Pinterest is such a wonderful tool for getting inspired! It is such an easy way to organize wedding ideas. We love being able to easily sort through different cake/dessert options, color palettes, themes, dresses, accessories and so on.

Join the fun and follow us on Pinterest!

We are discovering how versatile this wedding dress really is! Above, it is feminine and cute; below, it is sultry and sophisticated. Camilla Photography put together this photoshoot and used our Lis Simon gown to provide a “Cinco de Mayo” theme. The barren landscape of Lindon Utah with the vibrant flowers provide contrast and beauty, not to mention the model is a perfect fit for the theme. What a gorgeous shoot! Thank you Camilla for choosing Avenia Bridal as your bridal gown vendor.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

To schedule an appointment with one of our bridal consultants, please call 801-373-0194.

Here is Connie’s story (from her post on thebrideandgroom.com) of how she found her Angelina Couture dress!

“My mother in law to be and I decided to go dress shopping and check out styles and what types of dresses I like. We went to some random wedding dress store and tried on several dresses. After trying a few on, I decided that I liked a-line, modified mermaid, and ball gowns most. The girl at the store wasn’t very helpful and sort of just let us do our own thing. She seemed to be more interested in reading her magazines. Although I tried on several dresses, I didn’t fall in love with any of them. A few days later, I called Avenia Bridal and went to their store in Provo to do some dress shopping. It was their last day in their Provo location, as they now have a new location in Orem at 228 E. University Parkway, Orem, UT 84097. I met with their owner Lisa Powelson and their designer Nancy Barrus. When I called to make my appointment with Lisa, she told me that it may be a little crazy at the store since it was going to be their last day at that location. When I showed up everything seemed like a normal business day. Everything was neat and didn’t even look like they were moving the next day! Lisa helped me pick out some dresses, and Nancy helped me to try on the dresses. They had a big selection and all different styles of dresses to choose from.”

“They also have a wide range of bridal accessories including floral designs, shoes, jewelry, jeweled headbands, tiaras, feathered pieces, birdcage veils and blushers for the complete all in one store! I fell in love with the second dress I tried on, I couldn’t believe it! I was so excited and tried on heels, jewelry and veils too. My mother in law to be had so much fun and it was a completely different experience from the other bridal store. Nancy actually cared about my wedding dress shopping experience and wanted everything to be perfect.”

“Avenía created a once-in-a-lifetime bridal experience for me. And Avenia’s motto is ‘it’s more than a bridal experience; it’s the fulfillment of childhood dreams and wedding day memories shared over a lifetime with family and friends.’ ”

Avenia’s designer, Nancy, assisted me in all the alterations we would have to make for it to be perfect! The length was right where we needed it to be, but the hips and waist had to be altered smaller (YES!).

Next came hair pieces, veils and earrings. Nancy believes in having a “complete” and complementing look to your gown. No detail can be spared. The idea is to have my dress and my face be the attention getter and to use accessories to enhance them. It took nearly an hour to narrow down my choices to just a few varying combinations. At this point I hadn’t made any final decisions on accessories yet.”

“A week later was my next dress fitting and consultation. The dress fits perfectly, which means I cannot gain or lose very much weight at all (this may be a bit hard haha). We were able to make a final decision about the hair piece, earrings and accessories. Nancy custom made my veil to match my dress, which was a very important piece of the puzzle.”

Congratulations Connie!! On winning the give away and on your wedding!

Schedule your appointment today with Avenia Bridal, let us help you find your dream gown: 801-373-01934

Courtney came to Nancy with an idea and Nancy helped it come to life. Courtney is a stunning bride and this wedding is perfect for California in the summer. Tan skin against beautiful ivory, with a pop of pearl jewelry, and bright orange accents make this wedding come to life. The decorations (especially the use of fruit) allowed the vibrant colors to stand out and provide a truly fun and unique atmosphere.

Courtney’s photographer, Whitney Darling,  shared some fun facts about Courtney on her blog.  It is such a fun story and is very well-written so I thought I’d share it with our Avenia readers as well.

