Bustles!

We thought a blog about bustles would be appropriate to follow our train lengths blog. Regardless of how long your train is, your train will add elegance as you walk down the aisle. But sometime during your wedding festivities, those extra yards of lace and satin will probably be in the way. Adding a Bustle to your gown will make walking and dancing easier, and keep your gowns hemline cleaner also.


History of Bustles

Bustles date back to the 1800s when stylish women wore a frame underneath their dress to support the back of their very full skirts. This Victorian fashion also helped women's waists look smaller (a fashion goal that never goes out of style).

Bustle is in use today primarily to lift the long, elegant trains of wedding gowns off the floor. Instead of a framework worn under the wedding gown, the long train is lifted with buttons or ties to create a lovely bouffant style that is also very practical.

Although almost all brides utilize Bustles for their wedding gowns, you may be surprised to discover that the dresses do not come with bustles in place. They are added during alterations. This makes sense since all brides are not the same height and your bustle should lift the back of your gown to your hem length. So your bustle must be custom made.

Bustle Options

You have several choices in bustles: The Over Bustle and the Under Bustle (also known as the French or Victorian bustle) are the most common. But you can also choose the Austrian bustle which is less common but beautiful (see below.)You can choose the style you prefer and the one that will flatter your gown the best.

Bustles for Delicate Fabrics

Use care in selecting your bustle style if your gown fabric is delicate. The weight of the gown on the bustles may tear transparent, lightweight, fabrics like organza. So if your fabric is delicate, choose a bustle style that reduces the weight on each individual bustle. Read below for several bustle options.

The Over Bustle

The Over bustle consists of several hooks and eyes lifting your train off the floor. The "eyes" are placed along the waistline. The "hooks" are sewn in about 14" to 20" down the back skirt. Lace appliques, rosettes or bows may be needed to cover the hooks and eyes. Covered buttons also work well, and may look nicer, especially if you have buttons down the back of your gown. The longer your train is, the more hooks or buttons you will need.



The Under Bustle

Another option is the Under Bustle also known as the French or Victorian bustle. This method works especially well for gowns without a waistline and gowns that are especially decorative in the back area, as it doesn't cover up any lace or details in the gown right below the waist. The gown is lifted from the bottom area. The Under Bustle is also more secure than the Over Bustle.

For the Under Bustle, ribbons are sewn under the gown securing the outer fabric to the lining. Use different colors of ribbon to make the task of tying easier. Another way to make a French Bustle is sew loops into the inside back side of the gown in a diamond shape. A ribbon is run through the loops, gathered and tied to give the gown a bouffant look.

Austrian Bustle

While it is not as common, you can also create a very interesting bustle by creating a casing down the back seams and running a ribbon through it. The ribbon is pulled to create a look similar to balloon shades.

As you can see, with a variety of bustles to choose from you can add a great deal of style to your wedding gown while making it much easier to get around.

Train Lengths Explained

We all know what a wedding train is! When we were girls, we tied white sheets to our waists and pranced "down the aisle". But now you're engaged and it is time to decide what train length is best for you! There are 6 standard lengths available, each term here represents a length category. Not to be confused with Hem Lengths, a train length is the length from the waist to the hem in the BACK of the gown!
No Train: Well, by definition, this is NOT a train, it is still an option so we will include it here. This is sometimes called a Floor Length Train, but if you are opting for a tea length gown or shorter, it may not even be floor length. Generally, it will be the same length front and back. This type of gown is is perfect for an informal wedding or a garden wedding , and can also be done for a semi-formal wedding if you wish.

Sweeping Train: This is the shortest of the trains and is also called a brush train because it just brushes the floor. Usually, the back hem is only a few inches lower then the front hem. It is perfect for an elegant informal or semi-formal wedding gown. It provides the elegance of a train without to much added fabric in the way.

