finest fibers and richest dyes. Similar to a Seurat painting, each tiny knot converges with thousands of others…

ARMCHAIR HISTORIAN Mary Cassatt, the American painter who spent much of her life in Paris, called this portrait Woman in a Black Hat and a Raspberry Pink Costume. The puff sleeves, though unmentioned in the title, are clearly integral to the balanced composition.…

“Lynn Wyatt’s throwing a luncheon for me at her ranch in Texas later this month,” Zac Posen announces. Granted, before he heads south to kick up his boots with his 80-yearold client turned close friend, he has to complete three collections: his eponymous label, Zac Posen; its contemporary counterpart, Z Spoke by Zac Posen; and his womenswear collection for Brooks Brothers, where he became creative director last year. One of his first goals at the storied suit retailer was to modernize its single-breasted navy blazer with Golden Fleece buttons; in that effort he lists as his muses Wyatt (“She’s a shopper of my suits more than my gowns”) along with Deeda Blair, Slim Keith, Lauren Santo Domingo, and Lauren Bacall. “I started from the inside out and reconstructed the entire…

Did the Assyrians predict the personal logo? The Mesopotamian civilization was the first to put effort into engraving images directly onto stone. The endeavor had a practical purpose: The intaglios were set onto rings, and, when dusted with pigment and pressed on a document, they worked like a signature. The Romans worked diligently to improve the level of detail—the more intricate the carving, the harder it was to fake. Hermès, a brand familiar with the value of authenticity, puts its own seal on intaglios in a new fine jewelry collection. The stones are in keeping with the ancient forms: yellow, red, and green jasper, black onyx, diamonds. The intaglios themselves also follow tradition: The same way a Roman might sign a decree with a ring that guaranteed the document as…

THORNTON MELON Rodney Dangerfield’s crude rich-guy-who-buyshis-way-into-college, in Back to School, would scoff at PC warriors— before propositioning the hottest one. ELLE WOODS Could current students see the materialistic girl who sent a video of herself in a bikini to Harvard Law admissions in Legally Blonde as a feminist icon? BLUTO John Belushi, as the ne plus ultra of frat boy insouciance in Animal House, was beloved in an era when being funny could trump all sins of taste and sensitivity. MARK WATSON Chance that Soul Man, in which C. Thomas Howell dons blackface to score a Harvard scholarship, would get greenlit today: zilch. (“Nada” might be inappropriate.)…

WHAT Bovet and Town & CountryÕs Contributing Watch Editor, Stephen Watson, celebrated BovetÕs new interactive station at the Asprey of London store on Madison Avenue. WHEN December 17, 2015 WHERE Asprey of London, New York City WHO Duane Thomas, Michael & Ven Baughn, Dana Rosenwasser, Abby Vanterpool, Dahlia Johnson WHAT Roberto Coin was the toast of the town leading up to the annual Golden Globes in January. Kicking-off the celebratory weekend at Saks Fifth Avenue, Beverly Hills, T&CÕs Executive Style Director, Stellene Volandes, and Irena Medavoy, hosted an exclusive shopping event featuring the best of red carpet glamour from Roberto Coin. WHEN January 7, 2016 WHERE Saks Fifth Avenue, Beverly Hills WHO Angella Nazarian, Joyce Arad, Carla du Manoir, Susie Sheinberg, Erica Wertheim Zolder, Crystal Kung Minkoff, Irena Medavoy, Tsipi…

The tulip is often thought of as a simple, cheerful spring flower. But if you jog your memory of high school history you’ll recall that in the 17th century tulips arrived in the Netherlands from Turkey and were so lusted after that people traded plots of land and their life savings just for bulbs. While some say this was the first economic bubble, it also gave birth to a container that appropriately worshiped the flower: the tulipière. The towering vessel is one of the more idiosyncratic types of pottery, which has made it highly collectible and sought after by designers like Axel Vervoordt and Bunny Williams. Tulipières are often seen in white and blue Delftware, which was influenced by Chinese Ming porcelain, but we’re partial to the visual impact of…

