What I Did On My Summer Vacation and Kicking Off the Fall Trunk Show Season!

Didn't summer go by fast? We've done some traveling over the last few months looking for some of the best new gowns to bring to you! We went to San Fransisco where we got to tour one of our favorite bridal designers, Amy Kuschel's, design loft and showroom on the 5th and 6th floors. It's located in a super cute historical building in the heart of bustling downtown San Fran.

It was a gorgeous showroom and we understand why their brides love them! Each gown is hand-made with love by one seamstress from start to finish. An example of the amazing quality and service that we get from Amy Kuschel, not to mention her vintage-mod designs! Our Amy Kuschel brides will tell you that they LOVE Amy's gowns, The Dress by Nicole will be hosting an Amy Kuschel Viewing Party October 26th-28th and see her gorgeous gowns!

Left to Right: Hope (Amy's right hand gal), myself, and Amy Kuschel

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Also while we were visiting we got to explore and enjoy the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit going on at Golden Gate Park in the De Young Art Museum. What an honor to see his art up close and personal! Whether you are a fashion fan or not, or even if you like him or not, you must look closely at these garments. They are absolutely amazing!

Another amazing corset made entirely of ribbons.

The amount of patternmaking, hand-sewing, hand-beading, and draping that go into his couture garments is jaw-dropping. He's dressed everyone from Madonna with her famous cone bra, Lady Gaga, and Kylie Minogue, to costumes for films.

Madonna's famous cone bra corset from her tour.

One of the many stylish rooms at the exhibit

One dress that really caught my eye was his unique interpritation of a wedding gown. Yes, it looks a little strange but you have to appriciate the amount of details and hours put into the dress. All the feathers, cording, beads were hand-stitched. It's gorgeous in a wacky kind of way!

 

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We are super excited about the upcoming events for the fall bridal season! This weekend, September 7th-16th, we have our 4th Annual Sample Sale. We will be super busy that weekend and appointments are booking fast! We will have select wedding gowns 20-80% off starting at $200! We will also have some moms, maids, flower girls and select accessories on sale too!

September 21st-23rd we are so excited to host an Aria Bridal Trunk Show! We are the exclusive retailer in the Chicago area for their gowns! This is a great chance to see a lot of their collection in a variety of sizes!

September 28th-30th we are hosting an Enzoani Blue Trunk Show. We will have a great selection of their most popular gowns!

October 19th-21st we are honored to have Kitty Chen's brand new 2013 collection straight from the runway at New York Bridal Week. The Dress by Nicole is honored to be the first store in the country to debut her new collection! Appointments are booked months in advance for this unique event!







Contact us today for your appointment for any of our events. Trunk Show weekends do book up fast so call us today @ 630-653-3737.

Kristen Found The Dress @ The Dress

Kristen found The Dress @ The Dress for her October 2011 wedding to her fiance Gerald. They met and fell in love as students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  She was on the Illinettes Dance Team and he was on the Illini Drumline, so they rehearsed and performed together as part of the marching band.  




Shortly after they had both started their first jobs out of college, Gerald popped The Question. They were looking forward to a few days off for Labor Day weekend.  Since they had Friday off, they decided to go out on Thursday to kick off the long weekend.  "I suggested going to a cute-looking neighborhood bar we had been meaning to try, but he insisted that we go somewhere 'fancy,' so he made us reservations at a great French restaurant (where we now go every time we have a special occasion to celebrate)."  On that Thursday, he sent Kristen a huge bouquet of flowers at work – which he had never done before, "so I began to get a little suspicious.  We went on our dinner date and everything was normal, but when we got home, he got quiet and serious.  He said, 'I have a confession to make.  I didn’t go to work yesterday – I drove down and had lunch with your dad.'  Then he got down on his knee and the rest was a complete blur!  I was so excited I could hardly speak, and was only able to say 'yes!' with an enthusiastic nod."



They chose an October date for their wedding because Kristen has always loved fall weather, and it reminds her of school and football season which are the things that first brought them together.  "My brother had been married in October several years before and had perfect weather, so I was hoping for the same (which, fortunately, we got!)."

