Monday, September 12, 2011
This Thursday, we are hosting a wedding planning workshop with Kerried Away Couture. {See details and rsvp here.} If you aren't familiar with Kerried Away, we're here to tell you more about this special company.
When it comes to personalizing you wedding, nothing expresses your personality more than your wedding dress and when that dress is custom made for you by a company as talented as Kerried Away Couture, let's just say it can't really get better than that! Kerri Zelenik Burton, owner of Nashville based design shop, Kerried Away Couture, was kind enough to give us the inside info on her business, her passion for creating custom gowns and dress designing for her own wedding last summer. Sit back and settle in because it's time to let yourself get carried away by the beauty and talent of 'Kerried Away Couture'!
How did you get started in weddings?
A photographer learned of Kerried Away’s concept and saw the designs that we offer for everyday wear for women and made the suggestion that I look into working with brides. As I explored this market segment I realized that this was a perfect fit for brides. At the time I was engaged myself and I was having a hard time finding exactly what I wanted so I knew there were others out there struggling with finding the right bridesmaid dress or rehearsal dinner dress that also fit into their budget. Working with brides is now probably 80% of our business.
Beautiful fabric swatches at Kerri's showroom in Murfreesboro.
What do you like most about weddings?
We enjoy how each bride always has a unique idea, detail, or color they want to incorporate in their dresses. Most brides enjoy designing their bridesmaid dresses or a fun party dress that fits their personality – it’s really a fun process for all involved.
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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.
What is your service philosophy?
We want the bride to be happy and we will work to make sure the design process is enjoyable and stress free. With a variety of fabric and design options, we also strive to offer each bride the opportunity to design something unique but within their budget.
What are your strengths compared to others in your category? / Why should a bride hire you?
Our strength lies in the business concept. We are able to offer brides the ability to completely customize a dress and also have fittings with the actual seamstresses that make their dresses. In addition, we do not use rack sizing, instead we actually measure the bride or bridesmaids and do our best to fit their measurements on the top and bottom. We also offer a fitting package that brides and/or bridesmaids can choose to purchase in which we can guarantee a great fit – no need for alterations if they choose this package. We meet with each bride and keep in contact with them through the entire process so there is a personal aspect that we offer as well.
Who are your 5 favorite Nashville wedding vendors – helpfulness, professionalism, style?
There are so many wonderful vendors in Nashville its difficult to choose just a few but below are four that we have had a lot of experience working with and would recommend to anyone. Brides can take advice and recommendations but when it comes down to it the most important thing is that the bride feels comfortable and compatible with her vendors. We love working with -- Planner: Kerry Dunn, No Detail UnDunn; Planner: Tiffani Helms, Creative Design Events; Caterer: A Catered Affair; and Photographer: Divine Images.
Melanie, a designer for Kerried Away Couture, in a beautiful Kerried Away dress!
Who do you recommend when you’re not available/not a fit?
We would recommend Bella Bridesmaid or b.Hughes. Both have a variety dress options and provide great service.
What do you read/watch regularly to stay on top of wedding/event trends?
Ashley’s Bride Guide of course! We also follow the popular entertainment blog Pizzazzerie which has great party design ideas and fun projects. In regards to wedding magazines, we prefer Instyle Weddings. The Knot and Brides.com are also great online resources.
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The ladies of Kerried Away Couture and Paige's Pantry at the grand opening of their joint showroom in May!
What advice would you give to brides on the wedding planning process in general?
Enjoy this time in your life. It goes so quickly and there are times when it can be stressful and a bit busy but you will be so glad in the end if you really try to enjoy it and soak it all up all along the way. Also, choose vendors that you feel you have a good connection to you and your fiancé. Choosing the right vendors can really make all the difference in the entire planning process and ultimately the wedding day.
A BIG thanks to Kerri for giving us a glimpse into dress design. Can we just talk about those stunning bridesmaid dresses for a second?! Gorgeous! For more information on Kerried Away Couture be sure to check out her website right here or visit her showroom in Murfreesboro! And don't forget to mention ABG for a special discount!
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Posted by Genna |
Filed under: Helpful Vendor Interviews!, Attire - Bridal Gowns, Wedding Dresses & Accessories, Bridal Shows & Events, Bridesmaids & Bridal Party, Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds
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Thursday, June 23, 2011
Last Thursday, Ashley and I attended Cupcakes and Couture, the showroom opening of Kerried Away Couture and Paige’s Pantry in Murfreesboro. Kerri, a custom dress designer, and Paige, a cake decorating instructor, opened their doors on May 24th and hosted a fabulous launch party on June 16th.
We have LONG supported and LOVED Kerried Away Couture - as an amazing designer, bride and local, female entrepreneur. So, we were elated to celebrate the launch of her store. We thought we were going to see what was in store for Nashville brides but we too got carried away when we realized that her designs are great for brides, bridesmaids, moms, any special occasion AND everyday wear too!
The Couture {Glorious Dresses + Accessories}!
