Soirée Event Designs

Kenton Zender Wedding

2011-10-04T15:10:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Kristin and Matt! Even with a slight rain scare, this wedding turned out fabulously! These images from their wedding are gorgeous. A sepcial thanks to all of the vendors: Photography by Jason Domingues, Ceremony at Visitation, Reception at the Green Roof, Flowers by Emmy-Ray, Rentals from Celebration Party Rentals, Catering by Delish!, Bridal Gown from Gown Gallery, Bridesmaid dresses from Bella Bridesmaid, DJ'ing by Holmes Music World and Cake by Phyllis Hildebrandt!

Just in at Bella Bridesmaid: Saja Wedding Gowns!

2011-09-20T16:54:00.000-05:00

We are so excited to announce the arrival of Saja, now in our Kansas City store! Saja is a company which specializes in wedding and special occaision dresses, based out of New York, and founded by designer Yoo Lee. These dresses are known to be light, whimsical, and timeless, and we couldn't be more excited to have added this bridal line to Bella Bridesmaid! Here are some pictures, hope you all love these dresses as much as we do!

Here are some images of the dresses in real weddings...

Frantze/Gaetano Wedding

2011-09-07T17:49:00.001-05:00

All of the florals were done by Branches and Twigs

Lisa looked beautiful in her gown from Ida's Bridal

Lisa's bridesmaids dresses were from Bella Bridesmaid

Ashley from Something You Design created all of the stationary.

Loved their cake by Rebekah Foster

KC Candy Buffets did a fantastic job matching the different candy to Lisa and Keith's pink and navy theme!

Dave and Liz Oxandale

2011-08-31T17:42:00.000-05:00

This was my little sister Liz's wedding to her now husband Dave. I cannot say enough about the great vendors that helped us out. Celebration Party Rental did the tenting, lighting, tables, chairs, etc. that helped transform my parents' back...yard. The very talented Nick Allen captured the event better than any of us could ever have hoped for. delish! catering did an amzing job with the food and wonderful service. Branches & Twigs provided the gorgeous flowers - which did amazing considering the oppressive heat that day! Iced Art did one of the most beautiful cakes I have seen recently! And Lonnie McFadden provided the most entertainment I've ever seen from a wedding band. It was so much fun and thank you to everyone who helped pull it off. Congrats Liz and Dave!

Rentals: Celebrations

Photography: Nick Allen

Cake: Iced Art

Flowers: Branches and Twigs

Catering: Delish!

Entertainment: Lonnie McFadden

Facebook Page

2011-04-07T14:32:00.002-05:00

We will no longer be using our blog to update with pictures from our events. Please log-in to Facebook to check out our new page! http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Soir%C3%A9e-Event-Designs/122251491185528

Jessica and Jason Perryman

2010-06-15T22:16:00.012-05:00

Ceremony and Reception: Third Eye Event Space
Photography: Stacey Schmitz Photography
Florist: Branches and Twigs
Catering: Bonterra Catering
Cake: Icing on the Cake
Stationary: Announce This

Jessica and Jason were married on May 15, 2010. I was so lucky to have them as a client. They were so cute together. Congratulations to the Perrymans!

Jessica's gorgeous dress and shoes waiting for their debut.

The first meeting and the first kiss!

Definitely a framer. I just love this picture....

The Wedding Party out at the River Market for some pre-nuptial photos.

The cocktail hour was in the gallery at Third Eye Event Space following the ceremony.

Jessica and Jason really wanted to include their dog Riley, and most importantly show their gratitude for the kennel that they adopted from. They chose to make a donation to Wayside Waifs to support the organization.
Delicious cake from Lynne Mueller with Icing on the Cake.

The reception was upstairs and decorated with bold blue and greens to compliment the modern look and feel of the room.

First dance for the bride and groom. So sweet!

Sassy little bride on the dance floor to end the perfect evening with family and friends.

Congratulations again to Jessica and Jason! It was such a pleasure getting to know you.

Bella Bridesmaid on Style Me Pretty!

