Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Recissionista Find: Bridesmaid Dresses at Target

After reading the title to this post, you're probably asking yourself two questions...first, "What is a recissionista?" and second, "Bridesmaid dresses at Target?" For those who are not yet familiar with the word "recissionista", it could simply be described as a budget-savvy woman who has mastered the art of looking fabulous for less. In answer to your second question, yep, I'm 100% serious...there are now special occasion dresses available at Target! The dress pictured above is a black strapless bubble dress from Target and retails for only $39.99! For a look at all of Target's special occasion dresses, click here. Most of their dresses are in the $39.99 price range and all of the dresses are available for under $50. Not too bad, huh?!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Steelers Garter Set

Being the HUGE Steelers fan that I am, and with the Super Bowl right around the corner, I thought it would be fitting to feature this Steelers garter set today. Maybe I am a bit bias, but I personally believe that Steeler fans are the best of the best in the NFL. This garter set is cute and discrete (we definitely don't encourage decorating your reception venue in terrible towels) and is the perfect touch for the bride who just can't get enough of those Pittsburgh Steelers!

Available on Ebay.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Stunning!

I am absolutely in love with this beaded lace wedding gown from Casablanca's Spring 2009 bridal collection. Simply stunning in my opinion! To see a list of stores in the Pittsburgh area that carry Casablanca gowns, click here.

Photo courtesy of Brides.com

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Yellow Design Inspiration



I'm not particularly a huge fan of the color yellow; however, something about this pale yellow has me dreaming of Spring (*sigh*). I put together this small design board to see this color come to life for a wedding design and I must say that I've changed my mind about yellow! Yellow is versatile enough to pair with other colors, but vibrant enough to stand out on it's own and would work wonderful for a spring wedding!

Photos courtesy of The Knot.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Beegee Bags


How cute & original are these handmade clutches from Beegee Bags?! Beegee Bags was founded by Brooke Galardi and is a small boutique catering to stores in the California, DC, and Virginia areas. The good news is that if you don't live in one of these areas, you can still purchase these adorable clutches online. All of the bags are sewn and finished in house; therefore, you can be sure that you are getting a quality handbag when you order. These bags are so cute that I'm thinking about picking one up for myself...now, the big question is...which one do I choose?!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Fashion Color Report Spring 2009

So, I totally should have posted this back in September when this report was first published, but unfortunately forgot :( In any case, Pantone, the world renowned authority on color has been inspiring design professionals for decades, and twice a year (spring and fall) Pantone releases it's color report to the fashion world. So, if you're a spring or summer bride and have no idea where to begin looking for color inspiration, let this be your guide.

For more information, check out Pantone's official website.

Antique White Lanterns

I absolutely love these antique lanterns from Jamali Garden Supplies. These lanterns are perfect for a Spring or Summer outdoor reception, and could even be used as outdoor lighting decor at your home after the honeymoon.

Available online at Jamali Garden Supplies

{$24.00 - 20" $15.00 - 14" $12.00 - 10"}

Friday, January 16, 2009

Modern Vases from Pottery Barn

Love these platinum trimmed vases from Pottery Barn...perfect for decorating your home or for DIY centerpieces. On sale at Pottery Barn right now!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

I <3 these!

Since discovering the wonderful world of Etsy late last year, I have been addicted ever since! I frequently browse the site every few days and stumbled upon this lovely hot pink and black damask invitation set this afternoon. The invitation is designed by Social Circles Design, LLC and each set is priced at $5.25. For more information about what is included in each invitation set, click here.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Bridesmaid Gift Idea

When I saw this personalized photo cosmetic bag I knew this would be a hit with bridesmaids! Not only is this a great way to show your friendship, but it's also really practical - give these to your bridesmaids at the rehearsal so they can store all of their makeup on the wedding day.

Available online at Bagettes :: $45.00

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Love it!

For the past several weeks I have been helping one of my Spring '09 brides find the perfect pair of blue shoes for her bridesmaids, and today we found the ONE! These satin peep toe shoes are from J.Crew and are absolutely perfect! I had to post these shoes as they are too cute to pass up!

J. Crew Carmen Satin Peep Toes :: Deep Atlantic :: $265.00 {Available online or in stores}

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Black + Yellow Design Inspiration

In honor of The Steelers playoff game tomorrow afternoon, I thought I would post this beautiful black + yellow design inspiration board by Bliss Weddings. I've seen quite a few black + yellow inspiration boards, but none quite like this. This board has the perfect balance of black + yellow and neither color over powers the other. So, Pittsburgh brides...thinking of having a black + gold wedding to honor the Steelers, but can't quite picture yourself decorating your venue with the terrible towel, then why not try this wedding design instead?!

For photo credits, see The Bliss Weddings Blog.

Friday, January 9, 2009

What to Wear to Your Engagement Party

It's the holiday season and that means it's also engagement season in the wedding industry...Christmas, New Years, and Valentines Day are all very popular times of the year for marriage proposals. With marriage proposals also come engagement parties; therefore, I wanted to focus today's blog on the newly engaged bride-to-be by sharing some of our favorite engagement party dresses of the season.

Ann Taylor - Lace Spectator Dress by Unger

Banana Republic - Confetti Shift Dress

Juicy Couture - Tiered Jersey Knit Dress

Ralph Lauren - Matilda Tiered Dress

White House Black Market - Ombre Silk Dress

Happy shopping! :)

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Steaming your Wedding Gown

There are several options for getting wrinkles out of your gown before the big day; however, it's important to know which methods will produce the best results, and most importantly, not harm your gown in the process. First off, let's discuss things you should NOT do. Never touch an iron to your gown as most gown fabrics are not iron-safe. In addition to an iron, it's also probably not a good idea to use a home steamer as a steamer may end up leaving water spots on your gown.

When it comes to getting wrinkles out of your gown safely, professional steaming is your best option and will generally produce the best results. Most of the time the store where you purchased your gown will take care of steaming your gown for you (and will usually do this free of charge). However, if that's not the case, check into a local dry cleaning company that specializes in wedding gown care. Chances are if the dry cleaning company has gown preservation services, they will most likely have a gown steaming service as well. If neither of these are an option for you, a safe at home method would be to create your own steam room in your bathroom. Start off by hanging your gown on the back of the bathroom door and covering your bathroom floor in towels. Next, run a hot shower for 10-15 minutes while allowing the room to fill with steam. Lastly, take a dry, white towel and run it down the length of your gown to smooth out any wrinkles.

Whichever method you choose, it's important to hang your gown in a space where it will not be tampered with in the weeks and days leading up to your wedding. Be sure to allow plenty of time if steaming is required and lastly, always hang your gown on a padded hanger as this will prevent fabric snags from happening.

Photo courtesy of Brides.com

Monday, January 5, 2009

Bride Wars

I have to say that I'm extremely excited to see this new movie! I've been looking for a good 'chick flick' to hit theaters and this one looks like the winner! Bride Wars opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, January 9th. Looks like a great excuse for a girls night this weekend!