A Vintage Wedding Look

There are so many aspects that go into the planning and overall look for a wedding. When brides first begin the planning process, I think it's so important to decide on an overall theme or look that you would like to see for your wedding. Often times, brides go for a certain look, but they need help with ideas on how to incorporate their theme throughout all aspects of the wedding.

My very favorite wedding style and theme is vintage. I love anything and everything vintage. So how do you achieve a vintage wedding look? It's important to find the perfect starting point for you. Some brides may want to decide on their venue first, while others might want to pick their dress out first! There is no right or wrong way to go, just do whatever works best for you and go from there.

If I were choosing my venue first for a vintage wedding, I would check out all of the available venues in the area, and then I would pinpoint which one really could help support your vintage theme. For instance, if I had the choice between a big ballroom in a hotel, or a garden pavilion, I would choose the garden pavilion to help pull off my vintage look. The natural look and greenery of a garden pavilion can really help add a vintage look to your wedding.

Next I would find my perfect dress. For my own vintage style wedding, I found an amazing Rivini dress at Solutions Bridal. The gown was a tiered, full lace gown, with beautiful bead work. It screamed vintage to me because it was ivory lace and so classic and elegant. At the same time, the bead work really added some extra pizazz. When I chose my dress, I picked my veil at the same time, and my veil really created the overall vintage look for me. I wore a beautiful cage veil with a feathery flower on it and it was perfect for my look.

Next I would choose the rest of the colors for your wedding. To me, I think of pale pinks and ivory as perfect vintage colors. The classic black and white is perfect for a vintage themed wedding as well.

For the smaller details, such as favors, think vintage when picking them out. Maybe some pocket mirrors, or silk fans, or something along those lines. You want to make sure your cake, your table linens, your jewelry, your EVERYTHING! follows suit. I think you can get really creative with the vintage theme.

My best advice is to decide where you want to start, and don't be afraid to really take your vintage theme to the extreme. I would choose the perfect vintage dress and then go from there. The brides dress really sets the tone for the whole wedding. Don't be afraid to splurge and have some fun! Come see us at Solutions Bridal! We would love to help you create your vintage bridal look ;)

~Solutions Bridal

Football Season & Fall Weddings

Image Credit: http://anitagoodenphotography.com

Every year since my days of planning sorority functions I come across the same situation... keeping the guys interested in the event (and away from the hotel bar) 0n game day. I understand that not all brides are aware of sporting event schedules... believe me, I'm usually more interested in what cute outfit I found to match the colors than the actual game... but there are a few things to consider when planning your Autumn wedding.

1.) Did you and/or your fiance attend a big football school? Chances are if you're UF, Aburn, LSU, Alabama, or UGA Alum you're going to have to check the football schedule in advance, plain and simple. These big football schools have big football fans and those fans are most likely your guests! FYI- game days are top priority in the South and some might even find it offensive to plan a wedding on FL/GA weekend

2.) Are your friends and family members NFL fanatics? Plan accordingly! Even though most games aren't until 1pm on Sunday if their traveling from out of town it may become an issue.

3.) If you can't beat them, join them! Set up a flat screen tv near the center of the action at your reception. It may seem crazy but it beats half of your guests on their phones the whole time getting score updates!

Again, these are just some tips to consider and please note that these are situations I have come across as I live in the Southeast. All the Canadian brides out there can adjust to content to hockey season :)

Discovering Your Bridal Style in the Sea of White by Tali Gallo

When you first get engaged, the natural thing to do is for every newly-wed friend to hand over their collection of bridal magazines. On top of that, it’s pretty much impossible to pass by the grocery aisle without picking up The Knot, Get Married, Grace Ormond, Brides, Modern Bridal, and all the other mags filled with inspiration. Next you go home, sit on the sofa, and start flipping. You have your pink bridal book filled with magazine clippings under tabs like “Floral”, “Color”, “Bridesmaids”, and of course “Dresses.”

From there, you find your stopping point. The wedding world is filled with ideas, so many ideas you might feel lost on blogs, magazines, websites, and shows like “Say Yes to the Dress.”How do you discover what style you want on your wedding day in the sea of white?

Here are my insider tips as the Director of Solutions Bridal:

1. Stay true to your style. If you are a Banana Republic girl then look at wedding dresses by Watters Bridal. If you are the boutique girl, look into bridal gowns like Kenneth Pool and Rivini where you can customize the dress to have a one-of-a-kind look.

