Advice from Flair Archives - Page 6 of 16 - Flair Boston | Wedding Dresses in Boston MA | Bridal Gowns, Bridesmaid Dresses, Accessories, Wedding Dress Cleaning

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Pantone Color of the Year 2015

Pop the cork and add some Marsala into your wedding day!

We LOVE when Pantone announces their “it” color for the upcoming year. They are always right on point, and 2015’s color is no exception! Marsala is such a gorgeous, universally flattering color and you can work it into your life in a ton of ways. A wine colored handbag would add a chic pop of color to any ensemble. Or, how about marsala skinny jeans? Gorge! If you really love this stunning shade, though, why not take it from everyday to wedding day!

1) Marsala Mani and Manolos – Even if you already have your wedding wardrobe on lock, there’s still time to add some marsala to your wedding day look. A wine colored manicure would look simply stunning against a white bridal gown! Or, think about popping this hot color into your shoe; a fun, unique choice that you can definitely wear after the big day!

Skating The Issue by Essie is the perfect shade of Marsala! And these burgundy Manolos? We’re swooning!

2) Marsala isn’t just for drinking! – Though we love a good glass of red, if you want to add some marsala into your wedding cuisine in a unique way, consider it for your food, not your beverages. How stunning are these marsala cupcakes? And they’re delicious too; a traditional red velvet cake with dyed frosting to match. Simple and chic! Not a red velvet fan? Add some marsala colored blooms to your traditional white cake for a truly “wow” look! You can also play a more cheeky homage to the color of the year by offering a wedding classic; chicken marsala 😉 A true crowd pleaser!

Mmmmm marsala!

3) Marsala for your man – Guys are lucky, they can wait WAY longer than us girls before finalizing their wedding wardrobe, so you likely still have time to add some marsala to their look. We LOVE this wine colored bow tie, for example (it’s from The Dessy Collection and you can get it at Flair or Frills!). It looks great with this black tux, but would look just as amazing with a navy suit and suspenders! Or, along the line of your manolos, give your man a hint of marsala in his footwear with adorable, unique socks like these from Polo.

The options are endless girls, so have some fun incorporating this gorgeous color into your big day! Of course, it goes without saying that Flair also has a TON of bridesmaids’ dresses available in the year’s hottest color, so give us a call to come in a check them out! Cheers!

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Pop the question…to your bridesmaids!

Wow your best girls with these unique, fun ways to “propose” to your bridal party!

It’s the most wonderful time of the yearrrrrrr! Not the holiday season (though we are excited for that, too), but engagement season! The majority of engagements happen between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day, so look alive girls! That goes for you too, potential bridesmaids. One of the first big, important things a new bride will do is pick her bridal party. After all, you’ll need your best girls on hand and ready to help with the rest of the big, important things you need to do! So today we’re talking about fun, unique ways that you can ask your bridesmaids to be in your wedding party. Remember, these are the girls that will plan your shower and bachelorette, so it’s important to make them happy from the start. We think these ideas will do just the trick!

1) Ask in person – OK, we know this one is a big commitment, but if you have the time and resources, this is a truly special and memorable way to “propose” to your bridesmaids. It doesn’t have to be anything huge; why not take a trip to the nail salon and buy your new maids a manicure, for example? Or, surprise them with a trip to a winery and pop the question over popped corks! Get creative and get personal, your girls will love it!

2) Really “pop” the question – If you can’t be with all of your girls in person, (which, admittedly, most of us can’t) ask them in a fun and unique way that will get them excited to be in the bridal party from the get go! One of our favorite ideas is this interactive balloon card; how could anyone say no to something SO adorable!

We LOVE Etsy! They have a wealth of fun ideas like this!

3) When in doubt, you can’t go wrong with a card – A personal, handwritten note NEVER goes out of style and will always be appreciated. A card gives you the opportunity to tell your girls what they mean to you, and why you want them by your side on the big day. If you like this option, though, consider a unique card that will really wow them! We’re partial to these custom bridal party cards by Flair friend H Nichols Illustrations. Customize with your girls’ names and with your wedding colors for a look that your girls will love!

These beauties are handmade with care by fab, local artist Holly Nichols. We love her!!

How are you asking your girls? Or have you been asked in a fresh, new way? Let us know, we can’t wait to hear your ideas!

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Alter your dress, not your mood!

Terrific Tailoring Tips

Not to overstate, and not to be biased, but dress shopping is definitely the best part of wedding planning, right?! It’s the ultimate game of dress up! As fun as it is, though, dress shopping is not without its stresses. There’s a ton of pressure to find the just the right dress, at just the right price. Then when you find said dress, new concerns arise. By far, the biggest weight on our brides’ shoulders seems to be with fit and tailoring. We don’t blame you; it doesn’t matter how fabulous the dress is if it doesn’t fit properly! If you’re on the tailoring terror train, have no fear! Flair is here with some tips and advice so that you can go into your fittings feeling prepared and ready to rock that dress!

