BRIDAL FASHION WEEK: TARA KEELY BY LAZARO
April 26, 2012 at 9:54 pm | the dish | No comment
One of our all-time favorite designers here at Blue, Lazaro’s Tara Keely collection was just as stunning as we had anticipated. We saw the delicate lace we’ve grown to love, but in new silhouettes with gorgeous new details like open backs, gorgeous peplums, and great new sashes. Here’s a peek at just a few of our favorites from the new collection. Stay tuned for trunk show details from this fabulous designer. Trunk shows will offered at both our Denver and Castle Rock locations this fall!
BRIDAL BOUDOIR
April 14, 2012 at 8:00 am | the dish | No comment
Here’s a peek at a bridal boudoir photo shoot by Laura Murray Photography featuring one of our favorite Tara Keely by Lazaro boleros. We love the fact that the bolero can still be worn after the wedding and these gorgeous photos prove it!
WEDDING CHICKS FEATURE
April 7, 2012 at 6:12 pm | the dish | No comment
Check out our recent styled shoot, featured on the Wedding Chicks Wedding Blog!
Thinking of adding a little honey love to your wedding? You really can go so many directions with this theme, and Michelle Lemley shows us some incredibly cute ideas to incorporate the sweet stuff into your wedding. Like dressing your bridesmaids in sunny yellow dresses and having some way cute bee worthy wedding florals to go with everything. Courtesy of Pink Posey Design, you have to see more way cute honey bee wedding ideas in the full gallery.
From: Michelle Lemley
Here is how a bride can create a DIY Honey bee wedding. Of course, the best place to start gathering ideas is to find that first inspiration piece. Ours was a gorgeous plate from Anthropologie that had a honey bee in the center. By looking at the accent colors on the plate we came up with colors for the flowers & décor. Those included light green, yellow & black, ivory, and soft gold. Then I was able to find beautiful ribbon to wrap the honey sticks & charming stickers to label the honey jars. As far as décor I was determined to find charming details that would boast a soft & sweet appearance. Enter honey bee napkins holders and honey bee bottle caps. To my delight, I found adorable wooden honey sticks to compliment the honey and tea cups.
The same day I discovered a light yellow teapot with honey bees engraved in the porcelain. We also had vintage white tea cups and plates that were perfect for our tea and honey bar. The florist used black & white ribbon for one bouquet. She also created a one of kind bouquet with yellow rose petals resembling one large rose bouquet with a shimmer of white ribbon. The flowers included daisies, roses, billy balls, gladiolas, and anemone’s. They were simply stunning and one can never go wrong with yellow! Don’t forget about the sweets! Our amazing baker created a fluffy ivory cupcake with a beautiful Ivory & yellow flower on top. Finally, I knew I needed to start looking for the Bride & Bridesmaids dresses. I found a gorgeous yellow dress from Urban Outfitters that had an open back. Then we went to Blue Bridal and found the loveliest Tara Keely gown that incorporated the southern belle/sweetness appeal. The end result was a bright and colorful palette with sweet honey, tea, champagne & a gorgeous sunny day.
Flowers: Pink Posey Design
Photographer: Michelle Lemley Venue: Boettcher Mansion Makeup: Kelsey Zabawa Hair: Alex Sternberg Cake: Little Fig Cakes & Desserts Dress Designer: Tara Keely Jewelry: Nordstroms Shoe Designer: baby phat Models : Cassie Wysel (bride) Marissa Loken (bridesmaid)
MICHELLE LEMLEY
February 21, 2012 at 10:35 pm | the dish | No comment
Sneak peek from Michelle Lemley Photography’s recent photo shoot featuring one of our Tara Keely by Lazaro bridal gowns! Shot at a private cabin in Frisco, Colorado – our gown took a road trip out of Denver for the day, but from the looks of it she had a great time! Thanks Michelle!