DRESS UNIFORM Royal grooms with military ranks traditionally wear their dress uniforms—adorned with medals and sashes. T&C SOURCE: RUSSELLKASHKET.COM MORNING DRESS Worn to daytime formal events, morning dress consists of a coat with tails, a vest, a white or pastel collared shirt, striped trousers, and a tie. Pocket square and top hat are optional. T&C SOURCE: DUNHILL.COM LOUNGE SUIT Also known as a “business suit”: matching jacket and trousers with a collared shirt and tie. According to master tailor Edward Sexton, it’s “far more common than morning dress.” T&C SOURCE: BURBERRY.COM BLACK TIE Traditional tux—black dinner jacket and matching trousers— with a black tie or bow tie. A black vest or cummerbund is often added, as are studs, cuff links, and a pocket square. T&C SOURCE: BRIONI.COM WHITE TIE The…

TRUE BLOOD Henri Richter-Werner, founder of stationery house Connor NYC, collaborates closely with clients but stands by one rule: “Unless you are a true blueblood royal with an existing family crest, it is advised not to fake your heritage—especially on a wedding invite.” OLD GUARD “Traditionally, monograms would be considered distasteful on formal invitations,” Heather Wiese-Alexander, a stationer and founder of Bell’Invito, says. “An embossed, colorless coat of arms is acceptable”—again, strictly if you legally own it. Richter-Werner recommends a “royal-looking monogram with some regal embellishment as a glamorous alternative.” MODERN PEDIGREE Watercolorists like Happy Menocal and Gina Langford cater to commoners seeking to depict undocumented lineage with a whimsical approach. Describing said approach as “heraldry,” they encircle a couple’s monogram with a weave of their favorite things. * Initial…

CHAMPAGNE A good bottle of bubbly will keep the festive mood going long after the initial toast— and remind your guests how much fun you are. Find a vintage from the year you met. VEUVE CLICQUOT, FROM $33, WINE.COM FLOWERS No, we don’t mean the centerpiece. Take your cue from Queen Elizabeth, who gave out myrtle posies on her wedding day, with an elegantly crafted personal bouquet that says so much more. SARAHWINWARD.COM SWEETS Jordan’s Princess Iman bint al Hussein and Zaid Azmi Mirza gave miniature versions of their cake. Jams will last longer. We like Christine Ferber’s. (She is the “Jam Fairy,” after all.) $19, EPICERIEBOULUD.COM TRAVEL GOODS For the friends who flew halfway around the world to see you say “I do,” give Smythson’s Panama luggage tags, which…

WHAT’S IN A LEGACY? Those of us who have been reading and enjoying Town & Country for more decades than we’d care to admit are disappointed in the glossover given in “Trump Card” [February 2016] regarding Charles Kushner, Ivanka Trump’s father-in-law. Your writer refers to the Kushners as “a landed and storied dynasty,” with no reference whatsoever to Charles Kushner’s federal prison term for 18 counts of tax evasion, witness tampering, and illegal campaign donations. His behavior does not and should not reflect on either his son Jared or on Ms. Trump; however, to admiringly refer to the Kushner “legacy” amounts to dissembling. Always be truthful with your T&C readers, please. Jan Pottker, Ph.D., CORAL GABLES, FL ADOPTING A POSITION Your comparison between Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt [Scorecard, February]…

Their patron saint is Howard Hughes, though he wasn’t the first or the last of their ilk. Their fortunes, huge even by Hollywood standards, were amassed elsewhere. But though their DNA may have been coded for finance or tech or real estate, they are nonetheless drawn to a sparklier sort of investment.…

Fifteen years ago Thomas O’Brien, an interior designer and founder of Aero Studios in New York City, was riding his bike around Bellport, Long Island, when he came across a run-down 19th-century schoolhouse that had once been part of the Bellport Classical Institute (also known as the Academy). Enamored of its charm and history, Thomas promptly bought it and turned it into his weekend refuge. In 2011 he met Dan Fink, who is also an interior designer and the founder of Dan Fink Studio, at a benefit in Manhattan for Housing Works. A few weeks later Thomas brought him out to visit his country house, and Dan was instantly smitten. “I so vividly remember the first time he saw the house,” Thomas says. “It was magic.” When they got engaged,…

