Amsale + Badgley Mischka= {Bridesmaid Love}

I love the new colors that are available for Amsale Bridesmaids. Blush pink and charcoal grey are so modern together, especially when mixed with touches of black and silver. I have already mentioned my obsession with Badgley Mischka wedding and bridal shoes, but today I had the biggest "AHHA!" moment when I realized how fabulous the combination of the two would be! Check out some of the the dresses from Amsale's Spring 2010 collection, matched with their perfect complement below.

Inspiration Board #2: {Blush Pink + Frosted Violet}

I saw these ridiculously fabulous Badgley Mischka shoes in the new issue of Brides Magazine and I had to hunt them down. As I considered whether or not to put a nice little dent in my bank account, I started thinking about the awesome wedding that you could plan around these beauties (because that is how my sick and twisted mind works.) So began the hunt for images for today's inspiration board.

{Image sources clockwise from top left: cake cakegirls, mini cupcakes Martha Stewart Weddings Party, ring image Jose Villa, flowers Martha Stewart Weddings Party, bridesmaid dress Jim Hjelm Occasions, image via Jasmine Star, plates via Jasmine Star, Badgley Mischka: Randee Shoe heels.com}

True Life: I'm A Bridal Consultant {A No B.S. Guide to Finding the Perfect Dress}

So, you are engaged. Yay! Not only that, but you are ready to plan your wedding. Even bigger YAY! There are tons of guides out there on other blogs, websites, and in magazines for planning your overall wedding, but they never tend to get the part about buying your wedding gown exactly right. That's where I come in!

The hardest thing about shopping for a wedding gown is that most people (hopefully) only go through the process once in their lives. Sometimes girls luck out, and get to learn from the experiences of their close friends and/or relatives. However, everyone's experience when finding their wedding gown is unique. Trust me, I don't think I've ever seen the same bridal appointment twice!

{SIDE NOTE: No, it's not usually like "Say Yes to the Dress:"
Recently, TV shows like "Say Yes To the Dress" have started documenting the process of finding the perfect gown. While I love the show for its sheer entertainment value (Love you, Randy Fenoli!), it has started to skew our brides perception of what the process of finding a wedding dress really entails. Please note that Kleinfeld Bridal is located in a huge metropolitan area (a very unique market). It is the largest bridal store in the U.S., and most importantly, the appointments that air on television are chosen because they are the most dramatic of all of the many appointments that go on in the store!}

So what should you do to have the most pleasant experience possible when shopping for your wedding gown? (Other than visiting Solutions Bridal, of course...Oops, I promised no B.S. Sorry, no more shameless plugs.)

1. DO SOME OTHER WEDDING PLANNING FIRST: There are some elements of your wedding that I would strongly recommend having nailed down before you step foot in a bridal salon:

• Have your wedding date set. {NOTE: Plan on shopping for your wedding dress about one year before this date at the earliest, and 6 months before this date at the very latest. Special order wedding dresses can take 6-8 months from the day you order! That means pretty much every store except David's Bridal, folks!)
• Have your ceremony and reception venues set, or at least narrowed down. The dress needs to work with the venue, especially if you are planning to do any part of your wedding outdoors. If you are doing a destination wedding, make sure you know what the weather is typically like around the date of your wedding.

(Some other good things to think about are whether the wedding is going to be formal or informal, what color scheme you will be using, how many people you will be having, etc.)

2. SET A BUDGET: Make sure you discuss with all of the necessary parties not just the budget for the overall wedding, but for the dress itself. In 2007, the average wedding budget, not including the honeymoon, was $27,882. The average amount spent on a wedding gown was $1,317. The biggest unknown for most of the brides that I work with is how much a wedding dress costs. Some things to consider:

• Quality matters: In this day and age it is extremely difficult to find a new, quality wedding gown for under $1,000. I know, it sounds like a lot of money, especially compared to that $25 top that you just bought at the mall. However, with wedding gowns you tend to get what you pay for. Good quality fabrics like silk satin, some taffetas, organza, and particularly lace can increase the price of a gown. Quality bead work can also cost a pretty penny, especially if hand sewn. When you think about the fact that your gown will probably be the most photographed piece of clothing that you ever own, these things tend to make a difference.
  
