There are very few times in my life I can honestly remember being truly surprised. Usually I hassle the people I love to tell me their surprise until they finally give in or at least share a hint. However, at my first market appointment this April I had an opportunity to be truly surprised.

Elizabeth and I had enjoyed a nice breakfast with our dear friend Carrie at Sarabeth’s Kitchen. Perhaps we had enjoyed our meal a little too much and we were worried that we might be late to our first appointment. As we rang the buzzer to go up to meet with Group 868, I was very excited to see what the designers they represent had to offer. When we made it upstairs, we were greeted by some of the sweetest reps in the business (Ivan and Mindy). They helped us get comfortable, offered an array of tasty hors d’oeuvres, and started the show. I could tell both of them seemed excited, but I just figured they were really pumped to hang out with me – hahaha! Little did I know that they had quite the celebrity at my appointment to visit with me. Before we got too deep in the show, Ivan looked at me and said he had a surprise for us. I put a big smile on and asked what his surprise was…AND IN WALKED FRANCESCA MIRANDA herself! I was giddy. I acted completely like a young child and jumped out of my seat to meet her and her precious daughter. I have been in love with Francesca’s designs for a while now and it was so nice to be able to meet a true inspiration like Francesca in person. What an amazing surprise!

As much as I love Francesca, Mindy, and Ivan, I love her gowns even more (if that is even possible). They are well-made, well-designed, and innovative. They look like what you dream of when you think about what you want to wear when you first get engaged. They are young and fresh, but hold true to tradition. They are slightly indescribable and really a picture doesn’t even do them justice. This is the type of gown you must slip on and feel in person to understand. Even the models, who were probably exhausted of being in bridal gowns, were excited to have them on. They smiled ear to ear as they wore them (and trust me, that is not easy to do when you are changing a zillion times)!

I am so proud to announce that Francesca Miranda will be offered in Alabama at White Dresses Bridal Boutique. Our Huntsville bridal shop is lucky to have such an inspiring designer gracing our racks! We can’t wait until our Southern brides can slip into these gorgeous gowns!

XOXO,

Kara Leigh

When we opened our little Alabama bridal shop, we knew the most important aspect of our jobs was to provide an unparalleled experience for our brides. From the moment a bride slips on her engagement ring, she thinks about finding her wedding gown. One of the saddest things we hear from our already married friends is that they had a terrible experience finding their wedding gown. Selecting your wedding gown should be one of the most wonderful experiences of a bride’s planning — and brides should select the shop that understands that the experience continues well past the day you order your gown.

I don’t think many bridal shop owners put much thought into their designers helping to create that experience — they mostly determine that it is there job to make the day of the bride wonderful. However, we couldn’t disagree more! From the beginning, we have chosen designers who understand that they are also part of the wedding dress experience. While I truly believe all of our designers feel a special connection to our brides, I don’t know if any others showcase that connection better than our newest line — Modern Trousseau. Modern Trousseau not only brings some of the most gorgeous gowns to market each season, they also bring a devotion to create an everlasting relationship with the brides who wear their gowns.

The first conversation I had with Modern Trousseau was unlike any I have had with any other designer. Instead of talking about gowns, we talked about brides. We talked about how much we both loved getting to know our girls, how honored we were to be part of their wedding day, and how lucky we were to get to know others at a truly gleeful time in their lives. We talked about the importance of making our brides happy and how sometimes the industry feels a little jaded. We talked about the ways we stayed in touch with our brides and the stories from our own brides that had left an everlasting mark on our life. It took nearly an hour for us to even get to the topic of wedding gowns. In that initial conversation, I knew Modern Trousseau would be a perfect fit for our store.

Modern Trousseau isn’t just talk, though. They live up to their desire to create a wonderful experience for their brides. Each gown purchased of Modern Trousseau’s has the bride’s name and wedding date stitched in blue. How is that for a wonderful something blue to carry down the aisle with you?!?

Not only does Modern Trousseau provide a wonderful experience, they provide a wonderful gown. All gowns are made here in the United States with only the finest fabrics. One of our favorite things about Modern Trousseau is that the gowns are completely customizable! If you like a gown, but don’t love it – they will do whatever they need to do to turn that like into love! They desire to have unique brides who are timeless and traditional, while not being afraid to embrace new trends! We couldn’t be more honored to have Modern Trousseau join our list of lines! Check out some of their gorgeous gowns on their very own brides!