The dress shown here has a sleeve— fuller at the bottom than at the top, and gathered into a cuff—officially known as a bishop. The decorative flourish was prominent on spring 2016 runways, but pause before calling it a trend. The bishop sleeve was the It bag of the 15th century, and it has been a steadfast presence in wardrobes since the 6th century.…

The first Swiss wristwatch was made for a woman. On that fact most historians can agree. Whether it was a diamond Breguet for the queen of Naples or the gold secret watch Patek Philippe created for the Countess Koscowicz of Hungary is a point of some contention. Often lost in the debate is the fact that women were the pioneers of the wearable timepiece— wristwatches were quite popular with aristocratic ladies throughout the 1800s, while men stayed loyal to the pocket watch up until the Great War. Women of the court preferred their pieces bejeweled and were not really bothered that most of them did not keep time accurately. The current English monarch is more demanding. Last year, as part of an exhibit to celebrate Patek Philippe’s 175th anniversary, Queen…

TECHNIQUE To make Bulgari’s iconic Tubogas pieces, metal is wrapped around a core, which is then removed, leaving a flexible band. ORIGINAL The first Tubogas were made in the 1940s. This white and yellow gold bracelet with Roman coins is from 1975. CELEBRITY Italian movie icon (and avid Bulgari collector) Gina Lollobrigida, wearing a Tubogas bracelet watch in 1980. STYLE Kiera Chaplin in Tubogas. She may not know that the style is named for its resemblance to a car’s tailpipe. INSPIRATION The design of the company’s new B.zero1 ring merges Tubogas metalwork with the classical form of the Colosseum. OUTCOME The new pink, yellow, and white gold B.zero1 was developed at the turn of the millennium but only just revealed.…

BERNHARDT Bernhardt introduces the look of a new era. Gorgeous, sophisticated looks every design lover has been waiting for. Light-enhancing surface. Simple bold pattern. Artisanal hand work. Explore the potential of modern living with the Marquesa Dresser, Haley Chair and Roscoe Ottoman. For more information, please visit bernhardt.com. MITCHELL GOLD + BOB WILLIAMS From their new Spring 2016 Collection, masters of modern home furnishings Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams present Roxbury. This gorgeous walnut bar features diamond-pattern doors and sexy satin-brass legs. Featuring fl exible storage and display, this bar is the ultimate entertaining aid. Also part of their collection: a host of beautiful barware and serving pieces. For more information, please visit mgbwhome.com. FEIZY Aristocratic chic begins with luxury at your feet. Each elegantly handcrafted rug takes artisans months…

HANK WILLIS THOMAS The State Department’s Art in Embassies program organizes exhibitions all around the world, like the one in Pretoria in 2014 that honored 20 years of democracy in South Africa and the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. For AIE’s curators, the political sting of Thomas’s work, with its focus on race and pop culture, struck the right provocative note. The artist— collected by the Whitney and MoMA—is softspoken, with a conversational style that alternates between introspection and mischief, but in his high concept visuals (public sculpture, video, takeoffs on glossy ads) he’s a power puncher. In “B®anded,” for example, a series begun after the murder of his cousin in a mugging, he showed the torso of an African-American man with Nike logos on his chest—seemingly the…

LANGLEY FOX When Langley Fox Hemingway started to step into the public eye, she decided to drop her last name. “When someone meets me I would rather they judge me for who I am than for where I came from,” she says with a touch of fatigue. (She admits that she’s on the last day of a three-day juice cleanse, something her health guru mom, Mariel, surprisingly, did not instigate. “It’s so annoying when you turn into your mother!”) Fox is aware of the preconceptions that come with a famous name, but she believes that an original one can work to her advantage equally well. “My middle name is Fox—I didn’t make it up,” says the artist and model, with more humor than defensiveness. Whether it’s the Hemingway or Fox…

* CROWN JEWELS Given by Napoleon to Empress Josephine at the beginning of the 19th century, this tiara is decorated with pearls and seven cameos of different sizes and colors. It was passed down to Josephine’s granddaughter Josephine of Leuchtenberg, who married Crown Prince Oscar of Sweden and Norway.…

