Both Eyes Shut

The new Collections of bridal hit the runways this past October in New York and Chicago. There are all these fun new twist to the wedding gown that I've never seen before. As exciting at this is, it can also be a tease. If your wedding is Spring 2010 most of the gowns you are seeing online and in the new magazine issues are not for you. These gowns are in the process of being made for the stores and will make their debut this coming January or February.

So let's say your wedding is April and you are waiting for the Spring 2010 collections to come out. That only leaves you two months to order a dress and have it altered. Whew, that's a crunch that could leave you with hefty rush charge.

Instead, look at the images of the new dresses if you can't resist. You can still catch a few excellent ideas by taking a look at the editorial shots. Just don't get your heart set on a dress that is still in production. Its not meant to be. If you see any fabulous accessories, you could have time to order those in for the big day. The good news is, the new spring line isn't technically for Spring weddings it just represents when the line is coming out. Bridal isn't like street wear. Some of my all time favorite gowns are from collections a couple of years back. Those are the ones that have stood the test of time.

The Alvina Valenta shown is from Fall 2006. Its one of my favorite gowns in the store. I would be more than happy to wear that one down the aisle!

Badgley Mischka Trunk Show!

Starting tomorrow a very exciting in-store event is taking place. The Badgley Mischka Trunk Show! The dresses will be a mix of best sellers as well as their new line, plus you can take advantage of the 10% off discount throughout the weekend. Dresses range from 3500-15000 giving every Bride plenty of amazing styles to choose from. Shawne, one of Badgley Mischka's fashion experts, will also be joining the fun until Sunday. Charity De Meer, a local Orlando photographer will be taking photos on Saturday and Simone from Makeover Station will be offering free makeup trail! We will be kicking off this amazing trunk show with Mimosas to celebrate the weekend! We invite all Brides & Bridesmaids to join us for this special event.

Real Wedding: That makes you want an Invite!

Recently, our lovely bride Kiimberly dropped off her Kenneth Pool wedding gown to get it cleaned for an additional photo shoot. We took a peek at the gown to see the wedding day damage. We can always tell how much fun a bride has by the look of her wedding gown. Let's just say, she got her moneys worth of fun! After seeing this bridal gown, we had to keep an eye on her photographers blog. The pictures are up. Take a look at the Vue Photography for a full display of Kimberly's big day. The pictures say just as much as the dress does. We are so fortunate to have this amazing couple as one of our clients. She fell in love with her fiance in elementary school. Their story is quiet unique and special. Thanks Kimberly for sharing it with us!

Ways to Broach!

We just received new broaches to add to our collection. Checkout all the creative ways our team has come up with to add that unique touch to your wedding day. Make sure to comment if you have an idea of your own!

Make the Neckline into Sweetheart:

Add to a Sash:

Use as shoe jewelry:

Add more drama to the bustle:

Add more attention to the unique elements:

Create into a hair piece:

Use as bouquet jewelry:

Glam Going Rebel

Rebel Glam photographer, Charity De Meer, scooped up our Torrean gown for a fashionista filled shoot. Since Sunday, the Solutions Bridal buying team has been at NYC Bridal Market. The shoot is filled with the same energy we have found here. Brides (including Southern belles) are starting to push the envelope. I just can't explain how excited we are about it! We have been running from one designer showroom to the next in search of the best of the best in bridal. The Spring collections are all about luxurious organzas, hand-crafted rosettes, natural waists, tulle skirts, and delicately placed beading. It was difficult to come across a full beaded gown. The designers are taking a more softer feminine approach, but adding drama by styling the gown with vintage inspired jewelry. After seeing Charity's photographs, I just got all excited again about the current bridal trends. Spring 2010 can only be described as nothing less than dreamy.

A brand new dress!

A new Kenneth Pool dress, the Botticelli arrived today at our Winter Park store & it is stunning! The dress is a silk satin/tulle, with silver beading and curved neckline. We have many Kenneth Pool dresses in store & all of them are remarkable! Kenneth Pool is Amsale Aberra's collection that emphasizes couture & dramatic details. The dress will be here in store until next Friday! Please feel free to make an appointment with us & take a look at this beautiful gown as well as many others!

Re-wearing your bridesmaid dress.

