Tuesday 29 September 2009

Autumn dreams.

New photos by Lisa Warninger of some of my ready to wear designs. Styling by Rebecca Westby. Models: Carlie Armstrong and Kayla Koff.

Every wedding needs a horse.

I just got these incredible wedding photos from Corinna and Julie's wedding (photography by Evrim Icoz).
The scene: the family Christmas tree farm.
The couple steals a kiss.
Julie wore a custom suit by Duchess, one of my favorites for tailored duds. Corinna is displaying the tear-away feature of her dress--go from long to short in an instant!
Okay, one more with the horse.

Sunday 27 September 2009

Elegant European Design - Full Lace Mandarin Collar Mermaid Style











Wedding Dresses - How to Buy Dreamy Wedding Gowns Online

Wedding dresses are literally the icing on the cake on every bride's wedding day.

You can find perfect wedding gowns online, or simply brainstorm which style of wedding dresses to start looking for as you narrow down your search.

First you need to determine which types of wedding dresses are right for you.

Your wedding dress should tell the world exactly who you are. After all, this is YOUR day, and your wedding gown is the key way that you share yourself with your wedding guests — and, of course, your husband-to-be.

By now, you've likely given some thought as to what kind of wedding you would like to have: traditional, informal or a theme wedding, perhaps.

Here are some general guidelines:

In formal weddings, brides generally wear long white/cream-colored wedding dresses and a veil, perhaps a train and, of course, gloves.

In semi-formal weddings, brides generally wear long white/cream-colored wedding dresses, a veil and gloves if desired.

In informal weddings, brides have more flexibility. They can wear wedding gowns of any color — short or long — or even a suit.

What about theme weddings? Here you should decide first on the theme and then on the formality of the wedding you've always wanted to have. Only then is it time to shop for wedding dresses and wedding accessories to determine which ones match your theme!

As you can see, the most important aspect to consider when selecting wedding dresses is your own sense of style.

For specifics on what's appropriate to wear for each type of wedding, I recommend Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette, which devotes an entire chapter to wedding dresses and other fashion dos and don'ts, or Vera Wang on Weddings, in which Wang shares her vast fashion expertise with you as you plan your wedding. Both can be purchased from any major online bookstore and have great tips on buying wedding dresses.

How can you purchase wedding dresses online?

The Internet can be a tremendous help when you're looking for wedding gowns and have a tight wedding budget. And let's face it — most of us do have to keep the bottom line in mind when we plan the most important day of our romantic lives.

After you have given some thought to the type of wedding you want to have, I recommend that you:

  • Look through bridal magazines and check out your options by flipping through the pages to see which wedding dresses are available in your area.
  • Go to local bridal stores and try on wedding gowns.
  • Look online to see what other wedding dresses are available to you. In case you're uncertain about buying wedding gowns from an online vendor, bear in mind that there really are online bridal shops that deliver the same level of service as regular stores.
  • Compare the in-store price to the Internet dress stores to find out which is the better deal. Many online stores offer you discount wedding dresses because of their vastly reduced overhead costs!
  • Narrow down your search to a handful of wedding dresses that make your final cut.

When you've gone through all these steps, you're certain to have accessed all the wedding dresses available to you -- and you will very likely save your hard-earned money if you end up finding discount wedding dresses available only from an Internet vendor.

Good luck with your search! Though it might seem daunting at first, if you follow these tips, you'll be well on your way to finding a beautiful range of perfectly elegant wedding dresses.

Elegant European Design - Full Lace Short Sleeves Mermaid Style











Elegant European Design - Full Lace Strapless Empire Style







Elegant European Design - Fancy Mermaid Style




Elegant European Design - A Line







Elegant European Design - Princess Style







Elegant European Design - Empire Style







Elegant European Design - Slim A Line with Empire Waist




Elegant European Design - Mermaid Style







Saturday 26 September 2009

Part Time Retail Sales...plus a whole lot more.

The English Dept. is a bustling little shop with a special mission. We focus on non-traditional bridal, bridesmaid and special occasion dresses in an intimate boutique setting. We pride ourselves on providing excellent service in a relaxed environment. This is decidedly not a stuffy bridal salon. Our ideal English Dept. employee has experience, energy and enthusiasm, a cheerful and patient disposition, a ready grasp of details, the ability to learn quickly and independently, and the ability to assist a diverse community of customers with their shopping experience. It's a special opportunity for the right person...could it be you? If you are in the Portland area and think you might like to work with us, please let us know! Forward a resume to info@theenglishdept.com, including your desired hours and availability.

Black And White and Yellow All Over!

Hi Everyone! We're returning from a busy weekend but wanted to get a few things up for you this week. Here are more pictures from Megan and Brendan's bold, black and white damask wedding, taken by yours truly at Amorology. We by NO means claim to be photographers but every once in a while get a chance to capture some of the details of our weddings and it of course always reminds us just how much we love our real photographers!

With a palette of black, white and yellow, the pops of yellow were so much fun to play with. Here are some of our favorite shots and details of the day.





I loved the black and white furniture and the tents we brought in to give dimension to the space.


The flowers were done by Twigg Botanicals and offered another beautiful pop of yellow.


On the bride's list of priorities was chandeliers. While it was a little bit of a challenge on the wide open grass lawn..these black chandeliers added just the right touch to the tents to really dress them up while adding the extra light we needed....and we found a way to incorporate chandeliers!!


I love this shot from the day. It really shows how beautiful the setting was!



Megan was now officially a Tobler, so their guests were treated to sweet boxes of mini Toblerone candy bars!



The reception was full of amazing desserts like this lemon tart as well as the candy station we custom created for the couple in their corresponding colors!






One of our favorite candy items from the day: candy mustaches...so much fun!






David, the DJ from Hit It Music, was such a good sport about being our model :)











Always a sign of a good party when the shoes come off!



A very special thank you to Stephina Photography for editing our amateur photography shots for us. We had so much fun snapping these photos, and even more fun putting together this special day for Megan and Brendan!!!