2010-06-03T13:54:00.002-05:00

Recently we did a mock wedding with a group of very talented wedding vendors from Kansas City for an Inspiration to Realty shoot for Style Me Pretty. This was the inspiration board that we worked from:

To see what we created - and for a list of all the fabulous vendors - visit all three of the posts at Style Me Pretty. The bride's dress is the Christie dress from LulaKate and the bridesmaid dresses were from Simple Silhouettes. And here is a sneak peek of the behind the scenes of us putting everything together:

behind the scenes Kansas City SMP from creative video on Vimeo.

Eagen Halter and Jason Kane

2010-05-27T12:37:00.014-05:00

Eagen and Jason were such a fun couple! They were married on April 17th, 2010.

Their wedding had small touches of the Wizard of Oz in everything. Her shoes were a twist on the ruby slippers with just a few touches of red and green. The bridesmaids wore these darling emerald colored dresses, and the bride was wearing a dress made just for her by her mom, Maureen. Such a cute family!

I just love the moment when a bride walks down with her dad. It is such a once in a lifetime experience.

Eagen changed into the more elaborate ruby slippers for the reception.

The cocktail hour was in the art gallery at Arts Incubator. They had a wine and cheese tasting, and were encouraged to visit the art galleries in the crossroads district.

Arts Incubator was set with custom quilled reserved cards made by a friend of Eagen and Jason's. The doves on the top of the cake have been passed down through Eagen's family for generations.

First Dance for the bride and groom.

The beautiful view from the windows of Arts Incubator.

Congratulations Eagen and Jason Kane!

Ceremony: Redemptorist Catholic Church

Reception: Arts Incubator

Florist: Fiddly Fig

Catering and cake: Moxie

Photography: We are the Parsons

Unique Save The Dates

2010-05-20T15:32:00.006-05:00

For a very unique and out of the box wedding we have coming up in September, the very talented Kalyn Denno with Lilah Paper created the coolest Save the Dates. The wedding reception will be held at a private house of the bride's family. The groom drew a picture of the gate and drive leading up to the house and then Kalyn included that design on a wood grain postcard. Can't wait to see the invitations!

Don't Miss Out!

2010-04-08T16:30:00.003-05:00

Don't forget about the LulaKate Trunk show going on now through Saturday!

There are tons of fun dresses available in different colors, styles, and fabrics that would be perfect for your bridesmaids. The dresses can still be ordered for September/October Weddings. We also have short white dresses that would be great for the bride's after-party dress. If you're interested, call 816-361-5700 to make an appointment.

LulaKate Trunk Show

2010-03-30T15:55:00.005-05:00

LulaKate is by far one of our most popular designers and is exclusive to Bella Bridesmaid! Not only will we have their whole bridesmaid collection here, but we'll also be featuring their amazing 2010 Alternative Bridal collection! Check out their website for all the styles and please call 816-361-5700 if you'd like to make an appointment! Discounts will be as follows:
- Rehearsal dinner / party dress = 10% off
- Wedding gowns = 10% off
- Bridesmaid orders = additional 5% off (in addition to the existing group discounts)

Spring Internship

2010-01-15T11:49:00.003-06:00

Internship Job Description

Starts March 26th, 2010
Ends June 26th, 2010 (May be extended after review at end of June)

The intern will work approximately 20 hours a week on both wedding coordinating for Soiree Event Designs and in the dress shop, Bella Bridesmaid. Below is a description of what the positions entail for both businesses. The internship is not limited to these roles, and may function as general office support as needed. This is an unpaid internship, but for the right candidate the program can be adjusted to meet school credit requirements.

Assistant Coordinator – All Soirée packages include two coordinators. It will be the assignment of the assistant coordinator to assist the Lead Coordinator with the functions necessary to execute the event to the clients’ plans. Responsibilities will include but will not be limited to the services outlined in the “Day Of” service description. The Assistant Coordinator will report to the Lead Coordinator.
Bella Bridesmaid Assistant – This position is a support position that would require the intern to assist the Bella Salesperson in appointments, processing dresses when they arrive, marketing to clients and general office administration as requested.

