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Bec & Jared Matthews got married last year and WOWEE was is it the fairy tale wedding of the century! Bec came in store over a year a head of time & for the next 18 months I loved every single wedding planning chat not only for her wedding but she listened to my wedding plans too! The wedding was held near Mt Buller & I thought she had every detail under control but then the biggest surprise of all - they had a helicopter!! Yes that right a helicopter! She kept that a secret pretty well! I have stalked these photos so many times - They are INCREDIBLE! Check out Bec's wedding dress experience! Xx  Bec's Story! Xx Trying on wedding dresses is every girls dream, and when it finally becomes a reality it is truly a dream come true. Jared and I got engaged in 2012 and weren’t planning to get married until 2014, therefore I knew I had some time up my sleeve. I took my bestie, Sophie into Michele’s Bridal & Formal Wear initially to have a look at the different styles that were available. Michelle greeted us and instantly made us feel welcome in her store. Before we knew it I was trying on wedding dresses for the very first time. Michelle was so helpful in picking styles that suited my body type & personality. I thought I had found “the dress” but decided I would think about it and come back in another day. A few weeks later upon walking into Michelle’s store with my tribe, I saw the most perfect & exquisite gown on the manikin. I instantly fell in love, turned to Sophie who was already looking at me thinking what I was about to say. “I have to try this on”. Michelle must have known I would love the dress because her first words were “I thought of you while unpacking this gown”. Upon trying on this stunning gown, I had that ‘moment’ where I knew this was the perfect wedding gown for me. I purchased the gown that day in July 2013, well over a year before we were set to tie the knot. Michelle knew this and was more than happy to order and hold onto the dress for as long as I needed. Now that my wedding dress was purchased I was on top of the world. I then went on to purchase my bridesmaid dresses. My order had fallen through in another store which closed down. I found myself chatting with Michelle who went above and beyond her duties to try and locate the order with the supplier. Unfortunately the dresses were gone. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I then fell in love with the perfect dresses In Michele’s Bridal. I now had all the dresses, and everything had perfectly fallen into place. Michelle was a dream to work with; I feel that I had a friend looking after me the entire time. Michelle would always be happy to stay open late in order for me to make dress fittings, there are no words, she is simply amazing. There was absolutely no need to travel to other bridal stores in Melbourne; Michelle’s store rivals any other boutique. Michelle, you helped make our wedding day the most perfect day from my gown, to my bridesmaid dresses, flower girl dress and family alterations. Not to mention the priceless & professional advice, countless chats and ideas that you gave me, it is truly appreciated. I keep telling Jared, my now husband that we need to get married again so I can have this experience again. I can’t recommend or thank Michelle enough, you are amazing at your job and I wish you all the very best and congratulate you in building a beautiful, professional & friendly local business. Bec Matthews xxxx        Photo Credit: That's The Shot Photography I would love to thank Bec for taking the time to send us her story & of course her beautiful photos!
We would also like to wish Bec & Jared a lifetime of happiness together - you deserve nothing less! Xx
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Yay our first real bride blog!! I love all weddings but some definitely stand out for all the right reasons! Zara & Mark's wedding is truly a gorgeous one I'll never forget! Sooooo much sparkle! Zara sent me these gorgeous photos & I have to share them!!! She also wrote her story of picking a gown which is well worth having a read of Xx  Zara's story Xx Buying a wedding dress isn't like they make it out to be on all those American TV shows. When I first got engaged, I bought a dress pretty much the next day. It was about the first I’d seen and I think I was still riding the high of being engaged. I called them straight back and cancelled it. Far too hasty a decision! I decided that I needed to shop around and take choosing a wedding dress a little more seriously. I found another dress, the bridesmaids approved, and I put my order in. It was great! Just what I wanted! That is, until I walked past and found that the shop was empty. They’d closed – no warning, and no phone call to let me know what was happening. It was Christmas and everyone told me that over the December/January period dress makers were closed down. So on a whim I purchased a dress on... oh I don’t know if I can admit it… on eBay…….. I figured that since the shops were closed and I couldn’t do anything else, these dresses were that cheap that they were worth the roll of the dice. (Perhaps this is when bridal madness set in slightly?) Of course, the eBay dress ended up being exactly what eBay dresses are. Not quite right to say the least! Again I was back at square one. So then the search became serious. I had around three months to the wedding, three dress purchases under my belt (though I actually only received one of them) but nothing to actually wear on the big day! Well, except for my shoes. They were locked in ages ago. Gold sparklie