1) Timing is everything! Plan to schedule your first fitting between 10-12 weeks prior to the big day. That will leave you enough time to do three fittings, which is appropriate for most bridal gowns. Your last fitting should be scheduled a week before the wedding, leaving enough time to do any last minute changes (if necessary).

2) Have your wedding shoes and undergarments with you at your first fitting. Your undergarments affect how your dress fits, so your tailor will need to see you in them at every meeting to ensure the proper fit. As for the shoes, they help your tailor to see how much length needs to be taken, if any.

3) Speak your mind! If you go to a great tailor, they can tweak almost anything. Wish those pleats were pinned down? Want to make your sweetheart top just a little more sweetheart? What seems like a big change to you is most likely a super easy fix for them, so don’t be afraid to ask about any and everything!

4) At your last fitting, get off the pedestal! Move around in your gown, sit down, heck, even do a little dance! You need to be sure that your dress feels great in all situations. You may find after a few twists and turns that your top needs to be taken in a little more. On the other hand, you might think that you want your dress tighter but then when you sit in a chair you might just reconsider. Bottom line, get moving!

5) Lastly, have all of your accessories with you at your final fitting. Seeing the dress with your jewelry, hair accessories and veil will really help you to envision the final look, and make sure there’s nothing else that you want to adjust. Oh and don’t forget your best accessories, your friends and family! Take a couple of your best with you; they might catch something that you didn’t see!

Looking for your bridal accessories? These are just a few of the beauties you can find at our online boutique, Frills!

Above all else, remember that you can always call your girls at Flair with any tailoring stresses or questions, we’re here to help!

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Unconventional weddings – Solange style!

Wow your guests with some fresh, new wedding ideas!

This was a pretty big week. Obama made huge moves in the world of immigration reform. Snow; enough said. Oh, and some chick named SOLANGE got married. Did you see the photos?? I mean, that wedding was genius from start to finish. Rolling up on vintage bicycles? Multiple bridal jumpsuits? A parade? I’m telling you, Solange made me rethink ALL of my wedding choices.

Check out People.com for a bunch more photos from Solange’s whimsical, wonderful wedding day!!

Seriously, though, we can all learn a thing or two about throwing an unconventional wedding from Bey’s little sis. Solange’s big day was certainly far from the norm, but when you look at her photos the overall feel is still a classy, chic wedding. If you want to follow in her footsteps and pop some fresh, new concepts into your big day, check out some of our favorite unconventional ideas below:

• Bye, bye, boring place cards – Sure, the classic calligraphy cards are an option that never goes out of style, but why not set the tone for your fab reception with something a little more unique! Going for a party vibe? How about engraved martini glasses in place of cards. Throwing a formal bash? Try reception escorts. Instead of cards, have your ceremony ushers stay on duty to seat guests at the reception as well! Have a ton of DIY time on your hands? Check out this utterly amazing silhouette seating chart; we’re obsessed!

Swoon! LOVE this! Fab photo courtesy of Bryan Aulick Photography.

• Rad response cards – OK, we know no one says rad anymore, but we were going for an alliteration thing there 😉 What we’re trying to say is, use your response cards to your advantage! A friend of mine asked guests to list a favorite song on their response cards, so they got a built in playlist as the responses rolled in; genius! Or, have your guests list their drink of choice. See if there’s a theme and then you can limit what you offer and maybe even save a little money. Get creative here, brides!
• Photo booth 2.0 – Photo booths are a no brainer. They are always a good time and are great for a laugh after the big day! Why not take it one step further, though, with a video booth and have your guests record a message for you! How amazing would it be to have a permanent record of your closest friends and family’s well wishes; wish I had thought of that! A tip: take the camera away after maybe 9:00 PM. A few drinks in and this might turn into a “Real World” style confessional that you weren’t anticipating 😉

We certainly wouldn’t mind having this stunning video booth at our wedding! Thanks to weddingsbysocialites.blogspot.com for the image!

There are TONS of ways you can add a little unconventional magic to your big day, so do some research and see what speaks to you! You should probably stick to just channeling Solange on your wedding day, though, and not on your average say, elevator ride 😉

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Trunk Shows:The Cliff Notes Version

Trunk Shows: The Mystery Explained!

“Trunk show”; it could mean so many things. Is it a show that takes place in/on a trunk? Or maybe a show about trunks? What about elephants? They have trunks! Maybe they have something to do with it…

We get this question all the time; what exactly is a trunk show? The short, fabulous answer is that it’s a big ol’ sale! The trunk part comes from the fact that originally designers would roll into these sales with a trunk load of merchandise to sell. These days it’s more like a huge box dropped off by UPS/FedEx, but you get the gist.

