There is now a bit of Beverly Hills in downtown Lancaster with the opening of
In White Couture. I had the pleasure of attending a vendor open house recently and fell in love with the designer gowns being offered by Shari Kendall’s 2nd couture bridal salon.
Here’s an informative Q&A I had with Shari.
Question to Shari: What trends do you see for 2012?
Shari’s reply: Designers are using layers to create texture and interest in both skirts and bodices. Layers are being shown in different fabrics and at many different angles and shapes – from traditional horizontal layers to more unique diagonal layering and they are even being used to create flower and shell shapes. The other significant trend in bridal is that beading is back! The 2012 collections are showing lots of beaded bodices, belts, and appliques.
Question to Shari: What is the difference between the collections at In White Couture and the contempory salon.
Shari’s reply: Both collections have beautiful gowns that are designed with the utmost attention to detail, but there are a few differences in the two salons, the most obvious being price. The gowns in the contemporary salon range from $750-$3000 and the couture salon gowns start at $2500 and go up from there. The gowns in the couture collection, since they are made directly under the designer’s supervision are completely customizable; however, in the contemporary collection we are are more limited in what we can do for customization. Also, there are fabric differences, the couture gowns are generally 100% silk (from petticoat to outer layer), with the exception of just a few; however, the contemporary gowns are made from the highest quality synthetic fibers, with a few exceptions having an outer layer (the one that everyone sees) made from silk. The contemporary gowns are made to the bride’s size, but the couture gowns are made to the bride’s exact measurements – any alterations for a couture gown that may be needed are free, but there are fees for alterations to a contemporary gown.
The gown and headpiece above are from the contemporary salon collection. I had the pleasure of providing the cakes for this photo shoot styled by Carmina Cristina who also did the dramatic make-up. The beautiful photography is by Scott Davis Photography.
Another stunning photo…
This was a gorgeous gown at In White Couture. The detailed beading was amazing.
Here’s Shari with my very favorite gown. I think it would be the perfect inspiration for a wedding cake 🙂
Last question to Shari:
What trends do you see for bridesmaids dresses?
Shari’s reply: The designers are introducing more social occasion looks and fewer “bridesmaids” dresses, so we are seeing even more short dresses (many of which can be made long if the bride prefers) than last season. And although strapless still rules, more designers are introducing a cap sleeve or v-neck to bridesmaids dresses this season. The color palettes are starting to become more muted. Designers are offering more silver, softer yellows, muted purples and oranges – more earthy, less in your face colors than we saw last season – gone are the bright fuchsias and in are the muted pinks. Plum is still a strong favorite among designers and brides for its versatility and contrast with bright flowers.
Hillary was a bride I had the pleasure of working with this year. Her romantic gown was from In White and I asked her about her experience. Here’s what Hillary had to say.
“I loved my dress! I fell in love with the dress online.. I felt that it really reflected my personal style. In White was wonderful to work with- made me feel so comfortable and were very helpful throughout the whole process. When I called In White, they didn’t have the dress in their shop, but they carried the brand. They ordered the dress just for me, so that I could try it on!
The photos of Hillary are by the talented team of Sam and Ben with Essential Sunshine. Their wedding photos are amazing, here’s a link to see more on their blog.
Be sure to visit In White’s website for more information about their wonderful salons located in downtown Lancaster across from F&M College.
Thank you Shari for all the great information!
Vendors in this blog post:
In White Couture Bridal Boutique
Carmina Cristina – Make-up
Scott David Photography – Bridal Shoot
Essential Sunshine Photography – Hillary’s wedding
John and Kristina were married on Saturday at the Hershey Lodge. When I met with them for their cake tasting, we talked about the colors…black…sunflower yellow. We decided to do a pretty damask cake with yellow roses. It sounded just perfect. At the end of the consultation, John said…could you put a skull on the cake? I kind of thought really? But I aim to please, so I added the requested skull and crossbones to the middle tier. It was a great addition 🙂
The cake flavors were vanilla cake with rapberry buttercream filling and chocolate cake with chocolate ganache and peanut butter buttercream fillings.
The five yellow roses on top represented John, Kristina and their three children.
Kristina is the one who loves skulls, so it was a special request to make the cake special for her. It was really funny when an older lady came into the room, saw the cake and said “is that a skull?”. A wedding cake uniquely special for the couple!
thecouturecakery 