Costa Women Blogs

Happy Wednesday! Following on from our fabulous feature Wedding Gown Trends for 2015, we have some tips and advice for shopping for your wedding perfect Wedding Gown! So let’s get down to the nitty gritty!! I am not about to tell you that this will be easy, that you will definitely love every moment of the experience, because I can not promise you that! My own experience was far from perfect, I had to deal with unfriendly sales people, rushed appointments, grubby dresses to try on and really unhelpful service before I found my dream gown and I really do not want you to go through any of that! I was expecting to be treated like a princess and be handed a glass of Champagne, after all I was intending on spending a month’s wage on a dress!! How many times do you hear of a bride that buys a dress or even orders a bespoke dress to be made and then finds something else that she absolutely must have ? Lets use our learnings from my mistakes and the experiences of those around us and make this experience a great one! So here are some tips and good advice to make your Wedding Gown shopping experience fabulous, fun and pleasurable! Set Your Budget As with everything in regards to your wedding you need to set a budget. If you know you’re not going to spend £4,000 on your dress, don’t waste your time trying on gowns out of your price range. You’re much better off focusing on your realistic price point so you can spend more time collating the options you can actually buy. The average dress will cost between £800 and £1,800. Some of the more accessible brands, such as Maggie Sottero and Essense of Australia have enormous collections which often take their inspiration from the leading designers. If you’re looking for something at a more affordable price with stylish details, look no further. Other options are buying store samples, seek out wedding dress sale days. Keep in mind that you’ll need to factor in the cost of alterations, taxes and potentially shipping fees, plus your veil, shoes, lingerie and jewelry, which can add up to £250 or more altogether. Get a Head Start This is one of the things that surprises everyone. You really need at least six to eight months to get your gown and that’s if you’re a good decision maker. If you’re fussy or you just don’t really know what you want, start looking eight to 10 months before your wedding day. Give yourself plenty of time; if you put it off for too long, your selection of dresses could be limited or you might make a quick decision you may regret later. Once you’ve found your perfect wedding gown, give yourself at least eight weeks to have any alterations made. Custom gowns take six to eight months to tailor on average, and heavily-embellished ones can take up to a year. Attire Guidelines You may need to consider religious restrictions when shopping for your gown. If your ceremony is in a house of worship, find out whether there are any attire guidelines you’re required to follow, such as covering your shoulders. Choose Your Ideal Style Think about your venue, the country, the season and the time of day you’re getting married at to help narrow down your dress style. Rule out fabrics and silhouettes that won’t work (a heavy ball gown is probably not the best fit for a midday beach affair) and consider what styles will flatter your body shape. To help you search, use magazines, Pinterest, the Wedding Blog sites and stay on top of the new collection launches (usually March to April). Create some Pinterest Board of your favourite designs, make a tear sheet of your favourite dresses from the magazines and start to see what styles you love. Categorise them and take notes of the designers. If you love a particular designer, find out if they’re having a bridal design day or trunk show in your area, you’ll see a larger range of their collection and you might even get a discount. If their collection prices are hugely out of your price range then any good bridal store will be able to advise you of a designer with a similar style, so do not despair! Try to stick to three designers is you can and don’t confuse yourself with too many options! Don’t forget to refer back to our feature on Wedding Gown Trends for 2015 for style inspiration! Where to Shop The best way to find your perfect Wedding Dress Boutique is by recommendations, ask your friends and also search on Rock My Weddings-Love Lust List. If you want your something old to be your dress? Try  Vintage by Charlie Brear and Fur Coat No Knickers. You may need to travel to find the dress you want so do call ahead. Just because a store carries your favorite designer doesn’t mean they will have the exact dress you’re dying to try. If you phone and request a specific style, the store should be able to call in a sample of that gown especially for you. Many Boutiques do require you to book an appointment in advance to try on their gowns, so you will definitely want