~by Lisa

We are excited to announce the first-ever Badgley Mischka Bride trunk show in Utah on March 12-13^th, 2010 at the Avenía Bridal boutique!  Be sure to call for an appointment [801-373-0194]  to try on their collection and meet their representative.  This is your opportunity to take advantage of trunk show pricing being offered from these incredible designers! 

Please note: Not only is Avenía Bridal the only bridal boutique in the state to offer you Badgley Mischka gowns, Badgley Mischka will add shoulders and sleeves to your gown if desired.

~by Cheryl

Here is a quick reminder to come by The Bridal Extravaganza at La Caille this Saturday, January 16th.

———————–

Are you planning an April wedding? Don’t wait too long to find and order a gown; ordering time is short! In order to have the perfect gown that fits, flows, and feels just right, it is important to give your bridal boutique as much time as possible to order your gown. A typical order time for a fine wedding gown is 12-14 weeks. Anything less than that might require rush fees and less availability to fine tune any desired alterations. So, don’t delay!  Order your gown soon…

~by Cheryl

It is a common scene: the lights of the Christmas tree are glowing, Bing Crosby or Karen Carpenter sing quietly in the background, and he hands you a wrapped giftbox. A tiny giftbox! Nervously, you open the wrapping just as he drops to one knee…

(image courtesy of Sierra West jewelers)

Many brides have found themselves saying “Yes!” to the most important question amid mistletoe and snow. The nature of the holiday makes sense that there would be romance in the air.  With a brand new year just around the corner, Christmas creates the perfect time to plan for a new future –together.

Last month, we posted some great winter wedding ideas. However, since Christmas engagements usually mean a spring or summer wedding, here are some great gown ideas for warmer weather!

[Shoulders and sleeves can be added to each gown if desired.]

(Liancarlo)

(Vineyard Collection by Priscilla of Boston)

(Verde by Junko Yoshioka)

~by Cheryl

After all there is something about a wedding-gown prettier than in any other gown in the world.

~Douglas William Jerrold

[Kristen by Nancy Barrus Couture]

[Emma by Nancy Barrus Couture]

[Alex in a built up Cristina by Junko Yoshioka]

[Marie in a built up Tara Keely]

[Charlotte in a built up Sposa by St. Pucchi]

 

 

~by Cheryl

Winter is the time of year when we curl up under a blanket in front of the fireplace, read romantic novels, sip cocoa, and dream of spring. What a perfect time for a wedding! 

Gorgeous white lilies and red roses, snowflake and icicle decor, deep reds and light-blue whites –not to mention fabulous gowns! Winter is the perfect time to choose colored gowns, elegant cloaks, faux fur shrugs or wraps, and long sleeves. Here are a few stunning wedding gowns and some great ideas to get you excited about your winter wedding: 

(Gown Sarah K.by Nancy Barrus Couture; photography by Busath)

(Gown by Tara Keely; available through Avenía Bridal)

~by Nancy

Many of you may know the character “Martha” in the movies High School Musical 1, 2, and 3. She was played by the Salt Lake City actress, Kaycee Stroh. I first met Kaycee in July of 2008 when she attended the La Caille bridal show. She told us she was getting married, and asked me if we could make her seven bridesmaid dresses. We used a dramatic red silk charmeuse, and the bridesmaids felt “just beautiful!”

[The wedding gown was provided by designer Maggie Sotero of Salt Lake City.]

While we were making the bridesmaid dresses, Kaycee mentioned that she would be attending the premiere of High School Musical 3, and would need a gown for the red carpet. I offered to make one for her, and she was delighted.  The gold gown pictured below was everything Kaycee desired. She said, “The dress for the High School Musical 3 premier was stunning; everybody loved it and saw exactly what we were going for—that classic Hollywood movie star elegance! Your work is flawless and comparable, if not better, than any Italian, French or Hollywood designer I have ever worn.”

We also created these waterfall earrings from freshwater pearls and swarovski crystals just for her:

My husband and I were able to attend her ring ceremony and wedding reception held at the La Caille restuarant and wedding center. Such a beautiful venue and an exciting day for Ben and Kaycee!