Please email your resume and why you would be a good fit for this position to info@soireeeventdesigns.com.

Dustin and Kevin 10.17.09

2009-12-17T19:38:00.013-06:00

Church: St. Ann
Photography: SNAP
Flowers: Branches & Twigs
Transportation: Pech Limousine and Crossroad Tours
DJ: Reddell Productions
Reception: Hallbrook Country Club
Cake: Hallbrook Country Club
Hair & Make-up: Be Chic
Invitations and Programs: Paperlily

Caroline and Doug

2009-12-03T17:26:00.007-06:00

Ceremony: Chapel at Hawthorne House
Reception: Hawthorne House
Photography: Adrienne Maples Photography
Cake: Annie O's
Flowers: Branches and Twigs
Ceremony Music: Helios String Quartet

Caroline and Doug were married on October 10th, 2009. They were such a joy to work with. You could tell just how excited they were to be getting married.

Such a quaint little chapel. Just simple and beautiful.

A little pre-ceremony smooch!

I love the Uggs. It was unseasonable cold that day for October in Kansas City.

Doug and Caroline had some real troopers in their wedding party. I think they endured an hour of outdoor photos even though it was freezing out.

Caroline really did look so gorgeous. I think Doug agreed.

The table decor was very crisp and fresh. Various colors of hydrangea and lime green napkins were so bright and pretty in the Hawthorne House which is mostly white.

The first dance.

Caroline's little sister gave a speech that moved them both to tears.

The evening finished with a grand exit into an antique car with their guests ringing bells to celebrate. Doug and Caroline are the type of client make my job so enjoyable and rewarding!

Danielle

Emily and David

2009-11-21T13:49:00.016-06:00

Danielle and I have a "November List". Throughout the year, we'd get behind or think of things we needed to update/do. We were crazy busy with weddings so we always said, "Put it on the November list". Post pictures of our weddings on our blog is on the November list, so over the course of the next month or so, we'll be doing what we're going to call our Year In Review (in no particular order).

First up, Emily and David - August 14, 2009. Emily and David are crazy in love with each other and it was so apparent all day. Their thoughtfulness and care for each other was inspiring. Emily and her mom Kay put so much time and effort into making the event have a very cohesive look and feel. Very modern and art decoish.

Church - Queen of the Holy Rosary Wea - 227th and Metcalf (by far one of the coolest churches I've worked at so far)
Photographer - Jennifer Fortin Photography
Videographer - Mike Varel
Flowers - 18 Flowers
Reception - Terrace on the Green
Specialty Lighting - Celebration Party Rental
Catering - Affordable Elegance
Cake - Spectacular Cakes

Monica with 18 Flowers did an incredible job making the flowers feel very modern by using lots of wires and really cool shaped flowers.

This church was by far the coolest church I have worked in. It was WAY out south at 227th and Metcalf and it was gorgeous! It was built in 1870 but then destroyed in 1905 because of a lightning strike. The church was rebuilt and almost near completion when it was destroyed again due to a tornado! It was rebuilt - again - and has avoided natural disasters since!

This was the sweetheart table for the bride and groom. Monica created a halo of orchids that hung over the table.

The cake was amazing. Emily and David got engaged in a gazebo so Emily's dad re-created that very gazebo which was place on the cake. He also made the cake topper and all the mirror boxes that the centerpieces sat on!

I love first dances.

The day was gorgeous and so were the bride and groom!

New Bella Pictures

2009-11-06T11:31:00.001-06:00

The very talented Becca Spears of Wirken Photography came over and took some pictures of the store so we thought we'd share. They put my pictures to shame! Enjoy and please feel free to stop by and visit!

Danielle, me and Lauren at our Grand Opening party

Up close and personal with all the varying fabrics and colors!

Looking into the store from Oak Street.

And the space isn't just for Bella!

Recent Press

2009-10-23T17:30:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to share some of our recent press for Bella Bridesmaid. I apologize for my poor scanning and cropping skills!

The first was an article in the October issue of KC Magazine

This second article was in last week's Ink and highlighted many of the shops on our little strip.