Chapel Length Train: This is currently the most common train because it has the elegance of a full train but is still not overly cumbersome. A chapel train is generally 4 feet from the waistline. This is perfect for a semi-formal wedding gown but could be used for a formal or informal wedding gown as well.

Semi-Cathedral Length Train: A semi-cathedral is about half way between a chapel and cathedral length. Perfect for a semi-formal or formal wedding gown.

Cathedral Length Train: This is a popular choice for a formal affair or for that fairy tale look. A cathedral train is generally 7 1/2 feet from the waistline and is usually used for a formal wedding. These gowns often come with a bustling option or a removable train to allow for better movement on the dance floor.

Royal Train: Remember Princess Di's wedding gown? This is one of those trains this is still out the door when you reach the alter! If you dream is to have a Princess Di train, this is it! Also called a Monarch train, this train generally falls 9 ft from the waist line and is only used for the most formal wedding.

Often, the length of your train is determined either by your tastes or your wedding style. I have listed the most common wedding styles for each train option, but you can choose whatever suits you best. If you do not want a long train for the whole event, you can also consider a sweep train with a long, removable veil for that elegant look at the alter and free movement on the dance floor!

Have you seen the new special issue from Martha Stewart Weddings? A beautiful issue full of real weddings and ideas to help couples personalize their big day. With a round up of 10 of their favorite real weddings over the years. No matter what your style, guest list count, color palette, or destination, there's something forevery one so check it out!

How to find wedding dress undergarments that flatter!

You've seen thousands of photos, tried on dozens of wedding dresses. But you may have missed some small items in your search for the perfect wedding day look, those essential unmentionables that go under the dress. Undergarments provide the foundation necessary for your outerwear to look how it's supposed to. They can change the way your dress fits, so you'll need to purchase them before your first fitting. With such broad choices out there, we thought we’d share a few wedding dress undergarment secrets with you.


If you’re wearing a:

 Backless wedding dress – A backless dress typically has a higher front which means that lift in your chest area is going to be important. In many boutiques you’ll find bras that stick to your breasts and give the lift you’ll need. Another option for wedding underwear underneath a backless dress is a backless bra with see-through straps.

 Fishtail skirt – The fishtail skirt is the perfect shape to show off your sexy curves. Enhance your figure with a seamless push-up bra or wedding corset.

 Wedding dress with sleeves - You can wear virtually any type of undergarments with this type of wedding dress, so go for comfort. To keep everything tight and in control, a bust-shaping body slip will do the trick

 Bias-cut wedding dress - Wedding underwear is extremely important with this type of dress due to the fact that it hugs your body tightly. Because the dress is so form-fitting, look for a bra that boosts and enhances.

 Spaghetti straps and a full skirt - You also have a lot of options with this type of wedding dress. Find seamless and smooth undergarments for a perfect look.

 Halter-top wedding dress - These types of wedding dresses are popular, you’ll need a halter-top bra or a bustier. I suggest a halter bra for added comfort and extra support. These types of undergarments are easy to find, since halter tops are so popular. Try on several, and choose the most comfortable one that lifts and enhances.

Always remember to bring your undergarments with you when going for your wedding dress fitting!

The Vintage Wedding

If you're the kind of bride who is drawn to the ways and styles of the past, a vintage wedding may be just for you. Vintage weddings will bring you back in time where rock and roll and hairspray was a hit. The first thing the couple should think about is the specific time period. The vintage weddings theme can either be Victorian or retro, 1920’s to 1960’s. If the couple wants exciting concepts in the past, Victorian inspired setting will suit them. The couple who usually wants to have a vintage wedding would like to capture the atmosphere of real love and romance. Most couples say that traditional weddings nowadays lack the real essence of the event which is the celebration of love. In a vintage wedding, everyone will get to feel the past starting from the dress, songs and the dance.


