Trend: Short Ceremony Dresses

For those that may not be the most traditional bride, a short wedding dress can be a fun and flirty alternative to a full-length gown. Although I personally won't pick a short dress for my big day, I found several adorable options that almost changed my mind!

Fashion and Wedding Dresses Blog

This first dress is very simple, but the detailing along the bust line and the bow around the empire waist add so much character.  This is a simple way to wear a short dress on your big day.

Wedding Dress Picture Blog

This is one of my favorites in my compilation of short dresses.  This dress would be beautiful for a brunch wedding or an evening wedding in the heat of the Texas summer. 

White Lace Wedding Blog

The fitted bodice and shorter hemline of this choice adds just a little bit of sex appeal. I envision this dress on a bride in Las Vegas!

Wedding Dress Picture Blog

The taffeta material of this dress, along with the embellished sash and dramatic train, make it ideal for a more formal affair. The gown has a traditional feel with a not-so-traditional dress pattern. 

Wedding Dress Trends Blog

It would take a fun and fearless bride to pull off this cutting edge style. The short hem line, asymmetrical neckline, and feather like detail on the skirt are sure to appeal to those who like things a little on the wild side.  

Wedding Today Blog

This is hands down my favorite short wedding dress I found while researching this trend. I imagine this look on a preppy bride at a beach wedding. Maybe it's the sun hat I'm a sucker for, but I still love it! 

Becoming The Bride Blog

This sleek and strapless dress can easily be accessorized by adding a beautiful sash. It's no secret that wedding dresses + belts are a hot trend, and I have included a few of my favorites Belting your dress allows you to add a personal touch without deterring from the traditional feel of a wedding dress. You can add color, glitz, texture, or even something dear to your heart, like a piece from a family member's wedding gown. 

Etsy

Etsy

Etsy

A Mountain Bride Blog

There is a time, a place, and a bride for short ceremony dresses. They are certainly not for every girl or for every wedding. What do you think?

Online Resources for Your Big Day: Part 2 of 2

The second half of this article about great online wedding resources includes some of my favorite tools and blogs!

Pinterest, my new favorite website, is similar to the Wedding Wire inspiration board tool; you can create and share your ideas in the form of bulletin boards. You create different boards, for example black and white wedding, or dress and accessories, then you can pin pictures from all over the internet as you browse for ideas. Pinterest will give credit to the original poster of the pictures you add; you can then share your inspiration boards on Facebook and Twitter to get responses from friends and family. The one downside to Pinterest, is that you have to request membership. I was on the list for about two weeks before I was accepted, BUT it is totally worth the wait!

Style Me Pretty has got to be my FAVORITE wedding blog! If you love beautiful, jaw-dropping, original wedding ideas, then you will love SMP. They feature detail-driven, real weddings - everything from over-the-top affairs to completely DIY events. They also offer some helpful tools such as DIY projects and a full list of amazing vendors, The Allan House included! ;)

SMP also offers a "Wedding Look Book", which displays current wedding trends, not only for the Bride, but also for the bridesmaids and the mother of the bride. If you are feeling super "tech-savy" you could pin some of your favorites onto your Pinterest bulletin board!

Some other great wedding blogs to follow are Ruffled Blog and Wedding Chicks.

If all of this is super overwhelming to you, I recommend first getting onto the websites of each of these amazing resources, and clicking around to explore. I also recommend getting a twitter account and following these sites (theknot, weddingwire, pinterest, and stylemepretty), so that you stay up-to-date on current trends and events. While you are on Twitter, search around for your other vendors like photographers and deesigners to see if they are attending open houses or offering any special giveaways, and of course you should follow theallanhouse, if you aren't already! You can also find pages for most of these resources on Facebook (The Knot, Wedding Wire, and Style Me Pretty). Additionally, many of these sites also have applications for your phone and for your iPad, so be sure to check out all they have to offer.

Online Resources for Your Big Day: Part 1 of 2

The internet is without a doubt the hottest spot for resources, tips and ideas for weddings these days. Out with the bulky magazines and in with the blogs and phone apps! Here are a few of my favorite online spots to ooh and aah over...

The Knot has taken everything you love from their magazine, and put it all in one convenient place. Not only can you visit theknot.com, but you can follow them on Facebook AND on Twitter. Craving MORE Knot? Download their iPhone app! They consider it "your on-the-go source for expert wedding advice from TheKnot.com."