The ceremony was held at The First Presbyterian Church in Monticello, Illinois, Kristen's hometown. She had grown up attending the church. "It is beautiful and quaint but not too small, so I knew it would be perfect for us."

The reception was at Allerton Mansion, which is also in Kristen's hometown, and perfect for their 150 guests.  "We looked at several types of venues, but fell in love with Allerton immediately because it is gorgeous and unique, and fit perfectly with the “vintage glam” style I wanted for the wedding.  We loved the cozy and intimate feeling of having the reception in an old mansion.  Also, the mansion and its surrounding park and gardens provided a beautiful setting for photos."

When Kristen was choosing The Dress there were a few key things she was looking for, and this dress had them all – strapless, sweetheart neckline, elegant lace, and a little bit of beading.  "Most importantly, I wanted a crystal waist detail or sash.  Nicole and her team pulled out the most gorgeous crystal sash, and as soon as I put it on with the dress it all came together perfectly." She wore a gorgeous trumpet skirt Enzoani Blue gown with lace appliques over vintage-looking netting covered in crystals, pearls, and sequins. She chose a matching veil with the same lace and a beautiful faux flower accented with Swarovski crystals, all from The Dress by Nicole.

"Like most girls, I had been planning my wedding in my head since about 8^th grade, and I always wanted my color to be a deep burgundy red.  That is what I was planning on, but I started wanting something different and less “weddingy.”  I was loving all the taupe, nude, and blush dresses that are popular right now, and decided it would be trendy yet elegant for the wedding." Kristen chose B2 bridesmaids dress that had layered two colors of chiffon to get the right shade of taupe for the bridesmaids’ dresses. She accented the gowns with white, ivory, and blush pink flowers.

Kristen's favorite moment of the day was, "once the ceremony and photos were done and we got to the reception, I felt a huge wave of relief.  There was nothing left to do or think about but celebrate and have fun!  It is not often that all of your closest friends and family are in the same place, and we had the best time dancing the night away with everyone."

Their favorite wedding detail was that they incorporated photos of themselves with family and friends in pretty frames as a part of the centerpieces at each table.  "It fit in with the “homey” feel of the reception, and it was fun for guests to walk around and see different photos at all the tables."

Kristen's advice for other brides while planning their big day..."We created a step-by-step agenda of every detail that needed to happen on the wedding day, and then stepped back and figured out what we needed to do and plan to ensure that each step happened exactly as we wanted."

Her advice for the day of..."Relax and let your friends and family help.  You’ve done so much work with planning, now is the time to enjoy it.  My bridesmaids and mom were so great and made sure I had a good breakfast, my hair was just right, and that every detail was taken care of." Kristen and Gerald's beautiful wedding was also featured in a central Illinois wedding magazine and blogged about on Behind Every Bride!


Thank you again Kristen and Gerald for sharing your day with us! If you would like to be featured as a bride that found The Dress @ The Dress contact us!

Kelli Found The Dress @ The Dress

Kelli found The Dress @ The Dress for her July 2011 wedding to her fiancé Timothy.  The couple met after college. Kelli moved to DC with one of her best friends from high school, her friend’s college roommate had a friend also moving to the area.  “The three of us in a new city became fast friends,” says Kelli.  After a few months she relocated again to NYC, but Timothy and Kelli kept in contact sporadically.  Almost 5 years later they both attended a high school friend’s engagement party and started dating after.  A year of dating long distance Kelli relocated to Chicago where he was living and almost a year after that they were engaged.  “So as fate would have it we were married 7 years after our first meeting!”

How Timothy popped the question…“After we were reunited at my friend's engagement party I flew to Chicago to visit Timothy, he took me to the Ralph Lauren Restaurant on our first date.  On the night he purposed I had flown in for a bachelorette party and he wanted to go to dinner.  It was a Monday night and he booked the same table and same waiter we had on our first night.  Of course this was totally lost on me even though this was a pretty fancy dinner for a Monday night!” 

