M&J Bridal Salon Headpiece

It is important that a bride stands out at her wedding and that everyone knows that she is, in fact, the bride.  Statement accessories are special pieces that stand out from the brides overall look. 

The key to wearing a statement piece is to make sure the rest of the accessories do not compete with it.  Also, a statement piece should be placed strategically to draw attention to your best features or create a visual illusion.  For example wearing a wide, chunky headband can draw the eye upwards and make you appear taller.  A bold necklace can highlight a beautiful collar bone, just like dramatic earrings bring attention to the face.  Whichever type of statement accessory you decide on, make sure to keep the rest of you jewelry to a minimum.   

Bachelorette parties are a great way to get together with all of your girlfriends and let loose before your big day.  Here are some different bachelorette celebration ideas.

Wine Trains/Tours:  Picture you and your girlfriends taking a tour through beautiful vineyards, learning about different wines and then pairing those wines with great foods at a relaxing lunch.  Wine trains are ideal for large groups, but they usually offer bus or limo tours throughout wine country as well.

Dinner and Dancing:  Having a tasty dinner to catch up with friends followed by dancing the night away, is the perfect combination to make sure everyone enjoys themselves. 

Spa Day:  You can’t go wrong with a relaxing day of pampering at a spa.  This type of bachelorette party is perfect if you have a wide range of ages in your group.  It also gets your bridal party beautifully polished for the wedding day. 

Club Crawl:  Change things up with a club crawl instead of a pub crawl.  Map out places you definitely want to make an appearance at, and then see where the night takes you!  You and your entourage will steal the spotlight and you’ll feel like VIP’s all night.

X-Rated:  This classic bacheloette party is always entertaining.  It’s fun to see everyone let loose.  You can’t go wrong with cocktails and strippers, unless your grandma and young niece expect to be invited…

Racetrack:  The racetrack is always fun and exciting!  Get the girls together; dress up (think ladies who lunch attire), put on those big hats, and let the fun begin.  Hey, who knows, maybe someone will win some big money!

Country Bar-Bull Riding:  Is the bride-to-be a country girl?  Stick to her roots and hit up a country bar.  Make sure they have a maniac bull so everyone can show off their riding skills, or lack there of.

Psychic Readings:  Hire a physic to attend your party.  They can give tarot cards readings, palm readings, and give you and your girls a glimpse into the future.  Make cosmic cosmoplitains, play Ouija board, and decorate with constellations!

Destination Bachelorette Party:  Taking a trip always put people in a great mood.  Here are a few great places to celebrate:

• Miami
• NYC
• Mexico
• Vegas

He proposed…You Set the Date…Now it is time to start the search for your wedding gown!  Since you want to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience; I have a few tips to help you through the process.

 1.  Research:  Start by looking through bridal magazines and searching online to get ideas.  Keep a folder with print outs and clippings of anything that interests you to bring to appointments.  For example, if you like the silhouette of a gown, the details, or the overall look save the photo for future reference.  These will be helpful when you are trying to explain to the bridal consultant what you are looking for. 

2.  Set a Budget:  Figure out the overall budget for the wedding and decide how much of it you want to use for your look.  This means, the dress, Alterations, accessories (headpiece, veil, garter, handbag, jewelry, etc.), undergarments, shoes, honeymoon lingerie.  Everyone has different views on how much they want to spend on these items, just keep your budget realistic.  Don’t forget that some of these items can be borrowed.

3.  Make Appointments:  Research what designers you are interested and where they are sold.  Create a list of stores you want to go to and keep in mind what designers/stores will be within your budget.  Don’t waste your time or the consultants’ time going to places you can’t afford.  The worst thing is falling in love with a gown you can not get.  Make appointments at least 2 weeks before to ensure the date and time you want is available. 

4.  Who to Shop With:  decide whose opinion really matters to you and whose doesn’t.  Don’t bring a crowd.  Many brides make this mistake and regret it.  The more people you bring the more opinions you will have to hear.  If a jealous bridesmaid or negative mother-in-law says they hate the gown you love, those comments might affect your final decision. Bring one or two people at most.  To include people, offer to invite them to your first fitting. 

5.  Come Prepared:  Bring your folder with magazine clippings and ideas on what you’re looking for.  Skip the red panties, black bra, and thong that day.  Wear seamless nude colored undergarments.  Try to look your best so that you feel good while trying on gowns.  Do your hair and makeup that day and bring extra hair ties to keep your hair out of your way.  Bring a camera just in case they let you take photos (most place do not).  The photos will be helpful to look back remember what you liked and didn’t like.   

6.  Keep Lists:  Keep lists of your favorite gowns from each store and search for photos of them online.  It will be easier to narrow down your list, when you have photos to help you remember.  

7.  Attend Events:  Many events for brides are held every year.  These events will provide you with great gown ideas and keep you informed about the latest and greatest for everything wedding related.  Plus, who doesn’t like free stuff and discounts!  Most venders will give out special offers, taste tests, or free hair and makeup trials. 

