Strut Bridal

A Spa for the Rest of Us

Not a fancy resort spa-goer? Us either. So when we met the super cool chicks from Kashmir Rock Spa, we were in awe... Of their tattoos, wild hair colors, bold makeup... But what we liked best was the "come as you are" vibe they give off. So we're saying it: We're official fans of the coolest spa in the valley.

 

If you're looking for regular spa services, like facials, nails, waxing and body wraps and scrubs, you've come to the right place. But they also do parties. So if you want a fun bachelorette party, shower event, engagement or birthday bash, just get four friends (minimum) together and you'll all save 20% on services. Yep, a private party at Kashmir Rock Spa gets you:

• 20% off services
• you choose the music
• you choose the refreshments
• custom gift bags are available

In other words, they treat you like a ROCK STAR!

 

 

Strut Bride Debra I. at the World Wildlife Zoo

Debra had a late spring wedding outside, so she was looking for a wedding dress that would be lightweight and comfortable. She bought a fitted taffeta gown with no embellishment and added a broach to the bodice.

 
Debra and her husband took photos at the World Wildlife Zoo, and we love this shot with monkeys in the background! It also shows off the silhouette of her wedding gown. It's a modified a line dress, meaning it has a slightly dropped waist, so the skirt flares out below the top of the hip. It really shows off  her shape!

 

 
 
We love this close up of her bouquet, with the strong, contrasting colors and textures:

 
 
Thanks for sharing these amazing photos, Debra. We wish you both the best!

How to Choose a Necklace That Complements Your Wedding Gown

Martha Stewart Weddings recently did a nice spread on different wedding dress necklines and which necklace worked best with each type of neckline, so we thought we'd pass that along and add a couple of extra tips.

The first couple of photos show a strapless wedding gown with a rather plain (non-beaded) bodice. Both of these dresses look great with a bold necklace, as seen below:

 
 
We love these bold pieces. You could even consider adding color, if you want to make a splash. But if your bodice has more details, such as lace, beading, ruffles, a crumb catcher, etc., you'll want to pick a piece that's a bit more dainty. You'll still want a round shape, but you'll probably want pearls or crystals that aren't so big.

If you have a v-neck wedding dress, you'll want to keep the same shape with your necklace and get something dangly, like this:

 
Finally, if your wedding gown is a one-strap, you'll probably just want to stick to a pair of killer earrings:

 

Generally speaking, it's too much to wear a bold necklace with chandelier earrings if you have an ornate gown; simpler styles can sometimes handle both. And remember to keep things in proportion: if you're a busty bride or have a rouder neck, you don't want a teeny chain that will get lost.

Once you pick your wedding dress, then it's time to start shopping for accessories (or asking to borrow Grandma's pearls!). Feel free to bring your jewels with you when your gown comes in and you try it on. We love seeing your ideas for your final look, too!

Strut Bride Jaime H. in Ball Gown Wedding Dress

Bride Jaime got married at the beautiful Aldea property in mid March. Aldea is amazing for it's Tuscan feel--arches, stairways, fountains and more--which makes for great photo opportunities, like this one!

 
Jaime's colors were black, white and yellow. We thought her bouquet was really amazing. Here's a great view of it (and her awesome half up hairstyle) from above:

 

Jaime wore a satin ball gown bridal dress from Allure Bridals. It featured ruching at the waist, a bit of beaded applique, and satin covered buttons down the back. We love this traditional shot. Notice that the back of her gown, and the ruched section, both go down into a slight V, which is super slimming on all brides.

 
Here's a view of the front (we love how the light hits her just so):

 
Finally, a shot of Jaime with her handsome groom, Rustin:

 
Jaime reported that her wedding was really fun and loved having a dress that felt like HER. Best wishes to you both!

Strut Bride Kasey in Wedding Gown with Pockets

Kasey came to Strut in January for her spring wedding. She was a reluctant gown shopper. And we understand why--plus size brides hear the horror stories about shopping for their wedding dresses, about not being able to fit into sample sizes, and so they put it off. Many plus size brides just dread shopping.

But we're changing that, one bride at a time. And Kasey, well, let's just say she was so happy with her wedding gown that we had to grab the tissues.

Our fave photo is this self portrait:

 
Kasey wanted a gown that expressed her personality, was a bit non traditional, but still made her feel beautiful. She chose a ball gown wedding dress with a natural (higher) waist. The more simple design lends itself well to pairing with bridesmaids in non-matching gowns.

 
While the blue and green theme worked with all of the bridesmaids dresses, the girls were free to picked styles that suited them best. Here they all are in a full length shot.

 
You can see Kasey's wedding dress, which was a strapless gown with a deep sweetheart neckline. It featured two unusual details: POCKETS and no train!

Here is Kasey rocking her gown with a birdcage veil:

 

 
Kasey, thanks so much for choosing Strut for your wedding day--we think you look beautiful!!