Your Inner Bride

Every bride has a look they have in mind for their long walk down the aisle. Whether it be soft and romantic or fun and quirky, The Knot has created this super cool tool brides can use to create their, "inner bride". With customizable settings such as eye color, hair style and of course bridal gown and accessories, the options are endless!

Even though I'm not engaged I couldn't resist logging on and creating an avatar of my own! This is what I came up with...

Bridal Shoes

Okay, so you have the dress, you have the awesome hair piece, you have your beautiful jewelry, what comes next? Some brides don't think about their shoes until everything else is taken care of, but your bridal shoes are very important. You don't want to skimp on your shoes. It is so important to not only find cute shoes, but you should consider comfort as well. You don't want your feet screaming at you on your wedding day.

At Solutions Bridal Designer House, we have plenty of choices for bridal shoes. We have incredible shoes made by Angela Nuran, that are not only super cute, they are amazingly comfortable too! We have endless options from Grace Shoes, Grazia, Touch Ups, and more. We also have some amazingly stylish shoes by Badgley Mischka.



Enjoy!

~Solutions Bridal

Who Should You Bring To Your Bridal Appointment?

No bride wants to feel the stress that the bride pictured above is showing. Your wedding and all of the planning should be a fun process. It wouldn't be realistic to say that the whole process should be stress free, but there are parts of the process that you should just enjoy!

Picking out your wedding gown should be one of the most exciting and fun experiences in the whole wedding planning process. A lot of brides struggle with trying to figure out who to bring to their bridal appointments. Brides sometimes want to bring all of their close girlfriends in order to include everyone and get all of her best friends opinions. Other brides, feel obligated to bring along several opinions, but in reality they want the dress they want!

My best advice for who you should bring to your bridal appointment is the person who you are absolutely closest to. Whether is be your mom, your best friend, your sibling, or whoever, bring the person that you love and trust the most.

If you feel like you need more than just mom or best friends advice or opinion, bring along a few of your best friends. At Solutions Bridal, we love when our brides come with just mom and a close friend. That way, each bride has the chance to get pampered and pick the gown that SHE truly loves and feels amazing in.

As a bride, if you feel like you need to bring more of your friends along, that is completely fine, just be sure that you know that ultimately, your choice is what matters! Be confident and know that your bridal appointment should be a super fun and exciting time. Don't let anyone else take that from you!

~Solutions Bridal

Accessories That Sparkle For Your Big Day

Aside from accessorizing with shoes, belts, and hairpieces, the perfect addition to tie everything together can be your jewelry. Whether your statement piece is your beautiful cuff bracelet, or your dangling and sparkling earrings, your jewelry can really wow! your guests.

Wedding jewelry is another fun way to make your bridal attendants feel extra special. Giving your bridesmaids a fantastic pair of earrings is a great way to show your appreciation to them for their great friendship. Another fun idea is to create a special look that you wear, your mom wears, and your grandmother wears. I did this for my wedding and it was so special. My mom and I went to a bead store and created bracelets that all were very similar in style and I gave them their bracelets on the wedding day to wear. It is sentimental and makes the receiver of the gift feel extra special.



You can wear pearls, diamonds, whatever you would like, and you will shine with beauty because it's your wedding day! I think less is often more with bridal jewelry, but whichever route you choose, bridal jewelry is the perfect icing on the cake for a beautiful wedding day look! Solutions Bridal Designer House has tons of wonderful options that we provide our brides on a daily basis. Come on in and check them out!

~Solutions Bridal

Gotta Love Martha

The Queen Bee herself always has the best ideas for entertaining! While skimming through marthastewartweddings.com I couldn't help but share these wonderful projects that might one day save you from a wedding decor dilemma.

Tea cups and cafe mugs are a beautiful alternative to your Grandmother's vase.

No linen? No problem. Bold patterned wrapping paper does the job and looks fabulous!

A family photo wall is a touching way to remember loved ones who are unable to attend the celebration.

Wedding Dress Alterations by Holly Smith

Tears of Joy Seamstress Services is the in-house seamstress used at Solutions Bridal Designer House. It is important to know everything you need to know about alterations for your bridal gown.

You should schedule your first fitting for your wedding dress about 6 to 8 weeks before your wedding and shoes are a must. If you have not found the shoes you are going to wear on your wedding day, then you need to have a shoe with the same heel height so you can get an accurate measurement on your hem. If you decide to change shoes to a different height, whether it be shorter or taller, you must let your seamstress know, because it can make the difference in having a dress too short or one that you will trip and fall on the day of your wedding.

When it comes to whether or not you should wear a bra, one suggestion I can make is that if you are a C cup or bigger, then a bra would be helpful. Some wedding dresses have a built in corset and a bra is not needed. But for a full bust line, the correct fitting bra will give you lift and a good profile. For brides who are looking for a more full figure profile, having padded cups sewn in is a quick and inexpensive solution.

Depending on the style of dress, wearing an extra petticoat or crinoline can give you a fuller skirt. It may also alleviate the need for a hem adjustment if it is less than an inch too long of if the hem is one that can't be altered because of a lace edge or beading that will all come apart when altered. You also need to get your weight as stable as possible. A drop or gain of more than 10 pounds will result in a major change in how your dress fits and will end up costing you more in alterations for numerous changes. Also remember that if your dress is very fragile and if it needs to be let out, stitching lines or creases from pressing may show.

Usually it takes 2 fittings when having your wedding dress altered. At the first fitting, your seamstress will pin your dress as needed to be taken in and talk to you about how you want your dress to fit. Please speak up with any concerns or suggestions you may have, or if you wish to add anything to your dress such as straps, trim, or cap sleeves. For strapless dresses, one important component in having your dress sit properly on you is to install an inside belt. This may need to be added to the waist of your dress before an accurate measurement can be taken of your hem. Also your seamstress will talk to you about what type of bustle will look best for your dress. Whether you chose a French or Traditional bustle, it should compliment the look and style of your dress.

Alterations will then be made to your dress and a second fitting will be required. The amount of fittings needed will be determined by the amount of alterations required. Your seamstress may wait to alter the hem until after your dress has been refitted and is sitting on you properly. If at all possible, bring someone with you to your last fitting. Your seamstress will want to teach you and whoever is with you how to get into your dress, how to do up the bustle, and care instructions for your dress until your wedding day. Your dress should be pressed and ready for you to take home.

Lastly, the cost of alterations average anywhere between $300-$500, but will ultimately be determined by the amount of work you have done to your gown and by how much time it takes. Your seamstress should be able to give you an estimate of the cost after your first fitting.

Datz What I'm Talking About!

As a Tampa resident I can officially say that I'm obsessed with the local South Tampa foodie market and loft bar, Datz Delicatessen. Not only do they have an amazing wine and beer menu, tons of yummy sweets made in-house by their pastry chef, and the best (and biggest) sandwiches you've ever had.... but now their catering big events! Big as in your engagement party, bridal shower and wedding!

Most locals recognize Datz for their creatively named sandwiches and homemade chips with the blue cheese drizzle. Not that you can't order tons of deli items for an event, but now you can order whatever kind of cuisine your heart desires with a completely customized menu. From roasted vegetables and couscous to smoked salmon with pickled cucumbers, the options are endless and their team is more than happy to help create a unique menu for your event.