* SQUAD GOALS In a show of national pride, Princess Charlene and Prince Albert chose local girls dressed in traditional Monegasque costume as attendants for their July 2011 nuptials.…

CREED Leather supplier James Henry Creed turned to perfume in 1780, creating Royal English Leather for King George III. Prince Rainier of Monaco commissioned Fleurissimo, an elegant floral, in 1956 as a wedding gift for his bride, Grace Kelly. AMOUAGE Founded by a member of Oman’s royal family in 1983, Amouage makes scents inspired by the country’s natural resources, from frankincense and myrrh to rock rose. An independent board oversees the house today, but the flacons’ caps are an homage to the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat (below). AMOUAGE.COM GUERLAIN Despite its French roots, the house of Guerlain spent much of its early history whipping up fragrances for such Russian royals as Czar Alexander II. Eau de Cologne Russe was created for him in the mid–19th century. GUERLAIN.COM HOUBIGANT…

KATIE DICKENS While sampling the best spas and treatments in Reykjavik, Iceland, for this month’s Beauty GPS column (page 122), Dickens, who has contributed to Marie Claire, Elle, and Vogue.com, was shocked by how much the tiny capital had to offer. “I swear they have more salons per capita than any other city I’ve visited,” she says, not to mention some incredible geothermal pools. (Reykjadalur and Secret Lagoon were among her favorites.) HENRY ALFORD For this month’s Manners & Misdemeanors column, “A FINE WHINE” (page 126), the New York Times journalist, humorist, and author of five books contemplates the wave of protests consuming college campuses nationwide over everything from bad dining hall food to insensitive Halloween costumes to (yes) yoga. “Some of this activism seems a little misguided,” Alford says.…

@NOTENOUGHANGERS: I need to stop googling people on the @TANDCMAG bachelor list and get back to work. @90210MANNERS: @TANDCMAG @IVANKATRUMP is our role model. She is perpetually poised w/an incredible work ethic. @SHPROJECTS: Thank you @JAYMCINERNEY and @TANDCMAG for bragging on our amazing city and showing Nashville some love. @KDHAMPTONS The Burj Al Arab If a #FISH sees his pal on your plate as he swims by, does he get upset? Dining #UNDERTHESEA in #DUBAI at Al Mahara @BURJALARAB #VERYTANDC What’s #VERYTANDC to you? Tag your posts on Instagram and Twitter for a chance to be featured on this page. SEND A LETTER TO TOWN & COUNTRY: T&C INBOX, 300 West 57th Street, 33rd floor, New York, NY 10019, or e-mail us at tnc@hearst.com Please include your name, address, and daytime…

FOR MORE THINGS TO DO, GO TO TOWNANDCOUNTRYMAG.COM ARTS & CULTURE Ongoing Duchess of Devonshire If you missed her Sotheby’s auction (above), you can still see her life as captured by Cecil Beaton at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. April 9 Nothing Left Unsaid Anderson Cooper turns his interviewing skills on his mother Gloria Vanderbilt in this HBO documentary. Through April 23 “Avedon Warhol” Gagosian London does a side-by-side of the two artists, who often shared such subjects as Bianca Jagger. April 13–24 Tribeca Film Festival Glitzy parties, celebrity sightings—and, yes, movies. April 20 American Psycho Patrick Bateman brings his murderous ways to Broadway in this new musical. April 22–May 1 New Orleans Jazz Fest The birthplace of jazz celebrates it with an impressive lineup and very good Cajun food. April…

As in the United States, Britain has seen once mighty industries disappear, including ceramics; the renowned Potteries of Stokeon-Trent fell victim to changing markets beginning in the 1990s, and manufacturing moved to Southeast Asia and other places. But in the last few years a new generation has been taking a modern approach to reviving this venerable craft, and with it, jobs. Emily Johnson and her five-year-old company, 1882 Ltd, are marrying oldfashioned British know-how with the fresh ideas of noted young designers—such as Max Lamb, Faye Toogood, and Lindsey Adelman—from the U.K. and beyond. Johnson’s passion for ceramics runs in the family. Her ancestors founded Johnson Brothers, which was famous for its tableware, in 1882 (hence her company’s name). Her father Christopher Johnson worked there until Wedgwood bought it in…