This past weekend I stumbled upon the style guide for bridesmaids. As every soon-to-be bride knows, picking out the perfect bridesmaid dress can be a stressful event. Questions arise rather or not the girls you've selected will be able to re-wear their bridesmaids dresses. We say go for it! In Style Weddings Summer 2009 issue gave some great hints on how to re-wear and turn your bridesmaid dress into a hot new look for a party or date, and with the right accessories for the office too! Some ideas to re-wear your bridesmaid dress to the office are to match it with a short sleeved cardigan, heels and fun accessories such as a plated necklace. Re-wearing your bridesmaid dress to a date or party is less of a challenge then you might think. Matching the dress with a vintage belt, clutch, and a unique cuff is the perfect look to a semi-formal night out. Hope these ideas are insightful & valuable! -Brittany E.

A day at the Courtyard

This past Thursday afternoon at the Courtyard at Lake Lucerne an amazing photo shoot took place. Abby Liga an extremely talented photographer based out of Orlando shot the photos. Her unique & fresh taste brought the location to life. Abby has a true talent for capturing the right moments & emotions in her photos. Designer dresses from Solutions Bridal were provided for the shoot and looked stunning in the hints of outside lighting provided from the Courtyard. The beautiful veils, necklaces, earrings & broaches were provided by Paris. Also joining the fun was Simone from Makeover station, she used her unique skills to give our model the big gorgeous hair & beautiful bright eyes that sealed the deal for the perfect picture. -Brittany E.

Last Saturday Chad Pilster from Pilster Photography joined all of us here at Solutions Bridal for a night to remember! While helping Brides try on their wedding dresses and get ready for their special day, Chad Pilster shot some of the most amazing photographs that truly capture the magic of our event. The overwhelming sense of happiness and excitement filled the room as the girls tried on numerous gowns. Mr. Pilster captured their excitement with each individual shot. All of us at Solutions Bridal send out a big thank you to Pilster Photography for such an amazing experience. For any Florida Brides looking for a wonderful photographer to capture the true emotions of your wedding day, Pilster Photography is defiantly the way to go! -Brittany E.

The Art of Customizing!

This morning I received real wedding photos of a bride that customized her gown with Anne Barge to fit the requirements of her church. Take a look at these before and after photos. Even though, 60% of bridal gowns are strapless, you can keep your options open by exploring the custom changes available within them. There are big perks to going this route. Most designers provide extra boning in a strapless gown verse a v-neck or any other neckline. All this extra structure helps keep the dress up and tends to create a more flattering waistline. Taking a strapless gown and building it up at the neckline can give you the best of both worlds.

We love when our brides do custom changes allowing the designer to create a one of a kind look just for them. In two weeks, one of the Assistant Managers will be meeting Anne Barge personally to discuss all the changes available. We can't wait to build up our product knowledge when she comes back!

Calling all Brides!

Ever wonder how brides' wedding photos end up in high fashion bridal magazines? Do you want your wedding to end up in the January issue of Central Florida Brides magazine? If so, submit your information about your wedding. Include photos, videos or anything else that makes your wedding day look as special to their editors as it was to you.
All you have to do is email Jennifer at jenniferk@pwg.com and cross your fingers that you end up in the next issue of Central Florida Brides. Good Luck! The deadline is October so hurry!

Drab to Fab

Every season Solutions Bridal does a "Ditch and Switch". We remove our old bridesmaid dresses as we introduce the new. Several of the dresses can't be simply donated because they have "sample" marked on the back of them. Luckly, Solutions Bridal's Assistant Manager, Alicia Zutter, is a go-green designer that takes an innovative approach on ready to wear clothing. Her clothing line, ALICIA Zutter Couture, represents old bridesmaid dress fabrics transformed into fashion forward pieces.

Her line is all about feminine romantic looks with an edgy twist. As you look through her line, you can find touches of organza ruffles and rosettes done in exquisite jewel tones. Known as an expert stylist to her brides, Alicia takes design and accessory pairing to high regard. All of her patterns are originals and just need to be tailored to the body for the best fit. Alicia takes pride in using recycled fabrics, such as old bridesmaid dresses, and making them into pieces every girls swoons over.

