How To Turn Your Out Of Town Appointment Into A Trip

Welcome back to our “Out Of Town Series”. In this week’s blog post, we are going to focus on how you can make the most of your trip when traveling to your fitting at Brides Of Florida. Many of our brides are not local and are coming from many different places. Some even internationally. It can be a daunting idea to go to a new place to find your dress but the Miami sun should not be that daunting. It’s intended to brighten your day. Quite literally. Coming down to Miami is always a treat. I mean it’s practically summer all year round. And so there are perks to going out of town for your bridal dress shopping. This blog post is gonna go in-depth on how to make the most of this visit to sunny side Brides Of Florida. If you have an upcoming appointment with us, keep on reading to see how you can make the most of it.

Where To Stay

After booking your flight, a nice stay is next. Miami, Florida offers a wide range and selection of hotels. There’s a place for whatever budget you have. Regardless of where you pick, the sun will definitely be on your side. As Miami locals, we have hand-picked some options that cater to all kinds of budgets. Our first budget-friendly pick is the Best Western Plus Kendall Hotel & Suites. This hotel is actually located in front of our Bridal boutique. This is convenient for our budget brides and those looking to make a quick trip to Miami because it is within walking distance and located in the same shopping center. Probably the easiest stay, this hotel will make it very easy for you if you want to avoid any stress too. Since Miami was blessed with such wonderful traffic, choosing a hotel this close can help avoid any kind of traffic that Miami decides to have. Second, we have the Miami Marriott Dadeland. This stay is going to be a little more upscale but well worth it. If you have room to stretch your budget but not break it, this one is for you. Located right near the mall too, this hotel is on some level of mid-luxury but not too crazy. The distance is nice too as it’s only a 16-minute drive. Lastly, we have the finest stay. Miami has many options for nice stays but this one was our favorite. The Ritz Carlton in the Grove ranks third and finest here. As our 5 star option, this hotel is going to give any bride the most luxurious Miami stay. This hotel is also a good choice if you are looking to make a vacation out of this experience.

Where To Eat & Shop

Next, we have some of our best attractions. Miami locals hang, shop, and eat at these places.

For our shopping locations, we have Dadeland Mall, Lincoln Road, and Bal Harbour. These locations have all the stores you’re going to want to shop in. If you don’t have your wedding shoes, you’ll find them at any of our malls. Not to mention, anything else you need for your bach weekend or honeymoon. For a closer local mall, you’ll want to hit up Dadeland. It is relatively close to our Bridal shop and has all the spots. For more luxury, designer shopping you’ll have to travel a bit into the city. Bal Harbour and Lincoln Road are your best bets. Not only will you shop till you drop but you’ll experience some Miami culture. As for eating, the opportunities are endless! Many dining spots are nearby shopping locations that way you kill two birds with one stone. Some location options are Cocowalk, The Grove, South Beach, Brickell, etc. The list can go on but these places definitely have everything you’re looking for. The bars, restaurants, shops -you name it. Miami has it!

Where To Hang 

Now Miami is full of fun hangs but we decided to narrow it down to only a couple of options to not overwhelm you. Our first and obvious pick is the beach. Miami is full of beach options. You didn’t come all the way down here to leave without a tan. Some spots include South Beach, Miami Beach, and South Pointe Park. We get it though. Not everyone is a fan of sand. For our pickier travelers, we’ve chosen museums and gardens that are picture-perfect. You’re bound to get at least 1,000 cool pictures. For this one, we’ve chosen Vizcaya Gardens, Perez Art Museum, and the Wynwood Walls. These places are very popular spots to visit when coming to Miami. And if you’re a foodie, all the places are surrounded by food spots. We can ensure you will not go hungry. 

Miami Must Stops

This last section is a special add-on. Miami is full of life and culture. Visiting here means completely immersing yourself in the Latin culture too. Otherwise, you’re not doing it right. You need a cortadito and a croqueta to begin so to Vicky’s, Sergios, or Versailles to get your fix. After that is the experience and culture of Little Havana. And the great part is that as of 2010, there has been the Little Havana Food & Cultural Tour. Lastly, you’re gonna want to stop by the Miami Design District. This neighborhood is full of art galleries, luxury shopping, and modern architecture. 