Photo by David Newkirk

Photo by Abby Liga

Photo by Rodeo & Co. Photography

Photo by Hello Studios via Ruffled Blog

]]> http://whitedressesboutique.com/news/modern-trousseau-white-dresses-boutique-huntsville-bridal-shop/feed/ 0 http://whitedressesboutique.com/news/welcome-theia-couture-to-white-dresses-boutique-alabama-bridal-shop-huntsville-bridal-shop/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=welcome-theia-couture-to-white-dresses-boutique-alabama-bridal-shop-huntsville-bridal-shop http://whitedressesboutique.com/news/welcome-theia-couture-to-white-dresses-boutique-alabama-bridal-shop-huntsville-bridal-shop/#comments Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:22:20 +0000 Ella http://whitedressesboutique.com/?p=1156 Read More...]]>

When we select new designers for our Alabama bridal shop, we always have one requirement – that they know a thing or two about the South. I don’t mean some type of fake knowledge (like viewing Steel Magnolias one time), but that they truly get Southern girls. In our opinion, to truly be able to dress a Southern bride – the designers must truly know what a Southern bride is like. That is why our newest designer was a no brainer. Mr. O’Neill knows a thing or two about dressing Southern ladies. He does, in fact, routinely dress the princess of Country Music herself, Ms. Carrie Underwood.

Theia Couture brings so much versatility to our Huntsville bridal shop – the line offers a ton of silhouettes, an endless supply of lace options, and a unique personality that none of our other brands provide. They are wonderfully made (most of the gowns have internal corsets) and they use only the finest fabrics. We already have snuck a few of these beauties into the store, but our big order was placed this April and we couldn’t be more excited! So, make sure to schedule your appointment to try on these flawless gowns at the only Alabama bridal boutique they can be found at – White Dresses! You will be happy you did!

Check out some of our favorite Theia gowns below and catch a sneak peek of the newest Theia gowns from April’s market!

XOXO,

Ella

{White Dresses blends couture bridal gowns with service drowned in Southern charm to create a bridal shopping experience that is unlike any other. The boutique offers Southern brides a carefully curated selection of exclusive couture gowns along with personal experience that ensures each bride has the attention needed to select the perfect white dress for her special day. Featured designers include Anna Maier ~ Ulla-Maija, Blush by Jim Hjelm, Chaviano Couture, Hayley Paige, Jesus Peiro, Marchesa, Palazzo by Jane White, Sareh Nouri, Stephanie Allin, and Theia Couture.}

Weeks before market was set to begin our little Alabama bridal boutique got a call from Annette Thurmon about picking up her line. While we were definitely not in the search for great new brands to bring into our shop, we fell in love with Annette and her gowns immediately. Convinced that we must make time for the line at market, we scheduled her as our final appointment on Monday and planned to visit to see the gowns in person.

There were so many things we loved about both Annette and Chaviano Couture the moment we walked into her market booth. To start it felt Southern. Not in a put on kind of way, but in a truly welcoming way. We just connected. And, while we know that Annette is not originally from her now home state of Georgia, the South definitely got a gift being able to now claim her!

Not only was Annette herself so welcomingly Southern — her gowns were perfect for our Southern brides. All seemed so delicate, sweet, and unique. They are the type of gowns that can bring age gaps together — they are the wedding gown your grandmother and you both can appreciate!

What is best about all of Annette’s gowns is that they are crafted with care. All gowns are made to measure and all gowns are completely customizable. We love this option for our brides because it allows each girl who wears one of Annette’s dresses to have completely different dress for their day.

While the gowns certainly speak for themselves and need nothing else to make them desirable, it is extra special that Annette gives 20 percent of Chaviano Couture’s proceeds to charity. In fact, the newest gown collection is named after orphan girls from Haiti — a special tribute to remind us all how much we have to be truly thankful for.

We are so excited to welcome Annette’s line into our store and to see God’s plan for the line unfold before our eyes. We are honored to work with this creative and caring designer who truly knows how much influence working in this industry can give you. Annette — thank you for selecting us as your stockist!

XOXO,

Kara Leigh, Ella, & Teresa

Photographs by Graceology Photography

This market was completely different than last October — I was traveling as the sole owner from the boutique and had one “helper” going with me (her name is Elizabeth Lyerly and she is super sweet). We left on Friday morning and were so nervous about getting to New York because our flight delayed. Normally a flight delay to me is no big deal, but I knew we had to make the Marchesa Runway show by 1 p.m. Needless to say we did NOT want to miss what Marchesa had been working on since October! When we landed, we literally ran (with our luggage in tow) to Marchesa’s show. We were so happy we did — the new collection is startling beautiful!