In the picture above the lady on the left is wearing one of ALICIA Zutter Couture's Mother of the Bride gowns. Alicia is shown on the right showcasing her designs as well. Make sure to check the blog soon for more fashion news from ALICIA Zutter Couture!

Get Married In Style

Lifetime's "Get Married" hosted by Colin Cowie and Deanna Pappas will feature some of Solutions Bridal picks on August 19, 2009 at 7:30am ET. The featured gowns will come from Lazaro, Tara Keely, and Jim Hjelm gowns. Make sure to tune in to see all of Colin's picks.

Upcoming Events with Lazaro and Jim Hjelm:

On August 27th-September 6th, the Winter Park location will be hosting a Lazaro Bridesmaid Trunk Show. Come be the first to see the new Fall 2009 collection and take advantage of the designer discount provided.

Also, the Gainesville location purchased the new Jim Hjelm Bridesmaid collection. Make sure to attend the Florida Bridal Expo on September 13th at the UF Hilton. All the consultants will be wearing the new line.

*The picture above is our brand new stock piece from Lazaro Bridal! Make sure to come in and try it on, I did! *

Royalty Makes Its Debut!

This week on The Knot LIVE, author and event planning pro Karen Bussen showed us some of her favorite details from weddings she's helped design, our Lifestyle Director Krissy Tiglias dished on some stylish DIY wedding ideas, and staged the knots first ever live fashion show -- straight from the office!

One of our fabulous designers, Kenneth Pool, was featured on The Knot Live! Check out style Royalty and many others on upcoming Live episodes at 12 p.m. ET.

http://webmail.solutionsbridal.com/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwedding.theknot.com%2Fspecial-wedding-features%2Fthe-knot-live%2Farticles%2Fthe-knot-live-episode-9.aspx

Inside Weddings: Editorial Spread on Anne Barge

Check out the new collection of Anne Barge in Inside Weddings. As many of you know, Anne Barge is one of our favorites. She is an Atlanta based designer that provides custom gowns for our clients. We have some upcoming events going on with the Anne Barge Brand this Fall!

Our Assistant Manager, Alicia, is getting flown up to the Anne Barge Show room in September to get certified as an Anne Barge Specialist. We are so excited for her and can't wait to hear all the news when she returns.

It will be just in time for our Anne Barge Trunk Show on October 9th-11th! We will make sure to do a follow up blog post then. Stay Tuned.

Backstage Pass

On May 31, 2009 Solutions Bridal rocked the Gaylord Palms Runway in Orlando, Florida. Betsy Hansen photographed the behind the scenes.

There is so much preparation involved before a fashion show. First, we do casting calls to meet the models and fit them into the dresses. Once we fit the dresses to the right model look, we have to tailor the dresses to their body. Then, the dresses are transported to the event location. From there we meet with make and hair stylist Simone from Makeover Station. She carries out the look with couture hairstyles and make-up. Then, we had the finishing touches with Erin Cole jewelry. From there we do the rehearsal and practice the pace with Frank Sinatra in the background. Thirty minutes before the show, models get into their first dress. We crowd around have a touching speech from the owner, Newell Fox. The models line up and get ready for their first step on the runway. Once the fashion show starts, the adrenaline starts going backstage. The thirty minute show feels like two minutes and then its all over. There is a big sigh of relief... ahhh... success. No one tripped and all the dresses made it down. There is so much preparation involved to make the fashion show a success. Two months of prep for 30 minutes of show time, but its aways worth the it! Please come visit us at our next fashion show on September 13th at The Hilton in Gainesville, FL. Enjoy the behind the scenes pictures from Betsy Hansen!

Barbie GOT MARRIED.... Vegas style

So apparently she had her bachelorette party at the Palms and GOT HITCHED at one of the Vegas chapels!!! She definitely looks fabulous though, dontcha think?

Photo SOURCE.

Here's how we'd put a similar (but equally fabulous) look together!

Gorgeous short dress by Watters:

Veil & Tiara by Bel Aire Bridal

Hot strappy sandals by Touch Ups

And for a twist, compare these next ones (from Touch Ups) to Barbie's hot pink bachelorette party shoes ... and they can be dyed in hot pink (as shown in the pic of our bride Tracy!)

Source.