TBT | Wedding Throwback Thursday

It's Throwback Thursday on The 530 Bride!

TIMELESS-WEDDING-GOWN

Trends have changed a lot over the years when it comes to wedding gowns and accessories.   Although this look is from 1956, many of the current wedding gowns on the runway have similar elements.  Timeless is always in style!

Grace Kelly, in a gown by MGM costume designer Helen Rose, kneeling at the altar during her wedding at Saint Nicholas Cathedral to Prince Rainier III of Monaco in April 1956.  Image Courtesy of Brides.com

Shopping for THE Dress!

We all know there is a lot of hype when it comes to shopping for a wedding dress, anyone who has ever watched Say Yes to The Dress knows this!  It isn't very often that we bring an entourage of people with us shopping, so think about who you would like to bring along for moral support.  Many brides bring their mother, sister and/or maid of honor, but it isn't a rule set it stone. Pricepoint is very important, and it seems that many brides make the mistake of shopping for dresses without knowing how much they are comfortable spending.  Why fall in love with a dress that you can't afford?   If your parents or relatives are buying the dress for you or pitching in, you should discuss the budget with them prior to shopping so that everyone is on the same page.

If you live in an area with multiple bridal salons, check them out online to read reviews from other customers.  When you buy a wedding dress it can take anywhere from 6 weeks to 4 months to recieve it, so you want to make sure the bridal salon has happy customers when it comes to receiving their gowns on time.  Other things to look for are return policies, customer service and alterations services.  If you need to have alterations done to your gown, you want to make sure it is in good hands with the bridal salon's in-house seamstress/tailor.

Some tips on how to prepare for trying on all of these beautiful gowns:

1.  Make an Appointment Most bridal salons appreciate or even require that you have an appointment in order to try on gowns.  This is to ensure that you get great customer service with a personal consultant during your shopping experience. When you are shopping at a bridal salon a consultant will meet with you to obtain your measurements, budget and the styles of gowns that you like. The consulant will help pull dresses for you, and will assist you in the fitting room with getting the gowns on and off.

Keep in mind that most bridal salons only have sample sizes, so the dresses you try on may not fit perfectly. Be prepared for your appointment by bringing photos of the styles that you like.  Or if you have a designer in mind, then make sure to mention it to the consultant so that she can pull some of those gowns to start off with.  2. Get a Little Dolled Up  A light makeup application, freshly shaved underarms and legs will make you feel pretty and comfortable since you will be in close quarters with your bridal consultant.

3. Shoes Bring a pair of heels that have a similar height to what you plan to wear on your wedding day.  Some dresses may need to have fabric added to them to make them longer if you are on the taller side especially with heels on.  If you find the perfect dress, the seamstress will be able to note any alterations that you will need.

4. Supportive Undergarments Bring a strapless bra just in case, as some dresses will be less supportive than others. Make sure to also wear underwear that you are comfortable being seen in while you are changing (Maybe skip the thong?)

5.  Camera If the bridal salon allows you to take pictures, then by all means do so.  You will likely try on dozens of dresses, so having a photo of each of them will help you remember which ones you liked best.  This can also help if you need some time to think things over.

You may feel certain that you have your dream dress picked out from what you have seen in a picture, but once you start trying dresses on you could end up with something very different!

Have shopping advice? Share it here!

A Bride's Something Blue

Chances are you have heard the phrase, "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue." There are many great articles about the originations of this phrase, but one of the most concise articles is found here. In a nutshell: something old connects the brides family and the past and offers continuity in her future; something new represents hope and good fortune in the couples future; something borrowed is usually an item lent to the bride from a happily married mature women (mother, grandmother, etc.) to share her happiness, good fortune and joy with the bride; and something blue symbolizes love, purity and faithfulness. This tradition may or not may be for you, and is absolutely not a predictor of your future married life, but it can be fun to incorporate the past, present, and future, and can provide a great memory and photographs. Below I have put together a few fun ideas for incorporating  "something blue" into your wedding:

1. Shoes. There are many ways to have something blue on your shoes: rock all blue shoes, add some blue bling to the bottom of your shoe, or add a blue shoe clip.

2.  Nail Polish. Light blue, dark blue, teal, aqua, solid, striped, dots, ombre, glitter - any shade of blue or style works!

3. Bridal Bouquet. Add a bedazzled blue broach or blue bouquet charm, or have a  whole bouquet of blue or add just a splash of blue with an accent flower.

4. Jewelry. Earrings and Necklaces and Bracelets and Rings and Brooches - oh my, the possibilities are endless. Jewelry can also double as your "something borrowed," "something old," or "something new."