AUGUST PEBBLE BEACH Best in SHOW CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE— LITERALLY, COMPETITIONS OF ELEGANCE— SEPARATE THE TRULY CLASSIC CAR FROM THE MERELY COLLECTIBLE. A SURVEY OF THE BIG FOUR. JUNE GOODWOOD MAY VILLA D’ESTE Precious METALS A GROWING NUMBER OF MUSEUMS ARE DEDICATED ENTIRELY TO CARS—OR “ROLLING SCULPTURE.” HERE ARE A FEW OF THE BEST. MARCH AMELIA ISLAND…

3 Porsches owned by Jerry Seinfeld that are slated for auction at Amelia Island in March. Their days of getting comedians to coffee shops are over. $38.1 MILLION Price fetched by a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta, at Bonhams in 2014, the world record. At such events a Hagerty baseball cap is de rigueur. $14.3 MILLION The record for a British car, in this case a 1962 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato. A Ford GT40 that was used in Steve McQueen’s Le Mans holds the U.S. record. $0 Price Ferrari asked from Pope John Paul II for the last Enzo, in 2005. He passed and asked instead that when it was sold the proceeds go to charity. It’s hard to wave to the flock at high speeds. 1968 Year a roadie…

The Reverso, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Art Deco–inspired timepiece, turns 85 this year. To celebrate, the company asked Christian Louboutin to debut Atelier Reverso, a customizable collection. Louboutin had never designed a watch before, but the man who started the red sole phenomenon clearly knows how to endow an accessory with his signature. T&C spoke to him at the SIHH watch fair in Geneva: “My dear friend and his sister gave me my first Reverso—I like to wear it with polo shirts so I don’t need to move my sleeve to turn the dial over. I love how useful this watch is in all countries: I can have the local time on the reverse [on the second dial]. When I started Atelier Reverso I realized how similar the microcosm of a watch is…

If one were to create jewelry Jeopardy, and the clue were “Yellow diamond and brass earrings, pink and white diamond and steel rings,” the answer could only be: “What is…Hemmerle?” The German company, founded in 1893 and run by Stefan Hemmerle, his wife Sylveli, their son Christian, and daughter-in-law Yasmin, has created a cult following because of its jewels’ limited availability—they are sold only in Munich and at twice yearly trunk shows at New York’s Plaza Athénée hotel—and daring experiments that pair precious stones with such metals as bronze, copper, and steel. The newest chapter in the family history is titled the [AL] Project and debuts at the TEFAF Maastricht fair in mid-March. It includes more than 15 pairs of one-of-akind earrings and a brooch, all sculpted in aluminum, a…

The adage that says not to judge a book by its cover is deceptive, for those outer shells are painstakingly designed to signal something about the words inside. Perfumes are no different. A container’s design is often a blueprint to the scent it holds captive. The soaring curves of Lubin’s Talismania bottles suggest exoticism and elegance, though that’s where the similarity between the scents within ends: Upper Ten presents as a boozy ginger ale, while Korrigan calls to mind a gentleman in the spice trade with its notes of juniper berry and saffron. Meanwhile, Marc Jacobs makes an even more obvious link between form and substance with the minimal blocks that contain its Pear and Rain scents, while Bulgari’s romantic interpretation of its Serpenti jewelry comes in an appropriately lush…

That not-so-muffled roar off in the distance? It’s the sound of college students vehemently protesting. Seven months ago students at Oberlin complained that the college’s main dining vendor’s subpar food—a soggy pulled pork and coleslaw sandwich being passed off as Vietnamese banh mi, a General Tso chicken dish made with steamed instead of fried chicken— amounted to cultural appropriation. Meanwhile, Yale erupted over an e-mail in which an associate master suggested that students might be better off engaging wearers of offensive Halloween costumes in conversation rather than having the administration issue reminders to dress up sensitively. (The issuer of said suggestion ultimately resigned.) The president of the University of Louisville was forced to apologize to the school’s Latino students when he was photographed wearing a sombrero and a fringed poncho…

