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Will You Be My Bridesmaid?

Ask your girls in a fun, new way!

Here are Flair, we love hearing about how you got engaged! Brides always glow as they recount the way their fiancé popped the question. Hearing these stories got us to thinking; as nice as it is to be proposed to, we bet it’s just as fun to do the proposing! To get brides in on the act, there’s a new trend in the wedding world – bridesmaids’ proposals! While a handwritten note is always a classic, heartfelt option, if you want to do something a little unique and over the top for your girls, consider popping the bridal party question! Here are just a few ideas that we love:

1) A polished proposal – Start by asking your future bridesmaid to go for a mani/pedi. Every girl knows that one of the best parts of going to the nail salon is choosing your color and reading all of the fun polish names. When it comes time to choose, hand her a custom polish with a name that pops the question! Pretty Please is a super cute company that can help you accomplish this proposal with style!

2) Pop the cork…and the question – Start by ordering one of these adorable, custom wine glasses. Then, ask your future maid to meet you at a local vineyard for a day of wine tasting (we bet it won’t be hard to get her there). Arrive first and ask the staff to give your girl the special glass when it’s time to taste. It’s sure to be a vineyard visit you and she won’t forget. Cheers!

3) A shipment to make her smile – If your future maid isn’t local, you can always get creative and ship your proposal! The options are endless, but we kinda love these custom fortune cookies. Fill them with quotes you both love, memories you share, and finally, with one popping the question!

Whatever you do, taking the extra step to “propose” to your bridesmaids is sure to make them feel special and get them excited to stand by your side on the big day!

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Making your Bridesmaids Feel Special

Be the Beyonce of Brides (aka the best)!

When you get to a certain age, it seems like your whole life rotates around weddings. When’s that shower? Where’s that bachelorette? We have HOW many weddings this year?! Not to mention when you’re a bridesmaid in one (or more) of those weddings. After the first one or two times being in a bridal party, the shine can wear off a little. So, when you get engaged, remember that while it’s your first time as a bride, it’s probably not your friends’ first time being a maid. Make your wedding stand out (and earn yourself an A+ bride rating!) by doing some special things for your girls throughout the process:

1) Ask them in style – The first interaction your bridesmaids will have with you as a bride is when you ask them to be in the wedding party, so do it right! You don’t have to go crazy (a Bridesmaids style invite complete with live butterfly is not necessary); a simple, chic, personalized card is a timeless approach that is sure to have them saying “yes!”

These ADORABLE cards (by fab local artist Holly Nichols) are available on our online site, Frills, and can be customized with different names/shoe colors!

These ADORABLE cards (by fab local artist Holly Nichols) are available exclusively on our online site, Frills, and can be customized with different names/shoe colors!

2) Plan a get together – Kick your wedding planning off with a bang by organizing a fun event for your girls! This is especially important if your bridesmaids don’t all know each other; it’s your job to facilitate the getting acquainted process. Take a cocktail making class, plan an outing at a local vineyard, indulge in a spa day…the list of possibilities goes on and on! It will be fun for everyone and it’ll show your girls that you care, which will get them excited to help you plan for the main event!

3) Take their opinions into account – This is a good idea across the board, but especially with their look. Think about creating a special “bridesmaids’ style” Pinterest board and give them access to add to it. Then, use their ideas as a jumping off point for your dress shopping trip. They will respect that you have taken their preferences to heart and will end up looking and feeling better for it!

Worried they'll have differing opinions? Jenny Yoo shows that it's OK (even beautiful!) to mix and match dresses and colors!

Worried your bridesmaids will have differing opinions? Jenny Yoo shows that it’s OK (even beautiful!) to mix and match dress styles and colors to suit each girl’s style!

4) Give them a shout out – The rehearsal dinner is the perfect time to make your love for your bridesmaids’ known. Most of the important people in your life will be there, so calling them out specifically is sure to bring a tear to their eye and earn you major bride points (and make up for that inevitable bridezilla moment that every bride has).

5) Be the wedding morning maven – By the day of the wedding, your bridesmaids will have done a ton to help you, so it’s time to let them know how much you appreciate all of their hard work! Order room service, bring in their favorite coffee, pop some champagne and create a fun, stress free getting ready environment full of gratitude!