A little note from the Bride:

“My husband’s name is Justin Hammer. We knew each other in high school but did not start to hang out until after his mission. We were married on February 2, 2012 in the Provo temple. We held the luncheon at Sweet and Savory (a crepe place in Orem) and the reception was at The Manor in the Riverwoods. My hair was done by Studio 210. The food was Culinary Crafts. I loved Avenia- you guys were really fun and easy to work with and worked hard to help me get exactly what I wanted. You guys also helped me make the little jacket that went over the dress. I picked the dress because it was unique and it fit beautifully with very little alterations.”

Such a happy and beautiful couple!

Dress: Avenia Bridal
Hair: Studio 210
Venue: The Manor at Riverwoods
Photography: Jessie Alexis Photography

If you are getting married and searching for the perfect wedding dress, schedule an appointment with Avenia Bridal and let us help you find your dream wedding gown. 801-373-0194

and remember, the Matthew Christopher trunk show is going on until Saturday!

]]> http://www.aveniabridal.com/blog/2012/04/03/real-bride-gwen/feed/ 0 http://www.aveniabridal.com/blog/2012/03/27/real-bride-jasmyne/ http://www.aveniabridal.com/blog/2012/03/27/real-bride-jasmyne/#comments Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:45:10 +0000 Bree http://www.aveniabridal.com/blog/?p=3773 The sweet, beautiful Jasmyne decided to go with our custom gown named “Alex.” She added her personality to the design and made it her own. She makes a simply stunning bride in her gorgeous, vintage, lace dress! Below are some pictures of her wedding day, along with the email she sent to us.

“Dear Nancy,

I can’t thank you and your staff enough for helping me get my dream wedding dress!

Nick and I are from the same hometown and have known each other since Jr. High. We’ve been friends for years, and have kind of had crushes on each other on and off for over a decade! We went on one date in high school– he took me to homecoming our Senior year. After high school, we went different ways and didn’t keep in close contact with each other. However, he moved to Provo a few years ago and we started hanging out again. We had so much fun getting to know each other again and becoming even better friends than we had been before. We realized we were best friends two years ago, and started officially dating just over one year ago. He proposed October 7th, 2011, and the wedding planning began!”

“Of course, the first thing on my list was the dress. I  made an appointment at Avenia and brought my mom, grandma, two sisters, aunt, and two cousins. Bree and Caroline both worked with me during the appointment and they took great care of me and my family members! I tried on several dresses, all of which were gorgeous, and then I tried on a sample of an all-lace mermaid gown that was simply beautiful. I knew it was the one.”

“I was able to customize the gown, so with the help of Caroline and Bree, I chose a sweetheart neckline, sleeves to the elbow, and I altered the style of the gown to make it a little less mermaid. My mom found a wonderful belt made of jewels and french knots that we had sewn on, which really make the gown unique and definitely MINE. The lace was just incredible! It made the gown beyond exquisite. I was so excited that we were able to have the dress made into the perfect gown for me. I know it took a lot of extra effort to get that belt sewn on, and I am so grateful for all the extra work you did! I also got a custom veil and shoes made!  You were so great with all the tiny details, and made sure that not only the gown but the veil and shoes were perfect. I’ve never felt more beautiful than I have while wearing my wedding gown, veil, and shoes.”

“Nick and I both wanted a wedding that was very elegant, understated, and classy. We went with a vintage theme and neutral colors with details in ice blue to highlight the winter season. We basically decided on the vintage theme because of the romantic, vintage feeling my wedding gown had. We took Bridals at the Salt Lake Temple grounds and Sam Weller’s bookstore in Downtown Salt Lake. All of our photos were taken by Kate Jeppson (we think she did a fabulous job!).”

“Nick and I were married December 29th, 2011, in the Salt Lake City temple. We had a luncheon at the Lion House following the ceremony and a reception in our home town of Roosevelt, Utah, the next day. I received numerous compliments on my gown throughout all of the festivities!

Again, thank you so much for your time, effort, talent, and everything else you and everyone at Avenia put into my dream wedding gown, veil, and shoes. I couldn’t have asked for a more wonderful experience or a more beautiful gown!”

Such a fun photoshoot idea, in a bookstore. Congratulations Nick and Jasmyne! Dress, veil, shoes, and fur cape all available at Avenia Bridal. Photography by Kate Jeppson Photography.

To schedule your custom consultation or designer gown try-on appointment call 801-373-0194.

And remember, the Matthew Christopher trunk show starts this weekend, be sure to book your appointment early!

