Expert Advice: Wedding Dress Preservation

Expert advice on preserving your wedding dress-the most important piece of clothing that you’ll ever own!

Your wedding dress is the most important piece of clothing you’ll ever own, and though you’ll only wear it once, you’ll likely want to preserve it forever. We sat down with Sally Lorensen Conant of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists to get some tips on gown preservation.

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Why We Love Pnina Tornai Wedding Dresses…..

Pnina Tornia is an Israeli wedding dress designer who has figured out the formula for the current must-have wedding dress.  Her dresses are beautifully traditional, but at the same time extravagantly sexy.  She uses genuine corsets for the construction that lends itself to a Haute Cauture style that is rarely accessible from an off-the-rack gown.  Although she works exclusively with Kleinfelds (NYC) here in the U.S., her dresses are still absolutely attainable.  Her prices range from $5,000 to $20,000 for the more detailed and elaborate dresses.  Interestingly, she once designed a $45,000 gown that was completely covered in hand beaded Swarovski crystals.

Her cutting edge designs include the use of Swarovski crystals, precious stones, feathers and ruffles to create fantasy and over the top drama, while maintaining proportion in very traditional silhouettes.  The use of corsets enables her to form the body in a perfect style for every bride.  Jeweled ball gowns, bohemian romantic, mermaid or sweetheart silhouette; each style of hers boasts hand made beauty from a one of a kind designer.

And you can click here to see some of our favorite Pnina Tornia dresses.

The Unveiled Bridal Show

BridePOP will be at The Unveiled Bridal Show in Westminster, MD this weekend.  We hope to see you all there.

Here are just some of the great things going on:

• A fashion show
• A comedienne MC (why not laugh at the craziness of the wedding world?)
• Live DJ courtesy of MixingMaryland
• Interactive vendor demos such as “Honeymoon Photo Tips from Kimberly Brooke Photography”
• Tastings of yummy food: cakes, cupcakes, omelettes and more!
• Photobooth
• Over 30 local vendors
• And much, much more!

And the first 25 brides in the door get a gift bag full of goodies from featured vendors!!

If you haven’t already, you can register here.  Hope to see you there!

The Bridepop Crew

5 Important Questions for Your Destination Wedding Photographer

As a former destination wedding bride, I can happily say that my husband and I had an absolutely wonderful experience! To this day, I gush about my wedding day! Fortunately, I also have beautiful photography to show off as well. As a wedding photographer myself, it is important to think about a few things when booking that important person who will make your memories last a lifetime.

My hubby and I got hitched in Napa Valley, California. Living in Florida, I knew we had to rely on the wedding planner at our venue to make sure everything went off without a hitch. She was fabulous and literally took care of everything, even the photographer. Bear in mind that there are some important things to ask and consider when you are trying to find the “right” photographer, especially when planning from so such a distance.

First off, bear in mind that you will most likely not get a chance to meet the photographer before hand. Therefore, you should ask your wedding planner the following questions:

1. Can I choose from more than one photographer?

Depending on whether or not you booked a package for your destination wedding, you might be limited to the number of photographers you may choose from. It’s important to get a feel for the photographer’s style prior to picking one. Dig around, look at their portfolios and make sure that their style of photography speaks to you!

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Fabulous Fit to Flare Wedding Dresses

Covet a fit to flare wedding dress for your big day, something similar to this gorgeous Melissa Sweet Lia wedding dress, as featured on Beantown Bride.

Photo courtesy Sage Studios

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Reception Dresses: Trend or Trouble?

To change or not to change? We examine the growing wedding trend of having two wedding dresses for your special day.

Have you found the perfect wedding gown but it isn’t quite appropriate for your church ceremony? (possibly like the image below). Or perhaps you gown is a bit too big to hit the dance floor in? Whether you simply fell in love with two dresses or have a real need to change during your day, before you make the commitment to more than one gown, consider the following:

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7 Tips to Reduce the Average Cost of a Wedding

These days, the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. is nearly $30,000 dollars. The upcoming Royal Wedding and television shows like “Say Yes to the Dress” have many new brides dreaming of a wedding that is no doubt stylish, but is out of their price range from a practical standpoint. There are many ways to shave hundreds or even thousands of dollars from the average cost of a wedding and still make it memorable and fabulous. Here are a few:

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Diamonds: Engagement Rings Through the Ages

The solitaire setting has become a classic style for Engagement Rings. The Engagement Rings romantic traditions resonate throughout time. The Romans first introduced the betrothal ring as a plain, iron hoop. Among the gentry, the iron ring was worn while indoors and replaced with the more valuable gold band when outdoors. As early as the 4th century AD, inscriptions, elaborate or as simple as “honey,” embellished the inside of the band. According to Macrobius, a 5th century Roman writer, the betrothal ring was worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. It was believed that from that finger a special vein ran directly to the heart. To this day, the centuries-old custom of wearing an Engagement Ring in this way has endured.

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The Royal Couple’s Wedding Registry

Interested in helping The Royal Couple celebrate their upcoming wedding with a gift?  Well the couple just released their “wedding registry” and it’s well….. not comprised of gifts.  Instead, Prince William and Kate Middleton have asked that those wishing to help them celebrate their wedding consider a Charitable Donation over a physical gift.  They have chosen 26 mostly lesser-known charities across the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

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The Royal Wedding to Say iDo on iTunes?

We are not sure if Steve Jobs had this in his 2011 plans for iTunes, but i’m sure he’s not complaining. What an amazing way to share such a historic event with the world. We can’t wait!

That dream day is getting closer, in light of the announcement Wednesday that, for the first time in history, the entire April 29 ceremony at Westminster Abbey — including the couple’s vows — will be released digitally within hours via Britain’s Decca Records to online retailers such as iTunes.

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