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Featured Wedding Dress: Stella York 7492

Meet: 7492
Designer: Stella York

Why We Love Her: Stella York has done is again with another ethereal knockout! Dress 7492 is a floral lace a-line stunner and a favorite among brides. A structured, unlined bodice provides support and makes the bride feel secure as she dances her night away! The floral and vine lace pops against the v-neck bodice, and is held up by delicate lace straps.

Our sample is in curvy size and the photos below illustrate the care taken to make this look beautiful and flattering on every size. Larger cups are added for additional support and accentuating curves, with the same delicate strap adding femininity as well as comfort.

The lace cascades down the skirt, falling in the perfect placements to give the dress some gorgeous detail without being overwhelming. The back of this little stunner is so lovely with illusion, lace, and buttons that cover the zipper! She has a sweep train that makes for a very easy and light bustle for your reception. A layer of glitter tulle shimmers with each step and complements the sequins atop the lace, so you are sure to shine all day long!

She’s Perfect For: 7492 is perfect for the bride who loves a pretty lace pattern! The lace is primarily vine with a gorgeous mix of floral appliqués dispersed throughout. These florals make her the perfect option for the bride with an outdoor component to her wedding! Garden, golf course, and winery venues would be the ideal backdrop for a dress so sweet.

This is also a great gown for the bride who really likes sparkle, but not heavy silver bead. The dress shimmers beautifully without the heavy weight of a beaded gown. The sun or light from the venue catches the sequin and glitter to create the shimmer with every step, but due to the clear bead, the sparkle will not take away from the detail of the lace in photos! 

Why She’s Special: With a gown this pretty, we really don’t have to tell you why she is special! Her lace straps with vine detail are a fan favorite as they are not too thin and they provide support without too much coverage. The simple yet gorgeous sweep train makes the dress manageable and low maintenance for brides on the go! The Stella York 7492 is offered in biscotti, almond, ivory, and white to match any color scheme. This gown can also be ordered without the glitter and sequined lace for brides who prefer a little less glitz and glam.

Featured Wedding Dress: Lucille by Eddy K.

Meet: Lucille

Designer: Eddy K.

Why we love her: Lucille by Eddy K has a little bit of everything– sparkle, florals, and an alluring silhouette. She’s a delightful blend of modern, romantic, and a little sexy. The appliques, which cover the dress from top to train, are a mix of flowers and leaves. This nature-inspired design is something a lot of current brides are searching for!

Lace from Eddy K Lucille

The floral appliques shimmer in the light because of lush beadwork. Clear beads, white beads, and sequins top the appliques; their effect is ethereal. Lucille has small pieces of the nature-inspired appliques that peak out over the edge of the V-shaped neckline. These applique pieces add a little more coverage to an otherwise plunging neckline. Flesh-toned illusion netting supports the top of the gown and helps keep brides secure all night long! 

Bodice close-up of Eddy K Lucille

The captivating illusion effect is mirrored on the back of the gown. Lucille has a row of buttons the length of the spine; they rest on top of flesh colored netting. The striking button illusion is complemented by leafy, sparkly appliques. The placement of the appliques along the sides of the gown frame the brides’ backs in a gorgeously dramatic fashion. From all angles, she is eye-catching! 

Back buttons on Eddy K Lucio

Lucille’s gentle mermaid silhouette means she is fitted from the bodice through the hips and thighs, then begins to flare out around the knees. This enticing silhouette is much-loved by brides of all ages and sizes. The flare around the knees allows brides to walk down the aisle and dance all night without having mobility issues.

The lovely beaded appliques continue down the gown and through the train. She has a captivating chapel-length train; this train will catch everyone’s eye when walking down the aisle, and it will also make for stunning pictures. The floral lace lays around the edge of the train, giving a gorgeous finish to an equally gorgeous gown.

Lucille is available with a champagne lining color with ivory appliques; this helps the appliques stand out in photographs. Lucille can also be ordered in all ivory for a classic bridal look. 

