Photo "Booth"

Here is a great idea that my husband came across on a site called Digital Photography School.

This past year, we attended a wedding in LA where, during the reception, there was a photo booth. This was pretty fun, very popular, and best of all, the bride and groom were able to view all the pictures later (fyi for all x-rated revelers) and use them for scrapbooks, etc. Well, for those of you who are not so keen on renting a photo booth - how about setting up your own?

Set up an area with a curtain background, good lighting, and a tripod. Put a point and shoot camera set on a timer so people can take pics of themselves. Be creative with props or backgrounds, and you will have unique memories of your special day!

Here is the post, it's item #3.

Snowy Snowy Seattle

We are closed today, Thursday, December 18th, due to the incredible amount of snow.

Reminder - Janet Nelson Kumar Trunk Show

Friday, December 5th to Sunday, December 7th. Check out this post for more pictures.

Also, for all the sunny beach destination brides - be sure to check out Janet's new Belle Fille line!

Favorite Things - Winter 2008

"Jacket" wedding gowns:

Top pic is "Jules" by Vineyard Bridal. Lower is "White Dahlia" by Joan Shum.

Vintage inspired hair ornaments:

"Madrid" comb by Anca Pe'elma

David Austen English Roses:

Or a fabric version:

From Martha Steward Weddings.

New Line! Janet Nelson Kumar Bridal

Here is a designer that caught my eye some time ago, and I feel so lucky to be able to carry her pieces. Her gowns are classic in a very "Breakfast at Tiffany's" way. Janet will be here herself for a trunk show we are hosting Friday, December 5th through Sunday, December 7th! Here are some of her gowns:

Technical Difficulties

Sincere apologies to anyone who has tried to call the store within the last week. The phone was dying a slow death, rendering it highly difficult to nearly impossible to hear what the caller was saying. I finally was able to obtain a new phone and now everything is working as it should. A big YAY to the ladies of AT&T on Pike/Broadway.

FAQs

Some popular questions:

1) How early should I buy my wedding gown?
All the gowns I carry are what's known as "cut-to-order", where the fabric isn't cut until an order is placed. Generally gowns take 14 weeks from order until arrival at the store, and for Matthew Christopher gowns, it's 18 weeks. Rushes are possible with additional fees, and generally they reduce the total time only by 2-3 weeks. Of course, if you would like to purchase a gown off the rack, this is always a possibility for those short on time.

2) What about alterations?
Gowns are fitted for alterations in the store and performed by professional seamstresses with extensive experience altering wedding gowns. You will most likely need at least two fittings. The alteration fee is determined by the seamstress, and evaluated on a case by case basis. March through September find the seamstresses fairly busy, so please leave at least 4-6 weeks for alterations.

3) Do I need to make an appointment?
I recommend that you make an appointment so that a dressing room is ensured. Each appointment is 1.5 hours to give you ample time to find the perfect dress.

4) What is a trunk show?
A trunk show is where a designer brings in his or her current collection in near entirety for you to see and try on. Normally I carry only a carefully chosen selection of a designer's line, but during a trunk show, often the whole line is available for your perusal. Appointments are highly recommended.

5) Do you have parking?
There is usually ample street parking available on NE Ravenna and/or 65th NE. There is also free one hour parking on Ravenna Blvd, directly in front of the store (in front of the load/unload spot).

Please feel free to email me any other questions!

Lynn Lugo Fall Promotion

Piccione Bridal Trunk Show - Nov 21-23

Come join us November 21st through November 23rd for a Piccione Bridal trunk show! Featuring luxe fabrics such as silk taffeta and satin, with elegant beading and sensuous curves. A trunk show is a great time to try on almost the entire collection of gowns from the featured designer. We'll be having special savings, a chocolate tasting, and most importantly, a chance for you to find your dream dress. Reserve your dressing room early. All appointments are one and a half hours so that you have ample time to try on as many dresses as you like (or maybe a couple dresses two or three times, if you're anything like me).

October 4th Opening Party

We're very excited to be having an opening party on Saturday, October 4th. The store will be open from 10am, however the party will begin after 5pm. Please feel free to stop by and say hello!

