Would You Wear Shorts to Your Wedding? This Celebrity Did!

Celebrity brides are well-known for setting dress trends and choosing some offbeat styles. Olivia Palermo, former star of The City, has joined the ranks as the latest bride who opted for a less traditional style.

The 28-year-old wore a cashmere sweater and white shorts with a tulle overlay. The look was designed by Carolina Herrera and featured a high slit in the overlay skirt, allowing Palermo to show off her legs.

Her groom, German model Johannes Huebl, was also dressed in white. His slim fitting white suit was paired with a white shirt, black tie, and black handkerchief. Palermo announced the wedding, which took place in a small New York park, via Twitter, posting a photo of them in their wedding attire.

Separates were a big trend on this year's bridal runways, so it's only fitting that a fashionista like Palermo would choose a wedding dress like this. However, the combination of sweater and shorts is something pretty unique.

What do you think of what Olivia Palermo wore on her wedding day? Would you wear shorts to your wedding?

Whatever style you want to wear for your big day, you'll need to shop at an excellent Arizona bridal shop. To find out what we offer, give us a call today!

Photo: Twitter/Olivia Palermo

Is a Reception Dress a Must Have or a Must Miss?

Kim Kardashian had one, and chances are you’ve known a bride who has had one. But should you have a second dress to wear at your wedding reception? More than just a matter of cost, it is actually quite a debate.

The arguments against having a second dress are pretty straightforward. You’ve put so much energy into finding the perfect dress, why take it off early? By focusing your attention on choosing one dress, you can have the full budget and time to find a dress that suits both ceremony and reception. It also means that you carry on the same style throughout all the day’s photos.

Those who argue for a second dress do make some compelling points themselves, though. A second dress allows you to choose something far less formal for the evening reception. This can also mean that you don’t need to worry about damaging your wedding gown while you’re eating or dancing. If you are wearing a family gown for the ceremony, a reception dress allows you to show off your own style.

What do you think about brides wearing a second dress? Will you wear one or two dresses on your wedding day? In either case, you’ll need to shop at a fantastic Phoenix bridal salon. Give us a call today to find out more about what we offer!

Photo: Flickr/2Lynda27

Alternative Dresses for Funky Brides

While many brides dream of a long, white princess-style gown, others want something a bit different. If you can't see yourself in the meringue, here are a few alternative styles that are perfect for a fun and funky bride.

Colorful gowns

There's no need to stick to white. Many bridal designers are including bold color choices in their collections. These gowns keep a bridal silhouette while moving away from white. Whether you go with a cool mint green or a deep, dark black gown, look for something that is flattering for your figure and skin tone.

Short dresses

Another way to stand out from the bridal crowd is to wear a shorter gown. A full short skirt can be a great choice for a summer wedding with a rock and roll twist. Pair this with bright red lipstick and a fun cardigan for a perfect rockabilly retro style.

Non-Bridal

Just because you're the bride, don't feel you have to go for a dress labelled as being for the bride. Try looking at bridesmaids and mother of the bride collections for fabulous gowns that are different from the usual bridal choices. You can find a style that is available in white or a neutral tone such as ivory, or go bold with a different color, too.

To find out more about choosing alternative bridal styles, give us a call or come by our Gilbert bridal salon today!

Glamorous 1930s Inspired Gowns

New York Bridal Week gave plenty of inspiration for Arizona brides looking for something special for their big day. One of the big trends for the coming year is wedding gowns inspired by the glamor of the 1930s. Think of this trend as the vintage and Gatsby theme growing up into something a bit more elegant and refined.

Sleek satins

The go-to fabric for this trend is definitely satin. With a sleek finish, it offers a refined look with no bulkiness. This Justin Alexander gown is a great example of how charmeuse is used with a bit of bling for a feminine, elegant style.

Deco details

The Art Deco style is a big feature of this trend. Beautiful patterns with a geometric feel are the perfect way to wear the 1930s. Val Stefani uses Swarovski crystals and silver embroidery to reflect an art for art’s sake beauty in this gown.

Cap sleeves

Short sleeve styles are also popular in the 1930s style gowns. Capped sleeves and flutter sleeves are both showing up in many styles, giving a bit of coverage on the shoulder with a fabulous style. The flutter sleeves on this Moonlight gown is a perfect example of the delicate styling of this trend.

