{Trend Alert} Reception Dresses

Hey ladies! Alright, let’s all be honest, the wedding industry has changed A LOT since our beautiful mommas walked down the aisle, am I right? And one of the trends that has been on the rise in the more recent years is having a reception dress, along with your ceremony gown, for your big day. Let’s explore that a little bit, shall we?

There are some great reasons to have a separate dress for your reception. Reason number one: if you have always dreamed about having an elaborate, beautiful grand gown gracing your bridal body when you float down that aisle towards the man of your dreams, maybe you haven’t quite considered how hard that baby may be to mingle, dance, and celebrate in at your beautiful reception. So why not have a reception dress to change into? Look at it as a time to show more of your personal style, whereas your ceremony gown may have been perfect for highlighting your bridal style. The reception dress may be influenced by your bridal gown or it may even be of a different style altogether. The reception dress can be long or short, either way. There really aren’t any rules as to what “qualifies” as a reception dress. The main focus here is comfort and hopefully that it does not require help from a bridesmaid in order to use the ladies’ room. Secondly, climate and the theme of your reception are factors that should definitely be considered when choosing whether or not you want to incorporate a reception dress into your special day. For example, maybe you’re getting married outdoors in the Texas summer and would like something a little more airy and easy to party in after you’ve said “I do.” If so, go for it! Here are just a few styles that we have in our bridesmaid collection here at Bliss that we think would be great for reception dresses:

 

WTOO Style 302

 

Watters Style 2252

Watters Style 2258

Watters Style 2412

Let’s face it, some of you will want to spend as much time as possible in your bridal gown on the day of your wedding, which is completely understandable!  The way you see it, it is the gown you’ve chosen to get married in and since it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, no one will be able to pry that thing off of you until you’re boarding a plane to your Honeymoon! If this is you, then GO GIRL! A reception dress is not for you and that's perfect!

All in all, the question that will ultimately make the decision whether choose to have a second dress or not is quite simple: "Do you want one?" One of the most exciting things about planning a wedding nowadays is that you can personalize and tailor your wedding to pretty much anything you want to do, as long as it fits in your budget. So, as always, stay true to your vision, and remember that your dress (or dresses) is/are no exception to that rule!

NY Fashion Week: Wtoo fashion show

One of our stops during the whirlwind trip was to the Wtoo by Watters fashion show and did we ever enjoy it!

Here are few glimpses of the new collections from this fashion forward and charmingly priced {$1,000 - $2,000} collection!

Loving this neckline!

Look at these straps!

Sparkle, Sparkle, Sparkle!

Of course, we also loved all of the new Wtoo Maids collections as well and the new runway colors. Anticipate those arriving in the salon early, January!

For more behind the scenes looks from fashion week, follow Watters on Instagram @Watters_Designs.

{Designer Spotlight} Watters at the Emmy's

On September 22, 2012, Mayim Bialik worre Watters style Poseyto the 64th Primetime Emmy's! Here are some pics of the actress on the red carpet and Posey!

http://watters.com/Product/WattersWatters/2251/

Bridesmaids ParTea - A photo shoot!

Some super fabulous vendors got together for a photo shoot at City Club Fort Worth with Bridesmaids in mind. Here are some sneak peeks from the photo shoot in Brides of North Texas!

For more looks from this photo shoot, see the newest copy of Brides of North Texas!

Ballet Inspired Photo Shoot: Brides of North Texas

Who doesn't love to see ballerina's prancing around in gorgeous costumes as if they were floating on air? Add beautiful bridal gowns, Bass Hall and the Texas Ballet Theater to the mix and you have a super glamourous photo shoot featured in the Fall/Winter 2012 Brides of North Texas!

Of course, we were super excited that our table signage from the newest edition featured the Justin Alexander gown we had flown in for the shoot!

Here are a few outtakes from the magazine..........

Our beautiful Justin Alexander gown again!

The beautiful Palm Springs gown by Watters!

We hope you enjoyed these as much as we did! For the full spread, pick up the newest copy of Brides of North Texas!

Featured Bride - Whitney B

We had so much fun helping Whitney select her gown! She was kind enough to share some pictures of her special day from Bella Bee Photography with us along with some words about her gown shopping experience! Enjoy!

