David's Bridal

Jeannie Mai, Celebrity Fashion Expert
Hair How To: How to recreate your favorite celebrities’ hairstyles for the walk down the aisleBy now, you’ve read about me leading you bombshell brides-to-be through each necessary step to turn that stride into a strut down the aisle. But there’s one thing we haven’t discussed that truly is the cherry on top – how you plan to get your hair “did”. Ladies, your top is not one to be tampered with. Whether a throwback to the 40′s or mildly modern, the perfect hair not only creates the overall feel of your dress ensemble, but gives a beautiful finish to the details of your wedding day.

When it comes to any strand of information for hair, I turn to my very own secret weapon hairstylist, Norma Blaque of Blaque Studios in Los Angeles, CA.

Norma Blaque has not only dressed the tresses of celebrities such as Audrina Patridge and “Ugly Betty’s” Ana Ortiz, but she’s also redefined stunning looks on the set of my show “How Do I Look” on Style Network.

Here Norma shares three tips when it comes to stylin’ it like a celeb, but in true David’s Bridal style, making it your own.

1. “Be selective with your stylist”: Even if you don’t live in a celebrity sprinkled city like LA or NY, this doesn’t mean you don’t have amazing, talented hairstylists in your own town. Today, there are trained hairstylists all over the country that have their own signature touches to classic looks. The best way for you to determine whether or not this stylist should be yours for your big day is to request their look book or portfolio. Whether it’s online or an actual album of pictures, view this stylist’s work and evaluate their strengths in the variety of styles portrayed. Depending on if your desired look is going to be up, down, or halfway, you can judge the caliber of this stylist’s creativity to your own liking.

2. “When in doubt- Tear it out“: When it comes to your desired celebrity do, pictures speak a thousand and one words. It’s necessary to provide your stylist images of your preferred look. Provide as many angles as possible, or mix and recreate different angles from other similar looks. (Swoop bang rather than split? Chignon to the side rather than centered and low?) I love this Oleg Cassini gown for its decorative neckline that allows a beautiful, regal up-do. If you’d prefer to keep your hair long in loose waves, this Galina strapless style gives the perfect backdrop of your shoulders and back to compliment. However you decide, pictures help you and your stylist get on the same page.
3. “Be the star that you are.” As much as we love these celebs, ahem! This is your wedding day. After you’ve determined the general idea of how you’d like your hair, let the fun begin!
Depending on your own haircut, color, and texture create your own rendition of this celebrity inspired look. Here you can bring in personal elements of hair pieces like a pretty floral haircomb, a sparkling tiara or even add touches to your bridesmaids with pieces like these.

There you have it; three easy ways you can ensure your hairstyle will also be saying “I Do”. Have fun!

David’s Bridal Design Director Dan Rentillo & People en Espanol Fashion Director Kika Rocha Discuss Red Carpet Inspirations for the Big Day
Calling all brides-to-be! I’m back with more tips on finding the perfect wedding fashions from People en Espanol’s Fashion Director Kika Rocha. I know that many of you loved her advice and I wanted to continue the discussion, but this time focusing on celebrity style inspirations. Knowing that many brides-to-be look to many outlets, including bridal and fashion magazines, television shows and our website and blog, celebrity style is another fabulous resource when searching for ideas for your wedding gown and bridal party fashions. See below for some of Kika’s thoughts on celebrity-inspired bridal fashions.

Who is your recent celebrity bridal style icon and why?

Every bride wants to walk down the aisle in a wedding gown that they’ve dreamed of since childhood. I must start by saying that I have loved many of the recent brides and their wedding gown choices because they all picked a style dress that fits their body type. It’s so important that brides-to-be take a long look in the mirror before they begin their wedding gown search, so they fully understand what works and doesn’t work for their bodies. When beginning the wedding gown search, you need to stick to the “less is more” mentality and find something that makes you truly happy inside and out.

My favorite recent celebrity bride is Chelsea Clinton, who was absolutely beautiful on her wedding day. I always love when brides go back to the classics to keep that feeling of romanticism alive. Chelsea’s ballgown was simply elegant with its embellished waistline and voluminous ruffled skirt. She looked like a princess with her flawless style. Chelsea also kept her accessories simple yet sophisticated, which exemplifies the “less is more” approach. Brides-to-be should definitely look to Chelsea for inspiration when planning for their dream wedding.

