Tag Archives: Watters & watters

Wedding Trend Alert – The Pastel Palette

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Whether it is  Shabby Chic, Vintage, Rustic or Victorian, one of the most popular wedding themes for 2012 is pastel. Blending pale colors or shades of the same color has made ‘pale’ the new black and brides are scooping it up in droves. Although pastel colors may seem ‘washed out’ to some, they can be as eye-popping as neon if put together properly with table decor, flowers and other elements of the wedding. Don’t fooled by words, there is nothing shabby about these ideas!

Flowers – Combining pastel flowers in various sizes, shapes and degrees of (pale) color will give your theme an understated elegant feel.

Bridesmaids  – Look for soft, flowing chiffon, delicate silks, and lace overlays  in one or several shades of delicate color.

Dressing the Girls: A Winner! : wedding bridesmaid dress rochester 14 1

Bridal Gown – Whether you are looking for a simple sheath, layers of ruffles or something in between, pastel bridal gowns are everywhere.

 

 

The important thing to remember is that although you have chosen a pastel palette, your wedding shouldn’t look like a bowl of after dinner mints. Adding the right touches  in moderation will allow your guests to absorb the calming effect of the subtle shades of color. Consider choosing  shades that compliment one another such as rose and champagne, lilac and cornflower, peach and grey or cream and sage.

 

 -Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

 

All Bridesmaid Gowns Are Not Created Equal

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Interestingly, the strapless  trend  (you know, the one that has been lingering around bridal gowns a bit too long) has not had much affect on bridesmaid gowns. Bridesmaid gowns have gone from bad (in the 1970’s) to horrible (1980’s) and then slowly back to good. The early years of the last decade of the 20th century (1991 & 1992) seemed to bring us what we had been searching for… tasteful dresses that look good, made of nice fabrics that can be (dare I say?) worn again. It seemed to happen overnight, designers began producing bridesmaid gowns that were flattering and affordable and since then, bridesmaids everywhere breathed a collective sigh of relief.

That doesn’t solve all the problems since all women are not created equal, some are created ample and some gowns just don’t look good on everyone. So how do you decide on which gown for your nearest and dearest friends when you want them all to look good? When it comes to selecting bridesmaid gowns you only have a couple of choices:

All the same. Same color, same style no matter what.  Best friend is a size 4 and sister is a size 22? Same dress. You have your style laid out and this dress is perfect. You  can make it work. Best bet: Only look at gowns that come in a wide range of sizes and avoid anyting too exposing if you have a larger bridesmaid. 

Same Color, different dress. Give your bridesmaids a choice of which gown to choose as long as they are the same color. T his works well only when you limit the choices to those offered by the same company. Otherwise the color may vary and the fabric may be incompatible, causing it to show up completely different in photos.

There are pros and cons of either but,  haven been given the option of both at various points in my life, the latter option seems to work the best and is also the most popular among brides and their maids. Everyone is happy and comfortable and gets to select a gown she looks good in and feels good wearing. It also takes into account that a larger women will not be comfortable wearing the same thing as a smaller woman. Most importantly it gives everyone the opportunity to have a gown they love and if the planets are aligned properly….wear again.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

Let the Knock-Offs Begin!

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Spring Bridal Market is just weeks away and buyers across the country have already been tempted with a few sneak peeks at what designers will be featuring for 2012 brides. Not surprising, there will be copies  and modified replicas of Kate Middleton’s gown, Kim Kardashian’s gown and Pippa Middleton’s dazzling bridesmaid attire, all of the 2011 weddings we couldn’t wait to watch.

Romona Keveza stuns with her choice of fabrics and the veil edged in lace. Although this is not an exact copy of the gown worn by the Duchess of Cambridge, it is close enough that most people will be reminded of the lovely spring nuptials of the future King and Queen of England. In fact I like this gown better for a number of reasons: I was never quite thrilled with the way the skirt and top came together on the Royal version and this designer seems to have a better understanding of how the skirt and top should go together.  I also like the veil better as well as the way it sits on her head and the fabric on the skirt of the gown looks more finished.

In addition to high end designers making modified versions of popular styles, you have the discount designers making their (cheaper) versions and not always hitting the mark. Look closely and tell me what is wrong with this picture… it is obvious that the fit, the fabric and the finish are way off. Copies and Knock-offs are only good if they are put together well. This one is not….

…And it is even worse because they have used the cheapest,  weirdest lace available and still didn’t even fix the only  design flaw on the original gown. Look closely at the waistline.

Vera Wang has the right idea: make a highly publicized gown or two (or three) for a high-profile person and then knock off your own design. Genius! Elminiate the middle man and you can make money on both ends. She is reported to be copying two of her own three designs used for Kim Kardashian  and they will retail for under $2000. The copies surfaced so quickly it leads me to believe the staff was working on the copies while working on the original. Your thoughts?

I came across this interesting tidbit a few months ago and was waiting for the right time to share:

Before Kate and Will were even engaged, Bride’s magazine asked designers to submit sketches of wedding dress ideas for the future princess. Look at how closely the sketch by the design team at Watters resembles Kate’s dress. Same lace bodice, same v-neckline, same grand skirt, even a similar ruffle in the back. Congratulations Watters on your design, your talent and your psychic ability. Spooky, isn’t it?  This sketch is dated months before April 2011 and has not been altered in any way mostly beacuse truth is stranger than fiction and also because I don’t know how.

What I do know is that if you loved one of the ultra expensive gowns worn by celebrities in 2011 and you are getting married in 2012 or after, you will probably have the opportunity to wear something similar. Just beware of really cheap versions of someone else’s  gown or you could wind up looking like a cheap version of a bride.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago