HOOPskirt 101

The girlfriends guide to a really BIG Dress

Nancy (of A Newport Affaire) emailed me over the weekend and I just had to share with you this video she has put together. It's so cute and clever.

A little bit about HOOPSkirt 101: Nancy has dedicated it to her next bride Jennifer who will be getting married in Newport RI next September. When Jennifer tried on a grand ball gown with a circumference 10 times her waist, Nancy wondered, "what would the logistics be for a gal wearing a dress that size"?

Enjoy the video . . .

Something Pink Day 11: Wedding Dress

Love this wedding dress from Raylia Designs - the above dress is shown in Candlelight/Victorian Rose, but is available in 6 other color combinations. (style number is: W7602LZ - Arrilla)

Sale at The Bridal Warehouse

Save an additional 20% Off In-Stock Christina Wu Bridal Gowns. For a limited time only, save an additional 20% off the already discounted prices on all in-stock Christina Wu bridal gowns. During checkout, enter coupon code CWSAV20. Visit The Bridal Warehouse web site to see the available in-stock Christina Wu bridal gowns today. Discount applied during checkout. Limited time offer ends October 31st, 2008.

Visit The Bridal Warehouse today

Thank you Nayna for emailing this to me

2009 Wedding Gown Trends

Today's post is from Christina Demarco and she unveils the bridal fashion trends for 2009. It's time to say good-bye to A-line wedding gowns. 2009 brings new looks in bridal wear and Cristina DeMarco (Vice President and General Manager of Bridal Reflections in New York) shares with us what's hot in bridal styles that will suite even the most fashion forward and traditional brides.
1. Cap Sleeves: Keeping your shoulders covered may be favorable in some churches but it is also stylish, sophisticated, and sexy. "Cap sleeves show off a lot of skin while simultaneously keeping a sense of mystery by covering your shoulders," states DeMarco. Look for St. Pucchi for the best in this trend.

2. Soft-Ware: You'll see less and less bold hardware and beading on the gowns because the latest looks keep treatments subdued. "You'll see lots of delicate beading this year," she says. Gowns will still have intricate treatments but with a rich, fine look. Look for Ines Di Santo for the best in this trend.

3. Rich Fabric: It's all about the fabric this season from rich taffeta and delicate lace, to heavy silk. Choosing your fabric is just as important as the style and cut because it really brings your whole look together.

4. Cut: Sexy, low-cut backs are making their way down the aisle as are V-neck cuts in the front. "More and more brides are moving away from the strapless, A-line gown. Styles are evolving to help brides show off their best assets, whether that it their arms, neck, or back." Look for Ramona Keveza for the best in this trend.

Thank you Christina for sharing these trends with us.

Dress Designers: (all images courtesy of Bridal Reflections)
Top Left {St. Pucchi} Top Right {Ines Di Santo} Bottom Left {Avine Perucci} Bottom Right {Ramona Keveza}

Pre-Owned Wedding Dresses

Josie from PreOwned Wedding Dresses wrote to me recently and introduced me to her company. I had to share it with you as I think it's a brilliant idea. At Josie's site, you can purchase your wedding gown or sell your own. Some of the gowns are samples, some brand new with tags still attached, and others have been previously worn.

What I love about PreOwned Wedding Dresses is that unlike Ebay, you don't pay a commission when your gown sells and your listing stays active for 12 full months or until your dress sells (whichever comes first). According to Josie and her seller survey, 18.2% of gowns have sold in 1 month and 57.6% within 6 months.

Josie has listed these 3 benefits of PreOwned Wedding Dresses:
1. We have over 1300 new, sample and used wedding dresses for sale..this is more than any other wedding dress resale site . . . and we feature top designers like Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, Melissa Sweet etc.
2. We have an advanced search feature which lets buyers browse using as many or as few criteria as they would like. The criteria includes keyword (anything like chapel train or ivory), designer, size, neckline, silhouette, price, dress height (important if the gown has been hemmed) and location.
3) We have security features that help protect sellers. Specifically, we do not post a sellers email address directly on the site (helping to prevent spambots from harvesting email addresses) and we filter and block scam inquires (which are so common on the internet) from reaching our sellers in the first place.

To see recent testimonials from both buyers and sellers, please click here

Would you consider purchasing your wedding gown online?

The above images feature gowns currently available at PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com:
Top Left: Mori Lee gown for $600, Top Right: Peter Langner gown for $1,500, Bottom Left: Monique Lhuillier gown for $4,300, Bottom Right: Justin Alexander gown for $500