6) Take your photos over the top – If you have time, talk to your photographer about doing special portraits with each of your bridesmaids. Also offer to have their significant others involved. If they can walk away from your wedding with a professional photo with you and their hunny (maybe even their families!) they are sure to remember you as the bride to beat!

Whatever you do, always remember that your bridesmaids’ whole lives are not dedicated to your wedding. Stay involved in what’s going on in their lives too and make time for non-wedding talk. Trust us, you’ll probably want to get your mind off the big day every once and awhile too 🙂

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Flower Girl Dresses

Fresh, new ideas for the little lady in your life!

flower girl
noun
1. A young girl at a wedding ceremony who precedes the bride and carries or scatters flowers in her path.

Alternate definition: A young girl who has a strong chance of stealing your thunder.

The wedding day is all about the bride – oh yeah, and you too, grooms 😉 – but if there had to be a second in command, it would be the flower girl. She’s cute – almost too cute – and the wedding can’t start without her. She’s basically a mini-bride. She sets the tone for your own walk down the aisle, so you definitely want her happy and excited. How can you ensure that? Well, with little ones there’s never a guarantee but if you dress her right, she’s probably going to jump at the chance to hit that aisle and strut her stuff. Check out these fresh, new ideas for flower girls and get your little lady runway (i.e. aisle) ready:

1) Redefine “flower” girl – Flower petals are the classic, standard accessory for flower girls (duh), but they’re not always practical. If your ceremony is outdoors, they’ll probably end up flying all over the place. Not to mention the fact that flower girls are notorious for either not throwing the petals at all, or dropping them in huge, random clumps. Not exactly the delicate scattering of petals you were hoping for. You can avoid that by giving her a modern, unique item to carry. Try a clever sign, or what about a big, bright balloon? And that chic parasol? We’re swooning!

Thanks to Real Simple for these adorable photos!

2) Give her happy feet – A comfortable kid is a happy kid, so get her started off on the right foot with some cute, yet comfortable footwear. Mini Uggs, cowboy boots, Toms, or even Hunter rain boots are sure to be met with ooh’s and ahh’s from your guests as well as your flower girl!

We found these cuties on Pinterest 🙂

3) Get her ‘do just right – While we are obsessed with the flower crowns we’ve been seeing for brides, bridesmaids and flower girls alike, it’s time for some new alternatives. We love this lace headband. Lace is so very bridal and therefore perfect for the big day! Also, every girl loves some bling, so why not adorn her top knot with some sparkle? And for the little diva in your life, a mini-veil is an accessory that’s sure to make her feel special and wow your guests!

Kudos again to Pinterest for these sweet shots!

4) Dress for success – Gone are the days of simple white dresses with a color coordinated sash. There are tons of adorable, modern dress styles for your flower girls! Jenny Yoo has numerous options that are sure to set your girl apart, and they even go along with the hot, new trends we’re seeing in bridal gowns. Lace, sleeves, colors; there’s something for every girl’s taste!

Just a few of Jenny’s delightlful dresses! L to R: Her Etsy, Annie and Avery styles

Whatever you choose, make your flower girl feel special and she’s sure to walk the aisle with a smile 🙂

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Lis Simon Wedding Gowns

Get to know the Canadian dress designer!

Here at Flair, we think our job is pretty great. Playing dress up with beautiful Boston brides, fashion shows, photos shoots; the list of our fabulous duties goes on and on! Another task we love? Discovering amazing designers! We have high standards for every brand we bring into Flair. They have to have the perfect combination of stunning styles, fair prices, reasonable lead times and top quality materials. It’s a high bar to set, but worth it because we only want to bring you the very best! We’re happy to say that we’ve found a new designer who meets our critical criteria – Lis Simon!

Founded in Calgary, Canada, Lis Simon’s ideals match with our own. They provide brides with dresses made with high quality fabrics, using top notch workmanship. They vow to keep their prices reasonable and affordable, while maintaining a modern, fashionable look. And their customer service? Over the top! They’re always willing to discuss custom options to make your dress truly yours!

We fell in love with Lis Simon’s gowns as soon as we set eyes on them, and we think you will too! To help you get to know this amazing designer, we’re hosting a guest trunk show March 26 – June 2nd. We’ll have tons of the 2015 collection in the store, and it’s the only time you can see these gorgeous gowns in New England! So, act fast and book your appointment ASAP, you won’t regret it 🙂 To get you ready, check out some of the amazing looks from their most recent collection:

We’re gaga for gorgeous Gabby!

