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Inspiration Boards: Your Key to Wedding Planning Sanity!

Inspiration Boards: Your Key to Wedding Planning Sanity!

This just in: Planning a wedding is alot of work. News at 11.

We know that that’s not really a newsflash. Anyone who is planning a wedding or knows someone planning a wedding understands that it’s hard. There are tons of decisions to make and cash to spend, and pressure to boot. This is a huge day and of course you want everything to be perfect! One of the most frustrating parts is that you’re making all of these decisions individually but you need them to all correspond in the end. One month you’re picking flowers and the next month dresses, followed by the cake. It’s all so spread out that it’s hard to know if it will all come together nicely on the big day. There’s a fair bit of faith involved; faith that your vendors can execute your vision (don’t worry, they can!) and faith in yourself that your vision is even worth all this stress! One way you can start to pull all of the pieces together is with an inspiration board. Pair photos of your favorite flowers with your dresses and your linens next to your cake, to make sure you like how it all looks together. It’s not exact but it’s as close as we can get! Check out Dessy’s inspiration board builder to get started on yours today! Mine is below, focusing on a few of Pantone’s popular colors for the coming year. It was my first one, so be kind, and be sure to check out the gallery to view tons of other bride’s work, they are amazing!

We love these colors together! And check out our Mariell statement necklace set (in various colors) on Frills - it's only $54.00!

We love these colors together! And check out our Mariell statement necklace set (in various colors) at frillsonline.com – it’s only $54.00!

Flair’s Fashion Week Recap!

Fashion Week Spring 2015 Trend Report!

Well, another Fashion Week has come to a close. This year, though, was a little different. There was all of the usual glitz, glamour and fun, but with a quiet note of sadness mixed in as the fashion world mourned the great Joan Rivers. Two things Joan loved most, though, were fashion and laughter, so I think she’d be fine with us getting back to those! So, we’re here to recap some of the major trends seen on this year’s runway! As you probably know, even though Fashion Week is in the fall, everything on the runway was made for Spring 2015. So we’re all getting a little preview of what’s to come; perfect for Spring/Summer 2015 brides! While most runway looks are not intended for weddings necessarily, there are subtle ways you can pop their trends into your big day!

1) 3D details: This year’s looks were literally popping off the runway! Designers were using multi-layered sequins, tons of paillettes, beading, crystals and even 3D florals to bring their looks to life. You can achieve this look with our petal bridal gown by Theia, which is covered in stunning fabric petals, giving you that on trend, 3D look!

This Vera Wang stunner embodies the 3D perfectly! As for the Theia gown, she does too, and you can get her at Flair!!

This Vera Wang stunner embodies the 3D trend perfectly! As for the Theia gown, she does too, and you can get her at Flair!!

2) Metallics: Shades of Gold, Silver and Bronze were all over the runways this year! Metallics are great for a wedding; in general they are neutrals so you can pair them with whatever other colors you like! No need to stress over if the napkins, bridesmaids’ dresses, flowers and programs will coordinate! Get the look with Jenny Yoo’s Metallic Lace, seen here on her Hudson dress!

This Max Mara is the perfect shade of silver, just like in the matallic threading on our Hudson dress!

This Max Mara is the perfect shade of silver, just like in the matallic threading on our Hudson dress!

3) Pleats: OK, we have to pat ourselves on the back here. Pleats have been big in the wedding world for years, and the high fashion world is finally catching up! Pleats are super flattering and add the perfect, subtle detail to any dress! Steal this look for less with Dessy’s style 2880; pleats and rouching and flattering galore!

We love these Calvin Klein pleats almost as much as Dessy's ;)

We love these Calvin Klein pleats almost as much as Dessy’s 😉

4) Blush: OK, another pat on the back for us! Blush has been huge in the wedding world for the past couple of years, and it looks like it’s here to stay for atleast one more! Blush is soft, romantic and generally pretty flattering, making it the perfect wedding color! More good news: you can get this look with pretty much every designer at Flair! Check it out here on Siri’s Dahlia dress; stunning!

We are swooning over the color of this Tory Burch look, and over the cut of this Siri dress; so chic!

We are swooning over the color of this Tory Burch look, and over the cut of this Siri dress; so chic!

Anna Elyse 2014 Collection Trunk Show!

We are so excited to have the new Unzipped Collection in the store this weekend!  Not only are these dresses perfect for mixing and matching they also require little to no tailoring!!  We still have a few appointments available for Thursday and Friday of this week!! We can’t wait to help dress your bridal party in Anna Elyse dresses!  And as an extra special promo we are offering 25% off the entire Unzipped Collection!!

AETrunk

Flair Fall Events!!

Well summer flew by and although we are sad to put away our tanks and bikinis 🙁  we are officially prepared for fall. We’ve got our layering sweaters and boots ready for a fun + fabulous fall….. and boy do we have a busy fall season ahead of us!! We would love to see you at one or all of the events we are co-hosting or attending!!

altonlane2

Invite your friends…it is sure to be a great event for everyone!!

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Wedding Party Invitation

Registering at Bloomingdale’s is so fun and amazing…trust us!! Make sure you don’t miss this event!!

