A great big thanks to Queen City Catering for bringing in some yummy goodies for our customers this past Saturday. Everything was delicious! Check out the gorgeous spread:

For more information on Queen City Catering or to book your event, head over to www.qccatering.com (or give them a call at 704-305-7778.  Thanks again, QC!

We’re having yet another great trunk show at the end of February, but this time it’s for accessories instead of gowns!  Bride’s Head Revisited has a gorgeous collection of veils, petite tiaras, jeweled combs, and silk flowers that will top off your wedding day look beautifully.  If you purchase during the trunk show, you’ll receive 10% off of your order!  Here are some of our favorite pieces:

Above are some of the combs from Bride’s Head.  Most of them are available in silver or gold finish.

Bride’s Head’s veils are just beautiful.  They are all made by hand and the quality really shows!  They have plenty of signature styles, such as the ones above – clockwise from top left are the Robin, the Norah, the Heather, and the Leila.  You can also always build your own custom veil, with any edging, shape, color, and length.

Flowers, flowers, and more FLOWERS!  Most are available in white or ivory, and are attached to high-quality metal combs or alligator clips for a secure hold in your hair.

We’ll actually have this trunk show in the store from February 24 all the way through March 3.  This means that you don’t have to battle the Saturday crowds if you want an appointment to view these pieces – we have plenty of spots available during the week of February 27 – March 2.  It’s much more quiet on the weekdays and you’ll have plenty of time to peruse the selection!

Please give us a call if you’d like to set up a time.  We look forward to seeing you!

We’re so pleased to have Queen City Catering coming in on Saturday, February 18.  They’ll be bringing some tea sandwiches, veggies, and cheeses for everyone to sample.  Check out some of the beautiful spreads QC Catering has done (photos courtesy of the Queen City Catering website):

Holy cow.  I’m starving now just looking at these pictures!  If you have any questions, give us a call – and be sure to check out Queen City’s website for more info and menus!

This is SO. COOL.

I don’t even have the words, so check out a picture:

Deborah Griffin is an amazing artist who will create a customized sketch of you in your bridal gown.  She has an enviable fashion education and resume (working with the likes of Vera Wang, Nanette Lapore, and Amsale), and now is making this awesome service (known as Illustrative Moments) available to brides everywhere!  Let’s see some more of those stunning drawings (and be sure to check out her site to see even more):

Are you blown away yet?  What an incredible keepsake to have after the big day is over!  Now I’m going to tell you the very best part:

We’re partnering with Debi to offer our brides 10% off of their very own custom sketch!  If you’re interested, please just give us a call.

If you’re interested but you’re not a J.Major’s bride, not a problem!  You can order directly through Debi’s website (here).

Mark your calender for February 24 and 25 for our Martina Liana Trunk Show!  We just love Martina – they’ve got such a great mix of styles!  If you’re into sparkle, Martina has some great beaded styles.  They’re ornate and have plenty of wow factor, but won’t break the bank like some other heavily embellished gowns.  If texture and fabric detail are more your cup of tea, there are awesome styles in that department as well!

This trunk show is actually what’s called a “Sneak Peek” show.  This means that the gowns we’ll be getting in aren’t anywhere online or in magazines – they’re brand new styles.  The designer likes to be able to gauge the response they’re getting to these styles and then decide which ones to put into production.  If you find a dress and fall in love, it will definitely be available to order, but you might be the only one wearing that gown (ever!) if you’re the only one who buys it and they decide not to make it a production style.  And if you’ve already fallen in love with a Martina we’ve got in the store, don’t fret – the incentive pricing (10% off of any new order) applies to ANY Martina style, not just the sneak peeks in the store that weekend.

I wish that I could show you some pictures of what we’re getting, but we just don’t know!  Instead, here are some of the beautiful Martina gowns we already have in the store.

So remember – 10% off of any new Martina order during our trunk show, February 24 – 25.  This also applies to Martina accessories, like their awesome sparkly belts. Give us a shout to schedule your appointment today!

