Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Alvina Valenta Trunk Show This Weekend

Call now to make your appointment during our special Alvina Valenta trunk show this weekend at our West Plano StarDust Bridal Salon: 972.781.1619. You simply will not want to miss these timelessly elegant, sophisticated wedding gowns.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Featured Friends Friday: Sil Azevedo Photography

As wedding planners, we have the privilege to work some amazing wedding vendors. We'd love for you to get to know some of them better so we're starting a fun post on occasional Fridays to share them with you. Enjoy!

Vendor name/company: Sil Azevedo Photography

Services offered: Weddings and fine portrait photography

How did you get started in the wedding industry and when? I (Sil) have been shooting since I was seven. Adriana and I started Sil Azevedo Photography in 1999 with a vision to create images that are unique and that truly reflect the couple’s personalities.

What sets you apart from other vendors? We care. To us it is all about getting to know our clients and building a relationship that results in meaningful moments being captured. We invest time in every detail to make sure it is perfect.

What do you do for fun besides weddings? We love independent films, reading biographies and inspirational books. We enjoy working out, tennis, cycling. We also love travelling, getting to know new places and understanding other cultures.

Why do you enjoy working with wedding planners? Because it flows. A professional wedding planner/coordinator makes the day of go smoothly and allows the couple and families to do what is important: enjoy and celebrate.

What is your favorite thing about working w/ a Stardust Celebrations (SDC) planner? Their experience and care ensure that all is taken care of even when people do not realize what happens in the background. They are true professionals who are focused, competent and fun.

Do you have any funny or memorable stories you can share about working with one of our planners? It is always a pleasure to work with SDC planners. Every single wedding we have done together has been literally flawless. And each one had a unique characteristic that fit the couple’s style with a very personal touch. I remember a wedding we did at Union Station in the fall of 2005 where the city fountain was off and somehow Marsha and Jenny were able to contact them and have the fountain and lights turned on just so that the view from the balcony would be perfect. I still don’t know how they did it! By the way, Marsha and Jenny, the groom from that wedding (Ryan) is taking my photo class at the studio and says hi!

What is the best single piece of advice you could give to brides? Work with your wedding planner to create the perfect vision for your day and then let them take care of the details and enjoy the process.

Be sure to check out Sil's beautiful work on his website: http://www.silazevedo.com/!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Military-themed Bridal Garters

With Memorial Day just around the corner, we thought we’d give a little shout out to our military brides. Truly special ladies, these brides share their grooms with our country, sacrificing precious time together in the name of freedom.
We love these sweet garters by Jamie Lynn that give these selfless brides a cute way to honor their grooms’ dedication to the military. They come with a tiny medallion for each branch: Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy. We are proud to carry these in our Plano Stardust Bridal Salon.
Thanks to our men and women of the service! Can I get a “Ooh-rah?!”

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Jim Hjelm Trunk Show This Weekend


Call today to snag one of our limited appointments for the Jim Hjelm Trunk Show this weekend at our West Plano salon: 972.781.1619. You won't want to miss some one-on-one time with these gorgeous bridal gowns!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Monique Lhuillier Bridesmaids Now Available at Stardust Bridal Salon

You probably owe your bridesmaids, right? They have run the wedding planning gauntlet with you from the get-go, are throwing you an amazing bridal shower and are planning the quintessential bachelorette party! You could do them a little favor and select bridesmaid gowns that they’ll be thrilled to wear. We have just the solution as we are now carrying Monique Lhuillier bridesmaids dresses at our Stardust Bridal Salon. These uber-fab dresses are so stylish and so…Monique. Your girls will love them! And, so many of the fabric options are very fluid, giving your friends the best in comfort for that all-night dancing they plan on doing!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Stardust Gowns to be Featured at AACWP Fashion Show

We are so excited to be showcasing some of our most fabulous gowns at the AACWP Annual Fashion Show on Monday evening! Stardust is bringing NY Fashion Week to Dallas, where we will present the latest in bridal, bridesmaids and special occasion/mother gowns and dresses from the likes of Jim Hjelm, Lazaro, Claire Pettibone, Simone Carvalli, Jovani, Victoria Nicole and more! The theme is "Expect the Unexpected" and we will have plenty of surprises in store for the elite group of wedding professionals. We can’t wait!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Six Truths About Planning A Wedding

Feeling a little overwhelmed planning your wedding? Not sure where to begin or what to expect? We hear you. If you’ve never traversed the wedding path before, it can be a little daunting. But lucky for you, we are always here to help! We’ve included a nifty little “cheat sheet” on our wonderful, newly redesigned website to help you manage your expectations when it comes to planning your big day.