RSVP Here!

Mis-Matched Bridesmaids Dresses!

While we consider ourselves to be pretty fearless most of the time, lately alot of our brides have been saying something to us that truly makes us shudder: “I really like the look of Molly Sims’ bridal party.” <Cue classic horror movie music> Gasp!

If you haven’t seen her bridal party, do a quick Google search. Find it? OK good. It really is gorgeous, and we love to see someone doing something a little different BUT we’ve had a hard time recreating that look for our brides…until now!

Jenny Yoo came out with her first “social collection” this season, which includes pretty prints, luxurious laces and preppy polka dots. They pair perfectly with our already fabulous collection of solid dresses, to help you achieve that effortless mix and match look that so many brides are going for these days. Check out these fab photos from her recent shoot to get a sneak peek and if you like what you see (and we think you will) give us a call to come see it in person!

social-home-1     social-home-2

social-home-3    social-home-4

social-home-5   social-home-11

social-home-6   social-home-7

So go ahead….mix it up!

XOXO

Linds + Stace

Relax…….and Exhale!

It seems like forever ago, I was stressed out and uptight about my upcoming nuptials.  It was actually only a month ago……but I can clearly remember the stress of seating charts, RSVP’s and final dress fittings weighing on my mind.

When like a knight in shining armor the ladies from EXHALE MIND BODY SPA came to rescue me from my stress crazed, pre-wedding meltdown!  Not only have they created an oasis like atmosphere but they have hands down the best classes in the city!

They offer two very different types of classes at Exhale, upstairs they Transform you with their Core Fusion classes which is a challenging barre-based workout, which combines core work with Pilates, yoga, ballet and dance principles to stretch, tone, and lengthen muscles like never before.

Needless to say, it’s the best workout I have had in my entire life.  My whole life I was under the impression that the only way I could get in shape was by running and unfortunately it took its toll on my poor old 29 yr old knees. The Core Fusion classes are challenging but easy on my knees and I feel like I literally saw results almost immediately, (I realize, I now sound like an infomercial, but it’s true!).

On to the stress relief, downstairs at Exhale they hope to help you transcend in to a different state of being! (Such a peaceful message) The offer seriously relaxing Vinyasa Yoga and PranaVayu Yoga and breathing techniques! You will literally forget you are surrounded by the hustle and bustle of Boston and chaotic wedding planning!

Exhale also offers amazing packages for all you brides-to-be! It includes unlimited classes as well as nutrition counseling, massages and facials! Um, hello please sign me up!

Needless to say I got married a month ago and loved it so much I signed up to be a member of Exhale as a wedding present to myself!  It is seriously addicting (in a good way)!  Hope to see you around, a little more relaxed and totally toned!

Stacey  🙂

Anna Elyse’s NEW Silk Essence Collection!

OK I’ve got a question, when is this whole economy thing going to turn around? Anybody know? I’ve been doing pretty diligent work on my end, revamping my Spring/Summer wardrobe and all. Now I understand that that alone may not be enough to turn the whole economy around (though my husband might beg to differ…he put me on a budget the other day…silly Jay) so we’re trying to help out at Flair as well.

Having planned our own weddings during this economy, Stacey and I understand how hard it is to ask your bridesmaids to spend a ton of money on their dresses. We also know, though, that you want them to look super cute. Know who else understands all of that? One of our fabulous designers…Anna Elyse! So, she has come to the rescue with a gorgeous new fabric called Silk Essence. It looks just like real silk, but since it’s a poly you save tons of money! For such a great deal you probably think your options are going to be kinda limited though, right? Wrong! There are about a million colors to choose from and most of Anna Elyse’s styles are available in her new fabric. So, bottom line, come check it out ASAP! We just got our first sample in and it’s adorable! We know you’ll agree.

Happy Shopping!

Lindsay

XOXO

Heart Pounding Pastels!

The struggle of having to decide what to wear to a friend’s wedding, can be as difficult as deciding what to have your own bridesmaids wear on your big day. However, fashionistas like yourselves may take note that the Spring 2012 trend of pastels, lends itself to wedding fashion this current season. Hues such as pale pink, yellow, and blue took over the Spring 2012 runways, and have begun to trickle down into the  bridal scene. Although one might think that only Easter eggs should come in pastel, when done in the right manner the colors can look quite classy and feminine.

Designers such as Ralph Lauren and Diane Von Furstenberg sent their models down the catwalk in flowy pastel pieces, sometimes even throwing in a pastel colored floral print. Rodarte took the dominant trend to the extreme and closed their show with a series of floral pastel green, blue, and yellow printed dresses. This trend translates to the bridal industry in a major way, as it can easily be applied to dresses for spring and summer weddings. Our featured designers Anna Elyse and Coren Moore offer many of these trendy colors in much of their collections, which makes it easy for any bridesmaid or wedding-goer to be fashion forward! Worried that you or your bridesmaids won’t look good in pastels? Have no fear! Pastels truly go well with all skin tones, pale or dark and are not eccentric so that everyone can feel comfortable. The subdued feel of the tones also promise not to take away from other important details of a wedding, such as the color theme… or even the bride!