to call ahead. The last option would be to have a dress made bespoke. Make sure if you are getting something made that you are either familiar with the shape and style you are asking for or that you have tried the dress style on yourself. It’s all to easy to ask for a dress to be made that you are not so familiar with and find once it’s made that it’s not what you envisaged or is not a style that suits you. A word of warning about buying online, there are no guarantees that the fabric, stitch quality, fit or style will be what it is in the photo- be very sure before you go down this route. You could be wasting both time and money! Take Advice From the Professionals If you love the feel of the Boutique you’ve booked to try on your dresses and connect with the sales staff then do trust in them as professionals. The wedding boutique assists thousands of brides each year. Don’t eliminate anything at first glance. If the salesperson brings you something she says you should try, try it, even if you don’t initially love it or think it’s totally “you.” It is possible and more often than not that a bride will buy a wedding gown she didn’t think she’d ever like or want and in actual fact it ends up being ‘The One’! But equally don’t be bullied by anyone to buy a dress that you are really not sure about. It should feel and look perfect! Make Time to Shop Be aware that Saturday afternoons are the most popular times, you may not get the attention or assistance you have been dreaming about. Unless the store is by appointment only, try to target those slower times. Consultants are fresher earlier in the day and can give you more of their attention. A morning mid-week will be the perfect time. A calm store means a more personalized shopping experience. Don’t bring an entourage with you. It may be tempting to include all your friends in this experience, but any more than one or two means too many clashing opinions and this is a decision you need to make for yourself. You have to love the dress! Buy a Dress That Fits You Now Even if you’re planning on dropping 5 kilos before your wedding, your body type isn’t going to completely change. Besides, it’s a lot easier (not to mention less expensive) to take a gown in than to try and make a too-small dress work. Read the Small Print When you order your gown from a salon, it’s important to triple-check the contract. Read it carefully, so you don’t end up with the wrong size or color, and get the designer, style number, measurements, delivery date, the price of the gown and number of fittings, as well as the deposit amount, all in writing. The Be Prepared Bit! While most boutiques will have shoes on hand for you to try on with your gown, you should still come prepared with a nude bra and underwear for the fittings. Bring shoes with a similar height to what you plan on wearing at the wedding, so you can see how the dress falls with your heels. Take the opportunity to try on your other day-of accessories too (if you have them), like your veil, this will give you an idea of how your whole look will come together. Freshly done hair and make-up will also make you see more clearly how things will look on the day! Trust Yourself! If you feel amazing, look beautiful, can’t stop yourself from shedding a tear then you have no doubt found ‘the one’!!  If you have to be reassured that the dress looks great on you, it’s probably not “the one.” If you can’t see yourself walking down the aisle in it, move on. When you find the right dress, you’ll know, you won’t want to put on anything else! Good luck in your search and if you have any questions then please do get in touch! We would be more than happy offer you advice! We hope you find your perfect wedding gown soon! Why not subscribe below to our blog so you don’t miss us!  As always, happy planning! If you have any questions about your wedding design and styling, please CONTACT us on 00 44 7876 752 435 or {lucy@boutiqueweddingsinspain.com}. To find out more about the services we offer, please go to Wedding Planning Services Love Lucy x

Hello Gorgeous Ladies, Today’s post is the first installment of a two part article for the Bride’s of 2015…I thought you might know a few!! Finally, the most exciting, emotional and important task for your Wedding Day has arrived, it’s time to book your appointments and choose your dream Wedding Gown! But first we wanted to inspire you with the key bridal ‘Looks’ for 2015, whether you are a style conscious bride, dreaming of a modern wedding or a more traditional girl looking for some classic elegance inspiration, there is something for all! Well you are such lucky ladies, 2015 has some new and super exciting bridal trends that are certain to bring out your inner princess for your wedding day! There’s so much opportunity these days to choose a dress that completely suits your personality and style, rather than having to adapt through lack of options. Traditions