~by Cheryl

Four weeks ago, Nancy wrote about our In-house Alterations Studio. We then interviewed Mary M. and Dalene B., and Elizabeth L., three of our amazing seamstresses. Today, we feature Cheryl S. (not to be confused with our blog writer!):

When did you first begin to sew?
When I was 12. I took a couple of classes in Junior high.I was the oldest of 8 kids and the only way to get the new clothes that I wanted was to sew them.

Have you had any professional instruction with sewing?
Yes– I am currently attending college at SLCC in Fashion Design. I have sewed for many other employers, though, including Miniworld, where I sewed little girl dresses.

How long have you been sewing bridal gowns?
No longer than a year.  But I have been sewing for bridesmaids and flower girls for many years.

What do you like about working with bridal creations?
I love the fabrics and the feel of each of them.

What is your favorite fabric to work with?
Silk, definately!

Which is your favorite part: working with custom couture or doing alterations?
I would rather do custom because you are starting from scratch in stead of changing a ready-made garment.

Where are you from?
I grew up in California but have lived in Utah for 20 years. I currently reside in West Jordan.

Are you married?
Yes, we have just celebrated 20 years! We also have four children; 2 boys and 2 girls.

 What is your favorite part about working with Avenía Bridal? With Nancy?
All of us get along wonderful and I enjoy being at work. Nancy has taught me a lot about construction and alterations.

Which designer (that Avenía carries) has been your favorite to work with (gown-wise)?
I love them all! I enjoy seeing each new gown.

Thank you, Cheryl S.!

~by Cheryl

Some bridal boutiques can provide you designer gowns (with alterations, of course) and other shops can create a custom gown for you, but not very many will provide both options. Avenía, on the other hand, carries designers such as:

Junko Yoshioka,

Badgley Mischka,

Rivini,

Sposa by St. Pucchi,

and Priscilla of Boston (the Vineyard Collection).

(*please note that all of the Designer gowns at Avenía can easily be built-up with shoulders and/or sleeves by the Designers and/or our own in-house alteration studio.)

But we also have an in-house Custom Designer: Nancy Barrus. It is no secret that Nancy excels in custom design. Would you like your gown to be a ball gown?

Simple?

Tea length?

Detailed?

Nancy and Avenía Bridal can help make your dream come true!

~by Cheryl

Autumn is a very romantic season, and personally, it is my favorite! Scents of pumpkin spice, apple cider; beautiful fall leaves bright with yellows, reds, and oranges. For those wanting an autumn theme for their wedding, below are some fabulous ideas for cakes, flowers, favors, decorations, and –of course! –a wedding gown.

[Please note that this Sposa gown by St. Pucchi is available through Avenía Bridal, along with the ability to build-up a higher neckline and longer sleeves for personal and/or religious preferences.]

 

~by Cheryl

Three weeks ago, Nancy wrote about our In-house Alterations Studio. We then interviewed Mary M. and Dalene B., two of our amazing seamstresses. Today, we feature Elizabeth L., our East-Coast transplant! Read below about her experience with bridal couture.

I am originally from a small town in southern Maine. I began sewing when I was around four. My mother taught herself how to sew and made numerous Easter dresses, costumes for musicals, and prom dresses for my three sisters and I. I guess I was inspired by her interest in sewing so began by making small pillows for my dolls, potpourri cushions, a small doll quilt that my mother helped with the finishing of and later doll clothes all by hand.

Later, I did a work study program in the costume shop of the first liberal arts college that I attended. Then I did a costume lab course at another college where I took a few part time classes. As my interest in costume and fashion design increased, I transferred to Massachusetts College of Art and Design where I took three and a half years of sewing, pattern drafting, tailoring, fashion marketing, and fashion design courses toward my BFA in Fashion Design. I also did an internship in the costume shop of the Boston Ballet. And I continually learn from every experience in a new studio or costume shop.

