The Color Question: White vs. Ivory

Many of the girls who have come into the store recently have asked about the color they should choose for their wedding dress. Traditionalists request strictly white, while others want to experiment with color.

It made me wonder about how the idea for the "white wedding dress" started in the first place. Historians point to the marriage of Queen Victoria to her cousin Albert of Saxe-Coburg in 1840 as the wedding that set wheels in motion for the tradition marrying in white. Many of the wealthy women in England began to request white to reflect their affluence. The white wedding dress in those days had nothing to do with being virtuous - it was all about wealth. Getting married in a white, extravagant gown was a sign that you could afford to buy a dress that you would never be able to wear again because of its style and color (whites were not easy to clean in those days as they are today!). It was written in Godey’s Lady’s Book, 1849, that “custom has decided, from the earliest ages, that white is the most fitting hue, whatever may be the material. It is an emblem of the purity and innocence of girlhood, and the unsullied heart she now yields to the chosen one," even though the tradition had only started about 10 years prior and the idea of white reflecting virtue was not widely adopted.

Coco Chanel brought the white wedding dress into the 20th century with a new knee-length white wedding dress, complete with extravagant train. During World War I and World War II, many women continued to make do with whatever type of dress they could afford, and this went on for decades. Some women would marry in simple white dresses, which could then be dyed and used as an everyday dress. From the 1950s onwards, as the world watched Hollywood stars, royalty and members of high society get wed in stunning white and ivory gowns, the tradition seemed to be set in stone.However, recently designers have been putting wedding dresses in surprising hues on the runway. Modern brides are choosing the color of their dress based on what looks best against their skin tone, or a color that best reflects their personal style. Personally, I love the way an ivory dress looks on most girls, especially in pictures when the tone looks a bit lighter. But the color debate will surely continue on for years to come!

Navy + Ivory + Gold

Today is our second Inspiration Board Wednesday! I chose to build today's board around a sleek Anne Barge gown that we have at our Gainesville store. This dress is super flattering with the cutest pockets! It would be perfectly complimented if paired with the After Six bridesmaid dresses in navy and ivory.

To add some more interest to the color palette, we included a hint of gold, which can be tied into the brides' shoes, the invitations and even the bouquet ties.

Sources:
Flowers, Napkins, Groomsmen: The Knot
Bridal Gown: Anne Barge
Bridesmaid Dress: After Six
Gold Stiletto Heel: Kate Spade

Unity Symbol...

Candles? Wine? Sand? Artwork? My mother is getting married in July and for the unity portion of her ceremony we have been researching something unique to use. The unity candle is the most traditional and what she had at her first wedding. But by looking further into the meaning of unity and what is appropriate for a wedding ceremony, I found so many unique and very special ways of physically tying the knot. Below are some pictures of these, please comment and let us know what you like, have used or new ideas!

Trash the Dress?

A new trend that seems to be popping up everywhere is for brides to "trash their dress" after the wedding. This usually consists of the bride getting in some sort of water whether it be the ocean, a lake, a river or even a pool! We want to know if you think this is something you would do to your dress...even if it is for the perfect picture!?

Below is a picture from K-Gallery (http://www.k-gallery.com/weddings/index.html#) an amazing photographer we absolutely love!Think this could be you? Vote on our poll to tell us if you would do this type of shoot!

Real Weddings!

Christina, one of our very own, tied the knot on May 8th in Melbourne Beach. Her wedding was absolutely gorgeous, filled with hot pink, damask prints and feathers, exactly her style and completely Christina! She is such a wonderful person to work with, and we're all so incredibly happy for her and her husband Nathan...they're such a perfect pair.

She bought her gown in New Zealand and then fully customized it when she brought it back to the States. It just goes to show, nothing is impossible and you can always get your dream gown! Nathan kept it simple with a black vest, tie and jacket, and her girls wore long classic black strapless dresses. Christina chose to do hot pink and white frosted cupcakes on towers, and a damask print groom's cake. Every detail went perfectly with her feather hair accessories and her hot pink shoes!

