Brides of All Ages and Stages

There is no expiration date on love! And we have been seeing evidence of that more and more here lately at StarDust and LuLu’s. Theknot.com’sReal Wedding Survey 2012 showed that the average marrying age for brides and grooms is 29 and 31, respectively. However, with the uptick in encore weddings or couples just waiting longer to tie the knot, we are enjoying seeing brides of all ages and life stages seeking our advice!

 In addition to better health leading to greater longevity of life, one of the biggest contributing factors to more mature couples going all-out for their unions is the industry trend to customize and personalize weddings, which has led to an “anything goes” approach. Often in the past, older couples would either elope or just settle for a very small, low-key wedding. But no more! Couples now are savoring the opportunity to make their wedding a blow-out celebration with all of their friends and family, complete with fabulous food, over-the-top décor, amazing cakes, incredible entertainment and a show-stopping gown.

Of course, we serve numerous wonderful brides in their 20’s, and we often assist delightful 30- and 40-something brides but recently, we’ve relished helping lovely ladies in their 50’s find the gowns of their dreams. We’ve even have several groomsmen in for tux measurements that were using their walking canes – and we had one bridal gown client in her 90’s! Amazing! We love these mature clients and the zeal with which they embrace life!

Our expert bridal stylists can work with any age and any body type to ensure that each and every bride finds the perfect gown and feels beautiful and confident on her wedding day. The rest of our team throughout the store are also happy to help style your whole wedding, from bridesmaids dresses and tuxedos to stationery suites and wedding favors – no matter the age of your wedding party or the style of your wedding! Visit our website to learn more about how StarDust can help you create your very own beautiful, imaginative wedding!

Ask the Planner: Wedding Dollars and Sense

Q: How do we go about creating our wedding budget?

A: Establishing a wedding budget is the essential first step to take before getting too far into planning your big day! To begin, you’ll want to have frank conversations with everyone who will be contributing financially to your wedding celebration to make sure you are on the same page. You must know the bottom line you’ll be working with beforehand so you do not overspend.

Next, you’ll want to determine with your fiancé what your priorities are. Are you passionate about incredible food? Is killer photography one of your biggies? Is it imperative to you to have breath-taking floral and décor? Do you have to have THE band that will cement your reception in the minds of your friends and family as the party to end all parties? Whatever your top priorities are, make sure to set aside plenty of your budget to accommodate these important categories, and be prepared to scale back on items that are less significant to you.

Once you’ve prioritized, you’ll want to start putting pen to paper and actually mapping out your budget. You should start with the reception, as it will make up 50-60% of your entire budget. In addition to food and beverage (bar) costs, subcategories that fall under reception include venue rental fees, tax, service charges and/or gratuities and possibly security and valet, to name a few.

Other categories usually comprising the wedding budget include (but are certainly not limited to): ceremony, floral/décor, music/entertainment, photography/videography, stationery, rentals, bakery, favors/gifts and transportation/parking. There are plenty of wedding planning magazines and websites that can give you ballpark percentages of your budget breakdown by category. Use these suggestions as a guide but customize your budget based on the priorities you determined. We also always recommend a line item for “cushion” or unexpected expenses that may arise. You don’t want to go over budget simply because you didn’t anticipate any surprises.

If the thought of creating and maintaining a wedding planning budget is overwhelming to you, consider hiring a professional wedding planner. A StarDust planner can not only help you allocate funds and stay on track with your budget, but can also help you design a beautiful, imaginative wedding full of creative ideas that will represent you and your fiancé without breaking the bank!

Perfect Your Wedding Day Look During StarDust's Accessory Trunk Show

You've got the guy. You've got the gown. Now it's time to finalize your wedding day ensemble with headpieces, jewelry and a veil! This weekend, StarDust is pleased to host a veil and accessory trunk show featuring gorgeous veils from Toni Federici and stunning jewelry and accessories from Paris by Debra Moreland. Call the salon at 972.781.1618 to schedule your appointment and plan to bring your gown so our stylists can help you select the perfect complimentary pieces!

Extended Trunk Show for Eve of Milady

Here's your silver lining to Icepocalypse 2013: our Eve of Milady trunk show has been extended through this weekend!

Call to schedule an appointment to see an expanded offering of these exquisite Eve of Milady bridal gowns now through Sunday, December 15. Reserve your spot now by phoning StarDust Bridal Salon at 972.781.1619.

Finding Your Party Perfect Dress is as Easy as ABC!

‘Tis the season to…party! Ladies, we know that your calendars are quickly filling up with loads of fabulous shin-digs! What’s a gal to do when she needs new cocktail dresses for several soirees? Head to StarDust’s best-kept secret, A Bridal Closet!

A Bridal Closet (ABC) is StarDust Celebrations’ outlet, where you can find spectacular special occasion dresses for 40-75% off of the original retail price! The gowns are samples of our stunning Mother of the Occasion and bridesmaid dresses, most of them perfect for a holiday cocktail party! Not only do we have a great selection of designer gowns, but we also offer a variety of accessories at ABC.

A Bridal Closet is located in the upscale Shops of Willow Bend in West Plano. ABC keeps abbreviated hours, only open during shopping center hours Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so please plan accordingly!

**gowns and accessories shown are representative of types of styles that can be found at ABC, but these exact dresses and jewelry pieces may not be available.**

Shop Exquisite Eve of Milady Bridal Gowns

Grandeur...elegance...opulence...Eve of Milady* bridal gowns are best known for their amazing ball gowns and gorgeously detailed bodices.

The couture line has received the prestigious Designer of the Year award from both well-known bridal magazines, Bride and Modern Bride. Eve of Milady* gowns are trend-setting and give brides the feeling of beauty and romance every women dreams of on her wedding day. Cathedral trains, chapel trains, trumpet and fluted gowns, tulle gowns trimmed with lace, and the most perfect empire waist gowns...Eve of Milady* delivers them all with quality, style and everlasting grace.

 

The team at StarDust Bridal Salon is honored to host a trunk show for the incredible Eve of Milady collection. Be sure to schedule your appointment with these striking wedding gowns by calling StarDust at 972.781.1619. 

 

*Please be forewarned that the Eve of Milady website plays music at launch! Be prepared to mute or have your volume turned down if you're at work. ;) Happy Planning!

Cranberry, Amber and Mocha...oh, My!

We love the fall and the rich colors that come with it! Inspired by the season's most luscious hues and coordinating shades from Pantone's Fall Color report, we've put together this inspiration board for you. We hope you enjoy the opulent shades of Samba (think cranberry red), Koi (a rich orange or amber hue), Carafe (brown is still hot!) and Lichen Green, which we think marry perfectly for a fabulous fall color palette! We especially love pops of gold accents with these saturated colors! These colors are so big, we are seeing them carry over into winter. The bring so much warmth to these chilly months! Enjoy and happy planning!