• Prices do vary depending on where you shop. Major metropolitan areas tend to carry dresses at a higher price point than those in smaller, or more medium sized cities.
  
• The dresses in my previous post, "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things," ranged from around $2,000 (Watter's) up to around $7000 (Kenneth Pool).

3. MAKE AN APPOINTMENT*: One of the most frequently asked questions that I get asked over the phone at our store is, "Do I need an appointment for ____?" The answer to this question is always "yes." Not only will you get better service, but more than likely you will need the help of a bridal consultant to answer questions, help you figure out how to try on dresses, pull fabric swatches, call the designer, make recommendations...etc. etc. That goes not just for bridal, but for bridesmaids, accessories, fittings, and pretty much everything else.
*This applies to most (non-chain) bridal salons.

4. CONSIDER VERY CAREFULLY WHO YOU WANT TO BRING TO YOUR APPOINTMENT: I don't think I can emphasize enough how important this decision is. When it comes to shopping for your wedding gown, more is NOT the merrier. You only want to bring people to your bridal appointment who know you and your personal style the best. It is also very important to only bring people with a very positive attitude, and who have your best interests at heart. (ie. That bridesmaid who may be a little bit jealous that you are tying the knot before her...Probably best to leave her at home.) Moms in particular are tricky. If Mom is supportive, not overly opinionated, and honestly just wants you to be happy, then definitely bring her. If Mom is going to insert her own opinion, has very different tastes than you do, and is very controlling, either try not to bring her, or schedule an appointment to go look around and narrow down your favorites before you bring her along.

{SIDE NOTE: Please! Please! Please! Do not set yourself up for disappointment when it comes to Mom's reaction to you in "the dress." Only a very, very small percentage of moms cry when their daughters find "the one." Most of the time they are trying to figure out your opinion of a dress before they react. If you are vocal about loving a dress, and become very emotional, the more likely they will be to do so as well.}

5. DO YOUR RESEARCH: Look around in magazines and online to see what kind of styles and designers you like (AND don't like.) Try to find price ranges for your favorites as well. Take note of whether or not you like details like lace or beading. Try to narrow down a specific silhouette. However, understand that once you start trying on gowns your opinion may change. Something that looks great on a model in a highly edited picture may not look good once you have it on. You may realize that that strapless gown looks great on you, even though nothing in your closet is strapless. Express your opinion to your consultant, but try to have an open mind.

6. MENTALLY PREPARE YOURSELF TO FIND "THE ONE:" Here is a little known fact: Most girls find their dress within the first five wedding gowns that they try on. Sometimes it's more, particularly if you go to a salon with lower quality customer service. Knowing that fact is the first step in mentally preparing yourself to find your dress. Another thing that you must know: There sometimes is not a grand "AH HA!!" moment when a bride finds her gown. Most of the time it really depends on your personalty. Sometimes a girl will get into a dress, and you can tell by the look on her face that its "the one" the moment we slip it on. Sometimes a bride needs to try on a gown, consider it, compare it to many others, and then try it on again just to be sure that it is the best choice for her.

7. ONCE YOU FIND YOUR DRESS, STOP SHOPPING: The longer you shop for your wedding gown, the less fun and exciting it becomes. Most girls start getting confused after trying on about 8-10 gowns in the same store! The more dresses you try on, the more they start to blurr together, and the more it feels like a chore. Don't worry about all of the fun being over once you decide on a dress. There are a billion other aspects of your wedding that are still left to plan. Also, once you place an order for a gown, stick to your decision. DO NOT keep shopping around. There will always be beautiful pictures in magazines, but there is usually a pretty good reason that you chose the gown that you ordered. (Not to menion the fact that most bridal salons do not allow refunds or exchanges.)

Well loves, that is all the advice I have for today. I will probably post updates to this guide as time goes on, and I have more tidbits to share. Please let me know if you have any questions about shopping for your bridal gown. I really do love helping a bride in need :)

Confessions of a Wedding Photography Stalker {Entry #1}

So, I have an addiction. It has gotten to the point where I'm fairly certain it is unhealthy...I'm obsessed with wedding photography. If I had the choice of any super power, I wouldn't pick invisibility, or the ability to fly. No, I would choose to be the most awesome wedding photographer in all the land. Until I find a magic genie, shooting star, or wishing well, I have decided to share with all of you the work of some of my favorite superheroes.