are changing and the freedom and options a Bride has today are amazing! We have put together a few palettes to illustrate the Key wedding gown trends for 2015, a selection of our favourites that we hope you love just as much as we do! Next week we’ll be back with a guide to shopping your perfect Gown! Modern Tulle This light, whimsical and romantic fabric is huge for 2015. Whether you opt for a full romantic Tulle Gown or a Tulle Skirt combined with a separate lace top, cashmere jumper, denim shirt or even a rocking biker jacket. You can create a classic or a modern and sassy bridal look! The Designers to look for are, Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, Carolina Herrera, Theia, Hayley Paige and Marchesa. The Boutique Wedding Co. Wedding Dress Trends 2015- Modern Tulle Trend Setter and fashion Influencer, Olivia Palmero choose to wear a three piece Carolina Herrera ensemble for her wedding to German Model Johannes Huebl. Her detachable full Tulle skirt with a high slit at the front,  shorts and a white cashmere sweater created an utterly Chic look, finished off with blue embellished Manolo Blahnik Shoes. The very same style that Carrie Bradshaw wore for her civil ceremony to Mr Big! The Boutique Wedding Co. Wedding Dress Trends 2015 – Modern Tulle Naked Lace White or Ivory Lace with a nude lining, AKA ‘Naked Lace’ is huge for 2015. Lace has been a key wedding trend for what seems like eternity. The Nude lining gives your look a more modern edge, effortlessly feminine and timeless. My favourites are designed by Reem Acra, Naeem Khan, Watters, Rivini and Lace Loves Grace. The Boutique Wedding Co. Wedding Dress  Trends 2015- Naked Lace Separates and Crop Tops Separates and Crop Tops are perfect for the edgy, fashion-forward brides wanting to bring a modern feel to their bridal gown! One of my favorite trends for 2015, the designers to watch are Theia, Elizabeth Stuart, and Houghton. The Boutique Wedding Co. Wedding Dress Trends 2015- Separates and Crop Tops Capes Whether you would like to cover up for cooler seasons, walking down the aisle or have a different look day to night a cape is the perfect option. Designers rocking this super cool style were Monique Lhuillier, Watters, Naeem Khan, Theia, Alberta Ferretti, Angel Sanchez and Mira Zwillinger. The Boutique Wedding Co. Wedding Dress Trends 2015- Capes Coloured Wedding Dresses While designers in seasons past may have given us lines of boldly colored gowns, this year they are keeping it light and airy. With just a hint of colour that might even be missed if you glance too quickly. Monique Lhuillier gave us beautiful robin egg blue dresses, while the other designers loving just a breath of colour are Ellie Saab, Jenny Packham, Inabl Dror and Theia. The Boutique Wedding Co. Wedding Dress Trends 2015-Coloured Dresses The New Necklines Illusion Necklines  and off-The-Shoulder gowns ruled the runway this season showing in shows such as Monique L’huiller, Jenny Packham, and Marchesa. If you want to highlight your gorgeous “décolletage” off-the-shoulder is the perfect gown for you. An ornate Illusion neckline gives you the support of straps without the look of them! Plunging V-Necks were also huge with designers taking advantage of this look to give gowns a more old-Hollywood glam or Grecian goddess feel. The Boutique Wedding Co. Wedding Dress Trends 2015-New Necklines The Plunging and Embellished Backs These are definately my favourite looks for 2015. I am totally obsessed with the idea of highlighting the back of the dress; it’s both unique and utterly romantic. Designers Claire Pettibone, Christos, Alberta Ferretti and Naeem Khan featured pretty wedding dresses with beautiful embroidered or lace applique backs and plenty of pretty bows and ribbons. Claire Pettibone wins my vote everytime! And for a mid summer or destination wedding then a deep plunging back would be the perfect look. The Boutique Wedding Co. Wedding Dress Trends 2015-Plunging and Embellished Backs A few other key trends to look out for are: Column beadwork embellishments from the likes of Jenny Packham, Ines De Santo and Peter Langer. As well as being a beautiful design with a 1930’s feel, vertical beading works to elongate the body and has a slimming affect. Lattice weave fabric with a  netting or a basket-weave design into wedding dresses for a style that’s unexpected yet timeless. Angel Sanchez, Monique Lhuillier and Indal Dror designed dresses this season with lattice details, both large and small. The Dropped waist dress offers you the best of both worlds allowing you to show of your perfect figure whilst also allowing you to wear a full skirt. Seen at Zac Posen and Amsale. That all for this week folks! All I can say is that I’m so jealous of all you Spring 2015 brides! I hope this roundup of trends helps steer you in the right direction of finding your dream dress for the big day. Why not subscribe below to our blog so you don’t miss us!  