What are some ideas brides-to-be can take from celebrity weddings/red carpet for their bridal party? What do you love most about these trends?

 Bridesmaid dresses that do not say “bridesmaid dress” – I think it’s great when brides incorporate red carpet-inspired bridal party dresses into their wedding. It’s very clever and quite trendy. These are the type of dresses that scream “I want to wear-again” and that’s key to keeping bridesmaids happy.
 Black is the new black – Why do brides avoid a black bridesmaid dress? We always say that women should own the quintessential LBD, so why not have them wear that fabulous figure-flattering style for the big day? Brides should not shy away from this color and rather embrace it, as it looks good on every skin tone, and depending on the styling, it can become that wardrobe staple every woman needs.
 “Trendy” colors – Some of the hottest colors straight from the red carpet right now are golden hues, rich burgundies and bold blues that are pretty and chic. These color options provide a touch of glamour to your overall bridal party style. Also, these hues allow the bride and her bridesmaids to have fun when selecting accessories to complete their looks.

Let’s be honest, while most of us will fall in love with these red carpet styles, we won’t have a million dollar budget to get that same dress. So, keep David’s Bridal in mind when beginning the wedding gown or bridesmaid dress search. We have two beautiful, budget-friendly options for Chelsea Clinton’s wedding gown like this gorgeous organza ruffle tiered ball gown or this stunner with its sparkling embellished sash.

So, whether you live by the celebrity weekly magazines and blogs when it comes to fashion inspiration or not at all, take a peek at recent celebrity weddings and award shows’ red carpets to get some ideas for the big day. It just might get you one step closer to achieving that one-of-a-kind perfect wedding day. No matter what your dream wedding looks like, it’s possible with the help of David’s Bridal!

Check it out….MarthaStewartWeddings.com is giving a sneak peek of the Spring 2011 collections. Enjoy!

iVillage.com featured a variety of David’s Bridal bridal gown styles in their “The Most Breathtaking (and Affordable) Wedding Dresses Ever” gallery. The gallery features Oleg Cassini style CT326, Galina Signature styles SWG354 and SWG339, Galina style 9N9781, David’s Bridal styles T9938 and WG3025 as well as David’s Bridal Online style INT1058. Check it out!

NYMag.com featured Oleg Cassini style CWG352, Galina Signature style SWG354 and Galina style WG3165, as well as bridal party style 83998 in their “Fall Weddings” Shop-a-Matic. Click hereto see bridal and click hereto see bridal party.

Get Married magazine blogged about their New Year’s Eve Times Square Wedding contest winner Bethany’s three favorite wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses at the Kennesaw, Georgia, David’s Bridal location on their blog. The post includes pictures of David’s Bridal wedding dresses -Oleg Cassini style CWG365, Galina Signature style SV9563 and David’s Bridal style VW9768, as well as bridal party styles 81255, 81123 and F13723.

Voting begins on Monday, November 1st for Bridal Gowns!! Be sure to pick your favorite!!
http://www.getmarried.com/wedding-blog/2010/10/28/get-married-in-times-square-bethanys-wedding-gown/

Nicole Brewer, Celebrity & Plus Size Fashion Expert

The recipe for a successful wedding calls for a delicate blending of all ages and cultures and the fond mixing of two families, honoring generations of traditions and celebrating true love. That true love was most certainly celebrated at this weekend’s Biggest Loser Wedding on the unforgettable 10/10/10.

In fact, life after The Biggest Loser is full of new beginnings, hope, promise and most of all LOVE for Miggy Cancel (a contestant on The Biggest Loser Season 9) and her new husband, Gary Curry, who tied the knot on Sunday at McGuire AirForce Base in New Jersey.

The Ceremony
First to grace the aisle in her lovely fitted strapless gown from David’s Bridal was the eldest of Miggy’s beautiful daughters and reality tv show partner, Migdalia Sebren. She was escorted her son, Nathaniel, Jr. who was also the ring bearer. All the bridesmaids glowed in the beautiful shade of peridot green.

The flowergirl, Aliyah, Migdalia’s daughter, looked adorable in her David’s Bridal long satin gown with button back details.

Waiting patiently at the altar, Gary and his groomsmen looked sharp in their tuxedos accented with matching green tie and handkerchiefs.

