Friday, September 3, 2010
From September 11th through the 13th, The Vanderbilt Breast Center presents Brides Against Breast Cancer, a fund-raising event for the Making Memories Foundation which works specifically to help people who have Stage 4 breast cancer.
Brides, if you haven't found your wedding dress yet, plan to attend as you will have an opportunity to help others while finding your dream bridal gown (for less)! The event will feature hundreds of beautiful gowns including designer and couture gowns available at discounted rates.
Brides and breast cancer supporters will travel from all over the state to attend so be sure to tell your friends that the Airport Marriott is offering a special room rate of $99 for brides and guests on Saturday September 11th and Sunday September 12th. For more details visit our bridal events page or Brides Against Breast Cancer.
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Posted by Ashley |
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Monday, August 30, 2010
Wedding dress trends are everywhere - magazines, websites, blogs, we just love our gowns. What about our grooms? Don't we want them to look good too? For the longest time, we kept hearing one name mentioned from the mouths of brides whose grooms have looked sharp at their weddings - Street Tuxedo. We are really excited to shine our spotlight today on Street Tuxedo, a locally owned and operated tuxedo rental company whose goal is to make the wedding experience enjoyable and easy for your groom.
There are many reasons that I love Street Tuxedo (and invited them to be an ABG sponsor). They take care of Nashville couples. They have great inventory which is all available locally (so they can respond faster than places that have to order.) When you go to their stores, they take care of you like family because it's a family-operated business. They are accessible, with 3 Nashville-area locations: Cool Springs, Murfreesboro and Green Hills. Added bonus - If your groomsmen are not in Nashville, Street can also serve them - via their partners - from coast to coast. They should be your first stop for attire for your groom, groomsmen.
Company Name: Street Tuxedo
Website: http://streettuxedo.com
Locations: Cool Springs, Murfreesboro, Green Hills/Nashville
I love this photo by Joe Hendricks Photography. Disclaimer - this picture is from a real Nashville wedding not a party at Street Tuxedo, even though that would be one way to encourage him to go!
Ashley's Bride Guide goes one-on-one with Meghan (Murfreesboro location) of Street Tuxedo
Number of years in the business: 26
How did you get started in weddings? Mr. Street bought Kornman’s Department store in Madison, TN in 1984. He rented tuxedos there as well as sold mens clothes (jeans, underwear, etc.) He realized that a lot of the profit was coming from the tuxedo sales and rentals. So he decided to sell off all of the random men’s wear and focus solely on tuxedo sales and rentals. And here we are 26 years, 3 locations, and thousands of weddings later.
What do you like most about weddings? I love when the bride and grooms come in to pick out their tuxedos. The bride’s entourage watched her try on countless gowns now it is her turn to sit back, relax, and watch the groom model different looks until the perfect one is found. Another thing that we always enjoy is when all of the groomsmen and the groom come in to pick up their tuxedos. The camaraderie and fellowship with each other is so fun to watch. Everyone is so excited to be reunited for the happy occasion.
What’s your favorite wedding picture and why?
I love this picture because of the pure joy you see on both of their faces. They are a lovely couple.
What is your service philosophy? We have to remember that although we see multiple weddings done each weekend, the brides and grooms that come into our stores are doing this for the first time. And we have to stay excited and fresh about what we do. Each Groom has a different idea of what he wants to wear on his special day and we will try our best to help him find his perfect look!
What are your strengths compared to others in your category? First: We are family owned, therefore we care about what we do and treat our brides and grooms like family. Second: We have tuxedos in stock available for try-on. Why should your groom pick his tux out of a catalog? Third: We go above and beyond the call of duty when necessary (taking a set of studs and cuff links to the church just minutes before the wedding begins) Lastly, we have the largest selection of styles and colors in Middle Tennessee.
Who are your 5 favorite Nashville wedding vendors? We work very closely with the ladies at The Bride Room and I think that the brides and grooms appreciate the convenience of the 2 stores being so close. We have so many photographer friends and wedding planners that we love working with that it is hard to narrow it down. I must say that the Nashville Wedding industry has some top notch vendors. Nashville brides are so lucky to have such fabulous people to choose from.
Who do you recommend when you’re not available/not a fit? If we do not have what they are looking for then it must be something really off the wall so I usually recommend GOOGLE!!
What do you read/watch regularly to stay on top of wedding/event trends? I watch the awards shows - ESPY’s, Oscars, Globes. We may not always agree with what the celebs are wearing but they have a big influence on the current trends.
What trend do you love?
I love the grey tuxedo look…it is very versatile. It can be used in casual weddings as well as semi-formal weddings…and it looks great with all dress colors.
What trend do you hate? I don’t hate any of our tuxedos….but I am tired of BROWN! I have been there, done that….about a million times! We still get calls about brown tuxedos all the time.
Which trend are you glad to see go? Long tuxedo coats!!
Which trend are you sad is gone? I think the wedding industry has gotten away from formal weddings. We are seeing more and more neck ties, suits, even no coats at all. I miss the days of the ultra formal weddings…so classy.
