Your Wedding Advice - StrictlyWeddings.com Blog

Carolina Herrera Spring 2011 Bridal Trunk Show

Appointments appreciated. 10% discount on all new orders placed.

Wedding Shoe Buying Tips

As most women, we love shoes, but finding the perfect wedding shoes may take a bit of time and research. Certain brands and styles will fit everyone a bit differently so you really need to try them on for the perfect fit to your foot.  Here are some great tips from Susan with Left Bank Jewelry & Wedding Shows in Chicago to help you find the best wedding shoes.

• Bring a photo of your dress.
• Choose a style that compliments your dress and your personal style. In the very traditional sense, many feel that a closed toe shoe has a more formal look, but if you love dancing an open toe with a closed back is a better option.
• Keep in mind the time of year of your wedding is, location and the different surfaces you’ll be walking on.
• Shoes crafted with sueded leather soles will offer you the most comfort and are the best choice.
• When deciding on heel height, choose a heel you can comfortably walk in with confidence and wear the entire day. Switching into flats or flip flops later in the evening changes the way your gown falls and affects your posture.
• If it’s difficult to decide on a style, bring a friend or ask your wedding consultant.  However, do not get talked into a style that is not you, be true to your personal tastes and needs.
• Break your shoes in before your wedding and walk around your house in them.  Also test them out practicing your first dance. Do wear a thin pair of socks or hose while you’re doing this since you’ll want them fresh and clean for your photographer to shoot!
• Your alteration person will adore you if you bring your shoes to your initial fitting. Definitely do not bring a shoe from your closet since finding the exact same heel height in wedding shoes may be difficult to find a match for in the wedding shoe world.
• Having inserts on hand such as “foot petals” is a safe bet.  They are a great invention and consider them essential for your wedding day.

Photo courtesy of Rick Aguilar Studios

Wedding Jewelry with a Splash of Color

Susan, our StrictlyWeddings.com partner from The Left Bank Jewelry & Wedding Shoes in Chicago, brings us today’s blog post. Her inspiration? Vintage Champagne. Her subject? Wedding Jewelry with a splash of bubbly color.

Do you have champagne tastes and want to add an unexpected splash of color to your wedding ensemble? These romantic vintage inspired gems embellished with a touch of champagne Swarovski crystals are guaranteed to make a statement.

For those who love this divine spirit, a favorite quote to share:

“I only drink champagne when I’m happy, and when I’m sad.  Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory.  I trifle with it when I’m not hungry and drink it when I am.  Otherwise I never touch it – unless I am thirsty.” ~ Lily Bollinger

Visit their Bridal Blog – www.EverythingButTheDress.blogspot.com

Photographs courtesy of Melissa Diep Photography

Wedding video a moving tribute to love and marriage

We are thrilled to announce that Fred Marcus Photography will be one of our New York partners. Photographer Brian Marcus has a very entertaining blog that we encourage you to view regularly. Below is a touching video that he produced for one of his clients. We know you’ll be as moved as we were.

We look forward to bringing our faithful readers more of these special wedding videos from our various partners in the future. We are blessed to have such a talented group of professionals to help you plan your wedding. We encourage you to use their services whenever you can. Visit our Dallas Bridal Book or Chicago Bridal Book for a quick view.

Spring/Summer Wedding Hairstyles Trends

Sometimes we find resources for our brides from other wedding experts. Today’s post is from “Marlo Does Hair.” Good ideas are good ideas no matter who brings them to the table.

Trend #1 – Textured Chignon

Textured Chignon (Taylor Swift)
One of the biggest trends of the Spring/Summer season is textured tresses. This huge movement has made its way into wedding trends as well. I think this look has a natural grace that can be easily tweaked for any bride’s style. Not sure about many of you, but I’m over way too fussy and put together wedding hair. Put the hairspray down, let’s go a bit more natural this season.

Trend #2 – Ballerina Buns

Messy Ballerina Bun
As with chignons, a ballerina bun is classic and very versatile. This season, I’m really loving the buns that have a lot of texture and movement to them but still look chic. Placement of the bun make this look extremely versatile and complimentary to many different face shapes and dress necklines.