After Marchesa’s show, I had plenty of time to look around New York City. While we knew we were there to primarily shop for our Southern brides, we did make a quick stop into Christian Louboutin. We couldn’t resist slipping on some gorgeous shoes from our favorite shoe designer! Elizabeth found some gorgeous shoes she just couldn’t live without!

After an exhausting day of shopping, we were able to relax at the Boathouse Restaurant in Central Park. It had an amazing view and our food was absolutely delicious!

Saturday morning started out with a quick breakfast at Sara Beth’s Kitchen! We met a sweet friend (Carrie MacLemore) for breakfast and then made our way to our four bridal appointments. Saturday was a perfect day of meeting new designers and visiting with old friends! We will share with you some of our new designers soon (be watching the blog). Our first visit with a designer we already stocked was with Marchesa. The new collection is literally breathtaking and it was so nice to see Jessica (our sweet rep) at the studio!

We also got to visit with Said and Jane from Palazzo Bridal on Saturday! Jane had some gorgeous gowns (as always) and we talked about how excited we were to have her in store. Make sure to mark your calendars to visit us in May for Palazzo’s Trunk Show. Jane will be here in person and will meet with all brides herself. She will also bring additional gowns into the store!

Saturday night we had the opportunity to eat at Patsy’s Italian. It was phenomenal and so filling! I seriously can’t wait to go back to New York in October to eat here again!

On Sunday we started with a nice and well-rounded breakfast…well, it actually wasn’t well-rounded and it wasn’t actually breakfast food BUT IT WAS SOOOO GOOD! We were able to grab some wonderful treats at Sweet Melissa’s before visiting with our awesome designers!

Sunday was also a mix of visiting with new designers and meeting up with our sweet designers already stocked! One of our meetings on Sunday was with Hayley Paige. Have we told y’all yet how in love we are with this designer? Not only are her gowns gorgeous, but Hayley herself is precious! We loved the new Blush and Hayley Paige lines and know our girls will adore them too!

Sunday night we were able to watch the Anna Maier ~ Ulla-Maija Runway Show! Charles and the crew had an amazing new line. It is so amazing to see a designer who truly understands that all girls deserve a perfectly fitting wedding gown!

On Sunday night we had some time before dinner so we were able to shop in Soho. We ate at Commerce and it was so amazingly good. I literally could not quit trying to find every little morsel of food on my plate. Who cares if the waiter thought I was silly? I am from Alabama and he will never remember me in October! Hahaha!

We ate dessert at Commerce, but we also wanted to have an after dinner snack at Milk & Cookies!

Monday started off with our Anna Maier ~ Ulla-Maija appointment. It was so hard to narrow gowns what gowns to bring back, but we know we made choices y’all are going to swoon over!

After shopping for gorgeous gowns all weekend, we needed a nice long meal before heading back to Alabama — so we stopped at Aureole’s. This has been a long time favorite of mine since I was in high school and I was so excited to stop back in to grab some of my favorite Aureole’s dishes.

We were so exhausted from the trip that we couldn’t wait to be back on Alabama soil!

XOXO,

Kara Leigh

Kara Leigh just landed in New York City and is well on her way to finding the most gorgeous gowns available for our little Alabama bridal shop and all of our precious brides! No doubt bridal market will offer some exciting new gowns for our bridal boutique.

Thinking back to October’s market makes us pretty excited. It was not too long ago that we were just selecting lines to carry in the store and selecting the perfect gowns to bring home to our bridal shop in Huntsville. One of the best decisions our little bridal shop made at Bridal Market last October was bringing Sareh Nouri’s designs to the North Alabama and Middle Tennessee area. Sareh’s romantic, feminine and timeless gowns offer today’s modern brides traditional and effortless elegance for their special day!

One of our favorite Sareh Nouri gowns is Wilhelmina. This whimsical and ethereal gown provides the perfect silhouette for a relaxed wedding. The A-Line fit and silk tulle characteristics of this gown give a nice relaxed feel that would make it perfect for an outdoors celebration, while the French Alencon lace and sweetheart neckline screams Southern and timeless.

We see Wilhelmina pairing perfectly with a relaxed Southern gent’s outfit, such as a seersucker suit. Nothing says Southern like seersucker!

For this perfectly Southern wedding, we love the pairing of the pastel pink and blue bridesmaids dresses.

