5 Winter Wedding Ideas We Love!

1. Warm up your wedding dress!

A winter wedding is a great time to bring out that fur jacket that your grandmother wore, but you've never had an occasion to! This "something old" will keep you warm for those snowy outdoor photos, and also add an air of vintage elegance to your wedding look!

2. Experiment with color!

Try deviating from the traditional red or green color scheme. Blues or monochromatic black and white still have a winter feel, but are more modern and unique than the red or green stand-bys. Champagne or tea-stained colors also serve as a nice warm contrast to the cold weather outside.

3. Serve winter drinks!

Coffee and tea are lovely favorites to serve with dessert, but near the holidays hot cider and cocoa make for fun and festive alternatives!

4. A natural touch!

Pinecones and twigs are often used to echo a natural wintry feel... but why not take this one step further? These beautiful feather bouquets from Emplume or a flowered muff from etsy store Birdism are unique and interesting alternatives to flowers and complement a natural winter event!

5. Accessorize your bridesmaids with warmth!

Elbow-length gloves are a great way to keep your bridesmaids warm in those formal dresses, and also add a splash of color to their ensembles. Plus, these are a great bridesmaids gift idea that can either be elegant or funky depending on your style!

A Bride's Design wins Fox 8 Hotlist 2010

Smilin' from ear to ear! We won 1st place this year in the Fox 8 Hotlist! It is an honor and I wanted to say thank you to all of the past and current clients, vendors, family and friends who voted for us! I am so thankful to have a successful business doing what I love to do. Congrats to all of the fabulous bridal shops that placed!

Photo by: Z Media

Our Fabulous Grand Opening

Our grand reopening was a huge success! We had about a 100 people walk thru our door during the course of the night. The was night was filled with the perfect mixture of people; past brides, brides, Mrs. Bowmer and her family, and our family and friends. Our most magical moment of the night was when Mrs. Bowmer said “we took her house and made it more beautiful.” That was a great feeling of accomplishment knowing that the past owners love the new look of the house. We feel very welcomed into the community of Avon and were very pleased to see the support of our local neighbors and historical society at our opening.

Something Blue: Renovation Update!

Check out what we've been doing with our beautifully blue new location!


"A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams."-Unknown

We have been hard at work renovating the shop for the past three months. Our first order of business was tearing up the carpeting and taking off several layers of wallpaper. It was a huge mess but needless to say there was a lot to be done. Thank God I’m married to a handy man, my husband had been doing most of the labor himself. This is one of the many trips with intern Lindsay to The Home Depot: "My home away from home."

Before:

After much deal hunting, antique shopping, and browsing garage sales... or should I say driving by peoples houses and finding things I like in their garage, we found some great stuff to use at the shop!

After:

Please join us on December 3rd, 6:30-9:30 for our grand re-open house!

See our renovations in person and enjoy some light refreshments and
entertainment! We hope to see you there!

A Bride's Design, 37375 Detroit Rd., Avon, OH 44011

Grand Re-Opening December 3rd!

We are in the home stretch and preparing for our grand re-opening Friday, December 3rd! Join us during Avon's candlelight walk from 6:30-9:30. Come check out our fabulous new location and enjoy some light refreshments and entertainment! We hope to see you there!

A Bride's Design

37375 Detroit Rd.

Avon, OH 44011

440-835-3655

5 Great Gifts For Bridesmaids!

"A happy bridesmaid makes a happy bride!" -Tennyson

With all that wedding planning, sometimes the smaller things get put on the back burner. But let’s not forget the details! Here are some great ways to show your thanks to the special ladies who are committed to making your day special!

1. Clutches

-Accessories for the special day have long been given as gifts to bridesmaids. But try mixing it up a little with fun patterns… and fill the bag with essentials for the big day. I’m thinking bridesmaids survival kit. Filling the cute clutch with travel size hairspray, stain remover, lint brush, bobby pins, mints, or a purse-sized flask if you’re feeling whimsical… makes your gift both practical, and coveted.

-Many sellers such as artisans on etsy now offer bridesmaid packages to make shopping even easier.