On a personal note, it was a privilege working with Kaycee. She is a beautiful person inside and out. She and her bridesmaids are such excellent, delightful people. We had a blast working together. I sincerely hope the best for Kaycee and Ben in all that they pursue!

~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 Nancy

Over the years, I have worked in a variety of bridal shops that had different ways of handling their alterations. Many shops outsourced their contract work, and in today’s market, it has become the norm for shops to rely on seamstresses who are willing to come into the store to pick up the alterations, take them home, and then return them. This is mostly due to cost; it is cheaper to outsource alterations. However, because of this, shops do not train their own staff and are not able to control the quality of the workmanship. 

I once worked in a bridal shop that practiced this idea of outsourcing. Bridal fittings were not as accurate, attention to detail was not executed, and the overall workmanship of alterations was poor. Although I needed the job, I decided that I could not work in an environment that paid such little attention to the customer –the bride.  

This is why at Avenía Bridal we have our own in-house alterations studio! It was of up-most importance to have a place where we could have a team of highly skilled and dedicated seamstresses who could work on site. We train our own people, and the shop provides all the machines and fabrics so that quality is never compromised. Because the studio is on-site, not only am I able to watch the work happen, and can assure that it happens beautifully, but I am able to sew many of the projects.

The ability to oversee the alteration work is very important because our overall goal is to create a memory for the bride that she will always treasure and not look back on with regret. In order to do this, the time must be taken to make sure the gown fits properly. This means alterations are often a necessity, and having an on-site alteration stuido gives us the sources to create a perfect fit for each individual bride.

 Next Friday:  Meet Avenía Bridal’s Seamstresses!

~by Nancy

When it comes to beauty, balance is key. It doesn’t matter if the person is dressing formally or casually; it doesn’t matter if the entire ensemble is deconstructed (unfinished edges for a high fashion look), second-hand clothes, or separate pieces; when it’s all put together with balance in mind, it will be beautiful. Applying this to a bride is no different. Using different aspects of the ensemble (gown, veil, jewelry, shoes) in a collaborative way will enhance the bride’s beauty, and bring focus to the most important part of the bride: herself.

Veils:
Unfortunately, veils are a dying breed. The blusher has lost it’s significance because of advances in our modern society. Since this tradition of a veiled face in an aisled walk has been diminished, so too has the veil itself. In fact, the trend lately has been to do away with veils altogether. This may be the result of the desire to simplify, but the veil has another important feature when it comes to fashion, and that is the significance of balance! The wedding gown itself is white and draws the eye without effort. However, the focus is upon the gown, and not the bride. Adding a veil can change this. With a veil, the eyes are brought up to the face because the face is framed in white as well as the body. The balance helps complete the picture.

Jewelry:
Sparkle needs balance, too! Again, the current fads and trends are to simplify, and this tends to equate no jewelry. Necklaces, like the veil, are dying out. Of course, it will depend upon the neckline of the gown, but considering a necklace with the bridal ensemble is a good idea.

Shoes:
One of the most agreed upon pieces of advice when it comes to the bridal clothes is to wear classic shoes. Fads will fade and trends will change, but a classic perspective will be timeless. Shoes should not be chosen based on casual, flippant, or convenient trends. The sound the shoes make (flip-flops?) can distract from the beauty of the wedding day –as can discomfort. Of course, if the shoe has some important significance (evoking memories, ties to the groom, etc.), choices increase. But choosing a classic, comfortable, and timeless shoe will complete the beauty of the bridal clothing and keep the photos of the day timeless. Nothing dates a picture more quickly than the fads of the time!

Rule of Art:
The best art is designed to keep the eye moving around; the beauty is found all over the piece of art, not just in one place. When the balance is there, the observer sees everything in movement –it is fluid. The eye does not fixate on one piece; the observer can see many perspectives. In the best works of art, this is what is shown: a balance of beauty. Photographers love veils (and trains!) for this reason; it gives the photos more dimensions to work with. When ensembles are stilted with one piece of beauty (a great gown), it is harder to create those timeless and beautiful photos.