Our “Six Truths About Planning A Wedding” article will give you a bit of insider knowledge and help you gain a greater understanding of what it takes to get to “I do!” Short and sweet, the piece addresses timing, guests, conflict and more. Still feeling lost? Contact us to schedule a complimentary initial consultation with a Stardust wedding planner to see if hiring a guide on your journey will serve you the best. Happy planning!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Stardust Now Carrying Simone Carvalli Bridesmaids

We are pleased to announce that we now carry Simone Carvalli bridesmaids in our Stardust Bridal Salon!
These short and sassy gowns are so cute and really fun. Look how they pick up some of the HOT details from bridal gowns like pleats and floral details…perfect for creating a cohesive style without rockin’ the matchy-matchy!
We love these gorgeous rich colors and luxe fabrics! Do your besties a favor and bring them in to Stardust to check out these bridesmaids dresses they will be begging you to wear!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Super-cute Shoes for the Comfort Conscious Bride

We recently received a limited inventory of the cutest comfy shoes for the practical bride! These little ballet flats are made of a soft pearlized ivory leather and have a darling grosgrain bow on the toe with lots of bling on it.

The faux pearls and crystals give the shoes enough panache to make them wedding worthy but at a price point of less than $50 – that’s right, under $50! – they are a great deal for the budget- and comfort-conscious bride. The inside has a quilted insert on the balls and heels of the shoe for added relief.
Even if a bride is looking for something a bit more over-the-top for her wedding day shoes, these are a great option for the second pair of shoes after all the dancing has rendered the knock-‘em-dead heels unbearable! Come in a check them out soon…they are selling like hotcakes!

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Allure Bridals Trunk Show at LuLu's This Weekend

We are pleased to present to you the beautiful new collection from Allure Bridals this weekend at LuLu's Bridal Boutique. Make plans to stop by our quaint Uptown Dallas boutique to check out the fabulous variety this design house offers. No appointment necessary. See you there!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Take A Virtual Tour of A Bridal Closet

Have you had a chance yet to check out our new and improved website yet? I mean, really check it out, exploring all of our pages and the wealth of information and tools we put together for you? You see, we just love what we do, and so much of that is about you and serving you! We thought long and hard about what our clients might find useful and tried to include loads of useful resources!

One such resource is the virtual tour of our fabulous outlet, A Bridal Closet. Yes, we have an outlet! At the lovely salon, located in The Shops of Willow Bend, you can shop for beautiful bridal gowns and wedding dresses while saving 40% to 75% off original prices. The items available for sale are wedding gowns, mother of the occasion gowns, flower girl gowns and accessory items that are sold "as is" and may be taken home that day.


So take a moment to read all about A Bridal Closet and be sure to take that virtual tour…you’ll find yourself wanting to head to the chic West Plano shopping center to take an in-person tour of A Bridal Closet and maybe return home with the gown of your dreams!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Lazaro Bridal Trunk Show This Weekend

Join us for a fabulous trunk show featuring the latest collection of bridal gowns from Lazaro. Appointments are filling up quickly, so call to make your appointment now or to be added to our walk-in waiting list: 972.781.1619. Hope to see you this weekend!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Texas Wedding Guide Cake Competition Video Highlight

Remember when we shared with you about the sweet treat of judging the Texas Wedding Guide’s 2nd Annual Platinum Cake Competition here? Wedding videographer Randy Ro Entertainment captured the festive event and has whittled the evening down to a super-fun 12-minute video highlight for your viewing pleasure.




In case you never got a chance to check out the great pics from the evening, you can enjoy those here.

