Breaking The Rules: Not Wearing White

Traditionally, most brides wear white on their wedding day but sometimes I have the opportunity to work with a bride that decides to break this unwritten rule. A white wedding gown is not for everyone, just like a strapless bodice may not be your cup of tea. Using color for a wedding dress can be just as much fun as dancing all night on the dance floor after the wedding. Color has the ability to spice up the simplest gown and turn it into a memorable piece of art.



The first wedding were a woman wore a white dress can be traced back to Queen Victoria’s wedding to Prince Albert in 1840.  Before Victoria’s wedding, many brides choose colors including blue, yellow, black and grey for their wedding gowns. Soon after Victoria’s wedding, the white dress trend spread throughout Europe and more elite brides were beginning to favor white over any other color.  A white dress indicated the bride’s family had money to spend on a garment that could be worn once and possibly ruined by getting dirty.  In the 19^th century, brides of the middle class also picked white as the color of their gowns instead of the different hues that were picked previously.  Most brides of this era would wear their gown more then once to get plenty of use out of the expensive garment.



In the past I’ve had the pleasure of working with a few brides that decided to use colors like red, black, purple, hints of green, and multi-colored lining to make their day and dress more unique. Actually a previous bride, Deborah's black wedding dress was part of the inspiration for my Spring 2013 collection; a black, sand washed jacquard gown with hand beading on the bodice.  Her gown was classic old Hollywood at it’s finest.

Kat & Fred

When I met Kat for the first time, she came in with her aunt who lives in Guam.   She knew that her loving aunt was not going to be able to attend her wedding and wanted her to partake in as much as she could during her visit. It was very touching to see how important it was for Kat to involve so much of her family...her mother, father, aunt and grandmother were all involved at some point in the process.   As it was difficult for her grandmother to see, Kat would explain in detail every inch of her dress for her to really "see" the gown come together.  It was beautiful to see her light up with each word. 

One of the most important factors in the design,  was the beading...or as Kat called it "bling"...and lots of it!   We started with dense beading on the top which faded into the body as it trickled down towards her skirt. At each fitting, more and more beading was added...soon she was fully covered. If there was an open space to be found, believe me, Kat would want another stone to cover it. She wanted to sparkle like no other bride she'd seen, and she had seen many, many weddings prior to her own.

The beaded bodice flowed into an organza ruffled skirt which looked like roses, but it didn't end there. From a chapel length train,  we added a detachable cathedral train, finished off with a mini organza belt on her waist.  The end result was stunning!

A beautiful side note...when her aunt returned from Guam, Kat put on a second showing of her gown so that her aunt could feel the same wonder that was felt on the actual day.

All of the special day was captured by the husband and wife team of Connie & Jeff's Photography.

Congratulations Kat & Fred!

Jenni & Matt

My bride Jenni Rae, as her Mother calls her, came to me looking to see if it was possible to create her dream gown within a very specific budget.  You see, since her grandparents were paying for her dress, she wanted to honor them and make sure that she not go over a certain amount.

At my first consultation with Jenni, her mom Tamra, sister Nikki and grandma Gwen showed me images of other dresses which she had tried on and discussed with me what she liked and didn't like. It was interesting to see that her grandmothers eye was right on target, as she had a very detailed idea of what her grand daughter should wear...but of course, ultimately, it was whatever Jenni wanted.

Since it was going to be a Palm Springs wedding, light fabric and an easy flow for her gown were a must. Additionally, three key requests for her gown were: cap sleeves, had to have beading and a minimal train. The beading, especially, had to be just right and work well with Jenni's frame.

The final gown I designed for her was an Empire waist,  Crinkle chiffon gown with draped cap sleeves. The highlights were the hand beading on the shoulder as well as on the empire waistline.  

Since they are both outdoor aficionados, Jenni & Matt were married at Spencer's Restaurant in Palm Springs, and the grounds were just beautiful.  All of the beauty and love were captured by Brian Kent of ABM Photography. 

Congratulations Jenni & Matt!