That concludes this week’s blog post. We hope you feel more informed and confident about your appointment with Brides Of Florida. As a bride, your engagement season is important. You won’t ever get it again (unless you plan on pulling an Elizabeth Taylor). Life can get stressful. Combining families can get stressful. There are many reasons to be stressed out in this season but you’re the only one who can make the most of it. It all begins with the reframing of the mind. Challenge yourself positively. Choose to have fun every step of the way. In that case, make your bridal appointment to Miami a trip worth remembering. Take our tips, advice, and recommendations. Have a blast. And until next time, happy bridaling! 

Tips For Out Of Town Bridal Appointments

This blog post has been a long time coming and we knew this one was going to take some extra attention. Brides Of Florida doesn’t just sell to Florida brides. We cater to every bride from everywhere! Nationwide, international -you name it! Most of our brides find us through social media and/or any online searching. The reason we have decided to create a blog post dedicated to out-of-towners is because of the many details that need to be taken into consideration. Finding the perfect dress for your bridal look is no joke. As a bride-to-be, you do what you gotta do! No need to limit yourself. It is actually very common to travel for wedding dress shopping simply because big cities carry the big names. And that’s why Miami, Florida is on the list. Sunnyside Miami is a city driven by culture, art, sandy beaches, Cuban cafecito, and Latin American influences. There are plenty of more reasons to come to Miami but for today, let’s focus on the dress. Below we have curated top tips and advice for our beloved out-of-town brides. If this is you, you’re going to want to keep reading! 

Why Shop Out Of Town

Shopping for your wedding dress out of town is a very common thing to do and choosing to shop out of town for your wedding dress has many perks to it. Not only do you get a mini-vacay, but traveling for your bridal look allows you to look at top designers in a metropolitan area. If you come from a small town or any state with not so much traffic, chances are you don’t have many options for wedding dress shopping. In these cases, out-of-town shopping is actually quite necessary. The big names are in the big cities so you have to take the travel plunge. And if you’re an online shopper like most of us these days, you’re gonna have to pop your bubble, meke the long drive, or get on a plane.

How To Prepare 

So it’s decided. You’re coming to the Sunshine State to embark on this wedding dress journey with Brides Of Florida. You’ve made the right choice in choosing us. And yes, we are being biased. As per usual, we have tips for you. How to prepare for this out-of-town venture is crucial. It all depends on your schedule and/or wedding budget. Tickets to Miami can at times be very inexpensive especially if you’re coming from another metropolitan city. Tickets can be about $80 or so depending on the time of year you fly. There are many options for travel though. Some brides do a 24-hour day trip while some extend a little more by 3 days. As mentioned above, it’s important that you have some ideas of what you are looking for. Traveling all the way to Miami takes time and money so it’s important that you have some ideas to get your process started. Now, if you have chosen to extend your trip, then you might as well make the most of it. By that, we mean “local attractions”. Book at a nice hotel, go shopping, hit the beaches, etc. We will have a whole other blog post for these kinds of details but it is definitely something to think about!

What To Expect

This section is probably one of the most important so pay extra attention. There are details that you’re not aware of as a bride who is traveling for her dress fitting and that’s okay. You’re not supposed to know all of this naturally. That is why we are here to inform you. Details as such are found out at your appointment. Decisions will have to be made and thought on that might take you a bit to decide. For instance, once you’ve found your dress, it is time to decide on the alteration/pickup timing. Very rarely can a bride just pick the dress and drive off with it. All of our dresses are samples that have been tried on by other brides. Once you choose your dress, we go ahead and order from the direct designer. This process takes about 6-8 months and will require some visits for alterations/pickup. As an out-of-town bride, you have a couple of options. In rare cases, a bride can purchase the floor sample that day and have alterations taken care of with her own seamstress. Again, a very rare case but possible. A more common alternative is to have a same-day alteration with one of our seamstresses. This will require you to come back to Miami once the dress is shipped to us by the designers. This option is a good one because we ensure that everything is taken care of for you. All you have to do is take another trip to Miami, which for some brides can be a nice getaway before the wedding. The last option for brides is having the dress shipped straight to you with no alterations. This is another popular option especially if you’re on a budget. All the bride would have to do is find a seamstress out of the bridal shop for her alterations. This option is cost-effective and still guarantees that you have a brand new dream dress. These packages are all presented at your appointment but sometimes it’s nice to have a heads up to allow some time for processing. 