One of my favorite features of the site is their expansive dress database, but also the "wedding ideas" tab.  Pick a topic in which you are interested (i.e., reception ideas) and then narrow down your search to themes, colors, and even types of flowers. I have never been disappointed while perusing theknot.com. My one piece of advice is to bookmark EVERYTHING you like because there is a good chance you might not be able to get back to it later to show your friends and family.

Wedding Wire is a user-friendly website that can help you with the fine details of your wedding.  It has a phenomenal vendor database with loads of client reviews and some extremely practical wedding planning tools.  My favorite is the budget analyzer. Enter your total wedding budget, and the tool will break down the amount you should spend on each aspect of the wedding, from drinks and food to dress and music. It accounts for what is typical for a budget of your size, so you will not be overwhelmed or under-budgeted when it comes to spending for your big day.

Another fun tool on Wedding Wire is the inspiration board application.  You can drag, drop and create inspiration from thousands of pictures. You can add hairstyles, dresses, flowers and even centerpieces to your inspiration board.

Try not to get too overwhelmed because these sites were created to RELIEVE you of stress for your wedding, not to create more. Figure out what works for you, and what you want to use. Tune in for the second half of this article. I promise you will love it!

Dress Up Your Bouquet!

A bride's bouquet is an essential piece to establish her wedding day look. Everyone will see it as she as she walks down the aisle, so the wrap of the bouquet, which covers the stems, is definitely not something that will go unnoticed!  We have seen many brides here at The Allan House add flare to their bouquets by dressing up the wrap.  There are so many bouquet treatments from which to choose, so search around and find the one that will highlight your personal style and complement your wedding décor. Below you will find some of my absolute favorites.

Photo Courtesy of Wedding Chicks

Keepsake jewelry is a beautiful addition to a bouquet wrap that adds simple elegance and a personal touch. Incorporating a loved one's jewelry into your wedding wardrobe is not only beautiful but also incredibly sentimental and meaningful.

Photo Courtesy of Style Me Pretty

I love this delicate bouquet wrap that was featured on Style Me Pretty.  It is so girly and fun but chic at the same time. Perfect for the inner-ballerina in you!

Photo Courtesy of Style Me Pretty 

Tie in your color scheme with a bright ribbon!  I love how cheerful and festive this bouquet treatment is. The wrap adds a pop of color without overpowering the gorgeous flower arrangement.

Picture Courtesy of Style Me Pretty

Beautiful and sentimental, adding pictures of loved ones to your bouquet is a great way to commemorate your family in your wedding.  Find lockets to display the pictures, and use a colored string or twine to keep the lockets in place. Use pearls to add charm to the ribbon, and you have an elegant wrap for your bouquet!

Photo Courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings

Use a personalized handkerchief with your wedding date or initials embroidered on it for a bouquet wrap. You can keep this as a memento from your wedding for years to come!

Burlap or twine is a simplistic way to wrap up a bouquet for a rustic wedding.  It looks gorgeous and natural without taking away from the flowers, and it goes with any color scheme.

Photo Courtesy of Style Me Pretty

For a more vintage look, use lace or burlap to wrap your bouquet, and secure it with an antique brooch.

I hope you had as much fun lusting over all these bouquets as I did! There are so many unique options to style up your bouquet, and I am sure that you will find one that fits the look you are trying to achieve.

Carrying Fashion Trends into Wedding Themes

So often we see wedding themes based around the seasons. Pastels and brighter tones for spring and summer, then warmer and darker colors for fall and winter, but this spring and summer boast some amazing fashion trends that I think would carry beautifully into the wedding world. Here are a few of my favorites, from colors and patterns to textures and themes. All photos were borrowed from theknot.com wedding ideas tab.

1) Nautical 

Nautical Dress by J Crew

The idea of nautical is to keep everything very simple and clean with red, white and navy being the typical colors used. The more simple, the better. I love how these all white flowers have a striped ribbon wrapped around them. The all navy bridesmaid dresses also go with the nautical feel, and you can always add gold shoes and jewelry to dress up the look. Feel free to incorporate rope, anchors and other east coast beach/bay accents like these adorable lobster cookie favors.