She came back to work on Monday and we couldn't wait to hear about absolutely everything and see pictures! Lindsey and Beto, a husband and wife team of Lindsey Joy Photography, did a fabulous job of capturing the spirit of Christina and Nathan's relationship. The sample photos they put up in their blog are so beautiful, we can't wait to see more! Visit their website to view their work: lindseyjoy.com/blog

Congratulations Christina and Nathan, we love you and wish you many many years of happiness together!

- Winter Park Salon Girls

Inspiration Wednesdays!

Solutions Bridal is now introducing:

Inspiration Board Wednesdays!

Every bride needs some inspiration from time to time, so Solutions Bridal is here to help you pull your whole bridal look together. Every Wednesday, we will be featuring a gown from one of our fabulous designers and build an inspiration board around the dress. We'll even include some bridesmaid dresses featured in our store!

Today's inspiration board is featuring a gorgeous Alvina Valenta gown and a Jim Hjelm bridesmaid dress. And what better way is there to celebrate the coming months of summer than with a bright, fun color palette of pink and yellow?!


Let us know what you think of our very first Inspiration Board Wednesday!

Gown - Alina Valenta
Bridesmaid Dress - Jim Hjelm
Flowers - The Knot
Program & Escort Cards - The Knot
Shoes - Christian Louboutin

Surprise!

Last night we threw a surprise bridal shower for one of our own!
Kari Ellison is getting married in August and we wanted to surprise her with a bridal shower.

We chose Bath Junkie, a local venue here in Gainesville, that allows guests to create their own scents using bath salts, scrubs, lotions, etc.

Below is the Bath Junkie lady mixing a glorious blend of Fresh Papaya and "spring fling."

This was such a fun experience for all of us and wouldbe a great idea for any bridal shower or just for fun. Bath Junkie (http://www.bathjunkie.com/) is located all across the country and is a great option for any occasion or a great gift idea.

We are so excited for Kari and want to wish her congratulations on her upcoming wedding!

Real Wedding: Mrs. Tracey Berrios

In June 2008, I met newly engaged Tracey Thomson for the first time. Through out this past year I have had a blast helping all of her creative ideas become a reality. I even had the great pleasure of getting to know her now husband, Matt. He was a really involved fiance. Every time Tracey came in, Matt was right by her side to help with the details. We are all so ecstatic to see their wedding turn out beautifully. They are such an amazing couple that are truly in love.



Wedding Planner: Melissa,Masterpiece Weddings
Florist: Betsy Gardener, The Plant Shoppe
Cake Designer: Kristy, Posh Pastry
Gown: Marisa, Solutions Bridal
Bridesmaids: Watters, Solutions Bridal
Photography: Lindsey, Pure By Lindsey

We Have Grey's Anatomy Wedding Look!

We love watching Grey's Anatomy around here and what a surprise when Meredith gives Izzie and Alex her wedding day! The other thing we were excited about is we have and can create some of the details from the beautiful TV wedding.

Did you like the bridesmaid dresses that Christina and Meredith wore? These simple bridesmaid dresses are from one of our designers, Amsale, Style G458C. We also have a very similar bridesmaid dress in t-length from Watters, style 416.

Izzie walked down the aisle in a Kenneth Pool dress. Our bridal designer Lazaro Bridal has several dresses that mimic Izzie's detailed bridal gown.

Who was your favorite TV Show Wedding?

Kisses in the Rain...

As it began to rain today my thoughts turned to so many brides that end up with rain on their wedding days. And although rainy days may seem like a bummer always remember...

"If you want the rainbow, you've got to put up with a little rain."
-Dolly Parton

-lb

Model Casting Call!

Solutions Bridal is taking part in a fabulous Bridal Expo on May 31st at the Gaylord Palms in Orlando, FL and we need models! We're producing a fashion show to display some of the spectacular wedding gowns as well as the current trends in our industry. If you're 5'7" or taller and wear a normal dress size of 6 to 10, we'd love to see you at our casting call on Tuesday May 19th from 5 - 8 p.m. at our Winter Park salon! There will be a professional photographer on site, so it's a great opportunity to build your portfolio!

Please call with any questions, 407-647-8666.

Top 2009 Wedding Trends!