little numbers, some things a girl just gets right from the word go. ;-) Being new to Shepparton I had looked at a few bridal shops, but Michele’s instantly came across as being different. I had already started following Michele’s Facebook page – which I highly recommend to any bride-to-be’s – and had seen how infectious her passion for all things weddings can be. I’ve never known a store to change their window display so often! Every time I drive past there’s something different. I don’t need to ask Michele to know the reason why is that she is so genuinely in love with all the dresses she has in the shop, she struggles to find favourites to put in the window. As soon as you walk in you are greeted by someone who honestly enjoys what she does. You’re speaking to a person who is a recent bride herself, a young mother, and a local business woman. She can give you the heartfelt advice of someone who has been there, but she can also back it up with sound knowledge of the wedding industry. I found that straight away we were not only talking wedding dresses but colour schemes, flowers, the timing on the day - and yes, I did decide to buy another wedding dress too. Only this time it stuck. It was a close push given my tight timeline, the wedding date just kept getting closer and closer and the lead up was filled with public holidays to make things even tighter. I ordered the dress which was scheduled to arrive just a few days prior to the wedding, and she delivered exactly as she said she would. We had a couple of quick fittings and before I knew it I was wedding bound with a pretty white dress in hand. I’m a big believer in not worrying about things because they always work out, and I stuck with that throughout the wedding planning process. However, I think Michele had a big part to play in giving me the luxury of not worrying when it came to my dress. She told me to trust her, and I absolutely could. Thank you Michele for playing such a big part in our wedding day. And a special thank you for cleaning the dress for me when it was all over and done with. X Photo's By - Ebony Finck Photography I would like to wish Zara & Mark a lifetime of happiness & again a very special thank you for sharing your amazing photos and story with us! Xx
Dress Shopping! Ah where to start is a question I get asked all too often & the answer is never black & white because every single person is different shape. My honest opinion is to go try a few on yourself & see what you fall in love with! Xx Below is a quick guide to the basic styles you'll find in store but I can't stress enough how important it is to come in with an open mind; as we are our own biggest critics & sometimes you might surprise yourself ;)  Mermaid: A glamorous, high-fashion silhouette, the mermaid-styled gown is a faultless and sexy way to frame a bride’s hourglass curves. Tautly embracing the contours of the body from the bodice to the knees, a skirt then dramatically flares out down to the hem to give it its “mermaid” form. The mermaid silhouette hides very little while highlighting every curve. Brides with slender figures will find this style to be a flattering choice, but even a confident, full-figured woman can pull off this ultra-dazzling look with ease.  A-Line: Starting from a fitted bodice, the skirt of an A-line wedding dress flares out from below the natural waist, lightly brushes past the hips, and extends to the hem forming a figure-flattering “A” shape. The A-line silhouette is a high-demand design because of its ability to flatter almost any body shape. In this silhouette, petite brides tend to appear taller. It can add graceful curves to a straight figure. It can help draw the eye away from a wide waistline. It can even hide any lower-body imperfections  Fit & Flare - Trumpet: The fit and flare silhouette, sometimes called a trumpet silhouette, takes shape with a close-fitting bodice that hugs the body down through the hips and then gracefully flares out to the hem. More understated than a mermaid-style gown, this silhouette brings a visual balance of drama and glamour, adding just the right mix of classic and chic to a wedding dress design. This fashion-forward design is ideal for a bride who wants to accentuate her sexy, hourglass curves. Compared to other silhouettes, the fit and flare/trumpet design is one of the most attractive options for petite brides, brides with straight figures, and can even positively accentuate the curves of a more full-figured woman  Sheath: Long, narrow and oh-so slim-fitting, the sheath silhouette is the epitome of a sleek, sexy design. With its straight lines and body-hugging shape, a sheath-styled wedding gown is as versatile as it is beautiful. From vintage to modern, simple to richly embellished, this silhouette knows few limitations. Naturally, a sheath dress is most flattering on a slimmer frame. And because of its long, slender lines, it can also help a petite bride appear taller. At the same time, its form-fitting design draws attention to every curve — even those you may wish to conceal.  Ball Gown: Featuring a dramatic contrast of a fitted bodice with a stunning full skirt, the ball gown design is less of a wedding dress and more a work of art. Ball gowns often feature embellishments of layered tiers, elaborate beading and delicate embroidery that are fit for a princess. The ball gown silhouette is a very figure-flattering design. And it is exceptionally forgiving for any bride who may look to conceal any lower-body concerns. Thanks for checking out our very first blog post! stay tuned for more inspiration, handy tips & gorgeous real bride stories!
Michelle Xx |
