"Blush" like a Celebrity for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This month, we are celebrating #Pinktober by spreading the joy of PINK dresses. Purchase your blush/pink/peach/moscato bridal (or bridesmaids!) gown at Ellie's Bridal during the month of October for extra savings and rock out in pink like these celebrities did for their wedding day:

Jessica Biel

Jessica Biel wears a petal pink gown by Giambattista Valli Haute Couture.

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon wears custom-designed blush-hued gown by Monique Lhuillier.

Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway wears a blush pink gown by Valentino

Gwen Stefani

Gwen Stefani wears a custom-made pink and white silk faille wedding dress by John Galliano for Dior

Portia de Rossi

Both blondes wore Zac Posen to their 2008 ceremony.

Portia de Rossi wears a dramatic backless gown with pale pink tulle skirt by Zac Posen.

Which pink/blush gown do you like best? Comment below to let us know!

Wedding Veil Regrets

About 2 out of 10 brides come in to our boutique unsure if they would like a veil or not. If you do not think you want a veil, we suggest just to try one on anyway. You never know how you will feel until you try one on and see yourself in the mirror with a wedding gown and the veil for the first time. We find that more than half of the time, brides who said they did not want one change their mind. There is something about the veil and a wedding gown that makes each bride feel like it is really happening to them, they are getting married!!!

We found one blogger was torn and decided not to have a veil and now regrets it. She wishes she had changed her mind and now brings up some excellent points and stunning photos that you could have if you choose to have a veil too. We have to say, she found some great photos!

Thank you to our wonderful Ellie's Brides and their amazing photographers who shared these breath taking photographs with us.

What are your thoughts on veils? Comment below and let us know what you think!

Bridal Inspirations from the Oscars

Fashion certainly inspires fashion. So whether you are shopping ready-to-wear in the mall, awed by the Hollywood glamour, or flipping through your favorite wedding magazine, today's fashion trends are universal. We weren't surprised to see lace patterns, feather-like ruffles, and simple elegance grace the red carpets last night and be reminded of our very own bridal gowns. Which style would you have picked for your red carpet debut?

Update: Great minds think alike! Local Wedding Planner, Margo from Bright Occasions, elaborated more on this topic and these dresses here. Definitely check it out!

Trunk Shows Explained

What is a Trunk Show? Has anyone heard of what a bridal Trunk Show is? And why go to one anyway? The term "trunk show" comes from the old days when designers used to carry their entire collection (yes, in trunks!) and provide personal consultations while receiving feedback directly from their consumers.

Most salons carry only select pieces from any particular collection. During a trunk show, you have the opportunity to see a designer's latest collection in its entirety. If you already know that you are in love with a particular designer it is definitely worth researching if they are advertising any upcoming trunk shows. Trunk shows are usually the only time a boutique will have every gown from a collection available for you to view.

Depending on the designer and time of year, the other benefit to attending a trunk show is that you get to see and try on gowns before most other boutiques can even order them. For the bride that is a dazzling fashionista at heart and values that fashion forward edge, the opportunity to view and order gowns a full season before their official release could be priceless in itself. However, designers won't always tell the salon that they are sending along the unreleased collection so often that part is a surprise!

This is your Royal moment. Take advantage of having designer experts find your dream gown -- it's how the Royals have down it throughout history.

Want to attend a Trunk Show? Ellie's Bridal Boutique will host several in 2013. Appointments are required to attend these events.

Spring Events: January 18-20 -- Justin Alexander Trunk Show March 9-10 -- Stella York Trunk Show

**During trunk shows, brides will get a 10-20% discount on any gown ordered by the designer featuring during the event -- so bring some trusted opinions!**

Retailer Perspective: Shopping at Bridal Market

How do we shop for bridal dresses for our boutique? What kinds of things do we look for and think about? Much of the process is just like how you would shop for own bridal gown. We are always mindful of quality, price, style and design because we want what our brides want. On the other hand, we are shopping for other people and not ourselves. We are expected to read the minds and tastes of people we have yet to meet and be cognizant of fashion trends a year in advance. So what do we look for? This shouldn't come as a surprise, but often it's simply a matter of you asking us. This past season we thought Ellie's Bridal Boutique had plenty of gowns with keyhole backs to choose from. Brides kept asking for more. We listened. So we will be welcoming Casablanca 2102 (Below: top left) for its keyhole back. On facebook Rachel asked for "lace paired with other fabrics." Even though just one bride asked specifically, we listened to that, too. And so we will soon welcome Casablanca 2108 (Below: top right) for its mixture of lace and tulle fabrics. We even picked out Mikaella 1763 (Below: bottom left) for its keyhole back AND lace straps on satin skirt. Nikki requested "tulle skirts with sparkle... as opposed to sparkly skirts typically being satin." We are proud to now feature Justin Alexander 8638 (Below: bottom right), a gown with ruched tulle covering sequin, which arrived in our store just last week! We got a variety of gowns based on your feedback. You'll just have to wait to see the rest as they trickle into our store over the next few months!

Probably one of the most obvious factors is allowing variety in our selection. We have heard so many brides proclaim, "I want the top of Dress A with the bottom of Dress B!" Our main goal here is to find a feature that brides love in a gown, then give them options to have that. About two years ago, when the strapless trend was still at its height, we decided to bring in something a little different with Justin Alexander 8530 (Below: left image). While we had several necklines to start, the bateau received the most compliments. Unfortunately, the only gowns in our store with that neckline were more fitted sheath or trumpet gowns. It was only natural that we expanded the selection. So as soon we laid eyes on Justin Alexander 8630 (Below: right image) we instantly knew that it had to be part of our collection. In fact, it also arrived in our boutique last week!

There are so many other details we need to think about when deciding which gowns to bring into our salon. I'll elaborate more on how we think about gown quality, alteration capability, our past experience and reputation, and a host of other factors that come into play at later date. In the meantime, just know that we truly have your interests heart. This is your special day and we really do want to make you feel like you can have it all and turn your dreams into a reality.

And if you haven't already, definitely check out this post for more Spring 2013 previews.