JLM Couture Fall 2008 Bridal Collection

JLM Couture Bridal and Bridesmaids consists of Tara Keely, Lazaro, Alvina Valenta, Jim Hjelm and Occasions. I've just received press releases and photos from each of these designers on the release of their Fall 2008 collection and had to share with you some of the dresses from each. Today I will feature the bridal collections from each designer. Check back tomorrow to see the new bridesmaids dresses for Fall 2008.
The Jim Hjelm Bridal and Jim Hjelm Occasions collections are designed by Francesca Pitera. This season, Francesca introduced a beautiful re-embroidered Chantilly lace and a hammered silk charmeuse. Francesca says the Chantilly lace gives the gowns a "romantic and vintage mood". She is also know for her unique detailing and feels that details are important because they "add unique and special touches to the gowns".
Designer Eric Woo's Fall 2008 collection for Tara Keely is a modern interpretation of old Hollywood Glamour. This collection, named "Modern Glamour" incorporates new fabrics, colors, and back details to give the collection an updated and fresh look.
Inspired by the art deco era, Lazaro seamlessly combines streamlined silhouettes with his signature Spanish embroidery in the Fall 2008 collection. Something very unique, is that several of Lazaro's gowns feature a removable lace overlay that reveals a stunning silk charmeuse gown underneath, providing versatility for the after-party.
Designer Victoria McMillan of Alvina Valenta's Fall 2008 collection features her signature romantic details and ultra-feminine silhouettes. Victoria has incorporated a range of unique necklines such as softly scooped, a variation on the traditional halter and a daring off-the-shoulder style.

Love Collection Debuts from Enzoani

Yesterday I received a press release from Enzoani (known for its high-quality and affordable designs) that announced the launch of its 2009 Enzoani and Blue by Enzoani bridal collections, as well as the worldwide debut of the Love Collection.

From the press release:
"The Enzoani Love Collection featured colorful and modern pieces to perfectly compliment both the, Enzoani and Blue by Enzoani bridal collections. Unlike your typical bridesmaid frock, Enzoani specifically designed the new line "...with a color palate that is stylish for all occasions..." not just for a loved one's wedding day, but by making each piece one that can be worn to a multitude of events for years to come. After receiving rave reviews from Buyers, Retailers and the like, Enzoani has certainly ensured that the Love Collection will indeed surpass its initial debut season expectations.

Established in 2005 and based in Southern California, Enzoani has quickly gained notoriety as a premier bridal fashion house by providing its clientele with modern couture pieces but for a fraction of the cost."

For more information, please visit:
Enzoani and Blue by Enzoani or you can call 866-Enzoani.

Sarah Houston's Couture Collection

I've been in touch with Kim from Sarah-Houston.com and found out that after much success with her maternity line of wedding gowns, Sarah Houston has created a couture line which now includes 25 wedding dresses. Fifteen of which are brand new and just being launched in the US and Europe in Sept/Oct of this year. From her web site: "Sarah's gowns combine timeless romanticism with enduring elegance". The above images are a peek at some of the dresses from the couture collection. You can see more of the dresses at Sarah-Houston.com. Sarah Houston's wedding dresses can be found in stores in the US, Canada, UK and Europe.

The $100,000 Bride

Here's the photo of the $100,000 bride from the NJ Wedding Salon - everything she is wearing (dress, veil, headpiece, necklace, earrings, etc) add up to $100,000 retail (dress from Kleinfeld's). Wow! It was amazing to see it in person.

Coming tomorrow will be the photo details from the show . . .

Vera Wang Fall 2008 Collection

Below are photos of some of the gowns shown during the Exclusive Vera Wang Fall 2008 Bridal Fashion Show during yesterdays NJ Wedding Salon held at the stunning Palace at Somerset Park. There was a total of 22 dresses modeled, I've selected 15 to show you (only because 1 of 2 things happened with my photos of the other seven dresses)
A. the photo is blurry
B. I was only able to capture the back of the dress
Please pardon the occasional head cropping and eyes closed. While I love taking photographs - I'm definitely not a professional :)

Which dress is your favorite? Please leave your comment(s) and/or thought(s) and I'll reveal the top winners next week. (My personal favorites are #1 with the velvet ribbon sash, #4 cotton tulle and #6 triple tiered silk organdy)
Photos 1, 2, 3

Photos 4, 5, 6

Photos 7, 8, 9

Photos 10, 11, 12

Photos 13, 14, 15
Sorry for the saturated photos above - something must have went wrong with my flash.

I will be posting photos of the backs of some of the dresses in another post either this afternoon or tomorrow - some of them were absolutely beautiful. Don't forget to vote for your favorite dress(es) shown above.

Check back all next week as I will be highlighting more from The Wedding Salon show - there will be inspiration, photos, ideas and new trends.

Weekly Wedding Tip

brought to you by bridalguide.com
Deciding on a Wedding Gown
"Even if the first gown you try on screams "you," make yourself model a few more styles before deciding. If possible, sleep on it before you commit."

For my own wedding I was convinced I had to find a dress that would allow me to wear a bra with it. I had never worn a strapless before and didn't quite understand how the world of undergarments for a formal event worked. Thank goodness the dress consultant I was working with made me try on a wedding gown with spaghetti straps. She said they would simply sew cups into the dress . . . who knew it could be so easy? As soon as I tried on that dress I knew it was ”the one”.

Personally, I recommend trying on a few styles that you may not have even considered - you never know - you might just find your dream wedding dress unexpectedly. How did you find your dress? Did you try on many styles at one shop or visit a few places? Did you sleep on it and then make your decision? I'd love to hear about your wedding gown shopping experiences.

