Bridal Elegance

That’s right!! Engagement Season!!! Sixty percent of all engagements happen between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. My daughter knows of six couple who got engaged on Christmas day alone!! Now that you have the ring it is time to start looking for the perfect dress!

Since it’s not every day that you go out to try on wedding gowns we thought this would be a good time to give you some helpful hints to make your dress shopping a little easier. First, make appointments at the salons that you would like to visit (hopefully we are one of those (give us a call at (310) 406-3917!!). Yes, we recommend appointments. Have you ever considered how you could possibly lace yourself into one of those corset back gowns??

Next come up with a couple of people to accompany you on your quest to find THE DRESS. Note, we said a couple of people. Shopping with too many opinions can get confusing and frustrating. Not to mention most bridal salons have a limited amount of space….so if you bring 10 friends and someone else brings 10 friends…well before you know it the fire marshal is at our door because we have exceeded our maximum capacity. This is also the perfect time to mention….leave the little ones at home. We love children and we are certain the little ones that will come along with you will be perfectly behaved, but bridal appointments can take a while and little ones get bored. When they get bored they tend to get into mischief. Mischief and a salon full of expensive dresses are a bad combination. Bridal salons are one of those really expensive you break it you buy it places.

When you come in for an appointment bring us some pictures of looks that you love. Those looks may not end up being THE DRESS, but they are a great place to start. We also want you to come with an open mind. After you have tried a few dresses on don’t be surprised if we make some suggestions. Once we have gotten a feel for what you like, we may have a fabulous gown in mind. Maybe it’s not what you had envisioned…maybe it just doesn’t look good on the hanger. Just humor us and try it on. Who knows it might just end up being THE ONE!

So far this is pretty easy. You are wondering if there are any other things you should consider?? As you try on dresses you will have the assistance of a bridal consultant. We will be helping you in and out of dresses. If you would prefer not to have your wobbly bits exposed we recommend wearing full coverage undies. We have a fairly wide variety of sizes for strapless bras, but if you have a favorite strapless bring it along. You might also want to take a moment to consider shoes and the heel height you will be most comfortable in on your wedding day. Many of our lines offer custom length….so if you have the right heel height with you when you find the right dress we can get you measured and ordered!
While the task of finding the perfect dress may seem daunting we can assure you that it is not. Take a deep breath….Stay Calm and Marry On!!!!!

Ok…so this is my first forray into the land of blog. It’s sort of like visiting a foreign country…..so many things to see (or in this case talk about) and trying to decide what to see first!!

Since I recently returned from the National Bridal Market held in Chicago, this would be a perfect opportunity to talk about some of the new trends we saw for the Spring 2012 bridal season. I had a wonderful time taking in fashion shows from a variety of bridal designers and noted some very definite trends.

First, there were sashes….lots and lots of sashes!!!! Be they black, mocha, blingy or flowery…they were everywhere. We picked up lots of great options from Maggie Sottero, Kittychen Couture and Bel Aire Bridal. If you are going to be looking for a quick way to change up your dress from ceremony to reception you won’t be short on options!!!

The next big trend is towards gowns with a little more coverage….and yes almost every line had their version of the Kate Middleton dress (I picked up the one from Casablanca…..loved the idea that their dress had a lace jacket that was easily removed.) But, if long lace sleeves aren’t what you are looking for, do not despair…..there are so many detachable cap sleeves….keyhole backs….lace caplets and even a nifty little tulle stole option that your shoulders may fall in love with.

And speaking of tulle….there were lots and lots of tulle dresses. From ballgowns to mermaids tulle was plentiful!!! It was polka dotted…it was caught-up…..it was piecy….it was full and flirty and it was everywhere!!!!!

And of course no bride is complete without accessories…..and Bel Aire Bridal had so many wonderful veils, tiaras, head pieces, flowers and facinators that no bride will have to fret about the finishing touches.

I can’t wait for the new looks to start coming into the salon. Rumor has it that I might even receive our first new dress from the Kittychen Couture Collection as early as next week. “Charlotte” has been up on their website for a couple of weeks and that fabulous organza confection might even make its debut as early as Wednesday, October 26th at the fashion show at Port’s O’Call Restuarant in San Pedro.

Now that wasn’t so bad!!!!  Until next time…….