MATTHEW CHRISTOPHER

We love the feminine, artistic, and simply stunning gowns that he produces and we are excited to feature him in our store.

“Matthew’s gowns have represented modern elegance combined with classic glamour. From the hand-drawn, organic beading to show stopping silhouettes, Matthew creates drama in every detail …  he has created unique and stunning dimensional embroidery, cutout windowpanes, precise pintucks, hand-knotted bows, flowing flowers, sweeping trains, and elegant draping. And just as important as beauty on the outside, each gown is carefully constructed on the inside to provide an impeccable and comfortable fit.” -MatthewChristopher.com

Matthew was willing to customize his designs for us to incorporate sleeved and shouldered alternatives to his strapless gowns. “Matthew is personally devoted to brides, always listening to their needs and creating designs to delight and inspire” -MatthewChristopher.com. We are thrilled that Matthew was willing and happy to work with us to fit the need of our unique market here in Utah County. Sample gowns with full build-ups are available in our store to try-on.

Along with the excitement of our new gowns arriving, we are hosting a Matthew Christopher trunk show here at Avenia Bridal. Matthew will be sending us his newest collection of gowns along with his best-selling carry-overs from previous collections to be tried on.  These sample gowns are strapless and can be ordered with sleeves and shoulders if needed. This is such an amazing opportunity for brides who are getting married in the Summer/Fall.

MATTHEW CHRISTOPHER TRUNK SHOW

Friday March 29 thru Saturday April 7

Call today to schedule your trunk show appointment: 801.373.0194

and visit MatthewChristopher.com to read more about Matthew and to see his gorgeous collection of gowns!

]]> http://www.aveniabridal.com/blog/2012/03/20/new-designer-matthew-christopher/feed/ 0 http://www.aveniabridal.com/blog/2012/03/13/real-bride-jaime/ http://www.aveniabridal.com/blog/2012/03/13/real-bride-jaime/#comments Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:06:43 +0000 Bree http://www.aveniabridal.com/blog/?p=3749 We love how Jaime took her Lis Simon Charlize gown and made it her own. Our seamstresses added shoulders and sleeves along with a cute, feminine flower belt that was used in place of the original black one. This made her dress work flawlessly with the colors and wedding design she wanted. It is so fun to be able to create exactly what Jaime desired, she sure looks beautiful in her customized gown.

Jaime was married by the beach in Seattle, such a beautiful setting for a gorgeous couple. Enjoy their love story below!

“My hubby’s name is Randy Jones. We kind of met through a combination of family friends that knew us both, and with the help of my sister Brooke and my mom’s intuition and persistence for us to meet. We had been briefly introduced previously in the past at a church event in Washington where we both grew up. He definitely caught my eye, but we lived in different states at the time.  Then last year I was coming to visit my sisters in Salt Lake City and a family friend heard I was going to be in town, where Randy was going to school. She had the brilliant idea that we should meet up for a date! With the help of my sister’s planning skills and Randy’s irresistible charm, we hit it off and began flying back and forth between Salt Lake and Seattle to see each other. Eventually Randy transferred to college back in Seattle and I continued working here as a Dental Hygienist. We set the date for our wedding to be September 1st, 2011 and we knew we had a tight window of opportunity to find ‘the dress.”

(I love that they incorporated their new last name “Jones”-with Jones soda!)

“I booked a short weekend trip to Salt Lake City with my mom and sisters to go dress shopping in May, and my awesome sisters set up multiple appointments to find the perfect dress.  My experience with Avenia Bridal was great! We were swept into the chic boutique and assisted with different styles that I had requested. After trying on a few lacy, light dresses my sister Lindsay pulled out the Charlize gown that was big, ruffly, and had spaghetti straps; exactly the opposite of what I thought I was looking for, but the second we saw that dress we knew I had to try it. The moment I stood in front of the mirror on the pedestal with the gown on I knew it was “the one!”  My dress was dramatic, unique, and definitely fun! With the amazing skills of Nancy and her crew, those talented ladies were able to redesign the whole top of the dress to my liking. We played with sashes and flower clips, and bubble veils and ended up adding those accessories also! There was some stress involved with the time constraint with the wedding date, but Avenia pulled it off and got my dress to me in time.”