From rustic barn style to jewel tones, theKnot.com once again presents a great list of the top trends for 2009. The pictures below show the top 5 picks. Maybe your wedding theme falls into these, or you can get inspiration from them! Enjoy!

#1 Rustic homespun details

#2 Jewel Tones

#3 Patterns that Pop!

#4 Ball Gowns are Back!

#5 Two-Tiered Wedding Cakes

Bios to Share Thanks to Powers Photography

Solutions Bridal had its own private Photog session with Stewart from Powers Photography! Some of us were a little shy until Stewart opened us up to the camera (note: he always uses humor to do that ;). We had our portraits taken so we could create mini bios on the website which will soon be airing soon. The Gainesville salon has several fantastic new members and we thought it would be a great way to introduce them and get their faces out there. Finally, our brides will learn a little something about us including some of the greatest tidbits in the bridal industry. Make sure to keep a look out for your consultants bio.


Marissa:

Lauren:

Kari:

Jennifer:

Britt:

Tali:

Thank You Powers Photography to graciously partnering with us again!

The Last Daughter is Married

On Saturday, Becca's mother dropped off her wedding gown to get preserved. It was one of those bitter sweet moments. Over four years ago when I started working for Solutions Bridal, I met the Warners as they were finishing up their first daughter's wedding. Last year, when the second daughter, Becca, got engaged I helped her find her wedding gown. She picked one of my favorites, an Alvina Valenta with a rouged waist and mermaid shape adorn with French Alencon lace. She also purchased her bridesmaid and MOB dress with us. It was fun helping her create the whole wedding look and seeing the results as her photographer shared the images on her blog. Her wedding was in April 2009. When her mother dropped off the gown for preservation it was a little sad. I told her to make sure to adopt a third daughter so I could help her with the wedding. She laughed and gave me a good hug goodbye.

Becca's wedding is a great example of using a bridesmaid dresses as a base color and popping with fresh flowers. She selected a soft pewter color that would contrast with the natural greenery outside as well as green and white bouqets. Very classy and timeless.

"I Do" to Cute Shoes

As I was admiring La Dolce Vita Studio's albums I came across this image. I just fell in love with this idea. What a great way to incorporate your Something Blue! As we always say, its the little details that make a wedding!

Bold Colors in Real Wedding

Congrats to Mrs. Gretchen Kostedt! On April 25, 2009 our fabulous jewelry designer walked down a sandy aisle in Destin, FL. Her sister was married last year and purchased a Marisa gown with us. When it was Gretchen's turn to find the dress we knew we had to go with a little more bling. She designs custom jewelry for our salon so we had to take the gown a step up and incorporate rhinestones and crystals that she is use to working with on a daily basis. Her wedding colors were Red and Turquoise. Most of our beach brides tend to pick light shades of green and blue, but the bold colors against the light sand and ocean really pop in the photos. Enjoy life as a newly wed Gretchen!

Green in Spring: Real Wedding

Maggie Kellog is married! We had a blast working with this big-hearted bride. Take a look at this real wedding and get inspired. She incorporated green and pink details to give a fresh, spring look. Her gown was one of the first few she tried one while shopping in the Gainesville store with her mother this past Fall. She selected a modern, silk taffeta gown that was beautifully showcased with a French Alencon lace veil. Best Wishes Maggie!

Gown: Marisa Bridal

Silk HairFlower: Lori London Millinery

Veil: McCaffrey Haute Couture

Photography: Vue Photography

Marisa Bridal Trunk Show

Marisa Bridal is letting Solutions customers be the among the first to see their New Fall 2009 Bridal Collection.These designs will only be featured at certain retailers across the country and can't be found anywhere online!

Schedule an appointment to come into the Gainesville store the weekend of May 22-24th and enjoy champagne & a designer discount!

Dress Rehearsal Detail Shots

You may have read our recent recap of our Dress Rehearsal event that we posted last week. I can't help but post some of the amazing detail shots from the event that were taken by Mel and Brad of La Dolce Vita Studio.

Our beloved store in Gainesville:

Tasty treats by Kristy of Posh Pastry:

Gorgeous dresses!!!!:
Beautiful crystal accessories:


Hair by 6th Street Station:
Pretty petals by Crevasse's Inc.