As always, happy planning! If you have any questions about your wedding design and styling, please CONTACT us on 00 44 7876 752 435 or {lucy@boutiqueweddingsinspain.com}. To find out more about the services we offer, please go to Wedding Planning Services Love Lucy x Image references: Modern Tulle: rstyle.me, Pinned by Jaclyn Bailey, Emilyriggsbridal.com, bessfriday.com, ciararichardson.com, peoniesandpearls.co.uk, Olivia and Johannes from oliviapalmero.com Naked Lace: Claudia Boccardi, www.gentandbeauty.com, Elle Nederland, cdn.indulgy.com, blog.theknot.com Crop Tops and Separates: onefabday.com, elizabeth-stuart.com, etsy.com, bridalmusings.com, etsy.com, lihihod.com, graceloveslace.com Capes: lushcazine, brides.com, www.lovemydress.com, www.jennypackhambridal.com, www.brides.com Coloured Wedding Dresses: theweddingscoop.com, projectwedding.com, etsy.com, www.jennypackhambridal.com, weddingsparrow.com, www.jennypackham.com, ;www.stylemepretty.com, www.polkadotbride.com The New Neck Lines: Jenny Packham, Marchesa, Marchesa, Jenny Packham, Reem Acra, Monique L’huillier, Jenny Packham, Tony Ward The Plunging and Embellished Backs: etsy.com, thecinderellaproject.blogspot.com, stylecaster.com, garyguyphotography.com, www.clairepettibone.com, thecinderellaproject.blogspot.com, www.clairepettibone.com  

Hello my lovely ladies…I have a confession to make, I am completely and utterly addicted to Pinterest! I just love all the prettiness, the beautiful and the oh so inspiring photos that you find there. Whether it’s decor inspiration for our latest bride and groom or wedding dress inspiration for a Blog post we may be writing… I just love it! Infact I use it everyday without a doubt. I even have my own secret board for Lucy and Jesus’s Wedding…but hey shhh…don’t tell Jesus! Pinterest really is a superb way for me to interact with my brides, sharing with them privately or publicly if they wish all of our ideas for their wedding day! They also Pin to the boards so we really work together with a virtual mood board to fully understand what they are looking for in their wedding design! Additionally it is a great place collect photos of things that you love, whether it be Wedding related or just inspiration for your own life !! If you haven’t connected with us yet, then pop along now and get involved!! You can find us at The Boutique Wedding Co. Pinterest.  Starting this month I wanted to share with you our Top Ten Pinterest Pins for September! I hope you enjoy and don’t forget to Pin to your own boards!   September-Top Ten Pinterest Pins 01 and 02   September- Ten Pinterest Pins 03 and 04 September-Top Ten Pinterest Pins 05 and 06 September-Top Ten Pinterest Pins 07 and 08 September-Top Ten Pinterest Pins 09 and 10   We hope you like our Top Ten Pins for September 2014!! We’ll be back at the end of October with our Top Ten Pins for the Month, so why not SUBSCRIBE below so you don’t miss our Blog posts! If you would like to have an informal chat about your wedding planning and design, please contact us on 0034 6420 58130 or {lucy@boutiqueweddingsinspain.com}. We would love to be of assistance! Love Lucy x Top Ten Pins: Image References 01-emmalinebride.com, 02-etsy.com, 03-Burnettsboards.com, 04-etsy.com, 05-Stylemepretty.com, 06-youandyourwedding.com, 07-thelane.com, 08-heartbeatoz.tumblr.com, 09-etsy.com, 10-imgur.com

Good Morning everyone and welcome to October!! Autumn is well and truly with us, even if the weather is still throwing us the occasional balmy day! Back in August we were in need of a little self motivation so we launched a Positivity Project. Each week for 5 weeks, we reported all the positive and brilliant things we had accomplished, experienced and enjoyed across the week from a work and personal; perspective! Considering August is the official holiday month in Spain, we did an amazing job of keeping momentum going with the business, meeting new people, finding new venues and consulting with gorgeous clients for 2015! You seemed to really love the articles but post Summer and coming back to The Boutique Wedding Co. HQ, we decided to make this project a monthly thing instead!! So a month has past by and we have plenty of positive bits and pieces to report to you! Lets be honest life isn’t always a fairy tale so its important to look for the good in each day and happiness will find us! Enjoying the last days of Summer in the paradise of the Costa de la Luz, wild deserted beaches, crystalline waters, the best coffee in the world and family close at hand! Finally meeting our Irish Clients on the Costa de la Luz, it’s always great to put a faces to names! I enjoyed so much the research and creation of the Blog post Wedding Gown Trends 2015 and its follow on post Tips and advice for Wedding Gown Shopping. Trawling the Web for pretty pictures of gorgeous wedding gowns is any girls dream! You can also see the Pinterest Boards and