What are your favorite wedding websites? I love to look at photographers blogs: Gray Photography, Kristyn Hogan, Jonathan Campbell, Evin Photography, Gambill Photography and of course Ashley’s Bride Guide!!
Neatest wedding find? Neatest wedding find is the new Fantastic Flipbooks, they were at a recent bridal show and after a long day of speaking with brides the Street Tuxedo crew went to their booth and made a flipbook, HILARIOUS!! It’s so much fun! Love this idea!
I KNOW! My niece loves the flipbooks. She makes me flip the books over and over. She likes the pictures and the nice breeze the flipped books provide on her face:).
For the platinum bride, what is the one thing you’ve always wanted to see? Being a tuxedo shop, we love when the bride and groom “make it formal”, meaning white tie and tails for the wedding party and all guests in tuxedos as well.
What is the biggest misconception about your industry? There are a few..COLOR! We have every color imaginable. Not everyone knows that you can also RENT SUITS, it’s not just tuxedos. Also, tuxedo shoes get a bad rap…the manufacturers have started making tux shoes more comfortable, we get compliments on the comfort all the time! Another misconception is if you have out-of-town groomsmen they can go get measured at any tuxedo shop across the country. It is a courtesy we all do for each other!
I'd also like to give a shout-out to Rachel Street (member of the Street family who serves grooms/brides at at the Green Hills location) who is engaged!! I love that her wedding will be intimate (15 people!) and all about what's important to her + her fiance. Kudos for sticking to your own priorities.
You can view more info on real Street Tuxedo weddings in our inspiration gallery or on their Grooms/Groomsmen Facebook photo page.
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Posted by Ashley |
Filed under: Attire & Accessories, Grooms
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Friday, August 13, 2010
I hate for summer to end but with kids back to school and my birthday past, I know it's inevitable.
But, for you Nashville brides planning a summer 2011 wedding - summer color palettes will be on your mind for the next 8-12 months. To keep you inspired, I'd like to share a blog post that I stumbled upon - Summer Brides at The White Room. It's a great post, chronicling some of their lovely summer brides. Some of my favorites are pictured below. Visit The White Room for even more wedding gowns to love.
Rachel
The White Room (TWR): Rachel wore a strapless lace gown by Jasmine. She created a look of her own by adding a champagne sash to compliment the gown. She even had a family member create her veil to add another special touch.
AshleysBrideGuide.com (ABG): I really appreciate that Rachel added her own special touches to her gown! Based on her wedding pictures, she seems to have impeccable style and grace. I can't wait to see more from her wedding and hope to share her entire day with you soon.
Photos courtesy of Kristyn Hogan lifestyle photographer
Courtney
TWR: Courtney wore a Mori Lee strapless mermaid gown and Valentine silk peep toes with jeweled accents by Grazia.
ABG: Another beautiful bride! While traditional, she let her fun and fashionable side peep through in the little details she chose.
Photos courtesy of Sara Rose Photography and Kreslyn Faye Photography
Jennifer
TWR: Jennifer is the epitome of modern elegance in her Allure gown! And her bridesmaids look perfect in their pink dresses:).
ABG: Jennifer and her bridal party are picture perfect in soft pink. Her wedding look is timeless and feminine and a perfect color palette for summer.
Photos courtesy of K. Mosley.
Lauren
TWR: Lauren, wore a Maggie Sottero gown entirely embellished with silk organza roses, lace and beading. Her bridesmaids wore light blue satin dresses which also have pockets!!
ABG: How cute is Lauren's mom? I love her mother of the bride dress - elegant and a great complement to the bridal party. And the bridesmaids' dresses - ADORABLE! I'm a huge fan of pocket dresses, skirts - anything with pockets.
Elisabeth:
TWR: Elisabeth wore a Casablanca rouched satin gown with a pick-up style skirt. Her bridesmaids wore pink baby-doll style dresses with pockets!!
ABG: Pockets again! I just can't get enough of these fun additions to bridesmaid dresses. Babydoll dresses arent for everyone. I really like when a group of girls can all pull them off as these girls did. Plus, the pink dresses really pop.
Photos courtesy of Joe Hendricks Photography.
See more from these wonderful weddings at Summer Brides - The White Room.
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Posted by Ashley |
Filed under: Attire & Accessories, Inspiration & Trends
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Monday, July 26, 2010
It's all in the details isn't it? You put in the effort to find your perfect gown that by the time it comes to the shoes and accessories, you may be sapped of your energy! You may be at the point where you think, "oh whatever, I'll just get a veil and a pair of heels and call it a day, I'm so worn out." We encourage you to take a breather, and invest the same energy you put into finding your gown to finding the best, complementary pieces to go with it - why ruin things with a veil or accessory that clashes with your beautiful gown right?
To make it easier for you to know what your options are, we went to Melanie, owner of The White Room and a fabulous ABG site sponsor, to get her input on what's been popular in bridal accessories.