Check out the January issue of KC Weddings for more on Bella Bridesmaid!

We're Open!!

2009-10-20T11:48:00.000-05:00

Bella Bridesmaid is now open for business! Below are some pictures of the finished store. We've been open for a little over two weeks and have been very encouraged by the response so far. Also check us out in Ink Magazine and on page 23 of KC Magazine!

http://www.inkkc.com/article/shop-block-63rd-and-oak-brookside#
http://www.scribd.com/doc/19821208/KC-Magazine-October

Bella Bridesmaid Open House

2009-09-28T07:21:00.001-05:00

This Saturday, October 3rd, we will be having an Open House! Please stop by anytime between 2pm and 5pm to take a look at the new store and see the transformation, schedule an appointment or just get more information. Since we will technically be by appointment only moving forward, we are taking this opportunity to invite anyone to just stop by for one afternoon. Bella Bridesmaid opens this Thursday, October 1st and we are currently taking appointments. Our hours will be Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday - 11am-5pm, Thursday 11am-8pm and Saturday 10am-5pm. For more information please contact us at kansascity@bellabridesmaid.com or 816-361-5700. Or visit the website at http://www.bellabridesmaid.com/!

Hope to see you Saturday!

Ashley and Taylor

2009-09-17T00:08:00.001-05:00

This is the wedding of Ashley and Taylor Hankins on August 16th out at the Loose Park Rose Garden. We were so lucky to have the wonderful team of Josh and Jenny Solar to photograph the whole thing. We were in between flooding rain that had be going strong all weekend. They caught a 20 minute break of the downpour to say their vows.

Taylor could hardly wait to see his bride. Needless to say he was thrilled at the sight of her.

Just as the officiant instructed Taylor to kiss Ashley the rain started pouring down! It couldn't have been more perfect timing.

They were such great sports about the rain that day. They made it safely to their car and on to the rest of their evening.

The night ended with family, friends and beautiful send off as husband and wife!

Before and After

2009-09-15T11:44:00.001-05:00

After three weeks of renovations - here is our most up to date before and after. We still can't believe the transformation!

Before...

After....
We started installing the flooring last night and just for the record, lock in laminate flooring IS NOT as easy an everyone says it is! Hopefully by the end of this week we'll be able to share images of the finished product - at least for the build out phase.

Bella Buildout Update

2009-09-14T08:37:00.001-05:00

The past week and a half has been CRAZY! Our painter was scheduled to arrive this past Tuesday so last weekend we had some major work to do to get ready for him. All the walls were up and the major construction finished, however we had lots of "finishing" work to do. Our Labor Day weekend was filled with finishing trim (my favorite!), fixing the stairs, fixing little imperfections and the biggest challenges - electrical and building the shelves. In many of the pictures you see Joel and John working on our future dress racks. We decided (after much debate!) to scrap the old shelves and build new ones. The new racks they made are awesome and they did a really great job! Our painters finished up yesterday and last night we started prepping for the the floor installation which is today's big task. I've got pictures of what the store looks like now that I'll post later today. You will not believe the difference!

Thank you to everyone who gave up part (or all!) of their Labor Day weekend to help - Our dads - Doug, Steve and Tom, our husbands - John and Joel, our good friends and other family - Chris and Ryan and my mom Kathi for planting our beautiful new flowers and providing nourishment! Check out the pictures below.

Construction Update

2009-09-14T08:36:00.002-05:00

Vandenberg.O'Neill Wedding

2009-09-04T08:45:00.001-05:00

With the new store under construction and a busy wedding season underway, we've been bad about posting on actual weddings!

We're going to try and change that. To kick things off, here are some images from Corinne and Tom's big day! We were hired by Tom's mom Mary Etta and I have to say, she is one cool mom! Mary Etta put her heard and soul into this wedding and it turned out to be amazing! It was classic in its tradition, but modern in all of its detail and personal touches - including lots of "subtle" Irish undertones (the colors were orange and green - like the Irish flag!). The day was so much fun - even on my side of things. Corinne was one of the most calm and collected brides I've ever worked with. She just truly enjoyed herself the whole day. And Tom was great as well - he just wanted Corinne to have her day.

