Wedding Trends

The economy has become more consistent lately, and you can see the difference in the wedding world. Everyone is finding a new way to customize everything, and adding elements to the theme of their overall design of the wedding. Anytime you are creating a wedding, you are creating an experience, something people will remember. Even if you want a small intimate wedding, which we see more now as well, a smaller wedding does not mean less is more. Creating that intimate setting, you have the chance to have a more personalized wedding, which for some brides and grooms that can mean more. Even the bridal showers are becoming a little more non-traditional as well.

If you are looking for something new to shock your guest, here are some great ideas:

- carved ice sculpture to hold oysters, shrimp, and mussels

- mini food, everyone loves some mini portions

- a "midnight snack" this is a great idea to end the night with

- Something "to-go" as guest are leaving the party. Things like to go cupcakes, fresh cookies, coffee, beignets... etc.

- Ice sculpture bar... yes the actual bar is ice

- A non traditional cake - like cupcakes in the shape of a cake

- Glitter table cloths

- Cigar Bar

- Candy Bar
- Ice Cream/Sundae/Brownie Bar
- Flowers- the things you can do with flowers are endless! Between the altar, to the centerpieces. Flowers have become a very important part of every event, but buying flowers that are in season is much less expensive
- Providing games for those who don't like to dance
- Brooch Bouquets- this is such an adorable look if it is executed well

Themed Bridal Showers
- A couples shower- some grooms love to be involved, so don't forget about your men

- "Stock the Bar" they have cocktail style food and alcohol, and the gifts purchased are to "stock the bar"

- A monogram party- all the gifts to the bride have her new initials on the item
- A honeymoon themed shower

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Welcome Bags

Did you put together welcome bags for your wedding? If so, we would love to hear what you put in them! If you are looking for ideas, we are here to help!

 

Providing your guest with welcome bags at the hotel is such a great way to thank them for traveling all that way for your wedding. Yes it can be an extra cost, but you also need to think of how much your guest are spending to travel to your wedding. You don't have to break the bank, the possibilities are endless, and we will help you!

 

The bag: this can be the most expensive part of the gift process, but sets the overall look of the gift. You want this to be something they will use more than once, so don't put your names on it, or anything wedding related, unless its something they can throw away. Buy items that relate to the theme of your wedding, example: a beach wedding beach bag!

 Ideas on where to purchase: somewhere that will give you a deal for the more you purchase, a wholesale website (sometimes they will monogram it as well), a cheaper retail store; like Old Navy, or dollar store. Even if the bag is smaller, or is a paper bag that is ok! If the bag is too large for the amount of items you put inside, add some fun colored tissue paper, ribbon, or even stamp the bag with something.  A little bit goes a long way, any gift will make someone feel special!

 

Whats inside: the gifts that you pick to put inside are endless! You can always pick it to your theme as well! You can buy a majority of these items in bulk from somewhere like sams, or even stop at the dollar store. Even wait until to get to the city where your wedding is, and find some stuff there that people would like.

* If you are having your wedding in a city known for something, add it to the bag, even if it's food bagged up. (Make sure the food is bagged nicely)

* If you are having a beach wedding, pick items they might need on the beach.

* Mini liquor bottles

* Snacks

* Sunscreen

* Chapstick

* Get personalized koozies made! You can buy 200 for $100! It's a great gift! (http://www.totallypromotional.com/)

* Water

* Tylenol/Advil

* Gum

* Large cups (personalized if you want to spend the money) great for an all inclusive beach wedding

* a map of the town/hotel

* a weekend Itinery (this is HUGE, and keeps people on time and not wondering where to go)

* Welcome guide (you can ask the hotel for a large amount of welcome guides of things to do in the city who aren't from there)

* beach towel (could get pricey)

* Candy

* Flip Flops

* Sunglasses

*Notepad

* Postcards

*Cigars

 

 

Leave a Thank You note! This is something you can put together for cheap! You can find any stationer at any marshalls, target, dollar store, craft store etc. Write/Print a Thank You note to each guest for making it!

 

Pack them up AHEAD of time! Don't wait until the last minute to put the bags together, you want them to look nice and that you took your time on them. Sit down with your families one day, and make an essembly line! You can knock it out in 30-45 minutes. If you are flying to your wedding, ship it ahead of time to your resort/hotel, and they will store it for you.

 

A majority of hotels will charge you PER BAG they have to deliver to each room. So if you want to save on cost, hand them out as they come in, or see if your hotel will store them behind the desk and hand them out as they check in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flower Girl Dresses

Looking for an adorable flower girl dress?

The flower girl is a very important part of any wedding and still needs to look adorable as well. She plays an important role of throwing flowers on the way of the bride and will certainly draw special attention from guests present in wedding. Remember that you don't want to make her look too mature, and want to dress her for her age. She won't need any jewelry, but you adding accessories like flowers, sashes, and bows can enhance such an already adorable dress. Even a small head piece can look so precious, and let's the little girl feel like a princess. Gloves are always a cute addition, but most of the time the flower girl does not feel comfortable wearing them.

Houston Bridal Gallery carries US Angels amazing flower girl dresses in the store, which could not be any cuter! US Angels makes a great quality dress,with a great price point, and customizable for any brides wants! You can change the colors of dresses, add flowers, and change the sashes to match your wedding colors. We carry such a wide variety of styles, which are all great choices. If you want more of the ballerina look, or want some sparkle, or even just a classic look with tiny embellishments we have it!

Style 702 Style 101
Style 132Style 409

Style 172 Style 705

Did you know it takes 5 months to receive a wedding gown?

