Designer Spotlight: A Bride's Design

Last week I got the tour of A Bride's Design, a charming bridal boutique right here in Avon. It is an absolutely amazing shop that offers everything you need in one place; gowns, accessories and alterations. They are an appointment only shop, so make sure to call ahead...or have us call for you! They're having a special in February to celebrate 8 years in business...check out their blog for all the sale details!

Photos by: Becky's Photography

Owner and designer, Laura Smith, can even create custom gowns for proms or other special occasions. She has her own line of bridal gowns, The Laura Lynn Collection, and the gowns are gorgeous! Here are a few of my faves:

Trunk Show Road Trips!

If I had my weekends available this month, I'd be taking some weekend road trips to see these fabulous dress sales and trunk shows! Even though I'm not in the market for a dress, I LOVE going to bridal shops and seeing the gorgeous gowns....especially two prestigious shops such as these! Cleveland brides, plan some weekend road trips! :)

Vera Wang Sample Sale

Saturday, November 13th

9am-5pm

(New York, NY is about an 8 hour drive from Cleveland)

. . . . . . . . .

Nicole Miller Spring 2011 Trunk Show

Saturday November 27th & Sunday November 28th

11am-6pm

(McLean, VA is about a 6 hour drive from Cleveland)

Convertible Wedding Dresses

I'm loving this trend in wedding dresses - - the convertible wedding gown! It's tough to dance the night away at your reception in a huge ball gown, but not all brides can afford the extra expense of buying a second "party dress" to change into. In comes the convertible wedding dress....it's both in one! You can have the long flowing dramatic dress or ball gown for the ceremony, then convert it to a fun party dress to enjoy dancing later in the evening. Here are a few of our favorite designers and their take on the convertible wedding dress....

 David Tutera for Faviana

Martina Liana

Max Chaoul Couture

Designer Spotlight :: Tony Mentel

In honor of Earth Day, we're featuring eco-friendly and green wedding products and services this week! What better way to start than with the most important purchase for your wedding -- the dress! Fashion-forward meets environmentally friendly in Tony Mentel’s new line for Pure by Justin Alexander.



Where did you find inspiration for this new eco-conscious collection?
Exotic natural elements, like wood and pearls, inspired the overall design direction. These elements, together with great construction and a perfect fit, can transform a woman into the bride she wants to be. She can feel confident in a dress that suits her shape and has a one-of-a-kind look.

What makes these “green” bridal fashions unique?
We strive to make each gown as eco-conscious as possible, which means using super-soft organic fabrics, such as organic cotton sateen and pure silk, throughout (including linings, interlinings and outer shell pieces). The fabrics—and the way they move—influence the gown’s final shape and cut. To create unusual motifs on our gowns, we incorporate beautiful natural materials, such as semi-precious stones, pearls and wooden beads. - Maureen Choi, Bridal Guide Magazine



Read the full article at BridalGuide.com
See the collection at JustinAlexander.com

Designer Spotlight :: Jorge Pérez

Jorge Pérez grew up in Cuba watching his grandmother design wedding dresses. He's now launched his own bridal line, sold at Kleinfeld Manhattan. With beaded bodices and cascading ruffles, the gowns embrace the glamour of Old Havana. - Lexi Dwyer, Brides Magazine

I love the style of Jorge Pérez. His gowns are flirty, feminine, ruffly, and sparkly....but without being gaudy and overdone. Jorge Pérez is having a trunk show THIS WEEKEND (April 16-April 18) at the Demetrios Salon right here in Cleveland! Just my luck, because I'll be out of town this weekend!



http://jorgeperezdelahabana.com

Designer Spotlight: :: Pnina Tornai

We're excited to announce the new "Spotlight" feature on our blog! We'll be putting the "Spotlight" on venues, vendors, designers, and other wedding professionals (local, national and international) to share their products, photos, videos, interviews and other interesting and helpful information. If you have a person or product you'd like to see in the "Spotlight", just email us at amy at amy nixon dot com.

To kick off our new "Spotlight" feature on the blog, we're looking at the 2010 collection from one of my favorite designers, Pnina Tornai.



Pnina Tornai is one of the leading designers in New York for bridal and evening gowns. For the last decade Pnina Tornai has developed a genuine and unique method of corsets that have the look of the original ancient corsets and the look of what women dream of wearing now days. Pnina Tornai inserts in each of her bridal wear and evening gowns one of those special corsets that gives the body a perfect form.



Her dresses are hand made, sewn in accordance with the principal of Haute Couture. The materials that are being used for designing the dresses are imported from Europe. Her line varies from classic and unique cuts to sophisticated hand embroidered gowns. Genuine Swarovski crystals are being used for decorating the creations. Pnina Tornai believes in creating her dresses through personal contact with her costumers which inspires and helps her understand the need and purpose desired.



Pnina has been sketching since she was a little girl and feels that design is "what she was born to do." She currently resides in Tel Aviv with her son and her husband, David. Pnina and her husband own and operate two freestanding boutiques in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Pnina travels from Israel to New York to continue to work on her collections and meet with brides at Kleinfeld.



Pnina Tornai Links:
Pnina Tornai's Website
Video of the 2009 New York runway show
Video of Pnina Tornai's 2009 Bridal Collection on Say Yes to the Dress on TLC
Pnina Tornai gowns at Kleinfeld Manhattan