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Tag: Wedding Gown
A Whimsical and Romantic Wedding Editorial at Royal Oaks Country Club
The Tuscan-inspired architecture of Royal Oaks Country Club was the perfect canvas for this wedding editorial, artfully captured by Painted Peacock Photography. The shoot was inspired by the wedding of childhood sweethearts who never lost their whimsical imaginations and playfulness, creating a sweet, romantic and dreamy scene.
The 8 Commandments of Achieving the Perfect Bridal Fit by MW Couture
Writer: Laura Furr Mericas
Minerva Wooldridge, founder of Houston’s MW Couture, puts an uncommon attention to detail and masterful skill into every wedding gown, mother of the bride dress, or flower girl smock that passes through her storefront. Having begun sewing at the age of 15, and quickly moving on to create custom wedding gowns from scratch, she is know throughout Houston and the U.S. as an alterations expert and exquisite designer who follows a strict set of rules to ensure that every bride leaves her store with the perfect fit. “My goal is to put my quality on display all the time,” she says. “You don’t take your dress from here unless you are 100 percent happy and satisfied.” We talked with Wooldridge about her rigorous regimen, known to her and her staff as “The Eight Commandments.”
Gown Alterations: MW Couture | Wedding Gown: Brickhouse Bridal | Photography: Ever & Anon Photography
1. There For You From the First Fitting — Wooldridge and her team strive to create the most welcoming and comfortable environment possible for brides trusting them with their signature look. One way that she does this is from the first phone call, reminding the bride to bring the slip, bra and shoes she will be wearing with the dress, so she can get the entire look right from the first fitting.
2. Dress With Care — Wooldridge also dresses the bride herself, paying special attention to every detail of the dress. She says that this helps them feel more confident, as she expertly sets the gown to each bride’s body.
3. Find the Vibe — “Sometimes having her describe the wedding is like I’m looking into a magic ball. It lets me know her personality,” Wooldridge says. By hearing more about the event, Wooldridge finds out if she should go more romantic, modern or elegant with the design and fitting.
4. Listen! — “The first time the bride comes in she might be very emotional,” Wooldridge says. She and her team listen to make sure they don’t miss any key elements brides mention, and answer all questions and concerns with confidence and empathy.
Gown Alterations: MW Couture | Wedding Gown: Brickhouse Bridal |Photography: Ever & Anon Photography
5. Talk it Out — Once alterations are underway, Wooldridge and her team go into great detail to explain all alterations that have been made and offer any further ideas they might have, leaving an open floor for the bride to address any other changes she would like made. “Everything has a solution,” Wooldridge says. “I am trying to find the best solution so she can have a best dress that is personal and unique.”
6. Be Flexible, But Timely — The team at MW Couture is always conscious of brides’ timeframes and pride themselves on making achievable alterations within acceptable pickup dates.
7. Quality, Quality, Quality — Wooldridge insists that all alterations at MW Couture are “equal to or better than the original construction of the dress.” We can vouch for that!
8. Conclude with Gratitude — Lastly, Wooldridge thanks the bride for trusting the family at MW Couture with the most important garment for the most important day of her life. She wishes all wedding couples luck and lifetime of memories!
Alterations: MW Couture | Bridal Gown: Lillian West from Whittington Bridal | Photos: Brad Adcock Photography
There are few experts in the wedding business quite as professional and caring as Minerva and the team at MW Couture! Want to get your perfect fit? Schedule a consultation with MW Couture today!
The 8 Commandments of Perfect Bridal Fit by MW Couture
Having begun sewing at the age of 15, Minerva Wooldridge quickly moved on to creating custom wedding gowns from hand-selected materials and exquisite embellishments, eventually founding her own Houston atelier, MW Couture. She is known throughout Houston and the U.S. as an alterations expert and designer of heirloom-quality special-occasion garments, who follows a strict set of rules to ensure that every bride leaves her store with the perfect fit. “My goal is to put my quality on display all the time,” she says. “You don’t take your dress from here unless you are 100 percent happy and satisfied.” We talked with Wooldridge about her rigorous regimen, known to her and her staff as “The Eight Commandments.”
