Writing Your Own Vows
Bride-to-Be and Baby Makes Three!
“First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Katie with the baby carriage….” While this old rhyme used to reflect tradition, it’s not so these days. Many of our brides have a child or children already and sometimes, when we meet them, they’re expecting a child. Love is love and we’re excited to be a little part of this amazing journey! P.S. We’ve had a few babies of our own so we understand the pregnancy experience too! 
In order to make the shopping experience enjoyable, here’s a few tips to keep in mind when bridal gown shopping with a baby on board:
1. Shop for a Flexible Silhouette. The most obvious challenge when shopping while pregnant is clearly that a woman’s body is shaped very different. If it’s a first pregnancy, this can be a bit of a guessing game on how much the bride’s body will change during and after the pregnancy. When a bride is not very far along in her pregnancy, it’s easy for a professional to get an idea of body shape and size in order to make recommendations on gown silhouettes however if mama is closer to her due date, sometimes it’s just helpful to be able to show a picture of her pre or post-baby body shape. Gown silhouettes like an empire waistline allows for a woman to either conceal her bump or if she isn’t sure what shape she’ll be at the time of the wedding. If the bride is happy to flaunt her baby bump, choosing a silk jersey or satin underlay with lace overlay can accentuate the baby-to-be. A few features that offer a variety of fits are corset backs and straps. Corsets can easily be adjusted by lacing 
different or creating a different panel. This is helpful if a bride finds herself bigger or smaller than expected. Straps can easily be lengthened or shortened. This can be helpful if a bride finds her “girls” to be bigger or smaller than expected.
2. Take it Easy. A pregnant bride is shopping for two so it’s important not to get worn out by shopping all day. Take shorter trips and make an appointment during a time a day when energy is at it’s highest and morning sickness has passed. (By the way, morning sickness can occur any time of day. Been there, done that. It can be survived! Just pack some crackers.)
3. Take Your Time. The due date clock is ticking so it’s important to get to shopping for the perfect gown however that doesn’t mean the big decision should be hasty. When shopping with less than nine months to the big day, understand that some lines or custom options may not be available. On average though ordering a bridal gown will take 4-6 months so the dream dress should still be available. If shopping with an even shorter time-frame, like less than a trimester, know that there is always an option to purchase directly out of the store and when designers have lines in stock, those dresses will ship quickly.
4. Consider the Budget. The bride / mama-to-be now has baby outfits and her own bridal gown to purchase. It’s important to be take the big budget into consideration. Preparing for baby and the wedding at the same time may change what a bride wants to spend. This is also a perfect spot to share a quick reminder. When setting the bridal gown budget, remember alterations. On average alterations can run $100-$300. Be sure to add the alterations budget into the bridal gown budget in order to avoid any surprises. 
5. Go For Comfort. Brides should go for as much comfort as possible on the big day. Choose comfortable shoes. When a woman is expecting her center of gravity changes. In order to be comfortable to dance the night away and to easily walk down the aisle, flats are key. Don’t worry, style doesn’t have to be sacrificed for comfort! There are lots of beautiful choices for bridal flats.
6. Find Your Color. In the past, tradition would say that white is reserved for virgins only. These days, there is so much more than white or ivory to choose from that tradition has gone by the wayside. A bride should choose the color gown that best compliments her skin tone and the style of her wedding, if that happens to be white, go for it!
7. Trust the Professionals. Fear not, the professionals (that’s us!) are here to help create the best plan for getting the perfect gown with the best fit for our mom/bride-to-be. Also we’ve had babies so we’ve been there too!
If you’re a bride with a baby on board, we hope these tips have provided some great ideas so you can “Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful.”
Do’s & Don’ts for Guest-of Wedding Wear
We have lots of guest-of shoppers who are looking for the perfect attire when attending a wedding. We love helping each and every one of them find the perfect style. Here’s a few Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to guest-of wedding wear:
Don’t wear white or ivory. Our first suggestion should come as no surprise when we tell you to never, never, never wear white or ivory to a wedding. There are rare occasions when a bride will want some particular guests to wear those colors but unless you are specifically asked to wear it, avoid them. Even color blocks of them. It’s not your day!
Do pay attention to the wedding colors. Use the Save-the-date and wedding invitation as a cue for the couple’s wedding colors. Then avoid those colors. You’d sure hate to show up and look like a lost member of the bridal party.
Don’t wear cut-outs. Revealing clothing should be left for the club, so unless you’re attending a late night wild elopement in Vegas, keep your attire modest. All eyes and conversation should be on the bride and groom, not your outfit and whether or not a body part will pop out. Keep it classy!
Do beware of the glitter. While every gal loves some sparkle, 
be careful of wearing sequin or sparkly details. Unless this is a black-tie wedding, leave the sparkle to the bride and her beautiful ring!
Don’t wear super high heels. While a great high heel can give you a set of stunning looking legs, you’ll want to make sure you can dance the night away. If you’re heels get too high, that could be trouble. Keep the heels to a minimum or just be sure to pack some stylish flats for the reception!
Do accessorize to dress up a casual dress. 
While your Easter dress might be a good one to wear to attend a wedding, you may want to glam it up a bit for your friend’s big day.