Most bridal salons today require an appointment to try on wedding gowns, which we absolutely prefer! Your wedding gown is the most important fashion purchase you will make, and it is not something you want to rush finding. The initial appointment is the most important, we ask that you are available for at least an hour so that you can explore all of the options in the store.

We always experience girls coming in the store in hopes of finding their wedding dress, some not aware of the time frame it takes to order a dress. Every bride who plans on ordering a designer gown, needs to allow herself at least 5-6 months. I know it sounds crazy! Some designers take longer than others, and of course we have the option put them on a rush them for an extra cost. We allow our brides an entire month for alterations as well, JUST in case. We have an amazing in house seimstress who is here every week just for our brides!

Sometimes putting together the look of your bridesmaids, can take more time, or be even more complicated than finding your own dress. Bridesmaids dresses can take 3-4 months to receive depending on the designer. Not to mention the time spent waiting for all the girls measurements, and payments to come in before the order is placed. If you have a look in mind, our consultants can easily help you achieve it!

 At Houston Bridal Gallery, we want every bride to walk out having the perfect experience through the whole process. Even if you already found your wedding dress, we are a one stop shop! We have everything from bridesmaids dresses, to veils, shoes, undergarments, and jewelry!

Give us a call, make an appointment today! We would love to help you make this entire process easier on you!

Stress Free Wedding Day

A wedding day is something every bride should enjoy! It's the one day in her life when it's all about her! It is the time to relax, have fun, soak in and enjoy every minute of the day she has always been dreaming of. If you take the time before hand to prepare, and organize, there is no reason you should be stressed on the day of. You have been planning for so long, it is time to stop and reward yourself for all of the hardwork.

 

 1. Hire a Day of wedding planner. I would try and find a way to work a day of coordinator into your budget! They will make sure all of your vendors show up on time, they will do all the decorating, packing up, and any issue that is brought up they will be able to handle. You will have less to worry about, and will be able to put your mind at ease. They will also have a detailed timeline of the day for you, your wedding party, and vendors will follow to make sure everything is running smoothly.

 2. Have any DIY decorations completed a week prior and put into a plastic box. If you want it set up a specific way, set it up how you want at home,take a picture, and tape it to the outside of the box. Have all your of welcome bags, party favors, programs, arrangements, etc in this box and ready to go.
 

3. Have all the final payments for vendors ready to go, and handed to the person in charge. If you want to assign one of your parents, wedding planner or best friends to distribute them do it before hand. You want the check put inside a sealed envelope, with the vendors name on the outside. MAKE SURE you choose a responsible person, who will keep it safe!

4. Delegate tasks to people ahead of time, especially if you don't have a wedding planner! Even if it is the week of your wedding, assign a different task to each person. You relax, and let them tackle the tiny details. This is another good reason to hire a wedding planner, because she can do this for you as well.
 

5. Have a timeline of your big day, and make sure everyone has seen it. The day can go by so quickly and you don't want to be answering questions, and phone calls all day answering peoples questions. So go ahead and type out an outline of the day and duties for everywhere, and where they need to be when and where, with room numbers, and directions attached.

6. Have everything packed the night before. Have your overnight bag packed, and pack a separate bag for getting ready for the wedding. (We have a list earlier in our blog under Wedding Emergency Kit) You do not want to be running around looking for deodorant, lip gloss, etc.

7. Steam your wedding dress/suit the week of the wedding and hang it up OUT of the bag! Find a good hiding spot that your fiance won't see it!  The last thing you want to be doing the day of is worrying about steaming or making a stain on your dress.

8. Don't forget to eat and drink lots of water! If you remember to eat a nutritious meal and drink plenty of water, you’ll be much more relaxed and focused. Plus, you never know how much time you will have to eat when you are hosting guest.

9. Don't let the little things bother you. If you are running a little behind, or if the flowers aren't EXACTLY how you planned, etc, don't let it ruin your day. Guest don't even notice those small details, and you need to remember how special your day is, and the real reason behind it. Remember if you’re married at the end of the day,then it was a huge success. Twenty years from now you are not going to remember that one of the flower arrangements was on the wrong table.

10. Enjoy every minute! Grab your groom and soak in every special moment with him. Enjoy your friends and family, dance the night away, eat lots of food, eat plenty of wedding cake, and take lots of pictures. Make memories that you can share with your children one day!

 

Happy Planning!

Modern Luxury Event

We had such a great time at the Modern Luxury Bridal Event last week! We met some amazing brides, and great vendors too! We also participated in the fashion show, which was absolutely stunning!!! Here are some pictures from the event, and behind the scenes of the fashion show!

Black Wedding Dress

Would you wear a black wedding dress?

 

Wearing a black wedding dress has been a topic that will raise some controversy within families. Many people, especially in the older generations feel that traditional white is not something that you should change. However, this is a new generation, and women have a mind of their own, which we are starting to see more of what they wish. By wearing these black wedding dresses you are stating that you don’t mind being daring and bold. A black dress is definately a risky chance a bride will take, but it can be absolutely stunning if done correctly! Black creates a slimming effect and what girl would not want to look better on their wedding day.

 

 If celebrities can do it... why can't we? Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker wore a black dress in 1997.

 

 Also,  Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo wore a little black dress and boots during her small intimate New York wedding, which caused a controversy.

 

We would love to hear how you feel about wearing a black dress on your wedding day!

 

 

New Jewelry arrival!

We received all of our new amazing Haute Bride jewelry recently, and we are so excited about it! We now carry rose gold jewelry, made with Swarovski crystals elements, which could not be any more stunning for our brides.