This week’s gown is all glamour. The Giada dress from Monique Lhuillier’s Spring 2011 collection is for the glamo-phonic bride to be, no doubt. The ivory embroidered organza strapless natural waist corset bodice gown with a trumpet skirt will not go unnoticed.
This dress from Amsale says regal and classic, and the bride who chooses this dress is. With its smooth lines and single round crystal detailing, it’s grown up while still being girly. Anyone spotted in this gown will look like the prize winning bride.
This Spring/Summer 2011 Jenny Packham wedding dress is both sexy with a bodice top and ethereal with a flowy skirt. The jewels are divine and the open pleating below is to die for! The belted high waste finishes this dress off beautifully. Can’t you just hear it shimmying around the dance floor during the first dance? Sigh…
by Trendy Wendy
Hello, my busy brides! As you’re on your pursuit to perfection, lusting for those little pieces that will add a flawless touch to your wedding day, go no further; I have a secret that will leave you yearning for more.
Anthropologie will be unveiling their bridal collection in Spring 2011 under their parent company Urban Outfitters Inc. The bohemian-chic inspired line will debut one-of-a-kind wedding dresses ranging from $750 to $5000. With the lavish selection Anthropologie has to offer, your bridesmaids won’t miss out either; dresses with feminine flare, shoes, jewelry, lingerie, invitations, decorations and perfect dainty gifts to remind your girls that your fiancé isn’t the only one you are thinking of. As we all know from the men who have stolen our hearts, it’s the little things in life that count. Try adding budget-friendly hair accessories to complement a contemporary dress for your rehearsal dinner or bridal shower.
Be sure to keep an eye on this gem that only select few know about;
Anthropologie will be opening stores with this treasured line in select cities [to be determined] and launching a website that will leave you in a sensational state of bliss. Your wedding day is not only a day for love, but a day to display your aesthetically pleasing fashion sense. Dearest brides, remember, you were born to shine in this kind of limelight!
See you next week for the hottest! xoxo Wendy
Elysha Beckerman
Private Receptions™ welcomes new blog writer Elysha Beckerman. On the cusp of her final year at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Elysha majors in Integrated Marketing Communication. She has grown up in the shadows of the New York skyline in New Jersey her entire life and is ready to enter the concrete jungle!
Her interest in European fashion and the latest trends give her the drive and knowledge for Fashion Fever, PR’s newest weekly blog, debuting this Friday, June 4th. We’ll see you then for then hottest in wedding fashion!
How To by Jennifer Crone
Just as Private Receptions blog writer Rachel Stiles let us in on custom suits and tuxes for men, there are tons of options for women too. If you’re not interested in off the rack and want a custom gown, this is for you. Here’s How To:
Drawing of a custom Samuelle Couture gown
I recommend Samuelle Couture for her exquisite designs, materials, and the fact that she creates an inspiration and story board for each bride and dress.
Are you newly engaged and wondering where to start when it comes to planning your big day? You are not alone; and, to help you out, various companies have developed useful applications to ease the stresses that come along with planning the perfect wedding. Take a look at some of the top wedding applications that all brides should check out for either their iPhone or iTunes account:
1. Wedding Wire iPhone Application –Managing your to-do list on the go has never been easier with is app from Wedding Wire, complete with a wedding checklist, vendor directory, budget tracker and countdown.
2. Bride Guide ($4.99) Looking for an all-in-one application to handle your wedding planning, then this is the app for you. Features include a countdown timer, budget calculator to manage your spending, to-do lists (so you don’t miss a step), along with great articles that will make planning for your special day a little easier.
3. Wedding Dash Lite (Free for the first 5 levels) Every bride needs to take a break from all the planning. Here is a great stress buster for Free. In this game you will assist couples plan their big day, from the cake to the flowers and more. But, along the way you will encounter obstacles. Can you run a successful wedding planning business and make other couples happy? Try this fun and addictive game for yourself.