Kelli was originally looking for a date in August to get married but she fell in love with The Art Institute of Chicago, The Modern Wing. They had a cancellation on July 23^rd and was available. “My vision was to get married in the heart of downtown Chicago.  Every other venue we visited Timothy's response was ‘if you love it, I love it.’  But once we saw The Modern Wing and he had an actual opinion, I knew it was the one!” The reception was also at The Art Institute but at their Terzo Piano restaurant and was perfect for their 145 guests.

The ceremony plan was to take place on the balcony with these amazing views of the Chicago Skyline but there ended up being an exhibit called “Restless Rainbow” by Pae White featured that summer that blocked the entire skyline.  "We were forced to move the ceremony inside; it ended up being extremely hot that day and the lobby allowed for me to make a grand entrance down glass stairs.  It was amazing and I actually was glad we moved the ceremony inside.  The exhibit made for great fun pics and the ceremony fee was waived."

Kelli chose the Viva mermaid style made of gorgeous champagne tulle by Amy Kuschel. The delicate tulle was pleated and ruched on the bodice and through the hips. There was a skinny belt with Swarovski crystals and delicate silver appliques. To create more fullness in the skirt, Kelli had more layers of tulle added by Amy Kuschel. For the reception she changed into a short sassy cocktail dress accented with a fabulous vintage-inspired Enzoani belt. "My wedding venue was extremely modern and I wanted a dress that fit the personality of the wedding.  I am also very petite so I wanted something that wasn’t overwhelming on my fame.  In addition, the wedding was in the heart of the summer so I wanted something light and airy!"

Kelli chose a rich red and purple palette for the wedding. "I am a girl that knows what she wants, so I had a vision of a red carpet for the ceremony.  Not many colors compliment red without looking shall I say “cheesy” so after meeting with my amazing event stylist we came up with purple and it was perfect!"

She had a lot of favorite moments of the wedding day but if she had to pick one it would be, "after the ceremony and after the pictures when it was time to party!!!" 

Kelli's advice for soon-to-be brides..."don’t sweat the small stuff!  All the little details that you put so much energy and time into will be lost on most guests.  Also, it’s ok to be a little selfish you only get to have this day once."

Thank you again Kelli and Timothy for sharing your day with us! If you would like to be featured as a bride that found The Dress @ The Dress contact us!

Sarah Found The Dress @ The Dress

Sarah found The Dress @ The Dress for her March 2011 wedding to her husband James. They met when he moved to the area for a new job and started going to Sarah's Sunday school class right before the holiday season. "At the New Year’s white elephant gift exchange party, he thought I was married to my brother (we arrived together, we have the same last name, he lived with me, we argued about if the white elephant fishing pole toiletpaper holder should come home with us)! Fortunately, within a few weeks, as he became friends with my brother, he realized he was mistaken. But it did take him a year and a half to actually ask me out," says Sarah. 

How James popped THE question... I went to Hawaii on vacation with my friend Heather; all the while thinking I knew when he would propose. Within a few days of coming home, he took me to Alinea in Lincoln Park for a date to remember. The ring was delayed by a day (they called him on his cell that the ring had arrived once we were already on our way to our big date). After no proposal that day, I thought he would wait until my birthday months later. He surprised me the next evening at India Palace. I thought he was going to get takeout so I went to the gym and then to his place. Instead, he took me back to where I had told him he should get engaged in the next year. (At the time, he was just a friend so I had not meant to me.) He got down on his knee and proposed, saying that I should get married this year. I was so shocked and excited! 

The couple chose the ceremony and the reception to be held at College Church in Wheaton, Illinois. They chose College Church because, "it is beautiful and where we first met." The site had plenty of room for their 200 guests. Sarah wanted a March date because spring weddings are her favorite and springbreak was an easy time to take a honeymoon.

Sarah wore a gorgeous LaRichi trumpet gown with hand-painted blossoms on silk organza. There were glittering Swarovski crystal buttons all the way down the back down through the train. She chose "the dress" because it had sparkles and spring flowers. The light, airy gown was perfect for her spring wedding. She chose an Amy Kuschel platinum ribbon sash with metallic embroidery and beadwork to accentuate her tiny waist.

