Archive for October, 2008


Plan Your 2009 Wedding with These Key Themes and Trends in Mind

While June is traditionally the wedding season of the year, you may be foregoing a summer wedding this year in favor of a fresh Spring wedding next year. Spring weddings can be the perfect way to celebrate the season and enjoy another event after the holidays. Bridal fashions for Spring continue to center around romantic, goddess-inspired looks, but 2009 calls for a grand slimdown with the tighter, fitted styles of the 1920’s flapper era.

If you’ve recently gotten engaged or have already booked your Spring 2009 wedding date, keep your wedding plans on the right track with these top trends:

Spring 2009 Wedding Trend: Flower Embroidery
Milan Fashion Week showcased several awe-inspiring gowns and runways across Europe quickly followed suit. Flower embroidery in contrasting thread colors on the classic white gown include burgundy, black, navy and dark green. Look for elegant Victorian designs that give this trend a fresh romantic twist.

Spring 2009 Wedding Trend: Empire Waist Goddess Gowns
Continuing on with the Grecian-inspired looks of Fall 2008, Spring 2009 takes on some inspiration from muses of yesteryear with a long, loose-fitting and flowing gown. These dresses are ideal for tall and slender women who want to accentuate the shoulders, collar bone and neck area.

Spring 2009: Pink and Blue Bridesmaid Dresses
While some adventurous brides can get away with a pink and blue-hued dress, others can still make the most of this trend by adding a splash of innocent pastels to the crowd of bridesmaids. Baby blue and pink combination dresses and accessories are a top trend for Spring 2009, and can easily freshen up your theme for the year.

Spring 2009 Wedding Trend: The Miniskirt Wedding Gown
If you’ve been working on those gams all Fall and winter, ’tis the season to show off yoru legs with a miniskirt wedding gown. If you prefer a more modest look the knee-length dress is plenty appropriate for Spring 2009; take the cue from Oscar de La Rent and other wedding dress designers who led the runway at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week 2008.

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/
848645/top_wedding_trends_for_spring_2009.html?cat=23

(ARA) – Next to planning the actual wedding, most brides-to-be will tell you the next hardest thing is figuring out what to put on their gift registries. And one of the big mistakes brides make is not registering for enough.

“It’s definitely a lesson in compromise,” says Taryn Abbott-Wilson, Visual Merchandising Director for Pier 1 Imports. “When my husband and I got married, he had traditional, upholstered furniture and several wooden pieces in the same light finish, while I had a lot of dark antiques. We ended up utilizing almost all of our furniture by combining what worked together and then purchasing a few items to finish out the look.”

“Couples need to think ‘complete’ and register for the smallest accessories to the biggest items. They are doing their guests and themselves a big favor by giving everyone a good range of gifts to choose from and assuring themselves that they’ll be ready for their new family life together,” says Roseanna Robinson, bridal director for The Pfaltzgraff Co., America’s oldest continuously operating pottery company.

According to Robinson, the average age for couples getting married, today, is in the late 20’s. “Most brides and grooms-to-be have lived on their own for a while and accumulated several household items,” says Robinson. “So they need to be strategic about planning their registries.”

Robinson says that means taking inventory of what each person already has, picking out their favorite pieces, and discarding the rest. “Couples should also ask themselves three questions – what are your favorite foods, what does it take to prepare them and what is the best way to serve them? This is a good starting point,” says Robinson, who has been advising brides-to-be on how to complete their gift registries for more than two decades.

She says choosing an everyday dinnerware pattern is usually the main decision that helps structure the registry. “Traditionally formal china was a “must-have” and most often was very expensive, making it feel like another big commitment. Today the overwhelming trend is towards casual dinnerware at affordable prices, which gives registering couples many different options to suit their lifestyle. I encourage brides to have fun, choose pieces that complement the things they already have, and if they want, register for several different patterns,” says Robinson

One pattern Robinson says is gaining in popularity is Pfaltzgraff’s new Pistoulet collection, based on illustrations from the Jana Kolpen book, “The Secrets of Pistoulet.”

“From the moment we discovered the book, we envisioned a beautiful and romantic casual dinnerware collection that would bring to the table Jana Kolpen’s central theme and message – the powerful role that food and meals play to nourish our souls and unite us with friends and family,” says Marsha Everton, president and chief executive officer at Pfaltzgraff.

Each piece in the collection is brightly decorated with freely rendered flowers, vines and vegetables drawn from or influenced by the book’s illustrations, also by Kolpen. Bright, colorful drawings are set against wide watercolor washes that evoke the light and colors of southern France.

“The design is sophisticated in a warm and inviting way, allowing for great mix-and-match possibilities,” says Robinson. “It appeals to both brides and grooms, who are increasingly more vocal in the bridal registry process. The chip-resistant, highly durable Pistoulet collection stands up to everyday use and is safe in the dishwasher, oven, freezer and microwave.”

Featuring a broad range of dinnerware, serveware and accessories, pieces in the collection range in price from $7.99 for a single bread plate to $359.88 for a 36-piece dinnerware set. The Pistoulet collection is available at major department and specialty stores nationwide, including J.C. Penny, Amazon.com and more than 70 Pfaltzgraff stores at outlet malls across the country.

Courtesy of ARA Content