This post is about a store that's very close to my heart.  It's from my home city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. 

We're very excited to present to you this month's Store of the Month –  Bliss Bridal Boutique.  

Bliss Bridal Boutique is operated by a mother and daughter team, Frances and Lore Lionetti who both have been in retail industry in Winnipeg for many years.

Lore was very kind to take the time to tell us more about their beautiful boutique.  

Where is the store located?

Bliss Bridal Boutique is located at 215 Stafford Street.  The building is an actual house that was built in the 40's that has been remodelled into a store front about 16 years ago.  It is an old character neighbourhood with lots of large trees and character homes.  What's great about our location is that there are no other bridal stores within our area, so we consider it more of a destination location.  

Tell us a little about the store?

 Our boutique is quite unique.  Very contemporary with a homie feel to it.  Since it was an older home we have two levels,  the main floor is the show room with all our gowns and the upstairs we remodled bedrooms into three private fitting rooms.  Each room has large mirrors and white leather sofas. 

What inspired you to open up a bridal boutique?

 About four years ago as I was going through the whole search for my wedding dress, I became very disappointed with the customer service, quality and styles.  That is when both my mother and I decided to make a change in the bridal industry in Winnipeg.  That is when Bliss Bridal Boutique was created.  We wanted every girl who was shopping for a dress to feel special and have an experience of a life time.  All my life I knew I wanted to do something in retail.  I had it in my blood!  My parents have owned and operated a mens retailer store for 37 years.  I knew it was my calling, just never knew what direction I wanted to go in.   

What advice would you give to a bride who's just started shopping for her gown?

My best advice would be; to be opened minded.  What you may think you like could be what doesn't fit your silhouette and personality.  Try different silhouettes.  

What style trends do you find brides are doing in your area?

A lot of the Bliss brides are looking for something different.  Raw edges/ textures. 

One last piece of advice you would give you any bride that's getting married?

Don't start shopping unless you are ready or prepared to find the one.  I always find brides tend to start shopping before they're ready.  

Don't want to put you on the spot, but what's your favorite Lis Simon gown?

I've gotta say if I had to choose one gown, it would have to be Erista. 

Thank you Lore for taking the time to answer our questions and showing us your beautiful boutique!   Winnipeg brides are very lucky to have a boutique where they can experience the VIP treatment. 

We also want to thank you for taking the chance in supporting our little line of ours!  

Winnipeg brides,  Bliss Bridal Boutique is the official retailer of the Lis Simon gowns in Winnipeg.  

If you have any questions regarding our gowns please contact Lore or Frances at:

Bliss Bridal Boutique

 215 Stafford Street,  Winnipeg, Manitoba

Tel:  (204) 475-5528

*Appointmens Required.  Please contact Bliss Bridal Boutique to setup yours today!*

If you're like us and live in a country that has all 4- seasons (and one that's extremely long [winter]), then spring is an exciting time of year!  

Grass is growing, flowers begin to bloom,  the tree leaves are getting green…. and invitations start rolling into mail boxes.  

For the stationary feen, invitations can be nearly as fun as bridal gown shopping!   

REMEMBER!

Invitations should be mailed out to guests 6 – 8 weeks prior to the wedding date.  

And ensure that RSVP's should return about 2 – 3 weeks prior to the wedding date.

Now there is a lot of information about etiquette when it comes to invitations, and we would want to highlight an important one that some people don't emphasize enough on:  Attire. 

The Guest Attire

Now,  the last thing you want is your Uncle Bob coming in his jeans and sweatshirt to your wedding.    We all know that these things may happen, but you still want to as politely as you can to prevent it as much as possible.  Since you and your party spend so much time making the wedding look fabulous,  why not have your guests look fabulous too?   Therefore, making note on the invitation on the bottom right hand corner will be a nice warning for your guest to step it up and look fantastic too!

There are 3 main ways to address the attire that we'll describe below,  but nowadays  you can get creative and put your own spin on it.  Such as an all white party, shorts and mini, or country friendly (just to name a few).

To get an idea of what the 3 main attires are for the wedding we had the help of Google and celebrity websites to help us give you a better idea of what you're asking of your guest. 

White Tie:  {Most formal attire of them all!}

Men:  You're looking at black or midnight blue dress coat, matching trousers with one or two narrow strips of braid down the side seams, white cotten stiff shirt, white stiff collar, white bow tie, white vest, black silk socks or stockings,  black oxford shoes.

Photo Courtesy of JustJared.com:  From Left to Right:  David Furnish, Elton John, and Florence Welch.  Our example of WHITE TIE formal wear.

Ladies:  Women are expected to wear full length gowns, bare shoulders may be shunned upon so best to always bring a shawl and gloves if bare, unless you have full sleeves like Florence above.  Luckily us ladies don't have to be so strict to protocal when it comes to dress in white tie. 