She’s perfect for: Brides who love botanical motifs will absolutely fall in love with her design. Beaded floral appliques are a common wish-list item for today’s brides, and Lucille delivers in that category. She fits nicely with spring and summer weddings. Venue styles that will vibe nicely with her include gardens and arboretums, historic estates, and grand country clubs. She is elegant without being stuffy, so she is a great choice for venues of different formalities.  

Lucille wedding dress train lace

What makes her special: Lucille has very unique details on her bodice that make her a must-try gown in our store. The bodice has ruching in the tulle layer; this extra detail adds dimension to the top of the gown. The rushing provides a backdrop for the appliques to transcend the neckline and create the exciting illusion in the front of the gown. The combination of the ruching and the plunging V-shape neckline works to elongate brides’ torsos, helping brides look taller.

Lucille, designed with all the thoughtful details Eddy K. is known for, is a sophisticated, stylish, and on-trend choice for any bride!  

2023 Wedding Trends To Watch

The calendar is about to flip another year and that means it’s time to see what’s “in” for 2023 wedding trends!

First, the popular wedding dates of 2023. If you have a thing for numbers obviously then 01/23/23 would be the first to hit your brain, at least it does mine. Then 02/03/23, 02/23/23, 03/03/23, these combinations are pleasing to me and I could keep going but I’ll spare you.

There are a few “lucky” dates that are meaningful in different religions and cultures that you may want to explore. My husband and I (okay, it was me) added our birthdays together to come up with our date. Maybe you have a day that means something personal to you or in your relationship and you can start from there.

Next would be venues. While in our area the barn wedding is still around, it is not quite all the rage as it was. Modern facilities and hotels are in with features like grand staircases, large ballrooms, and floor to ceiling windows with spectacular views.

Destination weddings are becoming popular again after finally having the Covid restrictions lifted. Coupled with the strength of the dollar, it makes it much easier to plan a Caribbean or European wedding!

Couples are also turning to TikTok for unique, budget friendly, and/or specific wedding locations. TikTok is an amazing reference for inspiration, but be sure if you are planning to emulate a wedding that went viral to keep in mind how quickly those trends change. What seemed like THE thing to do can very quickly become a “what not to do”.

Give much thought to what you and your fiancé want, don’t just copy someone else’s trendy wedding in the woods or a remote island.

THE DRESS

The latest dress designs for 2023 wedding trends are detachable accessories like sleeves, overskirts, and capes, but the biggest one we are seeing is the split skirt. Go find those spectacular shoes and show them off!

Detachable sleeves and overskirts can give three different looks to one dress and effortlessly turn a traditional dress into a party dress.

2023 wedding trends include dresses with detachable sleeves and over skirts
Madi Lane Jesslyn

Also trending is the curated bridal attire for the shower, rehearsal dinner, bachelorette party, and morning of, with the mini white dress coming into full focus:

The mini dress is going to become incredibly popular as a dress change for the reception as well as a rehearsal dinner outfit!

Have a peek at our staff new favorite dresses, and below are some of our 2022 best wedding dresses. This year there was a push for more non-traditional dresses in colors other than white, and black was the most requested.

COLORS

The shift is on to color! After Covid, the focus was minimalist with backyard weddings, natural and soft colors. The industry is excited to see color emerging again. Emerald, sea, and sage greens are in, along with dusty blues, and terra cotta.

Emerald is a lovely color especially for fall and winter and every flower choice looks gorgeous against it. Tuxedos in slate and charcoal gray are sharp with emerald, and for fall consider pairing with a brown or camel color tuxedo.

There are signs that mismatched maids are becoming even more popular and that maids are allowed the freedom to choose their own dress with few guidelines. If you are a bride thinking of giving your bridesmaids the freedom to choose their own dress, please take this advice: they need some direction!

There is too much a choice to simply say, “Get a dress you like in (color).” We see this all the time in the store. Too much freedom causes decision paralysis. You need to give them some guidelines – or your inspiration pics – to help them make their choice.

