Best Wedding Dress

VIA

PHOTOGRAPHY SPOTLIGHT: AMB PHOTOGRAPHY

CREDITS

Flowers: Dave Maready

Caterer: Shelly Biggs Catering

Music/DJ: Josh Dart

Cake: Heidelberg Pastry Shop

HEATHER AND TAYLOR,

NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA

"There are certain people that come into your life, albeit briefly, and undoubtedly influence you to the core. It's not necessarily anything they do or even say, but who they are. This couple has been that way for me. Regardless of how long you have known these two, you can assuredly feel the profound love and respect they have not only for each other, but for everyone else as well. I absolutely loved watching these two interact one with another. They seemed to embrace so fully, and so carefully those fleeting moments of a wedding day. It was truly beautiful....

Special thanks to Heather, Taylor, and families and friends for such an unforgettable day. "

Mark Thackeray

AMB Photography

THE BALLERINA FACTOR

Toi Couture

Just how much does the world of ballet influence bridal? A lot. Traditional ballet costume evolved in the era of the Johann Strass', a young Queen Victoria, and Giselle, an 1840s ballet by Aldophe Adam. Think classic corps de ballet in long white tulle and a floral wreath and you've nailed the look. Also reflecting the silhouette of the ballet costume as we know it, Queen Victoria clinched the look when she married Prince Albert wearing yards of white lace and dressing her flock of attendants accordingly.

Jelly and toast

Gown by Amy-Jo Tatum

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The hourglass silhouette is most synonymous with ballet and remains the pinnacle of bridal wear. The ball gown is as romantic a confection as those seen in the corps de ballet, flowing in swirls of white tulle. The skirt and its under structure are both based on volume. Thus, sweeping skirts equal sweeping entrances especially awesome on brides who know how to work their strut.

 

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Though tulle is the most typical fabric for the ballet-inspired gown there's a whole range of gossamer sheers like organza, silk organdy, chiffon, and Georgettes that work beautifully. Defined, tulle is a fine mesh netting with a hexagonal pattern that comes in silk, cotton, nylon or acrylic/silk for power netting.

Below are variations on the short ball gown more commonly known as 'the tutu'.

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SweetHeart Wedding Dress

VIA

Q & A ON THE CUSTOM DESIGNED GOWN

Loic Photography

Brides come to me either wanting a particular gown I've designed or after visiting salons and finding not one gown they like but components of many.  Here is a series of FAQs a custom bridal designer gets  My email box is proof the two most frequently asked are 1.) How long does it take to create a custom designed gown? and 2.) How much will it cost?

OH HOW LONG OH LONG MUST I WAIT?

We designers put in many hours and a high level of craftsmanship when it comes to creating one-of-a-kind gowns. Imagine working with fragile, white fabric and delicate laces as an art form. Add to that keeping those fragile laces intact and white gowns looking fresh through fittings and such takes care each painstaking step of the way. So a gown hand-crafted by a designer usually takes 4-6 months to complete from a listing of your measurements. The greatest thing about custom design is that you'll have more of a one-on-one collaboration with the designer and input on any choices of fabric, silhouette and overall style.

WILL MY CUSTOM DESIGNED GOWN COST ME THE DOWN PAYMENT ON A HOUSE?

Chances are, no, unless you order Lady Di's silk taffeta gown with the 25 foot train and layers of uber-pouf. Most custom designs run neck and neck with the prices you'll find in better salons. Custom designers usually work all the materials and labor into the price of the garment. Prices can range from, $1000.00 for something simple and unadorned up to $16,000.00 for the works: full trains, petticoats, underskirts, bustles, intricate beading, etc. Medium price range for a custom wedding gown as of this writing writing would be around $2500.00-5000.00.

Overall, brides are happy with custom design because of the leeway it offers. Where and in whose bridal collection can you find cotton wedding dresses these days? Or suits? Or two-piece dresses? Or convertible gowns? Custom design is optimal for the bride who wants some individual touch not offered in the designer lines you find in salons or bridal boutiques.