Here’s what you need to know:
1) A trunk show only lasts a limited time, typically just a weekend.
2) As most boutiques do not have the space to carry a designer’s entire collection, a trunk show is one of the only times you can see everything they have to offer all in one place.
3) The buying process is the same as always; you try on the samples and then we order you a brand new dress in your size, at a discounted price!
4) The discount being offered is only available that weekend, so be ready to commit or risk missing out on the sale price!
5) We typically only have 1 trunk show per designer per season, so when you see your favorite designer pop up on our schedule, jump on it! Oh, and act fast; trunk shows always book up WAY in advance.

That’s it! Now that you’re a trunk show pro, keep an eye on our social media for Flair’s upcoming trunk shows. We look forward to trunk showing with you soon 🙂

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Wedding Planning 101

Don’t just survive wedding planning…thrive!

Lately, I’ve come to realize that planning a wedding is alot like buying a house. Maybe I made that correlation because I just bought a house myself, but stay with me, you’ll see where I’m going here. In theory, buying a house seems great, and for the most part, it is. But then you get inside this house that you’ve worked so hard for and it suddenly seems like more work than fun. Raking leaves, fixing plumbing and caulking various cracks; when do I just get to go to Home Goods and buy pretty stuff that I don’t need??

It’s the same with wedding planning. You’re so excited to be engaged and can’t wait to start planning, but then you get there and just feel…lost. There are way more decisions to make that you realized and all of them seem daunting. Sure, dress shopping is fun (like how we picked dress shopping…we’re not biased or anything), but budgeting, cutting your guest list and doing the seating chart? Not so much. If you’re one of the many brides out there feeling a little overwhelmed, have no fear. The kind, knowledgeable and amazing staff at Whim Events are here to help! They are hosting “Wedding Planning 101”, a workshop to help couples survive and thrive that lovely time period between the proposal and the big day. Learn how to plan your budget, make a timeline that actually seems doable and get expert advice on your wedding style, vendors and more! All that AND the chance to win a free planning consultation or design concept board? Sign us up! Plus, there will be tasty food and beverages, so it’s pretty much a win-win! Click here to register today, spots will book up quickly! The staff at Whim Events are truly amazing; they are smart, funny and great at what they do. We love working with them and learning from them, and we know you will too!

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Bridal Market 2014 Trend Report!

Bridal Market 2014: All of the trends to look out for in 2015!

So a few weeks ago, Flair had a really grueling working weekend. Get this; we had to go to New York, see all of the new bridal collections and chat with tons of designers. What a CHORE 😉 Obviously, we’re kidding. Bridal market is the BEST weekend of the year! We loved seeing what new styles and trends will be popping up for the 2015 season, and we REALLY loved getting to catch up with all of our beloved designers. They are truly the best! The only annoying part of bridal market is that we get to see all of these new dresses but we can’t get them into the store for a few months. It’s so hard to wait; we’re dying to show you all of these fab, new styles! While we wait, we’re happy to atleast give you a little teaser of some of the trends we caught on the wedding runways, and tell you how you can get them at Flair right now!

Deep V tops – Brides these days are bolder than ever before, and a plunging neckline is the perfect way to show off that boldness! Plus, a deep v is super flattering and elongating, especially for our more petite brides out there. This style isn’t for everyone, though. Brides with a bigger bust line should probably avoid this cut. If you want to take the plunge but are concerned about showing too much skin, try a dress that is covered in other ways, like our Tara Keeley style 2450!

The stunning sleeves on this style add some gorgeous coverage!

The new age of crystals – Sorry, Spencer Pratt, we’re not talking about your healing crystals, we’re talking about BLING! Crystals, beads and jewels are being worn in a whole new way! While a beaded belt is always a safe bet, look for more and more designers to incorporate bling in unique, new ways. Exhibit A: Check out our stunning Hayley Paige River gown, with optional beaded bolero. That’s not a necklace, girls, it’s actually a beaded top that clips right into top of the dress. SO cool!

This dress has all of the bases covered; the fit and fabric is classic but that beaded top is the definition of modern!

Low backs with detail – While we still love a nice, clean, open back, we’re really loving that designers are starting to add some detail to their open back designs. This is perfect for brides who love the look but aren’t sure they want to bare that much skin. You can try the look at Flair right now with this Nicole Miller design. Beading and embroidery make this open back one of a kind!

Just imagine this stunner coming down the aisle…swoon!

We’ll keep you posted as all of the new 2015 styles start to trickle in, but in the meantime come in and see these beauties and more! See you soon!

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Creating a happy marriage between Halloween and Weddings!

How to do Halloween weddings right!