FLOWERS

As the climate creeps further into couples’ minds, many more continue to choose environmentally friendly flower choices like sola, succulants, and wild flowers. Wildflowers are a great way to add color into your wedding bouquets, and adding extra greenery is both dramatic and sustainable. Brides are also going for smaller bouquets that allow more focus on the dress details than the bouquet itself.

Another change to the boho bride regarding flowers is the moving away from flower crowns and toward delicate flowers woven into braids and other wedding hairstyles.

On the way out:

Predicted on the way out for 2023 wedding trends are: Food trucks, monogrammed bar napkins, full-suite invitations, and programs. Also, the balloon wall backdrop for pictures never looks like a wedding (more like a bridal or baby shower), instead opt for a photo booth. Speaking of walls, it’s definitely time to move on from the donut wall.

Featured Wedding Dress: Juliette by Madi Lane

Meet: Juliette
Designer: Madi Lane

Why we love her: Juliette is a gown with a traditional “Madi Lane” feel! This sweet little a-line is lightweight, comfortable, and stunning. She has a fitted, unlined bodice that makes the incredible floral and vine lace pop against any skin tone! The lace cascades down the waistline and trickles down the skirt. The v-neck neckline has more lace atop illusion straps that fade into a gorgeous scooped back. Subtle sparkle shines as the sun hits the sequins in the appliqué. 

Madi Lane Juliette Bodice

Juliette is a low maintenance dress that does not sacrifice any beauty for comfort. The skirt is flowy yet slim for the brides who do not want a ton of volume and the straps help keep the dress in place all night long. Madi Lane’s signature charmeuse lining is soft and traps no heat, keeping you cool as you dance the night away! This beauty also has a small 25” train that makes bustling a breeze. You cannot go wrong with a gown like this!

Madi Lane Juliette V-back and sweep train

She’s perfect for: The summer time bride! The botanical lace and sparkle on this gown is exquisite underneath the sun, and golden hour pictures in this gown are to die for! The unlined bodice allows air to flow freely so that no heat is trapped within the gown. Juliette is lightweight so moving, dancing, and posing for pictures are a breeze whether you are getting married in a garden, at the beach, on a golf course, or anywhere in between!

Madi Lane Juliette Strap

This gown is very flirty, whimsical, and feminine. Brides who like Juliette love just how romantic the dress feels without having too much going on! Juliette can be ordered with a lined front bodice, and in ivory/mocha or all ivory. We have even had brides add a layer of glitter tulle into the gown to make the gown shimmer just a touch more! Ask your consultant about customizations to make her feel like a one-of-a-kind gown.

What makes her special: Her lace pattern! It is no secret that Madi Lane has the prettiest floral laces, but Juliette has both a beautiful assortment of florals and a gorgeous vine throughout the gown. The framing of the vine on the straps elevates the look of the bodice just a touch more. If you follow Madi Lane, you know the incredibly gorgeous Harper, Elora, and Halani gowns. Juliette is reminiscent of these a-line beauties but redeveloped into a fresh, new gown. This gown is a stunner and will have all of your guests in awe!

Should I Buy or Rent a Tuxedo?

Many customers come to Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo and ask us whether they should buy or rent a tuxedo. The answer to that question is not always obvious. There are several things you should consider when deciding to buy a tuxedo. In today’s tuxedo blog, we are going to outline the questions you need to ask yourself when deciding whether to buy or rent a tuxedo.

Should I buy or rent?
Should I buy or rent?

How many events a year do I need a tuxedo?

The first question you need to answer for yourself is how often do you really need a tuxedo? If you wear a tuxedo once every 5 years, we certainly don’t believe it’s necessary or prudent to invest in a tuxedo purchase. Opinions vary as to how often you wear a tuxedo each year when it would be worth investing in such formal attire. About 10% of our customers purchase a tuxedo if they attend 2 or more formal events a year, but most of our customers feel that they need to attend at least 4 events a year to justify purchasing a tuxedo. Later in this blog, we will cover other reasons for purchasing or in this case, not purchasing a tuxedo that go beyond the number of times you need a tuxedo each year.

Darianna Bridal & Tuxedo fitting garments
Fitting garments to get the right size

Does my weight and sizing fluctuate?