Miggy looked absolutely exquisite in her Galina Signature gown. She wore her hair in an elegant chignon, revealing the sophisticated Queen Ann neckline of the gown that looks like it was just made for Miggy! The tailored, button back detail and the dramatic train followed the proud and poised bride as she walked down the aisle with her mother, and joined her groom inside a heart shaped circle of rose petals.

The Reception
Even if you only recently met the bride and groom, you know their bond is truly special. Their beautiful wedding day was an elegant celebration of love and family. With seven adult children between them, they made their entrance into the reception to the theme song of The Brady Bunch.

We enjoyed traditional Puerto Rican dishes and a mix of music and dancing alive with Latin and American rhythms. Chef Miggy put her personal touch on the menu, literally! She and her staff cooked the food, using Miggy’s traditional family recipes. She also made an elaborate three-tiered wedding cake, complete with a fountain!

The extensive buffet included a colorful array of dishes with healthy versions of all the traditional dishes, including rice with pigeon peas (healthier version made with brown rice), garlic and herb roast pork (healthier version made with lean pork loin), and garlic and herb roast chicken (healther version made with chicken breast).

When love’s the main ingredient, Miggy’s own recipes with heart shaped measuring spoons made the best wedding favors. And these keepsakes are unforgettable, complete with clever inscriptions: A pinch of bliss; A dash of kindness; A heap of perfection; A spoonful of devotion.

We had so much fun attending their very special, very festive wedding celebration and wish them many healthy years together ~ Thank You Miggy & Gary!

Watch Miggy Cancel, contestant on the Biggest Loser, behind the scenes at Telemundo. She shares how she found her dream dress (in Spanish).

Dan Rentillo, David’s Bridal Design Director

Wedding Dresses 101:
From A-line to trumpet skirts, vocabulary every bride should learn before
beginning their wedding gown search

Your wedding gown is one of the most important dresses you’ll buy in your lifetime and it’s no ordinary dress – they come in a variety of necklines and silhouettes, may have trains and intricate embellishments. You’re introduced to an entirely new vocabulary when you begin your wedding gown search and that can be quite intimidating. However, the search for your dream dress doesn’t have to be so daunting once you familiarize yourself with a few key bridal terms. Here is a go-to list of words to keep on-hand as you start your search!

 A-line: A dress with a fitted bodice that gradually flares from the waist. The best part? A-line styles are flattering for women of all shapes and sizes. Style SWG339

 Appliqué: A decorative fabric design or lace cutout that is applied to another fabric, such as a dress, veil or shoes – these embellishments are built-in accessories! Style CWG344

 Asymmetrical: An uneven design element that creates interest; it may be gathering of fabric on one side, an uneven hem or a one-shoulder strap, which is perfect for the bride in search of a more dramatic look.

 Bustle: A type of train that is gathered and elegantly attached to the back of the dress to make it easier to walk or dance at the reception.

 Skirt: Bridal gowns don’t just come in long and short! Here are a few skirt styles to choose from:
o Mermaid: A dress or skirt that is fitted at the top and flairs below the knee. Also known as fishtail or trumpet style. Style CWG352
o Pick-up: A design element where fabric is picked up at various points and attached to the skirt for a voluminous look. Style WG3025

o Tea Length: A gown or skirt with a hem that falls between the bottom of the knee and the bottom of the calf (several inches above the ankle), creating a look that is elegant, yet casual. Style WG3165

 Neckline: In addition to your staple halters, spaghetti strap and strapless styles, there are other interesting options to consider!
o Portrait: A shawl-like neckline that frames the collarbone with a wide, soft draping of fabric from the tip of one shoulder to the other.
o Scalloped: A fabric detail featuring a delicately curved or cascading edge.
o Sweetheart: Shaped like the top of a heart, this neckline complements the décolletage.

 Trains: Keeping these types of trains in mind will ensure you choose a gown that will make you feel the most comfortable on your wedding day! Style CWG365
o Watteau: A train that attaches at mid-back.
o Sweep: A train that just brushes the floor.
o Cathedral: A train that extends one and a third yards (about 4 feet) from the waist.

So as you prepare for your first bridal shopping trip, consider these bridal gown terms and your style preference…that way, you’ll have an easier time finding the wedding gown of your dreams. You’ll not only look picture-perfect, but feel amazing on the big day!