Trend Alert: Specialty Ice for Reception Beverages

With specialty cocktails still being all the rage at wedding receptions, it’s no wonder that ice has been elevated as well. The science of ice and how it pertains to cocktails and spirits is an actual field of study (how much fun would that job be?!) and the result is a truly better drink!

Martinis of all varieties are at their prime when they are ice cold. What better way to serve them than through a martini ice luge? Not only are they fun and entertaining, but they chill your cocktail perfectly and can add to your décor. We especially love these for cocktail hour and/or after-parties!

The big trend now in straight spirits is serving them over one very large chunk of ice. The huge cube chills the liquor sublimely without diluting the drink at all. Your bourbon or scotch will taste the same 30 minutes into it as it did when the bartender handed it to you. “Where does the ice chunk come from?” you might wonder. Companies sometimes use specialty ice trays that create jumbo-sized ice, or the newest thing is to have a huge block of ice at the bar that the bartender will cut from for each drink. Cool, isn’t it?! (pun sort of intended)

Shaved or crushed ice is another main player, featured in many cocktails, where the style and quality of the ice can truly make or break a drink. Think mint juleps, mojitos, Hawaiian-inspired cocktails and such. Mmmmm….getting thirsty yet?

The key to all of this ice magic is to use purified water, giving the ice a crystal-clear appearance and the most pure taste. Talk with your mixologist or catering company about custom ice options for your wedding reception cocktails. Cheers!

Color Splash: Preppy-Chic Hot Pink and Dark Blue

Continuing our celebration of Pantone's gorgeous seasonal colors (see our previous posts on brights and pastels), we put together this fabulous board of a fun, stylish color palette of Cabaret and Sodalite Blue. We heart this preppy-chic combo and obviously had trouble narrowing down pics showing off the super-hot color scheme. It’s perfect for summer, don’t you think?!

The Finishing Bridal Touch: The Veil

There is something just so… bridal about a veil! While we do love all the unique headpieces and hair accessories that are so hot right now, somehow a bride’s wedding day look often doesn’t seem complete without that finishing touch – dare we say, the cherry on top – the veil!

One of the most fabulous things about the bridal veil is its versatility! Veils afford a bride unlimited style options! You, beautiful bride, can choose from virtually any length, from birdcage to cathedral and everything in between.

Sweet elbow-length veil, perfect for this lovely outdoor ceremony

 Very trendy right now - face or birdcage veils

Knee-length veil, a great compromise between long and short!

You should use your gown, the style of your wedding and your ceremony venue as your guide. To further expand your wedding day style options, you can pair your veil with a fabulous complementary headpiece, removing just the veil after your ceremony or replace the veil with hair jewelry for the reception.

This bride exchanged her long veil for a shorter, more simple one for the reception

This bride removed her veil after the ceremony, exposing a beautiful hair clip for the celebration

But you might wait to remove your veil until after your first dance to capture a fun photo opp like these.

More selections to consider: Do you want a simple, unadorned tulle veil, one with sparkle or shimmer or one with lace? If your wedding gown is ornate, a very simple veil is best so it won’t compete with your gown. If your gown is lightly embellished or quite simple, you can go with either a plain veil or something more elaborate.

This veil has just a touch of lace to tie in to the bride's lace gown - beautiful!



The "Grace Kelly" veil from Toni Federici is a prefectly classic simple cathedral veil



The crystals scattered all over the veil are a great way to add sparkle and interest
since the bride's gown has no embellishments

Do you want your veil to have a cut edge or one finished with lace or a ribbon? The cut, raw edge gives your veil a more ethereal feel, subtly complementing your overall look, whereas a veil with a stronger edge of ribbon, lace or even sparkle has more prominence in your wedding day ensemble.

This bride's gown has a lot of ruffles and texture on the skirt,
so her long veil is best with no embellishment and a cut edge

This lace-edged veil is a perfect match to the bride's lace gown.

