Bridal Market Gorgeousness

Oh my, are we ever blown away by Bridal Market! The designers, the shows, the stunning gowns! It's enough to make a girl go weak in the knees! We're zooming from show to show, and while we're not able to give a complete recap just yet, we wanted to share a teeny tiny teaser!

First up, a snippet of Eve of Milady beauty:

 

 Ah, those backs...we die!

Check out these romantic hand-painted ombre lace numbers from Robert Bullock:

Totally swoon-worthy!

And last but not least for today - we are partnering with a new designer!

The uber talented Yaki Ravid will be joining the ranks of our esteemed bridal gown designers; we cannot wait to share his sexy, sophisticated styles with you! Check out his website for a preview of his beautiful gowns!

Sooooo much more to come, but we hope today that this sneak peek holds you for now!

New York Bridal Market Sneak Peek

Oh how we adore Bridal Market, which kicks off tomorrow for the Spring 2016 Bridal Gown season. It's an incredibly exciting adventure as we run breathlessly from show to show watching bridal gown designers unveil their latest genius in wedding gown (and sometimes bridesmaids) style. Big reveal after big reveal tells us what stylish brides everywhere want to know: what are the hottest trends and latest wedding day fashions?

The dream team at Martha Stewart Weddings put together a fun sneak peek of sketches and inspiration shared with them by several designers. We've pulled out a few of our beloved designers to share with you here. And know that we will recap right here for you all of the gorgeous goodness that we soak in over the next several days during New York Bridal Market, so stay tuned!

Jessica Williams, designer for Alvina Valenta simply stated her inspiration was "The Luminaries."

Claire Pettibone shares thoughts behind her inspiration: "The endless land absorbs our dreams, and the
sheltering sky embraces the dreamers with its wide blue arms. You and I are like the tawny hawks sailing
over our heads, making slow shadows on the grass."

"Gumption through geometric influences and vulnerability in romantic surfaces" inspired Hayley Paige
for her Spring 2016 Collection

 We don't know about you, but this has certainly piqued our interest! We cannot wait to see what these and many other talented designers have for brides for Spring 2016!

Join Us at LuLu's for Our Exclusive Maggie Sottero First Look Event

Be among the very first to shop Maggie Sottero's Fall 2015 Collection! Join us at LuLu's Bridal next weekend for the exclusive Maggie Sottero First Look event. Secure your appointment online now or call the salon at 214.871.9610.

Trends We Love: The Pre-Ceremony Beverage Station or Cocktail Hour

A wedding is a time of celebration and fun - and an opportunity to flex your hospitality muscles! All good hosts know it's best to welcome guests into your home by offering them something to drink right away. We love extending this sentiment to weddings with the pre-ceremony beverage.

Think of this trend as the cocktail hour before the wedding. But, the beverages do not necessarily have to be alcoholic! The pre-ceremony cocktail hour is a fun way to have your guests mingle and get to know one another before the official festivities start.

This idea really works best when your ceremony is at a venue that's not a church, temple or other place of worship because of time and space constraints or the facility's policies. The pre-ceremony drink station is especially appreciated if your ceremony is outside. In the fall, a warm beverage station (think coffee, cider and hot cocoa - spiked or not) is a fantastic way to welcome your guests and help them ward off a chill while waiting for your walk down the aisle.

And, now that we're enjoying warmer weather, something cool and refreshing would be the go-to for a pre-wedding drink!

It can be something simple, such as flavored or sparkling water to lemonade and tea (ooooohhh, Arnold Palmers!) to mimosas or maybe even a signature cocktail just for your special day. Just make sure if you decided to serve cocktails to keep the time relatively short and consider having the drinks passed so guests don't consume too much alcohol before your ceremony.

 

 

Consult with your caterer or ceremony venue contact to explore what your options are for a pre-ceremony beverage offering. Or brainstorm with your wedding planner on other fun and creative ways you can make your day special. Oh, you don't have one of those? Our talented Weddings by StarDust planning team would love to chat with you about how they can help you have the beautiful, imaginative wedding you've dreamed of! Schedule your initial consultation with one of our expert wedding planners online now!

images: first shot Helmutwalker; all others via SMP

Sneak Peeks at Two Weddings by StarDust This Past Weekend

It's such a busy time of the year, and our wedding planning rock stars have several weekends with multiple weddings. This past Saturday night had us hopping with two fantastic celebrations. Here are a few sneak peeks of the events!

Chemistry-themed Celebration at The Perot Museum
Katie and Sam met in chemistry class so we created a fun and quirky theme around this key piece of their history! So many great, ahem, elements to this reception. We cannot wait to get the official photos, but in the meantime, enjoy these smart phone captures!

Cake: Panini
Floral: The Garden Gate
Venue: Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Wedding Design and Planning: Weddings by StarDust

Black and Gold Sophistication at Hotel ZaZa
Just up the street, Gina and Bryan celebrated their marriage at the glamorous Hotel Zaza. The uber chic ballroom was filled with black and gold elegance and lush, all-white floral by Posh! Here are a few teasers until we get the real-deal photos!

Cake: Delicious Cakes
Floral: Posh Floral Designs
Venue: Hotel Zaza
Wedding Design and Planning: Weddings by StarDust

Way to go, Team StarDust! Congrats and best wishes to Katie & Sam and Gina & Bryan. Thanks so much for inviting us to be a part of your special days!

Real Wedding: StarDust Bride Julie Featured on Cover of Rocky Mountain Bride Magazine

Beautiful StarDust Bride Julie and her hubs Tyler have their gorgeous Estes Park, Colorado, wedding featured in the latest issue of Rocky Mountain Bride.

And the cherry on top is that Julie is featured on the magazine's cover in her stunning Augusta Jones bridal gown!

Our StarDust stylists were thrilled to help Julie find her lacy, open back Augusta Jones gown.

Local Colorado talent Ali & Garrett captured these fabulous photos and submitted that bridal portrait shot for the cover. The votes were cast, and the amazing shot was selected! It's hard to compete with the lovely mountaintop views, but we think elegant Julie holds her own - don't you?! To see many more images of Julie and Tyler's special day, check out Ali & Garrett's blog!

Real Wedding: StarDust Bride Liz is Stunning in Matthew Christopher

This lacy trumpet gown is magical. It is Matthew Christopher's Sofia , hands-down one of his most sought-after bridal gowns. And it looks tailor made just for beautiful Liz - she is breath-taking in her bridal portraits. Below are several faves of this pretty StarDust Bride. p.s. these gorgeous photos were captured by the lovely Lauren Guy at Gather and the Cotton Mill, both in McKinney!

Gown: Sofia by Matthew Christopher, StarDust Celebrations
Photographer: Lauren Guy Photography
Hair/Makeup: The Styling Stewardess
Floral: R Love Floral
Locations: Gather in Downtown McKinney and the McKinney Cotton Mill