2. Shop with the Girls. Chances are your friends appreciate your style more than your mom does. Bring them with you. Not all of them or else your opinion will be pushed to the side lines.

3. Bring your favorite editorial clipping to your Bridal Appointment. Don’t be upset if you don’t end up loving the gown you drooled over in the magazine, it’s just an inspiration ice breaker.

4. Try on three different looks. One ballgown, one mermaid, one a-line. Once you know the fit, start looking at the detailing.

5. Trust your Stylist. At Solutions Bridal all the stylist are trained by professionals in the industry, tour wedding venues, talk daily to designers, attend Bridal Market and other events. They have seen every dress on every different body, if not they have tried it on themselves for examination. Chances are the first dress will be your gown, because they picked it to go first. Not everything is coincidence.

6. The accessories are where your vision comes together. Bridal gowns are like a blank canvas. Let’s say your theme is Vintage. Instead of wearing a gown from the 1920s that is falling apart, find a dress that fits your body. From there, add to your “white canvas” by applying a French net veil with a broach and a detachable belt with soft, feathery detailing. Chances are there is another bride out there somewhere wearing your gown, but it’s pretty much impossible for that bride to pick out the same accessories.

7. Don’t go on Bridal Beauty Overload. A classic mistake is overdoing the bridal hair and make-up. If you never wear your hair up, don’t wear it up. Your fiancé needs to know it’s you coming down the aisle. Don’t wear so much make-up that you look back in pictures and say “What was I thinking!”

8. Always remember this fashion world secret: Fashion is trendy, but style is timeless!

9. Take Risks. If you don’t try the crazy looking editorial hair piece, than you really don’t know if you don’t like it. By taking risks, you could be very pleasantly surprised and WOWED.

10. Be Confident. Once you decide on what look is for you, wear it! You will grow a deep love for your bridal style throughout your engagement as you find your hair stylist and pick complementary bridesmaid dresses. Can’t go wrong!


Behind the scenes editorial shoot from Central Florida Bride's Magazine. Courtesy of Caroline Johnson. Check out Caroline's blog here!

Turn your pictures into something FABULOUS!

Think about how cute your Bridal Shower was with all your family and friends.... or even your highly anticipated (and super fun) Bachelorette party with your girls. Hundreds of pictures were probably taken at every wedding related event and all we know what to do with pictures is upload them to Facebook!

Why not try creating your own one of a kind video set to your own music instead? I was recently introduced to Animoto, a great tool that turns pictures into a slide show video at the touch of a button.

Check out our YouTube channel, StylishTraditions where we recently uploaded the 1st video we made on Animoto! PS- Stay tuned for more to come on YouTube!

ABC Florida Regional Conference

This weekend I had the opportunity to attend the ABC Florida Regional Conference at the World Golf Village Renaissance Hotel in St. Augustine. It was so much fun! Not only did I learn tons from seasoned wedding planners Ana Cruz and Linyette Richardson-Hall, but I got to meet other planners from all over Florida.
Here are some pictures I snapped while in St. Augustine for the weekend:

My favorite centerpiece... it was for a Giddy Up Cowboy Breakfast!


My favorite.. Ana Cruz was such an inspiration!


Linnyette Richardson-Hall gave a speech on Destiny


Me with Sarah from Room Service by AFR


Me in front of the Casa Monica Hotel... looks a little like our logo!

Special thanks to the ABC Florida chapter for sending me there on scholarship... it was truly a wonderful experience!

Exciting News for Our Blog!

Fabulous news for all the brides that can't get enough dress action.... Bridal Stylist, Leah Melone, from Solutions Bridal will be writing a weekly blog, "Dress Talk" every Wednesday on our blog!

As a former Solutions girl myself, I just love the idea of getting the inside scoop on new gowns, designers and trends in the bridal world. Not only does the upscale salon carry top designers such as Kenneth Pool, Rivini and Lazaro but they're also very involved in the wedding industry.

Take a look at some of the beautiful gowns they have in the salon now:

Down the Aisle

The aisle is your runway. Seriously, it's your time to shine! Do something spectacular that gets all your guests talking about your walk down the aisle. More than just scattered rose petals, you can order specialty decor to tie in the theme of your reception.

Having an autumn orchard wedding? This beautiful handmade aisle runner features a hand painted tree.

These colorful poms can hang on rod iron posts at your outdoor ceremony.

A simple, garden wedding would be the perfect event to use these custom floral and petal cones. You can use them to hold arrangements or fill with petals to be showered as you walk down as husband and wife.