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!

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!

The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton

After months of rumors and speculation, at last the world’s anticipation was met with the glorious site of the beautiful Catherine Middleton revealing her stunning bridal gown for the royal wedding today! In a traditional yet modern design created by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen’s British fashion house, Kate elicited a collective gasp of delight as she alighted from the Rolls.

Kate’s gown is made from ivory and white satin gazar (a silk of loosely woven organza with a crisp finish), and the bodice and skirt feature hand-cut English lace and French Chantilly lace. The train measures nearly nine feet long. The lace appliqué for the bodice and skirt was hand-made by the Royal School of Needlework. Individual flowers were hand-cut from lace and hand-appliquéd onto ivory silk tulle to create the dress' unique design, which incorporates the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock. Kate is said to have worked very closely with Burton on the design of her wedding gown.

Some fashion experts are likening Kate’s gown to that worn by Grace Kelley during her wedding to Prince Ranier III of Monaco in 1956. The intricate lace appliqué bodice and sleeves of Kate’s gown mirror those on Princess Grace’s wedding dress. Additionally, both gowns share a high-waisted, full-skirted silhouette with a long, dramatic train and were worn with the sheerest of veils and a diamond tiara. By the way, the gorgeous tiara Kate wore was her “something borrowed”, on loan from the Queen herself. The Cartier halo tiara was a gift to the Queen on her 18th birthday.

Other notable highlights were Kate’s sweet hand-wired bouquet and the bridesmaid dress worn by Pippa Middleton, Kate’s sister and maid of honour. Kate’s bouquet was comprised of myrtle (the emblem of marriage; love), lily-of-the-valley (return of happiness), sweet William (gallantry) and hyacinth (constancy of love). The shield-shaped bouquet was designed by Shane Connolly and incorporated these flowers that carry significance for the Royal Family, the Middleton family and the Language of Flowers.

Pippa’s dress was also designed by Sarah Burton and was created to share details with Kate’s gown. The beautiful and elegant cowl-necked design was made of a heavy, ivory satin-based crepe. And while white may seem an unusual choice for a bridesmaid dress, it is actually very traditional, dating back to ancient Roman times, when bridesmaids wore white as well as the bride to confuse evil spirits who might intend to kidnap the bride. By all the ladies wearing white, the spirits could not be sure which lady the bride was.

As the meticulously timed event continued post-ceremony, the couple was whisked away to Buckingham Palace in a 1902 State Landau Carriage, which was built to be used at the Coronation of King Edward VII. Finally, the happy couple made their appearance on the balcony for the anxiously awaited kiss. Spectators were disappointed with the quick little peck Will and Kate exchanged, but were rewarded a few minutes later with a slightly longer kiss.

Congrats to the beautiful Duke and Duchess of Cambridge! Thank you for sharing your wonderful day with us all! We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness!

The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Miss Kate Middleton

Photo: WireImage/Mario Testino

The wedding world is abuzz with the pending nuptials of Prince William and Miss Kate Middleton, now just a week away. "What will Kate's gown look like?" “How much will they adhere to tradition versus bringing in their own modern touches?” “Who are the some 1,900 guests who have the privilege of receiving an invitation?!” are just a few of the questions everyone is dying to have answered.

Speculation on the design of Kate’s wedding gown has been running rampant! Of course her gown will have sleeves…or will it?! Will there be lace? Tulle? Full ball gown skirt or sleek and form fitting? Just how long will Kate’s train be?! Well, we have heard some tidbits here and there...Kate’s gown is said to be designed by Sophie Cranstonunder the label Libelula. Sophie previously designed with Alexander McQueen. The gown is rumored to be made of ivory satin and lace with pearl buttons, a 10-foot train and sleeves, of course! The bride also apparently has two back-up gowns in case the full design of her gown is leaked!

Some of our gown designers were asked by Brides.com to create their own Kate-inspired design, fit for a princess. Here are a few of them. Aren’t they fabulous?!

Melissa Sweet Design



Platinum/POB Design



St. Pucchi Designs



Watters Brides Design



1,000+ year old Westminster Abbey, site of the Royal Wedding

There are numerous rules, traditions and regulations surrounding the wedding of a royal. The couple has chosen which they will stick to and which they will make their own. Will and Kate will marry at Westminster Abbey, the same location of the Queen’s wedding in 1947, and Kate will arrive in a car rather than the horse-drawn carriage that most royal brides use. As is custom, Kate’s bridal party will consist of several young children serving as bridesmaids and pageboys. What is not custom however, is Kate’s selection of her 27-year-old sister Pippa as maid of honor, the oldest main bridesmaid in recent royal wedding history.

Other sweet traditions Kate will be honoring is carrying a sprig of myrtle in her bouquet, and she will leave her bouquet at the grave of the unknown warrior at Westminster Abbey as a tribute to the armed forces. And Kate will be wearing a wedding band containing precious Welsh gold from the Queen’s personal royal nugget. Will, however, has opted to not wear a wedding band, explaining that he is just not a jewelry kind of guy.

Of the 1,900 invitations that were issued, a great number were sent to fellow royals, church officials, diplomats and foreign leaders in addition to the standard friends and family. And the philanthropic couple will not be expecting gifts from a formal registry from these guests; rather they have established a charitable giving fund through which they hope their guests will bless five charities supporting causes very close to their hearts. Learn more about the fund here:

Will and Kate’s ceremony is at 11:00 a.m. London time and will be followed by a wedding breakfast (think “brunch”) for 600 guests at Buckingham Palace hosted by Her Majesty the Queen herself. The couple will have a traditional several tiered fruit cake covered in cream and white icing and decorated with flowers; the confection will be created by Leicestershire-based cake designer Fiona Cairns. They will also serve a chocolate biscuit cake prepared by McVitie’s as requested by Prince William. The prince’s request is borrowing the “groom’s cake” tradition from the Southern U.S. and will be made of 1,700 Rich Tea cookies and more than 37 pounds of chocolate! Sounds like Will has a sweet tooth!

Will's "groom's cake" will be a much larger variation of this.

There are SO many fabulous details that we could just go on and on about, but there are plenty of sites that are solely dedicated to the Prince William and Kate’s wedding of the century. Check out a few of them for your Royal Wedding “fix” day or night! http://www.theroyalweddingwilliamkate.com/ or http://www.officialroyalwedding2011.org/tag/homepage/page/1