Real Bride: Anne Johnson (now Lamping)

Our next real bride feature is the awesome Anne Johnson!


The Gown: Jim Hjelm "Double Bubble" 8057
Bridesmaid dresses: From AniA, all navy and each bridesmaid got to pick her own style!






The Shopping Experience:
Emily was amazing. The first time I came in was with my mom and was actually one week before I was engaged. When my mom came to visit my husband, Curtis, nonchalantly said he thought it might be fun if we went dress shopping together :). I felt comfortable with Emily instantly and she kept MY dream dress in mind, even when I got distracted by other dresses. I only had a four-month engagement and wanted some custom work done on my dress and AniA made it happen in time. Also, Emily always answered my calls quickly whenever I needed anything. When it comes to the dress it is very nice to have such prompt attention and service.

What did your fiancee think about your gown?
Even though it was perfect, I tend to second-guess myself. He had never seen the dress I picked, not even in a picture. I was a little nervous but he loved it and could not stop looking at me. He also got it preserved in a display box as a surprise for me after the wedding!




Dress Emergency!!
I didn't try to dance in it beforehand. The inner skirt was too long causing me to constantly be stepping on the front of the dress whenever I tried to walk too quickly. Right before the father-daughter dance I realized something had to be done. I found the wedding planner and asked her to cut the under skirt by my feet. She looked so scared, saying "you want me to cut your dress"?! But she did it. It was just a tiny bit of tulle that you couldn’t even see and the rest of the night I danced to almost every song and had a fabulous father-daughter dance!





The Vendors
Photographer: Mark VanDonge
Venue: Waterbrook Winery
Florist: Amoré Floral Designs
Wedding Planner: Carrie Brennan, Without a Hitch
Hair: City Slickers



The Planning Process:
The beginning was fun, looking at pictures, trying on dresses and picking vendors/venues. But after that I was a mess. I am a zookeeper, NOT a wedding planner (for a reason). I did not like making tons of tiny decisions. Thankfully we found Carrie, our wedding planner, she got things under control, which allowed me to enjoy getting married again.


The most stressful part of the process was trying to please everyone. Everybody tells you not to try to please everyone but it was our wedding-- we wanted everyone to be happy. Also managing the vendors and details, that’s where having a wedding planner saved us.


A Few of Her Favorite Things:
I truly didn't think every thing would go of perfectly but it really did... no joke. If I had to pick one it would be the "outdoor church" (the hanging lanterns that were strung from the altar all the way behind the guests). I dreamt it up but my brother-in-law made it happen. It looked like it came out of a fairy tale. Thanks Wylie.



Anne's Advice for the Newly Engaged:
Get a wedding planner. They will save you money in the end and allow you to enjoy the process. But find a good one that is focused on you and is not overbooked. Also make sure you like them and they seem to get your vision. And dance in your dress at the store :)

Real Bride: Nicole Snell (Warneke)

This is the first of many posts we will be writing about our glorious REAL BRIDES! We love our brides! Each of the consultants here at AniA recommended a couple of brides to be featured. Nicole Warneke (now Snell) was at the top of the list! Check out her INCREDIBLE photos (courtesy Jennifer O’Donnell) and her interview!


The Gown and Dresses
I purchased the lovely WTOO Maria gown to wear on my big day. When I first started trying on dresses I could not take myself seriously. I felt like a little girl playing dress up. Until I found "the one" all of a sudden, I felt like a confident and sophisticated woman.


I wanted to keep the dress simple so I could have some interesting and unique accessories. I had a platinum colored sash adorned with thousands of crystals, a crystal cuff bracelet and matching earrings. I wore a simple veil borrowed from my sister-in-law, with a crystal comb in my hair. I really feel like my accessories personalized my look and made it one of a kind! My husband told me it was perfect, and he was very glad it wasn't the ball gown type.



My bridesmaids wore 3 different styles of Jim Hjelm dresses: JH5100, JH5104, and JH5110. The colors were a mix of Fuchsia and Graphite.




A Few of Her Favorite Things
As an Interior Designer by trade, naturally my favorite part of the process was all of the decor for the venue. I loved turning the cool, industrial feeling venue into the elegant affair I had always envisioned for my wedding. I loved how the altar piece (made by my Husband and my Dad) turned out along with the floral arrangements that went along with it. I also loved seeing all of my bridesmaid dresses together, I just loved the variety!