Sophisticated Ballerina Bun

Trend #3 – Voluminous Beach Waves

Perfect beach waves
Many times hairstyles that are all down tend to be pretty simplistic. One reason why I like this look is the beach waves/curls look much more natural than a whole head of itty bitty spiral curled hair. With the added volume in the crown, it looks modern and breezy. This beach-inspired look can easily become a beautiful half-up hairstyle for a little more structured of a look. Also, once half up the style really lends itself well for a fantastic hair accessory.

Hair Accessory Trends – Flowers, Headbands, Veils

The images below are from Jade Rose Designs. Visit the website to get a full array of all the different hair accessories that you can use.

Featured Wedding – Eve & Philip – StrictlyWeddings.com

Our new StrictlyWeddings.com Dallas photographer partner, Anne Silverman, shared her beautiful photos of her daughter Eve’s wedding. The bride is a buyer for Gucci hence the handbag name card holders. The groom works in FInance, hence the bull and bear favors. Eve’s dog, “Lexi,” a Lhasa Apso was also an important member of the wedding party!

The bride’s diamond bracelet was a gift from her father from Bachendorf’s.

Couple – Eve Silverman and Philip Tedeschi
Church – Highland Park United Methodist Church/ Ritz Carlton Hotel, Dallas
Gown Designer – Pnina Tornai
Salon – Kleinfield Manhattan
Hair – Dawn Martin, Richard Hayler Salon, Neiman Marcus
Makeup – Mayra Rams Sanabria – My Fabulous Faces
Groom’s Attire – Polo Ralph Lauren
Bridesmaid’s Dresses – Vera Wang: Vera Wang New York
Flowers – Bella Flora of Dallas
Cake – La Gateau Cakery (Red Velvet)
Band – The Grooves from Austin
DJ – Ryan Kelley, Dallas
Lighting & Video – Lite Dallas
Rentals – BBJ Linen, TLC Event Rental
Bull and Bear chocolate favors – Morgan Chocolate

Strike a Pose with Anne Silverman’s Wedding Beauty Portraits

We’d like to welcome our new Dallas wedding photographer partner, Anne Silverman. Anne specializes in what she calls “beauty portraits” and based on several of the images below we have to agree.

“I want you to have a fabulous portrait that you’ll be proud to have in your home or the home of someone who loves you for a very long time.”  With a strong reputation in Dallas for the past decade, Anne truly delivers both beautiful images and client service worthy of your special day. Watch for our next Featured Wedding to be from Anne’s daughter’s wedding!

2010 Wedding Trends: Peacock-Themed Wedding

When Carrie Bradshaw put an overstated peacock on her head for her wedding day in the “Sex and the City” movie, it sparked controversy to say the least—but we found these gorgeous peacock-inspired wedding hair pieces from The Wedding Chicks blog, It’s an elegant spin on the rich and luxurious feathers that are inspiring chic brides from around the world!

Other stories related to the Peacock theme…last year, The Blue Plate did an entire evening around the Peacock theme for a wedding.

What should I bring with me when I try on Wedding Dresses?

Before you go dress shopping, invest in a pair of Nude Panties and a Nude Strapless Bra that fit you well so you can wear them while you’re trying on gowns. If you are tummy conscious, call ahead to see if the salon has slimmers for you to use or if you should bring your own. Also bring your wedding shoes or a pair of heals close to the height you want to wear on the day-of, and if you hate walking around barefoot, a pair of socks.

10 Things to Love – Elizabeth Fillmore’s Spring Bridal Collection 2011

Okay, it’s actually nine gowns show here, so we have to say the 10th thing would be Elizabeth Fillmore Bridal in general! We were thrilled to receive these beautiful photos from Elizabeth Fillmore today representing their Spring 2011 Collection. It was even more wonderful to view the gowns on an elegant model with a pleasant look on her face and skin on her bones. For more information on her 2011 Spring Collection visit her web site.

In Dallas, the Elizabeth Fillmore Bridal Collection can be found at Warren Barron Bridal, one of our StrictlyWeddings.com partners.