At the bridalguide.com's wedding dress gallery you can browse by designer to find the wedding dress of your dreams.

Wedding Dresses as shown (left to right)
Mori Lee from PerfectBridal.com
Chiffon Empire Dress from David's Bridal
Watters And Watters from PerfectBridal.com

The Latest Trends in Bridal Gown Styles

The current trends for wedding dresses include:

Trend 1. Shorter Lengths - satin short party dress with floral embroidered bodice in ivory from the Vineyard Collection at Priscilla of Boston.
style Ricki.

Trend 2. Side Seam Pockets - full skirt with pleats and a bustle - featuring silver embroidery and beading from Eden Bridal (image courtesy of Brides.com). I love the idea of pockets in a wedding dress - they are perfect for stashing away a few tissues, warming up chilly hands, or just a comfortable place to rest your hands for pictures.

Trend 3 and 4: Open Back and Lace - v-neck double satin and tatted lace floor length gown from Lela Rose
(image courtesy of Brides.com)

Trend 5: Cotton - empire waist, slight A-line skirt, spaghetti strap with concealed back zipper in white cotton eyelet from Simple Silhouettes.

Trend 6: Belts - strapless v-neck dress with 2" wide ribbon belt - sequined lace on an A-line skirt from Forever Yours Bridal.
(image courtesy of Something Special Bridal)
style 48109

Trend 7: Covering Up - vertically shirred tulle overlays the strapless, empire bodice onto the slimfitting gown with appliquéd and cascading lace with matching bolero jacket. Available in 3 lengths and in White, Ivory, Cream from Mori Lee.
style 2181

Trend 8: Corsages - satin and lace dress with satin flower and sweeping train by Alfred Angelo. Dress available in White or Ivory with Trim in 55 colors.
style 1149

Hallak's Bridal Emergency Kit

Hallak Cleaners, one of the leading couture cleaners in the US, now offers a Bridal Emergency Kit to put your mind at ease on your wedding day. Priced at only $25 per kit, it makes the perfect shower gift for the bride or gift for each of your bridal attendants. The kit includes last-minute solutions for rips, tears, spots, and stains, as well as important extras for the hair, nails, and skin. The kit is available online at www.hallak.com (along with a complete list of all items included in the kit) or at select bridal boutiques nationwide.

Also included in the kit is a booklet with details on the special bridal services offered by Hallak Cleaners and other helpful tips.

Joe Hallak, principal and couture specialist offers our readers the following tips to deal with those last minute stain emergencies and what to do "day-of" if an accident does happen.

The Bridal Stain Emergency Tips:
1. Learn to recognize and understand the difference between water-based and oil-based stains to start you off in the right direction

2. Always test the solution on a hidden area of your dress to ensure that it won’t yellow

3. Common stains and their solutions:
• Make-up: use lemon dish detergent
• Fresh blood: use peroxide
• Fresh champagne: wipe down with cold water, fan out and blow dry
• Car grease: use Lestoil

Please Note: These tips are suggested for dresses made of poly/sateen blend, which make up 75% of wedding gowns purchased in the US today.

Tulipia Bridal's Spring Collection

Tulipia Bridal has released their latest collection of wedding and evening gowns for Spring 2008. Their wedding dress designs are exceptionally beautiful and unique. Tulipia Bridal uses a variety of materials including taffeta, satin, chantalier, pleated satin, veil tissue, pleated lure, and more. Adornments are created with the use of Swarovski crystals, beadwork, flowers and others.
You can see the entire Spring 2008 wedding gown collection here. Click here to locate a store near you that carries Tulipia Bridal Gowns. Tulipia Bridal also carries evening gowns that could be worn by bridesmaids and mother of the bride/groom.

Featured Dresses:
Top Left - Thrift
Top Right - Ageratum
Bottom Left - Omela
Bottom Right - Nasturtium

Wedding Gown Hemlines Become Shorter

On Get Married this morning I saw a segment on a new trend with shorter hemlines for wedding gowns. I can see these shorter length wedding gowns being worn for casual weddings, destination / beach weddings, or maybe even to change into for your reception. Dancing would certainly be easier and you wouldn't need to bustle the dress. What wedding gown length will you be wearing on your special day?

Wedding Gown and Bridal Dress Lengths include:

Ankle Length - cut to the ankle with feet exposed (perfect for brides that are fearful of tripping and falling down the aisle)

Ballerina - sits about 2" above the ankle (perfect for outdoor weddings)

Full/Floor Length - barely touches the floor with just the toes of the shoes showing

Intermission - falls between the ankle and knee

Knee Length - ends just below the knee (perfect for more casual weddings and/or bridesmaid dresses)

Tea Length - sits halfway between the knee and midcalf

Mini Skirt - falls above the knees

Credit for Above Pictures:
pic 1: by Alfred Angelo
pic 2: by Jasmine
pic 3: by Casablanca
All dresses can be purchased thru PerfectBridal.com