Happy Holidays!

Warmest Holiday wishes! 

Penny & Allison

Emily & Jack

If you've been to Bella recently you may recognize Emily.  She has been working here on weekends and has been such a great addition to my one man team.  I met Emily originally because her husband Jack is a friend from college, so shortly after he proposed Emily came in to pick out dresses. She chose mix & match LulaKate styles with a full skirt in black dupioni silk and they looked fabulous!

And as we say in the South, "Bless her heart", poor Emily broke her foot a few weeks before the wedding so she was stuck wearing a boot on her wedding day. Of course it didn't stop her from making the most of her special day.

I'm sure you can tell from these pictures - Emily is full of joy!  Bella is lucky to have such a genuine girl like her! Congrats Emily!

Tisk Tisk

I know, I know. I am beyond overdue for a post.  Please accept my apology with a double post.

First bride, meet Amy.  She is a school teacher and a fellow teacher/ sorority sister of mine was so kind to refer her to me. As I've said before, I love a bride with a vision.  Amy had a vision and it was a certain shade of purple and LulaKate Aubergine satin was the perfect purple.  She chose a strapless dress with a full skirt for her maids. From the pictures, they had beautiful Indiana Fall weather for their wedding. Congrats Amy!

Love the orange bouquets!

Now give me sassy! 

Next bride, meet Sarah.  Little did we know when we were working together that we had a mutual friend - my good friend Mary at G.Thrapp Jewelers who helped Sarah's fiance with her ring.  Sarah said "I Do" at her lake house on Lake Wawasee.  Her pictures are phenomenal - photographer Carpenter Photo & Design. I went through the entire album and it looked like a party you would NOT want to miss. Her maids were simply stunning in their one shoulder Priscilla of Boston dresses and Sarah dazzled in her Jim Hjelm wedding dress.

I'll quit rambling and let you see.

For more pictures go to the link below:

http://carpenterphoto.com/darkroom/mt/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=sarah

Ok, am I forgiven??

Little Black Dress

I love this new Priscilla of Boston dress (style VY1515).  It looks great on the hanger and fantastic on! I had an appointment over the weekend and the bridesmaid was seriously trying to get me to sell it to her off the rack so she could wear to an event next weekend. It is sharp!

It's Amore - Part One

Flashback to 2001, I'm en route to Italy for a few weeks to study Art History. Gosh, I love College, did I really get credit for that? Anyway, the group of girls on the trip were fabulous.  During our time abroad, I became fast friends with a girl named Kasey.  We stayed friends through college but lost touch after school.  Earlier this year we re-connected in Indianapolis and have picked up right where we left off.  She is truly one of the most genuine people I know and I am blessed to have her friendship!

There is a reason, I'm telling you all this.  I'll get to the point.  So while we were in Rome at the Trevi fountain, you can throw 1,2, or 3 coins. One Coin: You will return to Italy, Two Coins: Will lead to a new romance, Three Coins: Will lead to Marriage.

Well, I'd love to know the combination of coins Kasey threw into the fountain because it worked!  Not only did she return to Italy but her boyfriend at the time - Josh flew over, surprised her and proposed while she watched the sunset over Florence with her family. Swoon!

Kasey's wedding was a very Bella affair - she outfitted her 10 bridesmaids and 3 "usherettes" in Bella dresses. She also found shower dresses and a dress for her rehearsal dinner during her many visits to the store.  Pictures from her wedding events and big day to come. Here is a sneak peak of her "usherettes" wearing Simple Silhouettes Phlox dress.

Lela Rose - Jen's Wedding

Here are some pictures from my friends - Tommy and Jen's wedding in South Bend.  She picked two different styles from the LelaRose collection in mint! Photos by Brittani Renee Photography.

What a good looking group! SPP!

So happy for you two! Looking forward to many more years of laughs and good times with y'all!

In My Window

Coren Moore- Avery Dress in Navy Shantung with a Sky Blue Sash and matching Flower Pin. 

Beauties in Black

When Mimi - the bride - sent me her wedding pictures to peruse through, I was secretly jealous I couldn't have been there. Her wedding looked like a BLAST.  A legit party.  The bride and groom even did a surprise dance for their guests.  Her maids wore long Amsale black chiffon dresses and looked absolutely amazing. Check it.

Closeup of the girls

Love this one!

Yay Mimi's Married!

Gorgeous!

How fun are they?

Congrats Mimi & Jim! 

Saja Wedding Gown

Suzanne was my first bride to buy her dress at Bella.  She got married in July and had an outdoor ceremony.  The weather that day was hot - like 95 degrees hot.  You can't tell from the pictures.  She said the dress was perfect.  I think you'll agree.

Suzanne found Saja online and fell in love with the simple elegance of their gowns.  Her beauty is very evident in the pictures below - but let me just say her personality & spirit are just as beautiful.  Best wishes, Suzanne. It was such a pleasure working with you!

The Dress

The Bride

Elegant

The happy couple

Congrats!

Gaggle of Girls

I'm back from San Francisco. Whew, what a trip. It was so wonderful to meet the other Bellas, exclusive designers and get out of Indy for a few days. Not only did I learn lots from the stores that have been open for years but I got to catch up with the girls that I trained with last Fall who are experiencing all the same things I am as a new business owner.

Bridget said it best at our meeting, she said she would pick all of us to be her friends. I couldn't agree more, I truly enjoyed meeting the rest of my Bella family. Here is a group photo.

