Wednesday, May 2, 2012
We all love Kerri with Kerried Away Couture, who customizes dresses for all members of the bridal party around a plethora of events: rehearsal dinners, showers, the wedding ceremony, etc. Her design allows you to create the perfect dress for any occasion! We asked Kerri about fabric selections for brides - which fabrics fit which wedding styles, and as always, she offered her lovely voice to the subject! Read on to see what she had to say; she’s your girl for custom-made dresses!
Custom Kerried Away bridesmaid dresses for a fun, outdoor wedding. Photo by Joy Chambers Photography.
Photo above by Followell Fotography; photo below by Attanasio Photography.
Which colors/patterns we'll be seeing on bridesmaid dresses over the next year?
All shades of blue from light blue to navy are very popular with our brides getting married in 2012. Pale to bright yellow is becoming more popular as well which we didn’t see much of until meeting with brides for 2012 weddings. We are also seeing a trend of many brides choosing a color for the bridesmaid dresses that will make for nice neck ties, bows ties, and pocket squares. At Kerried Away we have recently added the option of ties and pocket squares which is perfect for brides who want to carry the color palette over to the groomsmen.
Are there any types of fabrics/styles that you would recommend for different seasons (winter vs summer weddings)?
The great thing about Dupioni Silk and Silk Shantung is that both are great year around. Taffeta is beautiful for fall and winter weddings but can also be used year around. Velvet is not widely used but adds an attractive element to a winter wedding and should be reserved for late November through January. Lastly, Cotton is great for casual weddings held in the spring through fall.
In regards to style, most are great for just about any time of the year. Adding wraps or bolero’s to the bridesmaid dresses for winter weddings would be something to think about. Darker colors, jewel tones, and metallic’s are very appropriate for fall and winter weddings although some of these such as black, navy, and silver are great year around.
Are there any specific fabrics that are becoming increasingly popular for bridesmaid dresses?
The raw silk we use has been very popular. We haven’t really seen as much of a trend in fabric as we have in color and style. At Kerried Away there are a many fabric options including Silk Taffeta, 100% Dupioni Silk, Silk Faille, Silk Shantung, Silk Blend, Velvet, and Cotton.
Photos by Attanasio Photography
In regards to wedding styles, does the length of a dress correspond with the vibe of the wedding? How do you determine the length of the dress based on the formality of the event?
When choosing bridesmaid dresses it is important to consider the location, how formal the wedding will be, and the gown the bride will wear herself. If you are considering a more casual outdoor wedding cotton fabric or even printed fabric might be a great option. You might also mixed a solids with coordinatig prints. For outdoor weddings consider the weather as well. You probably wouldn't want to have the girls wear long sleeves for a beach or summer wedding but during a late fall wedding, sleeves could be just perfect. If you want all your girls to wear silk during your outdoor wedding consider picking a fabrci and letting the girls pick their own style.
For more formal weddings you can choose to go knee length or floor length, but the dresses should probably be a silk or taffeta rather than cotton. If your invitation says black tie, you should really consider floor length dresses for your bridesmaids. For more semi formal weddings we have alot of clients right now dressing up their knee length bridesmaid dresses with crystal brooches and belts that we make in house at Kerried Away. The great thing about adding a touch like this is that it make a fantastic gift from the bride and the girls can actually wear it again later.
Lastly, as you choose bridesmaid dresses you really should consider the brides gown as well. The bridesmaid dresses should never be longer than the brides gown so if a bride doesn't have a train, the bridesmaids shouldn't either. Also, you will want the dresses to compliment the brides gown not match the gown. Whether you know exactly what you want or are just getting started, Kerried Away is always happy to offer suggestions and assistance as brides look for the perfect bridesmaid dresses.
Re-wearable designs! Photo by Joy Chambers Photography
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Kerri at her wedding last summer with her bridesmaids in their custom designed dresses (made by Kerri of course)! Photo courtesy of Divine Images.