Wedding gowns for this type of wedding are rich in history and character. The type of gown will also depend what time period the couple will have as their theme for their wedding. Most vintage style wedding gowns are elegant, glamorous, sophisticated and fanciful. For the groom, he may have a tuxedo specially made for the occasion which will also reflect the time period or their wedding theme. If the couple wants their guest to feel the vintage-style, they may send an invitation to their guest earlier informing them of the wedding theme. This must be done so that the guest will have ample time in looking for vintage style dress.

Aside from preparing the guest, the most important thing is to decorate the wedding venue properly. The couple and the guest should be brought back to the time period which the couple has for their wedding theme. Elaborate floral displays and laces will work for Victorian wedding concept. Ask the caterers to even have vintage-style looks and dress if possible. The music will be very essential in creating the correct theme atmosphere. Thorough research about the type of music and what music was the favorite during that time will help a lot. Preparing for a vintage wedding can be lots of fun. Going back to the past will definitely make everyone enjoy and feel good. Vintage weddings will be a glorious event for everyone. Go back in time and feel the love, romance and excitement by planning for a vintage wedding.

Melissa and Kevin - Abernethy Center October 2011

I met Melissa when she was gown shopping and we immediately hit it off and started discussing wedding planning. She and her fiance Kevin are the sweetest couple and I was thrilled to be planning their wedding. The theme that they wanted to do was a vintage/fun theme with the colors of yellow and pewter.

The ceremony took place just after dark and the gazebo looked beautiful with all of the lights and the glowing tent in the background. After the ceremony the guests headed to the tent which was very cozy and all decked out for their reception to follow.

 My favorite part of the wedding was during a dance for the bride and groom. Each of the guests grabbed a votive candle and made a circle around the bride and groom as they danced. It was very romantic and such a special moment for the Melissa and Kevin.  

Marryoke - The newest wedding trend!

I needed to share this because I thought it was hilarious and another fun thing for those of us who like this kind of thing,

Marryoke: The new cheesy wedding trend
For the last few years, couples made their special day unique by copying coordinated dance routines down the aisle and at the reception, after that one couple did it on YouTube. Now, there’s a whole new “unique” thing everyone is doing: Marryoke.

Marryoke is lip-synch karaoke that a videographer captures your guests performing at different times of the wedding. When they edit it all together, you get a music video of your wedding, set to the timeless song of your choosing: Classic wedding songs like Etta James’s “At Last” and — nope, actually, Marryoke is mostly done to songs that aren’t likely to stand the test of time, like LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem,” or the Black Eyed Peas’ “The Time,” a remix of that song from “Dirty Dancing.”
The trend began in the U.K., but has made its way over to our shores — so don’t be surprised if you’re asked to lip-synch to some Katy Perry at a wedding this summer. Wedding trends, like the coordinated dances to Justin Bieber and Chris Brown songs, spread like wildfire among brides looking for a way to distinguish their wedding day from all of the others. Videographers even offer special “Marryoke” services as part of their packages, now.

What will a Marryoke video look like at the 50-year anniversary? Probably really cheesy — but if the couple makes it to 50 years still happily in love, it doesn’t matter.


http://vimeo.com/marryokes/dirtybit

Magnifique Boutique has MOVED!

Magnifique boutique has moved all the way to next door! After over 2 years we needed more space for new gowns and as luck would have it the house next door became available. You can still look forward to visiting a historic Sellwood business. The new space is fantastic with a bigger dressing room and room for more inventory. Aralani photography has joined our space so if you are looking for gowns, photography or wedding and event planning we are the place to go.

www.aralani.com

Magnifique Events - Sarah & Patricks Gorgeous Winery Wedding

We love fall weddings when the leaves are turning and the air is crisp. That is why this was a perfect day in October for Sarah and Patricks wedding at Maysara winery in McMinnville. This winery is spectacular with a brand new building which was still not quite completed on the wedding day. When we first saw this facility we were thrilled to be coordinating this wedding. The stone work and architecture is just stunning and would make a perfect backdrop for their wedding.  