First - How does this custom dress thing work? You start with choosing your fabric and Kerried Away has hundreds of amazing options - from solids to dots and silk to cotton. Then, you choose your dress style, from short to long, strapless to spaghetti strings. It's really simply, yet really fabulous. You can have a custom made dress that fits YOUR measurements, so no altering! For your bridesmaids, you can choose the style and fabric or allow them to choose the style and you choose the fabric. It's totally up to you.
Here are some of our favorite designs that were on display for the evening...
Kerri in a stunning floral print Kerried Away Couture strapless dress.
Melanie, a Kerried Away Couture designer, in a print that Ashley swooned over all night plus the skirt that Ashley MUST have. She couldn't leave until she tried in on, over clothes and all!
Ashley: "This skirt is perfect. I've got to have it..."
"...and I must have these too!"
Kerri creates gorgeous skirts, and dresses, all made to order! Her designs are great for bridesmaids, rehearsal dresses, and every day skirts. We love the versatility of Kerri’s designs!
Kerried Away Couture also has an incredible selection of handmade jewelry for weddings or any special occasion. The jewelry is handmade by her favorite artisans and absolutely stunning. Just like any Kerried Away Couture design, these pieces are great for your bridesmaids or a night out on the town with your fiancé!
The Cupcakes {Celebratory Party}!
In addition to meeting the entire Kerried Away Couture team, we were also introduced to Paige of Paige's Pantry and her team. Paige’s Pantry specializes in cake decorating classes, and sells cake decorating supplies. There are different classes designed for families, children, or just the ladies. Talk about a great treat for your bridesmaids!
Kerri & Ashley
Lane, Marketing Manager & Stylist at Kerried Away Couture, Kerri & Paige
Befitting the occasion, guests were served delectable cupcakes and cookies in the shape of dresses. So cute! Hors d’oeuvres were provided by The Greenery on the Square.
One of our favorites, an Oreo topped cupcake!
Everything was custom, including the wall decor that represents their focus on cake/couture! Love it!
Cakes made by local bakers were on display, along with decorating items for all baking lovers!
Right, Dream Cakes; Left, Robyn's Nest (Showcased bakers work from inspected home kitchens.)
The new guest book? We were all about this cake sign-in!
Party Girls Cupcake Kit! Perfect for a girl's night in!
The whole Kerried Away Couture + Paige’s Pantry Family! Thank you for hosting a great event!
Congratulations, Kerri & Paige! We are so thrilled for you two and cannot wait to see your businesses grow in your new space.
All photos courtesy of Bethany Ann Photography
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Posted by Bethany |
Filed under: Attire - Bridal Gowns, Wedding Dresses & Accessories, Bridesmaids & Bridal Party
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Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Ashley and I were so honored to receive an invitation in the mail to The Bride Room's 10th Anniversary party and fashion show at Houston Station. The Bride Room has a special place in my heart because I bought my wedding gown from them. Personally, they were great to work with, and I know tons of Nashville brides feel the same. It was a beautiful evening celebrated by brides and Nashville's wedding professionals who all came up to show their love and support, and we thought we'd share some of the night's highlights with you today.
The Bride Room-10th Anniversary Party from McNeal Wedding Films on Vimeo.
Delectible sweets from The Bake Shoppe
Nashville stationery designer Arboreal Paper (who did the party invitations) had her exquisite work on display.
The wall of orchids and doilies (all done by hand no less) by Brocade Designs. The decor for the evening was stunning, only outdone by the dresses. Starting with our (and mostly Ashley's) favorite, Nadine by Amsale.
ASHLEY'S FAVORITE DRESS...
"I found my dream bridal gown! I'm in LOVE with this dress!! Love the pockets, the neckline and the sophisticated yet sweet swag!" ~Ashley
The entire evening was pretty magical, each dress as amazing as the next. It really showed the wide selection of styles and dresses The Bride Room carries to fit any height or body style. From long, classic styles to crowd favorites like Nadine, to short and really fun dresses, you'll find what your heart desires there! The bridesmaids dresses were so pretty as well so your bridal party won't be left in your gown's dust. Here are a few highlights from the show.
All bridesmaids dresses by Amsale
Left: Blakely by Amsale. Right: Clara by Amsale
Left: Trish by Vineyard Collection. Right: Krista by Amsale
Left: Tulip top & skirt by Monique Lhuillier. Right: Carter by Vineyard Collection
How much fun would it be to change into these midway through your reception to dance the night away? SO darling! (Left: Sam by Melissa Sweet. Right: Jules top and Jules bottom by Monique Lhullier)
Pretty rosettes that add texture to the sweetest dresses!
(Left: Bijou by Amsale. Right: Bruges by Reverie/Melissa Sweet)
There were so many beautiful dresses all of which you can see in the video of the party taken by McNeal Wedding Films, who were there to capture every moment from start to finish. Thank you also to Donald Yeager Photography who was there to take all these pictures!
Congratulations on 10 fantastic years to Charlotte, Stephanie and Amy of The Bride Room. We're all SO proud of you!