We LOVE getting pictures from our brides!  It’s so great for us to see the culmination of all the planning and anticipation, and we’re so thankful to the great photographers in the Charlotte region (and beyond!) for sharing.  Check out some of the lovely newlyweds below.

Thanks to Tara Mauldin Photography, Blue Sky Studios, and Elizabeth Scott Photography for these awesome images.  Also a HUGE thanks to our beautiful brides for their business, loyalty, and friendship.  Congratulations to you all!

First is the adorable Amanda, in a sweet Mikaella gown.

Thanks to Tara Mauldin for these images – it was so hard to pick just a few to highlight!

Here’s another one of Tara’s lovely brides, Kristin.  She rocked her Lea-Ann Belter gown, as well as some great Nicole Miller jewelry!

Next up is Jill, who was also gorgeous in a Mikaella gown and was photographed by Blue Sky Studios:

Finally we have the stunning Sara.  Sara wore a gorgeous San Patrick gown, accented with a Desla floral brooch at the shoulder.  Thanks to Elizabeth Scott Photography for these!

We have three beautiful new stock pieces to share with you today.  Without further ado…

First up is a stunning Alvina Valenta, #9216 from the Spring 2012 collection.

Layers of soft tulle edged with horsehair create a layered, full skirt.  The bodice is embellished with chantilly lace and gorgeous silk flowers, and the waist is accented with a satin ribbon.  The tulle extends over the bodice and loops over for a striking one-shouldered look.  If you’re not into the one shoulder trend, this could always be removed for a more classic strapless shape!

Next up is Christy, one of our favorite silhouettes from Lula Kate.  We’ve had this style in our bridesmaid’s selection for a while, but it is just so stunning as a bridal gown.

Lula Kate has recently changed their bridal fabric to a sumptuous Thai silk.  It is very close to the original shantung, but has a lustrous sheen and softer texture.  It’s just gorgeous!

We’ve accented our Christy gown with a wide shantung sash from Palazzo.

Finally, here’s Courtney, a new beauty from Lea-Ann Belter:

This fit and flare gown is made of super lightweight silk taffeta – it seems to just float across the floor.  The sweetheart neckline and rusched bodice are so flattering, and there’s just a bit of sparkle in the swirled rosettes accenting the skirt and train.

If you’re interested in coming in to view these gowns or the rest of our collection, please just give us a call!  We’ve been booking up on Saturdays about two to three weeks in advance, so please make sure to call early if you want to come in on a weekend.  Remember that we’re also here later on Tuesdays – we can take an appointment as late as 6pm!

It’s the weekend of our Lazaro trunk show, and we’ve been excitedly unpacking the gorgeous gowns they sent us this time. We’re all booked for Saturday, but there are still a few spots left on Friday, and Monday is almost wide open! Give us a call if you’d like to book a spot.

If you watch Say Yes to the Dress, no doubt you have seen this lovely Lazaro gown. Classic in silhouette, yet modern in color, “the sherbet gown” is Lazaro at his very best.

A pleated organza bodice plunges to a flattering sweetheart neckline, and a ribbon and jewel-accented belt at the waistline is glamorous and ornate. Layers of ivory, pink, and blush netting make up the full ballgown skirt, giving the color great depth and an almost hombre effect.

It is worth noting that this gown is available in ivory and white as well as the sherbet color. Pink just isn’t for everyone, and this stunner of a gown will give you plenty of “WOW” in any shade!

We hope to see you soon!

A while back, we featured a post about cake inspiration.  In that post, we really only talked about traditional weddings cakes – usually tiered, decorated, and meant to feed a crowd.  I promised then that we would take a look at some wedding cake alternatives, and the day has finally come.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve noticed the rising popularity of cupcakes.  Sweet and little, cupcakes are a perfect quaint alternative to a large wedding cake.  In the guest-pleasing department, cupcakes are awesome – they allow for a huge variety of flavors so no one is left out.

Many couples choose to have one small cake tier above the cupcake stack, so that they are still honoring the tradition of “cutting the cake”, but others are throwing tradition to the wind and going cupcake-only.  Here are some particularly sweet examples of the cupcake alternative:

Another popular cake alternative is the cake pop.  All the same benefits of cupcakes are present here too: portion control, variety of flavors, neat-o display options.