We planned for an outdoor ceremony on the upper patio of the winery with the reception in the main building however, mother nature had different plans and we ended up having to move the ceremony to the tasting room. After moving all of the chairs and decor and the lighting of many candles we made the ceremony area a cozy and romantic place for the wedding ceremony to take place.

The reception followed with tray passed hors d' oeuvres followed by an amazing dinner. Along with drinking and dancing guests could also get their pictures taken in the photo booth. We had amazing vendors help us with this wedding and we thank them for all of their hard work to make this a truly magical day for Sarah and Patrick.

Our thanks go out to:

Maysara Winery

Aralani Photography

Wild Pear Catering

Bloomsberry Floral

Rev. Roger Moore

A Sound Choice DJ

Hollywood Lights

Barclay Event Rentals

The Party Place

Bake Diva

SAMPLE GOWN SALE!!!

FALL SAMPLE GOWN SALE!!!

We need to make room for our 2011 stock so we have many gorgeous sample designer and couture gowns at reduced prices.

Also our samples are in fantastic condition since we are a smaller boutique and we don't have hundreds of brides trying on our gowns. Which means you get a gown that is in great shape for a great price.

Please call or email to set up an appointment
503-236-7001

STEPHANIE JAMES TRUNK SHOW!!!

WHO: Brides looking for gorgeous tea length dresses!

WHEN: Tuesday November 23rd through Sunday November 28th.

WHERE: Magnifique Boutique

HOW: Please call or email to make an appointment to try on a large selection of these amazing dresses

SNEAK PEEK: We will have the dresses at the Bravo Wedding Affair on Sunday November 21st.



Tiffani Saxton Designs

We are thrilled to be carrying Tiffani Saxton Designs!

Her gorgeous hair delicacies are truly stunning from Tiaras and Headbands to custom made Combs and Pins. She uses Swarovski crystals and Freshwater Pearls in many of her pieces. She can also customize a piece to match your dress and the style that you want for your wedding day.

Bridal Hats by Love and Sass!

We are very excited to announce that we now carry the fabulous custom made bridal hats from Love and Sass!

"You can do all kinds of wonderful things with hats. They can be dramatic, romantic, whimsical, or traditional -- and not in a stuffy way." In fact, hats have been the preference of some of the world's most fashionable brides: The Duchess of Windsor wore a blue straw halo-style hat trimmed with pink and blue coq feathers, Rita Hayworth chose an enormous cartwheel, and Grace Kelly wore a Juliet cap that matched the lace of her gown.

Once you have settled on a few choices, arrange to try the hats on with your bridal attire. If, on the other hand, you don't find your dream creation -- or a hat that fits properly -- you can work with Tree Marie from Love and Sass to design one of your own. Bring a fabric swatch and a picture of your dress, plus pictures of hats that are similar to the one you are imagining, so Tree can see what you are after. 

Don't be afraid to experiment. It may merely be a matter of turning up a brim or tilting a hat at a slight angle to find that special wedding-day crowning glory. www.loveandsass.com

Enchanted Corsets

Last Sunday at the Braov Wedding Affair I spotted a group of ladies wearing these amazing corsets and skirts and I thought wow those are really beautiful and unique. I knew then that I needed to meet the designer and just a few hours later I had the pleasure of meeting Lisa Marie owner and designer of Enchanted Corsets. Yesterday she had the chance to come and see the boutique and now we have 3 of her sample corsets in the boutique including one with a skirt. These can be used for wedding day, wedding night or whenever. They are custom made so the ones we have in the boutique are not to try on but, to see the corsets and what can be done for the skirts if you are looking to have a full gown made. The corseted top in wedding fashion is making a huge comeback and if you have ever watched Say Yes to the Dress you can see the racy corset styles of dresses that I am referring to. So if you are looking for an amazing custom corset gown or just a custom corset Enchanted Corsets is the best.
Visit tbe website

I FOUND MY DRESS ONLINE FOR SO MUCH LESS.....