FOR ADDITIONAL READINGS BY KATHARINE MERLIN, GO TO TOWNANDCOUNTRYMAG.COM ARIES MARCH 21–APRIL 20 Saoirse Ronan You appear to be inspired and on something of a mission this month, but not everyone will be on the same page. You should still try to get your plans on track before Mars, your ruler, goes out of sync on the 17th, and make an effort to be consistent and patient for some time to come. Your high principles and courage are guiding lights to the people around you, and this month Venus in your sign sprinkles fairy dust on close and personal connections. TAURUS APRIL 21–MAY 21 Queen Elizabeth II Working behind the scenes and clarifying new arrangements will take you one vital step closer to your dreams this month. But what’s going…

Tina Fey, who has played any number of outrageous characters on Saturday Night Live; who wrote the best-selling 2011 memoir Bossypants, about her rise in one of the most chauvinistic fields of entertainment; who outshrills the hard-charging Sarah Palin in her dead-on impersonation (in other words, not exactly a shrinking violet)—that Tina Fey is sitting across from me at Cafe Luxembourg in New York City, speaking so softly that I’m struggling to hear a word. The lunch crowd has yet to arrive, so I can’t blame ambient noise. Her lips are definitely moving. “It didn’t occur to you that it was just a power move?” her longtime collaborator Robert Carlock will quip later. “Sometimes,” he adds, “it feels as if it will look like I’m moving in to kiss her…

INSEDTO Ines Di Santo’s bridal gowns capture the essence of refined elegance. The signature feminine design and extraordinary fit eflect the designer’s Italian and Spanish heritage. Each gown is created in her atelier using only the finest fabrics and couture finishing. The result is an exquisite item of great beauty. Available in the world’s finest salons. For more information, please visit inesdisanto.com. THE BREAKERS A one-of-a-kind oceanfront resort, The Breakers is one of America’s premier destinations for magnificent weddings and celebrations. From stunning oceanfront settings to magnificent ballrooms‚ The Breakers has myriad of breathtaking locations to suit your personal taste & style. For more information, please visit weddingsbythebreakers.com or call 877.593.8758. HEARTS ON FIRE Hearts On Fire, The World’s Most Perfectly Cut Diamond®, offers dazzling diamond engagement rings and brilliant…

Legend has it that lily of the valley sprang from Eve’s tears when she was kicked out of the Garden of Eden. But the modern fascination with the fragrant (and poisonous) bloom stems from The Language of Flowers, a botany guidebook no English lady was without in the 19th century. Queen Victoria widely promoted flowers as a form of communication, although on her 1840 wedding day she skipped lilies in favor of the similarly shaped snowdrops. According to the book, lily of the valley symbolizes the return of happiness, purity, and sweetness, making it an obvious choice for brides. Grace Kelly carried a bouquet of them, as did Princess Astrid of Sweden 30 years earlier. Kate Middleton’s arrangement, by royal florist Shane Connolly, wove in sweet william and a sprig…

* PROMISE BLING A few weeks before their wedding, the former king gave Wallis a Van Cleef & Arpels sapphire and diamond bracelet engraved with: “For our contract 18.V.37.”…

JUMBY BAY The resort, accessible only by boat from Antigua, has a new “castaway” package: A yacht takes you to a deserted island for a picnic and a couples massage. FROM $1,095, ROSEWOODHOTELS.COM DORADO BEACH, A RITZ-CARLTON RESERVE Laurance Rockefeller used to own this Puerto Rico property, which now has a five-acre spa, plus suites right on the beach. FROM $1,499, RITZCARLTON.COM * PLAY PEN Margaret and Antony spent their honeymoon cruising the Caribbean. She liked the region so much she accepted Colin Tennant’s wedding gift—a plot of land on Mustique—and turned it into Les Jolies Eaux. THE COTTON HOUSE The room to book at this starstudded Mustique resort is the Residence (from $1,850), for its personal butler, private pool, and location on its own hilltop. FROM $520, COTTONHOUSE.NET BELLE…