A CELEBRATION OF BRIDAL FASHION

Stephanie Williams
If there is such a thing as visual poetry it is in these images. All are from a recent photo shoot I had with Orange County wedding photographer Stephanie Williams. We shot five of my gowns in various locations around San Juan Capistrano, California--including the mission. While I'm seeing more 'real wedding albums' with this sort of editorial feel, for me Stephanie's work is the quintessential. READ AND SEE MORE IMAGES . . . .
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WHAT'S NEW IN THE GOWN GALLERY?

Welcome Spring in with the 'Sophia' Gown. Best worn against the back drop of greenery and blooming flowers, 'Sophia' is an A-line cut, wrapped in ivory gathered tulle from bodice to hem. Handmade pink organza rosettes secured with pink quartz beads are dappled all over the dress and matching shawl.

'Sophia' was conceived and designed with the outdoor and/or more informal wedding in mind. Accessorized here with a trio of pink roses as head piece, 'Sophia' would look just as stunning paired up with short or long veil. A picture hat wrapped in tulle is another option for this gown that would set it into high fashion/romantic dressing . . .

To order or ask questions about 'Sophia' you can either call or email me. I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Amy-Jo Tatum Bridal couture
415.258.8204
contact@amyjotatum.com


Model: Natalie Angela
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WHAT'S NEW IN THE GOWN GALLERY?

Check out the new chic from my 'Dioresque' series, a capsule collection of 1950s-inspired dresses. 'Marisol' is the first off the work table. Inspiration for this dress along with a few other gems I'm working on began when my girlfriends all chipped in and got me about 16 yards of cotton Georgette for my birthday. Yes, you heard that right, cotton Georgette. With this, I was able to make 4 samples with cinched bodices atop oodles of skirt and petticoats.

Of course the cotton Georgette was a limited run and quickly consumed by my fervent sample making. However, I tracked down some practically identical linen Georgette. Also the linen is eco-chic.
What I love about these tea-length dresses is they dress up well with accessories. We tried both hats and veils, gloves and no gloves; large and small florals, every type from carried-in-your-arms-like-a-newborn bouquets as well as those small nosegay arrangements. Just about everything works with this dress. Personally, I love the 'New Look' wide-brimmed hat swathed in tulle. These photos are already up on my website and I've had so many comments, about this hat in particular.


A little 1950s background here on bridal chic. Back then it was trendy to wear sheer dresses made out of organza or Georgette over an under bodice. Liz Taylor's dress by Helen Rose for her role in Father of the Bride is a good example of the style and one widely copied by stores and manufacturers of the time. So is the pattern below.


If you want a fascinating read on 1950s bridal couture, visit Vintage Fashion
History, a site chock-a-block full of interesting info on the origins of hourglass silhouettes like these.
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BACK STORY

Rosy Garbo

Ever notice how designers add some well thought out elements to make the back of a wedding gown pop? No matter how simple your gown is, the back is going to deserve as much attention to detail as the front. All you have to do is look at your body from all angles to see one of the most dramatic views will be your back. You’ll be showing it off once you pass down the aisle and the whole time you take vows. Think of your back in components that make up a total picture of you: There’s the veil, back bodice, skirt and train. Choosing the right veil depends on the length of the gown and maybe the interest of the back bodice. You may opt for a shorter veil or no veil if there are some details you want to show off. These details can be as simple as a row of buttons all the way down the back, or as elaborate as silk flowers cascading the length of a cathedral train. How much or little detail you choose is a matter of preference.










Back details of gowns by Clarissa Grace, all variations of lace-up bodices.

Eme di EmeAsymetrical pleats and lace up bodice grace the back of this silk gown.


RS Couture Roma.A detachable silk organza train with cluster of silk florals



Amelia CasablancaA ball gown with lots of length and volume in the skirt will bustle 'big' like the one pictured above.


GalvinA very low draped back on a silk satin crepe. Simple but dramatic.



Amelia Casablanca
A double watteau train falls from each shoulder on this Grecian type gown


Amelia Casablanca Front and back, pick ups create a tufted effect on this organza skirt accented with silk florals.



Bijou by Dem.BUTTONS-A row down the back is classic; either fabric covered or pearl.


Galvin
Bling on straps and bodice accent this gown by Galvin.


ValentiniLace, a row of buttons and a train attached to the low back accent this light blue gem of a dress.


Linea Raffaelli.
A simple drop of embroidered lace at the neck is the only touch a dress this simple needs.



PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
If you’ve fallen in love with a particular detail you want on the back of your gown like a cluster of florals, but can’t find a gown with it in the style you want, consider two ways you can go about getting it:
1) Go ahead and order the gown then find silk flowers and someone with the skill to attach them. .
2) Have a gown custom designed.
Custom design is the best option if you have a specific back feature that ordinarily would have to be engineered into the gown rather than simply added on. Bows, florals, sashes and detachable trains can all be matched up in color and fabric and added on to a ready made gown with little or no problem. But features like back overlay skirts and lace-up bodices are usually built in and need to be planned out with a skilled dressmaker or designer. Going custom might cost more in time and the number of fittings, but you’ll get that wonderful back feature that makes the gown uniquely yours, uniquely one-of-its-kind . . .


