See the Latest Uber-Romantic Gowns from Claire Pettibone

Our team at StarDust is giddy over this weekend's trunk show: Claire Pettibone!

Claire Pettibone gowns exude romance, femininity and softness.

Gown: Alchemy; photography by Elizabeth Messina

Claire Pettibone began her love affair with bridal gowns at the age of four, after being mesmerized by a bride walking down the aisle of the historical St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. Pettibone is known for her unique, vintage-inspired gowns finished with a modern flair.

Gown: Papillion; photography by Elizabeth Messina

Pettibone’s gorgeous gowns feature signatures such as delicate details, intricate embellishments and their ethereal, feminine feel. The timeless gowns are made of silk, lace, tulle and more and give the bride a feeling of utter glamour and grace on her most special day.

Gown: Mariposa; photography by Elizabeth Messina

Call the StarDust Bridal Salon for your appointment during this fabulous shopping opportunity: 972.781.1619.

Color Splash: Rose Gold

So we started seeing Rose Gold jewelry make a comeback last year, and we knew it was only a matter of time until it started seeping into weddings. The lovely hue has definitely made its mark on weddings over the past several months and all we can say is “WOW!” Radiant, like the sky at sunset, Rose Gold is soft, feminine and romantic – and we absolutely love it!

It’s easy to bring Rose Gold into your weddings by using reddish-goldish shades of blushes, buffs or other natural tones and soft corals. We hope this gorgeous board we pulled together inspires you to consider this beautiful color for your wedding!

 

image sources: 100 Layer Cake, Brides, Ceci New York, Jim Hjelm, Nail Art How To, Ruffled Blog, Style Me Pretty, Watters

Real Wedding: StarDust Bride is Radiant in Watters Gown

We love when we get to help brides find their dream wedding gown! This beautiful bride found the perfect gown for her gorgeous destination wedding - the lovely natural-hued Olivia gown by Watters' Wtoo collection.

Seriously, is this beautiful bride radiant or what? Such a great color selection for this ginger and perfect for her stunning beach side vows!

All we can say is wow, wow, wow!

Check out more beautiful photos of this lovely Cancun wedding on the photographer's blog: Juan Navarro Photography.

Shop Stunning Ysa Makino Bridal Gowns this Weekend

Innovative YSA Makino wedding gowns celebrate femininity and feature stunning detail, from texture and embroidery to lace and beadwork.

image from this amazing shoot (this is a behind-the-scenes video with music) for
Brides of North Texas by Sarah Kate; collages from Ysa Makino

These gorgeous gowns are also known for punches of color and the incredible use of sumptuous fabric. YSA Makino has been a sought-after label by celebrities who frequently wear pieces of the evening gown collection at red carpet events. Big name fans include Alicia Keys, Jane Seymour, Mariah Carey, Reba McEntire, CSI Miami’s Eva LaRue and Pussycat Dolls’ Melody Thornton among others.

Experience these exceptional gowns for yourself during our trunk show featuring Ysa Makino's expanded collection of the Spring 2014 line. Designer Leigh Price will be in attendance! Call the StarDust Bridal Salon at 972.781.1619 for your appointment.

Ask the Planner: Hire the Real Deal

Q:  One of my bridesmaid’s sisters offered to coordinate my wedding day for $500. She’s hosted a lot of parties so it seems she knows what she is doing. Is it really worth it to pay more for an actual wedding planner?!

A: At first glance, it might seem like a good place to save money, but entrusting the biggest day of your life to an inexperienced and uneducated "coordinator" could become a costly mistake. Putting on parties and planning and executing weddings are two completely different things. A trained or certified wedding planner has the knowledge and experience navigating challenging situations that could arise on your wedding day, or even along the planning process.

First of all, they know vendors. By this, we mean they should know a lot of vendors of various styles and budget ranges in every category and can make solid recommendations. Experienced planners already have relationships with many vendors who know and trust them (the planner) to do their job, making for a great team effort on your wedding day. And a planner worth his/her salt should know vendor contracts. A big perk of hiring a CWP is their understanding of what should be included in vendors' services and contracts, as well as what extras it might be good to ask for before signing on the dotted line.