We believe this relaxed attire would pair perfectly with a venue that has a sophisticated, yet relaxed feel such as a barn. To dress up a barn, utilize a long farm table and pair it with unconventional seating to create a dressy relaxed feel.

Flowers should reflect the relaxed and Southern feel of the wedding, so try placing hydrangeas in mason jars along the long farm table.

Make sure that your invitations match the feel of the whole wedding. Since this wedding focuses on relaxed and simple elegance, select a wedding invitation that is going to convey the relaxed feel of the wedding day.

If you love the feel of this gorgeous wedding, make sure to schedule your appointment to visit with Sareh Nouri at her upcoming trunk show! Sareh will actually be here to help girls slip on her gorgeous designs! And just a few weeks back she released some exciting news about her brand – Sareh has paired with Sophie Hallette who is the lace house that supplied Kate Middleton’s wedding dress lace! If that doesn’t show that Sareh’s gowns are fit for a princess, I don’t know what does!

Wedding Gown: Sareh Nouri Wilhelmina via White Dresses Boutique (Photography by Libelle Photography) / Groom’s Attire: Seersucker Suit via alowcountrywed.com (Photography by T&H Photography) / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Pastel Blue and Pink Bridesmaids Dresses (Photography by Claire Elyse Photography) / Barn and Table: Blush by Brandee Gaar via Southern Weddings Magazine / Florals: Hydrangeas in Mason Jars via Project Wedding / Invitations: Southern Tree Invitations via Monumental Designs

Just like every bride who walks through our doors, each bridal gown in our store has its own personality – its own story if you will. Many of them are named after friends or family – often based upon what their own bridal gown looked like or what we imagine them wearing or picking out in our store. Each gown in our store was handpicked and loved before it ever made its way to quaint Alabama and graced the racks of our little bridal boutique. Thus, naming it only seems natural.

Let me introduce you to Evelyn. She is flawless, interesting, complicated in a fantastic way, sophisticated, and unassumingly glamorous. Evelyn is in fact by Marchesa, who (as we all know) does no wrong. When Evelyn came into the store, we lifted her out of the box and exchanged her generic number identification for something fitting – a name after our own grandmother. Just like our own Evelyn, Marchesa’s Evelyn is for a bride who understands the timeless nature of a wedding day and the importance of exchanging vows. She doesn’t take getting married lightly and thinks a gown should match the importance of the occasion.

Evelyn deserves only the finest accessories. We believe Evelyn pairs perfectly with this unique engagement ring and pair of chandelier earrings.

These shoes also are absolutely amazing for Evelyn!

Hair and makeup should not be overdone.

We believe Evelyn pairs perfectly with these adorable bridesmaid dresses by Dolly Pearl (available right here at our little Huntsville bridal shop, White Dresses Boutique).

We don’t want to leave out a precious little girl to help line the aisle with petals before Evelyn stuns the crowd, so we would suggest having your flower girl wear something that matches the extravagant nature of your bridal gown!

We suggest pairing a timeless men’s tux for the groom and groomsmen to match the elegant nature of Evelyn.

We picture Evelyn in a very timeless and elegant setting – a place with rolling hills, unmatched architecture, and Southern detailing. We believe The Keswick, in Northern Virginia, would be the perfect match for this gorgeous gown.

Before the vows are set to take place in this picturesque setting, invitations with plenty of sophistication are needed to set the tone of the affair. We found these adorable invites from Alabama’s own Holly Hollon that would be perfect for the event.

The reception should use plenty of traditional elements without being too formal. While we feel Evelyn should definitely has plenty of formality, we like placing her in a truly Southern wedding setting where good food and conversation aren’t hard to find!

Finally, flowers for this event should match the tone of the gown – elegant and timeless.

You’ll want a slice of this divine creation before you slip off into the night!

Obviously this is just one of the many ways we can picture Evelyn – a gown as gorgeous as Evelyn can fit tons of different settings!

Hope you love this little wedding idea as much as the girls at our Alabama bridal boutique do!