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THE COTTON WEDDING DRESS

Dresses by Amy-Jo Tatum Bridal Couture
Photos by Smoot Photo
Hair by Gayle Parker






The cotton wedding dress. Easy and comfortable to wear, these dresses are surprisingly affordable.




Most of us associate cotton with everyday wear. Since cotton is the ultimate in laid-back casual, we rarely think of it in terms of bridal wear. Think again. Especially about the imported Swiss eyelets in the photos above and below.




Imported swiss eyelet with scalloped neck and hem.

Cottons are not just for kids dresses anymore. High quality cottons like these have always been a stylish option for summer brides and garden weddings.



All over eyelet A-line with Sabrina neckline






Not every bride wants the formality of silk on her wedding day so some designers are getting this message, offering at least one cotton option in their spring/summer collection.






Close up of 'Gretel', a sweetheat neck trimmed in cotton lace


Want to see more of what's going on with the cotton collection? Visit Amy-Jo Tatum Bridal Couture.





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YOUR SILHOUETTE

Photo by Henley Photography +
Admit it, this cotton eyelet dress is about as hourglassy as you can get. Whether you go flared or straight up and down, the silhouette you choose is going to be the foundation of your look—the first impression you create once you make your entrance, dance your first dance, cut the cake. The right silhouette creates a positive visual chemistry. Something like a light turned on, illuminating the unique beauty of your female form. There are three basic silhouettes: the sheath, the ball gown and A-line. Within each of these big three derive a few variations deserving closer examination. Read this article . .
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GOING GREEN

Above: Swiss cotton eyelet bouffant dress reminiscent of the daytime formal look. Below: Tea-dyed hemp and silk gauze gown specially commissioned for a client.

Green brides are just going to have to spend a little more time and care choosing the dress. Since more are going custom or buying wedding wear in green-alternative boutiques, there's not only a need to know what materials go into the making of a dress but also who is making the piece and where. As one bride put it, "I couldn't stand up and make such an important commitment, knowing any part of what I had on my body might have been put together by prison labor or in a sweat mill. It just goes against everything I believe in." Going Green can mean wearing a dress in natural fibers: organic cotton, wool, linen, silk, and of course, hemp. It helps to have a knowledge of the natural dying process and thinking through what impact toxic dyes might have on the environment. Here are some questions to ask: Is that silk I love really its natural color? If it is tinted, was it done with non-toxic dye? Is that snow white silk taffeta chlorined? And was that cotton grown free of pesticides? If you find answers to these questions through the help of a green-savvy designer or seamstress, you could make this a real project planet-style endeavor.

Going Green can also mean saving resources by wearing a previously owned gown. So where do you find one? Here are some options.

*Second Time Around Bridal Shops
*Vintage Shops
*Thrift Shops and Flea Markets
*Family


Green Friendly Sites for Brides
*Great Green Wedding
*Green Weddings
*Vibrant Events
*Amy-Jo Tatum Bridal Couture
*Rawganique






Gowns by Amy-Jo Tatum
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WHAT'S NEW IN THE GOWN GALLERY?

Imagine the formality of an elegant silhouette with all the ease of informal cotton. Here's my 'Daisy' dress in a pure white eyelet. I love this fabric. Every bride who has tried it on says its so comfortable. Audrey Hepburn as Sabrina was my original inspiration for this design. The bateau neckline pictured above was actually renamed after this character from the mid-1950s movie. The rest of the dress is a classic A-line with a to-the-floor skirt held out by layers of petticoat. I topped it off with one of my shorter veils reminiscent of 50s-60s brides.
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SUMPTUOUS FABRICS: The Making of a Romantic Bride

Gowns by Amy-Jo Tatum
Photos by Ron Greystar
Model: Robin Patronik
When it comes to wedding wear, silks rule. I designed these gowns in a whole range of silks for the bride wanting an ultra feminine look. When organza, chiffon, crepe and light-as-air laces combine, they make for some real romantic dressing.

MUSETTA: A whirling confection in yards of silk organza accented with peau d’ange lace over a satin bodice.

ARIEL: Go floral. Silk petals and roses decorate a detachable organza train. The rest of the gown is silk chiffon and chantilly lace.



MONIQUE: Surplice bodice draped in white silk crepe harks back to 1930’s Hollywood. Warning: This simple silhouette carries lots of impact.




CHLOE: A lightweight brocade that can go cool and airy for summer weddings.

ANTOINETTE: Be ethereal in a body-hugging embossed chiffon over white crepe. Back features a silk gauze detachable train with handrolled silk florals.


Special thanks to Ron Greystar for his dedicated work on this shoot. All these images are copywritten by rongreystar.com and can not be reproduced without the photographer's consent.Source URL: http://weddingspace.blogspot.com/search/label/cotton%20wedding%20gown
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