Sneak Peak

I am currently in San Francisco for our bi-ennial Bella conference. As expected, it has been a big time. Last night some of our exclusive designers graciously hosted dinner for all of us crazy girls. The food was amazing and the wine seemed.... endless.

Here is a picture of me with Carol Hannah from Project Runway. She is introducing a bridesmaids line that is feminine, fun, and affordable. I can't wait to show you. Meanwhile, feast your peepers on me and my new bestie.

Loving Navy!

Sorry for the break! I am sort of at the mercy of my brides to send me pictures, but be glad you waited because this next picture is worth it. I am a little bummed the bride isn't in the picture because she is adorable and I would have loved to see her POB dress.

Here are Katie's bridesmaids in Simple Silhouettes Aster dress - Navy shantung. I am in love with the flowers. SO pretty and perfect for a July wedding. They just add a fun pop of color. Another thing that I love is that she didn't do matchy matchy jewelry. Seriously, if I worked for Simple Silhouettes I would use this for my website. Doesn't it look like an ad?

I'm kind of obsessed with Navy these days. I have another Navy wedding that I'm hoping to have pictures from soon. In the meantime, enjoy the awesomeness of these bridesmaids. Congrats Katie! Come visit when you're in Indy!

Theta Love!

In college, I was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. I love being a Theta. The connections I've made because of my sorority follow me where ever I go and whatever I do. One of my recent brides was a sorority sister from DePauw. She was in the class above me, so we lived in the house for 2 years together. Ashley was probably the most easy going brides that has walked through Bella's doors. Every bridesmaid got to pick her own style of LulaKate dresses. She put her bridesmaids in Black shantung & her maid of honor in Metal shantung. I took this picture from her photographers blog - Sara and Mallary. Check out pictures from the rest of her wedding. They are stunning!

Congrats again Ashley!

BlueTux Shoes Final Sale

Blue Tux is going out of business.... only 2 weeks left of this sale! Great shoes and accessories for maids and brides. Check it out!

Pick a Color. Any Color.

I decided to add a handful of new samples to my LulaKate selection. After six months of seeing what girls liked, I saw an opportunity with adding new colors, styles, etc. The versatility of LulaKate seems to be endless & I felt like my original sample order didn't fully showcase that.

Let's talk Angela dress. So iconic to their advertising. Girls love this dress! It's so summery and fun. You can pick any three colors or you can pick two colors or you probably guessed it... you can just have one color. See what I'm saying about having a tough time deciding.

I ordered another Angela sample in dupioni silk with White, Lime, and Navy straight skirt. Hello nautical wedding cuteness. Can I keep this for myself, please?

Confession. I did order one for myself. Here she is: Night shantung with a Fog band and mini 2 pleat skirt. Confession #2. When I opened this I locked the door of Bella and shimmeyed into the dress and had an impromptu - solo fashion show. She fits like a glove and I LOVE her.

Angela's sister with straps is the Pam dress. She also gets lots of trying on. Here she is in Cream & Metal dupioni with a 2 pleat skirt. Pair the Pam & Angela dresses together to solve the some want strapless - some want straps bridesmaid issue. Done and done.

Disclaimer: I didn't realize how Tiffany's this would look. The color is called Paradise. I've seen a lot of this blue/ turquoise color , so I thought what the heck - I'll get a sample in it. Introducing Tiffany's box Pam Dress with a full skirt in shantung.

Are you finally starting to believe me when I say options are practically endless. I'm having a LulaKate trunk show next weekend. If you or any of your friends are getting married, setup an appointment and we'll play dress up.

Making a Statement with Accessories

Accessories can totally make or break your outfit. Personally, if I had to wear a white shirt & jeans for the rest of my life but could have any accessories to go with it - I would be happy. My bathroom & closet are cluttered with necklaces, bracelets, scarves, belts, purses, etc.

I often find that bridal or bridesmaid accessories are an after thought or a last minute scramble. I am going to add to my accessory collection at the store but wanted to share some of my current favs.

First off, Florrie Mitton garters. What a perfect gift for the bride! So elegant and well-made. They have elastic so they won't slide & satin so they won't itch. Aren't they so charming?

Next, Made by Stella jewelry. Her pieces are so feminine and delicate. Definitely not something you could pick up at a department store. Also, she'll change the stone color or chain color for most pieces - just ask.

Matching Earrings.

Lastly, Nelle handbags. How sweet is this purse? I recently donated one for a Pretty Indy event and the following day I had a girl come to the store to buy one. They are hand made out of charmeuse and very dainty. Plus they are available in over 10 colors too.

Carrie Underwood has good taste

My fav American Idol/ one of my fav country singers got married this weekend - Carrie Underwood. Sister had a HUGE wedding and according to People magazine it looked fabulous. Although Carrie didn't buy her dresses from Bella Bridesmaid - she did buy her little ring bearer an outfit from the Bella Bridesmaid in Nashville. She chose the Hudson - silk shantung outfit by LulaKate. It's precious. No question about that. Here is a picture of Penny with the Hudson outfit to prove that statement.

It's tough to find something age appropriate and cute for ring bearers - luckily I have another option for the little Romeo in your wedding. Here is an adorable all white, hand sewn outfit from Pears and Bears. I know Boys + White = Bad but that is why some genius invented Shout wipes, Tide pens & Bleach.

To pull it all together why not add a Maihar Design pillow that matches your wedding colors.

Match your colors. I love the brown/ blue combo.

Simple & White. Very Elegant. Marie Pillow.

Juliet pillow with a splash. In background of pics above.

Take a minute to digest all that cuteness and get back to me.