Gown Alterations: MW Couture | Wedding Gown: Brickhouse Bridal | Photography: Ever & Anon Photography
1. The First Fitting — Wooldridge and her team strive to create the most welcoming and comfortable environment possible for the clients who have entrusted MW Couture with their wedding-day look. One way she does this is by reminding brides from the very first phone call to bring their slip, bra and shoes to their first fitting, so she and her team can get the entire look right from the get-go.
2. Dress With Care — Wooldridge also dresses the bride herself, paying special attention to every detail of the dress. She says that this helps her client feel more confident, as she expertly sets the gown to each bride’s body.
3. Find the Vibe — “Sometimes having the bride describe her wedding is like looking into a crystal ball. It lets me know her personality,” Wooldridge says. By hearing more about the event, Wooldridge can determine if she should go more romantic, modern or elegant with the design and fitting.
4. Listen and Answer — “The first time the bride comes in she might be very emotional,” Wooldridge says. She and her team listen intently to make sure they don’t miss any key elements the bride might mention, and that they answer all questions and address all concerns with confidence and empathy.
Gown Alterations: MW Couture | Wedding Gown: Brickhouse Bridal | Photography: Ever & Anon Photography
5. Talk It Out — Once alterations are underway, Wooldridge and her team go into great detail to explain all changes that have been made to the dress and offer any further ideas they might have, leaving the floor open for the bride to ask questions of her own. “Everything has a solution,” Wooldridge says. “I am trying to find the best solution, so she can have a dress that is both personal and unique.”
6. Right On Time — The team at MW Couture is always conscious of brides’ timeframes and takes pride in making achievable alterations within acceptable pickup dates.
7. Quality, Quality, Quality — Wooldridge insists that all alterations at MW Couture are “equal to or better than the original construction of the dress.” We can vouch for that!
8. Conclude with Gratitude — Lastly, Wooldridge thanks the bride for trusting the family at MW Couture with the most important garment for the most important day of her life! She wishes all wedding couples luck and a lifetime of memories.
Alterations: MW Couture | Gown: Lillian West from Whittington Bridal | Photo: Brad Adcock Photography
There are few experts in the wedding business as professional and caring as Minerva Wooldridge and the team at MW Couture! Want to get your perfect fit? Schedule a consultation with MW Couture today!
Houston Bridal Salons at the I Do! Wedding Soiree
Every detail of your wedding—from your save-the-dates to your reception departure—will be planned with extreme care and attention to detail. But as a bride, your wedding dress is arguably the biggest bridal decision you’ll make. Your bridal gown is a true representation of you, your style and your day. Whether you are seeking a classic wedding gown, a bohemian wedding dress or a mix of traditional and modern styles, you’ll find style inspiration, and, just maybe, the bridal dress of your dreams, at the upcoming I Do! Wedding Soiree.
Five of Houston’s top bridal salons—Ivory Bridal Atelier, Now & Forever Bridal Boutique, Houston Bridal Gallery, Parvani Vida Bridal and Formal and MW Couture—will showcase top-of-the-line bridal couture trends and hot-off-the-runway designer bridal gowns, in a dynamic strolling fashion show, live at The Corinthian on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Alterations expert MW Couture also will provide insights to ensure that your wedding dress is the perfect fit. Be sure to purchase your advance-sale tickets to Houston’s ONLY luxury wedding event while they are still available! Bonus: Purchase your tickets by 11:59 p.m. this Friday, Feb. 17, and you could WIN an awesome $700 on-location engagement shoot from acclaimed Houston wedding photographer Adam Nyholt!! Our winner will be notified next week, and announced live at the I Do! Wedding Soiree. Good luck, lovelies…and we’ll see YOU at I Do!