Here are some details of the event:
Photographer - Kdog
Florist - Blue Bouquet
Church - Visitation
Ceremony Music - Panapolli Trio
Reception - Hobbs Building
Reception Music - Three Dollar Band; Reddell Productions
Cake - Take the Cake
Hair/Make-up - Be Chic

As I said, Corinne was totally calm the morning of the wedding. I love the anticipation captured here.

Notice the green bridesmaid dresses - they had orange shoes! Again, so much anticipation!

I just absolutely love Visitation. I think the church is amazing from the courtyard to the sanctuary, its just stunning.

I love this shot by Doug from Kdog. Bride. Groom. Church. Married.

After the ceremony Tom & Corinne and the wedding party went and took pictures down by the Hobbs building. I love the artwork in the background.

Blue Bouquet did an awesome job. I love it when brides put color into their bouquets.

Tom and Corinne's grand entrance was so great. As they walked up the ramp into the patio at the Hobbs building, the Three Dollar Band was playing traditional Irish jig music. They followed Tom and Corinne into the building and played as they cut their cake. It was awesome and totally set the tone for everyone to have a great time. The band played out on the patio through dinner and beyond and had everyone up dancing (including a traditional Irish dance performed by Mary Etta!)

I love first dance moments.

Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this wonderful event!

Bella Bridesmaid Build Out Progress

2009-08-31T15:06:00.004-05:00

Here is a slideshow of the progress over the weekend. We have a little work left to do before the painter arrives next week but we're making tons of head way! Thank you so much to everyone who helped out!

2009-08-31T15:06:00.001-05:00

2009-08-27T08:41:00.001-05:00

Build Out Day One

2009-08-27T07:27:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was the first day of build-out for Bella Bridesmaid. Originally we weren't supposed to start until today but we got a surprise by getting the keys one day early! So, we're happy to report that we are officially ahead of schedule :). The space used to be an interior decorator's show room. There is the front space and the back space that are separated by two walls but not closed off from each other. The plan is to remove the wall that juts into half of the front room and move it back to be flush with the other existing wall and then separate the two spaces with french doors so that we have a clearly defined space for both Bella and Soirée. Plus there are lots of "interesting" walls and overhangs all of which need to come out. Future plans include new paint, new flooring, shelves and much, much more! Here are just a few pictures of our first day - we got SO much done!

Before: This is the front room of the store looking from the front door in

Before: This is the store from the back of the front room looking out onto Oak street.

Stopping for dinner. Thanks mom for the great food!

During: The first cut into the wall.

After: This is the front room of the store looking from the front door in - but with the wall gone! Now you can see back into the future Soirée space.

After: It got pretty dusty in there so I wasn't able to take as many good shots of the front but you can see how the overhang (one of the "weird" walls that we can't explain) is going to be removed making it one big open space.

Thank you to our manual labor or "stud finders" as they like to call themselves - John, Joel and Ryan. You guys are amazing and we really, really appreciate all that you guys are doing (this was at about 11pm last night)!

Day two starts in about 45 minutes and we'll be sure to share more pictures of the progress. Feel free to stop by and visit - 6205 Oak Street - but don't come without a sledge hammer.

Girly Girl Vintage

2009-08-25T11:29:00.001-05:00

If you are looking for a memorable favor for your maids look no further. Kim Jones is a fashion forward designer who started GirlyGirl Vintage who creates a custom style handbag for you and your bridesmaids. Her hand bags are trendy yet classic, with a unique customizability in different sizes, styles and vintage fabrics. They can be monogramed with each maids name or initials for a personal touch. Each clutch is hand-made with exceptional quality and attention to detail that will be the gift that keeps on giving. For more information contact Kim through her website. http://www.girlygirlvintage.com/

Kansas City A-List - Vote For Us!