4. iBridal Gown ($3.99) Designed by a bridal salon owner, this application helps brides search and find the perfect wedding gown. You can store information on your favorite dresses with photos and details, along with bridal shop information and directions. Then, you will have these dresses at your fingertips and can review them and choose “the one”.
5. theKnot wedding 911 (Free) Designed by Knot.com editors, this iPhone application is your on-the-go source for expert wedding advice. Have a question? Why not ask other brides-to-be for tips, ideas and more. This is the perfect application for busy brides or for last minute advice.
Do you have any other favorite applications that you cannot live without? Share them here with other brides.
Manic Mondays by Jessica Ozrek
Your big day is over and your precious dress hangs aimlessly in the closet. You may have spilled some champagne on it or maybe it’s been soaked with salt water when you ran through the ocean after your ceremony. Grass stains? Perspiration? All of these have different effects on the fabrics. If you are planning to keep your wedding dress, bringing it to a specialist could be smart.
Jonathan Scheer, Founder and President of J. Scheer & Co., is an expert in wedding gown preservation. He recommends that brides who are interested in family and tradition take serious consideration in the steps to preserve their wedding dress.
“The wedding dress is probably the most important article of clothing you will ever wear,” Mr. Scheer said, “Whether it’s a $50 or $50,000 dress – it doesn’t matter because it’s your wedding dress.”
As a bride looking into options for cleaning and storing your gown, it’s important to know that there is a science behind preserving fabrics and treating stains.
Salt water, champagne, perspiration – these factors are taken into consideration when brought to a specialist. The sooner the dress is cleaned, the better chance at saving the dress, and JC Sheer’s offer a 50-year guarantee.
Mr. Scheer’s goal is to provide each bride with the service of maintaining the wedding dress’s physical and chemical integrity. Therefore, whether the next generation chooses to wear the dress or not, the decision will be based on one’s own goals and needs rather than the condition of the dress.
As a keepsake and heirloom to pass down through your family, preserving your wedding dress the right way will prove to be a smart and invaluable decision. Private Receptions is happy to assist in your wedding gown preservation decision-making.
Manic Mondays by Jessica Ozrek
Have you thought about what you’re going to do with your dress after the wedding? Package it away for a future daughter? Donate it to charity or sell it on eBay? How about take advantage of a new trend – Trash the Dress!
Many wedding photographers are adding Trash the Dress to their list of services. Brett Szemple, owner and photographer of Our Wedding Photographer (www.our-wedding-photographer.com), includes TTD in his wedding packages.
Brett: “It’s my belief that the [Trash the Dress] session makes the wedding experience complete. It’s a chance to capture images that were impossible to do on the wedding day, no matter the reason…time, geographic restraints, or weather.”
As our wedding photographer, Brett met my husband and me at Palisades Interstate Park on October 31st for some Halloween Trash the Dress fun. Dressed in angel wings with a garland on my head, I carried a bouquet of flowers. My husband wore a devil mask with a pitchfork in his hand.
Brett: “We shoot in unusual locations and use visual concepts that are limited only by imagination. The images are created after all the stress leading up to the wedding day has subsided. ”
We ran around posing for shots and didn’t have to worry about my dress getting dirty. I didn’t mind if it got dirty – which it did, but I also didn’t want to “trash it”. Luckily, you don’t have to take Trash the Dress literally to experience it.
Brett: “The premise of the shoot is not about destruction as the name may imply, but about creation. The session is a second chance to make additional memories and an art piece, but without formalities.”
Whether you run through the ocean, ride bikes down a dirt path, play in the fall leaves, or swim in a pool, Trash the Dress is open to your creativity!
Brett: “Every session I’ve had the privilege to shoot has been exciting and fun, just like any new adventure. [The couple] may choose an activity that brought them together, an activity they enjoy together, or perhaps something they’ve always wanted to do but just needed a good excuse.”
privatereceptions.wordpress.com 
