Carol and Chris - April 10, 2010

What brings me the most joy in my career is when we exceed our clients' expectations - this is what we strive for everyday - and this was my experience when I had the pleasure of working with Carol Bucher and her mother Laura.

Carol is one of our many "out-of-town" brides. Her mom lives here, but Carol and her now husband Chris reside in Las Vegas. It was important that Carol's mom be a big part of the gown shopping experience, which is why Carol purchased her gown from us. Carol had planned to make two trips back for her gown fittings, but as planning would have it, she was not able to come back for her second fitting. It just so happens that one of my former colleagues from Vera Wang moved to Las Vegas and opened her own bridal salon, Couture Bride. I called Dawn and arranged to ship Carol's dress to her store and she and her tailors took incredible care of Carol and her gown at her final fitting!

The end result was a happy, well cared for, and radiant bride as you can see from the photos. Carol's gown is "Rosabel" by Maggie Sottero. This gown to me is the quintessential modern ball gown with an elongated corset bodice and soft pleated ball gown skirt. The sumptuous duchess satin in color Alabaster gives it a richness and romantic flair that so many brides desire. To enhance the elegance the neckline and waistline are accented in stunning swarovski crystals. Perfect details. Perfect fit!

Here's what Carol and her mom had to say about their Maya Couture experience:

"Our wedding planning adventure began at Maya Couture in Norfolk, Virginia and ended at the JW Marriott in Las Vegas. Maya set the tone for our adventure by providing her warm, caring, and attentive personality which immediately put us at ease. We had fun from the very start and enjoyed every minute with the entire staff. Maya gently led us to find the “perfect” dress and participated in our celebratory cheering. She even had connections in Las Vegas and arranged to ship my daughter’s dress to a friend’s bridal shop for the final fitting! We can’t say enough about the attention and service we received from Maya and her staff. Thank you, thank you, and thank you to everyone at Maya Couture Bridal Fashions!"

Photos and video by Digs Studio - Check out the very cool wedding video of Carol & Chris

http://www.digsstudioblog.com/

2011 Trends: Ruffles, and Tiers, and Bows Oh My!!

I returned from my buying trip to NYC and just when I think I can't possibly be blown away by the new collections they get me...so excited to offer these collections to my brides, and inspired to create as well!! It's such a synergistic moment! I had the pleasure to visit and tour the Pronovias Flagship salon, and place an advance 2011 order! The dresses above are all part of the 2011 collection and will be available exclusively at Maya Couture as early as June 2010!

So what's hot for the coming seasons? Layers of bountiful ruffles and tiered skirts are huge! Whether they flow from a fitted bodice or ball gown silhouette they make an airy statement full of flair!

Bows are everywhere....minimal and tasteful unlike the bold bows on gowns from the 80's. The bow is present as an accent to the bustline, or hidden in the tucks of pick-up ball gowns, and along the back zipper or train. They are sweet, classic, with modern updates.

Tulle gowns always seem to fade in and out quietly. Next season they are in! From the short 50's ball gown shapes to ultra-minis or spilling from an elongated bodice, they are soft and stunning!

Texture and three-dimensional details offer such a luxurious look next season. Gowns of organza with mikado flowers, chiffon with feathers and beads or multi-layer blends of English net, Swiss dots, and Chantilly lace are just a few of the looks we will see next season.

Other strong trends from this season that will carry into 2011 include the one-shoulder gowns. This look is elegant and adds length to any woman's body. It can work on the simplest of designs to the bold frocks coming down the runway next season. The one-shoulder looks stunning with an accent like a brooch, floral and feathered pieces, or a great woven focal point.

Short hemlines keep getting shorter. I saw fun and flirty dresses from tea-length to ultra-mini and mod! If you desire two looks and you want one to be casual yet sassy at your reception, seek out one of many short looks coming next season. I've ordered a bunch and will post photos as we get them.

There is surely a look for every bride. The new collections exude impeccable detailing, vintage charm on modern designs, and the most sumptuous fabrics to choose from. We can't wait for the new collections to arrive and help you find your dream gown!

A Maya Couture Wedding Party

Congratulations to our couple Latasha and Tarail who were married on April 3rd. The wedding took place at the Westin Hotel, Virginia Beach. Latasha wore one of my favorite gowns "Fanal" by designer La Sposa. The fully ruched trumpet style gown with buttons down the zipper exudes minimal, modern, elegance. She added a dramatic accent with her birdcage veil.

The bridesmaids wore style #6556 by After Six in georgette fabric shirred with an empire bodice in a stunning citrus ombre pattern. To balance the vibrant color palette the grooms party wore our 2-button Alfresco Suit in Khaki with white shirts and vests and tangerine classic ties.

