Strut Bridal

April's Halter Wedding Dress

April came wedding dress shopping at Strut with just six weeks to go before her November 24th, 2011 nuptials to Gene. 

Since they were getting married in Las Vegas, April was looking for a wedding dress without a long train and that had a structured fit through the bodice. 

We found her the perfect informal wedding dress--it was a halter top gown with beautiful beaded embroidery, a ruched waist and chiffon skirt--everything she was looking for!

Congratulations to you both. April, we look forward to seeing you soon for a bridesmaids dress for your then-maid of honor's wedding!

Malyndia's Short Wedding Dress

Malyndia and Ryan were married February 18th, 2012, at Cathedral Rock in Sedona. The setting was just breathtaking! She chose a short taffeta wedding gown and added a sash at the waist. We love the coordinating bolero she wore with her wedding dress. It just shows that a pop of color like that can really work with the right dress! Her flats and pearls complete the look.

She wrote us a lovely review and sent it with photos from her wedding:

Details on my experience: I went into Strut with a week before my wedding. I had looked at other bridal stores but was unhappy with the selection for plus sizes. When I got to Strut I was greeted nicely, helped immediately and the sales staff did not waste my time with styles that were not what I wanted or out of my price range. I was able to make my decision in less than 10 minutes and was able to take home my dress that day. I couldn't have had the wedding day I wanted without the help from Strut Bridal Salon.

 

Lauren's Lightweight Wedding Dress

Lauren and Michael were married outside in Tucson on March 11, 2012. Lauren came to Phoenix just to visit Strut and go wedding dress shopping. Her vision was that she wanted a dress that was not too hot, that she could move around in, and just be really comfortable wearing. We found her a lightweight taffeta gown with ruched bodice and aline skirt.

She sent us an email and said:

Hello,

I thought I'd just drop a note with a pic from our wedding. It was great and I loved my dress (I'm just not sure what to do with it now - I sure don't want to part with it!). I got lots of compliments on it (especially the buttons down the back, hehe). Thanks for everything!
Lauren

Congratulations, you two! Next time you're in Phoenix, stop by the store and say hi!

Tiffany and Blake's Lucky Wedding

Tiffany and Blake were married on November 11, 2011 at the Holiday Inn in Mesa. They had their ceremony in a tent with twinkle lights outside, and their reception followed in one of the hotel ballrooms.  Their wedding colors were red, black and white. Tiffany came in looking for something stunning that would make Blake’s mouth drop and we found just that. She was referred to Strut by Stylist Pam who also happens to be her now Sister in Law! Here is Tiffany with her two sons. 

The friend that introduced them actually was ordained to perform the ceremony! 

Tiffany chose a satin ball gown wedding dress with a fitted corset style bodice covered in beaded embroidery. The bodice featured a sheer peek a boo detail in the middle.  Here is a close up of the detail. 

The detail on the bodice continued on the back and had it came down in a V shape on the back. 

Since Tiffany’s wedding dress was very heavily beaded on the top she decided to go simple on her jewelry with only diamond studs in her ears.  She got a pop of color from her all red Gerber Daisy bouquet tied with a black ribbon. Here she is pictured with two of her bridesmaids who carried smaller hand tied mixed color bouquets.

Congratulations Tiffany and Blake! We wish you many more happy years with your two adorable boys! 

 

 

Angela's L'Auberge Wedding

Angela and John were married in an intimate ceremony held creekside at the L'Auberge resort in Sedona last November. The amazing photos below are by Sierra Blanco Photography.

Angela's wedding dress was a silk ballgown. The bodice featured beaded lace with a sweetheart neckline. The back was corset style.  Many curvy brides think a plus size ballgown wedding dress will make them look larger, but the secret is in the fit and proportions. For Angela, this slightly elongated bodice gave her an hourglass shape, while the skirt with pickups balanced her chest.

Angela and John took photos with the stunning red rock as their backdrop.

