Boy did I have an interesting time on the forums today. On a brides forum I jumped into a thread started by a girl that was told she could only try on three gowns because she wasn’t getting married until 2008. What?? Then I went to a forum for bridal salon owners. They were discussing why brides don’t understand that they have to limit the number of gowns a bride can try on at one time (it ranged from five to ten gowns depending on the salon) What?

Ok here is the deal. First salon, bad attitude. There are some wonderful salons out there and a bride really does need the help of a well trained compassionate bridal consultant to find the right gown in the right budget. The bad, crappy salons are ruining the reputation of all the rest. One of the things I tell brides is to visit the salons to have a look see before they make an appointment. Get a feel for their customer service; watch them with the other brides in there. A good salon will have outstanding customer service. A bad salon will have a chip on its shoulder. Vote for good service with your checkbook. If a salon is treating you badly, walk out the door.

Some salons have a horrible problem with brides coming in to try on gowns just so they can order them on the internet. That is part of the reason for the attitude. It is expensive for the salon in terms of both labor cost and wear and tear on their samples. The brides that do that are ruining it for the rest of the brides. That $200 or so dollars they save just isn’t worth what is lost in good service and the little extras that go along with it.

Now, the other discussion. That is very simple to explain. It’s supply and demand. If you have five consultants and five dressing rooms and ten brides want to try on gowns you have to do something. It isn’t that they don’t want you to try on more gowns, they just want you to let other brides try some on too. The secret here is to make an appointment on a slow day. After the first four or five gowns, let the consultant bring you a few more that fit the criteria that the first few established. After four or five gowns a trained consultant will know all they need to know about your shape and your taste, let them do their job. That is why you are in a good salon in the first place. No?

A giant pat on the back to dear friend Ivonne dela Vega. You know you are getting noticed when your gowns show up at the Oscars! Gloria Estefan and Mary Hart were both spotted wearing Ivonne dela Vega gowns last night on the red carpet. Hart wore the most gorgeous strapless gownstrapless lace and taffeta gown. in a stunning iridescent teal, embellished with a cascade of roses handmade in the same fabric. Estefan was beautiful in a black

Ivonne’s star just keeps on rising. I can’t wait to see what she has created for her fall bridal collection. See you in New York Ivonne.

Also getting some well deserved recognition is Amanda Jaron of AJaron Designs. Amanda has created a new line in sterling that has been picked up by HSN both on TV and online. Her collection can be seen on Friday March 2 at 1 am, 1 pm and 10 pm or anytime online. Don’t miss her tassel bracelets. They are just too much fun!

I ran across this idea over at the Wedding Bee, how about a cooking class for a bridal shower. This one is at Hipcooks in LA but I don’t see why you couldn’t do it anywhere. If there is a cookware store that does cooking classes where you are give them a call. Let them know what you have in mind and see if you can buy out a class. Make sure it a fun and easy one that will leave you time to open presents. So much more grown up than making wedding gowns out of toilet paper.

I’ll bet there are a million different classes that would be fun. Use your imagination.

Photo courtesy of Hipcooks

I recently ran across a blog called Style Me Pretty. If you are looking for inspiration on how to style your wedding this is the place. I have added it to my blogroll so you can check it regularly.

What I love are her “Inspiration Boards”. With a few simple photos or ideas as a leaping off point she styles a complete wedding. Just read through her work and you are inspired on ways to take the little details you love and spin them into a magical whole.

She also has a passion for all things beautiful and all things wedding. Her blog is a collection of eye candy to inspire your own magic.

I had a conversation with a bride at a recent bridal show and during the course of the conversation the question of her color choices came up. She began telling me that she originally had her heart set on a blue, white and silver winter wedding but couldn’t find blue flowers that were in season in January. Reluctantly she was thinking of changing to red and black. WHAT!!! Well that’s just not right. I took her to see the booth of Jill Cole at Southern Event. I had run into Jill the day before and I knew she had a beautiful vignette with mirrored vases and silver curly willow. I told the bride, “Add blue linen and you have your colors!! Do you have to have flowers?” You could see the light bulb go off in her head.

If you are a bride on a budget you have to think outside the box. The picture aboveis a centerpiece I put together recently.

I rented the tray, paid a dollar for the vase, a dollar for the candle holders and bought the rocks at Home Depot, add ONE flower and TaDa…zen magic. Each centerpiece was under $8 and they weren’t floating candles surrounded by rose petals.

Nothing says that your wedding has to look like every other wedding you have seen. This is a day to show your uniqueness. Look for inspiration in places besides bridal magazines. Look at fashion and home décor magazines. There is inspiration everywhere you look. I would love to know where you found your inspiration. Post a comment and let the world know how creative you are.

