Wednesday, March 3, 2010
b. Hughes Bridal has launched a new blog that is perfect for the bride looking for a luxury gown for less. Perhaps there's a fabulous gown that you've been eyeing but it just wasnt in the budget OR maybe you love a particular designer and would die for any stunning gown from their collection.
Whatever the case - check this blog regularly or visit the b. Hughes bridal salon for a larger inventory of sample gowns now available for sale!
According to b. Hughes, this blog is "dedicated to the gowns that we have put on sample sale. We have other gowns available from these designers that are not listed on this site. Please contact us via email: bhughesbridalformal@gmail.com for inquiries or questions. All gowns are sampled in size 10 unless otherwise stated."
Here's a sampling...
Badgley Mischka Ginger Gown
Strapless fitted and flared gown of rouched pearl silk satin chiffon horizontally draped with beaded midriff accent and full skirt
I want this Badgley Mischka Ginger Gown!!! Simple sexy elegance.
Badgley Mischka Audrey Gown
Narrow A-line princess gown of pearl Italian silk satin, with scoop neck, cap sleeves, empire bodice of net covered in three dimensional organza flowers with skirt of silk satin and detachable chiffon train bordered in three dimensional flowers.
I really like the back of this gown, very feminine, romantic and dainty.
Good luck finding your dream gown for less! Visit the store for more great sample sale gowns. Tell Allison I sent you - she'll take great care of you.
share
Posted by Ashley |
Filed under: Attire & Accessories, Luxury Wed Finds
0 comments »
Thursday, February 25, 2010
There are bridal events galore this week and I want to make sure you're in the know about each one so you can attend the ones best suited for your wedding planning needs. IF you can make it to all - that would be great! But, since that's nearly impossible - I'm going to give you the run down on each event so you're informed...you know how I do.
Take advantage of the bridal events now!
Please know that this is peak wedding planning season. What does that mean? If you've followed my blog or event glanced at my event calendar, you will see many bridal events in Nashville - from Jan until March. Don't get spoiled. Take advantage of them now because once April arrives...you will hear crickets. There will be very few open houses, showcases, bridal shows, etc. So, this is the optimal time to attend events, meet wedding vendors, touch, taste and talk!
Quick run down of this week's bridal events:
1) Thursday, Feb 25 - Saturday, Feb 27 - The Reem Acra and Kleinfeld Dual Trunk Show at b. Hughes Bridal
What it is: A trunk show is when a bridal gown designer visits takes their gowns on the road, allowing brides to view the hottest, most exclusive gowns from their collection. This week, b. Hughes Bridal is hosting two amazing designers - the Klenfield Kollection reps (yes - from the show Say Yes to the Dress! and Reem Acra herself! It's rare that two designers team to host a trunk show but with b. Hughes is just the salon to make it happen. Plus, you get to shop for the perfect gown in the presence of the designers and save 10% off your purchase.
Who it's for: Brides from all over the state will be checking out this bridal event. If you're looking for the perfect dress, this is a great opportunity to try on a few to determine your style. Bridal stylists will be on hand to serve as your dress matchmaker!
What to expect: An emotionally charged event with women finding their dream gown - fun and joy!
Next steps: To see these collections, please call 615-297-7800 for an appt asap as they are filling up quickly. Why do you need an appointment? Because bridal stylists like to pay you personal attention, help you find the right gown and ensure theres a fitting room with your name on it. Find your dress during the week and come out and celebrate with us on Saturday (see event #3).
2) Saturday, Feb 27 - Open House at Williamson County Weddings and Events
What it is: Williamson County Weddings and Events will debut of their 2010 Wedding Invitation Collection.
Who it's for: Brides seeking wedding invitations - from classic to modern
What to expect: A fun, informative event with stylish invitations to peruse. I always leave wanting an event where invites are needed because I always fall in love with at least one hot invitation. Since it's at CJ's Off the Square, you can also check out their garden space for your wedding as well as enjoy other great wedding related resources
Next steps: RSVP at 615-465-8099 or online to ensure your spot, to view their 2010 invitation collection and to get an exclusive peek at their event pavilion before it officially opens in April!
Pics from their last Open House at CJ's Off the Square
The Bake Shoppe provided tasty treats for the last Open House - that's enough of a reason to go!
3) Saturday, Feb 27 - Brides' Night Out at Country Music Hall of Fame
What it is: Signature Events has teamed with b. Hughes Bridal + The Country Music Hall of Fame to create a VIP experience. From lavish tablescapes to a virtual fashion show, this will be an interactive and informative event. In fact, there will be a q&a with Signature Events on wedding planning - from trends to etiquette, Dulce Desserts on dessert buffets, how to hire a cake specialist, Reem Acra and the Kleinfeld reps on bridal gowns and much more. Plus, we'll be able to sample food / champagne from The Country Music Hall of Fame.