Who doesn’t love a holiday wedding? If you choose Valentine’s Day, your color palette is pretty much picked for you (hope you like red, pink and white!). A New Year’s Eve wedding is the ultimate of parties (and your venue will let you stay until atleast midnight – much later than the rest of the year). But what about Halloween? Next year, Halloween will fall on a Saturday, the most popular wedding day of the week, so we got to thinking about how you can include Halloween into your day in a subtle, chic way!

1) Incorporate Black and Orange, but don’t go over the top! We’re not going for a 100% orange and black theme, just cute, little touches. Add a black sash to your bridal gown, for a chic, modern look. How about a pop of orange in the bridesmaids’ accessories? We also love the hint of black in these stunning anemones!

Our amazing, gorgeous Flair friend and bride Ali customized her AB Ellie belt with a black ribbon; so chic! Thanks to Sweet Jane Photography for the photo! And the subtle orange tone in this statement necklace set (which you can find on our site, Frills!) is perfect for the bridesmaids!

2) Use pumpkins in a gorgeous, wedding friendly way! Let’s face it, by Halloween we’re all sick of eating and seeing pumpkins, but you can still add them into your wedding décor with the help of a little camouflage!

A little spray paint and wire goes a long way!

3) Get hungry for Halloween! Serve your soup course in a pumpkin bowl, or consider having a candy apple bar. Don’t forget the cocktails! This is just a regular Cosmopolitan but the red and black sugar rims give them a subtle, spooky touch!

Get creative, Flair friends, and don’t be afraid of a Halloween wedding! See what we did there? Afraid? Anyways, Happy Halloween!! 🙂

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Honoring Oscar de la Renta

Bridal Lessons from a Fashion Legend: Oscar de la Renta

Kate Bosworth, Jenna Bush Hager, Katherine Heigl and Amal Clooney; all of these women were lucky enough to have their wedding gowns designed by the incomparable Oscar de la Renta. Oscar designed the dresses that all women dream about; romantic, feminine and full of fantasy. He had an amazing way of creating dresses that were over the top but assessible at the same time. He pushed the bridal boundaries, but in a delicate way. Want to step outside of the box, but not go too far? Well then, Oscar is the designer for you. A hint of color here, a shorter hemline there; Oscar helped us to quietly make our way into the bridal future, while still remaining elegant, sophisticated and oh so chic. In honor of this great designer we’re taking a look back at a few of our favorite Oscar de la Renta bridal gowns and the lessons they teach us:

Lesson #1 – Don’t be afraid of color! After all, every bride needs a little something blue! Photo courtesy of ofwedding.net

Lesson #2: Sometimes matchy-matchy can be a good thing! If there’s a veil that perfectly matches the details on your gown, go for it! Photo courtesy of oscardelarenta.com

Lesson #3: Covered can be sexy! This gown has a higher cut top, sleeves and tons of sex appeal to boot! Photo courtesy of brides.com

Lesson #4 – A slim dress can still have volume! This gown has a sexy, fitted silhouette but the textured material gives it all the drama of a big ballgown! Photo courtesy of weddingseve.com

“Fashion is about dressing according to what’s fashionable. Style is more about being yourself.” ~ Oscar de la Renta

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How to be social media smart on your big day!

Wedding Day Social Media Tips!

The wedding world is getting more and more virtual each year (hello, Flair even created on online shopping site this year!) and as a result, there are new wedding etiquette topics that Emily Post never used to have to worry about! For example, how do you effectively and smartly incorporate social media into your big day? After all, social media is unavoidable. Aside from collecting cell phones at the door, you really can’t stop your guests from using social media at your wedding. Let’s just figure out how to help them do so in the most respectful way possible!

1) Be honest and up front with your social media wishes! Want guests to refrain during the ceremony? Think about putting a cute sign where they enter, kindly asking them to put their phones away. Or, include a little note in your program. When you walk down the aisle, you want to see all eyes on you, not all eyes on phones!

2) Ask your photographer for help! More and more photographers are jumping on the “no cell phones allowed” train. After all, it can be hard for them to get a great shot of you coming down the aisle or saying your vows when your guests are sticking out trying to get their own shot. Have a chat with your photographer in advance to see if they have any tips for keeping cell phones at bay. That way, he/she can get their shots and you can avoid people posting their photos to social media before you want them to!

Fete Studio agrees with us…cell phones away!! (atleast during the ceremony)

3) At the reception it can be a little harder to avoid cell phones. You’re there a long time, it’s often a party atmosphere and let’s face it, we’re not used to being apart from our phones for too long! So, if you can’t beat them, join them! Have your guests use a special wedding day hashtag when they Instagram. That way, all of your photos are collected and organized in one place. Like this idea? Then you simply MUST get one of our new Instagram signs by Holly Nichols Illustrations! We’ve chosen a few classic, standard background venues, but these adorable signs are also available customized with your specific venue in the background and/or with a couple that looks like you! Check them out today, and be social media smart!

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