Serendipity Style...Worth Following

I consider myself a veteran of the bridal world. I began my adventure in the wedding industry 8 years ago, and after tackling the corporate, retail, and runway elements of bridal, as well as owning and selling my own event planning firm, I have finally found my niche. Bridal styling is where my passion is, and as the buyer and new blogger for Serendipity Bridal, I have found that I can successfully fuse my experience and overall love for the industry by collectively marrying the two to share with brides to be.

This is where my experience has taken me....
I know that it takes more than the perfect gown to complete a brides' wedding day look, and for that reason, I have decided to seek out Austin bridal beauty players and vendors for features on our blog periodically. I will bring you style tips, trends and advice straight from the pros. We will also be featuring our bridal consultants via video to share their professional recommendations and show new products in the salon that will surely make you swoon! Also, I will be making my highly anticipated NY Bridal Market buying trip next week! I will be sharing fashion trends for bridal, bridesmaids and ready to wear. Very exciting things to come....

Serendipitous, indeed

Count Down to New York Bridal Market

So this is the first year that I will be venturing to New York without the owners of Serendipity. Jessica and Josh have to hang back and wait for their first son to be born. And yes, that should be exciting and all, buuutttttt....I AM GOING TO NEW YORK BRIDAL MARKET!! Only kidding. ;) I will be able to speak with the amazing and brilliant designers, view editorial runway shows, and get a preview of what is to come in bridal for the next season. I have been in the biz for a while, but it never gets old. I am in love with bridal fashion, and cannot wait to see what New York has in store for me this year!

Another exciting element of a new season of gowns, is the fact that we are forced to hold a huge sample sale within the next couple of weeks!! Lucky you!!

Keep checking back as I will be adding tidbits from the trip!

Enhance Your Bridal Beauty with Visual Lyrics

Choosing the right combination of colors in your bridal bouquet to enhance the tone of your gown, is just one of the many expert recommendations that this floral company has to offer.

Visual Lyrics Floral Artistry is one of Austin's most innovative and talented floral designers. We have loved to team up with Trisha and the gang for years. More recently we used one of their fantastic bridal bouquets at our KXAN interview. They happened to have used the same arrangement during a photo shoot with April Skinner with Almost Impatient Productions.

I have had the pleasure of sitting in on a couple of floral consultations with brides and the team at visual lyrics... it was impressive to say the least. The brides would communicate what overall look and feel they wanted, the fabric and color of the bridal gown and bridesmaids dresses, and within minutes, the ladies had scetched a full ensemble of floral bouquets, arrangements and decor that exceeded all expectations. It was truly amazing! Serious talent at it's finest.

Voted One of BRIDES MAGAZINEs Top 50 Salons

It has now been made official.....Serendipity Bridal Salon has been voted one of the top 50 independently owned bridal salons in the US. In the April issue of BRIDES MAGAZINE our salon is recognized in the Chic Boutique section as a top 6 contender in the Southwest. We are totally flattered and super excited! Thanks BRIDES for publishing what this girl, and all of Austin brides have known for years. ;)

"Do Your Friends a Favor," says Amsale.

Amsale did all of us a favor! The latest collection of bridesmaids dresses are adorable, flattering, and totally wearable in the non-wedding world. Super-chic.

I just made my appointment with Amsale to view next season's line in April at New York Market. Should be amazing!

Styling for a Summer Wedding

We are seeing a lot of summer brides these days, and one of the biggest concerns has been how to determine a wedding wardrobe for these warmer events. Summers in Austin can get hot, but your style should never suffer because of weather. Keep a few things in mind, and you will be a breezy and beautiful bride despite the 3 digit temps.

Fabric choice is a big factor on the big day. Silk organza, shantung, chiffon and lace are just a few options of lighter weight bridal fabrics that still hold great gown shape and structure. These lighter fabrics will breathe easily for both outdoor weddings and travel well from the ceremony to reception site. A sleek and slim silhouette will also cut down on the weight of a dress by eliminated a lot of the fullness and petticoat in the skirt. Here are some fabulous Paloma Blanca, Lazaro, and Reverie gowns that are great warmer weather options.

Silk crinkle chiffon and shantung are really popular right now in the newest collections of bridesmaids dresses. Not only are these gowns light and easy to wear, but they are down right ADORABLE! A great option as well for a rehearsal dinner dress, a shower outfit, or just a fun night out. Here are some Watters , Lazaro and Amsale bridemsaids dresses in these stylish and light fabrics.

Train length also plays a part in the heaviness of a bridal gown. Here are a few tricks of the trade that can lighten the load, and still allow for a grand bridal procession down the aisle. If you are planning on ordering your gown without the train, consider some alternatives.

* You have the option cutting off the train to a custom length after the dress arrives with a seamstress.

*Bustle the skirt to create a shorter length and cool detail. Add a brooch to the bustle closure for another point of visual interest.

These options give you the opportunity to have a train for the ceremony and formal bridal portraits. Also, when the gown is in your size and the hem has been altered, it may end up being more manageable than the sample dress. Always give yourself the option. Alterations will allow customizations.

Another fantastic option is the trend of 2 bridal looks. This look is so fun, and makes for a perfect summer wedding style!

*This Liz Fields gown has a detachable skirt, giving the option of the full gown for the ceremony and then revealing your second look at the reception. You could also wear the skirt for the entire wedding, and the shorter dress for the exit. Practical AND precious....love it!!