XOXO,

Kara Leigh & Ella

Gown: Marchesa via White Dresses Boutique/ Photography of Gown: White Rabbit Studios/ Model for Gown: Aarendy Gomez/ Engagement Ring: Antique Ring via Pinterest/ Earrings: Intermixonline.com/ Shoes: Jimmy Choo/ Photography of Shoes: Lesley Meredith/ Hair: Pinterest/ Makeup: Pinterest/ Bridesmaid Dresses: Dolly Pearl via White Dresses Boutique/ Flower Girl Dress: Pinterest/ Groom’s Attire: Hassel Weems Photography (Family Friend)/ Venue: The Keswick (Virginia)/ Invitation: Holly Hollon/ Table: Pinterest/ Florals: Pinterest/ Cake: Pinterest

{White Dresses blends couture bridal gowns with service drowned in Southern charm to create a bridal shopping experience that is unlike any other. The boutique offers Southern brides a carefully curated selection of exclusive couture gowns along with personal experience that ensures each bride has the attention needed to select the perfect white dress for her special day. Featured designers include Anna Maier ~ Ulla-Maija, Blush by Jim Hjelm, Elihav Sasson, Intuzuri, Jesus Peiro, Marchesa, Palazzo by Jane White, Rosa Clara, Sareh Nouri, and Stephanie Allin.}

{White Dresses Bridal Boutique was featured in The Huntsville Times in March}

{White Dresses blends couture bridal gowns with service drowned in Southern charm to create a bridal shopping experience that is unlike any other. The boutique offers Southern brides a carefully curated selection of exclusive couture gowns along with personal experience that ensures each bride has the attention needed to select the perfect white dress for her special day. Featured designers include Anna Maier ~ Ulla-Maija, Blush by Jim Hjelm, Elihav Sasson, Intuzuri, Jesus Peiro, Marchesa, Palazzo by Jane White, Rosa Clara, Sareh Nouri, and Stephanie Allin.}

Last October was a complete blur for the ladies of White Dresses Bridal Boutique. Not only were we busy signing leases, finalizing drawings, and thinking up ways we could pamper our Alabama brides — we also tackled Bridal Market for the very first time! We saw hundreds of dresses, met with tons of stylish designers, and chose the perfect fits for our Huntsville Bridal Shop. By the time our airplane took off on Tuesday afternoon, we were exhausted and felt like we had been drowned in a sea of white! I am saying all this to say, only certain dresses etch themselves into your mind. Dahlia is one of those gowns!

When I received word last week that we would be getting our Dahlia sample into the store, I jumped for joy! I was the only owner of White Dresses Bridal Boutique that was able to attend the Blush Market Appointment and I had been bragging about this dress for months! I couldn’t wait for them to see her in person. The good news is that they loved her as much as I did! We absolutely cannot wait to show her off to our brides!

Dahlia, designed by the fabulous Hayley Paige for Blush by Jim Hjelm, is an ivory natural waist A-line gown with gorgeous lace and swiss dot detail. The plunging back and chapel train make this dress just as beautiful from the back as she is from the front (which is super important to us, because your back is what everyone stares at during the ceremony!).

Dahlia is the perfect dress for a Southern summer wedding. She is super light and airy (which makes her perfect for our Alabama heat) and isn’t too much to deal with while moving around (no ball gowns for your new husband to step all over!).

Dahlia is such a perfect silhouette for so many different body types, which makes her super versatile! We think pairing her with a pair of simple pair of sandals would work perfectly for an outdoor wedding!

To work with the outdoor theme, we suggest an ethereal and loose braid accented with fresh flowers.

For bridesmaid attire, Dahlia pairs perfectly with Savannah by the ultra chic and fabulous Dolly Pearl! We think selecting Savannah in this gorgeous shade of lavender would work nicely for an outside wedding in the South!

For the guys, we think a laid back suit would work well!

If you think Dahlia would fit perfectly into your backyard Southern wedding, schedule an appointment to try her on today. She will have a special price if you plan to purchase during the Blush Trunk Show this weekend!

XOXO,

Ella

White Dresses Bridal Boutique is excited to welcome the Blush by Jim Hjelm Spring 2013 Collection to Alabama on March 8th and 9th! The Spring 2013 collection, along with a few favorites from past collections, will be present for this two day event.

The Blush by Jim Hjelm Collection is designed by Hayley Paige. Hayley established herself as a designer while working for the Melissa Sweet bridal and bridesmaid collections. She also was the primary designer behind the first Marchesa Eterna bridal collection at Priscilla of Boston. Hayley’s designs can be found on the pages of highly sought-after bridal publications.

Blush gowns exemplify a look of casual elegance. Many designs have an unambiguous type of glamour that results from combining cotton lace with botanically inspired fabric manipulations.

At the show, brides and their guests will be treated to tasty bon bons and bellinis. Special offers will be given to brides who purchase a gown during the Blush Trunk Show!

Make sure to book your appointment today at Alabama’s newest bridal shop!

Photos courtesy of Green Tree Photography (www.greentreephotography.net).

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