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Posted by Betsy-Intern |
Filed under: Advice & Planning, Attire - Bridal Gowns, Wedding Dresses & Accessories
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Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Because every couple is different from the last, JHenderson Studios doesn’t limit you to specific sessions, but instead allows you to customize your own packages based on what you want! One of those session that JHenderson offers is a bridal portrait session. Bridal portraits are a southern tradition and these sessions add to those special memories. Not familar with bridal portraits? We asked Jenna to tell us all about bridal portraits and how they can complement your wedding package.
What is a bridal portrait photogrphy session?
JHenderson Studios: A bridal portrait is a photograph of a bride wearing her wedding gown that was taken prior to the wedding in a separate photo session. Traditionally, the photograph is enlarged and framed and put on display at the wedding reception.
From your experience, how common is it for a bride to have a portrait done?
JHenderson Studios: It's a tradition that is becoming less and less popular. Sometimes, when clients plan a bridal portrait, it is at the request of their mothers!
What purpose does a bridal portrait serve?
JHenderson Studios: Traditionally, bridal portraits were used as wedding announcements in the local newspapers (announcing the newly married couple), but engagement photos and/or a photo of the bride and groom are more common photography sessions today. Bridal sessions give brides an opportunity to have a formal portrait of themselves in their wedding gown, without the rush and hustle of a wedding day.
When should a bride have her bridal portrait taken in regards to her wedding timeline?
JHenderson Studios: Several factors can determine when bridal sessions are scheduled. If you've ordered your dress, you need to make sure you allow plenty of time for it to come in and alterations to be made. If you're planning on having a photo on display at the wedding reception, you need to communicate with your photographer and make sure you have plenty of time to choose and order a print or canvas and have it framed prior to the wedding. Usually, my clients will schedule their session 1 to 2 months before their wedding.
What are some ways a bride can prepare for her bridal portrait? Do you recommend this being a trial run for her hair and make-up?
JHenderson Studios: The first step for a bridal portrait is the location. I suggest my clients think of somewhere other than their wedding venue that might be significant to them...perhaps the campus of the college they attended, or the church in which their parents were married. It's also important to make a plan for hair and make-up; a bridal session provides an excellent opportunity for a trial run. Brides often overlook getting a bouquet for their session, but having flowers can really pull it all together.
What about the wedding dress? How is it kept clean and new when the bridal portrait is being taken?
JHenderson Studios: Of course, we want to keep them as clean as possible, but it doesn't always require that the dress never touch the ground. I've had clients bring sheets to keep underneath their dress, and if you're going out in the middle of a field on a farm, this might be helpful, but if you're staying indoors, it's unnecessary and can slow your session down. Sometimes, dresses do get a little dirty, but typically it's only the underneath edges, which will never really show up in pictures or on the wedding day, and it can always be cleaned prior to your wedding. The best thing to do to keep your dress clean is to pick it up when you walk, and be sure your hands are clean.
What are some fun things you’re seeing brides do in their bridal portraits?
JHenderson Studios: I've had a handful of clients who elected to have their bridal session after the wedding. This gives us so much more freedom, because we don't have the worry of keeping the dress clean!
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Posted by Betsy-Intern |
Filed under: Advice & Planning, Photography
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Monday, April 30, 2012
At our recent Smart Bride Bootcamp session, Vicki Nelson (owner and cake designer of Signature Cakes By Vicki) gave our attendees a thorough run-down of what ordering custom wedding cakes entails. Brides commented that it was really informative so we thought we'd share it with you.
Photo by Meishach Moore Photographers
Factors Involved In Custom Wedding Cakes by Vicki Nelson, Signature Cakes by Vicki
There are many factors concerning and affecting the price of a wedding cake. Below are the things that affect price:
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Number of servings is the base for any cake price: The number of tiers doesn’t tell the baker how many people you want to serve.
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The type of covering: buttercream, fondant, ganache, cream cheese icing, etc.
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Type of designs on the cake: piping, moldings, cutwork, damask, quilting, embossing, etc.