I made my first bridal gown for a school project in college. After that I drifted away from bridal for a while but came back to it in 2007 when I was hired to work as a bridal consultant for a large bridal shop in Portland, ME. Eventually, I took the role as the sole seamstress in the shop and began doing extensive alterations on bridal gowns, bridesmaids, prom, and mother-of-the-bride dresses. In the summer of 2008 I designed and created my first custom bridal gown and I have been working in bridal ever since.

I truly love custom couture work. I very much enjoy the design process and seeing ideas come to life.  My favorite material to work with is Silk Dupioni; it’s beautiful but has more structure and is more forgiving than many silks. Currently, my favorite designer right now is Junko Yoshioka. She has such unique styles, uses interesting silk fabrics, and couture details. I always find it interesting and educational to alter gowns that utilize details that are new to me, because that’s how I learn to replicate them in the future.

My favorite part of working at Avenía Bridal is the collaboration that takes place here. In everything from designer gown sales to the creation of custom gowns, we all work together to decide what will fit best for our clients. Nancy is a wonderful designer to work for because she does consult her seamstresses and others around her for opinions and new solutions to construction questions, design details, and even sales techniques. I truly appreciate how valuable she makes us each feel as integral parts of a collaborative effort.

Thank you, Elizabeth!

~by Cheryl

An Artist’s Dream:

Charlotte met Blair on the first day of class at the University of Utah in August 2008. Since they were both art majors, it happened to be a drawing class –and they had to draw each other. While chatting, they learned they lived near each other. Two days later they were both walking home from school, and Blair took the opportunity to ask Charlotte out. The date didn’t go as well as planned, however; Charlotte wasn’t wanting a boyfriend and she panicked when Blair put his arm around her. She avoided him for a few weeks, but she couldn’t repress her feelings for very long! Within a month, they were dating.

After about six months, Charlotte was considering transferring schools. Up to that point, it hadn’t even occurred to her that Blair might have anything to do with her decision. Not sure of what to do, she thought “what if I’m supposed to marry Blair?” In March 2009, she brought up the subject with Blair, thinking it was a new idea he hadn’t thought of. He replied: “I’ve known I’ve wanted to marry you for months.” A month later, they were engaged! 

The Gown:
Charlotte knew about Avenía Bridal before dress shopping; Nancy had made her sister’s wedding dress. However, she found her dress in a round-a-bout way. Just a few weeks after getting engaged, Charlotte and her mom had a little time one afternoon while shopping. They decided to go into a bridal shop “just to look.” After browsing a bit, they thought “Hey, maybe we could go to Avenía?” They gave Nancy a call, and even though it was pretty late in the day and they didn’t have an appointment, Nancy said, “Yes, come!”

Charlotte picked out ten gowns to try on, but as soon as she put on a Sposa gown by St. Pucchi she said, “This is it!” She instantly loved it. Due to religious preferences, the gown needed a bodice build-up with shoulders and sleeves. Sposa did the bodice build-up and Nancy altered it to fit Charlotte’s body perfectly.

 

Being an artist, it’s no surprise that the artistic parts of the gown is what Charlotte loved the most.

“My favorite part on the gown is probably the neckline,” she said. ”It truly has the best asymmetrical neckline ever. It’s a Sposa by St. Pucchi dress, and when I looked at the original I was like ‘wow! Mine is prettier!’” 

(Original gown to the right)

 

 

 

 

She also loved the material. “It’s this amazing ribbon embroidered lace that is never quite amazing enough in pictures, you just have to see it in real life,” she said. However, he most important part of her gown was that it looked just like her. Charlotte said, “The one thing everyone told me about my dress was that it looked like me and that it just fit me so well, and I think it definitely did.”

When asked what she like best about Avenía Bridal, she listed four things:

1. Nancy is so sweet. And particular. Which makes her the perfect mix for her business!

2. They did an AMAZING job at fitting my dress so that it fit me perfectly.

3. Nancy sat and hand-stitched my veil exactly how I had pictured it.

4. Everything at Avenía is just classy. And Utah Valley definitely needs that when you’ve got so many cookie-cutter shops.

 

 

Congratulations Charlotte and Blair!

*Photos by Ashley Thalman

~by Lisa

Lobby of the Intercontinental Barclay hotel – not your typical weekend, not your typical centerpiece!