The 1930s is a great decade for wedding gown inspiration. To see more vintage-inspired gowns and to find the perfect one for your Arizona wedding, come to our Gilbert bridal salon today! []

Lace Looks for Your Wedding

Vintage weddings have made lace a popular part of many bridal styles. Along with being perfect for vintage looks, lace looks are a graceful and feminine style that can suit many types of wedding.

Many lace styles take inspiration from Kate Middleton’s fabulous wedding dress. One of the newer takes on this look that we love is this gown from Ivoire Los Angeles. With lace sleeves and a delicately detailed lace overlay, it is perfect for a formal wedding.

For a vintage wedding, this Val Stefani gown is an excellent choice. The combination of lace and Swarovski crystals gives a sparkling, beautiful finish to the sweetheart neckline and mermaid silhouette combination gown.

While many lace styles keep it as an accent, this style from Fiore Couture makes the lace the stand-out feature of the wedding gown. With layers of lace creating a gorgeous full skirt, lace sleeves, and a lace illusion neckline, this dress is for the true lover of beatiful and delicate patterns.

Of course, these three gowns are just a few of the many great lace looks that are available to Arizona brides. To find the lace wedding gown that is perfect for you, come by our Gilbert bridal salon today!

Shorter Wedding Dress Styles to Wear This Summer

Summer weddings are a time to have a bit of fun, and a shorter style of gown is a great choice. With a flirty edge, these styles are perfect for both casual and some formal Arizona weddings.

Tea-length gowns, like this dress by Ellis Bridal, are great for less formal weddings. It would match perfectly with a garden wedding, too.

If you want something a bit longer, consider a wedding gown like this one from Sincerity Bridal. With a mid-calf length, it is a bit more formal than the tea-length dress, but still has a bit of a fun touch to it. With floral details on the bodice, it’s an excellent choice for summer themes that draw on nature for their inspiration.

Just grazing the ankle, Justin Alexander’s shorter-length gown offers a nice alternative to a traditional full-length gown. It still gives you full leg coverage, but has a sense of fun to it. It’s also great for showing off a special pair of shoes!

If you want the fun of a shorter gown, but still want a longer train, consider a high-low hem dress like this Maggie Sottero gown. Its raised front hem lets you show off your legs, while the long back hem keeps it right for more formal settings. It is a stand-out style that is gaining in popularity, too.

To find out more about these and other shorter wedding dress lengths for your Arizona wedding, come by our Gilbert bridal boutique today!

Avoid Wedding Dress Mishaps With These Tips

Accidents on your wedding day can never be avoided. The best way to deal with them, however, is to be prepared for possible accidents particularly on your wedding dress. Here are some tips on how to be prepared for the common wedding dress accidents:

Red Wine Stain on Your Gown

One way to easily remove stain on most wedding dress materials is to use a stain-removal wipe. The best advice to use is to fix the problem quickly so that it can be removed completely.

Ripped Hem

If you don’t have time to sew the ripped part of your hem back to the dress, you can stick the torn hem in place with the use of double-sided fabric tape. Other options include masking tape or gaffer’s tape. 

You Feel Dizzy

While you’re at the altar, you might experience feeling dizzy or light-headed. This may be from a number of reasons such as wedding jitters or from standing a long time wearing heels. The best way to avoid this is to eat a healthy breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, fruit, and toast. Also, make sure to drink lots of water so that you do not feel faint.

Before your wedding day, make sure that you have prepared your own emergency kit so that you can easily get rid of the common wedding day mishaps. Here are some items that you should include in the kit:

• Stain removal wipes
• Hairspray
• Baby powder
• Double stick fabric tape
• Scissors
• Moleskin
• Breath mints
• Superglue
• Straw
• Ibuprofen
• Clear nail polish
• Mini sewing kit
• Tissue

By having an emergency kit prepared on the side, you can easily take care of these common wedding day mishaps that may occur anytime. If you’re still looking for your wedding dress, feel free to go through our collection to find a dress that may be perfect for your big day.

