gownboutiqueofcharleston.com Blog

A trend that has been consistent the past few seasons has been lace!  Because we have such a broad range of price points in our salon, I have the opportunity to show a lace dress at every price point.  I’m often asked why lace is so expensive or what makes one lace gown better than another lace gown!   So for today’s blog I am going to tell you everything you need to know about lace.

What are the different types of lace?

There are many different types of lace; generally there are about three different types that you will see on a wedding dress.

*Alencon Lace- was born in Alencon, France when King Louis XIV appointed Venetian instructors to teach his lace makers to emulate their amazing “Point de Venise,” better known as Venetian Lace!  In 1665 the lace of Venice was unmatchable because it was made by a needle and thread.  This is why Alencon lace was very similar to Venetian Lace; however, the lace makers couldn’t possibly duplicate it. 

*Fact: Nowadays Alencon Lace is better distinguished by having a thicker and bolder pattern. 

*Chantilly Lace- originally comes to us from Chantilly, France {about 40KM north of Paris} and did not make its debut until the 17^th century! Different than Alencon Lace, Chantilly Lace is made on a bobbin.  A bobbin is a lace textile made by twisting and braiding thread which is attached to bobbins in order to manage them!  Being that it was technically an easier lace to make it was not as expensive as Alencon Lace. 

*Fact: Chantilly Lace is known for being a lighter and finer lace.  It’s nearly always a soft floral pattern. 

*Brussels Lace- This lace dates back the furthest out of all of the laces I am touching on today, it made its first known appearance in 1543 as a gift for Princess Mary.  Just like the Chantilly, Brussels lace is a Bobbin lace.  Because we often reconstruct veils in our salon, we see a lot of Brussels lace!  It is fairly rare to see it on a wedding dress but many veils from the 1920’s seem to be made of Brussels lace, so you should see if you have a family veil of Brussels lace!

*Fact: Most of the vintage family Brussels lace veils were actually purchased in Europe.  We’ve had a few different brides tell us that their grandfathers purchased it as a gift for their daughters!

Why is lace so expensive?

Even though the majority of lace today is machine-made, there are vast differences in quality between laces. The higher quality laces are more costly as it takes a long time to manufacture the intricate patterns and layers. Inexpensive laces are generally a much simpler design, with only one dimension to them.

*Don’t Forget!  — Another important factor in price for a lace gown is the lining.  Depending on if the material is 100% silk or a polyester blend the price will vary.  You’ll be able to see the difference in the price when trying on the gown!

{Gowns by Romona Keveza and Ulla-Maija}

Of course my all time favorite bride is Grace Kelley so without a doubt I absolutely loved Princess Kate’s gown.  Lace is timeless and classic, and many brides choose it to lend some vintage elegance to their wedding. There are many types of lace available today for you to choose from, and now you can go dress shopping with all of your new lace knowledge!

Huge thanks to our seamstress Evy for assisting me with today’s blog! 

Xx,

I sure do believe that I have one of the most marvelous jobs of all time- working in the bridal industry!  I get to openly obsess over wedding dresses, assist many wonderful brides-to-be find the perfect dress for the special day and my favorite of all: peruse through all things that are beyond fabulous.  So, now it’s your turn, here are my four favorite things!

1.     Canary Yellow Diamond Engagement Rings!

There are times when I feel that “less is more.” {Not all too often- but every now and again} Then there are times when I feel all things should be beyond over the top!  This is one of them, I LOVE yellow diamond engagement rings.  Learn it, love it and accept it.  Yellow diamonds are number one!

2.     Romona Keveza Legends and Collection Gowns

It’s no secret that my favorite designer that’s carried at Gown Boutique of Charleston is Romona Keveza {Legends}.  It’s also not about to be a secret anymore, but yours truly is about to officially carry Romona Keveza Collection!  Check back for updates frequently!!

3.     The Bridal Quartet {Book Series by Norah Roberts}

I think you’ve caught on by now, I love everything weddings.  I LOVE this adorable little book series by Norah Roberts, The Bridal Quartet!  I might possibly love it because it’s about four best friends and each book is each one of their love stories!  Together they own an event company and each play a role in its success.  Mackenzie is a photographer, Emma is a florist, Laurel is the caterer and Parker is the wedding planner!  I highly recommend these darling books as a gift for your favorite bride!!

4.     Shoes & Bows!

The honest truth is that I am a bow fanatic.  I love a bow on a wedding dress, a great pair of shoes, in my hair {or yours}… just about anywhere I can manage to add one.  So naturally the fourth most fabulous thing in my opinion would be killer shoes + BOWS!

Well there you have it!  This week’s four favorite things!

Happy Planning!!

Xx,

Photo of Emily Howe Brown by CVS Photography

If you know anything about me, the first thing you’ll know is that I’m a serious transplant to the South {surprise!!!}.   I’m originally from Wisconsin and when I first made the 20 hour jaunt, I realized very quickly that I had a lot to learn about Southern traditions!  Portraits, Groom’s Cakes and Monograms…what?????

Well, the inspiration for today’s blog comes from a cute little book that I just finished reading: There’s a cake in my future by Kim Gruenenfelder!   It’s an adorable little book all about one Southern tradition that I think is absolutely fabulous and seriously important to touch on, The Cake Pull!!!

(Make sure you go out and get the book today, you’ll love it!  I promise!)

So… what is the Cake Pull and what do you have to do?

The bride has various charms with ribbons put into a cake so that the ribbon is hanging out.  Before the cake is cut, each bridesmaid {all in unison!} pulls a ribbon from the cake to see which charm she has chosen and what it will mean for her future!  Below are the various charms and what they could mean for you!

Anchor: Adventure is around the corner

Claddagh: Friendship, Love and Loyalty

Star: Your wishes are about to come true

Eiffel Tower: A life full of travel and adventure

Four Leaf Clover: Good Luck

Engagement Ring: {the ever obvious} Next to get married!!

Heart: New love will find you

Are you engaged or about to be engaged?  If so, I think you ought to incorporate today’s Southern tradition into your wedding.  If you’re a bridesmaid…well good luck, and if I were you {which I am not and your bride is probably thankful for that!} I might just consider fixing the cake pull to pull the charm of my fancy! 

{Engagement Rings by Tiffany & CO.}

Happy Planning!

Xx,

Intern season is officially over at The Gown Boutique as our fabulous summer addition, Lindsay Watkins heads back to UNC: Greensboro for her last school year!

As Lindsay and I were making our morning blog rounds on our daily search for inspiration, we decided that our final conjoined blog topic should be none other than our favorite things!  This ended up being quite the task to combine her “rustic-vintage-whimsical” style with my “traditional-classic-clean cut” style.  Hope you enjoy our pink mixture of fabulousity!

Shout out to Style Me Pretty, Southern Weddings Magazine, and Martha Stewart Weddings, and The Ritzy Bee Blog for supplying me daily with lots of wedding goodness to drool over!  All photos were found at those wonderful websites!!

Finally!  Thanks to Miss Lindsay Watkins for being such a fabulous addition to our team this summer!  We wish you the best of luck next year and in the future!  You will be missed!

Happy Planning!