Gwyneth – now THAT’s a ballgown!

Ginnifer is the definition of classic bridal elegance!

We’re kinda obsessed with Garner’s unique halter top!

Swooning over Gabrielle’s shoulders!

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Unique Wedding Gowns

Easy, elegant ways to step outside of the box!

We’ve been back from Spring bridal market for almost a week now but we’re still in total swoon mode over all of the stunning styles that we saw there! We pinch ourselves every time market rolls around; we can’t believe it’s our job to watch fashion shows and buy pretty, new dresses for the showroom. It’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it 🙂 One thing we always notice at market is how bridal gowns are constantly evolving. There are so many options out there; wedding gowns can no longer be defined as just “a white dress.” For brides looking to break the mold, these days there are tons of gorgeous ways to step outside the box and wear something unique:

1) Embrace the rainbow! White can be tough color to wear, and if you’re not comfortable in it, don’t feel like you have to wear it. If an alternatively hued dress just feels more “you”, go for it! Check out these wedding dresses with color – still elegant and oh so bridal!

Blush pink is an easy transition for the bride looking for a little color! L to R: Tara Keely style 2510, the Opal gown by Blush by Hayley Paige and Theia’s petal gown

2) Think short! While the majority of wedding gowns are still floor length, every year we see more and more styles with higher hems. A shorter dress will be lightweight, comfortable and easy to dance in, and most of them are formal enough to still feel bridal. If you still want the long look for your ceremony, though, consider adding a removable skirt over your short dress, and get the best of both worlds!

Amy Kuschel sure knows how to make a pretty little white dress! Her Jackie Lady Stardust (left) and Mimosa (right) dresses are just stunning! Want to add some length? Jenny Yoo’s London skirt is perfection!

3) Change up the fabric! Lace still reigns supreme in the bridal world (for good reason – it’s gorge) but we’re so excited by all of the new fabrics we’re seeing these days. Completely beaded? Why not! Flowers? Sure! A traditional silhouette in a bold fabric is the perfect way to be unique but still look like a bride!

Theia is the king of alternative fabrics! Pearls and beads and petals, oh my!

Whatever you choose, just be true to yourself! These days, there is truly a style to suit every bride, so do your research and find what is truly “you”! Happy shopping 🙂

in alternative wedding dresses / Amy Kuschel Bridal / Blush by Hayley Paige / Boston / Boston Bridal / Boston Bridal gowns / Boston Weddings / Bridal Gowns / Brides Boston / Flair Weddings / Jenny Yoo / Stuff We Love / Tara Keely bridal / Theia Bridal / Unique wedding dresses 0 comments

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Wedding Jewelry

Meet Flair’s newest designer: Elizabeth Bower!

If you follow Flair on social media then you know that we have a fabulous new jewelry designer: Elizabeth Bower. We have flooded our Instagram account with swoon-worthy shots of her pretty pieces (check them out here) but we also wanted to take some time out now to introduce you to this talented lady!

We LOVE Elizabeth’s cream collection (these pieces range from $39.50 – $65); they works for brides AND bridesmaids!

Elizabeth has been designing jewelry for over 12 years, starting in her native Australia and later transitioning to New York City. She has designed for Nicole Miller (another Flair fave!), sold her pieces to Anthropologie and has even had her designs grace the 2002 Academy Awards red carpet! So yeah, she’s a pretty big deal!

Blush has been such a popular color for bridesmaids’ dresses, and Elizabeth Bower’s Rose collection (pieces shown here are $45 – $75) pairs with it perfectly!

Whether your style in modern, classic or vintage, Elizabeth Bower is sure to have designs that you’ll love. Made with semi-precious stones and real Swarovski elements, her wares are sure to WOW! Check them out at Flair today; they’re the perfect accompaniment to any of our wedding or bridesmaids’ dresses!

