Dear Vera Wang,

You speak to my bridal soul. Every time I’m doubting I have the “bride gene,” I take a glance at your gowns and I’m immediately daydreaming of walking down the aisle. Currently I’m enamored with this beauty-

The striking black sash, the layers of luxurious fabric, and the playful textures make my jaw drop. There isn’t a whole lot more to say other than I love you Vera. You are a visionary genius.

And if anyone owns this gown and wants to sell me their used one… just let me know.

Which designer’s creations speak to your soul like Vera speaks to mine??

***UPDATE*** This dress is called “Eliza” from the Fall 2010 collection. It retails for $9,000-10,000.

***UPDATE 2*** Did you hear that sound??? I’m pretty sure that was god laughing at me.

Today I’d like to showcase a gorgeous dress along with some gorgeous photography. The dress is designed by Pronovias and produced in Spain. This particular dress is from the 2009 Collection but a similar dress can be found in the 2010 collection called Gavina. It’s a delicate lace, sheath dress most suited for the tall and lean. It’s difficult to find a wedding dress that isn’t strapless and this dress fits that bill AND is completely gorgeous. The lace has a vintage feeling with a modern style. Another huge plus is that Pronovias gowns are not crazy expensive. Depending on the style, you can expect to spend anywhere from $1,200-2,200. This is a great example of a quality dress without blowing your entire budget. I almost wish I would have known about Pronovias before I purchased my gown!

These photos shown are of an acquaintance of mine. I saw on Facebook this summer that she got married and of course I had to check out her photos. Since we’re from around the same town I decided to ask about her photographer. I thought her photos were beautifully done and she looked simply stunning, as you can see. The photographer is Elisha Orin who resides in Panama, NY which happens to only be an hour and a half away from my wedding location in Buffalo. She also shoots weddings in St. Thomas and loves to travel. Her prices are incredibly reasonable especially for what’s included in her packages as well as the level of attention she gives to each bride. You can also book her husband as a videographer and get an extra deal. Check out Elisha’s blog for more photos. Elisha is experienced in weddings, senior portraits, family sessions, boudoir photos, and baby pictures. She brings such a great eye to her photos and I’m totally in love with her work. That’s probably why we booked her as our photographer for the wedding. (And no FTC she’s not paying me to say any of this.)

Well… apparently I need to start posting more so that my entire blog doesn’t turn into a collection of wedding dresses. But anyway, I’m adding another beautiful dress to the pile.

I wanted to throw in a traditional ball gown into the mix because I’m generally drawn to the unique and I didn’t want to neglect the more traditional brides who want something glitzy and glamorous.

I give you- Kenneth Pool. With Austin Scarlet from Project Runway success designing for the prestigious line, you get some gowns that are so spectacular they could blind you. Kenneth Pool is also the name behind the dress that Izzie/Meredith wedding dress on Grey’s Anatomy. The style featured here today is called Degas. I’ve personally tried this one on and saw the amazing things it did for my waist. The dropped waist gown is quite heavy (with importance, of course) mostly from the satin fabric and many under layers. This is a much more substantial dress which is most suited for winter or formal weddings. The crystals and beadwork under the bust and at the hipline is incredibly flattering and has that sparkle effect so all eyes will definitely be on you. The dress accentuates and flaunts your curves with that va-va-voom factor. It also does amazing things for your bust lifting your ladies high and proud and the full ball gown skirt has that elegant princess look.

Generally I’ve see the dress run in the mid $4,000 range and up. But I’ve also seen knock offs of this exact dress if the Kenneth Pool isn’t in your budget.

I love to watch those wedding shows on TV such as Who’s Wedding Is It Anyway, Say Yes to the Dress, cake competitions, etc. The shows are purely guilty pleasures and though sometimes I do find good ideas for my own wedding, I mostly watch them because they help me feel a lot more sane when I watch these crazy brides go nuts over the littlest things.

So, this Wedding Dress Wednesday comes from a dress I saw featured on Say Yes to the Dress. A dress for the unconventional bride with a bit of a quirky yet elegant side. The bride on the show was having a Halloween wedding and loved black but still wanted something beautiful. I think this was a perfect choice.

This dress is by Romona Keveza in her “Legends” Collection. I’m not sure the year or season. It’s white silk shantung in a mermaid silhouette with black lace trim along the top bust line and bottom hem and a thin black ribbon around the waist. It looked stunning on the bride in the show and if you are looking for something classic with an edge.

Well since I haven’t posted since last Wednesday, it appears to be that time again. I had a shout out from one of my Facebook friends to check out Enzoani dresses for this week’s Wedding Dress Wednesday. I’d seen their ads in the plethora of bridal magazines I’ve purchased and I liked what I saw. So I took the time to check out their site and found this stunning number-

Gorgeous! It’s in the Enzoani Blue 2009 Collection and the dress is called Bryce. The mermaid silouhette and delicate tulle fabric gives the dress an a sexy yet ethereal vibe. The straps are nice for girls who don’t love strapless gowns and want something a bit more substantial to hold the dress up. Dresses with nice straps are hard to come by. I particularly love the gorgeous beading on the top and around the middle which helps accentuate a tiny waist. This would be a fabulous dress for a spring/summer wedding or even a destination.

Mermaid dresses are not for girls who are looking to hide the hips but if you are a confident woman who wants to show off those great curves, a dress like this would be a fantastic choice.