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Sugarpaste or gumpaste embellishments: handmade flowers, ribbons, sashes, bows, draping pearls, shoes, butterflies, dragonflies, custom panel work, etc.
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Color and finish: colored fondant, colored gumpaste, paint work on the cake or embellishments, metallics, edible glitter, etc.
Many brides come to me and say, “I want a simple and elegant cake.” Simple and elegant means different things to different people. It does not mean “plain and cheap.” Now, if it means sophisticated and minimal or modern and simple lines, then simple and elegant is exactly what they want. However if they are really trying to say that their budget requires the cheapest price that they can get, then they probably need to go to a grocery store.
ABG Notes: Simple, elegant but not boring. Definitely not a grocery-store cake!
Sometimes a bakery will have a really low “base price” but if you add any custom art at all, the price goes up significantly. For example: on “Black Friday” many retail stores sell products at a drastically reduced price to get the customer in the store, hoping that they can upsell them to a more expensive product. It’s called a LOSS LEADER. Ask the baker what their PRICE RANGE is. You may find that a baker with a higher base price, may have much more value for a custom cake. What a bride should really want is the most value for her budget. If you buy the cheapest cake available and it doesn’t taste good and no one eats its, it wasn’t a very good value. Here are some examples of different types of cakes and different ways they may be priced.
Cake Example 1 is a plain cake, Cake Example 2 is a “simple and elegant cake,” and Cake 3 is a very detailed, custom designed cake. All three cakes serve the same amount of people.
Plain cake
Example 1: Plain Cake (above)
Serves 150 people
3 or 4 tier round, square or hexagon (all one shape)
Buttercream icing
Buttercream dots or scrolls
Buttercream boarder around tiers
Fresh flowers by your florist
1 flavor of cake
Simple and elegant
Example 2: Simple and Elegant
Serves 150 people
4 tier round, square or hexagon
Ivory or white fondant
Royal icing piping
Gumpaste ribbon at base of tiers
Impression or cutwork on 2 tiers
Monogram
3 flavors of cake
Topper or fresh flowers by florist
Custom designed, detailed cakes
Example 3: Detailed, Custom Designed
Serves 150 people
4 or 5 tier choice of shapes (can be mixed)
Ivory or white fondant
Royal icing piped/molded
Lace like brides dress on tiers
Gumpaste ribbon around the
Base of each tier any color
Embossed, impression, or quilted
Colored details of choice
Sugar roses, orchids, and calla lilies on top of the cake
Swagging or ribbons
Monogram
3 to 4 flavors of cake
Do your research to find out what is realistic. TV show wedding cakes and groom’s cakes are elaborate and costly. So if you want an over the top, detailed cake with sugar flowers and lots of embellishments, or a sculpted one of a kind groom’s cake, find out what cake artists in the area are capable of making that type of cake. Check independent reviews and pictures to be sure that the cake designer is up to the task.
Vicki Notes: Groom's cakes start as little as $100 for a very basic butter cream cake and go up from there. Elaborate, sculpted, 3D cakes can cost over a thousand dollars and up. Don't forget, TV is magic! Reality is not.
Just because someone’s starting range is inexpensive doesn’t mean that they will be consistently the best price. Don’t compare a Kroger wedding cake that is a plain white cake with “buttercream” icing, little dots, and silk flowers on it with a wedding cake that is custom designed with fondant lace, ribbons, and sugar flowers on it. Compare apples to apples. Look for VALUE for your investment!,
After you have done your research, below are questions you might ask a cake designer in approaching how to spend your cake budget:
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My budget for my wedding cake is $(insert your price) for a 125 person cake. Can you work with my budget? What type of cake can I expect to be able to afford?
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I have $(insert your price) for a cake for 125. I really want a fondant cake with sugar roses and calla lilies. Can you work with my budget?
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What is your price range for sculpted groom’s cakes?
