Fall 2011 D Weddings Features Stardust Real Wedding

Thank you D Weddings for featuring one of our beautiful weddings in your hot-off-the-presses Fall 2011 issue! Last month we posted details about the gorgeous wedding ceremony and reception of Laura and Jonathan, sharing some great photos of their stunning event. This lovely wedding is now gracing pages of the current issue of the fabulous D Weddings. Check it out!

We would be remiss to not again mention our amazing team of vendors on this wonderful event:

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

Stardust Now Carries Mary Frances Handbags

Sometimes when planning for a wedding day ensemble, a mother of the bride or groom is looking for that statement piece, that accessory that shows her stunning sense of style while not overshadowing the beautiful bride. We are so thrilled to now offer gorgeous, over-the-top Mary Frances handbags for this super-stylish MOB/MOG!

Mary Frances handbags are exceptionally embellished with jewels, pearls, stones, crystals and a plethora of fabrics and textures! These uber-fabulous accessories are perfect for the wedding day but can be used long after the “I do’s”.

Come by Stardust Bridal Salon in West Plano to ogle these luscious little accessories and maybe even make one the crowning jewel of your wedding day look!

Like StarDust Celebrations on Facebook

We know you like us, we really do. But do you “like” us on Facebook?

That is the best way to get the up-to-the-minute news from all four of the StarDust Celebrations branches: Stardust Bridal Salon, LuLu’s Bridal Boutique, A Bridal Closet and Stardust Wedding Planning.

Not only do we regularly update our page with new products, the latest media coverage and upcoming special events, but we also do fun things like ask brides to post their bridal portraits, share wedding day memories, give their opinions in polls and much more!

We hope to see you on Facebook soon! Give us shout-out when you stop by our page!

Video Demo: How to Measure Yourself for a Bridesmaid Dress

Calling all ladies of the bridal party! When ordering a bridesmaid dress, we always recommend having yourself professionally measured to ensure you order the most appropriate size. But we do understand that there are many times when bridesmaids simply cannot get in to a salon to have that done and must measure themselves. If you find yourself in that situation, would you know how to measure yourself properly? There are many factors to consider…What part of the bust do you measure? Where exactly is your waist? Should you measure higher or lower on your hips? What’s a girl to do?!

As always, we are here to help! Check out another of our handy new features on our fab website – a measurement video! In this useful short clip, which can be found on our bridesmaid pages for both Stardust and LuLu’s, we demonstrate how to measure yourself and how to have someone else measure you. Follow these directions carefully, and you should feel confident in ordering the size that’s just right for you!

Featured Friends Friday: Sonrise Video Productions

Vendor name and company: Steve Allen, Sonrise Video Productions

Services offered: Wedding Films

How did you get started in the wedding industry and when? Video is the absolute best way to preserve memories. In 1995 my wife passed away when my daughter was only 4 years old. Most of the memories she has of her Mom are from the videos I shot of our family playing together. In 1998 I started shooting weddings. I realized the importance of preserving the memories on this day and capturing the beginning milestone of a new family. I like to imagine their grandchildren someday watching the video in amazement. In 2000 my part-time wedding filming career turned into a full-time career.

What sets you apart from other vendors? I like to create an artistic account of the wedding day not just document the events. Over the years I’ve won several awards for creativity for my wedding films. I have an eye for getting creative shots that just seems to come naturally to me. After several hundred wedding shoots I can anticipate when that special moment is about to happen. There are always those special moments between a bride and groom that just tug at your heart strings and need to be preserved forever.

What do you do for fun besides weddings? I love to cycle for exercise. I love watching movies and the “making of” special features on the DVDs. I find myself critiquing camera angles, and coming up with new ways in my head that would have made each movie more emotional.

Why do you enjoy working with wedding planners? Don’t get me started here. Having a good wedding planner is an absolute necessity. The bride and groom don’t need to worry about how things are falling into place on their special day. The more stress-free and happy they are on their wedding day the more it shows in their pictures and video. A good planner also keeps me and the photographer aware of what’s happening next to make sure everything is captured and preserved.

What is your favorite thing about working w/ a StarDust Celebrations (SDC) planner? StarDust Celebrations planners are always on top of things. Little things will always go wrong at weddings. The SDC planners seem to spot these things before they happen. It’s these things going on in the background that no one notices. That just means they are doing a great job.

Do you have any funny or memorable stories you can share about working with one of our planners? I just always have a great time working with these ladies. Their cheerful attitude seems to be contagious. Who could not be happy to see “little” Evie smile? I love to tease Evie about being short. We get along so well.

What is the best single piece of advice you could give to brides? I have been a member of several wedding organizations and associations over the years. From time to time they have bridal panel discussions. Past brides talk about what went right or wrong at their wedding. One of the questions is always “What was your biggest regret?” Inevitably there is always a bride who regrets not hiring a videographer. The whole day will be a big blur when it is over and the only thing left will be the pictures and the wedding film.

I once met with a bride who wasn’t sure if she wanted a film made of her wedding. As she watched my wedding demo I could see her eyes tear at the emotions being brought out on the screen. I told her, “Imagine that this is a video of your young grandparents getting married years before you were born. If this was your grandparents’ video and there was only one copy, how much would you sell that copy to me for?” She told me she wouldn’t sell it for ANY amount of money. She then realized how important it was to have a good wedding film made of her special day.

Be sure to check out Steve's website for more info and to see some demos: http://www.sonrisevideo.com/!

First Official Photos of Candice Crawford in her Custom St. Pucchi Bridal Gown

We don’t know where or how Miss Lauren Scruggs got them, but we are so excited to pass on the first official photos of the gorgeous Candice Crawford in her custom St. Pucchi bridal gown from Stardust. Lauren posted these on her blog, lolo, last night and we were so excited that St. Pucchi shared the link with us immediately via Facebook!

The now-Mrs. Tony Romo was every bit the glowing bride and modeled the perfect marriage between fashion and beauty.Candice made a bold choice with her departure away from the ever-popular strapless wedding gown by choosing this fabulous design featuring the high collar and plunging neckline. The fitted bodice then exploded into a full skirt of stunning folds of silk, a perfect choice for Candice’s flawless figure. It is so amazing to work with a bride who knows exactly what gown is best suited to her body type, and Candice certainly knows what works for her!

Candice customized the gown by adding the keyhole back, borrowed from a different St. Pucchi gown, and added more appliqués, sparkling crystals and ostrich feathers to give the gown additional dimension and texture. The final result was absolutely stunning, the perfect culmination of Candice’s dream bridal gown!

Photography by Karlisch+Wrubel

Color Splash: Purple Reign

Color is back and in a huge way! One of our faves right now is fabulous purple! Elegant and regal or whimsical and youthful, there is a shade of this gorgeous color for everyone! Here are some luscious finds in the royal hue.