Did you catch any of the Oscars on Sunday night? Although I haven't seen many of the movies, I love the red carpet and all the lovely dresses. There are always many stunners that would translate wonderfully to a Portland wedding, many with familiar and favorite wedding couturiers such as Reem Acra, Vera Wang, and Elie Saab. Here are a few of my favorites:
Clockwise from top left: Lupita Nyong'o in Prada; Jessica Biel in Chanel; Jenna Dewan-Tatum in Reem Acra; Cate Blanchett in Armani; Kristen Bell in Roberto Cavalli. All photos courtesy oscars.go.com.
Inspiration was readily found for mothers-of-the-bride and groom as well: my personal favorite was a crimson lace design from Reem Acra on Bette Midler – truly divine! Take a look at the rest of our picks below:
Clockwise from top left: Angelina Jolie in Elie Saab; Bette Midler in Reem Acra; Emma Watson in Vera Wang
What styles did you just LOVE from the Oscars red carpet this year? Did you get inspired to recreate a style that you saw into your own wedding day? Please post in the comments!
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Some people trash the dress. Others put it on eBay. If you are thinking of keeping your wedding gown to pass down to the younger generation, or if you want to get it in perfect shape for consignment, you will want to have your gown professionally cleaned and possibly preserved in an acid-free, archival container.
If you are just doing cleaning, your local dry cleaner may offer this service. Be sure to ask if it is done locally or sent out to a special service, and what is included. Gowns that will be stored for a long time should not be stored in plastic or vinyl which can come in contact with dress fabric and cause yellowing or discoloration. If a gown will be hung up, it’s best to store it in unbleached muslin fabric.
If your gown will be stored for a long time, hanging it can cause the weight of the gown to pull on the seams and stretch the fabric, causing damage. It’s best in this case to store it in an acid-free, archival-quality box.
At EJP Events / The Bridal Loft, we do offer this service not just to our own clients, but to anyone in Portland desiring cleaning and preservation of their gown. Simply call us at (503) 284-6756 or email info@ejpevents.com to make an appointment and we’ll take care of you. Pricing starts at $165 for cleaning and box only. I’ve attached links to the order form for those who are interested in the details.
In some occasions, dry cleaning may not be needed. There are some types of simple garments that can be dry cleaned at home. We learned a lot after reading this article on Tipsbulletin: How to Dry Clean At Home. If you decide on this route, you can still order the preservation service as described above, just let us know that the gown has already been cleaned.
No matter how you plan to have your dress cleaned, make sure to store it at room temperature and avoid places like attics, garages, and basements where temperature and moisture/humidity levels can fluctuate without your knowing. The top level of a closet in your house is a great spot.
We are knee-deep in wedding season and seeing lots of helpful tips all around to share with you! This week, we'll be doing an { Attire Tips } series: little bits and bytes of info so you will never run into a wardrobe malfunction at the wedding!
Today I'm revisiting my earlier post encouraging you to try on your gown when you pick it up. I'm now going to qualify that a bit and say, Try it on after your last fitting, but before it is pressed! Once the gown is pressed, it really should be on its way to the getting ready site and not fussed with again until you're ready to wear it on the wedding day, due to the chances of it wrinkling. All of your practice runs with headpiece, jewelry, shoes, and accessories etc. should be done during fitting sessions, but before pressing. (This might not apply to beachy or casual, destination wedding gowns that don't wrinkle easily, but I find it's true for most.)
So yes, try on your gown when you pick it up for the last time… but not after it is pressed and ready to go.
Did you know that about 8 million pounds of fabric waste is not recycled and is landfilled every year? (Source, ALA Waste Recycling) “But what if you didn’t cut the fabric?” Love, June Bridal asked this question, and has now launched an ingenious wedding gown line that is eco-friendly and reduces waste. How so? By using natural fibers such as silk and cotton and by creating designs that don’t require cutting the fabric, virtually eliminating fabric waste. This boutique line, as described on their Etsy profile page, “is created from only squares and rectangles”!
Sounds crazy, no? But the gowns are ethereal, feminine, sexy, and a serious departure from the typical, A-line strapless wedding gown. If you have been agonizing over stiff, shiny, scratchy, heavily beaded gowns, and saying to yourself, “this just isn’t me!” I implore you to take a look at these exotic and different designs.
We are so excited to be invited back to participate in The Art of Weddings, a boutique bridal show happening on Thursday, January 8, 2009 from 5-8pm at LUXE Autohaus. Last year, it was held at the very swanky Secret Society Ballroom, and this year’s installment promises to be even more inventive and interesting! The Art of Weddings team has enlisted the help of the CRAVE! Portland team — you know, the gals behind the extremely fun shopping parties? — to promote the event, and it looks to be even bigger and better this year.
$100 off custom wedding invitations by 1st Comes Love for any wedding booked at this event!
Grand Bridal Raffle featuring amazing prizes: 1 hour engagement
session with website and $50 print credit from Jasmine Photography
(value $300), Custom Invitation Package from 1st Comes Love ($275
value). All proceeds benefit Go Red for Women.
Stay tuned here for all kinds of news and buzz about the show. You can even win tickets over at Simply Chic Weddings. We look forward to seeing you there!
We received this email from Cindy Rosen at Oregon ABC:
"Divine Designs Bridal Boutique is pleased to announce our Designer Sample Day – An exclusive 2 day event on May 16th and 17th… Designers’ samples by Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, Elizabeth Fillmore, Amsale, Anne Barge, and much more."