Our wedding planning team with happy clients

Equally important, a CWP can help manage your budget. They have a pretty solid idea of how much wedding-related expenses run and where it's okay to trim and where it's not.

A reality of wedding planning is that it can often be emotionally charged. A formally trained wedding planner is prepared to help brides cope with family stress by taking on the role of advisor, friend and confidant.

This family hired StarDust to plan weddings for all four of their daughters - talk about trust!

In real estate, the golden rule is location, location, location…well, in weddings, it’s timing, timing, timing! A seasoned planner will know how to map out a great timeline that will prevent your reception from being boring!

Finally, logistically, the planner acts behind the scenes on the wedding weekend ensuring all of the details of your plan come to be. They help get things and people where they are supposed to be and when they are supposed to be there, all in partnership with your vendor team. The execution of a great wedding is like a beautifully choreographed dance, and it takes know-how and experience to pull it off with excellence.

Our talented team of certified wedding planners.

In the grand scheme of your wedding vision, the fee for an experienced wedding planner is well worth every penny to know you’ve hired a professional that you trust and who will be your advocate, ensuring you truly have the wedding of your dreams. StarDust’s wedding planners are all formally educated and certified through the AACWP and have numerous weddings under their utility belts! Contact us to schedule a complimentary consultation and learn how much fun planning your wedding can be with a professional by your side!

 

photo credits: Graham Hobart, Joseph Mark, The Mamones

Our Top Five Tips for Bridal Gown Shopping Featured on D Weddings

Just embarking on your wedding dress shopping adventure? Not sure how to go about it? We've got some great tips for you that we shared with D Weddings yesterday.

Beautiful StarDust Bride in Matthew Christopher
photo credit: Slaton Weddings

Plan Ahead
Bring pictures (from Pinterest, magazines, and online) of what you like. Do some basic research on designers’ styles and price points and know how they align with yours. Comprise a list of adjectives to describe the feel you want to achieve. Here are five fairly encompassing styles we see brides interested in most often:
·         unique, fashion forward, sexy/hot – “JLo-ish”
·         light, whimsical, airy, flowing – “Mid-Summer’s Night Dream-ish”
·         classic, elegant, traditional – “Grace Kelly-ish”
·         rustic, easy to move, romantic
·         20 or 30’s art deco – “Gatsby-ish”

Trust your Stylist
While we love for you to come in with your own thoughts and ideas about what you’re looking for, we encourage you to be open minded! Our stylists are all bridal professionals with years of experience and are experts at finding brides their perfect wedding gown. While you may not initially like something on the hanger, don’t be afraid to try it on! More than 60% of brides deviate from their original vision of “the dress.” We have so many brides who think they won’t like a certain silhouette, but as soon as they try it on and see how it fits, it totally transforms their ideas and will often end up being the gown they wear down the aisle.

This gorgeous StarDust Bride stuns in Lazaro
photo credit: Jennifer Wilson

Keep the Circle of Influence Small
Limit the number of guests you bring and keep it to people whose opinions you respect and those you trust to listen to your wishes above their own. We suggest no more than three people.

Know Your Timeline
Allow yourself six to eight months’ lead time. Gowns take four to five months to make, and you’ll want to consider alterations time (allow four to six weeks) and time for a bridal portrait (about two months) if you’re taking one.

This radiant StarDust Bride is elegant in Augusta Jones
photo credit: Graham Hobart

Maximize your Appointment Time
Communicate with your stylist about what you like and don’t like once a dress is on, being as specific as possible. Also, be considerate of your bridal stylist’s – and other brides’ – time. If you’re shopping during a weekend, your stylist probably has a full schedule so arrive on time and be aware the scheduled end time.