So now that we’ve sold you on either choosing pastel for your bridesmaids or for a dress for yourself, we would like to offer some suggestions that we have for you here at Flair! Anna Elyse offers gorgeous pastel colors in her Silk Chiffon and Sponged Silk Charmeuse Fabrics, which are both also fabulous lightweight fabrics for a spring/summer occasion.

Another designer who falls does a rendition of the trend is Coren Moore, who has great pastels in her silk shantung and silk chiffon fabrics. The designers offer many of their pieces in these fabrics, and they are sure to be perfect for spring.

We hope that if when it comes time to choose a dresses for your special occasion, you have difficult time during the Spring 2012 season, you will go with the trend of pastels. It is a simple, classy, yet fashion-forward way to show off your stylish side at the next wedding that you are in or attend. Who knows, maybe you will even be able to re-wear your pastel piece during this mad wedding season! You’re sure to be the most stylish group of bridesmaids or attendee at any wedding!

XOXO

Intern of the year 😉

Joy

500 down and 100 days to go!

Just a mere 500 days ago I got engaged.  It is actually crazy to think that it was that long ago that my fiancé asked me to marry him.  And, what a LOOOOOOONG 500 days it has been.  Let me tell you about my engagement journey.

Now, if you have been to Flair in the past year or so you might know that I was supposed to get married on October 1, 2011.  We had set the perfect date and picked an amazing venue.  We had started down the long road of hiring vendors, ordering dresses, tasting endless desserts, sending out save-the-dates, taking engagement pictures all over Boston and whittling down a guest list to a manageable number.  We were on our way to having an amazing fall wedding in Boston!

After a particularly fun day of wedding planning, I came home with the perfect rehearsal dinner dress and shoes ready to show my fiancé, Zak.  Before I could show him my fab finds, he proceeded to drop the most life changing news I would ever hear.

His doctor had called earlier in the day to tell him that a recent test had come back showing signs that he had cancer. After the shock and disbelief wore off, I realized what now really mattered in our life was for my fiance to be happy and healthy.  Our lives were changed so radically in just a few days. We went from fabulous wedding tastings and vendor meetings to blood tests and chemotherapy treatments (sooooo not as fun).

It was a rough summer, especially for Zak who was taking all his treatments in stride.  But, luckily we were able to spend quality time with family and friends who helped us every step of the way.  After many long discussion with doctors and family we decided we had to postpone our perfect fall wedding.  Although, I was disappointed and sad; when it rained on October 1st, we laughed and looked forward to our 2nd perfect wedding date in June.

It has been almost a year since that awful April day, and again Zak and I are back in full wedding planning mode, even more exciting, Zak is now in remission, and we can finally celebrate!

As I look back on the past year I am truly amazed and thankful for such an amazing group of family, friends, doctors, nurses and one fabulous co-worker (Lindsay) who truly supported both of us though a very tough and not fun time in our life.   But I also realized what an important role all the brides and bridesmaids have played who have come into Flair in this past year and  how they have helped me get through it on a daily basis without ever really knowing it.  It felt so wonderful to have been a part of the wedding planning process for so many amazing women.  To not have to think about test results and blood counts for even an hour was such a wonderful escape. So, to my amazing 2011-2012 brides & bridesmaids, I can’t thank you enough for the laughter and fun you brought to me every single day!

So, after a long 500 days of engagement what have I learned??

Well, the most important thing was to never sweat the small stuff.   Corny but true. Although no one likes to think about worst case scenarios, things could always be worse.  If you go into every situation calm, cool and collected you will certainly yield the best results!

Secondly, it was to to hire the most trusted, amazing and understanding vendors in the business. After Zak had been diagnosed and we realized we would not being having our Fall wedding, we had to make some seriously not fun phone calls.  Understanding and caring is an understatement, I could not ask for a  group of more professional and amazing vendors and friends in the wedding industry if I tried! I feel so so lucky to have picked such great people to work with.

Last but certainly not least, surround yourself with the people you care about the most.  Your wedding should be about you and the person you are marrying, but it is also very important to involve your close family and friends.  They will be the ones to help you when and if things ever get too overwhelming, they will be your sounding board when you can’t pick the perfect flowers, they will help you when you cant decide between the two perfect bridal gowns, and they will tell you nicely but firmly when you really are being a bride-zilla! Don’t forget  in the midst of fighting over the perfect napkin color, what the BIG day is really all about.  It is about the love shared between two people pledging to be together, through thick and thin, sickness and health, good times and bad, no matter what……..even if you decide to just go with plain white napkins!

Truly grateful,

Stacey xoxo

(I started this blog when I really had 100 days to go until the wedding …it took a little longer than expected to write it.  I hope you understand that I did not change the title of the blog because it wouldn’t have sounded as cool,  we only have 84 days to go now!)
You are probably wondering who all those amazing vendors are that I was talking about, they really are awesome, TRUST ME!

The Harvard Club on Commonwealth Avenue

Coren Moore Bridal

Sweet Jane Photography

Long Haul Films

Photo Fun Box

Parties Over Boston

Beat Train Productions

Rentals Unlimited

Petealena

Sensational Travel