Black Tie:  {Most commonly requested}

Men:  A jacket with silk facings (usually grosgrain or satin) on a shawl collar, peak lapel or notched lapel,  trousers with a single silk or satin braid covering the outer seams, low cut vest or black cummerbund,  white dress shirt with french cuffs and cufflinks, black silk bow tie, black socks or stockings silk or fine wool is acceptable, and patent leather pump shoes or leather oxfords. 

Photo Courtesy of New York Times :From Left to Right: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in classic Black Tie attire.

Ladies:  Cocktail length skirts and anything below the knee is appropriate,  as well as sleeveless and strapless necklines.  Of course, a pair of fabulous shoes to go with the ensemble would be highly suggested. 

Semi Formal or Cocktail

{Probably the easiest for guests, but hey it's your wedding-  you want some formality right?}  

Men:  Pretty vague for some, but basically this suggests that you guest can wear a grey jacket with a chrisp shirt without the tie,  a nice pair of trousers and a pair of black loafers.  Men can accesorize with pocket squares if they like, or you can even go and wear linen pants.  Remember with cocktail attire you still want to look sharp and put together.  

Photo Courtesy of JustJared.com:  From Left to Right: Joshua Jackson and Diane Kruger  our example of semi-formal attire.

Ladies:   Just like the men, this type of attire is a little vague but you do want to look great but still respect the bride.  A nice knee length dress/skirt or longer should suffice (Diane Kruger is pushing it a little, but then again she's at a movie premiere and not a wedding), strapless neckline or not is at your discreation, but a little more modesty is always better.  

There you have it,  a nice and entertaining way of understanding guest attire for a wedding.  Remember,  you put so much thought into making this one of the best celebrations of our life.  No harm in asking your guests to share in the formality of the wedding! 

Yay!  Our first "Store of the Month!" post!  

We're super excited about this post, as every month we'll be introducing you to a Lis Simon retailer where they'll share some tips and advice for brides to be.  Given that this is our first post, we wanted to introduce you to a new retailer of ours, the folks at Geny's Bridal in Nashville, Tennessee.  

Geny's Bridal is in an up and coming area known as Sylvan Park on the west side of Nashville.  The name might sound familiar to our Nashville brides as they're the same people that are behind Geny's Wholesale that specializes in floral designs and bouquets. 

Store Manager, Joan Presley was very kind to answer a few questions about Geny's Bridal and share a few photos and advice for brides-to-be. 

What inspired you to open a bridal boutique?

Geny's has been involved in the bridal industry for years by doing flowers, so we found it a unique opportunity to diversify our product line. 

Tell us about the store!

Our decor is an urban quasi industrial feel rather than the haute decore of most bridal salons.  Nashville is a very traditional town but quite cosmopolitan at the same time, in a laid back sort of way.  How confusing is that?! 

What advice would you give to a bride who's just started shopping for her gown?

Keep an open mind about styles.  Try on EVERYTHING! 

What style trends do you find brides are doing in your area?

There are lots of outdoor weddings in the Nashville area.  We see lots of lace and we have noticed an increase in the request for some sort of sleeve or strap on a gown. 

One last piece of advice you would give to any bride that's getting married?

Relax and take time to enjoy your wedding.  It will go by fast.  Make it a point to stop and remember certain moments throughout the day.  Let your mind be in the present. 

Lis Simon’s very own Constance being modelled by Geny’s Bridal for their Grand Opening!

Don't want to put you on the spot, but what's your favorite Lis Simon gown?

That is a hard one!  Constance is certianly a Show Stopper!

Geny’s Bridal showcasing Lis Simon gown Deidre!

Thanks Joan for taking the time to introduce us to your store and being a supporter of Lis Simon.  You have a very lovely boutique and the brides of Nashville are very lucky to have a place likes yours! 

To check out the Lis Simon collection exclusively in Nashville, Tennessee,  please call Geny's Bridal  to set up your appointment today! 

GENY’S BRIDAL
4407 Charlotte Avenue
Nashville, TN 37209
615-269-0177

HOURS:
Wednesday-Friday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Sunday 1 PM to 5 PM 

Woot!  Our 1st Blog Post! 

We're super excited to introduce  Lis Simon's very own blog!  We'll be sharing our brides, readers, and the whole world about our ideas, trends, tips and introduce you to some of the best retailers and bridal professionals in the industry.  This year we're very excited to be introducing our new website for everyone.  Long gone are the days where brides have no access to information about bridal planning, we'll be right here every step of the way asking some of the industry's highly respected professionals on their advice to brides who will be walking down the aisle. 

Thank you for coming on this journey with us as we learn more about planning weddings than ever before!

Make sure you follow us on Twitter our twitter handle is  @lissimonbridal and check our Facebook Page:  Lis Simon Bridal   updates and news!