If your weight fluctuates enough throughout the year, or years, we usually do not recommend purchasing a tuxedo. The author of this blog is embarrassed to admit that on his last vacation, he gained 10 pounds and many of his suits no longer fit him! Typically, an increase or decrease in weight of 10 pounds would cause a change in jacket size by a full size. As an example, if you are a size 42R jacket and you lose 10 pounds, you would most likely now be a size 40R. If you lost or gained 5 pounds, that would typically require a change in jacket size by what I would call a half a size. As an example, if you were a size 38R and you gained 5 pounds, you would now be a size 39R.

If your weight does fluctuate, not so dramatically, we often recommend that you have the tuxedo jacket taken in or let out to accommodate your new size. Oftentimes, this is less expensive than buying a new tuxedo jacket or even renting your proper size. A tailor or seamstress will be able to tell you if the garments are able to be altered.

Fortunately, many tuxedo pants are adjustable by 3 inches on each side of the pants with straps and clips to fasten the straps. This convenient feature is very forgiving when you lose or gain weight and we often do not have issues with customers needing new pants if their size changes.

We frequently advise customers that it may be better to rent the tuxedo rather than buy it. You will be surprised how many times we will see the same customer come back in 18 to 24 months after purchasing their tuxedo needing to rent a tux because the one they purchased no longer fits.

The one very beneficial part of renting a tuxedo is that your fit will be perfect for you each time because you will be able to choose any size jacket, pants, shirt, vest and shoes each time you rent.

I Bought a Black Tux, Now I Have to Wear a Navy Tux!


Three years ago, we had a proud father of four daughters tell us how he bought a black tuxedo in anticipation of the eventual marriages of his daughters. He wore his purchased black tuxedo to his first daughter’s wedding and it looked great, as he told us!

A year after his first daughter’s wedding, he was in our store because his second daughter insisted that he wear a navy tuxedo! This rendered his black tuxedo useless for his second daughter’s wedding. Who knows what his third and fourth daughters will want him to wear? Once again, this father’s investment in his expensive black tuxedo purchase is not really panning out. The lesson here is that you may not be able to wear the tuxedo you purchased for every event and renting is sometimes a better and more affordable option.

In general, a black tuxedo is a good choice because it’s a classic, timeless look and is not trendy. However, if the color scheme for your events could potentially change as they did for this father, then it may just be better to rent your tuxedos. This will allow you to rent any color combination that you need or prefer for each different event.

Is the tuxedo color and style I am considering purchasing timeless?


Should you choose to purchase a tuxedo, we highly recommend purchasing a more timeless tuxedo. Black tuxedos are always a good bet or possibly a dark gray tuxedo. The dark gray shades are often so dark that they look black. A navy tuxedo is not a bad choice however keep in mind that navy may not be as popular as it is today.

As we wrote about in one of our blogs, black tie optional affairs do not necessarily require you to wear a black tuxedo. The point is to wear a tuxedo and not a suit. Unless specifically requested in your wedding or formal event invitation, wearing a tuxedo that is not black is acceptable.

What is the price difference to buy or rent?

As with most products, there are many styles, colors and designers when it comes to tuxedos. Prices vary dramatically and oftentimes; the designer and fabric quality often drive the price of a tuxedo rental and purchase. As an example, a Michael Kors tuxedo rental and purchase will cost you much more than a lesser-known brand.

Typically, high-end brands like Michael Kors and Ike Behar will cost about $1,000 for the jacket pants and vest. Then you will need a shirt, tuxedo shoes, long tie or bow tie, pocket square, studs and cufflinks. Lesser-known brands may run you less than half that price however, keep in mind that the quality and fit are not nearly as good as the high-end brands. In addition, the quality of the fabric often does not last as long as the high end brands. As they say, you get what you pay for.

Buy or Rent

When you purchase a tuxedo, you typically need to purchase the jacket, pants, vest, shirt and shoes. You’ll also need to have the pants hemmed to be the proper length and often the jacket sleeves as well. Some customers want additional alterations such as bringing the jacket in at the waist to give it a more fitted look.