Who it's for: Nashville brides who want an experience like none other. Think one on one help, inspiration and access to the wedding pros.
What to expect: This bridal event will be unique to Nashville. It's like a bridal show but much more intimate, helpful and tailored to the luxury bride. Signature Events is producing the event so I expect nothing less than a full service experience. Every sense will be stimulated - from tasty sweets to yummy bridal eye candy. You'll also get to see a few gowns from the trunk show (see event #1). You wont be able to try on gowns at this event. This event is a social celebration, a showcase of wedding ideas and info. You will see a few lucky gowns at the event, paired with ideas but if you want to find your dress/try on gowns, be sure to do so during the salon's trunk show.
Next steps: RSVP as space is very limited. Visit Brides' Night Out for more info and to RSVP.
4) Sunday, Feb 28 - nFocus and Her Nashville Bridal Brunch at Noah Liff Center
What it is: A bridal show produced by our favorite Nashville magazine for women, Her Nashville! Plus, it's at Noah Liff, which you have to check out if you're looking for a formal space for your wedding.
Who it's for: All Nashville brides
What to expect: Lots of great wedding vendors to hire for your wedding day. Specifically, it's a champagne social featuring some of Nashville's exclusive wedding vendors, enjoy hors d'ouevres and a fashion show.
Next steps: Check out my guide to bridal shows so you're prepared. Purchase your ticket online and pay on $10 with my discount code - scbridal50. Arrive on time so you dont miss the fashion show or any aspect of the brunch. Grab one of my cute tote bags at registration!
Noah Liff Opera Center
That's my wrap up of all of the week's happenings. Each event will have great wedding vendors and more - including cake and catering samples for your big day. Let calorie counting resume on Monday! Hope to see you out and about this weekend.
Photo sources - Kristyn Hogan, Shannon Jenkins Photography, Williamson County Weddings & Events
share
Posted by Ashley |
Filed under: Bridal Shows & Events, Luxury Wed Finds
1 comment »
Monday, February 22, 2010
A few months ago, Latrice of Opulent Couturier worked with some of Nashville's finest to create lovely tablescapes to inspire Nashville brides. Starting with an inspiration board as a source of creativity, she brought together wedding elements and created "Eco-Love", an eco-friendly tablescape that would be great for your wedding!
If you are seeking something like this for your big day or even want something completely opposite, you can work with an event stylist like Opulent Couturier to create the dream look for your day.
Image Credit: Row 1: Left: bklynbrideonline.com Middle: vintageindie.typepad.com Right: IntimateWeddings.com Row 2: Left wedding.blogdig.net Middle: IntimateWeddings.com Right: Brides.com Row 3: Left , Middle, Right - All from Brides.com
You created an inspiration board (above) and then proceeded to create the actual wedding tablescape. How did these images serve as a source of inspiration?
I get inspiration from so many things! This particular inspiration board & tablescape was inspired by a recent conversation with a friends daughter who is very eco chic. Our conversation consisted of what her dream wedding would be like, the type of decor she wanted at her eco-friendly wedding at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. Her vision is to incorporate lots of greenery, burlap or mosquito netting and a totally organic menu & gluten free wedding cake for their guest.
Which elements were most important?
All the elements on this table were equally important for this tablescape. I wanted to style a 100% eco friendly table with the look of elegance. The burlap linen from Connie Duglin was very important, it really set the tone for the entire tablescape. I found a awesome Etsy designer - BrooklynRehab that customized the "Eco Love" tree slice for personalized statement on the table. I was able to have a real tree trunk cut for chargers & those were placed under the clear glass plates. Hillary at Brocade Designs used small pieces of greenery under the clear plates for a added detail.
The center of the table was completely covered in moss & the tree trunk candle holders were hand made by a local designer. The candles were all 100% beeswax. Please note: that when using beeswax candles they do tend to burn much faster than normal wax candles. So if brides wanted to incorporate beeswax candles for their wedding & reception it would be helpful to have extra candles on hand!
The stationery used for the tablescape was designed by LePenn Designs. The menu cards were made of 100% recycled paper as well as the place cards. The table number for a detailed effect was framed in frayed burlap material. The topiary place card holders were from Kate Aspen.
What type of bride did you have in mind for this tablescape?
This tablescape style is definitely for the green bride that wants to track the carbon footprint for her wedding day. However it could also appeal to the bride that likes a more rustic look also!
What do you love most about the elements of this design?
I love the fact that with the exception of the glass plates, everything was 100% Eco Friendly.