Her Advice: Enjoy the process and the months leading up to the big day....it goes by way too quick!



Vendors:
Photography – Jennifer O’Donnell
Venue- Gerding Theater at the Armory
Florist – Kristin Gobreski of Oregon Floral Farms
Music – John Ross Music and Productions

Sash it UP!

One of the more modern trends in bridal fashion is the sash. Today's sashes are not the "splash of color" sashes we saw in the early 90's. These sashes are a way to personalize a gown, define a waistline, and do a quickie costume change. Check out some of our favorite sashes!

This incredible, vintage sash is by local designer Emily Riggs:


Sparkles are a girls' best friend, right? Right. Check out this Augusta Jones beauty:


A contrast in color can be lovely- especially when you use a neutral tone like this gorgeous, dark platinum belt from Lazaro:


Long story short, sashes can be an incredible addition to your gown!

In other news, AniA Collection is now open Sundays. This coming Sunday, every bride who comes into AniA will be entered in a giveaway for a custom sash! If you need a gown, this Sunday is the time to make your appointment!

Watters & Watters: Designer Profile and TRUNK SHOW!

Watters & Watters! The name itself harkens visions of flowy organza, floral texture, and incredible full skirts. We love their original line of gowns, as well as their less expensive (but JUST AS FABULOUS) line, WToo. The best part about Watters & Watters is their variety and diversity in design.


Name: Watters & Watters and WToo
Price range: W&W: $1500-$4500... WToo: $900-$1500
Key Design Elements: Full A-line silhouettes, flowy organza, crisp taffeta, floral embellishments and alencon lace.
Check out some of their newest designs!

To Market, To Market

This year’s New York market was very exciting and inspiring for us here at AniA Collection. At the risk of sounding slightly hyperbolic, it's like a bridal reboot or style mouth-to-mouth, causing fresh inspiration to run through our collective bridal veins! It was a long plane ride from Portland, but it was nothing the excitement of the bustling garment district wasn’t able to remedy.



After a most to-die-for later night dinner at the Japanese restaurant Kasadela in the East Village the previous night (highly recommend, by the way), we spent the first day of market at the Pier. We saw runway shows a plenty and walked down rows and rows of designer booths, checking out all of the Spring 2012 gowns, bridesmaids, accessories, veils and shoes. Highlight runway shows included the fabulous Claire Pettibone and the ever-so-chic Watters.






There was no doubt this year that there are some very specific trends happening. I cannot think of a designer that didn’t have their own take on both the Kate and Pippa dresses from the royal wedding. Long lace sleeves with ball gowns and drapey charmeuse styles with cowl necklines graced every showroom.




One trend that we’re loving this season is color! It was so refreshing to see- especially during bridal week when you seem to be forever surrounded in what I normally refer to as ‘the white sea.' This time, however, we saw waves of pinks, peaches, and champagnes! Delicious!






Bridesmaids weren’t disappointing in the way of color this year either. Watters even had some amazing new prints perfect for a laid back outdoor shindig, while Jim Hjelm bridesmaids stunned this year with an exceptionally clean, fashion forward, yet timeless collection. Any way you slice it, we think your maids will be pleasantly surprised with the selection you’ll see at AniA this season.


Oh, and guess what?! Corset backs are back! And let’s not forget this year’s continuing trend of keyhole and cutout backs. Brides and buyers alike this year were all over any sort of cool back interest.






Another hot trend this season is all over texture, something I love and I think our funky and fun PDX brides will, too.


And finally, HUGE this year is both the short reception dress and the tear away/two dresses-in-one gown. Many of these styles included charmeuse sheaths with lace overlays that you could ditch once the reception comes around, giving brides two looks instead of one. Some were tulle ball gowns with cute minis underneath, making no need for a bustle. Personally, I wouldn’t mind swinging a big ‘ol fabulous skirt around all night long but for some brides and their locations, we think this option might be just the ticket... or maybe a high-low option is just right for you… so much to consider…



I don’t know about you, but here at AniA Collection we couldn’t be more ready for this wedding season! Market showed us all of the latest and freshest designs and ideas in current bridal gowns and accessories. We can't wait to show you the selections we've made and the versatility our unique boutique provides... so you can be YOUR kind of bride.