Changing Styles

In the past 8 to 10 years, slim and skinny fit have been very popular. I personally prefer a fitted suit or tuxedo and do not like something that looks boxy on anyone. However, based on our meetings with European designers in the last year and a half, relaxed fit is becoming more popular again. We are seeing double-breasted suits and tuxedos coming back.

Double-breasted Navy Tux

As we write this, 2023 and 2024 are predicted to bring back more relaxed fits and looks. Personally, I am still going to wear slim fit tuxedos because I like the look better. However, if things start trending to a more relaxed fit by the majority of people, I would certainly consider a smart looking double-breasted tuxedo.

Quick Q&A of Buy or Rent Tuxedo Decision:

Q: How many times do I need a tuxedo every year?
A: If you wear a tux less than two times every year, we suggest renting.
If you wear a tuxedo 2 – 4+ times a year, buying is probably a good idea.

Q: Does my size and weight change often?
A: If your sizing and weight changes frequently, then we suggest renting.
If your sizing does not fluctuate dramatically, then you can still buy a tuxedo and have it altered when/if there is a size change.

Q: Is there a risk that designs I am considering will go out of style?
A: If you are thinking of a trendy color for a tuxedo purchase, it’s probably better to rent.
If you want a black tuxedo for use many times over, then it’s a safer bet to buy.

We hope this helped you with the decision to buy or rent your suit or tuxedo. Chat with us if you want to talk through in more detail!

Featured Wedding Dress: Minnie by Eddy K


Meet Minnie!

Designer: Eddy K

Why we love her: Minnie is a sweet little dress for the bride who wants elegant simplicity! This crepe a-line is lightweight, comfortable, and timeless. Her v-neck neckline gives a touch of cleavage without too much plunge, and creates a gorgeous shape in the bodice. Thin spaghetti straps pull up the top and lead to a low, v-back that falls to emphasize the most flattering parts of the bride’s back. 

Close up Eddy K Minnie

One of the most loved parts about this gown is the band at the waist! The double seams at the natural waist and directly under the bust work to chisel out the most flattering part of the bride’s waist, emphasizing a cinched middle section. Brides LOVE the way that Minnie flatters their figure! The soft skirt flows freely without adding volume, and the train falls in romantic pleats as the bride moves. Fabric covered buttons begin at the top of the zipper and cascade all the way down the train. When bustled with a French bustle, these buttons will align perfectly to make a seamless transition!

Close up crepe bodice on Minnie

She’s perfect for: This gown is perfect for a bride who wants a dress that is simple and timeless with a touch of modernity. Her clean cut transcends time while her bodice is reminiscent of the styles of today! Minnie is also a perfect dress for a bride who likes ornate details. This gown is a gorgeous blank slate with no lace or beading that will clash with any jewelry, florals, venues, etc. Brides can have ornate floral arrangements without having to worry that it may take away from their gown in pictures. 

This also lends itself to the option of having a dramatic cathedral veil! There are some truly incredible veils out there that will only work with a gown that does not have a ton of detail on it. Some with intricate beading, lace patterns, sparkles, or 3D lace would look amazing paired with a gown like Minnie! There is also the option of adding a belt or sash to the waist on this gown. The natural waist seam creates the perfect place for a belt, or add another belt to the seam under the bust to create a double belted look that would further highlight that cinched waist! The options to customize are endless!

What makes her special: Minnie has a feature that almost every bride loves – pockets! Tuck away your vows and some tissues for the ceremony, then swap them out for your phone so you can get some great posts for your Instagram during the reception. Whatever you choose to keep in your pockets, you will be happy that you chose Minnie as your gown.

She is also a special gown for her versatility in different wedding aesthetics. Depending on how you dress her up or down, Minnie can be perfect for a number of different themes and venues. She can be as casual as a gown for a backyard wedding or, dressed up with jewelry and veils, could be gorgeous at a country club! Her lightweight, flowy nature also would make her perfect for a wedding on a beach. There are so many options for a gown as clean and timeless as Minnie!