Year in Review: Wedding Dresses

Another year of beautiful brides....and another year of gorgeous dresses! The dress is one of my favorite parts of a wedding, and this year we had some absolutely jaw dropping gowns! Here are some fabulous dress shots from some of our '11 brides, provided by an array of amazing photographers!

Liz

Photo by Becky's Photography

 

Casey

Photo by Ty Photography

Brittany

Photo by Studio Blue

Emily

Photo by Brooks Photography

Stacey

Photo by Steve Mastroianni

Jessica

Dress by A Bride's Design

Photo by EM's Event Photography

My favorite dress of the year was one of our July brides, Adrienne.
Photos by Danielle Luc Photography

And here's the detail from the back...
Photo by Danielle Luc Photography

And the always amazing black & white gown shot....
Photo by Danielle Luc Photography

We've shown the dresses, so naturally the next post has to be....
the SHOES! :)

Year in Review: Cake

I'm not sure if it's all the sweet treats around for the holidays, or if it's the fact that I've just finished pinning a ton of wedding cake photos on Pinterest, but I have cake on the brain today! So, this post is all about cake! We're reviewing our year now that it's winding down...and what better place to start than with the cake?

Local Events:

Gingerbread Lane at Tower City

Nov 25 - Dec 24

The Art of the Cake

 Jan 21-22, 2012

White Flower Shoppe Cake Classes

 Several January dates

Our Favorite Cakes of 2011

We took a look at all of our weddings and events from 2011 and selected our faves! Cupcakes were definitely a prominent trend this year, but the classic tiered white wedding cake is still a favorite with the brides. We tasted all of these wonderful cakes too, and we were able to come up with our two favorite flavors of the year!

 Photo by Crystal Nowak

Photo by Becky's Photography

Photo by Studio Blue

Photo by Danielle Luc Photography

Photo by BCR Studios

Photo by Steven Mastroianni

Photo by EM's Event Photography

Photo by EM's Event Photography

Photo by Linda's Lenses Photography

Photo by EM's Event Photography

Cakes by:

About the Cake

Corbo's Bakery

Cupid Cupcakery

Create-A-Cake

I Do Cakes

Piece of Cake

Nancy Schaner

Favorite Flavors of the Year

French Toast from About the Cake

Cassata Cake from Corbo's Bakery

Wedding Dress & Alteration Questions Answered

Answers to frequently asked wedding dress and alteration questions by Laura from A Bride's Design. Photos by EM's Event Photography.

1. When should I get my dress altered?

About two months prior to your wedding date is best. This period of time is perfect for 2-3 fittings, and at this point weight fluctuation is minimal so the bride avoids a re-alteration.

2. Should I leave my dress in the dress bag or let it breathe?

It is best to leave the dress in its bag in a dark room until a few days before the wedding. After your final fitting, when the dress has been pressed, it should be hung up outside of the bag so it doesn't wrinkle and crease.

3. Should I order a size bigger than my normal dress size?

No. Every size chart runs differently. It is best to purchase based on your measurements. If there are inconsistencies, you should generally choose the dress that fits your largest measurement. However, this depends somewhat on the style of gown. An a-line dress for instance, is more forgiving in the hips. Therefore if your hip measurement doesn't exactly correspond, the dress will likely still fit if the other measurements are true to size.

See the full post at A Bride's Design

See Laura's designs at LauraLynnCollection.com

Vendor Spotlight :: Catherine's Chocolates

I stumbled upon chocolate heaven last week. :) 

I've driven by Catherine's Chocolates in Avon countless times, and every time I told myself I'd stop next time I came by. Finally, I got the opportunity to stop in last week because of the bridal show. I even took a tour of the place and got to see a bit of the "behind the scenes" details. There are so many different and creative chocolates, plus so many other cute gifts to browse through. Stop in and see them at 36718 Detroit Road in Avon.

 

Since Easter is coming right up, of course the place was decked from floor to ceiling with adorable Easter decor. Oh, and the Easter candy.....there aren't even words to describe! I'll let the pictures do the talking....

Here's a photo of the chocolate station Catherine did for our bridal show (which they can do for weddings and other special events) along with some of the favors she did for the tables. My favorite is the chocolate caramel dipped apples....you have to try them!

Designer Spotlight: A Bride's Design

Last week I got the tour of A Bride's Design, a charming bridal boutique right here in Avon. It is an absolutely amazing shop that offers everything you need in one place; gowns, accessories and alterations. They are an appointment only shop, so make sure to call ahead...or have us call for you! They're having a special in February to celebrate 8 years in business...check out their blog for all the sale details!

Photos by: Becky's Photography

Owner and designer, Laura Smith, can even create custom gowns for proms or other special occasions. She has her own line of bridal gowns, The Laura Lynn Collection, and the gowns are gorgeous! Here are a few of my faves: