Uncategorized Archives - Page 4 of 11 - Flair Boston | Wedding Dresses in Boston MA | Bridal Gowns, Bridesmaid Dresses, Accessories, Wedding Dress Cleaning

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Wedding Dress Codes

How to give your guests some guidelines

At Flair, office talk typically consists of things like bustles, veils, lace, sweetheart tops and all others things “bridal.” Today, however, we decided to take a minute to discuss another aspect of the wedding wear world; dress codes! After all, you spend alot of time and money making sure you look amazing, so your guests need to follow suit! Here’s a breakdown/explanation of the major dress code options, so you can decide what’s right for your big day:

1) White Tie: This is the most formal option. All ladies MUST wear floor length evening gowns and the men are required to don a tuxedo and tails, complete with a formal white shirt, white vest and bow tie, white or gray gloves, and black formal shoes. This dress code is not for the faint of heart, and you might meet a little resistance from some of your guests, so be 100% sure this look matches your wedding theme/venue before requiring it.

Thanks to the fab mytuxedocatalog.com for this explanation! The main difference between a tux and a suit is that a tux has satin elements. Who knew?

Thanks to mytuxedocatalog.com for this explanation! The main difference between a tux and a suit is that a tux has satin elements. Who knew?

2) Black Tie – The most standard/popular of the formal dress code options. For the ladies, long dresses are still preferred but the occasional, formal cocktail dress is also acceptable. Note to wedding guests: if you opt for a short dress, just make sure it’s a WOW; your average, everyday knee length dress won’t cut it for black tie! As for the gentlemen, tuxedos are still your best bet, although tails, gloves and bow ties are not required as they are with white tie. Depending on the formality of the venue and the time of day, a formal, conservative, and traditional black suit is also an acceptable option.

3) Black Tie Optional – Another popular choice, this indicates that a tux is not required, but that the event will be formal enough that one wouldn’t look out of place, either. So, guests should use that as a clue when choosing their attire. Ladies should still err on the side of long dresses and men in tuxes or dark, formal suits.

4) Semi-formal – This option starts to give your guests alot more flexibility. Dark suits are not required (though jackets and ties still are), and it is perfectly acceptable for the ladies to wear knee length dresses or even formal skirt and top sets. For a daytime, yet formal event, this is a great choice.

5) Casual – Up until this point we were focusing on ensuring that your guests look formal enough, but with a casual dress code you want to make sure they don’t overdress. Typically, a casual dress code is for a daytime, outdoor wedding, so long dresses might look out of place and tuxes certainly will! For the women, a summery sundress is more than appropriate, just make sure you choose one in a light fabric; satin dresses need not apply! For the men, you can leave your jackets and ties at home! Slacks and a button down shirt are perfectly acceptable.

Want to ensure that your man is dressed just right? Amazing menswear company Paul Fredrick created this super helpful graphic!

Now that you’ve thought about which dress code is right for you, it’s time to tell your guests! When creating your invitations, put your dress code at the bottom center or the bottom right of your main invite card – if the reception and ceremony are in the same location. If the reception is in a separate venue, it is also acceptable to list your dress code on the reception card.

Duh, we had to use Kim K’s invite as an example. Her marriage, however we won’t emulate 😉

Make sense? Attire is important so if you have any questions, your favorite wedding fashionistas at Flair are always here to help! 🙂

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Bridesmaids’ Dresses

Caring for your wedding wardrobe

As we unpacked box after box of shiny, new bridesmaids’ dresses this week, we got to thinking about what happens to these beauties after they leave our showroom. We LOVE getting photos from our brides’ big days; seeing the dresses come to life and fit in with all of your other gorgeous wedding details. But what about before the wedding day? We realized that maybe it was time for a little crash course in “I just received my bridesmaid’s dress, now what??”

Just a small sampling of the dresses we unpack on a daily basis. Side bar, this is going to be one beautiful, blush bridal party!