This stunning ribbon-trimmed veil is a great complement to this very simple gown

 Are you getting excited about your choices yet? Wait, there’s more! Do you want a veil of just a layer or two or something with a little more depth or volume? Yet another option is to have your veil comprised of multiple layers in different lengths, using the full length during your ceremony but removing the longer layer and keeping a shorter one on for the duration of your reception.

Love this bride's gorgeous lace-embellished cathedral length veil perfect for a church wedding,
but she removed the longer portion, wearing only a simple, shorter veil for the party.

Some fabulous trends we’re seeing in veils right now are:

Colored veils, usually to match colored bridal gowns, but sometimes the veil stands alone (or with a fur!) as the pop of color

This gorgeous and very "now" face veil is a perfect match to the earthy colored gown

Pretty in Pink! This bride boldly wore a pink gown and veil

This bride's vintage style included a bold teal veil and fur

Face or birdcage veil made of regular tulle or Russian or French tulle

These veils can cover one or both eyes

This simple tulle birdcage covers the whole face. Aren't those feathers so fun?

This veil partially covers the bride's face with Russian tulle

Vintage style cap veils

Painted veils

Photographers seem to love veils, too! They are using these gorgeous accessories as props in their photography.

We are especially fond of the windblown veil pic! And while you might be concerned about wearing a long veil in the wind between the ceremony and reception sites or during photos, they are actually quite easy to manage, as you can just pull your veil around and drape it over your arm. Voilá, your veil is safe and secure! Also, your long veil can double as a wrap if it gets chilly at sendoff time; just remove and wrap it around your shoulders and it becomes an impromptu shawl.

A long veil is easily managed by draping it over your arm.

Are you feeling the love yet? Seriously, lovely brides, consider a veil…you don’t want to look back at your wedding photos and realize you did not look as much like a bride as you could have, but more like just a lady in a pretty white dress or a debutante!

Can you tell which of these photos shows a bride? None of them!
They are either on their way to prom or are a deb! Veils help make that distinction.


Stardust carries veils from several renowned designers, including Toni Federici, Debra Moreland, Erica Koesler and Sara Gabriel. We host trunk shows a few times each year for these lovely accessories, and often the designer herself will attend to meet and personally style brides! Our veils range in price from $150 to $1,200, depending on all of the above mentioned options. Our experienced bridal stylists are experts at helping brides pair the perfect veil with a wedding gown and are happy to educate you on all the different styles and variations veils have to offer. Make an appointment to see how a veil can finish off your bridal magic!

image sources/credits: Sil Azevedo, Vera Crosby, f8, Dorothy Gautreaux, Graham Hobart, Lavara Photography, Whitney Lee, Joseph Mark, Mikos Photography, Vim Studios, Etsy, The Knot, Onewed

Icy Reception Snack Perfect for Summer

In honor of the first day of summer (stay cool, friends!), we thought we'd share this icy and tasty treat idea with you. For a late-night refreshment, why not have a grown-up snow cone station for your guests, guaranteed to cool them off after all of that dancing?!

via marthastewart.com

Offer cocktail flavored syrups such as Mojito, Daiquiri, Cosmo and Margarita, and stock the bar with the classic paper cones, plenty of crushed ice, straws and glasses to contain any drips. Aaahhhh, refreshing and fun! Happy Summer!

Diva Trunk Show This Weekend at Stardust Bridal Salon

Calling all curvy brides…we have a special shopping event this weekend at Stardust just for you! Our Diva Trunk Show will offer our extensive collection of plus size bridal gowns for a discount. All of our women’s size gowns (size 16 and up), from designers such as Alvina Valenta, Birnbaum and Bullock, Bliss, James Clifford, Lazaro, Matthew Christopher, Claire Pettibone, Sottero and Midgley, Watters, Wtoo, You by Pronovias, Theia and more, will be available for order at a 10% discount. With samples of 60+ gowns in sizes 16-24, voluptuous brides are sure to find a perfect fit! Call today to schedule your appointment: 972.781.1619.

Randy to the Rescue Premieres This Friday!

