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It’s so easy, especially for us, to get sucked into the ‘more is more’ wedding dresses.  You know, the ones you see on Instagram with the detailed long sleeves, the beaded lace throughout the dress and the 4′ long train.  You look at those dresses in those stylized images and think “holy gown, that is a beautiful dress”.  It’s easy to showcase those dresses and talk about them because the dresses speak for themselves.

But, what about those of us that don’t want all that fanfare in our wedding dress?  For us brides who dream of a wedding dress that’s easy, not fussy and uncomplicated.

That doesn’t mean we don’t want a beautiful dress! We just want a wedding dress that feels like us in a garment. But finding those relaxed yet beautiful wedding dresses can sometimes be a challenge!

Here is a round up of my favorite “un-fussy” wedding dresses.  Dresses you can see yourself wearing 8+ hours and dresses that are still going to wow your guests while staying true to who you are as a bride.

     

     

The un-complicated wedding dress of your dreams can look a lot of different ways with different shapes and different fabrics being shown.  So, rest assured – if your dream wedding dress is lightweight and easy, we have lots of pretty things to show you!

One of our favorite bridal trends of recent years is what we call “Victorian romance”. What makes this trend so exciting? It blends history with modernity, offering brides a chance to wear something truly unique yet utterly timeless.

You’ll see the influence of that trend through basque waists, draped necklines, interesting and new fabrics and an eye toward corsetry detailing!

I believe the reason we love this look so much is because it manages to blend today’s modern wedding dresses with the imagined romance of the past. For those of us who have dreamed about running through a castle in a ballgown or going to a dance in a gown that highlighted our figure and collarbones, this trend screams main character energy.

No matter if you’re a ballgown bride or a fitted bride, you’re able to see this trend in all the wedding dress silhouettes! Now, brides to be – is this a trend you’re excited about?

 

Bridal sizing is tricky. And weird. And frustrating.

Basically, list off all “awkward” descriptive words you can and they would most likely apply to wedding dress sizing. Why?  Well, there are several reasons including that most manufacturers got their start in Europe where the sizing is not the same as US sizing and add to the fact that bridal is an industry rooted in tradition and hasn’t changed a whole lot over the last century and you get a mix of sizing that feels very, well…..foreign.

We have a good, general rule of thumb around the boutique and that is in order to figure out your bridal size, you need to take your street clothes size and add 2 sizes.  This isn’t a hard and fast rule however!  If you are blessed with an hourglass figure and fall in love with a mermaid dress, you could be 3 sizes up from your street clothes size in order to best fit your hip measurement.  On the other side, if you have a very straight figure and fall in love with a ballgown, you’ll probably be in-between 2 sizes.

Here’s what you need to remember and is most important on your wedding day: your wedding dress size doesn’t matter.  No one knows what the size on the tag says.  What your guests do know is that you are wearing a beautiful wedding dress that has been custom altered to fit you and your beautiful figure.

We have been in business over 10 years and in those 10 years we’ve helped dress thousands of brides.  What we’ve found is that the vast majority of brides are in-between 2 sizes so if that’s you, welcome to the family.  No joke, out of almost 4,000 brides only about 10 have fallen into 1 size.  So, if you’re in-between sizes you are the norm.

 

It can be hard to decide whether to size up or down because neither is a perfect answer.  We always advise our brides of our recommendation and that depends on the fabric in the dress and the shape of the gown.  What we will say, is we have far fewer brides concerned about the fit on their dress when it comes in a little big versus the concern you feel when your dress comes in a little bit small.

 

At the end of the day, trust your boutique to recommend a size that is going to best fit your figure as it is today and know and trust that your alterations will ensure your dress fits you and not some random measurements on a size chart.  The arbitrary number on the tag in your wedding dress is just that – an arbitrary number.  Don’t let it have more power than it deserves!

 

I use the word “trend” very loosely in bridal because at its core, wedding dresses are a very classic item.  It’s a garment heavily rooted in traditions and pays homage to the generations who went before us.  Not much is actually new under the bridal sun but, instead, what we see is a resurgence of certain design elements or fabrics that harken back to different styles of wedding dresses found throughout the decades.

The use of 3D elements in wedding dresses isn’t a new concept – it’s been around for years but we are seeing a resurgence in it’s popularity and an increase in these elements in wedding dresses.  Sometimes, the element can be found on an accessory, such as a jacket or a veil and sometimes it’s an all-over detail on the wedding dress.

Most of the 3D elements you’ll find in our collections are very subtle and aren’t always obvious in pictures.  I love elements on a wedding dress that encourage you to be up close and personal with it to see!  It just, further, makes them feel like works of art.  Here are some examples of my favorite wedding dresses in our boutique that feature 3D elements!

