Poughkeepsie Journal -Latest bridal fashions can be seen at local wedding shows this fall

Jackie DiMarzo 12:03 a.m. EDT October 19, 2014 Recent events such as the Grandview’s Autumn Wedding Show in Poughkeepsie and Diamond Mills Fall Wedding Expo in Saugerties in September gave local brides a chance to shop for wedding-day vendors such as photographers, DJs and florists. As an added bonus, they had an opportunity to view the latest in wedding fashions. Both shows featured gowns from Chamonix Bride in Rhinebeck. Chamonix Bride owner Heather Graham, who at press time was planning to head to New York City the following weekend to see the latest dress designs, said new this coming season are a lot of different necklines (high neck styles, plunging V-necks, and off-the-shoulder) and also, capelets, which are small capes that cover the shoulders during the ceremony and are removable later. The capelets are often made of lace, which seems to be the standout feature for all things bridal this season. “Local brides are loving lace,” Graham said. “Almost everyone wants something either all lace or a little bit of lace at the hemline or incorporated somewhere into the gown.” Designer Wtoo, a featured collection at Chamonix Bride, offers many dresses in the fabric. David Lopez, communications director for the line, said for the Fall 2014-Spring 2015 season, the Wtoo design team was inspired by legendary actress and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly. “The bridal collection is composed of effortless, elegant silhouettes, from lady-like lace with carefully hand-crafted appliques to opulent contrasting beadwork,” Lopez said.

Tina Pomarico, owner of Lady Gray Bridal of Beacon, agreed. “The look is very romantic, and lace is very popular. It’s just very old-time Hollywood. That’s the way I explain it — very Audrey Hepburn,” she said. As for styles of dress, Pomarico said slim silhouettes that really hug the body are very popular and low backs seem to be a big trend for 2015 as well. “We’re seeing very interesting back treatments; whether it be a very deep low “V” or a deep illusion back,” Pomarico said. “We do a lot of fitted and flared out gowns, which are not as tight as a mermaid or trumpet gown, but something that’s a little fitted around your hips and a little fuller at the bottom,” Graham said. The color of the gown is also a nod toward vintage glamour. “The most popular colors today are ivory, champagne, vintage gold or a little hint of pink,” Pomarico said. “We’re not doing a lot of pure white, but the ivories are very light and absolutely beautiful. That, and probably the light gold, would be our No. 1 colors,” she said, adding that the dresses are often worn with a matching sash. “Sashes are very popular — whether they be just a plain, satin sash, or a beaded sash that would complement their gown,” Pomarico said.

Graham agreed. “Everyone likes belts and sashes because they add a little bit of sparkle and a little bit of something else going on, because that really personalizes the dress,” she said.

Sleeves make a comeback “There have been a lot of strapless dresses in the past, and we are getting requests for some kind of a sleeve,” Graham said. “We do offer custom designs, so we can customize a lot of the strapless dresses and create something different with a strap or cap sleeve. Our seamstress is very talented and very special to us,” Graham said. Pomarico agreed on the popularity of sleeves. “They’re really making a nice comeback — little cap sleeves, three-quarter sleeves and a little bit of an illusion sleeve. We had strapless for so many years. It’s nice to see keyhole backs and sweetheart necklines. Really beautiful looks,” she said. In addition to Wtoo, Graham also carries the designers Alvina Valenta and Marissa, among others. Pomarico said her No. 1 designer is Maggie Sottero. She carries a large selection of Maggie Sottero gowns. Veils complete the fairy tale Pomarico said, “Cathedral veils are very popular with our girls. It just fits that beautiful, romantic look. It extends the silhouette, right down to the train, so the girls love that look.”

