A New Way to “Preserve” Your Wedding Dress
Here’s a new way to preserve your wedding dress – and it’s not in a box under your bed. Rather, it is a gorgeous textured painting to a hang on your wall. Bethany Thomas, owner and artist of Commemory® Fine Art, creates custom paintings of wedding dresses that feature a bride’s unique style and personality. Bethany uses texture to create interest and will include words or sayings that are meaningful to that couple. A beautiful love story hanging on your wall. I love this idea for our consignors! While you might be passing your gown on to another bride, you will still be able to cherish it and see it every day. Of course it is also perfect for our brides-to-be! Maybe a special gift from the mother-of-the-bride?
Bethany recently sent us a sample of her work which I have for viewing in our showroom. It’s Kitty Chen’s “Daisy” gown. Isn’t she beautiful….
All Bethany needs are photos of your dress, the colors of your wedding, and personal elements that you may want to incorporate – like the style of your wedding invitation, your vows or lyrics from your first dance. Paintings start at $400 for a 12”x12” – the perfect size to place on an entry or bedside table. I have a few $50 gift certificates which I’m happy to mail to you! Just email julie@encorebridal.com
See more examples and learn about Bethany’s process here – bethany-thomas.com
10 Tips for Successful Thrift Store Shopping
Recently Rachel and her girlfriends spent a few days in San Francisco. Nearly every day they shopped and nearly every day they came back with fantastic finds. Not only were they fashionable, they were CHEAP - boots for $16, shirts for $3 and pants for $5. Brides-to-be could purchase all of their wedding related outfits (engagement party, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner) for under$50! I couldn’t believe it! I asked her to please share her thrift store shopping secrets with us. Here’s the scoop…
Photo from secretpocketblog.com
Rachel’s 10 Tips for Successful “Thrifting”
1. Bring Cash. Although some chain or larger thrift do accept credit cards, cash is always accepted.
2. Set a Spending Limit. Sometimes it is easy to get carried away if you hit a vintage jackpot. However, if you’re “thrifting” you are probably trying to save some money.
3. Be comfortable. Wear clothes and shoes that are comfortable to be in and easily removable. This way, items are less of a fuss to try on and aching feet from your cute heels doesn’t cut your trip short. My “go to thrifting” outfit consists of: leggings, tunic, flats, cross body bag, and if necessary a light jacket.
4. Be creative. Like a normal boutique, items will not be nicely merchandised for you, showing you how to wear them. Use your own style instincts to transform an item from the 80′s into a modern chic outfit.
5. Be patient. Depending on the size and clutter, thrift stores can be overwhelming. You have to really search to find items you like. You may hit the jackpot or you may leave with nothing. Don’t get frustrated, it is a process.
6. Be smart. Have a game plan. Know which thrift stores in the area you would like to visit. Decide what you are looking for, if anything, before you start your thrift adventure. This will help you stay focused when you shop.
7. Be understanding. Know what you are getting into. These stores may be busy with people and children or may not be as clean as your normal retail store. Be ready to wash the clothes you buy and be okay with the less than pearly accommodations.
8. Be selective. Not everyone is cut out for the thrifting game. Be choosey on who you decided to take with you. Someone who is not on the same page as you are may end up distracting you or cutting your trip short.
9. Be generous. If planning to go on a big thrifting spree, go through your closet before hand. This way you can donate clothes when you visit the stores while also making room for your new finds.
10. Have fun!
San Francisco has some of the best thrift stores I have ever visited. My best friend and I spend a day down in the Mission District and came home with almost more goodies than we could carry.
Below are just some of our finds accompanied with one of the ways we have recently chosen to style them.
Red Blazer – $5.99
Polka Dot Jacket – $3.25
Monochromatic Wrap – $3.95
Red Polka Dot Dress – $7.99
Floral Tea Length Dress – $5.00
Red Long Sleeve Dress – $2.99
Black Maxi Skirt – $2.95
Cheetah Maxi Skirt- $4.95
San Francisco Stores
Thrift Town - 2101 Mission Street
Mission Thrift – 2330 Mission Street
Goodwill- 1580 Mission Street
Goodwill- 2279 Mission Street
Salvation Army- 1550 Valencia Street
Los Angeles Store Favorites
Goodwill – 4575 Hollywoood Blvd. Los Angeles
Vincent De Paul – 210 N Ave 21 Los Angeles
American Thrift – 3226 West Magnolia Blvd. Burbank
Rose Bowl Flea Market – 1001 Rose Bowl Dr. Pasadena
Happy Thrifting!