Superhero #1: Axioo Photography. Excuse me 5 seconds for being politically incorrect, but why are Asians so freaking adorable? I don't know if its the creative team behind Axioo, their amazing photographers, or all of the cute and stylish couples that they shoot, but almost every picture on their blog gives me goosebumps. The only problem is that they only come to America every once in a blue moon. Alas, I will continue to admire them from afar. {Sigh} Be careful of drool as you check out the amazingness below!

{Sorry, I couldn't resist a cute Asian baby with doughnuts.}

Inspiration Board #1: {Black + White with a Twist}

So the plan is to do at least two inspiration boards per week. We'll see how that goes...Today's board is actually inspired by the layout of my web site. I don't know if you can tell, but I love black and white. Its clean, classic, and something about it just makes me feel peaceful. One of my favorite wedding photographers is Jasmine Star, and I love love love The London Hotel concept wedding that she photographed. Isn't the cake in her photo on the top left gorgeous? Many of the other photos are from Caroline + Keat's wedding, shot by ABryanPhoto. Every detail of this black + white wedding is lovely. {I particularly enjoy the bride's poppy bouquet, and the WHITE! bridesmaid dresses.} Enjoy the eye candy!

{sources clockwise from top left: cake/centerpiece jasmine star, table numbers ABryanPhoto, candles ABryanPhoto, Dress snippet+ink, bridalparty photo ABryanPhoto, chandelier coco+kelley, popey bouquet ABryanPhoto}

{These are a few of my favorite things}

This past October I had the opportunity to attend Bridal Market in New York City. It was one of those moments in life where everything feels incredibly surreal--like I was living a movie. Being obsessed with bridal fashion, the trip was my own sort of journey to Mecca. There were so many amazing gowns that it is difficult, even now, to choose favorites. However, there were a few standouts that I wanted to share.

The two dresses above are both made of my favorite fabric, Organza. It makes a bride look like she is floating on clouds. The dress on the left is from Watters & Watters and the one on the right is from Anne Barge.

Prior to Market, Lazaro bridal was not on my list of favorite designers. This is partially due to their not so fantastic advertising campaigns. {Great job making the gorgeous dress on the right look like moss.} However, after seeing the dresses from Lazaro's Spring 2010 collection firsthand on the runway, my opinion has drastically changed. The dress on the left is just one example of how he has updated a classic dress like the ball gown for the new decade. Many of the designers were showing gorgeous skirts like the the dress on the right, but the bodice on this dress took it above and beyond the rest. It is actually intricate beading covered by sheer netting that crisscrosses in different directions. Trust me on this one...both of these dresses are fab!


Oh Kenneth Pool...How do I love the? Let me count the ways: 1. Gorgeous silhouettes, 2. The most luxurious fabrics, 3. Best bead work in the bridal world {well, maybe tied with Rivini} 4. Designed by the one and only Amsale Aberra...The list could go on, but I won't bore you. The two dresses above were my favorites from the Spring 2010 collection. Again, the pictures here don't quite do the dresses justice. The beading on the dress on the left is simply stunning, and stunning in its simplicity. I can't wait to see how these dresses look on a real human, but something tells me that will be perfect too.

{hello loves}

Hello loves! Welcome to my blog. In this post I will explaining a little bit about myself, and how I came to start this blog.

My name is Marissa MacLeod. I am 22 years old, and I live in Gainesville, Florida. Weddings have been a major part of my life for the past year, ever since I started working as a bridal consultant at Solutions Bridal. Before that time my interest in weddings and blogging was fairly limited, mostly due to the fact that my energy was solely focused on graduating from THE University of Florida with a degree in Marketing {Go Gators!} I am now the Assistant Manager at Solutions, and the majority of my days are spent eating, sleeping and breathing weddings!

Over the past year I have fallen in love, not just with the the bridal industry, but with the wedding/bridal blog community as well. There are so many amazing, creative bloggers out there! {I will be recognizing a few of my favorites in upcoming posts.} Most of the time that I spend on my blog will be spent recognizing the amazing, creative work of others in the wedding industry whom I admire. I will also be offering advice to brides based on what I have learned during my day to day adventures in wedding world.

Thank you for joining me on my adventures in blogging. I love comments, so please let me know what you think!