In todays marketplace and economy it is common to find something that you like in a store and then see if  you can find it for less online. I even do this myself with computers and office supplies but, for a wedding gown I would never do this! You are taking a HUGE risk when you purchase a gown online. This is because what you see online is not what you get.

You might go to a boutique and even get the style number and then you see it online for a fraction of the cost. This is because the online companies are illegally using the photos from the designers and then in fine print saying that the dress will not be exact but "similar" to the photo. Also if the online site says you can change the color or alter the dress in ways the actual designer would not then it is a knockoff, I recently found a site where you can choose what designer tag you want in the dress.

What many people do not know is that the gown designers do not sell their gowns online AT ALL. Only authorized retailiers are allowed to sell their gowns and even we are not allowed to sell the dresses online and would have the line revoked if we did! Now many designers are putting tracking devices in the gowns so they can find out if any of the online stores are selling their dresses and who they are getting them from.

If everyone were to buy their dress online then all of the bridal shops would go out of business and you would not have a place to go and actually try on the dresses.Please support our local economy and don't buy your dress from an overseas web based company. There is something to be said about customer service and the gown shopping experience. So remember if it's too good to be true it probbably is and you get what you pay for!!!

Here are a few websites that you should avoid!!!
Best Bridal Prices
House of  Brides
Weddingo
E Bridal Superstore
Best Dress Price
Preidress

"The Competition"

Many people think that the bridal shops here in Portland don't like eachother and that we are super competitive which is just not true. Many of the shops have different dress lines that they carry and different customers that they are trying to reach.


Myself and a few of the competitors are very friendly with eachother because it is just so much easier to refer a bride to a place that will give the bride what she is looking for if you don't have what she needs. One of my favorites is The Silver Lining the owner Michelle is super nice and she has a HUGE selection of gowns including one of my favorite lines Pronovias. So if you are looking for a pronovias gown The Silver Lining is the place to go!
The Silver Lining

Recent Bridal Shows

In the height of wedding "planning" season there are many bridal shows out there and these are couple that we recently participated in. The NW Wed Pro Bridal Show at the Willamette Valley Country Club in Canby. This was a smaller bridal show but, in a gorgeous location. We also got some fantastic photos from the show here are a few pictures from that show...

On Sunday February 21st we participated in the Bravo Wedding Affair at the Embassy Suites. We were located in the Colonal Lindbergh Ballroom. This is a much bigger show but, I love this show because each of the rooms has a theme and all of the vendors go way above and beyond in their booth set up. Here are a few pictures from that show as well!

Magnifique Is NOT Tres Fabu

I recently received a call from a bride upset about a wedding last year and the dress was ruined etc. However, we were not even open yet!! Just to be clear we did not take over Tres Fabu, we are not in their old location, we have no connection to Tres Fabu except that we both are in the wedding industry.

This is NOT us this location is CLOSED and they no longer sell wedding gowns here!


Magnifique Boutique is located in the Historic Sellwood (antique row)

Upcoming Bridal Shows...

Magnifique Boutique will be at the following Bridal Shows...

Sunday January 24, 2010
Gray Gables Estate Open House
This is for current or prospective Gray Gables Brides and you would need to RSVP for this event by calling

Barbara & Genevieve

Wedding Coordinators
Gray Gables Estate
503-654-0470
barbara@graygables.com

February 6th and 7th, 2010
NW Wed Pro Bridal Show
Willamette Valley County Club
http://www.nwwedpro.com/

February 21, 2010
Bravo Wedding Affair
Embassy Suites Downtown Portland
http://www.bravowedding.com/

VOTE for Magnifique Boutique!

Vote for Magnifique Boutique as Best Bridal Shop or Best New Bridal Business. We would love to be recognized as one of Oregon Best!

Vote Here