Monday, July 30, 2012
We’re thrilled to introduce newlywed Lauren Samuels to the wedding world, with her stunning business, HOUSEofLOVELY. Through HOUSE, Lauren offers bridal accessories that meet both the needs of the DIY bride and the non-DIY bride.
Photo by West Vita Photography
How HOUSEofLOVELY started
Wedding accessories started for Lauren when one of her best friends Emily got married Thanksgiving of 2010. After Emily searched and searched for a hair ornament, and found nothing that quite worked, Lauren created some silk flowers for Emily’s hair (named “twin blooms” on website). Lauren’s friends were graduating college and getting married, so they requested her hair pieces and her inventory grew as well as her creative ideas.
Lauren has a background in fine fabrics. For three years, she served as the operational manager of a high-end fabric store in Dallas Texas, where she became familiar with quality fabrics. This prepped her for crafting veils, which she says brides often want to know how to make, but are clueless when it comes to the right supplies. Thus, Lauren released a veil kit, which teaches brides how to make their own wedding veil, perfect for the DIY bride.
In June 2011, Lauren opened up her own Etsy shop and has loved pursuing bridal accessories since!
DIY birdcage veil kit
Easy directions for making your veil
Custom items: left - wedding dress, traditional cathedral length veil; and right - a Swarovski crystal sash.
The bridal goodies
Lauren offers both traditional and birdcage veils to meet your preference as a bride! In addition to hair pieces, Lauren just launched an beautiful collection of hand-made garters, as well, many of which contain “something old and something blue” in the fabric selection.
The items that Lauren offers are always lovely, and oftentimes touched with vintage embellishment! In terms of price points, items mainly range from $25-$45, and a small portion of items range from $45-$150, depending on the rarity and quality of the materials. She offers the DIY veil kit or you can order her pre-made items from the HOUSEofLOVELY Etsy shop (etsy.com/shop/HOUSEofLOVELY). When ordering on Etsy, Lauren graciously offers free shipping anywhere in the U.S., as well as free swatches for brides to be sure of their choice prior to a purchase!
We're excited that HOUSEofLOVELY is not only locally based but also offers something very unique for DIY brides. Now, you can have the accessories of your dreams while saving a few dollars. To learn more, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or contact Lauren through her website http://www.houseoflovely.com. Below: Lauren of HOUSEofLOVELY
All uncredited photos courtesy of HOUSEofLOVELY
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Filed under: Attire - Bridal Gowns, Wedding Dresses & Accessories, DIY & Budget Wed Finds, Real Nashville Brides0 comments »
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Belinda Neely and her daughter recently launched J. Bells Designs, offering a variety of hair accessories for brides! "After seeing J. Bells Designs at the Here Come the Brides bridal show, I couldn't wait to introduce you to them!" ~Ashley
Belinda first started creating hair accessories for children and selling them to boutiques, but eventually made her way to brides after her daughter’s friend spotted her creativity and asked her to fashion something for her wedding. She did this once more after her work was praised the first time, and immediately loved bridal hair accessories.
What sealed the deal was an ordinary, rainy shopping day in LaGrange, a Kentucky town where a train track stretches through. Because of the storm and an oncoming train, Belinda couldn’t make it back to her car right away, so rather than standing in the rain, she stepped into a bridal boutique where she spotted an assortment of hair pieces. She glanced at the prices and the quality of the pieces themselves and immediately decided that she could do it!
This all happened just a few months ago, so Belinda is brand new to the Nashville wedding scene! She can do any custom piece for bridal accessories, including birdcage veils, any type of headpiece, wedding dress sashes, and shawls. She loves taking several details that brides love from a variety of pieces and combining them into one piece.
Belinda can be reached at 270-282-3984 or j.bellsdesigns{at}gmail{dot}com. Starting July 1, J. Bells Designs will be available at Wedding 101 in Franklin, TN.
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Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Marianne Mandrell, owner of Quad Deuce Design, offers a modern touch to your wedding stationery! Marianne has been doing freelance stationery and graphic design for about 10 years, and beginning last October, made it her full time job, always striving toward a colorful, crisp, graphic style in her work.
Marianne can beautifully create all things stationery wise for your wedding, including invitations, table numbers, placecards, etc. She’s happy to design whatever you need, and is working on a couture collection.
For pricing, Marianne typically operates in a customized format, depending on the stationery’s embellishment. Basic invitations sets usually start at $5 per invitation and go up from there. Marianne focuses on using quality materials and has access to amazing vendors.
Marianne, owner of Quad Deuce Design
Please visit Marianne’s website at www.quaddeucedesign.com and contact her if interested! She would love to have a phone conversation with you to help you decide if she’s a good fit! You can reach her at (615) 474-9517 as well as email her at quaddeucedesign{at}gmail.com
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Wednesday, May 9, 2012
As a bride, when you consider your seemingly endless “to do” list, a mellow, back porch wedding vibe appears nearly impossible. But Celeste Morris, owner of catering service, Mrs. J’s Baking and Catering, will prove you wrong in a second, especially when gushing over her family style food option! Sprinkled by vintage, Southern charm, my conversation with Celeste sparkled as she happily explained the beautiful ways that family style food creates a family style environment!
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Can you tell me about the family style dining option for a wedding?
Family style encompasses several things. Instead of wedding guests lining up at a buffet, they’re given tableside service, and rather than individual entrees, meals are brought out in bowls or platters, which guests pass amongst themselves. The ultimate goal and typical response from the family option is that people come to know each other, talking and laughing in a more intimate ambiance. The vibe that’s produced is similar to a feeling you might get at a holiday gathering or family reunion as everyone is brought together in a laid back environment.
What do you offer for those who select the family style option?
We can just about make any entrée or side family style. When it’s time for the meal, everyone sits at tables where salads are already arranged and prepared as the first course alongside baskets of rolls. As the meal gets started, 1-2 foods are brought out on platters to be passed around amongst the guests, who are always welcome to request seconds!
What type of couple/wedding style is the family option great for?
The family style option doesn’t fit with a super upscale, fine dining experience. Most couples are aiming toward a vintage or southern style wedding. While there’s always china and silver, the environment is still laid back compared to other atmospheres. Oftentimes, country or farm tables are incorporated into the reception style, perfect for venues such as Front Porch Farms, where we’ve done weddings outdoors, polished with porch swings and pavilions. The family style works for the couples that want to offer a casual, good feeling experience for their guests—almost a breath of fresh air from their day-to-day lives while providing them a chance to get to know the other guests who love the couple as much as they do.
We know that you love focusing on how food brings people together for an event. Can you tell us how the family option brings a special focus on food compared to the other options?
The family style option provides a more intimate experience than other options that might be slightly more awkward. Everything feels approachable—the people beside you, the people at other tables, everyone is sharing food, so you’re naturally breaking the ice with your neighbors, which adds even more love to the wedding air. With a buffet, there’s sort of a drudgery in getting in line, especially for the people toward the end, but with the family style, this isn’t a concern in the least, because there’s no delay. Everyone is served food at same time by an individual server for each table.
Is the family style option more expensive than others?
There are two things to consider when thinking about the family style and cost. First, you must think about how many entrees and how many sides you’re looking to have, because everything needs a platter or bowl. You can always rent bowls and platters for the catering services to use, and this isn’t usually too pricey. The second thing is, depending on how many tables your guests fill, you might need a couple of additional servers than you would under other options. All in all, going family style is very doable with little cost difference, and undeniably worth every penny!
Where noted, photos by Jonathon Campbell Photography
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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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