So you pick up your dress, you’re all excited, and then you get it home and kinda freak out a little. This is a super important dress and you have to keep it safe and in perfect condition until the wedding day (which for some people is months away). Don’t panic, here’s what you do:

1) Try it on…ASAP! – We’re going to start off by saying that 99.9% of the time our dresses leave the store in perfect condition. However, there is that other 0.1% to consider. If you get your dress home and you think something isn’t quite right, we have to know about it right away. Most likely, it’s not an actual problem and we can talk you through it. In the event that there is a true issue, though, our designers will only consider fixing a dress if they know about the problem quickly. The longer it’s in your care, the more likely the problem occurred on your end, and the less likely they will be to remedy it.

2) Find your dress a home – Once you’ve tried your dress on and are happy with it, it needs a place to live. Find a nice, dark place (like the back of your closet) to keep it safe. Avoid anywhere that gets direct sunlight, as prolonged sun exposure overtime can affect the color slightly. Also, make sure the dress isn’t smashed/crushed; giving it ample space will avoid wrinkling. Last but not least, always keep your dress in the bag we provided it with!

3) Plan your tailoring – Most dresses will need some adjustments, so use this time to research where you want to take yours. Of course, Flair has a preferred, amazing tailor, but ultimately you can take your dress wherever you like. We strongly recommend choosing a reputable tailor with great reviews (ideally someone you know has used/loved them). Remember, the cheapest option is likely not the best option. This is not the place to cut corners!

4) Let out some steam – While many tailors will offer to steam your dress for you, it is likely to get a few wrinkles between pick up and the wedding day. See if the venue where you will be getting ready has a steamer on hand for last minute adjustments. If not, most dresses can be steamed in the bathroom during a nice, long, hot shower. Just avoid actual water contact with your dress; keep it far enough from the stream to just get a nice, little steam.

Perfect steaming form! Pull the fabric out and get the steamer close, but not touching the garment. Fab photo courtesy of Calvina Photography

See, nice and easy! If any other questions come up between pick up and the wedding, though, just reach out to Flair, we’re always here to help!

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Bridesmaids’ Duties

What does this whole bridesmaids thing entail?

Wedding planning raises many questions for brides. What will I wear? How should I do my hair? Who will be in my bridal party? Once that last question gets answered, new questions arise – and not just for the bride. It can be a little unclear what specifically is required of bridesmaids. In what ways should I involve myself? How much will I have to spend? Every wedding is different, but in general bridesmaids should expect to be a part of (and pay for) the following:

1) Attire – This one is fairly obvious. You’ll likely pay for your own dress, and don’t forget about alterations and accessories! It is common (but not required) for brides to purchase jewelry as a gift to her bridesmaids, but plan on paying for your own shoes, undergarments, hair and makeup. Brides, take note though. If you are going to require your bridesmaids to wear a specific shoe, for example, it is customary for you to pick up the tab. If you keep it general (i.e. choose any gold shoe) then the girls can choose a style they like (and will wear again) at a price they’re comfortable with, so they won’t mind footing the bill. Same goes for hair and makeup, if you’re going to require that the girls get theirs done professionally, you should offer to pay. If you give them the opportunity to opt out, then those that want theirs done can pay for it and those that don’t can act as their own glam squad!

Brides, looking for your bridesmaids’ accessories? Give them the gift of Elizabeth Bower, Flair’s new jewelry designer! Her pieces are a-mazing and something they will totally wear after the big day!

2) Bridal Shower – Traditionally the bridal party throws the bridal shower. At a minimum expect that cost to include the price of the venue, invitations, favors, decorations and a gift for the bride. Depending on the venue, though, more costs may arise; you may have to bring your own cake, food/drinks, linens, etc. Always check what is included with the venue cost before booking!

3) Bachelorette Party – One of the biggest differences between planning the shower and the bachelorette is that you can ask the bachelorette guests to contribute to the cost – yay! Split the cost of lodging, food, drinks and entertainment equally among all attendees. On top of that, though, the bridal party may want to consider paying for decorations, custom t-shirts or other goodies to make the party unique.

4) Wedding night lodging – Traditionally the bride will take care of your lodging the night before the wedding, but bridesmaids should secure their own rooms for the following evening. Make sure you get on the ball early and snag one of the rooms in the hotel block to save yourself some cash!

Again, every wedding (and every bride) is different but this is roughly what you should expect when you say yes to being a bridesmaid. So, think about it and be honest with the bride if the money/time requirements might be too much for you. If she’s a good friend, she will understand and might have another wedding role for you!

