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Picking Bridesmaids Dresses for your Destination Wedding

Picking Bridesmaids Dresses for your Destination Wedding

So you’re planning your dream destination wedding? Let’s be real for a moment, it’s a lot more work than you thought it would be. So many more moving pieces than you expected… We get it. We’re here to help.

Long or Short Dresses for a Beachside Wedding?

Will it be hot? Your bridesmaids will be forever grateful if you choose something light and airy.  Consider something knee-length OR a dress with flowy draping like this Mori Lee dress in style 21532

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re going to be somewhere breezy you may want to stick with a traditional maxi length dress to avoid any wardrobe mishaps. This gown by Bill Levkoff, style 1214, provides the perfect amount of coverage while still staying lightweight with its chiffon material.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sparkle or no Sparkle?

We can’t think of very many places where sparkle isn’t acceptable… A beachside destination wedding is definitely not one of them! There are different ways to make your bridesmaids dazzle on your big day! Watters Bridesmaids offers sparkly separates so you aren’t overwhelmed by the glitz!

The Watters Bridesmaids 2307 bustier is anything but simple. It can be paired with any skirt and adds the perfect pop of sparkle!

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re looking to add a bigger pop to your bridesmaid’s attire, the Celine skirt by Watters Bridesmaids might be the perfect fit! Just like the above bustier, it can be paired with any other piece, and it can be ordered in knee-length!

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to avoid wrinkly dresses after traveling?

You never know what you’ll have available to you at your hotel, it’s best to plan for the worst and assume you won’t have access to a steamer! Chiffon gowns are great! They are flowy, light, and come in every color imaginable! Unfortunately, they also wrinkle easily. We recommend traveling with a chiffon dress in a hanging bang to avoid any wrinkles. Tulle gowns are a great alternative!  It’s sheer and flowy, much like chiffon, but much less likely to wrinkle! Mori Lee in style 153 has a gorgeous tulle skirt that we can already imagine flowing in the ocean breeze. When you arrive at your destination hang up your gown right away to help settle any creases caused by travel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blend into the Scenery or Stand Out?

Every bride has their own vision when it comes to their wedding day. There is no right or wrong way to do it! So if you’re feeling like you want a bright bold wedding party while saying your vows Cliffside… DO IT. If you’d rather blend into your gorgeous background… DO IT! For a more muted color palette, Hayley Paige Occasions 5700 might be the gown for your girls! It’s sophisticated, modern, and flowy. The perfect combination for your destination wedding!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of the day, no matter which dresses you choose, this day is a celebration of love! So don’t sweat the small stuff, and enjoy your beautiful surroundings!

 

Shop even more beautiful styles & order your bridesmaids dresses online HERE

Branding Your Wedding with Logos, Monograms and Initials

We LOVE monograms! Simply adore them and truly cannot get enough of them! We love how easy for couples it makes personalizing their weddings merely by incorporating a monogram, their initials and/or names or even a custom wedding logo into their wedding day design. And while it’s historically known as a southern thing, and monograms have been big here…well, pretty much always…this unique twist to weddings just keeps spreading as more and more couples across the country are using them for their big day.

We’ve planned several weddings in recent times where we’ve incorporated such personalization, and part of the fun is coming up with all of the ways or places you can use them! Here are some of our favorite examples:

We put this couple’s initials on their invitation, their joint monogram on their cake (which also had a gorgeous initial topper!) and their last name initial on their reception dinner menu. But our favorite personalized element of this wedding is that stunning monogrammed aisle runner!

 

 

 

 

For this couple, we included their first name initials on their wedding program, put a gorgeous monogram gobo on their dance floor and included that same joint monogram on their reception menus and even their photo booth strips!

 

 

 

This couple wanted an eclectic mix of personalization, so their cake showcased their married surname initial, the dance floor gobo showed that initial along with their first names and their table cards included their first name initials. We tied them all together by using the same scrolled oval frame around each element.

 

 

For this elegant event, we include a fanciful initial for the bride’s maiden name on the wedding program, and their married last name was represented on the reception dinner menu.
We mixed things up for this wedding, as well. The couple’s first name initials were on the wedding program, while the cupcakes featured their last name initial and their dance floor gobo showed their first names and last initial.

 

 

This glam wedding featured another eclectic mix of initials and names, tied together with an elegant scrolled frame. We especially love that calligraphied cake topper that perfectly matched the paper products!

 

 

 

This stunning red and black affair featured the bride’s and groom’s initials as large hanging floral arrangements framing the chapel doors, and we repurposed them at the reception. We also included the couple’s married last name initial on pillows and napkins in the cocktail hour lounge. Their blinged out favor boxes included their last name initial with their first names.

 

 

 

 

Do you brides love monograms as much as we do? Are any of you planning to incorporate them in your wedding day décor?

Trends We Love: The Pre-Ceremony Beverage Station or Cocktail Hour

A wedding is a time of celebration and fun – and an opportunity to flex your hospitality muscles! All good hosts know it’s best to welcome guests into your home by offering them something to drink right away. We love extending this sentiment to weddings with the pre-ceremony beverage.

Think of this trend as the cocktail hour before the wedding. But, the beverages do not necessarily have to be alcoholic! The pre-ceremony cocktail hour is a fun way to have your guests mingle and get to know one another before the official festivities start.