  

 

2) Bright Citrus Colors 

 

Citrus Dress by Anthropologie

Don't hesitate to use bright colors this summer! Tangerine and melon are among some of the citrus colors that are in style for 2011. These paper fan programs are a great way to ensure the heat of summer doesn't overwhelm your guests. Be bold!

3) Safari

Safari Dress by LOFT

The bold animal prints from fall have carried over to give us a safari trend for spring and summer. Use textures, warm lighting and patterns to give your wedding a classy safari feel. Tall grass and feathers will bring this exotic theme to life.

My favorite part about all of these themes/trends is that they can make your city wedding feel like a destination.  Can you imagine your guests arriving to your event and immediately being transported to the beaches of Maine, the warmth of Florida, or the wildness of the Sahara Desert. 

Take a risk and try turning one of your favorite pieces of clothes this spring/summer into inspiration for your wedding!

Dessert and Candy Buffets Ideas

Photo Courtesy of The Nichols. Macaroons by Stardust Pastry.

Sweet and irresistible, candy and dessert buffets are one of the most popular wedding trends we have seen at The Allan House recently! In addition to having a traditional wedding cake, many brides choose to feature a dessert bar that offers a variety their favorite treats and accentuates their wedding theme.

You are bound to satisfy the taste buds of all your guests with these delicious spreads that show off your personal style, and there are so many great vendors in Austin that would love to cater to your sweet tooth.


One of our preferred vendors, Simon Lee Bakery, offers a delightful assortment of cookies and petit fours that can be personalized to match your wedding decor. They are sure to look and taste wonderful! Their service is fantastic, and these confections would make a great wedding favor for your guests.

Photo Courtesy of Groom Sold Separately

The ladies at Sweet Sensations Candy Buffets make designing your candy bar a breeze with their full service staff that will do all the set-up, serving, and take-down for you! You can personalize the candy colors to match your wedding theme, and they can also create adorable candy favors for your guests to take home and enjoy.

Photo Courtesy of Style Me Pretty

Our friends at Blue Note Bakery have a wide array of pretty confections that are sure to be tasty on your dessert buffet! They offer everything from cake bars, miniature eclairs and tarts, to handmade chocolates and gourmet s'mores, and they can personalize their treats to fit any wedding design.





The Cupcake Bar is a great option for all you cupcake fans! They offer a full service cupcake bar at any sized wedding that is personalized to fit your taste and color scheme. Your guests will have a blast choosing from all of the tasty toppings for their cupcakes!


Interested in a health conscious option? Check out this post from Austin Wedding Blog for a creative alternative! 

Love is sweet! So enjoy it with your own fabulous dessert buffet at your wedding.

Introducing: iDJ by Marquee Rents

Trying to cut down the costs of having a fabulous wedding can be a daunting task. We have seen a trend with some of our budget conscious brides at The Allan House, to opt out of hiring a DJ and instead, use an iPod along with a rented speaker system.

Although we highly recommend hiring a professional DJ or band for your special event, our friends at Marquee Rents have created quite an enticing alternative... iDJ!

 

Marquee simplifies the music situation at your event by doing all of the work for you! iDJ is their new service that will provide all of the equipment you need (including the iPod!) and even create custom playlists for your big day. They will drop it off, set it up, make sure it works, and come back to pick it up. DIY can be stressful, but Marquee's solution is budget friendly AND stress-free!

BHLDN - Anthropologie Wedding Line

I am sure that the first thing you did today was jump on your computer and check out the new Anthropologie wedding line that launched this morning, BHLDN, just as I did! If for some reason you did not have enough time to thoroughly shop around, do not fret, I have chosen some of my favorites to share with you.

Before we get into the gowns, dresses, shoes, accessories, lingerie etc., I wanted to clear up one question. I know this was my first reaction to the new line, so it may be yours as well... "What the heck does BHLDN stand for?"  It is actually BEHOLDEN minus the vowels. Anthro was inspired by the Dutch word, which means "to keep", and so became BHLDN. Now on to my favs!

My Favorite Gown!

My Favorite Dress!

My Favorite Shoes!



My Favorite Assecories!

And my MOST Favorite!

I have borrowed all of the images from bhldn.com.

I hope these bring you as much joy and excitement as they did to me. Let us know what your favorites are after you check out the new website, and Happy Valentines!