Earth “Month” Feature – Recycled Plantable Wedding Invitations
Earth Day isn’t until April 22nd, but as per usual, Encore Bridal will be celebrating all month long. Expect tips this month on how engaged couples can give back, show love to, and “save” this beautiful planet of ours.
We recently discovered an online stationery shop, Forever Fiances. What we absolutely love about them is that they offer Save The Date cards and invitations made of 100% recycled plantable materials. Send your guests a card and they can grow wildflowers and herbs (like oregano and thyme).
They have several designs to choose from, or you can send them your own custom design and they will print it for you on their papers. As a bonus their paper is made in the USA, 100% recycled, and created with carbon neutral energy (wind energy!) Not only is Forever Fiances eco-friendly, but they also give 1% of its revenues to several non-profit organizations supporting environmental causes, like charitywater.org. Here are some of our favorites from their collection…
Dress of the Week- The “Texture” Edition
We’re swooning over the textured skirt and ruched bodice of Amsale’s “Bijou” – this week’s dress. Photos of “Bijou” on a “real bride” and a message from the seller are below. We’d love to hear what you think! AND – receive 10% off our dress of the week until 2/19/12.
“When my fiancée and I got engaged on Valentine’s Day, my girlfriends in New York insisted that I come to them to shop for dresses in the city. I had no idea what I was looking for, but we went to Amsale on Madison Avenue and the second we walked in the door, I started to get excited. These were by far the most beautiful dresses we had seen. I wasn’t sure exactly what style I wanted in a dress, but when I saw the “Bijou”, I knew it was the dress for me. From the very flattering sweetheart neckline, to the shorter train and lightweight feel of the dress, it was something that I knew would look fabulous in pictures and would be a dress that I would be happy to wear all day long. I’d never felt so beautiful. Our wedding was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and while this dress looks like it belongs on the runways in Paris, it worked perfectly for our wedding in Jackson Hole too. It was such a fun dress to wear, and I still get compliments on the dress from people at the wedding and people who see our pictures. I am so happy with my choice.”
From Amsale Aberra’s Blue Label Collection comes “Bijou” a soft silk taffeta ball gown. “Bijou’s” flattering ruched bodice flows into a multidimensional full skirt adorned with hand-made taffeta and organza flowers. It is sure to surprise and delight your groom and guests. Only a select number of gowns are chosen each year for the Blue Label Collection. These gowns are more complex in their construction, requiring more involved work and higher utilization of finer fabrics. Each gown is created individually and carries a signature blue label with the AMSALE ABERRA logo. Our gown is complete with a bustle and a blue bow sewn in the interior bodice for your “something blue”.
Amsale “Bijou” can be found in our e-Boutique along with accessories to finish your bridal look:
Receive 10% off Amsale “Bijou” until 2/19/12 – contact julie@encorebridal.com
7 Creative Uses for Your Mom’s Wedding Dress
I was inspired by a conversation I had with Becky Tanenbaum who works for J.Sheer. We were talking about all things wedding dress when we began discussing ways that brides can incorporate their mom’s wedding dress into their wedding day, without actually wearing it. If you’re like a lot of brides, you love the sentimentality of your mother’s dress, but don’t necessarily want to wear it down the aisle. If she’s ok with you cutting and using pieces of it, here are 7 creative ways to incorporate her dress into your wedding…
1. Wrap a remnant of your mom’s gown around your bouquet-
2. Use the lace or fabric as your veil edging-
3. Use embellishments or fabric to create a custom garter-
4. Or a sash-
5. Or a bolero jacket-
6. Use the fabric to create a Chuppah-
7. Use the fabric to create a stole for your priest to wear-
I bet you could come up with some other creative ideas and I’d love to hear them! Please comment to share them!
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