Wedding Dress Tips for Petite Frames

Despite the number of dresses available, it is common for petite women to have some struggle in finding the perfect wedding dress to wear for their big day. During fittings, these women normally find fault at the dress and see that it is not a suitable option for their body frame. If this is something that you are struggling with, know that you are not alone. There are plenty of other petite women dealing with the issue. To help you find the right dress, here are some suggestions:

• If you have a curvy body, go for a dress that wraps in the front. This will emphasize your body’s best features. The draping length will also add in some height to your look, even if you’re not yet wearing heels.
• Avoid halter neckline dress styles if you have a large bust and small waist. Doing so will enhance your upper body significantly and make you look shorter than you are. Instead, go for a strapless dress or one that has light straps.
• Skip the corset + skirt combination. This ensemble will cut your figure in half and will enhance your short waist area.
• Empire line dresses are perfect for petite frames. This is because the cut draws attention upward and will appear taller on you. Having thin spaghetti straps is the best way to go for this style.
• If you would like to have a ‘princess’ look for your wedding, you can go for an A-line cut dress. With the right bodice size, you can make your look stand out and look like a princess!

No matter how tall or petite you are, you have to make sure that you pick out the perfect wedding dress for your frame. This way, you can look great and even feel more confident than before. Browse through our collection today for some dress options you may like.

Why You Should Go for a Retro Wedding Dress

Nowadays, there are plenty of different designs of wedding dresses that bride-to-bes can choose from. If you are thinking of going for a retro wedding dress, it is important that you pick out the right style carefully. Since there are plenty of brides who opt for a similar theme for their wedding dress, you need to know some basic things to help you pick out a retro wedding dress.

Why should you go for a retro wedding dress? The first reason why you should opt for a retro style dress is because it will enable you to have a personalized selection. Considering these dresses have history in them, you will be able to choose one that is unique.

Another reason why you should opt for a retro wedding dress is because the dressmakers of these years paid a lot of attention to the details of each dress. They made sure each detail of the dress has been carefully taken care of—the lace, pearl embellishments, and every single button.

Finally, retro designed wedding dresses never go out of style. If you are looking for a wedding dress with a timeless design, you should go for a retro themed dress. This is the best way you can make your wedding dress stand out. You will get the most out of your wedding day when you go for a retro themed dress.

If you are looking for a retro wedding dress, make sure you go through our collection to check out our available options.

Snooki Says that It's Time to Get Married

The reality star has decided that it's time to get a move on with her wedding plans.  Jersey Shore star Nicole Polizzi, aka Snooki, posted on Instagram this week a photo captioned "Got my little notebook, starting to plan my wedding today." 

Photo courtesy of BossChicks

Back in early 2012 she and boyfriend Jionni LaValle got engaged but they put their plans on hold until after she gave birth to her son, Lorenzo Dominic. 

We aren't sure if the two are really moving forward or not but we do have some great wedding gown ideas for her if she does.  Do you think she'll choose a traditional white gown or something a little more off the beaten path?  After all, she did pick out leopard print bridesmaid dresses already.

Are you still looking for your wedding gown for your Gilbert wedding?  We have it at Suzanne's Bridal Boutique.  Come check out our large selection of bridal designer gowns.

Finding a Gown as an Older Bride

Searching for your perfect wedding dress can be fun, but for many brides it can also be stressful. If you’re an older bride, you might not feel like you can wear some styles of gown. However, whatever your age, there is an ideal gown for you.

The main thing to think about is what you find comfortable and beautiful. If you really love a particular style of wedding gown, there’s nothing to stop you from wearing it. There are no etiquette or style 

rules that put age limits on wedding gown styles!

If you don’t feel like wearing a big white gown is right for you as an older bride, you don’t need to wear one. Instead, you can wear an evening gown in another color, or even a bridal suit.

Before you make any decision about what you should or shouldn’t wear for your wedding day, you should come to an excellent Arizona bridal salon. At Suzanne’s Bridal Boutique, our experts can help you find the perfect wedding style for you. Give us a call or come by our Gilbert salon today!

How to Get a Rustic Glam Look for Your Wedding

Rustic style weddings are a huge trend, but do you know how to get the perfect dress for this type of wedding? Follow our tips and you’ll have the perfect rustic glam style on your big day.

