Real Wedding: Flores-Calil

It's hot out (in case you haven't noticed) so we thought we'd share a client's winter wedding to remind you of cooler times. This lovely wedding's color palette was black, red and white and gold accents. The décor included wintery features such as icy blue lighting and snowflake motifs. The reception, held at Dallas' famed Tower Club, offered guests an incredible view from the 48th floor as they alternated dancing the night away and chilling out on the sleek lounge furniture. Here are a few of the beautiful details:

Shout-out to our vendor team:
Bakery: Delicious Cakes
Bridal Apparel: Stardust Celebrations
Ceremony Venue: Christ the King Catholic Church
Floral Designer: Fete des Fleur
Lighting: Simply Music
Limo: Blue Diamond
Linen: Fete des Fleurs
Makeup: Philip K. Thomas Salon
Music, Ceremony: Strings and trumpet through Christ the King
Music, Reception: In10CBity Band booked through Carol Marks Music; DJ/Emcee Brian Prescott, Simply Music
Photographer: Andrea Polito
Photobooth: Randy Ro Entertainment
Reception Venue: Tower Club (48^th floor)
Video: Clayton Stringer
Wedding Planning: Stardust Celebrations, Marsha Ballard French, CMWP

Flashback: The Other Royal Wedding

That dress!

That veil!

That bouquet!

Thirty-two years ago today, in St. Paul's Cathedral in London, an enthralled world watched on television (about 750 million viewers!) the fairytale wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles. Billed as "the wedding of the century," the elaborate nuptials set the bar for brides for many years to come. While sadly the marriage did not work out and we later lost Princess Di entirely too soon, today we fondly remember the elegant, lovely lady that we all grew to love and her stunning debut to the world on the anniversary of one of the world's most memorable weddings.

Picture Perfect: Having Fun with Wedding Day Photos

We love wedding photos! They preserve a couple's history, offer a glimpse of a moment in time and help tell a story. When we stumble upon a wedding day photo that we think is fun, unique or particularly special, we file it away for a rainy day. Well, it's raining this morning, so we thought we'd pull a few out to offer you a bit of sunshine today! We hope you will be inspired!

We've all seen the ubiquitous ring shot, where the bridesmaids are ooohing and aaaahing the bride's ring.
This funny twist featuring the fellas made us giggle!

Cute idea - have your bridesmaids make your new last name initial with their bouquets.
Could make a cute photo for your new home, especially if you love monograms and such!

Cute, different and whimsical! Who wouldn't be happy playing under a rainbow parachute?!
Brings back a bit of nostalgia, too!

 

We think this is darling! Have each of your 'maids write how they know you or where you met for a cute pic.

Surely you have all seen this crazy trend - wedding day invasion shots! The photographer shoots a pic of the wedding party running for their lives and later Photoshops in the whatever they are running from. Campy!

There are several fun things you and your girls can make with your hands.

We would be remiss to not include a shot of a stylish wedding party rockin' the 'stache!

Very sweet three generations shot - the hands of the bride, her mother and her grandmother. What a keepsake!

Last photo for today, and while this isn't a wedding day pic (or even one pic, for that matter), we just LOVE this and had to include it! This would be great to do during an engagement shoot! Beautiful!

image sources: Marin Kristine Photography, Bleubird, Studio B Photography, Bartek & Magda, Josh McCullock Photography, Bridal Guide, She’s a Canvas, Quinn Miller Photography, Style Me Pretty and My ModernMet

Ask the Stylist: Dressing Pregnant Bridesmaids

Yes, it's true! Kate Middleton is in labor and at the hospital! All eyes on are on London as the world awaits with baited breath announcement of the new royal baby. We are just as excited as everyone for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and can't wait for the news of the prince or princess's birth!

image courtesy of Us Magazine

The elegant Kate Middleton has been a beacon of style and grace throughout her pregnancy (just as she has always been and was as a bride!) and proof that baby bumps can be glamorous. With that, we bring you an Ask the Stylist question that we get a lot and are happy to answer!
 
Q: I just found out that two of my five bridesmaids are pregnant! While I am very excited for them, I am a little worried about what kind of bridesmaid dresses I can now choose for my girls. My wedding is not for several more months, so they will both be quite far along. What are my options to accommodate my friends’ baby bumps but allow the whole bridal party to be cute and cohesive? 

A: We see this all the time. This is a “problem” that brides can actually have a lot of fun with, so don’t fret! Something that works great in this scenario and also happens to be extremely in vogue right now is for the bride to specify a designer, gown length, fabric and color but allow her bridesmaids to select their own individual style of dress. Several designers make empire-waisted gowns that are flattering and beautiful on pregnant ‘maids, such as these:

These Jim Hjelm styles work great for pregnant bridesmaids

Any dress that has pleating around the waist is great on girls with a bump but also cute on all figures. Such styles are great options if the bride would rather her bridal party all wear the same gown. Here are two such options:

These pleated Watters gowns can work for your entire wedding party;
they are flattering on all figures, even those sporting a bump.

Chiffon is the most flattering fabric when it comes to a baby bump. Once we determine the basics with our bride, we talk with the expectant bridesmaid(s) to determine how far along they will be at the time of the wedding, which is definitely important to consider when ordering. Sometimes the momma-to-be will need to order extra fabric for the lining and/or the exterior of the gown to add panels. These panels can be added during the alterations process to help the dress fit better and make the gown more comfortable.

We always suggest ordering extra length, as well. Dresses are made for ladies that are 5’8”5’9” and a baby bump will cause the dress to ride up in the front. The additional cost is worth it to keep your gown the proper length and matching the rest of the bridesmaids.  Here is a great example of how this can all come together! We not only planned this wedding but also styled/dress the wedding party.