Thank you so much for sharing this information with us Vicki. For more great cakes from Vicki be sure to check out Signature Cakes By Vicki's website. Contact Vicki for your custom wedding cake design and be sure to tell her you found her on Ashley's Bride Guide!
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Advice & Planning, Cakes & Food
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Friday, April 27, 2012
We love sharing weddings that feature our favorite vendors, so we were thrilled when Emily Humphries of Simply Yours Weddings and Events sent us this one! Lauren and Brian were married last summer in a beautiful ceremony filled with laughter and love. The details and time that went into this day are evident, and we’re so excited to share it with you! John Gentry Photography provided the images, so sit back and enjoy....
Lauren + Brian
Wedding Date ~ June 4, 2011
Ceremony Venue ~ Belle Aire Baptist Church
Reception Venue ~ Stones River Country Club
Guests ~ 300
My Budget
$20,000 – 50,000
My Wedding Team
Planner | Emily Humphries of Simply Yours Weddings
Photographer | John Gentry Photography
Videographer | 2 Duce 2 Video
Gown + Bride’s Accessories | Arzelle’s
Groom + Groomsmen Attire | Street Tuxedo
Hair | Mindy Ensey and Shannon Baker
Stationary | Carrie Taylor - "Luv Little Boys"
Ceremony Musicians | Musicians (and friends!) from the church
Reception Musicians | Familiar Faces Band
Transportation | Signature Limo
Caterer | Stones River Country Club
Cake Artist | Julia's Bakery
Floral Designer | Lyndell Parks and Henry's Florist
Draping and Partial Lighting | Visual Elements
Lighting & Custom GOBO's | Nashville Event Lighting
Rentals | Classic Party Rentals and Stewart's Party Rentals
My Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Classic, romantic, and fun.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
My planner knew what I liked and she made it perfect!
From Emily - Simply Yours Weddings:
Murfreesboro roots run deeply into the Bride's family and Stones River Country Club is a staple venue there. It was really fun to take that significant foundation that the venue represents and then totally transform the room into something that reflected Lauren and Brian as a couple. Visual Elements draped the room and worked together with Nashville Event Lighting to give us a softer and more neutral pallet. Then we added pops of color with the linens for some fun and Lyndell Parks used the sweetest and softest flowers to lace it all together with such a summery and romantic feel. It was such a great picture of Lauren and Brian. Take something simple, add some laughter and fun, and then bring it together with romance.
What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?
Dancing the night away at the reception.
Where did you splurge?
The band and the flowers
Where did you save/DIY?
In lieu of favors, we decided to do a candy bar. A friend of ours had done one at her wedding and she let us use her jars and containers and we just purchased the candy. If you're considering doing this, don't be afraid to ask your friends who have gotten married about borrowing things they used! Spread the love!
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
Make sure you take the time to get to know your vendors before you sign a contract. We had a really long engagement (over a year) and in my excitement I booked one of my most significant vendors first thing without even thinking much about it. Other people we knew had spoken highly of the company so we just signed on without really thinking. After some time, for various reasons, I started second guessing myself. I did not take the time to let this vendor know us, nor did we know them. We ended up breaking our contract with them (losing our deposit) and signing someone else. The person we went with 6 months out from our wedding ended up being a much better fit for us. So take your time and have fun! Enjoy the planning because you only get to do this once!
What words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Go around and look at the set up so you can soak in every detail. I didn't do this and I feel like there were so many things we had worked long and hard on that I did not get a chance to see in person. However, we had a fantastic photographer so I was able to see a lot of what I missed through their eyes.
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Posted by Newlywed Sara |
Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings
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Thursday, April 26, 2012
As a bride with your personal flares and fancies, you can have a one of a kind dress to match your one of a kind love story, beautifully stitched around your style and heart with every detail customized to perfection. Nestled in Hillsboro Village, owner of Romantic Creations, Maria Elena strives to reflect your spirit as a bride from beginning to end in the dress design, creating a magical piece specifically fashioned for your unforgettable moment. After talking with Maria, I quickly found that she combines her captivating passion with her years of expertise and joyfully creates the dream dress that you’ve always envisioned yourself wearing. This woman is enchanting, and each of her dresses reflects her sincere love and radiance for the astounding work she does.