Call 972.781.1619 to schedule a wedding gown appointment at StarDust Bridal Salon or stop by LuLu's Bridal Boutique, where appointments are not required. One of our bridal stylists would love to help you find your perfect gown!

Spring Fever: Lazaro and Maggie Sottero Spring 2014 Trunk Shows

Both StarDust and LuLu's are hosting trunk shows this weekend!

Shop Lazaro's gorgeous Spring 2014 bridal gown collection this weekend at StarDust Celebrations! Lazaro is a master of the craft of extraordinary bridal design, and his gowns are timeless in their elegance. The designer is known for his impeccable fit, glamorous collections featuring exquisite beading and embroidery with dramatic silhouettes. Priding himself on the ability to design for any bride, Lazaro features everything from slender silhouettes to ball gowns and styles that range from simple to extravagant. Call the StarDust Bridal Salon at 972.781.1619 for your appointment.

An expanded collection of the latest beautiful gowns from Maggie Sottero will be featured at LuLu's Bridal Boutique this weekend! An innovator in the industry, Maggie Sottero is one of the most recognized and sought after bridal gown manufacturers in the world.  The design house creates luxurious, off-the- runway looks catering to brides of all styles. The Maggie Sottero line is known for the signature Maggie fit, the highest quality fabrics, superior construction, hand-sewn embellishments, Swarovski crystals and figure flattering stylization at affordable prices. Recipient of numerous bridal industry awards over several years, Maggie Sottero was inducted into the DEBI (Distinctive Excellence in the Bridal Industry) Hall of Fame in 2010. No appointment is necessary to shop this trunk show at our Uptown Dallas boutique this weekend!

What is a trunk show exactly, you might be wondering? Sometimes we, who live and breathe weddings all the time, forget that terms and events that are common knowledge to us may not be so obvious to new brides embarking on their wedding planning journey. A bridal gown trunk show is one of these things.

Ubiquitous to the bridal industry, trunk shows are special in-store promotions or sales events when gown designers send expanded offerings of their new line to stores for brides to preview, try on and order. Often, salons will offer a special promotion or discount during a trunk show. By the way, you might be wondering how these events came to be called "trunk shows." The name comes from how the gowns used to be transported from salon to salon - in trunks!

Pi Day Inspiration – Pie at Your Wedding

Happy Pi Day! For those of you unfamiliar with the math-based holiday, March 14 (or 3/14) is Pi Day in celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi), which often shortened to the value of 3.14 from its infinite form. You can learn more about the celebration here or here. Believe it or not, this holiday is celebrated worldwide by math geniuses and regular Joes alike with (what else?!) pie! And that, of course, will be our focus today!

These mini pies in picnic-chic to-go baskets are great favors!

Inspired by this fun holiday, we wanted to shine a spotlight on the oh-so-tasty pastry, pie. It’s such a delicious treat, a true comfort food and comes in so many different varieties! Cream pies, fruit pies, custard pies…large pies, mini pies, pie pops…we think this all American little sweet is perfect for weddings! Here are several gorgeous presentations of the delectable treat that we hope will get you thinking “pie” as you start pondering your wedding desserts.

This festive pie bar is the perfect alternative to wedding cake.

 

Offering lots of varieties will insure you've got something for everyone!

Varying heights of your pie table display adds interest and elegance.

Presenting pies in a tiered fashion is a fun wink at traditional wedding cake.

A pie buffet can be every bit as lovely as a wedding cake display!

Tiered mini pies with flags makes a fabulous presentation.

This tiered and stacked pie display is perfect for this rustic wedding.

Offering both mini pies and pie pops lets guest choose just the right amount of dessert!

A perfect replica of a traditional pie, these tiny apple pie pops are just adorable!

Pie pops make perfect favors!

A selection of packaged pies are a great way to say "thanks!" to your guests.