What fun it is to relive that spectacular evening! Caution, this video may induce sugar cravings!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Stardust Hosts Royal Wedding Viewing Party for Industry Friends

Florists, entertainers, photographers and more gathered to watch the wedding.
As is only fitting for a wedding-centric business, last Friday, Stardust hosted a Royal Wedding Viewing Party for several of our beloved vendors and wedding industry friends. After all, not many can appreciate the pomp and circumstance that accompanies a royal wedding like those in the biz! It was such a blast to relax and enjoy THE wedding with fellow wedding professionals; a nice change to be a “guest” rather than working the event as so many of us do! Everyone had a great time watching the wedding unfold as we were FINALLY privy to all of the glorious details that were kept secret for so long!

Luscious cake by Romano's
Many of our guests donned hats as we sipped tea and noshed on fabulous finger sandwiches, fruit & cheese and chocolate dipped strawberries. Romano’s Bakery provided a lovely and delicious cake for the occasion. The party was such a fun way to thank our friends who we work with regularly but who rarely have the opportunity to actually visit our salons.

And of course any brides who were fortunate enough to visit our West Plano salon during this special event were invited to join us as well. We want to say a special “thanks” to Sil Azevedo who captured many special moments from our magical celebration.



Brits love their hats; our guests followed suit and topped off their ensembles with them!

The "guard" that welcomed our guests

Jay Cooper of Ducky Bob's waves the Union Jack at event designer Travis Lee Moore.

What's more royal than fine china, a lovely blue and toile?

Enthralled with the wedding of the century!

Travis Lee Moore with our own Michelle Green, who planned this fun event for our friends.
Brandi McComb of band ZuZu Peddals and Carol Marks are positively dignified!
Check out an entire album of more fun pics here!

And thanks also to Wills and Kate for a gorgeous wedding and for providing a wonderful excuse for us to get together with friends! Cheers!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Real Wedding: Abigail-Price

Last year we had the privilege of working with a precious couple that culminated in a beautiful wedding between Laura and Jonathan at the end of January. The couple met at OU…and Jonathan knew he wanted to marry Laura the night he met her! (We heart those stories!)

A few short years later the couple was celebrating their love through an elegant wedding ceremony at the classic Perkins Chapel and a color- and music-drenched reception at the incomparable Ritz Carlton! We adored the color palate of hot pink, gold and cream – fresh AND elegant! This sweet couple is really into music and they had it woven throughout the night, from the unexpected twist in their ceremony processional and incredible piano tunes during cocktails to the amazing Emerald City during the reception and a dance-till-you-drop after party.

Some of our favorite special touches from this beautiful and fun event include:
• bagpiper Don Shannon escorting the groom and his gents into the chapel
• the display at the reception of the bride’s new cowboy boots engraved with her married monogram and wedding date
• the entrance of guests (many from New York and Jersey) into the ballroom to the tune of New York, New York, and
• the awesome after party in “Club One Twenty-Two” with the remarkable Tommy Evans.

Here a just a few shots capturing the memorable evening from one of our fave photographers, Vim Studios!

A HUGE "thank you" to our wonderful vendors who helped bring this magical day together:
Bagpiper: Don Shannon
Ceremony: Perkins Chapel
Cocktail Hour Pianist: Luana Stoutmeyer, Encore Productions
DJ/Emcee: Tommie Evans, Specialty Sound
Floral Designer: The Garden Gate
Lighting: Absolute Lighting
Linen Rentals: BBJ Linen
Reception: The Ritz Carlton Hotel
Reception Band: Emerald City
Photo Booth: BoothBooth by F8
Photographer: Vim Studio
Transportation: Blue Diamond Limousines
Videographer: Sonrise Video
Wedding Planning: StarDust Celebrations, Marsha Ballard-French, CMWP, assisted by Staci Freeman, CWP, and Evie Cozart, TWP

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Stardust Named a Top 50 Bridal Salon by Brides Magazine!

StarDust Celebrations is honored to have our Stardust Bridal Salon named as one of the 50 best independent wedding salons by Brides Magazine. What’s even better is that the award was determined by a panel of brides and industry experts across the country based on selection, price, ambiance and more! We are so delighted and flattered! Thanks to this team of voters who officially recognized what we and countless Texas brides have known for a long time!