Graham said she often sees long, lace cathedral veils chosen by brides who are having large church weddings, but many of her brides opt for a fingertip veil, because it’s just long and special enough, and not too cumbersome. Bridesmaids in pale pink “Soft pink is going to be a very big color — again just that timeless, classic look,” said Pomarico, as well as other soft pastels and neutral shades like champagne and taupe. “We’re still continuing to do pewter gray. It’s a very popular shade for us.” Graham added, “Bridesmaids’ dresses come in so many different colors. The trend we’re really seeing is the neutral colors like blush or nude, or anything pale — pale pink or blue.” Graham included two bridesmaid’s dresses by Designer BariJay in the show at the Grandview — one in a soft, pale blue, the other in a very pale, neutral green.

Both shop owners agreed that flexibility is key when dealing with large bridal parties. “The continuity would be in the fabric and the color when you have a large party. Brides are letting the girls choose a silhouette that will complement their figure and allow them to be comfortable,” said Pomarico. “It really depends on the bride,” Graham said. “The bride will pick one color and let their girls choose styles. That’s just really nice and comfortable for everybody.”

Here comes the flower girl Junior bridesmaids and flower girls are also often an important part of the wedding party. Pomarico said, “We do a tremendous amount of junior bridesmaids dresses — which are a silhouette that would be age-appropriate for a junior bridesmaid, but also complements the rest of the girls. It’s a great look.” Bari Jay, one of the lines carried at Chamonix Bride, offers junior bridesmaid dresses, which Graham often includes in her fashion shows at bridal expos. For flower girls, she carries the Us Angels line, including the Petal Dress, which includes petals that can be sprinkled into one layer of the double tulle overlay.

“They come in different colors and sizes with different colored petals, as well. Just really fun and cute and adorable if you have a little girl in the wedding,” Graham said. Jackie DiMarzo is a freelance writer. Reach her at newsroom@poughkeepsiejournal.com Upcoming bridal expos and wedding shows If you’re a bride-to-be and are interested in attending an upcoming wedding show or expo, the following two shows are scheduled in Dutchess County in November: • The Links at Unionvale, 153 North Parliman Road, LaGrangeville: What Brides Want (and Grooms too!). 6-9 p.m. Nov. 7. • Dutchess Golf Club, 2628 South Road, Poughkeepsie: Hudson Valley’s Luxe Bridal Expo. Noon to 4 p.m. Nov. 30. • The Garrison, 2015 Route 9, Garrison: 2015 Bridal Show followed by Wedding Party at the Highlands Country Club, 955 Route 9D, Garrison. Noon to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 18. Fall Bridal October 2014 Dugan Radwin Niche Content Coordinator For advertising information, call retail advertising at 845-437-4770.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

The first American Mother's Day celebration happened in 1908 when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother. Her mother, Anna Reeves Jarvis, a peace advocate, died in 1905.  That same year, Anna  had a mission to honor her mother by continuing  her work and she also started a movement for a special day to honor all mothers. Anna's persistence and determination to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the United States paid off. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation creating Mother's Day.

Join Us Today - Mother's Day Beauty Clinic

 

You’re Invited  To A Mother’s Day

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BEAUTY CLINIC

SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014

12:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M

The Millennium Hotel, 2800 Campus Walk Ave Durham, NC 27705

You can also check out our website

www.amway.com/wedsaturbest

Hosted by Mayra Barreto

 

You can also check out our website

www.amway.com/wedsaturbest

Invited by Amanda Sherman

Contact # 704.502.0312

Wedding Planning--Destination Weddings, Budgeting

Wedding Planning--Destination Weddings, Budgeting

Upcoming Events – April 2013

Event:

AL, Birmingham, Sylvie Engagement Ring Trunk Show at Diamonds Direct of Birmingham

Start:  April 12, 2013   End:  April 14, 2013

Category: Trunk Show    Venue:   Diamonds Direct

Phone:  205-201-7400

Address:  2800 Cahaba Village Plaza, Birmingham, AL, 35243, United States

Which Hand Does A Woman Wear Her Wedding Ring On

Which Hand Does A Woman Wear Her Wedding Ring On

A Fresh Flower Wedding Crown

A Fresh Flower Wedding Crown

Top Ten Castles for a Fairy Wedding

As wedding locations go, there’s no place more romantic to tie the knot than an enchanting historic castle. Whether you’re planning a renaissance wedding or you’re simply seeking a stunning and secluded place to say “I do,” a castle is the ultimate location for your special day.