 Her shoes were hand-made silk satin by Hey Lady trimmed with more Swarovski. She also wore a gorgeous veil and an exquisite back-comb trimmed with Swarovski crystals and rhinestones.

 

 She chose her wedding colors to be hot pink, chartreuse, and platinum. She liked that, "chartreuse had springy feel and platinum is classic." The colors were a perfect combination in her flowers and added the dash of color.

Sarah is a musician herself, so it's only natural that her favorite moment of the day was listening to the ceremony and reception music.
 















Her favorite detail was her cake. "It turned out so beautifully with the hand-crafted flowers and the Champagne vanilla was excellent."

Sarah's advice for brides while planning, "Insist that the wait staff leave food for you. The servers cleared our plates while we talked with guests so I hardly tasted any food at our wedding!" Her advice for brides the on the actual wedding day, "Do a first look before the wedding. We saw each other for the first time at the start of the day alone with only the photographer and it was a very personal moment. It helped me get my sentimental tears out before the wedding ceremony too."

Thank you so much Sarah and James for sharing your day with us! If you would like to be featured as a bride that found The Dress @ The Dress contact us!

Jeanie Found The Dress at The Dress

      

Jeanie found The Dress @ The Dress for her 2011 New Year's Eve Wedding to her husband John. The couple met through mutual friends. She had a birthday party at her house for a mutual friend and one of them decided to invite John (who had just gotten home from a 3 week tour of Europe). "It was a perfect time in our lives for both of us," says Jeanie.

How John popped THE question... "I always told John I’m impossible to surprise so he would have to be pretty crafty to surprise me when he proposed. It was a Monday night and I came home from work with a pizza, to my father and John waiting for a plumber to look at something around the house. The plumber never showed up (which I thought was weird, but no big deal). So my father left and John and I ate dinner then decided to go to Petsmart (since my dog needed food. Yea, real romantic, right? :) On the way home from Petsmart John turned a different way, which I didn’t think twice about. He then pulled into a park nearby (which we went to on one of our first dates) and said he thought we could take a walk (we did that frequently so I didn’t think anything of it). There were kids playing in the gazebo so he said let’s just sit down and talk so we did and then I started getting suspicious. I looked at his pockets and didn’t see a ring box-so figured I was just crazy. The kids finally left and we walked in the gazebo and were looking at all the names on the inside- he then grabbed me and told me how much I meant to him and got down on one knee...I don’t remember the rest, I was SO excited!!!!"

Jeanie and John chose to hold their ceremony at Our Lady of the Woods Catholic Church in Orland Park, Illinois where Jeanie attended growing up. New Years Eve was chosen because, "we figured everyone is always looking for a good party for New Years and we never wanted to have a super long engagement." Jeanie also LOVES Christmas time and how beautiful everything is always decorated. "We chose the church I grew up in for our ceremony, it’s stunning!"

 
The couple chose Grotto Italian Steakhouse in Oak Brook for their reception. "Good food was one of our biggest priorities so I looked at Italian restaurants (since I am Italian) and Grotto happened to fit everything we dreamed of!" It was perfect for their 190 guests. Jeanie chose their wedding colors, black and white, with a touch of red. "I thought it was perfect for the time of year and also very elegant and timeless."

Jeanie chose The Dress @ The Dress because, "I wanted something different, yet still elegant. The second I put it on with the belt I knew it was perfect!" She wore a gorgeous organza Aire Barcelona gown with a ruched bodice and ruffled swirls on the skirt. She chose the perfect sparkly ribbon belt to accent her waist and a feather flower in her hair. She pulled in the winter theme with a faux fur wrap and her bridesmaids wore taffeta empire waist style gowns with pleating on the bodice to match Jeanie's. She found it all at The Dress by Nicole.

Jeanie's favorite unique detail at the wedding was the cake. "We decided to have cupcakes with custom damask wrappers stacked to look like a big square cake. They were chocolate with peanut butter mousse and were SO good!"

"My favorite moment of the day was when my father walked me down the aisle and we turned the corner and I saw the man of my dreams crying as he watched me walk towards him."

