We get this question so often, that I figured I would post a blog about what a trunk show is, how it works, and the perks to attending one!

Trunk shows or wedding dress events are events that we run every month to showcase a new designer, or to show you a designer's newest collection.  When a wedding dress designer creates a new collection they make (1) of each gown to send down the runways of  NYC, Dallas, Chicago, and LA,  for buyers to.... well, buy. Once they're finished with the runway shows and website photoshoots, these very same gowns become "trunk show gowns".

During a trunk show we request these gowns from the manufacturer and have them flown into our store for our customers to try/see/touch/feel/love. The very cool thing about attending one of these events is seeing these new wedding gowns before anyone else.  As a store we've seen these gowns in person, and we've placed our orders for many of them, but we won't receive our gowns for up to 8 months from the date we ordered them (we have to wait for our wedding dresses just like bride's do!).

To sum it up, coming to a trunk show or a bridal event allows you to see these newest gowns months and months before they hit stores, giving you the advantage of potentially walking down the aisle in a wedding dress before many other brides even have the chance to try on the very same dress.

No, these dresses aren't for sale off-the-rack, as they belong exclusively to the designer.  And no, these aren't old past season dresses coming in dusty trunks for you to pick through and take home at a discount.  We simply want you to be able to try on the absolute most amount of dresses in one location, and if you love a particular designer, then come during their show!  We'll likely have an entire special events room set up for you to walk through and view their collections.  We invite you to swoon over the delicate beadwork, touch the soft laces, and your dream of trying on a particular style wedding dress may just come true.

This month we have the honor of hosting Mori Lee Wedding Dresses by Madeline Gardner.  Her gowns are quite beautiful, and really embrace the New England bride's style, and the price points are killer.  Seriously, your guests will think you spent more; but don't worry, we won't tell.

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  It's that time of year again.  Brides are picking up their gowns, choosing their headpieces and finishing touches; and New England wedding season is just around the bend.  Each year trends change, and what brides are choosing for their wedding parties is always unique.  Whether the bridesmaids dresses be long or short, if  bridesmaids wear the same dress or different, we see it all.  Some brides roll with the seasonal colors depending on their wedding date, and some go with the color scheme they like the most, each party is so different and we love seeing the end results!

One thing has remained the same, however; and that is that New England fall weddings have the best backdrops going.  With the amazing hues, the colorful leaves, and the opportunity to use the light in unique ways,  fall weddings in New England are to some, simply unbeatable. Choose the right photographer and you'll get some stunning shots like the ones below, that were graciously shared by Lena Mirisola Photography.

 Today I'm choosing to highlight a wonderful bride of mine named Dawn, who wore a showstopping wedding dress by Allure Bridals in a mix of ivory lace over a gold lining.  The color on this gown simply popped on Dawn's skintone and hair color, and everyone who was at the store the day she purchased it could see in her eyes that this was "the dress".  If you're ever on the fence about ordering your wedding dress in a 2-tone color combination, let this be your decision maker.  The lace on this wedding dress looks incredible over the slightly darker background and this really showcases the lace detail.  Combine the light gold wedding dress color with a fall palette and you've got wedding perfection.

 Her girls wore lovely burgundy colored bridesmaids that were special ordered in this stunning fall tone, and the groomsmen wore classic black tuxedos with coordinating vests and ties.  We had the joy of dressing this entire party from start to finish and the results by Lena Mirisola are pretty spectacular if you ask us. The wedding reception took place at Shaker Hills Country Club located in Harvard, MA and let's face it, who isn't a sucker for a good golf course wedding photo?  Check out the photos below!

So you're on the hunt for your wedding gown... but your one "non negotiable" is having some sort of a strap. I hear this every single day, from brides that have either been to (or been in) a wedding where the bride is constantly pulling the top of her dress up all night. There are many reasons for this to happen, however at the end of this post you may change your mind on purchasing a strapless gown, or you may even consider adding on a custom strap, or cap sleeve like our brides did in the photos below. Either way, give this a read before you make up your mind!

A common misconception on a strapless wedding dress is that the top of the dress has to be very tight for the bride to not have to pull it up all night. However, the truth is that the waist of your gown has to be so tight that it does all the work of supporting the top of your dress for the night (therefore, no tugging required). On your wedding day, you should be putting your hands at your waist and pushing the zipper together on your gown and having your bridesmaids zip it up. Yes, it's going to be tight. However, with your body heat and you wearing it, your wedding dress will "give" a little as you wear it (remember, it's fabric).

Another reason brides are pulling at the top of their dress is because they've worn a strapless gown before, and let's face it. We've all worn a strapless bridesmaids dress, prom dress, or some other dress that cost under $300.00 that didn't fit "perfectly". This is the type of dress that yes, you do have to keep pulling at the top all night. Any type of dress that are in this price range are realistically created for a one-time wear, and have nowhere near the amount of boning and construction that wedding dresses do. Sometimes the mentality is that since you had to keep tugging at the bust of a bridesmaid dress you wore at your friend's wedding, that means you must have to tug at the bust of your strapless wedding dress too. Wrong.

You should not be tugging at the bust of your wedding dress! Wedding dresses and bridesmaids dresses are constructed completely differently, and your wedding dress will be the best fitting garment you'll ever wear. It's also probably the only item you'll ever have tailored exactly to your body shape, which is absolutely, positively a different alterations experience from getting your prom dress, or bridesmaids dress altered. Once you go through the process of tailoring your wedding dress, it should fit like a glove, and you should not be fidgeting with it all.

However, if you walk in and tell me, "I will tug at that strapless neckline even if it fits me well", then have a look at what these brides did below! They both took amazingly stunning ballgowns, and added on custom sleeves. Both of these brides used the fabric from their own gowns to create their stunning cap sleeves, but there are plenty of pre-made cap sleeves to choose from as well. Some wedding dress cap sleeves are made from lace, others made out of embroidered threading and crystals, and there are even super sparkly blingy wedding dress cap sleeves to choose from and have added onto your wedding dress.

Have a look at our beautiful brides below, and at the models shown wearing the same wedding dress both with, and without a cap sleeve!

Photos courtesy of: Alvah Reida Photography, and HK Photography.
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