2009-08-19T09:22:00.000-05:00

We've been nominated for Kansas City's A-List Award!! You have to register to vote, but you can do so by clicking here or on the link below. Votes will be accepted through the end of September. We'd really appreciate your vote and your support in helping us to get the word out about Soirée and Bella.
Thanks!
Megan and Danielle

We're On the Map!

2009-08-18T11:25:00.001-05:00

Check out the Bella Bridesmaid website - Kansas City is now on the map!
We will continue to update our page as we have pictures of the new store and get our new contact information. We are currently taking appointments so please pass along the site and our contacta information to anyone you know who may be interested! http://www.bellabridesmaid.com/
Buildout of the store starts next Thursday and we're still planning on an October 1st open date! We'll be sure to post pictures of our progress.

Soirée Wedding Featured in National Bridal Magazine!

2009-08-05T07:36:00.000-05:00

This month you can find one of our weddings featured in Grace Ormonde wedding Style - a bi-yearly national wedding magazine! The featured wedding is that of Michelle Hynek and Jason Anthony, held in Barnes, KS last August, and by far our most challenging event to date!

When Michelle and Jason contacted us in February of 2008 to do their wedding we instantly knew it was going to be a challenge, but we were also very excited. See, Michelle grew up in Barnes, KS (population 165!) which is an hour north of Manhattan, KS. However, for the past ten years she has called Los Angeles home, and Jason has lived there his whole life. Michelle still has a lot of family in the Barnes area and they felt that “coming back to her roots” for the wedding was very important. Since 50% of the wedding guests would be traveling from LA, Labor Day weekend was chosen and we got started planning the 3 day extravaganza!

A sampling of our challenges included getting guests from theKansas City airport to Barnes without them getting lost, no cell phone service and more than sketchy walkie-talkie reception, no running water or restrooms at the reception site (thank you to Scotties Potties!), we had to do everything off generator power, high winds and tents, multiple event sites in a rural town and the list goes on! Although the day was extremely stressful, seeing Michelle arrive in her horse and buggy with her dad to the amazing ceremony site and walk down the aisle to a very exciting Jason made the weekend all worthwhile.

And all the hard work felt even more worth while after seeing the beautiful images in the most recent issue of Wedding Style! Thank you to Photo Mementos for submitting this to the magazine and to the other Kansas City vendors who made the trip to Barnes with us and worked so hard on this wedding as well including flowers by Branches & Twigs and the tent and rental by Celebration Party Rental. All of the other vendors were sourced locally including amazing local food by two caterers and cake baker, pies by family friends and relatives, an elegant horse and buggy, Scotties Potties from Illinois and many others! We'd also like to give a shout out to our husbands and Megan's mom for making the trip with us and for all their help and for burning the candle on both ends with us!

And a very special thank you to Jason and Michelle for allowing and trusting us to be a part of this very special occasion. Happy Anniversary!
The article can be read in its entirity at http://www.weddingstylemagazine.com/featured/wed-s71.aspx.

Hostess Gifts

2009-07-28T08:08:00.002-05:00

I've been reading a book on the history of weddings and the reasons for some of the traditional wedding traditions is very interesting! For instance, ever wonder why its called a "shower"? In the late nineteenth century, a bride would invite her closest friends and relatives over for some stress relief the night before her wedding. Everyone would bring small token gifts that would be placed in an upside-down umbrella. This would then be raised and turned over the bride, and the gifts would "shower" down on her for luck.

Whenever a shower is thrown in your honor, it is appropriate to bring a hostess gift as a thank you for the event. I recently had a bride ask me for some help in this area. My favorite go-to place for hostess gifts is Nell Hills. First opened in Atchison, KS, this store - and its owner Mary Carol Garrity - are amazing! In the past two years or so she opened a shop in Briarcliff making it much more accessible, and now she has started an online shop much to her fans' excitement!

You can find lots of creative hostess gifts here that won't break the bank. Plus, they usually have multiple pieces of each item so if you have multiple people hosting the shower, you can still get them something very nice but you can get them all the same thing rather than trying to pick something out for each individual. Here are a few of my favorites with ways to put a creative spin on the gift:

If the shower is a brunch shower or luncheon, get a bag of coffee - such as the Breakfast Blend from KC's Roasterie - and affix a coffee scoop with some pretty ribbon to the bag. This one can be found at Nell Hills for only $5!

