Your friends matter too

Here are a few tips to make sure your bridesmaids still love you by the time your big day roles around.

1. Do not over burden your bridesmaids.

Because your girls are excited for you they are going to want to help and be a part of your wedding. Accept their help where you need it so they feel included but do not throw a laundry list of things at them so they feel taken for granted.

2. When your old friends meet your new friends.

A lot of wedding parties consist of child hood friends and friends from work or people you met in college. Plan some sort of get together so all your friends can meet and bond. Do something active that will involve everyone. Go make pottery, find some where to make your own perfume, go on a wine tasting. This will help alleviate any tension that could arise.

3. Be nice and pick out cute dresses.

Working with weddings attire daily I hear bridesmaids complain about their gowns. Here are a few options:
*Pick a consistent color of fabric and let your girls choose which ever style they prefer.




*Ask your bridesmaids what a comfortable budget would be for them and try to stick with it, yes it is your day but be reasonable.

*If you are having an informal, outdoor, spring or summer wedding let your brides choose sundresses that match your flowers or color scheme



*You will hear it time and time again. Let them have something they will wear again. Especially now with budgets being tight. Choose something cute and wearable.




I personally love the Melissa Sweet bridesmaids gowns.


Just keep in mind that you want as many friends when you come out of your wedding as you had when you went in, so listen to them, involve them, and consider their lifestyles to make sure they are comfortable.

Is green the new white?

Green Green Green

Everywhere you look you see signs about going green and saving the planet. Even in the wedding industry people and companies are starting to go green.

I want to give a quick shout out to a wedding gown designer who I really love. Adele Wechsler designs beautiful, feminine and ethereal gowns. Her new collection, the Eco Couture collection is so amazing! Adele Wechsler says this line is "for the bride who cares about the world she lives in" I have seen most of the line in person and these dresses are beautiful. Adele is using vegetable dyed silks and even hemp to make these gowns. The details are so beautiful. Tons of flowers and vines. Perfect gowns for an outdoor garden wedding.

These are a few of my favorite gowns from the line.

Flora is the gown that is made out of hemp. The material almost feels like linen. This dress is super light and airy. It would be great for an outdoor or beach wedding and will be very comfortable to wear through your reception.



Fern is a classic mermaid shape gown with vines and leaves winding around the entire dress. The bustle on this dress is so amazing, and when you unbustle it there are flowers all over the train. This dress is to this day one of my very favorite gowns I have ever seen simply because it is different.




If you are a bride looking for a super feminine gown and for a way to make your wedding green you must check out Adele Wechsler's Eco Couture collection

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New Season of Gowns

So I just bought the new Martha Stewart Weddings. It looks like it's going to be a great season for wedding gowns.

Finally some gowns with straps. Working at the bridal salon I hear it all the time. "Where are the gowns with the straps?" One idea is if your dream gown doesn't have straps, ask if you can order extra fabric and have some straps made in alterations.

Flowers and Bows. I am definitely noticing both on the new dresses. Don't be afraid of these details. They may look like a lot when their on the hanger but try them on, they will look different. These are also great details that you can add in to other aspects of your wedding. If your dress has a bow on it, use that bow on the invitations or bouquets. If your dress has a very specific flower have a graphic designer copy the flower and use it on your invitations. Little details like this tie everything together and add great personality.

My favorite gown of the season- Eridanus by Valentino Sposa from Pronovias. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! It is simple, elegant and in my absolute favorite fabric- silk mikado. This fabric glows in candle light.




Check out La Sposa's new collection as well. They may not look like much online but let me tell you in person and on brides they are stunning.

How do I choose just one?

Your first appointment is going to consist mainly of finding things you do not like. Don't get discouraged when you hate EVERYTHING you put on. Yes some woman step into one dress, fall in love, and they are done. Is this normal? Not really. You have never worn a wedding dress, how could you possibly know what you will like, or what will look good on your body type?

Here are my tips for finding your gown.

1. DO NOT believe what you read in magazines.
I have a problem, I admit it. I own every issue of every wedding magazine I can get my hands on, and I read them. In many magazines their is a chart. Which shape gown will look best on your body. DO NOT believe these articles. Never fail they are not very accurate.

The basic shapes of a gown are sheath, mermaid, a-line, ballgown.

A sheath gown has a straight skirt. It does not generally have many layers of fabric and does not hug tightly to your body. These gowns are great for tall woman, they are also great for beach weddings because they are generally very light and airy gowns.

A mermaid, fish tail, trumpet gown is one of the more controversial gowns. Some people say if you are short and curvy you can't wear them. WRONG. A mermaid gown hugs your curves, this is definitely the sexiest of all the gowns. It hugs through your waist and hips and then flairs either at your upper thighs are right around your knees. A few things to notice about these gowns-most of them will have fabric that goes one direction on the top and then have a pretty harsh line where the gown begins to flare and then have a different type of fabric or fabric that moves in a different direction on the bottom. This type of mermaid is something you will either love or hate. Designers also design mermaid gowns that have a less harsh difference where the gown begins to flare. The point about these gowns that I cannot stress enough is that if you are curvy you can wear these gowns. They actually look best on very curvy woman. Don't be afraid of the mermaid gown.