The Best Part About These Dresses...

...is that you can shorten them and totally wear them again!

I recently saw the movie "27 Dresses", and I giggled furiously when they repeated this line several times about the bridesmaids' dresses. Ah - the dreaded bridesmaid dress selection process!

Selecting the perfect bridesmaids dress has truly become a balancing act. You want to make sure your wedding party look and feel fantastic in their outfits. You also want to have their look align with your vision for the big day. In my own personal experience, I was not able to achieve the perfect balance. I tried to have my bridesmaids select their own gown, but I did set some (perhaps overly restrictive?) parameters on what type of gown they could select, so that a cohesive group look was achieved. I'm sure my friends all breathed a giant sigh of relief when my wedding was over. But I digress...

If only I had known about Lynn Lugo's dresses! Great colors, fabrics, and versatile styles. This is the photo from their web site's main page.

No need to shorten to wear it again. ;)

Something Borrowed, Something Blue

When you buy your wedding dress (ideally 6-8 months in advance), are you going to be thinking about how you will style your hair? Or what accessories you might wear? Maybe, but if you're like me, I thought about accessories, oh, about...one week before the wedding. And then maybe that little ditty about what to wear on your wedding day for good luck comes back to haunt you and you frantically start to harass your family and friends for jewelry you can borrow. After all, that would combine "old" and "borrowed". Well, here is something that would combine "new" and "blue":

These stunning faceted blue topaz earrings are hand wired by Wendy at Fuss Jewelry. Think of how these will catch the light with every movement. And don't be surprised if someone calls to borrow these from you in an attempt to cover "old", "borrowed" and "blue" (durn overachievers!). Calla Bridal is delighted to be carrying select pieces - including these topaz hoops - in the boutique from Wendy's collection.

I'm not an interior decorator, I've discovered.

Recently, I just can't wait for the store to open, and then sometimes wish someone else will open it for me. For now, I am embroiled in the great decor debate (with myself, of course). Carpet or wood floors? Uber chic concrete? Taupe walls? White walls? Charcoal walls? Recently, I've fantasized up a lighter charcoal wall paper with a subtle pewter damask print on it. And what about lighting, and seating, and dress racks? - and so on and so forth, round and round I go.

Today I spent some time on youtube trying to spy on how other bridal boutiques are arranged, and realized that I just cannot stand it when several wedding dresses are crammed together on one rack. So, that's one more thing to keep in mind when designing the space.

To keep myself from going too crazy, I browse wedding dress sites and feel better when I see stuff like this:



This is "Nina", by Vineyard. Elegant, timeless. Although mayhaps an empire waist is very hot right now, but I think they look great on all kinds of figures.

Update: Embarrassment! This is Nina, not Piper, as I originally wrote. Guess I was fairly distracted...Thanks to the attentive reader!

Changing things up for the reception

When I was living in Asia, there was a wedding trend that piqued my interest - changing outfits. The Bride and Groom typically wore three different ensembles throughout the wedding. The first was usually a white gown similar to the styles worn in the US. Then, for the beginning of the reception, a traditional qipao or kimono was worn (dependant on country, of course). Finally, part way through the reception, a third costume change occurred, and the final outfit could be anything, generally colorful and sometimes full of whimsy. It was an elaborate show, each new ensemble more extravagant than the former.

Though this practice will likely not be incorporated here in Seattle, I am seeing bridal fashion change from ceremony to reception. Hair up for the ceremony, then down for the reception. Cathedral train trailing behind for aisle walk, bustled (some entirely removed) for the first dance. An elegant, formal gown for the vows, with a lighter, flirty dress for the toasts. Not everyone is keen on having to change for their reception, but I do recommend one thing - comfortable dancing shoes (a.k.a. flip-flops) for your reception!

How great is this dress?

Aptly named "Masterpiece", by Matthew Christopher.

I've placed an order for a few beautiful gowns by Piccione Bridal. These romantic gowns are done in silk, with customizable beading and straps. What's not to love?