“We were married at the Seattle LDS Temple on Sept 1st, 2011 and had a reception that night at Golden Gardens Bath House on the beach in Seattle. It was an amazing whirlwind of a day filled with friends, family, and lots of love. I feel very blessed!”

Simply stunning!

Call us today to schedule your appointment: 801-373-0194

What is your husband’s name and how did you meet?

My husband’s name is Konstantin Petrunin.  How we met is a pretty interesting story.  But to make things less complicated, you could say we met when I was on study abroad in Moscow, Russia.  He is from a smaller town south of Moscow called Saratov.  I served my mission there, but we got to know each other after I came back from my mission.  We talked a lot online especially through Skype, and when I came back to Russia for study abroad he visited me in Moscow.  He would come up on weekends, either by train or bus.  Either way it is a 15 hour trip.  At first I just wanted to be friends with him.  But, eventually he won me over and the rest is history.  My parents came to Moscow during my last week and met him.  I left Russia in August of 2010 and did not see him again until September of 2011, when he came for our wedding.  Talk about a long distance relationship!  During that time we were working on getting him a fiance visa.  It was hard having to wait so long, but we both feel that it made us closer.

I had been really disappointed by the selection at other bridal shops.  I really wanted to find something unique, something that would make people say “wow.”  That’s not always easy to find, especially with modest dresses.  I had seen an add that featured one of Nancy’s dresses and knew that I would find what I was looking for at Avenia. I was so impressed by the service that I received.  The dress I ended up buying wasn’t actually anything I had picked out.  After the consultant had been with me for a while, she said, “I think I know what you are looking for” and pulled the dress.  She had been watching and listening.  She paid attention to what I liked and what I didn’t like.  Once I put on that dress, my face lit up and we all knew that I had found my dress.  It had the classic elements that I wanted, but with that unique flare.

Yes!  I am so glad that I chose to purchase a dress from Avenia, no regrets here!  Like I said, the consultant I worked with actually paid attention to what I wanted.  She brought me a dress that I hadn’t even noticed, and wouldn’t have without her help.  I never felt like just another customer.  Especially when dealing with Nancy, I felt like I was a friend and that she really cared how my wedding turned out.  I am so grateful for the lengths you all went to to make my day perfect.

We were married on 10/22/2011 in the Provo Temple.

We just had our reception in the local Stake Center.  It was great the way it turned out.  My mother and I did all of the decorating (with the help of my three brothers), we were up until 2 am the night before finishing it!  It was crazy, but it turned out beautiful.  I really wanted a dropped ceiling, and my dad with his engineering skills worked it out.  We did a fall theme and decorated pumpkins for the centerpieces.  We served dip and dots and had a chocolate fountain, we also had a bar and served “mocktails.”

Its hard to describe what I felt on my wedding day.  It was a crazy day to be sure.  I felt happy and relieved to finally be starting my life with Konstantin.  The moment that we had been building up to for so long had finally come!  It was an amazing day that I will never forget.

As for my dress, it definitely made me feel all the more beautiful.  I never once worried about what people would think about my dress.  The most common phrase I heard about my dress was, “Its gorgeous!  I have never seen anything like it!”  That’s exactly the reaction I was hoping for   I am 100% sure that my day went even more smoothly because I felt confident in my dress.  I could take my mind off of that and concentrate on other things.  And the compliments didn’t hurt either   I am so glad I bought my dress from Avenia Bridal and will never regret it!

Thank you so much for sharing Jenny!

Congratulations to you and Konstantin.

Call today, let us help you find your unique, dream wedding gown: 801-373-0194

Vineyard Gown

Kelly Chase Gown- available at Avenia Bridal

Utah Bride and Groom magazine

Grand America Hotel, Salt Lake City

Heather Nan Photography

Hair and makeup by Versa Artistry

Rivini Gown (available at Avenia Bridal) and Matthew Christopher Gown (coming next month)

Photo by Elizabeth Messina

Salt Lake/Park City Bride & Groom magazine

Vineyard Gown -available at Avenia Bridal

Photographs by David Newkirk

Salt Lake City Library

Salt Lake/Park City Bride and Groom magazine

Hair and makeup by Versa Artistry

Badgley Mischka Gown and Rivini Gown -both available at Avenia Bridal

Photography by Josh Rossi

Hair and makeup by Versa Artistry

Call us today and schedule a time to try on our designer gowns! 801-373-0194