REAL BRIDE: Jamie

Chad & Jamie Martin
4.25.2015

A classic evening wedding, with the flair of modern art at Kemper Art Museum in Kansas City was the perfect location for Jamie to become Chad's wife. 

What was the favorite memory from your wedding day?
My favorite part of the wedding was of course marrying my husband, but also having all my close friends and family surrounding us. They all had smiles on their faces and were so supportive. I felt spoiled and truly blessed to have such wonderful people there to celebrate my special day. I also managed to keep the groom's cake a secret from my husband, so it was fun to see him surprised. 

What advice do you have for other bride's planning their big day?
Advice, make sure you are doing things that you WANT to do. A lot of people have their opinions on what you should do...but you need to trust your gut and decide if it is what you and your partner want. I also recommend taking a few things out of the day. It is already a little overwhelming so if there are a few details that no one would miss don't be afraid to leave them out. It is also great to have your close girlfriends around you during the day while you are getting ready to help keep you calm leading up to the ceremony. 

Jamie not only looked absolutely stunning in her Ellis Bridals lace gown, but will always have a special place in our hearts at Something White because she was our very first bride to get married! Congratulations Chad & Jamie, we wish you many, many years of happiness together!

Bridal Look:

Gown | Ellis Bridals

Veil | Edward Berger

Earrings | Embellish

Hair | Beauty Brands

Wedding Professionals:

Venue & Caterer | Kemper Art Museum

Floral | Emmy-Ray

Cake | 3 Women & An Oven

DJ | DJ Kate

Photography | Rita Clark Photography

Bridal Fashion Timeline

I recently had the pleasure of sharing the following timeline with EA Bride for the Summer 2015 edition of their magazine. Keep in mind some situations vary, so use this as a guide to establish a timeline that works for you!

9 - 12 Months Prior to the Wedding:
Begin Your Wedding Dress Search
Start your wedding dress search by browsing through magazines and websites to get an idea of what styles you like. Be sure to research which style and shape works best with your body style. Once you have a vision in mind, schedule an appointment at a bridal boutique that matches your budget and begin trying on dresses.

6 - 9 Months Prior to the Wedding:
Say Yes to the Dress
Start shopping. Remember to keep an open mind and try on gowns in different shapes to see what looks best on your body style. On average, bridal gowns take 12 weeks to arrive after ordering, so try to make your purchase no closer than six months to the wedding date. This will allow ample time for fittings and completing your bridal look.

3 - 6 Months Prior to the Wedding:
Complete Your Bridal Party Look
This is the time to order dresses for your bridal party, including your bridesmaids and flower girls. Don't forget to continue completing your wedding day look by ordering accessories for you and your girls. View a complete list of bridal look accessories below.

6 - 8 Weeks Prior to the Wedding:
Perfect Your Bridal Look
Your dress has arrived! Now is the time for that first fitting to determine if alterations are needed. Make sure to bring your wedding shoes with you to the fitting.

4 - 6 Weeks Prior to the Wedding:
Alterations
If your wedding gown requires multiple fittings (it's normal to have one to three fittings), they should occur during this time, along with the bridesmaid dresses. For your second fitting, it is a good idea to bring your accessories so you can see your look together and decide if it's perfection.

Photography: JSi Photography

Welcome Lis Simon!

So a couple weeks ago I told you some pretty exciting things were going to be happening here at Something White Bridal Boutique. Mainly, we will be introducing new designers in bridal and accessories. It has taken every ounce of my willpower to not show off all of the exciting items that will be coming our way, but do not worry friends, the time has come to start our introductions. First up... 

We are thrilled to announce starting in December we will be carrying bridal gowns from Lis Simon. Eeeekk!!! We can barely contain our excitement, and as soon as you see the stunning gowns she has created, you will understand why!

I know it's a tease to only show two gowns, but wait until we show you Spring 2015 Collection. Follow us on Pinterest and you will see the variety of gowns that will be offered at Something White soon!

Meet the Designer: Ellis Bridals

Ellis Bridals was founded back in 1912 by Ada Ellis, making it the oldest bridal company in the world having just celebrated their 100th year in business. It all began when Ada created her own wedding gown with the belief that glamour, luxury and hand-craftsmanship were key. After her gown debuted, others wanted her design for their wedding and the rest is history. Take a look back over the many years of Ellis Bridals.

To get the inside scoop, Creative Director Regine Ellis shares her thoughts on the wedding business then and now.

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What was the "Ellis Style" when you first established in 1912 and has that changed over the years?

I believe the Ellis signature has always been our craftmanship. Throughout our 100 years we have become well known for our handmade embellishments and attention to detail is still key today as much as it ever was when Ada Ellis started the business from her London studio all those years ago.

You must be in a unique position to see how wedding dresses have changed over the years. What have the trends been like and is there a style that has endured over the century?

Not all brides desire a large princess gown with heavy embellishments and endless layers of fabric, more recently we have seen girls desire a dress that is more understated. A gown that is simple, but with fine and delicate detailing creating an elegant overall look.  

What are your favorite fabrics to work with?
I particularly enjoyed working with lace in this collection. It is a classically romantic material, a big trend for this coming season and a major part of our upcoming collection. Echoing the royal wedding we have included some delicate lace long sleeves, cover-ups and a beautiful short lace wedding dress, which was directly inspired by a design from our extensive archives. 

What do you think is the secret to your success?
Ellis has always designed with the bride in mind. Something which sounds obvious, but it can be easy sometimes to create garments that look beautiful on the hanger but do not work on a real woman! We believe this is key to our longevity along with our contemporary styling and heritage inspired designs.  

Transformation Tuesday

1,259 FLOOR BOARDS, 12 GALLONS OF PAINT & HUNDREDS OF HOURS LATER...

Thanks to some pretty amazing friends, family, and the most amazing husband ever, what was previously an office setting was transformed into Something White Bridal Boutique over two months. I am so excited to share a few photographs of what has become my second home. To see the full album, head on over to our Facebook page!

Just remember, everything is truly better in person, so stop by and see our handy work for yourself!