       

There has been a definite resurgence in the minimal/chic look in wedding dresses over the past few years. What I love about this bridal look, especially nowadays, is that these dresses may just be 1 fabric (usually) but they are by no means boring.  They feature interesting seams (my personal favorite), unique pleating, refreshing necklines & strap options and we are here for all of them!  We always see a few new dresses in this vein each season, but this particular season we are seeing a greater influx of these modern beauties.

So, enjoy some of our favorite modern and chic wedding dresses!

 

         

 

Are you team lace, sparkle and showstopper or team modern and chic?  If you’re team modern and chic, which dress would you wear?

A classic mikado mermaid with a killer train?  Meet Marston who belongs on an epic staircase or in an elegant ballroom!

This is another Lily Rose dress that we have represented in both our straight and plus collections.

We love her netted Vs under the arms which helps protect your under arms from the scratchiness that beads can cause.  It also helps the dress feel a bit more breathable which we love!

The mikado skirt doesn’t have much stretch in it so it provides a lot of structure!

Between the structure of the skirt, the cut and the weight of the fabric, you really get that beautiful mermaid flair.  The design is very smart – while it may flair like a mermaid, the flair hits above the kneecaps which makes it easier to walk, dance and sit!  We love a smartly designed wedding dress!

Once again, this is a dress that feels timeless and classic yet is still on-point for today’s modern bride!  Are you seeing a theme in our Lily Rose dresses?  We love a dress that is the perfect mix of timeless and modern!

Jean is one of our Lily Rose dresses that we have sampled in a straight size and a plus size.  We are constantly striving to create both a straight and a plus size collection that today’s modern brides love.  Dresses that speak to our local brides and check the boxes of their ideal wedding dress list!

Jean is a unique fitted dress in that she has zero stretch.  So many fitted wedding dresses nowadays feature a stretch knit lining.  While those dresses make it very easy to sit in, the fit on our Jean dress is superb.

Because there’s no stretch, Jean will show off our natural curves and will also act like a built-in spanx, holding you in securely!

I also love her beautiful lace strap that is a continuation of the dress from front to back – seamless!

She is also another great elopement or beach dress because she’s not fussy.  You can fold her up in your carry-on if needed and there isn’t a lot of extra fabric to have to worry about!  We also couldn’t resist adding an overskirt to her!

Out of all the dresses in our newest collection, Azalea is the most ideal for an elopement or destination wedding!  She is super lightweight and is so low maintenance.  You could literally fold her up, pack her in your carry-on and get married the next day.  She a no fuss wedding dress and I love that about her!

(Yes, we call our wedding dresses “hers” because things that beautiful just have to be female, don’t you agree?)

The lace on Azalea is laid out in such a way to subtly enhance your figure’s natural curves.

The thin, beaded straps are very on trend in wedding dresses.

I love how the back is open but not so open that you feel totally exposed.  Plus the lace covers that area on our back sides that we can sometimes be conscious about.

I also love that you can customize the back of this dress.  If you don’t love how the beaded straps meet in the middle of the back, they can be removed!  They aren’t necessary for the structure of the dress and I love when a dress is easily customizable.

Lastly, I love her for an elopement because of her train.  There is enough length so it still feels like a wedding dress but not so much length that it feels overwhelming!

Don’t get us wrong, we love lace and sparkle as much as the next lady but there is something so timeless and striking about a full mikado dress!  Bellevue is a dress that can stand on her own with very little styling and can easily be accessorized to work at virtually any wedding.

Probably my favorite detail about our Bellevue gown is the nod to corset detailing in the bodice.

It’s not immediately noticeable and isn’t something you’ll see in pictures, but it is a detail you’ll notice in person and really helps enhance curves in the bodice.

Corset seaming is also very on-trend in the wedding dress world and we all know I love a gown that can look classic and on-trend all at the same time!

Bellevue also has beautiful mikado covered buttons all the way down her train and pockets!  2 of my favorite details!

If you are a fan of open backs and sparkle, Aurora needs to be on your try-on list!  She is the perfect, lightweight Summer dress.  She would be perfect for an outdoor lake wedding, a backyard wedding, a beach elopement and so many other options!  Her sequin and seed bead focused sparkle would be so beautiful in the lighting found at indoor receptions.  All in all, she would be beautiful no matter where!

It can be hard to find aline dresses with open backs, but Aurora has both.

I love the idea of an open back on an aline dress because from the front it looks like a timeless shape and wedding dress.  Then, you turn around and you have a modern wedding dress with a slightly sexy vibe.

It’s the perfect combination to make your relatives and yourself happy!

I also love this kind of beading because it’s not immediately noticeable in pictures.  So, in your photos all you see is this beautiful lace and tulle aline.

The sparkle and beading is an element you and your guests get to enjoy all throughout the day!  I love when a bride sparkles as she walks about her wedding day!