It would be tough to say no to this adorable card - by H. Nichols Illustrations and available on our online site, Frills - but ever bridesmaid has a choice. Make sure being a bridesmaid is right for you!

It would be tough to say no to this adorable card – by fab local artist H. Nichols Illustrations and available at our online site, Frills – but every bridesmaid has a choice. Make sure being a bridesmaid is right for you!

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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!

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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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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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Fabulous Photo Friday!

Real Weddings = Real Inspiration!

We love, love, love seeing photos of our Flair brides’ wedding days! It is so amazing to see all of the details come together and to see our dresses come to life. We are constantly amazed by how unique each wedding is. We have worked with thousands of brides over the years, and each one manages to create a day that is special and individualized to her and her fiancé. Basically, you all rock and you inspire us everyday! Case in point, check out our amazing bride Sarah’s big day. Sarah wore Jenny Yoo’s Charlize bridal gown and paired with with AB Ellie’s Kecia belt. Stunning! Her bridesmaids are wearing mixed styles in Jenny Yoo’s gorgeous Provence Violet luxe shantung. Thanks for sharing, Sarah, we loved working with you and wish you and Kyle every joy and happiness in your married life! xoxo

A+ bow tying girls! You made us proud!

We LOVE this shot. Wedding are filled with happiness and emotion, and we see it all over this gorgeous bridesmaid’s face!

Every bride should carve out some time in the day for cute shots with her bridal party!

Pure joy! Congrats Sarah and Kyle!

We are obsessed with this photo! Definitely frame-worthy 🙂

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Get to know Hayley Paige

Today is a great day! It’s Friday, it’s warm and sunny AND Flair has a brand new designer! We are so, so excited to welcome Blush by Hailey Paige, and to introduce her amazing designs to all of our brides! Hayley has been a force in the fashion world for many years, interning for Nina Garcia at Elle Magazine, working with Jill Stuart’s ready to wear collection and designing for Melissa Sweet bridal and the Marchesa Eterna bridal collection. After gaining tons of experience, Hayley decided to strike out on her own, partnering with JLM Couture on her very own bridal collection. We, and brides everywhere, are so glad that she did!

Hayley designs her Blush collection with a style aesthetic in mind that most brides are looking for; casual elegance. She has an amazing way of creating gowns that are gorgeous, light and comfortable all at the same time. Feminine, romantic, whimsical and more; her gowns are sure to make many, many brides say YES! Styles are starting to trickle into Flair, we can’t wait for you to see them all! You can also get to know the Blush collection by checking out some of the gowns below, and be sure to make an appointment for our welcome trunk show July 18-20!

We are in love with the floral applique on Style 1205, as well as the hint of color at the waist. Stunning!

Daffodil is already at Flair, waiting for you to try her on! Wait until you see the ruffled back, it’s a showstopper!

Imagine the back of the Clementine gown coming down the aisle; your guests will be floored!

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Ode to veils!

An Ode to Veils!

Oh, wedding veil, we love you so. You are the icing on the cake and the cherry on top. You are the finishing touch, helping all of us to achieve that full, bridal look. Working where we do, though, we know that some brides just can’t picture themselves in a veil. We get it! Obviously we don’t wear anything like that on a daily basis, and sometimes girls just don’t feel like themselves in a veil. We totally hear where you’re coming from BUT we encourage you to think about the whole picture of your wedding day as you make your veil decision. You’ll likely have hair and make-up service, paparazzi (aka your fab photographer) following you around, and literally everyone you know will be in the same room, at the same time, to celebrate YOU. There’s nothing ordinary or average about that day, and your look needs to match!

Still not convinced? We invite you to drool over these photos of a few of our brides in one of our favorite veils. It’s a simple, classic, chapel length veil with a corded edge that is lightweight and easygoing; perfect for those of us who want “veil light”. This veil literally looks good with every bridal gown…and it’s only $150! Contact us if you want to try it on! If you can’t make it to the store though, we have exciting news for you….Flair is now ONLINE! We are so excited, check us out! Browse fabulous Flair products (perhaps on your couch with a glass of champagne), without fighting for a parking spot on Newbury Street 🙂