8.  Sample Sales and Trunk Shows:  These events provide brides with the opportunity to get designer gowns at a discount.  Most gown designers have sample sales once or twice a year, where they sell their samples at greatly discounted prices (usually 15-75% off).  Keep in mind that sample sizes are typically bridal size 12 (about 10 in ready-to-wear clothing) or lower.  Gowns can usually be taken in, but they cannot be let out.  Trunk shows happen more frequently, and typically feature a certain designer.  They offer discounts if you purchase that day (usually 10-15% off).   

9.  Choose the Dress and Stop Shopping!  Once you find the dress, don’t confuse yourself by continuing to look at other gowns.  Move on to the next step… Accessories! 

This week M&J Bridal Salon is featuring our chic gold accessories.  Gold is making a huge comeback and we are excited for brides to start embracing this new look! 

The feeling of gold accessories is warm and vibrant and works with many skin tones.  Of course the accessories have to flow with your gown.  If you have lace, warm colored fabric, gold beading or embroidery, gold accessories will work for you!  Also, if your gown is simple gold can make a bold, yet classy statement.

I know gold sounds scary to many of us, but it is not the same as the super shinny gold of the 70’s and 80’s.  Try pieces with amber and taupe tones or dark ivory colors.  Less is more with gold pieces.  You do not want to wear too many pieces or pieces that are overly chunky, because you will start to look like Mr. T.  Have fun choosing accessories for your big day!

 

Here at M&J Bridal Salon we started carrying ring bearer pillows.  I was so excited for these new additions.  Now that I have seen them in person I am in love!  These ring pillows are traditional with a twist.  Some are made of vintage fabrics and are one-of-a-kind.  Others have unique details, such as crystals clasps to hold the rings.  Another thing I love about them is that they are all handmade in Vermont and you can see the quality and how well they are made. 

These are not your typical ring pillows.  They are meant to be kept or passed down as heirloom pieces.  Here are some of the ideas I came up with for how to use these pillows again:

• In your child’s nursery
• As a gift for a god child
• For another family members wedding
• As decoration

I recently stumbled upon the cutest trend for flower girls; tutus!  This look is cute and fun and your little girls will love wearing them.  Instead of having your flower girls look like mini brides or bridesmaids, let them stand out with adorable tutus.  Pair the tutus with tights and ballerina flats and these princesses will stay warm and comfortable throughout the wedding day.  The other thing I love about tutus is they look great paired with flowers!  You could adorn the tutu itself with beautiful fabric rosettes, put cute silk flowers in your girls’ hair, or you could even add rosettes to their shoes!

Special occasion handbags are the newest addition to M&J Bridal Salon.  These beautiful handbags are perfect for weddings, special events, or evenings out with friends!  All of our bags are clutches with optional chain handles and come in a variety of colors.  My favorite of the collection is adorned with silk petals and was featured as one of Oprah’s “Top Ten Clutches Under $100” in Oprah Magazine! 

Our chic handbags are not just for the bride!  Stop into our showroom today to view the collection.  We are located inside M&J Trimming at 1008 Sixth Avenue, New York, NY 10018.

The latest trends in bridal accessories are a touch funky, and different then anything seen in bridal before.  Black accents are popular and beautifully contrast with the light colors of wedding gowns.  It used to be taboo to wear any black on your wedding day.  Now we are seeing black jewelry, black veils, and many bridesmaids in black.

Extra large headpieces are all over the runways. Brides are moving out of their comfort zones and actually wearing large hats, feather pieces, and oversized rosettes.  This fashionable bride cannot see herself walking the aisle in a traditional veil.  Before Sarah Jessica Parker wore a bird on her head in the Sex in the City Movie, extra large headpieces were only seen on runways and in the movies.  Brides are having more fun with their look and showing their personalities.

Barely there veils are a change from the puffy and extra full veils of recent seasons.  All the drama is now on the dress and brides want those details to be seen.  Having the look of a sheer piece of tulle draped over you is a romantic style.  These veils have no trim, no volume, and the blushers are reaching the floor.

M&J Bridal Salon officially opened this past spring and has had many transformations that I would love to share!  The beautiful department located within M&J Trimming, was once offices and now is a relaxing getaway for brides-to-be. 

We pride ourselves in having ultimate customer service and provide the brides the opportunity to walk-in or make an appointment.   Originally, the salon was by appointment only, but we want our clients to feel comfortable and welcomed at anytime.

Currently, we offer a variety of bridal accessories and just started carrying gorgeous handbags!  These are not your typical bridal clutches, even though we have some of those too.  These handbags can be worn again and again and for almost any occasion.  A couple more new products I want to share with you are our earrings and bracelets.

 I will keep you updated as we continue to grow!

When trying to decide on a look for a winter wedding, most people think of fur and anything that sparkles or shines.  Try a new twist and incorporate feathers into your style. 

Depending on how they are worn, feathers can create different looks or feels.  Feather pieces with colors other than white or ivory or that stick upwards, are fun.  Little feather flowers with soft wisps are more on the romantic side.  A bold feather piece with crystals adds a touch of glamour.  Whatever your personality, there is a feather piece that can work for you.

Feathers are also a great option for those animal lovers out there.  The animal is not harmed like they are with fur.  This way you can have “real” and fashionable accessories.

Feathers tie in beautifully with all white winter wedding themes.  They have a whimsical feel and can be that unique touch you have been searching for.