What would you add if you were to do again?
Absolutely nothing! I was very please with the end result of this tablescape. It had so much character and its definitely something that was not been seen for a wedding tablescape design!!
What's the most lavish aspect of the tablescape? What's DIYable?
The rich moss greenery & tree bark candelabras created a very lavish look. The tree trunk chargers are diyable if you can operate a chainsaw to cut them equally the same width. The stationery elements could also be a diyable project.
Photography credit: Donald Yeager Photography
share
Posted by Opulent Couturier |
Filed under: Details, Design & Florals, DIY & Budget Wed Finds, Luxury Wed Finds
0 comments »
Saturday, February 13, 2010
When brides drool over the weddings featured on ABG, Style Me Pretty or Bride magazine, most don't realize that many of the elaborate and gorgeous weddings featured were "styled". Don't get me wrong - some brides have super creativity and can pull it together amazing big and small details. But, let's be honest - most cant.
What is Event Styling?
An event stylist is like a movie set designer. They bring a director's vision into fruition (in this case, your vision). The stylist gets to know you and your fiance - learns your desires, your style - and creates a signature wedding look for your day.
What is a bride (who wants a designer wedding) to do? Hire an event stylist, a fabulous wedding stylist like Latrice of Opulent Couturier!
Today, Latrice is here to educate us all a little more about event styling, her expanded company, and share (much anticipated) photos from her recent photo shoot, exclusively with ABG readers...
Welcom Opulent Couturier, Nashville Wedding Sylist!
www.opulentcouturier.com
I am so excited to share with a recent tablescape photoshoot with ABG brides! I wanted to start the 2010 wedding season with a new look & new brand. Many of you know my company as Bridal Opulence however recently I launched Opulent Couturier Event Styling & Planning as an expansion of the Opulence Brand.
The focus of event styling is to offer Nashville brides a new personal concierge experience in planning their weddings, showers & other important life parties! Event Styling allows you & I to work one on one to determine your wedding style/theme, create fabulous inspiration boards and truly bring your wedding to life. My goal is to infuse your personal style with our creativity with the details such as lighting, speciality linen, stationery selection and many other decor elements that will ultimately tell your story.
The Classic Couture Inspiration...
The Classic Couture tablescape came to life after creating this inspiration board: The colors black, white and red are such classy colors. I wanted to inspire ways to be creative while still using a classic yet sophisticated color palette!
Image Credit: Row 1: Left - lindsey-turner.com, Middle - flickr.com, Right - www.stuartrental.com
Row 2: Left - contemporarylivingsolutions.com, Middle - do-it-yourself-invitations.com Right - herecomestheblog.com/ Row 3: Left - getmarried.com, Middle - babyphat.com, Right - amazon.com
The Result...
Taking the inspiration above, I designed the following red and black tablescape. This wedding design would be great for a classic bride, one who wants to look back at her wedding day in 20 years and appreciate the timeliness,elegance of her day. It would also be ideal for a bride who got engaged on Valentine's Day and wants the color of love accented throughout.
A huge thank you to:
Donald Yeager Photography, Brocade Designs - florals, Connie Duglin Linen - linen, LePenn Designs - menus & placecards, Swoonoverit Calligraphy Studio - calligraphy chair signs
share
Posted by Opulent Couturier |
Filed under: Details, Design & Florals, Inspiration & Trends, Luxury Wed Finds
0 comments »
Friday, February 12, 2010
Cedarwood Weddings and Events is my favorite new blog! After one visit, you'll see why, especially if you are seeking an outdoor Nashville wedding - like a farm, garden - or a historic home. I could peruse this site for hours...and have:).
Earlier this week, they featured a wonderful organic wedding and I had to share it with you. It's amazing and there are no words to describe it.
Kate (bride), Matt (groom) and their Cedarwood wedding team thought through every aspect of this green, farm wedding and made it look effortless, cozy and joyous. Kate and Matt look super happy, as wonderfully captured by Krystal Mann of Mint and Sage Photography.
Here are some of my favorite pics from their day. I HIGHLY encourage you to visit the Cedarwood blog to read all about this organic wedding - part 1, part 2 and part 3. I'm sure you agree that a wedding recap that requires a 3-part series is clearly a must-read (and will provide more info on the couples' wedding team).
This wedding eye-candy is my Happy Valentine's Day gift to you. You can thank me later:).
Who says eco-friendly can't be fabulous!!
Thanks Cedarwood, Katie, Matt and Mint and Sage for letting me share this wonderful with my readers.
share
Posted by Ashley |
Filed under: Luxury Wed Finds, Real Nashville Weddings, Vendors & Venues
2 comments »