The color scheme was bold with hints of muted tones to make the tropical colors pop. The entire look was polished, current and beautifully coordinated.

Photography provided by Keith Cephus Photography http://www.keithcephus.com/

Located inside Maya Couture

What is the role of wedding planner? Why do you need one?
By Guest Blogger Malissa Murphy, CMT Event Planning
http://www.cmteventplanning.com/
Above are photos from recent weddings
Photography by Keith Cephus and Sam Hughes

The primary role of wedding planner is to help guide you in planning out your wedding by relieving stress and saving you time, keeping you on a timely schedule, and most importantly planning and sticking to your budget from the day of our first meeting to the wedding day. I am available every step of the way to help answer questions, be a contact for vendors, and take away your worries while saving you money. No matter how large or small your wedding and budget I am here to make sure you stay within it. My priority is not only in making your wedding day stress free, but to make the entire process enjoyable while making your vision come true.

Many people see a wedding planner as being unnecessary or “way out of the budget.” However as a wedding planner I am here as a resource with established vendor relationships and knowledge of the details needed to make sure every aspect of your day runs smoothly. Throughout the process I will become your on call wedding dictionary and reference book.

In a recent meeting with one of my brides who is getting married in August at the Half Moone, she and her mother, shared their excitement about having me to help with the planning. A few of the many reasons for the excitement and gratitude were for the number of resources I have that cut out countless hours of research on her behalf, the feeling of freedom that comes along with not getting bogged down by details, and being able to look forward to the wedding day without any stress of who will be in charge of setup, breakdown, vendors, guests, and the list goes on. The most significant aspect was being able to guide her to vendors that are within her budget so that she no longer had the overwhelming task of research that so often turned up as a dead end or didn’t fit in her budget.

No matter how far along you are in planning your wedding, it is never too late to hire CMT Event Planning because we are here to customize our packages to your wedding needs.

The Maya Couture Bride Gallery 1

Here are some of our amazing and beautiful brides! Photos courtesy of Keith Cephus and Sam Hughes

Cherish the Love...Cherish the Life

This being only my second post I certainly was not planning to write something so profound. But such is life that we never know what each day will bring us and what we will take from it. I am fortunate that most of the days of my life have been filled with blessings. Unfortunately, on Tuesday of this week I was not so lucky. I lost a friend, unexpectedly. This post is dedicated to him, now an Angel watching over me.

When we lose a loved one part of the mourning process allows each of us to stop and remember what's most important, and hopefully prioritize our life to focus on truly what matters. The inconveniences, the materialistic desires, the pressure to do more, to make more, and to outdo are cast aside...as they should be.

Remember what's most important when planning a wedding...the love between you and your partner and the start of a new life spent together. There are days when I encounter brides and grooms who seem so overwhelmed and consumed by the details. The grandeur of the affair outshines the beauty of their union. They lose sight of what it all means, what really matters and why they have the great fortune to be planning this special day together. The chance that these couples won't even enjoy their wedding day is high, and it hurts to watch.

If you are about to embark on planning a wedding or are in the throws of it now, here are some tips to ensure you can enjoy the process,cherish this moment in your life and capture the love between you and your partner:

1. Before you do anything determine your budget and how it is going to be divided amongst each wedding element. If you don't know how to do this (and even if you do) your next step is #2. During this process you want to also discuss how formal and how big your wedding might be.

2. Hire a wedding planner! I've heard couples say they can't afford to hire a planner. If you want to get your money's worth, minimize your stress and enjoy this very special time in your life, you can't afford NOT to have a planner!

3. Together decide what your top 3 priorities are and focus on those. Delegate all the other "stuff" to your planner, your wedding party, and/or your family. If your priorities are the entertainment and activities for your guests, the food, and the videography, then let those be your focus. Everything else can be distributed amongst your help.

4. Don't sweat the small stuff. Planning is a process and anything this big and that requires so much time is bound to have a few hiccups. However, if you've hired the right professionals - reputable and who love what they do, like I do - then they will do everything in their power to fix the mishaps. This is where having a planner will be worth every penny!

Don't be afraid to ask for help, but be very selective of who you ask. This is supremely important when selecting your gown and bridal party attire(we will focus on this in a later post). You want trustworthy, reliable folks who are genuinely happy for the two of you! This is your time!

None of us know when time will be taken away from us, so do all you can to make sure you enjoy every moment!

I've stressed the importance of a wedding planner so the next post will be presented by wedding planner extraordinaire Malissa Murphy of CMT Event Planning (www.cmteventplanning.com) on "The Role of a Wedding Planner and Why You Need One".

Until then, cherish the love...cherish the life!