Remember this fun little TV project we were a part of this past fall? It's finally here - Randy to the Rescue will premiere this Friday on TLC! While the air date for the episode we filmed here in Dallas has not yet been announced, you can catch the Las Vegas episode this weekend! We will let you know as soon as we hear when the Dallas show will air, so be sure to check back often!

Hayley Paige Trunk Show this Weekend

Feminine with an edge, Hayley Paige bridal gowns are fresh, lively and confident. Join us for a trunk show this weekend at Stardust Bridal Salon to experience the Spring 2012 collection of wedding dresses from Hayley Paige. By appointment: 972.781.1619.

Special Event for Mothers is Postponed

Regrettably, we must postpone our spectacular Mothers of Brides and Grooms Event that was scheduled for June 14. Our speaker has been called out of town so we must reschedule. Please check back often as we will post the new date and time here, on Facebook and on our website once it is determined. Thank you very much for your interest in this wonderful opportunity! We will continue providing fun and educational special events on a variety of wedding topics and look forward to seeing you soon!

Great Guest Book Alternatives for the Books

Always looking for fun and sweet alternatives to the traditional guest book for capturing sentimental messages from your guests, we simply adore these fun book ideas! While these are perfect for bibliophiles, you don’t have to be a book lover to embrace these special mementos.

The Bible
Start your marriage armed with timeless advice from the Bible, selected for you by your wedding guests. Friends and family can highlight or mark verses to encourage you in your marriage and sign the book as a precious keepsake.

EE Photography

A Dictionary
A vintage dictionary makes a wonderful option in which your guests can sign and highlight or circle words to describe you and your fiancé or words that will remind you of your beautiful wedding day. The dictionary doesn’t have to be vintage; a beautiful new edition will do the trick as well!

A Bryan Photography

The Classic Love Story (Novel)
Classic romance novels such as Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre are full of memorable quotes celebrating love. Invite your guests to choose a passage to circle or highlight that they feel will touch your heart or encourage you, or one that they think relates to you two. Make sure they sign it too, so you’ll know whom to thank for the sweet notion!

Love Poems
Browning, Keats, Shakespeare, Neruda, Dickinson…we have been blessed with some gorgeous poetry extolling love. Why not use a lovely hardbound book of love poems for your guest book? Your guests can sign it and mark a poem that they feel exemplifies you as a couple. Or have them assign a date for you to read a specific poem together during your first year of marriage.

We hope you enjoy these ideas and that maybe they’ll encourage you to think way beyond “the usual” when it comes to preserving special wishes from your wedding guests! Let us know what guest books options you are considering.

Real Wedding: Rodriguez-Gonzales

It’s been a while since we shared one of our beautiful weddings with you! Valerie and Michael’s gorgeous wedding saturated with rich color reminds us why purple continues to be such a HOT color for weddings! Let us know what you think!

The couple had a traditional Catholic ceremony at Christ the King
and was sent off to the reception with ribbon wands!



From escort and place cards to menus and favors, no detail was overlooked
at this beautiful Ritz Carlton wedding.



The elegant wedding cake had a sweet message hidden on one of the layers.



Love this banquet style head table, lush with abundant flowers!
Oh, and that lighting - it just brings the table to life!





More head table details: chair ties for the wedding party,
beautiful floral bundles for the bride and groom.



The guest table centerpieces were a mixture of high and low arrangements.



The stunning lighting, a rich purple wash, completed the look of the room.


Special Thanks to our wedding vendor partners:
Bakery: The Ritz Carlton
Bridal Attire: Stardust Celebrations
Ceremony site: Christ the King Catholic Church
Ceremony music: Christ the King’s organist
Floral/décor: Fete des Fleurs
Limo (vintage Rolls): Blue Diamond
Linen: The Ritz and BBJ Linen
Lighting: The Ritz Carlton
Make-up/hair: Maitee Miles
Photography: Dorothy Gautreaux
Reception Music: Brian Prescott, Simply Music
Reception Site: The Ritz Carlton
Wedding Planner: Marsha French, CMWP, Stardust Celebrations
Videography: White Rock Films