I went shopping and found my dress in 1 day! I went to another store in Dallas and then Bliss after that. My dress was the first one I tried on at Bliss and I knew it was the one!! Michele was the one that helped me and she was SO wonderful to work with. I was torn between two types of dress which happen to be polar opposites. I either wanted a lace fitted dress with a v-neck or I wanted an high wasted A-line dress with a sweetheart neck. I had seen a dress very similar to the dress I purchased in a magazine weeks before and once I saw it, I fell in love! I brought my mom, my sister and my two best girlfriends with me and we had so much fun! Although it is exhausting trying on so many dresses, it was a wonderful experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

The day of the wedding, I couldn't wait to put on my dress! I felt beautiful in the dress and it was one that I could relax in. One of the reasons I loved it was because I felt like I could dance and be myself and not worry so much about everything staying in place. Sure enough, it fit like a glove on the day of and I danced the night away! LOVED my Bliss experience and would recommend it to anyone

Thank You Notes: Hayley W

We received the sweetest note from one of our brides along with some fabulous pictures from her wedding and we just had to share!

Thank you so much Hayley! We loved working with you and wish you the best! - Bliss Bridal Salon

Gown: Mimi by Watters

Exactly, what is a trunk show?

A trunk show is when a particular designer sends a selection of gowns to a bridal salon for a weekend that is from their newest collection. These gowns are sent in so that the bride has additional selections to choose from during her appointment. If there is a particular designer that you like, this is a great weekend to see a larger sampling of their designs than may typically be available in the salon. The collection of gowns travel around the country for brides to see so they are not available for purchase “off the rack”. Sizes will vary by designer and not every gown in the collection will be included. If there is a particular gown that you are interested in, call ahead to see if it will be available or if it can be requested for you!

Gowns by Watters

Things to remember when going to a trunk show:

• Expect for an appointment to be required as this will be a busy weekend for the salon.


• Be prepared to purchase your gown that day as it may not be available for you to “re-try” and you will want to take pictures once the gown is purchased.


• As the gowns probably arrived late Thursday to the salon, they may not be perfectly pressed due to time constraints, try to keep an open mind with wrinkles.


• Many salons will bring in a representative from the designer to be on hand that weekend, there may be options available this weekend for customization.

For a list of our upcoming trunk shows, click here! We look forward to assisting you in finding the gown of your dreams!

So, what should you really spend on a bridal gown? (part 2)

Ah, the age old question of how much should a bridal gown really cost. We can’t tell you what to spend but we can tell you what to look for in a gown that will help you determine if the price is worth the gown. Over the next few weeks, we will discuss the important aspects to look for when looking for “The One”. There are many factors to consider when purchasing a gown including fabric, construction, details and customer service. Each installment will focus on one of these topics………..

Construction in a gown is key! A well constructed gown may cost a bit more but in the long run it could be cheaper! If a gown is well constructed, more than likely you will not need additional undergarments like the uncomfortable bustier or the “heat trapping” crinoline. Many gowns come with the boning and support of a bustier already built in as well as a crinoline. These gowns will not only feel better on but will look better on you. Please don’t fall under the impression that a gown with a corset in the back means a better fit or cheaper alterations. Just because someone laced you up tight does not mean that the gown is molded to your body as it would be with proper alterations. When was the last time you saw a corset back on a high end designer gown (besides the ones that really do it for the effect of a bustier top)?


The construction of a gown is not only about the inside but also the fabric quality and what’s on the outside. Better fabrics will hold shape better, look and feel better. As in anything, there are different grades of fabrics. Taffeta can be stiff and taffeta can also be soft and flow. Satin can be thick and heavy or light and opulent. The higher quality of fabric will just feel better all around, to the touch as well as how you feel in it. Also may attention to small things such as how beading is applied, via glue or sewn on. There should not be any visible threads showing in the seams and there should always be a lining!

It’s all in the details. The more details, the more cost involved. If budget is a concern, look for a gown with more architectural components than more embellishment. If sparkle and a lot of it is a must, with a tight budget, look to add it with jewelry that can be worn again instead of on the gown. A simple dress can be accented with just the right jewelry to make a statement! Another way to enhance a gown is by adding a veil with embellishment which can also add accent to the train if it is a long veil, without breaking the bank.


Always look to see how the embellishments are attached. Many times we have seen beadwork glued to a dress. This is not an arts and crafts project! Beads and lace should be sewn onto the dress. We understand if flowers are pinned on as this makes for easy adjustment if the bride wishes not to wear them or adjust their position. Beads, lace and jewels, however, should always be sewn on.

All in all, the more attention to the details and time spent on constructing the gown, inside and out, determine the quality of the gown.