Proportions:
Proportion is everything for balance. If there is a big, full dress, then have a big veil (flowing, long, etc.). If the gown is small and simple, then simplify the veil (head pieces, shorter length, etc). Facial features are the same. Larger ones equate larger jewelry. Smaller features equate smaller jewelry.

When the bridal ensemble comes together with balance in mind, the result is visually stunning. It creates a work of art that enhances the already present beauty of the bride. After all, this is the desired result –to showcase a beautiful bride upon her wedding day!

~by Leah

If you don’t look closely enough, you might just miss her.

Avenía’s Artistic Director and Custom Bridal Designer Nancy Barrus may barely be 5′0, but don’t let her size fool you. She races back and forth between the Boutique –where her expert eye of 32 years in the business is always appreciated–to the Design Studio, where she supervises and advises her staff of seamstresses customizing designer gowns to meet a bride’s wishes and creating one-of-a-kind gowns. With her phone constantly ringing off the hook and her Franklin Covey planner meticulously organized, Nancy is just getting started.

Nancy and Alex T.

However, she is no novice to the bridal field. One might say she has always been designing dresses. At only three years old, the first thing she ever made was a Barbie doll dress. With her mom’s careful instructions and guidance, Nancy spent her childhood learning everything from threading a needle to making her own wardrobe.

“We sewed all of our own clothing growing up, everything. I even made my own wool coats!” Nancy exclaimed. As a teenager, Nancy sewed a new dress for herself for Saturday night dances. “I could never wear a dress twice, so I would make a new one every week!” Nancy said.

Nancy earned a B.A. degree in Design from Brigham Young University by altering and tailoring  wedding dresses in local bridal shops. Apart from sewing, Nancy loves interior decorating, gardening, and even singing. As an accomplished Operatic singer (part of her emphasis in Theatre and Film), Nancy has spent quite a bit of time onstage.

Her acclaimed career in custom wedding dress design, however, began with her own “I do.” Instead of apprehension about making the most important dress she might ever wear, Nancy was confident and excited by the challenge to create the gown she had always dreamt of. “I love making brides happy, I’m just thrilled when I can make what they want,” Barrus said. ” It’s like a standing ovation to me, an adrenaline rush that absolutely rivals being onstage.”

Nancy and Alex T.

Besides her custom design line, Nancy collaborates with Avenía Bridal to help brides select their bridal gown. Even better? Nancy can transform a designer gown into the dress brides have only imagined. With an over-sized sketchbook, Nancy quickly outlines her impressions of the bride’s vision and then carefully sculpts a piece that adds to the true piece of art already created by the original designer –one that is ultimately captured forever for the bride. A Queen Anne neckline added to the top? Done. A strapless gown that is now LDS Temple-ready, and looks like it was made that way? Done. A light-weight ballgown, tea-length vintage dress, or three-quarter length sleeve addition? Done.

“I love to get the designer’s unique perspective, which in turn gives the bride more options when selecting her wedding gown,” Barrus said. “But then I can help add what the bride may need, whether it’s redesigning a more modest top that looks seamless or just an elegant bustle.”

Twice a year, in April and October, Barrus and her staff travel to New York City to attend major designer fashion shows and select dresses from their collections to bring back to Utah.

“I’m always trying to find dresses that are right for the Utah market, but at the same time add an exciting twist and spin,” Barrus said. “We try to bring fashion and style to Utah that breaks the Utah tradition and offers Utah and out-of-state brides the same type of dress she could find in say, Boston or New York City, or San Francisco or Los Angeles.”

Nancy and Avenía’s Managing Director, Lisa

A quick browse through the selection of dresses Nancy helped select to carry at Avenía shows her obvious dedication and devotion to the artistry in the gowns. Her extensive knowledge of fabrics and keen eye for designer details makes shopping an educating and rewarding experience. “Rivini has fabulous designs,” Nancy says as she displays a hand-embroidered ribbon detail skirt. “And Liancarlo,” Nancy exclaims, “has such wonderful lacework!”

Watching Nancy “baby” her collection of gowns shows that this woman is doing what she loves, what inspires her, and what she has always dreamed of doing.

And to think it all began with a three-year-old’s Barbie doll dress…