As you can see above, cake pops can be made on sticks (like a lollipop), or just stacked together.  I just love the hombre-style colors of the cake pop tower on the right.

Incidentally, cake pop towers bear an uncanny resemblance to a classic French celebration cake known as croquembouche:

The tower is comprised of profiteroles (pate a choux balls filled with pastry cream), and bound together with caramel and spun sugar.  The name translates to “crunch in the mouth” (a result of the crunchy sugar on the outside).

Now to one of my favorite cake alternatives: pies.  What is more American, more love-filled, than a pie?

While a pie may appear to be the dressed-down cousin of the fancy-pants cake, pies can still have a place at a more formal affair.  Check out the refined mini-pie tower on the right:

If dressed-down is what you’re going for, though, any kind of pie can fit right in.  Many couples even have family members prepare their particular specialties, which lends a familiar and heartfelt vibe to the whole dessert course.

So cake’s not your thing.  That’s cool.  If the sound of the Krispy Kreme truck is what gets your mouth watering, consider a donut cake!  I love the look of the donut hole cake to the left (and it certainly gives lots of flavor options).

I may be straying from our topic a tiny bit now, but a candy table is another great way to be sure that your guests’ collective sweet tooth is satisfied.  I guess that this is more of a favor alternative than a cake alternative, but I couldn’t resist both pictures below.  Whether you choose a vibrant carnival feel, or a classic assortment of white candies, a candy table is sure to be a hit.

Here are some other unique alternatives that I couldn’t pass up:

Are you nostalgic for Hostess desserts?  Why not make your wedding cake out of them?  Same goes for Oreos – just make sure to have plenty of milk!  On the far right, Rice Krispie treats get a major makeover as a dressed up tiered cake.

Finally, some savory alternatives if you’re just not into sweets.  From left to right: assorted cheeses with figs, stacked crepes, and sushi!

Traditional cakes will never go out of style, but if you’re looking for an eye-catching (and palette-tempting) alternative, consider some of these great ideas!

Bridesmaids are an integral part of many wedding parties.  Most traditionally, bridesmaids wear the same gown to unify their look, sometimes also sporting matching jewelry, shoes, and maybe even hairstyles.  This is a beautiful, classic look and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it!  A bride surrounded by a matching, monochromatic court of her friends will always make for gorgeous photos.  Check out these classic and uniform bridal parties:

Occasionally, a maid or matron of honor may have a unique accessory or other differentiating element, such as a contrast sash, different flowers, or a completely different gown.

While many brides love the unified and traditional look of matching bridesmaids, lots of couples are now choosing a different approach and mixing up their bridesmaids’ attire.  It could be that everyone is in the same gown, but accessorized with different jewelry, diverse bouquets, or different shoes.  More and more, however, we’re seeing brides completely mix up their bridal parties.  Sometimes the color stays constant but the gowns vary in neckline and silhouette, while others are taking an even more diverse approach and differing style and color (and sometimes even pattern!).  Here are some of our favorite mismatched bridal parties.

Let’s start with bridesmaids in the same color, but differing styles or necklines.

And now on to bridesmaids in completely different styles and shades.  Variations on a chosen hue can add beautiful depth to your photos, like these below:

A mix of neutrals can also be a stunning look.

Some girls are even mixing in some prints for a super textured look.  I love the look below (incidentally, another picture from the lovely Molly Sims’ wedding that we talked about in my post on the Demure Bride):

If you really want to layer in some detail, floral prints can be stunning.  You can go elegant and classic, like our first bride here:

Or bring in tons of color for some sweet vintage appeal:

What’s your take, readers?  Do you desire the uniform backdrop of a perfectly matched wedding party, or do you love the depth and texture of everyone in a different gown?

I myself am a fan of both looks.  They each have their place in different kinds of weddings, and no two brides are the same.  I do think it’s worth noting that that old adage – “You can wear it again!” – just might be more true when a ‘maid chooses her own dress.  Just sayin’.  :)