*These uber-cute, and unbelievably priced WTOO gowns by Watters are offered in both the long and shorter version. Another adorable way to have the celebrity style of 2 gowns while keeping cool for an outdoor (or indoor) summer wedding.

From the St. Pucci Family- Anais Debuts 2011 Collection at Serendipity

Don't miss the Austin debut of Anais Bridal Collection at Serendipity Bridal this weekend!!

My Interview with Anais Bridal Designer

Celebrating 25 years as a designer and president of the internationally nenowed, über-luxurious St. Pucchi, Rani Totman has teamed up with her sons, Montree and Kris , to unveil the first official collection for Anaïs Collezioni since its debut. Whimsical and flirty, the Anaïs collection is a blend of airy light fabrics, streamlined silhouettes with fashion forward elements and modern detailing.

Serendipity could not be more excited to debut this fantastic collection in Austin! We are celebrating with an Anais trunk show this weekend, starting Friday the 18th thru the 26th. Enjoy sneak peak of these amazing gowns and a discount to add to the excitement!!

I wanted to get to know the design team a little better, so I was fortunate enough to interview them, and I could not wait to share it with you.

What was your inspiration for the 2011 collection?

“With Anaïs Collezioni, we are taking luxurious bridal looks and adding to them a modern design aesthetic to appeal to a wider clientele” explains Rani. “The 2011 collection is fashioned to mirror the essence of contemporary, chic brides”.

What bridal trends are you seeing in 2011?

"We are definitely seeing a trend toward ruffles, colored sashes, and shorter hemlines for 2011. Although the strapless gown will always be a favored selection, we are seeing trends towards different necklines such as cold-shoulders. Soft beaded lace overlays over streamlined a-lines are definitely popular. Color is still very important whether it be a beaded belt, an accessory or the gown done in a soft pastel color."

What advice would you give to a bride when she is looking for her wedding day style?

"Many brides begin the shopping process with a preset idea of what they want their gown to be like. It is good to know what you want and I always tell my brides to keep an open mind – start with the basics like finding a silhouette that accentuates your body, then find dresses with the elements you like for example ruffles, appliqués or sashes. Allow your bridal specialist to help you. They are experienced and offer the best advice and suggestions allowing you the best experience you can have in making your selection for your wedding."

It is so exciting to get to talk directly to these super talented bridal designers! What a treat to get to know where their inspiration comes from and what tidbits they have to offer brides to be!!

Call for your appointment to be on of the first brides in Austin to preview these amazing gowns.

512-374-9492

Serendipity's Television Style Segments, Parts 1 and 2

Saturday's KXAN Style segment was so much fun. Jessica, Jacquie and I had a really great time, and apparently, we were so excited about sharing our runway style, that we ran over our allotted time....so we decided to go ahead and finish our segment at the salon.

We enjoyed this spot so much, we have decided to begin a"Serendipity Style" video series, showcasing new gowns, style trends and feature our bridal stylists and post them on our blog periodically.

KXAN NEWS SERENDIPITY STYLE PART 1
SERENDIPITY STYLE PART 2


A special thanks to Trisha at Visual Lyrics for providing the spring bouquet!

Serendipity's Spring Bridal Style on KXAN!!

This just in!! Tune in to KXAN Morning News this Saturday at 8:30 to catch Serendipity Bridal's owner, Jessica Epstein, and me on a special segment about bridal style for this Spring 2011. We will be sharing some great styling tips and talk about what looks walked the New York runways this year.

The Variables of Veils

So you have found the dress....now it's time to complete your bridal look. You may not have given it much thought, but a veil can do so much for your style. You will hear a lot of descriptions such as cathedral length, finger tip, cascading, blusher....the options are literally endless and designers can typically customize any veil to suit your specific needs.

There are a few suggestions for what type of veil you should wear, or how long it should be. It is ultimately all personal preference. Be true to yourself, and stick with your style. Do try to keep in mind your gown design and train length. If there is adornment or detail on the back of your dress, make sure your veil portraits or surrounds the detail, and doesn't hide or compete with it. The veil should complete your look, not take over.


Some really cool styles right now are "birdcage" and "bubble" veils. The face framing birdcage will play up the vintage look, and the bubble will add a modern volume that looks great in photos.

We are also seeing a combination of netting material to create a unique look. Designers have created a layered veil using tulle as well as netting. This will create volume and structure without being too heavy and cumbersome.

A classic mantilla veil is always beautiful accompanied by a lace gown, or a gown with lace accents. This veil can also be paired with a dress without lace to create the vintage or romantic look.

Veils pictured are from the Toni Federici and Laura Jayne designs.

I am a Vineyard. What POB line are you???

Priscilla of Boston is an iconic bridal line for good reason. One of the oldest and most successful designers of our time, POB has learned a thing or two about producing fantastic gowns each season. This bridal power house manages six aesthetically different lines, with the same attention to detail and quality that established Priscilla's success over 60 years ago.

From over the top glamour to creative and quirky, there is a POB line for everybody. Which one are you?? I totally appreciate the beauty of them all, but I am a Vineyard girl all the way!

A large collection of samples from each of these lines can be viewed at the trunk show this weekend!!

Priscilla of Boston

Timeless, Classic and Elegant

Vineyard

Clean, Modern and Sweet

Reverie

Organic, Bold and Flirty

Platinum

Ultimate Glamour with an Edge

Melissa Sweet

Innovative, Soft and Romantic

Jewel

Lovely, Regal and Sleek