-Check out http://www.etsy.com/ao3designs

2-3. Fast Flats and Purse Hangers

-These gifts are practical, fun, and something your bridesmaids can continue to use long after the wedding! For those of you who don’t know, Fast flats are foldable, compact flats that fit in your purse when you need an alternative to your heels, for instance, when you’re dancing the night away at your wedding reception. Plus they’re super cute! Fast Flats are inexpensive, and come in flexible sizes (small, medium, large), so it’s easy to buy for your bridal party.

-Fast Flats are available at Target, Wal Mart, and your local drugstore. Check them out at http://www.facebook.com/drschollsforher

-Check out amazon.com for variety packs of purse hangers that come in cute carrying cases.

4. A Special Day!

-Try thinking outside the box… literally… and gift your ladies to an event! Gift certificates for spa treatments, or movies are a great idea. Or, why not treat your bridal party to a day of wine-tasting together? Gifting your bridesmaids with a special day of pampering is a great way to de-stress before or after the big day.

-http://www.allamericanwineries.com lists both small, and more established wineries by state and region so its easy to plan your trip!

5. Magazine Subscriptions

-Magazine subscriptions remind your bridesmaids of your appreciation for a whole year! Choose a different magazine for each bridesmaid to further personalize your gift.

-Amazon.com offers rotating discounts on different magazine subscriptions. Check back often to see if your favorites are featured!

DIY Wedding Invitations!

'If you want something done right, do it yourself!'

I’m pretty sure that nearly everyone has heard a tragic story from a friend, relative, or sitcom, where wedding invitations come back from the printer with the wrong location, date, or heaven forbid, the names of the in-laws misspelled. So, if you are at all handy with a computer, you can cut your wedding costs, and maintain control of the design, information, and spelling of your invites. And while making your own invitations might bring up some scary mental pictures, depending on your experience, there are many resources that can help you make beautiful invitations that rival the one’s you can get from the printer.

Rather than giving in to the DIY stigma, and doing it completely yourself, I recommend turning invitation-making into an event. By including your friends or bridal party, you can benefit from their experience and help, turn the task into something fun. When my friend Jen got married, I was invited on a DIY invitation outing. We started with a trip to the paper supply store to purchase cardstock and trimmings, and then had lunch at a tearoom before returning home to design, print, and address the invites. We not only saved money, but we enjoyed spending time together, and helping with the wedding prep… Plus, we finished Jen’s invitations in one day.

Resources:

-Check out your local paper supply store for well-priced cardstock, envelopes and trimmings. Jen’s invitation supplies were purchased at:

Hollo’s PaperCraft, 1878 Pearl Rd. Brunswick, OH, (330) 225-0911

-Target also offers beautiful invitation kits in their stationary aisle for around $30 (50 ct.)

www.target .com

Fall Trend Report

“After all, there is something about a wedding-gown prettier than in any other gown in the world.” ~Douglas William Jerrold

While it is true that bridal fashion has the benefit of a certain timelessness and classic style, anyone who has seen a wedding photo from the 80’s (or the movie 27 Dresses for that matter), can attest that the trends within this unique market are ever-changing. Some of us at the shop have just returned from an amazing trip to the Chicago Bridal Market, and therefore a fall trend report seems appropriate.

The first trend that seems apparent in upcoming seasons is a one-shouldered look that was seen at market, and also on the runway. Asymmetry is often flattering, and gives classic looks an elegant, yet edgy modernity. This quality is also present in another trend we identified for fall; asymmetrical draping.

Shopping Tip: When trying on asymmetrical gowns, be careful that the details enhance the dress, and your body. While well-designed asymmetry is interesting as well as flattering, an ill-conceived gown can make the wearer appear asymmetrical as well.

Floral embellishments have seemingly always been popular in the bridal industry. However, the rosette details being shown this season do not give off the prim and stuffy attitude of yesteryear, but rather a fresh femininity.

Color was also a trend that was all over market, and the runway. While Vera Wang showed a black dress in her latest collection, we suggest a less drastic, but still modern statement can be made by incorporating color into your wedding look in more subtle ways.

Shopping Tip: When looking at gowns, try a dress in a less-traditional ivory or champagne color. Many sample gowns shown in white are available in other colors. Sashes or ribbons at the waist can also personalize your look, and incorporate your wedding colors.