THE PROCESS

The designer/client relationship is one that's very special so choose one with care. Just like any relationship you must be in simpatico. In simpatico first with the design vision and then your working relationship. You can help by bringing photos, magazine clippings, sketches or swatches of fabric. All this is discussed with the designer running a few ideas back to you. Choices and cost of materials, fabrics and a few other details are usually explored.

If the designer has a small sample collection, this is usually when you can begin trying gowns on to see what the fabrics are going to look and feel like with you in them. This is the time too to look over how well the samples are made. Don’t worry about whether or not you know haute couture techniques here—just pull up a hem or look at the inside of one of the garments and you’ll know if its cleanly made and as beautiful on the inside as out.

Stephanie Williams Photography

THE MUSLIN

Eventually, a gown is in the making. After a final sketch is approved, a written estimate follows, complete with fabric swatches and your measurements are finally taken. For every gown order, a paper pattern is made. Think of the paper pattern as a blueprint, a record with all your dimensions on it. From this, most designers (some dressmakers too) work out a muslin. A muslin is an actual cotton mock-up and ‘living pattern’ of the gown design, fitted exactly to your body. Now, think of the muslin as the foundation work—laying all the necessary groundwork upon which your dress will be built. This is where most of the fine-tuning is done to get the perfect fit before one cut or stitch goes into the true gown fabric(s).

After your muslin fittings (there may be two of them), the muslin is unstitched and laid out on the actual fabric and the gown is made up. Since most of the fitting is worked out on the muslin, second and third fittings usually follow up with finishing touches on the gown like, final hemline, closures, remaining design details, etc. Be prepared for more than three fittings though. A gown made from the ground up is a work in progress and each step along the way is painstakingly taken, checked and rechecked.

Keep in mind you want your gown delivered at least a month before your wedding. Yes. You need to synchronize your calendars on this one. You want to be able to relax and deal with all those other last minute details involved in your wedding, not still fussing around over hemlines.

Donna's custom gown

Loic Photography

PAIRING UP A BOUQUET WITH YOUR GOWN

Photography Stephanie Williams

Bouquet: JL Floral Designs

Dress: Amy Jo Tatum Bridal

Hair pieces + veils: Batcakes Couture

Make-up: Teena Hoffstetter

Hair: Kyle Rich

Check out these magnificent bouquets by JL Designs from the Vintage and Rustic bridal shoot.   Finding an inspiration point and blending that idea with your dress is just the beginning of working one or a few colors into an overall theme.

Above: A clean-lined linen Georgette dress paired with a bouquet of dark red dahlias and wine colored begonia leaves is the perfect backdrop...

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Above: Color and texture are a great mix.  The embroidered organza here is shown with lavender ranunculas and purple anemones finished in a rustic off white muslin...

An allover Chantilly lace halter dress is complimented by a pastel ranunculas in peach, lemon, pale pink and coral...

A Swiss cotton eyelet dress with a bouquet of solid wheat is wrapped in brown lace...

Greenery makes up some of the simplist and most stunning bouquets. Here silk chiffon and linen Georgette mix well with Spring foilage . . .

Not to be forgotten is the groom here who wears a pale green succulent finished with a touch of cream reindeer moss.  It makes a simple and stylish boutonniere...

INSPIRATION SUNDAY

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From fairest creatures we desire increase,

That thereby beauty's rose might never die,

But as the riper should by time decease,

His tender heir might bear his memory:

But thou contracted to thine own bright eyes,

Feed'st thy light's flame with self-substantial fuel,

Making a famine where abundance lies,

Thy self thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel:

Thou that art now the world's fresh ornament,

And only herald to the gaudy spring,

Within thine own bud buriest thy content,

And tender churl mak'st waste in niggarding:

Pity the world, or else this glutton be,

To eat the world's due, by the grave and thee.

--William Shakespeare--
Love Sonnet 1