Mixing It Up - Bridesmaid Style

The biggest trend today for bridesmaids is giving your bridesmaids options.   Here are a few examples of how you can allow your attendants to show their own style and keep with the look of your wedding day.

Stylemax and National Bridal Market - Dessy Group

Here is a sneak peek at new styles coming from The Dessy Group including Lela Rose, Dessy, After Six, Social Bridesmaids and Alfred Sung.  And some sharp suits have been added to their menswear collection.

Spring 2013 Dessy Group

More gorgeous colors and styles from Dessy, After Six and Social Bridesmaids! Will your bridesmaids love you, or what?!

Market Trends

We've had some time to distill all of the information that we took in while at New York International Bridal Market. While the following images don't tell the whole story of the many trends represented at market, Laura and I agree that these are some of the most important. And as you'll notice, we could've shown some in more than one category. What are your thoughts?

Full skirts with clean lines

Eureka by Amy Kuschel is ethereal tulle with a touch of sparkle
From Caroline DeVillo's ID collection, Kate bodice with gathered ball gown skirt.
Lucille by Caroline DeVillo is finished with a narrow belt and a touch of sparkle.
Annie by Janet Nelson Kumar can also come in a short length.
Mia by Janet Nelson Kumar is shown here in tulle but ours will be made with silk organza instead.


Trumpet/mermaid interpreted in a plethora of fabrics

Annabelle by Lea-Ann Belter is silk dupioni with French lace applique.
Robert Bullock's lace trumpet features a well placed satin band and bow.
Filmore by Amy Kuschel is in silk taffeta and is also available in matte taffeta.
Pearl by Amy Kuschel is a Heirloom English Rose lace trumpet with a stunning keyhole back.
Larkin by Amy Kuschel is shown in silk taffeta but ours will arrive in matte taffeta.

Nicole Miller's extremely affordable silk faille trumpet gown.

After Six offers this pea de soie gown with flower detail, also intensely affordable.

Texture and tiers

Laura and I easily agreed that Janell Berte's Fantasia was our favorite gown at market.

The fabric of silk organza swatches in Delight was first introduced by Janell Berte in 2002. She was ahead of her time!
Buttercup by Janet Nelson Kumar is whimsical and light. Shown here in a short length, we ordered ours as a full length gown.
Juniper by Amy Kuschel uses ruching and tiers in silk organza to create texture.
Avia by Lea-Ann Belter uses ruffles of silk organza and lace to create memorable drama.
Robert Bullock's strapless ruched taffeta design also looks phenomenal with a sparkly belt.

Romantic lace and organza
Janell Berte's Faustine is in softly gathered Chantilly lace and silk organza.
High Society by Amy Kuschel with it's ball gown skirt could have easily been in another category, but her fabrication is so romantic that we put her with the lace and organza.
Love Story by Amy Kuschel is more softness and romance yet her tiers could have put her in the texture category.
IngridX by Lea-Ann Belter could have joined her friends in the trumpet category, but again the fabrication wins us over to the romantic side.
Robert Bullock gave us a classic silhouette in organza and lace.


Thanks for wading through this long, but hopefully informative, post! Now you'll have to come in and see for yourself that 2012 is going to be an amazing year!

It's a small start, but it's a good small start!

We mentioned a couple of months ago that after a five year hiatus we are re-introducing designs from the Dessy Group to our bridesmaids dress collection and today we received our first installation. As we await the Fall 2011 collection they were kind enough to start us out with some great designs that have already proven themselves. We are really excited that three of these four dresses feature sheer overlays because, to tell the truth, that is an important look that has been missing from our collection ever since Vera Wang went AWOL.

The first dress with the fun ruffled neckline is from Alfred Sung and actually represents six different styles - cocktail length and floor length in both full and straight skirts and in peau de soie and dupioni. Obviously this is the full, cocktail length in (not so obviously) caspian peau de soie. We LOVE this neckline and the over-all ladylike 50's feel of it!


We think this tailored midnight chiffon and matte satin dress from After Six is super sophisticated and yet easy to wear. The neckline will look great on just about everyone and the smart look of the wide band of satin around the hem gives it a mature-but-not-stuffy air.


There's just something about this organdy and matte satin tea-length dress, also by After Six, that just oozes ease and comfort. It's stylish enough for any affair, being just as easy to dress up as it is to dress it more casually. And if you prefer, it comes with spaghetti straps - love that!


After Six offers this soft chiffon dress in the happy color of posie (just one of a plethora of colors) and it is just all-around smart. It's flattering, feminine and flirty - all the right features for perfect alliteration! And if you like the idea of it flowing all the way to the floor, you can order it that way, too!


Did you notice the great jewelry and shoes with each of the dresses? Remember, it takes more than an awesome dress for a look to be complete. Accessories make all the difference!

Be sure to look for more dresses as they continue to arrive over the next several weeks!