We hope this blog post on Out-Of Town bridal appointments answered your questions and perhaps concerns. We know how stressful it can be to plan your wedding and also feel your best self as a bride. That is exactly why we create our blog posts! We strive to have you not only looking your best but also feeling your best because it is your day! That is all for now. Stay tuned for more blog posts on our Out-Of-Town experiences. 

Until next time, happy bridaling! 

Top 7 Must Watch Wedding Movies

Wedding movies are the ultimate way to indulge on a girls’ night, solo night, or pretty much any night in. There are too many wedding movies to count. But below we have curated a list of must-watch masterpieces. They have the perfect recipe of drama, love, and/or a handsome male lead that will charm their way into your heart. Whether you’re currently a bride, a future bride, or nowhere close to being a bride -this list is for you. Thank us later. All of the following films will teach you what to do, what NOT to do, and most importantly give you a reason to laugh and cry no matter what season you’re in. Grab your gals, some popcorn, and enjoy!

1. Bridesmaids 

I coin this one as the “funny wedding movie”. If you want to cry from the specific place of “I’m laughing my pants off”, this one’s for you. Annie is a single woman whose life is a mess but when her long life bestie gets engaged she makes it her mission to be the best maid of honor no matter what. The rival bridesmaid Lillian does not make it easy though. Take a random group of girls whose only thing in common is a friendship with the bride, and you get one of the top 10 wedding movies out there. Not to mention the iconic never-ending maid of honor speech. Every bridal party has the responsibility of prepping for a wedding with this movie. Maybe you’ve experienced this kind of bridal group or are trying to avoid it. Regardless, anything with Kristin Wiig and Melissa McCarthy is an automatic work of art. Add this film to your list. 

2. The Wedding Planner

Let me begin with the most obvious statement of all time -anything with Matthew McConaughey is worth the watch. Any other male lead would not have made this movie eligible for this list. They just wouldn’t. And let’s not forget Jennifer Lopez’s stunning appearance. The chemistry between these two will have you wonder why she ever married Marc Anthony. The Wedding Planner will rank here as the good feel rom-com. It gives you what you asked for, with some drama, love, and predictability. A highlight of the 2000s,  this rom-com exposes the reality of women conflicted between success and the desires of her heart. And when this desire is about to marry someone else, you know you gotta tune in. And yes, McConaughey kinda starts off as a misleading douche but he totally redeems himself in the end which is why we continue watching this movie annually. Grab your popcorn because this is a feel-good.  

3. Bride Wars

Imagine you and your best friend get engaged at the same time. Sounds like a dream come true, right? Except not really. Bride Wars follows the wedding planning season of besties Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway. Sharing everything is fun until you both want the Plaza but the reservation is for a party of one bride only. And you’d never dream of sabotaging your bestie but suddenly watching this movie could give you a couple of petty reasons to do so. Word of advice after watching Bride Wars, don’t get married in June. This second 2000s flick definitely makes the cut. Watch this during your wedding planning season as a what NOT to do. 

4. My Best Friends Wedding

Julia “freakin” Roberts. That is where this movie starts and ends. Any Julia Roberts film is already great. But this particular one is a hard pill to swallow. You’ll probably begin to like it the 3rd time you watch it. It is a 90s top-tier film for any genre. But if you’re looking for a feel-good wedding rom-com, leave the chat now. And let’s not forget Dermot Mulroney as the best friend. Julia is in love with him and so are we. This movie stands out in this trilogy of top wedding movies because it’s not like any other. The one where you find yourself in love with your best friend who’s about to marry someone else. So naturally, you take it upon yourself to break the engagement in 3 days’ time. Totally doable right? The coming of age film for your late twenties that you didn’t ask for. Sad but realistic right? 