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Attire - Bridal Gowns, Wedding Dresses & Accessories, Bridesmaids & Bridal Party
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Monday, April 25, 2011
As a recent bride {married April 2, 2011} and a former bridesmaid (7 times!), finding the right gift for my maids was one of the toughest things I’ve done. The main thing I wanted to avoid?? Something they would never use again.
Between the Internet and local Nashville stores, there are plenty of options. Etsy has been a great resource during our wedding, so I started there. I found these clutches in the Etsy Eclu shop. You can choose the fabrics for the inside & outside, choose the accessory and for $7 you can get a personalized note inscribed on the inside.
Another great option is Neela Bags (NeelaBags.com). They carry reusable bags that are adorable and great for the environment! There are many different patterns and sizes to choose from, and the price is just right!
A great local shop is Social Graces (SocialGracesOnline.com). The shop is in Hillsboro Village and they carry beautiful stationary and gifts. Their collection of paper, with the option to personalize, is a fantastic gift that will be used months after the wedding is over.
Images via Social Graces
The job of a bridesmaid is not an easy one, so a great gift is to pamper your maids with a mani/pedi day! Not only will they love it, this gift also allows for you as the bride to spend some extra time with your best girl friends! Nashville has many wonderful salons and prices start at $15-20 per service.
Local spa Escape in Belle Meade offers group sessions for brides and bridesmaids.
After lots of debate, I have finally picked what to give my girls! Coach has a line of wristlets that cost between $49 - $99. Luckily for Nashville brides, we have a Coach outlet just outside of town in Lebanon. They sell the same wristlets for $39 and there are always sales. I ended up paying around $30/each for beautiful wristlets that I know my girls will love!
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Posted by Newlywed Sara |
Filed under: Bridesmaids & Bridal Party, Guests, Gifts & Favors
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Tuesday, March 15, 2011
As you know, our site is 99% focused on great Nashville wedding finds. BUT, we always enjoy sharing super cute options for your wedding day, whether they are Nashville-based or not. Here are some of our favorite finds over the last few months. Who knows, they might be just what you were seeking!
Image courtesy of Lotus Blossom Photography
Custom Figurines of Yourself:
Instead of just a regular old bride and groom cake topper that looks nothing like you, how about a custom made figurine with with your faces? My Face Figurines (myfacefigurines.com.au) will take your images and customize the figurines to look just like you. You can have them standing or posed in various positions like dancing, or like in the picture above, carrying the bride over the threshold! Even though they're in Australia, they do indeed ship to the U.S! I think they are adorable.
Inspirational Accessories for your Bridesmaids
If you're surrounded by friends who continue to inspire and motivate and you'd like to tell them just how awesome they are, Pure Designs for Living (PureDesignsForLiving.com) has a couple of gift ideas. They have a collection of bracelets called "I am" bracelets have inspiration words such as "Beautiful" or "Blessed" carved into silver that would make awesome gifts. You can even pair those with the "I am" series of candles which also have powerful words on the candle lids. The candles are made of soy in California and come in various scents with each message.
Need guest book ideas? Pure Design also has Blessings Boxes which are a nifty and decorative way to store all the sweet notes and blessings from your guests. It comes with a pen, scented candle, two bracelets and instructions and sits in a nice wooden box you can leave on your guest book table.
Return The Bridesmaids Dresses After
Before you think we're asking you to pull one of those "keep the tags on, return it after the party's over" scams, we're not. RentARunway.com lets choose a dress from their huge inventory of designers and styles, schedule the delivery dates and you keep the dresses for four to eight days. When you're done, just send it back!
They have everything from dresses that you can wear for your rehearsal dinner to bridesmaids dress and with designer names like Badgley Mischka, Diane Von Furstenberg, Tibi and Missoni (to name a few) this also resolves the issue of what the girls are going to do with the dresses after.
Creative Guest Book Ideas
We've seen type writers for guest books, Tabitha used a big Chinese scroll, some couples use polaroids to create an album - people are getting more and more creative in guest book ideas that won't just sit on a shelf and collect dust. Aside from the Blessings Box we just mentioned, Meredith Zeller has a shop on Etsy (Etsy.com/ZellerZazzles)that sells a thumb/finger print guest board customized just for you. You can pick the colors of the stamp pads for your guests and she provides the art. So nifty! She also has some
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Image courtesy of ZellerZazzles
Colored Unity Sand
Choose from an assortment of colors and personalize the jar in which you pour your unity sand to have as a decorative keepsake from your wedding ceremony. SandsationalSparkle.com also has a ton of accessories and wedding decor items from cake toppers to toasting glasses to favors. You can also visit StudioWed Nashville (Edgehill Village area), an official retailer of the specialty sand.
Vibrant colors for a Spring or Summer wedding
A little more subdued.
If you found some really fun items for your wedding online we'd love to know what they are too so please leave them in the comments! We hope these ideas are useful and give you a clearer idea of what's available out there.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Bridesmaids & Bridal Party, Guests, Gifts & Favors, Wedding Resources
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