These bridal earrings and headband are pure perfection!

in Boston Bridal / Boston Weddings / Bridal Accessories / Bridal jewelry / Bridesmaids Jewelry / Bridesmaids' Accessories / Elizabeth Bower / Stuff We Love / Wedding Accessories / Wedding Jewelry 0 comments

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Brides of Distinction 2015

A Day in the Life

If you follow us on Instagram (@flairboston) then you probably saw some photos from an event we did yesterday; the Brides of Distinction Brunch at the Omni Parker House! We’ve participated in this event for several years now and it’s always so much fun, for us and for the brides who attend! Basically, it’s a time for brides and their friends and family to come see the Omni’s stunning ballroom decorated for a wedding, giving them a good sense if the venue is right for them! How often do you get to see your venue decorated, in person, prior to booking? It’s SUCH a great idea! Even if some of the brides have already booked the Omni, it’s a great time for them to get a sense of the space and figure out how to make it their own on their wedding day! In addition, there’s delicious food and drinks, cakes to taste, fab vendors to meet and greet AND a fun fashion show, courtesy of Flair! Here’s how our day went:

How gorge does the ballroom look?? Fab flowers courtesy of Madison Floral and linens/chairs by Rentals Unlimited!

8:00 AM – Models report for hair and makeup – We are the luckiest girls; we have absolutely beautiful friends who offer to double as models for this amazing event! They got up super early on a Sunday to do this for us, and we are eternally grateful! We’re also majorly grateful for Alexandra Makeup Artistry and Bella Hair Studio for making the girls so glam and gorgeous! Brides, you MUST book them for your wedding! We had 8 models for this event and ALL of them looked absolutely perfect, so these ladies can totally handle your wedding party!

Alexandra (top left) and the girls from Bella (top right) are the BEST!

Here are some close ups of the fab hair and makeup!

11:30 AM – Time to get dressed! – The girls carefully climb into their first looks and get lined up for the start of the show. We’re full of excited nerves; we can’t wait to share these gorgeous looks with all of the brides and bridesmaids in the audience!

Check out the GORGE backs on some of our first looks!

Check out these babes in their first looks! Gorge!

12:15 – The show begins! – Our owner, Stacey, and local TV personality Jenny Johnson emcee the fashion show, giving the audience all of the important details on each style! They cover it all; the fabric, the fit, what wedding style each would be appropriate for and what body types should wear them. It’s a fun, easy way for brides and bridesmaids to “shop” for their dresses without having to try anything on! The cell phones cameras were snapping away; these dresses were a hit!

12:45 – Show’s over! – Each model quick changed into three different styles during the show; backstage was crazy but fun! At the end, there was a final walk through and then, in the blink of an eye the show was over! We loved being able to connect with all of those brides in such a short amount of time and in such a fun, casual environment. Also, working with all of the other amazing wedding vendors was such a joy, everyone there was top notch!

In total swoon mode over these last looks!

If you missed the brunch and like any of the dresses you see pictured here, give us a ring to come see them for yourself in the store!

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Bridesmaids’ Gifts

Let’s get personal!

While we try to keep our blog as fresh as possible, there is a topic that we like to come back to every so often: bridesmaids’ gifts! Every day, we see firsthand how dedicated these girls are to their brides; they deserve something special! Plus, fab new gift ideas are coming out all the time so it’s definitely something we like to revisit! Today we’re talking about personalized gifts. After all, we’re all suckers for a good monogram, right? 🙂 Check out some of our favorite personalized gift ideas below:

Clothes: OK, we know that monogrammed robes and white, collared shirts aren’t exactly a new idea but when we saw how affordable and fun these were, we just had to share them! Plus, how adorable will they be for photos the morning of the wedding?!

Bags: It’s a known fact that girls can never have enough bags, so why not add a personalized one to your girls’ collections! We’re kind of obsessed with these dip dyed duffels; perfect for the beach or a weekend away! And these suede clutches are the epitome of chic and cool!

Miscellaneous: OK, these gifts are a little random but we loved them too much to leave them off of our list! A monogrammed, leather bound Coco Chanel book is a unique and fabulous gift for your fashion forward friends. And a personalized flip book? Don’t know anyone who wouldn’t love that! While it’s not monogrammed, we thought it was definitely personal enough to make the blog!

Jewelry: There are endless monogrammed jewelry options out there, but we’re really loving a classic bar necklace right now. Their sleek, simple design ensures that your girls will love and wear them for years to come, and they compliment literally any outfit! This particular bar necklace is made by a local company, Sharrah Designs, and you can find yours at Flair and on our online site, Frills. It comes in rose gold, white gold, sterling silver and yellow gold and can be personalized with names, monograms, quotes and more. The options are endless; give us a ring if you want to learn more about these beautiful bars!

Happy shopping, brides, and remember: these are the girls that planned your super fun bachelorette and stunning shower; they’ve earned something special 🙂

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Oscars 2015

Hits, Misses and Trends from the Red Carpet!