5. Mamma Mia

Before you say “That’s not a wedding movie!”, yes it is. What’s better than an ABBA-filled, musical wedding movie. Nothing. Literally, nothing. This plot will romance you as you travel to Greece and take a look into the lives of Donna & Sophia. A thick plot but completely heartwarming and necessary for this list. I mean how would you feel encountering 3 exes in one week? But then again, no one handles 3 men better than Meryl Streep. More importantly, how would you feel finally meeting your father on your wedding week?1 The appropriate response is to break out into song obviously. And then maybe a duet later. Weddings come with so much emotional stress and Mamma Mia shows us that so well. 

6. Four Weddings & a Funeral 

This list would not be proper without a British rom-com. And of course, the moment you read “British” Hugh Grant came to mind. It’s okay, we all have a Pinterest board dedicated to him right? The second 90s debut on this list but the addition of Hugh Grant makes it all the more worthwhile. In lieu of adding another ‘happy go lucky’ film following the instinctual ‘not so happy ending’ trend was necessary with the addition of Four Weddings & a Funeral. Two words that should never be in the same sentence (wedding and funeral) somehow make a very intriguing plot. Hugh Grants and his group of friends pride themselves on being single while secretly trying to find the one. The rest of this film follows this friend group at four different weddings all to end with a tragic funeral. Amidst all that fluff is the longing, vulnerable, and scared Hugh Grant as he falls in love with American princess Andie McDowell. 

7. Runaway Bride

How many times can a bride possibly have cold feet? Julia Roberts can answer that. Around 4 ish times. Richard Gere + Julia Roberts = another hit rom-com. After Pretty Woman, it was obvious these two had to be love interests again. Romantic comedies come in all shapes and sizes though. Runaway Bride is one of those ‘battles of the sexes’ with a strong female lead that keeps you on your toes. Julia Roberts is afraid of commitment and Richard Gere is a journalist who’s ready to write this story until he becomes a part of it. Cold feet and then some -this plot is riveting and emotional. Let’s call it another coming of age in your twenties with Roberts because no one is more relatable than her. 

There you have it. Our Top 7 Wedding movies, that are must-sees. Hopefully, you’ve seen them all. And if you haven’t, it’s time to do some homework. Take your pick of these selections and try not to fall in love with someone else, compete with your BFF or get cold feet. Until next time. Happy Bridal-ing!

It's Trunk Show week! ( February 16-21) ENZOANI

Discover & share this Recording Academy / GRAMMYs GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

It never fails, everytime I say “It’s trunk show week”, you guys slip into the DM’s and ask what on earth is that?? Is there a runway?? Will I take the trunk home? Is it in the trunk of your car? So, here it is, a blog just for you girls that have absolutely no idea what a trunk show is! woohoo!!

But literally, what is a Trunk Show???

A Trunk show is a way for designers to showcase their newest collections in their retailers. It gives you a chance to shop for the newest gowns. Most of the traveling gowns that are in these shows will not be part of the retailer’s inventory for at least 9 months, so, you can literally order a gown before it is even in magazines! T

How long do Trunk shows last?

Trunk shows usually are a weekend long, but we always strive to have them for full weeks since our appointments are limited due to covid.

What are the benefits to coming to a Trunk Show?

Designers are very stern on their prices, so during trunk shows, you get an additional discount on your gown! Discounts approved by them are not extended further than the week of the trunk show, so be ready to fall in love and jump into the gown of your dreams! Also, many of the gowns that arrive are gowns that will not be part of our inventory, so you can get a gown that nobody else will have in your region!

If I am not ready to shop, should I come to a trunk show?

That’s up to you, to be honest. In my experience, I do not recommend to try zillions of gowns, simply because the more you try on, the more confused you get. Also, remember that trunk show gowns can only be ordered during trunk show times!

Our trunk show this week is by our designer Enzoani which is a bride’s favorite for glam trains, sexy cut outs and dramatic laces. Their collection runs from $2500-$6000. Stay tuned for our stories to see more details on these gorgeous gowns!!

I hope this clarified your questions, and if you have any others, you can add them in the comments and I will answer!

See you soon!!!

Mac