Destination Weddings: A Growing Trend in 2013

   
  

    Destination">http://visual.ly/destination-weddings-growing-trend-2013/?utm_source=visually_embed">Destination Weddings: A Growing Trend in 2013 infographic

 
   
   
   
http://www.nickrosephotography.com/blog/the-growing-trend-of-destination-weddings/

WOW- We Are Engaged - What's Next !!!!

12 MONTHS OR MORE BEFORE THE WEDDING

Announce your intention to marry to  BOTH  sets of parents. Arrange to have them meet if they haven't already.

Determine type (formal, semi-formal, informal), style and theme of the wedding.

Make a list of what is important to you for your wedding; this will help you determine your budget. 

 Sit down with your fiance and ALL parents and discuss the wedding budget, and who will pay for what.

 

Get or make a wedding organizer (a 3 ring binder with pockets works great). Use it to store all your information, contracts, ideas, photos, etc.

Speak with your clergy/officiant and review synagogue/church requirements.

Come up with 2 or 3 possible wedding dates and start looking for ceremony and reception venues. If a venue you like is available on one of your chosen dates, book it immediately; many venues will often be booked up to 2 years in advance, so have several choices in mind beforehand in case they are already booked.

If you are using one, start looking for and book a wedding consultant.

9 TO 11 MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING

               Start looking for and interviewing all the remaining vendors:

               Photographer

               Videographer

               Caterer (if needed)

               Officiant (if needed)

               Florist

If any vendor you like is available on your date and is within your budget, book them IMMEDIATELY! Like reception and ceremony venues, many of these vendors can be booked up to a year in advance.
 

              

 Together with your parents, begin compiling your preliminary guest list. You can always narrow down this list to fit within your size requirements and budget limitations at a late date.

                

Start getting ideas by looking through bridal magazines, going to Bridal Fairs and doing research on the internet.

Finalize your wedding colors, theme and style.

Select your attendants (bridesmaids, groomsmen, ushers, flower girl and ring bear) and ask them to honor you by being in your wedding. Make sure they are aware of what their "duties" are.

Choose and purchase your wedding rings.

Begin looking at honeymoon options. Discuss where you both would like to go, and if needed visit a travel agent.

Start looking for a wedding gown, veil, accessories and your attendants attire.

6 TO 8 MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING

Start planning ceremony and reception music choices. 
 If you haven't already finalize and purchase your wedding gown, veil, and accessories.

 If you are having a prenuptial agreement, take care of that now.

 Finalize attire for attendants.

 Start pre-marriage counceling (if required)

 Start looking at invitations.

  Sign up for your gift registry

  Send save-the-date cards/newsletter

4 TO 5 MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING

 Work with your florist and finalize your arrangements.

 Place wedding announcement in local newspaper

 Order wedding stationary (invitations, envelopes, programs, etc.)

 Start shopping for bridal party tuxedos

 Book limo/transportation

 Start planning the wedding decorations

 Arrange accommadations for out of town guests (book blocks of hotel rooms)

 Select wedding cake (and Groom's cake if you are having one)

 Start making arrangement for rehearsal and rehearsal dinner

 Book calligrapher

 Decide on wedding favors

 If you decided not to use a Wedding Coordinator, consider asking a close friend not in the wedding party to be your Wedding Coordinator/Personal Assistant.

3 MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING

 Order your wedding cake and groom's cake

 Meet with your officiant to discuss details of the ceremony

  Finalize the guest list

  Reconfirm the rehearsal dinner plans

  Buy the cake knife, guest book, toasting glasses and garter

  Choose gifts for your attendants, parents, helpers.

