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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!!

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.

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!

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 😉

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…

Trunk Show

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 🙂

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!

Wedding Planning 101 (2)

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 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!

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!

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!

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!

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 goes a long way!

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!

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

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 #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 #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 #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

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

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!

unpluggedsign3
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)

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!

Barn Instagram Be Instagram Beach Instagram

Destination Weddings: Closer than you think!

Photo Shoot Fabulousness: Destination Weddings Edition!

Not to overstate things, but New England is literally the best place to live in the entire world. Bar none. End of story. OK, we may be just a little biased and yes, it’s true, we have to put up with some killer winters, but our stunning Springs, Summers and Falls make it all worthwhile! Plus, with all of our fabulous little states so close together, you can take an amazing vacation without going more than a couple hours from home. Also, we have the Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots and Celtics. Boom. Enough said. Going back to vacations though, on the same note, New England brides can throw a stunning destination wedding without ever having to board a plane! There are tons of amazing spots around New England that will be new to you and your guests, but still close to home. The smart, talented staff at Southern New England Weddings Magazine realized what a destination wedding gem New England really is, and they decided to dedicate their new issue to just that! Check out this stunning Nantucket themed shoot to see how easy it is to create a fresh, destination wedding look in our own backyard. Plus, Flair provided some of the gorgeous attire for this shoot, so yeah, it’s pretty epic! Grab the new edition of Southern New England Weddings today to see the entire shoot and start to plan your close to home, destination wedding!

Sigh. We're swooning already and we're just on the cover!

Sigh. We’re swooning already and we’re just on the cover!

True, the weather in New England can be unpredictable, but who cares when you consider how stunning this overcast shot is!

True, the weather in New England can be unpredictable, but who cares when you consider how stunning this overcast shot is!

I spy Anna Elyse's Madeleine bridal gown on the top right and Theia's petal gown on the bottom right!

I spy Anna Elyse’s Madeleine bridal gown on the top right and Theia’s petal gown on the bottom right!

We love the soft, romantic color palette of this shoot, and that cake with mussel shells is kinda fantastic!

We love the soft, romantic color palette of this shoot, and that cake with mussel shells is kinda fantastic!

End of Summer Sale Alert!

End of Summer Sale Alert!

It’s only August 4th, but already talk has turned to the end of summer. Blasphemy! We live in New England and only get 3 months of summer, so let’s not ruin one by talking our way into Fall prematurely. We have to admit, there is one good thing about summer coming to a close: end of Summer sales! Even though seeing all of the new Fall scarves and boots are tempting, now is actually the best time to buy bathing suits and beach accessories. Stores are desperate to clean out their Summer stock so they can fill up with sweaters, trench coats and all of the other Fall fashion that we love, and you can save tons of money helping them do so!

In a similar fashion, Jenny Yoo has decided to reward her customers for shopping this summer! Summer is obviously a popular season for weddings (especially in our area) and dress orders for summer weddings need to get placed in the Fall and Winter. What does this mean? Bridal shops are so slammed in the Fall and Winter that we barely see the light of day! So, Jenny Yoo thought “how can we encourage people to order BEFORE the busy season?” Hey, a big, huge sale is not a bad way to go! Check out all of the sale details below, and call Flair to get on the ball, order early and SAVE!August Bridesmaid 2014 Promo (2)

August Bridal Promo (2)

E.B. Horn – Your BFF in the Jewelry World

Attention everyone! We have a ground-breaking, hard-hitting news headline for you:

Flair loves jewelry!

Not that surprised? Yeah, we know, it’s a pretty obvious statement. Most of us girls are born with an innate love of all things sparkly. What’s not so obvious? Where to shop for your jewelry! There are so many options out there, and it can be overwhelming. After all, we have entire buildings in Downtown Crossing dedicated to jewelry vendors alone and most of them tend to feel a little intimidating. Are they going to push something really expensive on me? Are they going to understand what I’m looking for? Are they going to laugh at my budget? Put those fears aside because we can assure you that the kind, amazing folks at E.B. Horn are going to listen to you and understand all of your jewelry needs! They have something for everyone, and their staff truly loves to assist each and every customer find just what they are looking for. We love E.B. Horn so much that we’ve teamed up with them for an amazing sale!

E.B. Horn is offering Flair customers 25% off of their bridal party gifts AND Flair is offering E.B. Horn customers who have purchased an engagement ring, wedding band or bridal party gift a 30% discount on all of our accessories. Bottom line: you get to shop at two amazing, local businesses (tooting our own horn) AND save money at both. What could be better? So get out there and get shopping!

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