5. Garter. Any amount of blue will do - a light splash of color or  solid blue.

6. Hair Accessories. Accentuate your hair with blue clips, pins, headbands, or a blue flower.

7. Wedding Dress. No, no - don't worry, I do not mean a blue wedding dress - just add some fun colorful accents to your dress. Embroider your wedding date, add a pop of blue in a sash, add a monogrammed label, or take something old and blue and sew it into your new dress.

**Some other ideas you may enjoy**

Wipe away your tears of joy with a blue handkerchief.   Add a sweet blue note to your grooms tie. Wear blue undergarments. Add a touch of blue to a clutch. Blue ring holder. And hey, if blue isn't your color - there is always a perfume- hey, it's your party, and you can do whatever you want to do!

Posted by Alisha Rouland, Event Coordinator with The 530 Bride

Charity Wedding Gown Sale!

We want to spread the word about how you can get involved in helping others, while getting a great deal on your dream dress!  These are local events that benefit brides or couples who are battling illnesses or who need assistance in a difficult time. Brides for a Cause will be hosting a special Charity Wedding Dress Sale on January 31-February 3 at the Courtyard Marriott in San Jose to support locally based Wish Upon A Wedding, a national non-profit organization dedicated to providing weddings and vow renewals for individuals facing terminal illness and other serious life-altering circumstances.

The wedding dress sale will feature hundreds of new and gently used wedding dresses that have been donated to Wish Upon A Wedding over the past couple months by individuals and bridal stores around the country to be resold at discounted prices by its partner organization, Brides for a Cause, as a way to help raise funds for the charity. Gowns will be discounted up to 75% off the retail prices. Prices will start at just $150 and will feature a variety of designers and styles. Sizes will range from 2-20. Visit www.bridesforacause.com  for details and to register.

During the festivities, Wish Upon A Wedding is also searching for local wish recipients in the San Jose area who are in need of a dream wedding. Couples who are faced with a life threatening illness are encouraged to apply for a wish by visiting www.wishuponawedding.org.

DATE: VIP Sneak Peek on Thursday, Jan 31 from 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. Get first dibs on the gowns and enjoy complimentary champagne and dessert bar; $15 per person - tickets available online at http://bfacsanjose.eventbrite.com Brides for a Cause Dress Sale Friday, Feb 1 from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2 from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Free admission, open to the public WHERE: Courtyard by Marriott San Jose/Campbell 655 Creekside Way Campbell, CA 95008 www.marriott.com/sjccc

Reposted from http://bfacsanjose.eventbrite.com/

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If you are interested in donating a gown, please check out the donation page

Say 'I Do' Unconventionally!

Who says your wedding guests have to know they are going to a wedding?  Recently, we have seen a spike in Surprise Weddings and we think it is trend that could stick around.  It is perfect for the couple who has gone around and around about where they would want to have their wedding, how much they want to spend, and those who aren't particularly fond of the traditional wedding process. How does one plan a surprise wedding?  Well first thing is first, ..Location!  If you happen to have a spacious home or a large backyard, or know someone who would be willing to host in your honor than you are in luck.  Guests probably won't question a backyard event, so you could use some alternative occasions like an Engagement Party, a Summer Lau, Graduation, or Tri-Tip Cook-off to use as the decoy reason for gathering.  Second, decide who you want to let in on the surprise.  You can choose to tell your parents, maid of honor, best man or whom ever you would like as long as they can keep a secret!  Besides, you will need some helpers to pull this off!

If you do not have the space available, contact some of the local venues for information on the amenities and pricing.  You will need to know your approximate guest count, and a potential date.  Consider asking the venue if they offer lower rates for weekdays compared to Saturday and Sunday rates.

We know a surprise wedding is not for everyone. For brides who have dreamed of their wedding day for years, a more traditional wedding with a set date and invitations may be more appropriate! However, if the thought of a big fancy wedding stresses you out, you may feel relieved by knowing that your guests are going to be blown away by the surprise and it will be a fun and memorable wedding for all!  You can still have a lot of the same elements of a traditional wedding like the bouquet toss, and first dance.  The best part is that it is up to you!

Some of the perks of a surprise wedding are a lower overall budget because you won't have a lot of the formalities such as the cost of invitations & postage, venue (if you are having a backyard event), and you may end up with a smaller guest list which will greatly reduce your expenses.  The biggest perk is getting to be creative, and coming up with a plan on how to carry out your scheme and keeping it a secret until the big reveal!

