Bridesmaids - How to coordinate your wedding party!

If you have 1 Bridesmaid or 10 Bridesmaids, finding a dress that pleases both you and the maids', can be a difficult task. While it is great to ask for all of your maids' advice, make the final choice yourself.... it is after all, your wedding! 

Here are some suggestions to help you on the journey to the perfect Bridesmaid dress.

For a modern, but still cohesive look - you could always choose the designer, color, fabric and length you want, but allow the maids' to choose their own style.  With all the girls in the same shade and length, it still feels put together, but can allow each girl to find a shape that is most flattering to them. This is also helpful if you have varying sizes in your bridal party.

If you are planning to keep everyone in the same dress, sometimes it helps to start shopping with only 1 or 2 of your maids'.  Maybe bring the one who has the most similar shape to everyone, or  the one who will be the hardest to fit.  This way when you bring the whole group in, you will have an idea of what works best.

Lastly, don't forget about the accessories! Make sure you communicate to your bridesmaids what color or style of shoe you would like them to wear, and what type of jewelry you would like them to wear. 

Check out one of our designers, Pretty Maids, and enter for a chance to win the Ultimate Bachelorette Party!  

http://www.prettybridesmaids.com/dressessweepstakes/index.php

Time to Accessorize!

You've purchased your gown....now it's time to accessorize!

When it comes to your Bridal Jewelry, balance is key. Too much  can overpower the bride. Here are a few suggestions on choosing your finishing touches.

A Pendant or Y shaped necklace typically works well with any neckline. Try and keep the size in proportion to your body. This photo shows a beautiful set by Jim Ball Designs.

 
You can't go wrong choosing simple and understated pieces, especially if your gown has elaborate beading or detail.Don't underestimate the power of a diamond stud! Often I suggest to a bride that if you are choosing a necklace and earrings, keeping them more simple is a great way to wear both.
However, if you are craving more glamour, a bold, dangly earring is always a great choice.

As with your Bridal Gown, ultimately the choice is yours! You should wear the accessories that make you feel gorgeous.

The I do's are done.....what to do with the gown?

What to do… after you say I DO!

What to do with your wedding gown, after the wedding - Some tips and ideas!

 It's been trapped in a garment bag ever since that amazing day and you're left with THAT question....“What do you do with your beautiful gown AFTER the wedding?” Save it for your daughter? Sell it?? Is it weird to wear it to the grocery store??? Well, here are some tips and advice for your post-wedding dress plan…

1. Preserve It

So you can’t bear to part with your beautiful gown. Get it professionally cleaned and preserved to protect it from the elements.We have a preservation kit available in our store at a very reasonable price. Our kits come from  the Wedding Gown Preservation Company and they have been preserving gowns since 1913 - they are truly one of the best in the business. The kit includes pre-paid shipping both directions, cleaning and preserving of your wedding gown, plus 3 additional items. (veil, garter, etc.)

2. Donate It

Donating your dress is an opportunity to give back to your community or an organization of your choice. 

There are many non-profit organizations both locally and nationally that resell dress donations and use the 

proceeds to benefit numerous causes.

3. Capture It

While I was thinking about ideas for this entry, I asked local photographer,

Jan Thiessen what ideas he had! Here is another thought he had for your gown...

Want to do something fun with your wedding gown? Schedule a "trash
the dress" shoot. This picture was shot at Greenwood Furnace State Park, but
swimming pools and streams are good choices, too.

        If you're really adventurous, find a muddy area.

                         (Photograph by Jan Thiessen)

www.photosbyjan.com 

Veils

The history of the veil is culturally diverse, with many interpretations. Historically, veils were worn to conceal the bride from the groom on the wedding day. American folklore tells us that one of the first brides to wear a veil was George Washington's daughter, Nellie. The story goes that Nellie was sitting by a lace-curtained window when one of her fathers aids walked by and fell in love with her lace-framed face. When the two married, Nellie re-created the effect by wearing a lace veil.
Today veils are worn more often as a fashion statement. They can add a sense of  romance to the wedding day, taking any form the bride chooses to reflect her personal style. We will showcase 3 styles of veils that are really popular this season.


