January 18-20 — Justin Alexander Trunk Show

We love Justin Alexander for their Quality, Style and Amazing Prices!

Quality!

Justin Alexander gowns are incredibly well made for real woman and they know how to show off women's curves the way we want them to. The quality of wedding gowns starts at the beginning. They’re made of high-quality fabrics — real lace, simple cottons, and elegant silks — and just the right amount of intricate crystals and bead work.

Justin Alexander Trunk Show - January 18-20 - Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA)

Style!

As much as we love Justin Alexander gowns, we know also know that they are not for every bride -- which is a good thing! These gowns are about mixing the daring and unique with classic, timeless tradition; the vintage with the contemporary; and glamor with elegance. Are you a Justin Alexander bride?

Pricing!

Justin Alexander wants their gowns to be accessible for every bride. They are so stylish. Justin Alexander is classic with a modern twist. Most of their gowns prices range from about $1,200 to $2,200 but they look like they would be more than $10,000! You get such great quality at such an affordable price, it's difficult not to fall in love with this collection.

Call 703-683-VOWS (8697) to make an appointment with us today, and be sure to book your appointment now for Justin Alexander Trunk Show in just a few weeks. This collection has such a variety of styles and shapes, it'll be difficult not to fall in love all over again one you try on these gowns.

Trunk Shows Explained

What is a Trunk Show? Has anyone heard of what a bridal Trunk Show is? And why go to one anyway? The term "trunk show" comes from the old days when designers used to carry their entire collection (yes, in trunks!) and provide personal consultations while receiving feedback directly from their consumers.

Most salons carry only select pieces from any particular collection. During a trunk show, you have the opportunity to see a designer's latest collection in its entirety. If you already know that you are in love with a particular designer it is definitely worth researching if they are advertising any upcoming trunk shows. Trunk shows are usually the only time a boutique will have every gown from a collection available for you to view.

Depending on the designer and time of year, the other benefit to attending a trunk show is that you get to see and try on gowns before most other boutiques can even order them. For the bride that is a dazzling fashionista at heart and values that fashion forward edge, the opportunity to view and order gowns a full season before their official release could be priceless in itself. However, designers won't always tell the salon that they are sending along the unreleased collection so often that part is a surprise!

This is your Royal moment. Take advantage of having designer experts find your dream gown -- it's how the Royals have down it throughout history.

Want to attend a Trunk Show? Ellie's Bridal Boutique will host several in 2013. Appointments are required to attend these events.

Spring Events: January 18-20 -- Justin Alexander Trunk Show March 9-10 -- Stella York Trunk Show

**During trunk shows, brides will get a 10-20% discount on any gown ordered by the designer featuring during the event -- so bring some trusted opinions!**

Warning: Brides Beware

Who would ever imagine that there would be fake wedding gowns? Just like designer purses, you have to be careful when looking to find Wedding Dresses online. Those too-good-to-be-true deals on brand new wedding gowns can be very misleading. Some websites even lead you to believe that you are purchasing a gown from the same exact factory where the originals are made. This is not true and is not authorized by either the designer, manufacturer, or us.

Justin Alexander specifically asked us to share this video with you all. Like other top designers, they are concerned that you won’t receive the top of the line garments that you’re expecting when you order online. All designer websites have a list of Authorized Retailers, most with notices warning the consequences of purchasing from a non-authorized dealer. Jim Hjelm has even published a 6.5-page list of websites they know to be falsely advertising their gowns. Please save yourself the stress, hassle, and your money.

Everything you need to know about purchasing a wedding gown online - via Elie's Bridal Blog

Support your local brick-and-mortar boutiques to ensure that you are receiving that designer Wedding Gown that you are paying for. Plus, you’ll have the added bonus of getting personalized customer service every step of the way. This is a once in a lifetime event that we want to prevent and stop you from falling a victim.

BEST WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON A WEDDING GOWN: If you are looking for a good deal check out local listings for consignment gowns, trunk shows, and sample sales in your area.

Happy Sweet 16 to Ellie's Bridal Boutique

Today is our birthday and we are 16 years old. It’s been an absolute pleasure serving you all over the years and we can’t wait to meet 16 more years worth of beautiful brides ♥

Sample Sales: Disarming Doubts

Despite popular belief, there is NO such thing as “too big.” With our custom alterations, we’ll make your gown look like it was made just for you. We even have a few tricks up our sleeves to make a gown a couple sizes bigger, too. Our fantastic Alterations team took Ruth’s sample size 12 down to about a size 6!! We were so glad to see she felt comfortable enough for some good old-fashioned bed jumping for her post-ceremony celebration.

Want to make design changes? No problem, our in house alterations department are experts on customizing wedding gowns. Our magic-making Alterations team was able to turn Denise’s strapless sample gown into a form-fitting stunner with detachable straps to fit the mood for both her Catholic ceremony and party-all-night reception!

Click here to see just a few of our veteran brides who recently went From Sample Sale to Wedding Day, and check us out on Pinterest for just a few (seriously, we have way more) of the things we have for you on sale.

Thanks for that, Hurricane Sandy :P

I guess being stuck at home all day to wait out a storm can do that to you...