{tara keely by lazaro style # 2161, $2,000}
DECISIONS, DECISIONS
February 18, 2012 at 10:30 pm | the dish | No comment
{adam and imthiaz photography}
Shopping for a wedding gown is generally one of the most exciting events in an entire lifetime, which is the very same reason it can be completely overwhelming! There are many suggestions as to where to begin and the possibilities are endless.
“Straps or strapless?”
“What shape is going to make my waist stand out?”
“I don’t want to look like a cake topper, how do I manage that and still look like a bride!”
The easiest way to find a starting point, in our opinion, is by identifying how you want to FEEL. Do you want to feel glamorous, sleek and sophisticated? Do you want to feel fun, dramatic and unique? Do you want to feel like a bohemian Colorado flower child, a fairy, a princess, a fairy princess? Think about how you want to feel, and let your stylist know! Once you have identified that, it’s much easier to narrow down silhouettes, and straps, and lace, and beading, and all the other variables without really having to think about each individual decision. You will realize which details you like gradually, while always having the feel you were going for.
If you already have chosen your venue and are in the process of choosing your gown, let your venue complement your gown, do not let your venue choose your gown! If you are getting married in the mountains outside of Denver, it may be nice to have a very simple lace dress with a shorter train if that is the feel you are going for. In contrast, a bright blue sky is also an amazing backdrop for a fun and fabulous gown with asymmetrical pleating and crystal details, which will make the gown pop even more! It’s your day, there are no rules, and you can never be overdressed because you are the bride!
Another great point to keep in mind is that it’s never too early to start looking! Most designers can take anywhere from four to eight months to actually make your gown from the time you place your order. Add to that, your time frame for trying on enough gowns to make a comfortable decision, several weeks for alterations, and you can see, the earlier you can start looking, the better!
Many bridal boutiques offer trunk shows at the beginning of each season, which is a great opportunity to preview a huge selection of wedding dresses from a specific designer before they are actually available in stores, and many will offer a discount if an order is placed during a trunk show! This is a wonderful opportunity for any bride, no matter how far along she is in the gown selection process. Sample sales are another great time to snag beautiful gowns at ridiculously low prices as the bridal store is making room for the new season. As a general rule, sample sales generally happen towards the end of the calendar year, in either November or December.
The good news is, once your wedding dress is ordered, you have plenty of time to wrap up the other details such as your wedding accessories. Shoes, veils and jewelry usually only take a couple of months in production, so you will have the most time to make those choices. Bridesmaids tend to take a little longer, so it’s good to get started on those as soon as you know what you will be wearing. Keep in mind, depending on how many girls you have in your bridal party, and how many procrastinators you are friends with, it may take some extra time. Most bridal stores will wait to place a maids order until the entire bridal party has placed their order so all the gowns will be cut from the same dye lot.
In our experience girls tend to procrastinate far less than boys do with their tuxedos. Boys tend to be much more last minute if left to their own devices (can you say two days before the wedding anyone?) Most boutiques will get your bridal parties info and do the reminder phone calls for you (preventing any two day before the wedding orders,) so make sure to let them take care of it for you if this is a service they offer. It’s easier for everyone involved, and its one less thing for you to worry about! The easier you can make things on yourself, the better.
Remember ladies, there are no rules on your wedding day other than for you to make amazing memories and HAVE FUN! Although it can be overwhelming, try to enjoy the processes because it is the one, if not the only time in your life where you get to decide everything and nobody can argue with you! Well, they can argue with you, but you don’t have to listen!
TOP TEN 2011
December 31, 2011 at 9:41 pm | the dish | No comment
With 2011 coming to a close, we thought it would be fun to revisit some of our favorite events from the past year. Here is just a small list of some of the moments we wanted to remember:
When we decided to do our first annual gown giveaway last January, we knew it was going to be fun, but we had no idea how much fun it would be! Our winner Jodi, still stops by the shop on occasion just to say hi and thank us for giving her the opportunity to win her dress! We think we had just as much fun, if not more, calling Jodi to let her know the good news! Here’s a pic of the gorgeous Mrs. Jodi on her wedding day!