What do you think, ladies? Anyone planning to have pie a their wedding reception? Happy Pi Day! We hope you celebrate by grabbing a slice!

image sources: Bridal Guide, Brides, Elizabeth Anne Designs, The Every Last Detail, The Knot, Style Me Pretty, Southern Weddings and Wedding Chicks

Trend Alert: What's HOT in Spring Wedding Gowns

We could not be more thrilled as the incredible gowns we found at Bridal Market have started pouring in. As we anxiously await the arrival of the last few, we wanted to recap the fabulous trends that you'll see in these beautiful gowns!

Voluminous Skirts with Horsehair

"What in the world is horsehair," you might ask. It's a design element of crinoline nylon that add volume and shape to bridal gown skirts without weight or stiffness. The effect is beautiful, flowy movement that creates an airy, romantic feeling. These wispy hemlines are also a great way to bring in a touch of whimsy!

Alvina Valenta

Hayley Paige

Tara Keely

Stylish Coverage

Practical and fabulous, jackets, shawls and capes are very hot. Whether made of fur (real or faux), lace or tulle, these stylish accessories offer brides the perfect coverage solution to keep them warm when necessary. They also provide versatility to brides interested in two different looks for ceremony and reception without having to purchase two separate gowns.

Matthew Christopher

 

Sottero and Midgley

Off-the-Shoulder Neckline

This sexy yet romantic neckline is perfect for the bride looking to put a touch of va-va-voom into her wedding day look without going over-the-top. Ladies' collarbones are so lovely and the off-the-shoulder neckline is flattering to all women, showing just the right amount of skin. We prefer the styles that are structured without being too restrictive.

Eve of Milady

 

Augusta Jones

Illusion

Backs, necklines and sleeves - oh my! Illusion details are everywhere again and the result is sheer romance. Some of the illusion elements are so delicate, it is hard to see them until very close. Others are punctuated with beautiful embellishments such as appliques, lace and crystals. The result is elegant, soft and oh-so-romantic.

Claire Pettibone

Victor Harper Couture

 

Watters

Jim Hjelm

James Clifford

Long Coordinating Veils

Our philosophy is that a veil is the crowning glory of a bride, the finishing touch that completes her wedding day look. Several bridal gown designers feel the same way and are now creating veils to coordinate with their most popular gown styles. These stunning, cathedral-length veils add to the bride's ensemble without overtaking the gown. Simply breath-taking!

personal pic

Matthew Christopher

Feminine Metallic Laces

Lace is beautiful, elegant and feminine, but pair it with some metallic elements and you've got a fashion-forward, edgy vibe that is still chic and romantic. Absolutely fabulous! From bold gold to subtle silver, metallic laces are a stylish and gorgeous way to set yourself apart from the bridal white crowd.

Claire Pettibone

Matthew Christopher

Matthew Christopher

Subtle Color

Speaking of departing from bridal white, soft color is still very in. Gowns in blushes, baby blues and champagnes can be so very gorgeous and are universally flattering on all skin tones. These subtle shades bring warmth and uniqueness to a bride's wedding day style without being overpowering or distracting.

Lazaro

Jim Hjelm

Sottero and Midgley



Watters

Jim Hjelm

You simply must come in to experience these fabulous trends and beautiful gowns for yourself! Keep up with our arrivals via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter so you can make your appointment when the gowns you want to see come in. Some quick tips to keep in mind as you seek your perfect gown:

• Allow yourself six to eight months' lead time. Gowns take four to five months to make, and you'll want to consider alterations time (allow four to six weeks) and time for a bridal portrait (about two months) if you're taking one.
• Bridal gown sample sizes in the store are typically size 10. Bridal gown sizing is also different from "street sizes" so a bridal gown sample size will probably not translate to a regular size 10. Bridal stylists are experts at helping brides see how the gown will actually fit when trying on, using tools and tricks of the trade.
• Even though your bridal gown will be made according to your measurements, you should expect that at least some alterations will need to be made. At a minimum, you might need a nip and tuck here and there and possibly adjust the length. Expect it, accept it and trust the experts. Again, alterations take four to six weeks, depending on the extent of what needs to be altered.