I love these bottles which are $51 for the set of three. If there were multiple people hosting your shower you could split of the three and give one to each person. For a personal touch you could infuse some olive oil with basil or rosemary and fill the bottles. As an accompaniment, give each person a little bag of delicious bread from Farm to Market in Downtown Overland Park.

This basket from Nell Hills is filled with 3, 10" glass milk bottles. The whole set is only $12! To personalize, fill each vase with a different grouping of flowers. Not only will this look pretty, but it will show the hostess just how this gift can be used as not everyone might infer that this is a vase!

Finally, I love these black serving trays. They are $52.25 for the set which is on the more expensive side, but you could break up the set for two gifts or if there is only one hostess or couple, this would be appropriate. For a personalized touch, you could stencil the host's monogram into the middle.

If none of these options - or variations of the above - seem to fit your host or hosts, a gift certificate to a restaurant is always a no-fail gift. Or in my case, a bottle of wine!

Future home of Bella Bridesmaid

2009-07-22T13:07:00.002-05:00

For those of you who don't know yet we are opening Bella Bridesmaid this October in Brookside! We will be located at 6205 Oak, which is currently Dalton's Interiors. We will post before and after pictures as the demo and build out begin in September. We have a ways to go from Interiors to Bridesmaid Dresses as you can see.

Our store front:

Front room for Bella Bridesmaid:

Back room for Soirée:

We are really excited for the opening in October. Wish us luck!

Wedding Logos

2009-07-21T08:16:00.002-05:00

A recent trend in weddings has been the use of a monogram. Or you may have heard it called a logo. The word logo has been used more than not as this stamp is more of a branding on your big day than a formal monogram. Brides are using this logo from save the dates and all the way through to lighted images projected onto their dance floors. I've even seen it jeweled onto the bottom of the bride's shoes so when she kneels at the altar all her guests get a little surprise! You may not need to go that far, but logos are a nice way to keep cohesiveness from the introduction of your wedding style all the way through to the big day and are perfect for all DIY projects.

Some traditional ways to incorporate your logo:

- Save the Dates

- Invitations

- Wedding Programs

- Menu Cards

- Favor Packaging

- On floral vases

Some non-traditional ideas:

- Shower Thank You cards

- Wax stamp/closure on the outside of your invitations

- Custom postage stamps

- Pew ends

- Embroidered on the inside of the Bride's dress or Groom's tie

- Paper chargers

- Icing design on cookies to accompany your cake

- Inside floral wreaths

To get your personalized logo, ask your invitation creator to design a custom monogram for you. Or, there are tons of online resources. Try online papier Betsy White (they did the logo above):

http://www.betsywhite.com/Logo-Designs-C21.aspx

Her black and white logos are $50 and her one-color logos are $75. You get a .pdf of the logo and can use it as many times as you'd like. Or try I Do Originals:

http://www.idooriginals.com/index_files/Page3211.html

For only $10 you can select any 3 logos or for $15 you can get 5! Pre-ready monograms are customized with your info and wedding colors. Or they also have custom designs options as well. If you have any online resources that are your favorite, please let us know!

Coming Soon to Brookside!

2009-07-14T10:39:00.001-05:00

More to come on this a little later but we'll be opening in Brookside in October!

www.bellabridesmaid.com

We've Joined the Blog World!

2009-07-13T21:11:00.001-05:00

Since I collectively spend about two hours a day reading other blogs of wedding professionals, event designers, friends and just plain interesting people, I thought maybe it would be a more productive use of my time if I spend a portion of that time creating our own blog! So here it is - the new Soirée blog. Danielle and I are going to do our best to keep up with updating this as we've got lots of new stuff on the horizon. However between a baby, a new store and a busy wedding season in full swing (plus attempting to also have lives), we can promise it won't be daily!

For our first post I thought I'd share some photos with you all of some past weddings. This is just a random sampling of the past year. Enjoy!