We’d love to help you incorporate ideas from these runway looks into your wedding dress search!

Chicago Bridal Market 2010

Oh goodness, where should I begin?? This past weekend Laura, Lindsay, and I took a small roadtrip to Chicago to visit Bridal Market. Our hotel was gorgeous and right in the middle of Michigan Ave! We were able to dine at Lou Malnati's (best deep dish pizza EVER!) and potbelly's (which I now am convinced that Ohio needs them). Once we got to market, it did seem very overwhelming at first, but after a while we got into the "shopping groove." Let me tell you, some of these dresses are beautiful! The construction, silhouttes, and even the little details like pleating and beading were very well crafted. We got to visit all of the booths throughout the two days and Laura was even able to make some amazing purchases for the store. We made a lot of friends while we were there, including the men at Jovani who gave us those lovely silver bags in the picture below. : ) This experience was one I will probably never forget, especially because we crammed all of this into an overnight trip. I'm so grateful that Laura gave Lindsay and I the chance to join her!

-Kati

PS. I also got the chance to take a peek at the work being done on the new shop, and it has completely changed since the house was purchased. They definitely have been working nonstop to make this a dream bridal boutique and it is going to be perfect! : )

Something Borrowed---Not your mother’s dress… or is it?

Like most women’s dresses of an earlier era, my mother’s is stored in one of those intimidating plastic-wrapped boxes that seem more indicative of a windowed coffin than garment storage. When I started sewing, and my mom suggested that I “part-out” her dress when it came time to make mine, the idea was reminiscent of surgery, or if we stick to the grim metaphor… an autopsy. There was just something about that sacred plastic box that seemed so final.

Recently, however, a woman came into the shop requesting that the lace from her mother’s and grandmother’s veils be compiled into a new and unique veil for her wedding day. Perhaps “compiled” is too technical a word for the artistry with which Bethany hand-pieced and beaded the different laces. Age had given each piece a different ivory hue, and resulting veil was beautifully textured with family history.
And here, I think we find a more fitting tribute to the dresses of our mothers, which were once selected with love, and worn in excitement. While akin to the tradition of wearing the same dress as the women who preceded us, I think that there is something meaningful in recreating these heirlooms. It is not unlike the process that a wedding requires: defining a new life, different, yet tied to our roots.
And so, I advocate the liberation of dresses from their final, plastic-wrapped, resting places in hopes of creating something more meaningful than a life in a box would allow! And with that, I will look forward to one day removing my mother’s dress from storage, and making it part of a new journey.

-Kelsey

Something New

“A house with a memory; its more than a house.” -Leo VanMeer

“Something new” is a topic that comes very easily to us these days, however, our “something new” is actually a “something old.” We are currently in the process of moving to our new location, the historic Halsey Garfield home, in the French Creek District of Avon! The house, built in 1850, was originally intended as the home and storefront of the Hasley Garfield family. We are looking forward to renovating the home to serve its original purpose!

We are also very excited to embrace the historic quality of the house, especially because bridal design in essence, references an earlier era of glamour, elegance, and formality. Stay tuned for renovations! We can’t wait to share this new chapter with you!

Something Old

“Old clothes are old friends.” –Coco Chanel



I think all of us have had that universal experience where we come across a wedding photo and are struck with any number of fashion casualties, that while trendy at the actual event (I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt), have not stood the test of time. Most recent in my memory are the floaty, powder blue, peasant dresses worn by the bridesmaids of a relative who shall remain nameless. So, let me suggest a simple remedy for this plague that seeks to, in a short period of time, mar the fondness of your wedding photos with the winces of your friends and relatives.

Incorporating “something old,” into your wedding attire, is, in essence, incorporating style that has stood the test of time. For instance, selecting a vintage brooch to adorn your wedding dress not only further personalizes your look, but adds unique character and texture to your special day. And, with the advent of websites such as etsy, and numerous vintage clothing stores, classic and unique accessories have never been so accessible. So, I recommend exploring what vintage style has to offer, and taking advantage of its timeless quality… it photographs well.



Resources-
Check out these great etsy shops as well as your local flea markets!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/jastapper1

http://www.etsy.com/shop/calloohcallay

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SmittenVintage

http://www.etsy.com/shop/whimsicalvintage