A message from Jenna…

“I wore the Portia on 9/22/12 when I married my love.  I have to share a story with you first.  In July of 2011, my now husband and I were in Charleston, SC while I was finishing up training for my new job with Walgreens.  We parked the car so he could finish a phone call and when I looked to my right, I saw your Charleston store.  I immediately took a photo and sent it to my best friend (who introduced my husband and I and was our MOH).  I told her we would be shopping here for the big day, which I had no idea would come in 2012.

I had totally forgotten about this until the day I chose a Modern Trousseau gown from Hayden Olivia Bridal in Charlotte.  I randomly chose this shop because it was centrally located for my mother (WV), my now sister-in-law (Atlanta), and myself (North Myrtle Beach, SC).  I hadn’t looked at Modern Trousseau gowns, I actually was not a fan when they pulled Portia from the rack and insisted I try it on.  It was gown number 3 and from the moment I put it on, I knew it was the gown I would marry my husband in.  It was so comfortable.  I could wear it everyday!

Thank you for designing my dream gown, and being a part of the fairy tale I’ve always imagined!”

Congratulations Jenna, we loved working with you!

Its official…Hayden Olivia Bridal is thrilled to launch The Uptown Bridal Suite The suite is every bride’s solution to the question, “Where will we get ready the day of the wedding?”  The ladies at Hayden Olivia and several of the Queen City’s top vendors have collaborated to provide a private and relaxing environment where brides, the bridal party and family members enjoy the hours leading up to the wedding.  Peek through the new Website, contact us, send us feedback… several brides have already made their reservation and we look forward to hosting you at the Uptown Bridal Suite.

The Uptown Bridal Suite

A while back we posted a “stay tuned” message about a project we have been working on.  See Here  Well, we have arrived at COMPLETE and are dying to share!  We think it will be the place you  will want to spend the hours before you say ‘I do”…we know we want to hang out in the this beautiful space when we should be working!  We have some web tweaking to take care of, a few last minute decor items to place and a list of excited brides to call…we are going to hold our breath till Friday- the launch of the website and to accept new bookings. Here is a little sneak peek…

Our heart skipped a beat when we received Carolyn’s photos…what a gracious and sweet client to work with, we all adored her!

Preparing for your bridal appointment?  We know- you want to know what to bring and how to prepare, right?  We have been doing this for almost 5 years now and have learned a few dos and donts to make your gown experience top notch!  We are going to share some dos with you today, all hopefully helpful and will assist in helping you to have the most enjoyable experience possible!

Do’s of Bridal Gown Shopping:

1.  Don’t Sweat your Arrival.  Give yourself some time to find the boutique/store.  Parking may be close to the store or you may have to grab a space in a parking garage.  If you are 2 minutes late- its ok!  Upon arrival, use the potty, grab a water, settle your belongings and take a deep breath!  It will be fun, promise!

2.  Wear tan or Nude.  There is no way around it, you will see dark color undies under these gorgeous gowns.  It will throw you off and make you wish over and over that you thought more about your undergarment choices for the day!

3.  Leave the Outspoken Friend at Home.  Don’t get us wrong, we love friends.  HOWEVER, you do not need an outspoken friend who wants to check in on every gown- this is your day and often your day with the few whose opinions matter the most!

4.  Go with it! If the consultant offers you a bra, take it!  If she has a suggestion, listen.  These consultants are trained and very knowledgable.  Go with it!  Let them make suggestions, let them zip you and clip you and do all of the leg work.  Its what they are there for and its what they love to do.

5.  Know your Gown Budget.  Save yourself and the consultant the misery of trying on gowns that are out of your budget and then falling in love and feeling stuck!  Know your budget, share your budget and try gowns on within the range!  You will be very happy that you did!

6.  Eat before you Arrive!  They do not have medics on staff and its best that you do not pass out on this special day!

7.  Say Yes!  If you love the shop, love your consultant, like the price, LOVE the gown and have no reason to keep on shopping then say yes to that dress.  We find that bride who try on upwards of 20+ gowns get confused and frustrated with the gown process.  If all the pieces fit, say yes!  You will be so glad to move on to other details of your big day!

8.  Snap a FEW.  Snap a few shots of your favorite gowns if the shop allows.  Perhaps a few shots is sufficient!  100 pictures from your shopping trip is not needed and will just fill up your Iphone gallery!

9.  Take in the Moment.  You are getting married!  Take it all in- try on a princess ball gown!  Take a picture with your favorite people!  Smile- its not that bad!!  Enjoy the process and make some great memories.

10.  Accessory Appointment Needed.  A lofty goal would be to choose your gown AND all accessories in one appointment. Often it takes a second accessory appointment to pull your entire look together.  Breathe- choose the gown first and then let the rest of the details fall into place!

 Photo: Apple Brides

I often wonder how brides “keep it all together?”  Almost 8 years ago, I had a large white 3 ring binder that I would “haul” to all of my vendor meetings and appointments.  Now days, its an iPad, iPad mini or iPhone that holds all of the important details together and in one place.  Where do you keep all of your planning details?  Are you sticking to a bridal budget and tracking?  Have you allotted an amount for your gown?  Have you chosen all of your vendors and saved their information?  Here are 3 bridal apps that we found to be noteworthy!

1.  The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner

2.  BRIDES Wedding Genius

3.  The Wedding Row

We have several gorgeous brides to share with you from 2012.  We are going to begin with the sweet Franks family!

From Katie’s mom…”Katie was the most beautiful bride.  Everyone loved both of her dresses and the bridesmaids dresses as well.  Thank you for help making Katie’s wedding perfect.”

We wish the happy couple a long life of happiness and blessings!

Where is time going?  December is flying by, tons of gown arrivals and new sample gowns arriving…Its a wonderful time of year!

We are celebrating two gorgeous collections this weekend, Anne Barge and Tara Keely.  If gown shopping is on your agenda this weekend, make sure that an appointment at HOB is on your list!  We will do out best to find an appointment time for you!

Now onto a little bit of winter inspiration!  I always dreamed of a winter wedding…are you getting married this month?  Do you plan to wear a fur?  Do share!

100layercake.com

castlemanor.blogspot.com

bride.net

corbingurkin.com

Gorgeous real bride feature this morning!  Gown by Anna Maier and photography by 6offour.  Bess shared…

Here’s a sneak peak of my wedding on June 30, 2012.  I cannot begin to tell you how many compliments I have received on the gorgeous dress.  Everything was exquisite- from the bridesmaid dress, to the veil, to my wedding gown. They all came together perfectly for an Old Edwards Inn mountain wedding.    Thank you so much for all of your help!  Hayden Olivia knows exactly how to make every bride feel beautiful. Oh, and Mai, is the best!

Congratulations to the happy couple!

We will be sharing several real bride features over the next several weeks.  We are so thankful that our brides have shared their special day with us and now we get to share with you!

Stephanie shared, “Thank you again for an amazing experience! I recommended one of my newly engaged friends to your boutique.  I’m sure she will have the same experience!”  Congrats to the newly married couple!