Badgley Mischka

 Here Comes The Sun
 
Monday in the city.  The clouds parted and the sun came out.  We love New York!

 
Affordable Couture
 
One of our favorite models, Jersey-girl Courtney, in one of many new favorites from Angelina Couture:
 

 
Tara Keely
 
We love Tara Keely designer, Edric Wu.  The new collection was young, feminine and fresh, full of amazing couture details, as usual.  Coming soon…..here is a preview.
 

 
Not preview enough?  Okay…..here is a keeper.
 
 

Tara Keely’s talented creator and designer, Edric Wu.
 

~by Lisa

Rain, wind and blustery cold? 14 hours in high heels? No problem. It is Bridal Fashion Week in New York and it is all worth it! Over a hundred wedding vendors, bridal stores from across the country and abroad, genius designers, photographers and journalists aplenty, fabulous gowns, veils, jewelry, and shoes. Our mission? To preview and select exciting, exquisite gowns for you, our one-of-a-kind brides. Stay tuned this week for more photos and finds in New York. We love it all (even in high heels)!

Bridal is going green……this may be not be headed our way, but what a fun work of art!

Priscilla of Boston Runway Show:

~by Cheryl

Lisa (our Managing Director) and Nancy (our Artistic Director) are in New York City, even as I write. They attended the Priscilla of Boston runway show on Saturday night (October 17th).  The first part of the show introduces Melissa Sweet gowns, but watch for the Vineyard Collection! They come next.  

And hey, is that Nancy I see sitting on the sideline there? No? Maybe? Hmmm….

Watch the runway show and tell us your favorite Vineyard Collection gown. Was it Lorelei? Tristan? Morgan?

~by Cheryl

Two weeks ago, Nancy wrote about our In-house Alterations Studio. Last week, we interviewed Mary M., one of our amazing seamstresses. Today, we feature Dalene B., who has been working with Nancy for the last four years. Below she talks about her experience with sewing and working with Nancy:

The first item I made was a purse when I was five years old. I then advanced to making doll clothes and then to making my own clothes. My mother taught  4-H for many years and I was her first member. With the patient teaching of my mother, I turned in a clothing project every year for 8 years, beginning with an apron and ending with a prom dress. My formal education was acquired through a year of advanced sewing in High School and my experience came from sewing all the time. In addition, I spent several years at a sewing factory. It was at the factory that I learned how to sew with speed and accuracy and where I learned how to use many different machines.

 
I have been making wedding dresses for nine years. For the last four years, I have been working with Nancy Barrrus. She has taught me many couture sewing skills. My favorite part about creating a wedding dress is that of taking a drawing and turning it into a beautiful wedding dress as well as making and placing all of the details just right so that it becomes a work of art and not just a dress. One of the important elements of a wedding dress is the material it is made from. Becoming familiar with the fabrics and how each fabric will hang or drape on a dress has been one of the things I love about making a couture wedding dress.
 
Her personal life:
 
I was born and raised in Idaho. After High School and two years at Ricks College, I moved to Utah to go to school at BYU. My major was in Interior Design and I graduated from BYU with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts. I met my husband when I was attending Ricks and married him white attending BYU. We have six children and fifteen grandchildren.
 
What she enjoys about Avenía Bridal:

Working with Nancy the last four years has been a joy. Discussing the details about a dress and then deciding what to do to make it work has helped me to learn the fine art of dress making. There is nothing more rewarding then to see a finished wedding dress on a bride and then to have her tell me that it is even more beautiful then what she expected.
 
Thank you, Dalene! Be sure to come back next week to read about Elizabeth L., our East coast transplant.

~by Cheryl

Avenía Bridal doesn’t just sell wedding gowns. We provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience for your once-in-a-lifetime wedding. To make it as perfect as it should be, we know you need more than a gown, too. This is why we provide all the accessories that you will need.

Veils? Check.

Jewelry? Including earrings, bracelets, combs, headbands and necklaces? Check.

Corsets? Bras? Slips? Spanx? Check.

Shoes? Check.

See? No worries. We’ve got you covered.