How could we forget our simply todiefor photo shoot with Steve Stanton Photography. We are still trying to get over the breathtaking elegance captured on this shoot, showcasing some of our absolute fave Tara Keely gowns! This one may just be our favorite photo shoot of all time.
Here is Emily, our bride who came in to be a model-for-a-day! After she ordered her dress, we called her up and invited her to leave her day job and join us for a photo shoot showcasing some of our newest gowns for 2011! We had a blast working with Laura Murray Photography, and our gorgeous La Sposa gowns! Emily ordered a La Sposa gown, but we can’t tell you which one! You will be able to see her actual wedding photos soon, but you can bet she will be just as gorgeous in her own gown. Thanks Emily!!
The fave photo of a Tara Keely gown, taken by Kelli Hunt Photography at Estes Park. This photo really showcases the gorgeous backdrop that Colorado brides are so lucky to have! Not to mention, we still can’t get over how cute that little umbrella is!
We were so honored to be included in the first issue of Aspen Bride Magazine! Here is just a peek, but you can read the rest of the article in the “buzz” section of our website. Photo by adam & imthiaz photography.
A stunning fall-inspired weekend photo shoot, with the talented duo adam & imthiaz photography!
Meeting our favorite new designer for 2012 was definitely a moment to remember. Here is a picture from bridal fashion week when we met Miss Hayley Paige for the first time during the unveiling of her collection! We are so proud to be the exclusive retailer for Hayley Paige in Colorado. We had so much fun when she joined us in Denver for our first Hayley Paige trunk show, and we can’t wait until she can come back again for future shows! We love you Hayley!!!
Best photo shoot by an intern! This styled photo shoot was organized from top to bottom by our lovely intern Alex, and boy were we sad to see her go…come back Alex! Alex is back in Oklahoma now working as a buyer, but luckily we still have these photo shoot memories!
Gown: Rivini “Azalia” $4,445 Ivory
Shoes: Benjamin Adams “Charlize” Swarovski Crystal peep-toe platform $375
Headpiece: Bride’s Head Revisited “105c” crystal and pearl comb $150
Photographer: Angie Wilson
Model: Victoria at Wilhelmina Denver
Hairstyling: Hilary Hackney Hilahac2000@gmail.com
Makeup: makeup by janine
Bridal Bouquet: Bella Fiori Events
What a fun, whimsical photo from adam & imthiaz photography! We love how they always seem to capture those unexpected shots, and yet still showcase the gown and the bride perfectly!
Finally, we can’t forget our Style Me Pretty feature!!! Featuring gowns by Pronovias and Tara Keely by Lazaro and accessories by local designer Sara Gabriel, we love how it all came together.
Photography: Laura Murray Photography / Flowers + Event Design: Pink Posey Design / Location: Villa Parker Cultural & Event Center / Invitations: Dear Emma / Hair + Make-up: Aphrodite Affairs / Wedding Dress: Courtesy of Blue Bridal Boutique / Linens: Event Rents Denver / Wedding Cake: Kelley Kakes
HAPPY 2012!!!
TRIPLE THREAT TRUNK SHOW
December 11, 2011 at 11:07 pm | the dish | No comment
It was a weekend to put in Blue’s history books. It marked the introduction of a new designer to the wedding scene, Hayley Paige, and the arrival of Brides Head Revisited and Tara Keely’s latest 2012 designs. It was a bit of a VIB (Very Important Bride) party, where Denver brides got a sneak peak at the collections and the exclusive chance to be one of the first brides to strut their stuff down there own red carpet runway on their special day.
Proud to be one of Denver’s only bridal store to carry Paige’s designs, not only did she personally sit in during consultations, but was gracious enough to lend us her entire new collection. Yes, straight off the runway! This is what the young innovator had to say about our amazing weekend.