inspiration for these Blog Posts here..Pinterest Wedding Gown Inspiration. After a lot of searching and driving around in the crazy August heat (I am sure we were the only people working in the whole of the Cadiz region!) we have found some wonderful wedding venues on the Costa de la Luz. We have also had a great time getting to know some lovely people over on that coast! I loved Sharing a delicious almond cake and coffee with my brother in Vejer with views across to Medina Sidonia, when he was visiting from the UK It’s so good to be booking in some fabulous couples for 2015 Weddings…we are loving our international clientele, although it does sometimes mean very late night calls! Continuing to see The Southern Spain Wedding Club go from strength to strength now on 170 Members! Seeing our Facebook Followers growing in one month by over 600 new followers- now at 1,861 and counting! Bring on 2,000 we are so excited! You can LIKE us here if you havent already. Sharing a friday morning coffee with lovely Karen Carter Southall from Weddingaboutspain and Lisa Sadleir fromFamilylifeinspain, we had a good old chin wag about life in Spain and also Weddings in Spain and how we can work together! We are now proudly featured on Karens website! I loved having my 15 minutes of fame on the Mi Marbella show with Nicole King on RTV Marbella, we talked weddings in Spain and the service we can offer from the Boutique Wedding Co. You can listen to the show here, I come on at about minute 15. As you can tell I was really nervous to start off with but by the end I loved it! Thank you so much to Ali Meehan from the amazing group Costa Women for arranging this for me! We have had some great meetings in September but really the highlight for me are the ones I have mentioned and also meeting with Lindsay from The Luxury Villa Collection. She has some amazing properties that fit the profile of our clients perfectly so we are really looking forward to working with her in the future! We have introduced a new Blog feature, our Pinterest Monthly Top Ten Pins! Check our Septembers Top Ten here. And finally…we have been wanting to add a new member to our Boutique Wedding Co Family for along time now and have finally taken the decision, our new little dog arrives in about 3 weeks time…now its just the waiting…we will introduce him once he arrives and also once he has a name! Now for the pretty Pictures!! The Boutique Wedding Co. Positivity Project September 2014 October is already shaping up to be a great month for us, we are launching the first in a series of Real Wedding Blogs, written by 3 Real Brides who have organised their own weddings in Spain and the unique stories they have to tell! Subscribe below so that you don’t Miss out! I hope you all have a super positive month! For an informal chat or complimentary consultation about your wedding planning and design, please contact us {lucy@boutiqueweddingsinspain.com} www.boutiqueweddingsinspain.com We would love to be of assistance! Love Lucy x  

Anger is part of our life. We all can feel this rising, pushing sensation. This energy makes us to yell, criticize and attack (both verbally and physically) other people, oftenest the closest one whom...

I have been more than a little quiet on Costa Women for months and have only one excuse – I have been so incredibly busy, I have hardly had time to breathe! I am now at a “take a deep breath moment” – before ploughing on – so am making a quick update, here and trying to catch up on everyone else’s news – and my goodness no-one here stands still for long :-). www.grapevine.international shows the amazing growth of the Grapevine Magazine – with links to them all – Javea Grapevine is now regularly well over 106 pages long, the last Lanzarote Grapevine was over 140 pages, Barcelona Magazine launched this month and Fuengirola Grapevine is so full it is bursting and will launch soon. Live in Spain Magazine is now on iPad and Android platforms and Marina Alta Business Club has changed its tempo to match all the magazines it sponsors, so only meets once a month for Dinner – but promotes all its members with appropriate advertising in the magazines. You don’t need to be a member to advertise – but it does make it cheaper and you are guaranteed a free quarter page advert in the title of your choice, every month! To celebrate the magazines and their phenomal growth – as a thank you to everyone who has helped us and continues to help us (many of whom are Costa Women) we are running a competition on our Facebook page for a free double page advertising spread worth over €400 in every magazine we publish in November – (for your business or your favourite Charity) for the public – that is all the Grapevines – but if the winner is a Costa Woman – I will include a double page advert in Live in Spain Magazine as well. The competition can be accessed via https://www.facebook.com/GrapevineSpain/app_190076381016644