A-line gowns are very traditional and very easy to wear. Depending on the designer the A skirt can be fuller or smaller. These gowns flare from the hip so they are very flattering if you are more of a pear shape. Many A-line gowns have some sort of rouching or different fabric on the bodice and then have a plane skirt. Some A-line skirts have pick ups in them, or as they are often called, the wedding cake skirts. Yes pick ups sort of look like fondant on a cake, but I gurantee you that they look very different and actually very elegant when you get them on your body. Remember, you will never know what a gown looks like until it is on.

The Ball gown is perhaps the most traditional shape gown ever. Ball gowns are hard to wear if you are short because they flare from the waist rather than the hip. This makes you look like you have a shorter torso than you do. Most ball gowns have a pretty extreme flare from the waist so you will get a bit of a puff on both sides of the hips. Personally I love ball gowns. They're so classic, they're so gorgeous, but they have to have the right setting. You don't want your gown to overpower your wedding so your venue must be grand enough to compete with your gown. Try at least one ball gown on just for the experience. There are so many layers that most of them stand on their own and there is nothing more girly feeling than twirling around in a giant ball gown.


As I have mentioned before, do not be afraid to try on all different shape and size gowns. Look for something that you will feel comfortable in all day, and most importantly, look for a gown that you can picture yourself in on your wedding day.

What to Expect at Your First Appointment

Now that you have scheduled your first appointment, what should you expect?

Always arrive to your appointments on time. If you are late that is only taking time away from you. Consultants generally will not let your appointment run over your allotted time because it will make the next appointment late.

When you arrive more than likely they will have you fill out an information card. Name, date, wedding location, wedding date, etc. This is so they can file your dress style selections under your name so if you come back in for a follow up appointment they know what gowns you're coming for.

Then your consultant will give you a tour of their gowns. Some salons have the gowns displayed by style-sheath, mermaid, aline, ball gown or they will separate them by designers. Most gowns are sampled in sizes between 8 and 12. So in normal sizes they are 6-10. Don't worry if you are smaller or bigger than those sizes, consultants are trained in how to clip the gowns so they will fit well.

Once you pick out the gowns you want to try your consultant will take you and who ever you brought along back to the dressing rooms.

Most consultants will come in the room with you to help you get into the gowns. You'll realize as you start going to more appointments that it's easier to get help getting into the gowns. Some of them have inner corsets that must be hooked up and the zippers can be a pain to work.Don't worry, your consultant has seen it all. Your appointments should be about pampering you and making you feel special, so let them help you.

Don't worry if your entire first appointment you do not find anything you like. Most of the time the first appointment is narrowing out what you hate. Maybe you don't like strapless gowns, or big full skirts. You will never know what you like or do not like until you try them on.

My BIGGEST tip for your first appointment. TRY ON EVERYTHING! Unless you were a debutante chances are you have never worn a dress like a wedding gown. They're hot, they're itchy, but more importantly they're so beautiful.

Most brides come in with an idea of what they want. They want a very simple a-line gown, and by the time they're done they have chosen a very sleek mermaid gown with beautiful apliques.

You can't judge a wedding dress by what it looks like on a hanger. I can not stress enough that they look completely different on. Even if you only like one thing about the dress try it on.

In the end the more styles you try on the more clarity you will get on what style will make you feel the most beautiful on your perfect day.

He Proposed!!!! Now What?

The moment you've been waiting for your entire life has finally just happened! He proposed!!!!!!! After all the phone calls are made the initial excitement starts to subside you realize just how much work you have ahead of you to plan your dream day.

So where do you begin? Obviously you start with the logistics, where and when. After you have this figured out you can begin your gown search.

Here are the usual questions I get about setting up appointments.

1. Do I need an appointment?
~Yes. Even though most salons are not strictly by appointment only it is in your best interest to have an appointment. This will ensure that you will get a full hour of one on one time with a consultant who can help you find the perfect gown for you.

2. Who do I bring?
~You are going to have to use your personal discretion for this. Do not bring friends who always disagree with you. Bring your closest and most supportive friends and family who understand that in the end the gown you pick is your choice, not a collective decision. I recommend bringing no more than 4 people with you. Any more than 4 it gets very chaotic and confusing. Their are simply too many opinions. The other thing I highly recommend to all my brides is come alone to an appointment. After the first appointments when you have your gowns narrowed down to 3 or 4 come alone or with one very close friend or family member. This way you can see be in the gowns with no one elses opinion but your own. I HIGHLY recommend doing this.

3.Do I need to bring anything?
~Not really. Most salons have strapless bras and shoes they can lend. But if you have your own strapless bra and a pair of shoes that are about the heel height you will be wearing then bring them along. Many brides also bring their spanx along. I also recommend a camera. Not all salons let you take photographs. Some designers are very worried about people photographing their dresses and then trying to duplicate them. Another item to consider bringing is pictures from magazines or the internet of gowns you like. Even if you only like one thing about the dress bring a picture. This way your consultant can point you in the direction of gowns that may fit your personal style.

4.How early in my engagement should I start wedding dress shopping?
~ASAP!!!! If you are ordering a dress it will take anywhere from 4-8 months. This is standard with any designer who you order from. Generally during off season which is March-September the gowns will take 4-5 months. During busy season, October-February they will take at least 6 months. You also have to consider alterations which takes an average of 2 months, again depending on how busy the alterations department will be when your gown arrives.

Next time I'll be talking about what to expect in during your appointment.

Thanks for reading