 

"My advice for other brides is to not worry about what other people will think or say. It is your day, so make it everything you ever wanted-it goes by EXTREMELY quick!" Advice for other brides on the actual wedding day... "Enjoy every single moment. Do not worry that something will go wrong-just spend your time enjoying everything you do with your new husband, family, and friends," says Jeanie.

Thank you Jeanie and John for sharing your day with us! If you found The Dress @ The Dress we'd love to feature you! Let us know!

Noel Found The Dress @ The Dress!

We are starting a new theme with our blog and featuring our fabulous customers that have found The Dress at The Dress by Nicole! Every few weeks we will post the details about her special day and her gorgeous dress. If you are interested in becoming featured as one of our "She Found The Dress @ The Dress” brides please contact us at nicole@shopthedress.com and we'd love to hear about your day! 

 

Noel found The Dress @ The Dress for her October 2010 wedding to her fiance Jeff in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. They met in high school through mutual friends and started dating shortly after.

The ceremony was at St. Hubert's Church, where Jeff grew up attending. They chose October for their wedding because October is Jeff's favorite month and Chicago weather can be unpredictable, but fall is usually pretty stable. Noel also loved the fall colors and knew it would be beautiful that time of year. 

The reception was at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle and they wanted to be surrounded by the gorgeous oranges, yellows, and reds of the fall trees. They also chose that reception location because it was one of the most unique places they had seen and it was perfect for their 200 guests.

 

 

 
Noel's favorite moment of the day was being up at the altar with Jeff, smiling at each other, saying their vows. "I just remember being really, really excited that we were getting married,” says Noel. “Another moment might seem silly, but with all of the rush of getting ready, I never actually looked at myself in a mirror after I was all ready.  Finally when I was in the bathroom at the reception, I walked by a mirror and realized ‘Oh my goodness, I’m wearing my dress, this is my wedding!’ I was so happy, and never wanted to take the dress off." 

Noel chose a gorgeous mermaid Kitty Chen Couture gown with ruched taffeta and beaded lace appliques. The skirt was layered tulle trimmed with lace and the bodice had a corset back that accentuated her gorgeous figure. The gown was topped off with a beautiful cathedral length veil with scattered Swarovski crystals, rhinestone clusters, and silver edging. 

 I was lucky to attend the ceremony of their wedding and it was absolutely gorgeous! My brother was one of the groomsmen and has been friends with the couple since high school. Noel is a dance teacher so the church was filled with her young students and their parents. Also because the couple grew up in the neighborhood, there were many neighbors and friends that attended the ceremony to support the couple and get a glimpse of the beautiful bride.

Noel's favorite/unique detail of the wedding: "I LOVED my seating chart at the reception.  Since Jeff and I had been together for so long, we decided to theme our tables with different milestones throughout our relationship; school dances, vacations, graduations, first dates, first homes, etc. My aunt is an artist and she designed the most beautiful timeline of our relationship that designated who sat at which table.  I now have that hanging in my home.  It’s so important to me because not only does it capture so many of Jeff and my moments, but it also has the name of every person who attended our wedding."

Timeline table seating chart painted by Noel's aunt

 Noel's advice to other brides while planning is, “to be sure to take your time and enjoy!  Try not to get stressed about sticking to timelines - when you have to book the photographer, the florist, buy shoes, etc. There are so many things to do, but if you rush through everything, you get lost in planning a very important event that will only happen once in your life.  Also, shop for the dress as much as you can!  There is nothing more fun than trying on dresses!!"

@ The Morton Arboretum

Her advice for other brides on the actual wedding day is, "people kept telling me to take it all in and don’t rush through the day, so I tried really hard to listen to that advice.  It wasn’t all a blur to me.  I remember every moment because I enjoyed every moment.  Also, take a few minutes to spend some time just with your husband.  At one point after dinner, Jeff and I sat outside by ourselves to kind of just say hi and talk.  There are so many people who want to see you during the day that it becomes easy to forget to spend time with the person you just married!" 

Thank you Noel and Jeff for sharing your day with us!