David's Bridal

Dan Rentillo, David’s Bridal Design Director

Season to season, brides seek out the latest trends for themselves and their bridal party with the hopes of making their day extra perfect and uber stylish. Each season our design team at David’s Bridal unveils styles that can be tailored to every bride’s unique vision. Our luxurious Spring 2011 collection is no exception, truly complementing both the bride and her bridal party’s personal styles, body types and budgets.

Here are a few of my current favorite spring looks based on two of the must-have trends of the season – feminine detailing and fanciful fabrics:

• The Blossoming Bride: This season, bridal silhouettes range from sleek, sexy flowing styles to dramatic, jaw dropping voluminous ball gowns. A major trend is gorgeous details including three-dimensional flowers, modern laces and ruffles. This Galina Signature strapless taffeta ball gown is a glamorous example of what’s on trend. With a form-fitting bodice and dropped waist, the gown also features cascading floral appliqués, shaping the breathtaking skirt. Brides can personalize her look with dramatic crystal jewelry, long white gloves and/or a floral headpiece.

• Fashion-Forward Bridesmaids: This spring, brides and her bridesmaids will love the fashion-forward, feminine wear-again bridal party styles. Playful, girly prints and bright colors are key and this David’s Bridal strapless charmeuse dress is a perfect example of this trend. The slim skirt and ruched waist creates a silhouette that is both flattering and versatile for the entire bridal party. Brides can even add some flair to their party by mixing this print with solid dresses in the same color – Horizon.

• Delicate Flower Girls: New Flower girl styles featuring ruffled skirts and three-dimensional flowers mirror the feminine bridal and bridesmaid designed dresses. This David’s Bridal angelic full-length ball gown includes a charming floral detail on the shoulder. Plus, the pop of color in the sash (a key trend for flower girls) gives the bride an easy way to seamlessly incorporate the flower girl with the rest of the bridal party.

• Modern Mother of the Bride or Groom: It’s all in the details for Mothers of the Bride and Groom with modern designs reigning supreme. Figure-flattering ruching, sleek off-the shoulder necklines and multi-tiered skirts, finished with shimmer and shine in metallic soft chiffons and taffetas, truly let mom sparkle on this special day. This stunning off-the-shoulder style showcases what’s on trend at the moment. Finished with a center broach, the stretch taffeta fabric is comfortable, flattering and chic.

Happy Shopping to you and your bridal party!

This morning, Talk Philly featured an exclusive sneak peek of the David’s Bridal version of Pippa’s dress that will be released in August. Since the Royal Wedding, brides are taking fashion advice from Kate Middleton and having their bridesmaids dress in white as well. Get the look with styles 21375, 231M15640 and 874599 that were featured on the segment. Check it out here!

Sinead Kasch, David’s Bridal Special Occasion Expert

It’s the wedding of the century, or for that matter, centuries to come. Ms. Bella Swan marries Mr. Edward Cullen. And with Alice Cullen as the wedding planner, you know Bella and Alice will walk down the aisle in style. But who’s to say that style has to cost a fortune? Here are my picks for what Bella and Alice would wear on the big wedding day.

Bella by nature has a very simple and classic sense of style; she would never wear anything too fussy or girly. However, because this is going to be one of the happiest days of her life, she will want to look her very best. Galina style WG3086 is the perfect blend of classic, clean lines and chic embellishment – its simple satin fit and flare silhouette is fashionably updated by three dimensional floral appliqués at the hem. With this dress, Bella has the option to wear just white, or add a splash of color at the waist with a beautiful colored sash. Plus, this bridal gown comes with a fabulous price tag!

Now that Bella’s dressed, let’s talk bridesmaids. With Alice Cullen as her only bridesmaid, she’ll want to make an impact. I love the idea of a short bridesmaid dress with stylish details that can be worn for the big day and future events. This style is just that dress. This on-trend, short slim satin dress has a pleated bodice and beaded floral embellishment at the waist that’s perfect for a stylish wedding or cocktail party. Now, if short is too casual for this one-of-a-kind wedding, Alice could go with a long one-shoulder chiffon dress adorned with a soft flower at the neckline.

A little music, a lot of flowers, and as few werewolves as possible, and Bella and Edward are all set to embark on the adventure of a lifetime…marriage!

Nicole Brewer, Celebrity and Plus Size Fashion Expert

Shopping for my wedding gown was one of the most memorable days of my life! It was so exciting, not just because it was required that I play dress up, but it made the fact that I was actually getting married- a reality! I was overjoyed and couldn’t stop thinking about my groom and how truly blessed I was to have found the man of my dreams. And the dress of my dreams. Now, it’s your turn!

When it comes to finding the wedding gown that really flatters every part of who you are, here are some ways to take out the stress to make the process really magical, which is what I did! Embrace it and get ready for a very stylish ride!

Inspiration, Inspiration, Inspiration. If you’re like me and you love fashion, why not start your process by flipping through pages of fashion and bridal magazines, tearing out your favorite colors, textures and styles of wedding gowns and pretty dresses that you love. We all imagine how we might look in the hottest dress or in the newest trend in bridal. So, assemble these in a notebook if you’d like, as it can be your inspiration book. I had sections for my gown, my bridesmaid’s dresses, flowers, decor, table settings – you name it! I brought it with me to each bridal shop so that I could communicate with the professionals there the kind of looks I hoped to find and try. If nothing else, it allows you to dream and imagine the details, fabrications, and styles to look for.