Even if you don't wear a cathedral veil down the aisle, if you're getting married outside, a long, flowy veil makes for stunning, dramatic photos. In fact, some brides treat them like a prop, using the cathdral veil just for photos, and then wear something shorter down the aisle. 

In the photo below, you can see the back of Angela's wedding gown, which featured pickups and more beaded appliques.

Angela and John had just a dozen or so guests and took their vows in a circle of pink rose petals.

For their reception they hosted a seated dinner in a private dining room at the resort. 

We love the fingerprint keepsake, where their guests left a mark and their name. What a great memento to hang on the wall!

Best wishes to you both!

Vendor Review: Felch House Inn

The Felch House Inn is actually located just a block from Strut in central Phoenix in the Roosevelt Historic District. Built in 1927, it has been a bed and breakfast for awhile and just this year started booking weddings and receptions. They recently had an open house and we just had to stop by and visit our neighbor!

Two things we love about the Felch House Inn are:

1. It is immaculately groomed--not a blade of grass out of place!
2. There are so many little nooks for enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning. Or use them for food stations to get your guests mingling!

They recently ordered a clear, acrylic cover for their pool. Wouldn't that make the coolest dance floor?!

One of their preferred vendors is Fresh From the Kitchen. These caterers believe in using the freshest, best ingredients. They also do wedding cakes. They've catered a number of events we've attended, and we think their food is top-notch. They cater weddings of all sizes. Here are some photos of their picture-perfect food:

The inside of the venue is beautiful, too, with lots of sitting areas for registered guests. We love the Felch House Inn as a wedding and reception venue because it offers a number of packages to fit the smallest gathering to over 100 people. We think it's well maintained and beautiful. It gives an intimate, garden feeling in the middle of the city!

One possible challenge could be parking, since there is just a little bit of street parking. But we think we remember owner Becky saying they have an agreement with a nearby business to use their parking for events; nonetheless, be sure to ask about parking!

For brides and grooms looking for a centrally located venue that can do their wedding, reception, or both, we highly recommend you check out the Felch House Inn!

 

Models Needed for Wedding Magazine Photoshoot

Ladies, we need your help! We're looking for six curvy ladies to be fit models for an upcoming magazine photo shoot. We want brides in a variety of sizes from 12-30 and shapes, from hourglass girls to pears and apples and even those of you who claim you don't have a waist at all! 

The purpose of the shoot is to show your shape (in the "before" pic) in a flattering wedding dress style (the "after" pic).

Here are the details:

• You MUST be available from 10am-noon on Saturday, May 12th;
• The photo shoot will be at the store (please don't bring friends, family or children);
• You'll need to wear jeans and a black shirt for the before photo;
• We'll put you in a dress that is flattering; you won't be able to choose the gown.

The shoot should be quick, easy and fun! We're looking for six models (but be aware that some ladies might get cut due to space constraints) of various sizes and body types. If you'd like to be a wedding dress model for us, please send your photo to service(at)strutbridalsalon.com by the end of day on Monday, May 7th. We'll send out confirmations on Tuesday.

Thanks so much--it should be super fun. This wedding magazine is the only one in the US that focuses on plus size brides, so let's help them out!

6 Great Questions to Ask a Wedding Hair Stylist

For the last installment in our wedding hair series, we want to give you six important questions to ask anyone you'd like to do your wedding day hair.

1. Do they have experience doing wedding hair? Additionally, if yes, how much? This might seem like a silly question, but ladies, wedding day hair brings additional challenges that not every stylist has tackled. And if you want an up do, keep in mind that not every stylist even likes doing them!

2. Do you go on site or do I come to the salon? Additionally, do you charge extra to travel to a location? This is a great question if you have a tight wedding day time line. If your wedding is in a more rural location, you might not have time to travel to a salon. If you have multiple girls getting their hair done, it might also be easier to have the stylist travel to your wedding location (or wherever you're getting ready).