  Have the male members of the wedding party, including fathers, fitted for tuxedos.

   Reconfirm honeymoon arrangements.

    Start writing your wedding vows, if you are doing them yourself.

   Start addressing the invitations (or drop them off with calligrapher)

2 MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING

  

Send out invitations

Schedule a hair and make up consultation to do a trial run.

Start making/buying wedding favors

Obtain wedding license

Schedule your first wedding dress fitting.

Write thank you notes for any gifts that may start arriving.

If you are having one, begin putting together your ceremony program.

Meet with vendors (caterer, florists, etc.) to finalize arrangements.

If you are changing your name, complete the proper documents

Finalize music selections for the ceremony and reception and turn them in to the DJ/Band/etc.

                

Have formal wedding portrait taken.            

Meet with your officiant to finalize ceremony details.

Reserve room for wedding night.

1 MONTH BEFORE THE WEDDING

Confirm honeymoon your reservations. Meet with photographer and/or videographer to discuss last minute details.

Start working on the reception seating chart.

Have final wedding gown fitting.

Arrange for a reception babysitter, if needed. 
Finish (and print) the wedding program. 
 Finalize wedding vows 
 Confirm all final payment amounts with your vendors as well as date, time, etc.

 Pick up marriage license.

2 WEEKS BEFORE THE WEDDING

 Finalize reception seating chart.

 Confirm delivery time and locations with florist.

 Contact any guests who did not respond to the invitation.

1 WEEK BEFORE THE WEDDING

Pick up wedding gown, attendants' gowns and all accessories.

Give final guest count to reception venue/caterer.

Reconfirm everything with vendors one last time.

Make sure men get their final fitting for their tuxedos.

1 DAY BEFORE THE WEDDING

Attend rehearsal.

Attend rehearsal dinner. Give attendants their gifts.

Have a manicure and/or a pedicure.

Put together the tip envelopes (for the vendors) and give them to the designated "tip person" (generally the best man).

Confirm wedding day transportation.

Reconfirm hair and make up appointments.

If you have access to the ceremony and/or reception venues, bring everything over there that you may need (decorations, guest book, etc). 
 Layout everything you need for the next day in a safe place (marriage license, dress, shoes, etc.).

Speak with everyone in the wedding party and make sure everyone knows where to be at what time.

Try to go to bed early and get some sleep.

YOUR WEDDING DAY

Eat breakfast, even if you think you aren't hungry.

Share a private moment with your fiance.

Have your hair and makeup done.

Give the best man the groom's ring.

 Begin dressing two hours before ceremony is scheduled to begin.

 Spend a quiet moment looking at yourself in the mirror before you walk down the aisle.

"Budget Bride"

A ruthless discussion of the term ‘Budget Bride’ and wedding decision making 

by:Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing

I only have $500. Will you take it?

 

A couple of days ago, I posted an item about the differences between money (price), value, budget and result. It generated lots of traffic, a comment or two, and plenty of direct email.

It also caused me to consider the phrase, ‘budget bride.’ Along with DIY Bride, these are two of the most annoying and poorly used descriptors in the wedding industry. To a great degree, I lay that at the feet of my friends in mass media for the wedding industry. Mass media tends to be a popularization tool as much as an information source. If you repeat a phrase, such as ‘budget bride,’ often enough, it becomes part of the wedding lexicon, for better for worse.

The problem with these phrases is they paint the bride’s resources with the grayest of brush strokes. So, at the risk of being more precise, I’ll break it down from my experience.