These 'maids are wearing dresses by Jim Hjelm Occasions and Alvina Valenta; image courtesy of Joseph Mark.

The ladies in this beautiful bridal party were give some basic parameters by the bride but were able to choose their own gowns. Bride Lauren asked the girls to choose a floor-length gown in a specific fabric and color offered by two different collections under the JLM Couture Brand. Two of the bridesmaids were pregnant in this party, as well, and they were able to select empire waist gowns that flattered their bumps and allowed them to still look fabulous. The bridal party's look is beautiful, elegant and cohesive - simply perfect!

Go on the Hunt for Big Savings at our Safari Sale



Just a little reminder that our annual clearance event kicks off in less than two weeks:

Join Stardust Celebrations and LuLu’s Bridal Boutique for our Annual Clearance Sale. Both stores will offer clearance gowns to be sold off the rack, other gown discounts and 30-75% off of specially priced merchandise offered at Stardust!

Stardust Celebrations                                   LuLu's Bridal Boutique
6464 West Plano Parkway                           2728 Routh Street
Plano, Texas 75093                                       Dallas, Texas 75201
972.781.1619                                                   214.871.9610

 

Real Wedding: Tiffany and Bob

We simply love intimate weddings, when the bride and groom keep their guest count low enough to be able to truly visit with all of their guests. We also adore outdoor weddings so when we get to combine the two, well, that's just a great treat! We recently had the pleasure of working with a wonderful couple who asked us to help plan a beautiful, intimate outdoor wedding featuring a romantic color palette of pinks, navy and gold. It was absolutely lovely, and we are thrilled to share a few of the details with you!

Beautiful Courtyard Ceremony:

 

Stunning Intimate Reception:

We heart our fabulous vendor partners!

Bakery: Rosewood Crescent Hotel

Bridal Apparel: StardustCelebrations

Ceremony and Reception Venue: Rosewood Crescent Hotel

Floral Designer: The GardenGate

Lighting: Uplighting, Pin Spotting and Gobo - Randal Stout; Chandeliers - Absolute Lighting

Linens: Napkins - BBJ Linen; Table linens - Rosewood Crescent Hotel

Makeup: Mitzi Merritt

Music: Ceremony - StradivariusString Quartet; Reception - Randal Stout Entertainment

Photography: Amy Herfurth

Videography: A Very SpecialDay

Wedding Planning: StardustCelebrations, Marsha Ballard French, CMWP

 

 

Ask the Planner: Transforming Your Reception Venue

Q: We have booked the perfect wedding reception venue – it’s close to our church where we’ll be married, it’s the right size and fits our budget, and it was available on our date. However, the ballroom is not very pretty. In fact, it is not at all what I envisioned for my big day. What can we do to fix this very big problem?! Help!

A: Believe it or not, there is a fix for this situation! Partnering with the proper professionals, you can transform any space from blah to wow! We like to look at this as a “blank canvas” opportunity, affording us the chance to create a custom setting for a great event. A boring or uninviting ballroom can take on a totally different look and feel by installing pipe and drape and incorporating lighting. Bringing in rentals that better suit your style and vision, such as lovely chairs and elegant linens will also go a long way toward transforming the site. Add in striking floral arrangements, centerpieces, masses of candles and special touches such as chargers, menu cards and statement napkin rings, and you truly have the makings of a beautiful reception! You might be amazed at how all of these elements combined can truly create the fairy tale vision you’ve always dreamed of!

Here is an example of one such makeover.

This turn-of-the-century ballroom located in the basement of a municipal building was not at all what the bride had her heart set on for her wedding reception. Our certified master wedding planner Marsha Ballard French partnered with Delene Bell of Liland’s Special Event Productions to design the fabulous décor that transformed the venue from municipal mundane to wedding wonderland!

Ideas by Barbara Trunk Show

We are excited to tell you about our special Mother of the Occasion Trunk running now until this Friday, July 12! Right now we have several additional stunning Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom gowns from Ideas by Barbara.

Some of the exquisite Ideas by Barbara Mother of the Bride/Groom gowns we have in store for our special Trunk Show

Ideas by Barbara has been designing gorgeously stylish evening wear, cocktail dresses and Mother of the Occasion gowns for more than 30 years. These fabulous gowns are sure to put a little va-va-va-voom into any mom’s wedding day ensemble. Call 972.781.1619 today to make an appointment during this special event!

Wedding Day Fireworks

The Fourth of July is tomorrow and so, naturally, we're thinking about fireworks around here. But, lovely brides, in case you did not realize it, pyrotechnics are not reserved just for Independence Day! They can be an awesome and impactful addition to your wedding day celebration! We have incorporated fireworks of many different kinds in several weddings. The show-stopping "ta da!" can be a wonderful surprise for your guests - or even for the bride and groom, as in one case! Here a few ways we have used them:

A fireworks-lined send off makes a great lasting impression, whether they are just sparklers held by your guests or it's a larger display framing the street for your get-away car. We love this fun fireworks backdrop to this couple's cake-cutting ceremony. Finally, you can just put on a show for your guests, ensuring that your big day is one they will remember for years to come. No matter how you use them, fireworks are a great way to end your wedding day with a bang! (Sorry - we just couldn't help ourselves!)

Stardust and LuLu's Closed for Independence Day

In honor of the Fourth of July, both Stardust and LuLu's will be closed this Thursday. We will reopen again on Friday for our usual hours of 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. We hope you all have a safe and Happy Fourth!