Trust the Experts. The best part is that most bridal shops are (and should be) filled with masters of their trade. They will be excited if you come prepared, but even if you come empty handed with only a vague idea of what you’re looking for, they are pros. I had no idea how knowledgeable the staffs would be, but when I stepped foot in David’s Bridal, I felt like a princess in a fairy tale. They could look at me and help me and my MOH choose silhouettes that would flatter both our figures and styles that showcase the latest high-end fashion trends and designer looks. In fact, the first dress we tried for my bridesmaids ended up being the perfect ballgown in apple red, similar to this stunner that was sure to flatter everybody type, from my oldest friend to my new sister-in-law. So, from one bride to another-have fun with this, open your mind and let the magic happen!

Stunning Sheaths. Now that you have an idea of what shapes you like best, have fun shopping. One of my favorite designs includes the A-line, sheath silhouette. The sheath appears to be cut on the bias, which means it can be quite forgiving as it subtly drapes the hips and thighs, and creates a streamlined look on just about any body type. And you just can’t go wrong with the simple elegance it. I think this Galina gown is so gorgeous and would be perfect if you’re getting married in a chic hall or on the beach.

Whether your a seasoned shopper, self-proclaimed fashionista, or new to everything fashion, have fun shopping and you’ll be impressed by the designer gowns out there that really won’t break the bank – plus, it’s amazing to find so many available to try on in your size! You’ll have an amazing time at David’s Bridal, as they carry everything you’ve seen in fashion magazines and maybe even your dreams.

by Dan Rentillo

View all posts by Dan Rentillo
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Where (can I wear it) Again?

Several years ago when my brother got married, I was asked to create the dresses for the entire wedding party. For the bridesmaids, the bride chose the color Peach, and I recommended the fabrics moire taffeta and lace. Remember this was several years ago. It actually was not as bad as it sounds, because the typical attendant’s dress at the time would have been drapery-like brocade fabric, with puffy sleeves, a basque waist and pearl lace appliqués around the neckline. We ended up with a strapless (rare in those days) lace bodice and full skirt with matching lace bolero jacket. Not so bad, but honestly, what are they going to do with them after the wedding? Peach taffeta moire? Please. It would probably be banished to the back of the closet along with all the other un-wearable, “maybe-I-can-cut-it-short-and-wear-it- again” dresses from weddings past. Like it did for my sister.

So after years and years of hearing bridesmaids after bridesmaids complain they could never find dresses they could wear again, the David’s Bridal Design Team decided to address this challenge and create styles that truly are wearable again and offer them at very affordable prices. One absolutely guaranteed wear-again style is our cotton sateen short strapless dress with side seam pockets. Very smart, and it comes in 18 colors! It’s the ideal dress to wear out to dinner or to another summer engagement. You can even throw a little cardigan sweater over it, add your favorite new wedge shoes, and stylishly wear it to work. (Check out Style 83312)

And if you’re looking for a long gown, we thought about that as well. Did you ever consider jersey for a bridesmaid’s dress? Knit fabrics are not only popular for dresses right now, they are also very comfortable to wear. We came up with a couple of very chic options. One is a very of-the-moment, one-shouldered style with a draped charmeuse satin bodice, and the other has a very flattering plunging V-neck that is “bra-friendly”. After the wedding, you can dress them up with a pair of bold chandelier earrings and cool, strappy sandals for your next event. Today’s popular maxi-dress trend makes it easy to wear long dresses in a casual way; just throw on a pair of flat sandals (gladiators would be perfect), and you’re ready to hit the town any time. Both dress styles work well on all figure types, so check them out.
(Check out Styles F13185 and F13095)

So with these options available to you, and some creative accessorizing on your part, you can stylishly “repurpose” these dresses and love fashionably wearing them again and again. Which is a lot more than I can say for a peach moire taffeta ball gown.

When you ask that special friend of yours or that cousin you grew up with to be in your wedding, a huge grin is likely to break across their face and she will be incredibly happy.  This happiness will only last, however, if she is able to wear a beautiful dress!  There is nothing worse than being chosen to stand up as an attendant in a wedding and then being asked – or worse yet commanded – to wear an awful dress.  Sometimes, the dress is lovely, but the style or shape is quite simply unflattering to each individual attendant.

You can choose beautiful bridesmaids dresses in just about every color, style and shape you can dream up if you shop at David’s Bridal.  Instead of shopping for blue, pink, yellow, or green, you can choose from greens such as Olivine and Honeydew and Clover, or blues like Blue Velvet, Cornflower and Marine.  The names are as lovely as the dresses and describe the many different hues available.  Along with the color palette, you can choose from a wide variety of styles, cuts and textures so that every attendant is sure to love her dress!

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have your special girls feel extra-special in their dresses?  And even more wonderful if they could wear the gorgeous dress all over again for another occasion?  Let them know how much you care; let them wear a wonderful dress for this most wonderful affair.