Many years ago, we featured Beth and Ravi's wedding and it became our most popular wedding feature of the year, due to the couple's intimate wedding. But one aspect that fellow brides also loved was Beth's custom bridal gown, a Romantic Creations design. We've been a fan of Maria's since then and jumped at the opportunity to learn more about the talented, gracious woman.
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All Photos: Angela Disrud Photography
Can you tell me a little bit about the background of Romantic Creations?
Maria: I have been in the business of customizing wedding dresses here in Nashville for about 26 years. In 1994, I decided to open up my own store (in Hillsboro Village), putting me in retail for 18 years, now. Romantic Creations has been quite popular since I started out here; it spread by word of mouth with little advertisement, so I’ve found that many Nashville brides love the customizing option. I’ve been designing all my life, and it makes me happy to offer my own collection to brides!
How did you come into the business of designing dresses?
Maria: Well, when I was 5 years old, I started making dresses for my dolls, which I still love to do from time to time. Then when I reached 11, I made my first real dress for myself. I continued and began making dresses for my close friends, too. Then, when I was 15, I made my first dress for a bride—she was a friend of mine and I was a bridesmaid. It’s been the only job I’ve had since. Truly, I have a sincere love for making dresses that’s been present from the beginning. In fact, growing up, I often upset people unintentionally when they wanted my company, because all I really wanted to do was sew and make dresses.
Also, I am originally from Colombia, and in South American culture, it’s tradition for a bride to have nearly everything custom made. While that option is exclusive here in American culture, in Colombia, it is simply an aspect of the event. With that said, when I’m creating wedding dresses, I’m fulfilling part of who I am and part of where I come from.
What’s the most important part of the process for you when a bride is having her wedding dress customized?
I walk the bride through everything, and consider doing that the most important part of my business. It’s her day—her dress. From the time that I sketch the design, to selecting the fabric, to adding details, I am developing a trusting relationship with her.
What type of bride is the customized dress option great for? Do you see commonalities amongst the brides you serve?
Maria: All styles of brides come to me for their dream dress; each with their own distinctive fashion seeking the perfect silhouette that flatters both their form and vision for their big day chooses the customized option. A customize designed gown is perfect for brides who want something that no one else has—something that only they will walk down the aisle wearing, uniquely fashioned for their wedding.
About how much time is required in order to create a customized wedding dress?
Maria: Well, that would depend on the style and fabric. I would say that brides come to me anywhere from a year to three months prior to their wedding.
Is there a price range for your wedding dresses?
Maria: My prices range from $1600 to $5,000 with a guarantee you’ll leave Romantic Creations with the perfect dress.
Can you tell me some of your favorite details you’ve use in your customized wedding dresses?
Maria: Naturally, I always love the romantic styles. I love all things lace, and appreciate the finest fabrics from around world. All of my fabrics are high quality; nothing is synthetic. It’s important to me to let brides breathe in their dresses. I can do both traditional and contemporary dresses, but I always love the dreamy look.
Are there some particular things a bride should know when considering having her wedding dress custom made?
Maria: A bride needs to be sure that she is comfortable with the person she is working with and confident about her selection. When I see a bride who is hesitant about having a dress custom made, I always encourage her to wait a bit longer. Also, I advise brides not to come to me too early, because styles and preferences may change; 1 year is usually the soonest that I recommend and, to trust that I can bring their vision of their dream gown to life. Designing is an art form that I love and I feel privileged to be a part of their wedding celebration.
Romantic Creations is located at 2131 Belcourt Ave, Nashville, TN 37212 in Hillsboro Village. Maria can be reached at 615-292-1535.
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Posted by Betsy-Intern |
Filed under: Attire - Bridal Gowns, Wedding Dresses & Accessories
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