Retailer Perspective: Shopping at Bridal Market

How do we shop for bridal dresses for our boutique? What kinds of things do we look for and think about? Much of the process is just like how you would shop for own bridal gown. We are always mindful of quality, price, style and design because we want what our brides want. On the other hand, we are shopping for other people and not ourselves. We are expected to read the minds and tastes of people we have yet to meet and be cognizant of fashion trends a year in advance. So what do we look for? This shouldn't come as a surprise, but often it's simply a matter of you asking us. This past season we thought Ellie's Bridal Boutique had plenty of gowns with keyhole backs to choose from. Brides kept asking for more. We listened. So we will be welcoming Casablanca 2102 (Below: top left) for its keyhole back. On facebook Rachel asked for "lace paired with other fabrics." Even though just one bride asked specifically, we listened to that, too. And so we will soon welcome Casablanca 2108 (Below: top right) for its mixture of lace and tulle fabrics. We even picked out Mikaella 1763 (Below: bottom left) for its keyhole back AND lace straps on satin skirt. Nikki requested "tulle skirts with sparkle... as opposed to sparkly skirts typically being satin." We are proud to now feature Justin Alexander 8638 (Below: bottom right), a gown with ruched tulle covering sequin, which arrived in our store just last week! We got a variety of gowns based on your feedback. You'll just have to wait to see the rest as they trickle into our store over the next few months!

Probably one of the most obvious factors is allowing variety in our selection. We have heard so many brides proclaim, "I want the top of Dress A with the bottom of Dress B!" Our main goal here is to find a feature that brides love in a gown, then give them options to have that. About two years ago, when the strapless trend was still at its height, we decided to bring in something a little different with Justin Alexander 8530 (Below: left image). While we had several necklines to start, the bateau received the most compliments. Unfortunately, the only gowns in our store with that neckline were more fitted sheath or trumpet gowns. It was only natural that we expanded the selection. So as soon we laid eyes on Justin Alexander 8630 (Below: right image) we instantly knew that it had to be part of our collection. In fact, it also arrived in our boutique last week!

There are so many other details we need to think about when deciding which gowns to bring into our salon. I'll elaborate more on how we think about gown quality, alteration capability, our past experience and reputation, and a host of other factors that come into play at later date. In the meantime, just know that we truly have your interests heart. This is your special day and we really do want to make you feel like you can have it all and turn your dreams into a reality.

And if you haven't already, definitely check out this post for more Spring 2013 previews.

We'll prove it!

We’ve got a great selection that includes all of these looks! Call 703-683-8697 to make an appointment and we’ll prove it :)

Wedding Gown Photo Ideas

Congratulations! You're engaged and we have helped to pick out your jaw dropping Wedding Gown and the perfect Bridesmaids gowns!

Now that you've spent all that time in search of your perfect gown you better bet that you're going to get some great wedding shots out of it! How about you show off your fashionista style by beautifully displaying your wedding gown on a custom-made hanger or find the perfect back-drop to show off all your attire?

Our own Janelle had a custom hanger to show off her beautiful wedding gown by Ella Rosa (top left). What a great way to have your new last name incorporated in your wedding photos! If you like this idea, we have seen some beautiful options on Etsy. We recommend the custom wooden hangers as opposed to the wired ones to prevent wedding hangers from bending due to the weight of many bridal gowns. Other ideas includs adding pearls down the top side of the hanger (top right: above) or creating custom hangers for your Bridesmaids (top right: below). These work great as idal party gifts and look beautiful in pictures, too.

Another one of our brides, Jen, picked out a beautiful hanger to place on a romantic chandelier to show off her Mikaella dress (bottom left). We also found that some of our other brides, including Devon in Blue by Enzoani (center left) & Brittani in Casablanca (center right), combined a few stunning photos all together in one. Not only do you see the gown in one portion but other romantic shots as well.

We couldn't help ourselves and check out pinterest to find some great locations to display your wedding and bridesmaid gowns together. One that caught our eye has the gowns on a neutral fence (bottom left). If you are about to get married, or already have, where do you see your dress being photographed?

Check out some of our other brides' fantastic photos on Facebook. Ellie's Bride Heidi, Ellie's Bride Alicia, Ellie's Bride Rachel, and more. Clearly the best place for wedding inspiration is amongst the Ellie's Bridal Family.

Add some sparkle to your shoes with a few easy touches.

Weddings today allow you to show your own personality and style, as opposed to strictly sticking to tradition. With so many choices, the downside is sometimes we find it difficult to find those perfect wedding shoes. But there are some really amazing new ideas that can add unique touches to your beautiful day!

My personal favorite is adding a few beautiful gems to your shoe (top row). It takes a beautiful shoe into a fabulous shoe! Make sure you check out the step-by-step on how to accomplish this look.

My second personal favorite comes after the first only because we needed to add some bling before adding a touch of romance. Instead of writing a note to your soon to be Mr. or Mrs. Forever… give them the shoes you plan to wear and then write a personal note (bottom left).  It’s a great way to share a personal moment before you see your loved one at the alter.

Do you already have the perfect shoes to wear to your wedding but maybe you've shown them a little too much love? Well, now you can fix the bottom of those loved shoes that are perfect for dancing and you can add your wedding colors, or perhaps a little something blue (bottom right). We found a really neat tutorial that is a must see!

Now that we've shared our favorite ways to spice up your wedding day heels, which style do you love?

Let us know what did you do to your wedding shoes!