3. Does your price include a hair trial? You'll want to do a hair trial a couple of weeks in advance. You'll want to test the hairstyle for durability and style, to see if it's flattering, and to see how it works with the headpieces you've picked out.

4. Can I see photos of past clients? And do you have references or reviews? You want to make sure the stylist can do the type of hairstyle you're requesting.

5. Do you book more than one wedding on a day, or do I have you exclusively? This is a great question if you're getting ready later in the day, as a previous engagement might run long and leave you behind schedule.

6. What's your back up plan in case you have an emergency on the day of my wedding? Since life can be unpredictable, you want to know that your stylist has a Plan B in case they can't make it. 

As with all wedding vendors, we recommend securing a contract and day-of schedule.

Jessica's Vintage/Hollywood Glamour Wedding

Sometimes a wedding dress is so awesome it inspires a nickname, given to it by our stylists at Strut. In this case, the gown accented a bride's curves in such a way that we named it the "Jessica Rabbit Dress". It seemed fitting, then, that our bride Jessica wore it for her September 2011 wedding in Tucson.

Jessica wore a taffeta mermaid wedding dress with ruching and lace appliques. The gown featured a deep sweetheart neckline and "v" in the back. Jessica added a lace bolero for that vintage touch.

She recently wrote us a sweet note:

Hi Ladies at Strut!!

I know I'm a bit late, but I figured better late than never! I'm sending you guys some pictures and a little thank you for your wonderful help during my wedding dress selection process! My husband Adam and I were married last September in Tucson. Our wedding theme was vintage/hollywood glamour. Feel free to use our pictures in your blog, I'm a very happy customer and I would love to get the word out about your amazing boutique!

Thank you sooo much for helping me fulfill my vintage wedding vision!! You guys were so awesome and Pam was so helpful during the process! I really appreciated her patience and honest opinions about the dresses I tried on. I loved how attentive you both were and not once did I ever feel rushed or pressured to pick out a dress. When I tried on this dress, I was in love! I loved how flattering it looked on me and was quite surprised that the fit and flare style actually worked for me!! The buttons that run down the back of the dress to the end of the train were my favorite detail about the dress! I was also very happy that Pam brought out the lace bolero, which was exactly what I was looking for to complete my look! I turned the flower that was attached to the bolero into hair peice, which I attached to a bird cage veil. I got so many compliments on our wedding day and I felt like a million bucks!

Thanks again ladies!

Jessica D.

We saved our favorite photo for last but wanted to first wish Jessica and Adam the best and say thanks, again, for sending us such a sweet note! Now, check out this amazing shot (and those killer heels!):

Hayley's Stunning Wedding at Old Main

You may recognize Hayley--this wedding photo was recently featured in the premier issue of the Pretty Pear Bride magazine, which features  beautiful plus size brides. It's one of our all-time favorite photos. The movement... the pure joy on her face... the glorius fall colors on the ASU campus... Everything was just perfect! All photos are by Foskett Creative Photography.

Hayley and Justin were married last November in Tempe, AZ, on the Arizona State University Campus. She had a large bridal suite to get dressed in. The lighting was perfect for this shot:

It's such a classic shot! Hayley really rocked a bird cage veil. It was such a great contrast to her red hair!

Hayley came to Strut looking for an aline gown with lace and a full skirt. And that's exactly what we found her! This beautiful wedding dress features a natural waist, sweetheart neckline, full, organza skirt and beautiful beaded lace along the hemline. For Hayley we ordered additional lace to make a matching bolero jacket.

Here are some great detail shots of Hayley's wedding bouquet, centerpeices, and awesome petal decor:

A wide shot of the ceremony spot at Old Main shows a beautiful sunset, too. You can also see the scrolling flower petals down the aisle.

Here Hayley and Justin share a dance--check out her low, French under-bustle for her wedding gown:

Congrats, Hayley and Justin!