• Lace: Lace is the perfect fabric for a rustic style, and can be used in many different ways. A rough-edged style is wonderful for a very rustic or vintage look, but even a find lace overlay can give you a great touch of rustic.
• Color: Rustic glam is another theme that’s best done without pure white. Off-whites give a great antique feel that fits perfectly with the rustic theme.
• Floral: Floral touches are great for a rustic gown. Whether part of a lace design, or as embellishments, look for soft floral additions to a gown’s design. Anything that brings to mind wildflowers is perfect for a rustic look.

Finding the perfect dress for your rustic wedding is easy when you shop at an excellent Arizona dress shop. To find out more about rustic wedding gowns, come by our Gilbert bridal salon today!

What to Wear as a Wedding Guest

Planning a wedding can be a challenge, but when you also need to figure out what to wear as a wedding guest, it can be a real struggle. You might be more concerned with your own big day, and that's understandable. This doesn't mean you shouldn't put in the most effort possible to find the perfect style for your time as a wedding guest, though!

When you're a bride-to-be yourself, you know how important it is that the guests come dressed appropriately. You know that you want to be the focal point, and that you also don't want guests getting mistaken for members of the wedding party. You want your guests to dress according to the style of attire you've requested in your invitation.

As a guest, keep all of this in mind. Pay attention to what the couple have requested and stick to it. If they haven't specified in the invitation, don't be afraid to ask, too. Stick to the old etiquette rules about not wearing white and dressing for the type of event, and you should be fine.

Of course, if you're still at a loss, ask our expert dress advisers. They can help you whether you're choosing your wedding dress or need help finding the perfect style to wear as a guest. To find out more, give us a call or come by our Gilbert dress shop!

Should You Choose Your Dress Before Getting Engaged?

There's a big trend among brides to be -- shopping for the wedding dress before getting engaged. The trend has been defended in the New York Times and Glamour magazine, and a recent survey showed 11 percent of single women have chosen their wedding dress!

Choosing the perfect wedding dress is something that is completely down to you as the bride. Many women feel that having the dress picked out (or even purchased -- of those who have chosen the dress, over a third have also already bought it!) is something that can be done early. They know what they want to wear, and that won't change whoever the groom is or whenever the wedding is.

Of course, those sticking to tradition do have some bonuses, too. Choosing the wedding dress after engagement allows you to have it fit into the rest of your wedding planning. If you're opting for a relaxed wedding in the summer, that long-sleeved very formal gown you've been eyeing might not be appropriate. It's also something special that you can share with bridesmaids, your mom, and other important people in your life.

Whether you shop early or shop in a more traditional way, the key to finding the perfect dress is always finding an excellent Arizona bridal shop. To find out what we have to offer, get in touch today!

A Perfect Elopement Dress

Are you planning on getting away from it all and eloping? You'll still need to find the perfect dress for the occasion!

For your wedding day, you'll want something special. For an elopement, you don't need to stick to tradition, but you should still go with something that sets the day apart. This is why it can still be a great idea to find your dress at a bridal boutique in Arizona before you head off.

If you're going any distance for your elopement, you'll want to look for a dress that is easy to pack. When you go dress shopping, find styles that are made for destination weddings, or that will be easy to transport without damaging.

You don't need to go traditional for your elopement wedding. Consider styles or colors you might not think of for a standard big wedding at home. The important thing is that you find a dress you love and that you'll really feel like a bride when you wear.

To find the perfect dress for your elopement, or for any wedding, come by Suzanne's! Our Arizona bridal shop offers a great selection and expert help, so get in touch today!

Lauren Parsekian and Aaron Paul Go Traditional

With a French masquerade theme and a fabulous Malibu, California, venue, it wouldn't have been surprising for Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul and activist Lauren Parsekian to choose a non-traditional style for their nuptials. However, the couple opted for a very traditional attire on their big day.

Aaron and his groomsmen all wore traditional tuxedos, with Aaron wearing a custom bow tie, too. Lauren's bridesmaids were dressed in vanilla chiffon gowns. The bride herself wore a stunning ballgown style white wedding dress.

Lauren's traditional gown really was the focus of the day. The dress, by Kenneth Pool, was a lace and tulle ballgown with floral accents. Its corset style bodice was paired with a full skirt, and the whole thing looked perfect on Lauren's petite figure.

Of course, there are many different traditional styles that are perfect for any figure. If you want to find the perfect traditional or ballgown style for your Arizona wedding, give us a call today!