This idea really works best when your ceremony is at a venue that’s not a church, temple or other place of worship because of time and space constraints or the facility’s policies. The pre-ceremony drink station is especially appreciated if your ceremony is outside. In the fall, a warm beverage station (think coffee, cider and hot cocoa – spiked or not) is a fantastic way to welcome your guests and help them ward off a chill while waiting for your walk down the aisle.

And, now that we’re enjoying warmer weather, something cool and refreshing would be the go-to for a pre-wedding drink!

It can be something simple, such as flavored or sparkling water to lemonade and tea (ooooohhh, Arnold Palmers!) to mimosas or maybe even a signature cocktail just for your special day. Just make sure if you decided to serve cocktails to keep the time relatively short and consider having the drinks passed so guests don’t consume too much alcohol before your ceremony.

Consult with your caterer or ceremony venue contact to explore what your options are for a pre-ceremony beverage offering. Or brainstorm with your wedding planner on other fun and creative ways you can make your day special. Oh, you don’t have one of those? Our talented Weddings by StarDust planning team would love to chat with you about how they can help you have the beautiful, imaginative wedding you’ve dreamed of! Schedule your initial consultation with one of our expert wedding planners online now!

Real Bride, Blaine, in Hayley Paige

Here for the Hayley Paige

Blaine always told herself she would not wear a white wedding gown. Since Hayley Paige offers a wide array of gowns in colors other than white, she knew she’d found her dream designer! When asked what led her to StarDust, Blaine said “I decided to shop at StarDust because it was one of the only wedding dress stores that sold Hayley Paige dresses, and I had been telling myself since I first got engaged that I WILL have a Hayley Paige wedding dress!” This gorgeous bride even wore  a Hayley Paige athleisurewear robe to get ready for her big day!

Hayley Paige bride, Blaine, getting ready for her wedding day.

 

The One

She knew Chandon was her gown when she first saw it on Hayley’s Instagram- the day after she got engaged! Immediately, she began the hunt for her gown. Once she made it to StarDust, it was the very first gown she tried on. She was sold! “When I put it on, I immediately starting crying and smiling” said Blaine. “Marianne was my stylist on that wonderful day and she was everything I could’ve imagined in a stylist for the day I picked my wedding dress. She did nothing but make me feel like a queen. She focused only on how I felt, no one else! I loved that about her! She made me feel so beautiful and kept telling me how my dress was made for me!”

 

 

 

 

Rose Gold Vibes

Her inspiration for her wedding was her love for rose gold, burgundy, geometric terrariums, and succulents! Her engagement ring is Rose Gold, so she made it a priority to include rose gold in many aspects of her big day. As you can see, she nailed it!

 

 

 

Venue: The N at Hardway Ranch

Photographer: Janey Cooper Photography

Florist: Granbury Flower Shop

Hair and makeup: Victoria Loper (airbrush makeup)

& Ashley McDaniel (hair)

 

Adding Flair to Your Fall Wedding

Flavors of Fall and Winter

Happy fall, y’all! We may have mentioned a time or two that we cherish this time of the year! The saturated colors, the wonderful scents and the luscious, rich flavors of the amazing assortment of fall and winter foods! By the way, if you didn’t notice the slight change in weather today, winter is right around the corner!

 

Bringing in the flavors of fall and winter is a great way to incorporate a seasonal theme into your wedding. Plus, with the chillier weather, your guests will appreciate warm, filling food. Here are some suggestions that are sure to satisfy your guests.

 

Hors d’oeuvres

Small bites are still big! Warm your guests’ hearts and bellies with shooters of thick, creamy soups such as butternut squash or potato leek.Or incorporate the fabulous flavor of everyone’s favorite round orange squash in a pumpkin goat cheese tartlet or pumpkin mousse in puff pastry. Or what about sweet potato rounds replacing the expect crostini topped with herbs, cheese and olives?Is your mouth watering yet?!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salads and sides
Salads are wonderful first courses year-round, but in the fall and winter, they are even better served with a warm vinaigrette!And you might want to consider comfort food for your sides such as whipped sweet potatoes or roasted root vegetables. Fennel is a slightly sweet seasonal flavor that partners wonderfully with all manner of foods, from fruits and root vegetables to garnish and being cooked into a demi-glace to go over meat. Scrumptious!

 

Desserts
Apples, pears and citrus are at their peak right now and are incredibly delicious! Incorporate these seasonal fruits into pies, tarts and cakes to take advantage of their luscious flavors.If you’re an adventurous bride, be bold with your wedding and groom’s cakes flavors. Think gingerbread, carrot or spice cake; a vanilla or chocolate cake with peppermint buttercream; or red velvet.

While red velvet is ubiquitous in the south year-round, it feels especially seasonal around the holidays.

 

Cocktails
Lest you think we’ve forgotten, seasonal flavors make for fun and creative cocktails! You might want to check out our post on seasonal cocktails last fall, but we’ll give you a bit of inspiration here as well.Anything cranberry would be a delightfully tart and tasty beverage. Warm drinks such as hot toddies or any spiked versions of coffee, cider and hot chocolate would thrill your guests as they head into your cocktail hour from the cold outside – guaranteed to warm them from their toes up!

 

Work with your caterer to find ways to include the season’s best in your wedding reception menu. More and more caterers are planning their offerings around local and seasonal foods (thank goodness!), so this should be a fun and easy way to give your big day a little holiday flair.

image credits: Epicurious, Just a Taste, Martha Stewart, NY Times,  Pinterest,  One Stylish Bride, Sil Azevedo, Sweet Little Peanut

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