I had the best time today. I have been asked to set up a VIP style lounge for one of my clients at the largest bridal show in the Southeast. So I spent today digging through the inventory of some of the hippest, trendiest rental and décor firms in town. Oh my friends I have seen the most fabulous things imaginable.

If you are trying to transform a ho-hum space or just take a look all the way to fabulous, décor rental is the way to do it. These are not the places to go for glasses and folding chairs, this is where you go for 8’ wrought iron trees to hang with crystals for a winter fairyland look or a full size outdoor fountain to turn a ballroom into an Italian piazza. If you are looking for ideas this is the ticket.

As you walk through this seasons bridal shows check out the décor items in any of the booths; chances are good it came from a local rental and décor firm. If you see something that catches your eye ask where they got it. When I visited the shops today I ran into many of the vendor that will be exhibiting this weekend picking up things to decorate their booths.

Inspiration can come from anything. I saw a vase, 4’ tall with narrow sensuous lines covered in tiny bits of broken mirror. I asked Joe Hodges of Visual Elements what might go with it and POOF before you knew it all the elements for a winter wonderland were pointed out: bare trees made of metal dripping with stings of crystals, fountains that produce fog, tall branches of curly willow painted a shimmery muted silver . Add these to some barely blue linen with a sheer silver overlay and some silver chivari chairs and you just built an indoor ice palace. Cool! No really.

I started my day with the wonderfully creative Sarah Boyce at her shop, Fabu. If the words ‘casual elegance’ have ever crossed your lips you need to know Sarah. An artist with an eye, Sarah has amassed a huge collection that ranges from elaborate pieces of wrought iron to silver to glorious silk pillows. Wondering through her rentals is like a treasure hunt. I can’t tell you how many times I have gone to Fabu with no design idea looking for inspiration and always found it.

I do have one little wack of the pencil to both of these firms. You have the most beautiful things I wish you had better websites so I could be inspired anytime I need it.

If you have been reading the dish for a while you will already know what I think about wedding favors. To say the very least, I am not a fan. Nine times out of ten they are useless little bits of fluff, completely unnecessary, that brides end up spending way to much money on and obsessing endlessly over. Only to have the guests leave them on the table. Sigh. That having been said…I have found a totally worthy favor idea, absolutely worth spending the money on that your guests will never forget.

In the recent issue of Modern Bride Betty Goldberg did an interview with the fabulous Mindy Weiss. Mindy has planned wedding for such A-listers as Heidi Klum and Avril Lavinge. Among the brilliant ideas she shared was a favor idea that this wedding diva can finally get behind: survival bags’ to hand to the guests as they leave. Included are foot relief bath salts, Advil, eye pads and water. I would probably throw in a little something sweet for your guest to nosh on the ride home; a personalized sugar cookie, a couple of chocolate truffles or a luxurious brownie. How much more will your guest appreciate this thoughtful gesture than a votive candle with your new monogram?

The point of a favor is to show your guests that you are grateful they chose to share your day with you. What better way to do that than to acknowledge that they had a wonderful time dancing the night away? Love it, Love it!

Maybe it is the season or maybe it was just a need for a little retail therapy that hit everyone at once, but last week was all about shopping.

It started on Wednesday when a package arrived from Florida. The necklace that AJaron designs had made for me was inside and even more beautiful than I had anticipated. Included in the package was a note from Amanda saying that she had scored a slot on The Home Shopping Network in March. I will be sure to keep you posted so you can ‘see’ the fabulous Amanda and her gorgeous jewelry. Thanks Amanda, I love it!!

Next up was a pre-opening reception for Bella Bridesmaids. Alice Hendry, planner extraordinaire, put together a lovely little champagne reception for all the industry insiders to view of Caroline Hamburg & Angela McMillin’s new ‘baby’. French Confections provided a stunning cake and Nick of Thyme did the canapés. It was all very chi-chi. Your wedding diva even found a little something for herself: the perfect frock for this spring’s Bridal Buyer’s Award in Harrogate. Yeah! I can cross that off my list. Just because it’s called Bella Bridesmaids doesn’t mean that it isn’t a perfect place for special occasion frocks as well.

Next up, the Ladies Who Limo took to the streets to do a little early Christmas shopping before we all get too busy to care. Diane Nesbitt provided the transportation in one of her completely lux rides from Matchless Limousines. Nestled in the soft leather seats sipping champagne along with your diva and Miss Diane were Lesli Emmets the lady behind the lens at Divine Images and Vickie Hudson, the concierge at the 5-star, 5-diamond Hermitage Hotel. I have to tell you the girls had a blast. If you hate the crowds, hates the parking and whole shopping line experience…what better way to ease the pain then having one’s own personal chauffeur and vehicle brought up to each of the shop doors….fun, fun, fun. Definitely give Diane and company a call to schedule your own ladies day out. You won’t be disappointed.