“Blue is the boutique for your something marvelous! Our first trunk show together was not only a celebration of the fun and fabulous bride, but also an indulgence of Denver’s wonderful ambiances. My gowns and I are very excited to have a home there.”
Also fresh off the NY models were the 2012 gowns from Tara Keely by Lazaro. Carrie Edwards, our favorite and amazingly talented JLM stylist, helped brides see Lazaro’s vision first hand as she took the bride through all aspects of design, fabric and during their styling sessions. As one of our most popular designers, Lazaro’s use of glamorous vintage details and floral touches on romantic silhouettes wowed us yet again. He also included one of 2012s hottest trends in this collection, COLOR!
“I was very inspired to bring color back into bridal this year,” Lazaro says. “I included soft shades of Sherbert, Blush and Antique in fabrics like silk satin, silk organza and tulle.”
Also aligning with the vintage trend holding strong through 2012, BHR brings their own variation. Founders Alex and Emily aren’t new to this recently popular design inspiration, BHR’s foundation sits on their shared love of history.
“Emily and I met while working at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art , and for the six years we were there, we were surrounded by the most amazing examples of fashion through the ages.”
The sneak peak of the collection was shown to brides by the accessory aficionado herself, Alex Augustine. She adorned the brides trying on their new gowns with combs strewn with Swarovski crystals and pearls, feathered headbands and polka dotted french veils. Not to mention ,the ladies from BHR created some adorable one of a kind black flowers for all of us to wear during the show! Thanks Emily and Alex!!!
As if the brides weren’t gorgeous enough, we elevated the already elegant ambiance through amazing floral arrangements done by Denver’s own Pink Posey Designs. They even provided the brides with unique rose bouquets touched with heart shaped gems to complete their wedding day look. Picture perfect!
And speaking of pictures we couldn’t have better remembered the day without the pictures captured by Dawn Sparks. Why wouldn’t we pick one of Denver’s A-list wedding photographers! Here’s some great moments she captured.
CITY HALL WEDDING
November 17, 2011 at 3:31 am | the dish | No comment
A gorgeous San Francisco wedding (have you ever seen a more adorable City Hall?) as seen on Style Me Pretty, featuring one of our favorite Tara Keely by Lazaro bridal gowns {Style 2108.} What a charming wedding, and man are we loving those shoes with that Tara Keely dress!
Wedding Photography: Nicole Hill Gerulat / Event Design, Planning + Flowers: Mother of the Bride / Ceremony Location: San Francisco City Hall / Reception Location: Clift Hotel / Invitations: Sugar Press/ Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka + Steve Madden / Wedding Dress: Tara Keely / Wedding Cake:Miette Bakery / Groom’s Suit + Tie: Macy’s / Groom’s Shoes: Allen Edmond / Hair: Chelsea Long
TARA KEELY PHOTO SHOOT
November 17, 2011 at 2:46 am | the dish | No comment
Here is a sneak peek at the Spring 2012 photo shoot for Tara Keely in New York. We are so honored to be the first store in the country to showcase the brand new collection this weekend during our Tara Keely, Hayley Paige, and Bride’s Head Revisited triple trunk show!!
BRIDAL FASHION WEEK: TARA KEELY BY LAZARO
October 23, 2011 at 5:37 pm | the dish | No comment
As expected, Tara Keely by Lazaro was our absolute favorite runway show at bridal market in NY this past weekend. Lazaro never ceases to amaze us with his eye for detail and his contemporary interpretations of classic silhouettes. While we wish you all could have been at the show with us, we will be bringing the show to you this November! Blue will be the first store to receive Lazaro’s newest Tara Keely collection for our trunk show beginning November 18th. We have even secured his stylist Carrie, to fly out for our show and help our gorgeous brides find their perfect gown for the big day! This is by far our biggest and most anticipated trunk show of the year, so book your appointment now to see the styles below, meet Carrie, and save 10% on your gown!