The Oscars is always a working night for the Flair girls. In a big group text, we discuss the fashion hits and misses, and we don’t always agree. In fact, more often than not, we all have completely different best dressed picks. Not to toot our own horn, but we think it’s one of the things that makes Flair great (toot toot!). No matter what your personal style, or the style of your wedding, there’s probably a Flair consultant who will totally get you! Now that we’re done patting ourselves on the back, we’ll get back to the Oscars 😉 There is one thing we can all agree upon; the red carpet was ripe with fresh, new trends! Here are some that we caught:

Radiant Red Carpet Reds – Some feel that wearing red on the red carpet can be dangerous. Will it clash, or even worse, will it just blend into the background? Not to mention the fact that red can be a tricky color to wear; you need just the right shade for your specific skin tone (as we all know from trying to find the perfect red lipstick – you can’t just borrow your friend’s). There were tons of gorgeous Oscar dresses that showed us it was worth the red risk, like Dakota Johnson’s Saint Laurent stunner. Men weren’t afraid of this bold color either, as seen on David Oyelowo’s gorgeous Dolce and Gabbana ensemble! If you don’t want to go all red, it makes a great accent color, from your lip, to your nails, to your belt (as seen on Nicole Kidman’s Louis Vuitton number).

Embellished Winter Whites – White dresses always have a presence on the red carpet, but this year they got amped up with stunning beads, pearls, sequins and more. Lupita’s Calvin Klein beauty features 6000 pearls and took many hours and many people to create; it’s a true one of a kind! Red gloves aside (though I guess they count for our red trend too) Lady Gaga’s Azzedine Alaia gown is perfect for the Oscar’s red carpet; it is true glamorous, over the top couture! And we just can’t get over how amazing Faith Hill looks in this J. Mendel, does she ever age??

KISS – Many celebrities got the memo to keep it simple in the hair and makeup department. From Anna Faris’ (in Zuhair Murad) loose waves, to Behati Prinsloo’s (in Armani Prive) sleek bun and Jenna Dewan Tatum’s (also in Zuhair Murad) simple but impactful pony, we loved seeing the stars looking so fresh!

Did you watch the red carpet? Let us know who you loved, who you hated and what trends you caught!

in Celebrity Fashion / Oscars 2015 / Red Carpet Fashion / Red Carpet Trends / Stuff We Love / Uncategorized 0 comments

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Sports Weddings

Hit a home run on your big day!

It’s safe to say that everyone in New England has had sports on the brain this week. You may have heard about a little game called the Super Bowl…that we won. No big deal. Working in a bridal shop, of course we got to thinking about how to “marry” a love of sports with a love of pretty weddings. After some research, we found that there are actually a ton of (non-cheesy) ways to incorporate sports into your big day. Here are some of our favorites:

1) Table Numbers – Even Martha Stewart loves a good sports themed fete! We found these creative table assignments (photo courtesy of Liz Banfield) on her site. The calligraphy and rich stationery are appropriate for an elegant affair, while the text provides a fun twist! This particular table (or dugout!) was for the bride’s family. Adorable!

2) Cake Topper – In general, your cake topper is a great place to pop some personality into your big day. It’s relatively easy and inexpensive to customize the perfect set for you and your fiance! Do some research (we love Etsy for homemade, affordable toppers) and you can find some gems, like this clothespin style topper; it’s rustic, adorable and full of personality! If this couple can survive baseball season on opposite sides of the Sox-Yankees feud, they can handle anything!

3) Make an entrance – Of course you can always come running in with a jersey over your respective suit/gown, but we love the idea of you and your fiance running through the a football-like banner even more! How fun would that be?! It would definitely get your party started off right and is sure to be something that your guests have never seen before!

Thanks bridalguide.com for this photo courtesy of Joshua McCoy Photography!

4) Sporty Snacks – Let your guests know that you sleep, breathe and EAT sports! Bring in some classic sports snacks later in the night and your guests will be doing the wave just for you 🙂 Peanuts, popcorn, hot dogs…the possibilities are endless (and tasty)!

Big shout out to southernweddings.com for this shot courtesy of Mykkah Photography

Bottom line, your wedding should be a reflection of you! So, if you love sports, bring that to your big day! We think the crowd will be cheering for you 🙂 GO PATS!!!

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