Top Left Photo: Now & Forever Bridal Boutique | Botton Left Photo: Parvani Vida Bridal and Formal | Top Right Photo: Ivory Bridal Atelier | Middle Right Photo: MW Couture | Bottom Right Photo: Houston Bridal Gallery
Preserve Your Wedding Gown the Twin Oaks Way (aka, the RIGHT Way)
Photos: Top Left: Alvina Valenta, Middle: Alvina Valenta, Top Right: Naeem Khan, Bottom Left: LaceNTrim via Etsy, Bottom Right: Reem Acra
You know it, we know it, designers know it: A wedding gown is NOT like other garments. Unfortunately, many dry cleaners who advertise “wedding gown preservation” do not understand exactly how special wedding gowns are, and what kind of painstaking care is required to preserve them beautifully, and without damage.
Twin Oaks Cleaners has made wedding gown preservation a priority for more than 60 years. No, not just a priority—an art. We’re not kidding. This iconic Houston business employs not one but two full-time spotters whose sole job is to identify any staining and determine exactly which solvents are required to return the dress material to pristine condition. And a team of experts who dedicate themselves to removing any accessory or bit of ornamentation that might be damaged during cleaning. Yeah. It’s that kind of place.
And when it comes to your wedding gown, it’s the only kind of place you want to entrust with that gown’s care.
This week, you can WIN $150 of Twin Oaks Cleaners’ renowned dry cleaning services (perfect for those fancy-shmancy getups you’re getting set to wear for all your fabulous pre-wedding parties, dinners, showers and celebrations), PLUS an additional 10% off Twin Oaks Cleaners’ gown preservation. Simply Like this Weddings in Houston Facebook post AND Twin Oaks’ Facebook page, and you’re entered to win. Winner announced Tuesday, April 21 on—where else?—Facebook!
Peach, Pink and Gold Wedding at The Houstonian by J. Cogliandro Photography
Ashley had been bugging Rick to plan the perfect date night, and that he did. Rick made dinner reservations at one of their favorite restaurants. Even when were then seated at a table with a dozen roses and a bottle of wine, Ashley still didn’t suspect anything. After all, they were low-key, private people–it never occurred to her that Rick would propose in public. But as soon as they were done with their meal, the restaurant’s manager personally presented the couple with dessert under a cloche cover. When Ashley removed the cloche, she discovered a ring box, and, well, let’s just say it turned out to be a date night she’d never forget. Ashley and Rick’s opulent wedding at The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa was a dream come true. “We ended up creating exactly what we wanted, a very festive and romantic atmosphere with a classic feel that recognized the importance of the moment”,” the bride says. Tall pink and peach candelabras, and hanging candles above the dance floor, added the perfect touch of romance and elegance to the evening. Thanks J. Cogliandro for the beautiful photos, and congrats to the newlyweds!
Photos: J. Cogliandro Photography ~ Wedding Reception Venue: The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa ~ Wedding Gown Designer: Lazaro ~ Wedding Gown Salon: Ivory Bridal Atelier ~ Shoes: Manolo Blahnik ~ Groom’s Suit: Al’s Formal Wear ~ Cake: Susie’s Cakes & Confections ~ Lighting: Bright Star Productions ~ Registry: Macy’s Wedding Gift & Registry, Restoration Hardware and Crate & Barrel
Glamorous Purple & Green Wedding
Austyn could never have predicted that she’d eventually marry her dashing high-school prom date, Dane. But when their trip to the beach for Austyn’s 24th birthday turned into a surprise proposal, well, lovely Austyn knew she’d made the right choice. The pair wed in front of 250 of their nearest and dearest in grand style, and partied the night away surrounded by tall candelabras, dramatic floral arrangements, and tons of glitz n’ glam. Sounds gorgeous? Just wait ’til you see the sweet pics. Congrats and best wishes to the happy couple!
Photos: R & J Studios ~ Wedding Gown Designer: Galina Signature ~ Wedding Gown Salon: David’s Bridal ~ Jewelry: Zadok Jewelers ~ Flowers: Belles Fleurs ~ Venue: Centurion Palace