ABG Interview with Melanie Long, Owner of The White Room
Brides have so much to choose from now they’re not just stuck with a few options. When brides come into The White Room, we work with them to explore all their choices with our gowns and accessories. If they love everything on their gown except one thing we aren’t afraid to have that changed. We have a wonderulf seamstress who works with our store who can alter or make changes when the gown comes in.
When it comes to the accessories you choose, it really depends on your gown as to what look works. It’s important to have good accessories because it’s something you can pass down. Think of your accessories as heirloom pieces. We have tons of brides who wear their moms’ veils, or a necklace or bracelet that their moms wear on their wedding day and it’s such a special thing for their mom and daughter to share.
Headpieces:
I love veils and it just depends on the gown they’re wearing and where they’re getting married. Our veils are customizable. We have two or three companies we work with who will do custom work. This is perfect for the bride who doesn't want lace all over but just in certain parts of the veil. We pick out the length, send a sketch to the companies and show them where we want the lace to work to get the bride exactly what she wants.
Pretty lace veil from Erica Koesler
Birdcage veils and little headbands have been trendy lately as well.
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Erica Koesler birdcage veils.
Glamorous! Headbands from Malis-Henderson
Headpieces by MariaElena. This black piece also doubles as a belt but I think it's gorgeous in her hair!
Shoes:
Lots of color! We have lots of brides who choose not to wear white shoes and instead we have brides pick a color of shoe they love. That’s kind of a fun thing they can do for themselves.
Peep toes shoes are popular. People really like bling or sometimes even a little lace on the shoe. A shoe we order quite a bit from Grazia Shoes is the Valentine shoe (below center). It's a 4-inch peep toe with a brooch at the toe and it's one of our number one shoes right now. It’s a beautiful shoe!
Again it’s comfort level and sometimes even the groom’s height. We do still sell a lot of Dyeable shoes which can be dyed to match your other accessories.
Gianna peep toe platform from Dyeables
Thanks Melanie! It looks like they has you covered from head-to-toe - all these veils, headpieces and shoes are available through The White Room! Not to mention customizable veils really opens up lots of options for you too. You can visit The White Room online, and learn more about the new trends in bridal fashion on their blog!
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Posted by Tabitha |
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Monday, July 12, 2010
There are few things in life worth driving great distances. Your perfect wedding gown is one of those things! You should really shop around until you fall in LOVE with "the" dress.
So, where is a girl to start? We say start with the right bridal stores (Nashville has some great ones) and with an understanding of what's in store, what's hot, what's inspiring - to give you an idea of what to expect.
Lovely pleats!
We reached out to Melanie, co-owner of The White Room, to get her insight into bridal gown trends. With two locations (one in Lebanon and one in Murfreesboro), The White Room is a full-service bridal and formalwear boutique, carrying wedding gowns designed by Pronovias, Marisa Bridal, Maggie Sottero and a slew of other beautiful selections. And with prices starting at $499 and up, they offer beautiful gowns for all wedding budgets.
(Note - All of the designers featured today are carried at TWR.)
Here's a walk-thru of what's hot in wedding dresses...
Fabric gowns
Brides have been purchasing simpler gowns with designs more in the fabric than beading. For example, softer fabric gowns that either have draping or ruching or even a flower or three-dimensional accent that’s made out of the same fabric have been popular.
Another one-shoulder gown - love the shape and how fluttery the strap is. (Allure Bridal)
Lace
Lace is always popular and a classic. Lace is very timeless and it's something that could be passed down from the bride's grandmother or something they can pass down to their children and others.
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Love love love how the collar so softly drapes itself around the nape of her neck without overwhelming (Allure Bridal)
Very pretty how the lace starts to trickle down to the hem. (Pronovias White One)
Tea length/shorter length dress
Shorter dresses are not necessarily a trend more a vintage style for a specific bride. We’ve had maybe four or five in the past year and it’s been really cool and it’s just as elegant as a full length gown.
Fun and flirty - perfect to change into when the dancing starts! (Pronovias Collection)
Straps
Strapless is still our number one seller but girls have liked non-strapless styles. Gowns with straps used to look really matronly but lately gowns with straps are flattering and are designed well. Good for girls who want to cover up in the church.
Embellished straps that don't overwhelm (Blue by Enzoani)
Not your mother's gown! (Stephen Yearick Bridal)
Melanie also had some great advice regarding picking gowns and sticking to conventions. "People aren’t going by “rules” anymore and anything goes really. To us it’s important for the bride to feel like a million bucks with no regrets and if they love a ball gown or a mermaid and they feel more beautiful in the mermaid they should go for it. We’ve had brides get married on the beach in full-on tulle gowns – that’s what they fell in love with. You can make any style fit any setting."
That's such a great outlook on picking a gown! Big thanks to Melanie for sharing her knowledge. These are just a few of the wedding gown lines the boutique carries so definitely visit The White Room online to see more from their vast collection of designers and their gowns.
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Posted by Tabitha |
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