Want to read more about Surprise Weddings?  Here are some related posts: Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla - Surprise Wedding 100 Layer Cake: Marisa + John - Surprise Wedding Surprise..We Got Married! Rebecca & Damien - Suprise Wedding

Save time, with the Virtual Salon and Dressing Room with Brides.com

Hoping he will pop the question? If he has already put a ring on it but you are early in your planning stages, Brides.com has the perfect feature for you!  You can use this fun feature to search through wedding dresses and select silhouette, color, hemline, designer and price.  The virtual dressing room also features bridesmaid dresses to make finding the perfect gown easy and convenient.   The Virtual Beauty Salon gives you countless options for eye shadow, lip-sticks and gloss, foundations and hair styles.  No photos available? Simply select a model with a similiar body type, face shape and complexion, invite your bridesmaids over for cocktails and let the dressing room fun begin!

Check out Brides.com to get started, and share your photos with us for a chance to win a mini-makeover!

How Many Lives Does a Wedding Dress Have?

We don't have to tell you that the times have changed when it comes to parents footing the wedding bills.  Couples have become more creative in finding ways to save and budget for their wedding without compromising their dreams.  DIY projects have become the new buzzword, because brides are getting hands-on for everything from napkin folding & making their own favors to even creating their own wedding gown. When it comes to the price tag, it may be hard to find a designer wedding gown to fit into your budget.  Not every bride was born a seamstress, and we don't think you should have to settle for a wedding dress that doesn't take your breath away.  What if you could have the dress of your dreams, and not feel bad about a little splurging?

No one thinks twice about the groom renting his tuxedo & shoes, and then returning it in a couple days and never wearing it again.  The budget for your grooms attire is considerably less than what you will have to spend to get a dress, shoes, & other wedding accessories.  We understand that a wedding dress is not just an ordinary dress and is symbolic in many ways.  But is an inexpensive wedding gown any less symbolic?  Consider asking other brides what they did with their gowns after their big day, and many of them will tell you that their dress is stored away somewhere in their closet or in their attic!

You may want to open your mind and consider one of these ideas:

Buy a Used Wedding Dress - Buy a beautiful used gown from a consignment store, local classified ads such as Craigslist, or an online bridal store. If you have a local American Cancer Society Discover Shop, buy a used wedding gown and the proceeds will go to supporting the fight against cancer. Save hundreds of dollars when you buy a used gown, often only worn once or sometimes never worn at all!  Find the designer dress you have always dreamed of wearing, and pay only a fraction of the price. An added benefit is knowing that its okay if you end up changing your mind and purchasing another dress, because you will have saved so much on buying the first gown!

Rent a Wedding Dress - Wear a beautiful gown for your big day, without having to to worry about getting it cleaned or having to store it away somewhere.  Bridal shops offering rental services are popping up all over the map, and are easy to find online.  Make sure to do your homework by getting sized, and trying on several wedding gowns to be sure about which style of gown you would like to rent.

To read some great tips on renting a wedding gown or formal dress, checkout Alexandria's Formal Gown Rental.  Have you rented or bought a used gown before? Share your experiences with other brides by leaving us a comment!

Looking for a Hot Deal?

For those of you who haven't heard, Corwin's Bridal in Chico is offering a store-closing sale at the Cohasset location which was formerly Suzanne's Bridal.  Early last year Corwins Bridal quietly bought out Suzanne's Bridal, after they moved from their downtown location to Suzanne's location on Cohasset.

Corwins is now closing the Cohasset location and moving back to the Downtown Chico location on West Third Street.  Due to less space, they are down-sizing their inventory significantly.  So what does that mean for brides?  "Wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, mother of the bride gowns, flower girl dresses and other inventory purchased off of the rack will be discounted anywhere from 20-50%," according to one of the managers in the store.

For brides who are interested in buying a dress of the rack, that would mean the dress is "as-is" so the store would most likely not offer refunds or returns.  The upside to buying your dream gown off of the rack is that not only will you get a great deal, but you will not have to wait the 3-5 month period to get your dress from the manufacturer.

Choose from a wide selection of wedding gowns made by designers including Maggie Sottero, Allure, Mori Lee, Casa Blanca, Victoria's and many more.  They carry bridesmaid dresses by Forever Yours, Jessica McClintock, Alfred Sung, Dessi and Mori Lee. The manager we spoke with stated that the transition would not interfere with any of the current order times, and should not affect customers in any way.

So stop by Corwins Bridal and Tuxedo on Cohasset at 169 Cohasset Road in Chico, or call (530) 342-6521 for more details.