• DIY Bride: (Budget: under $5000) Someone who probably doesn’t have the resources to get married just yet and is likely to turn most of her wedding into an Arts and Crafts project.
• Low Budget Bride (Budget: $5000 – $14,999) Has the resources, but will have to make some tough decisions on the reception. The big conundrum is whether to economize across the board or cut in specific areas, and not others.
• Statistically Average Bride: (Budget: $15,000 – $34,999) Has the resources to do a nice job on the reception. Her biggest decision should be ‘How many guests can we invite to have a nice reception?’
• High Budget Bride (Budget: $35,000 – $60,000): Has more than enough money to do great things. Her biggest challenge is not to make bad choices among wedding vendors, irrespective of money.
• Luxury Bride (Budget: more than $60,000): Daddio has wads of cash and she wants to be awash in greenbacks. Not all brides in this financial category are Bridezillas, but the risk and tendency is greater than in any of the lower tiers. Bridezillas almost always make bad decisions. It’s in their DNA.

A budget is not:

• … is not throwing a dart at a target.
• … budget is not the total amount in the parent’s bank account or your bank account.
• … budget is not what one or more girlfriends spent on their wedding.
• … is not necessarily what you see on Platinum Weddings or Get Married TV (those are inspirations)

A budget is:

• A study of the range of what wedding products and services cost in your area, balanced against your tastes, inspirations and fantasies.
• Factored by the number of guests you choose to invite.

A line budget item is not:

• “I only have $750 left for videography. Will you take that?”
• “Oh, my third cousin, Oscar, is going to take the photos.”

A budget is:

• $1 Million
• $50,000
• $25,000
• $7,500
• $3,000

Budget does not necessarily mean low budget. A budget can be…

• A specific dollar amount or less
• A specific dollar amount or more
• A range from $X to $Y (this is the preferred budget)
• Money is no object (must be the truth)

The Wedding Report publishes ongoing data about spending in the wedding industry. It consistently reports that brides spend close to 50% more than they had budgeted for the wedding, with an average wedding expense running  just under $30,000. This shows a major discrepancy between the original money allotted, from reality of their desires.

I would assert the reason for this is that their original money allotment was not a budget at all. It was dart throwing at a bank book.

Here’s the challenge from every wedding professional, wedding media outlet, and industry trade association:

• Clearly delineate what it means to be a professional in your category of the wedding industry, from the standpoint of ‘benefits to the bride.’
• Explain the relationship (if any) of your business category to others. Such as the interactions between entertainer, photographer, videographer and caterer/venue. Or flowers and cake.
• Explain the Truth or Consequences and effect of making a sub-standard choice.

The naked truth about satisfaction vs. money spent: When a wedding day is over, either the bride and groom are happy with a particular product or service or they are not. A vendor is not wearing a price tag around their neck. There is not a dollar cost at your place card, showing the price of each dinner. There is not a little flag in your slice of cake, showing its cost plus a cake cutting fee.

In retrospect, most wedding couples can point out decisions they made, that were off-the-mark. There are hundreds of decisions, big and small, involved in a wedding. Amazingly enough, it only takes one or two really bad decisions to create an unhappy outcome. And, amazingly enough, a really bad decision is often not related to money.

It would be outstanding if all wedding industry professionals would embrace educating the bride to realistic and exciting expectations, rather than than just fanning the flames of fairy tale dreams. It is true that if the wedding budget is spent disproportionately, bad things usually happen.

A bride with $12,000 to spend, should be able to experience as much happiness on her wedding day as one with $50,000. But that supposes she has enough information, common sense, and critical thinking to make consistently good decisions, and then does so.

Come to think of it, that’s a pretty good operational mission statement for the wedding industry.
Don’t you agree?
Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing

NY the Wedding Affair - Saturday, January 26, 2013

NY the Wedding Affair is looking for the following representatives for the upcoming Bridal Show in Richmond Hill, GA

520 Cedar Street, Richmond Hill, GA

Saturday, January 26, 2013

10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Ardyss Body Shapers

Avon

Candy Station Vendors

Dance

Lingerie

Mary Kay

Pamper Chef

Passion Party

Pure Romance

Slumber Parties

Weight Loss

Yoga

Are you or do you know a representative for one of these vendors that would like to be a part of the upcoming show if so please goes to www.nytheweddingaffair.com for more details.