Don’t miss out on the fun! While being dressed appropriately is important, dressing comfortably is also a must. If what you’re wearing is not something you can move and groove in, you just might want to re-think your attire.
Dancing With My Dad
As we celebrate Father’s Day, I was thinking about my Father-Daughter dance at my wedding. I actually had two. First, my dance with my dad. I remember crying as we danced to Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” He said to me, “You picked a really good guy. I’m proud of you.” The year leading up to that dance with my dad had been a roller coaster. Life had presented some unexpected but amazing experiences and arriving at our wedding day felt like we were crossing a finish line. I don’t know that I could have survived that wild year without the consistent reassurance from my dad. The second Father-Daughter dance at my wedding was my husband, my daughter and me. We swayed to Kenny Chesney’s “There Goes My Life” and tears streamed down our faces. We’d made it. The emotional changes we’d gone through in the past year, all came flowing out. There wasn’t a dry eye at the reception. I remember my husband saying, “I knew if we could just make it here, everything would be alright.” Nearly 10 years later, we still tell our daughter, Mackenna, about the beautiful dance we had together.
In honor of Father’s Day, we wanted to share some popular Father-Daughter dance songs. We hope your dance with your dad is amazing, emotional and memorable for your big day! Cherish the moment!
- What A Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
- There Goes My Life – Kenny Chesney
- Butterfly Kisses – Bob Carlisle
- My Wish – Rascal Flatts
- You Are The Sunshine of My Life – Stevie Wonder
- My Girl – The Temptations
- I Loved Her First – Heartland
- How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) – James Taylor
- My Little Girl – Tim McGraw
- I Hope You Dance – Lee Ann Womack
6 Months!
Wow! Here we are celebrating 6 months at Hello Beautiful Bridal & Formal Wear. It’s so amazing! This has been an incredible journey already and we’re so excited to see what the future 
holds. In this short time, we’ve experienced a lot! Here’s a few things we’ve learned along the way.
Lesson #1: Great shoes are a must! We learned very quickly the shoes we thought were comfortable for the hustle and bustle of our every day were in fact sharks attacking our tootsies!
Lesson #2: Family Time! People often ask us if we get tired of working together since we’re sisters. We don’t! It doesn’t feel like work, it just feels like fun. We can talk to each other in our own sister language and we already know how to disagree / fight. Haha! There’s just less hair pulling than when we were kids.
Lesson #3: Stay the course! We know there are challenges to being business owners and we also know, we are absolutely headed in the right direction. We were thrilled to be recognized as The Best of Kearney for Wedding / Formal Wear Shops for 2015. That was a great start! The incredible increase in walk-ins and appointments tells us people know we are here and they love the experience. We’re going to keep on following our personal motto, “Work Hard and Be Nice to People.” 
Lesson #4: Love is love! Each journey is so different. We love hearing stories of how our couples met and their plans for the future. In the words of Willa Cather, “Where there is love, there are always miracles!” The joy we see when brides say Hello to their perfect gown is infinitely fulfilling!
We want to give a big thanks 
to our family, friends and community! You believe in us and our vision and it fuels our passion for providing an amazing experience to each and every one of our shoppers.
To our shoppers – our doors open for you! We love having you at Hello Beautiful Bridal & Formal Wear and helping you prepare for life biggest events!
Year-Round Color Trends
It’s never too early to start planning for your wedding…..well, maybe a little early if you haven’t found “The One” yet, but a girl can dream, which is a lot like planning. Here’s some tips on color combos that will dazzle in any season.
5. Amethyst, indigo, and violet create a stunning combination of purple that is perfectly season-less. This color combo allows for several tux color options, black, grey or tan pair well with multiple purple tones.
4. Royal blue and silver are a beautiful combination for any time of year. 
Paired with dark grey tuxes, this color story will shine in any season. A bouquet of white will pop against a royal blue bridesmaid gown and accent through the ceremony and reception.
3. Another year-round classic is navy and blush. These two colors combine for a beautiful and romantic palette. Your gentlemen will look dapper in their navy tuxes and the ladies will shimmer in their blush gowns. These soft colors will create a happy story for your romantic day.
2. We can’t leave out the most popular color combo in the Husker Nation. Red, black and white are a classic and timeless color combination, not to mention, one that is stunning in any season. Add a pop of gold or silver for some sparkle, and you’ll be in love with your wedding color palette. GBR!
1. Our last color combo is our personal favorite! 
Red & Turquoise is a beautiful combination any time of year. This warm and cool palette boasts two strong pops of color that can be easily balanced with white or ivory. Take your pick! Whether you’re going for a rustic look or high shine, red and turquoise will not fail. Dress your gentlemen in a neutral suit like tan or grey and the entire wedding party will look amazing too
Picking the perfect color combination can seem a bit overwhelming. Our advice: stick to colors you would wear. This will help the palette look and feel natural to you and will make it easier to create a beautiful color story. Make a point of pairing all your colors together on a storyboard and don’t be afraid to ask for a professional opinion. Our passion is to help you see the big vision for your wedding day, not just your gown, but your entire event! Say Hello & Shop at Hello Beautiful Bridal & Formal Wear today!