Mantilla veils are regaining popularity due to their ultra-feminine look and traditional appeal. This style is usually made from lace, or features a lace edge, and drapes over the head like a scarf.(photo courtesy of Bel Aire Bridals)

Birdcage veils are also trendy. Reminiscent of 1920′s starlets, these dainty veils range from full facial coverage to small pancake-styles.(photo courtesy of Bel Aire Bridals)

For a more formal or dramatic look, a long veil makes a big statement. Cathedral veils are typically 108" in length, while a Chapel veil is about 90" in length.(photo courtesy of JL Johnson Bridals)

There are so many options for veils, with different lengths, trims, details, colors.....It is always good to try them on with your gown, and determine the look you are going for.

Spohia Tolli - our latest addition!

We are so excited to introduce the latest addition to our store - Sophia Tolli Special Occasions!
These dresses work well for Mothers, guests at weddings or any of the other special events you may be attending.

Great services we offer at our store!

We offer some very unique services at our store, and wanted to share them with you!All of these packages are reasonably priced, and if you have any questions or are interested in booking a service, please email us at info@simplyelegantgowns.com!

One of our most popular services is the Bridal Gown Delivery service. If you so choose, we will deliver your gown to you on your wedding day to the location where you will be getting dressed. Many of our brides have found this service to be very useful and efficient.
"We can't thank you enough for delivering my wedding gown to the church....it was such a help not to worry about picking it up...." - Janelle, Philipsburg.

We also offer a Dressing the Bride service. Typically we arrive 1 hour before the ceremony starts and meet the Bride at the site where she will be getting dressed. We will deliver your gown and assist you, and the Bridal Party, in getting in to your gowns, as well as adjusting the veil/jewelry and any other finishing touches that you may need.  We will travel with our emergency kit and portable steamer so that we can take care of any last minute issues that may arise!
"Having you girls there to help Angela get dressed made everything go so smoothly and it made it fun for us because we knew if anything went wrong, you had us covered." Margaret, mother of the Bride - Pittsburgh

Our last package, and one of our most booked, is the Wedding Coordinating Service. This service is designed to to be customized to suit each individual Bride's needs. We will sit down with you and determine all the things you need to make your wedding day run smoothly, and then we will take care of all of those details so you can relax and enjoy your day. This allows you to have someone there the day off, making sure that everything that you have planned is executed the way you want it to be! With this service, we always include delivery and dressing services.
"One of the most wonderful, reasonably priced services you offer your customers is the dressing/wedding day coordinating service. We are so thankful that we made  the decision to have you help with the last minute details. In addition to arriving at Toftrees with the gowns for the wedding party and Trisha, you came prepared with a steamer, needle and thread, tissues and more! Your attention to detail, along with calm support for last minute jitters was simply invaluable. ......Kristen and Jess...you are truly contemporary, energetic, friendly , professional owners who provide services that will take a bride-to-be and bridal party from the wedding gown selection process to the walk down the aisle."  - Karen and Trisha - State College.

Heart Health Event!

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We had the privilege of being invited to the heart health event at Mount Nittany Medical Center on Tuesday. People were able to get a peek at Heart Truth celebrity dresses from Jordin Sparks, Venus Williams, Gayle King and Jennie Garth while hearing about the risk factors and heart-healthy tips from the experts. We went early to steam the celebrity gowns and dress the mannequins and we showcased some red gown of our own, modeled by Jess and Diane! Below are some photos of the fun we had. It was such a great community event, and we were really grateful to be part of it!

 Even our Grandmother and Aunt came out for the fun!

 Steaming the gown that Venus Williams wore

 Dressing the mannequin with Jordin Sparks gown

 Jess & Diane Showing support in our red dresses!

(r) The Heart Truth, its logo and The Red Dress are registered
trademarks of HHS.