Raquel & Ian

My bride Raquel came to me looking to create a unique gown that would fit her beautifully as well as fit her unique wedding story...

It all began with a surprise proposal in Starbucks by her hubby Ian, which everyone was in on, when she was handed a gift which said she was a prized Starbucks customer.  Little did she know that the box contained more then just a gift certificate, it was actually a one of kind designed engagement ring! 

The second part to her story, was her dream of getting married in a house she would always drive by.  As she did a little research and found that one of her students actually lived in the house, and was able to accommodate her wedding, the pieces were starting to come together.

Her dream dress was now the final part needed to make it a true reality.

Just as her ring was custom designed, Raquel wanted a gown that reflected her unique style. She also wanted to keep the gown a surprise from Ian until her wedding day. So she made the decision to board a plane in Connecticut and come to California, where she would be able to have her gown made discreetly and without any distraction.  Pasadena worked out perfectly, since her future sister-in-law also lived here. So, we set about scheduling her fittings and alterations to work out as efficiently as possible and get in as many details as we could during each trip.  Her final gown was a beautiful duchess satin with tucks and pleats throughout.  Her drape shoulder was asymmetrical and form fitting.  The only request Raquel had was to include her initials and favorite number.  So, I had her initials laser cut, as we embellished them with the amount of stones that represented her number, and placed them on her train. 

Additionally, we designed and fabricated three cute little flower girl gowns to represent her peacock color scheme.

From day one, that little spitfire won my heart..... dancing, singing and especially beat boxing, filling us with non-stop laughter through every fitting and appointment.

Congratulations Raquel & Ian!

Kristi & James

When my bride Kristi, who is a kindergarten teacher in the Pasadena area, came to her first appointment, she opened up to me about her family and the recent passing of her father.  As we spoke, we instantly bonded and connected over the fact that we had both lost our fathers.  After shedding many tears, Kristi told me what her vision was for her gown and her wedding.  She gave me her full trust and wanted me to style her and her entire party from head to toe, which I gladly and proudly did.
Her Bohemian vision came to life in the design of her gown which we made from Battenburg lace appliques and Crinkle chiffon, from the simplest of ideas, one of which was a sun dress.  After every meeting and fitting, I knew that as we adjusted and played with ideas, that I was on the right track when I could see a glimmer of tears in her eyes.
I even involved her sister Cami in the fabrication of Kristi's gown and had her assist with a portion of the beading, making it very personal for her and her family.
Kristi also put her lovely Mom in my hands, as I put her in a gold Dupioni jacket with matching cigarette style pants.  As the matriarch of the family, I thought it only fitting that her Mom be in gold as the rest of the party were in shades of yellow.
The wedding and reception took place at her beautiful brother-in-law's house in Altadena.  Quaint, intimate and emotional, her wedding brought tears all the way around, including myself and my husband.  All of it captured by Rose City Photography.

 Congratulations Kristi & James!

Kristi's Wedding Party

Nine different dresses for nine unique ladies and girls....
This is how many gowns I designed and fabricated for my bride Kristi's Wedding Party.  It all started when discussing Kristi's wedding as she wanted all yellow for her bridal party.  So, I thought, why not come up with different shades of yellow in order to make it more unique, since each design was different.  The colors complemented her Bohemian vision of her wedding and reception and brought a beautiful array of Summer color to a wonderful outdoor Fall wedding (just as the drizzle cleared!).
Additionally, I designed and fabricated the head pieces, out of burlap, for the girls and added burlap floral broaches to their Toms ballerina shoes.
All of my girls, my little "pollitos" - Ava, Elle, Niki, Kerry, Lisa, Cami, Laura, Gloria and Andrea, who will be featured in the next blog along with Kristi, were the most wonderful wedding party that a bride could ever want.
The closeness of the two families from the beginning of the design process, to the fittings and through to the wedding itself was inspiring and touching.  I am very happy and proud to have been part of Kristi's wedding and now count them as family myself...
xoxox,
Alina