Hairpieces For Your Big Day

Some brides find the perfect dress and the perfect veil, but they are searching for that extra piece to really put the icing on the cake. A hot trend that we are seeing more and more is that brides are taking off the veil after the ceremony and putting a fun hairpiece in for pictures and the reception.

At Solutions Bridal we have so many beautiful hairpieces that are perfect just for this. We have hair pins that can be put in and incorporated into the hairstyle to add a little extra sparkle. We also have great feather hairpiece and flower pieces that make beautiful statements for your wedding day!

Hairpieces are also a great alternative for the brides that don't really want to wear a veil. They can still carry on the veil tradition by wearing something in their hair, and yet it is a new and unique option!

Visit Solutions Bridal to see all of the wonderful options that we have for all of you blushing brides that love hairpieces!

~Solutions Bridal

The Difference Between Plum Raisin & Sugar Plum

Pantone Colors: Plum Raisin & Sugar Plum

Great news for brides that can seriously tell the difference between two shades of plum! Pantone has partnered with the bridesmaid dress designer, The Dessy Group, to provide a color guide that can be used to plan the perfect color pallet for your wedding. Whether you're a "Victorian Lilac" or a "Cherry" bride, Pantone has the perfect color for you!

Pearls, Pearls, and More Pearls by Meg Surrell

I’m just going to come right out and say it. Loud and proud. I’m not ashamed. I LOVE PEARLS! I love them. They are to me, classic, timeless and pretty much look amazing with any outfit. Not many people know about the culturing process or how it got started, or even what a cultured pearls is. So I took it upon myself to inform you brides (and anyone else who is reading this blog) about the amazing world of pearls. So sit back, relax and enjoy the reading!

Pearl diving first began centuries ago when divers would dive down to the bottom of the ocean and grab handful’s of mollusks, put them into a bucket, and bring it up to the boat. Needless to say, they became frustrated easily when no pearls were found. Why you ask?!(Because I am sure you are) That is because there is only a 1 in 10,000 chance of finding a natural pearl in the open waters. And that is when the culturing process started.

The culturing process is very interesting and intriguing. They take a perfectly round shell and surgically insert it into the oyster at a very young age. (need not worry, it does not hurt the oyster, they barely feel it.) The oyster builds up its defense mechanism, known as nacre, and it hardens and crystalizes, hardens and crystalizes, and over time it becomes a pearl. It takes anywhere from 2-4 years to fully form a pearl.

The Akoya pearl is one of the most popular and well known pearl. The Akoya pearl can be found in stores like Tiffany’s and Cartier. The Akoya pearls are cultured in the South Sea’s of Japan and are perfectly spherical in shape. They are also known for their natural luster (the shiny part of the pearl, it’s just a fancy way of saying shine).

Pearls are not just for girls though. (Yes, loud gasp) In Ancient Roman times, Men would wear strands of pearls to protect them. Also, when pearl diving first began it was thought that women had a stronger heart and lungs than men. Kinda interesting…

So ladies and gentleman, that is my little lesson to you. I hope you enjoyed it. Here are some AMAZING pictures from one of our designers at Solutions Bridal. Paris, uses Swarovski glass pearls. Everything is handmade in The United States and is a wonderful company! I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as me!!

How To Make Your Dress Uniquely You

More often than not, I have seen that when a girl gets engaged, she typically has other friends who are engaged too or friends who are already married. With this being said, I get the feeling that these girls probably really want their wedding to be unique to who they are and different than their friends.

There are so many ways to make your wedding your very own. From picking the floral arrangements, the cake flavors, and deciding on favors, you can really make your wedding unique. The thing that we find most important is making our brides feel special in their gown. Of course there are gowns that have been worn by many other brides, but that doesn't mean that it can't look completely different from one bride to the next.

At Solutions Bridal Designer House, we make it our job to help each bride feel beautiful and we do our best to help them create the wedding look they really want. In a single day, we could have two brides walk in and buy the same gown, but the things that we add to each dress will be different based on the bride.

Some girls may love all lace wedding gowns. If two girls buy the same Rivini lace gown, we may put a beautiful beaded belt on one girl who really wants something extra, but on the other girl we may put a beautiful feather headpiece in her hair that fits her style.

Based on my own experience, I know that girls don't want to feel like they are copying their friends ideas or doing anything that resembles what someone else did. My greatest advice when dress shopping is to know that no matter what, each bride will positively look different in each dress. Don't be afraid to add something extra or do a custom change in order to make your gown unique to who you are!




~Solutions Bridal

Bridal Wedges

I'm such a shoe girl, believe me! But finding the perfect pair for your big day can be a daunting task if the setting is on the beach or in the grass. A happy medium? Wedges. Here are a few pairs I would wear down the aisle:

The Tradition of the Veil

Wedding veils are typically a big part of most weddings. A lot of brides wear a veil because they love incorporating more into their overall look, but what some brides may not know is the tradition behind the veil. I have read article after article about wedding traditions and how to incorporate old traditions in a now-a-day wedding. The veil is the perfect accessory for adding an old tradition to your wedding.

The veil dates back to ancient Greeks and Romans. Due to the fact that grooms were fearful of evil spirits and demons, they had their brides cover themselves to protect them from these evil spirits. The Roman brides often wore all red veils to keep away the evil spirits. Because brides could not see through these brightly colored veils, the white veils were created.

For arranged marriages, the veil was used to shield the bride's face from her groom-to-be until he lifted the veil and they were married.

The tradition of the veil has continued and changed over the years. The veil went from being used for protection to being used as a sign of chastity and submission of women. Lace veils were an American created tradition, which I find very interesting and fun!

Today veils are worn mostly as an accessory for the bride and to keep with the tradition that has carried on for centuries. There are many options for veils such as, blushers, fingertip, elbow, cathedral, and chapel length veils. There is also a mantilla veil with a big band of lace going all the way around it which is a big Spanish tradition. The picture above is an Erin Cole blusher veil.

We love helping our brides find the perfect veil to complete their overall wedding day look! At Solutions Bridal we have all sorts of beautiful veils that will help you create your look and carry on tradition!

~Solutions Bridal

Baubles

Engagements are fabulous! Think about it... not only do most girls hear those special words, "Will you marry me?" and hear a laundry list of why their guy loves them, but you actually get to walk away with a beautiful (and hopefully just your style) diamond ring. What could be better!? Here are some style I love and think will look stunning on any bride to be and some tips (hint, hint boys!) on where to buy:

1.) David Yurman. Who isn't in love with their chunky settings and cable design? Bet you didn't know they have a bridal line... love!



2.) Etsy. Homemade goodness. Etsy is one of the reasons I don't get enough sleep... girls if you don't already shop Etsy then I'm sorry ahead of time for any late nights you may have :)



3.) Sams Club. I LOVE a good deal... and Sam's Club has fab rings at fab prices.



4.) Blue Nile. Custom is always a good idea for any girl that has a unique style and is far from ordinary. Here you can choose the setting, the stone, and voila!



I would love to see pictures of your engagement rings and hear how he popped the question. Not engaged yet? No problem! Girls always know what they want when it comes to diamonds... send me a picture of your dream engagement ring to Heather@stylishtraditions.com.