Gainesville Wedding Expo Recap

We had such a great time at the Real Gainesville Expo this past Sunday! We always LOVE, LOVE, LOVE meeting new brides, and their energy is amazing!

Here is our super team before the show started:

We also love hanging out with our favorite vendors! Having a chance to hang out and chat is always nice!

Erinn and Amanda with Kari who was helping out Unique Designs:

Melissa and Amanda from Powers Photography

Erinn and Susan of Powers Photography

Celebrations Catering provided a delicious vendor lunch for all of us, and Susan Powers and I got to take a breather together.

And plus, we think that bigger is better, so making our booth taller was so FUN! We really just had a blast, can't you tell?

*Photos via Celebrations Catering, Jemma Coleman Photography, and Amanda from SWOONOVERIT

CONCEPT TO CREATION: ELIN'S GOWN

Erika Gerdemark Photography

This is the first post of a new series where you can follow me as we look at several gowns made from start to finish. We'll kick it off by looking at Elin's gown from our initial consultation to the excitement of her wedding day. It made me so happy to see Elin married in such an enchanted setting in a gown of my creation. The back drop of the rustic old Kalmar castle in Sweden seemed a perfect match for the vintage chic of the 'Mira' Gown she chose.

We started from this sketch planning the ballerina length skirt out of six yards of silk chiffon over a full crinoline underskirt. This Chantilly lace was chosen in ivory for the bodice

Elin's gown was fashioned out of yards of fragile ivory silk chiffon and delicate lace. While most custom gowns crafted by a designer take anywhere from four to six months to complete, Elin needed her gown in two months. Despite the time crunch, we still had enough room for collaboration with decisions regarding fabric, silhouette and style. This was, as most custom gowns are: typically 80-90% handmade. Hand made means machines do some work like the side seams, cross seams, etc. There are however stitches on these one-of-a-kind gowns only expert handwork can touch in order to produce that exquisite finish

With a great deal of hand work, the bodice here is nearly complete. With all linings and boning in place, buttonhole looping has been added to the center back as silk covered buttons are sewn on.







Bodice and skirt have been joined before adding the crinoline underskirt



Voila! Elin's gown is complete with the addition of a separate underskirt and tie belt.

Elin in her gown. Doesn't she look stunning?

Erika Gerdemark Photography

Erika Gerdemark Photography

Some Friendly Competition

We always love a little competition here at MasterPiece, especially when it's a husband and wife doing it for charity!



Photography 35 is in the spirit of giving and have created a fun fall competition for anyone who is interested! They have both chosen their favorite charities and are going against each other to see who can raise the most money! Until October 24th, their normal $150 session fee will be changed to a $25 donation to either the Children's Miracle Network or the Children's Home Society.



We're throwing out our support for both Angel and Gregg, but it's up to you to decide who you want to support! Hurry up and don't miss this exciting opportunity to give back to those in need and have a beautiful family portrait taken!

And don't forget that you can track the contest on Photography 35's facebook page!

THE LIGHTWEIGHTS: A CLOSER LOOK AT SHEER FABRICS

Stephanie Williams Photography

What could be more feminine on a bride than lightweight, sheer fabrics. They have an airy, wispy look and feel that sets a light tone. While we're looking towards Winter, I know a lot of you are contemplating Spring 2010 weddings. Take a look at some of these gowns.

Digital She/Sweet Light Studios
Embossed silk chiffon gown with silk gauze train.

Chiffon-Lightweight and transparent, the delicacy of this fabric makes it best for billowing sleeves, cowl draped necklines, ruffles, ruched bodices and long, airy trains. See-through dresses worn over slips can be made of chiffon. Full skirts in chiffon are ethereal and can be layered.

























Ron Greystar Photography
Lace and chiffon gown with detachable organza train dappled with rose petals

Organza-Shown above and below, organza is a light, springy and transparent fabric. Once considered suitable only for summer, organza is now year-round and widely used in gowns requiring full skirts, A-lines, trains, veils, drapes and overlays.

Stephanie Williams Photography
All over embroidered chiffon dress with full skirt

Ron Greystar Photography
Tulle-Fine mesh netting with hexagonal pattern that comes in silk or nylon. Tulle is standard material for bridal veils. Also used in bouffant skirts like the one pictured above, proffering that ballerina look Vera Wang popularized a few years back. While the big tulle skirt is classic, edgier versions of late suggest special effects like draping, rouching and pick-up treatments over more modified skirt silhouettes. Not to be overlooked for trains done in layers.

All gowns by Amy-Jo Tatum Bridal Couture

A PJ Party!

We have so much fun at MasterPiece Weddings. And I mean that! And after a hard week, I decided that even though we had client appointments, we should have a PJ party at the office. Our clients were asked to wear their PJs to their appointments (and they did!) and we worked as usual, but in comfort (and style... well, a style of of own). 



So when Stewart from Powers Photography found out we were having a Pajama Party he ran over with a camera.... 



You are invited to the MasterPiece Weddings Pajama Party!

First, we decided to try to get some work done... don't we look serious!

 Wouldn't you like to hire Ninja Wedding Planners? Or maybe that's Kung Fu?

Fierce Right!?!?!

We never miss the opportunity to have a few laughs, so the funny faces started to make their appearance:

Watch out, the MasterPiece girls are wild and crazy pillow fighters!

And then sometimes, PJ Parties take a turn and get a little out of control...

We had so much fun and loved taking a break from real life clothes and getting to work in something comfy.



So, next time we throw a party, we better see you there! Thanks Stewart for taking such awesome pictures!

KRISTA AND JEREMY: A DAY IN MONTEREY

Photography

Chyna Darner

Gown
Amy Kuschel

Venue

The Old Whaling Station

Catering
The Grapes of Wrath

Florist

Tempels of Carmel

I've been waiting to run this piece for a long time. Chyna Darner is a photographer whose work follows that flow of photojournalistic style I love so much. She caught Krista and Jeremy's marina wedding story so beautifully with her keen eye for detail . When I first saw these images, I was blown away by the simplicity of Krista's gown by Amy Kuschel. Also the sense of fun shown through this whole wedding is an inspiration . . .

All photos copyright by Chyna Darner Photography